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El Merkadito

3.8 (54 reviews)
ModerateSeafood, Mexican
Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

El Merkadito Photos

EL MERKADITO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - El Merkadito

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Octopus tacos, yellowtail sashimi tostada, fish tacos, shrimp cocktail.

The food is simply delicious everything was super fresh but my group agreed that the octopus tacos took the cake. Very cute beach environment and great prices!

Carolina S.

Easily top 2 BEST Restaurants in Puerto Morelos! The food was fresh, flavorful, and delicious! We ordered Thai shrimp, seafood soup, octopus and several other dishes. Our server was attentive and super nice! You could see the fresh tortillas being made and the freshly caught fish being weighed. Highly recommend this place!

Mark B.

This is a lovely seaside restaurant for lunch. However we went for dinner and the view is great but would be better during daylight hours . The TarTar tuna was prepared excellently and looked like five star , but was a bit salty and the texture was mixed . It had some gristle . The accompanying sauce was very salty And the chips were SoSo . However the service was top notch.

Jess R.

Two words: fresh seafood! Had been following this gem prior to a trip to PM and glad we dined here because it was some of the best food during our trip. We started with the ceviche and margaritas. It was so much ceviche we could've honestly had it as a meal. I also recommend the fish tacos - super crispy, flaky and fresh. My only real complaint was I wish the margaritas were served in a different cup - the mug was super cold and way too big to drink out of without a straw. The service was a little slow but honestly it felt like that everywhere and everyone is making things work with the staff they do have. Towards the end of our dinner there was live music which was also pretty cool. Overall would recommend this cute little beachfront restaurant to any seafood lover!

Cool picnic tables made from old boats.
Miguel G.

This is a nice beachside restaurant that has great service and excellent food. Solid choice along a strip that offers plenty of tourist traps. The seafood is fresh, the salsas are delicious, and the prices are relatively reasonable given the location and quality.

Sea bass with risotto
Jeff W.

Great food great service. The staff is friendly and helpful with the menu. The seafood is excellent. They are right on the beach so the views are great if you can get a seat near the beach I had the sea bass with risotto which was cooked perfectly. My friend had the shrimp and thought they were very good.

Salsas! Garlic or chipotle mayo and green habanero (ridiculously hot!) or red (not nearly as spicy). Delicioso
Jeniffer D.

Our family loved this lively little spot. Right on the beach with fresh seafood in the heart of Puerto Morelos; you can't go wrong eating here! I saw other reviews about the service but our servers were great. The first one didn't speak much English so she went and got another server that did, it was really thoughtful. Our family really enjoyed the listening to the mariachi band while we were waiting for our meal which added a special touch. The chips are served with 4 sauces: chipotle mayo, garlic mayo, green habanero (hot!), and a milder red salsa - all of them were good. Beware of the green habanero salsa, it's fiery hot, but still very tasty. The fresh guacamole was on point, be sure to try it out. We ordered the shrimp cocktail and the shrimp tempura tacos. Both were absolutely amazing. Add the chipotle mayo sauce to the shrimp tacos, you won't be sorry.

Third time to Riviera Maya  & third time to El Merkadito Ceviche & Seafood Soup  Sooooo good  Welcome to Mexico
Dave C.

Amazing spot, open air beach side dining, local music in the sand on Saturday afternoon. Ceviche & Seafood soup to die for & catch of the day melts in your mouth, a couple of Mezcalaritas & We've stopped here every trip down the Riviera Mayan coast !!!

Vibes
Melissa P.

We drove 40 minutes from Cancun to have dinner here and it was a refreshing break from the hotel zone. From start to finish we had an amazing dinner. the service, drinks, food, and atmosphere were all great! We loved the tamarind margarita (huge!), the scallop tostadas, the asia me ceviche, the octopus ceviche, and the shrimp in tamarind sauce. Would skip the Marlin tacos next time. The restaurant overlooks the water and has avery beach shack feel to it. The service was very friendly even if we were the last people there. At the end of the night they asked us if we wanted anything else because the kitchen was closing. We said no forgetting about dessert, and when we asked about dessert later they felt so bad they brought out a round of tequila shots! After that they put on salsa music (at my mom's request) so my mom could dance with the waiter and the chef, and then we all watched the Copa Final together. A truly unforgettable experience and probably the best meal of our trip! You shouldn't go to Cancun without stopping here!

