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    Karina's Mexican Seafood

    2.9 (751 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Karina's Mexican Seafood Reservations

    Order Karina's Mexican Seafood Takeout or Delivery

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    KARINA'S MEXICAN SEAFOOD ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Karina's Mexican Seafood

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    Reviews With Photos

    Michael A.

    My uncle Eddie and friend Martin visited in Chula Vista San Diego to try out a Mexican cuisine restaurant. My uncle Eddie likes Mexican food and seafood and so we decided to give this place a try. Entering, beautiful waitresses, model level looks and body, a hooters level but better mind you. A big plus for men. Food however, expensive! I mean really overpriced to some degree, we ordered guacamole and chips and it was $40 and to be honest, it was just guacamole and chips a small show of them preparing it, but just not that great of value. It wasn't much either personally. Food ordered between us were chicken enchiladas with shrimp, a fajitas with shrimp for me, and a burrito for Martin with fish. All food about $35 for each entree. The food itself wasn't worth the value but it was a lot of food, it tasted okay, nothing exciting, but flavorful. Spicy and flavorful I would say. Massive portions. Service was great, we had a fit waitress, although not the best looking one, a nice one with great communication, she was always getting us napkins, water and whatever else we needed like our opinion on the food with a smile etc. ambiance was loud! I mean very loud, a Mexican band was playing music and it was just going on and on for hours. We were there for at least 2 hours and they were still playing. Overall, good but I found it pricey for what we received.

    Martini tamarindo
    Patty N.

    Came here for lunch and The service was great, the food was good as well. The ambiance was great as they were playing the soccer game when we were there. Plenty of parking. I would definitely come by again when in the area to try more dishes.

    Slice of Cheesecake for my birthday!
    Rosana M.

    Karen provided excellent service which contributed to a great dinner experience. Great place with a varied menu for all.

    Interior of restaurant
    Tony A.

    Karina's has always been a go to spot for me, while I was sad they have discontinued my shrimp burrito, they're good is still phenomenal. The ceviches are ALWAYS on point and delicious. I had the surf and turf burrito which was really good...not ready to make this my usual order but again all the food was delicious and the service was really good this evening as well. I did like the ambience in here, family style, and a little baseball all over the place to keep me further entertained.

    Pescado Chicharron de Pargo
    Laura ..

    Came to Karina's for a quick drink and bite the bartenders always provide exceptional service. Today we were attended by Cielo. She was attentive and helpful. We never had an empty drink. Shout out to the bar staff for their customer service.

    Chicharon pargo
    Adolfo R.

    Good service and Cielo was very attentive aswell as victor and humberto definitely the place for food.

    Campechana & Shrimp cocktail & Gabornador taco. And the best chips & salsa in SD!  True story :)
    Andy M.

    Love me some Karina's. Use to go to the National City one but it closed down so I tried this one & I like this one better. I don't get why they have some bad reviews then I saw most were from woman, HATERS! The girls here are polite, helpful & very attentive & yes easy on the eyes which why I'm assuming why they have haters do reviews. If you want ugly people to serve you Mariscos & your man not look then go to a street food truck not here ladies but if you confident & have no Insecurities & want good Mariscos come on down to this Karinas :) First, the vibe, atmosphere & decor in here is very good, they have TV's & a patio. Drinks, get the Micheladas they are pretty good. Service is good, friendly & cooks are fast & food is fresh. Start with the chips & salsa honesty best chips & salsa I've had salsa is fire, guacamole is very good too. They have one of the best cold seafood cocktails in SD the shrimp & Campechana are on point, it's all about the broth baby. Best fish tostada chiviche my kids have ever had. And their bean burrito is excellent, who would have thought that but yes for kiddies or you the bean cheese burrito is great. Now the tacos are good but pricey & a bit small but I love octopus so I get the Pulpo A La Brasa extra tortillas & make my own tacos. Over all me & the fam love this Karina's & will continue to come & try more items. Karinas keep up the great work & see you soon Karina & amigas :)

    This how much you'd be paying for a plate and a kids plate
    Karina D.

