Mayan Gypsy   

624 E Market St
Louisville, KY 40202
502-583-3300

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It's not easy to find restaurants that serve authentic Yucatecan cuisine on this side of the border, so Louisville is lucky to have the Mayan Gypsy. Chef Bruce Ucan and his wife, Laura, operate the Mayan-inspired restaurant that moved after outgrowing its first location a few blocks away. The sea-green walls and colorful artwork provide a calming yet jovial atmosphere, especially for customers more familiar with Tex- Mex than Mayan cuisine. It's hard to go wrong here. Lunch and dinner entrees like chilaquiles mayapan (Mexican lasagna) and Yucatan roasted pork ably complement what is perhaps the city's best array of vegetable side dishes, including malanga fritters and pan-seared squash. Desserts like the pound cake with a strawberry coulis are a simple end to such inventive meals, but never disappointing. Even the beverages delight, bypassing sodas and concentrated juices for seasonal drinks like tamarind water, made from the delicate sweet-and-sour fruit. Space between tables doesn't come easily, but as you'll only confront that at the beginning and end of your meal, it's hardly a deal breaker.