The food is great, and the service is good. The only bad thing is that it gets full too quickly, but that's part of the business. They play great music, and I love the aesthetics of this place. read more

Mambo Seafood - Amazing mambo rice - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

"Why do you eat at Mambo Seafood near Chinatown, while there are other restaurants?" I often get this question. It's because this one opens late and has different varieties of seafood dishes. I am here mostly near their closing hours because I work at night. Service was so-so. Well, this is normal for this part of town. Sometimes, this place gets so rowdy and unbearable. I have measured it the noise level could get to over 100 db when there is a birthday party. (watch my video) My usual dish is the fish soup. I also tried ceviche but I couldn't finish the dish because there are so many shrimps. I don't like the textures. read more

See all

Amazing food. The best rice I've ever had. I even checked TikTok to see if the recipe was posted. :-( didn't find it.

We had family come over town so we wanted them to try it. It was very packed and the wait was a bit. I would say the service was just OK some were tired looking and some were very cheery. Some of our orders did get lost and some came out really late but Mambo is the OG spot and we wanted to show them. Michelada 5/5 It was good and spicy. Less tomato base. I'm not quite sure if there was any tomatoes. Empanadas 5/5 Now this one really shocked me because I typically don't like empanadas often because they make it so dry and if you're not at a place, specially makes them. But these were on the wet side. It was kind of like a seafood pot pie inside of it and empanadas. Fried fish platter with crawfish 4/5 I like the fried fish and the crawfish the side fried rice was just OK. The shrimp for a bit dry the flavor was just OK and the batter was good. Overall a decent dish. Grilled fish 5/5 So I only had a couple pieces of this, but I really enjoyed them and I kind of wish that I ordered this. It was very tender and savory. Special fried rice 1/5 I personally would not get this one again because it did look different from the side fried rice, but it didn't really taste that much more different. You can visibly tell that the color seasoning and the vegetables were added, but taste wise they were not noticeable. I would just stick with the side fried rice. Chocolate cake 2/5 It was eh. We are prob just not chocolate fans. We only took a bite but wasn't enticed to keep going. read more

Fresh, flavorful seafood with perfect seasoning and great service every visit always. read more

See all

Had food delivered through door dash.... It was horrible. The shrimp was fried hard and were paper thin as though I was eating deep fried flour and cornmeal, the fish was rubbery, and the rice was hard and tasteless. I didn't even finish it just threw everything away. They should be ashamed for taking people's hard earned money and serving them bullshit read more

I was pleasantly surprised that Mambo's fish and shrimp were not greasy as most. The $12 cost was right on target, enough food for the price. I have a shrimp and a piece of fish left. I don't know what kind of fish because it was not stated. Overall it was a delicious meal that included a salad of my choosing. I am very picky, so anyone can "take this to the bank," and trust my words. Order from Mambo's Seafood!! read more

It's been years that I've eaten Mambo but it still slaps every time. Their fried rice is always full of ingredients and flavor and their fish filets are flakey. Their shrimp was lackluster (very small and mostly breading). Their fries are just okay, got soggy quick with the catering order, but had a good amount and were thick fries. Eating this reminded me of how good Mambo is and why it's a beloved Houston spot. read more

Mambo Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

I got food poisoning from the seafood boil (specifically the crab). The servers were nice and the outdoor seating was good too, but it only took 3 hours for my stomach to start churning. Missing a HUGE meeting due to the bug. Will not be returning. read more

Went to Mambos on 8 for Valentines 2026 and it sucked they were serving crawfish that were still in diapers. They were so small and they flavor was not good. So disappointing. read more

See all

Food was good, you get what you pay with a great service and a smile from the waitress. My only recommendation is to pay attention to the sound of the music, the selection of song was good for the vi e of the restaurant but the sound system sound terrible, might be the speakers are old or it needs some tuning, you get use to after 15 minutes but it doesn't let enjoy the music read more

