Mariscos El Oceano

Chicago’s Best Mariscos Restaurants | Eater Chicago

"Easy to miss but hard to forget, El Océano left Cicero to relocate to its unassuming new spot in Garfield Ridge in 2021. The restaurant´s extensive Nayarit seafood menu features aguachiles, seafood cocktails, and tostadas alongside soups, pasta, and even a shrimp hamburger. Many of El Océano’s offerings can be customized with sauces, each packed with flavor and varying heat. The Molcajete Océano is a standout; this pre-Hispanic stone bowl used to make guacamoles and salsas infuses a mineral-rich flavor into a mix of shrimp, crab legs, octopus, scallops, and mussels, all bathed in a spicy, garlicky Nayarit-style sauce. Pair it with one of their balanced, memorable micheladas (do not miss the tamarind one), or go bold with their cerveza Océano, beer garnished with shrimp, cucumber, and a kick of Valentina sauce and chile piquín. The laid-back environment is great for groups, with TVs for soccer watching and convenient parking." - Brenda Storch