An exceptional dinner. The subtle addition of lime in what we ordered made the difference. A need to "go back to" place. Couldn't have been more pleased. read more

ambiance 4 stars. service 3.5 stars. food 3 stars. drinks 3 stars. bathrooms (toilets that don't flush, sinks that don't work, ought to put them out of business) 1 star. Two 5-yr-olds running around stealing food from our table, 1 star. We won't be back. read more

Absolutely unbelievable portion sizes and incredible food! I will have to go back! Great service and the most perfect tilapia I've ever had, honestly! read more

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The seafood was extremely delicious, excellent service, great ambiance, 100 % recommended. read more

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Such a hidden gem! We stumbled across this spot for a quick after arriving in CVille on the train. It was completely empty so we were a bit apprehensive, but relying on the reviews we gave it a try. We were seated immediately and service throughout was excellent. We were given complimentary chips and ceviche, which was fresh and very tasty. The interior was bright and colorful. The margaritas, while pricey, were probably some of the best I've ever had. They tasted freshly made with unique flavors rather than a mix. We also shared fresh guacamole and shrimp/cheese empanadas, and everything was delicious. Highly recommend! read more

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The service was decent but a little overly slow. The empanadas could have used more flavor and were totally caked in breading, and were overpriced to boot. The bathrooms have no latches or locks on them leading to a lack of privacy. Overall, decent atmosphere, but could use some improvement. read more

Definitely have been sleeping on Mariscos for the past couple of years. Large portions, unique flavor, and something you can't find many other places in Cville or it's surroundings. My favorite place to eat here is the outdoor patio. Actually one piece of feedback is that with the one way window treatment, it kind of deterred me from trying it earlier because it felt like the inside of the restaurant was a mystery. Compared to the other restaurants on Main St where you can look in, it made it a little less appeasing. Anyway! The portions are gigantic. I will say as a seafood lover, the seafood isn't incredibly fresh (hard to do in Cville anyway) but it's decent. There's no fish stench and that's always a plus for me at any seafood place. They give complimentary ceviche and two salsas as an appetizer with hard flat tortillas and crackers (complimentary ceviche? Count me in) We have tried the para ella (their take on paella), the mojarra (Sinaloa style), and the molcajete fabuloso. The mango margs are also a favorite (jumbo is truly TOO jumbo for a party of 2 FYI, medium is probably the right amount!) The service was great. Eating shellfish is always bound to get messy, they give each table a roll of paper towels. Our waitress last time even took it upon herself to give us a bit of her own pocket hand sani (so thoughtful). The staff is attentive and I think truly wants you to enjoy eating at their establishment. One last pro tip is that they recently updated their menu prices. The actual prices of the food is more expensive than what is written online. Not a huge issue, I still think it's a pretty good value all things considered! Overall, we will definitely be back, probably on a night where we are hungrier than usual (I don't consider it a light meal). read more

Mariscos El Barco - Para Ella - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

La comida muy rica y el servicio espectacular. Me encantó un Tremendo lugar para ir en familia. read more

Mariscos El Barco - El mejor plato - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

We were visiting from out of town for a conference and ate here twice. I highly recommend it. The food and service were great. They have great out door seating. We really enjoyed the food here read more

Mariscos El Barco - Instead of salasa you get Ceviche' - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The staff is so kind and the food was amazing! Will definitely be back! Cannot recommend this place enough

It was okay! Didn't love the margarita .. just because they are humungous doesn't make them good. Too sweet. Fajitas were okay.. not much flavor. Bartender was super nice and working hard all night. read more

Came here with friends. They have nice outdoor seating. We sat outside and it was fun. I tried the Medium Margarita the Rocks, Ceviche, Guacamole, Filete De Pescado Sinaloa Style, and Camarones with Fajita Shrimp. Favorites were the Guacamole and the Margarita. The Guacamole was fresh, fun, and a great size for sharing for a reasonable price. The margaritas were also awesome. They serve jumbo margs that are strong and also taste great. Definitely get them if you make you make your way here. I wasn't impressed with the cooking of the seafood for the high price. The food was bland, and the seafood and cuts of fish weren't great. I don't plan on coming back for the entrees. Overall, Mariscos El Barco is a fun hang-out spot with friends if you want to enjoy some jumbo margs and snack on some apps and dips. However, I don't plan on returning for the main courses. read more

