Been here twice and the place was dirty on both occasions music is super loud plus they have live music ( guys that go from table to table asking if you want a song ) when it comes to the food saying its decent I think is a big favor.. Variety yes But flavor not so much... Waitress did take her time for everything. And when finally brought our food my friend told her that her food was too salty and believe or not she replied with a big smile and I guess a joke saying "now you don't have to look for the salt shaker" and that was it. Horrible read more

I love this place!!! SEAFOOD SEAFOOD SEAFOOD the garlic crab legs are a must and much better than RedLobster. Bring an appetite and be sure to bring your liquor too as it's byob. I would recommend this place to any seafood/Hispanic food lover read more

Decent food with poor service. I have gone in here a few times and they don't focus on quality but instead quantity. Not a place I would take a girl on a date ( unless she's into lower end). read more

If you have ever dined here watch your bank statements. My mother was charged for an order she never placed. Last time she dined here was over 2 month ago and this charge appeared on her statement last week. First lady she spoke to said she will check to see their transactions at both locations to find the error. That same day she called claiming "no transaction for that amount had ever been charged at either location". She suggested my mother bring a bank statement to show the owner and have it fixed. My mother did as she was told and was now told "the statement shows a different zip code this isn't even from here". The statement clearly shows Mariscos El Veneno Chicago, IL. The zip code she was referring to? The bank transaction number. It's not a zip code. I have found previous charges from that same place when my mother actually dined and it's the exact same format. That "zip code" they refer to is different. Why? Because it's a transaction number......We have already cancelled her card and ordered a new one. Disputed claim with the bank. Just want to make everyone aware to watch for this. read more

The place is happening with live music and families and buckets of beer all around. Honestly though I am just not a big fan of Mexican food. To me, it was like the Acapulco version of Red Lobster. Skip. Fail. read more

I like this restaurant, and I love the food. They are friendly and welcome Afro-Americans.

I have been to this restaurant before and had great service. The employees were attentive, food was amazing and this location was spacious. I go tonight with my husband and son ready to eat some crab legs I have been craving. I speak to the lady in Spanish (thank goodness I know the language) and ask her for the langostinos and also said crab legs in English to make sure we understood each other. My husband ordered a seafood cocktail and decided to go with the multi seafood one, the one that has all different seafood meats. We get our order and I didn't get what I wanted (got crawfish) and asked her to take it back and decided to go with what my husband ordered. He said don't, his tastes like dirty sea water and it was really gross. I told the lady I'm going to go with the shrimp cocktail and told her my husband didn't like his and wanted to go with the same; shrimp only this time. She was quick to say that was fine but that we would get charged for both orders because he already tried it. I told her he tried it and doesn't like it, it doesn't taste fresh and he's not going to eat it. It's not fair that we need to pay for something that's not good. I continued to tell her that I would like to speak with a manager because that's poor customer service. Did a manger ever come out, no. Was my shrimp cocktails good? Not really. The sauce was like water and there was more veggies than shrimp. For a cocktail at the price of $16 I really thought I was have more shrimp. It's too bad this place didn't satisfy my craving and it's too bad that the server couldn't give the customer service a PAYING customer deserves. If you're looking for space to eat, good luck here. They cram you on the first floor because the tables are extremely close together. Never eating here again. read more

I hate to say it, been coming to this place for years and last night on 1/30/2016 will be my last. Great seafood, BYOB what more can you ask for? Well cleanliness. Bathrooms were disgusting, toilet paper with excrement on the floor on both men and women's bathroom. There was no paper towel to dry hands. It was just bad. Water all over the floor.. im suprised no one fell. It was a Saturday so my party and I expected a wait and service to be slow, but last night was ridiculous. Should a health inspector pop in and see what we saw, I am sure they would have cited them or shut it down. The owner apparently is letting this place go down in appearance which is a shame. I would post a pic of what we saw but im sure it will be too disgusting to see. Good bye Veneno. No matter how good the food is, I wont sacrifice my health. read more

Not bad but not the best either. We had Camarones Cucarachas. & red snapper. The Camarones was just ok but the red snapper was really good. They really do give you a lot of food! FYI the menu is in Spanish only but they have pictures of each dish. read more

