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Name: Restaurant Veneno De Nayarit
Address: 1024 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622
Telephone: (773) 252-7200
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.95

Restaurant Veneno De Nayarit

1024 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622

(773) 252-7200
Store is closed

Restaurant Veneno De Nayarit Menu

Soup

Shrimp

7 Seas

Octopus

Crab

Prawns

Fish
House Specialties

El Veneno Salad

Aguachiles

Ahogados Shrimps Reds Or Greens

Steamed Shrimp

Huicholes Shrimp

Cucaracha Shrimp

Prawns Nayarit Style (tray)

Half Tray Of Prawns

Crab Legs Nayarit Style

Chapuzon Del Mar

Appetizer Available In Butter Garlic Or A La Diabla

Special Octopus

Famous Mariscada
Try It While We Fish It

Shrimp Empanadas

Fish And Chips

Shrimp Ceviche

Marlin Ceviche

Shrimp Tostada

Tostada Mix

Tostada Of Your Choice

Fish Taco

Shrimp Taco

Fresh Oysters

12 Fresh Oysters

Fresh Oysters

12 Fresh Oysters

Fresh Special Oysters

12 Fresh Special Oysters

Pico De Gallo

Guacamole

Bread Order

Rice Order

Fries Order
Main Dishes

Prawns Nayarit Style

Shrimps Your Style Of

Fillet Of Fish Your Style Of

Stuff Pineapple

Fried Mojafra Your Style Of

Marinated Shrimp

Fried Huanchinango

Mummy Shrimps

Stuffed Fillet

Shrimp Fajitas

Healthy Meal suggestions for Restaurant Veneno De Nayarit

Soup

Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

7 Seas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Octopus [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crab [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Prawns [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fish [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
House Specialties

El Veneno Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Aguachiles [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Ahogados Shrimps Reds Or Greens [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Steamed Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Huicholes Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cucaracha Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Prawns Nayarit Style (tray) [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Half Tray Of Prawns [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crab Legs Nayarit Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chapuzon Del Mar [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Appetizer Available In Butter Garlic Or A La Diabla [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Special Octopus [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Famous Mariscada [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Try It While We Fish It

Shrimp Empanadas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fish And Chips [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Ceviche [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Marlin Ceviche [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Tostada [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tostada Mix [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tostada Of Your Choice [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fish Taco [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Taco [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Oysters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

12 Fresh Oysters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Oysters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

12 Fresh Oysters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fresh Special Oysters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

12 Fresh Special Oysters [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pico De Gallo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Guacamole [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bread Order [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rice Order [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fries Order [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Main Dishes

Prawns Nayarit Style [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimps Your Style Of [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fillet Of Fish Your Style Of [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Stuff Pineapple [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Mojafra Your Style Of [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Marinated Shrimp [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fried Huanchinango [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Mummy Shrimps [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Stuffed Fillet [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Shrimp Fajitas [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Brit M.

My boyfriend and I usually go to Mon Lung across the street... we like watching TV and eating Chinese sans couch - Mon Lung offers the best of both worlds for us. This fateful night we decided cross the street in a lazy effort to switch things up. I always "note to self" how busy Mariscos's is and Sunday night it was no different. The place is busy and everyone has giant plates of food in front of them. We find the only empty table sandwiched (my favorite seating style) between a rowdy group of men and another couple with a third wheel. Immediately after we sit, we are served tostadas de ceviche..on the the house! Now these probably would of been really good if I hadn't doused my entire tostada in the habenero salsa. WARNING: THIS CUTE LIL SALSA PUT ON YOUR TABLE IS EXTREMELY UGLY WHEN PLACED IN YOUR MOUTH. THEY DO NOT TELL YOU IT IS SPICY UNTIL YOU HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED TASTE BUD SUICIDE AND SEE YOU FRANTICALLY FANNING AT YOUR MOUTH. I am a huge fan of spicy, but I compared its heat rating to the devil stomping and slamming his pitchfork on my tongue while laughing fireballs. No lie, I still ate the rest of my tostada - I've since been coating my stomach in all things milk in fear of my next bathroom break. Now my boyfriend is no stranger when it comes to staring at other people's foods. The coupled table next to us was eating this amazing looking dish and guacamole. So we copied and it was the best copy job we ever did! The plate was a mix of squid, shrimp and scallops - YUM! We topped the tostada with some guac and "presto" it was a delicious and VERY FILLING meal. It is big enough for about 3 people. We concluded that next time rice would be a great add on. Upon eye effing other peoples food, we decided we will be back... everything looked GREAT! Our bill was fantastically cheap as well. There are two negative comments I will say about Mariscos's... the music is extremely loud (Pitbull and seafood are a killer combination) and they never refilled my water - a huge problem when gulping down massive amounts of habenero salsa!
(4)
Rebekah R.

If you have never been to Mariscos El Veneno and you love seafood, RUN (don't walk) there. The small order of crab legs is enough to feed two ravenous adults or more for smaller portions. They come covered in spicy sauce (which is a great compliment to cold beer). They are messy and delicious and require hands for eating. This place is everything that can be right with a small family owned place. The prices are fair, the staff is friendly (a little overwhelmed at times), and the room nice. IF you are looking for the chicest place you can find for your next date, this probably isn't for you. The acoustics are kind of nutty in there, and it can get pretty loud in a small space. If, however, you treasure smaller spots that are simply out to serve great food (rather than haute cuisine) this place is for you! Things to note: 1-- This place is BYOB, which makes it amazing. Bring canned beer. Or your own bottle opener. 2-- It gets crowded, so try a week night or plan on coming early. OR show up whenever you want but be prepared to wait. 3--Eat here. Seriously. Just eat here.
(5)
Dustin W.

Mariscos El Veneno was hyped up on Yelp and for good reason. We stopped in on a Saturday night around 9 PM with beers in hand (BYOB YES please) and expected a long wait for those deliciously reviewed langostines I had been seeking out. While waiting and periodically cleaning up the saliva dripping from my mouth, it became crystal clear that I would have to try the fried whole red snapper (and obviously get a comparison from my friend as to how it fared with El Barco, the rival across the street). We were quite happy to be called to our table after waiting a mere 20 minutes (roughly 2 beers). As promised, immediate delivery of the eagerly awaited FREE ceviche tostada, which definitely hit the spot after waiting in the warm "crowded" waiting space [what would you expect from a little, really tasty hot spot]. I read Bob D.'s review (at least the portion that showed up without being maximized on the screen of my phone). What I negated to do was read on, The following line is as accurate as can be so ill just quote Bob D. "Served with a tongue biting habernero salsa that was a perfect accompaniment." Quickly i realize that this sacrelicious orange salsa is habenero (DUH) and I break into a pretty meaty sweat. Considering the relatively tight quarters, i felt kinda bad for the other diners, but no one else seemed to care, notice, or break away from their otherwise raucous entertaining evenings too mind, so BONUS! We all agreed that the ceviche was an excellent way to thank us for patiently waiting and certainly increased the alcohol consumption, which everyone else in the room seemed to also have decided was the most appropriate way to accompany their evenings. In the room on this particular evening, I noticed magnum bottles of high grade vodka, top-shelf small batch Tequillas, and beers/wines or a variety of flavors and countries of origin. Needless to say, the atmosphere is lively and full of energy. The staff really seems to enjoy themselves and are quick to offer help with the all Spanish menu. Tip: I saw what appeared to be regulars sending shots of tequilla back to the chefs, and it appeared to be well rewarded from a gustatory standpoint. To start, of course, we ordered the langostines nayarit. In minutes we were delivered a beautifully spiced, semi-oily garlic-chilli concoction of pure clean crustacean flavors. These things really hit and of course we ate the middles, inners, outters, and heads of these bad boys. This also gave the large pile of napkins on our table a great workout (not for the tidy eaters out there, but definitely a benefit to the seafood enthusiasts). So far, so good, and I am getting more and more excited for the snapper. I did not have to wait long (roughly half beer, or 5-7 minutes in lay terms). And their she was, in all of her glory, with the classy fried red dress on. My snapper had arrived, piping hot, perfectly fried, and I couldnt wait to dig in. But where to start, hmmm, yes of course, go for the gold, the eyeball, served by me to me on a bed of thin crispy fried tailfin. Immediately obvious was that this fish was cooked perfectly, not to well done, not to soft and mushy. A nice firm fluffy, lightly oily piece of delicious clean snapper. Served with rice and sauteed onions, it all seemed to work just perfectly, So how was it compared to Barco? Well my buddy said that the fish at Barco was larger and therefore meatier, but the flavor profile was clearly different and the sides were different, so he couldnt say which was better. This whole review and Im telling you I dont know which is better, kinda LAMe-O. Just try them both, but Im not sure i can go across the street knowing that Mariscos El Veneno is smiling from across the way.
(5)
Flor O.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!! ... the food the atmosphere everytime I go I order crawfish/ langostinos my fave!!!! my friends usually take a 24 pack and once we get in the mood we have the little trio going around play a couple of ranchera songs right next to our table while were eating and drinking I been reading some of the reviews and the only reason why I think some of the people wouldnt like this place is if their not familiar and comfortable with mexican people and they way we are. I mean when i go to el veneno I just wanta eat drink a couple of beers have the little band play a couple of songs for me and just chill if your not use to an enviroment like that RIDE DA FUKKK OUTTT and go to hollywood grill on armitage n ashland instead! pfff!!!
(5)
Roberto M.

Like the Cubs and Sox, El Veneno and its fans are constantly at war with El Barco's fans across the street. Sadly, El Barco wins the fight. The menu is difficult to understand (and I speak Spanish). The flavors are authentic Mexican seafood. The salsa is hot and its BYOB. However, the place is SMALL and you will have people standing next to your table as they wait for theirs. Some people love El Veneno and stand by it. However, I was unimpressed and wished I had eaten at El Barco across the street instead.
(2)
Alexis Z.

I went to Mariscos El Veneno with a group of 8 and it was by far one of the best experiences I have had in Chicago! I have lived in the city for 4 years and I have been hunting for a rich experience, filled with delicious flavors, and a real cultural atmosphere... and I finally found it! Granted, it was really busy when we went, so the service was a tad slow, but it wasn't the end of the world. It was completely worth it!! I will go back time and time again.
(5)
Filly G.

This place gave me an enjoyable week filled with the squirts. I certainly can't prove that I got food poisoning from here, but I'm 99% certain that the shrimp entrÃ©e I ate here did a number on my GI tract. In fact, I'm so certain that I'd wager a testicle (the right one; I'm partial to my left). Not only did my "faucet" begin to mysteriously leak for an entire week straight--starting approximately 24 hours after I ate here--but so did that of the lovely lady who dined with me. Coincidence? Not likely. Now I know that I'm hip to the point of everybody (including small fuzzy animals) wanting to emulate me as much as possible and all that, but usually not to the point of blasting a dookie once an hour. So the next logical conclusion is that the shrimps are what gave me and my date the runs. If the food was stellar, I feel certain that my anus could forgive this affair, but frankly, my dinner was bland. So bland that I'm shocked by the positive reviews of this place. I mostly find myself wondering if it's due to a case of misguided white people thinking they've found an authentic gem of Mexican seafood, so therefore, the food must be great. Or maybe the side of fries that comes with every entrÃ©e has fooled everyone into thinking this food is somehow tasty because, as we all know, a heaping pile of fries can turn most anybody into a believer. Under normal circumstances, I'd give most restaurants a second chance. I won't be doing that here.
(1)
Kristin S.

Sometimes I wonder if the worst thing about ending my last relationship was that my Ex got El Veneno in "the divorce." I wish him well in everything he does in his life, but I must admit feelings of jealousy tend to show their ugliness when I think about the fact he continues to enjoy El Veneno. I still sneak in there when I have done some recon to assure he is nowhere close, but I'm a little bitter about the fact that I can't go on a regular basis without risking an uncomfortable meeting. I really miss my El Veneno..... I tend not to eat at restaurants where there are pictures of my food on the menu, but for El Veneno I will make an exception. El Veneno has fresh, flavorful, reasonably priced seafood served up in a relaxed atmosphere, with friendly service. It is BYOB which proves that the food stands on its own and also allows you to keep the tab reasonable. Anything you order that is stuffed is stuffed and overflowing with seafood and if you order spicy, be prepared for spicy. The entrees are large and can be shared and while the seafood is the main attraction, the bread is heavenly. The chef once created a great baked pear dessert for my birthday which wasn't on the menu. I would have a hard time picking just one favorite, but if forced I think it would be La Copa Veneno & Patas de Cangerjo Estilio Nayarit, Camarones a la Diabla......I could go on forever and eventually list the entire menu. The stuffed pineapple & stuffed lobster are fabulous and will serve two. If you go with a group you can order the seafood special for six people at a great price that will provide enough food for more than six. Next time you are in the mood for seafood don't miss the chanced to give El Veneno a try.
(5)
Debbie G.

This place was highly recommended by a few friends of ours. Based on these recommendations we decided to try this place out. All I have to say is, I can get better food from the bottom of my shoe. The first impression of this restaurant was dirty and lazy. The menu all "sharpied" out with updated prices. I should have known the food was going to be disgusting just by the menu presentation. The free ceviche was pretty good but THAT IS ABOUT IT! The servers looked bored and tired of the place. I ordered the breaded shrimp with rice and fries. The shrimps were more like rocks, probably leftovers from the night before. Rice extremely undercooked with a sticky consistency. Even the fries were disgusting! How can an establishment mess up an order of fries!??! We also ordered a tasteless shrimp cocktail, no flavor at all. We used up all the ketchup to bring flavor to it. Unsuccessful! Basically we ordered octopus and shrimp swimming in plain water! I did not eat the plate, I just took it in a doggie bag to throw away, because that food was just plain disgusting! The menu had pina coladas and flan, they didn't have neither! Wow! I lost my appetite last night. PLEASE STAY AWAY, UNLESS YOU WANT TO WAKE UP WITH A STOMACH ACHE! There are much better places out there! You are better off at a fast food joint! Never again!!! STAY AWAY! KEEP OUT!!!
(1)
Jenna S.

Good food! We went here one night for our anniversary because it was in the neighborhood and the food was definitely good. I'm not a big fan of seafood, so I kind of want to give it the A-OK rating (but I'll be more objective and give it one more star), but I did enjoy what I got. I thought the atmosphere was fun (albeit tacky); lots of fish-related things on the walls like nets, fish cutouts, etc. It was definitely fun. The margaritas were DELICIOUS, plentiful and CHEAP. I would go back just for an appetizer and a margarita. I don't like seafood a ton, so I was definitely surprised and satisfied when my meal was actually delicious. I ordered the talapia stir fry and it was excellent. I'll be back one day for more margaritas and yummy shrimp.
(4)
Marissa G.

Esther said, "You have to go to Veneno, it is better than El Barco!" And with that review, we could not pass it up! Top lines: - Anything in the Narayit sauce-- Get it. - Portions are huge, share! - The mixto cocktail? Well, at the time we loved it, but it unfortunately made my partner sick! After smelling the leftovers the next morning, I believe it was a case of bad scallops. - Free amuse bouche! Ceviche tostada which was excellent. - Service is friendly and helpful. If not for the bad cocktail I would go back! Too bad!
(3)
Gina G.

The tostadas de ceviche was amazing and I love habenero salsa...it's pretty hot! The atmosphere is typical mexico..feels like you are near a fishing town. I had the Huachinango, this is my go to for mexican seafood and it was so gooooood! Fried to perfection,served with rice,fries, salad & garlic bread. Overall the service was good...especially for the type of place this is. For mexian seafood, this is the place to go...it was packed and seems like it always is when I drive by. I would love to go back and try some other dishes!
(4)
Rosanne B.

The service is good. The place is not fancy, but who cares! The Food is so good! I love everything, especially the shrimp and the those crab legs!!! I couldn't stop eating those crab legs!!! Also they are BYOB!! Yeah!
(4)
Chloe C.

been here several times for dinner, and the food and service is always excellent! Absolutely love the crab legs in nayarit sauce, empanadas and shrimp ceviche! would definitely come back soon!
(5)
Patrick M.

Snow crab-- huge portion -- $29 Prawns good as well ($13) Shrimp tacos delish ($3) Free tuna ceiviche to start on a tostada (w a very spicy hhabenero/marinated red onion salsa, w fresh limes on the side Our bill Crab legs, prawns, (2) shrimp tacos, (4) Mexican bottles of coke $66 w tax Would reccomend, but would caution that this menu is exclusivly seafood driven, no steak burritos here
(4)
Jennifer J.

Disappointed. Not what I expected after the spectacular reviews. Yelpers, why do you have to let me down once again. Pretty soon I'm going to have to have the bf take me too Alinea so I can get the bad taste out of mouth with the poor byob recommendations as of late. I have been wanting to try this place for the last few months and I thought I would attempt it on a Thursday night with my girlfriends before I came back with my excited bf. That won't be happening now... especially after seeing a very large man devour the crab legs by himself and with only his greasy hands. Not appetizing and that's what I had thought about getting. The best way I can equate this restaurant to something people might understand would be to compare it to LONG JOHN SILVER and I find that sad! Keep in mind everything is fried and everything is seafood, without any substitutions or eliminations. I won't gripe on that too much since I understand the trouble that it causes the cooks just wish they had a little something more to choose from flavor-wise. Keep in mind this is NOT a place for vegetarians. Got the stuffed fillet that was just ok and nothing I would attempt again because the fish it was stuffed with was super chewy and overcooked. My friend had the garlic shrimp and really liked it but it was a very basic dish at heart. It was TONS of chopped garlic poured on to small (previously frozen) shrimp with butter. I could make it at home if I wanted to keep vampires away. The gross-ness came when she was able to make a stacked pile of garlic by the time she got to the end of the dish. Atmosphere is terrible and service was blah. Fine, I expect that with how the place looked but I guess I had just hoped for more. The good aspects were the decent (only decent) ceviche served when you arrived and the no corkage fee. As it might be evident through my yelp reviews, I love a good byob restaurant, but sadly this won't be on my revisit list. So glad I didn't waste a Saturday night waiting 90 minutes for this place. I would have really been mad then.
(2)
Temi C.

I went back recently and discovered their two best entrees. The special octopus is tender and has a nice garlicky coating of batter. It reminded us of the great seas sauce. The portion is huge, but it's all octopus so you make sure your friends order something else for variety. The fish entree is stuffed with shrimp, scallops, octopus, cheese, mushrooms, and bell peppers. It also comes with salad, rice, fries, and garlic bread. $16 for an endless amount of food.
(4)
Nancy B.

You have probably strolled by this place a dozen times without realizing it's a jem of a Mexican restaurant or that is even IS a restaurant for that matter. Patience is key if you plan to walk in around dinner-time (especially on the weekend). My suggestion: camp out with a 6-pack. Chances are you will find a band tucked in between the tables serenading the "crowd." Once seated, you will be presented with a salsa that will truly ruin your meal if you have not trained your tongue to withstand such heat. Good luck with that. The salsa is accompanied by Ceviche tostadas. It will be crowded. It will be loud (if there is a band). And it will be delicious. Go for it when you're up for it.
(4)
Rob L.

First a hearty and high praise to Ms Amanda C and her delicious review of Mariscos. It made my decision to come here with my friend Maya so much easier. We came here on an early Saturday night, about 6:30pm. It was probably one of the best things we did. One of. The place was packed by 6:47pm and a crowd hovering over all the tables. Mouths watering. Lips smacking. Hungry for what we were about to order. What would that be? Seafood. Not your sushi grade tuna, but what I think of as Mexican seafood. We're talking shrimp, prawns, octopus, lobster, marlin. Nothing fancy, but just done straight up good. Our order? A plate of shrimp civeche, shrimp empanadas, a half an order of plantains and guacamole. Oh and to drink? Cava. Not theirs, ours. It's BYOB here. Music to our ears. What else is a symphonic harmonious blend to sooth our senses? Men singing Mexican music with accompanying guitars being strummed. Friendly, energetic and cheerful servers. Ricardo was ours and he made sure we had a blast. But the food? What about the food? Was it good? Was it tasty? Did it make stomachs smile? Yes! Yes it did. The food was darn tasty and a lot of it. But what wasn't a lot was the bill. $32 for all that we had, well that and it left us picking up our jaws off the floor. The decor is simple. The food is fairly straight forward. But that is something you put off to the side, because it is good. Real good. I will say watch out for the fire educing "sauce" they bring you. The simple combination of habanero, vinegar and a little onion will make you break out in a sweat and cry for mercy. Unless you kinda like that stuff. Oh. I do. Affordable, BYOB, straight forward seafood, no frills, damn tasty and most of all, a pretty fun time. Yay? Yay!
(4)
Ken W.

After looking for a casual seafood restaurant I was excited to find Mariscos on Yelp. The reviews are great and it looked like it would be a fun time. My GF & I arrived at 7pm on a Friday and took the last open table in the restaurant. We had brought wine and a minute after sitting down a wine opener and glasses were brought out along with the menus. The tuna tostadas with a very hot salsa a few minutes later. The service was off to a great start. I ordered the fish special and my GF marinated shrimp. The waiter brought out my fish and a few minutes later a breaded shrimp for my GF. When we said that was not what she ordered he said that he knew, they were out of marinated shrimp and this was the closest thing. It took a minute or two arguing with him before he "got" that if they are out of something he should let the customer pick the substitution. In the end my GF ordered garlic shrimp as a replacement, when it came out it look like the shrimp were 50ct (tiny). Nothing like the size of the shrimp on anyone else's plate around us. I assume they didn't want to use anything but the cheapest option after having something returned. My fish was good and the shrimp was fine other than the size. The whole experience killed the mood though. We didn't see the waiter for the rest of the meal. We had to ask the hostess for our check which took 20 minutes to get. Between the check and second meal we were running very late so I paid cash which rounded to a large tip and ran out. I understand that a restaurant runs out of some foods and don't mind making a substitution. Not having a say in that process and getting something that was not at all wanted is crazy. Had the waiter just asked, my review would be very different and I'm sure I'd be a repeat customer.
(1)
Gunner S.

Dear Mariscos El Veneno, My how things have changed since we gave our virginity to each other. You were my first Yelp review and I was yours. We've been together for at least five dining experiences but I think it is time we give each other some space. Don't worry, I don't plan on seeing other Mexican seafood restaurants (especially ones that are shaped like boats). The last time we got together, it became obvious that we don't belong together. I feel like your food hasn't changed but you just don't love me anymore. -You don't pay attention to me the way you used to. When I sit at the table, you don't look into my eyes. As a matter of fact, you don't look at me at all. Nor do you bring me an appetizer in a timely manner. You are much more interested in other people. -You don't listen to me anymore. In fact, you used to write down my order you were paying attention so much. Now you act as if you are memorizing my order only to come back to my table 20 minutes later to ask me what I ordered again. Even then, you didn't listen. You still go my order wrong. -You don't pay attention to the little things in our relationship. I have to ask you for water. When I ask you for an horchata, you just ignore me only to make me ask again. How do you expect me to eat a meal without silverware? When we first met, you would have never forgotten the silverware. Don't get me wrong. I still love that you are cheap. I love the food you cook for me. However, I just can't do this anymore. You've gotten to big for your britches and you just don't care about me. I cannot continue seeing you when I know there are tons of other restaurant waiting to treat me like someone special. Even though our relationship is over, I'll still stop in for a quickie from time to time. Your fish taco keeps me coming back. Just so you know........it is carry out only from now on!
(2)
J D.

I love this place. There is nothing better then fresh seafood in the midwest. I skipped a star because its a little tight in there. BYOB good prices good food.
(4)
lee e.

I really cannot recommend this place at all. I went here with my girlfriend because I had a craving for ceviche. It's small with tacky decor, but I don't necessarily view this as a bad thing. After looking over the menu we decided to order a dozen oysters on the halfshell and a mixed seafood ceviche. As we were ordering, the waitress encouraged us not to order a dozen - that a half-dozen would be enough. Her english was broken, but we were able to decipher that they did not have the oysters on the menu, but had "California" oysters instead, which were larger and more expensive. We agreed to a half dozen. When our order came out, we got a dozen oysters after all, and they were absurdly large. They were the size of buttermilk biscuits which, needless to say, is a lot of oyster to try to fit in your mouth at once. They didn't taste particularly good or bad, but the size made them terribly unappealing. The ceviche was no better. It came in a large goblet and was easily enough to feed a family of four. It contained a variety of seafood, but the quality was disappointing - particularly the imitation crab meat. Because we were presented with far more food than we anticipated we decided to suppress our gag reflexes and choke down the oysters, saving the ceviche for later. It ended up being thrown out after not even the cats would touch it. To sum up: If large portions of sub-standard seafood is what you're into, then this is your joint. Otherwise, steer clear.
(1)
Tina W.

Don't be put off by the low rent TGI Fridays decor in this place. Also do not be put off by the 15 people waiting for tables outside. Or at least don't be put off in the summertime when it's warm enough to open up the B You Brought on the sidewalk. We came with a group of nine, but our 45 minute wait didn't seem so long when our waiter (who had taken our orders on the street) had tostadas waiting at our table when we walked in. Tasty, piquant ceviche-topped tostadas. Soon after wave after wave of delicious seafood came our way: shrimp and tender tender octopus, succulent crab legs, spicy unshelled shrimp, huge prawns with mysterious stuffing that looked like disgusting innards but tasted like heaven. The sauce was a unique spicy (but not too spicy) elixir, and though it was used for every single dish, I didn't mind too much. The only exception was the oysters which were pretty gross. All of these were consumed without forks and knives. I'm up for a little finger feeding, but this stuff was so gooey and red and at times difficult to access (see the crab legs), that a modicum of cutlery would have been appreciated. The staff, though very friendly, was equally reluctant to serve us water. Yes, we had ample tequila and Negro Modelo, but a little H20 was necessary as the spiciness accumulated. Spirits were high, the chef made the rounds for comments and compliments and a sweaty mariachi guitar duo serenaded us with Mexican classics. We ordered much too much food (the long wait made our eyes bigger than our bellies) and the price was still pretty reasonable (40$). The night was a success and El Veneno was the perfect, low key place to celebrate our friend's entry into middle age.
(4)
Tia T.

This wonderful restaurant walked into my life on a recent Monday evening...and there surely was no half stepping involved. The Mariscos El Veneno Experience is a 100%, full on, interactive, no holds barred, crab-tastic, wet-nap-ulous adventure. With Seis Dos Equis and a bottle of wine in hand, my party of 5 anxiously awaited the complimentary tostada topped with ceviche and accompanied by the infamous hotter than hot hot sauce. To quote the Ohio Players' 1974 classic song, "FIRE", it was "FIYAH...Wooo Wooo Wooo." Very, very tasty...and free! I know all too well that things taste better when they're free, but let me tell you that this tostada surely did evidence the better/free phenomenon like no other. Just for kicks and to quell the fire within, we followed up with a round of cool, fresh, and delicious guacamole which did not disappoint. The main event came in the form of an order of Shrimp Fajitas, Langostinos, a medley of shrimp, octopus, and oysters, AND...a whopping 2 LARGE orders of spicy, Nayarit -style CRAB LEGS !!!! So many, beautiful, elongated, mesmerizing legs...enough to put the mighty Rockettes to shame. What followed next was a feasting frenzy of cracking, ooohing/ahhing, wiping of the brow, rolling of the sleeves, down and dirty crustacean bliss. Despite our best effort to eat everything in sight, we eventually raised the white surrender flag and asked for the casualties to be cleared away. To our surprise, we had much, much left over. So much that our to-go container took the form of a large sized catering tin. Still, despite ordering enough food to feed ourselves plus Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, and Mike, our bill only came to $30 each. Simply Ridonkulous! After paying, we literally applauded and blurted out a few amorous words to the waiter in Spanish...something related to 'a pledge of love, undying devotion, and a promise to return'. New love is such a beautiful thing and so are those lovely crustaceans.
(5)
Leang E.

This place is HOT, HOT, HOT! I mean in many ways! First of all in the dead of winter, you'll feel like you could be at a restaurant off the beach in Mexico with the cool decor. It reminded me of a little restaurant off the sea coast of Guatemala actually. I read about the crabs here, and I have to say it is pretty amazing! Some of the best crab I've had in a very long time! I didn't think you could get anything like this in the Midwest. You have to get it with the Nayarit spicy style. (I am very curious about this location in Mexico now.) It's a huge order of 3 crabs that are cut in halves and cost you $29, but it's totally worth it! I ate it all! I have before and after pictures. There were crab shells everywhere, and I was a mess. You shouldn't be here with someone you aren't comfortable looking like a slob around. My boyfriend has seen me lick my fingers, pick my teeth, but I think he'd leave me after this sight. I loved the spicy sauce, in fact a little too much. It caused me a lot of flaming heat afterwards, but I still contend that it was worth it and I called in sick the next day! So I'd say I'll coat my stomach with enough rolaids or tums before I have at it again, but I'd still recommend it to anyone who is a spicy seafood lover. We had the Nayarit style with the prawns too and also very tasty! I tried a couple of different tacos that were good as well. Yeah watch out for that spicy salsa ceviche that they start you out with. Do a taste testing first before you pour it all over the tostadas... It's very reasonably priced. The staff is very friendly and fun. After all I've been through I'm still giving it 5 stars and recommending it, so you know I loved it. All of this and BYOB...
(5)
David A.

Great food. But is a LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGG !!!! wait to get a table, the lady who handles the tables seems lost some times. 1st time got food poisoned they said the lost power earlier and got back on later. The greatest thing is is BYOB yeay!! I would suggest to stop during the week and avoid weekends
(3)
Michelle A.

This has become my favorite seafood place yet. LOVE LOVE LOVED the shrimp there. This place is actually one of the best "El Veneno" locations there is. Yes it may be small but the service makes your experiance there much more better. The location in the south side is terrible and all due to the service. but this place makes is the only location that saves El Veneno. If you love seafood this place is a must.
(5)
Michael D.