Great food but check your receipts before you leave! I got home and realized they had charged a 17% gratuity on my to-go order. While the receipt called it a 'suggested gratuity,' it was actually deducted from my payment automatically. This feels like a hidden fee and is a very poor business practice. Forcing a tip on a carry-out order feels dishonest and lack of transparency. read more

Order from Uber Eats and it arrived fresh, hot and well packaged. The rice had a good taste. Was a little greasy at the bottom but the tastes overrides this. The portion was plenty, I can eat off this at least 2 more times. read more

Mambo Seafood - Special Rice: Pork only - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

As someone from California, Mambo is somewhere I always must stop at when I'm in Houston. I love their fried rice! Order the fried rice, that's all I need to say :) read more

Mambo Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Excellent service! Even though it was a Sunday afternoon and busy, they sat me and my family right away. The energy was great and very family oriented. The food! The food was exceptional. Please go see server Lena and manager Meticie. These ladies will take good care of you! read more

The service today was a complete change from my last visit Javier and his team did an amazing job! read more

Mambo Seafood - Amazing service from Javier and his team - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

My schoolmates and I arrived at Mambo's Seafood restaurant on a warm Sunday afternoon. As we approached the parking lot, we observed that the outside patio area was completely full. For those who prefer fast seating, we recommend you arrive earlier than 1 pm, as the restaurant fills up quickly because it's quite popular. As we walked in, we were met by a friendly host who welcomed us and told us about the five-minute wait time. Both the inside and outdoor sections are packed with vibrant decorations that offer a warm cultural experience, with a clear Latin-American theme which we found endearing. Though the host told us they would reach out to us when there were seats available, it took 15-20 minutes to get properly seated. Our waitress, Emma, was very kind and immediately asked for drinks, which allowed us to get our food faster. While Emma got our drinks, we enjoyed the ambience and music amongst the noise of the highway. While the ambience was great, the smell was not. Everyone in our group of five smelled a foul odor surrounding the restaurant. I believed it resembled saltwater, while my classmates mentioned it smelled like "rotten eggs". Thankfully, this smell was overpowered by the smell of food being prepared. After 25 minutes, Emma came with all of our orders. The shrimp tacos and the fish tacos were served on small, round baskets, which emphasized the general atmosphere of freshness and thoughtfulness. The ingredients in each dish were just as fresh as the restaurant promised. The tacos were accompanied by a savory sauce consisting of mayonnaise. The fish was tender, with the crispy fish complementing the mambo slaw and avocado. For the shrimp tacos, however, the avocados and slaw didn't work well with the flavors of the shrimp and sauce. The next item we ordered was the fried shrimp platter. While the meat was good, the breading was dry and generic, with little salt. The rice on the side was flavorful, having a strong Cajun flavor. The fried fish fillet consisted of rice and fish, which were both fresh and clearly organic. The fried fish and shrimp had a crispy texture but were rather dry. Finally, we ordered signature Mambo rice. Out of all the options, this had the best ratio of food to price, coming in at 11 dollars. The plate was filled with rice and chicken, with the chicken being tender and full of spices. The rice nicely tied the meal together, with onions and bean sprouts differentiating it from rice dishes served at other seafood places. Mambo's seafood was lacking in its drink quality. The lemonade had a weird aftertaste, similar to sugarcane. Another negative was the price inconsistency. While the rice dishes were good deals, their taco selections were unnecessarily expensive (13 dollars), with less food than other dishes (such as the Mambo rice, which was 11 dollars). The wide variety of dishes allowed for great versatility, with everything being easy to eat and share. In the end, the food was still great and delivered on their promise of fresh, high-quality ingredients. There was a minor incident when we asked to receive the bill, as the drinks ordered were swapped. Since we paid together, this issue didn't affect us too much. We still advise that you check the bill to make sure your orders are correct. One of our favorite aspects was how enthusiastic the staff was at Mambos. For instance, a group of waiters sang at the table next to ours for their grandfather's birthday. If we had to give each aspect a rating, we would give the service a 6/10, the food an 8/10, and the atmosphere a 7/10. Overall, we would say it was a really nice experience with great food and good service, and we'd go back again. If you enjoy Latin American Seafood and cuisine, want a cultural experience with good service, and love fresh, warm meals, Mambo's Seafood is a must-visit. read more

