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Recommended Reviews - El Pirata
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Este es el mejor lugar de México para comer pescado frito. Es local. Es económico. Es limpio. Es fresco. La gente es amable y la sonrisa es de oreja a oreja.
OMG...best ceviche ever! This classic, hole-in-the-wall looking joint was right around the corner from our Airbnb in what I'm officially calling the best foodie neighborhood in Playa. We grabbed a table outside and soon were sipping a couple of cold beers and eating some of the freshest guacamole EVER. Then, the main course arrived: ceviche! We opted for the camarone ceviche, though there were several other varieties (including snail, which is only available seasonally). For a very fair price we got a plate literally HEAPING with fresher-than-fresh shrimp. Try as we might, we could only eat about half of it - luckily they gave us the rest in a to go box, which we transformed into quesadillas for the following day's lunch. I would consider this a must-do when in PDC. Pretty much everyone offers ceviche there, but the freshness of this one could not be rivaled. They also have an on-site fish market, too, if you want to grab something to cook up for dinner while in town.
And since we are right next to the beach, we have to get some seafood. We found this restaurant. It's attended by so many visitors but also locals. You know it must be good. There was a line but the wait staff made sure to sit everyone as soon as possible. We were sat and helped with the order and menu. We had the garlic shrimp and one full fried fish plus 2 michaladas. It was an amazing dinner. So many wonderful flavors. Food came out pretty fast. Restaurant seems to have been there for a long time. It's not the cleanest but the food is above par so order and enjoy. You won't regret it.
Este lugar esta en playa del carmen al final de 5th ave Lugar un poco mas local pero muy rico te sientan te traen las opciones de pescado "crudo" enfrente de ti lugo ustedes ban y pagan por el pescado que escojieron a la ventanilla donde lo frien... y su mesa ellos le dan un menú completo por separado de muchas opciones de mariscos son rapido pero muy rico definitivamente regresaría sin dudarlo
CASH ONLY! Good service, food is prepared fresh and superbly. The whole fish is ahhhhazing; fried, well seasoned and plentiful. Seriously, 4 people can share just get additional sides. The fried shrimp are also large & delicious. Last but not least try the mixto seafood ceviche. Price point is a real draw. Outdoor as well as indoor dining available. Disfrutar de ~Christy
This review is purely based on the deep fried blue crab In ordered. They fry the whole crab with the shell. The meat inside didn't hold up that well to the frying. It became a bit mushy. However the garlic flavor and little crispy bits of batter surrounding the crabs were good. I just don't think this is a great way to serve crab. Some people online mentioned soft shell crab. This was not that. This was a normal hard shell blue crab that had been deep fried. I learned that the hard way.
Amazing food!! We were walking up a side street and spotted this restaurant. It was pumping out seafood so we knew we had to try it. We both had the fish fillet (185 pesos). Garlic fish is one of my favorite dishes, regardless of location! Service was prompt but you have to muscle your way into a table. They don't have a waitlist and they definitely don't keep track of who is waiting. We ordered and received more fish than expected. Everyone around us had plates of ceviche and huge fried red snappers. Highly recommend and we most likely will visit again during our time in playa.
The Hubs and I got there on a Friday evening. The servers and waiters are super friendly and eager to please. If you ask for the whole fish, they will bring some catches to your table to choose from. You can either pick from them or ask them to bring other fishes to choose. The whole fish prices depends on type and weight so they will let you know how much the fish will cost once you pick it. We got a snaper for about $500mxp, Pirata Paradise cocktail ($140mxp), and a small mixto ceviche ($210mxp). Chips are unlimited and we kept eating it on its own and the waiter refilled our chips when the ceviche arrived. The cocktail was strong and mixed with vodka, tequila and rum. The ceviche (octopus, shrimp, fish) was simple and good - not too salty, good lime base, and fresh ingredients. The whole fish - what's there not to like when deep fried? The fish when brought over, you can see how fresh it is by the glaze on the eyes. It was quite fresh and the fish was not over-fried. Comes with some beans, rice, veggies. Overall, enjoyed our meal and will likely come back.
