Hacienda Teya, a restaurant near Merida

Located right off the Cuota outside of Merida, Hacienda Teya is a lovely renovated Hacienda established in 1683. Formally known as Hacienda San Ildefonso, Teya it is located in the Kanasin Municipality.  During the 17th century it was one of the largest and most profitable cattle ranches in all the Yucatan. It was converted to agriculture during the 19th century and was part of the henequen boom. As you enter you can feel the history of the place and imagine life here over the last hundreds of years.  The cattle are gone, the gardens are small but deer, iguanas, and peacocks still roam freely. 

The main building where the restaurant is located is more like a museum, complete with photos on the walls of famous visitors.  The deep red paint is typical of haciendas in the area, and trimmed with white it is stunning.  The small shop looked intriguing but was closed when we were there.  Upon entering, we were impressed with the covid protocol - masks, hand sanitizers, temperatures taken and even our shoes were cleaned. They even were careful on how they handled giving us our napkins. Once inside, the décor is lovely, deep rich wood and huge windows make for a lovely setting.  From our table we were able to watch the animals, often as close as just outside the window. 

The menu is very typical Yucatecan food, but it is their presentation that sets it apart, that and the wonderful service.  We chose to start with both the guacamole, pico de gallo, and pumpkin dip all served with fresh tortilla chips.  Deborah chose the Sopa de lima, which was full of chicken and had great flavor, definitely a meal.  Mike chose the panuchos filled with beans and topped with shredded chicken.  Brandi and I went for the panuchos topped with cochinita pibil, a local pulled pork dish cooked with achiote seasoning, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a pit.  This is always one of my favorite Yucatecan dishes, and this one didn’t disappoint at all - add fresh pickled red onions and it was wonderful.  They have a full bar so you can choose, soft drinks, local fruit drinks or cocktails to wash down your incredible meal. 

Too full to try the desserts, we decided this would not be our last time here.  We were happy to wander the Hacienda’s grounds in an effort to walk off some of the food we had eaten.  There is a very large event space above the restaurant where the view and rooms were gorgeous.  Across the lawn is a huge white structure which looks like it housed a pool that had mostly been covered to create a dance floor.  There had obviously been a wedding the day before as the decorations were still up. 

Wander a little further on the property and you will come upon a lovely chapel and some sort of smokestack and garden.  I would not hesitate to recommend this place for any kind of large event.  When we returned home we actually found out that several people we knew were familiar with this location and had indeed attended functions there.