I'm from the city of Compton and we have a lot of Mariscos restaurants. There's not many Mariscos restaurants in Monterey county. This is my second time eating at Mariscos el Pilar. All I can say is eating the food here brought me back to my hometown. Food was simple and delicious. Highly recommend to people with seafood taste to come try out this restaurant. Thank you read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Got the recommended and popular $18.50 Spicy Shrimp Plate, Cameron's à la Diabla: excellent! Rice was tasty. Beans excellent. Salad fresh. Shrimp was a bit overcooked but great flavor. And the flavor was an unusual sweet and spicy combo with something else going on I could not place. read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Spicy shrimp plate. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

I LOVE this place. I always get great food here. I had a shrimp cocktail and 2 tacos al pastor. Just yummy. read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - A chorizo and a asada taco. Really, really tasty food. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Still in the restaurant. That good. Meat, seafood, tortillas, everything tastes fresh and delicious. A little family restaurant you should try. read more

my experience was really bad I ordered 2 seafood tostadas to go and when i got home the container with the seafood just had a bunch of imitation crab !!! I was very ve disappointed and the food is not reaso price so I wil definitely wont be buying food here !!! read more

10/10 Everthing was soo good. Im used to LA food and it's been a minute since I found some fire Mariscos. Their food and service is was so good. We had Fish Tacos, Tostada Mixta and Shrimp Empanadas. We will be coming back! read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Shrimp empanadas, Fish Tacos, Tostada Mixta - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Food is so flavorful down to the rice and beans, everything is so fresh. I had the garlic shrimp plate and a de pescado tostada. Amazing, the woman who served us is very kind and works very hard. You can tell she cares about the food she serves. The café de olla is super good, I could drink 5 cups. Blessed to have found this place. read more

Was not good at all. Only thing I enjoyed was the fresh tortillas. Queso fundido:no flavor Botana whatever it's called: does not taste fresh and the imitation crab was flavorless Taco de cabeza: was okay Ambiance and decorations: very gaudy/tacky I would say this place probably does better with soup and tacos but I have no interest. 2 stars for lovely service and decent fresh tortillas, those are the only good things that stood out to me. read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Very fresh, affordable, and generous portions of ceviche. I tried both the pescado and camaron. Service was quick and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

My new go-to ceviche spot for lunch! My first time here today, I ordered a few different items to see what they had to offer. Both the fish and shrimp tacos I had were great, but the shrimp ceviche tostada was by far my favorite. So much flavor, a big punch of citrus and lots of chunky tomato, cucumber and onion to give it that fresh crunch. There are quite a few items on the menu that I was surprised that I didn't recognize at all which naturally means that I will have to order more of each of them the next time that I'm here :) read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - One fish and one shrimp taco - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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We were asked to find the best ceviche in Monterey for a friend's party 5 de Mayo, so did several tastings a couple of wks ago, were TOTALLY SMITTEN with both the fish & shrimp ceviche here, by far the best, so i ordered & scheduled a pickup for 9 AM today. INCREDIBLE FLAVOR, so fresh, excellently limed & seasoned, not over-onioned like most that we tried. lovely lovely people. thank you so much! Ceviche heaven! read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - shrimp/camarones & fish/pescado. YUM! - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Towards the end of Seaside just off in Fremont st resides El Pilar de Nayarit. Mainly indoor seating but do have a could have benches outside. Not a fancy place and doesn't need to be. Freshly cut limes, cilantro and onions garnish their dishes. The menudo was plenty, with lots of delicious tripe pieces and great spices. I usually do not ask for pata de puerco, but tried it this time. Not necessary if you ask me, the menudo by itself is more than enough. Overall delicious, won't regret it. read more

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Wow wow wow , this place was so amazingly delicious. We are from the bay out here visiting Monterey . We were looking to grab some yummy Mexican food and found this little spot. I wasn't to sure about it because it was completely empty. We went for it and everything we got was so freaking delicious. The women that helped us was so kind and sweet. The place was very clean! We got all kinds of plates to try and every single one was so good. The Asada in the burrito was so flavorful. Just Perfect. We will definitely be back! read more

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The menu inside is completely different than the menu that you're seeing here on yelp. Either the lady didn't understand that I was asking for empanadas.? Or they don't understand that they don't serve empanadas anymore. I recommend to the management to train your workers to be more inclusive. If you want customers from all walks of life, all breeds and denominations Creed and colors.? read more

The food was great! haven't tried great and tasty food in a while. Customer service was great! The young lady working there kept checking on us and making sure we were okay or if we needed anything else. My toddler spilled a drink and immediately the guy working there was very nice and cleaned it for us and offered us another drink. The ambiance is very calm, a place to enjoy your food peacefully. Definitely recommend! read more

