Mariscos El Malecon

I've lived in the area for 15+ years just noticed their bright colored building for the first time. The menu is vast, but if you're thinking super cheap (per another Yelper) you'll be unpleasantly surprised. I can't think of a more expensive casual Mexican food place! It's definitely NOT Americanized here. More significantly, this is a Mexican seafood restaurant, not a restaurant that has some seafood. I guess the chips are homemade, but they're not warm. By the looks of the salsa I expected disappointment, but it was actually good. The fish in the fish taco was excellent and ample, not some low grade pre-fab cut. The tortilla and sauce were unmemorable though, and worse, the lettuce was iceberg. Oh what could have been if they used cabbage instead. Ah, I see the allure now as the shrimp tostado was loaded, they definitely don't skimp on the protein. The Tijuana Taco was a pleasant discovery for me: shrimp, steak and gooey cheese. Love me a California burrito, and while it's very good here, it cost 50%+ more than where I normally go. I have no idea what other Yelpers are referring to when they say the food here is cheap. Happy Hour drinks are well portioned, but the ceviche seems smaller than the regular priced one. Tacos are a good deal, but only steak or chicken during Happy Hour. Trendy Portland has not infected this place: have a seat, here's a menu, and of course you don't bus your dishes silly. The salsa bar is top notch and even includes a spicy peanut sauce. Places that only offer boring Red and Green sauce are behind the times. So set your expectations: come here for the seafood (well, the steak in the combo taco was scrumptious though.) Don't look for Chad in a sombrero to greet you at the door, go to Beaverton for that.

Found this place while looking up Mariscos after a long night out. Unfortunately the food was not good. I ordered the Camarones A La Diabla which came with mushroom for some reason. The mushrooms were not listed on the menu so I was a bit confused. I hate mushrooms so I did not eat my plate. My boyfriend ordered a Tostada de Ceviche de camaron which wasn't that great either.

My wife learned of Mariscos el Malecon from a co-worker, who spoke highly of the ceviche. To that end, she ordered the tortilla version, instead of the traditional cocktail style. Her appraisal was modest: pico-style veggies (tomatoes, onions, etc) accompanying raw (or lightly-boiled?) shrimp: crisp, fresh and tasty. Her only real critique was that adding avocado would likely perfect the dish. Not bad! I had three "loaded" steak tacos, which...certainly were loaded! Adding some habanero sauce kicked them up a notch, but they were so stuffed with toppings that they were unmanageable to pick up. I ended up using a knife and fork, and the resulting juices soaked through to the paper tray cover underneath, making it soggy and easy to tear. Pretty sure I consumed some red-and-white checkered fiber along with my tacos! The kids had a ham torta and a chicken quesadilla, neither of which they could finish due to the portion size, but they did some significant damage, which is saying something, because the torta was pretty ridiculous. Decor is pretty standard for a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place. A small bar offers a limited selection of drinks, with fútbol playing on the TV above it. The music, mariachi by default, oscillated between too loud (well, we *were* right under the speaker) and nearly silent, not sure why. Service was excellent, though - our waitress was quick on the draw from the get go, friendly and attentive, and our meals were served lightning quick. Not too shabby, especially when the entire family can fill up for $28 bucks! Didn't knock our socks off, but it was a solid effort for a pretty great price. May have to venture out here another time and check out some of the other menu options. Apparently the Torre Culichi is something else, and while seafood isn't my forté, my wife would probably enjoy the heck out of it! Next time, maybe?

This my favorite place to eat seafood!! Those marlin tacos , also shrimp tacos, the best!! And friendly stuff, from the cooks, to the girls!!

Yum I love this place. I'm not very knowledgeable but I call it a mix of traditional and Tex-Mex. Check out that seafood menu. I'm serious. I think last time I ordered here, maybe even every time, the prices were actually higher than the menu that you can see in yelp, but it's worth it. Go here

My new favorite Mexican food in town. Everything I have had is soooo good. Very fresh & the cheese they use in Britos is very tasty.

Dude. This is the real deal. The hot sauce selection alone would convince you, but if that doesn't, the chips and salsa are legit, and it just gets better. Mole burrito was killer. Fish tacos amazing. Music aces. Just support this place so it keeps going.

