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    El Galeón del Caribe

    4.5 (222 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 12:00 pm - 7:00 PM

    El Galeón del Caribe Photos

    EL GALEÓN DEL CARIBE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - El Galeón del Caribe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Brian E.

    We heard of this place from one of the locals we made friends with. And it did not disappoint, another hidden gem that is not so easy to find. There is parking right by it, but it only can hold 10 cars maybe? We lucked out and found a spot. VERY IMPORTANT, they only accept cash so make sure you have cash. They take pesos and dollars. You walk down stairs to enter the restaurant and it is very inviting and over looks the water. Apparently you can frequently see crocodiles in the water. We were not so lucky. At the advice of our friend and the waiter we got several of the Pescadillas (fried fish tacos). The waiter explained that the fish was actually shark. The tacos are 28 pesos each, we each got 3. And they were delicious, we also ordered the Shrimp with garlic mojo. The shrimp was sooo good, as is in the name, it is very garlicky but very good. Just bring some gum. Taking into consideration the ambiance, food, and cost. This was one of the best restaurants we have visited during our stay. We'll be back.

    Hubby made a combo. Beautiful view
    Alona Y.

    Yummy everything. Nice view. Good service. Fresh. Friendly. Try ceviche. Try the fried fish. Guacamole is excellent too

    The menu and my beer.

    The view was amazing! The shrimp cocktail I had was the best I have ever had. The price was reasonable as well. The staff was very accommodating. It began to rain and we were immediately moved into the covered area. One thing to note, this is a cash only place. Come prepared.

    View from our seating area.
    Thomas R.

    Tucked away in the hotelera zone, Simple but very very delicious! Amazing views from anywhere you are seated. The ambience is very relaxing and the service is very good. Definitely coming back.

    Grill fish in garlic and butter sauce.
    Paul H.

    It looked good on yelp, and we were looking for a local establishment to try, I would not recommend coming here. They also only take cash, I only found out after we were unseated. At least they take American, I'm told. Is it too local? Perhaps. It was very difficult to find with no street signage, we walked right by it, and not terribly welcoming. Located on the lagoon or bay side of the main highway thru Cancun, the smell over takes what ever food you've ordered. A little off putting. Actual menu is nothing close to what's on yelp. Tho they did have English as well as Spanish. Table and chairs are sketch at best. We ordered the octopus ceviche in which octopus was a little tough, which tells me it's not fresh. Also the grilled fish, which is taking a long time to arrive and a side of two fish tacos, which came out right away. When the grilled fish finally came out, it was surprisingly good. Will we come back, prob not. Don't foresee us coming back to Cancun from Hawaii. I'd we do, there are better then here.

    Pescadillas. These a must.
    Kelle O.

    A little tricky to find but so worth the effort. This place is delicious and so inexpensive. We had the pico de gallo, shrimp ceviche, and the pescadillas. All were amazing! Including the free salsa. We got the half order of the ceviche and it was a lot for a half. All of this food, a water and a Coke, and it was $24 US. Amazing meal. They are open until 7:00pm. Don't sleep on this one.

    EMilio M.

