Maria Bonita's Taco Shop

Authentic Mexican Food, Tepid Service

Food

Service

Atmosphere

On a recent uncharacteristically cool and blustery day in Dubai we pulled up a seat on the terrace of Maria Bonita's in anticipation of some authentic Mexican comfort food.  With the Mexican flag flapping overhead in the breeze and the whiff of sea air coming off the beach just a block away, it certainly felt like we were dining in a little corner of one of Mexico's tropical resorts.  After receiving our menu (we had to track someone down as they didn't seem to notice us), we were promptly served with a basket of on-the-house taco chips and two bowls of salsa.  Being chilli lovers, we promptly went for the spicy one, and it didn't disappoint.  In seconds, we had gone from shivering in the cool air to beads of sweat on the forehead and impatiently waiting for the strawberry marguerita we had ordered.  In the meantime, we cooled our mouths down with the mild salsa, which had a distinctively home-made rich tomatoey flavour.   For our main dish, we ordered Tacos de Maya, the house specialty.  The tacos were  enveloped in soft flour tortillas made in-house, and the filling, although a little oily, was full smoky, earthy flavours reminiscent of wood-fired stoves in cooking huts along La Ruta Maya.  These were definitely not your average fast-food tacos served up at the mall food fair.  A nice, light  Mexican rice pilaf, a dollop of uninspiring baked beans, and a very fresh pico de gallo rounded out the meal.  By this time we were too full for desert and as the service, while adequate, was certainly not inviting (we hadn't seen a smile yet), we decided to pack up and head to the coffee bar next door to while away the afternoon.

Overall, an authentic, reasonably priced Mexican dining experience not easily found in this part of the world.