Service was excellent food was excellent the tequila was excellent the michelada was excellent great service all around if I ever come back to Portland I'll come back here for sure

Visiting from Arizona and it was our first time trying this place and it had Amazing Food and huge portions! We ordered Chilaquiles Rojos w/ eggs Sunny side up, a sope de Carne asada and aguachiles verdes ! Great service, our server was amazing and very friendly, she kept checking up on us if we needed anything. Will definitely come back again!

I came here for the first and last time yesterday. The food thats advertised on the building looks delicious but it's not at ALL the food that was served to me. I ordered quesabirria tacos and got soft tacos surprise instead. You couldn't pay me to come back to this place. Awful food aside the cashier was really sweet. But yeah don't get the Birria tacos. Seriously

Holy frijoles this is the best Mexican seafood period and all of you have never ventured up here to try it. Well why would you when there are so many taquerias dotting inner Portland and downtown. Mariscos is just south of the airport with mostly industrial businesses surrounding it, so yeah the location is very much out of the way. But, other than me and my buddy Padd, there were only Mexicans here. Futbol on the TV, horchata, jamaica and one other beverage on display, and yes, a salsa bar plus the occasional accordion music from the jukebox. The specialty is seafood. Ceviche, tacos, burritos and whatever else you can cram shrimp, octopus and other treasures from the ocean into. Yes, they have all the meats including lengua but you want seafood. Karla, who was running the show, suggested a shrimp and octopus ceviche and it was probably the best I have had in a very, very long time. She also made a few other suggestions that were greatly appreciated. A Tijuana taco (shrimp and steak) and the green salsa with chunks of avocado in the salsa bar. Both were amazing and the salsa was the perfect accompaniment to a shrimp burrito. and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. I had the horchata which was great but it was made with barley instead of the usual rice. So that was unique. Padd described the shrimp burrito perfectly in that it wasn't a burrito with some shrimp, this was a shrimp burrito. I asked Karla about it on the way out and she said that they measure out everything because they want people to enjoy the food she grew up eating. If I could afford to eat here daily, I'd consider it. As for all of you? Head up to the northern parts of the Cully neighborhood, you will thank me. Enjoy.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!! This place overcharges and never fails to get my order wrong. There's a taco truck 1 minute away and they have $10 taco plates that look like this. Place is called Don Taco if you want to try them out instead of this wack joint

We were the only white people here on a Sunday and place was packed. Got surf and turf everything was awesome. Unique flavors, deft touch, immaculate vibes.

Was extremely disappointed in their food. The portions are good but the food is not. The chicken was horrible, tasted old & greasy. We didn't even eat our leftovers because we knew if the food was bad when it was fresh, it would be worse the next day. Services was really good & so was the margarita, so they do have that going for them

The chicken enchilada was horrible the chicken stunk badly like some kind of chemical

The best seafood place in Portland hands down. Their ceviche is unrivaled, the shrimp burrito is full of the biggest juiciest prawns you'll ever get in a burrito.

The food was decent but overly charged. The steak was hard to chew, the horchata was overly sweet.

Mexican food the way I like it....authentic and cheap as %$!@! This place is super quirky. The decor is cheesy. I love it. plastic menus and all! They even have a jukebox that if you are lucky enough may start blasting on high during your dinner. Olei!! The TVs have some interesting shows on. I went for the chili relleno with a side of beans, rice, and tortillas. The beans were nice and runny. Refried to perfection. The relleno was pretty good but a could have been a little more soft. It was slightly tough.

I ordered the carne asada plate because it's my favorite and the picture was beautiful. I received my food and it looked exactly like the picture! I was very satisfied. The drinks were perfect and the service was great. This is my new spot for mexican food

Decided to come today. Food is amazing. This is a must try if you are in the Portland area!

Went here last night with a friend. We drive by here all the time and figured we'd give it a go, despite the picture of a roach on someone's taco. (For the record, I don't believe that's true. Kind of looks planted) Anyways, when we arrived, there was only one other table being occupied, and it was around 6pm on a sunday. We were sat quickly and menus brought over. After our drink orders were taken, complementary chips and salsa graced our table and then we ordered food. I got the carnitas tostada plate, which comes with rice and beans. And my friend got a burrito (I do not remember what kind). The salsa was alright, seemed like it wasn't made in house, but had decent heat on it. Once the food came, we devoured it. What can I say, we were hungry. My tostada was alright. It had sour cream and guacamole on it. My friends burrito was large, and just "ok" in his words. I also got a horchata, which tasted a bit off, but it could be because it was the last bit in the dispenser. They didn't have any flan, which I was sad. Overall, this place was ok.