    I've been to hole in the walls before, but this has to be the mother of them all and as delicious as promised! LOCATION & DECOR: 10 minutes north of the Westin Cancun Resort And Spa (Not Lagunamar). Rundown and tucked away. A true hole in the wall. A place you could drive by a thousand times and never see. FOOD & DRINK: Food:: -Shrimp ceviche made to perfection and enough to easily feed 2 people with a full order. -Fried Fish Tacos are otherworldly good. Like a hug for my taste buds. Comfortable and familiar and just tasty. -Breaded Fried Shrimp was flavorful and filling. Deliciously seasoned. -Pico de Gallo was perfectly prepared. I've never been given that much Pico de Gallo at a restaurant. Easily 4 times a much as any place I've ever eaten at. Drinks:: -They were out of flavor waters and coffee is only instant from a can. PRICE: $$ $330 pesos for full order of shrimp ceviche and that's at least 2 meals in one. $200 pesos for breaded shrimp. At least 12 pieces. $25 pesos per fried fish taco and likely the best item on the menu. $30 pesos for Pico de Gallo SWAG/AMENITIES: -Open air establishment -table service -lagoon side seating STAFF & EXPERIENCE: We arrived but taxi and were directed towards the steps after we attempted to head down the grassy hill. A place like this barely had an entrance, but there were stairs at least. We were told to sit at any smaller table since there were only 2 of us. The waiter was kind and recommended the fried fish tacos and breaded shrimp. Both were a win, but the fish tacos are a better deal for the best tasting item we ordered including the shrimp ceviche. Not one part of the meal was disappointing in any regard. Our meals included flour tortillas and tostadas as well. We had plenty to take home. The drink menu was unimpressive and was short on supply this day with no flavored water. Coffee was instant and not hot. That was disappointing. I'd say fine for the food and such with a bottled beer. Corona always goes well.

    I love eating here  at sunset :)
    Jo L.

    This place is such a hidden gem! Walking distance in the hotel zone. Or you can jump on R1 or R2 to find this spot. SO AFFORDABLE and cheap! I always stop by each time I am here. :) Great spot to enjoy a nice sunset dinner.

    Menu
    Jason L.

    Our most inexpensive meal of our trip and our best meal. This place is what you call a hole-in-the-wall, or hole-next-to-the-water. There's no signage for this restaurant and if you don't have GPS routed here, it might be tough for you to know this place serves up some delicious pescadillas. Beyond the dirt parking lot are wooden stairs that lead you to this hidden gem. We came right around opening and managed to snag a table right on the water. For around $1 USD, you get a delicious pescadilla (white fish taco) that's both crispy and authentic. There's nothing I love more than enjoying food that locals prefer. We also got a half order of ceviche (which is perfect for 2 people) and fried banana. You honestly can't go wrong with anything here. It's fresh and authentic. I highly recommend coming here! It's a little south in the Hotel Zone but nothing a bus ride can't get you to. Keep in mind that this place is cash only.

    Anne B.

    We love eating local cuisine when we travel and don't mind the "whole in the wall" type establishment. In fact we have had some of the best food at these places. So when I read the reviews for this place, and it was close by, it seemed like the perfect place for lunch. It is a little tricky to find but we saw some cars parked in a small lot and took our chances. We found the staircase and Voilà there is the restaurant. It is very basic, but pleasant and right on the water. The menu is not large. We ordered the guac and pico to start - both good and big servings. Next we went with the Ceviche Mixto (shrimp and octopus). Glad we only got the 1/2 size because it is BIG. The octopus was actually very tender which we have not always found to be the case. Very good also. We had the pescadillas (fried fish tacos). This was different from any fish taco I have ever had - just fried fish and nothing else on it. The seasoning on the fried fish was really good and made the dish. Lastly we had the Filete Al Mojo De Ago - didn't have any idea what this was going to be so it was a gamble. It was a fish filet with a garlic and lime type sauce on it. Good also. Toped with off with a few Modelos and Vitorias and we were stuffed for $35. Cant't beat that :) Service was quick - don't order anything until we want it - it will be there right away.

    Ceviche de camarón y octopus, cocteles de camarón.
    Evan D.

