El Barco Mariscos

I went to eat a late lunch with my mom, on a Friday. The place was dirty, a lot of garbage on the floor and the table was sticky. They only had 2 waitresses. It took about 20 minutes for one of them to come over and take our order, once they brought out order, No one ever come over to asked if we needed anything else. I wanted water, and I never got to asked for it. The food was very greasy, and they took $23 in tips from my credit card, that they didn’t received. I do not recommend this place, they don’t have handicap parking and their prices are very high, for the service and food are not worth it, go to the restaurant on the corner “La Condesa”, it’s clean and their food it’s very tasty, cheap, and you have plenty of food to take home.

Food is good, nice background at night. Service is hit or miss. Haven't been back since I left smelling like smoke, due to there exhaust fan issue? But food was on point 👉

Their whole fish never misses. Kids options are limited and aren’t the best the octopus and fish was amazing

TERRIBLE FOOD AND SERVICE. Took 10 minutes for a server to approach us. Servers lack knowledge and don’t know how to talk properly. Food wasn’t cooked properly and steak was all chewy. Overpriced, don’t waste your time coming here. As someone who works at fine dining, this is unacceptable. Where are the bussers? Terrible.

Nothing like a pitcher of margaritas on a hot summer down for a nice cool down. The steak and shrimp fajitas were fantastic, and we loved all the veggies that came with. I've never had shrimp quesadillas before but I'll be back for more of these!

Was there for Taco Tuesdays today. I've enjoyed this restaurant many times in the past, mostly in the evening. Today the staff was rude, the tacos consisted of dried up popcorn shrimp and a few slivers of dry chicken. The lime margarita was a premix and had little if any tequila in it. My friend ordered a different drink but the waitress went to two other tables that came in after, took their orders and made their drinks. I had to go up to the bar area and ask where his drink was. His steak fajitas were ok but were chewy skirt steak. (26 dollars) and I have had them before and they were always good at dinner time. I approached the owner with my concerns and she asked why we were taking our leftovers. I told her I spent 60 dollars on lunch so I may as well give it to the dog!

Music was too loud I had to ask for a menu. We were practically screaming at each other. Food was tasteless but drinks are fire! I do not recommend it.

Came here with my family and had an enjoyable experience with not only the food but the staff as well. They do tend to get a little crowded, especially since the area isn't very big, to begin with. We ordered camarones a la diabla, ceviche de camaron, empanadas de camaron tacos de Carne asada, enchiladas de Pollo, and langostinos a la diabla. All of the portions I'd say were pretty average sized for an American at lunch time, but most if not all plates come with a side of rice, beans, or vegetables if not a side of each. You can opt to have fries instead of the vegetable side as well. Anyways, let's start with the appetizers we ordered. Each empanada is ~$4.50, and that's PER empanada, obviously when we're on this side of town we do notice a price increase, but for $8 we could get 4 empanadas at another mariscos restaurant. Now onto the taste itself, it is served with a cream chipotle sauce on the side that you can use to dip, and honestly this was the best chipotle sauce I've ever had at a Mexican seafood restaurant. The empanadas themselves had a very crispy and flaky outer layer when most other places serve them soft. This was definitely a great decision, I have never had empanadas with this much flavor before even dipping them into a sauce. These get a 8/10. The shrimp ceviche was a little sour, but to each their own. It's served on a tostada with a pretty hefty amount on top, and when the table is sat they start with complimentary tostadas and salsas, so I can easily imagine just one order of the shrimp ceviche, making about 2 or even 3 more tostadas given that you've saved the other ones. The main courses were then served not too long after. Overall I will say they have an excellent array of sauces and spices in their food which makes for more savory than spicy food. I personally had the langostinos a la diabla, which are prawns served in a spicy sauce. They were perfectly cooked to my liking, but the sauce was a little hard to enjoy with them without making a mess. I think if you're trying to avoid a mess you'd be better off going with the shrimp instead which allows for a more enjoyable experience with the sauce. The rice wasn't really my cup of tea as it was a little hard but I'm also just very picky with rice. The fries which I got on the side were alright as well, they were crinkle cut, but to be honest for ~$30 a plate, these look like they were microwaved from a frozen bag. I noticed a lot of the food looked a little overcooked or just a little dry, but again I think it might be to make up for sauces and the addition of wet ingredients, so if you're someone who doesn't like spices or flavor please stay away🙄! I can imagine this is heaven as well for people who actively like to drink or try different types of alcohol, as they have a HUGE display case of alcohol lining the entire wall. I'm also positive these are all just a selection of mainly Mexican tequilas and liquors that would obviously go phenomenally with the seafood. They have a bar, and a long cocktails menu, so for those brunch girlies, this one's for you. Would 100% recommend this place to the people in and out of the area.