Liked this place a lot. It is what they say. A kind of hole-in-the-wall, BYOB joint with really tasty Mexican seafood. Kind of felt like comfort food with all the salt, butter, and strong seasoning. Loved the prawns platter and the snapper. We also had the raw oysters "especial," which had shrimp and grilled octopus on top. These were okay, not fabulous. I was disappointed that we didn't receive the free ceviche tostada that everyone talks about. I saw them coming out as we were leaving and they looked good and generously portioned. Maybe they don't start giving these out for free until later in the evening? Who knows. We got there before the rush...about 6:30 on a Thursday. No wait. Previously, I've had the same main dishes at El Barco across the street (ie. Prawns and Red Snapper). These items at El Veneno were slightly larger and, in my opinion, tastier, richer. Although both places are good at decent prices. But, at El Veneno, don't expect to woo your date with dim lighting and soft music. The ambience is a little "colder" than that of El Barco. Bright lights, flat colors, and during the weekday, the music over the speakers was on for 10 minutes then off for 20. Odd. The service was friendly and our server was helpful. Overall, we had a nice first experience. I'll come back for more of those buttery prawns and a Mexican bottled Coke..
(4)
Gwendolyn B.

I was so looking forward to placing my order to go. I read the reviews and was anxious to try the food. But apparently this was not the day to try. The wait staff was completely not on the job mentally. Maybe the girl was in training but management should never put a newbie on the register during a busy sinner rush, especially if she does not know the menu or the current prices. Frustrated by the bad customer service, I walked across the street and placed my order at their competitor El Barco. So disappointed.
(1)
Jackie S.

This place is fabulous! I have been trying to go here for about a year but every time I think of it the place is packed. I finally got in last week and now I can't stop thinking about it. They have amazing prawns that are covered in a spicy delicious sauce and seem like they are grilled. They come out very hot so you know they are made to order. They also have a huge try of crab for $29.99 that I want to try next time. It looked amazing! When you first arrive they also bring you a free very large appetizer which looks to be some type of seafood salad on a tostada. It was pretty good, not great but hey it was free. The salsa on the table is incredibly hot so please be careful. The service is also extremely friendly. Every dish around us looked beautiful and fresh. They also put fresh limes on every table. Honestly I don't think I can go anywhere else for Mexican seafood. This is reasonable and the best tasting seafood I have had. Also if you get a platter it come with amazing rice, garlic bread, and fries. The garlic bread is sooooo good. Don't even consider going to El Barco across the street, I like to call it El Barfo. I pray that the gentrification of this area does not affect this restaurant. It is a gem.
(5)
Allison P.

Service was super slow. Menu is limited but the shrimp was awesome. Hot inside with lots if flies buzzing around. Liked the shrimp but not enough to return.
(1)
Amanda Z.

It's no secret that I love my birthday. I don't see it as a year older, I see it as an excuse to get to see some people in my life that I rarely get to see. So when my coworkers offered to throw me a shindig to celebrate, I was delighted! Mariscos el Veneno was my choice. I wanted BYO, I wanted someplace a little bit different, and this seemed to fit all my requirements. Almost entirely seafood, this menu was daunting at first. I really wanted the langostinos (prawns), because I love that sweet meat, but the whole legs still on it made me shy away. Not to worry, this birthday girl was lucky enough to get someone else to order them and pick out the meat for me. Delicious. And perfectly spicy. I think I would just suck it up and figure out how to deal with the little eyes staring at me for my next trip. Let me take a brief diversion to the whole spicy issue. The sauce on the table bruised my mouth. Never in my entire life have I experience a searing pain from a salsa until that fateful night. But the best part, now that it's over, is that we ALL experience it, and we all were laughing and crying our spicy tears together. And the ceviche brought for the entire table at the beginning of the meal contained the perfect neutralizing tomatoes and refreshing seafood flavor that calmed our sore mouths. I went with the crabs, Nayarit style (Pacific coast of Mexico). It was a massive plate of crabs, drenched in sweet butter sauce. (See here: static4.px.yelp.com/photâ€¦ ) No bibs or crab-crackers here, so my crab companion and I created our own bibs and basically immersed ourselves in the buttery goodness in front of us. I eventually gave up, my arms immersed in butter to my elbows, I was full of delightful crabby goodness. Also enjoyed at the table was the stuffed pineapple. A half pineapple, stuffed with shrimp, octopus, and other seafood delights, it was enormous (and looked yummy to boot). Another specialty was the huge platter with shrimp and octopus. Spicy and delicious, this was yet another thumbs up dish from the table. Guacamole is a fabulous deal, $3 for a MASSIVE plate, perfectly chunky and perfectly spiced. It's the perfect accompaniment to the spiciness of some of the dishes. No corkage fee here, which is a nice touch. The service was outstanding. They stored my lovely cake in the back while we ate dinner and brought it out to a birthday song with candles, which was a lovely treat. Plenty of water was provided, especially after the incident with the "veneno sauce," and we never felt like we were rushed to leave. Loved it, even though my mouth hasn't fully recovered. Hasta luego, Mariscos El Veneno.
(5)
James R.

The ceviche upon arriving is a good idea. Yet one cannot deny that the food here seems of the 'farm', not sea variety. Honestly, I could buy the same shrimp they use here for 2.99 a pound. The quality of the food is sub par (Maybe the reason their prices are so low). The sauces are decent, but for me that can't hide the below average quality of the seafood. And they basically just pile the sides (Or here known as arterial death marches) onto your plate. If you really want a taste of Yucatan seafood, go to El Barco across the street, or travel to Mexico. I have been to both El Veneno and El Barco, and El Barco is definitely better. Stay away from Mariscos El Veneno if you have respect for your seafood.
(1)
Trevor S.

Exquisite. Many restaurant owners and chefs dine here. Most are quite impressed with the fresh seafood.
(5)
Double L.

Great, great place. There were 6 of us dining that evening and everyone really enjoyed themselves. We started off with some aguachilie(sp?) which is by far the best I have had in the U.S.. I really like their table salsa but be advised that is is extremely hot. I looks like it is mostly tomatoes but it is very heavy on the habinaro. We also ordered a whole snapper. Went with the grilled instead of fried option. FYI, grilled is still fried because it is grilled on a flat top grill, wasn't a big deal but might surprise some. Excellent lemon flavor on the outside and fresh tasty fish on the inside. My sister got one of the stuffed pineapple, which looked good. My brother in law went for the siete mares and that also looked awesome. The last two had the same dish which was a combination of several different sea creatures. I liked it very much. Great traditional mariscos. The staff was friendly although our waiter was a bit overbearing. He kept trying to push us onto an expensive seafood platter instead of helping figure out what people really wanted. Aside from that he was extremely nice. BYOB always a plus.
(4)
John W.

If just for the food, I would give it 5 stars. This place is good and I highly recommend eating here. It was packed on a Sunday afternoon so I can't imagine it's easy to eat here on the weekends but we only had to wait for like 10 minutes before we were seated. Once seated we are immediately greeted with ceviche tostados...as opposed to chips and salsa. We got the fish taco appetizers and they were really good...At this point we were beginning to wonder how much room we were going to have for the meal so we split the stuffed lobster and it was probably one the tasty things I have ever eaten. These are HUGE portions so if you want to get appetizers I would recommend sharing an entree as we couldn't even finish ours. The lobster was fresh from the tank. The place is small and cramped, hot and loud with all kinds of strange creatures hanging on the wall and being served to the mainly Spanish speaking crowd...It other words I think that means it is very authentic. The floor was also very slippery as people were bringing in ice and stuff to chill their beers they brought so that added some challenges to navigating such a tight space. But just for the seafood, you have to try this place!
(4)
J J.

Table of three. Ten minute wait. Awesome! Byob. No corkage fee. Awesome! Free ceviche amuse. Awesome! Super friendly and helpful service. Awesome! Very affordable and tasy food. Awesome! My friends and I walked to Mariscos El Veneno on a Friday night surrounded by blizzard aftermath, we had a bottle of wine and a bag of beers. We were ready for the 45 minute wait but we were extra polite and super lucky and only had to wait ten minutes. Ricky, the busboy who is more like the maitre'd was amazing, chatting us up and getting us a corkscrew and glasses for our wine. He was really personable and a true asset to the restaurant. It's rare to receive service with a smile that seems sincere and caring anymore. Ricky's service was amazing and really made the experience special. We received our delicious ceviche amuse` and cracked some beers. We learned that the salsa they serve is just unbelievably hot and spent some time seeing how much we could take. I am a person whom loves hot food and this was just way too hot for me. Reading the reviews before visiting let me know that we should try the shrimp empanadas. We did, they were delicious. Right as we finished our empanadas Ricky came out with the Crab Legs we ordered to share between the three of us. Yelpers... you were soooooo right to recommend them. Huge stack of Crab Legs perfectly cooked and bathed in a pleasantly spicy sauce. We all learned very quickly to soak our crab meat in plenty of the sauce to really get the full experience. We had a fun time chatting and cracking and shoving crab meat into our mouths as fast as we could. We all joked about how we all felt a little self conscious about how we were cracking and tearing and making a huge mess sucking our fingers off before using napkins and noted that it didn't matter because we didn't look up from our plates to see each-other the whole time. $40 to feed three people delicious sea food. Yeah the music was weird and the room was small but it all kind of worked together to make a memorable night out. It was like dining in someones home, it felt pleasant. Do it.
(5)
Vivian Y.

I woke up this morning CRAVING the Narayit Crab legs - I can't believe I've waited this long to go! The four of us ordered waaaay too much food, but we're gluttons so that's ok! We had the oyster, octopus and shrimp platter (small), crab, and fried shrimp platter and it was ALL delicious and messy! Don't wear nice clothes! Service was sloooow, but none of us were in a rush to go anywhere so we didn't really care. We had our wine and beer and that was enough to keep us plenty happy until the servers came around to us. Watch out for the salsa that comes out - super duper hot - and I love spicy! I found my tongue tingling from spicy sensations even after 30mins of eating it!
(5)
Nicole C.

WORTH THE WAIT!!!! We waited an hour for a table, but let me tell you it was well worth the wait. The food was delicious. The servers gave recommendations that were on-point! There were 5 of us and we ordered a smorgasbord of food. Shrimp empanadas, crab legs, prawns, bacon wrapped shrimp, and stuffed lobster. Everything was extremely fresh and cooked to perfection. The restaurant is BYOB, what's not to like about that. The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We can't wait to go back.
(5)
Kate D.

I'd give this place 6 stars if I could. Went for the first time with a group of about 15 - the service and food were fantastic. I'm always impressed when a smaller restaurant does so well with both when a big group comes in. We very much enjoyed the mariachi band playing enthusiastically while we enjoyed our dinner. Not sure if this is just a Saturday night thing or what but it was awesome. The ambiance is lovely - pretty cozy in there so if you tend to be claustrophobic bear that in mind, but its a spot where both families and couples feel welcome and comfortable. While the service and ambiance are great, its the food was what prompted me to review - it was amazing! My boyfriend and I shared the shrimp empanadas as an appetizer ($5) and the crab leg entree ($30) as a main. Thank goodness we had the foresight to share because there were at least 3 full crabs on the plate. We both have large appetites and didn't finish it all. The sauce on the crab was delicious - a little spicy and very flavorful. I would happily pay twice what we did for a meal of that quality - less than $40 for dinner for two (pre-tax/tip, including my horchata :) is a killer deal. Everyone we were with enjoyed their meals also, and appeared to be very generous portions. One note of warning - the salsa served with the ceviche tostada to start is incredibly spicy.
(5)
Jane W.

Just stopped in for a small dinner. I was shocked at the amount of food I saw on everyones plates. Seafood seafood and more mariscos. Wasn't too hungry so all I ordered was shrimp tacos (to go) but they were amazing. Looking forward to bringing some friends or family back - to do it up. Most of the wait staff ignored me but possibly it was a language issue. One guy was friendly and gave me some free orchata and also told me I looked like movie star. **blush** Can't beat that. Amazing meal, free rice water and compliments. By the way. I love hot sauce... a lot. Their hot sauce killed. It's a bit devilish. My lips are still burning. Watch out!
(5)
J G.

Amazing, crab legs, GO ASAP...
(5)
Matt L.

Well the secret's out, so fuck it, I'll just tell it like it is. This place is an awesome deal if you want tref seafood. Can't speak for the kosher stuff, since I don't eat things that swim, unless they're raw. Wait, do squid "swim", or just "propel themselves through the water"? Cuz I can totally devour some calamaris. But they don't serve calamari here, so don't go here for calamari. Stop saying Hawaii in there. Mariscos El Veneno doesn't take resos, so be prepared to wait, quite possibly outside. Don't booze on the sidewalk though, since the 5-0 totally doesn't approve. H8r in the house.
(4)
Jay S.

Our family went there for dinner on 10/21. Got there around 5:30 and it was already full and lots of people were waiting. No one likes to wait but it was still a great sign about the quality of its food. We ordered the famous crab dish along with a couple of shrimp dishes. They were all amazing especially the crabs, all worth the wait. It's definitely tight and I got bumped a few times while eating but it didn't matter. Very friendly service. We'll definitely go back. BYOB!
(5)
Tina T.

I love BYOB's - generally great food and fantastic values; and you get to bring in a better bottle of wine for way less than they'd charge at marked up prices. So I was pretty excited to try this place based on personal recommendations and subsequent yelp reviews. And we found it to be just a-ok, like the stars above say. No doubt, you get plenty of seafood at fantastic prices. And the salsa is indeed hotter than Hades - my husband craves hot food and had to take a few minutes to recover from this concoction. We started with the complimentary fish ceviche and ordered a shrimp ceviche as well; and both were very good. When it came time to order, we were baffled by the huge amount of choices, and decided on the langostinos, which had been recommended to me, and the lobster nayarit. Both were huge servings, tons of seafood - but in my opinion, they were both way overdone and too greasy. The langostinos were tough and overcooked and swimming in butter; we did not finish them. And the lobster platter was good, but again, very greasy and overdone. I've had cheap seafood before at dives in San Diego, and they were prepared fresh and succulently. I think if this place would cut the cooking time in half, they'd be better off. The service was fine and amiable; and the decor was casual and appropriate for the kind of place it is. If I was in the neighborhood, I'd probably order from them more. But I don't imagine that I will go out of my way to eat here again.
(3)
Pete S.

Word of this yelp: Killer! We went on a Sunday night and the place was hoppin. We were seated upstairs and it felt as if we had stepped into a private party, but our new found familia was inviting!. Entertainment? Check, in the form of a 4 piece mariachi band. Loud but fun after a couple of drinks... Had the nayarit langoustines....Killer. Wifey had the nayarit crab....Killer. Brought a few coronas & was promptly brought a huge plate o'limes....Killer. The only downside was that I sacrificed an awesome bears pull-over in attempt to devour my food... Note to self (and others)- don't wear white when visiting "the poison" --its a killer!
(4)
Sarah F.

We've driven by Mariscos El Veneno many times, but with its unassuming exterior I don't think I ever would have given it a try if a friend hadn't suggested it for dinner. Instead of the usual chips to accompany some pre-dinner salsa, the server brought us each a tuna tostada and one of the more fiery salsas I've tasted. We ordered the shrimp empanadas, fish and shrimp tacos (which I didn't try, but they were apparently tasty), and the shrimp fajitas. The latter were served on an enormous platter that had an almost confusing array of sides - undressed salad greens, delicious savory rice, french fries, and cheesy garlic toast. Perhaps I don't know enough about fajitas, but I was expecting some soft tortillas with the dish. I made do with the basket of tostadas instead, and the savory, saucy shrimp and rice more than made up for the difficulty of eating them off a crispy, flat surface. The inevitable leftovers from such a huge platter were almost as tasty the next day. The empanadas were also delicious, each topped with a slice of avocado. Service was efficient, though we could have used some help opening the bottle of sparkling wine we'd brought.
(4)
elena g.

Enormous portions. Served family style. Excellent crab and prawns. We went with a group of 6 on a saturday night and waited 90 minutes for a table.
(4)
Andy G.

Most of the salient points in each review on here are quite accurate - the room is small, the staff is friendly but frustratingly inattentive at times, and the food is glorious. My wife and I dined at Mariscos yesterday evening. As we entered we noticed that every single one of the tables was occupied. Fortunately for us, we were the first people in line to be seated. With the temperature over 100 degrees outside, I was a bit disappointed that the air was not turned on, but didn't think much of it because it added to the feeling that I was dining in Mexico. After a couple of minutes we were seated and then greeted with the world's largest menus. Because of their size they were pretty awkward, and the vague descriptions therein leave something to be desired. I know what crab means and I can figure out that fillet of fish means I get a piece of something that swims in water, but I had no idea what the different flavor/sauce options were and did not know I could actually choose what kind of fish to have. They should definitely look into more detail for the food options instead of using tons of space on pictures and large font. We started with the Marlin Ceviche, which was super tasty. On a hot day it hit the spot - it was cool and not overly fishy, and came accompanied with fresh vegetables. I splashed it with some lime and enjoyed it immensely. My wife ordered the garlic shrimp (after being told that they ran out of prawns). She raved about it and wished she could air mail it to her mother. The smell of garlic on her breath hours after we ate and even in the morning only confirmed how flavorful they must have been. I had no idea what to order and the waitress recommended the fried fish because it had a little bit of everything. I still have no idea what kind of fish it was, but it was magnificent. It was surrounded by a barrel full of octopus and shrimp and covered in melted cheese. I ate until I felt like I had to burst and in between each bite sighed in amazement at how good it was. Both entrees came with salad, rice, toast and french fries. Super big portions. So, as pointed out, the fact that the food here is out of this world more than made up for the size of the room and the somewhat unmindful service. Don't expect glitz and glamour or pristine service, but definitely be prepared for an awesome seafood experience. As Yoda would say, a couple of small changes (most notably some air conditioning, a better menu and more attentive service), and a 5-star rating it would have received.
(4)
Philippe F.

Short and sweet..... We started off with a little tostada to warm up our palate, Twas excited cuz that was the first time I've had it, Crab legs and snapper with some awesome fried rice, The waiter was busy, but friendly and nice, I'm stuffed to the brim, "I GIVE UP!" I hollers, This byob gem only cost us 44 dollars!!!!!
(5)
Sean D.

Order the crab legs. They give you 2 1/2 crabs for $25 and they are delicious! Lots of spices, but I hardly noticed since my mouth was still on fire from the salsa...
(4)
Chris G.

We live right by here and always drove by it. We loved it the snapper was delicious, the steak tacos were off the chart. Service was a little slow but Wifey approved . This place would be great with a large group of friends, drinking and having a blast!
(4)
Alysha P.

Bday dinner here for bf with friends, lots of booze and platters upon platters of deeeeee-lish seafood treats.... We had been wanting to try this place for awhile now.....and decided that it would be the perfect spot for a bday dinner.....they wouldn't take a serious rezzie on a Saturday night for our party of 9......but my boyfriend used his charm (and spanish) to convince them to hold a table for us around the time we wanted. We got there appx 8pm.....and had to wait about 45min outside....(it's a really small space & gets jam packed on the weekends so plan accordingly) but we didn't really mind considering we had enough alcohol to fully stock a bar and just decided to get our drink on while we waited. One of the waiters came out so we could pre-order our food.....which I thought was pretty awesome....so when we finally did get seated our food started to come out immediately! I have no idea what exactly was ordered.....the boys took care of that.....but I do know that everything we had was pretty fantastic and well worth the wait! This is what we got (that I remember): Platter of Shrimp Diablo Platter of Oysters 2 Giant Platters of Crab Legs 2 Giant Platters of Prawns....these were mi favorito!! Platter of Octopus Platter of Rice So seriously....every single thing we ordered, yes even the rice.....was unbelievably yummy.....I don't know what kind of seasoning they use on those prawns.....but man....we couldn't stop eating those or the crab legs.....it was messy.....it was delicious and we all ate like hogs!! Even better.....they start you off with ceviche topped toastadas (which were also excellent)....for free! Service was stellar.....they brought us what we needed.....made sure our table was kept as clean as it could be....brought us shot glasses when we asked......the owner even came out to say Feliz Cumpleanos to my bf and take a couple of group pictures.....every single person that came to our table was nice and having a great time.....which in turn made our night even that much more fab! Ohhhhhh.....they even had a couple of mariachis who, for a fee, will play some songs for you.....they played for almost our whole meal and brought the already festive atmosphere to a whole other level!! We left fat....happy....and drunk....and all for about $40 a person......
(5)
Tuya S.

Do you know what El Veneno stands for? POISON! It's the name of their sauce and it is soooooooooooooo HOT that I sat entire meal guzzling water. Seriously I thought I had nuclear explosion in my mouth. Beware of the salsa that they serve with complimentary tostadas and ceviche. The funny fact is that nobody warns about it and the servers slip this sauce so nonchalantly as if they were serving some diced tomatoes! Thanks to the poison my mouth was desensitized to the degree of spiciness of other dishes. I ordered fish ranchero that comes with rice and spicy fries. I must admit that I cleaned my plate in less than 15 minutes. Delicious! The cucarachas, that is plate of shrimp was good too. Big portions and lots of leftover for doggy bag. BYOB, cute and cozy decor, hints on fisherman hut, menus written in Spanish followed by English adaptation. Restroom clean, sign on the wall in Spanish. Carryout menu only in Spanish which made me conclude that owners might be planning some Latina revenge on gringos
(5)
Mark L.

Sometimes you can be very underwhelmed by a restaurant experience, but one dish just knocks your socks off. Definantly the case with this place. My wife and I waited for about an hr in a very cramped area to be seated. They put civeche and chips/salsa on the table. All of it was absolutly awful. The civech tasted cheap and the salsa was just atomic hot and had very little flavor beyond toxic death fire. Ordered some oysters covered in mozzerella, they were decent, think I would avoid the mozzerella next time. But than it came.....the delicious, succulant crab legs. Though not cheap, ringing in at $39, the crab easily fills up 2 and is just some tasty stuff!! It is covered in a delicious, spicy sauce which just soaked into the crab and gave it a very unique flavor. Will definantly be back again for that crab.
(4)
Sam A.

I've been here twice now and booth times just as great. This is a great place to go with a group because the portions are pretty big. I ordered the cucaraca shrip and the prawns. Yum. I really enjoyed the sauce on booth dishes. I think if they made there tostada chips home made, the basket they give you when you arrive, i would give this place five stars. I dig the fact that you can byob here too. Always a good time with friends and fam. I'll be back again. Oh side note not sure if it's good for kids we brought or young one and she was freaked out cause the shrimp still had there eyes in.
(4)
Brad C.

I have never so much as smoked a cigarette, but the langostinos here make me wish I was a doper--they are that good. Still miss Tacos del Pacifico, though. Was it all a dream?
(4)
Natasha B.

The best crab legs in Chicago. My husband and I are hooked. Don't forget to BYOB :) Don't Sit Outside during summertime- toooo many mosquitoes :(
(4)
Kim A.

Delicious Delicious! Decided to go here after reading Yelp reviews, and was not disappointed. We had the shrimp empanadas, half tray of langostinos, and half tray of octopus. All of it was ridiculously delicious. The service was a little slow at first. There seems to be only one guy busting his butt, and a few that sort of care. It was packed, but it was Friday night, and it's so damn good. I'm a little sad that I discovered this place just as I'm about to move out of the neighborhood, but I'll DEFINITELY be back.
(4)
Joe U.

I've been back twice since I made my first review. Each time was awesome. Besides getting the snapper and crab legs each time, I've also tried the prawns nayarit style. They rocked. Since my first time, I've also learned from the wait-staff how to pop the caps off my beer using only a bottle of hot sauce. Ask the server if you don't know this ninja trick!
(5)
Lala S.

The service was unbelievably bad. We arrived there and needed a table for two. A larger party came and was promptly seated even though their complete party wasn't present. We were then seated, waited 10 mins for menus, while we see the waiter taking orders from the larger group already. The waiter finally came out took our order and 40 mins go by and our cokes weren't even sent out. 40 minutes! A couple sat down next us and shared the same frustration. We kept looking over at El Barco and salivating over the red snapper we could have already been eating. So the cokes came out after 40 MINUTES. We asked about our guacamole--that came out 15 minutes later. The waiter said the service was always this bad. He blamed the kitchen, but the last I checked the kitchen doesn't make the coke there. Our empanadas finally came out and they were super nasty. Not to mention, that the dough wasn't fully cooked. The couple sitting next to us actually got their entrees before we got our appetizers and they were seated 15 minutes after us. They actually felt so bad they offered us some of their food. By this time, we were PISSED. I suggested to my friend we pay for our tab and walk across the street to El Barco. We cancelled our order for our entree fearing that I would have grandchildren before I would get my dinner. Our food was out in 10 mins flat (at El Barco). We had to wash down the bad taste in our mouth from El Veneno with 2 shots of tequila and a pitcher or margaritas.
(1)
Jennifer G.

We went to Mariscos El Veneno in the middle of the afternoon (2:30) and that was the perfect thing to do - the place was full, but not uncomfortably so, the music (live singer) was at a pleasant level where you could still have a conversation. Service was very prompt. And the food was awesome! We had langostinos nayarit - and the sauce was amazing. I had to keep dipping my bread in it. Langostinos were great too - very well-prepared. Look for the roe inside some of their heads, it is delicious. The stuffed pineapple was also very nice, filled with tender octopus. This dish might be a good option if you have a diner that fears the spicy, because it was gentle and creamy. We will be back, because the dishes I saw on other peoples' tables looked pretty enticing. Must try! The one and only downside is that tables are really crowded together. It was a little hard to maneuver in there (I am a person of average size) and someone's toddler spent the meal directly under my elbow. It was worth it though.
(4)
Monica B.

The food here is amazing! The crab legs and prawns have a wonderful unique flavor and portions are very generous.
(5)
Amanda T.

Ceviche? BYOB? Don't mind if I do. Fantastic seafood place. First of all, they offer complementary ceviche and tostadas, so I'm already hooked. The shrimp ceviche is tasty as well. And the portions are HUGE. Prepare to fall into a food coma afterwards. I'm going to have to agree with a lot of the reviews here, the Narayit crab is amazing! Best of all, the place is cheap. I came here with five other people. We all had our own entrees, and we had shrimp ceviche and oysters on top of the complimentary one. We were all stuffed to capacity and left paying less than $20/person. Pretty sweet deal of you ask me.
(5)
Rebekah B.

So it's Monday. 6:30pm, granted it was President's Day, but I figured it would be a good time to try this place. Always passed it and was curious. It was packed, good sign, but really really loud. Like so loud that I couldn't hear my dinner companion. The fish taco I had wasn't what I expected, breaded is fine, but lettuce and tomatoes and ranch dressing? eeew. The garlic shrimp we shared was good, but the whole experience sucked. The music kept getting pumped up, which was totally weird. Other tables had piles of delicious looking shrimps and ceviche and seafood but our tiny table of 2 wasn't going that route. Should I have gone with a gigantor party? Maybe. Should I have been drinking heavily? Perhaps. But I certainly won't go back. One bad experience is all I need. This city has too many restaurants. I need more from a first experience.
(2)
Liz B.

So good! Everything is fresh, delicious and much, much too filling. I highly recommend the prawns and the crab legs; I think I've been having dreams about the crab legs, actually. The prices were reasonable, and much better split amongst a group. BYOB is also great, though the service is a little slow. It fits with the family-style eating and atmosphere, though, so it's only an issue if you have to eat and run. In which case, I don't think a plate of prawns is your thing. 4 stars instead of 5 because the menu is not really non-Spanish-speaker friendly. I'm ok with that, mostly because I drag my Spanish-speaking friends with me, but consider this a warning if your Spanish is like mine: non-existent.
(4)
Charlene H.

I never connected seafood and Mexican together but this place is the bomb. You may have to wait it - worth it. The aesthetics is not all that great - worth it. The food is great. I order the crabs nayarit. The sauce is like experiencing ectasy. Add a bottle of wine and you are in heaven. Ample servings and flavorful. I also like that it's a family restaurant so you can take your kids, they can make noise, and you still feel welcomed. The free ceviche appetizer is a plus. I can't say enough good things about this place. A friend invited me and in turn I have taken many friends and plan to take many more. I would give it a five but I am substracting for ambiance and the smallness of the restaurant. As far as the food it is a five. Want good fun, great place for laughter, a wonderful experience.
(4)
Susie S.

Ambience: Your friend's kitchenette, when they don't have a chance to tidy up Service: Nice guy - not a great waiter Booze: BYOB - GOOD! Their sauce - which I assume why they are called "The Poison" was super-spicy and quite tasty, but it doesn't really go with most of their dishes. And a seafood restaurant really should not allude to food poisoning, especially when their oysters tasted like the natural equivalent of a colon cleansing. So the food, oyster aside, was palatable - like I could choke it down, but simple favorites like fries and guacamole were flavorless and flat. However, their langastinos are quite tasty. Can't go wrong with prawns fried in butter - even when it comes with a side of colon cleansing.
(2)
Steve B.

My extended family of 10 people (5 kids, 5 adults) had dinner there last Saturday night. I thought I had made a reservation earlier in the week but when I called to confirm, they said they didn't take reservations on Saturday, a mis-communication that had me in a little bit of a twist even before we got to the restaurant. By the time the evening was over, all was forgiven. Although there was a wait when we arrived, they checked on us several times waiting outside, brought the kids toys, took pictures with us, and before we stepped into the restaurant, we all in wonderful moods. Before we even entered the restaurant, the prawn platter was waiting for us when we sat down, glasses for the wine came quickly, the free seafood cerveche came next followed by a massive family styple platter of delicious seafood. They brought us a complimentary desert for my sister, sang with us, and couldn't have been more accomodating. My out-of-town guests were blown away by the experience. It couldn't have been better.
(5)
Chi-foodie A.

seafood is my favorite meal! PLEASE FOR NOT SERVE IMITATION CRAB I have to write this review I was here for lunch I was impressed that the restaurant was almost full, is not to big but I was here for a great meal not to judge the restaurant by itself. Service was everage Definelty I Agree with some of the reviewers,is a small place tables are to close to each other, I like the seasoning, it is definetly a place to have some hot salsa, and some langostinos. for appetizer great taste a little over cook but o well most of all of this small restaurats can't afford to have a executive chef..therefore expect some overcooked and i bit salty or other small issues with your meal otherwise a nice little Marisqueria... I order their pinepple with mariscos! presentation was average, the best part was when something did not tasted rigth and gues what...THE CRAB WAS IMITATION.....o no then I approached the server about it and he mentioned that, it is the way they served that dish, I look at this way, if they can serve you IMITATION CRAB ON A ENTREE they can serve you anything on any other meal... I will try it again.... +price +byob +flavor on their meals lot of flavor great seasoning - IMITATION !PLEASE NO NO NO A SEA FOOD PLACE IS NOT RIGTH!!! -parking hard to find -loud place and service is slow
(3)
char y.

