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    El Marinero

    4.0 (216 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Mexican
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order El Marinero Takeout or Delivery

    El Marinero Photos

    EL MARINERO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Marinero

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    Katherine R.

    Absolutely amazing! Big your trying to indulge but not feel shitty after this is the place. Great portions and protein. The service is amazing. Truly a hidden gem! 100/100 recommend. Come hungry!

    Jen H.

    Yummmmm came here for the ceviche and it did not disappoint! The portions are sizable and definitely worth the price. You also get complimentary tostados to scoop up all the fresh seafood. I tried two different types of ceviche, and both were so flavorful and fresh. The food also came out very quickly. There is booth seating and table seating to accommodate any sized-parties. Service was good, but it definitely helps if you know how to speak Spanish. I definitely want to come back and try their other menu items!

    Torre Imperial (ceviche seafood tower)
    Brittany E.

    Craving seafood, the boy and I decided to check this place out for dinner while on our trip to San Antonio. We were crazy impressed with the service, quality, and portion size of the food. We split the seafood tower and oysters preparado. I don't think I've seen a more enormous portion of seafood for such a reasonable price. We actually took some back to the hotel because we couldn't finish it all! We would totally go back.

    IG: @foodsnoblegacy
    Andy M.

    We stopped by at El Marinero for a very quick lunch and really enjoyed the awesome food and lively, music filled vibe of the restaurant. We ordered shrimp tostadas and fish ceviche. Food came out super fast and seafood was fresh and delicious. Portions are generous, we took a box to go. There was a local Mariachi band playing, which made it extra fun and lively. Food: 4.5 stars Service: 4.5 stars Atmosphere: 4 stars Tips: Generous portions Great fresh seafood Casual vibe Low key spot Parking lot on the back

    Ceviche de Pescado
    Christina R.

    Stopped in on 4th of July as we were limited to restaurants in the area for a weekend getaway. This was minutes away from our stay and decided to give it a try. Quickly greeted upon entry and it was definitely a happening spot. Quickly seated and drink orders take for our party of 7. Service definitely felt rushed but our waitress certainly seemed over extended. There was nothing great about the service - we were never checked on after our food came to the table - no drink refills or anything of that sort so we just made the best of what we ordered. Chicken quesadillas - very well seasoned meat, a good amount of cheese, however extremely oily as oil was dripping all over with every bite. Regular fish ceviche - well seasoned, had good flavor, was a good side portion (medium), and had fresh avocado on the top. Waitress did come out with tostadas and Valentina for this dish which was great. Mixed Fajitas (beef, chicken, shrimp) - these are not traditional Tex-Mex style fajitas with sour cream, cheese, and pico to make your own tacos. This is more of mixed grilled meat with onions and peppers as well as tortillas. Meat was seasoned well and tasted great but my big complaint was for being a mariscos places, the shrimp was not cleaned. Between conversations going on my kiddos, I quickly ate one and felt the crunch grittiness and spit out the chewed up shrimp to see the black shrimp poop in my napkin. That's when I realized none of them had been cleaned. This kind of grossed me out and I didn't clean them out, just ate the beef and chicken on the plate. Beef torta - very well seasoned meat and fillings were ample. Margarita - very artificial/sweet tasting and not overly strong tasting. Not bad by any means but def could have improved in a few areas and definitely coupe improve service. As we were leaving there was a singing guitar player who'd just arrived which would be great for ambiance but the place has a bit of echo and with it being busy, it was already hard to hear so adding loud live music would intensify this. Wouldn't recommend for an intimate conversation or small kids or those sensitive to sounds.

    Angela M.

    recent visit to El Marino Seafood was fantastic! I was there during Lent and the staff were kind and accommodating. The rice was so delicious and perfectly complemented my meal. I could tell that it was made with care and attention to detail. In addition to the delicious rice, the seafood was fresh and expertly prepared. I could tell that the chefs take pride in their work and strive to create a memorable dining experience

    Nuh A.

    From the music to the food to the drinks this spot did not miss being from Houston I was always let down with SA Mexican food but this is the spot to be if you want some fire!!!! 10/10

    Dining room
    Danica J.

    The food was alright but the fries were GREAT but I feel as if the kitchen looked dirty and what I saw is that the plates aren't washed and there was a piece of parchment paper on top but you could tell that it was reused.The service was great and the servers are polite except they have a "give us your number and we will call you when your table is ready" type service. Even though no one is there and the music really ruins the ambiance, don't get me wrong it's great songs but it's overally loud and its as if the singers are screaming in your ear, but it's not their fault it's just that the restaurant is SO SMALL for them to be singing at that volume. But the one good thing about this place is the restrooms, they are well decorated and very clean.

