Maria's Mexican Restaurant

Location

75 W. Main St., Webster, NY 14580

Hours (as of April 2011 per website)

Tuesday:  11:00AM to 2:00PM, 5:00PM to 9:00PM

Wednesday & Thursday:  11:00AM to 3:00PM, 4:00PM to 9:00PM

Friday: 11:00AM to 10:00PM

Saturday: 4:00PM to 10:00PM

Sunday & Monday: Closed

Phone

585 872 1237

Website

http://www.MariasMexican.com/

Facebook

Reviews

CitySearch.com

TripAdvisor.com

Maria's is a Mexican restaurant located in the lower level (basement) of the Old Church Mall, a retail building converted from an old church in Webster. Driveway on right side of building, parking and entrance in the rear.

Comments:

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2009-02-04 14:47:52   I have a general rule that I never eat in Mexican restaurants north of the Mason Dixon line. After now living in Rochester now for 16 months my wife have developed the saying "it's good for Rochester". Salena's is "good for Rochester" but so far that is the only passable Mexican cuisine we have found here. Unfortunately, coming here from Dallas TX and as one who travels extensively, there is no real good Mexican in this town. —guitarguy

2009-03-21 20:13:20   My wife and I read the mostly negative reviews of this place but went anyway on a friend's strong recommendation. We honestly wanted to like the place but unfortunately found the reviews to be more accurate than the friend. In all fairness, I have to say that I enjoyed my own dinner (the chicken mole enchiladas were tasty) but my wife's order was not correct - she had ordered chicken enchiladas and got beef instead. Although she was little disappointed, she was OK with this, which was good, because sending it back was not an option - unless we wanted to wait a couple of hours for or server to appear. We saw our waitress Valery only when she took our order. Someone else brought the food. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Since we had no place to be, we made an experiment of seeing how long it would take for someone to notice our credit card waiting on the corner of the table. Somehow the party of four who came in after us had gotten their food way ahead of us and were long gone as we were still waiting for someone to acknowledge us. After a half hour sitting at a bare table with empty glasses we gave up. We finally had to get up and walk over to someone at the cash register to pay. The guy who rung us up said nothing when I mentioned the lengthy wait. And yes - they DO charge for chips and salsa they automatically set on your table when you're seated. My strong advice would be to go to Monte Alban in Irondequoit instead. —guitardude

2009-03-28 12:12:49   *sigh*

You just can't trust anyone in Rochester to recommend Mexican food (myself included).

Some nice folks (originally from California!) recommended Maria's. It was a colossal disappointment.

Take away the mystique of a restaurant in an old church, and you have nada. —ZachSmalt

2009-04-30 19:22:04   Have been here several times as it seems people we're dining with always want to try it. The negative reviews are largely correct as it's not that impressive. Service can be horrible - slow in general and virtually non-existent when they're busy. Waiting for tables/trying to get out of the place is awkward as the door/waiting area is small and I always feel like we're getting in the way of the waitresses and other customers. However, I have had some nice, fresh guac there (their chips are a bit too thick in my opinion) and they have the best mole sauce in town. The mole compares very well to mole I ate all the time while living in Mexico. So, since the restaurant experience has always been very bad, I now call in our orders for chicken mole enchiladas and do a carry-out. —JJMO

2009-05-05 11:36:05   WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!????

Are you people serious? Really? REALLY?? I just moved from California (Berkeley actually - so I am used to some pretty good food - especially good Mexican). I've also traveled to Southern Mexico, and fell in love with the real authentic stuff. Let me say...I've been here for a year now, and thought Monte Alban in Irondequoit was the best I could get on this side of the country (which is very sad considering it is way too salty, and tastes like taco bell). I recently discovered Maria's and had to go back to the kitchen to thank the chef myself. I go all the time now, and can't get enough. I've never experienced slow service there, or food any less than spectacular. And yes, the mole with guacamole is phenomenal!! Everything is made from scratch, the tortillas alone would be worth it...all fresh and grilled. Mmmmm... I'm hungry just thinking about it.

I can only imagine that all these bad reviews are from people who have never been out of Crapchester and don't know what good food is. At least not good Mexican!! Maria's is even more authentic than some of my favorite restaurants in CA. Eating there almost makes it worth it to be stuck in this godforsaken hellhole of a town.

***Hint***
Maria's may under salt some of their food, which is how restaurants SHOULD do it. I've noticed that a lot of Rochester "restaurants" salt their food so much it becomes inedible. If you find the flavor a bit bland a sprinkle of salt brings out the fresh natural delicious flavors quite nicely.

