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    Mariscos El Barco

    4.0 (56 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Mexican, Spanish
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Pulpo en salsa Ranchero
    Sean G.

    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!!

    ceviche
    Lisa G.

    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.

    What to get when you have so many delicious options
    Lizzy H.

    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.

    The ceviche and oysters were divine. Will be coming back.
    Gabriella L.

    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.

    Terris J.

    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

    Beautiful El Cantatito
    Apple Y.

    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.

    Menu
    Gabriellap99hjlvgii. D.

    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!!!

    Seafood platter
    Shelley B.

    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.

    7 mares
    Beatriz Q.

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

    Tostada de camarón y pulpo

    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.

    Jake S.

    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

    Medium margarita 9.5 and it was HUGE
    Dani L.

    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

    These 2 salsas that come to the table are not for the faint hearted that think ketchup is spicy, yet they are delicious.

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

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    Sugar's Crab Shack - Fresh fried oyster

    Sugar's Crab Shack

    4.3(223 reviews)
    4.5 miVirginia Union
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    Always the place for great fried fish. They have other options but for me the fish is it…read more My wife loves the onion rings and hush puppies. Good customer service Style as a take away but outside seating is available

    I saw this place on tik tok and told myself I would stop by and visit the next time I was in…read moreRichmond. My son had a basketball tournament, and this was the perfect time to stop by. I pulled into the parking lot and this place has a unique setup. All the tables are outside similar to checkers. The place looks like it belongs in a dessert or South of the Boarder based on the color which is odd as well. They take your orders at the walk-up window. When I originally arrived, I didn't see much business but while I waited for my food the cars were pouring in left and right. My hopes for the food increased. There is a menu on the outside that is somewhat difficult to read and navigate. A ton of options with some whopping prices. I ended up ordering the 1 Snack and Fries. I wanted something good but also light as I had another place in Richmond I wanted to try. $14.99 seemed good until I saw this bogus, Local meals tax on top of the state sales tax. This caught me off guard. I ended up waiting in my car for about 20 minutes and later heard my name called over the microphone. The gentleman showed me the food, and it was 3 large pieces of fish. The fish was delicious. The fish was Cooked well, and I could taste the flavor. Way more than I expected. Tartar sauce elevated the flavor. The fires were piping hot and good as well. I wish I had some ketchup, but they were still good. I loved that they were salted but if I had high blood pressure I should have stayed away. You can see the salt on the fries. They were good to me. Overall if I were in Richmond again, I'd definitely stop. The food was good. I would definitely try more options. The customer service was good. The cashier and food distributor were on their A game. Outside could use some love and care but it is what it is.

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    Hobnob - Rockfish BLT with side beet/mandarin/pecan/goat cheese salad

    Hobnob

    4.3(411 reviews)
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    Hobnob has become a regular pick for our book club meetings because the food and vibes are…read moreconsistently wonderful! This past Thursday evening, the gals and I shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio and the shrimp fried green tomatoes. For my entree, I opted for the mushroom tortellini which was phenomenal. The pesto cream sauce was velvety and delicious! Our server was attentive and fun! Definitely a great place to enjoy the patio if the weather is nice!

    We decided to come to Hobnob for brunch and had been here before, so we were excited since my…read morebrother was visiting from abroad and was craving southern food. The staff was kind enough to seat us earlier than our original reservation, which was a really nice touch and much appreciated. I was also happy to see a decent number of gluten-free options. While the main dishes are a bit limited, most of the sides are gluten-free. Now for the food, the crispy chicken sandwich was the highlight of the meal. The Smashburger was also delicious. I ordered the rockfish without the bun, while my dad had it with the bun, and both were great. The beet salad was fresh and flavorful, and the fries were solid. The mac & cheese, unfortunately, was not good at all. On the plus side, the hot cider was delicious. Desserts were a bit of a mixed thoughts. The bread pudding was definitely the best one we tried and really enjoyable. However, the chocolate peanut butter pie was a big disappointment. It was extremely hard and cold (not pie texture), the peanut butter wasn't creamy at all, and it honestly tasted more like a protein bar loaded with sugar. The crust also tasted like it had been sitting in the fridge for a while--disappointing. Overall, we still enjoyed our visit and many of the dishes were great, but the dessert experience could definitely be improved.