This place is a must-go if you are in Playa. Order the whole finish for sure. They will bring you a few fresh options at the table but don't think you are limited to those. You can ask them for smaller fishes or just say you want to go to the back (side store) to look and pick. WARNING: When they brought the bill, they had overcharged us. When my husband added up the charges, it was a different number and they add "service" without asking you. You need to know that it is customary in Mexico to tip 10% but it is not required and they should definitely single out the charge and not just roll it in.
Only restaurant we ate at twice in our trip. We wanted real authentic Mexican aguachiles and ceviche. And this place did not let us down. My boyfriend said, it was the best aguachiles he's ever had. But be careful, they carry a kick to them. I had the ceviche with a side of avocado and it was beyond delicous! We also order the lobster in garlic, fried whole fish, and blue crab with garlic. The lobster was overcooked, we did not end up eating it. The fish could have been a more fried, as we love a really crispy skin. But the highlight of all the dishes, was the garlic soft crab. Crab so was delicious, sad part is, that the second time we came, they had ran :( Service was good and prices are reasonable for the amount of food they give you. I highly recommend this place to everyone if you're near the area.
2 months ago
Our first time trying this place and it didn't disappoint!! The fried whole Red Snapper is excellent! They serve really fresh guacamole and refried beans are good. Definitely will go back again! read more
Fun local seeming spot that still gets tourists as it's code to fifth avenue. Overall good food and good value. The snails a la Diabla were one of my faves, and the Aguachile was really good. Nothing about our meal was super super amazing, but the whole experience was just good, with solid service. If you want aguachile this is a good spot! read more
What a great meal. Very fresh. The staff was great also. They start with some chips and a spicy sauce. I went with whole fried fish and it was cooked to perfection. My wife had the large garlic shrimp and she said it was the best meal of the trip. My daughter had the skirt steak and it was also amazing. This is truly a gem. read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
Este es el mejor lugar de México para comer pescado frito. Es local. Es económico. Es limpio. Es fresco. La gente es amable y la sonrisa es de oreja a oreja. read more
3 years ago
OMG...best ceviche ever! This classic, hole-in-the-wall looking joint was right around the corner from our Airbnb in what I'm officially calling the best foodie neighborhood in Playa. We grabbed a table outside and soon were sipping a couple of cold beers and eating some of the freshest guacamole EVER. Then, the main course arrived: ceviche! We opted for the camarone ceviche, though there were several other varieties (including snail, which is only available seasonally). For a very fair price we got a plate literally HEAPING with fresher-than-fresh shrimp. Try as we might, we could only eat about half of it - luckily they gave us the rest in a to go box, which we transformed into quesadillas for the following day's lunch. I would consider this a must-do when in PDC. Pretty much everyone offers ceviche there, but the freshness of this one could not be rivaled. They also have an on-site fish market, too, if you want to grab something to cook up for dinner while in town. read more
1 year ago
Great service and attentive staff. Food was excellent and very flavorful! Definitely recommend for anyone looking for authentic local mariscos read more
And since we are right next to the beach, we have to get some seafood. We found this restaurant. It's attended by so many visitors but also locals. You know it must be good. There was a line but the wait staff made sure to sit everyone as soon as possible. We were sat and helped with the order and menu. We had the garlic shrimp and one full fried fish plus 2 michaladas. It was an amazing dinner. So many wonderful flavors. Food came out pretty fast. Restaurant seems to have been there for a long time. It's not the cleanest but the food is above par so order and enjoy. You won't regret it. read more
4 years ago
Este lugar esta en playa del carmen al final de 5th ave Lugar un poco mas local pero muy rico te sientan te traen las opciones de pescado "crudo" enfrente de ti lugo ustedes ban y pagan por el pescado que escojieron a la ventanilla donde lo frien... y su mesa ellos le dan un menú completo por separado de muchas opciones de mariscos son rapido pero muy rico definitivamente regresaría sin dudarlo read more
1 year ago
5 years ago
