After wandering for a bit we found this hidden gem on the second floor(walk up and keep on walking towards the right) and boy was I surprised! The food was delicious and the prices can't be beat. My personal favorite were the aguachiles, they were perfection! We also ordered two shrimp tacos and surf and turf burritos and neither disappointed. There seemed to be only one person working so kudos to the chef as the food came out fairly quick but you could taste the freshness. When we went it was empty but a few people had pick up orders. The restaurant looked clean and well maintained. I can't wait to come back as those aguachiles are still on my mind. read more

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Very small seafood style taco spot located on the second floor of a strip mall in Pasadena. The place seems to be family owned and operated. When I came in it was near closing time and there was no one sitting inside. I think they were closing up, but I had enough time to order something to go. I ended up ordering two fish tacos. It was neatly packaged and plenty of toppings, along with some salsa on the side. When I finally got around to eating the tacos, it was very tasty and there was a nice crisp to the Ensenada style tacos. I definitely cheer for places like this, and I tend to score a little higher only because I feel like there needs to be more places like this around. Not only that, but they have a pretty extensive menu, but I really just came here specifically for the fish tacos on this visit. read more

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The food was amazing. They probably closed because of poor marketing but the menu was excellent. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - mar y mar fish filet w/shrimp special - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

I just finished off a tasty menu item... " special scampi grilled fish". It came with a dinner salad, refried beans, rice and tortillas. I dined outside on the small patio and had a great view of the San Gabriel mountains just as the setting sun was casting a magic hour light. The fish was nicely grilled abd perfectly seasoned. The only condiment I added to was some freshly squeezed lime juice and a few drops of red salsa. Would I come back? Definitely. The menu is pretty extensive, the prices are right abd the ambiance is laid back. This place sits on the second floor and can easily be overlooked. As they say in Mexico" MI estomacho es lleno y mi corazon contento". read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Special Scampi Grill Fish...$20.95 - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came in during lunch time , there was only one table being occupied and I was a little skeptical with the look of the place but don't judge a book by its cover ! It's a HIDDEN GEM FIRST You have to order at the front , they don't have full service here. It's not a problem for me because I just want amazing food ! Keep in mind it's a small place so have patience. I tried the ceviche de pescado it comes with little tomato in it next time I'll ask for none but it was delicious . The fish tacos has amazing flavor on the breading , the fish was fresh !!! I looooove this place for seafood . Wish I got more pictures. It's not that pretty inside but the food was fresh and delicious. Will definitely come back when I'm in the area . The owner told me he does a lot of delivery and takeout. BTW No Alcohol is served here. TACO TUESDAY - $1.50 when I came in crazy because the quality of fish is amazing . read more

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Had a huge craving for a shrimp burrito and found this gem. I really like these kinda restaurants that are hole in the wall and has a nice charm/personality. Honestly, no complaints at all. Seems like there's only one guy there and he was really nice. I was in no rush so I didn't mind it taking a minute to flag his attention and while he told me it will take 10 min, the food came out sooner. My burrito was only around $12 and it was huge. It can probably be shared although I just downed it all because why not and I came alone. The recent rains in LA got me in not the best mood so this meal really lifted my spirits. And perhaps I went on a slow day since I was the only customer there at that time. I hope they get more patrons. They're located on the 2nd floor so I always missed this walking by and maybe the same for others passing by. Anyways, really glad to stop by and definitely will come back bc I'm in my seafood era alongside it being lent. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Shrimp Burrito - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Wow wow Yummers. A whole in the wall so don't expect white linen service. The owner took our order and then cooked the food himself. The fish was incredible. So flavorful. Ceviche really hit the spot too. Will def be back! read more

I think about this restaurant at least once a month. I miss it dearly. I genuinely wish it would reopen. I would drive to the end of the earth to have it again. The food was so good. The service was so friendly and quick. It wasn't a huge restaurant, but it was clean and quaint. read more

