My fiancé and I were feeling down after another boil water advisory so decided to leave Richmond City for some food. Mariscos El Barco has been on my RestaurWANT to Try list for some time now. I'm a huge fan of ceviche and have heard incredible things about theirs. We weren't too hungry so decided to share a guacamole and the ceviche de pescado. Do know that they have very generous portions here with great prices. We were seated immediately, there is plenty of indoor seating. The walls are yellow and they have cute seats that look boat themed. It's located in a space that looks like a home. There is plenty of parking in their parking lot out front. Our waitress was kind and attentive. Our food came out pretty quickly. The guacamole is incredible. It's absolutely delicious and elevated by some lime. I highly recommend ordering this. They bring you out chips to start with so you can use those for any additional dipping. I think I can be picky with ceviche. It was still really good and I would be interested to return to try more seafood dishes off their menu. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Ceviche de Pescado - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Amazing food here, well worth a visit. The outside of the building looks like a house, so I was initially wary. But the inside looks like a very local and authentic Mexican joint, well kept up, clean and comfortable. It's not a touristy spot and that is absolutely its appeal. The staff don't speak a whole lot of English but they speak enough for anyone to get by pretty easily. We've returned for dinner a couple times now, and always leave satisfied. BIG portions. You can easily split most dishes, and the larger portions of the appetizers (ceviche for example) can be easily split among big parties. They are absolutely a seafood restaurant, so don't expect much else. But there is a lot of variety to their seafood menu and everything is delicious. read more

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I have to agree with my fellow two stars on this one. I agree with what Maegan B. said. The food is way overrated, the seafood dishes have ZERO flavor to them. As a Mexican-American it pains the deepest part of my soul to criticize this restaurant. You deep fried an entire fish; cool. You generously gave me a TON of shrimp, probably over 20 but where is the flavor? Brush those shrimp with some butter and a dash of seasonings after you plate it. Maybe squeeze some lemon over them? No? Cool. Although the portion was more than generous I felt the fries were my favorite part. It is quite an interesting place with a strong ethnic vibe. They don't serve ice water but rather just bottled water. 95% of the time Spanish is being spoken. If you look ethnic (which I do) they prefer to speak Spanish to me. I wish I was fluent. They don't care to speak English to my half-breed looking ass. Yeah yeah, i know, I'm sorry I don't speak Spanish, I know enough to order and then I run out of words. This place caters to the regulars in the area and that's cool. For me it was overcooked and way overpriced for the quality of ingredients. Sorry guys I have to keep it real on this one. read more

Mariscos El Barco - CAMARONES Sinaloa - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Don't underestimate this modest looking facade. Behind these humble walls lies one of the best Mexican style seafood restaurants I have been anywhere in the country. read more

I came across this spot out of luck as I was being interviewed for a job in early 2020. Once my job was secured and moved here, it was the FIRST place I wanted to come back to. Mariscos El Barco is that kind of hidden treasure in the land of bland Mexican food in Richmond. Their menu is simply a tour of costal cuisines that are well prepared and with incredible variety. This is some of the finest Mexican/Latin seafood I have experienced, and their patronage is certainly a testimony to that sentiment. From fish to squid, shrimp, mussels, and even octopus, there are amazing varieties to chose from. Tostadas (chips) are served stacked and whole with side dipping sauces that are certain to please those who love spiciness!! Break up the tostadas and dip them in the sauce and get your burn on! They also have assorted spicy condiments at each table. For me, I typically indulge in the octopus, "pulpo." Now, don't get squeamish. Octopus is an amazing thing to eat, and El Barco does it right. Choose from a variety of sauces (I like the ranchero and the ajillo), and comes served on a large platter with fresh salad, cucumber, fries (amazing) and rice. Plates are definitely large and can easily be split between two adults with a medium appetite. There is also a cornucopia of seafood that are cooked in a mushroom sauce, topped with cheese, and served in a pineapple called Pina Rellado. This thing is simply amazing! Weekend nights are busy and sometimes difficult to get seated if you don't start early. Wait staff is always friendly and eager to please, but some may not speak English too well. Still, there's always someone who will be able to take care of you if you don't speak Spanish. If you're looking for seafood with a Mexican flare, then Mariscos El Barco is definitely for you!! read more