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HUUUUGE margaritas! The calamari platter was ginormous as well! The plates here are on steroids! The guac was delicious, could've used more chips for a more even ratio. Their menu is pretty extensive, but a little confusing. It had many photos, but none that corresponded to the items on the page. And though our shrimp dish was really tasty, we thought we ordered fajitas so we misunderstood the menu. We couldn't even finish all our food, we really filled up on our Marg! read more

Mariscos El Barco - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This great place took over the huge space that another restaurant was in so tons of seating! A set of String lights for outdoor ambiance with classic Latin colors and decor both outside and inside. My friends must have got a table right away (on a busy Saturday so we lucked out) since they were sitting by the time I arrived! Great customer service and the seafood was cooked perfectly. My friends ordered guacamole and chips, oysters ceviche and salsas and the presentation was as good as they tasted! Huge portions and fun to be spoiled! Many sides on this large plate such as garlic bread, fries, yummy rice, fresh salad and your fish! Great, lightly baked in tin foil with a seafood bake (scallops, imitation crab, shrimp and red onion and bell peppers). Everybody loved their dishes! My only suggestion would be to utilize handmade tortilla chips/salsa rather than fries and/or garlic bread for a side. Then you could make nachos too. I think they're strange starch sides for an otherwise authentic Mexican meal. My fresca drink was amazing and adorned with an edible orchid. Service outstanding and we'll be back! Try to park in street or MTA TRAIN LOT. read more

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Just had my mind blown by some of the best ceviche I've ever had! Excellent Marg and some sushi to boot! Will be coming back with friends as soon as I round 'em up! read more

Mariscos El Barco - Bar area - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I drove my best friend and her kids here for her birthday last night from culpeper as this was where she asked to eat at. As soon as we got in it was crowded, full of people so we expected to have to wait to be seated. Thankfully, they were able to get us seated relatively quickly. My friends daughter mentioned to the staff that we were here for her mother's birthday and asked them to sing to her. They agreed to later. Once seated, Our waiter took our drink orders then took our food order after delivering the drinks. And that was the last we saw of him. We needed drinks refilled but couldn't find our waiter. Over 45 minutes passed and no one came by. My friends daughter located the waiter again and reminded him we were here to celebrate her moms birthday and requested they sing, they said they'd be right out, but no one ever came. A staff member came by to take the menu we had at the table still (because we knew we'd be ordering more) I handed them to her and asked her to get our waiter, i explained it's been over 45 minutes since he'd stopped by. She asked us to point him out and we did. About 5 minutes later, i decided to start a timer to see if the waiter would come. 15 minutes later, and he had not. We flagged down an older woman working there with blonde hair, and mentioned we still had not been helped. At this point the restaurant has begun to close and there are not many customers remaining. She asked if she could clear the plates and we said yes, she asked if there was anything else, and the birthday girl asked for another drink. After waiting another 10 minutes with no drink, we decided it was time to go. We had to walk up to the bar (since no one was attending us) to ask to pay. I I took this opportunity to tell them that the service was horrible. The birthday girl also mentioned that it was terrible service. The blonde woman smiled and apologized, and that was it. I reminded her that we had been waiting 45 minutes before another. One of their staff members only came by to collect the menus and I asked for help and still no one came by and then we had to flag her down for help and we still didn't get our drink. She smiled and apologized as She handed me the check. The waiter the came to try say he was busy, I turned to remind him we waited over an hour and then said it doesn't even matter. I paid it and walked out. Food was sub par but service made this a dumpster fire read more

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Great service.... great good.... great variety!!! Explore the menu... it takes you on a jouney! read more

