Yucatecan food has its own culinary traditions developed from the long mix of native Maya and Spanish traditions. While some dishes can be very spicy, many others are not.
Common meats are turkey, chicken, pork, and deer. Yucatecan venison is quite good and not "gamey" tasting.
Typical dishes include:
Pibil
Dishes, most commonly "pollo pibil", the chicken version, slow cooked in a banana leaf, very tender and tasty. "cochinita pibil," the young pig version, is a yucatec classic. both dishes are seasoned with a red-colored, mild spice called achiote. "pib" is yucatec-maya for the cooking technique of wraping in bananna leaves and cooking in a pit.
Poc chuc
Pork marinaded with salt, onion, lime juice, and spices.
Huevos Motuleños
Are eggs on tortillas with black beans and cheese, often with other ingredients such as ham, peas, and tomato sauce.
Pollo Motuleño
A chicken dish cooked with orange juice, achiote and plantains.
Sopa de lima
Tasty lime based vegetable soup with bits of corn tortilla.
Panuchos
"sopes" with pork called cochinita pibil
Seafood is also very important, especially in Campeche. Pulpo octopus, cazon shark, camaron shrimp and various other tropical fish are very popular.
Contrary to the advice of many guides, the food served in all-inclusive resorts may have been prepared in far less safe conditions than that available in local establishments away from the major tourist zones. Poor refrigeration, retaining food beyond safe time limits and poor hygiene have been reported from many resorts - whereas street vendors patronised by locals have little choice but to maintain high standards, as everything is on view and their business is dependent on their reputation, not passing foreign visitors.
A good approach for regular restaurants is to note those with a lot of locals and to patronize them.