Mariscos El Barco - Pulpo en salsa Ranchero - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I'm so glad I found Mariscos! It does not disappoint. If you are looking for authentic Mexican cuisine this is the place for you. Mariscos is tucked away in the Libbie Mill area. It's a very quaint building with a ton of character. The servers are very friendly and they try their best to explain everything on the menu to you. Knowing a tad bit of Spanish is helpful, but if you don't that's fine too. The food is amazing and isn't like your commercial Mexican restaurants. They have more of a seafood based menu. I tried the shrimp and chicken fajitas and shrimp empanadas and they were both divine. My cousin had a shrimp pasta which she enjoyed and my aunt had the seafood paella which included succulent crab legs, mussels, shrimp and scallops. The drinks are very refreshing they have a strawberry and lime margarita on the rocks. read more

You definitely want to check out the menu before you go, as this is not your typical Mexican spot. Lots of seafood options including crab, octopus, shrimp and fish. For that reason (that it's not typical Mexican), I was stuck as to what to order. And for that reason, I didn't really enjoy my meal. Because there's no online menu, I can't name what we got, but I'll describe it. Our appetizer was essentially ceviche soup. It was a cold mixture of various seafood--mainly shrimp and octopus--with pico de gallo in a tomato juice. It was very flavorful, but cold soup has never ever been satisfying to me. AND the crab in it was imitation. I literally got stuck on what to order, so I didn't order. My boyfriend ordered something, and it sounded like a large something, so I just agreed to eat some of his. He also ordered a ceviche. As soon as he did, I thought it was going to be just like the bowl of cold soup we just had. And it was. Just not soupy. Disappointment. More cold food when I really wanted something hot. His main dish came out, and essentially it was a mixed seafood grilled in aluminum foil. It was flavorful. Almost tasted Asian with a soy sauce base. The rice with it was good. The fries with it were good. It just wasn't satisfying. Service was fine. One girl didn't speak English and the other one spoke passable English. No problem. Atmosphere is much like the other restaurants and businesses in this area--definitely nothing fancy. Rather holes in the walls, but still an active and thriving business. It was freezing cold in there, and I asked them to turn off the AC. They did, for a while. Not sure I'd go back. It was okay. Just not my thing when I'm in the mood for Mexican. But the guys who referred us there love it. read more

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I noticed the sign tucked behind my current favorite boba shop. Honestly, the name rang a bell till I realized I saw this spot on yelp. Me and my step mom was greeted by a friendly waitress . The menu was bilingual and easy to read . We really just wanted to see the menu and check the place out if we're being honest. The menu looked so good and the seafood seemed fresh so we got a little tester. We got the mixed seafood tostada togo and they were very fast. For $8 we got a big cup packed with mixed seafood & topped with fresh avocado. It also included the tostada and crackers packed in a nice bag and 2 salsa. I got a taste of the seafood and let me tell you that octopus was FRESH. The pieces of seafood were also nice chunks & not small at all. We definitely wanna come back and try more stuff on the menu. This is a Mexican SEAFOOD restaurant with prices ranging from $8-$40 . They offer shared platters as well as some carne dishes and soups. The kitchen seemed clean as well as the restaurant itself . It was quite and not very busy since it was mid day. Like my girl Kristen H. mentioned .. the menu is bilingual but not the staff so much . The waitress that was helping my mom did speak English & everyone was very nice. read more

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We ordered the fish ceviche and oysters and enjoyed everything. Will be coming back. The service was great and I can't complain although I am not a Spanish speaker the staff were great. The ambiance was nice. Not too loud. read more

Mariscos El Barco - The ceviche and oysters were divine. Will be coming back. - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I've been going here since I was little and the food was always warm and delicious as my dad always brought us here along with some other family members it's always been busy and noisy but that's the fun. read more

Excellent service and amazing food. Everything was cooked to perfection and the flavor was like a party on my mouth. Seafood Empanadas Tostadas Guacamole Fish topped with seafood read more

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I come out to the Richmond area once a year and always try and get to this place. It's a hole in the wall place but always has excellent food and service. If you love seafood this is a have to stop. read more

Absolutely amazing experience, I recommend anyone try this place out. The waitstaff was so kind and personible, the decorations were so cute and upbeat, the food was so good, and the drinks were flavorful. Would go back! read more

I love to come here with my family for special seafood dinner. The food taste like the best compare to other place that I have been to. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Beautiful El Cantatito - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

