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    El Barracuda

    4.1 (228 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Bars, Mexican
    Closed • 11:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    El Barracuda Photos

    EL BARRACUDA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - El Barracuda

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    Reviews With Photos

    Lysette R.

    This was a difficult one to review. While my meal was amazing, my mom's was probably the worst she's had in PV. The restaurant was an easy short walk from our hotel, which was nice. Pleasantly located right up on the beach, so we got a good view. Started with two margaritas. Nothing special. I ordered the steak and shrimp, medium rare. She ordered the ribs and steak, medium. My steak was very flavorful and cooked well. The shrimp was pretty basic, but still delicious. I enjoyed what the server called a chimichurri sauce, though I'm accustomed to chimichurri bring a green sauce. Either way, it was still delish. The fries were incredibly disappointing- they tasted worse than McDonald's fries, as they weren't even salted. This is an unfortunate aspect of the meal as it's incredibly easy to elevate the fries, even if they don't want to make fresh fries. My moms steak was inedible. It was extremely tough and difficult to chew. She couldn't cut through it so she eventually tried to bite it like a caveman. Still couldn't be done. She had the same cut as me. The ribs had a good sauce on them, but they were very tough and difficult to eat. Her fries were the same. The service was just ok. Felt like our server would quickly rush off when something was dropped off, so we had to very quickly ask for something before they sprinted away. I probably wouldn't come back here.

    Jared S.

    El Barracuda is the GOAT taco restaurant!!! I'm talking the BEST tacos and taco eating experience... PERIOD!!! Every time I come to Puerto Vallarta I make it a necessity to eat here at LEAST three times!! Oh how I DREAM of this place and their shrimp tacos...!!!! El Barracuda is located in the "Los Hoteles" area of Downtown Puerto Vallarta. It is specifically situated off Paraguay and Nicaragua, behind the Oxo that is located on Francisco Medina Ascencio. This restaurant is casual, but extremely welcoming and offers some stunning views of the Bay of Banderas. You have the option to sit on their patio or sit below on the beach! The views are absolutely incredible and the vibe is nothing short of pure relaxation! And staff are also always fantastic. Once seating I always ask for a Pacifico beer. There's nothing like a Pacifico with some lime on a warm day overlooking the water. Servers then bring over chips and a few types of "salsas." One is a typical "salsa roja" or red salsa, another is a spicier, habanero salsa, and third is a chopped onion salsa. The habanero salsa is my favorite but all are fantastic! Spicy and flavorful! And their chips are absolutely phenomenal as well! Barracuda has a ton of menu options, but they are best known for their tacos (especially their shrimp tacos). I usually order their shrimp tacos "Toreado" style, meaning coming with chopped serrano peppers, cilantro, and cheese. I also recommend their shrimp tacos "Al Pastor" style, but personally like them "Toreado" a hair more. When my tacos arrive I always squeeze lime juice and pour habanero salsa on them, then get to work (aka DEVOUR)! These are the BEST tacos!!! So fresh and flavorful with HUGE pieces of shrimp!!! Like nothing else! I savor every bite each time I come here! And am always sad when my meal is over! Just be aware that El Barracuda is CASH ONLY. So bring pesos! This place is incredibly reasonably priced and you will get your food quickly. Meaning this is more of a lunch spot than a dinner place (in my opinion). It also doesn't get terribly busy at lunch whereas at dinner you might not get the seating spot you want (they don't do reservations). In a nutshell, if you're in Puerto Vallarta and are looking for the BEST tacos in the game, look no further than El Barracuda. Just go!!!

    Steak and Coconut Shrimp combo
    Paul E.

    Feb 2024 Update - Enjoyed another great meal at El Barracuda during my most recent trip to Puerto Vallarta. Food is always good where on this occasion I had the Steak and Shrimp combo. The steak was a tad tougher than I like but the flavor/taste was OMG sooo good and was cooked to perfection. The shrimp was exceptional as well where you have a choice of style where I chose coconut shrimp that came with multiple dipping sauces that took the flavor profile to the next level. My only gripe about this place is their liquor prices which are on the high side with the volume of the drink on the smaller size as well (think large whiskey glass). Lastly the view is amazing with a nice ocean breeze blowing through the restaurant adding to the rustic tropical vibe. Overall a great meal/venue where the four stars are a result of the high liquor prices and not the quality of the food. This place would have been perfection for me if they had offered a Happy Hour like most of the businesses do in the area. Still a must visit though if you are in the area.