We went around 2 in the afternoon and it was pretty full. The server brought out a plate of limes, fried tortillas, hot sauce and a free appetizer of diced cucumber, tomatoes mixed with crab meat on a fried tortillas which was very good. We ordered the langostino dinner plate which was a bit salty and Chapuzon Del Mar which was a plate of shrimp, octopus and and oyster in a very good sauce. The octopus was cooked very well and was not chewy. I was a bit concern about the shrimp since there was a few that didn't taste so fresh but luckily I didn't get sick from it. Our bill came out to be around $44 not including tip. I would try it again but I wouldn't wait on a cold night since there would be no where to stand except outside. This place is very small!
(3)
L K.

Ended up here on a monday evening with a friend in search of seafood and i wasnt dissapointed. Walking in was a little awkward because we had to walk through like a 6 piece mariachi band that was blocking the door. Once we got in we used hand signals to communicate with the hostess and grab a table. As interesting as it was, the mariachi band was a little annoying because i just wanted to catch up with my friend on a chill monday night. But, the food and value def made up for it. We ordered way too much food and still only managed to spend $40 plus tip. We got the shrimp ceviche, half order of oysters, langostines and garlic shrimp. The only thing i wouldnt order again is the oysters. This is a real basic, almost kitschy place with blowfish and nets hung from the ceiling, and the people that work there are nice enough, but this is by no means a fancy date place. Go for good food with an adventurous friend. oh, and its BYOB.
(4)
Mike K.

I've been wanting to Mariscos el Veneno for so long. Every time I walk by, it seems like there's a crowd of happy people inside, and sometimes a mariachi band too. From the sidewalk, I've spied people feasting on heaping platters of seafood, and it always looks good. So, we finally got over there this past Thursday night, and I wasn't disappointed at all. Yeah, it's true, the free crab salad tostada appetizer won't blow you away, but we happily ate it along with the delicious but dangerous fresh habanero salsa. I ordered the shrimp ceviche tostada as an appetizer, but when it arrived, the waiter apologized, said there was no more ceviche, and that mine was made with cooked shrimp. It would have been better if he had allowed me to decide before bringing me something other than what I had ordered, but the replacement tostada was decent. We ordered two main dishes: shrimp and whole sea bass, both prepared Nayarit-style. They were both incredible. First, the shrimp were large and split down the middle so you could easily eat them with a fork. They were seasoned really well, and came with a side of garlicky rice and spicy fries. The sea bass was a masterpiece. The spice permeated the crispy skin, which was very tasty, but fatty. Underneath, the fresh white flesh was cooked perfectly, and retained its moisture. I thought I wouldn't be able to finish at first, but I just couldn't stop until it was all gone. The sea bass was, by the way, MUCH better than I had had at Barco Mariscos across the street. El Veneno was super busy when we were there, but the staff remained not just calm, but really warm and jovial. Not only is Veneno BYOB, they also bring out a bucket of ice for you, which is a great touch. What could top a great meal like that? How about when you look at the bill and it's only $31.00? It was unreal. Five stars for one of the most fun, bargain-priced joints in Chicago.
(5)
Shalini G.

The food is amazing - order the Champuzon del Mar - it will change your life. I have ordered a few things off the menu, but to be totally honest my favorite is the mentioned dish. The service can be slow, and the lines can be long, but it's worth it.
(4)
Adam B.

5 of us. $95. A huge platter, containing 2 full red snappers, some fried shrimp, some bacon wrapped shrimp, some spicy shrimp, some fried cod (or some kind of fish?), a Lobster, stuffed with shrimp, clams, mussles, etc. and a bunch of garlic bread. We also ordered some guac, which was outrageously fresh and very good and HUGE!!! Check out my before and after pics!
(4)
Jennifer P.

Loved it! Made me feel like I was on vacation. I kept driving by this place and it has the cutest outside patio with all these flowers and a canopy and I knew I wanted to try it but had no idea it was ONLY seafood. Not a prob. though - I dig seafood. Wish I had known that it was BYOB before I got there. A cold beer or margarita woulda been perfect. There wasnt a close store, and I didnt want to walk down to that creepy one on Division (where its also a bar), nor did I want to leave my complimentary ceviche on a tostada unattended with my amigos hovering. Guacamole was good and they were not skimpy with the shrimp - which were HUGE. The fries that come with were delish too, which you would not expect to accompany a mexican seafood dish... Will def. be back.
(4)
Pheebe L.

Yummy Octopus dish. Minus one for the small, crowded place and chaotic service.
(4)
David F.

My favorite seafood spot hands down, they get nearly everything right, from well seasoned fresh fish and prawns to nice touch free starter tostadas, the price range and food servings are very generous....ahhh now to the points that get this little joint one star short of a 5....its small....very small, causing the wait to be at times unbearable 2) their service tries, but its nearly ALWAYS horrible, can't blame them though as its always a full house of messy clients and last but certainly not least 3) they discriminate against their own people, seating those who they think will likely spend more first...thats a big minus, but this place is so good, its best you give it at least one try....ENJOY
(4)
Bobby O.

I have been back two more times including once by myself. You know that a joint is good when you start going by yourself. The seafood is extemely flavorful. I have to try the snapper. Later
(5)
Dan M.

I'm already regretting writing this review. I would rather that no one else in the world know about this place and I could keep it all for myself.... but I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut about good shit and I feel the need to share the love. 8) Been to El Barco.... it's fine, whatever. Good margaritas. However, if you're actually going for the food I would cross the street to Mariscos El Veneno. I'm relatively stingy giving out 5 stars but this place deserves it based upon our dinner last week. Went with gf and 2 friends and we had a great time. For starters, free ceviche that was actually really tasty. They earn points right off the bat for that one. We had guacamole, shrimp cocktail, and the chupazon (sic?) entree. The guac was great, 2nd only to Adobo in WP. Had a nice little kick and great texture, ingredients. The shrimp cocktail was very average, but whatever, it's freakin' shrimp cocktail. Salsa it up a bit. done. The real superstar was the Chupazon (or Chupacon, sry forgot exact name). IT was AWESOME. The sauce was very rich and flavorful, had a nice smoky-spicy kick to it and I could have eaten a whole lot more of it. I recommend it highly. One final note, I live for spicy food but I have to let you know that their salsa is NO JOKE. It is very very hot, but does have a nice tangy zing to it (I think they added some pickled onions, quite tasty.) The quality and freshness of our food was excellent. Service was actually pretty darn good, water stayed full and we were able to stay and chill with our cervezas til we decided to ask for the bill. (which was $75 for 4 people, and we were all filled to the gills by the time we left). Bon appetit.
(5)
Aaron H.

This place is awesome! The chef greeted us as we entered and gave us a table outside. They brought out the tostada with ceviche right away and it was pretty damn good. I'd say great considering it's complementary. They also gave us a bucket of ice to hold our wine and beer in. I took the advice on yelp and went easy on the salsa which is, as everyone else has said, pretty hot. They give you a bunch of tostadas to break up and use for the salsa which is a nice touch. Honestly, since the salsa's so hot, don't bother going nuts on the tostada/salsa combo. Because they give you a lot of food... We had a half dozen oysters, guacamole, the prawns, and two shrimp dinners. Oysters: Solid; nothing too special. Guacamole: Really good and they give you a heaping plate of it. No joke, for $3, it has to be the best guacamole deal I've ever seen. Prawns: They split these big suckers in half and loaded them with a brown sauce that was unbelievable. Everyone at the table agreed that it was one of the best-tasting sauces we've ever had. The two shrimp plate people kept on dunking their shrimp into it and we couldn't get enough. Shrimp dinners: Huge plate of food and the shrimp were pretty good, but not unbelievable. It was my birthday and the chef brought out this mango ice cream cheesecake type-deal with, I think, a raspberry sauce over it. It was a little different at first but then the flavors and coldness went really well together. At the end of it all, everyone had a great experience. The food was outstanding, the prices for seafood were relatively cheap, it's BYOB, patio sitting in the summer time, and a personable chef with great customer service. Did I mention the best guacamole deal of all-time? Don't miss it...
(5)
Amy X.

if there's one thing that can unite people, it is large plates of messy food that you eat with your hands. meeting your significant other's parents? don't worry, there's no room for judgement or trick questions when everyone has bits of crab on their face. whatever the occasion, i'm convinced that the food at mariscos makes it appropriate for you to make a visit. hey, i brought my mom and she's allergic to seafood! don't worry, she ate it and loved it. this place is definitely worth five stars (and several days of allergy-induced hives...) try to come with a big group, because portions are large and you'll want to try more than one thing. the red snapper dinner can easily feed 3 people, and you can't pass up the crabs nayarit, can you? the prawns are extremely greasy and buttery and just the kind of sauce you WOULDN'T want to be covered in if you were ever to be served, split in half, on a platter in front of several ravenous people. anything covered in that sauce has about .0001% chance of survival. maybe less. a final note -- though each of the different dishes can be served "nayarit style," they don't all taste the same. though composed of essentially the same elements (tomato, oil, onions, red pepper, garlic), each dish is still distinct and awesome. come early and byob. i'll see you there.
(5)
Rayid G.

You go in the door, and if you're really lucky, you get seated right away. Someone drops a basket of tostadas, a plate of limes, and some innocent looking salsa on the table. A few minutes later, you find out why this place is called el veneno (the poison). This place has the best hot hot hot salsa I've ever had. Most hot habanero sauces sacrifice taste by making it unbreably hot. El Veneno makes it taste great and hot - i love it!!! Excellent seafood. Get the huachinango (red snapper) nayarit style! A whole fish fried and crispy on the outside but soft and fresh on the inside, drizzled with nayarit style (a little spicy) sauce and sides of rice, salad, and fries. Plenty of food for 2 people. Also, if you're like me and love their sauce, get some extra on the side. I've also tried some of their ceviche and it was so-so. It can get very crowded and stuffy weekend nights and the food quality is also inconsistent. I suggest going there on a week day. IT's BYOB, the food is excellent, and the service very friendly.
(5)
lola d.

A friend of mine invited me to this little hidden gem the other night. I had no idea that I lived walking distance from this place, what a treat! We were a group of six and decided to order three seafood entrees to split. We ordered the whole Red Snapper fried/sauteed in this amazing garlic sauce with a side of rice and fries, the crab legs smothered in a spicy red sauce, the shrimp diablo sauteed in some spicy garlic sauce with rice and fries. Doesn't sound like much food for a group of six, right? Wrong! We stumbled out of there doing the happy seafood dance like no ones business! Yeah! Remember to go and don't forget to starve yourself a bit before. You won't regret it.
(5)
Cassandre P.

I've been looking for an inexpensive seafood restaurant for a while and lucky me that this one is within walking distance of my house. I LOVE THIS PLACE. And whoever doesn't appreciate the mariachi band that comes by is definitely someone I would never want to party with. As soon as we sat down they brought us a delicious, large tostada covered with a seafood ceviche and a side of limes. (and yes, the house hot sauce is def liquid fire, I won't mess with that again no matter how tough I feel). My friend and I decided to split two dishes, the crab and a shrimp recommendation from the waitress. She brought out the shrimp diablo which was cooked in a spicy red sauce and served with cajun fries and rice. The crab was next and was so fresh that my friend and I joked that it looked like it was going to walk off our plate! We also had a fun time getting messy and cracking them open to pick out the meat. Portions here are huge (the people next to us ordered a seafood gazpacho that was served in punch-bowl sized goblets!) so I'm proud of the fact that we ate everything except for two of the crab legs. Unfortunately, I think our waitress was disappointed.
(4)
Salvador A.

So I had the crab legs with the Narayit sauce. The quantity of crab legs was enough for two people to get full. I liked dipping my tostadas in the sauce. I also liked the taste of my victoria beerss with the crab. So far I have never been disappointed here. I am looking forward to have the seite mares soup next.
(4)
Arturo B.

Nevermind, fuck this place. Can't get their act together. The food can be great, but the service couldn't be worse. I made an 8 PM reservation for 9 people 6 hours in advance. We waited outside for 45 minutes and finally when our table was cleared, they gave it to a group of drunk yuppies (also 9 people) who had no reservation and had got there after us. When they realized that they had seated the wrong table, they proposed that they could split our group up over 3 tables, but that it would take another 10 minutes. Really? fuck you and your pathetic customer service el veneno. You can occasionally make great food, but you don't deserve to be in business. Hope you find out the hard way. Ugh.
(2)
Andrea J.

This is easily one of the top 5 restaurants in Chicago. The seafood is seasoned to perfection...unlike anything I've ever had. The Chapuzon Del Mar is a MUST! A small order of this dish can easily feed 4 people. This is my first of MANY more visits.
(5)
tom k.

Prawns and crab legs Nayarit style were amazing!!! Ricky was are amazing for our big birthday dinner. Fun. Messy. Super delicious!!!
(5)
Rose N.

Yummy! Mariscos El Veneno surpassed all my expectations. The service was outstanding with friendly wait staff and a very personable executive chef circling the restaurant and chatting with customers. (Not to mention announcing to everyone an open invitation to his anniversary of his first restaurant opening in Rogers Park.) The shrimp ceviche was spicy and not fishy at all(sometimes a challenge in Chicago.) We were also served the mix to micheladas for our negro modelos :-) For the main course we split the pineapple filled wonderfulness of baked seafood, cheese, mushrooms and other veggies. (Our waitress recommended that as well as a few others.) And last but not least it is BYOB! (there is a small sign in spanish that "restricts" you from having more than three beers...not sure how well that works.)
(5)
Bryan J.

A total hole in the wall place where the service is terrible and the food is amazing. A group of us go here at least once a month and have never been disappointed. The whole red snapper, langoustines and snowcrab legs are probably the highlights. BYOB.
(4)
J Z.

The decor is not going to wow you but the food blows the "boat" across the street out of the water. (Sorry, couldn't resist). The food is based on recipes from the Mexican state of Nayarit, which is known for its seafood. Bring some beer and ask the waiter if they can make some cerveza preparadas (something like a bloody mary made with beer) which is great after a long night of overindulging. My favorite dish is the Nayarit-style langostinos (prawns) which has the most delicious seasoning. They do require some work and using your hands so you might want to skip them if you're a "dainty" eater. I also recommend the shrimp aguachiles verdes: butterflied raw shrimp covered with a lime and jalapeno sauce with cucumbers and tomatoes. Very very spicy! The huachinango (red snapper) al ajillo is another great dish - its absolutely massive and really delicious! I wasn't a fan of the seafood cocktails here since they're a little bland but everything else I've had was delicious. The chef/owner is really sweet and often comes out to greet the tables. If you love seafood be sure to check this place out!
(4)
Igor Z.

If you like seafood you have to come here. Small little place, family run (obviously), very friendly staff and BYOB. Everything we had was delicious, from the raw Oysters to the shrimp tacos to the whole Red Snapper. They bring out a tostada with ceviche and a salsa that will burn your life so good. I will be going there pretty often now that I know about the best kept seafood secret in Chicago.
(5)
Michelle P.

The best ceviche you could imagine. The waiters are fabulous. I absolutely adore everything about this restaraunt. 6 stars for veneno 100 stars for their ceviche.
(5)
Dane K.

For fans of El Barco, this is a real find... not that hard to find, given it's directly across the street... But the red snapper here is as good as if not better than any I've ever had from El Barco. Service was so so, partially obstructed perhaps due to lack of English to Spanish translation and vice versa. The menu was allllll seafood. No steaks or anything. And there were tons of various seafood entrees... From what I recall, the menu had no English descriptions for 95% of the items, so I asked about a few things... The waitress said "hold on" and out of nowhere the chef came up from the basement. He was very nice, asking what we were interested in, etc... I didn't know if I felt helped after or not, but we both ordered the fried red snapper. and we were very happy. We got a complimentary ceviche which was tastey... I couldn't eat my whole snapper so I took it to go and had it as lunch the next day... it was just as good the next day! There seem to be 3 locations of this same restaurant across the city. Delicioussss. It's BYOB, too.
(4)
Lesley S.

amazingly good seafood at great prices. i have been here a few times now, and every time the food has been delicious. i love the fish tacos and the prawns. i have no idea what these are cooked in, some sort of garlic butter sauce deal, but its fantastic. i also love the rice that comes with the entrees. the fried red snapper is also probably the best i have ever had, it is cooked perfectly, and so flavorful. each time i've been to mariscos, the food has been consistently good, the service usually lacks a little, but the place is always so packed i guess that's to be expected. i like sitting outdoors on their little patio, somehow its surrounded by trees and you don't even feel like you're sitting right on ashland ave. heads up though, that salsa they bring out with the appetizers will give you a stroke it is so hot
(4)
Betsy P.

Wow! Finally made it here after looking at reviews for long time. Came with sister and 85-year old folks - on a Saturday evening, no less! Amazing and wonderful. Waited for mere 30 minutes - got seated next to a couple tables of helpful (and fun) regulars - who confirmed our food choices: a plate of langostino and a whole fried red snapper and a whole lobster (which came with octopus salad and bay scallops and sauce so good you could DRINK it !) Food had spice enough to forgo the great extra ( and very HOT) salsa - but was tolerable enough that my little, spice-sensitive older mom could eat everything (except the salsa). I am still dreaming about the flavors: so delicious and unique and gratifying. We wondered why people did not eat fries (they were to die for, especially soaked with sauce) - but everyone said they were "saving themselves" for the seafood. Atmosphere was festive and frendly, loud but not unpleasant (like large family BBQ with music!). BYOB makes prices incredibly reasonable. For top-of the-line seafood in great quantity, it cost us about $25 per person. (We bought a bottle of sparkly on Division around the corner.) Waitress was delightful and warm. Free ceviche tostado appetizer was nice touch - and good. Cannot wait to return.
(5)
shirley m.

didn't know what to expect from reading other people's revews but this place came up as a great choice for ceviche. Cutely decorated with sea pharaphanalia and blue walls, they had a mariachi on Wed night! heres the meat and shells of the experience- this is an all seafood establishment, expect to find oysters on the half shell topped with large fresh shrimp, salt/pepper/magi, shrimp cocktails, langostinos split and tossed with a type of Old Bay seasoning and pan fried to perfection-meat was easily removed from the shell, and i even licked a couple of the shells for the flavor. Several fish dishes to choose from, we ordered a fillet of fish with ajo(garlic) fish was fresh and flaky but had so much ajo we had to drink something with each bite. we ordered an app of fish and shrimp taco, I did not ind the flavors to be exceptional so I woudl pass on those. Overall everything was really salty, i guessing from the other patrons cleared plates that it may have been just our meal that was overly seasoned. Complementary ceviche at the beginning of the meal was tasty and had the slghtest spicy-ness, but it had the consistency and look of tuna salad without the mayo. Overall for 3ppl with apps, 2 entrees and beverages the bill came to $60! portions are large, we could have easily done without all the apps and been very full.
(3)
May O.

good food byob is another plus I don't care for broken windows that's just tacky. They real need a loading zone sign from alderman's office so we could drop off and find parking
(4)
Matt H.

Went to this hole in the wall place on Good Friday. A seafood place on the last Friday of Lent means a long wait on a rainy day. So worth it. El Veneno is tiny and cramped. The waiting area is small and in the back by the kitchen, none of this detracted from the overall experience. Once we were seated (The staff never stopped moving the entire time we were there) the food came fast and was delicious. Two appetizers and two entrees was more than enough food and at an incredible price. If you didn't catch it before - beware the free salsa, it is taste bud suicide. The shrimp empanadas were great, especially with a touch of salt. The cocktail was a little sweet but good. The prawns nayarit were incredible - highlight of the meal. The wife had the fillet with garlic - tasty, but heavy on the garlic. The owner (or at least the guy we presumed was the owner) was incredibly friendly and checked in on us several times. Will return several times, that's for sure.
(5)
Mya O.

Los mejores mariscos!! So tasty! so inexpensive , so yummi!!!!!! It's small place, BYOB , inexpensive, what else ?? Ups avoid the crazy salsa! THAT't HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!
(5)
Anson A.

As much as I hate for more and more people to find out about my favorite place in the city, I must give this place props.. Great fresh authentice seafood, for a great value, plue BYOB.. can you beat it .. don't think so! Favorite Dishes include: La Agostinos Prawns, the whole snapper (be sure to get the one with the garlic, spicy red sauce), and the grilled octupus is a good one as well! Portions are plentiful.. you won't be dissapointed!
(5)
A M.

We picked this place since it had good reviews and stated that it was good for huge parties. Was ok for the over all experience. Was a little tight for the huge group that we had. We had 20 that night. I would suggest a group of 6 is perfect to fit comfortably. They gave us a free ceviche appetizer on tostada. Very tasty with a dab of hot sauce. We ordered more ceviche, that was pretty good. Also started out with a platter of langostinos. Was wonderful till we seen the bill, waiter forgot to mention it was $50! One of our friends ordered the crab, that was tasty. I think the crab and langostinos are the way to go. We did order the platter of mixed seafood, recommended by our waiter to share with 6 people. There was so much food! There were fried shrimp that was ok and kinda hard. There were some shrimp wrapped in bacon and then fried, way too salty. Some shrimp in mole like sauce, that was meh. Another little cup of shrimp that was in a salsa, meh as well. There was some filet of fish that was milenesa style, pretty good. There was a lobster, did not try it heard it was ok. There was a fried whole tilapia, was not seasoned. And last but not least a fried whole red snapper, that was dry. The 6 of us barely dented the platter. We didn't take it home either. Over all we liked the crab and the langostinos out of everything. Items were hit or miss. It's cheap, that's for sure!
(2)
J G.

Been there 2 or 3 times. First two times very very excellent. The crab legs were outstanding. And the salsa is super good but super hot! The last time I went was on a Monday very early evening and not as good. I also didn't order what I normally do. I ordered the Juachinango, which was tasty but not outstanding. My guests also thought the food was just ok-to-good. Five stars the first two times and 2-stars this last time.
(3)
Scott M.

Great just for the food not a place for ambiance. The seafood at this place was awesome and very fresh!!! We all ate like pigs and could not get enough of the thing the do with their special sauces. I never had Mexican Seafood like this....the crab legs the peel and eat shrimp and the complimentary seafood ceviche toastada was fantastic!!!. I must admit all the food here is very good but be prepared to wet nap yourself to death. It's also a BYOB place.
(4)
Richard W.

This is my 4th or 5th time there. And I will keep going back! My favorites are the crab legs and prawns. Love that it's BYOB. The wait can get really long for dinner over the weekend.
(5)
Irene O.

Go in a group! we got this assortment platter: really spicy, good variety
(4)
Karen C.

my friend and i went looking for punta cana and, being that it disappeared, ate here in it's place. the basics: -BYOB -strictly seafood (i don't remember seeing anything else) -decent guacamole -complementary starter can only be described as cat food tacos -waitress recommendation was a shrimp, oyster and octopus dish. my friend and i split a small platter ($20), filled our bellies and had about two-thirds of it left to take home. overall it was pretty good but with so many better options in the neighborhood, i don't expect to go here ever again. did i mention cat food tacos? right.
(3)
Sarah J.

Went here for the first time a few nights ago. It was busy but we didn't have to wait long for a table outside. I was really disappointed because we didn't receive the free appetizer everyone has been raving about. Maybe they just don't do that anymore? Service was good. The pitcher of margaritas we ordered was delicious and under $10 (cheap, cheap!). We couldn't decide what to order so settled on the seafood platter for two. It was just okay and really greasy. Next time I'll order a shrimp plate or the crab legs and forget all the other stuff I didn't like. We ended up with a lot of leftovers. Since seafood isn't really good the next day, I was upset to know it would all go straight to the trash. I HATE wasting food. Judging by the amount of food others couldn't finish on their plates, I'd guess this place trashes much more than it's fair share of perfectly good food just because they serve so darn much. They could definitely cut back on serving sizes without leaving anyone starving. I'll probably go back since it's in my neighborhood but I definitely like other similar restaurants more.
(3)
Rachael T.

Yummmmm...langostinos...shrimp cocktail...ceviche...diablo tilapia...yummmm. I a so happy I have found a place just like my favorite restaurant on the southside (La Palapa). Although this place is NOT as good as La Palapa it is still really really good. The diablo tilapia was actually not very yummm tho. It was a piece of some kind of fillet and was smothered in tomato sauce, almost ketchup, and was not very spicy at all. The fish and the shrimp ceviche was really really good tho. And the hot sauce is actually HOT, like really really hot, I LOVED IT. The shrimp cocktail was good, there was a lot for a small, but it came in an ice cream sundae tall cup so it was actually difficult to get your spoon in and dig in, the taste was awesome tho, and it came with avocado, and lots of it. Finally, the langostinos, now these were good! So very very good!!!! Drenched in butter, and some delicious kick-ass flavors. I will def be back in the near future for the langostinos. Yum, yum.
(3)
Dustin A.

I will be back
(4)
Moe f.

This place rocks if you love seafood. Complimentary tostadas with ceviche were awesome. We also ordered a small ceviche which turned out to be a huge plate and some guac which was good. For the main entree we got the crab Nayrita(?) style. There must've been 5 full crabs soaking in delicious red sauce. It was fantastic although I should've worn a dark colored shirt or they should provide bibs as cracking crabs with sauce on them causes lots pf splatter. Anyway tab for us was $43 and we still had a half plate of guac and ceviche left. Chef comes out periodically to check on things. Really nice guy. Only issue is the menu which could be a little more descriptive for us Gringos. Can't wait to go back with some more adveturous folks as the wife will never order oysters or octopus with me.
(4)
Xochitl R.

It's spicy and delicious. I get food-high when I eat here. Shove those crab legs down my gullet. Oh and it's BYOB!
(5)
Jill P.

I've been to the one in the subrubs, and my favorite eats were the free ceviche, prawns, and the fish taco. Don't forget the fresh lemonade!!!
(4)
nancy n.

I'm not sure how to rate this place. AWESOME seafood. Everything is fresh, non fishy. Prices are reasonable to cheap. BYOB with a great, festive atmosphere. This place gets crowded and there's really no area to wait in without doing a dance to let wait staff get to the kitchen or patrons get to the restroom. This place is best if you go in the summer with some booze. Then you can hang out on an uncrowded sidewalk, have a few drinks and have a pleasant wait for the great seafood that awaits. Now, I would like to add a special note to Enrique. One of the crappiest waiters I've had in quite sometime. I would give him one star. ...First, Enrique, when we order the HOT versions of something, we would like them hot. When it is 20 degrees outside and we are sitting near the door, warm food is preferable. When all of our food arrived in the cold version (from another waiter covering the other half of the restaurant, not a food runner, or someone simply helping out a busy coworker), we assumed it was a simple mistake. I can understand how you may be busy giving dirty looks to customers and doing blow in the bathroom. We also could have let you known had you ever shown up at our table before we were finished. Our two person meal came with one spoon. We could have simply asked for another had you walked within 50 feet of our table. So, we sat and ate our completely wrong meal, sharing one utensil. Fast forward 45 minutes, you asked if we were finished, I asked for a box and a check. 15 minutes of wearing my coat and hat and waiting with money on the table, I finally came up to you and asked you for these things again, while you acted annoyed. Thankfully, the waiter handling the other half of the place finished your work and helped us out, while you acted annoyed. Seriously, we all understand things getting hectic, but you were simply terrible. Really, in a city as big as Chicago, being a runner for the worst wait staff ever is quite an accomplishment. You should feel proud for being so craptacular. However, I'm going to have to go ahead and wait six months or so and hope you've been fired before I return.
(4)
Alexis Joshua W.

Fantastic! Wonderful service, the free app is amazing and I highly reco the snapper and the special octopus.... but everything we've had there is wonderful! My only reason for not giving 5 stars is the tiny place, a little hot and a little smushed in with tables right next to each other. But that's only on hot days and on thurs-sat nights when it's packed.
(4)
Jessica D.

I went in on Saturday around 4pm. I guess I beat the rush. We were told to wait for a table because they had to clean them....They did a crappy job cleaning them. I was ready to walk out, but we were already there and had our beer in hand so we let the plan play out. We were given a table, and had to ask the waitress to sweep under the table. It was really gross! She then proceeded to clean the other table and sweep, because it looked like no one had swept since the opened that afternoon. Unfortunately she swept everything onto the rug and forgot to back and clean it up. Ewww! The food: Great. Everything tasted great. If it wasn't for the restaurant being dirty in the dining area I could easily give this place 4 stars. They need to keep the cooks and change management.
(2)
O G.

bad experience skipped
(1)
Elle D.

Oh my god. They must have yelp in heaven because I have died and gone there. The food here is SO freaking good. The portions are great. There was a veritable flavor explosion in my mouth. I have just gotten home and had to unbutton my pants. My (now ex) boyfriend and I went there for our "break up dinner". Don't ask. We're weird. Anyhow, when you sit down they give you tostadas with ceviche and a plate of limes. That alone was impressive and delicious. We split the fried whole snapper with a garlic pepper sauce and it was amazing. Simply amazing. It came with a really flavorful rice, cajun fries (think 'rallys') and salad. We also ordered two fish tacos. They were also the best I've had in Chicago and the sauce they put on them is perfect. The shrimp empanadas were a little to deep fried for my taste, which I never thought I would say since I'll eat anything deep fried. They were just a little too oily. That still doesn't take away from the 5 stars. The place isn't fancy. It's a nice, noisy, fun, vibrant atmosphere. More a dinner for fun, laughs and good food. Not so romantic but definitely great if you want to impress a future love/fellow foodie. Now that I'm single....who's gonna go with me next?
(5)
Stefanie L.

I loved the prawns! The service was ok. We stood around awkwardly for a bit before being seated, but the food WAY more than made up for that! I will be back!
(4)
Kelly G.