Fire ass spot. The Chamoy cocktail whatever it is, is really good. The whole red snapper with Diablo sauce or whatever is so good. It's the only thing I'll get there. I wish I still had the photos I took.

ESTE RESTAURANTE NO ES BUENO AHORA. In fact es un restaurante muy mal! I used to live close to this restaurant about ten years ago and had dined there a few times in the past. I came back recently and it was a disaster. The octopus was the worst I had ever had! It was not only bland, but it also tasted bad. Then we ordered enchiladas con camarones and it was awful to the point that we just could not eat it and we were still charged for it. The enchiladas were thick, overly buttery and oily, the cheese was stringy and flavorless and the shrimps were tasteless(I am not sure how one can possibly get shrimps wrong). For our main we wanted the whole red snapper grilled and I had called them ahead to ask and was told yes. However on getting there they stated it could not be grilled, or pan fried either so we had to have it deep fried. It was okay. The salsa de tomate that came with it was tasteless and bland!. Overall it was an awful array of poorly prepared food with bad ingredients! Very expensive as well!. Our bill was about 140 dollars for two appetizers and one main with two margaritas! Ambiance: 3/10 Service: 7/10 Taste and flavor: 1/10 Authenticity: 0/10 Value for money: 0/10 Recommendation: 0/10 Return factor: 0/10 I DO NOT RECOMMEND DINING HERE. It is a waste of time and money!. Not until they change their ingredients...and chef!

I have frequented El Barco a lot before. It used to be my dad's favorite seafood place. We would come here on special occasions and would enjoy the service, and endured the long wait times. I will say it has been at least 6 or 7 years since I've been back here, and I brought my finance for her first time. Unfortunately this was a very disappointing experience. The service and time for food arrive was top notch. No complaints there. The waitress was really good at explaining the menu items and the different styles the food would be served when we asked. But the only thing we really enjoyed was the frozen Margaritas. Good balance of alcohol and sweet taste. It was so good she ordered a second and I regretted not getting one myself. Here's what we had. Ostiones - Regular: Half dozen came in a normal plate with ice cubes on top, which should have been fair warning by itself. We were kind of hesitant at having them. Nothing to write home about and they only included a normal spoon and vinegar mix that had seen better days. Cantarito-mango: served in a normal glass with lots of ice I couldn't taste the alcohol. Tostada de Ceviche: Seafood mix- it was okay but the pulpo (octopus) was very rough and chewy. Enchiladas de Camarón: w/rice and beans - this was the worst plate of the evening and it was the one she ordered unfortunately. The rice tasted like dry cauliflower and the retired beans had either been in a pot for a week or were overcooked and microwaved. It was not fresh at all. Horrible flavor. The enchilada tortilla was fine and the shrimp just had no flavor. Mole was flavorless too. Langostinos: Estilo El barco- I wish I knew what kind of sauce these came in but I didn't ask and assumed it was just chili sauce or spicy and salty like I'm Used to. This I won't fault as much since I didn't know what to expect but it's not my cup of tea. The sauce is a tomato and ragú mix of sorts. Tasted like a pasta to me. Wasn't a fan. Langostinos seemed to be cooked fine though. Come here for frozen margaritas and walk across the street to Alegría. Btw side note: this place was half empty on a Saturday evening with incredible weather. Definitely has to be new owners or new chef.

I have been coming here about once or twice a year. This last time I went was not like any other day something was missing. I order some some "camarones a la diabla" but it tasted different not sure if they changed the recipe or perhaps the menu. The services was somewhat different than the past times. We only got out server asking if we needed something about a couple times or so. My son order himself a "tocho morocho ceviche" he liked it but he wasn't too happy about the portion he got as compared to the past few times. I am not sure if we willing to come back. The place overall still looks pretty good.