I only had time to check out the tacos but they were awesome. They cover up their toppings and sauces so no flies end up anywhere close to your food. I'll be back for sure.

Had family from Idaho visiting, decided to take them there since they love mariscos. I'll tell you what, everyone was impressed and definitely going back there.

I'm from southern California, and I know good Mexican food. This is it. Excellent fajita burrito, very pleasant atmosphere. Reminded me of home.

Been driving by for years, always no place to park. Well Sunday is the day. Not too busy 12:30 pm. This place doesn't look like much outside, inside very nice and spotless. 6 or 7/ bottles of hot sauce all wiped off and clean. Greeted by our very efficient waitress and seated. Service was fairly quick. Val had chicken mole, homemade sauce, and white meat chicken. Spicy but not hot. Said it was some of the best she'd ever eaten! I had a shredded beef green chilies burrito, with homemade salsa to put on every bite, fabulous, more than I could finish. Prices were about average. They do have a bar, so you can have those tequila shots. We will be back!!! Went again for the second time. Val had a chili rellino, I had shredded beef enchiladas with the very best sauce I've ever had, maybe Mexico City was a little better, maybe not. No phony baloney here no yellow gummy cheese just honest Mexican food!

Today, I came for the first and last time! I only gave it one star because I could not give it zero! My family and I ordered $120+ worth of food that we could not eat because not even the homeless here would want to eat this trash. Do not spend your money on this shit. But the only thing was that the waitress was nice but that's it!

Awesome portions, the beans are amazing. They have a salsa bar with cucumbers and spicy lime onions and 8 different salads! Great place to get some authentic Mexican, especially los Mariscos.

This location is right up the street from my office. I'm able to call the restaurant and order a Brazilian burrito. It takes 10 minutes and I have a great and quick and cost effective lunch.

Amazing food. Great hospitality and serve you a good amount. The flavor was on point. This is the best spot in the city

There beans and rice were not so good! There carne asada was flavorless. A total bummer. I went here bcz they had 4 1/2 stars. There seafood molacajete was pretty incredible though. And this is why I give them 3 stars. But don't come here for a delicious burrito bcz you won't get one! Seafood is were its at here! Review coming from a 100% Mexican!

Wow never had such amazing seafood in Oregon! I know what real seafood taste like. Anything you get will be good. The quality of service is amazing, very attentive, even when it's a packed house. Definitely will come back and try everything on the menu!

Their daily $4.99 special is hands down the best lunch in the Cully. Quick friendly service. Chips and salsas are gratis. Music can be loud. But that's Mexico baby!

Okay, my food arrived cold and my partner ordered the chicken NOT the beef burrito. They took my plate back to "fix" the cold enchilada and beans. Took so long that my partner was halfway done with his food when my plate came back. When I dug into my plate the meat was hard. Overcooked and hard. All I can say is really!? This spot is in my neighborhood and I've given them way more chances than they deserve to "show up" with something good. This place has lots of potential... once you fire everyone and start all over. It was an awful meal and I will never eat there again. Save yourself some time and bypass this place. It's not worth the heartburn.

My boyfriend and I moved here from San Antonio and missed having so many authentic Mexican food options. This place is by far the best Mexican food I've had since moving here and so much cheaper than other places. Service is great and food is fantastic! Definitely a must!

Driven by here for years and my wife have always said we need to stop. Finally did and it's legit. Just good authentic Mexican food. This is a hidden gem.

Been driving past this place for a while and decided to give it a try on a Sunday afternoon. Service wasn't great, but the food was delicious. Well worth your while to try out. The decor is certainly interesting, and we had music from the jukebox, the TV, and the cooks singing from the back. You'd think that'd be distracting, but we found it charming. Certainly a place we will visit again.

Delicious quesabirria and only $2 for delivery okayy! Comes with a cup of consommé!!! Definitely recommend

Delish seafood Mexican dishes!!!! Always fresh. The seafood cocktails are great. Sopes a must!!! Enchiladas verdes superb. Very friendly service. We are now regulars.

I am working nearby and have eaten here several times for lunch and its great everytime. The food always tastes fresh the prices are good and the portions are big.

