Mayan's Mexican Cocina Opens Its Doors in The Hills

Mayan's Mexican Cocina opened its doors on Wednesday at the Highlands Village Center in The Hills, with unique touches shown both on the menu and with the hand-painted murals on the new restaurant's walls.

The brown paper that had covered the interior of the eatery replacing Fresh, another restaurant that closed at the same location late in 2012, had been torn down on Wednesday and colorful doors open to the public for lunch and dinner.

Mayan's is located at 562 Allen Road in The Hills center in Basking Ridge. Bedminster Township is a few blocks away.

Partners Anisha Khan and Ketan Patel both emphasized that the menu, and the cuisine offered at Mayan's is "authentic," and not Tex-Mex style.

The name was chosen because the Mayans are the oldest Mexican culture, said Patel, who added he has partnered in other Mexican restaurants.

He said the restaurant has four chefs, who prepare a style of food that includes classic Mexican favorites such burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and other similar fare, but also a wide variety of dishes with seafood — such as Fajitas de Camarones (shrimp) and fish tacos and shrimp tacos.

Patel himself is a vegetarian, and the restaurant includes vegetation "platos" that he said are unusual at Mexican restaurants.

Tofu even shows up in the vegetarian burrito and the Tostados Mayans.

The hours upon opening are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Patel said. Sunday hours tentatively have been set at 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Asked why the partners selected Basking Ridge for the new restaurant, Khan said, "We were looking for the longest time." She said there were no other "authentic" Mexican restaurants in this area, although some chain restaurants with what she described as more of a Tex-Mex style are nearby.

What a diner absolutely won't see at a chain Mexican restaurant — or in any other restaurants nearby — are the hand-painted murals that begin at the door and supposedly even continue into the restroom.

The large portrayals of Mayan men and women were produced by Sabado Resendo, who is on the staff. He said he has had no formal art training, but he likes to paint.

Khan and Patel said they are partners in two other restaurants, Village Coffee in Maplewood and Brewed Awakening in Metuchen.

Those restaurants both offer more than coffee shop fare, and serve Mexican-style breakfasts, including wraps, they say.

On the horizon, the partners said they eventually would like to bring live mariachi music into The Hills on Friday nights. Patel said the restaurant will seek a permit from the township to have the music played on the outdoor patio on one side of Mayan's. 

Customers already were in the restaurant late Wednesday afternoon, questioning the staff about the menu and trying out the food.

Mayan's phone number is 908-506-1032.