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Be aware! The sign above the front door says 'Gaslight' and it foreshadows what you experience at this restaurant. We ordered the 'CHICHARRÓN DE CAMARÓN' which were supposed to be crunchy, deep fried and lightly battered shrimp. When our food arrived that was not what we ordered, it was not fried and it was covered in a sauce. When we asked about the wrong order the waitress encouraged us that it was correct. Another waitress came over and said that it is correct and this is how they 'fry' food. She then proceeded to point a picture on the menu that was an EXACT photo of what we were served but the caption was camarones de Cucaracha ( Shelled shrimp cooked in your choice of huichol sauce. )and tell us that we ordered that. When we asked why is there 2 things on the menu that are apparently the 'exact same? She indicated that the difference is the size of the shrimp. The meal was already taken from our table to the kitchen and then we were told we have to pay for the shrimp even though they were no longer at our table or eaten. We questioned this and told them to bring the shrimp back if that was the case. They then proceeded to say we could order something else instead - we did and the check still came out with the wrong item. We we're exhausted at this point so we paid the wrong amount and left. So in short, apparently if you want the same exact meal but at a cheaper price - just order the chicharron and you'll end up with the same thing as the cucarachas but way cheaper... or if you appreciate being gaslight, this is your place! read more

Mariscos El Barco - CHICHARRÓN DE CAMARÓN - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Food 10/10: When you're first seated you get one free ceviche and chips! It's very delicious! The pasta and Chicharrn were cooked just right! Large margarita were bigger than my hand and delicious! Service 10/10!!!!!!!!!! We had a lovely server who assisted with translating and was patient! We loved her! Ambiance 8/10: Beware, can be rowdy towards the end of night because of the college students but I t's a fun atmosphere! Would recommend for friends and good friends! Would not recommend for an intimate dinner read more

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These are the BEST margaritas I've had. It's the BEST margarita place I've ever been to. Because the place is so popular and always crowded, it's not very easy to get fast service. But the staff is really nice. Food? Their seafood is definitely not bad, and I would enjoy it every once in a while. read more

Strong 7. The food was delicious and certainly hit the spot. The carne asada was well marinated and had a pleasant texture. Good crispy fries and the rice con tortillas was a nice addition! The piña colada was also delicious, I'd recommend. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Carne Asada Virgin Pina Colada - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This is a must visit for someone looking for an authentic Dominican (i asked and believe this is where the owners are from) seafood restaurant. I am not an octopus fan and this place made me love it! ¡La comida es auténtica y deliciosa! I recommend their happy hour (we went Thursday at 6:15) for HUGE $10 margaritas!!! read more

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Great awesome food , very tasty and worth the money. Margarita on point and humongous. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Pineapple el barco - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

We came here primarily to try the very large frozen margaritas, which were pretty decent. The seating was good with many options outdoors. The food however fell a bit flat. The menu is near entirely seafood, which of course is not unexpected due to the restaurant name, but warrants mention to those considering eating here. The complimentary ceviche was appreciated, though the taste was not 100% there for our group. The main food tasted were shrimp empanadas, which were dry. The flavors did not quite mesh well in any dish we tried, and the prices were quite high considering this. We'd likely come back for drinks, but the food was not something to write home about. read more

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Came for dinner during my friend's bachelorette! The jumbo marg was HUGE! But also DELICIOUS! We loved the ceviche app and got an order of it. Portions for entrees are very generous and we were very full by the end. My favorite was the shrimp tacos! read more

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Got dinner with a friend from there. The patio was nice. A couple issues with the food. First got the seafood pasta, mistake was served a plate cheese and overcooked seafood. They apologized and offered fish tacos, it was given as carryout. The food had mold in it. While the concept is great it's poorly executed. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Mold in toppings from fish tacos. - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Good jumbo margaritas! They had some overpriced food but the inside atmosphere was nice. It's a local Charlottesville spot with a lot of university students visiting during the weekend read more

We had try many seafood restaurants in Richmond where we live and this is one of the best seafood places with hispanic style we had try. We ordered the tilapia and the al gusto soup that is a soup with the seafood of your preference my husband ordered the stuffed pineapple, everything was so tasty. They offered all types of sea food cooked on the sauce of your choice from garlic to butter and the sinaloa sauce that is similar to old bay flavor. We will be back. read more

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Mariscos El Barco restaurant in Charlottesville is the closest thing to Baja style seafood I have had since leaving Cali. Yes, that is a camaron e pulpo tostada. Now if I could just get them to fry lobster like Pueto Nuevo. Their selection of seafood is the best in Charlottesville! read more