    Mayra V.

    Food was great. Personally for my family and I best seafood we had and didn't get sick from it. The service was great too. The environment was fun with live music. Highly recommend this place. The photos show what my family and I ate.

    Camarones Agua Chile "Verdes"
    Brianda C.

    The best Aguachiles I've had so far!!! Super super spicy and citrusy. Service was super fast and menu is straightforward. There isn't descriptions of the food so you need to ask waitress for further details. They have live music at night. Was pretty loud but at least the band was good!

    Mariscada
    Andrea I.

    Food here is great!! Me and my family have been coming here since they opened, they never disappoint. Fresh seafood and service is great always. The place is always clean and the music is good! Fully recommend!

    Dosarita
    Jody M.

    We love this place. My husband and I discovered this delicious place just west of downtown. Great drinks and food.

    Original Mexican food

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    6 months ago

    Food service and ambiance was good. Good variety. Went with a group of 10. Food didn't take long

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    5 months ago

    Food was excellent. Service was good. Ambiance was nice. Tea was excellent. Great choices, nice variety of seafood.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food was that good. I was starving and forgot to take a pic. Just know it was worth it .

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    2 years ago

    Food is really good. The ambiance was cool. A group of musicians were playing live music on the Friday I was there.

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food and excellent service. The Pulpo Tostada was on point. Will recommend this place to people looking for Mexican Mariscos.

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    2 years ago

    Its was really good customer service, fast food and fresh food! Definitely would go back again!

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    Page 1 of 6

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    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - Flautas de Pollo

    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery

    3.7(4k reviews)
    1.6 miDowntown
    $$

    Party of 2 on Monday 1730…read more OVERALL Great service, great food, great ambiance. SERVICE Seated right away. Mario was our kind and happy server. He provided great recommendations. He checked us often and refilled our waters often. CHIPS AND SALSA Complimentary. Tortilla chips are freshly made, oil it was cooked in tasted well, and the salsa was flavorful with roasted ingredients. FLOUR TORTILLA Very fresh, the right amount of salt and moisture, hot, toasted perfectly, just the right thickness, and teared apart very well. CHALUPA COMBO The chalupa was made with a typical crispy tortilla. Placed next to the enchilada so it made it a bit difficult to grab since one half of the chalupa got soggy. EL RANCHO SPECIAL Recommended by Mario. Selected beef tips. The beef was very tender and flavorful, the sauce was flavorful with spice and savory, the rice/beans were well seasoned and flavorful. The guacamole/lettice/cheese was placed into a taco shell. The guacamole was very fresh and had a great texture with varying chunks of avocado. ENCHILADA POBLANO The shredded chicken was juicy and well seasoned. The poblano mole sauce was mildly creamy, tasted of delicious poblanos, seasoned well, and added a refreshing contrast to the savory chicken filling. The pickled onions were a refreshing addition and had a great snap to them. AMBIANCE Feels like we were in a home. The place is decorated vibrantly. The decorations were also very bright and clean. The booth was comfortable and relaxing.

    Attentive service was friendly and sweet for our must go to place for pastries before hitting the…read moreRiverWalk. The wedding cookies were so good we bought a few walked around the Mexican market and came back for more. The pumpkin and sweet potatoes empanadas just came out of the oven and were really flavorful. Palmares cookies were a large size and also were a good treat that offer a flaky buttery crisp flavor. 5 out of 5. Parking is limited but available if come early. Nice truly authentic bakery decorated with Mexican items and even heard mariachi playing in restaurant .

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    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - Balcony in the bar

    Balcony in the bar

    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - Triple Chocolate Cake. @coreyd123 on ig for all your photography needs!

    Triple Chocolate Cake. @coreyd123 on ig for all your photography needs!

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    Domingo - Enchiladas
 Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Domingo

    4.0(931 reviews)
    1.5 miDowntown
    $$

    Took a stroll on the Riverwalk and ended up at this georgous spot for a weekend brunch. Mainly…read morepatio restaurant (a small number of indoor tables and bar) ... it sits staring out and up at the unique architecture and trees. From the street, enter the Canopy Hotel and take the elevator down to the riverwalk ... or from the riverwalk come up the stairs and the hostess is all the way inside the restaurant. The outside is a great setup and pretty unique for the riverwalk. The service was super nice and attentive. The Cobb Salad was huge and amazing with a good portion of toppings. Loved the chipolte ranch kick. I had the pressed beet juice as well .. yum! The drink was okay .. mia tai mimosa ... Will definitely try something different next time as the alcohols just did not mix as well as they sounded on the menu. PS. A couple came with dogs which are welcomed on the patio. The restaurant had doggy water bowls. Cute!