As for the decor...I am a designer and so I realize that Maria's is not some trendy spot as far as decor goes. So WHAT??!?! It feels like walking into a quaint little restaurant in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. It's just perfect in every way - from their friendly servers to their sweet and kind bussers. It's also very vegetarian friendly.

Okay...gotta run to lunch at Maria's with my friend from Puerto Rico. Yup, she loves it too. —EmilySandstrom

2009-06-30 17:46:14   The secret has seemed to have gotten out about this place and it is now very hard to get a seat. In turn, the service has started to lack.

I remember going to Maria's back in the day when the bartender was this old guy who whipped up the best margaritas in the world and he knew it. The waitresses were chock full of sass and the food was ungodly delicious. I particularly remember one Cinco de Mayo where it was just crazy in there. I think even the waitresses were dipping into the margaritas. Everyone was laughing and having a blast. It was one of the best dining experiences I've had.

Today, the bartender seems to hate his job and the younger (newer staff) seem more interested in each other than anything else. They're pimping Kid's Meals. Sure, the old waitresses are there but the sass is gone. They know they've made it and, maybe (just maybe), they're going to rest on their laurels for awhile. Can I blame them? No.. They've worked their butts off to afford that Porsche in the parking lot. Is the food still good? Yes, but inconsistencies are mounting.

I guess it was bound to happen. The guard is starting to change. I'll keep going to Maria's but I'm beginning to be convinced that it will never be that scrappy, underdog restaurant doing it's best to make it big. —BatGuano

2009-07-21 14:01:51   Living in Tucson, traveling in Mexico, eating plenty of the real-deal Mexican food off of carts, in cantinas, and in fancy restaurants, Maria's has always been and may always be, the closest thing to abuela slapping tortillas in the corner watching her telenovela as you're going to get in Rochester. Consider ourselves lucky. Give me Maria's shredded beef taco any day of the week. I only wish they'd bring tamales back to the menu. —KRMartin

2009-07-25 19:00:59   Fantastic restaurant - We went about 6 pm on a Saturday night and got seated immediately, attended to quickly and our meal arrived very fast, and very hot. The sauces they use are more complex than you might find at other Mexican restaurants, consequently I was very impressed. A great standout was the Hole Mole - the thickness of the chips and the cheese make a great combo, and the guacamole is fantastic. Portions are good and reasonably priced. Love the ambiance, love the location, and the service and staff were fantastic. —MarcusKroll

2009-10-17 15:12:20   I am flabergasted by some of these negative comments. I have been going to Maria's for as long as I can remember (and that's a long time). I actually remember going to the "disco" in the old church above Maria's. Ah, reminiscing. Getting back to the subject. I grew up in San Diego. My idea of a weekend get away was driving 45 minutes into Mexico and enjoying some real Mexican food prepared the way it should be prepared. It was the best. When I moved to Rochester, I was brought to Maria's to try their food. Instantly, I felt at home. The food was fantastic. The servings sizes were huge. The drinks exceptional. I think the true mexican food lovers will always love Maria's. The people who think and even mention "Taco Bell" should never travel to Mexico and I feel they will be very disappointed...unless the stay in (the Americanized city) Cancun.

If you tuly want a treat and exceptional food, try Maria's. Be ready for something different, but wonderful. Put yourself in a little cantina in Ensenada listening to the distant waves of the ocean. It's the restaurant that everyone talks about that is tucked out of the way, but is a gem when you find it. That's what it brings me back to, and I hope that you have the same experiences that I have had for so many years.

I am going there tonight and I now live 45 minutes away. I have tried other places around and there are a couple that are not too bad. But this is truly an experience you have to have. Once you have had it, you will be spoiled for any other Mexican, unless you actually go there.

Buenos Suerte! —dplunkett

2009-10-17 15:23:26   One more thing about the "slow pace." That's one of the reasons I love Maria's. I don't want to be rushed in and out of a restaurant. I want to savor the ambiance and enjoy the company of the people I am with. If you want a quick meal...don't go to Maria's. If you have ever been to Mexico, you know that the people are very laid back and slow paced as part of their nature. So, expect to spend some time and enjoy your meal and the people who you have brought and your drinks. I think we as a nation are in too much of a rush, even on a Saturday night. We need to be much more relaxed and you will learn to enjoy life so much more. It seems that the expectations that some of the diners here who have posted have a misguided understanding about the Mexican culture as there are too many chains of Mexican Food...oh but wait, they don't make it here either. Chi Chi's is gone, I think Don Pablo's has come and gone too. It tells me that the true Mexican lovers support great places like Maria's and the other real Mexican restaurants. (If you are a west-sider and dont have the time to drive to Webster, try Chilango's in Spencerport. The chef is from Mexico City and makes some great guacamole.) —dplunkett

