This place is a gem in Carlsbad. Started out with some complimentary warm chips and salsa. The food was exceptional and the prices reasonable for the quality. Service friendly and the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. The spouse had the CAMARONES A LA PLANCHA looking for a non-fried seafood and not disappointed. Plenty of sides with salad, rice and mashed potatoes. I had the A LA DIABLA, the sauce was so flavorful and generous amount of chicken was able to take leftovers of a grilled chicken sandwich and about 1/2 the pasta. It will not go to waste read more

We came here for early dinner while in town and the food was delicious. Service was a bit slow, with only 2 waitstaff. We ordered: 1) shrimp aguachile - this was refreshing and pretty good; shrimp did not taste bad either 2) molcajete - this was the highlight of the meal as I enjoyed everything they used inside including the meats and shrimp 3) seafood (octopus) pasta - husband ordered this and enjoyed it, especially the baby octopus Meal also comes up with free salsa + chips, along with some type of fish soup if you order entrees. We were pleasantly surprised by this place, and glad we found a place to dine that's close to the national park! read more

This restaurant is tucked away so it can be hard to miss! Great spot for seafood. I really enjoyed my shrimp tostada which was so refreshing. I love that it comes with complimentary fish soup. They ran out of octopus when we visited so we will be back! read more

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The food was good. The salsa was fresh. They give you complementary soup, which was delicious btw. I had the grilled shrimp tacos which were good. I've had better but these were still good. read more

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Great seafood restaurant in the area. The grilled octopus and pasta were super yummy! Also nice food presentation and environment. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Grilled Octopus - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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The food was delicious and the portions were very large and the staff was very nice! (Needed to pull out my high school Spanish to communicate, but Google translate also served us well.). Our four-person party took leftovers home and literally had 2 more meals leftover after having eaten there. We had pasta and grilled octopus (so good!) and molcajete (which I had never tried before - it had variety, flavor, beautiful presentation, and it was enormous). Loved it. read more

Pulpo was the star of the show- so tender!! It's very difficult to cook the Pulpo so soft it melts like butter. Not rubbery or chewy at all. Must have item if you visit. Loved the mixto tostada- we paired it with the chips and it was fresh and delicious. Fish tacos were a miss for me- the batter was too much, too greasy and not crispy at all. I ended up removing the batter and thought it tasted better without it. Would order something else on the menu next time. Overall, a great local spot for dinner. You can byob, and we saw serval patrons bringing their own cases of beer! Waitress and staff were lovely and accommodating - they don't speak English btw, but we did just fine with our elementary level Spanish. read more

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Definitely a hole in the wall but incredibly authentic place. Apparently known for its seafood which I didn't expect in Carlsbad. We saw several tables order civiche which looks amazing. We opted for street tacos which were pretty good but nothing amazing. Dishes were priced at about $20 a piece so we ended up with a $120 bill for above average tacos. read more

Best ethnic meal I've had in weeks, and reasonably priced. The menu is a challenge to interpret and my server, while polite, prompt and efficient, did not speak enough English to help. I went with a Scallop Seafood Boil with red potatoes, corn, and garlic butter. Delicious. Wish I was local, I eat here EVERY week. My grapefruit concoction substituted for beers which, apparently, they do not serve. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Scallop seafood boil with red potatoes, corn, and garlic butter ... - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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If you're looking for some seafood and Mexican dishes in Carlsbad, Mariscos El Buchon is the place for it. We were driving back from the national park back into the main town of Carlsbad and found this place along the way. It was a solid dinner, with friendly staff. We visited Mariscos El Buchon on a Sunday night and the place was busy. It looked like most everyone here were locals and knew exactly what to order. But for my partner and I, it took some time to figure out what to eat because the menu offered a lot and it was in Spanish, so our server had to explain what some items were. We ended up ordering the scallop ceviche, guac and the molcajete entree of chicken, steak, shrimp and chorizo. Although they do not have alcohol, they allow you to bring your own booze here, so my partner got us a bottle of wine nearby and we munched on complimentary chips and salsa before our main course. Everything is SPICY! You will definitely need something to cool you down because they use some hot peppers, seeds and all, when making the guac, ceviche and the salsa you get with the chips. HOT! I like spicy foods, but my lame ass could not handle the spices here. But the food was good. The scallop ceviche was nice, and you taste a lot of the lime for that zesty flavor, but wished there had been more scallops versus the onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, etc. The molcajete entree of protein was also good, and my favorite was the shrimp that was grilled. Delicious! But the portion of the steak and chicken is not much, which was a bummer because all the meat was tasty, so you want more of it! For how much the ceviche and molcajete costs, we had hoped there would've been more meat. Overall, this was a solid dinner in a cozy setting with friendly staff. read more