We enjoyed margarita pitchers at this cute spot for cinco de Mayo. These are not shown because we drank them too fast! It was a nice day out so we took advantage of their outdoor seating which did not take away from the attentive service. The guacamole was good but a bit boring/not very flavorful. The calamari was DELICIOUS. I would solely go back for that and another margarita. I was wishing I had leftovers for the next day. I am honestly surprised this place was not more crowded!

Food is super authentic and the place is filled with Mexican patrons which is a good thing to see. Nice atmosphere and in a good location in Chicago's West Town. But, the food is prepared sloppy. I have a carne asada salad that tasted good but had bits of avocado peels in there. Also, if you're going to slice oranges in the salad, do the rest and take out the seeds. The Shrimp Soup tasted great but why not take the shrimp shells off the tails instead of making the customer dunk their hands into hot soup and remove them? Just lazy. Too bad too because the food is tasty.

Purely based on the food, 5 stars. My cousin and I had the Parrillada for 2 and it was delicious. The seafood was perfectly cooked and seasoned! Love love love. Also had some margaritas topped with tajin. The server was super nice and checked in as needed (was very mindful since my cousin and i were catching up). And it's kinda cool to see their tequila library / showcase. So many tequilas out here.

This place absolutely deserves a higher rating! Love, love, love this place. Neighborhood seafood staple serving massive entrees of fantastic Mexican dishes. The crab legs and the whole snapper (huachinango) are to die for. Service is fast and attentive and they are usually very nice. Beachside vibes with a cool wall of vintage tequila bottles, usually always a game on the tube and the hottest Latino hits on the playlist. Do not sleep on this spot, weekends it is crazy but during the week it's very easy to walk-in.

Non existent service....come here and be ignored with a smile!! Hot house is way better than the food here.... Sadly my memory of this restaurant were way better and I won't be back

This place is FABULOUS! I loved every single food I've had, along with margarita. The waitress was very nice and restaurant is spacious. They offer chili oil type of salsa as a complimentary and it's delicious. I recommend to people who enjoy Mexican seafood.

We got oysters, shrimp ceviche, and fajitas. Definitely satisfied my seafood craving. Everything tasted better than expected and nothing was overly salty, which tends to happen with seafood. Had to get a frozen marg since it seemed every table had at least one. It was a good idea to order one for the two of us considering we wanted a chill night, though it was enough to get us buzzed! Music is a lil loud, but makes the space feel super festive. Will be back!

Very disappointing all around. Product was moderate quality for a higher price and not a great experience. Too many other places to eat in Chicago.

As always just the best ceviche and fish in Chicago!! We were treated like a king and a queen. Yummmmmy shrimp and margs. Will be back in the spring.

I see why the restaurant was nearly empty even though the food was good. It's the service. The prices are too high to also not include warm friendly COMPETENT service. So we arrived on a weekday afternoon during restaurant week and it was so empty we thought they were closed. Hostess tells us to seat ourselves wherever we like and brings tortillas (chips) and salsa. The chips were hard and freezing cold and tough to enjoy. Probably because the restaurant was so cold. I asked if we could order a basket of fresh chips and she says with a little attitude "they are fresh, they were made this morning" so I then ask for a basket of warm chips and she brings one but after we finished them she brought another basket of the cold hard chips. I requested to order a small shrimp cocktail and was told they didn't have small (it was on the menu) only large. I decline as large is more than I require and say don't worry about the shrimp cocktail. We instead ordered ceviche. When the ceviche comes she delivers a shrimp cocktail also. Was kind of annoying but didn't want to make it big deal so I kept it. Not sure if I was charged for a large or small. I had a ton of food leftover and considering how much it cost I wanted to take it home. I requested containers and were provided them but in my opinion there seemed to be a little frustration at my request. There was a special on the lime Margarita. It was amazingly delicious and had a kick like a Mexican Mule! Although I loved the drinks and the tacos the lackluster service would make it very unlikely that I would make an effort to return here soon. I also suspect we were overcharged but my date paid the bill when I went to powder my nose so i didn't get to see exactly what we were charged for.