I'm usually not a huge fan of seafood restaurants but this place is awesome. We sat out in their small outdoor area for this beautiful June summer night. We were presented with the ceviche once we sat down, and it was incredibly fresh and tasty - finfish, carrots, parsley, onion...extremely good. While I was in the bathroom (which was reasonably clean) I was unable to warn my friend about the hot sauce that is innocently presented as salsa. I came back to the table to find her eyes watering and her quickly consuming more tostadas and fanning her mouth. She loves hot sauce, but this stuff truly is INTENSE. You literally only need a few drops to feel the burn. Since I wasn't feeling super hungry, we decided to split a dish. We also ordered Pico de Gallo, since it is a favorite of hers. We were quite surprised when we were presented with a HUGE amount of food! We had the garlic shrimp, which came with rice and a small salad. The shrimp was cooked perfectly with an amazing garlic sauce. The rice was also very good, and the dish was just overall well-done. It was the perfect amount for two people. The pico was a HUGE platter (for under $2!!) of chunks of tomato, onion, and cucumber with a smattering of fresh parsley and cilantro. We added a little of the crazy hot sauce to it to liven it up. Overall, the food here is amazing. For all the food we got, the total was only $13 - great for feeding two people with leftovers. The only downfalls are: 1. Brush up on your spanish, because the menu is a little confusing and is heavy on the Spanglish and 2. The service is kind of slow. First they tried to give our food to someone else. Then, after we got our food, they tried to bring us extra water several times, and then forgot us. It took quite awhile to finally pay our check. But in the end, if you love seafood, I would highly recommend Mariscos!
(4)
alexis h.

I almost hate to review this place, because I don't want other people to start going there! Its such a find. Tiny restaurant, inexpensive and BYOB. It doesn't get better than that. Watch yourself on the salsa on the table. I tasted a tiny, tiny bit of it and could barely speak for the next 10 minutes! I wasn't a fan of the free appetizer (tuna or some type of fish taco?). But, my dining companions all seemed to like it. We split a huge plate of the prawns - and were able to get two different styles of seasoning. They were both really tasty, though the whole plate was soaking in around a pound of butter. Definitely not a low fat meal! I had the fish tacos, and they were just okay. Not as good as the prawns. The guacomole was fantastic too. Great place to head with friends for a cheap, fun night out. Provided your friends aren't too into "looks", you'll have great times and good food!
(4)
Amy S.

I've come here a couple time when I'm craving flavorful crab. It's amazing, cooked in a sort of spicy, oily sauce. Definitely greasy, but really great. We did order a ceviche once, and there was something about it that tasted bottled, not as fresh. Wasn't as impressed. But the crab won me over.
(4)
Sonia H.

I don't eat a lot of seafood besides shrimp. After eating at El Barco and "discovering" pulpo a few weeks ago, I had an intense craving for this place. Hubby and I walked up with beer, excited to sit on the patio, only to be told, "No liquor outside". The wait for a table inside went a little longer than quoted, but we didn't notice. The smell, presentation, taste, and quality of everything we were served was impressive. The service was timely, friendly, and knowledgable. We had a great time, and so did the party of 10 and party of 8 in the dining room. I can't wait to go back for lunch with the kids. The fish and chips will knock their socks off. Don't forget to check out the juke box.
(5)
MARK G.

First impression: yikes, too small, too full, and it might smell like fried food a bit too much.... but we waited for a table anyway. THANK THE SWEET LORD we did! The FRIENDLY and WARM wait-staff in combination with very very fresh and tasty seafood made for a GREAT DINNER! We were first timers so we put ourselves in our waitress' hands (Suzanna) asking her to bring what she would think we would like... Man, did she do right by us! She brought us a mix of things from the menu... some safe bets and some dishes that could have gone either way. IT WAS ALL FRESH AND DELICIOUS! Crab legs, deluxe oysters on the half shell with octopus and salsa, stuffed pineapple, spicy prawns, and a super smoky/spicy octopus plate that came with rice. MAN! We ate every morsel. She ordered just right for us, too... plus, we had a birthday (sorta) at our table so they sang to us and brought tiramisu. BYOB helped make it a VERY affordable dinner for six... Really, I could not have asked for more from this dinner. WHEN ARE WE GOING BACK?!
(5)
saikrishna k.

This is the best sea food place I've ever been to. Ceviche is awesome and on-the-house for the first serving. Hot sauce that is served with Ceviche is really hot. Remember to keep a glass of water by your side when you try this. Shrimp Ceviche and Shrimp Cocktail are good too. Langostinos (a 25$ tray of prawns) is by far their best dish and is sufficient for 5 people. Everything comes in huge servings - crab legs, a tray of mixed sea food etc. It's a welcome change from the over-priced and mediocre sea food places in downtown chicago. One of my mexican friends took me to this place and i can't remember how many times i have gone back (atleast 9 or 10 times in the last few months).
(5)
Izabella d.

this place is a little miracle , we waited forever, weak and hungry by the time we were seated... and they immediately brought us tostadas with seafood deliciousness. we ordered the large langostinos (a must!!), the huachinango (deep fried red snapper) and the octopus special. the four of us were so full and happy afterwords, and still had mountains of leftovers to take home. the langostinos were absolutely out of this world amazing. the sauce they were cooked in is best described as crack. so great. the fried snapper was moist and juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. byob is also great! this place gets busy on the weekends, so beware, but weeknights its slower,, come and feast!!
(4)
El B.

Went for the first time last night instead of El Barco Mariscos (which is also wonderful). The place is small and seating is limited, but the food is worth it! Those seafood salad tostada things you get when you come in are to die for! Next time I think I will just order a bunch of those for dinner because they were so fresh and delicious. The food is very good and fresh, the price is right, and you leave absolutely stuffed. Definitely go. Oh, and it's BYOB!
(4)
Matthew T.

Rolling on up to the door of Mariscos El Veneno, you wouldn't think that you are about to embark on an amazing experience. It's just a little hole-in-the-wall, inexpensive seafood joint. But the crowd of people waiting despite the bitter cold should clue you into what you are about to experience. Bring your own beer or wine and come hungry. My party shared the seafood platter for 6 - 2 types of fish, lobster, BBQ shrimp rolled in bacon, 3 different styles of shrimp and octopus in huge quantities...everything we tried was succulent! Stop by some time and enjoy the treat!
(4)
John J.

I was brought here by my cousins (who are regulars) so I didn't need to read the reviews or recommendations. I arrived first, as my cousins were stopping by the store for the beer (one star there). It was 7:15 on a Thursday. There was no music, and it was quiet. I walked in, and everyone stopped eating and just stared in my direction for what felt like 5 minutes. I then figured to find my own table since the server passed me twice and didn't ask me if I wanted a table, or how many in my party (minus one star there). Then the marlin/pico concoction on the shell as a starter was nice. The server then redeemed himself by a)turning on the music and b)warning me about the 'sauce'. (plus one star). We ordered all shrimp. Nayarit and Langostinos. Amazing. Messy. Sucked the sauce right out of the shells, and even chomped on the shells for the extra flavor (+3 stars) I will be returning to try out the delicious looking red snapper and crab. Once the weather gets nicer, maybe people will wait outside and not be forced to hover over my food.
(4)
Lo M.

Wow! Talk about a meal that brings you to your happy place. My jaw hurt from the huge grin on my face during the whole experience. I haven't been this happy during a meal in a long time. I was with a buddy of mine and we brought in a 6 pack of Modelos which they quickly bucketed in ice and provided salt rimmed glasses with limes. The fish tostados that you get for free to start the meal is some of the best I've had. Their house made pi co DE Gallo is awesome and pretty much smokey diced habeneros so beware. It will light you up! We started with half dozen oysters. I don't know if it was a bad batch, but they were terrible. No flavor, sandy, etc. Pass on oysters. The meal that caused the gates of heaven to open up was the Cucaracha shrimp. The shrimps were more prawn like. Large, whole and fresh and firm. Towards the head they almost had a lobster like flavor. But the stand out and life changer, was the sauce that it was sauteed in. Starts out somewhat smokey sweet and then hits you on the back end with a spicy kick. I could drink that sauce. It was the best sauce of any kind of any dish I have ever had. Along with the shrimp was the whole red snapper that I have determined is the fried chicken of the sea. Crispy fried skin with firm fresh meat. Pretty much free of bones and beautiful. I dipped the fish in the sauce with squeezes of lime juice and this kept the grin going. The place is busy, loud, festive. Mixture of dates and groups, so everyone should feel comfortable. Someone had a birthday and it added to the festive atmosphere. This is a place every Chicagoan owes to themselves to go to at least once. Oh, and all of that food was around $40. Nuts!
(4)
BforBulky B.

This restaurant was night and day in the two visits we made. The first meal was AMAZING. I craved it so much afterward, I hyped it up to my sister and took her there. The second meal was incredibly lackluster and the seafood was all so dry. Our octopus was so chewy, we asked for a new plate (something we rarely do, but at these prices...) and they had clearly chopped up the old, mixed it with new and re-served it to us. Ick. Haven't been back since :(
(3)
Adeel S.

Damn good food! The fish fillet, shrimp tacos and mexican sodas were worth the bill. Plus friendly staff..
(5)
Poppy C.

If you are a seafood lover you will definatly love the food and the value you receive at this joint, My first visit was at the Pulaski location. It is quite larger than the space on Ashland and they even had a three piece band. On our first visit we had the langostinos and champueza del mar. The flavors were amazing. The champuza is a blend of shrimp, octopus, and scallops in a rich butter type salsa. The second time we went with intentions of having the ceviche. When we walked in we noticed a table with a stuffed lobster tail and decided to order the same. It was amazing the lobster was fresh, sweet, and perfectly prepared. My only gripe about this visit was the server. He was drunk as a skunk. He was behind the makeshift bar taking shots of peach shnapps or mad dog not sure but he should have not been on the floor. It was entertaining yes, but I felt bad for the women working with him that evening. he was not doing anything but dancing and drinking. Third visit we had the coctel and seven seas soup. On a cold day this soup is perfect. It had oysters, shrimp, crab legs, scallops, marlin, and other various shellfish. It was so hearty and delicious and served with a side of soft buttery garlic bread. Amazing. After the soup we went back three days later and had the pina relleno. So so good. It is a hollowed out pineapple filled with a blend of shrimp, scallops, crab, pineapple, and papaya. The salsa is a mushroom cream salsa which seems strange for a mexican restaurant, but it is so yummy. The food here is amazing and the value is the best thing about it. Do not forget to bring a couple bottles of wine.
(5)
annie j.

went here last night and was impressed with all the food we ate except the oysters. my husband ordered 1/2 dozen and didn't like them. the ceviche appetizer was yummy, the fire sauce delicious (be careful...it's really hot, shrimp empenadas were tasty and we split the lobster in the red sauce...wow. shrimp, scallops, crab and tender octopus accompanied the lobster. we enjoyed our meal and will definately return to try the whole fish in garlic sauce, the stuffed pineapple, the guacamole and the prawns diablo. i am sure we'll find more things to try on the menu too as we return for another visit. had the oysters been as stellar as the rest of the food i would have given it five stars, but they were yucky.
(4)
Jenny D.

Was very dissappointed! Thought I'd be safe ordering a snapper filet but what I received was a fried filet laid on a bed of oil, literally. It was horrible. Do NOT recommend.
(1)
J P.

Food was incredible! Service was horrible!
(3)
Bouchette J.

Seafood was super-fresh! Fries were scrumptious. Fish tacos and shrimp tacos were very good (fish is battered, but lightly). I ordered their "special oysters" but there really were no flavoring options other than fresh limes, but that's probably my ignorance of Mexican food, b/c I just prefer horseradish & cocktail sauce on my oysters. When we arrived, two plates of some sort of appetizer was immediately set down, along with the standard chips and salsa (salsa's amazing, btw)... Seriously we could have eaten just that stuff and done well for ourselves. (Thought it'd be rude to eat for free, tho, so we politely ordered a real dish after the "freebies".) The prices are in line with the quality. (My 6 oysters, piled high with veggies and other seafood, were around $9.) Food was unique to me. Service was extremely pleasant/gracious/efficient. (We went at around 2p on wkday, when it wasn't terribly busy... maybe 5 tables filled out of 10ish.) Parking is metered on Ashland. Decor is well-thought-out and traditional. (Check out the photos on the wall of the owner with various latino celebrities. And check out the 3d ship on the wall. Classy.) And the place is clean, which is always an added plus. : )
(5)
Caroline M.

Went with a friend for a casual dinner. I got a bit stuck on the menu, not because I can't read Spanish but I was not sure what appealed. I ordered the crayfish dish (langostinos) which had plenty of meat but it did not taste particularly fresh. The complimentary ceviche tostada appetizer gave me some robust indigestion after adding the seriously hot salsa. My friend could not finish more than three bites of her fillet al diablo (didn't like the sauce which it was swimming in, too strong, not a good combination). The side dish of rice was tasty but not enough to convince me to come back or recommend this place. Service is friendly but on the slow side. The place judging from the floors stays busy but they could do a better job of mopping up.
(2)
Kyle W.

The place is fantastic. Not only did the chef come out to great us, he introduced us to his family! Great atmosphere, Ricky the waiter is incredibly helpful, and the food is awesome.
(5)
Katherine G.

Always packed worth the wait. Amazing ceviche they always serve. Prawns are a MUST. I'm obsessed and can't get enough. Actually all their seafood is insanely great, if you're looking for a good meal. Fries come with larger dishes, I mean what more can a girl want?
(5)
Tiffany L.

We ordered the Crab Legs Nayarit. I went all Seinfeld man-hands on that ish and couldn't get the smell out for days. Worth it.
(4)
Colleen W.

SAUCY!!! SAUCY!!! Whatever that magical potion the crab comes dripping with, WOW. The quality and taste of the crab itself was great, but that Nayarit sauce is finger-licking good!! To be honest, I have only ever had crab legs dipped in melted butter and loved every bite of it so this was a new style for me, and I will definitely be back for more spicy tangy deliciousness! ! Do not skip the bacon wrapped shrimp, they are huge and scrumptious! A new favorite is the stuffed pineapple!! It LOOKS beautiful, first of all. But the combination of octopus and other seafood with pineapple chunks and a super gooey cheese is really memorable! So glad I tried it, I'll have to get it every time now. The place itself doesn't look like much from the outside, but don't be fooled. I prefer to sit downstairs, there is also a small outdoor area but note there is no alcohol allowed out there. Which brings me to the downside. This place is BYOB which is lovely except for their ridiculous restrictions of ONE bottle of wine for every THREE people, or 3 beers per person. I drink wine, and usually when a group of us do a byob night, everyone brings a bottle. We share, taste each others etc and no one drives, not to say that anyone gets drunk but it seems to be a good system!! But by their house rules you are allowed roughly a glass and a third for each person for the entire visit, and I'm sorry but for a two hour stay in your establishment, that's silly. The server physically TOOK our other bottles from us and said we could have them back when we were done. Whatever the reasons for this rule (turnover? Preventing drunkeness?) at least make it a little more reasonable as to provide the best overall experience for your patrons meals! That said, the food is out of this world, and Ill be back for more!
(4)
Lily Z.

I just want to start off that they have WALLS of tequila. That is a HUGE plus for me. Then I take a look at the wall behind me and they have a huge cabinet designated for hot sauces. SCORE. My boyfriend and I ordered the appetizer of langoustines with the crab leg plate. Langoustines are easy to eat, but not much meat. Perhaps I will order it with shrimp instead for next time. The sauce is DELICIOUS. I found myself eating the crab leg meat dipped in that sauce! I didn't get the complimentary ceviche like everyone else. I got a frozen margarita and that was strong AND cheap. I wasn't particularly a fan of the fried tortillas wrapped in a plastic bag. I thought that was cheap and tacky. It made me question the quality and whether they had been recycled tortillas. The customer service was alright. It was a bit hard to hear our waitress because she had a thick accent and I don't think she understood what I was trying to say. But the other waitresses made up for it by bringing us napkins without us asking. I would definitely hit this place up again with some friends! It's a nice change from other seafood restaurants that serve their seafood plain.
(4)
Lauren S.

I am writing this review from across the street at El Barco Mariscos. The reason being my boyfriend and i were waiting at least 35 minutes for an appetizer we ordered when the waitress first came -and to place a food order. She never returned we never got our app. Eventually we left after drinking an entire bottle of wine that we brought. We Came in early Saturday night because we read how good the food was and how popular it was. We expected the service to be slow based on other reviews we had read but we felt completely ignored. The waitress we had even checked On the 2 tables next to us and didn't even ask how we were doing or that our food was coming. ThÃª have 2 floors so we chalked i up to being busy, but there is a limit. I am patient and forgiving but theres really no excuse when you have 5-6 staff delivering and taking orders and then just hanging out behind an obsolete bar. Not good, when money is tight and we save for nights off like this. Please fix it. One star because it was open.
(1)
Kent P.

Who would have thought some of the best seafood I've ever had was at a Mexican place in the MidWest? Yelp, apparently. Had the ceviche (which everyone does because it is free) with their hot sauce (which is unreasonably hot! ow ow.), the prawns, and the crab legs. Both cooked in delicious spices. I don't know what else to say. You need to try 'em. You also need at least 3 hungry people to finish the crab legs (@ $39). Great service. Also get a big order of the prawns, because they were so, so good. Bitter sweetly BYOB. They don't have booze to sell you.
(5)
Michele K.

Good food especially the shrimp so good... My kids love the food. They love to eat shrimp.
(5)
Rhona C.

Got a taste of the place on New Years Eve and BYOB made it a great experience. The crab legs with sauce was good with a little kick and the rice was surprisingly delicious. The menu was a little hard to read at first and the waiter wasn't really helpful on that end. He recommended a spread for 3-4 people but after much thought and really Reading the menu, we ordered individually because 3 out of the 4 guest love crab legs. Our food took a while and they compensated us for the wait with giving us our sides on the House. That was cool that they noticed the long wait before we said something but it was New Years Eve and everything was nice and fresh. Overall it's another Chicago Gem with good food. The bathroom was clean but the place is really small. The female waitress was a little nicer too but it was not bad service from the guys. I will definitely be back again.
(4)
Pris S.

Best place by far for seafood! I took my mother here for Mother's Day and we are from the islands so we know seafood. The way they made their seafood was spectacular! The service is great too! Highly recommended and will def be back.
(5)
Angie M.

Look, here's the deal. Mariscos El Veneno is the quintessential divey/weird atmosphere. The service is pretty lame. If you're seated upstairs, you're sitting at a card table with folding chairs and there's no music. The lighting is excessively bright and fluorescent (read: unflattering). But you don't go to Mariscos El Veneno to set the mood. You go there to get down on an obscene amount of crab legs. If you're a crab fan, do not pass go and do not collect $200. Just order "the crab legs." Don't even bother with the rest of the menu. I'm telling you, you won't be disappointed. Actually, you may be disappointed if you're searching the menu for tacos and quesadillas. They don't serve that. It's strictly a seafood affair. What was delivered to the table was arguably the most obscene amount of huge, luscious, steaming hot crab legs (still attached to huge knuckles) swimming in a spicy, butter sauce. You're given a prehistoric leg cracking device and a plastic basket. You dive in. You start groaning uncontrollably because this crab is the shizzle. I'm not going to kid you: Eating monstrous crab legs is no easy task. It's a lot of work to get to that sweet meat. But it's kind of fun. Consider it a food adventure. Then you pay your laughably cheap bill of like, $39.99 for this entire plate of crab. You retreat to your home where you take a full-body shower to get all of the crab juice and such off your body. I found crab shells in my bra. I had smears of butter sauce on my thighs. Definitely found some spots of crab meat on my shoes. It's a totally messy affair. Do it. Oh, and did I mention it's BYOB and they don't laugh at you and your party for bringing in a case of Coors Light?
(4)
Emily W.

The langostinos Nayarit style are the bomb the service can be really good but also really slow sometimes. Be prepared to chow and get dirty!
(4)
Tim H.

Never been to a Mexican seafood restaurant before, but this was a treat to try. They start you out with a complimentary seafood tostado. I came to try the Prawns Nayarit Style. I am glad I tried them, but I probably wouldn't get them again next time. The other dishes I tried were even better: Crab Legs Nayarit Style and Chapuzon Del Mar. The crab legs and very meaty and very fresh. Next time I need to try the seafood soup and the ceviche. Pretty reasonable prices given how much food you get here and how fresh everything is.
(4)
Misty V.

HORRIBLE service. The table we were seated at was dirty. We had to flag the server down every-time we needed a refill or anything else. The Shrimp Cocktail I ordered wasn't good - the sauce in it was watered down and flavorless. This place is not worth the money. Turns out this restaurant used to be good but recently switched owners and has gone downhill. Disregard any good yelp reviews unless they're recent as they are now irrelevant, I'm sure....
(1)
shannon s.

I'm not sure what happened in the past year, but my favorite old neighborhood haunt just isn't the same anymore. When I lived in Ukrainian Village, we often went to Mariscos for red snapper, fish tacos, crab legs, and the delicious seasoned fries. We happened to be in the neighborhood, so we stopped in to check out our formerly 5-star favorite Mexican seafood place after too long of an absence. Our experience was surprising. The name on the menu is now different, all of the smiling pictures are off the walls, and the staff is no longer helpful. I'm surprised that the Yelp page is totally the same, honestly, because it seems like the restaurant is under new management or something (and it shows). The service was atrocious. I ordered a bottle of coke that never came (had to ask twice) and when the meal was over, we waited 10 minutes to receive our check after flagging down the waiter, and then he never came back with our change that we asked him for. We had to find him downstairs after waiting another 10 minutes. The atmosphere is also very different, especially in the upstairs room. The room they had us seated in was nearly empty, no furniture no people etc. It smelled like a hamster cage and the other table in the room, a group of obnoxious college kids, was so loud that it was hard for us to hold a conversation at our own table without raising our voices. It was just a very weird place to eat dinner. And the food -- the red snapper was still cooked very well, but the fish in my tacos and my fries were not so well done. There also didn't seem to be enough sauce on the snapper, which is quite frankly the best part! The fries were soggy and darkly colored--someone needs to clean the fryer it seems. Just a disappointment and not what we're used to at this restaurant. We'll not be heading back. It's just not the same place anymore and we were very disappointed. Mariscos used to be a stand by that was consistently good with great service to match the delicious food. We're going to have to find a replacement now!
(2)
Caroline A.

Here's what you do when going to Mariscos. 1. Don't eat anything all day. 2. Go there early. The restaurant is small, and it fills up fast. 3. Put on an outfit you won't mind getting dirty. Elastic pants preferred. 4. Order the crab legs. And the red snapper. And the langostinos. 5. Get messy and have a feast. 6. Wash your hands four times. 7. Go home. Because you will smell like seafood sauce, and you will be ready for a nap.
(4)
James P.

CRACK CRABS/PRAWNS I go here on a mission to destroy their crabs and prawns. It is some of the best i have EVER tried (and I've lived on different coasts for 10+ years)- never would I have ever expected it in land locked Chicago. I'm an advocate for trying something different when you go to a restaurant...but when I come here, it always will and has been the spicy crab legs/prawns. If you are a resident from Chicago and you haven't been here...please go because it will change your life.
(5)
Anna K.

This place is a must! There is a little more well known place across the street, however this is a even better! Pros: They know what they are doing at Mariscos. As stated in the other reviews they give a delicious crab ceviche on a tostada shell for starters. They are known for their prawns cooked in nayarit sauce that was the best I've ever had. We then shared the red snapper with the nayarit sauce on top. They offer it with garlic bread like you see in most of the pictures or you can get it with corn tortilla. I recommend the the tortilla and you can make little tacos with the sides provided (rice, salad, mixed other veggies, and the nayarit). Cons: Not really a con,but the menu is primarily in spanish. However, the staff know english well enough and were very helpful with recommendations. I ordered the horchata and it didn't seem to be mixed very well because the bottom inch of the cup and like a "pulp" of the cinnamon mixture.
(5)
Alfreda D.

I was in heaven. I celebrated a milestone birthday yesterday and wanted to spend it with good friends, good drinks and good food. The first two were accomplished immediately because my friends are amazing and this place is BYOB so we came prepared! We were a group of 8 and the spot is teeny tiny (less than 50 seats), so despite calling ahead we waited just under an hour to get seated. Some of my party got anxious because it was super hot inside and the wait was long, so they wanted to jump ship to Barco Mariscos across the street (which I also heard was fab). However, being the birthday girl... I held firm to waiting it out and enjoyed a couple of glasses of our choice while we waited. That's the beauty of a low key, BYOB location!! Over the course of our hour wait we realized that EVERYTHING looked and smelled AMAZING! When we did get seated, Susana was our waitress. Despite the menu being in Spanish and English (both languages I can read), I opted to ask Susana for suggestions for the table. Like I said, everything looked awesome and everybody eating before us basically told us we couldn't go wrong, but asking Susana, the pro, was the way to go. 1. Crab Legs - So here's the thing... I'm from the DMV area (DC-MD-VA if you didn't know!!) and Maryland crab is the real deal. However, up until last night, my all time favorite crab was from a place called "No Signboard Seafood" in Singapore. Yup, Singapore. Here's the distinction I've decided to make... NSS has the best crab in Asia... hands down. Mariscos el Veneno has the best crab legs IN NORTH AMERICA... HANDS DOWN. Yeah I said it! They were that good. 2. Prawns - I'm a shrimp lover but I thought they were just ok... likely because i wanted to devour all of the crab legs so I kept losing focus! The rest of the table were believers though! (Update: These were delicious as day two leftovers!!!) 3. Red snapper - Ok, but not a fave. 4. Chapuzon Del Mar - I enjoyed it for leftovers again this afternoon!! It was a mix of shrimp, octopus and clams. 5. Guacamole - OMG... I almost missed out on this because I just wanted my seafood. It was sooooooo delicious. Like for real. Try some. 6. Pico De Gallo - I unfortunately DID miss out on this for the same Guacamole reason but according to my friends that was a bad move. i heard it was delicious. So my third criteria for my birthday evening was good food and Mariscos el Veneno definitely made that happen for me. I will definitely be back. On my order will be Crab Legs (of course), Guac, Pico, and a different dish that Susana recommends! Things to know for YOUR visit... (1) look for the painted blue store front and address not the name, (2) there will probably be a wait, but it's worth it, (3) try the crab legs and (4) the salsa they give you when you get seated is FIRE... and this is coming from an African who only eats spicy food! Enjoy!
(5)
Keith X.

My wife and I went on a late Saturday night. It was so packed that we had to wait about 45 minutes. While everyone were waiting near the kitchen entrance, it was very tempting to see all the huge plates waitresses carried out every other minute. The smell from the kitchen was also very nice. Finally, we were seated on the second floor, which we didn't realize they had one. We ordered a small order of snow crab legs, a 7 sea soup, and the Chapuzon de Mar, which is a mix of octopus, oyster and shrimp. The food finally came after about 20 minutes. So right away we started working on the seafood mix and the soup. Right away I can tell I'm very disappointed. The soup taste like they just put different varieties of seafood all in with water and some vegi. The worst thing is the crab leg was COLD. It got cold after 5 minutes. That's ridiculous. Two of us paid $100 including tips. And this is the most disappointing $100 meal I ever had. All I can say is they look better than they taste.
(1)
Cristal R.

This place is one of the worst customer service restaurant I have ever attended. None of the employees acknowledged myself and the party I had arrived with. As I walked in I specially told the woman hostess that I had a party for 3, she simply said that it would be a 5 minute wait before we coul e seated. There were many tables open, but we didn't pay too much mind into it. As soon as one of the tables cleared up I began to sit down an the male associate had alerted me that I could not sit there, simply because I had failed to give him my name, even though I had already spoke to the woman and she had make it certain that it would be a five minute wait, and that we would be next. The man disregarded out patience and do not acknowledge our visit. We will never return to this location simple for the poor customer service and the lack of appreciation the staff has for their customers.
(1)
Laila C.

OMG literally as I was eating the shrimps, I was already planning on my return trip where I would order a larger platter of shrimp. We waited 15 minutes for a table on a Friday night at 8. They have upstairs and downstairs AND outdoor seating which is great!! They have delicious michelada mix, so bring your favorite Mexican beer. They're only $3.50 and free BYOB. For 2 people. we got the crab platter and the small shrimp platter, 2 micheladas and free tostadas. SO MUCH food and only $90 total including tax and tip!!! My new favorite seafood place for sure.
(5)
Roby L.

Hole in the wall neighborhood joint. I love love this place. They have great ceviche and my favorite dish is the crab platter or prawns/langostinos. ...So good and tasty although recently they did have a change of cooks bc their food isn't as tasty as it used to be, still best place for seafood around this part of town. Its BYOB so be prepared to bring your drinks....I liked it, no need to pay an arm and a leg for overpriced alcoholic beverages!
(5)
Stephanie L.

This place is FANTASTIC! Why oh why, have I not eaten here yet. Ok, so I have seen its competition across the street several times and never once, paid attention to this little gem! Its super small so go early or be prepared to wait. The food was some of the best seafood I have had in awhile. We had this seafood mix and the crab legs. They both were amazing. Cooked perfectly, not fishy, delicious and talk about bang for your BUCK! Its a BYOB place. There was three of us. They gave us fish tacos first. YUMMY! The salsa they provide is HOT! I love it! If you dont like spicy, dont eat it. Then the crab legs and seafood mix (cant remember the name). The total bill was like $72. It was seriously $23 for each of us for some of the best seafood I have had in a very long time. Amazing. The service is nice, however not 5 stars. You will have to flag them down, however, they quickly bring whatever you need. I will DEFINITELY be BACK!
(5)
Douglas B.

So wifey and I went here with another couple, they invited us out. This place is not a typical restaurant. Let me preface by saying that it gets 4 stars because it is what it is and it does it uniquely. It's a Mexican seafood restaurant but its almost as if you're in DoÃ±a Julia's house..and they are cooking just for you. Its a two flat home, we went upstairs, it was as if I was in someone's dining room. the food is outstanding and its BYOB! My buddy brought over a case of modelo and we threw down. Had some delicious ceviche tostadas to start off with. I ordered a whole fried red snapper... I love a nice deep fried fish, just squeeze some lemon over it.. it was amazing. Delicious flavor. Wifey ordered a spicy braised octopus that was also amazing. It had a really nice kick and the octopus was super tender. It was a whole plate of it too. You get a good amount of food, great value. There was a duo playing guitar there and they were terrific they played many songs for us as we requested.... but beware! Turns out its $10 a song! Didn't see that one coming, good thing we had cash on us. But it was a great experience, great food! I would definitely come back. It's not the fanciest, but when you have food like that, screw fancy!
(4)
lesley r.

