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    El Mercadito

    4.0 (23 reviews)
    InexpensiveSeafood

    El Mercadito Photos

    EL MERCADITO ATMOSPHERE

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

    Recommended Reviews - El Mercadito

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    Exterior
    Carolina S.

    Such a great place, the food, service, and atmosphere were absolutely amazing! We ordered Thai shrimp, fish, soup, Jack, Daniels, salmon, guacamole and ceviche. Every single dish was so fresh, so delicious and bursting with flavor !! If you're in Puerto Morelos, this place is a must try! Can't wait to be back !

    a less than mediocre early dinner for 2 with no alcohol  USD 80.- including tips . September 19th 2024
    Vasken D.

    i do not recommend this place Prices have more than doubled since last time I was here a couple of years ago . The ceviche mixto had no taste . The pulpo tacos were full of onions and other vegetables instead of "ajillo" , there was very little octopus. Bill came with even higher prices than what the menu said .. Basic early dinner for 2 USD 80.- no alcohol , only 2 lemonades . An embarasing experience since I had a guest with me . We had to go have real dinner at another place but in Playa Del Carmen .. Totally disappointed with El MerKadito , such a shame You can only fool your customers once ! PS : Bathrooms are disgusting , make you want to throw up . .. and what's the story of that change in the name , the 'C' in the Mercadito became a 'K' ? "MerKadito" and no longer "MerCadito" ? is this a disclaimer trick , as in change of ownership ? i wonder .. also , i don't know what kind of people liked the food in this place .. so strange to read those reviews that say how wonderful the food was .. REALLY ?!

    Sharie B.

    Beach front spot close to the light house. Stopped in for a quick lunch on a Monday.

    View from the table of the ocean, ice chest full of fish on the left side!!
    Violet S.

    When headed to town our taxi driver recommended this place for a late lunch, and after an afternoon of swimming we began to walk the beach looking for the spot. Hiding behind vibrant palm trees, we found this absolute gem. We sat upstairs on the patio with a beautiful view of the water and got to enjoy the afternoon breeze. Our waiter spoke with us right away and brought the table warm chips with a variety of salsas, and we ordered a few beers and the guacamole to start. The guacamole was delicious, we added a squeeze of lime to the top and were blown away at the overall flavor. I told the waiter I knew I wanted seafood but I wasn't sure what to order, he walked over to the inconspicuous ice chest near us and pulled out a full fish!! He explained it was the catch of the day and that he loved to have it smothered in garlic and butter, and we couldn't say no to that!! Our friend ordered the Baja shrimp and said every bite was delicious, they didn't skimp on the shrimp at all! We were thrilled when the fish arrived- it was so moist and flaky and flavorful, we mostly ate the fish by itself rather than using the tortillas to make a taco with it. I'd highly recommend this spot to anyone in town looking for delicious food with a great view, the staff were all wonderful and we hope to come back soon!!

    Beach Entrance
    Troy R.

    Like most beachside restaurants the street entrance is the backside. Once you walk through the hallway your welcomed into two large dinning rooms with wood fired ovens in the back. A large bar covers all your drink needs and the servers are very friendly. My wife and I decided to try a few items as we were not to hungry. I ordered the shrimp cocktail and fish tacos. They were both very good. For those of you that know Mexican cuisine know they are more like a cold tomato and shrimp soup. They are loaded with shrimp and are very refreshing on a hot day. The shrimp tacos had so much shrimp I used a fork to help out the fresh corn tortillas. My wife ordered a yellowfin tuna tostada and I personally can't tell you how it was because she would not share it with me. She had a hard time not ordering another one but I reminded her we can come back. Needless to say you can't go wrong here.

    Garlic butter lobster
    James B.

    The concierge from our hotel recommended this place so I told our taxi driver to drive us there and to my surprise. Their food is so damn good. I've never tasted the best ceviche ever until I got there. Freshly caught Seabass and delicious lobster. This hole in the wall place is unpretentious with simply great food. Service is quick and very friendly. We highly recommend this place and kudos to the staff. We will come back to this place again the next time we come back and visit Cancun Mexico.

    Guayaba cheesecake, sooo good!
    Samantha N.

    This was the best way to end the 2022 year! I chilled on the beach at puerto morelos and had lunch at el mercadito. I ordered a tuna ceviche tostada, salsa y guac, and the guayaba cheesecake to end it off. I wanted to order more but I had dinner reservations. Service is friendly and the restaurant is clean. All the salsa will leave you spiced up and happy :)

    Crepes
    Evelyn Z.