    Inside

    Yeah - this place on the beach has good food, drinks, views and vibes. Can't go wrong with a visit!

    Our table and view. (We ate the food and drinks too quickly to take photos. Sorry.
    Guy H.

    Best margaritas, best service, and best food in Puerto Vallarta. We LOVE this place!! VERY reasonable prices and the view is perfect! Sunset drinks, view, people watching and food are what you want in a vacation. The "Seafood Dynamite" is literally to die for!! The tacos are amazing, the Garlic Shrimp, scooped with salted chips is my FAVORITE!! Stiff, delicious drinks. Our favorite place in Mexico.

    Various food ordered- more than enough for 3 people.
    Helene L.

    3.5 stars overall. First FYI: CASH ONLY. Sign in covered patio above, if you look left of host stand. 3 stars for food- nothing threw me out of the park. *ajillo octopus- YES- that was good, not normal flavors I eat. Sliced Octopus was so tender!! Comes with complimentary bread and butter. Bread is good to sop up the flavors. Recommend! * fried fish and fries- was delicious. Fresh mahi mahi with lovely panko coating. * grilled fish taco- mahi mahi topped with a dry cabbage salad. No sauces. Bland and dry DO NOT recommend this one. * tomato, watermelon, goat cheese and roasted pumpkin seeds was refreshing and good, but not amazing. I wouldn't mind eating this again. * barracuda ceviche- it was good, nothing amazing, would eat again. *burger with fries was fine, cooked to preference, medium was perfect. *complimentary chips and salsa. *cocktails- watermelon margarita and sangria- both were good, light, fresh, but light on the alcohol. Ambiance- 5 stars!! So lovely being on the beach with sunset. They have covered patio that is lovely too. Kids finished early and ran to play in the rocky beach, stacking rocks and chasing waves. When I looked around with those eating, it was not all Americans, so it was good to see locals(?). 70% of the beach tables were Hispanic. That was a good sign to me. Their was also a live band playing with was fun to watch, and the restaurant music in the covered patio. Service- we went end of June, my understand is low season. Staff spoke English and were lovely and accommodating. Timing of kitchen was good, didn't have to wait long for meal to arrive. Value- perspective, can be fair or expensive in my books. I love cheap taco joints- so in that sense expensive. Fair for being beach side dinner. Recommend- if you want a lovely ambiance with fair food, willing to pay higher prices in CASH- yes!

    Menu
    Carolina S.

    We came in with our 2 little kids and 2 friends, so we had a large party of 6. The hostess was super nice and told us she had a table inside, but that she would keep an eye out for a table down on the beach to be able to see the sunset snd fire show. Sure enough, within 10 minutes she moved our entire oarty down to the beach. The kids got to play in the sand while we waited for the food. The food was delicious and fresh with great flavors! There was a guy on the beach doing an amazing fire show! Overall this place was fantastic!

    May Y.

    Don't go there my whole group has food poisoning right after eating there. We had the mixto from the molcajete. The tacos tasted fine but the sauce from the mixto tasted funny like it's old. They also only accept cash so they up the USD and cad cash payment. They also took forever to bring things out. So travellers beware. We ate from taco stands and we never had this issue with food poisoning.

    Agua chiles
    Aserrado M.

    This place was in front of our beach front hotel in Puerto Vallarta. I didn't expect much because the back entrance looks like a bar. But after being sat immediately, we were brought our drinks. Great service! The food was pretty awesome, the drinks were flowing, and the scenery was pretty darn nice. If you are in the area, don't let the construction and ugly streets deter you. Just go here and order; let the food do the talking! Big kudos to this open air beach front restaurant with seating in the sand, and exemplary customer service!

    Steak + shrimp: not good
    Jennifer N.

    3.5 stars overall. Came in with high expectations cause of the ratings and forums. Complimentary chips and salsa was good. Nice spice level. Complimentary bread tasted kinda weird, almost like too plain? Soda bread maybe. The mocktails were pretty good though. I appreciate that they had so many options on that front. Molcajete: not the best we've had but good for PVR Steak + shrimp: Really should not be calling this ribeye steak. This is NOT ribeye, this was more like prime rib which are completely different cuts of meat. My bf asked for medium rare. It first came out rare, not even rare, maybe even raw cause it was cold. Asked them to do it again and came out medium well....at least the fries were good but that steak was so not worth it.

    Barracuda ceviche
    Marion W.