The best drinks, shellfish and salsas around. I'll be coming back. With that said the following items need to be taken OFF the menu. The shrimp with Mushroom tacos are repugnant, as well as the fish w/ flour tortillas. Great service & lovely interior. Please switch to corn tortillas for the sake of food.

Great food and attentive service. Outstanding michelada! Friendly atmosphere and varied, authentic menu choices.

Beautiful service good food nice atmosphere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The worse experience ever. We're really disappointed. It was 10-15 min before somebody noticed us. Everybody pretend that they don't see us. Only one boy was working. He was running food and cleaning tables. Service that's just zero. We even didn't get silverware! We needed to ask about that And food.. we had oysters and appetizer. They just messed up our evening. Oysters tasted so bad. Seafood was okay but after this experience we didn't want anything. Never come back and I'll tell everybody don't go there!

My family came from California to visit and we went to El barco since I've heard good things about the food. Food was good but service was horrible. Waitress was rushing everything. The place wasn't even busy for her to act like that.. she just seemed out of the norm...she took my aunts plate away as she was taking a bite...we felt rushed and couldn't eat in peace since she kept asking if we were done eating. Bad service for first time visiting definitely was disappointed since this was my families first visit in chicago.

Customer service is good however the Food was great before not anymore. the shrimp ceviche had no flavor.

I love this place! Have visited several times and enjoy the deliciousness every trip here. I have dined alone for lunch on the patio and with a large group of friends inside, always a great experience. Street parking or lot across the street can be easy to pull in or may take a few rounds to find a spot, depending on the day. I have ordered many items on the menu, my favorite is the shrimp fajitas. The platter is enough for 2 so be mindful of the portions. Includes rice, beans, potatoes, mixed peppers, corn on the cob, roasted veggies, warm tortillas and loads of shrimp. With an Margarita Anejo, makes this meal complete. Whenever you're around Ashland and Augusta in West Town, stop in. You can come alone but bring your appetite.

Always great food and drink! The octopus appetizer and tamarindo margaritas are amazing. Also, take some of their salsa macha home! The best

First time visiting. I had heard a lot of good things about this place. The appetizers and the service was good. However, the red snapper was burnt, overcooked and dried. For being a seafood place and this one of their signature dishes, there should be no excuse for this, especially when they charge over $40. I do not recommend this place and will not go back.

I've been going to El Barco for the past 10 years and I can't believe I haven't reviewed it until now! This restaurant has been delivering consistently excellent food and service since my very first visit. Although I always order the utterly amazing, deep-fried huachinango, I also try a new appetizer each rip and I'm always happy with whatever I try. I haven't had a bad meal yet. And let's not forget the frozen margaritas (especially the mango), which always get me to where I'm trying to go, quickly! The beautiful ladies who serve are attentive, friendly and fast. You are never left wondering when your food is coming or in need of additional drinks, condiments etc... I love this place and highly recommend it!

very disappointing red snapper was the worst thing i ever tried! 0 stars for this restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also stay away from that mexican restaurant! your life depends on it. and not only that it's bad they gave me the milwaukee corn (corn on the cob) worst srimp and also the grand finale the red snaper it tasted like poop! and my mom likes it too!? wow! el barco get lost! i have much better luck with the cheesecake factory! you crap! you are arrested for life and forever! we colud of went to the chessecake factory in the mall or downtown! never ever again! goodbye el barco forever!!!!!!!!!!!!! and go find another restaurant to eat at! end of review and goodnight.

El sábado 4 de mayo 1924 fui por primera ves al restaurante y ordené un ceviche en lo que llegaba mi orden y cuál fue mi sorpresa que encontré un cucarachoy le dije ala mesera y ni siquiera se disculpó nunca regresó a ese lugar

This was a wonderful dining experience. Me and my friends went here for my birthday dinner, and the whole staff came out and sang and gave me some wonderful shots to drink. One of them was a Michelada, and the other two were tequila shots. Very good food as well, I have attached my picture of the tilapia entry I had with the red tomato sauce. They were also very kind and letting us bring our own dessert in, and that was cool as well. Jennifer was a great server, and I made sure to give her some of the cake we brought too.

