Believe the Hype About Fuego Maya’s
According to loads of people (including reporters from the Flyer and the Commercial Appeal), Fuego Maya’s restaurant has the best salsa in Memphis. In this case, please believe the hype, because Fuego Maya’s salas is the best salsa I’ve ever eaten. Seriously – the best.
It’s incredibly fresh and chunky. It’s not a big red soupy mess like a lot of salsa – it’s totally possible identify the individual vegetables. The salsa has a little kick to it, but not so much that you’ll drink all of your water before the food shows up.
And when the food shows up, watch out.
Chicken especial from Fuego Maya's, Memphis, Tenn.
I wasn’t sure what to order – the menu is three pages full of standard Mexican restaurant offerings (burritos, chimichangas) and more exotic fare (ceviche, various meats covered in sauce). Our waitress suggested the chicken especial, which is a grilled chicken breast smothered in cheesy sour cream sauce served with rice, guacamole, and an inexplicable piece of very crispy bacon. It was delicious – the cheesy sour cream sauce was so good that I felt like I’d been lied to by every other Mexican restaurant I’ve ever tried. Matthew (my husband) ordered the Chile Rellenos, which he said were absolutely perfect.
Fuego Maya's, Memphis, Tenn.
The restaurant itself is interesting and a little quirkier than, say, El Porton. First of all, there was almost no one there at dinner last night. Secondly, there’s mariachi music playing over the speakers. That’s not so strange, I guess. But every few minutes, the Fuego Maya’s theme music plays, and a man speaking Spanish talks excitedly about the restaurant. Essentially, it’s a commercial for the place that you’ve already chosen to patronize.
Fuego Maya’s has fountain Pepsi products, but skip that and order a Coke instead. They’ll bring you a tall glass bottle full of Mexican Coke, which is made with cane sugar, not corn syrup.
My friend Memphis Jones went to check out Fuego Maya’s for Backbeat Memphis. He’s totally A-list – the mariachi band let him sit in:
The restaurant can be a little tricky to find (especially since their sign was burned out last night). It’s on Macon Road, at the intersection of Macon and Wells Station. It’s in the little shopping center on the North East corner, next to the laundromat.
Go There:
Fuego Maya’s
4308 Macon Road
Memphis, TN 38122
DANG you have good taste!
Great food, friendly service, and the best salsa I have ever had.
Truly the best. I love Fuego Maya’s!
Their guacamole is also wonderful. They make up each individual order as it’s ordered, and it’s chunky with avocado and not too salty. I love their thin, crispy chips. Their fish tacos (sauteed, not breaded and fried) are very good, but very small, and they come with shredded lettuce rather than cabbage. (If you have a hearty appetite, order at least 3.)