CASH ONLY! Good service, food is prepared fresh and superbly. The whole fish is ahhhhazing; fried, well seasoned and plentiful. Seriously, 4 people can share just get additional sides. The fried shrimp are also large & delicious. Last but not least try the mixto seafood ceviche. Price point is a real draw. Outdoor as well as indoor dining available. Disfrutar de ~Christy read more
This review is purely based on the deep fried blue crab In ordered. They fry the whole crab with the shell. The meat inside didn't hold up that well to the frying. It became a bit mushy. However the garlic flavor and little crispy bits of batter surrounding the crabs were good. I just don't think this is a great way to serve crab. Some people online mentioned soft shell crab. This was not that. This was a normal hard shell blue crab that had been deep fried. I learned that the hard way. read more
Amazing food!! We were walking up a side street and spotted this restaurant. It was pumping out seafood so we knew we had to try it. We both had the fish fillet (185 pesos). Garlic fish is one of my favorite dishes, regardless of location! Service was prompt but you have to muscle your way into a table. They don't have a waitlist and they definitely don't keep track of who is waiting. We ordered and received more fish than expected. Everyone around us had plates of ceviche and huge fried red snappers. Highly recommend and we most likely will visit again during our time in playa. read more
2 years ago
The Hubs and I got there on a Friday evening. The servers and waiters are super friendly and eager to please. If you ask for the whole fish, they will bring some catches to your table to choose from. You can either pick from them or ask them to bring other fishes to choose. The whole fish prices depends on type and weight so they will let you know how much the fish will cost once you pick it. We got a snaper for about $500mxp, Pirata Paradise cocktail ($140mxp), and a small mixto ceviche ($210mxp). Chips are unlimited and we kept eating it on its own and the waiter refilled our chips when the ceviche arrived. The cocktail was strong and mixed with vodka, tequila and rum. The ceviche (octopus, shrimp, fish) was simple and good - not too salty, good lime base, and fresh ingredients. The whole fish - what's there not to like when deep fried? The fish when brought over, you can see how fresh it is by the glaze on the eyes. It was quite fresh and the fish was not over-fried. Comes with some beans, rice, veggies. Overall, enjoyed our meal and will likely come back. read more
This place is a must-go if you are in Playa. Order the whole finish for sure. They will bring you a few fresh options at the table but don't think you are limited to those. You can ask them for smaller fishes or just say you want to go to the back (side store) to look and pick. WARNING: When they brought the bill, they had overcharged us. When my husband added up the charges, it was a different number and they add "service" without asking you. You need to know that it is customary in Mexico to tip 10% but it is not required and they should definitely single out the charge and not just roll it in. read more
Only restaurant we ate at twice in our trip. We wanted real authentic Mexican aguachiles and ceviche. And this place did not let us down. My boyfriend said, it was the best aguachiles he's ever had. But be careful, they carry a kick to them. I had the ceviche with a side of avocado and it was beyond delicous! We also order the lobster in garlic, fried whole fish, and blue crab with garlic. The lobster was overcooked, we did not end up eating it. The fish could have been a more fried, as we love a really crispy skin. But the highlight of all the dishes, was the garlic soft crab. Crab so was delicious, sad part is, that the second time we came, they had ran :( Service was good and prices are reasonable for the amount of food they give you. I highly recommend this place to everyone if you're near the area. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
Where do I start? We'll for one, it says they open at 10 am but that information is incorrect. They open at 11am. Secondly, workers other than the waiter didn't seem too happy or excited to see customers. Dining is set up outside on the side walk. However, the food is delivered fresh in the mornings during opening time. We all had shrimp cocktails but we've had better. Overall, I'd rate this place 3.5 stars. read more
8 years ago
This place is ~ CASH ONLY ~ You will not find seafood more fresh. They are a seafood market and restaurant. I would most definitely return for the smaller portion of ceviche de camarron (less than $10 usd). The most fresh shrimp mixed in with tomatos, white onions and lime juice *YUM* Be aware that prices for the whole fish are PER Kilogram. So, 290 pesos for pescado frito; a whole fried fish is weighed when whole and raw, then fried to order. Turns out that my husband had the MOST DELICIOUS whole fried fish, but when we got the bill.... the pescado frito was 385 pesos (~$22 usd) for a whole fried fish. read more