    The food was AMAZINGLY GOOD! The staff was very friendly and they were being very diligent about following COVID requirements. The restaurant was clean, I felt safe and I can't say enough about the food.

    Jorge T.

    Ok, how do I start this one...I have been here around 10 times and I do not even live near it, it is around 2,000 miles to get here, I absolutely love this place, to me it is amazing, food is fresh and full of flavor, I struggle everytime because I have not enough space inside my stomach to keep eating, I try not to order the same things everytime but I am in love with their Aguachile, every single item I have tried it is absolutely delicious, you won't be dissapointed, just order randomly if you want, the location is tricky and it might look small, you have to go thru the kitchen in order to get to the tables but you will see the beach from wherever you seat, I don't even know what else to write, just go... I just remembered when I was posting the pictures, get the Castacán and Octopus Tlacoyo and thank me later.

    The beautiful view
    Temisan L.

    My Airbnb host recommended that we stop by this place while in town. He's a chef and stated that he eats here very often because the food is so good. This is a place that you want to visit for dinner just as the sun is going down. The view is beautiful! Unfortunately it began raining while we were there. Nonetheless, the food was amazing! I can't remember the name of the dish I ordered, however, it was a shrimp pasta dish topped with Parmesan cheese. As much as I love cheese, the bitter taste of Parmesan was a bit overwhelming. They also bring fresh tortilla chips to your table as you wait with a variety of sauces. Beware of the salsa verde (the green sauce) it is extremely spicy, and this is coming from a spice lover lol. Overall, the staff is super friendly and welcoming.

    Asian ceviche

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    10 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Amazing seafood with great atmosphere soaking all the natural beauty in. The ceviche was the best

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Amazing ocean views, laid back atmosphere of a beach bar. Good food and very good drinks- comparing with other restaurants in the area.

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    El Mercadito Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Mercadito

    We ordered Thai shrimp, fish, soup, Jack, Daniels, salmon, guacamole and ceviche.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Punta Corcho - Tuétanos con Camarones

    Punta Corcho

    4.5(170 reviews)
    0.2 km
    $$

    Hello, We hope you…read morewould consider giving us another opportunity to visit your restaurant and help make this experience right. We dined with you on May 9 under the name Fairchild. There were three of us, and we visited around 2:00 PM. Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing. My seafood risotto appeared spoiled and had a hair in it. My husband's tacos made him feel ill after only one bite, and he had to leave for the restroom immediately. His drink was extremely sweet and seemed to contain little or no alcohol. My drink was incorrect, served only half full, and came without a straw or garnish. Service was also lacking. We had difficulty communicating because no one assisting us spoke English. We poured our own water throughout the meal and were never asked whether we wanted refills or additional drinks. To make matters worse, we were celebrating my daughter's birthday that day, and it was completely overlooked despite our mentioning it. We felt so sick and uncomfortable that we wanted to leave immediately. We attempted to communicate our concerns and explain that we were not feeling well, but we were unable to get assistance due to the language barrier. We will be returning to the area in December and hope you will be willing to make this right. We would appreciate hearing how you can address the issues we experienced and restore our confidence in your restaurant. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your response.

    I totally get why this place earned Michelin recognition in 2025. The softshell crab tacos were…read moreeasily the best I've ever had--perfectly crispy and packed with flavor. The salsas were incredible, the homemade bun was next-level, and that smoky cucumber drink was something special. Even the presentation was on point. Service here, and honestly all around this area, has been outstanding. Puerto Morelos is definitely a place I'd come back to.

    Photos
    Punta Corcho - Inside of restaurant

    Inside of restaurant

    Punta Corcho - Soft shell crab tacos

    Soft shell crab tacos

    Punta Corcho - Welcome

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    Welcome

    La Pepita - Ahi Tostada

    La Pepita

    4.3(45 reviews)
    0.0 km
    $

    La Pepita is one of the many seafood restaurants in Puerto Morelos which was highly suggested by…read moreour boat operator on our snorkeling trip. Great service and cool al fresco vibe, you start of with a big basket of tortilla chips and a variety of salsas. I started off with a Ahi Tostada and Wifey started with a seafood soup which were both tasty. We shared a fresh Catch local Hogfish and Grilled Octopus which were absolutely delicious! Four items, and two drinks with tip came out to a little over $50 usd. Definitely worth the visit!