Mambo Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

I love mambos it's my to go place always I love everything about it food and drinks so delish but I wish they would make a Mambo's in humble Texas we definitely need one there so I have my fingers crossed read more

Cecilia is pretty cool I like her service great she cute too 10/10 would recommend ,amazing! the seafood is always fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. On top of that, she's so funny and has the best personalityshe really makes the whole experience enjoyable. Great food, great vibes, and lots of laughs. I'll definitely be back! Plus she cute read more

Ordered a large special rice to go. Got home and the container only half filled. Do better Mambo as this wasn't an issue before. read more

Mambo Seafood - 'Large' special rice - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Good food and good service. We were in town celebrating a birthday and went here for lunch to celebrate another birthday. The fried rice is delicious. I got a pepinanda con piquete and it was the perfect refreshment for such a hot day. read more

Mambo Seafood - Pepinada con piquete - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

I ordered over the phone and went to pick up my order. I walked in the restaurant and it was packed. I walked to one of the registers and told the lady what I ordered. I paid for my order. She went to retrieve my order and handed it to me. I went to the next counter to where she was standing and I started to check my order. A lady from behind the counter approached me, gave me a nasty look, and asked if I needed help. I told her No and informed her that I was checking my order. After checking my order, I proceeded to leave the restaurant. As I was walking out the door, I was chased down by two ladies saying that I needed to pay for my order. I turned around and showed the security guard my receipt and told them that I paid for my order. The cashier that helped me was standing close to the door with several other people. This was very embarrassing. I was livid that I was accused of not paying when they could've confirmed with the cashier. I did not like the way the situation was handled at all. I will not be visiting this location again. read more

Food is always consistent and tasty. Actual dishes do look like advertisements pictures! This is not fine dining, but service is always good, atmosphere is comfortable, and staff is friendly. Their different locations operate almost as good as each other. It is just a comfortable place. read more

Food was amazing! Good vibes! Waitresses are very attentive, the best location in Houston.

This is one of my favorite places to go eat seafood!! Try the Micheladas, the rice it's out of this world!!! I got an order for eight, talk to Lesly , she helped me out with the best of the menu!! ask for her she's great!!! read more

The food was good but it took us almost 2 hrs to get it, we waited cuz we where having appetizers. read more

Mambo Seafood - Ostiones - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

I hadn't been to a Mambo in years. My friend and I began with our drinks, pepinadas. These are non-alcoholic cucumber limeades. While we each ordered a glass, you can get a pitcher of pepinada too. Then we ordered empanadas costeñas. They're filled with shrimp and served with a tangy green sauce. They're quite tasty. I ordered a tilapia filet that comes with salad, shrimp fried rice and a roll. The salad is nice and even includes jicama. But you're not given a choice of dressing. The fried rice is delicious, as always. I'm taking a star off because my fish was too salty and the place is too loud. read more

See all

Sincerely I think it's more cheaper if we buy it at Timmy Chan or Hunan king Chinese food cause here u get the rice a little more than half not full and it's kind of salty read more

Mambo Seafood - Ck Special Rice** - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Amazing food. Everything we had was fresh and well seasoned. We ordered oysters, shrimp scampi, mambo shrimp, fried shrimp and a whole friend tilapia. The octopus scampi was so good!! The seafood market has different style you can get but this was the best. It was very buttery, garlicky and really rich in flavor. The mambo shrimp is seasoned so well. Fried tilapia/shrimp was average. The star of the show were the oysters. They were stuffed with ceviche and topped with a perfect slice of avocado. I was in love after the first bite. You will miss out big time if you don't order these. Highly recommend!! read more

See all

Food was amazing and extremely season fried rice! I always get the mambo style shrimp, you can't go wrong here!