    Karina's Mexican Seafood... gotta give it extra love because it shares my name Haven't been back in a minute, but the food still hits! We split the Ceviche Trio and oh my god, it was SO good -- fresh, zesty, and perfectly spicy . Definitely a highlight. Prices have gone WAY up since our last visit though, like noticeably more expensive, so just a heads up if you haven't been in a while. Got a kids chicken plate (with rice and fries) for my little one, and sadly the chicken was super charred/burnt -- all you could taste was charcoal, which was a bummer and my kid barely touched it. Everything else was solid, though! Flavors are on point like always. Only other complaint: parking is an absolute nightmare if you come later in the evening. Plan to circle or park a block away.

    Essie K.

    Overall, I'd say our experience deserved 3.5 stars. It's a lively casual Mexican restaurant close to the freeway. Compared to other Mexican places, their menu is limited and more seafood heavy. The food was average in taste, not the worst or best. I would say their seafood was better than the meat dishes. The customer service was good. We were immediately greeted by our waiter after being seated and the food came out pretty quickly. Someone constantly checked in with us about drink refills or if we needed anything which was nice. The reasons for the 3 stars are the lack of parking spots for how large the restaurant is (it's next to a Comfort Inn and a lot of the spots are only reserved for their guests) and the prices are high for the quality of food. Expect to spend at least $30-40 per person. They also had a mariachi band going around playing music for the customers. FYI it got pretty loud when they played making it difficult to have conversations with your family or friends at the table. Also chips and salsa are not complimentary. It was $4 and the salsa was very bland.

    Brenda D.

    This is one of the few spots with decent mexican seafood but it's still weird to see the girls in such skimpy outfits. I mean even from a safety perspective, a hot caldo could spill all over them and then is a legal liability for the restaurant, so maybe management should adjust the uniforms for safety purposes ;)

    Taco platter and rib eye steak that arrived cold twice.
    Tita A.

    We left this restaurant very disappointed. Even with a reservation, our table was not ready when we arrived. Our server repeatedly got our drink order wrong, and when our meals finally came -- a taco platter and rib eye steak -- both were served cold. After sending them back, they were returned just as cold. We also were not given plates or silverware, and one order for a single taco came out as a full platter. On top of that, the restaurant attempted to charge us $5 for salsa we couldn't even enjoy because the tacos were cold. Communication was poor throughout the evening, and we even witnessed our server roll her eyes while another server had to translate our concerns to both her and the manager. When it came time to resolve the bill, management argued with us over removing the cold food, incorrect order, and the salsa. Between the poor service, cold food, and unprofessional handling of the situation, this was an unacceptable experience. I would caution anyone considering dining here.

    Didn't eat beans & guacamole
    Jose G.

    I came to eat at Karina's, and honestly, I don't recommend this place if you're looking for good food. The dishes are overpriced and lack flavor -- the guacamole tastes artificial, and the beans are too greasy. I paid about $52 for one meal and one drink (plus tip), which feels too expensive for the quality. It's more of a place to hang out and enjoy the atmosphere than to come for great food. The menu says the met is Ribeye, I don't think it is or it doesn't look or taste as Ribeye. I didn't eat the beans and guacamole it didn't taste good.

    Mexican seafood and steak restaurant

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    19 days ago

    Food is amazing fresh seafood the marlin tacos are spectacular staff, attentive, and helpful the ambience is just as you expect perfection

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    19 days ago

    Food is delicious. The bar has amazing service. Thanks Humberto and crew. Music is the best. Will definitely be back.

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    Page 1 of 19

    Karina's Mexican Seafood Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Karina's Mexican Seafood

    Is there happy hour?

    Yes, daily 3-6 and all day Monday

    Is there mariachi music? If so, what time?

    Yes, after 4:00 p.m.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Just before a conference event.
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    Deviled eggs and beef tartar bites
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    Mothership

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    Old fashioned and Hugo spritz
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    Inside location
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    Karina's Mexican Seafood - mexican - Updated June 2026

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