Have patience. This is a small establishment with only the owner of the restaurant running the entire show, and honestly? The food is absolutely delicious, for a fantastic price. We had the grilled fish special, mixed ceviche and the shrimp quesadilla, and all of it was really good. The portions are large and the quesadilla wasn't greasy, and the seasoning on the grilled fish was perfect. I will be coming again. read more

Was back in the area for a nail appointment at an old business I used to frequent that had actually changed ownership and name. I had driven pretty out of my way to be here so I wandered the building, saw a sign on the sidewalk for ceviche, headed upstairs to upper level and walked into Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill. No one else was here and it seemed like there was only one man, possibly the owner who was working. I knew I wanted ceviche, but had asked him if I should get one or two and he gave an honest opinion saying one is pretty big and to start with that. He had the TV on and it was playing figure skating (I love figure skating!). He was right, I was pretty good off one order of ceviche. There was a lot and it was delicious. I would come back if ever in the area - I didn't have any cons here. read more

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Sunday for dinner I felt like eating fish. Having never been to Playa Del Carmen I thought that I would give it a try. Walking in I looked over the menu and the fish burrito caught my eye. You can order it with fried fish or have the fish grilled for 99 cents more. I opted for the grilled fish and I also ordered chips with guacamole to go. The cook told me it would take about 10 minutes. When my order was ready I quickly walked home to eat it because I was starving. The burrito was very large. Before biting into it I cut it in half to take a photo of the inside. When I cut into it the first thing I noticed was the rice. It was white rice. I'm a firm believer that Mexican restaurants should always used Spanish rice. With my disappointment about the rice I took my first bit and I was hooked. The grilled fish was seasoned perfectly. I was impressed because the white rice worked in the burrito. The beans, pico de gallo, crema all worked harmoniously. I was given 4 small red salsa containers for my burrito and the salsa was great and had a nice heat level that I really enjoyed. Their guacamole was excellent and the chips were hot, crispy and not greasy. I will definitely be returning to the Playa to try more of their food. read more

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Located upstairs. I came here craving aguachile, I will say its just OK here. I didn't absolutely love the flavors. I also got some fish tacos which were pretty good. I came in here on a weeknight around 8pm (an hour before closing) I think just the one person was working here. I stood at the register for a few mins while I head a lot of hustle and bustle in the kitchen before someone came out to take my order. Overall an OK experience. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - aguachile (bottom), fish tacos (top) - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

High quality family run spot. We've been ordering every time we come to Pasadena. Amazing valué and delicious, generous portions. We love the ceviche and the tacos-so fresh! read more

Excellent shrimp burritos. Simple and delicious. Also: huge. Split one or save half for breakfast. Yum.

My mother was staying at a nearby hotel and asked me to bring her a salmon plate and shrimp salad when I visited. I stumbled upon Playa Del Carmen -- a spot I've passed many times -- and decided to give it a try based on its stellar reviews. I'm glad I did -- we were both impressed with the quality and generous portion sizes. At first, we thought part of our order was missing. When I called, the gentleman who answered was patient and gracious, quickly addressing my concern. It turns out the order was 100% correct -- we had simply overlooked a box in our excitement to dig in. He was equally gracious when I called back to let him know everything was complete. Overall, a great experience -- Playa Del Carmen is officially being added to our regular rotation. read more

Like the food here, great portions, flavors are good. Taco Tuesday is a great value. The only downside is that it is a one man operation so it may take some time during peak hours. read more

The portions were huge, great prices, and there's tons of options for seafood lovers. They have a couple of outdoor seating but plenty of indoor seats as well.! Definitely will be going again it's on the second level, but the parking lot in the back takes you right there. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - The fish and chips $11.49. It was a huge portion and delicious. - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

Amazing food and excellent service! It's clear they have roots in community, and care about feeding the people yummy meals.