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    Shagbark - OMG oysters

    Shagbark

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    Five Stars EVERY visit for over 9 years (see my previous reviews)…read moreChef & Owner Walter Bundy's seasonal menu is artfully currated with the freshest ingredients And I'd be remiss if I did not mention the personal attention GM/Wine Director Rodney R brings to the experience. My rating rationale +1 Service +1 Food~Taste/flavor/quality +1 Presentation +1 Atmosphere/vibe +1 Value

    My fiance and I brought our moms here for an early Mother's Day celebration and had a wonderful…read moretime. I made a reservation in advance. We were seated in the Lounge area near the entrance and it was pretty nice. My MIL loved the cow painting that was hanging. There is a lot of animal art where we were seated. The service is great here. We were checked in on a lot, but not in an overbearing way. This is located in Libbie Mill, so there is a lot of free street parking and parking lot spaces. They had women and men's restrooms. This is a sister restaurant to Julep's in downtown. I have been wanting to try this spot for a long time now and am happy we finally did. They are very creative with their dishes here and I think sometimes it makes a big bang and other times it falls a little flat. My MIL and I both got the springria. She got the red and I got the white. The red was the better of the two. We started with a caesar salad and the lamb empanadas for the table. The salad was fine, it had too much going on for me. We all loved the lamb empanadas (our waitress even said they were her favorite). We all loved the butter and bread choices that we started the meal with. I really liked the cornbread. For mains, my fiance and I shared the sirloin special. My MIL got the soft shell crab. My mom got the branzino. I love that they split the sirloin for us, it was so kind and perfectly portioned for us. It was a tasty special. The branzino was a great cut of fish, however, the sauce combinations made it a bit confusing, so we weren't the biggest fan of the flavor. My MIL adored her soft shell crab. We all had a wonderful time here!

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    Beaucoup - Mussels a la cape cod

    Beaucoup

    4.7(54 reviews)
    3.8 miThe Fan

    SO good, favorite spot of our Richmond trip!…read more My brother and I were looking for late night oysters. Sadly when we came in Wednesday night at 9 PM, we were told they were only serving drinks at that time. I emailed the restaurant and was informed that on most nights, they indeed close the kitchen and only serve drinks after 9 PM, but that on weekends they'll keep the kitchen open longer. I'm so glad we came back on our last day of the trip. It was a Thursday night at 7:45 PM and pretty full. Thankfully, there were some seats at the bar which we preferred anyways since you got to watch the oysters get shucked right in front of you. We ordered the bread service, and though it said house cultured butter OR whipped beef tallow, our kind server made sure to ask if we wanted one or both (the answer was both, of course!). We also got 4 Virginia oysters (appreciate not being forced to order in increments of 6 or 12), chargrilled oysters, and "dessert tonight" which ended up being the most perfect chocolate cake (I think it was describe as something else, but my memory fails me) with a white chocolate ganache-like topping and pistachios *swoon*. I tried the wine of the day which was an orange wine that it was a nice not-too-sweet, not too dry wine. I'd recommend it with a pasta or fish. Our server (didn't catch his name but he had a nice brown sweater and a beanie, receipt says Taylor so maybe that's his name?) was so nice! Great vibes all around from the interior to the bathroom to the service. Would definitely come back.

    A little coup of joy in Richmond. Happy hour oysters were…read moreoutstanding--briny, fresh, and perfectly chilled. The bread and butter were magnificent (dangerously so), and the mushroom soup was deep, velvety, and soul-warming. The veal was top-notch--tender, elegant, and clearly in the hands of a confident kitchen. And the French martini? Just right. Balanced, cold, and quietly glamorous--the kind of drink that makes you linger a little longer and plot your return.