2009-10-27 16:29:26   Went to Maria's again recently with some more friends who wanted to try it. Apparently word gets around about their food being good - which is great for Maria's. However, as has been our past experiences, the service was lacking. While very friendly, it was too slow. To talk about the "slow pace" is fine for when you're actually enjoying the food/drinks. However, to have to wait nearly an hour for food to reach the table is bad. Having lived in Mexico and receiving wonderful, fast service in the restaurants there, reading over-generalizations making it sound like bad service should be acceptable because it's some kind of "laid back" Mexican culture thing that Americans just don't understand isn't going to cut it with me. We never expect miracle service when we go out to eat and are very patient people but it is not "misguided misunderstanding" to expect the food you ordered to arrive in at least a somewhat timely fashion. As far as the food this night, it was good just as it usually is. Once again, their wonderful mole was the night's stand-out among our dishes. —JJMO

2009-10-28 19:36:11   In my last review, I complained about the service (ever so slightly). We went recently and the service was better and the food was as spectacular as always. I love this place. —BatGuano

2010-02-09 17:21:46   I go there once a week, at least. Love their home-made taste and the quality of their salsa. We go there for lunch, and been going for years now. Love the place.

Only wish they had a better location —EmRosario

2010-04-20 14:54:05   The food here is pretty darn good. I wish I could say the same for the margaritas - which were served not on the rocks or frozen, but lukewarm. The menu is limited and you pay for extra chips and salsa. The food is fairly authentic Mexican and, if it hadn't been for the very sobering un-Mexican prices and lack of jalapenos on the table, I might have even thought for a moment I had crossed the border. Oh well. The place isn't perfect, but I will definitely eat here again. —ChristineH

2010-07-25 17:06:11   This place was highly recommended by a "friend." Between the cobwebs on the lighting fixtures, the grime on on the tile floor near the walls, and a VERY disappointing, inauthentic meal, virtual non-service - I won't return. —leefoster

2010-08-26 21:14:47   I can't understand the negative comments at all; Maria's food is awesome and completely worth the wait. I totally disagree about the comment about it being dirty - it isn't. —MaryMalone

2010-11-08 13:32:25   have been going here for years...the food is great, but the service isn't last time we went we didn't have one dish cleared from our table
(4 dinners and 1 Holy Mole') even after they left the check on our table Our friend found out they charge for Tortillas when you order the Fajitas...

—Ikiwcor

2010-11-12 22:07:30   Drove past the place once before realizing that it's hard to see the sign from the street at night and that you have to drive to the back of the building to park, where there is a brightly lit sign showing the entrance. Waited 20 minutes for a table which is understandable for a Friday night at 7PM and it turned out to be worth the wait. Started with a straight shot of Don Julio Añejo - they have a decent selection of tequila and it was $1.75 cheaper than at Blue Cactus. Had a nice salad of sliced avocados on a bed of leafy greens, some iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, sprouts and crunchy cucumbers which I chose to eat with fresh squeezed lime and oil and vinegar. My entree was a Blanco y Negro - two chicken enchiladas, one with a cream sauce and the other with mole, accompanied by beans and rice. Very tasty! The menu does not have a huge selection of entrees compared to Monte Alban, but that's fine because it's done right. My husband and I split a Kahlua Pie for dessert which was yummy, not too sweet. Hard to believe some of the previous negative comments. A thumbs up for this place. —KairakuShugisha

2011-03-06 08:29:34   D+ Went to Maria's last night. 9 for the food but NEGATIVE 10 for the service. Even though the food was good I won't be returning. Valerie greeted us politely at our table pretty much just to take our order, about 8 minutes after being seated. Our food came pretty quickly and was quite good. Valerie came back when our glasses were empty and we order two beers she started walking away, there was a third person in our party that she ignored, we yelled for her to come back and take his drink order. We finished up our meal and sat and sat and sat with dirty dishes in front of us, I had to stack them up to get them out of the way and then we sat and sat some more. Turns out Valerie apparently left. UNACCEPTABLE! a guy that appeared to be a manager gave us our check. Very unfortunate but there are other good restaurants in town that will take my money have good food and treat me well. —NewtonNola

2011-04-12 18:50:42   What a shame. Service was terrible. Food was good. Wouldn't recommend it if you appreciate good service and atmosphere. —BarbaraFisher