Mariscos El Barco - Camaron e pulpo tostada - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Find was hot and delicious! Calamari was large, not overcooked. Oysters was smothered with cheese. I particularly dont care for that much cheese but it was still pretty good. Main meal was ohhh sooo goooddd!!! It was full of flavor! Wasn't expecting it to be soup-like but it was FILLED with seafood. Good thing we went late evening when it was cooler though. Now it's almost cool enough in the day time for soup...prefect weather for it! So glad we tried this place, worth every bite. Will definitely be back. read more

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I stopped in because of a delayed train and was warmly greeted with incredibly fast and warm service. The ceviche was good and the michelada was the best I've had in Charlottesville! read more

I always heard about this place from my friends who go for their infamous margaritas. So in honor of turning 21 a few weeks ago, I tried a large frozen margarita which was VERY strong...but for the price and the portion of the margarita, I can't complain too much. As for the food, the meal I got was only $16 and was absolutely delicious. The sauce was tangy and the perfect amount of heat along with the fish which tasted very fresh for not being near any water. The sides were the perfect compliment to the fish along with the margarita cooling off the spicy sauce. All in all, they have very good prices and the food is amazing but beware of the STRONG margs read more

Mariscos El Barco - Mojarra Platillo - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

For the Margarita alone, El Barco gets 5 stars. They were delicious, giant, and so so cheap (I got the large which was $8.99). I tried the Pina Colada Margarita, which was a delicious tropical drink with barely a hint of alcohol. Don't worry though, they pack quite a punch. However, I wasn't very impressed with their food options, and thought it was extremely pricey. The complementary chips were nice, but not nearly enough to share with my group of 6 (we were given one basket). However, I would definitely recommend coming here for drinks with friends! read more

Mariscos El Barco - pina colada margarita - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Came with the family on a Saturday for lunch. They have a private lot so parking was easy (a huge plus on Main St.) Fairly large indoor space and we were seated immediately. I haven't had this style of seafood before and we loved it! I got one of their specialty tamarind margaritas and it was excellent! Our family sampled the fried fish tacos (Hubby's fave), the filete gratinado (super large platter that wasn't spicy and fed all three of our young kids), and the molcajete fabuloso (which was a ton of seafood in a spicy broth, served in a boiling hot mini cauldron. It was absolutely delicious and my favorite!) Service was good and pricing was fair for the amount and quality of seafood in each dish. Their octopus in particular is awesome- wonderfully tender. Will definitely be returning! read more

Last minute choice....but THOROUGHLY pleased! Seafood paella was beyond delicious! Outstanding service; such a hidden gem! read more

Mariscos El Barco - Seafood paella - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Come here for HUGE, cheap & effective happy hour margaritas. I will say I am a little puzzled by the menu. I don't eat seafood and the only non-seafood items were guacamole and a $30 steak. That's it. read more

Blend of Mexican and seafood, I do not recommend for those who know what good seafood tastes like. Quantity per dish is quite nice, but quality is subpar. Pricing is understandable due to it being seafood, but I would not recommend for someone looking to try fresh seafood. Fish is overly salty and nothing special about the shrimp, crabs, and mussels. In all honesty, a good restaurant for a spontaneous chill meal with friends, but don't go in expecting to have spectacular seafood and a meal that's well worth your money. read more

I loved the complimentary ceviche they bring out when you are seated. I can always appreciate something different to add to the mix instead of the usual chips and salsa. It was also prepared very well for ceviche. We had the guacamole which was fresh and a good portion size. I had the shrimp empanadas and my husband had some flank steak that was tender and very well seasoned. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Shrimp empanadas - Seafood Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Amazing restaurant! Authentic! Great service! One of my favorite restaurants ever, I love it.

This place was terrible. Asked for water for 2 , they brought one. The waitress seemed confused with every interaction. The oysters were the worst I had ever eaten. Large but completely tasteless. Really barely edible. They did not bring cocktail sauce and acted like they had never heard of it when I asked. 2 specialty drinks were terrible. The menu was very confusing. read more