The Mayan Cafe

Name: The Mayan Cafe
Address: 813 E Market St, Louisville, KY, 40206, US
Telephone: 502-566-0651
Price range: $$$

Yucatecan$$$

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Mon–Sat 5pm–10pm

813 E Market St, Louisville, KY 40206
502-566-0651
Last verified: September 2026
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A Yucatecan entrée in a bright red achiote-tomato sauce topped with pickled red onions and lima beans, plated on a white bowl at The Mayan Cafe in Louisville

Starters

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Salbutes of the Day
- Signature
2 housemade flash-fried corn tortillas made with fresh masa, topped with daily special
Scallop Ceviche$17.00
- Signature
- Gluten-free
Wild-caught bay scallops, poblano-serrano vinaigrette, cucumber, roasted corn, onions, cilantro, malanga chips
Guacamole & Chips$15.00
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
Avocado, radish-jalapeño-cilantro salsa, corn tortilla chips
Sikil Pak$12.00
- Signature
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
Pumpkin seeds, roasted tomatoes, cilantro, corn tortilla chips
Frijol Colado$14.00
Creamy black bean dip, local chorizo, chihuahua cheese, jalapeño purée, corn tortilla chips
Dip Trio$35.00
Guacamole, sikil pak, frijol colado, corn tortilla chips
Empanadas$15.00
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Black beans & Capriole Farms goat cheese, poblano-cilantro aioli, cabbage & tomato salsa, queso fresco
Summer Salad$15.00
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Watermelon, jicama, chayote, oranges, mint, feta cheese, currants, pepitas & cashews, mint-coconut-ginger vinaigrette

Entrees

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Mole of the Day
- Gluten-free
Locally-sourced, sustainably-raised meat, Veracruz chocolate mole, roasted broccoli
Cochinita Pibil$28.00
- Signature
- Gluten-free
Slow-roasted pork, achiote sauce, tok-sel lima beans, pickled onions, kale
Papadzules$29.00
Local braised lamb shoulder, housemade tortillas, chihuahua cheese, pipian verde, local soft-boiled egg, sour cream, kale
Halibut$40.00
- Gluten-free
Wild-caught halibut, creamy mojo de ajo, roasted cauliflower & currants
Mushroom Enchiladas$25.00
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Housemade corn tortillas, mushrooms, black beans, chihuahua cheese, tomato casera sauce, queso fresco, kale & frisée
Salmon$34.00
- Signature
- Gluten-free
Patagonia salmon, cuitlacoche sauce, tok-sel lima beans
Harvest Toss$25.00
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
Quinoa, roasted broccoli, carrots, squash, green beans, red bell pepper hummus, currants, cashews & pepitas (add salmon $10)
Chuleta$32.00
- Gluten-free
Grilled 12 oz. pork chop al pastor, pipian rojo, chile-glazed carrots
Pollo Tampiqueña$29.00
- Signature
- Gluten-free
Achiote-marinated boneless chicken thighs, rice, black beans, roasted peppers-onions-avocado salpicon, jalapeño purée on the side
Tacos de Lengua$25.00
- Gluten-free
3 handmade corn tortillas, braised beef tongue, onions, cilantro, mashed avocado, habanero sauce on the side

Menu items and prices are approximate and may have changed — call the restaurant to confirm.

Dishes to know on this menu

Cochinita pibil: A Yucatecan preparation of pork seasoned with achiote and citrus, traditionally cooked slowly using the pib, an underground oven. Restaurant versions are commonly wrapped in banana leaves and roasted until the pork can be shredded. Pickled red onion is a classic accompaniment, as is habanero salsa for anyone who wants considerably more heat. On this menu as: Cochinita Pibil.
Lengua: Beef tongue cooked slowly until very tender, then sliced or diced for tacos. Some taquerías finish it on the griddle for browned edges. Despite its reputation among unfamiliar diners as an "adventurous" filling, lengua is prized for its soft texture and rich beef flavor. On this menu as: Tacos de Lengua.
Tortillas: corn vs. flour: Corn tortillas begin with nixtamalized corn masa that is pressed and cooked on a hot surface. They have ancient roots in Mesoamerica and remain fundamental to cooking throughout much of Mexico. Flour tortillas have a long history in northern Mexico, especially Sonora and Chihuahua, and became equally important to border and Mexican-American cuisines. Hecho a mano means "made by hand" and usually indicates tortillas formed or pressed at the restaurant. On this menu as: Corn Tortillas.
Enchiladas: Tortillas filled, rolled or folded and served with chile sauce or another sauce. Corn tortillas are traditional, but preparation varies widely by region. Rojas use a red sauce, while verdes use a green sauce. Enmoladas replace the chile sauce with mole, and enfrijoladas use a bean sauce. Enchiladas suizas are typically topped with a creamy green sauce and melted cheese. Tex-Mex enchiladas developed their own traditions, including versions topped with cheese, chile con carne or chile gravy. On this menu as: Mushroom Enchiladas.
Mole: Not one sauce but an enormous family of sauces built from combinations of chiles, spices, seeds, nuts, fruits, herbs and other ingredients. Some contain chocolate; many do not. Puebla is famous for mole poblano. Oaxaca is particularly celebrated for its variety of moles, including dark mole negro and green mole verde. Mole is commonly served with poultry or other meat, accompanied by rice and tortillas, but both recipes and uses vary widely. On this menu as: Mole of the Day.
Ceviche & aguachile: Ceviche combines seafood with citrus juice and ingredients such as onion, chile, cilantro and tomato. Recipes vary throughout Mexico's coastal regions. The acid changes the texture and appearance of raw seafood, but it does not make raw seafood microbiologically equivalent to cooking it with heat. Aguachile, particularly associated with Sinaloa, is commonly made from raw shrimp dressed shortly before serving with lime, fresh chiles, cucumber and red onion. It can be seriously hot. Cóctel de camarón is a shrimp cocktail commonly served in a tomato-based sauce, while campechana usually combines several kinds of seafood. On this menu as: Scallop Ceviche.

How these dishes compare

Enchiladastypically $12.95 across 254 menus
Ceviche & aguachiletypically $16 across 170 menus
Moletypically $15.62 across 126 menus
Lenguatypically $5.82 across 57 menus
Cochinita pibiltypically $14.25 across 52 menus

The Mayan Cafe on our other sites

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The Mayan Cafe

Menu

Starters

Entrees

Sides

Desserts

How these dishes compare

The Mayan Cafe on our other sites

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