Mariscos El Puerto

9 Reviews on “Mariscos El Puerto”

• Sarah Hewitt Nahass

  Im New England born and raised. If you cant see the ocean from your seat, dont order the fish. Mariscos El Puerto is my exception. In my defense, I LOVE fish and its hard to live in San Antonio for 10 years and turn down seafood at every restaurantalso I was deep into Lent on a Friday and I was desperate. I took the leap of faith based on the rave reviews of friends and I have been back three times in the two weeks since then.Ive had the Camarones Rellenos (Stuffed Shrimp), the Fried Fish and Shrimp, and the Arroz Salseado (rice with shrimp, octopus, squid and fish with a chipotle cream sauce), and my husband has messily devoured several varieties of tacos (one with shrimp with black beans and guac; one with a comically enormous piece of battered fish and a slaw of carrot and jicama; and his favorite a corn tortilla wrapped around a poblano stuffed with cheese and shrimp with some sort of sauce drizzled across the top). Every last thing has been delicious. This is just the food.The staff is friendly and accommodating. My family and I speak barely enough Spanish to ask where the bathroom is, so when our server on our third visit spoke only Spanish, she immediately swapped tables with another server who could better communicate with us we didnt even ask no big deal, no drama, just swap the tables and enjoy your dinner. All the staff weve encountered have been able to answer questions about the menu, and the atmosphere, no matter how busy, is relaxed and friendly.Naturally, having great food and great staff means that they have a great customer base. Our last visit was on a Friday night during Lent around 8 PM. We waited five minutes for them to clear a table that had just been vacated, but I saw people who came in after us waiting twenty minutes or so. It was packed and we waited probably twenty minutes for our dinner after ordering. I didnt think this an unreasonable amount of time, given the crowd, plus take-out orders and their tiny kitchen.Id really like to see Mariscos El Puerto expand both the restaurant and the parking. Getting in the lot in your sedan can be a bit dicey given the steep concrete and huge potholes in the gravel. If you bring your truck to accommodate the terrain, the small lot isnt going to give you much room to maneuver and the traffic on Culebra isnt forgiving should you find that you have to back out, since theres only one access point! Id also like to see them continue to improve their menu not in terms of what they offer, but in terms of how they list descriptions on the menu itself. A consistent format would make it easier to read since its printed in English and Spanish.This is a fantastic spot. There is no other place in San Antonio where this New Englander will order the fish.

  July 8, 2019, 9:07 pm

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• Radhika

  We were pleased to find this authentic restaurant just a short distance from the hotel district near SeaWorld. Venture just a short-distance from the tourist traps to this nice little family-owned place. We’re gringos from the Pacific NW, so our server helped us order. Their tacos are the best; open-faced with succulently grilled seafood and the best sauces. Prices are super reasonable and the service is attentive.

  February 20, 2019, 5:27 pm

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