    Went here for a work lunch with coworkers. The place is so beautiful inside and out. Luckily we got…read moreto sit by the river which great weather. The service was fast and friendly. Our waiter checked on us a lot and was very knowledgeable about food allergies and substitutions. Our drinks and meal came out fairly quick. The guac and chips are yummy. The guac was creamy but does have a spicy kick to it. I also tried the cucumber agua fresca. So refreshing and light. For the meal I had the Baja fish tacos. It doesn't come with a side but it does have 3 very filling tacos. It was grilled halibut, pico, romaine lettuce, guacamole and Baja sauce. It was delicious and very flavorful. It needed a spicier sauce but deff would go back for this.

    Photos
    Domingo - Ceviche dish
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Ceviche dish Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Domingo - Views of the River Walk 
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Views of the River Walk Photo by Amanda Spencer

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    La Fonda on Main - Cochinita pibil empanadas

    La Fonda on Main

    4.1(1.3k reviews)
    0.4 miMonte Vista
    $$

    WOW! What a beautiful place! The restaurant has a feeling of importance and history that was felt…read morefrom the moment we walked in the door. The food is absolutely delicious. The flavors and balance of every item shows a level of attention that is rare to see these days. Our service was attentive and only enhanced the dining experience that much more.

    We just had our second incredible meal at this place, and we're still raving about it!…read moreThe dinner menu truly impressed us once again. There's such a wonderful selection, and everything we tried was absolutely delicious. As parents with notoriously picky eaters, we especially appreciate how accommodating the staff is - it's such a relief to know that our kids can also find something yummy with just a quick chat with the staff member. That really makes a difference for a family outing! And oh my goodness, the appetizers are simply fantastic. We couldn't get enough! I also have to give a special shout-out to the Carrajillo I ordered. It was such a delightful surprise - perfectly balanced, not overly sweet, with a lovely citrusy kick that made it incredibly refreshing. Definitely a new favorite drink! We're already looking forward to our next visit to explore more of amazing menu. Just a little heads-up for anyone else, we realized on our way out that there's an extra parking lot right across the street if the main one fills up. Super handy to know!

    Photos
    La Fonda on Main
    La Fonda on Main - Hamachi Aguachili

    Hamachi Aguachili

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    Virgin Michelada

    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant - Bistec street tacos with cheese

    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant

    3.8(308 reviews)
    14.5 mi
    $$

    I still can't get enough of this place!!!! I keep coming back and love it every single time!! The…read morefood, the cafe de olla, the service the atmosphere, I love it all!! Been coming here for about 3 years, just updating my review!

    Surprised the wife with a trip to Pan Fila for her favorite hot chocolate and concha. We started…read morewith the Pan Fila Conchota combo that is a combination of the two that is 1/2 gallon of hot chocolate made using a base of Abuelitas with additional cinnamon, and cocoa along with something special. It was delicious! The concha was soft, buttery and flaky, with just the right sweetness. We took home the majority of it and it stayed nice and soft instead of turning hard like so many others. We decided to try several appetizers to go along with our concha to get a wider taste of their food than we would by just ordering a couple entrees. Let me tell you, this was a great idea! We ordered the Tosti-Ceviche Verde, Panela Asado, Mexican Street Corn, and their Spicy Bean Dip. The Ceviche Verde was excellent, the freshness of the fish and shrimp was wonderful with the chipotle mayo and avocado. We chose to have it on the salsa Verde Tostitos and it was all great combination. The Panelo Asado was a completely new dish for us and was extremely good with a savory flavor from the salsa Tlaquepaque that mixed well with the Panela cheese. Their tortillas though not made in house, are made for them and taste like mom made them. The Mexican Street Corn was great and had the perfect bit of char taste from the corn. It was creamy and flavorful, we did think it could use just a tad more lime juice though. The Spicy Bean Dip was very good. You can't go wrong with Oaxaca, Chorizo, and pieces of pork mixed with some mildly spicy beans. Our server was fantastic. She had great recommendations for us, and was quick with checking on our drinks and generally helping us throughout our dinner. The food was prepared quickly, was hot, tasteful and refreshing. We definitely will be going back, and recommend Pan Fila to all of you.

    Photos
    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant
    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant - Chicken Milanesa torta

    Chicken Milanesa torta

    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant - Chips and salsa

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    El Marinero - seafood - Updated September 2026

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