I stop in here often as its near where I live. I usually just get a burrito to go. Im lactose intolerant so I always order a basic burrito and make sure to say, "no cheese and no sour cream." It's always been good until today. After getting my burrito I opened up the foil and took a bite, it had sour cream in it. No biggie, I just took it back in and explained the mistake. The waitress was nice and told the kitchen to make me a new one. As I took the new one to go , I heard her talking to the kitchen about creama. I assumed she was just explaining how important it is to not include dairy on a basic burrito. I ate it assuming it was fixed, but I did notice that that the beans were much more white than they had ever been before. I was too busy, eating on the go, to really pay much attention at the time. After a couple hours the effects kicked in and I got really sick. I can tell now that the kitchen just mixed the beans with the sour cream from the first burrito and served it to me a second time. Don't trust this place if you have any food allergies, they will trick you.

We tried this place last night because I had seen it while driving and saw a lot of cars there and am always looking for new good Mexican food. I had the red sauce enchiladas, one with chicken and other cheese. The chicken was either beef or really dark chicken meat (I prefer breasts) but the main thing was the red sauce had a strong cinnamon flavor. I grew up in the southwest and Mexican food is my ultimate favorite and have never had a red sauce like this. It was disgusting. My husband ordered the carne asada plate, meat not seasoned at all and looked to be pan fried not grilled, very greasy. Brought him corn tortillas and not flour like he asked for, should've asked them to replace but with everything else wrong just decided to not bother. Actually the corn tortillas she brought were the best part of the meal. The beans and rice were good though and the server was nice, just got it wrong twice. Sorry, I had to let people know about the cinnamon in the sauce.

I came here with a friend. The chips were a little stale and the salsa was fresh but ok. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and they were tasty but the tortillas were microwaved and the fajitas were soaked in sauce. My friend had the molcajete el malecon and he liked it a lot. The service was ok but nothing to write home about . Overall I would give the restaurant 2.5 stars. It was just ok.

The prices were good.. The carne asada was dry and hardly had any taste. The veggie burrito was tasteless as well. Nice staff, good prices but the food we had was very below average.

Was in Oregon on a mini vacay. My dad and I hit up this spot and it was delicious. Their michelada were amazing as well. I got the flautas which were so so good!!

Ingredients are super fresh, they should charge way more than they do. A real diamond in the rough of Cully.

The 7 of us all enjoyed our dishes last night! You made it special by allowing us to bring in our Vegan donuts to celebrate 4 of our birthdays! This was our 2nd visit in 1 1/2 month, and both times we were very impressed with food/seafood taste,quality,prices and service esp the man and woman servers last nite were great- constantly making sure everything was good! Ceviches were so fresh.The hot plate servings were big. For mexican seafood, this is the best place to go to!If you have party of 5 or more, we advised calling for a reservation which we did and our table was waiting.

I was excited to come here based of the reviews but it was a dirty, run down place, with mediocre food. It only took about 10 minutes for us to get our food, which was a red flag. There was no soap in the bathroom, and all the tables and floor were filthy.

Love, love, love this place! Never had a bad meal or anything other than great service here. I am a bit of a Mexican food snob (grew up 15 minutes from the border) and this place is one of my tops in Portland! Usually go for the seafood (mariscos) but everything else is very good too. Additional pluses? Good margs and real feel, I could be in Mexico right now, ambience. Te amo, Mariscos el Malecon.

We have been here 3 times, to be fair, each time worse than the first. First was late breakfast time and I had sopes and my hubby enchiladas. Food was good. Place was empty, service..meh Second time we were moving and starving so came in for a late lunch. Food was off tasting, I had a taco salad that tasted metallic and old. My hubby had arroz con Camarones and the shrimp were like shoe leather, sooo overcooked and the sauce was pure grease. The lunch crowd were mostly construction workers and landscapers who were all drinking beer and driving. Hmm. Last time was Friday Eve and we thought "it's close by, and they must have something yummy. Give it another try." Nope. Worst visit ever. A large group were all nearly drunk and loud and since we speak Spanish, we were embarrassed at what they were saying to the waitress. Poor thing, she didn't even want to go over to their table. We shared fajitas de carne asada. Small overcooked pieces of meat in the same greasy red sauce as before. Never again.

Ok place for a quick bite. Room for improvement. Service was good. Place was clean but my rice was very dry and crunchy. Lots of choices on the menu, even plates that I never seen before. Maybe will go back. Wanted to try one of their crazy drinks but had to drive.