BYOB!,practically dueling mariachi bands, and some awesome seafood, how can one go wrong? My old neighbor friends from when I lived in Pilsen, Javier and Fernando, drug me to this place last Friday while I was visiting Chicago. First, we stopped off at the El Guerro for an 18 pack of Modelo Especial and then we were on our merry way. First, El Veneno gives you a free appetizer - I liken it to ceviche without the juice and on a crispy tortilla - the bomb. Next, and this is a big one for me, they have the most unbelievably sear the roof off the top of your mouth "salsa" - I was crying for joy. Finally, Fernando ordered the Red Snapper or as I like to call it "Jonah" because it was that large. Javier ordered this squid, octopus, scallop, shrimp thingy which was absolutely delicious, and I got the shrimp diablo. We shared everything family style and had plenty and I mean plenty left over. Add to the great food an atmosphere that is like being at a boisterous Mexican wedding (which may be too loud for some), and that the food is cheap = must try. read more

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I found aluminum in my plate. To be more specific it was in the rice. It's my first time going to El Veneno and it will be my last time.

Omg this place suck!!! We order some langostinos and the lady asked me if I want a big plate and we can share with other people, I placed my order and I was gonna share with my coworkers and when I open the plate.. Surprise!!! 16 f****g Langostinos for $50.. I called them back because I thought the order was wrong.. the lady said the $50 plate come with 16-20 langostinos.. are you serious? ?? I will never ever come back to this place read more

I love coming here! I can bring my own beer (they supply customers with a large bucket of ice), enjoy the live music and dishes are plentiful. Is it the best mariscos...no, but I really love the fried shrimp and their rice is delicious. Platters can easily be shared among the group. The wait can be 20-30 minutes inside a crowded doorway, but I think it's worth it. My only complaint.....the parking is terrible. I tried the new location, but still like the 67th & Pulaski spot. I wish they had, instead of building a new location down the street, expanded and built a "real" parking lot. read more

I've been coming to this place also and another seafood place and I don't know why these reviews are so low, but who orders piña relleno? This place is more than that it's Langostinos it's crab and shrimp, salmon, tilapia I could go on. The seafood tostadas is so good with the habanero salsa also the micheladas are so awesome you can get em xtra spicy. The crab legs come out steaming hot the spiciness of that sauce is so good along with the garlic bread I don't know how anybody doesn't try anything else Langostinos and crab is the way to go. read more

I don't know what the big deal about this place is!! I was there with my family to celebrate my mother's bday and let me tell you it sucked! They did not have a large variety of platillos and when the food arrived it was cold and even then the taste was not great. Definitely will not be going back... Ever!!!! Islas Marias all the way! read more

First time at Marsicos El Veneno. First of all, welcome to their world. This is the ultimate "dive" with great seafood. They're always packed and for a good reason. I don't know of any other place where you can get fresh seafood cooked right for these prices. It is Nayarit style. Again,, welcome to their world. The music, TV and occasional street vendor can be a distraction but the food makes up for it. It's also BYOB. I noticed a pretty diverse group of people the day I went. Asians, white and black. We had a lobster tail, seafood salad and a soup and we were all pleased. This place is solid which explains why they have a second location 2 blocks down. read more

Stopped by here over the weekend and while what we ordered was pretty good they could've done a better job of keeping the place tidy. When I got to my table I though someone had spilled water on the floor because it was so wet and before I was about to tell the waiter to have someone mop it up, I realized that it was just from the buckets of ice that are beside nearly every table for those that BYOB. The service was okay just a bit lacking. I get it, it's the SS so you don't have to take yourself too seriously but a little effort goes a long way. Might come back to try the Huachinango and would've had it when I was there but they had already run out. read more

I love their pineapple seafood and It's my number one order. The fries that it comes with are good. The rice is okay. The only thing I did not like about this place is, it is super loud with the mariachi. read more

Nice people, service and fresh seafood! Authentic mexican food and style! The only thing I was not to impressed by was our plates were too salty. : ( Bummer! i hope it was only the dishes we picked because this places looks promising. We ordered acoctel and a seafood mix salad. Prices are good and FYI BRING YOUR OWN BEER!!! read more

Waiter was not very helpful or attentive we were they early in day which it was not busy so that's not an excuse. The some of the food needed salt. Parking was horrible ! read more

The food is FANTASTIC! No where else in Chicago will you get better crablegs! And the portion? GINORMOUS!!!! The platter is enough for 3 people and you CANNOT beat the price! BYOB to top it off! The waitstaff is very courteous and knowledgeable - a huge plus, especially when they have a dish with the word "cucarachas" in it lol ;D Two things I cannot stand: (1) the drunk guitar player who CAN'T SING and he's singing in your ear! Don't bother playing the jukebox because you won't be hearing what you paid for, and (2) The stream of people coming in to sell you stuff you don't want. I don't want to be bothered. I just want to go there and eat my crablegs and enjoy my vino. I highly recommend this place to any seafood lover. It's the best gem we have in the southside! LUV IT!!! read more