We've always gone to the one on Kedzie but this location is closer to our house. First of, I felt like we were at a baptism at a hall. There were plastic tables chairs you could get at target for a cook out with a plastic table cloth, and the food was served on styrofoam plates. For the prices of this restaurant, this is absolutely unacceptable the service is also the worst service I think I've ever had at any restaurant. Absolutely horrible. So disappointed and actually embarrassed that a restaurant that used to be so good could get so terrible.
(1)
Amber Z.

Um BYOB, complimentary ceviche and the best grilled shrimp tacos in Chicago.... Yes to El Veneno!! However the service is so unpredictable and it's a little divey but well worth the risk. The crab legs nayarit are my second fave but those tacos though...
(4)
Daisy V.

I placed an order of langostinos for pick up. I get to the restaurant pay for my order the food was packaged and ready to go. To my surprise when I get home and open the tray that contained the Langostinos, I find them dry, colorless landostinos, black onions. The Langostinos literally looked as if they had been made weeks ago and they had just reheated them up and bagged them up. Upon this little surprise I received, I immediately called the restaurant and the person I spoke to apologized and I was asked to call the next day between 5pm to 7pm to speak to the manager. Following her instructions, I called at the time I was told and asked to speak to the manager. The young man hesitantly said they had no manager in their restaurant. He asked me to leave my name and number and that the owner would contact me that same night or the next morning. No missed calls at night, no miss calls at night. No one contacted me.BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE! BAD BAD FOOD
(1)
Michelle B.

Long wait but so worth it!!! Ate upstairs which is roomier. Crab legs Nayarit & Flan were superb. Friendly staff. A must try for seafood lovers.
(5)
Clark N.

Excellent and authentic Mexican seafood. This is definitely not generic "Tex Mex." We had the stuffed lobster and the filete al diabla. The dishes can be pricey, but the portion sizes are gigantic; next time we would probably split 1 stuffed lobster and that would have been more than enough for 2 people. And here, spicy means *very spicy* so that is either a definite plus or a word of caution. For BYOB - you'll get ice to keep the drinks cold. The place is kind of small though. We sat down right away but were there around 2pm.
(5)
Francis G.

If you don't care about a fancy restaurant and love good food this is the right place, testy food, excellent service specially from our waiter Julio, it looked like He was the only server working. We went on a Friday afternoon (lent) the place was packed (we didn't have to wait) but other people did, the second floor was full too... The food was delicious, I liked the BYOB also I was surprise to see a lot of white and Asian people, African Americans... The only thing I didn't like is how waiters handle the orders, they should bring out the food to all guest on the table at the same time and not one by one, my sister & brother in law were done when they were bringing us our food :( Overall great place with reasonable prices!
(5)
Jennie T.

The food was awesome! Had the crab legs, fish filet, and a shrimp dish. All were great but the crab legs were my favorite. It can feed 2 or 3 people. The prices are reasonable, the staff was friendly enough. Just be aware, the place is very small- I was bumping elbows with the people at the next table. I will definitely be back!
(4)
Arthur M.

My two friends brought a bottle of white wine and I ordered a Mexican coke. To start we split a dozen raw oysters, well shucked, with a plate of lime, red onion - habanero minionette, tostada shells, and complimentary ceviche. We got capuzon del mar- octopus, oysters and shrimp in a red chile butter sauce, rich and fiery. Red snapper Nayarit style was the piece de resistance- a whole fish fried golden with big juicy chunks of white flesh pulled away easily drowned in more red chile and complimented by the brightly acidic and scorching habanero minionette. For dessert we split two pieces of tres leches cake, one mocha one vanilla, both milky, sugary, and heavenly with just a small bit of fruit. After dinner I found out my friend now drives a motorbike- he zipped off with my girl.
(5)
Jason K.

Loved it. BYOB. Spicy habanero salsa. Huge servings. Family style for $130 fed six comfortably. Decor wasn't amazing like el barco but the food easily made up for the lack of ambiance.
(5)
Jamaal C.

This was a very good spot to enjoy a stuff pineapple. Please bring an appetite with you. It feeds more than one. The location is on a main busy street. Parking is on the street an make sure you feed the meter. Reasonable prices an cooked to your liking. I would recommend anyone to this place. Thanks
(3)
James V.

For the price your not gonna get a bad dish here. I order the Sope Marina something ( was in under the impression that it was cold) and it was very tasty! My wife ordered the civeche and that was 5star quality. I was jealous cause I thought mine came cold like cocktail fashion! Either way great food atmosphere louder and got being outside cause it was a desert inside! Wish they hired more staff and cleaned a little better but I still recommend this place to anyone!
(4)
Mehran F.

Good, lovely ambiance but not worth the $170 my bill was (for two). I will certainly go back for its great ambiance and reasonably good food. I would avoid their platters for two and such (there was no price to it and last thing i expected was my surprise bill). Prawns were delicious. Guacamole real good. Others (lobster, crab and such) ok. Good, attentive service.
(3)
Araceli R.

Service slow this time Water on recuest El veneno is Byob Is other room upstairs is for large partyes We get there around 9 -15 pm Friday nigth got a table rigth away 20 Minutes See THE Menu Then THE Waiter Said Hurry Because THE Kitchen Closed IN 10 MInutes...... I see ppl still coming My friend want a octopus in mild as ajillo salsa sm porcion The Waiter said we just have the whole octopus not sides ok....... Firs he suggest the tray for 2 with is a huge tray w/ rice,fries, garlic bread,salad ,lobster,fake crabmeat ,one crab ,octopus,shrimps,baby scallops, was good the price 50 something dollars You can see the kitchen from my table They had they own party there
(2)
Chary H.

This place probably has the best huachinango in the city. Their Nayarit style sauce is absolutely delicious and pairs well with everything. They are byob but will prepare micheladas and other specialty drinks if you provide the booze. If you prefer a fine dining atmosphere this place isn't for you as the second level is literally an empty apartment. They are affordable, accommodate big groups and definitely provide high quality sea food. They can get packed so I recommend going a little early.
(4)
Gin G.

Pretty dang good!!! Been about 4 times now. Pretty legit. It's def a dive, but great food. You know it's good Mexican food when your table is the only table not speaking Spanish!!! We sat upstairs since the downstairs was full. It's like walking into someone's house. It literally is like an upstairs apartment with folding tables n chairs with cheap plastic table clothes. If u want fine dining, go elsewhere cuz this ain't it. There's no fridge or kitchen. (All food comes from downstairs) Just a cooler in the corner where they serve out the fish ceviche as a complimentary app. BUT BEWARE of the hot sauce they give you with it!!! I LOVE spicy food but this had sooo much heat I was literally in tears n couldn't really eat for like 15 mins cuz my mouth was on fire!!! We also bring some plastic food prep gloves to crack the crabs with our hands! The servers totally know who we are when we bust those out!! Less mess!!! Faster cracking!!! Service is great! They work really hard lugging those big trays of heavy food up n down those stairs!!!
(4)
Lilo S.

Food was good, service for us wasn't that great. We sat down, waited for at least 10 minutes before we got our complimentary ceviche. Other people that came in after us got theirs right away. We came during lunch, it wasn't that busy. After we got our ceviche, no one came back to ask what we want to eat. The tables after us got their appitizer before we even got a chance to order. We didn't take long to decide what we wanted to eat. Finally our appitizer came, the shrimp empanadas. They didn't supply us forks or knives until we asked. We looked around, others have theirs once food came. The food came, the food was good. Not bad. But overall, service needs to be consistent for all tables.
(3)
Bettina S.

If you like seafood, I recommend that you try this place. It's super inexpensive, their portion sizes are generous, and they are byob! They also give all customers a complimentary ceviche appetizer served on a tostada which is delicious. I ordered a shrimp dish that was so huge that it was actually three meals. My mom ordered the SMALL fried snapper and the two of us couldn't finish it, and I still had another full meal from the leftovers. The first floor is very small, and seats maybe 20, but I think that there is also an upstairs seating area for larger parties. There is also a small patio, which is nice. The service is courteous, but very slow, so you'll need time and patience. I definitely will be back.
(4)
Daniela C.

This place is amazing and a hidden gem I'm hesitant to write about because of it getting "too" popular. We were visiting my family in Chicago and had missed our train, so my mom and dad took us to their favorite date stop (double date with the parents, FTW). First, it's BYOB. Bring your hearts desire. Regulars usually bring in their cases of beer and the owners will gladly bring you a bucket of ice for it. Then you've got the folks that show up with wine, which whatever, I don't judge you. Second, this place is always packed. I don't know that they take reservations, but get there early. Third. it's on the pricier end. Do NOT let that deter you. You will get every bit you pay for not only in the amount of food, but in the quality and taste of the food and in the service. The food is FRESH, I don't know how they do it but it. is. so. damn. FRESH. Moms and I decided to split the crab legs, and were unable to finish it between the two of us. It's that good, and there is that much on the plate. Mike got a huge fish, I honestly can't tell you the name, but it was HUGE, like almost the size of the table huge, and also came with rice and veggie. We lived off of that for the next week (think: breakfast fish tacos, lunch fish salad and dinner fish pasta). AYYY I cannot get over this place.
(5)
L L.

I love the spicy crab legs & prawns and baked oysters gratinados. The homemade spicy ceviche is incredible! Service is good. We usually come for lunch to avoid the dinner crush. Then we walk 1 block north for beef tongue soft tacos at La Pasadita to complete a great meal.
(5)
Deanna G.

So... Reviews were amazing so I thought we had nothing to lose. Ordered half dozen oysters, they accidentally brought a dozen. We couldn't even get down 6; they were disgusting. Very fishy. Then we ordered the platter for 2-3. Should have listened to the other reviews, it's more like 4-5 people. FOR REAL. The prawns were pretty good. The crab legs were COVERED in their nyarit sauce and one of the messiest things I've ever eaten, and not worth the work/mess. The lobster was stuffed with shrimp octopus and I think shredded lobster, also drenched in this sauce. It was decent, but maybe this sauce would be better on the side. The rice was good! The price: based on reviews I was thinking this platter would be like sixty-seventy... Nope, about twice that. Ton of food, but maybe I should Have asked what market price was. It would have given an indication as to how much food was actually coming. Dont think I'll be back. But if you have a larger group, a platter with the sauce on the side may be better!
(2)
Katie L.

Whenever I would walk home from my boyfriend's apartment, from Division along Ashland, I would walk by this place. No matter what time I walked past, it was always bustling and cheery and wonderful smelling. Well, seven months -- yes SEVEN MONTHS -- later, I finally had the chance to come here. I moved away from Chicago, and THIS is what I came back to try. Veneno de Nayarit exceeded expectations. There is little in this world so luxurious and decadent as eating an entire animal. At Nayarit, that is pretty much the order of the day. The entrees are a full fish, cooked in the style of your choosing, with a side salad, french fries (omg delicious), and rice. It's a little hard to tell what is going on based on the menu alone, so let me tell you what to order on a date for two: 1. A large horchata to share (or two if you don't intend to share) 2. the Mojarra, in the Nayarit style (I am 90% sure this is Tilapia, but if it's going to bother you if it isn't then you should look it up) This will be sufficient, unless you are very hungry, in which case you can order something else additional. When the platter comes to your table, it is HUGE. A single platter takes up a full two-person table. The fish in the Nayarit style is soaked in Nayarit sauce, which I would buy on its own. It's a great combination of spices that is flavorful and yet somehow not too spicy (unlike the salsa that they bring you before the meal, which should carry a warning). Don't forget to eat the fish cheek (it is fatty and delicious, sort of like pork belly), and don't forget to flip it over and eat the other side. They bring out a ceviche on a chip for you as an appetizer before your meal, and it is good but a little dry; the salsa, as I mentioned, is terrifyingly hot and I like spice. If you are going to eat that salsa, make sure you have horchata on hand. When it comes down to it, though, criticisms aside, for all of this food you pay something like $15, and it is a TON of food, and it is very satisfying. A whole fish! Who wouldn't be satisfied. I also think that this is a variation on the typical Mexican restaurant. Their focus on seafood is commendable and makes everything more interesting. ***They did get our bill wrong at the end, so double check before handing over your card. ***Outdoor seating available.
(5)
Jenni E.

This place felt like a trip to another country - I loved everything about it. This isn't a fancy place with ambiance and white napkins. Instead you are crammed into this hole in the wall kind of place and served with plastic silverware and styrofoam plates. I will tell you too, there is a chance you are going to wait. You will wait awhile to be seated, wait awhile to have your order taken, your food brought to you and to pay your check. But you know what, the food is worth it and that's what you expect from this kind of place. The food was super authentic and absolutely delicious. I ordered shrimp ceviche, dungeness crab and prawns. The food came with a ceviche-topped tostada, which had I known I probably wouldn't have ordered a separate ceviche. However, the shrimp ceviche was amazing. It was super fresh and had plenty of shrimp. The crab and the prawns were in this amazing sauce that was so good I wanted to drink it. The portions are huge so it is likely that you could get one or two items and split them as a table. We ended up taking a small catering tray full of food home. I also had the tres leches cake for dessert, which was good but not the best I'd ever had. Overall, it's pricey, a pain to park, has slower service but the food blows everything that I have had like this away and I would for sure make this trip again.
(5)
Danny M.

I have heard many great things about this place and I have been wanting to come here for the longest. My wish came true when my gf decided to surprise me here for my bday dinner. We ordered the prawns, big seafood platter plate (crab legs, mussels, shrimp, and prawns), and fish tacos. The prawns were really good and the flavor was perfect. The seafood platter combo was nothing short of amazing. This is a must get if you come with a party of at least 4 people because it is huge! The fish tacos was just okay, but that doesn't bother me because everything else was BOMB. I would definitely come back in the future. In fact, writing this review makes me wanna come back and get that seafood combo platter!
(5)
Guillermo M.

This place is just amazing!! Perfect execution of the food, the service, how things are presented, the prices, the service and the music. You can't ask for a better place. Got the camarones cucaracha, wanted to lick the plate and take that salsa to go. The langostinos al ajo were amazing and they have a thousand salsas you can pick plus complimentary tostada! I also got a fish taco, oh god that tortilla and the fish was so flavorful. And the drinks, they are just superb how they present them. And it is authentic!! Very unique food.
(5)
Hersh A.

Come here to have tasty and delicious Mexican seafood. Good ceviche, prawns, shrimp, fish etc. They give huge portions, food is reasonabley priced and service is excellent. Expect to wait for a table. The place is usually busy. They have BYOB service. So if you bring Mexican beer, you can have good Micheladas. So definitely check this place out. It's worth it. I highly recommend it.
(4)
Elise F.

My favorite seafood in the city. So amazing. I literally crave the chapuzon like an addict. Portions are large and the prices are reasonable. My hey have the best michelada in Chicago and they are BYOB! I cannot say enough nice things about this restaurant.
(5)
Matthew D.

Great food but they tried to take advantage and overcharge us by 500+ dollars food came late had no reason for the bad service could not even comp for it mad a great night into a horrible one don't ever pay cash!!!! We paid with cash and were told nobody payed have a feeling waiter stole our money and wanted us to come up with it again I would not come here ever again.
(1)
Rod C.

We ordered this mixed special for 2-3 people. Although once we saw the plate it actually feeds 4 people! Needless to say their servings are huge. Food is always delicious! I've always picked Estilo Nayarit because it's their specialty. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. A diverse crowd. It's byob and definitely makes for a better experience. It's simply decorated but don't think that it speaks for the food. It is worth the time compared to the better decorated restaurant across the street. You might have to wait for a table if you go during peak hours but well worth it. Just pop open your beer and enjoy the wait because your palate is about to enter the party known as nayarit style seafood!
(5)
Ramiro C.

Seriously this spot is a must if you're looking for great quality seafood! Been here many times and they never disappoint. It's everything I look for in a restaurant great food @ a fair price with awesome service! And did i mention it's BYOB!? !
(5)
Denise G.

I've been to the restaurant three times. This review is based off of my most recent visit. Ordered the red snapper with garlic and the shrimp (no tails/skin) prepared cucaracha style based on a recommendation from the waiter. Both items were a bit over-cooked meaning the fish was extra crispy and the shrimp were tough. The flavor on the shrimp was good but the fish dish appeared to basically have garlic on top of the fish rather than being prepared/cooked in the garlic. I'll give the restaurant another shot but would likely not order these two items again. The shrimp Nayarit, crab legs Nayarit and seafood pineapple were all delicious based on past visits.
(3)
Kaman T.

Great portions. Service on point. Had the fried snapper and dish with oyster, octopus, and shrimp. No complaints!
(4)
Jesus G.

Absolutely the best Mexican seafood place in Chicago!! I go there quite often and I am never disappointed with their food... I've tried anything from the fish and chips to the Chapuzon de mar and their famous Langostinos (must try!) The place is BYOB so thats always a plus. The staff is very friendly and now that there is a second floor the wait times are not as bad (15/20mins). Its a great place to go and have an awesome meal! I'm gonna keep going back as often as possible!
(5)
Michael B.

Buckle up for some of the most delicious, massive portioned Mexican seafood in town. From the moment you enter this crowded BYO "people's seafood" joint and see everyone frantically devouring huge plates of lobster, mountains of shrimp, heaping portions of crab legs, etc., you can't help but roll up your sleeves and say...bring it on! And bring it they did. Wow! As we were sitting down and before our butts even reached our chair, Ceviche Tostada's, a plate of limes and basket of tostada's and some "...dang that's hot" but soo delicious Habenero hot sauce were laid out in front of us. I know people come here to consume as much seafood as they can consume but I just have to point out that the Guacamole is outstanding. FRESH, explosively flavorful, and tasting like it was prepared with the love of grandma making it for her family coming over for a Sunday afternoon meal. I can't remember eating better. Then came the food. I ordered the Pena Rellena, a house specialty where someone takes a pineapple, delicately slices it in half the long way, scoops it out...then pours a "shovel sized" portion of shrimp, crab, octopus, scallop, onion, pepper and pineapple into it, slaters it with queso fresco and bakes it in the oven. Served on a plate with fries, salad and moist delicious flavored rice. My accomplice ordered a bowl of the 7 seafood soup. What they didn't mention was that it was a SALAD BOWL size! As much as we wanted to do the flan and tres leche dessert, we just ran out of room. Outstanding, friendly service and reasonably priced. Charming cozy space.
(5)
Hana M.

SO GOOOOOOOD! If you love seafood and tired of paying for so much money for so little in the huge restaurants downtown this place is worth a visit. The quality and quantity are amazing! Must get: 1. Chapuzon de Mar (Shrimp, oyster, octopus mix) is amazing. Worth the get! 1/2 tray is 24 and half a tray is PLENTY OF FOOD. 2. Any of their appetizers 3. The PRAWNS. Yes Langoustine Prawn! get it. 1/2 tray is about $20 4. Any of their crabs/lobster combo. Just ask them what they recommend and the $$ Yes, the menu is only in Spanish. I wish the owners will take a picture of their food and have a picture menu. Definitely would make it easier for non-spanish speaking patrons.
(5)
Chelsea A.

The morning after my bachelorette party, my friends and I were in the mood for seafood. I found this restaurant via Yelp and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Upon arrival, it looks like a typical Mexican dive, nothing fancy. I was a bit disappointed that the entire menu was in Spanish so we had to ask many questions. To add, our waiter wasn't the friendliest so that process wasn't as easy as it could have been. I ordered steamed garlic shrimp which came with rice and salad. It was very good but very garlicky. However, they did give me lots of shrimp. A friend of mine ordered the crab legs and they were delicious and the broth was amazing. These are not your average plain snow crab legs, they were seasoned in lots of Mexican spices. They were flavorful but not exactly spicy. If you enjoy good seafood and aren't looking for a certain ambience, this is the place for you!
(4)
M A.

We went here for their famous dishes- the shrimp and crab legs. They were amazing. We even dipped the crab legs into the shrimp sauce because it was so delicious!! WARNING (and I wish someone had told me): they give you a shrimp salad/ ceviche taco once you sit. With it comes another salad in a little bowl that looks extremely deceiving. You're supposed to put some of that onto your taco and then eat. It was INSANELY SPICY- like biting into a whole habanero pepper. Pretty much close-up- your throat kind of spicy- which can be really dangerous for a first-comer. My mouth, throat, tongue was burning - and I eat lots of spicy food. The food WAS delicious, but some warning to a few non-ethnic customers would have been appreciated since we had to ask help with the menu which was mostly in Spanish. But the shrimp and crab made up for it. I will definitely go again but won't touch this salad appetizer. Just food for thought!
(4)
Myboyzandme D.

It took forever for our food to come! However, it was worth the wait. The serving portions are huge and the food is good. It's very crowded, the tables are very close together. But to sum it up as long as you don't mind a wait and being really close to your neighbor its worth a try. Byob!
(4)
Ivonne P.

If you want to try AUTHENTIC Seafood this is the place to go. By Far The BEST BEST Seafood Restaurant I've Tried So Far In Chicago. All their seafood is AMAZING!!!! Their Fish Ceviche, Langostinos, Camarones A La Cucaracha are my FAVORITE!!
(5)
Jesus R.

If you want a locals restaurant with great SEAFOOD. This is the place to come in downtown Chicago. Its Also BYOB. The lobster, shrimp, octopus, crab, king crab legs its all tasty here.
(4)
L J.

My mom was visiting and she is a hard-core seafood fan and was craving for some spicy seafood. Heard of this place from a contractor that came to fix the phone line at my home. Wanted to check this place out and was perfect for a cold winter night. The place it quite small, but could fit at least about 30-40 people on the ground floor. Had the nacho type of appetizer, watch out for the hot sauce that comes with it. It could burn your mouth, but yet was numbing-ly delicious. We ordered the Shrimp Nayarit and the Crab-legs Nayarit style too. They brought the shrimp out in a foil container and oh my! It was a lot of shrimp but just perfect for 2 people. Each bite was very flavorful and had just the perfect spice!!! Their lemonade was perfect too and the horchata (rice milk drink) is a must!
(4)
Cheryl B.

You can't go wrong with this place. Returned again last night and it was as good as always. Last night I took an out of town relative. There were 4 of us and we split the shrimp empanadas, full tray of prawns, crab legs, 2 sides of garlic bread and an order of french fries. We also ordered rice which never came - no big deal. We were still charged, we mentioned it and they took it off the bill no problem. It happens. They tend to bring out whatever is ready - so we received the crab legs, than the prawns 10 mins later. No big deal since we were all sharing, but could be frustrating if people order individual entrees. Our server Jesus was very nice, it's BYOB, and they often have musicians roaming around playing music for you. The guitarist last night was very nice, he stopped by the table and chatted, we gave him a beer, he played a few requests. Not the place to go for seamless 5-star service. But the price is right and it's a unique place to go for a treat. The prawns are AMAZING and the crab legs will not disappoint. The garlic bread is like CRACK. And being able to bring your own cerveza (beer) and wine is a big plus. The complimentary ceviche when you arrive is a nice touch, but whatever you do DO NOT TRY THE SALSA!!! The salsa served with the ceviche is so hot it's inedible. That is not a challenge. Every guest I've taken there who has not listened to my warning regretted it. Just stick with the nice selection of hot sauce on the table :) And on the weekend, be prepared to wait.
(5)
J E.

Great little joint with tasty satisfying food. Obviously not as fresh as being on the coast, but It is relatively fast and reasonably priced for the portion sizes. The stuffed pineapple and the snapper are favorites. Comes with fries, garlic bread, salad and sometimes a free fish tostada in a hugh tray. Bang for your buck here.
(4)
Jeffrey C.

Mariscos El Veneno is unarguably my wife's favorite restaurant in Chicago, and second place is so far in the dust that Usain Bolt is wondering how far back that sucker done be. As for me, I'm in a love-hate relationship with their complementary salsa. It's quite possibly the best thing I've ever eaten that sets my mouth ablaze, and despite the quarter quell brewing in my stomach, I gobble bite after bite down. There was a short-lived show on Food Network called Heat Seekers with fun Aaron Sanchez (not that button-downed dude on Chopped) I used to love. I would have paid Aaron and his partner in crime Roger Mooking good money to down this sauce. I'm drooling just typing it. Oh, but back to the wife. Her bag is the Crab Legs Nayarit, a heapful of crab clusters (expect 5 to 6 per plate) doused in a Nayarit sauce that looks spicy but tastes quite mild. It's an absolute steal for just under $40, and easily shareable by two people. Once you break off a big piece of crab, dip that sucker in the sauce, and sprinkle a little of the aforementioned salsa atop. It's like a little bite of heaven. I also recommend a side of rice, which tastes excellent on its own but is simply delightful with some sauce dripped on top. The food is finger-lookin' good, and it's not limited to the crab. The prawns (langoustines are sliced in half and are just as highly recommended. Although we always go crab, I won't lie: my eyes have strayed. An octopus dish is calling my name, if only I could get my wife to indulge, and other dishes like the whole fried snapper and pineapple bake look equally amazing. If you're salivating right now or dying of salsa burn later, Mariscos El Veneno has the horchata or Mexican Coke and Jarritos to quench that thirst. Of course, the cherry on top is that it's also BYOB, meaning you should most definitely get that six-pack or wine bottle chilling in the back of your fridge. A top-notch michelada order is available; me, I prefer the horchata. The place gets packed in peak hours, but service is fast and friendly. And as I said prior, Mariscos El Veneno truly is finger-licking good.
(5)
Erin S.

Never got to eat here. Every thing on the menu we were interested in ordering had a different price per the waitress than the menu. Red Snapper was $17.99 or 18.99 on the menu, but the waitress told us it was now $30. Also, we had been intersted in one of the platters for 2-3 people; that was priced at $120 per the waitress, which is very expensive for 2 people. We felt we were being taken on the prices, so we left. This is unfortunately because we had been wanting to try it based on the reviews. We ended up at La Condesa, which the prices on the menu matched what we actually ordered and the service was great!
(1)
Char Y.

came on a busy tuesday night upon recommendation from a friend. came and waited 10 minutes for a table. the server wanted us to order right away without even looking at the menu. we should have took the cue and left right then. seafood cup - the oysters inside tasted rotten and sandy. returned it. pineapple rice - full of tasteless cheese and bits of seafood. just bits crayfish - for the price we were charged, it was ridiculously expensive. such a disappointment! can't believe i have to pay for this meal!
(1)
Dan S.

Best seafood for the money, love this place. The octopus and the crab legs are awesome.
(5)
Katy S.

3.5 but had to choose 3. Went with a date Friday night. We were both looking forward to it based on the stellar Yelp reviews. Here's how the night went: It was pretty average temps outside for a summer day but if you don't have AC going indoors during a day like that, you'll be sweating balls of fire. We walked in and immediately walked out. It was a fire pit in there, like literally take out marshmallows and chocolate because it was burning up. Fack! We opted to sit outside instead. I'm on low carb and couldn't drink but I know my date wanted to have a few . Once we sat outside and were attended to, we were told there was no alcohol allowed in the outdoor seating area. Wtf? Anyways, fast forward to the food.... The first thing they bring out for your table as an app/pre-course is crunchy tortillas and six random mussels. I guess it's their version of bread ? It was odd. Good but odd. We ordered the grilled seafood mixture of shrimp, oysters, and octopus (pulpo). It was really good. Too spicy for this Cuban's taste buds, but good nonetheless. It doesn't come with any sides so it was just a giant plate of protein. If I ever go back, I will NOT be on my low carb diet and order rice to go with it. I'm sure it would've been a hundred times better with the seafood. My date was a gentleman by not tempting me with fattening sides and patient with the no drinking thing but he seemed to have been pleased with the main course too. The service was definitely a cluster F. Slower than una tortuga pero bueno, patience is key at these small joints, I guess. So consensus is: hot as shit inside, no alcohol outside, carb-y sides a must. Try it out. Still the best seafood option I've found in U Village.
(3)
Jeanne L.

They are still offering complimentary crab ceviche tostadas/tortas, which are still so good. The complimentary salsa on the table is misleadingly spicy. A little bit goes a long way. There were four of us, and the server recommended a special sampler platter for us for $100. (On the menu is a $139 family-platter that feeds 6 people.) Our $100 platter included one lobster, five sets of crab legs, prawns (langoustines sliced in half), a noodle dish with lots of little shrimps, 3 giant scoops of their seafood rice, and 3 pieces of garlic bread. It was a TON of food, and definitely could have fed more than the four of us. Needless to say, we had a lot of leftovers. They've raised some of the menu prices since my visit half a year ago. A tray of crab legs used to be 6 sets for $40. But NOW it's 5 sets for $46, and 10 sets for about double that price. Overall food is still fantastic in quality & quantity. I knocked down a star since it was so cold in here. I was here on a 20 degree night, and it seemed like they didn't have any heating on. I was still shivering while I had on a heavy sweater and down-filled jacket, and sitting in the corner furthest from the doors. Maybe some better insulation for their set of doors?
(4)
Desmond C.

Great Mexican seafood at a reasonable price. 2 diet cokes, tostada appetizer, 1 fish taco, 1 half order of the Nayarit prawns, and whole tilapia fried with the Nayarit sauce, which come with rice, fries and a salad all for $40. More than enough for 2 people. Very friendly staff that called me "sweetie". The place is small, and was packed with locals. Short walk from the Division stop on the blue line train. I'll be back
(4)
Mike P.

Very simple, no frills dining rooms on the ground level and upstairs. This place is all about the ridiculously delicious Mexican seafood. My standard order consists of 30 de-shelled shrimp in Nayarit sauce with a side of garlic rice. If the Nayarit sauce was sold in stores, I would buy a case of it and put it on just about anything edible or remotely edible. Try it and you'll see what I mean. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Other items that are also excellent include the crab de nayarit, shrimp cocktail, shrimp empanadas, and the oysters. The big fresh gulf oysters with a squeeze of lime, dash of salt, and a drop of green hot sauce are the only way that I'll eat oysters from now on. The restaurant is BYOB and the service is prompt and courteous. The location on 18th Street is garbage compared to the restaurant on Ashland. Don't bother trying the one on 18th Street, seriously. Veneno is by far my favorite seafood restaurant in Chicago.
(5)
Danny W.