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Really good menudo & chilaquiles were flavorful & spicy! Service was good the lady was super kind & made sure we were doing good! read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Menudo - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

I have to say that this place is small with not too much view to it. Because it's hidden behind a gas station that takes most of there view. But gotta say that their food is so fresh and with full of flavors. Their menudo is delicious perfect for a cold morning or after a night out to get back up. Their seafood is freshly made to order. The service is welcoming, friendly, and family oriented. I loved it and recommend it to everyone! My go to is the shrimp ceviche, shrimp cocktail with everything and their aguachiles. With extra salsa verde. Really good. read more

I called for empanadas the lady said food will be ready in 10 -15 mins. I get there the food is ready and super delicious! I highly recommend and I will definitely be going back read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Empanadas de camarón (shrimp pie). - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

This place is our go to place for some great authentic Mexican seafood. We've tried a few things off their menu and loved every bite!! So much flavor and great spice!!! Love that I get to practice my Spanish without judgement, they are always so friendly. I'm honestly not a huge fan of seafood but this place has me eating seafood I never thought I would... this the AMAZING molcojete de la pendejada which was $30 but filled with so much seafood it was worth every penny!!!! Highly recommend anyone to try this place out!! read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Molcojete de la pendejada y cerveza - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Great place to eat mariscos. I recommend it. The staff was very knowledgeable of their menu. Great customer service and most importantly. Delicious food. Oh! And I forgot Great prices read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Delicous Menudo! Yum. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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This is my third time eating here and You cannot go wrong with getting Shrimp Cocktail!! If you are craving a shrimp cocktail I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM!!! Food is AMAZING!!!! The Workers are always Nice here. read more

We had a lovely lunch here. This is a gem of a place. Behind a gas station in Seaside. Owners are sweet. Proud. We worked through the language barrier just fine. They took great care with my husbands Burrito de Adado. Not overfilled with rice or beans. Wrapped carefully so he did not loose the perfectly seasoned beef. The tomatillo salsa they served with it was outstanding. My Tostada de Ceviche is the best I have found on the Monterey Peninsula. The place is colorful. Fun. Very much like Mexico. I will return. read more

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Decided to swing by here after a trip to the Monterey Aquarium. After seeing all the giant bluefin tuna I got super hungry for some fishies. Got pretty excited when I saw a Nayarit estilo mariscos pop up on yelp as thats the style of mariscos I initially fell in love with. After seeing the abundance of fish at the aquarium I was hoping Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit would have quite the extensive menu. Sadly they didn't. Nothing super exotic on the menu. I tried to order a filete zarandeado but for whatever reason it wasn't available. I think she said they only had mojarra (tilapia) available ? Whatever, to what we actually got. Aguachile: The aguachile verde was deceivingly spicy. it came with nicely cubed cucumbers and some medium sized shrimp that were a lil on the small size. The size of the shrimp and diced cucumbers went well with the free chips they continuously refill. Towards the end of our meal I tried to hurry up and finsih the plate only to tear up as the chiles built in my mouth. Gotta take it slow with a cerveza on this one. Fish tacos: This should read crispy fish tacos. They were pretty trippy and tasted like fried chicken. I mean that in the best way possible. Gone was the typical Ensenada style beer batter and the way El Pilar does it is more like popcorn fish filets. Pretty damn good. Enchiladas de camarones: My girl got the shrimp enchiladas. She liked them as they came with what is almost a small salad and queso fresco on top. Their enchilada sauce is pretty flavorful. I would've liked them better if they had more cheese added on the inside but they were good non the less. Overall the prices were right. Beer was inexpensive by NorCal mariscos restaurant standards. Service was warm and friendly. The mariscos side of the menu was reminiscent more so of a cocteleria. El pilar does have an extensive breakfast menu as well and the distinction of being the only mariscos spot I've ever seen to offer chicken nuggets and french fries (for the kids i guess ?). Oh and although I didn't get to try it as I left they were preparing a huge pot of birria de chivo. Also a lot of the paisa compas who were there seemed to be enjoying their menudo. Some interesting options if you don't want seafood. read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Crispy fish taco, aguachile and enchiladas de camarones - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Guaow! Some of the best Mexican seafood I've had anywhere. The red Aguachile Especial (shrimp, octopus and abalone cooked in chile de árbol and lemon juice, like ceviche, with red onion and cucumber) was delicious, might be a little spicy for some but excellent flavors. My fiancé had the Caldo Marinero, seafood soup, also excellent. The broth was so flavorful, we spooned up almost all of it. So much for a lite lunch, but worth the extra calories! Definitely coming back here and highly recommend it if you want some really good Mexican seafood Service was fast and friendly, reasonably priced. Cash only read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Amazing shrimp cocktail. I definitely recommend if you are craving seafood! The staff is always great.