To start off let me just say the only reason I'm giving them one star is because they gave me a bomb ass tostada once I got there. But the service is horrible. Not once did our waiter Cesar check on us. We had to get his attention to take our order, brings us drinks and to bring the check. The food itself wasn't even good. I ordered camarones a la diabla. The chile was sweet at first then it hit you with a burning flavor. It wasn't a good spicy, it was just burning. While eating I noticed that the shrimps were not clean. I couldn't eat it after that. There are way better places for seafood read more

Our server was darling but the food is crap! Overpriced shitty over cooked fish. Food was served on the Chinese plates that the previous establishment left behind... giving my server 1 Star the rest sucked! read more

If your a fan of fish, i would definitily visit this joint!!!! the sauce is great!!!! ala diabla!!! is my favorite...... i love the byob !!! im a big fan of the mi cheladas!!! if you dont know what those are then your missing out on some good ish!!!!!! lemon juice salt tomatoe juice valentina hot sauce and beer !!!! my mouth is watering!!!! i love this place because of the food!!! not the service or the wait staff!!! or the language the people speak only!!!! please the food is great!!! i go there to eat!!!!! not for the service !!!!! lmao!!!!! the food is the ish!!!! if you dont like this place you dont have taste buds!!!!!! you probably smoked them right out your mouth!!!!! nicotin fiends!!!!!! lol read more

I checked out this place with my parents this past Sunday. It was okay... The name, "The Poison", threw me off a little bit, but I agreed to go. First there is no parking at this location. After two trips around the block we happened to land a spot in front. Okay-- here we go. When we walked in there was no wait, no one greeted us, and we were unsure if we should just take a table or wait to be seated. After a minute delay we just sat. Looking around this place, it is extremely tacky decor and blaring music which makes it extremely difficult to talk. You kind of have to yell... The waitress immediately brought over an appetizer of crab salad (?) on a tostada. It was okay. Tasted like limes... We proceeded to order. At our table we ordered: 7 Mares: A soup made of various types of seafood and vegetables. (Good) Shrimp Empanadas: 4 empanadas stuffed with shrimp and fried to a crisp. (Good) Filete a la Diabla: Some sort of tilapia fillet smothered in hot sauce with salad, fries, garlic bread, rice. (Okay) This fillet dish left me a little confused...can you decide if you are serving Mexican or American or Italian? I mean garlic bread and fries??? Then it was all served on one plate so EVERYTHING got covered in bright red hot sauce. Yes, the salad, the rice, the fries, the bread. Everything! Then the waitresses... 4 requests for an extra spoon, 3 waitresses, and 7 minutes= 1 extra spoon. -sigh- Do not think I will be going back here. There are other restaurants that are sooooo much better! read more

This place is byob which makes it even better!! Food is amazing!! As far as price goes aome might say its pricey but I think its fair Ive been to other seafood places and they charge about thw same if not more and their plates are nowhere near as big or tasty. There have been times where service is slow because this place gets packed!! Weekends is almost a forsure wait, but well worth it. My favorite plates are the camarones empanizadas with a salsa diabla on the side, the ceviche is super good their rice is to die for!! And their piña rellena is really really good oh and their camarones ala diabla sooo sooo good spicy! But good! read more

El Veneno on 66 and Pulaski is by far the best Sea Food Restaurant I have been to. The SERVICE IS GREAT! they have like the best customer service and they are always checking on you to see if your doing great and they start of with a "tostada de Ceviche". I personally love the idea of BYOB and they have a variety of food. For those who say "the smell was horrible" ummm HELLO NEWS FLASH , SEA FOOD IS A STRONG SMELL!..N-e ways I would recommend this restaurant for its good food and GREAT service. The average plate is aroung $9 and Up. Be Carefull with the sauce "veneno" is very very spicy!! :-P read more

My second time visiting this restaurant. It's a BYOB establishment and our group did just that. We all ordered the garlic butter crab legs, one person ordered the spicy crab legs and we enjoyed ourselves throughly. This restaurant is a hIdden gem. read more

This place has terrible customer service, the hostess looks like she hates working there and is rude to customers, long waits, and no one will give you an estimate as a waiting time. Save your money and go to another location read more

