Maybu – Margaritas y Burritos in Rome, Italy

Posted by Rowena Dumlao Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 5/14/2018

Maybu – Margaritas y Burritos in Rome, Italy

Margaritas and burritos in Rome. Finally some Tex-Mex food landed in the capital. Maybu, a Tex-Mex diner specializing in burritos, margaritas and nachos, recently opened in the Prati area of Rome. The concept may be that of the fast food type but there is so much attention being given to the standard of the ingredients being used. That’s because the proprietor, Chef Diana Beltran makes sure that her clients can get to know the genuine kitchen of Mexico in an easy format. 

The idea was conceived by Diana Beltran, a Mexican chef from Acapulco and Roman by adoption. She is also a well-known face at the Gambero Rosso Channel and Sapori di Mexico, as well as the author of the book Cucine del Mondo – Messico, which in Italy has found success. She is also behind La Cucaracha, a successful Mexican restaurant just next door to Maybu, that has been serving the Romans since 2002.

While La Cucaracha has a typical setup of a restaurant, Maybu instead is a contemporary version of a Tex-Mex diner that is still not widespread in Italy. At Maybu, you choose your own size of burrito, the sauces that you would like and most especially the fillings. Burritos, as well as nachos that they also serve, are strictly eaten with the hands so get them clean and ready!

What is a burrito? A burrito consists of a flour tortilla with various other ingredients. It is wrapped into a closed-ended cylinder that can be picked up and eaten with the hands. The tortilla is sometimes lightly grilled or steamed to soften it, make it more pliable, and allow it to adhere to itself when wrapped.

What are nachos? Nachos is a dish from northern Mexico that consists of tortilla chips (or totopos) covered with cheese or a cheese-based sauce that is often served as a snack.

What is a margarita? A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served shaken with ice (on the rocks), blended with ice (frozen margarita), or without ice (straight up).

The composition of the burritos and nachos depend entirely on the clients. You indicate while the staff prepares them in front of you. The burritos come in two sizes, the medium (€7) which can filled generously with a variation of fillings and sauces up to 300 grams. The bigger one (€9) can accommodate fillings and sauces until 500 grams. There are also some variations of burritos to chose from like 3 types of meat, as the original recipe suggests which are chili con carne, pork (carnitas) or ground chicken. The vegetarian variant can be filled with rice, black beans, melted cheddar, mixed vegetables or quinoa. The sauces give the last touch of power to the burritos. There are guacamole (avocado, onion, tomatoes, coriander), chipotle sauce (smoked chipotle chili) or the pure Mexican green sauce, or the pico de gallo (tomatoes, coriander, onion and lime).

The perfect match with the burritos is the traditional margarita. Another flavor, mango, is also a delicious option. At Maybu, the frozen version is served which uses only real (no artificial) ingredients.

Other options that you can get are: Ensalada (€9), open tortilla with lettuce and your choice of ingredients. Nachos con Queso (€7), mini crunchy corn tortillas with melted cheese. Nachos Maybu (€10), mini crunchy corn tortillas with melted cheese, pico de gallo, jalapeño peppers, beans, guacamole and sour cream. The beverage costs €3 which includes free refills.

Maybu has not only invested on the quality of the products but also on the specifics of the technologies used. In addition to the choice of steaming, to preserve all the organoleptic properties of the raw materials, packaging and crockery are totally compostable and environmentally friendly, in full respect of the environment.