Playa Del Carmen - Welcome to the Jungle

After the great pampered life of Royal Hideaway, it was time to hit the streets and experience some real Mexican food. Like I said before, it is quite difficult to find authentic food in Playa, but we managed to find some when you venture off of 5th avenue.

Yaxche - Recommended
8th St. between 5th. and 10th. Avenues
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Phone: +52(984)873 2502

Great change of pace from the American Mexican food of 5th avenue. Yaxche serves Mayan cuisine which is the food of the great Mayan civilization...you know, the time of Mr Apocolypto. Food was very tasty and a good sign is when the salsa's are stupid spicy like this place...no gringo salsas for me por favor. The turkey roulade thing with ground beef and hard boiled egg was the winner for me. A great combinations of textures and flavors - got shredded turkey meat as well as juicy breast meat with the rich roasted pepper sauce. The corn thing takes a while to get used to since it's not sweet and juicy like Jersey corn. More a chewy dry thing...

Our Menu
Moloch - Combo Platter with
Boxito (shrimp taco in roasted pepper sauce) *
Pibxcaic (pepper stuffed with pork - cochinita pibil) **
Tsotolbilchay (corn bread filled with chaya egg and pumpkin seed) *
Nal (corn on the cob)
Tsic (lobster taco) *

Turkey stuffed with ground beef and hardboiled egg **


Alux - Highly Recommended (for atmosphere)
Av. Juárez, Mz. 12 Lote 13A
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Phone: +52 (984) 803-0713

Found this place from the chowhounders...they rule! Basically this restaurant/lounge is inside of a cave. Food was pretty good, but I am highly recommending this more for the environment since it's pretty awesome eating/drinking inside of a cave. The mayan crepes were the winner here with a rich sweet creamy sauce...it's basically a quesadilla with a soft corn shell - thicker than a tortilla, but they can call it whatever they want. It's very tasty.

Our Menu
Mayan Crepes **
Sampler - Pork, Turkey, Chicken Tostadas *


Kool Fish - Highly Recommended
Nueva 5ta con 38 Notre
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

We randomly found this place outside of our hotel (off the beaten path) and we are so glad we did. Definitely, one of the favorites of the whole Playa trip. A local joint with surprise, surprise...actual locals. Food here is great and a revelation on what a gordita should be (not the taco hell stuff we're used to). Crunchy outside and soft on the inside sweet corn casing, the sweetest and most tender shrimp, and gooey cheese. This thing was off the chain good. Italians always frown upon the seafood and cheese combo, but if they had this gordita they would 100% change their mind. The other really amazing thing was the Ojo Rojo...basically, tomato juice, chiles, salt and limes mixed with beer. So f'n sick...kinda like a bloody mary but 100 times better. The tomato juice mixture is called sangrito and it's served alongside tequilla and mezcal as well. Going to attempt to make the Ojo Rojo and the Gordita somehow....

Our Menu
Baby Shark Empanada *
Camaron En Rajas Con Queso Gorditas ***
Quesadillas de Camaron (shrimp) **
Ojo Rojo ***
Fish Soup **


La Cueva del Chango - Recommended
Calle 38 (between Av. 5 and the beach, near the Shangri-la Caribe)
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Phone: +52 (984) 116-3179

Saw this place on an episode with Rick Bayless and Jacques Pepin. A quaint little place near Kool Fish that basically feels like your eating in the jungle. The dinner was good, but the breakfast is definitely better. Standouts for me was actually the Habanero cream soup...tasted like a really nice cream of mushroom soup with this fruit heat thing going on with the Habanero...100% making this sometime.

Our Dinner Menu
Habanero Cream Soup **
Chicken with Ancho Chili Almond Sauce *
Fish Filet with Mole and Plaintain

For breakfast, the huevos and the accompanied potatoes were perfectly cooked. Another surprise is the papaya lassie I got...I always thought that was an Indian drink, but hey it tastes good. Fresh papaya, yogurt, but not sweet at all. Just natural tasting goodness....

Our Breakfast Menu
Huevos Rancheros *


Dr Taco - Highly Recommended
Av 10 entre Calle 8 y 10
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Another recommendation from one of Jacques Pepin's articles. This place was unbelievably good and another good sign, no gringos there. The shrimp burger was probably my favorite thing this whole trip. Buttered hamburger buns, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, crispy and somehow soft cheese with perfectly cooked sweet succulent shrimp. I could have eaten 5 of these things. The other tacos were good, but not great. The chowhounders really recommend the fish taco, but to me it's not that great - crisp and juicy, but underseasoned. Better, however, after adding salsa...Make sure to get the hibiscus agua fresca while you're there. Kinda, like a sweet tea....water steeped with hibiscus giving it a nice flavor and making it very refreshing - also pleasantly sweet.

Our Menu
Shrimp Burger ***
Chicken Taco *, Calamari Taco, Vegetable Taco *
Fish Taco
Agua Fresca **