It was soooooo much food! Omg I never had red Snapper before & the server strongly recommended it, glad I listened it was simply amazing. I had a spicy garlic sauce in the side, it was Devine. Oh I forgot to mention that this place is BYOB! You get sooooooo much food & for the price! I got the red snapper & my friend got the shrimp platter and we got a side of Guacamole. Our total was $47. Will definitely be returning read more

I made an account just to discourage others from going to this place. I swear I have never experienced such awful customer service in my life! I used to be a big fan cause, to be honest, the food can be pretty good. However, the customer service is so terrible that I would rather go eat freaking McDonalds. On one of my visits, I told the waiter if he could give me more limes, and he made a funny face and told me that I already had limes. I had only 1 lime and I needed more for my Huachinango,but he said that his boss would get angry if he gave me more limes! I complained and this other man apologized, but that was after my meal. Anyway, I went back yesterday and ordered another huachinango estilo Nayarit, and it was real dry, didnt even taste like estilo Nayarit. So, I asked this waiter (who wasnt my waiter cause my waiter disappeared), if he could bring more of the broth and he looked like at first he was going to say no, but then he said that I would have to place an order of broth. I was like WTF my huachinango is dry! he had an attitude and said that he wasnt even my waiter not to complain to him. so he sends this waitress and she tells me that the chef said that my huachinango was perfectly fine! Man, ive had huachinangos estilo nayarit a million times, that damn huachinango was freaking dry. I just couldnt believe they were making such a big deal over broth, man I know the owner of this freaking restaurant are stinkin rich and they are still going to complain over some freaking limones and broth? I dont know, the food here is pretty good, just that having bad customer service kills it for me. If you want to eat something good but be treated like crap, then go here. I on the other hand appreciate restaurants with nice, humble people who appreciate their clients. Screw el veneno. A good alternative for you far Southsiders is La Jaibita. Niiiiiiiiiiiice people, better food than El Veneno. They once gave me 2 huachinangos cause they said the huachinangos were little, but they were the same size as El Veneno's. read more

This place is very good ! The servers are very attentive and respectful. Try the shrimp and pina colada!

This place is just an experience. Friendly and efficient staff and insane food. Wear stretchy pants, go with friends and BYOB for the most incredible Mexican seafood experience. Prepare to be stretchered out of here - the portions are enormous, but take up the challenge and you won't be disappointed. read more

My husband and I was there Thursday! 4/10/2014.. service was horrible! The food was just unacceptable. First the waitress forgets out drinks.... people that arrived after us was getting their food before us. When our food arrived we reminded the waitress about our drinks (took another five minutes to return). My husband received his plate of food completely cold. As if the food was sitting out for a long time. My food was just room temperature.. ( I didn't mind since it was shrimp). What I did mind was that my shrimp was not deveined and it disgusted me . We got another waitress attention and asked to heat up my husbands food... she said she'll tell our waitress and left. When the first waitress returns with our drinks she takes the plate and didn't return it back until another 10 minutes or so. By then we were pissed. So we decided to just take our food to go. I asked for a box to carry out.....15 minutes later I got up to get my own carry out box by the cash registers. When I return to the cashier station to pay... the girl said I shouldn't pay that much on my bill.... I responded with then discount it... she smiles and charged me full amount. Horrible service! I wont say much about the food... I'm thinking they may be trying out a new cook! But I wont return.......... read more

by far my most favorite seafood place for crab legs..omfg !!! they probably remember my face...i come here way too often ...

It's a shame that a place that has good food has to be so over priced and to have the nerve to charge gratuity for a party a three!! Really? Am I missing something here? So disappointing. The one star is for the service. read more

I am as white as white can be and my Mexican friends ordered this and I was blown away at how great refreshing , perfectly spiced ( not hot for hots sake ) all the food was .Delish!!!!! read more

Well I'd give it a five if it weren for the environment. Yes its authentic and prob. the best seasfood you'll ever have. However, they allow you to bring your own beer; therefore it's not a good environment for the family. You might want go if you want to get pick up or eif not what works best for us is carry out. The service is all in spanish and could be a tad friendlier BUT the food and prices are great! If you do go with the family it's safest to go during brunch or lunch time. In the evening and especially on the weekend the line to get in is 1/2 a block long. read more

NEVER go eat there. 11-10-11 i was trying to enjoy my birthday dinner when out came a big live bug out of my plate and the waiter didn't look surprise. I was outraged!! read more