House special red snapper is def worth. Ginormous portion (they had to go out of their way to find a box big enough to fit the fish in for take out) and really really tasty. Like other reviewers had mentioned, do be prepared to wait - phone in your order extra early if you want your fish by a certain time. Also had their shrimp quesadilla - this I would skip. The shrimp were really salty. Overall - get the red snapper! read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Shrimp quesadilla - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Food is very good but very uncomfortable to eat in during summer as place has no working AC. Lots of menu options. Delicious fried fish.

Best Mexican food intown.!! Also great customer service and clean establishment .thanks Mario!!!

This is the place to go in East Pas for fish tacos. Fresh tasting + big portions, and a deal on taco tuesdays. They did the frying right the time I went, it doesn't taste super greasy like some spots. We tried to go once and they were unexpectedly closed, but we were able to call ahead next time for easy pick up. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Fish Taco - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

I have reviewed Playa Del Carmen one other time and that was when I had the excellent Mixed Seafood soup. I then changed it up to just the fish soup because the fish is to tender that it melts in your mouth. So I preferred more of it. The soup base or stock is the same. So there was really no point reviewing the same meal over and over because I've been here and enjoyed it dozens of times. I broke from my typical pattern and ordered the grilled fish burrito. It was so good that on my next trip to Playa Del Carmen I ordered it again. Today I mixed it up again. I ordered the Asada taco plate. The owner stacked the Asada meat on two tortillas and added tomatoes and onions and guacamole. It was delicious. There was so much meat and tomatoes and onions that I was able to turn two tacos into four because of the two tortillas per taco. Very satisfying and the restaurant is clean and the owner is pleasant to talk to when it isn't busy. I can't speak to other's' experience at this restaurant but I'm observant enough to know that this place is a one man operation and there are take-out orders and walk in customers etc. I say that because if you're looking for fast food this isn't Taco Bell. The food is authentic and worth whatever wait. I'm looking forward to when the weather cools off because the soups are my favorites, but I'm now enjoying other items on the menu. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

Thank you Mario. The food was super delicious, we really like it, and the service was great. We will come back soon! I highly recommend it read more

This place is amazing. Food is delicious and fresh . Plenty of parking . Restaurant is upstairs. Will definitely come back again . I recommend this place read more

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Took my son here just now Not good. Looked in while he was using his bare hands to put tacos together... Tacos tasted rancid ... When we brought it up to him he just got grumpy place was really hot inside... Bringing water to us was such a bother to him read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Sign - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

Hidden Gem with Fab eats! Spotted this gem on a hunt for some good food in Pasadena! We totally needed this place! They have fantastic tostadas and they had them on special! $1.75 for shrimp tostada and $1.50 for ceviche tostada. They were fantastic and they don't skimp in the avocado! Chips were hot ( wish they were free) and the salsa was spicy! They also have fab potato tacos. Quite the treat and probably my new go to spot in Pasadena. Worth the try and easy parking in the back. All they need is some margaritas and it's gonna be the spot of Pasadena! IG: dandy.lila read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Ceviche Tostada $1.50 special! IG: @dandy.lila - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Finally! A restaurant that observes taco Tuesday close to my work! AND it's $1 fish tacos! Yay! -Fish taco: Standard fish taco, good size, and I saw them freshly batter and fry my fish =d -Ceviche tostada: It was a special today and for $1.50, it was a great deal! It even came with some avocado! Service is super friendly! Please note that the food might take some time to prepare, they're making it fresh and they just opened last Tuesday. Please be patient =) read more

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Excellent grilled fish tacos, exceptional guest service, and a fun atmosphere made this a really enjoyable experience. Can't believe it took so long for me to discover it! read more

The food was great but cleanliness is an issue in this place. Door was open and flies were all over the place Otherwise portion are goo and owner is super nice read more