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Authentic Mexican food - healthy and filled with locals. Probably the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. The soup and Ceviche was to die for and every detail attended too. Casual vibe and Spanish speaking staff (nope, my Spanish is terrible). Loved everything. The drinks are served in Mason jars. Try the mocktails! read more

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This is truly a special place as you are welcomed in by the owner and his family. The food was fantastic and their horchata is the best I have ever had! The owner came by and checked on us and never let any of our drinks go empty. I'll be back next time I visit Albuquerque. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Birria Pizza - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

I ordered several things but my favorite was the torre tropical (shrimp tower with mango and avocado). It was very good and refreshing. The restaurant gives complimentary chip and salsa. I also had the fish ceviche, fish soup, and fried fish tacos. I wasn't too fond of the ceviche. It was a little bit bitter. I felt that the fish soup was a bit too fishy and I didn't expect it to be spicy. Some lime juice would have made it better. It comes with some pita. The tacos have four to an order. The fish tacos and shrimp tacos were ok, but a bit plain with just cabbage and some cheese. read more

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Surprisingly nice and authentic ceviche restaurant pretty far from the ocean. Food was great and very reasonably priced. Nice selection of hot sauces. The night I went there was no staff that spoke English, but they were attentive and it was easy enough to order. Also it's BYOB, excellent. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Octopus tostada - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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10/10. Food was so fresh and delicious. The service was awesome. We did the coco shrimp and fish tacos. Best we've ever had. Mangonada was also incredible. Will absolutely go back. Great little spot with a good vibe! read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Coco shrimp, fish tacos, mangonada - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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What a wonderful surprise to find such good seafood in the middle of the desert. This is definitely a comeback place. The services is great. It's a small location with a big parking lot but the prices are very reasonable and the food is outstanding. Very traditional Mexican seafood. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Delicious!!! All. Of. It!!!! Fresh, refreshing drinks, Mexican coke, amazing entrees. Quaint, well decorated inside. Front end staff knows little English. It's perfect! read more

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This place is a hoppin road-side stop. Beware they don't serve alcohol - we ordered 2 mojitos and got these wide mouth jars with virgin drinks only. The menu is extensive though and the molcajetes don't disappoint. As stated in other reviews, I don't think the staff spoke English but ordering is still easy. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

First of all the presentation of the food is top notch You need to speak Spanish Also the waitress was so soft spoken you couldn't even hear her speak She only got half of one of the orders correct the rest of the order was not placed I was pouring both chip sauces on the rice trying to give it some flavor The potatoes needed some salt Ordered the churros but had a hard time cutting them even with a steak knife and fork due to being (i guess) tough from overcooking Had to order water to drink because of the language barrier and just gave up and ordered water Was so looking forward to coming here but left disappointed read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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Mariscos is located in Carlsbad is a seafood Mexican style spot that was filled with quite a bit of people when we came here for an early dinner. Overall we ordered a lot of different items so we can share. To me, I wasn't a fan of the oysters they had. A lot of the seafood dishes we had were alright but weren't as great as some places in Los Angeles. But one of the dishes which was a simple pasta dish tasted good! Hands down that was the best thing we had and we finished that as soon as it got to the table, compared to everything else. But if you do enjoy meaty tacos this place also is pretty alright in that! The service was also friendly and nice so I guess we actually had a pretty decent time here. read more