    Summary: holy freaking moly. Long story: About 15 years ago I was really drunk in Cancun with a friend. Having grown up a bit in Mexico I knew Spanish decently back then (I've since gotten very bad at it). We got in a cab and I said "take me where locals eat". He took us to some trees on the side of the road, through which we had to walk, then down some stairs, all out doors, and sat us near a dock on the lagoon with a couple of small boats tied up. As I was hella drunk, I don't remember much except they brought out a plate full of food. And I experienced the best tacos I've ever eaten. Note: I don't really like fish or seafood. I prefer beef. I'll say again: best tacos I've ever had (they were fish). I left, never knowing the name or location of the restaurant. I was trashed. Since then I've been to countless beaches and cities in USA and Mexico and I have tacos every single time. Ok fast forward til yesterday, March 2022. I see the word "pesquadillas" on Yelp and I'm like "that sounds familiar". I saw the photos and my jaw dropped. Is that the place I went drunk 15 years ago? Damn right. This time I ordered shrimp cocktail, shrimp ceviche, octopus ceviche, and pesquadillas. With their house salsa, I will repeat: best tacos ever. Confirmed. If you don't like this food, I assure you it's you, not them. If you don't like the ambiance and vibe, I'm sorry for you. I eat fine dining regularly. Ive had tacos in every hotspot you can imagine. Ive lived in two different Mexican States. The ambiance and vibe are perfect if you know how to relax and enjoy beach life. It was, quite frankly, profound and beautiful in its simplicity. The other food was also amazing. The shrimp cocktail was addictive. The shrimp ceviche was amazing. I don't like octopus but it was mild and very good. My date loved it. The beer was fresh and cold. We didn't order the fried fish plate but I saw another table with it and I wish I had gotten it too. Please let this place exist forever. I'll be back. These are the best tacos on earth; punto final. (Obviously there are amazing tacos elsewhere but it's not apples to apples. These are special.) This might be the best experience of your entire vacation. Do it.

    View from our table
    Courtney G.

    100% will support this spot! It's a very unexpected treat.. it was right across street from Royal Solaris and short walk down sidewalk.. all you see are cars parked off the road.. you walk up and see stairs going down into the restaurant that's on the water! They had bathrooms as well half way down stairs on the right.. very quaint.. you could see them cooking on open flames.. making taco shells and they also sold seafood caught there too.. they had a bar too.. very casual but loved it's location.. like a hidden gem! I got shrimp ceviche.. it was so good.. I was happy hubby found it because for most part it's locals just few that knew.. not crowded.. sunset was amazing.. great views..

    Fried Fish

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    6 months ago

    Food not that great. Ordered fish tacos. Mushed up fish in a burnt taco shell. Nothing else.

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    Page 1 of 6

    El Galeón del Caribe Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Galeón del Caribe

    Loved the pescadillas , guacamole and pico de gallo, also filete de pescado and ceviche is really good !!

    Mentioned in 17 reviews

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    Aurora - Lunch buffet - sushi bar

    Aurora

    4.3(3 reviews)
    0.5 kmZona Hotelera
    $$

    Stayed at the Sun palace and was so fortunate that this place opens for breakfast, lunch and…read moredinner. The breakfast selection was really good, they had omelet bars, great selection of juices, milk, cereal, etc. The lunches and dinners- amazing! my favorite thing is definitely the grill- fresh seafood and steak grilled to your liking? Yes please! And on top of that, fresh salad bar, hot entrees, and a selection of beverages (alcohol and non). Finally, the view from the place was really amazing, you can sit either out side or inside (if it gets too cold). I'm not sure though whether this place only opens to those that are staying at the palaces, so it may not be relevant to those that aren't. Regardless, you'll definitely not be disappointed by this restaurant!

    Question: How can you have the VERY BEST DINNER you can remember in years one night - then order…read morethe same thing the next night and want to puke? Answer: Dine at El Alamo at the Sun Palace. We ordered Lobsters and our waiter recommended we have the steak for surf and turn and he would also put 3 shrimps on our plates. P E R F E C T The lobster was cooked to perfection. The jumbo shrimps were so tasty that I dug out the last little piece in the tail. The steak was ok, but that was expected. The service was 5 star treatment. The Mayan coffee (prepared flaming at your table) was incredible The next night we went back for round 2! Our waiter was different and his voice was hardly a whisper. He screwed up on our drink order (and spoke good english) The Jumbo shrimp were now baby mexican white shrimp and the sauce and rice were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT then the previous night. We left halfway through - disgusted with the whole place. Can you habla consistencia (consistency) ? NO MAS................