    We went there while on vacation, and really hoped for a table in the sand. We kept asking, and supposedly we were second on the list for it, and should have gotten one after 30 minutes, and unfortunately, we stayed over 2 hours and never did get a table on the sand. For that reason, they only got 4 stars. That being said, the prices are great and the food was very good. I had the barracuda ceviche and my friends got oysters. Then we all got the fish tacos fried and wow those were delicious! Super big and filing, you could probably share

    Octopus tacos

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    9 years ago

    We at a gorgeous meal with our toes in the sand while sipping delicious margaritas. What could be better?!?!

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    10 years ago

    Average restaurant with several novel dishes. Top marks for clean and useable banks.

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    Page 6 of 6

    El Barracuda Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Barracuda

    “We had the tuna sashimi and the Peruvian ceviche with the catch of the day, goldfish (not the aquarium kind).”

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Santos Mariscos Seefood - Mixed ceviche

    Santos Mariscos Seefood

    4.2(146 reviews)
    1.4 km
    •$$

    We did a little research on nearby restaurants and came across Santos Mariscos. We were craving for…read moresome fresh seafood. As soon as we arrived, I instantly liked the sheltered outdoor seating. The host, Leonardo, warmly welcomed us and told us we can sit anywhere. Then our server, Hugo, displayed their lavish premium seafood to us. It was super cool to listen to his brief presentation. We placed our orders and soon afterwards we were enjoying our dinner. The service was pretty good with them checking on us but when it came to time for the check, our server got really busy so we had to flag him down. All in all, the prices were fair, our food was fresh and staff were super friendly which made this restaurant a hidden gem that we discovered.

    The mariscos here are amazing -- Super fresh, full of flavor, and prepared perfectly every time…read more The surf & turf burrito is another standout... it's packed, juicy, and honestly one of the best I've tried anywhere. The restaurant itself is very clean, comfortable, and welcoming, but what really made the experience even better was our server, Yair. He was incredibly attentive from the moment we sat down -- constantly checking in without being pushy, making sure we had everything we needed, and giving great recommendations. You can tell he genuinely cares about the customers and takes pride in his service. His energy and professionalism made the whole visit feel smooth and enjoyable. Definitely recommend this spot, especially if Yair is your server!

    Photos
    Santos Mariscos Seefood - Interior is open and breezy with fans.

    Interior is open and breezy with fans.

    Santos Mariscos Seefood
    Santos Mariscos Seefood

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    Joe Jack's Fish Shack - Meatball -- smells incredible!!

    Joe Jack's Fish Shack

    4.6(817 reviews)
    2.0 km
    •$$

    top tier service all around…read more located in the zona romántica, the vibes once you enter this place are hard to beat, we sat upstairs on the roof for a more intimate setting. ordered the red snapper, house guacamole, camarones al mojo de ajo. all choices were delicious, the snapper comes with rice, beans and tortillas of your choice. so much flavor here and they even deboned the fish table side! loved the fried doughnut with ice cream at the end.

    Joe Jack's was a great experience from start to finish…read more I started with the bruschetta, which was easily a 5/5. There is no such thing as too many tomatoes. I honestly could have ordered two. The house-made ricotta was creamy, the tomatoes were fresh and sweet, and the aged balsamic brought everything together perfectly. For my main, I had the Asian noodle salad with grilled shrimp. It was refreshing, light, and full of flavor without feeling heavy. The grapefruit added a bright citrus note, and while I initially thought the candied pecans would be an odd pairing, they worked surprisingly well. My only suggestion would be to remove the shrimp tails to make the dish a little easier to enjoy. I finished with the mango-strawberry almond parfait, which was the perfect ending to the meal. It was light, refreshing, and not overly sweet, making it a great dessert after two flavorful courses. The service throughout the meal was warm and welcoming. I'm still working on my Spanish, and everyone was patient and encouraging, which made the experience even more enjoyable.