Awful service no drink menus. They don't have a menu. The table after being cleaned was soggy the waitress was very rude

Great food & great drinks! Their piña coladas & micheladas are very good! We always order the ceviche (w/everything), mariscadas, & the red snapper. Theres no resos so its first come first serve.

Terrible experience! We were there last night and the service was absolutely the worst i have had at a restaurant. To start the waitress took for ever with the drinks and then they completely forget to bring us plates for the appetizers. When asked to bring plates we get on plate 15 minutes later and when asked for the remaining plate the male server said they are being washed that it would be shortly. We finally got a plate because i asked for it for the 3rd time. It seemed all the staff was in a hurry to serve multiple tables at once including a young man running all over the place forgetting everything he was asked for at the same time. All the waitresses were also very rude. We will definitely NEVER visit this place again.

I came here with my partner for margaritas and an early dinner. I had been craving a good margarita and authentic Mexican food. El Barco did not disappoint! It was a beautiful 70 degrees in November and because we went before the dinner rush (4:30pm) we did not have to wait very long for outdoor dining. We were seated after 10 minutes and got a pitcher of passion fruit margaritas. Their chips and salsa were delicious, with 3 types of salsa plus limes. My favorite was the chili oil (salsa negra). It was smoky and not too spicy, and I added it to everything. For food we shared a gigantic arracheras plate, carne asada con guacamole. It comes with retried beans and rice, buttery steamed vegetables and corn/flour tortillas. We added an extra side of queso to wrap our tacos. Their portions are generous and food was delicious. By the time 5pm rolled around the place was packed. I loved seeing families with young children and also couples on dates who ordered the giant red snapper. It was such a lovely, bustling vibe and the servers did a great job to keep up! They brought steaming bowls of soup and heavy pitchers of drinks and large platters of fish and seafood. I even saw a women pull up for a single margarita to-go. She is my hero. I've been passing this place on Ashland for years and am so glad I finally got to go here. It's the perfect place to take advantage of the nice weather in Chicago. I'll be back with a bigger appetite and several more dining partners to try their whole snapper, ceviche, prawns and more rounds of margaritas!

Love this spot! Summer time patio, cold beer and spicy seafood!! Thank you guys! I especially enjoy tostadas with the ho stuff laid out in table for you! Ceviche is good, surf and turf platter the best!

The oysters weren't shucked right. We had to dig them out with forks. The grilled shrimp salad had lots of shrimp. It was a beautiful presentation but I wish we had paid for our drinks and left. I don't know why we felt obligated to stay when there are so many places that serve seafood that we really like.

I've been an El Barco enthusiast for more than a decade now, so it pains me to have to leave a review that's anything short of glowing. This was always the one place where I knew the langostinos would be on point... until today ... they were soggy, flavor was off, it looked like they just dumped a pile of sauce on top and the plate generally looked a mess. For $30 an order, they should do better. Is there a new chef? Did ya'll change your recipe?! ... change it back please The deep-friend snapper is still on point however, so today's visit wasn't a complete waste.

To be fair, I joined a table as they got close to closing, so I felt kind of bad, but I just wanted to grab a quick drink and eat some of their chicken quesadillas and I'm glad I did. I don't know if it was because I was tipsy from the previous place that I went to, but the chicken quesadillas here are to DIE for. Omg, they were soooo good. I'm dreaming about them right now. I'd 100% trek my way down Ashland to this place just for them. The spicy margaritas by the way, are actually spicy and freakin delicious. Not sure why the low reviews, but I like the ambiance here and seems like a great place to catch up with friends or even go on a more casual date here. I'll be back!

I went here for margaritas and ceviche after work, and both were amazing! Especially the ceviche. I'm looking for a chance to come back and check this place out for dinner.

It was so yummy and the drinks were 10/10! It wasn't crowded so it made for a nice family dinner. The vibes

Must be an off-day with the kitchen, I ordered the fish and Shrimp taco platter to start things off with horchata. They told me horchata is not available but ended up charging us for it anyways. The food sounded good but it was pretty bland that day. I like the fact that everyone ordered the red snapper, which I plan to try next time. I do plan to come back in the near future but for today, it must be an off-day with the staff. The service was great and attentive to all our needs during the dining. Parking was available across the street.

