by Kenneth D. on Is it the place or the company you keep. My friend from NY Adam turned me on to this place and sadly as the man moves back to the big apple...well we decided to go one last time to the spot. The building is awesome, wish the area was built up around it though...the Conga room is nearby and some other stuff, but walking down that block the main thing is The Mayan. It's huge! (thats what she said) and used to be a grand movie palace or so I heard. The 5 dollar parking is well lit and so close. It's random but the lots further down jack it to 10 dollars just for a little convenience, no sir I think I'd walk. The line to get in at any time is usually manageable and easy to get in. What I like about this club but some rateclubsers might find questionable is that they are pretty good about letting anyone in. However for the fellas I will say I've seen dudes not let in due to the shoes and the shirt, so button down and dress shoes. I had the same loafer kind as one dude and the bouncer said I was ok, I guess the overall outfit was dressy enough. So don't get stuck at the door, bring shoes and a button down. The cover before 10:30 is 10, 20 later. Of course my friend calls me at 11, so I pay 20, they take card though so thats good. The drinks are a bit expensive but they also tend to be strong. The jack and cokes were smooth and I downed them quick while admiring the interior. The stadium seating in the back is cool to relax, chill, etc. And the main stage has some nice big screens a pretty good sound system and a stage where live bands perform. There are a few couches and tables to sit at too, though many of the tables are reserved. But at the club I don't sit my friends, I'm on the floor. So the main room was really random, top 40, then bachata, then salsa then electro/house. I'm not that good of a salsa dancer, (bad latin guy, bad!) so I sometimes felt out of my element. I guess I need to practice. Anyway, it's awesome seeing some awesome dancers and when the electro comes on seeing people two step and shuffle is amusing, esp I'm right there with them. The crowd is very mixed agewise, young 18+ers to older couples, it's interesting. My friend calls it "cougar hunting grounds" and I would agree with him. The funny thing was the ratio, lot of dudes and so there are dudes standing there like in middle school. I admit since my g/f wasnt there and my friend is single we had to do that too. It was fun tho but oh girls can be harsh. I felt bad for my friend when they'd be like no or do the finger wag thing...RUDE! seriously girls it's rude, a no thank you would suffice since my friend asked and didn't just grab you. Still the guys creeping and standing in a line was kinda funny. The random music mix was cool, oh and the hip hop room was alright not my kinda tea, and the flashback hallway room with oldies (read : 80s/90s) and some rock was cool but that hallway is claustrophobic. Funny thing is the line of guys outside the girls restroom waiting to grab a girl as she leaves, haha so night at the roxbury. Overall I like this place, a little crowded for my taste though as there was barely dancing or sitting room. But nothing you don't expect from club and music venues, they have little areas you can escape to if need be. If you like spanish music then definitely come here, Sevilla in LB and here is where salsa and other spanish dancing is at. I like that they throw in a little electro and rock en espanol (read: Mana) in the mix too. I'll definitely bring my girl next time to fix the ratio problem. 1:1 are odds I can bet on, as for my amigo... The Mayan treated him right...but now his mission is to show me the excellent time in NY but that is a story for another rateclubs. Conclusion : Strong drinks, decent if not overcrowded/too many guys crowd, and good music overall (some complete misses at times) makes Mayan a good club to get that spanish dancer in you satisfied.
by Elaine S. on On a cold blustery day (kind of like in the Winnie The Pooh Story), our kickball practice got canceled due to the wind, so we figured we would go get dinner somewhere. On our way to drop one of our fellow teammates off at home, we were stopped at a stoplight right in front of Waziema & all realized that we hadn't had Ethiopian food in a long time and wanted it. Unfortunately it was closed....OH WAIT, there are some people coming out the front door. We almost drove away assuming that they were closed. After we circled the block for parking at least 4 times until finally we found a spot. We walked in & on the left side of the restaurant was a divey bar and on the right side were some tables. In the very back there were more tables and a pool table. We decided that we would sit in the back since it had more light. There were 4 of us, so we ordered the Veggie Combo, the boneless chicken & the Lamb. It was brought out on a huge plate with the sourdough spongy bread (Injera). Four of us split it & it was the perfect amount of food. The Injera was good, maybe could have been a tiny bit more moist, but I was happy with it. The veggie dishes were all good (although the lentils tasted a little like re-fried beans). The boneless chicken & the lamb both were cooked with onions & had delicious spices on them. It was only $7 each with tax & tip, TOTALLY worth it! They also have some really good happy hour specials on drinks (including Ethiopian honey wine) and you can do all you can eat veggie for around $10. Total dive, but good food & cool atmosphere. I will definitely be going back!