    Photos
    Aurora - Wine cellar

    Wine cellar

    Aurora - Chips and salsa

    Chips and salsa

    Aurora - Dessert - fried banana with vanilla ice cream

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    Dessert - fried banana with vanilla ice cream

    Porfirio's - Bone marrow

    Porfirio's

    4.3(887 reviews)
    5.0 kmZona Hotelera
    $$$

    Dinner in the cancun strip…read more We decided to pick Porfirio's for the evening from all of the restaurants outside of the all inclusive resorts. I took some notes and this is what I thought of the dishes. Xoajacan Imoladas - The mole is perfection. The flautas, superb. Everything in this plate is a symphony of what I would expect from Xoajaca. 9.5/10 Barbacoa Bonemarrow - Barcacoa is on point. The Marrow is Sublime. Together with the accompaniments is superb. I dream of Marrow everyday. This is a 10/10 Yellow fin Tosatadas - Superb!!! One of the best tostadas I have ever had. The microgreens, the sauce and the square Tostada works well all together. 8.8/10 Salmon - Cooked perfectly. The corn is a great accompaniment. The fish is impeccably seasoned. This dish is heaven sent with a 9.8/10 Grilled Octopus - Grilled perfectly, I can tell by the texture. The mash is superb, they used margarine instead of butter and I absolutely love the contrast from the traditional mash. 9.8/10 Mexican Rice - Its pretty good. It does have a nice seafoodish finish. The pepper was actually spicy. Nice and pleasant rice dish. 8/10 Charred Avocado Salad - Grilled avocado is a bit of a wash. It did make it look good on the plate. The dressing is a little weak. Needs a little more zip, some citrus or vinegar would give this salad some justice. Its a little uninspired 7/10 Service is impeccable and attentive and the atmosphere is lovely.

    Gorgeous interior & very loud: music wise. The speakers are definitely great quality though, the…read moremusic videos they played sounded like a live performance in the restaurant itself. Anyway: the food, presentation of the dishes itself, and the overall vibe: 4/5. My favorite dish was definitely the steak. The bone marrow is better off being plain without all the stuff they put on top. The steak itself was perfectly cooked & seasoned. I should've took more pictures of the food but whatever- the mango tuna thing with avocado was delicious. Very mango forward. Great alongside some salsa as well. The octopus: OK enough, slightly overcooked. Chewy. Chicharron guac was yum. Our server was so sweet in the beginning but had an attitude after getting tipped 25% LOL other than that, great experience :)

    Photos
    Porfirio's - Dining room

    Dining room

    Porfirio's - Yellowfin tuna

    Yellowfin tuna

    Porfirio's - Outdoor dining and entertainment

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    Outdoor dining and entertainment

    Xkat-Ik restaurante yucateco y mexicano - PULPO ZARANDEADO

    Xkat-Ik restaurante yucateco y mexicano

    4.6(156 reviews)
    2.9 kmZona Hotelera
    $$

    Mayan cuisine! We came here after visiting the ruins in…read moreMexico. This place specializes in Mayan pre-Colombian food, not Mexican food! Big difference! Many of the dishes have strange ingredients that the regular gringo hasn't heard of, which makes this even more exotic! I consider myself a mexican food expert, to some degree, and they're serving dishes that are so inventive, so wild, so fresh, so delicious! The dining area is split between a covered outside area, and seating on the grass overlooking the lagoon. Be careful, there's alligators in there! The service was fantastic- the waiter was patient, spoke English, and made excellent recommendations. I got fish with peppers, octopus ceviche, and some mezcal, followed by a honey and anise Mayan drink. All of which were delicious! My dining companion had a strange pepper with some fish- also nom! Coming here was like a history cuisine lesson, mixed with delicious food, wonderful scenery and a pleasant meal! My favorite part of this place is the artwork when you come in. They've got a Mayan god in a cenote at the doorway that just is amazing!