Horrible food, margaritas vile would not recommend dirty!!Fried FishRed SnapperSteak Tacos

We stopped here for lunch today. They were openn, but still setting up. We were allowed to choose our table, so we went half way back (it is really cold today, and it was cold by the door). We got menus immediately and our drink orders were taken. The Modelo Negro was in a bottle, and the house horchata (lots of cinnamon) was delish. We were served hard corn tortillas with 3 sauces. Good and spicy. Food came out pretty fast, on huge platters with Mexican rice and boiled veggies (broccoli, carrots, corn in the cob, and half a red potato). I got the Camrones a la plancha (butterflied grilled shrimp) and mom got the lightly battered shrimp). Both were well cooked, but a little lacking in flavor. The Hispanic music and spanish tv were enjoyable. Reasonable prices for lots of shrimp.

Got the guacamole, shrimp ceviche, shrimp tacos, and Baja fish tacos. All were outstanding! The most impressive tequila selection I've ever seen too!

Bad service. Decent food. Terrible execution of service as far as food and tortillas and drinks etc. The waitstaff is vomeolelost as far as what is needed and anticipated. For birthdays which is notified it was a terrible experience. Go here when drunk to eat cuz you won't be satisfied otherwise.

Today my husband and I were denied service because of his seafood allergy. I requested that his non-seafood be cooked in a separate pot in order to accommodate his allergy. Not only did they deny our request but they did not let us sit for me to eat. I was excited to try this place out because of the reviews and so saddened that this was our experience.

I come here every year for my birthday. Birthdays were never a big deal to me before, until we made El Barco our our goto celebration spot. The best seafood is Mexican seafood, and El Barco is the master at the game. I get a big plate mix, and when they put that plate on the table, man, am I one happy dude. Mussels, shrimp, octopus, squid. The margaritas are awesome, but I find I drink them, I don't have room for the dinner. The only downside is that it's sometimes hard to get a table, esp on weekends.

A friend recommended this restaurant. Over the years, I passed this restaurant a million times, but never stopped in. The food was absolutely delicious. We had the whole red snapper. They provide delicious and a couple of spicy dipping sauces. The frozen margaritas were delicious. Staff and bartender were over the top friendly. I can't wait to return. I'll try the tacos next.

We've dined on El Barco's patio quite a few times and it's always been with our family. There's literally something there for everyone and the portions are large enough to share. Their food transports you to a beach restaurant in Mexico with fresh seafood and Mexican flavors. A pitcher of Margarita's with the Grand Mariner added is a great starter. Their chips, salsa and guacamole are a must - just taste the salsas timidly because you might get a very spicy surprise. You really can't go wrong with their butterfly shrimp, crab legs or their seafood combo platters. Their whole snapper is legendary and you will see many tables devouring it. So much food, you'll need a take-home box. The restaurant switched to a scannable menu during Covid which actually worked out well. Their regular menus were so large they took the entire table. Dining here felt very safe on their large patio and their staff is always friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend!!

Food was great. But the service by the waitresses wasn't a pleasant experience. I asked for recommendations on popular dishes and was met with an abrupt reply . I didn't want to add a follow up question because she seemed annoyed and in a rush.

I have driven past this place so many times, but never stopped by until about 2 weeks ago. The service wasn't the best as we had to continue waiting for our waitress to show up on the patio to ask for a margarita pitcher refill, chips, etc. However, we ordered the mariscada believe it was called and overall it was really good. There were four of us so we ordered the size for four people but felt like the 2 people one would've been enough. We also got carne asada tacos and they were delicious. Would also recommend the margaritas de tamarindo as it tastes freshly made.

This quote from Derp Thoughts, by Jack Handy, is a great description for El Barco: "Laurie got offended that I used the word 'puke.' But to me, that's what her dinner tasted like." That's El Barco in a nutshell. It sucks. But at least it's expensive. Maybe go to Alegrio across the street?? That's what I'm going to do from now on.