I know I may sometimes over-Seinfeld quote my reviews, but "Hey George...the ocean called and they're running out of shrimp" is pretty on point for this place. The plate of prawns I was served was so huge that I felt like a total Jerk Store for not finishing even half of it. Between the complimentary ceviche tostada and the Pacific Ocean-sized portions you may want to consider sharing. Whatever you decide to get though, just know that it's gonna be seafood. There's not much else on the menu in terms of tacos, burritos, or typical Mexican joint items so if you're not a vege-quarium your dinner might consist of corn tortillas and table hot sauce. It's Mariscos and they're awesome so if you enjoy flavorful sauces, stuffing yourself with seafood and BYO beverages I think you'll totally agree. If not well then you can go shop at the Jerk Store.
(5)
Erika A.

Good food but waitresses ended our night horribly and pocketed our cash (500 to 600 in cash) that we paid w the bill. They also charged one of our cards 400 dollars more thn they were suppose to. Our waiter also spoke english the whole time through out dinner and when he pocketed our cash , he pretended he didn't speak English and only spoke spanish. Cops came. Also had a reservation for 20 ppl, they had one table ready..and the second table wasn't ready for another 40 minutes.
(1)
Haris S.

I haven't been to too many Mexican seafood places but so far this surely has the best food. The spiced crab yet platter has turned me into a crab lover and so far ever single person I have taken here as enjoyed their food just as much. Be prepared to wait on the weekends as they always have a 30-40 minute wait due to the small seating area. They can surely fix out the outside patio so more people would sit outside during summer. They also have additional seating available on the second level tough I have never been seated up there and prefer sitting on the main floor.
(5)
Ashley C.

What a hidden gem we found and we were not disappointed. The place is rather assuming and sort of a hole in the wall. This is not a place to go for the ambiance or outstanding service. However, it is a great place for excellent seafood at a great price (note: it is all seafood). It is also BYOB which is great! When you arrive they give you a complimentary ceviche which is a nice start. Be forewarned, the salsa that comes with it is VERY hot. For the first time, we ordered the shrimp empanadas, a half tray of the langostinos and the red snapper. We ordered them nayrait style (their specialty) which is an amazing seasoning and sauce with some chiles, butter, salt. I can't even explain the deliciousness and it was really well-balanced. The langostinos were split and delicious. The red snapper is $18 for a giant whole fish with seafood rice (mini shrimp), french fried potatoes and some greens. Everything was yummy and a great value. The portions were huge and we were stuffed. The next time we came in with friends and tried the crab legs. You get five sets of huge crabs legs and it is worth all of the effort to get into to the succulent crab meat. The place can get crowded although I understand they have more seating upstairs. It is nothing fancy but it gets the job done right.
(4)
Rui L.

I came here with a group of 9 people around 6:30pm on a friday, and there was actually no wait. we got seated quickly, and the ordering process was very fast and painless. we ordered the crabs, shrimps, fried whole fish and other stuff I can't even remember the names of. overall, we thought the crab dish was good but not really that fresh, and the fish was really dry and bland, but everything else I will order again especially the shrimp!! will definetly come back again!
(4)
Adriaan T.

Aguachile de camaron. This place is a gem
(5)
Eva H.

It's an unassuming little store that's always packed full and thers no question why. When you're tired of the typical tacos and chips and salsa, head here for some tasty Mexican seafood. The crab legs and the prawns, cooked narita style, are off the wall delicious. You know it's good when everyone stops talking the entire meal...to focus on picking out the crab meat. Another secret gem here, the garlic bread. OMG, who knew we'd order 4 orders of garlic bread! BYOB here and it looks like they offer the margarita mix.
(5)
Allan C.

Order by the protein and style and get presented with a platter of awesome in the middle of your table. All I need now is a tv, a cooler of beer, and my afternoon is set. Fortunately, they do a pretty solid job in wrapping on takeout orders (be careful of the brothiness!) so making this awesome scenario happen is not impossible. Be sure to have both Nayarit style something and garlic style something else. (It doesn't really matter, snow crab, shrimp, langostines(!!!), just get it, it's gonna mix at some point, your hands will get super messy, and your beer bottles will go greasy. This is definitely my kind of place.
(4)
Vincent B.

I love this place! I've been twice now and the second time I was literally counting down the days until I could come back. I've recommended it to everyone I can. The only con is that the menu is hard to interpret because dishes with very similar descriptions show up at different points on the menu with vastly different prices, so you're really not sure what you're getting into. Also, the fish names are not translated from Spanish which doesn't help either. As we were sitting, two other tables approached us to ask about our order; clearly the menu was not helping them either. So I'll make it easy for you; get the fried tilapia ($12?- mojarra on the menu) with the Nayarit sauce, which is this delicious red sauce, and split it between two people along with a BYOB 6-pack of Modelo or something, getting you a super inexpensive decedent meal. They serve you the whole fish, which is huge, surrounded by fries and rice that have all soaked in the fish fat and Nayarit sauce. I wish I could give it 6 stars.
(5)
Justin W.

Came with a party of five. We ordered the seafood platter which came with prawns, snow crab legs, stuffed lobster, french fries, and garlic bread. The flavor was amazing. We came into the restaurant and saw another table with the seafood platter and we said, "We want THAT!" It really worked for the size of our party and I definitely enjoyed every moment of it. This place is also BYOB!
(5)
Jennifer W.

This place is small but worth the wait! The stuffed lobster is delicious! The salsa is not to be messed with.
(5)
Kristal C.

I've been twice and still want to go back. Awesome service both times. We had the big platter of shrimp and the big platter of crawfish. Both come in excellent sauces. The sides of bread and fries are just as good. It is always crowded so be prepared to wait and be squished....but the food is definitely worth it. Every plate that came out of the kitchen looked awesome. Oh. Its BYOB and its not fancy but I think its part of the charm. I guess that part wouldnt be as charming if the food wasnt so good....Just come hungry and you'll be fine.
(5)
Amy G.

There is a big reason why I rated this restaurant one star. One is out of a group of 20 people, me and my bf got our food by the time everyone was almost done with their food. We also canceled our order because they took so long, but they brought it out anyways. The food was pretty good, so I'll give them that. But when it was time to pay... There was a big problem. My friends paid $440 cash and others paid their bill by card including me. I gave my card with the correct bill of $168 and when they brought back my card I was brought back a different receipt of over $600! They said that they only got $38 from us, so one of the staff members pocketed the cash and accused us of not paying. The police got involved but there was not much they could do. Ultimately it was our word against theirs. And they kept changing their story. Basically they made us wait two hours till I could be refunded my money! After all we went through we should not have been charged anything. Will not be returning.
(1)
Yoel J.

My co-workers introduced me this place a while ago, and I have been a huge fan ever since. Everyone starts with a complimentary, spicy crab torta, which I really enjoyed--so yummy. Best dish no contest are the crab legs. The sauce that comes with this crab dish is phenomenal with the rice. Please be sure to get the rice if you're getting the crab dish! Along with it, we ordered the octopus--pulpo especial--which might be the most tender octopus I've ever had. Highly recommended! It's BYOB. Bring a bottle of tequila and order a pitcher of margarita mix, but one of server suggested to mix it with squirt and, salt and lime. Surprisingly tasty. One other thing is it will get messy and this definitely has a hole-in-the-wall vibe, so dress appropriately. This place fills up fast and they do not accept reservations. Plan accordingly. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome.
(5)
Jamie Y.

We made reservations early in advance and they didn't have our table ready until an hour later. Some of the dishes came out when the rest of us were already done with our food. When we were about to pay our bill we gave our waiter at least $500 in cash and the balance on a credit card. The waiter stole our money and charged the credit card the whole bill which was a little over $600. I'm never coming here again.
(1)
Weiwei W.

Delicious food Bad service The best dish is shrimp No delivery service Little expensive Very loud
(5)
Lupe C.

Horrible service. Me and my husband enjoyed the food, but they have horrible people working there. They have no manners. Just for that reason alone I would never go back. When we got there they sat us next to the washroom, disgusting, how were we supposed to eat listening to people in the washroom. We then asked for a different table, which we got but their service was awful.
(1)
Jaime G.

Really good seafood here. Starting with the shrimp app that u get as soon as u sit down. Then try the garlic shrimp or the tilapia tacos. All good and worth a visit Place can get busy fast and then service is slow. Would be great to have an AC inside too.
(4)
Wilmar G.

In general, this is paradise for seafood lovers pacific Mexican style (Nayarit) ! Pros: It's all about seafood at an advanced level. You can get any main type of sea creature in the form of ceviche or cocktail, stew, etc. I feel ashamed of ordering a filet with so many other options available, specially options with a shell. But it was good, also the complimentary marlin tostada is excellent. Real sauces are available, be careful with the green sauce on a bowl . Great service and friendly staff. Everything is clean. Parking in the street is easy. Cons: Not significant ones really. Well I did get a bit disturbed by a live lobster whose arm was off and laying by itself in the center of the tank. Just kill that lobster and end its misery please! Outside patio needs a little bit more of pizzazz to convince people to eat outside.
(4)
Christopher L.

This is the best Mexican seafood restaurant in town, also the service there is pretty good to me, an Asian :) the platter full of seafood stuff is awesome and I keep telling my friends this is my favorite place here of this type. Only sad thing for me is that they don't have the King Crab which I love most!!! Decent food and healthy food!
(5)
Kevin B.

Saw this restaurant on Fox News one morning and decided to give it a shot. Very small but comforting establishment. When you walk in you get that homely feel to it, almost reminds you of a spot you would see in Miami somewhere. Came on a Wednesday and it was almost full but we managed to find a seat with no wait at all. Service was great. Waitress was very friendly and helpful with giving us more information about the menu items. Now lets get to the food... Let me first say... EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My only warning to anyone who comes into the establishment is to go in VERY HUNGRY because the portion size they give you for your entrees is huge. You are almost guaranteed to take at least anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of your meal home. I ordered Shrimps A La Diabla (Hot) and everything from the shrimp, rice, fries and even bread was excellent. Absolutely no complaints. And even with the shrimp being hot, it wasn't hot enough to not eat. Second entree ordered was Chapuzon Del Mar (a mixture of Octopus, shrimp and oysters) and it was huge. And this was the smaller of the two selections. Im assuming that anyone who orders the Grande selection has to be sharing it with at least 3 other people. Seasoned perfectly. And if that isn't enough....ITS BYOB! BYOB! BYOB! BYOB! Its nothing negative I can say about this spot. Its almost a little hidden gem right there on Ashland. I advise anyone if they are interested in some good quality seafood with a mexican twist to it, THIS IS YOUR PLACE! Even the price is reasonable especially considering how much food they give you. Will dine many times again!
(5)
John N.

Absolutely amazing. Visiting Chicago with a friend and we were looking for seafood. I knew this was the place when I walked into the place and my friend and I were the only white people. The staff was awesome and fellow patrons were great. Great time.
(5)
J J.

You can't fool me. You say Market price ($20) for a plate of shrimp that you cut in half and call them prawns. Thats some bullsh....!! I had the Prawns Nayarit style. I've had way better at Maricos el Camaron Pelao. These shrimp with the heads on were not fresh at all. It's like they were leftover and they popped them in the microwave because they were all shriveled up and hard by the time i got them. The sauce was not as complex as other places. It tasted like melted butter and some spices and thats all. They get a star for the nice staff though.
(2)
Alan C.

I've eaten at a lot of restaurants in my lifetime. This might be my first review on Yelp? As you can tell, I just use Yelp more so to bookmark places I like to eat at, as opposed to providing reviews. That being said, this place is beyond legit. Definitely in my top 10 of all time, anywhere in the world, which includes SF, NYC, Vancouver, Toronto, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. When you go, make sure you don't wear white, roll up your sleeves and get dirty. Don't forget to BYOB as they don't serve alcohol. Order the prawns and dungeness crab. Now go bless yourself...
(5)
Dave V.

Cheap! Why would go here unless you wanted to save $? This is Chicago and you have choices. El Barco is near and you get what you pay for and in seafood that pretty important.
(1)
Juan S.

This place has really good fresh Seafood , portions, prices and service was great also, but the restaurant itself is pretty small and tight feel a little uncomfortable and finding parking could be a challenge, but other then that, place is a small gem. There's other locations and don't know if they are infiliated and I decided to look at their reviews and it was not as good as this place so I decided to come back to this small location where I went before and where I know the food and service was good and we were not let down, brought my wife for our 4th year anniversary for her the first time and she loved the food. It's "BYOB". I highly recommend this place.
(4)
Shirlee B.

Awesome for really tasty seafood. Be prepared to read some Spanish and get your face blown off by the insanely spicy salsa they give you with the complimentary ceviche tostada. Actually, don't even try the salsa. But *do* get the shrimp ceviche and the pulpo especial. The sauce is **amazing**. Only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is that the place is kind of not the cleanest. (Why don't restaurants clean their menus? Blech.)
(4)
Laura B.

Tried this place twice. I wanted to love this place but the food was ok. However a big plus that it's byob. Had 2 different shrimp dishes in rancheros sauce and a la Diabla. Did not care for the a la Diabla sauce whatsoever. I hate that every place is different. This is one of my fave dishes so I was very disappointed. Rancheros sauce was ok. Only tried it because I was recovering from the flu and didn't want to upset my stomach with spicy food. Overall I guess I'd go back but definitely not a place that I have to go to.
(3)
Sara P.

We came here on a Sunday evening for dinner. It is BYOB so you can walk up north a block and grab something from a liquor store. You might have to wait a little to get in, but it's worth it. The restaurant occupies two levels. We ordered the guacamole and the pineapple stuffed with seafood. The guacamole was alright. The pineapple was amazing. It came with rice, a small salad, and fries, all of which were very tasty. The price was alright--I probably wouldn't duplicate this meal at home, so I'll pay it. The hot sauce that comes on the table is very hot, be warned. The one downside is that the service was very slow, so don't come here if you are in a rush.
(4)
Junchen F.

Don't come here for a date unless your significant other could devour seafood as quickly as a Piranha fish. When the seafood combo is just served, it is hot, spicy and as good as it gets. After 30 minutes, it is as good as a cold Domino's pizza. So, check in your manners at the door and be ready for the joy ride. PS: the jumbo combo could easily feed a party of 6!
(4)
Amy D.

If I could give NO STARS, I honestly would. This is the first time I have ever experienced the worse service of my life! It's sad how much I was actually looking forward to this place having heard how amazing the food is. Time: 8:30PM Date: Saturday, May 17th Party: 2 I don't even know where to begin...My guest and I walked in around 8:30 and waited in line with 2 other couples. Upon waiting in this narrow doorway for about 5 minutes, all of us were escorted upstairs to be seated. We were so fortunate enough to be seated at a misplaced table tucked near the back which could have been easily mistaken for the supply table where the napkins, cups, and utensils were stacked. Upon being seated, we were promptly served chips and salsa even before our menus were provided. If only our food came out as fast as those chips and salsa, but it was a whole another story. Our order was taken probably 10 mins later than the other 2 couples and all by the same waitress might I add. We ordered the ceviche, empanadas, and the crab legs. I don't know about you but ceviche shouldn't even take that long, but it never came... More than 30 mins have elapsed as I watched the food arrive at the other 2 tables of the couples we arrived with. I decided to mention something to our waitress that we have been sitting here for quite some time if you could please check on our food. She quickly defensively stated how busy they were and that she would check on it. 10 mins have gone by and our waitress CLEARLY sees us just sitting there eying her, but she didn't seem to want to make eye contact with us at this point. By then I was pretty upset, I mentioned to one of the serves that we have been sitting here for almost 45 mins now with no food out yet. He looked puzzled and concerned, which was the look I was hoping for, and quickly looked up our order. NOTHING WAS IN THE SYSTEM! OUR ORDER WAS NEVER ENTERED!!! He then grabs our waitress to express our concern and the situation. Again she was defensive and begins to go on and on about how it is the kitchen's fault. As both the servers disappeared downstairs into the kitchen, we stuffed our face with the rest of the chips and salsa and ducked out. RIDICULOUS! WORSE SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFETIME.
(1)
Tina L.

CRACK SAUCE. Came here again for the Nayarit crab legs. For a table of 6, we ended up ordering 3 orders of the crab legs. This was my first time trying the prawns as well. Those were good, but next time I'm going to save the room in my stomach for the crab legs. And I love that they give you a free appetizer every time. It reminds me of Korean restaurants that bring out the little small side dishes (banchan). Just a little "perk".
(5)
Wing C.

The house specials are just seafood, literally just a plate of seafood. I wish it came with sides because their portions are large, almost too large. At the end, you just eat only seafood with nothing else. We tried a octopus, mussels, and shrimp in a spicy red sauce. We also had a shrimp and octopus ceviche, served cold, as recommended by our server. Also the two dishes had essentially the same seafood, it surprisingly tasted very different. The ceviche was refreshing despite the fact that we had it during a Chicago winter. Otherwise, there was nothing special about the seafood. It wasn't extraordinarily fresh or delicious.
(2)
Kristine N.

Cute little restaurant that I wouldn't have even looked at twice had it not been for a recommendation. Come hungry because the portions are HUGE and around $15 only. I ordered the garlic butter shrimp which came with rice, fries, beans, salad, garlic bread, veggies, and I can't even remember what else. I had enough leftovers for 2 meals. The shrimp were decently sized and smothered in this rich garlic sauce. It was perfectly cooked, succulent, and tender. My gf ordered a whole red snapper which came with all of the same sides but the size of this fish was outrageous. It was well seasoned and fried crispy. Yum, yum, yum. I'd eat here more often if it weren't for my growing waistline. It's a pretty heavy meal, but it's worth it. Servers are uber friendly and definitely make the experience.
(5)
Moe D.

O_O I SAID G'DAMN THE FOOD HERE IS FIYA!!! Seriously though don't go here for a gorgeous spot go for the AMAZING FOOD WOW!! Having said that...though not aesthetically pleasing the ambience is great the service is good and you can't beat BYOB!! And did I mention the food is THROUGH THE ROOF!!!
(5)
Valeria V.

As a born and raised Mexican, I feel with the right to say that this place is very authentic and really good. My favorite Mexican restaurant outside Mexico and probably on my top list of favorite Mexican food overall. When you go, get Langostinos Nayarit. Ask for extra Nayarit style salsa on the side and some tortillas, add some lime; pair it with a cold lager and make some porn with this food. Service is not the best, it is not consistent. Sometimes is okay and sometimes is kind of bad but the food makes it worth it!
(5)
Evan S.

Went there with a group of 8. Great service. Great food.
(5)
Cecilia V.

Yummy! Amazing Mexican seafood. I crave it regularly!!! It is always packed so service may be a bit slow. That is due to it being a smaller location and having such a large volume. However the food is so good that you can get past anything. If you've never tried, try! It's BYOB. A good, cold 6 pack of Modelo will go well with any fare! Their house sauce is delicious but a bit on the spicier/hotter side if you're not a hot fan. Have been numerous times and will continue to go! Yummmmmmmyyyy!!!!!
(5)
Camille C.

Not enough stars!!! This is the type of place where you truly come for the food, not the atmosphere, not the decor, and certainly not for the patrons. To the point: Crab legs, Nayarit style! Best crab legs I've ever had. They are served in a Mexican creole style and every part of the crab is super tasty! The serving size if huge (for around $40), the dude and I always share and I have quite the appetite! Beware ladies: Do not wear jewelry, nice clothes, or bring your brunch friends. That is if you are ordering the crab legs.
(5)
Steve K.

I ate lunch here and was quite impressed. I want to bring a group of friends here as soon as I can. Food: Everything that we ordered was simply delicious, like home-cooked food with straightforward presentation and bold flavors. Portions are huge. Each table has a nice selection of hot sauces, including Salsa Huichol from Nayarit. If you like octopus and like spice, try the pulpo especial. Service: We asked for and received everything that we needed without any fuss. That's good enough when you're busy eating anyway. Price: This is seafood, so it's not cheap. But for the quantity of food, the prices are excellent. You can get your fill of delicious seafood and take home leftovers for much less than you would spend at a fancy seafood restaurant.
(5)
Sara W.

Amazing seafood dinner. We had spicy octopus, shrimp and oyster mixed grill and a garlic fried Snapper. It was BYOB so plan accordingly, Unfortunately they had no desserts the night we went and I had seen it on the menu so was heart-set on some fabulous flan. We enjoyed the casual family atmosphere and will definitely go back.
(3)
Malynne S.

SIDE NOTE: I miss my Mexican food. Let's be honest, Hawaii does not have restaurants that serve really good Mexican food! Maybe because it's an island, far from the mainland, but everything seems to have an island or Baja/socal flavor to everything (I've had a burrito with white rice in it!). Originally from the Midwest, I was spoiled to have a variety of Mexican cuisines right at my fingertips. We went to Mariscos El Veneno for my second restaurant "Back from Hawaii" Food Tour. We usually go to El Barco right across the street, but this place was newer and heard great things about it! This place was very chill and everything in the menu is inspired by the food of Nayarit, a west coast state in Mexico. We got there around 5:30pm and the place was just preparing for the mad Friday night rush. WARNING: be ware of the price of each dish your server recommends!!! It's well worth it for the amount you get, but we weren't warned. The food is GREAT but be ready to pay in the $100's. Our server recommended getting a pitcher of horchata (later found out it was $10) instead of 3 individual glasses ($2 each). He also suggested a seafood combination platter, good for 4 (large football player sized) people. We must have looked starving because we were a group of small Filipino girls and one guy. We got a whole fried red snapper & tilapia, bacon wrapped shrimp, breaded fish fillet, stuffed lobster, breaded shrimp, 2 small bowls of spicy seafood mix, garlic bread, fried rice and a large plate of saucy marinated shrimp! This was in addition to their complimentary tostada topped with their own tuna salad and spicy salsa. We have enough leftover food to last us all week!
(4)
Pat P.

Right on! This is as good as it gets when it comes to great seafood in Chicagoland. Everything is so fresh, and tastes sooo delish! Favorites are the crab legs, prawns, and the shrimps! Oh, and the red snapper too!
(5)
Natalie C.

Went here with my boyfriend for our anniversary - probably some of the freshest and tastiest seafood I've ever had (and my parents used to own a seafood restaurant, so I know good seafood). You start with complimentary fish ceviche and chips (super spicy, but I like spicy so it worked out perfectly for me). We ordered two different dishes - the stuffed lobster and a seafood combo dish with tender grilled octopus, shrimp, scallops - the works. Both were absolutely DELICIOUS and we were completely stuffed at the end of the meal. Although the wait was long (they don't take reservations), the service was amazing (our waitress was super friendly and great with suggestions about the menu), and its BYOB. Definitely will be going back -- heard the dungeness crab is amazing, so I'll be ordering that on our second trip.
(5)
Arian M.

OMG!!! The Fried Snapper with garlic was incredible as well as the crab legs. I couldn't get enough, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach. This place is so unassuming. You could easily pass it up if you're not paying attention. The place is simple and quaint, but who cares since the food packs a punch. It's just a little hole in the wall, but boy oh boy what fantastic feeding frenzy we had when we were there. I definitely will become a regular.
(5)
Jean C.

I had lunch here last Friday with my sister and I am already craving the langostines. Since my sister would only be in town for a few days, we had to have "sister" time and decided lunch would be best. We discussed for a couple of weeks where to go and finally decided on this place. After reading every review and looking at the pictures fellow Yelpers had posted, we couldn't wait to feast. We arrived around 1pm and there were only a few other patrons. Two men serenaded us on guitars and were selling songs for money. We had decided on what to order before arriving. We were given a tostado each with ceviche. Gratis. Loved it. Langostines and crabs nayarit style. Oh. My. God. The langostines were heaven. The buttery sauce, the creaminess of the meat all worked to be one of the best Mexican seafood I have eaten. As we worked our way through the dinner platter of the langostines, the crabs arrived. A ridiculously huge platter filled with three crabs sectioned off. It was beautiful. Although it was messy, it was worth it. The nayarit spicy sauce was addicting. We constantly dunked the meat in both sauces. The service was friendly and the ladies constantly gave us new plastic rounds when shells quickly filled them up. The restaurant is tiny which can be a downside when it's busy. I've waited upwards of two hours for a table at other restaurants and I have a feeling that I wouldn't mind waiting longer for a table here. The food is excellent, succulent, dreamy. I'm dreaming of those langostines right now. BYOB definitely attracts the wallet even though the prices are reasonable for seafood. I am counting down the days til I go again. Starting with 1.
(5)
Ali R.

I'm a San Francisco girl. Born in SF, raised in Northern California. Needless to say as a California girl, I've always lived where there is never a shortage of quality seafood and exceptional culinary talents. So when heading to Chicago this past weekend and asked if there was a place I had to go back to (I lived there for about 2 years in college), I said no. So a friend took us to Mariscos and said, "Just sit back, I'll order." And order he did. Platters of heaven just kept coming and coming. (Thank you Sakid! I owe you one for this.) The langoustines have been on my mind ever since. They are drenched in a delicious buttery sauce and served butterflied, making them messy and delicious. I have found that messy foods always seem to taste better and the langoustines were no exception. (Exhibit A - Ribs) Mariscos is BYOB, a great and missing feature to SF restaurants. Your dinner comes with complimentary ceviche served on a tostada shell and plenty of limes (so bring Coronas!). We also ordered the red snapper (comes with head and all, meaning that you get to eat the best part, the cheek. yum!), rice (full of flavor), and the octopus. The octopus was breaded and fried and served in a slightly spicy sauce. Everything we had was incredible but the langoustines were by far the biggest hit. Rumor has it they have some incredibly large lobster here as well. And next time I'm here, I'm ordering the crab too. It looked and smelled great. The service was excellent even though it was crowded. There's also a cute little patio area that is covered and has romantic lights and greenery everywhere. If you want to add to the romance, a mariachi band did come around. :-) Mariscos is by far the best place I've been in Chicago to date. I will definitely be back. And I'm now officially on the hunt for some delicious langoustines in San Francisco. ps- If you do not know what langoustines are they are like very small lobsters, or very large shrimp. They are also called "Norway Lobsters". And being Norwegian, I think we have a connection. A really deep one that I should explore daily. pps- did I ever tell you that sometimes I become obsessed with certain foods? It used to be dim sum, sushi, ice cream, etc. Right now, it's langoustines. Thx Mariscos, you may have created a monster. Oh! One more quick thing, they have lots of hairspray in the girls bathroom if you need it. Random but interesting. Couldn't tell if it was supposed to be for primping or masking smells.
(5)
Hannah P.

Came here with a coworker and the seafood .was delicious. I had the shrimp el diablo(?) I believe and the spiciness was perfect for me. It's a small intimate place and BYOB. I saw the other table and their food looked delicious. I will be back to try other items.
(3)
Ro A.

Worst service ever!!!! My husband and I went into this place at 10:40 pm with our two toddler's. The waitress took us up to the 2nd floor, worst looking place! Told us to hurry up and order because the kitchen was about to close at 11pm; I went to the restroom, came back to find out they were not going to take our order anymore because the kitchen was closed!!!!! We were there literally 7 minutes!!! They still had the decency to ask us if we wanted a free drink! Never going back! I would rather pay more $ going across the street to El Barco where I know they would serve me well!
(1)
Seth F.

Mariscos El Veneno is the best restaurant in Chicago. Yes, I realize that this is the third review today in which I've stated that, but it's true for each restaurant for different reasons and it would be unfair to quantify that title conditionally. Better to just state flat out that it's the best and use the subsequent sentences to explain myself. How the only two Mexican seafood restaurants I've ever known ended up right across the street from each other is beyond me, but make sure you go to this one. Mariscos El Veneno:El Barco::A Bug's Life::Antz. They're both Mexican Seafood Restaurants/cartoons about bug's but they are not equals. Mariscos El Veneno goes through waves of popularity. There have been Thursdays when the wait is an hour and a half long and Saturdays when there is no wait at all. Obviously the opposite is the more likely scenario, but I'm trying to highlight that how busy the place is seems to be independent of any pattern I can decipher. But it doesn't take reservations so you should at least prepare to wait. The food is outstanding. Before you even order they will give you a delicious tostado with ceviche and a bowl of the hottest dern salsa you've ever tried. The menu is in English and Spanish, but they chose to only translate the names, and not the descriptions, so you're still forced to "translate" what such things as "Nayarit style" is. You should order at least one Stuffed Lobster for your table. Just point to the picture on the back of the menu. It seems to range in price, I've paid anywhere from 30 to 65 dollars for it, but it easily feeds 2 and even at the top of that scale, it's a bargain. Also get at least one order of Mummy shrimp. The main guy will try to talk you out of it, but don't listen to him. It's Shrimp wrapped in bacon with some cheese in the middle. Unshockingly, they are delicious. Also every meal comes with rice, some salad and fries. The salad is just some lettuce, a tomato wedge and zero dressing but both the fries and rice are surprisingly good. And on most nights there will be some kind of mariachi band or guy serenading the restaurant. So you'll get your culture on as well.
(5)
Janet E.

I was going to give this place a solid four stars, but decided to give it the full five just for being open on a Monday! Yeah!! Most places are closed on Mondays but this place is extremely open and was surprisingly busy when we went. The service was great from beginning to end, except that it was a little slow towards the end. Everyone around me had delicious looking food. I wanted to order it all!! But since I had turned into a whale from my prior see-food diet, I had to resort to something healthier, the sea-food diet. We ordered a half order of the scallops, shrimp and oyster dish cooked in nayarit sauce. Man was it good!!! It tastes even better with a side of rice and lime juice. Yummie!!! We also ordered some shrimp empanadas. Note to self: must eat when its steaming hot. It does not taste so great cold. I had ordered a horchata drink as well. It was blander than most horchata drinks I've had at other restaurants, but since I'm on a diet I guess I dont really need all that sugar and cinnamon (damn.....). The restaurant was filled with Latinos and Spanish was spoken all throughout the restaurant by the staff and patrons. An excellent sign that the food is authentic! We were lucky to have a waitress that spoke English. She was extremely nice and offered her suggestions for first timers. Beware the salsa they give you. It is OUT OF CONTROL HOT. Seriously. No really....seriously. Watch out. The Nayarit sauce has some kick to it but is not crazy spicy (I have a relatively sensitive stomach and after eating all that food my stomach is still in agreement with me). My mouth was not on fire and my lips did not feel swollen after experiencing the heat of the food. I will be back! Do they have outdoor seating? YES!
(5)
Derrick S.