We went there last night, the place from the outside looks like a house! However when u stepped in you'll how much effort this guys have put in the place its so pretty, they have this comfy chairs Now the food..... I was really excited about trying this new place but im guessing is bc they just opened: -I wanted a flavor margarita(it was even listed on the menu) they say they didnt have flavors, not big deal lime flavor was still goof. -We ask for a bottle of moscato, didnt had it either. -We wanted to try the "camarones sarandeados" they are only available on the weekends But i have to says besides those little things -We had a great service A+ - The dishes we tried were very good, cant remember all the names! - Cocktails are pretty good i tried the cantaritos and margaritas Ill definetely be back for more!!! read more

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Bae and I finally made our way to Mariscos for dinner last night. According to Yelp, they close at 9pm but we arrived at 8:50 thinking they were open til 10 and there were still sitting people. Inside there's a small dining room with a giant community table and a few side tables. They also have a covered patio section which had zero people seated, probably due to the fact there were no heaters and it was freezing) but we decided to sit there anyways because the seating inside was not exactly meeting Covid guidelines. Side note, employees were wearing makes but I did see more than one taking theirs off when. Or directly around patrons. The menu is huge and center's around Sinoloan cuisine. I, having just watched Narcos:Mexico, had all kinds of fun facts to share with bae over dinner and quickly realized I may be a little obsessed with the cartel but that's another topic. You aren't really going to find standard Mexican food here. The menu is dominated by seafood. Like all the seafood. If you want cheese dip and various barely distinguishable dishes covered in cheese this probably isn't the place for you. But if you love seafood and wanna get adventurous definitely check this place out. We ordered this massive seafood platter with peeled shrimp, scallops, oysters, octopus, giant prawns, and crab legs. The platters basically are $40 or $80. We went with the smaller one and it was legit enough food for like four hungry humans. Everything tasted great but I'm not that it was all fresh and not previously frozen. The platter is just the seafood no sides but they do give you these giant tortilla chips with quite possibly the spiciest salsa ever. Margaritas are also ginormous. Pretty standard. Not fancy but decent. read more

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I didn't like it to much grease do not order ajillo shrimp , and the 7 mares was to much salty read more

Mariscos El Barco - 7 mares - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I've been looking at this place for a while and finally got to eat here. I was not disappointed, the food was well seasoned and fresh. Service was great as well as ambiance. Location on GPS is a bit confusing, this restaurant is actually behind "Original Mexican Restaurant". I ordered a tostada de camarón con pulpo and it tasted really good. The red snapper was also delicious even though my friend went for a basic butter flavor, it still had lots of flavor. I ordered the breaded shrimp, the shrimps were big and well seasoned. Both dishes had a side of white rice, salad and French fries. I will definitely be coming back to try more dishes. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Tostada de camarón y pulpo - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Average food. The fish I ordered was supposed to have garlic, butter and mushroom toppings but came plain.

This cute little place has become a new favorite! My girlfriend and I went and the service was absolutely spectacular. The food came out quick, tasted amazing and was the perfect amount of spicy. We can't wait to go back! Highly recommend everyone to try this place. You won't regret it read more

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At first when we pulled into the parking lot, I must admit I was apprehensive but my doubts were SO WRONG! This place is SO FREAKING GOOD! Every time and EVERY dish I've ever gotten has been fresh, well cooked, and seasoned beautifully! If you like spicy the red hot sauce they give you when you sit down is some of the best hot sauce I've ever had! The pulpa is tender. The whole fried red snapper with Sinaloa sauce is like sex in your mouth and the tapas and empenadas are delicious! The ONLY downfall is that they don't have tap water and if that's my only gripe then... What else is there to say?! read more

We decided to try something different for dinner and we were glad we did. Most amazing Mexican seafood spot. We will definitely be back. The food is definitely worth it read more

