Traditional Mayan Restaurant, Tikal, Opens on Upper East Side

Blue and white balloons adorn the entrance to Tikal, a traditional Mayan restaurant that celebrated its grand opening this past Sunday at 1393 Second Avenue (between 72nd and 73rd streets, next to the 72nd Street Q station). It took over the space that was previously occupied by Indian restaurant Rangoli, which closed in November 2023.

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The motif of blue and white—the national colors of Guatemala, where Mayans still find themselves—extends to the décor of the restaurant, from the balloons and artwork on the walls to the lanterns placed in the dining area. Throughout the humble, no-frills space are large photographs of important Mayan architectural and geographical sites and hand-woven tapestries that give the feeling of being at la casa de abuela.

For readers who are unfamiliar, the Mayan people are a group of Mesoamerican natives who call home a continuous territory extending from southern Mexico through Guatemala and northern Belize and into northern El Salvador. Mayan civilization dates back to 1500 BCE and was known for the cultivation of corn, beans, and squash. By 600 CE, cassava became a staple as well.

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When we went in for dinner on Monday, we spoke to the manager, Noe Rodriguez. He told us, “So many people think Mayans are gone. That is not true. We still exist. I am Mayan from my dad’s side.”

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Rodriguez, who hails from San Marcos, Guatemala, has been in the United States for 30 years. Originally a tailor by profession, he made his entry into the culinary world ten years ago when his sister opened a Mayan restaurant in Boston. That restaurant has since closed, and Rodriguez’s family decided to open a Mayan restaurant in Manhattan—where Mayan restaurants are few and far between. Thus was born Tikal. The family restaurant marked by its homely vibe is named for the Mayan capital in Guatemala.

“People think Mayan food is just the same as Mexican food or Salvadorian food. It’s not,” Rodriguez explained. We got a chance to try the chow main tostada ($6.25) and the frijoles volteados ($5.16).

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The chow main tostada is exactly how it sounds—a chicken tostada topped with stir fry noodles, peppers, and onions. An Asian-Latin mashup, crunchiness and softness seamlessly come together in this dish. The tostada comes with a side of hot sauce that adds an extra kick of flavor. In case the oxymoronically named “mild hot sauce” the dish comes with is not enough, you can also ask for “extreme hot sauce.”

The frijoles volteados is a puréed black bean dip with mashed garlic and onions. Like with the chow main tostada, the smooth richness of the dip is complemented by the crispiness of the light and airy house-made chips that accompany it.

While the dip only comes with two such chips, you can certainly ask for more, which will be served to you in a basket covered with a traditional-style cloth. Other items on Tikal’s menu include pulique de res (beef stew, $20.80) and chicharron pupusas (flat cornbread stuffed with pork belly and cheese, $6.24).

There is no cutlery at the tables, but it is available upon request. You can also BYOB, but heads up, they don’t have a bottle opener (we saw customers using spoons). As there was only one server, she seemed slightly overwhelmed with the number of customers, but that did not take away from her friendly and positive demeanor.

Tikal is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.

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