Almeja chocolata
Angel P.

This is by far the best seafood place in Puerto Morelos the service is amazing with reasonable prices

Guacamole

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2 years ago

Food was good. The drinks were weak. Service was great. We sat where we could see the beach, the breeze was refreshing

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

The seabass and tuna tartare are out of this world. I would hesitate to come here again and again.

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6 years ago

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7 years ago

Not sure what the hype is with this place. Food was average at best. Service was aloof and slow on a weekend when the place was dead.

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El Merkadito Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - El Merkadito

Highly recommend the Marlin Tacos, Sea Bass, Jack Daniels Salmon, and either of the fried shrimp plates.

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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La Pepita - Ahi Tostada

La Pepita

4.3(45 reviews)
0.3 km
$

La Pepita is one of the many seafood restaurants in Puerto Morelos which was highly suggested by…read moreour boat operator on our snorkeling trip. Great service and cool al fresco vibe, you start of with a big basket of tortilla chips and a variety of salsas. I started off with a Ahi Tostada and Wifey started with a seafood soup which were both tasty. We shared a fresh Catch local Hogfish and Grilled Octopus which were absolutely delicious! Four items, and two drinks with tip came out to a little over $50 usd. Definitely worth the visit!

After doing the snorkeling tour at the pier in Puerto Moreles, we asked our guide for a…read morerecommendation and he recommended this locals joint. It did not disappoint! The vibe is super relaxed, with all seats in the sand. My kids enjoyed chasing the iguanas and sitting on the palm tree (which strangely grows parallel with the ground) while we waited for our food. We didn't see the option on the menu but our guide told us there is a big cooler and you can just pick out your fish to get it fried up fresh for you. Sure enough, there was a huge white cooler where we could sort through the fish options and pick one the right size for our family. It came with sides like beans, guac and tortillas, and all meals come with chips plus tomato and jalapeno salsas. We also ordered ceviche and the total price was less than $40 for a family of 4. More importantly, everything was super fresh and delicious! I wish I lived nearby so I could come back again - I would be a regular if I could!

Photos
La Pepita - Bohemia beer in a Chelsea glass which means juts salt and lemon. Delicious

Bohemia beer in a Chelsea glass which means juts salt and lemon. Delicious

La Pepita - Fresh Catch-Local Hogfish

Fresh Catch-Local Hogfish

La Pepita - Menu

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Menu

El Picudo - Fried whole hogfish

El Picudo

5.0(7 reviews)
2.7 km

Amazing!! Everything we ate was FANTASTIC!! Went to this restaurant twice in three days!! Ordered…read moreextra so we could bring home food and have for lunch!!

I have stayed in Puerto Morelos three times in the past two years and gone to El Picudo about 6 or…read moreseven times. It's easily my favorite seafood restaurant in Puerto Morelos - which is full of seafood restaurants. The bad part is that there is no ocean view and no air conditioning, you need a car or a taxi to get there and the staff speaks little English. The good part is that it is clearly a very popular local place - my party has always been the only obviously non-local group in a usually crowded place- and the seafood is amazingly fresh, perfectly prepared, served fast (considering it is made to order) and delicious. The portions are enormous. The price is reasonable. One can eat like a king for 15 to 25 dollars a person. My favorite is the octopus ceviche. The octopus is soft and fresh and perfectly cooked. Tossed with very fresh finely chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers in a lemon, chili and cilantro sauce that is not too spicy. The best ceviche I have had in Quintana Roo. A medium portion is a very ample appetizer for two people or a satisfying meal for one person. We generally follow up with the whole fried hogfish, around a pound of perfectly fried fish, very fresh, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, nicely salted. Served with a salad, a small portion of yellow rice and a really strong hot sauce on the side. The octopus escabeche and the shrimp with garlic sauce are also excellent choices. A cold Corona beer (or two) completes the meal.

Photos
El Picudo - Octopus ceviche

Octopus ceviche

El Picudo - Filet stuffed with shrimp, octopus, and squid.

Filet stuffed with shrimp, octopus, and squid.

El Picudo - Yummy

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El Merkadito - seafood - Updated May 2026

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