Holbox

“Incredible experience, will totally repeat! Everything was great but I have to say the hot food was clearly better than the cold one IMO. The tacos and octopus and churros (hot) were A++, pure perfection. The ceviche and sea urchin with scallops were very fresh, but on the soft/mild side. Too subtle, lacking a sharp note, or some depth or complexity. Still VERY good food.”

“Incredible meal all around!! Everything was extremely fresh. Tuna ceviche was nice and bright, and scallops were very sweet and in a delicious spicy lime broth. Branzino was grilled nicely and stuffed with onions and lemons. The rice and beans on the side were also great and came with warm blue corn tortillas, which made for some great tacos. Octopus tacos were the standout of the meal. The meat was extremely tender and on a bed of tomatoes and grilled onions, which were very sweet and smoky. I probably could’ve had five more of those. There are four self-serve salsas, which were all very good. The white one is delicious but sooooo spicy!!! We got there around 10:45 AM on a Saturday and were maybe the 15th party in line. Would recommend getting there pretty early, as the line started picking up around 11 and wrapped around the corner. Holbox is located inside a food hall, so there is lots of seating (outdoor seating as well), and service is fast.”

“Place had a long line that it deserved. We had the branzino and cooked octopus for seniors...both loved them. Good serving size. Sauce on cooked octopus was yummy. Myself inhad the crevice del pulpo...it was just okay. Wasn't the best octopus I've had. But what I did love was the scallop inside our sea urchin- that was a burst of happiness inside my mouth. Would love to come back to try their scallop ceviche next time. The cooked scallop taco was alright and the octopus taco was alright. We also got thr aguachile with scallop and shrimp...boys liked it; I wasn't a huge fan. Also had the sopa del marisco...has a kick to it. Some of us liked it and some weren't huge fans. See photos attached.”

“TL;DR: Worth the hype, the line, and possibly a small emotional commitment. We finally made it to Holbox this past weekend, and wow—consider us officially late to the party and very glad we showed up. We rolled up to Mercado La Paloma around 6:30 pm on a Friday, mentally preparing for a “stand here and question your life choices” kind of line… but plot twist: it moved fast! We were inside in about 15 minutes, which was just enough time to stare intensely at the menu and pretend we’re decisive people. We went all in and ordered Scallop Aguachile, Bluefin Tuna Tostadas, Baja Fish Tacos, Grilled Branzino, and Grilled Octopus. Everything was fantastic. If I had to crown a winner (and I do), it’s the Grilled Octopus with Almond Pipian sauce. It was so good I briefly considered ordering a second one “for research.” The market vibe is super chill—casual, lively, and just chaotic enough to be fun. The staff from all restaurants, not just Holbox, do a great job clearing tables, so finding a place to sit wasn’t an issue. We never had to awkwardly hover behind diners, making intense eye contact and willing them to leave. Bonus perk of the food hall situation: snack diversification. We grabbed a couple of aguas frescas from Oaxacalifornia because hydration is important when you’re this committed to eating everything in sight. Service was friendly and efficient, with staff constantly circulating, making it easy to ask questions and—most importantly—secure dessert. Speaking of which: chocolate and churros were ordered with zero hesitation, plus two more orders to go! Final verdict: We will definitely be back to try more of Holbox’s menu!”

“everything was good- nothing blew my mind 😩 i think a huge reason of that was because the staff didn’t tell us about their hot sauces they had in another area and we discovered them only whenever we had finished all of our food. this food was probably designed for a more delicate palate than mine- i missed the bold spicy flavors that the hot sauces would have provided for the food. everything was a little bland for me, even if the fish quality was excellent. could have used more limes for everything- so if you’re getting ceviche or any of the tostadas or the tacos, try asking for more limes, and UTILIZE THEIR HOT SAUCES!! tortillas are excellent. churros are also a must get. all in all, not a bad experience, just wish we had known about the hot sauces so we could have elevated our dining experience.”