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A bit hard to find. As you face it, this is directly to the left of Pho Thien Phat, (formerly Pho So 1), and behind the alley of a Mexican restaurant on Horsepen that I'll never try because the parking lot is always empty. Think behind Full Kee and to the left. THIS IS NOT RED LOBSTER. THIS IS NOT THE TRAVESTY THAT NC "CALABASH" STYLE SEAFOOD IS. This is legit Mexican style seafood and ceviche, in all it's authentic glory. From the bold and unapologetic, spicy green and red salsa's that they bring to the table in a basket with tostadas, (hard/fried corn tacos), to the decor and custom Mexican-made and imported tables and chairs, these inspired folks did NOT want to Americanize a thing. Trust a big guy when he says that the tostadas in the cold appetizer section are plenty and an incredible value given the portion of seafood. $8. Alas, I had to be a fatty and also tried their mixed seafood cocktail. Wonderful. It could have been spicier and was sweeter than I like, so I added some of the aforementioned salsas, a bit of Cholula, lime, and voila, perfection. (That's what condiments at a table are for). The seafood empanadas made me rethink the "no cheese with seafood" paradigm. All in all a great small place. Now, to address the idiotic & suspect 1 Star review that Daniel M. left 5 days ago: 1) "I made a yelp account just to warn everyone not to waste your time money and energy coming here." = No one will take you seriously and to go to this trouble smacks of a personal vendetta. 2) Baron Bomburst from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang called & said he wants his child-hating attitude back! IT IS A SMALL CASUAL FAMILY RESTAURANT. It's a tight place and sound has no where...never mind. Sorry that we Hispanics like to procreate and often. 3) You want quiet and dimly lit? Go to a HIGH-END, Michelin starred restaurants that normal families cannot afford. 4) As for the flies, you must've eaten outside. There were ZERO insects inside where I ate. Why? Because in stifling heat, that's where sensible humans eat. There WERE several families also eating outside, enjoying the heat, the loud children, all whilst putting delicious seafood in their soup coolers. 5) Perhaps the UNCROWDED Mexican place in front of this suits you more. With their empty parking lot. Crowded, and crowded with Hispanic families, to me means it is affordable and authentic. Folks, I will definitely repeat often. Next up will be the platter I saw walk by me with a mountain of cooked seafood! read more

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So... before I start about the food I can't tell you enough how warm, friendly, and excellent the service is!!!!!! Wow!!!!!! Fantastic place for seafood!!! Had the carne Asada and the langostinos. Both dishes were hot and delicious. The steak was marinated to perfection and the sauce they used for the langostinos was so different and so so good. Highly recommend. Great place for a date or to bring a large crowd! One of the best more authentic Mexican restaurants in Richmond. read more

I was surprised to come across this place when walking out of dim sum at Full Kee. I walked in just to see the menu to have an idea of the offerings, and I was totally wowed! You see tons of seafood options done in the traditional Mexican way, nothing like what you see anywhere else in the city. The food is supposed to be Jalisco style seafood. Having seen such an enticing menu, I knew I had to come back soon! We came back, and I was honestly disappointed. The food looked amazing as in poured out of the kitchen but was lackluster upon tasting. The seafood didn't have that gross taste that frozen seafood can often have (if you've ever lived near the ocean then you know when seafood was previously frozen), but it was bland. The crab legs were watery and soggy. The seafood filled pineapple dish was very bland, the shrimp were not deveined and the seafood overall was too soft, like the soaked it in lime too long. The menu said there was pineapple in the dish as well, but I neither saw nor tasted pineapple. The special ceviche was suuuuper bland. The fries were even soggy. Even the tostada was stale :(. The price was on par with places that would have been far superior in quality. Service, however, was attentive, but the bathroom was crazy filthy. I mean insanely gross--overflowing trashcans, what was likely pee on the floor, and I can't even remember what else. No good at all. Folks take out the trash and then go straight to waiting tables (a disappointing practice that is sadly more common than you think). The place overall is not filthy, but the bathrooms were no good, and the place overall would not be considered impeccably clean by any stretch, but you can see the kitchen, and it looked fine enough. I will say that the a la diabla sauce is the best one, perhaps the safest option if you at least want some flavor. The red sauce with the chips was interesting and made me want more because it was so spicy, but that's the most I can say. I wanted to love it; I really did, but no cigar. What a bummer! I recommend that if you insist on going, try an app and decide if you will order more. Even then, order a dish to share first before deciding to order two. The price is fair for other seafood places, but for what I got, I wish I had gone elsewhere for the money. Tips: - The menu is bilingual, but much of the staff is not. - You enter through what appears to be the back, by walking through the outdoor patio to get in. read more

We went there a week ago and there was a cockroach on the wall we told the waitress and she killed and said I'm sorry you guys saw that, our waitress took for ever to come and check if we needed anything when there wasn't a lot of people, what upset me the most was that when we paid I left $10 cash for her tip and on my receipt I put a Ø for tip and wrote on the total the amount of our receipt the next day I got a notification if my bank saying that I am out had been updated the waitress had the audacity of adding $10 on the tip when I had already left her the previous day $10 in cash in total she got $20 on tip when she didn't deserve it when I called to tell them they told me that it was a mistake that she hadn't done it I'm never going there again and if you guys go, please make sure that they don't do the same thing to you guys. read more