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Lovely little find in Carlsbad, NM. A local eatery that had good food, reasonable prices and great iced tea. The complimentary salsa and chips were so tasty. I had the drunken shrimp tacos, hubs had the ribeye tacos, and both were a nicely sized portion and delicious! I'd definitely eat there again. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - The salsa and tea...at the other food too quickly. - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Cute restaurant with a cool vibe in Carlsbad. Definitely several steps up from the chain restaurants in town. They start your meal with a complimentary small cup of spicy fish broth. We had the fish tacos, camarones borrachos (drunken shrimp) tacos, and the grilled octopus. If you don't like spicy food this is not the place for you, but it was all delicious. We ordered the sopapillas for dessert. Yum! BYOB, they don't serve alcohol but you can bring in wine or beer. read more

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The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Both seafood dishes tasted great! The meal also came with a complimentary bowl of soup and chips/salsa. When we asked for extra tostadas for the table, they happily gave us more. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Fried cod - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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Outstanding food and service. We truly enjoyed the entire experience. A hidden gym in Carlsbad.

Had dinner here on a Monday night. Place doesn't have too many tables for inside, but we're seated after a short wait. They don't serve alcohol so we ordered some water and a lemonade while checking the menu. Ended up ordering the grilled shrimp with garlic butter and the shrimp tacos. Really liked both dishes, loads of garlic on the shrimp and sides were good as well. Liked the shrimp tacos a bit better, but overall great seafood. Finished with some churros which were good. Place was pretty busy and they also have a drive in / pickup window. Would definitely recommend to give this place a try when you're in Carlsbad. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Grilled shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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We stopped in for lunch and the place was almost full. We didn't find any of the servers who spoke English but we were able to order using photos from yelp. We had the Molcajete w/ shrimp, steak, chicken, cheese and chorizo dish and it was enough for two. Very flavourful and really an impressive presentation. The server was very busy so she was not able to come around but she was pleasant. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Molcajete w/ shrimp, steak, chicken, cheese and chorizo dish - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

This place was delicious! We were nervous about finding a decent restaurant in the area because our last 2 places were awful. This spot has a nice ambiance from outside and it drew us in. The inside was clean and inviting as well. Our meal was great. We had the drunken shrimp tacos, fried fish tacos, guacamole and shrimp pasta for the kids. Everything was great! Exceeded our expectations expectations. read more

Excellent food and service. We had steak tacos and shrimp tacos and shared. Amazing tacos. Salsa is homemade and crave able.

Fabulous food! You know it's going to be authentic Mexican when your the only white people there. The staff was fantastic, google translate was required and fun. No alcohol but fantastic mock-tail type drinks. I'm have the rib eye tacos ... delicious!! read more

The steak I had was good but overpriced big time. It was 30$ for a 1/4" steak like you would feed a kid. The food was good though just too much for that thin steak, I also waited on my waitress to bring the food after it was set on the counter due to her playing with her phone, but their seafood looked very good quality for being here in the middle of nowhere read more

5 Star Mexican Restaurant! We were all pleasantly surprised and would love to eat here again (too bad we don't live anywhere near here and it's literally in the middle of nowhere)... so if you're in the area I highly recommend this place for dinner. We got their speciality aguachile in habanero style and pulpo a las brasas (grilled octopus). It was shockingly the 2nd best octopus we have had (second to octopus we have had in Barcelona!) Staff is friendly and service was great! The restaurant does not sell alcohol but it is BYOB. There is indoor and outdoor seating available. Very clean restaurant and food is served on beautiful traditional Mexican dishes! read more