As good as it gets for my limited experience thus far- VERY GOOD FOOD and Very Good Service- This is the perfect combination and bonus is, its BYOB. Very cozy dinning room and what the dinning room lacks the healthy portion of good food will make up.
(5)
Sandy L.

holy moly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i didnt know this place existed until last week... and im super sad that i havent heard of it til now!!! i feel like im late to the party!!! i love seafood... just gotten back into it over the last 5 years after not having it for quite some time. the place is really chill and relaxed. very bright and open atmosphere. as soon as you sit down at a table, they bring you a tostada with a fish ceviche and a little plate of habanero salsa. very good!!!! i love spicy food... if it makes me cry and get all sniffly, we are in business so if youre not a fan of heat... i would recommend not testing out the habanero salsa. you had me at the tostada!!! ordered and split the 7 seas soup which had 7 different types of seafood and came with garlic bread. i thought it was really good!! the soup was light and not overly seafood-y, the garlic bread was warm and good to dip in the soup. and the seafood in the soup was great too!! big crab pieces, shrimp in the shell, and very good. theyre pretty big portions.. i would def think that it would be a good meal if youre hungry or perfect to split with another friend or two. also split the red snapper nayarit style... oooh i love the seasoning... not sure what is exactly in the nayarit style seasoning but its very flavorful but doesnt take away from the fish and the fish was flaky and super yummy. there are still bones in the fish because it is prepared whole... so beware of that... personally, im a slow eater and fish bones makes me even slower... but better slow than choking on fish bones!! dont let it scare / stop you from ordering it!! its very good and portion is good and comes with fries, salad and rice. also, the price is pretty amazing... the food is super delicious.. im drooling thinking about when ill be back already, the service was great. i didnt really know what some of the menu items were and the staff was eager to explain and help with our decisions!! its byob and will definitely be going back!!!
(5)
Jesse N.

i'll keep it simple. the langostinos blew my mind. they were so amazing i almost shed a tear. i have been all around the world and i will gladly admit that this was the best seafood dish i've ever had in my LIFE. yes, the wait was long on a saturday night, but all wonderful things are worth waiting for. i never knew mexican seafood could be so out of this world!
(5)
Paula L.

Service=Great. My BF & I were seated within seconds and given complimentary appetizers within minutes. Food= I ordered the marinated shrimp which they didn't have so I got the garlic shrimp. My BF ordered the shrimp, oyster & calamari platter. Both our meals were salty and the shrimp were NOT deveined. This is fine for some people, but I don't want to look down at my plate and see that black line. Price=Reasonable. The total including tip was $40. Next time we'll head over to Lincoln Park and pay more at Half Shell, but it's worth it.
(2)
Mandy A.

It is a tiny place. Maybe room for 30-ish people to sit close to each other, sweating uncomfortably. But it's worth it. We got super lucky and got a table right by the window (unfortunately past the door so no breeze) without a wait on a Monday around 6:30pm. The menu is physically large (especially for your limited body space) and somewhat confusing. I had heard the langostinos, shrimp and crab legs were all awesome. Unfortunately for our friend has an allergy to shellfish, he wans't able to partake in the shrimp and crab feast. He did get the fillet of tilapia ajillo style with a garlic sauce and it looked amazing. Hubby and I decided to split the crab legs after our server recommended them. I was going to get them regardless but I heard the plate was large and we had no idea how much they were. On the menu it said $29.99 but mine had a sticker over that saying $19.99 and Bryan's said $39.99. I love this style of doing business. (It ended up being $39.99 so good thing we split it. Yes, I'm cheap!) They were delicious. Swimming in a spicy Nayarit sauce (assuming that's where the second name comes from) which I would have sopped up with the side of bread I ordered which never came. So I stared at it longingly. Wondering if it would look odd if I tried to slurp it up with my straw. Or ask if I could take it home and dip my own damn bread in it. It's a messy meal. From the sauce running down your arms and the immense sweating and swamp ass going on from the humidity in the place, you better be friendly with your dinner mates and as our friend pointed out, not have any body odor issues. Also, be prepared for questionable service. Our gal was great at the beginning, she brought over some complimentary marlin ceviche tostadas (seriously one big one for each of us). I warned everyone the habanero salsa was alarmingly spicy but no one seemed to heed my warning which made the sweating issues even more intense. Hubby ordered a fish taco on the side of the crab legs which never came. He ordered again when I ordered my side of bread and finally got the taco but no bread for me. Sad. It took a good 20 minutes of us sitting with gigantic plates in front of us before anyone came by to offer the check. If it wasn't so goddamn hot in there and there wasn't a schoolbus that dropped off a full load of hungry looking children who were pressed up against our window, I wouldn't have minded so much. Overall, the food is top notch and totally authentic tasting and very different. I highly recommend coming and wearing few clothes or bringing a portable fan with you. Oh and it's BYOB so bring a lot of beer with you because you might sit there awhile.
(4)
Rob M.

A revelation. I have driven down this stretch of Ashland about a billion times, but never noticed El Veneno, perhaps I was always distracted by the seafood-gone-Vegas storefront of El Barco on the other side of the street. Cramped, sweaty, super-friendly and a vibe of a lot of people enjoying themselves eating fantastic food. They'll even bring you a bucket of ice for your BYOBeers Beware the salsa that comes first, it'll remove the barnacles off a battleship, and I'm no alarmist when it comes to heat. It is, however, impossible not to keep digging into it---a really unique taste. I'm not even sure what we had. One person ordered for the table and things started arriving. I believe we had crab legs nayarit style and a heaping plate of shrimp. That was enough for four. Portions are prodigious. And the flavors are unlike anything I would have expected from Mexican seafood. Get a couple of orders of fries, because you WILL want to sop up all the marvelous sauces. I probably looked like a lunatic at the bar several hours later, as I kept smelling my fingers and smiling. After the meal, the flavors and the warmth of the room made me a bit woozy, and the pile of tattered crabs legs in front of me made me feel like King Henry the 8th. A genuine feast in thoroughly humble surroundings. This can be a great city.
(4)
Salina V.

This is my first time at a Mexican seafood restaurant and I LOVE it. I love the mom and pops feel to this place. Everything I had was amazing. The shrimp, oysters, etc. Their seafood soup was also impressive. I just pretty much sat here and took my time eating EVERYTHING. The service was awesome too.
(5)
Bob L.

Awesome!! Had seven seas soup and Prown dinner plate. Love it, will try again! Friendly staff~ warm and bright!
(5)
Ha-ti N.

The boyfriend and I are avid seafood lovers/eaters. We walk by the place all the time and never try it but we've been meaning to - and so finally we did. obvi since i'm writing this review here. We had no idea what to order - I had to go check out people's reviews to guide our tummies. We ended up getting the crab legs nayarit style, also the shrimp nayarit style as well. The shrimp came out pronto - it was super fast and it was EXPLODING with flavor. I couldn't stop eating them. It was so overly delicious, my mind was completely blown - I did not expect them to be this tasty. YUMMAY. Then the crab legs came out shortly after. I was told the wait would be long by some other reviews but it wasn't so. The crab legs had the same sauce but spicier. It was crazy yummy. We ate and finished EVERYTHING. Beware the salsa that comes out with the chips and ceviche (which is complimentary btw) if you even dab a finger in there to taste, it's spice city mania. Even people who like spicy would be appalled by how spicy it is. The ceviche tasted rubbery and dry but it wasn't like...it was disgusting. it just wasn't that great. I'll be back to chow down on my own pile of shrimp next time.
(4)
Bob D.

I have been keeping a secret from my kids. Like me they love regional, authentic Mexican food, my secret? Mexico has an extensive coastline and amazing seafood. Why buy my kids a twelve dollar shrimp dish when they are so happy with tacos? Well the secret is out and it will cost me. A pretty crowded dining room, we grabbed some shoehorns and wedged ourselves in. I scooted my twelve pack under the table and also introduced my children to BYOB. We were greeted with smiles and ceviche, free ceviche! Served with a tongue biting habernero salsa that was a perfect accompaniment. What was so amazing was two minutes earlier we were trying to climb a six foot tall bank of snow, now I am beer in hand and sucking oysters and tostadas with ceviche! Oysters were nothing spectacular, but fairly priced. The Chef came out and said hi to me, he introduced himself to the family, he was under the impression I was a regular, I did nothing to deny it. I guess if you have a beer and a twelve pack you look like most people on Ashland. The langostines were amazing, if you are a fan of sucking the juice out of crustaceans heads these will put you over the edge. They are just like a shrimp with bigger heads and smaller tails, cooked in an absurd amount of toasted garlic and chilies and finished with lime juice these little mud bugs were inspirational, the fight was on! My daughter had red juice up her cheek, my sons hands looked like he just performed a liver transplant and my beer was covered in shrimp whiskers! The table next to us had some famous guy there, people kept taking pictures with him and the chef kept bringing dish after dish to the table. He was getting the Anthony Bordain treatment. What was great was we got see what the chef is most proud of and are quite sure we will be ordering the House octopus special next visit, it looked amazing. Low lights of the meal are the shrimp cocktail (coctel de camaron) I prefer versions that are tomatoey, and saucy. This version while I am not questioning its authenticity, was more like a michelena with shrimp in it. A grainy brothy looking solution with a sparse amount of shrimp. The kids fish and chips was a bargain for $5.25, but the breading was doughy. I found myself laughing as my beer and food buzz kicked in. Right across the street is where the gringos out of the loop go for Mexican seafood, El Barco. I watched as disenchanted misguided sheep poured in and out while I sucked on the heads and tails of perfectly cooked and seasoned langostines, while I piled habernero salsa on raw oysters and made friends with the tables around me. I think I saw a couple look at me with a tear running down their cheek One of my neighbors had the whole snapper, it looked a thousand times better than El Barfo's, the flesh still had some moisture in it and the side dishes looked edible rather than discards to prop the fish up. I am happy to say when I need a fix of garlicky shrimp or spicy oysters I won't have to drive down to my old stomping grounds.
(4)
Stephen F.

Pretty good, especially for handling the post-Christmas crowd quickly when most restaurants are not open and the place appeared to be short-staffed. I thought all the food was good, if neither especially memorable or generous. Could be back in the future.
(4)
Elias Y.

Honestly the first word that came to my mouth was Wow. The moment I took a bite of the free ceviche they give, I knew this place was a winner. You can taste the quality and the freshness right off the bat. I also gave the habanero salsa a shot. Tasted great but warning...it is spicy! We decided to order up a half order of the prawn Nayarit style. Only disappointing thing about it was the fact that we went with half an order and not the full. I was really feeling the flavors so decided to keep it rolling and went with the crab nayarit style. Delicious. I honestly felt as if this was the kind of seafood ive been searching for my whole life. I will def be back multiple times. This place is a must for anyone who takes their seafood as serious as I do. Side note- my friend went with the stuffed lobster. I didnt try any of it, but it looked amazing and according to him it was delicious. Only reason I didnt try it was because of the large portion i had to deal with as is.
(5)
Suzy C.

I can't believe I lived in Chicago 8 years and never discovered this place. Honestly, it's like going on a mini vacation to a small town in Mexico where you can get a giant platter of seafood for amazing prices. I had a snapper the size of my head that came with salad, rice, and french fries for 15.99. We also had shrimp empanadas (SO GOOD, a must have), their fish tacos (no matter what you order, order one of these on the side to try, crazy delicious), and fish and chips (skip, go for the fish taco instead). Honestly, this is no frills seafood that tastes good and won't break the bank. We wished we went with couple more people b/c everyone else in the restaurant ate the 6 person platter. For $99 (so with 6 people, the price breakdown is ridiculously awesome), you get a GIANT platter that is filled with whole fish, lobster, shrimp, garlic bread, octopus, and few more things my spying eyes couldn't see fully. I mean, the platter looked amazing, stuff of dreams, and we can't wait to return so we can try it. It gets busy so go early for dinner unless you want to be waiting outside for an hour, and don't expect attentive service. They are super nice, but it's not a place where you got someone waiting on you hand and foot.. but for these prices and the delicious seafood, it's worth it!
(4)
Sayda B.

WOWOWOWOWOW! I still have wonderful dreams of this place. My friend took me to this hole in the wall restaurant to try out the crab legs in the Nayarit sauce. My friend knows food so I trusted her. OMG is all I can say. I lost all couthe and licked my hand over and over, the Nayarit sauce was a piece of heaven on a plate. The crab was meaty and fresh. They give you free tostadas with ceviche which were good but I hate that I ate it b/c I got full rather quickly. I'm from Texas and I plan on making a trip back to this place. It was heaven!! Service is good, it's BYOB, small place, AWESOME CRABS!!!
(5)
Francisco D.

Food Poison central. I was there this past Thursday 9/8. I've eaten there before, but will not go back. Seriously, this might be the worst infection I have ever gotten. Dealing with seafood you have to be extremely clean an hygienic, they obviously are not. Stay away.
(1)
Jaime E.

Best seafood in Chicago hands down!
(5)
Monica P.

Great taste! The place is not fancy, but their food is great and the portions are big. They have reasonable prices too. Its BYOB! My favorite is their special oysters and their stuffed pineapple.
(4)
Stephanie D.

This place is currently my fiance and my favorite place in Chicago. I knew we were off to a good start when I saw the place packed on a Thursday night at 830pm. Then when we sat down, we got a free appetizer of some sort of mushed prawns with tomato, cucumber, and onion on top of a taco. Delicious! For the main course, we ordered a half serving of prawns with nayarit sauce (SO GOOD), and an entire fried red snapper smothered in garlic. I got a horchata as well. The total only came out to be $40, which is nothing considering the amount of seafood we had! Will definitely be going back to try the other dishes nayarit-style! Also, this place in BYO!
(5)
Amy D.

I'm really confused by what you're paying for here. The food is mediocre, the prices high, and the real estate...just not that phenomenal yet. I came in with a few others a while back on a suggestion from a friends. We orderd the shrimp, a fish of some sort, and this chilled soup thing. I'm not trying to non-specific, but the menu is completely in Spanish, and the staff have limited to no English skills. The shrimp was delicious, but we paid almost $1 a shrimp, which is ridiculously expensive. The fish was extra dry and lacking in flavor. The chilled soup appetizer thing was supposed to be octopus + shrimp, but instead, we got raw oysters that tasted kinda funky with shrimp in this cold tomato based soup thing. The fries were fried in the same oil as the fish, so tasted fishy. In general, the food was severely underwhelming while priced on the level of some of the places on Milwaukee. Instead, the staff speaks next to zero English, the restaurant the decor of a cheap takeout spot, and the food is just not that great. I don't understand why there are always so many people here, but I won't be back.
(2)
Alyson W.

The food here is to die for, especially if you like spicy), cause they know how to make it HOT! We have been coming here for years and never got disappointed.
(4)
Laurie N.

Love this place! Whenever I want to get my seafood fix like my mom makes I come here and I feel truly satisfied! Never lets me down. The only downside is that the place is so small and it could get really crowded. I have also ordered for takeout twice and both times I get something I didn't order, which I would be fine with if it wasn't shrimp based as I am allergic to shrimp.
(4)
San C.

We had a group of 7 and decided on the Family Dinner option. Little did we know when the bill came, the male server failed to mention to us the items he recommended (crab legs, prawns, 2 whole fish) in addition to the items in the family dinner was extra! Had we known we would not have ordered them! He just rattled out items. We should've known it was too good to be true when the platter came out. Our billed doubled to what it should have been. He ruined our experience. He knew he was wrong and did not even bother to say anything else to us at the end of the night after he paid our bill.
(1)
Marissa D.

I think this place does a great job with the food! The salsa is hot HOT! I came with a large group and the BYOB option was a great idea. Yes the plates are expensive but the portions are big! I will go back! The best was the half pineapple filled with a delish cheese sauce and random shrimps and fish.... #Yum
(4)
Worlowitz W.

This place is no frills and serves amazing seafood. It's hilarious/unintentionally campy inside with tons of crap on the walls - fishnets, starfish, anchors, random seafaring paraphernalia. It's a great place for families but you'll also see groups of adults enjoying themselves. Prices are a bit high, but the food is worth it if you like seafood.. My favorites are the octopus special and fried whole snapper, but I like everything I get there - shrimp, massive seafood cocktails, ceviche. It's BYO so come prepared. Potential cons: they play loudish tejano music, it's really bright inside, and they don't have the city's best servers. [shrug] Step out of your box, have a (barely) cultural experience and enjoy a memorable meal at a nontraditional restaurant. Be warned, the salsa is extremely spicy - think jalapeÃ±o puree.
(5)
Christian A.

I think I had the pleasure of eating here for the first time last year. All I can say is WOW! When I tasted the Crab Legs I felt like I went to heaven :) The seafood is great here , Actually I've only tried the Crab Legs and the Red Snapper but they are simply THE BEST! The crab Legs would be my least meal! Theyre amazing! I love this place and I cant wait to go back!
(5)
Kevin C.

Claustrophobes need not apply. This place is tiny, loud, and when somebody ponies up 5 dollars to put on the jukebox, you have to compete with a mariachi band SCREAMING IN SPANISH. The wait was pretty egregious - a promised 30 minute wait turned into well over an hour. But the meal starts off with free tostadas, and the servers are a blast. There was this one guy who knew the words to every song that came on, and loved to dance. Watching him enjoy his shift made me feel white and old, and I am neither. We split the nayarit prawns and the fried red snapper. The nayarit sauce is God's way of saying "Hey, sorry about AIDS." It's the crack rock of sauces, and I would punch Obama in the dick for the recipe. The fried red snapper came with a sauce that tasted more like garlic than garlic does. A physical impossibility, right there on my food. Reasonable prices, and it's BYOB. That wait is a killer though. Also, members of a mariachi band kept wandering in and out of the restaurant while we ate. I think they just liked the smell of the place. I can't blame them.
(4)
Janie J.

Seriously, I just died and went to sea food heaven. Bf and I are sitting across from each other, covered in crab and prawn juice, stuffed beyond belief, and waiting for our tres leches dessert while calling each other "little fat girls" in perfect satisfaction. We WILL be coming back. PS...you will not look sexy stuffing your face with crab and shrimp....so try to plan "sexy time" before dinner - not after.
(5)
Vivian H.

Having read the reviews, we knew what to order: nayarit prawns and fried red snapper (huanchinango). Lots of food, and we actually pretty much ate it all. The nayarit sauce is mindblowing.. I have no idea what they put in there but as boyfriend said, "I would eat a freaking raccoon if they cooked it in this sauce." Red snapper was delicious but I should have gotten it nayarit instead of garlic (not that the garlic was bad, it was amazing). Free tostadas to kick off the meal, friendly waitstaff, fun atmosphere with happy diners, BYOB, takes credit. Only thing is the wait.. woof. We waited an hour after being quoted 30 mins, and there were so many ppl waiting that I'm sure we were crowding the seated diners. Worth it though. They also blast the music and have mariachi singers popping in and out for some reason.
(4)
Brett F.

Mexican Seafood. It's a thing. Its gotta be, there are several places around town like this. The menus are the same and you usually come for the crab legs or the snapper. There are no tacos There are no beans. There's definitely no cheese. There's seafood. And that's it. I guess you either love it or you hate it. Or, like me, you're somewhere in the middle. I love seafood, but I also love a well-rounded menu. In an attempt to order appetizers for my table, I quickly realized the only options were either shrimp emanadas (p.s. they were bland and dry) or shrimp tostadas that they bring out as an amuse (I use that term insanely loosely) anyway for all guests. So, basically, you are really there to order an entree, eat that and leave. It's no frills and that's cool, but lemme tell ya, the crab is WORK. Real work. Peeling, cracking, digging, sucking and then repeating all of those steps for what seems like an eternity, for teeny, weeny, meeny pieces of crab. It's kind of exhausting. But delicious. But exhausting. I'm still not sure it's worth it. King crab legs, pre-cracked, aside drawn butter and fwantzy lemon in that little cheesecloth thingy seemed like Mecca after this. Take me to Mecca. Oh! And be warned: the salsa they bring you with the complimentary chips is really just glorified habanero juice. My mouth was en fuego for 6.5 hours after eating it. I drank 5 of my BYOB Coors Lights and still had no relief. Burny.
(3)
Christina M.

Let me start by saying....YOU RAISED YOUR PRICES!!!!! JEEZ! OK but i love you and seeing how there is no CORK fee paying 39.99 for crab legs as opposed to 29.99. Only seems fair. Narayit sauce I could just drink and live off of. I always order an extra side of it. We walked in at 9pm and were not surprised to see they were packed with people waiting for tables....(they close at ten) We were on our way to being turned away by the hostess and Our favorite server recognized us and told us he'd make sure we had a table. Love him so much because he knew we were there for crab legs as well. Had a great time....pumped the jukebox with dubstep and house and enjoyed my evening!
(5)
Sofia L.

Delicious! This is by far my favorite Mexican Seafood Spot! Must try the crab legs.
(5)
Mironda R.

When I arrived at this place, I had NO idea what to expect, except for my trusted yelper reviews. So a few things to note when you go to this place: 1. TRUST the address and not necessarily the sign on the door 2. Don't get lured away from its competitor El Barco across the street. 3. Do be prepared to wait if you have a large group. This place could not seat more than 50 people. And we waited 50 minutes even though we called ahead. 4. Do bring a church fan because IT IS HOT inside while you wait. 5. Don't be afraid to pop your bottles or cans in any corner of this place and relax while you wait So with that aside this place was well worth everything I endured and described above. Everyone here was fantastic and most accomodating while we waited and during our meal. The food that kept passing us looked delicious and smelled wonderful. The portions were huge and the people were eating like there was tomorrow. I am way excited to see what all this fuss is about. Susana was our waiter and she did not disappoint. Originally, we all were going to order this and that and then the birthday girl decided to ask for recommendations for the table and she offered up some favorites and recommended we waited to order anything else because it was a ton of food. She also said she didn't want us to be full before the mains came out. Talk about service! Before we ordered, they brought out these tortillas wth ceviche and the habernero salsa. I am not sure how I did not know about this beforehand, but this stuff is SPICCYYYYY. It had people at our table in tears and fits of coughing. Both were quite tasting and a nice start since by this time my insides were turning in on themselves. So we ordered the following items: Crab Legs Nayarit Style (crab in a Mexican red sauce of spicy tangy) - hands down some of the best crab I've ever had. I mean it was fresh, steamed to perfection. I get all excited just thinking about it. Guacamole - Again, fresh, fresh. I thought it was pretty tasty and one of my dining pals thought it was salty. Pico De Gallo - I am CONVINCED they put watermelon in this or the veggies were so fresh it must have jaded or something my taste buds. I could just eat a plate of this! Langoustines- quite tasty! It kind of compared to eating a lobster. Veryyyyyy good! Red snapper - This was the whole filet (bone-in) and it was less than exciting. Maybe we'll try it Nayarit style next time. The rice was quite tasty though! Chapuzon Del Mar (octopus, oyster, shrimp) - Just what it says. Not my favorite after trying the crab, but it didn't disappoint. Nothing was overcooked which is always appreciated. Total bill for 8 FULL adults with tip $213. We ate like rockstars, were served like kings, ate crabs and mariscos with our hands, and enjoyed our BYOB that chilled in a HUGE bucket. What better experience can one ask for? We are already planning our trip back for crabs, rice, guacamole.. and we'll bring mimosas and have us a classy brunch! This restaurant is not for the dainty or faint of heart. You will get your hands dirty, go through tons of napkins, and maybe talk with your mouth full asking for more. This place was amazing and I'm sure my review does not even do it justice!
(5)
Michele R.

Excellent seafood. Dinning area is very small, would not be great for groups. Somr dishes are very spicey for kids. But if you like spice and like seafood this is the place to be. Speak very little English, but enough to understand. LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!
(5)
Kathleen C.

I can't believe I forgot to review this spot when I went in the winter! I went for the crab legs and they were divine! This is a very small spot. It seems mostly filled with regulars, but the staff is still very friendly to others. We shared the crab legs and started with some guac. Everything was very delicious, though I made a major mess of the table/myself/my clothes with those crab legs because I couldn't stop devouring them! The atmosphere is ok - nothing super, but then again, I didn't come for mood lighting and candles...I came for the food! I would have loved to not have kids running around the tables (and by running around the tables, I mean, basically at my feet...and they weren't with us, though I suppose it's not really the restaurant's fault)...but, I'm knocking one star for atmosphere (and bathrooms). In any case, the food is wonderfully priced, delicious and it's BYO! Great spot.
(4)
Capt M.

Salsa excellent! Soup marginal. Service incompetent and rude, forgetful. Won't be back.
(2)
Stohn C.

Tried it out today since the reviews looked great...no bueno. A whole Lotta money gets you a whole Lotta nothin. $70 for 2 waters, order of crab and a half order of prawns. prawn plate was literally 5 prawns cut in half, $20. Crab had no flavor, shells were very hard to open, wasn't satisfied... Will not be returning. Mariscos La Islitas is still my go-to for delicious seafood for much less and you get more bang for your buck.
(2)
Jean Z.

I'm on the fence about this place. Mexican Seafood. Yum. Shrimp ceviche tostadas and fish tacos. Yum. Dirty bathroom with toilets that barely flush. Gross Poor parking resources. Boo
(3)
Monica C.

I thought this was only going to be decent. The prices were a bit higher than I expected but it was worth it. They give you complimentary hard tortilla shell with some seafood mix thing on top along with lots of limes, habanero sauce, extra tortilla shells and crackers, and a ton of hot sauces to try. My boyfriend and I ordered the half order of prawns and the stuffed pineapple. The prawns were perfectly cooked with a some sweet and savory spice rub thing that I can't describe. A bit too salty for my tastes, but it was worth it. The pineapple is a good choice if you want a lot of variety and food. It comes in a hollowed out pineapple. It's filled with shrimp, crab, scallop, octopus, and peppers topped with melted ooey gooey cheese. The pieces are huge and there's so much it is literally over flowing. It comes with 4 sides: seasoned fries, salad, rice, and garlic bread. But honestly, though the sides are tasty (not so much for the salad), I would just eat the seafood. It gets sort of watery towards the bottom, but still good. It gets crowded and looks a bit dingy compared to the cooler seafood place across the street, but man, you have to go, it's so good and classy with music and byob.
(5)
Nikki K.

I was recommended this place and then looked at the reviews and thought "Oh wow, sounds great." It's a total hole in the wall, that smelled like cleaning solution and fishy, they were BLARING music (and it was full of people screaming at each other because they couldn't talk over the music). The salsa was painfully spicy which was not enjoyable. The server was terrible - I think she came by once to refill my water after I had to ask twice. (refer back to painfully spicy salsa). I got the shrimp nayarit style and it wasn't good - tasted like bbq sauce in a watery form on top of overcooked shrimp and it was $20! This place nor the quality of the food deem to have a $20 plate that is mediocre at best. I will not be back.
(1)
Rose A.

We had a party of 6 at 530p. The restaurant was almost full and we were seated upstairs. The loud pop music muffled out wild 2 and 5 year old. They start the dinner with a crab ceviche tostada. Tasty. We ordered the prawns, crab, and octopus that everyone raves about...and it was great. Byob made it even better. We had a great time! We will be back!
(4)
Kevin C.

Craving seafood? Too ADD to decide on a place? Look no further. Although we made reservations they were not upheld. Ended up drinking (slamming) Coronas in the dining area, awkwardly crowding tables and shifting around as people were seated. They were packed at when we arrived and waited almost one hour past our "reservations" on a Saturday. Best bet is to come around 10, when the crowd thins out before they shut down at 11. Back to craving seafood. The langostinos were legit - please don't try to eat this with a fork - finger food! Spicy broth and onions ended up being a great compliment to the saltines provided. Oysters were also on our minds...they were ok. Not super cold but hey, I still enjoyed. Stuffed pineapple and crabs looked awesome. - Dive atmosphere - Food is turned out quickly - Service with a smile - Your clothes will smell like crab's culo - BYOB Almost guaranteed you'll want to make a trip back during a weekday.
(4)
Christopher Z.

Drrrroooooooooooooooo [pause] oooooooooool! There's not too many restaurants that I visit 4 times in the span of 2 weeks. But Mariscos El Veneno definitely is one of those places. You walk into this small establishment and it is always crowded during their dinner service. I've been there on different days of the week and there's always a good amount of people dining.Their decor reminds me of the ocean with little knick-knacks hanging from the wall and ceiling. It has a very chill and laid back atmosphere. They have live music on a regular basis, but not every night. Fridays during Lent can get rather crowded with wait times up to 30-45 minutes. They do have an upstairs section that they open during these busy periods. On to the good stuff... Crab Legs - Holy smokes, Batman! Dare I say the BEST crab legs ever? The crab is cooked so perfectly often times you don't need the crab cracker to get into these bad boys. The crab meat is always so juicy and tender, never rubbery or mushy. Langostines Nayarit - This whole Nayarit business that they have going on here is amazing. The langostines are cooked perfectly. Tender and full of flavor. There's so much going on with the Nayarit sauce that they submerge and pour over the langostines. Capuzon Del Mar - Crack. Yes, like crack cocaine. This dish is super addicting. Before you know it, you have eaten the entire dish. The seafood in this dish, octopus, shrimp, and oysters. It is truly a dip in the sea! The flavor is so impactful in this dish. The various types of seafood in this dish add different layers and textures to the already amazing sauce. Tip: Add some of this to your salad. You won't regret it. Red Snapper - Huge. Ginormous. They don't cheat you when you order the fried red snapper. As always, throw some Nayarit sauce on it and you're set. The fish is fried nicely and to your specifications. The flavor is always amazing and the fish is already tasty by itself without any Nayarit sauce. Tilapia - Very very very good! Unfortunately the red snapper outshines it in my opinion. The fish is cooked really nicely and the price point is on point! Stuffed Fish Filet - This dish was good, but there was a little too much going on. Everything was cooked nicely and had a nice flavor, but the cheese on the dish seems to overpower and mask a lot of the flavors that they have going on. 7 Seas Soup - It was good, but a little on the disappointing side. When I think of a traditional Seven Seas Soup, I think of an overwhelming amount of seafood pouring out of the bowl. There was a very modest amount of seafood to be found in the bowl. The flavor was okay, but there is so much more they could have done with the soup. Perhaps we came in on an off day, but I'll definitely have to retry it. Their habanero salsa is amazing. Such great spice, hotness and flavor! Add it to any dish to enhance the spice. If you don't like spice, just add the tiniest amount or just simply stay away from it because it will definitely burn your mouth. Don't forget to add an horchata to your order as well. It's so delicious and definitely hits the spot. It also cools down your mouth nicely. The staff is always super friendly and helpful. They tend to be a little slow with refilling your water glass, but if you get their attention they will be right there to help you. I have no idea what exactly comprises the Nayarit flavor, but I am absolutely obsessed with it. Come in a group and share your food! This way you get to experience more of the deliciousness that comes from their kitchen. #hellaYUMMS
(5)
Abe R.