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    Lillian - Lobstahh

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    4.5(46 reviews)
    3.2 miScott's Addition

    Lillian is absolutely delicious. I had the best shrimp I have ever eaten here, served on the…read moreseafood tower my sister and I shared. Every bite was better than the last. They offer a variety of sauces and flavors that really elevate the seafood and make the experience feel unique and interactive. It was such a fun meal to share, comparing each bite and talking through all the different flavors. The service was excellent. Our waitress was knowledgeable about everything we ordered and made great recommendations. The atmosphere is just as impressive. The decor is simple but thoughtfully elevated, and sitting at the bar area feels like you have stepped out of Richmond and into somewhere like New York City. I also love following Lillian on social media to keep up with their latest specials. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves seafood.

    Hats off to the staff at Lillian who continue to be wonderful, but now that they have scrapped…read moretheir dollar oyster lunch specials, the food has absolutely nothing to offer. Like too many restaurants in the Scott's Addition area, this is seafood cooked without finesse and then absolutely brutalized with absurd amounts of palate fatiguing, brash, loud flavors. Every item on the menu endeavors to conceal mediocrity in the quality and handling of the ingredients with explosive, overwhelming additives meant to shock you into submission. Things like black garlic and chili oil, raw garlic, sesame seed oil, and punishing heat are inescapable on the menu, which really says to me loud and clear "we do not understand the appeal of seafood, and might have a fundamental misunderstanding about good food in general." I don't exaggerate when I say these dishes would be improved (setting aside things like inability to properly cook octopus) by scaling back the flavors to 5-10% the loudness level they are currently at, to let the ingredients speak, and to make the dining experience less of a punishing marathon with no relief. I have had much subtler and more skillfully balanced dishes at Indian and Thai restaurants, cuisines known for strong flavor profiles. I'm through listening to these Richmond restaurants trying to excuse simply bad food by claiming "that's the nature of the cuisine." In this case, Lillian claims that dishes characterized by these cacophonous competing flavors is "South American." No it isn't - the person conceptualizing the dishes is just a bad chef who doesn't know what he's doing, and at the prices Lillian charges, that's inexcusable. Drowning every dish in flavors that overwhelm the palate is not a way to respect your ingredients or your diner, and only communicates youth and insecurity. Anyone who's eaten widely and knows their ingredients will rightly feel assaulted and insulted by this overpriced, unskilled fare. To anyone who decides to go anyway: Good luck with the digestive distress, and with the taste that will still be left over in your mouth the next morning, no matter how much you brush your teeth.

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    Slack Tide Fish

    Slack Tide Fish

    4.5(33 reviews)
    3.1 miScott's Addition
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    I absolutely love Slack Tide Fish Co. I mainly come here for the oysters and the charming patio. My…read morebest friend and I love their $1 oyster happy hour, but do know it is only from 4-5pm. The birthday girl oysters are my favorite and a part of the special. They also always have really delicious wine to pick from. While I prefer my oysters with just lemon, their signature hot sauce is very good! I usually just come for the oysters and the vibes. The people who work here are super sweet! They're very helpful with any questions or recommendations you may have. The happy hour also has fries for a great price. I love their thin fries. On a recent visit, I decided to try their special of the night which was a fried boiled egg with salmon. This was beyond delicious. I'm on a huge boiled egg kick, so trying this sorta Scottish egg dish was amazing. We were told the chef making it was known for it at their previous restaurant. I'd love to try even more on the menu, but know this is an amazing place for oysters.

    Best oyster happy hour I've had in a while! They're a cool $1 each! Limit to 12 per person and 24…read moreper table. For the grown up palates try the Billingsgate martini which is $8 on happy hour. Not on happy hour but we tried the delicious roasted oysters so please order them. They are delicious! Fresh oysters, deliciously fun oyster shooters, and a really cool patio setup. The service was top-notch. If you're in Scott's Addition, this is a must-visit.