I frequent all of the Mambo seafood restaurants in Houston. They have some of the freshest fish and shrimp in town. The mambo fried rice is amazing! First time at this location. We were greeted by two friendly ladies working the front door. Our waitress Laura was extremely nice and did such a great job. She checked on us several times to make sure we had everything we need. She is so fast and good ad what she does. They need to make her a manager so she can train colleagues I work the way she does. Great job Laura l! The food: duo combo. I got two pieces of fish, 6 shrimp and mambo fried rice and it was amazing! Full of flavor and very tasty. Great job mambos! Keep up the good work. I will definitely come back and try more things off the menu. read more

Arnold, our waiter was amazing. Very attentive and very knowledgeable and polite. Oh and the food was amazing as well. You can't go to mambos and not have a michelada! read more

Mambo used to be cheap and yummy. Now the rice aren't so great, shrimp scampi not so great as well. The fries were okay, the whole fried tilapia was good. Stuff jalapeño was good, other than that, I don't think this place should made the price go up at all. read more

Estuve en el Mambo de la Federal y me atendio Yadelin excelente servicio por su parte y la comedia muy sabrosa

l call to make a order and when l ask how long it would of take they hang on me and l call back to make sure it was right they told me it was for 4 people when l have told the lady for a whole family for 8 people they told me yes is a large and l was ok but when l when to pick it up they gave a small amount not the amount l ask for is a bad place l won't ever go again l won't waits my money there or my time,for the lady who hang up on me you waste my time next time if you have a bad day don't go to fucking work expected to be nice l was nice to u and you was rude asf never going back read more

Mambo Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

I usually go to Captain Tom's for my oyster fix in Houston but a buddy recommended Mambos. While it wasn't too bad, there things that could be better. The Micheladas literally just had salt on the rim and some mix. It wasn't until my buddy asked them to make it their way did it come out stronger, spicier, the way a michelada suppose to taste like. The gumbo had great chunks of seafood in it, however it was cold and the rice just mixed in. Oysters surprised me, they were plump and juicy and sweet. I liked them a lot. The accompaniments could have been better. Seafood platter was just so and so, but the fried rice stuck out. Tastes like the fried rice I grew up eating in my parents Chinese restaurant. read more

See all

Delicious seafood and their fried rice is amazingly delicious!! The staff is extremely friendly and make sure that you are well taken care of and enjoy your experience there!! read more

Mambo Seafood - Special rice (habanero style) - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Mambos (any Mambos) has been my go-to place when I'm craving fresh seafood and fried rice, which is an option when you order one of their seafood meals. Most of their platters are fried, but grilled is available as well, although much more expensive than their breaded counterparts. The seafood gumbo, not pictured, is to-die-for, as it's filled with fish, shrimp and oysters. The roux is dark, so perhaps a little different than some are used to, but very delicious. Tip: Order a Michelada (spicy mix with your choice of beer) for a refreshing beverage. read more

Mambo Seafood - Mambos fish and shrimp with fried rice. - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

My wife and I absolutely love this place for the fried rice. The portion is Insane, the price is great, And it is so good. I literally ate it for 3 days lol. I've you get a craving for an awesome fried rice definitely give it a shot. read more

Being a Houstonian for years and always noticed Mambo around figured, give it a try. Oh boy where do I start, first off it was a total waste of money and not good. We were the first ones there on Saturday and when we walked in they were still doing employe meeting for the day, so we figure we get our food first. NO, mistaken, everyone else who walked in 15 mins after us was getting food while we just sit there hungry. Not just one tables 3 tables and I see to go order coming out and ready to go, while we just sat there waiting. Finally I ask the her to check on our food, 15 mins later she brought it out. Fried rice was cold and every other fried dishes were cold as well, so it must have just sat there on the counter for the last 20 minutes. The rice was super dry, fried dishes were bland an soggy, and greasy. I have no idea why this place was packed? If I was the only person at my table didn't like the food, then maybe you can say im a picky eater, but everyone in my family of four didn't think the food was below average on a good day. Will not come back, please please if you want fry mexican seafood, just go to Captain Tom. Food was below average at best and service was subpar. read more