Where can you get fresh seafood at fair prices, all served up in huge portions? Here, that's where. Let me just try and help if you haven't been here before... 1. The portions are huge. 2. The prices range from $15-$45, even up to $130 for a family tray. 3. The smaller/cheaper portion is enough for TWO, easily. 4. The fish is incredibly fresh. 5. The place is BYOB. 6. There was a wait of 45 minutes at 6 p.m. on a Sunday night. 7. The staffs english isn't the best. 8. Street Parking is free on Augusta so try and park there. 9. It's loud and a bit wild which was great. 10. They serve Habanero Salsa(hot for some) and a free fish Tostada to all.. 11. I will be there every Sunday night. Don't stare at me... Here was my order: A. Seafood Ensalada-- This was the most fresh seafood I have ever had on a plate. It consisted of 6 fresh oysters, diver scallops, crab, shrimp, whitefish, and avocado, all marinated in Lime juice just like a traditional ceviche. This is the holy grail for me when it comes to seafood, as it's super fresh, huge, tasty, and just plain great. I will be eating this every Sunday night from here on out. B. 1/2 Tray of Prawns-- These are done similarly to a crawfish boil style, as the seasonings and flavor components are quite the same. Now while I did really enjoy this dish, it was just sort of like the extra girl in a threesome that I touched up a bit here and there, but wasn't my main focus. Sure she has all that I want, but when the five star is right next to her, well she pales in comparison, and there ain't squat she can do about it... All in all this place is easily five stars. My recommendation? BYOB and kick back while you wait, because it's gonna be a minute, as even when I left at 8 p.m. that Sunday night, there was still a line out the door. Enjoy Suckas'!!!
(5)
Rebeca B.

Horrible service. The only thing the waitress did was bring my horchata and then my check. The cook brought out our food and we were never asked for refills/how everything tasted. Won't be coming back.
(1)
He And She I.

Oh. My. Goodness. SO glad we found this place on Yelp. And don't even mind that we ended up with a parking ticket. The food is that good. It is a family/working class restaurant, with freshly cooked seafood like you've never before experienced. Just go. Don't order without assistance from the friendly waitstaff, or you'll end up feeding several tables worth. And BYOB. People came in with small coolers of their own beer, because it will take more than one each to wash down the deliciousness of the lobster/shrimp/crab/octopus/oyster/whichever you can pick. No other crab legs will ever be good enough.
(5)
Justin W.

Still love the place, but the price on the crab has gone up to 45 dollars a serving. In addition, they also are no longer king crab legs as of a few days ago. Still really good, love the nayarit sauce, crab is great, fried red snapper is awesome. Just different than when I first ate there a year ago.
(3)
Coll P.

We got lucky and got a table just before the rush hit! By the time we were leaving (8:30 on a Friday) there were people stuffed in the hallways and hanging around out front. Don't come here expecting to linger over your BYO bottle of wine, because the servers here get you in and out a little too quickly! We were still taking our jackets off when our waitress asked if we knew what we wanted. Ummm, no. You get a complimentary tostada to start, but beware of the sauce on the table. My mouth was on fire after thinking I could handle the heat. I got the Nayarit style camarones as my meal and they were difficult to eat....ie. finger licking, splashing sauce everywhere, but DELICIOUS. I'll be back!
(4)
Lizzy R.

This place has the most amazing Mexican-style seafood. I came here with family and, having read many yelp reviews about this place, we knew exactly what to order: crab legs Nayarit style and prawns Nayarit style. They came out without much of a wait, dripping in delicious spicy garlicky sauce. The crab legs were very easy to crack and so sweet and meaty, and the prawns were just as wonderful. We honest-to-god moaned out loud while eating them, and chomped through both platters in a blissful seafood-enduced stupor. It's important to mention that this is messy food. The sauce gets all over while you crack the crab legs, so wear a shirt that you don't mind getting dirty. Despite this, I can honestly say that this was the best seafood I've had in a very long time. We didn't think the salsa that they bring out at the beginning of the meal was as spicy as other reviewers have said, but we are very spice-tolerant. Our waitress was very nice, answered all of our questions with a smile, and made sure our water glasses were full. The mariachi band was a nice touch. Overall, a great place to go if you're craving seafood with an authentic Mexican ambiance. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone!
(5)
Den M.

Being a seafood lover, and read reviews, we decided to check this place out. I have to say yelpers was on the money! We had the crab legs and red snapper. Both of them were DELICIOUS! They gave us our money worth. I also love that its BYOB:) I would of given 5 stars, if the waiter would of checked on us, and had not "announced" our total bill to us(which is very unprofessional & insulting & embarrassing) .
(4)
Olivia A.

For $40 you get about 5 king/snow crab leg clusters NAYARIT STYLE and it is the way to go! I don't load up on the sauce because it can be a overwhelming for my liking, however some of my friends love it and pour it all over their food. When you first arrive, your server brings out this cold mixture of white fish, diced tomatoes and onions on a tostada like an appetizer and it's awesome! My 6yr old son had the shrimp tacos and was in heaven, until he decided to engage in (without my knowledge) an HORCHATA CHUGGING CONTEST with his 7yr old cousin! Needless to say, my son lost and there was vomit all over the table. yuck. Naturally, I started cleaning but their wait staff was so amazing and helpful, they were literally there helping the entire time! A+ for the food and A++ for the service! Do yourself a favor and pay them a visit
(4)
Jeremy N.

This place has never let me down. Not once. I've lived within a block or two of Veneno for years so been there plenty of times and tried many things. First of all, if you've never been, I highly recommend the red snapper that they serve (full fish served with fries and some salad). Other things that deserve honorable mention are the Pina Rellena (that might not be the exact name, but basically it's a half pineapple hollowed out and stuffed with seafood, cheese and pineapple chunks. it's heavenly.) More recently tried the filet of fish, rancheros style, which was great. we were very lucky the first time we were there that we sat at a table with an article on the wall explaining that their salsa was hot enough to burn your face off. They bring the stuff out and it looks so innocent but holy hell stay away from that stuff unless you are the bravest of souls. BYOB too which is sweet but come prepared - it's about a 2 block walk to either Division or Chicago to the closest liquor stores. Sometimes, especially in the summer, there will be a long wait anyways though and trust me - it's worth the wait.
(5)
Anthony C.

The absolute worst I have ever had. They were out of the food we wanted. Had to decide on something else. Asked for Horchata 7 times. Asked for guacamole 3 times. Never got it and when the idiot waiter brought me the check, he had the nerve to say "We didn't charge you for the guacamole, senor". Damn right you didn't since I NEVER got it. El Barco is directly across the street and I am so very sorry I didn't leave and just go there. I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THIS HOLE.
(1)
rebecca m.

Really great food and service! We went on a busy evening and the staff were able to accommodate us. We received attentive and friendly service. Food is great! Limeade is great! I also enjoyed the small space because it gives the restaurant a friendly and intimate feel. Plus it's a byob. I'll definitely be back for the shrimp soup and octopus!
(4)
Rebecca R.

Wow, this place is crazy and delicious. I went here on a week night and the place was packed. The reason I even wanted to try this mystery place was because every time I ran past it, no matter the time or the day, the place was always jammed with all kinds of people. I scouted out the menu and ventured in with a partner in crime. We ordered the prawns and some kind of seafood rice in a pineapple. I was impressed with all the flavors and how quickly they bring out the food. They are good at what they do in there. When you sit down you get a delicious fish taco and chips and salsa to snack on while you make the hard decision of picking only a few things off the menu. Don't forget it is BYOB.
(5)
Shane E.

Ceviche dreams are made of these. Who am I to disgree? I travel the world And the seven seas Everybody's looking for something. Eurythmics, we don't have to look anymore. Our seafood search is over. The prawns are unreal. Buttery, seasoned and grilled to perfection. The complimentary ceviche shouldn't be free, but it is. Halved pineapple with seafood and cheese melted over, wtf? I'll take two!
(5)
Melissa M.

I was not a fan. However, my boyfriend was. I'll give you both of our sides, but since this is my yelp account, I can't give it more than one star. They place on your table some unappealing looking contraption of a whitefish(? - I really have no idea, purely a guess since the waiters hardly speak to you) tostada that lacks any flavor at all. With it comes a red salsa that looks incredibly innocuous, but was by far the most offensively spicy salsa that I have ever had in my life. I have a high tolerance for spice, but my head and throat were on fire for about 15 minutes after one single bite. Strike 2. I remained open minded and ordered the shrimp taco, one of my favorite Mexican dishes. I'll grant them this one as a win - the tortilla was warm, flavorful, and the shrimp was well seasoned. Although, I would have appreciated some sort of warning of a mysterious sour cream-like topping on it, but that's neither here nor there. I also ordered the guacamole. Unless you love onions, I wouldn't recommend it. It lacked any flavor other than the 60% composition of red onion. I was severely disappointed. Even $3 for this is an outrage - I'd say it had less than half of an avocado in it, so being generous, this probably generates a 200% profit ratio for them. My boyfriend's meal could not have had more polarized opinions between the two of us - he ordered the shrimp and crab mixture with noodles in a red sauce. I think it was the Huicholes Shrimp. I thought it was terrible. It was lackluster in flavor, runny, and had little to no seasoning other than the sauce. He, on the other hand, thought that the sauce was one of the "top 3" marinades he's ever had. I don't know. I'm just the messenger. Overall, I really wouldn't suggest this place. The service is shotty, the ambiance (if you can even call it that) gives me the shivers, and I am positive that you can pay the same amount, if not less, for a meal that is 235023 times better.
(1)
Jeremy D.

Came here for lunch after a very hard day of trying to find the perfect elements to my "Two Wild And Crazy Guys" ensemble for a party that a bro and I are going to. Hey, it's a GOOD party and worth the effort of finding all the right elements needed. Right down to the "tight pants that highlights our bulges". Anyway, I digress. This was a suggestion from my friend whom is my "swinging brother from Czechoslovakia" and a good suggestion it was! Place is cramped and it's also FULL of locals whom were NOT speaking English. Went for Shrimp Cervices and the Prawns Nayarit style. Really good! Earthy spicy, not overwhelmingly heated in spice. Simple, split and head-on so you can get at the deliciousness that awaits in the heads. Cervice was solid. Service is a bit frazzled, it's BYOB but the food is very good.
(4)
Kate R.

Ceviche was awesome! Octopus was extremely overcooked.
(3)
Andy F.

My wife and I ate here last night and loved it. I was a little apprehensive after some of the mixed reviews but we thought the food and service were great. It's a small space and the atmosphere is pleasant and family friendly. As other reviewers mentioned the salsa is wicked hot but they warn you when they put it on the table. We ordered the crab legs and couldn't finish them - they were incredible and the portion was beyond generous. I would say stick to the house specialties like the crab, prawns or octopus though. A couple next to us ordered a shrimp dish and it looked just okay and we overheard them comment as much.
(5)
Ami M.

This is STRICTLY about customer service. I didn't decide to go after a phone exchange. Not yet anyway. I wanted to plan out a nice time for my parents Valentine's Day. My dad wanted to try something new, and both my parents wanted seafood. So I called ahead of time thinking that's the responsible thing to do. So I called. It was kind of loud in the background. I asked the young man who worked there if they took reservations. He said only in larger groups. Cool. So I asked if the restaurant might be busy later, since it was Valentine's Day. That's a pretty good question to ask I though. He said he wasn't sure; he had to wait till later. Okay. All this sounds reasonable, right? Well here's the problem; this person was very short with me. It was as if he was exceedingly annoyed that I was calling. He seemed in a huge hurry to get off the phone. Okay. I understand that you're busy; I'm an understanding kind of girl. But if it's THAT busy, then tell me that! That was my whole point for calling. To ask that very question. I wanted to know if it's too busy for my mother, who gets uncomfortable in certain situations in restaurants. I WANTED to give this restaurant my money instead of sending my parents to Red Lobster. But I was very put off by my phone conversation. Then he hung up after I said "Oh okay." No bye, or thank you for calling. If that's how a phone conversation goes, I'd rather wait to send my parents somewhere they've never been and their server will be the same way. Hoping that this year, I get to go and actually taste their food. TL;DR VERSION Phone conversation; Person was very short with me and was not helpful. I was planning a special occasion. Wanted to send my parents here, but was put off by the snotty attitude. :( I am sad.
(2)
Elvira P.

great place, prices are a little high but it's worth it considering the large portions. The habanero salsa was just right for me I LOVE spicy food. I had the chapuzon del mar and it was so flavorful, I ordered the smaller plate and still took home leftovers. My only advice is try to avoid coming on a weekend because it's a small place, the wait time will be 30 minutes.
(5)
Llamar 2.

Great Mexican seafood joint. I love their cocktails! Unlike many other restaurants, Veneno cocktails are loaded with flavor and big pieces of octopus ! Staff is tentative and very nice.
(5)
Andrea S.

Byob. Each entree was gigantic. They came with fries, garlic bread and rice. Very random but tasty. I barely touched my camerones al ajillo before being soooo full. When you sit down they give some ceviche with super, ridiculous hot sauce (and I can handle hot) I can't wait to go back.
(4)
Erin N.

When you sit down in Mariscos, there's already a buffet of hot sauces to pick from and they bring fresh fried tortillas with a delicious spicy avocado dipping sauce and basic hot salsa. Then, there's the margaritas--one hits you in the head pretty fast, but they're so delicious it's hard to stop. Then there's the seafood part. If you have a weak spot for things that live in the sea AND mexican food, this place is a must.
(4)
Jennie C.

OMG I can't believe I didn't try this place sooner, being a huge seafood fan. I actually first heard about this place from my Comcast technician, who says I should give "real Mexican food" a try when I told him I'm not a fan of Mexican food. Not sure if it's authentic Mexican but the seafood was OUTTA THIS WORLD! The selection, amount and flavors were unbelievable. Eating here made me forget I'm in the midwest and temporarily transported me to a small island in the ocean. We had the crab legs, prawns, fried red snapper and the 7 seas soup. The soup was so humongous I had to get a friend to finish my leftovers next day. It's a tiny BYOB place, so don't go during peak dinner hours or you'll have to wait quite a while (though totally worth it).
(5)
iddells E.

I have forgotten about El Barco across the street and now consider Mariscos El Veneno the place for Mexican seafood. I love that as soon as you sit down, you're served ceviche on a tostada that's accompanied by slices of lime and a fiery salsa (EXTREMELY spicy!!). The ceviche is very tasty and sets the tone for the deliciousness that's about to come. We ordered a platter of succulent crab legs and a platter of prawns. The sauce that both are bathed in is phenomenal. We dug in and got dirty, inevitably splashing some sauce and crab bits on ourselves. The service is good and the waiters are nice. The tiny place was packed on a Tuesday night and you do feel a bit cramped. But that doesn't matter when you have these beautiful dishes right in front of you. I've already been here several times and each time has been great!
(5)
Dex Y.

According to various info sources, both online and words of mouth, they open till 10PM on Sundays. We arrived there a few minutes before 9PM, but was told bluntly that they're already closed. Not even a 'sorry' was said. They just seemed that they didn't wanna serve. And here's the interesting part, right after we took off about 3 minutes later, a group of two was seated outdoors. That 's my very first experience of restaurant rejection in Chicago. Actually in a sense they're doing me a favor cuz later I found out some people got food poisoned at this place. Cool, I don't wanna eat at a dirty shack like this anyways. Recommend if you wanna get dehydrated (due to diarrhea).
(1)
Disa C.

SEAFOOD HEAVEN!!! I've never eat seafood this good. It can be expensive but its well worth it. Having BYOB is perfect for this place. What do you put in that SAUCE!?!
(5)
Jourdan S.

Allow me to preface this with the fact that I eat enough seafood to all but ensure my grand children will never taste the fruits of the ocean, and that I'm fairly certain I will die of mercury poisoning at 35 (I'm 29). This place is amazing. I've been here 3 times now and the nayarit style crab is phenomenal. It's fresh, spicy and cooked properly. The octopus is also amazing. It's super tender and charred to perfection on the grill. As soon as you taste it you know they boiled it for a long time then thew it on the grill. They do it right. It's byob which is also awesome, and the complimentary ceviche is very good as well. Lastly I sincerely appreciate that their house salsa is hot as hell. I'm Korean and pride myself on eating everything short of red hot coals. Their salsa curls my toes in the best way. I appreciate that they maintain their food integrity and make their salsa so hot most people won't eat more than one bite. That's the mark of a good chef- "I make my salsa hot, so hot most people don't like it, but thats the way it should be so I'm gonna keep making it like that" This place is a diamond in the rough.
(5)
Whitney M.

While the food was absolutely delicious, the aftermath was brutal. All 6 of us who ate dinner at Mariscos ended up getting viral food poisoning. If you've never had it, it hits you 24-48 hours after ingesting improperly cooked seafood, and lasts for 4 horrible days. However, our friends who suggested the restaurant had eaten there in the past with no trouble...and the food is good enough to make me want to risk returning. The pineapple filled with seafood was top notch.
(2)
Ashley K.

Get the langoustines! - Get the FULL TRAY!! the sauce is like crack.
(5)
Angela S.

Holy hot sauce! Food here is definitely great. I like the place across the street too, but this place at least spiffs up the bathroom and the floor (a bit more). The complimentary tortillas/salsa combo was extremely hot - as we were warned. If you can take the heat, get something from this kitchen.
(3)
Deneen K.

The food here was great. Very impressed. Parking was horrible get ready for a walk. But the food is well worth it.
(5)
Kaio B.

cant beat this place for seafood mexican style. Go for the food and forget the rest... cause there really isnt anything else to talk about. its byob, small, popular with the locals and recently in the news so be ready for the wait. Very friendly servers too.
(5)
Kris L.

Went to Mariscos al veneno on a weekend with a group of 6 -not the best idea for hungry folk as we waited about an hour. The food was well worth it! Upon seating they brought over the citrus ceviche on a tostada which whets the appetite. Had the prawns which were out of this world! Amazing flavor and the sauce (i have no idea what was in it) was spicy and a party in the mouth! Also loved the red snapper - entirely fried. Delicious! The service was meh, but it's a crowded hole in the wall, so don't expect much on that end. This place also wasn't the cleanest and there were screaming children at the table next to us, so don't go if you are expecting a great ambience. The food made it all vale la pena!
(4)
Tiffany T.

You always have to wait an hour to get a table. So get prepared and bring a 6-pack beer. It's BYOB! Needless to say, get their deep-fried whole fish and make fish tacos out of it!
(4)
Ben M.

Mariscoooooooos! This place was awesome - how awesome was it? Coming back twice in the same week? Oh no you didnt. Oh yes I did. Here is what I loved: -the ceviche distrae-boca (Spanish for amuse-bouche?) with the hottest hot sauce I have ever tasted -the friendly wait-staff who reliably told us what to get when we said we had never been there before -the red snapper, served whole - I havent seen a fish cooked like that since Thailand happened to me. -the CRAB PLATE - with more crabs than planned parenthood, this dish shut down all conversation while we could crack and conquer our crustaceans. Will I go back? Definitely. This Friday, actually. Plans have been made. Show up early, as it can get crowded.
(5)
Abby T.

Man, I gotta say: I CRAVE food from El Veneno! At first blush, I thought, "I don't want to have to break up wet crabs dripping with sauce." But then after I tried it, I was hooked. Very delicious. The place is a totally unsuspecting storefront. It's BYOB and the food is very authentic cuisine from Nayarit so expect to wait a little bit for a table. Expect your hands to smell like sauce and seafood for the rest of the night -- worth it!!! I also love the complimentary tostada starter, topped with ceviche de marlin. That is definitely something that I love and crave so much that I order it as my entree. The must-order though is the crab legs Nayarit style. It's enough to feed 3 people or 2 very hungry people. Also, beware of the sauce they provide each table with....it is straight up habanero mashed up! Talk about a burning tongue from that stuff. mmmmm.....can't wait to go back to this joint!
(5)
Jay K.

I found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try. There were a few things you should note: 1) The name of the place has changed. While the menus still say Mariscos El Veneno, the awning outside has a new name. Same restaurant however. 2) I went on a Friday night with 5 people. We expected a decent wait. The wait actually turned out to be 1.5 hours, which we were okay with. Having said that, the place is SMALL. They have an upstairs for 3 tables but you cannot really stand anywhere comfortably to wait. People were in the stairwell drinking beers (it's BYOB) and the other people were standing crowding the diners. We left and came back as did other people. The hostess had limited English proficiency and we saw she misinterpreted people leaving after putting their names down as signs they were going elsewhere. We spoke to her in Spanish and fortunately were reserved a spot in the queue. Even when we were done dinning at 11pm, there were people waiting for tables. The people who dine here are very eclectic. Lots of locals and the infamous foodies. We ordered a number of dishes and they were all delicious. The sauces were spicy and unique. For seafood, they were bold flavors but no so overwhelming you could not taste the subtle flavors of the seafood. One of my friends does not like seafood. They do not have any non-seafood options FYI. I won't lie, I eat really really really (can I add in another "really") spicy food. I ignored the warnings of the habanero salsa and loaded up my tostada with it so it was near soupy. I paid the price...that and the next day. It was good but insanely HOT. It is to be enjoyed in moderation. Overall, our bill was about $30 a person and we went all out trying different things and eating till we were bursting. That does not include drinks as this place is BYOB. In summary, this is a place you go to for the food. The ambiance, wait, and service definitely have room for improvement but that is also what gives this place it's hole in the wall feel. If you like spicy food and seafood, this is a place you should definitely try out.
(4)
Sara M.

So I am already homesick for Chicago but after going to this place on my last visit, I'm hungersick for the Windy City. Yup, I just made up that word. My sister loves food too and we decided to have a lunch just the two of us. We batted ideas back and forth but ultimately decided on Mariscos El Veneno since it was a new place to us, we love seafood, and I religiously scoured the reviews on Yelp. Parking was easy, we were seated immediately, and received ceviche on a tostada all in about 5 minutes. I was not exactly sure how to eat it but karate-chopped it in pieces with my fork and picked them up with my hand. Pretty yummy especially with a bit of that extremely hot salsa/pico de gallo stuff. We ordered the langostinos and the crabs Nayarit style. The langostinos came out first with rice, salad, and fries. I picked one up that had been nicely halved and thrust it in my mouth. WTF. I was so shocked at the buttery sauce, the lovely heat, the sweetness of the flesh, the graininess of the head...perfection. I pretty much stopped talking to my sister (who did the same) and could not eat these things quickly enough. Also worthy of noting are the fries - I wish we had a plate of just these. Then, this huge platter of crabs arrives and I'm thinking everyone in the restaurant is seriously doubting that we can put even a small dent in the massive amount of food we acquired. Little do they know that these two Asians can EAT. My sister is way daintier about cracking the crabs. I picked them up, ripped legs off, broke shells in half with my bare hands, fished out pieces of that succulent sweet meat, and dipped it in the sauce. I went through many napkins but those dead trees sure had it good. We tore through all the langostinos and one half of a crab was left. I was sitting there contently full and already dreaming of my next visit. Oh, and the price? High for lunch but considering all we ate, that was definitely decent. The only bad thing about this place is that we didn't eat the food fast enough and it got cold.
(5)
Francisco C.

This places food is heavenly and I think that I will agree that the place is way to small but I also believe that if it got a bigger spot it would loose its touch thank you and come ready with your 12pk or fav wine I and ready to wait at least 30 min
(3)
Ben E.

I could easily see myself becoming a regular at Mariscos El Veneno. I suppose El Barco is "nicer" looking, but this restaurant is a lot more fun and the food is definitely superior. Plus, it's just a fun place to go. Loud music, big groups of friends or entire families sharing huge communal meals, and friendly service make this a wonderful experience. And of course, there's the food. Everyone's meal starts with a basket of tostadas and crackers, a plate of lime wedges, a decent tostada with ceviche, and, of course, their infamous salsa. I thought the salsa was incredible. While the habanero certainly burns, the salsa also has a nice citrus flavor with a bit of sweet red onion in the mix; there are subtleties here that deserve your attention. It's certainly the kind of condiment I could easily imagine being served on a beach in Mexico and is a compulsory experience for anyone who appreciates spicy food. I decided to order the mojarra frita, Nayarit style. It's less expensive than the huachinango (red snapper) and is served with rice, salad, and reasonably good fries. The fish was tender, perfectly cooked, and really more than enough for one person. The final bill was $12, not including tip (BYOB certainly helps in that regard). This was a ridiculous bargain. Now I just have to go back and try the shrimp, langoustines, octopus, and everything else. I can't even imagine how busy Mariscos El Veneno gets later in the evening. I was here at about 5:45 on a Friday night and it was already packed. By the time I left, there was a solid crowd of people waiting for a table. Even so, the staff made sure to provide anyone bringing in beer or wine with buckets of ice and, in the case of those who chose to mix their own margaritas, whatever else they needed for the process. This is a great neighborhood restaurant. I can't really think of any reason to go back to El Barco in the future when I can head here instead.
(4)
Robert B.

No problems! I was so impressed, the best Mexican food ever! The most delicious crab I have ever tasted, I couldn't get enough...and the whole table was heaping with hot food. My wife is so jealous, I might have to fly her to Chicago just so she can eat the best crab ever! Well worth the price!
(5)
Jeff L.

Food was great but the service was terrible. We watched a party that came in 15 minutes after us get seated before us. When we were seated, we waited 10 minutes before we had to ask for water. We ordered before the table of 6 next to us placed their order. Their entrees came out before our appetizers came out...wish we had a better service experience and we'd come back. The good food lost to the terrible service.
(3)
L M.

Maybe I ordered badly - but I didn't think this place was that great. The menu is entirely seafood. By seafood, I mean Tilapia, shrimp, and crab. There are no meat options so if you are thinking you'd like some carne asada, you'd better head across the street to El Barco. Beware of the 'house' salsa. The waitress set it on the table and warned it was hot. This usually doesn't faze me because I add hot sauce to pretty much everything. However, this salsa was nuclear. I found it was still burning my mouth 15 minutes later when the shrimp tacos arrived. The shrimp tacos were another miss. Someone in the kitchen took the creative liberty of drowning the shrimp in ranch dressing. That's all the taco consisted of. Shrimp and lots of ranch dressing. Pretty disgusting. I wiped the shrimp off with a napkin, finished what I could and then took off as fast as I could. The service was good and maybe the food is too - just not what I ordered.
(2)
Jenna C.

Cute little casual place with very delicious seafood, plus efficient service.
(5)
Sarah N.

As others have said, the crab legs Nayarit style are terrific. It's definitely a tight space and it gets very busy (sometimes service reflects that), but generally my experiences have been great. BYOB is a nice perk. I haven't tried too much on the menu because whenever I'm there I'm craving the crab legs... I love spice and although sometimes the free ceviche appetizer is totally tolerable, once or twice I've gone and it was been incredibly hot - like almost-ruins-your-taste-buds-for-the-rest-of-the-Âmeal hot - so watch out!
(4)
Soren H.

My new favorite restaurant... I can not belive how good the food was. Chevice was so fresh and the Octopussy and oysters ant the..... I ate so much for lunch, I could not eat for another 24+ hours....:) BYOB. I wish I was back in Chicago. Outstanding!
(5)
Alexander N.

I went with a friend and had a dinner for two. Started out with a drink, the horhata. It tasted like it was just sugar mix with water, They even cheap out on the cinnamon. I had better, not impress so far about this place. Fish taco was okay, wasn't too crazy about it. I just wished the meat wasn't fry breaded. Main course, the tray of shrimps. Absolutely bursting with flavor, very delicious (recommend) The service, horrible. There was only two waitress working that night, I had to raise my hand like I was still in grammar school for 5-8 minute just to ask for my check and it took them another 5-8 minute just to bring it to me. Then another 5-8 minutes to take my credit card and another 5-8 minutes to bring it back to me. That was close to being 30 minutes, ridiculous. Normally a dinner would take about an hour or so (+ conversation), especially a dinner for 2 excluding line-waiting. I recommend putting in more time in the meter (yes, there is meter parking) and save yourself running back out with the lack of service they have going on. Would I go back? Maybe, for the tray of shrimp. But not as a regular with the price tag of $35+
(2)
Helen H.

This is def. a hidden local place that somehow everyone knows about. ambiance: VERY crowded and a long wait. it's just like home-cooking- you smell like what you just cooked. but that just makes me sad b/c i want to eat more and the smell of my clothes just reminds me im not there! i have to take points off for that. :( that, and i hate being crowded. so claustrophobic. also, everything is in Spanish- a little bit too un-english friendly for my taste. food: so interesting and delicious! i had a seafood stuffed pineapple! I would've thought that was disgusting sounding, but my server insisted, and i'm so glad she did! It was filled with tons of seafood and hot bubbly cheese inside a huge pineapple! it also came with delicious fries, pinepalle slices, and garlic bread. so delicious. however, it did get too rich after a while, so i had to stop. my date had a whole red snapper! very delicious as well. however, he was a little weirded out by the fish head (normal for me and my culture, i gladly ate the fish's cheeks- def. the most delicate and delicious part of a fish!) great price for the amount of food you're getting! probably won't be back b/c it's quite out of the way to get to from my place, and i really hate being crowded. however, if i did come back, CRAB legs would def. be what i choose. those loooked SO delicious! def a place you should try out.
(3)
Mar V.

Awesome food but expect slow, poor, moody service.
(3)

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Address : 1024 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL, 60622
Phone (773) 252-7200
Website https://www.restaurantvenenodenayarit.com/
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :10:00 am - 10

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

Claim Restaurant

Mexican Cuisine

If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.

Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.

Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.

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Restaurant Veneno De Nayarit

1024 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622

Restaurant Veneno De Nayarit Menu

Soup

House Specialties

Try It While We Fish It

Main Dishes

Healthy Meal suggestions for Restaurant Veneno De Nayarit

Soup

House Specialties

Try It While We Fish It

Main Dishes

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