Gran Maya Mexican Restaurant, located at the former Big Boy location at 497 North Zeeb Road in Scio Township, recently opened and acquired its liquor license. It offers a fresh twist on guacamole Mayan decor and specialty entrees.
We ordered some unique dishes we had not frequented at other Mexican restaurants in the area and enjoyed them thoroughly. We also shared Texas Fajitas and guacamole Casero and tried a couple of Margaritas.
We could smell the Texas Fajitas as the waiter approached our booth before he served them. The Texas Fajitas contained three different proteins, all succulent and perfectly cooked: shrimp, chicken and beef, along with bell peppers and onions. The proteins tasted like they had been marinated, and the veggies tasted like they were grilled outdoors. Interestingly enough, Fajitas reportedly originated with “vaqueros,” which translates to cattlemen who would put undesirable bits of meat together over an open flame and put them in tortillas. It is now a popular Tex-Mex dish.
The “Guacamole Casero” was also enjoyable. This is a Spanish term for “house guacamole,” but it was served in large chunks instead of smoothed. It almost tasted like a ceviche variation with a marinated lime sauce without shrimp or fish, which were not missed. It was more like a chunky salad. All the veggies were bursting with flavors, and the avocados used were perfectly ripe and nicely balanced with equal amounts of tomatoes, cilantro and onion.
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Their menu includes other popular Mexican dishes like molcajete, specialty burritos and seafood. Their “molcajete” on their website menu includes chicken, steak, shrimp, chorizo, cactus and fried jalapeños in one of their authentic lava stone bowls.
Some of their lunch specials are very reasonable, around $10, offered most days. They offer complimentary chips and salsa.
Their margarita menu is also extensive. We really enjoyed the “Jamaica Margarita,” which featured coconut rum, sour mix and blue curaçao.
The atmosphere and the staff are welcoming and warm. Much of the decor is reportedly custom-made for the restaurant from Mexico. There are also many allusions to Mayan culture.
For instance, it looks like a Mayan calendar was on the wall. The Mayan calendar is particularly notable in mathematics because of its integrated and artistic representations and images with a base-20 system called vigesimal.
There are also images of Mayan warriors in the restaurant and beautiful wood accents and engravings.
This is reportedly a family-run business with five partners, who also have associations with “Mi Zarape” in Saline and “El Tapatio Taqueria” on Carpenter Road.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