    Photos
    Joe Jack's Fish Shack - Inside

    Inside

    Joe Jack's Fish Shack - Red Snapper

    Red Snapper

    Joe Jack's Fish Shack

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    La Madalena - Fresh Bread

    La Madalena

    4.5(391 reviews)
    2.0 km
    •$$$$

    Take note that I am notoriously a miser when it comes to giving 5 star reviews because I think 5…read morestars = perfection and there's almost always something that can be done to improve the experience. But. But, but, but... I would actually give La Madalena SIX stars. Service and ambiance were truly outstanding. Food was equally exceptional. From the moment we arrived, we were treated like honored guests. Servers were plentiful, professional, humorous and attentive. Our primary server was Alexis and his service was stellar - not only did he attend to our every request with a smile - he anticipated and was proactive. We also had a table side mixologist whose name escapes me (sorry!) but he was wonderful as well - making suggestions and creating specialty drinks on the fly. The staff made us feel like the only customers in the restaurant. Five of us succumbed to "eyes bigger than stomach" and ordered way too much food. We found the extensive menu both challenging (because *everything* sounded delicious) and exciting. Our favorites included (but were not limited to these because every dish we tried was outstanding): the Ceviche de Coliflor, Queso Fundido, Queso Quemado, Ensalada Verde con Vinagreta de Aguacate, and Beef Tenderloin for 2. Note that the presentation for the vast variety of steaks is quite impressive. All in all, they surpassed every single one of our expectations on this special night. I highly recommend you get yourself there and let the fine folks at La Madalena treat you right!

    Amazing! Upon arriving, the mere walk into the front of the restaurant was so surreal. Arriving…read morearound the time of sunset in the summer was peak! Kudos to the builder. The restaurant sits directly on water and you're able to go out and enjoy the views before and/or after your meal. The staff was extremely pleasant. Inside the restaurant was very modern and chic, with a cool library theme. The restaurant itself is very upscale with a view of the kitchen as your meals are prepared. The food presentations were excellent and quality was nice but not my cup of tea for the entree (shrimp). I wish I could go back and reorder a steak or something different lol. It was just ok, but presentation made up for it! The bread was excellent and drinks were fun! I'd return but I highly recommend it for those wanting to get a change of pace from resort meals.

    Photos
    La Madalena - Really nice decor and ambience.

    Really nice decor and ambience.

    La Madalena - Meal

    Meal

    La Madalena - Lemon drop

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    Lemon drop

    Pepe's Taco - Carne asada

    Pepe's Taco

    4.6(621 reviews)
    0.2 km
    •$

    A must-visit in Puerto Vallarta! Some people at the club we were at recommend Pepe's…read more A large group (bachelorette party x bachelor party combined) trekked over here at 3am and it was 1. cash-only and 2. very hot!! At first, we panicked, but we persisted. The tacos were delicious and the service was attentive. Bathrooms were not clean, but you don't go there for the bathroom. The al pastor were fresh, juicy, tender, and delicious. Great flavor and lots of spice.

    There are places that simply serve food--and then there are places that become part of your story…read more Pepe's Tacos is exactly that for me. Having come here since I was 10 years old, this iconic taquería isn't just a local favorite--it's a timeless institution that continues to define what truly exceptional tacos should be. Since 1987, Pepe's has built a reputation that extends far beyond Puerto Vallarta, and one visit is all it takes to understand why. The star of the show--their legendary tacos al pastor--is nothing short of extraordinary. The pork is expertly marinated and cooked to perfection, resulting in meat that is incredibly juicy, tender, and bursting with deep, savory flavor. Each slice is carved with precision and layered onto warm tortillas, creating a perfect foundation for what comes next. What truly elevates these tacos is the balance of toppings. The sweetness of the pineapple and the sharpness of the fresh onions cut through the richness of the meat beautifully, enhancing every bite with contrast and complexity. It's a masterclass in simplicity done right--every ingredient playing its role to perfection. Beyond the food, the experience itself is just as memorable. The service is impressively fast and efficient, especially considering how popular this spot is, and there's an undeniable energy in the air that makes it feel alive at all hours. It's the kind of place you can count on for a late-night bite, where the atmosphere is casual, vibrant, and always welcoming. Pepe's Tacos isn't about reinvention or trend--it's about consistency, tradition, and delivering excellence time and time again. Decades later, it still holds its place as one of the best taco spots in Puerto Vallarta, and for good reason. Some things never change--and when they're this good, they absolutely shouldn't.

    Photos
    Pepe's Taco - @endoedibles on Instagram 10/11/24

    @endoedibles on Instagram 10/11/24

    Pepe's Taco - Al pastor! Killed 21 of these and 3 carne asada for 3 people!

    Al pastor! Killed 21 of these and 3 carne asada for 3 people!

    Pepe's Taco - Cebollitas Asada - delicioso

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    Cebollitas Asada - delicioso

    El Barracuda - seafood - Updated September 2026

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