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Service was lousy and $36 for a dozen oysters is above market value ..I had to send them back to Rinse them again . They were full of shell and not rinsed properly read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Dirty Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Amazing flavors!!! Definitely did not expect such great food in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. The service was excellent, too. They also serve you a free sampler of their fish soup before you even order. Delicious! I had the chicken tacos. So good! The ambiance is perfect. Did not expect such a beautiful little restaurant when we parked in the big dirt lot. Looks like a chef with big dreams designed the place. Love it! read more

The food choices in Carlsbad are not great. A lot of chains, and on the night we went we couldn't find a restaurant that seemed to have availability. Ended up checking out this restaurant after they said they had space, and so happy we did. It's mostly all seafood, and they don't have any alcoholic drinks, but the food was all very good and seemed super fresh. Was a very pleasant surprise. Tortillas tasted super fresh on the tacos, and the churros were also great. No complaints at all, and would absolutely go back. read more

If you are in town visiting Carlsbad caverns, this restaurant is also another reason just to go to Carlsbad. The restaurant has a very modern feel and a very polite, friendly and inviting staff. As soon as we got seated, we were given a little cup of their house made fish soup, which was extremely delicious and warming. We ordered the chicken tacos and the shrimp tostada and the flavors were absolutely amazing. I have had Mexican food all over the country and in Mexico and the flavors here we're by far some of the best. read more

I ordered the Shrimp Chaviche and enjoyed it very much. However it was raining outside AND inside. The Roof leaks and the inside was cold. I gave 3 stars for food alone. With better weather conditions it might be better. Shrimp Chaviche came with two tostada shells. It also came with a small bowl of vegetable soup. Both items were brought out one right after the other. I would have liked to enjoy the soup before the Chiveche was served. Overall it was adaquet. read more

Mariscos El Buchon - Just gettin' started. - Seafood Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

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Amazing! The food is over the top. I was love finding the hidden gems and this place hits the mark. Driving up it looks like a converted gas station. Then once you get in the restaurant, this is a hopping place! Christian based, they hang their hat on Philippians 4:6-7. We had the complimentary fish soup and chips and salsa. My wife and I have never drank so much water. Yes, the salsa was spicy and flavorful. Next, we ordered their Guacamole. Again, flavorful and a little spicy. We didn't take a picture but beautiful. Finally, we had a pasta dish with marinara and bowtie pasta. We added some shrimp and the end result was well worth it. If you come to Carlsbad, NM eat here!!!! read more

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Great service and food. Had the flank steak which included a small salad, mashed potatoes, and rice. Food was delicious and so was dessert. Place specializes in seafood. read more

Wonderful good and service!!! We stopped here based on rating my wife saw on Yelp. It surpassed our expectations. Only in town for a day, but so good, we may stop again before we leave. read more

Mariscos. In a converted garage? Don't let this place fool you, the food here is great. Be prepared, however, this is a Mexican seafood place, and if you're expecting fillet of sole or honey soy glaze salmon, you're in the wrong place. The good: The food. The drinks. The ambiance. Ordered the aguachiles de cameron verde (a watery green chile sauce with raw shrimp), the tropical tower and a shrimp cocktail, as well as mineral preparada (a drink with salty mineral water and lime). All were great. First, be aware, much of what's served here is raw. If you're not into raw seafood, you probably should skip Mariscos El Buchon, or at least be sure to ask for something that is cooked. The menu assumes a high degree of familiarity with mariscos and does not identify which dishes are raw and which are cooked. However, for those of you undaunted by raw shrimp, the food is really pretty tasty, particularly for being in a fairly small city in the middle of a desert. Desert travelers looking for a taste of the ocean? This is a good bet. That said, Mariscos el Buchon didn't seem to have the heat on when I was there, and temperatures inside the restaurant were uncomfortably low. If you're going in the winter, make sure to bring a jacket. read more

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