First off , let me say the food is awesome. This review reflects the service I received . Been here a handful of times and the food is great and the service normal but this visit was the first where I dined by myself. The server immediately became overly friendly and made himself comfortable around me when he realized I was by myself. He tried to ask me about my personal life. He also asked me twice if I smoked weed and when I told him no twice he excitedly would reply , "hell nawwwww!" with an exaggerated southern drawl .It appeared he learned this phrase from some drunk American . He even sat down at my table twice. Looking back I should have left but I didn't . I ordered the shrimp ceviche. It came with chips . When I asked him for some flour tortillas he said they didn't have any . What Mexican restaurant doesn't have any flour tortillas? I told him I would pay for them if he could just bring me some . He just said all they have is the chips. Ten minutes later the next table had their fish delivered and along came a warmer full of tortillas. As far as the food, it's fresh and you can even select your own fish . The ceviche is great. Never had a bad meal here. I have learned in Mexico to hang onto the menu or take a picture of the prices because unfortunately some wait staff will inflate the price from what is originally quoted in the menu. This waiter did just that . So when I called him out on it he tried to say I ordered something else even though he took the original order and he delivered it. I had taken a picture of my meal as well. He did adjust the price but his adjusted price was still higher than what was quoted on the menu . At this point I just wanted to get out of there so I paid it and left . read more
Huachinango because this ia what the locals insist it is. This place is defintely off the beaten path and a few blocks off the main stay. Of course, asking the locals where they would have this delectable fish was important and you never go wrong. They do allow you to pick for two or for a group of four. Which of course would scare the Dickens out of someone who never have Huachinango. Its BIG! Did I say thay without smirking? But of course, due to it being actually big. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the biggest fan of this type of fish because you can get squimish with its mere existence (or lack of) just starring at you. With its glazed eyes, whoxhof course locals also pop in their mouths for a delicacy, but me? I'll skip thank you very much. Still I must admit that the fish does feed four, and for the price which is less than $15, you seriously can't go wrong. read more
5 years ago
We were lucky enough to have both a lunch and a dinner at El Pirata and neither disappointed. Friendly staff and beyond wonderful food. The shrimp ceviche is out of this world, we also had their sea snail, guacamole and their special, grouper. If fresh authentic seafood is your taste, then this is the place to enjoy it. *cash only read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
We walked around in circles looking for some other 5 star rated place, not realizing it was no longer in business. My heart and stomach were demanding ceviche! When I asked a few locals for the place we were looking for, they all recommended El Pirate. Boy were we in for a treat‼The octopus ceviche was so fresh! Thick cuts too. The mixture of lime, cucumber, tomato avocado etc Perfecto We also ordered shrimp empanadas. The best I've ever had. Homemade of course. The dough was perfect, light and crispy with the shrimp cooked just right and fresh. The waiter brought out the selection of "catch of the day" we couldn't resist, so fried red snapper with homemade corn tortillas, beans, rice and a little salad and very flavorful green lime chili. The place was a little crowded but we were seated and served quickly. Ideal for out starvation lol read more
9 years ago