Hidden gem in Pasadena! Mostly because it's so easy to miss being on the second floor. A lot of the bad reviews mention "bad service" but i didn't get that vibe. I think the guy just wants to take your order and serve bomb a$s food lol. Who cares if he's not buttering you up as long as he's not rude (he wasn't). He even insisted on carrying my tray of food to the table when I tried to take it. I had the fish & shrimp ceviche tostada, fish taco, and shrimp taco and enjoyed them all. The ceviche was refreshing and the tacos were perfectly fried and meaty. The place was empty on a weekday afternoon, which is expected and, honestly, a personal preference. Def not a reason for a 1 star review that I saw here though. Will absolutely be back! read more

I read the reviews and I came in to try the food. WTH was this hype about ??? People have no clue what sea food should taste like this place ain't it! The shrimp quesadilla was so salty with like 5 pieces of shrimp!!!! Ridiculous The fish tacos ? Where was the fish at? Seriously these pictures hype up this place. Ohhh yeah the owner acted like I was bothering him with my pick up order which I placed online And was still not ready 30 min later! NEVER AGAIN read more

Would recommend the carne asada burrito. Yes, stick with that for $7.50. Had other options (ceviche, shrimp and chips) but not as good. read more

$1.25 fish taco Tuesdays! We ordered takeout, about 20 tacos to feed the family. We called ahead and ordered over the phone, and our large order was ready in 20-25 minutes. These fish tacos are nice, simple, and fresh in the sense that the batter on the fish is crisp and not oily, and the toppings consist of mostly veggies (cabbage, onion, cilantro, pico) with just a dash of crema. It doesn't hurt that the pieces of fish are quite large! Everything was packaged neatly into takeout boxes, 4 tacos per box. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Fish tacos $1.25 on Tuesdays - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

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No matter what I order the food has always been delicious. This is a great authentic Mexican food place for all your cravings. I usually order for pick up and food is always ready within 15 minutes. My favorite is the grilled fish tacos and five seafood tostada. read more

Playa Del Carmen Seafood & Grill - Potato taco combo plate. - Tacos Near Me - Pasadena, California

TL;DR : Don't eat here unless you want your food to take too long and taste like cigarettes. FULL STORY: I tried to call in a lunch order - no answer. Ended up driving there and the place is completely empty. I shouted hello and called out again, no answer. Thinking there might be an emergency I went to the kitchen and the back door open. That's where I found the owner was just chilling on his phone and smoking. "Are you open?" I asked "Yeah...WHY?" He replied aggressively. "Cuz I wanna order food?" I said. Caught off guard by my simple answer he says, "Oh..." After a few seconds of staring at each other he goes back to his phone and cigarette saying, gimme a few minutes." Are you serious?! You own a restaurant, have your first customer of the day in front of you during literal lunch time, and you couldn't care less? No thanks. And besides, I don't want to eat anything you make now that your clothes AND hands are covered in cigarettes smoke. I used to love this place. Just wish the owner did too. Never going here again. read more

Wow! This small Ma & Pa place had me sit back in my chair in awe. I was craving fried fish tacos. This place didn't disappoint. The homemade salsa with the tacos was divine! Worth trying out for anyone in Pasadena. read more

Delicious! Had grilled shrimp tacos, potato tacos and a veggie burrito. Was fresh and plentiful!

The rating is more for the service rather than the food. First, we waited almost 10 minutes before we even saw a worker in the restaurant. It seems like it's only one man doing everything. He is definitely not friendly. He speaks Spanish, so my wife asked him in Spanish what he recommends. He literally just pointed at the menu and looked annoyed. We should have left at that moment, but we wanted to try the food based on the reviews. The food was definitely good. We had the shrimp cocktail, ceviche and aguachiles. He does not skimp on the portions. As we waited for our food we did notice the lack of cleanliness on the floor and around the restaurant. We enjoyed our food, but we will not be going back. read more

Yum!! We discovered the fish tacos here and enjoyed them :-) We came for taco Tuesdays and were met with such kind staff and even though we got takeout, the fish tacos were yummy!! There was a bit of a longer wait, but the staff was updating/checking in with us a lot and so we didn't once feel forgotten or that our order was misplaced. Yay! We'd definitely be back for taco Tuesday :-) read more