    After doing the snorkeling tour at the pier in Puerto Moreles, we asked our guide for a…read morerecommendation and he recommended this locals joint. It did not disappoint! The vibe is super relaxed, with all seats in the sand. My kids enjoyed chasing the iguanas and sitting on the palm tree (which strangely grows parallel with the ground) while we waited for our food. We didn't see the option on the menu but our guide told us there is a big cooler and you can just pick out your fish to get it fried up fresh for you. Sure enough, there was a huge white cooler where we could sort through the fish options and pick one the right size for our family. It came with sides like beans, guac and tortillas, and all meals come with chips plus tomato and jalapeno salsas. We also ordered ceviche and the total price was less than $40 for a family of 4. More importantly, everything was super fresh and delicious! I wish I lived nearby so I could come back again - I would be a regular if I could!

    Photos
    La Pepita - Bohemia beer in a Chelsea glass which means juts salt and lemon. Delicious

    Bohemia beer in a Chelsea glass which means juts salt and lemon. Delicious

    La Pepita - Fresh Catch-Local Hogfish

    Fresh Catch-Local Hogfish

    La Pepita - Menu

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    Menu

    El Picudo - Fried whole hogfish

    El Picudo

    5.0(7 reviews)
    2.8 km

    Amazing!! Everything we ate was FANTASTIC!! Went to this restaurant twice in three days!! Ordered…read moreextra so we could bring home food and have for lunch!!

    I have stayed in Puerto Morelos three times in the past two years and gone to El Picudo about 6 or…read moreseven times. It's easily my favorite seafood restaurant in Puerto Morelos - which is full of seafood restaurants. The bad part is that there is no ocean view and no air conditioning, you need a car or a taxi to get there and the staff speaks little English. The good part is that it is clearly a very popular local place - my party has always been the only obviously non-local group in a usually crowded place- and the seafood is amazingly fresh, perfectly prepared, served fast (considering it is made to order) and delicious. The portions are enormous. The price is reasonable. One can eat like a king for 15 to 25 dollars a person. My favorite is the octopus ceviche. The octopus is soft and fresh and perfectly cooked. Tossed with very fresh finely chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers in a lemon, chili and cilantro sauce that is not too spicy. The best ceviche I have had in Quintana Roo. A medium portion is a very ample appetizer for two people or a satisfying meal for one person. We generally follow up with the whole fried hogfish, around a pound of perfectly fried fish, very fresh, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, nicely salted. Served with a salad, a small portion of yellow rice and a really strong hot sauce on the side. The octopus escabeche and the shrimp with garlic sauce are also excellent choices. A cold Corona beer (or two) completes the meal.

    Photos
    El Picudo - Octopus ceviche

    Octopus ceviche

    El Picudo - Filet stuffed with shrimp, octopus, and squid.

    Filet stuffed with shrimp, octopus, and squid.

    El Picudo - Yummy

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    Yummy

    Pelícanos - Front of menu

    Pelícanos

    3.7(79 reviews)
    0.2 km
    $$

    We stopped in to pass some time before we could check into our room. We were greeted and seated…read morequickly - due to an event, they were seating everyone outside. We started off with some water and cold drinks, a beer and a mango margarita, and ordered some guacamole to start with. By far, some of the best guacamole I've had and I was happy that they put all the topping in the bowl and allowed you to mix in how much you like - allowing me & my sister to both enjoy it as she likes cilantro, it taste like soap to me. The shrimp were a little over cooked for me but they were seasoned well (which that in itself was a plus). The calamari was not our favorite. It was severed with a tartar sauce and it lacked seasoning and was chewy. It was cut larger than what we are accustomed to so that may have also had something to do with the texture. Although we were in the restaurant, we still had beach vendors coming up and trying to sell their goods and the music was LOUD as they were doing sound checks for the event. However otherwise it was a good experience. They do have parking in front of the restaurant. It usually have a cone or some spot saved as they don't want people parking and going to the beach, so if you see a spot blocked just give it a minute and the man will come move it and watch your car for a small tip.

    What a nice restaurant right on the beach! They have free parking in the front. You can sit…read moreinside, outside or on the beach sand. We sat outside but not on the sand. There was a great breeze so I didn't miss ac on this hot and sunny day. They had some live music which was ok. Service was super attentive. Complimentary chips arrived with the drinks. I had chicken quesadillas and my friend had coconut shrimp. Both portions were ample. My quesadillas were accompanied by fresh guacamole. The coconut encrusted shrimp were accompanied by a dipping sauce served in half a coconut. Everything was really good. Nice leasurely lunch with a great view. Would definitely recommend.

    Photos
    Pelícanos - Interior

    Interior

    Pelícanos - Shrimp Ceviche

    Shrimp Ceviche

    Pelícanos - Cold local beer

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    Cold local beer

    El Mercadito - seafood - Updated August 2026

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