It took me almost a week to write this review because thats about how long its taken me to recover from the food induced coma after my meal at El Pirata. The portions are big and the food is heavenly. Its a place that locals frequent like the seafood version of El Fogon. My gf came here had a great time and left with enough leftovers for breakfast (well she did. I didnt know when to call it quits until it was too late). We started off with the guac $80 pesos and 2 @ Modelo Negros $35 pesos. It was a healthy plate of avocado. Atleast 2-3, it needed a little salt pepper and lime but all that was at the table so we were set. After eating about half of that my girl friend shrimp empanadas $120 came out. I dont really like shrimp and when I saw these 5 huge empanadas come out I wanted no parts. I just assumed theyd be too shrimpy for me. It wasnt until the next day when I was stealing her leftovers that I realized how amazing these empanadas were. Probably my second favorite shrimp dish next to ceviche. Each day they over 3 or 4 fishes that you can have prepared. The specialize in frying them but they do have a couple non fries fish dishes. The waiter suggested I get the red snapper. It was $500 pesos so I passed. It was a fish that can feed two or 3 people and my gf wanted another shrimp dish *insert eye roll* so I opted for the smallest of the 3 fresh fish he brought to our table. I can't remember the name tbh but when it came out all fried with rice and beans and salad I knew I made a good choice. The fish was so cripsy and moist and after dressing it with some salsa verde, jugo, and guac I was literally in heaven. As with most local mexican joints street musicans come by out front to sing or play songs and it really just set the mood. There was they really good duo with a blind accordion player. About an hour after sitting down. I was pretty unhappy with myself over how much of this delicious ass food I had stuffed into my body and how much I was going to hate the walk home. 5 stars for Pirata 1 star for my decision to overeat. read more
7 years ago
The food was good here, which was the saving grace. We had the catch of the day which was red snapper. It usually comes with rice salad and beans. I asked for a double portion of rice and the beans. The plate comes out with just rice. I had to ask him for the beans and then the lemons and the salad for my wife's dish because hers was normal. The service was TERRIBLE. We were rushed to finish our food so they could close the store. I mean literally the waiter was telling us hurry up amigos. We apparently were the last ones to be served. Needless to say we won't be returning. read more
Delicious fresh seafood. This is a local favorite i mean it was packed. The fried fish which was not able to be interpreted in English only as catch of the day was amazingly fresh and buttery. They also have the likes of Snapper, and Grouper. They will bring out a tray with a selection of various fish and sizes to accommodate your party. Where I thought the cerviche to be very reasonable. I thought the fish although excellent was pricey. Make sure you find out the price before they run off and cook your fish. read more
9 years ago
The best mojarras (fried tilapia) ever! Great taste, affordable prices. They bring your fish prior to cooking and they are charged by weight. You can ask for smaller if you like. We got 2 pretty big ones for 620 pesos. They are cooked and they come with salad, beans and rice.. plenty of food for one person... they have all kinds of fish; some people ordered snapper and shared it; they also have shrimp dishes, ceviche which came in a huge plate and looked like it was fresh! read more
Skip the super touristy spots along the avenue and head here for amazing fresh seafood. We stopped by mid-afternoon to grab a couple of dishes to share. Fried Fish - flaky and delicious, the fried outside did not take away from any of the flavor of the fish. It fell right off the bone. Before we ordered, the waiter brought out a tray with three different sizes of fresh fish to choose from for the day. They looked really fresh - impossible to beat. Shrimp Cocktail - delicious, but definitely was overshadowed by the other dishes we ordered. Pretty standard shrimp cocktail in a mild sauce. Garlic Shrimp - if you like shrimp, definitely recommend this over the shrimp cocktail! Grilled to perfection, and flavorful sauce without being greasy. The rice, beans & veggies were a great addition. Paired with a cold beer, the seafood was amazing. El Pirata is a gem! read more
4 years ago
7 years ago
Perfection. Absolutely wonderful in every way. Wife and I took a ride from Cancun to Playa. Told the cab driver we didn't want to do the typical tourist eating stops. He said he'd take us to his favorite place and we invited him to eat with us. They brought a fresh catch to the table and my wife chose which one she wanted. I had a michelada and camarones al mojo de ajo. We also had an order of empanadas de camarones and they were AMAZING. Be sure to get the fresh habanero con limón salsa on the side. Wow. read more
4 years ago
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More info about El Pirata
Calle 40 S/N
Col. Zazil Ha
77710 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Mexico
Zazil Ha
Directions
984 803 6762
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Review Highlights - El Pirata
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