Wow this place was great. It was a little difficult to find because maps takes you to the front of the house and when you see it it gives the impression you are either at the wrong address or it's closed but you need to go around the back to the parking lot. The seafood and drinks were authentic and the service was great! read more

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Nice place. Kinda hole in the wall, kinda cute/quirky, those chairs .. food was good, grilled squid and filet of fish. Portions quite big. One of my favorite Mexican place in RVA, really appreciate their focus on seafood! read more

Don't expect the regular Mexican menu! This is just Mexican SEAFOOD, so many options! The place is clean, service is decent, and the food is so TASTY!! Everything you know about Mexican food, throw it out the window!! read more

Mariscos El Barco - Camarones Sinaloa - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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The feel of this place is like a beachfront restaurant in Baja without the beach. The food is on par with the best I've had in San Diego and Baja California. Service was great despite the fact they were packed! And rightly so. Amazing value, super friendly servers, and delicious enough to make me not so homesick for Southern California. We'll be back again and again. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Molcajete Fabuloso - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Small place back in the cut behind Mexico Restaurant. Been wanting to try this place because they have so much octopus on the menu, husband loves it. Service was very good. However, the food was just ok. We had grilled oysters which came with shrimp and scallops on top, they were ok, just too must stuff on them. We also had whole grilled octopus which was kind of tasteless, and shrimp that were deep fried in the shell. Obviously, I misunderstood how the shrimp were cooked or I wouldn't have ordered them that way. Once they're fried in the shell it's hard to peel them. The margaritas were ok. It wasn't bad, but wasn't that great either. Not a return for us. read more

Great place,to bring big groups for a big,pile of seafood. Dining room has fun nautical theme. Full bar. Super seafood focused menu, I liked the guacamole, good cerviche. You could tell things were fresh ans,oeoole,cared. Not romantic, dining area,loud and bright. Only downside,auntie bathroom needed cleaning read more

Not your typical Mexican place, this is a Sinola style seafood place. Bring a big crowd and order a huge feast, that's the best way to enjoy it. Check the menunbeforemyou go to get some ideas. We went and they were clearly cleaning up from a huge rush somthenplacemwas a little messy when we get there but they gotmthings squared away. Lots of big family dining. read more

This place was awesome! The food was great and everyone was so friendly I had a really good time on my birthday. Big thanks to the manager who also made us feel welcomed. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

We just moved to RVA from New Orleans LA. We have been looking for unique food. This place is amazing! A real "hole in the wall" epicurean delight. Can't wait to come back read more

Honestly was a little uncertain when we pulleD into the parking lot but so glad we decided to stay and give it a chance. We started with the oysters topped with ceviche which could be a meal on its own. For entrees we got bacon wrapped cheese stuffed shrimp and filet of fish topped with all kinds of seafood with a cream sauce. Great food and huge portions. Service was great too! read more

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Tostadas piled mile-high with fresh seafood and veggies! A hollowed-out coconut filled with shrimp, scallops and octopus and a tasty sauce! A huge goblet of seafood! Presentation is amazing and food tastes great. Highly recommend. read more

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I loved my experience here! Everyone was so friendly. After reading the other reviews, I just knew I had to try it. True enough, it looks more like a house. It isn't directly on the street - it sits behind another Mexican restaurant, so be persistent and go behind that one! You won't be sorry. I love being in an authentic place and this was it for me. The guacamole was enough to feed 4-6 people! I found the sauces too spicy for my bland palette, so we kept things "safe", but I can tell you the food I saw on other tables was gorgeous and our fish was excellent. I can't wait to visit Richmond again just to go there. read more

I just had a wonderful time in this restaurant, prices are affordable and the food was delicious, the service was an amazing and the cherry on top was the manager stopping by our table, making sure everything was good, we really felt like home, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Fantastic. The portions are very generous, service is quick and friendly, atmosphere is very casual. Very unique menu (for this area) and everything being brought out of the kitchen looked just as delicious as our meal. Ceviche is VERY fresh. read more

Mariscos El Barco - Camarones dinner - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia