Luna Maya

Reviews 6

GE

Geo Speech

Worth the Wait! After years of being aware of this place, the opportunity to visit finally came. It was worth the wait! Beyond any shadow of doubt, it is one of the jewels in the crown of Ghent eateries, adding serious weight to the words unique and authentic. As you walk in, the main dining area is a wide open, welcoming space with a very tall ceiling. Right off I felt relaxed and ready to dig into some good food. As always, drinks are first. I tend to look for local brews on tap. I like it fresh and they had something right up my alley. The theme was kept in line with a choice tequila. Next were the chips and salsa. Both were extraordinary. The chips were thicker than usual with a deep corn taste. The salsa had a chipotle mixed in which gave it that signature smoky taste but without the heat. We also added some fresh guacamole. It had the typical ingredients but it was the tastiest weve had in the area. For the main course, we had the vegetarian tamale and the mushroom quesadilla with a side of jalapeno cornbread. They both came with a hefty serving of rice and black beans. You havent had tamales like this anywhere in Hampton Roads. If youre familiar with the taste of fresh, sweet corn straight off the stalk, this will take you there. As a bonus, niblets of corn were speckled throughout. I could go on, but you go there instead. If youve had mushroom quesadilla before, you have an idea of what to expect. However, the mushrooms got a proper treatment of a marinade that just made the taste like no other. They were nice and thick and full of texture as well. The jalapeno cornbread was simply a treat. It was very succulent. It came in two slabs cut and presented fancifully on a saucer. It was as moist as a cake but savory and sweet at the same time. For those who cant stand too much heat, the jalapenos did not register. They offered flavor without the sting. Last but not least, the service was commendable. Our server was patient and accommodating. One thing for sure, it will not be years again before I return.

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LU

Lucy Hundley

I LOVE Luna Mayas food. I crave it, I think about it, I keep the restaurant on my short-list for visiting friends and family and romantic date nights with my boyfriend. The food is amazing. But a few recent trips have me feeling less and less excited to claw my way through that 200 pound door. The problem with Luna Maya is its hostess staff. In the past theyve refused to sit four people (of a party of six) until the entire group arrived. While frustrating, Ive been more than willing to wait it out with the lovely bartenders over a few mojitos. Then at the end of summer the hostess refused to seat my boyfriend outside because she was "saving" two-person tables for parties of four (another reviewer mentions this below). During my last visit, the hostess told my party of 8 that our names were on the list and we would have about 45 minutes to wait. We order a few rounds of drinks, queso and quac and immediately close out so we can be ready to sit as soon as a table becomes available. About an hour in, we ask the hostess about the status of our table and she pops off: "Uhm. The table is ready whenever YOU decide to close your tabs. Weve been waiting on YOU." Uhm - okay? We tell her the entire party has closed out and are led to a hastily thrown together table in the backroom. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to walk into this establishment (excited for friendly waitstaff service, fantastic bartenders and delicious food) only to be totally thrown off every time by such an unfriendly hostess station. Luna Maya, please reevaluate the hostess area; youre so close to perfection!

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FR

Fred Brooks

I was so excited to come back here after months of craving the stuffed poblanos! The food was still incredible and 5/5 stars in my book. I also tried the cilantro chicken tacos, which were really good and not too dry. There was plenty of food and lots of good flavor in the various toppings for the tacos. There were a couple things of note that were a bit disappointing and tempted me to drop a star. First, the poblanos were significantly smaller than last time, which was sad to see. Second, the service was not optimal; I came with a large group and luckily we were able to squeeze at the community table. We were initially told the wait would be 45-60 minutes, but were then told that itd be an additional hour of waiting after we had already been waiting at least 30 minutes. All the time, there was a perfectly empty large table that sat empty when we arrived and remained so for 45 minutes. The wait for the food after ordering was not bad at all, but there definitely needed to be several reminders to the waitstaff of what food was missing, and there was still a couple of errors in the food that was brought out. Side note: our waitress was really (almost aggressively) on top of water refills, which was both entertaining and appreciated.

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A

A Private User

Let me begin by saying that the food here is most always terrific. That said, the dining area is extremely small and you will have to enjoy sitting VERY close to other tables. Forget private conversation! The staff also seems to have a rule about seating. There are four tops and two tops and, while all of the tiny two-seat tables are movable, NO effort will be made to seat a party of two, if only four tops configurations are open! They make it clear that you can wait or leave! This exact scenario happened to my wife and I last night. We left. On a previous occasion, we had such an arrogant bad waiter - also the bartender that evening - that we asked for a different waiter. Even though we requested it, no manager or owner got involved. After that experience, I called the owners three times to share this experience, but never received a call back. As noted, this place has great food, but be willing to put up with a compromised dining experience. We eat here once it while, but usually make another choice.

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TA

Taylor Stimson

I let the server know immediately I have a gluten allergy and I was assured their food is gluten free. I spent over $100 here thinking they had great gluten free food. Well the only thing that was good was the guacamole but I got glutened by everything I ate. The entrees were nasty. I got a huge thing of guac to go to eat at home the next day. I started feeling a little better by morning then around noon I ate more guacamole with their corn chips that came with it and sure enough I got glutened bad again. I got the chorizo enchiladas and the chipotle chorizo enchiladas and the seasoning was gross. I was very disappointed with the food then to have such a bad reaction to the food was even worse. My husband called them and let them know I got a bad reaction and the managers didnt seem to give any cares. They got their money and thats all they cared about. I wish I could give no stars and still give a review.

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NI

Nif Tux

I remember the first time I went to Luna Maya, my thoughts were that this is where all the beautiful people go lol. The restaurant is very nice - looks rustic, modern inside, with dim lighting and is quite busy. Basically a great mood setter for a date. You can make reservations, but depending on the night it may not be necessary. The food is good, mexican influenced, and they have flavored margaritas, but only on the rocks. In summer they have an outdoor patio as well, which is lit with a lot of little bulbs. Once again, this place is great for its setting, the food is great too, but Id almost say its secondary.

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