In my opinion one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Ann Arbor area is Maiz Mexican Cantina in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town. They offer free kids meals on Sunday nights, so that is always a great day to visit.
About Maiz Mexican Cantina
Address: 36 E. Cross St, Ypsilanti Parking: Small lot behind the building. Street and lot parking. Restaurant Type: Full Service Indoor Seating: Yes Outdoor Seating: Yes, a small outdoor back patio available seasonally Takeout: Yes, Takes Reservations: No, but you can join the virtual waitlist Kids Menu: Yes Kids Eat Free: Yes – on Sundays Good For Special Diets: Vegetarian
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We have added a few updated to our descriptions of food based on our takeout experience in January 2023 and some menu changes we noticed.. One interesting thing that I learned is how to pronounce their name. I have always pronounced their name the same as the color maize – ie maze and heard friends pronounce it the same. But, when I was picking up food last night, they said it more like may-ease. I had to call about a missing item and their phone recording uses the same may-ease pronunciation.
Appetizers at Maiz
Every meal starts with chips and salsa. Of course margaritas are always a good bet (for the adults) at a Mexican restaurant.
My favorite appetizer is the Baked Avocado. However, my daughter does not like them and my husband is ambivalent. So, on this trip, we shared an order of Mini Carnitas Tostadas as an appetizer. My daughter wasn’t a fan of the pickled onions, but they were easy to remove. Mini Carnitas Tostadas is still on the menu as are several other tostadas.
My daughter and I were sharing an entree, so we also shared a House Salad. The House Salad is pretty inexpensive, so I was expecting a small portion, but it was quite large.
The first time we went to Maiz as a family, my daughter wasn’t that thrilled with the menu. Since then, we have mostly visited on date nights. However, on a recent date night, we discovered that you can order your fajitas as nachos. I had the Hawaiian Fajitas (pork and pineapple) over nachos and loved it. My daughter had some of my leftovers and loved it. So, Maiz is back on the family restaurant list. (January 2023 update: Having fajitas as nachos is no longer an option at least for online orders. But at 17 my daughter eats a wider variety of food than at 10.).
This trip, my daughter and I shared the Hawaiian Fajitas as Nachos. My husband ordered the Chicken Fajitas as Nachos. The portions are huge! My husband brought home about half of his nachos. My daughter and I brought home about 1/3 of our nachos.
January 2023 – For last night’s takeout, we all ordered different dishes. I tried the Fried Avocado tacos. I ordered them without the spicy seasoning. They were good, but lacked a little flavor. Next time, I’ll risk them being too spicy and get them with the seasoning. My daughter enjoyed her vegetarian quesadilla with corn and black beans. My husband had the El Gordo Bastardo – a chimichanga topped with chorizo, peppers, onions, cheese, and salsa verde. It looked delicious.
Other Menu Items Including Kids Menu
Maiz also offers enchiladas. I have never ordered them in the restaurant. But, in early 2021, they offered Meals at Home with neighborhood delivery. We enjoyed their enchilada TV dinners from that delivery – and the sheet pan nachos.
The Kids Menu offers Quesadillas, Tacos, Chicken Fingers, and Arroz con Pollo. Don’t forget that Kids Eat Free on Sunday night. (January 2023 update: The photo is from 2016, but from the online menu the same items are offered at $5.99 now, kids do still eat free on Sunday.)
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Visiting Maiz
Maiz is located in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town at 36 E. Cross St. Free Parking is available on the street and in nearby lots including a small lot behind the building..
We will definitely be returning as a family. Note: We updated this review after getting takeout on a Saturday night (much better than the 60-90 minute wait time they were quoting as we picked up our order).
I love Maiz! Good to know about the Kids Eat Free Sundays – thanks for the tip!