    Wonderful to have a Mayan restaurant in Cancun again since Lana closed…read more Really unique dishes, including vegetarian options and good seafood.

    Photos
    Xkat-Ik restaurante yucateco y mexicano
    Xkat-Ik restaurante yucateco y mexicano - PANUCHOS DE TZIK RES. TORTILLA FRITA RELLENA DE FRIJOL CON SALPICON DE RES

    PANUCHOS DE TZIK RES. TORTILLA FRITA RELLENA DE FRIJOL CON SALPICON DE RES

    Xkat-Ik restaurante yucateco y mexicano - COCHINITA PIBIL.  CERDO HORNEADO DURANTE 8 HORAS COCINADO EN JUGO DE NARANJA AGRIA Y AXIOTE

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    COCHINITA PIBIL. CERDO HORNEADO DURANTE 8 HORAS COCINADO EN JUGO DE NARANJA AGRIA Y AXIOTE

    The Surfin Burrito

    The Surfin Burrito

    4.1(429 reviews)
    4.4 kmZona Hotelera
    $$

    Tastiest food I've had so far. The smash burger is so juicy and flavorful. The oxtail queso…read morebirria taco is so great. The consome is mouth watering. The drinks are huge. The staff is very friendly and helpful. This place is a 10/10 in my book. I honestly hope they expand to more locations and eventually come to the USA. This place would be a hit in New York. I loved the tiki bar esthetic lots of palms and reeds. Great music and they were playing the Knicks game when we arrived. Really an awesome place. Probably great for grab and go as well. I was there with my wife and kids but I could really see how this place is great for a date or quick bite with friends. Not a huge restaurant there were maybe four or five high tables but they use the space very well.

    SCAMMERS!!!! SPEND YOUR MONEY ANYWHERE ELSE!!!!…read more They will tell you it takes 10 minutes and it takes half an hour - I had an excursion booked and couldn't waiting any longer, just to take your money!! I was staying at a hotel next door, WAITING to try this place. I came before it opened was told to come back at at 8. I had an excursion booked and was waiting on my shuttle at my hotel, I asked the blonde bartender how long it would be for 2 burritos, she assured me 5-10 minutes. She said she UNDERSTOOD I couldn't missed my shuttle for my trip and it would be fast!! By 8:30, my shuttle had arrived and I had to leave. I told the bartender I can't wait any longer and had to leave, she asked would I be coming back tonight after my excursion. I told her I would. When I came back at almost 9pm, I had to go back and forth with the manager about what happened. He said he understood about catching the shuttle and he had to make a call to his boss. After 45minutes of waiting and going back and forth, he said his boss checked the camera and I left even after waiting half an hour for 2 burritos, so I get no refund and no burritos!! I SHOWED HIM SCREEN SHOTS OF MY RECEIPT WITH THE TIME I was charged and the time I had to leave!!AND HE ACCUSED ME OF LYING SAYING I SHOULD'VE WAITED LONGER than half an hour, so he wouldn't help, just argue with me about why I left? I came back later that night thinking they would give me a burrito that I paid for!!! To go back and work and argue over something so frivolous, after THEIR EMPLOYEES misinformed me of the time it would take!!! If the PERSON YOU HAVE AT THE FRONT IS TELLING PEOPLE IT CAN BE MADE IN 5-10 minutes THATS WHAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED!!! They took my money and REFUSED THE COMPENSATE!! Then the manger accused me of lying - disgusting business and unprofessional management. Took my money and my food. Trash business. Unprofessional service. While we were arguing, other people weee complaining about their service too. If you're a tourist, DONT COME HERE!

    Photos
    The Surfin Burrito - Dining area.

    Dining area.

    The Surfin Burrito
    The Surfin Burrito - Smoothie (1/2)

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    Smoothie (1/2)

    El Galeón del Caribe - mexican - Updated July 2026

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