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    Stella's

    4.5(1.2k reviews)
    2.5 miMalvern Gardens, Near West End
    $$

    I can see why everyone raves about Stella's. The ambiance was mesmerizing starting from the outside…read morewith the classic cars parked out front. If they aren't part of the decor, it was a treat nonetheless. We stepped inside from the rain with a parking spot very near the door. I snapped a pic on the way in to capture it's essence. We risked another walk-in with no reservations, and we snagged two prime end seats on the communal table. There were two open seats at the bar as well; might come in handy some other rainy Thursday night. The server, Murphy M., judging by the receipt, who helped my partner and I with our order, was a gracious host and incredibly well-practiced. It was a master class in serving, made effortless by him. He could not have been more accommodating, as we saw him appear inevitably at the exact right moments. Our server offered us bread and oil before the appetizer. The bread here is made fresh daily. It was so soft, I could not tell the difference from store bought. The food was exquisitely well prepared, the chefs and kitchen staff are immensely skilled. The appetizer was presented to us within a relatively short amount of time. We had time for a short discussion before the it arrived. The Tiropita was described as "four pieces of heaven." Accurate. The phyllo was thin and crisp, and the feta was creamy and delicious. I was careful not to bite too hard and ruin my pants. I had the Kotopoulo, which is a feta-brined oven-baked chicken with lemon and herbs served with lemon potatoes. The dish was cooked to perfection. The cooked potatoes were exactly as I like them, soft yet held their shape. It was an excellent meal, if a bit unwieldy (it's like half a rotisserie chicken, basically). My partner had the Hilopites, an egg noodle dish with giant beans, pine nuts, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and feta, in a creamy, savory sauce that I couldn't begin to describe with mere words. The meals were both stunning, made unclear by my disastrous photography. All that being said, I did not really enjoy my meal as I was expecting. Maybe it's me, maybe it's today, or maybe the flavors simply weren't what I am accustomed to with the dozens of Greek restaurants from my past. I'm uncertain, and that's okay sometimes. Either way, it was a fantastic experience, and I will dine here again.

    Service terrible, so rude and overbearing... food was over priced but fine, but atomsphere was…read moregreat. I won't come back again unless Im dragged in.

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    3.9(21 reviews)
    3.1 miScott's Addition

    Ok, Bar Buoy!…read more Boyfriend and I came in for happy hour. Brenner Pass was a regular favorite of ours and we were excited to try out this seafood focused remix! It was a 10/10 experience from food to vibes to service. As oyster connoisseurs, we definitely weren't going to say no to a dozen with the $1/each happy hour deal. They were fantastic! A delicious saltiness and the mignonette was top tier. We paired those with the ahi tuna nachos as well as the shrimp toast. They were both also exceptional and decently portioned. It was a perfect amount of food for the two of us. I tried the HH special orange crush which was fruity and definitely crushable. Those apps plus my drink and we closed out right around $65, with tip. We were not at all mad at the price & given the quality of the experience, it felt like a good deal! Our server and everyone in the area was very friendly and attentive. A winner for date night!

    Extremely slow... unacceptably slow... when the food finally arrived it was decent, but not worth…read morethe wait. My wife and I came here on a Friday night with a reservation, got seated right away and ordered shortly after. Our drinks came, and then we waited, and waited, and waited for the appetizer. When it finally arrived after about half an hour, the waitress apologized and said they had a big group that had caused the delay so she was comping us the appetizer. I appreciated that, and expected things to go more smoothly after that... But then we waited, and waited, and waited some more. The waitress kept walking past us without even looking in our direction, and when we finally got her attention to ask if our food was coming, she said it would be out in two or three minutes. By the time it finally arrived, about ten minutes later, we'd been sitting at our table for more than 90 minutes. The manager brought it to our table and explained that they had a group of 30 people in a separate room, and there had been some last minute changes to that group's menu that had caused delays. Ok, I understand how that could happen, but the dining room and patio weren't even full, so it's not like the whole restaurant was slammed, and if you know that a group of 30 is coming on a Friday night, you staff accordingly, right? And if the manager brings the food out and offers an apology, you might expect him to also offer a round of drinks or something, right? Nope. We got the one comped app, but other than that, just a halfhearted apology for the fact that we waited an hour and a half for our meal. As for the quality of the food, the oyster po-boy was pretty good, but on the small side, and the sides were decent but nothing to write home about. If it were the best seafood in Richmond, maybe I'd go back, but I've had better elsewhere without the wait, so I don't plan to go back anytime soon.

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    Mariscos El Barco - seafood - Updated May 2026

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