Me and my team stopped in here for lunch and thankfully we had someone who speaks Spanish on the team, cause the menus are all in Spanish and staff spoke no English. Everything had a fresh flavor and was delicious. I had a seafood soup in a rich red broth with a chorizo and pastor taco... read more

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Yelp took me here and it was a hit with my less-than-enthusiastic-about-Mexican-food parents. We had the molcojete de la pendejada, ceviche tostadas and carne asada tacos. Everything was really yummy! The salsa (we were given two types) were perfectly spicy. There was a Visa sign on the wall, so I think the pandemic forced them to accept credit cards. We still paid cash. The owner(?) who took the order and served us was very patient with my attempt at speaking Spanish. Food was great, the wall decorations were cool to look at, parking was free, and did I mention that the food was great? Try it! read more

It's good not great. Wanted to try another spot for seafood. I would come back and try something else. I had fish tacos and it was good and fresh. My husband had tilapia with rice and beans and of course he liked it. Food came out fast and the service was good. CASH only. ATM wasn't working there so I had to walk to the gas station next door. What if I was alone? Would they hold me hostage until I called someone for cash? Haha read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Good food! This is not your average Mexican restaurant--almost all of the dishes feature seafood and not burritos and tacos. There are only a a few of the expected options with carne asada or carnitas for burritos and tacos and they are not on the regular menu; they are posted on the wall near where you get the menus. The rest of the options are seafood-based with a variety of ceviches, tostadas, and dishes that include rice and beans. The prices are therefore higher than your typical Mexican restaurant as the food costs more for the restaurant to buy, but it is worth the visit. We tried the tostada with shrimp, mixed seafood tostada, and langostinos al diablo (spicy langosteens). The shrimp had good texture and were not over-marinated, while the mixed seafood tostada came with shrimp, octopus, and imitation crab, which is a reason I am not marking this restaurant higher. I know the restaurant serves fresh fish based on the pictures of its dishes but I guess not in all cases. The langosteens were very spicy and very good. We also got fresh tortillas (served on the weekends) and they were DELICIOUS dipped in the spicy sauce that came with the langosteens! read more

Came here our car needed to be worked on so we stopped by here to eat very delicious food this is a must stop and eat place when you are in the area, I had the shrimp enchiladas my wife had the fish tacos very delicious read more

Best ceviche & aguachile hands down. These people know what they're doing. Such awesome customer service as well. My boyfriend also ordered a carne asada burrito & shrimp empanadas that were amazing. If you like authentic food this IS the place you have to go to. El mejor ceviche y agua chile! Mi novio ordeno un burrito de carne asada y empanadaz de camaron tambien que estaban fantastico. Muy buen servicio tambien, la señora que nos ayudo fue muy amamble. Se lo recomiendo a todos que les gustan mariscos autenticos. read more

First time here, and now we know where to go for great seafood at a great price-we ordered the seafood platter served warm, shrimp empanadas, and a octopus and shrimp tostada. Seafood platter: nice variety, wonderfully seasoned, served with crackers which surprisingly complemented the dish very well. Shrimp empanadas: we are in love!!! There was just enough filling to go with the wonderfully tasty crust that covered it all. We tried ordering more, but we had already ordered the last two to our disappointment. Needless to say, we will be back for more. Octopus and shrimp tostada: Very tangy salsa & well-cooked octopus. We weren't too crazy about this one, but maybe because the other dishes were so good this one just couldn't compare. Definitely not the last time we'll be here!! read more

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I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it. ~W. C. Fields Full disclosure here...I pine for a little mariscos truck called Mariscos German that Astrid and I found while living in San Diego. I can seriously remember everything I ever ate from that little truck that sat in a dirt lot next door to a hinky little liquor store frequented by day drunks. Now nostalgia might be a seductive liar, and the food might not have been all that great, but I've held every other mariscos place to that standard for years... and none of them have ever stood up to the test. This place gave it a good go though! Astrid and I found Mariscos El Pilar de Nayarit by accident while driving through Seaside to get some fuel. The restaurant is located in an area chock full of ugly 70s strip malls and we just happened to see the mariscos sign in the window as we drove by...the challenge was on! Would this mariscos joint compare to my memories of perfection? Mariscos are widely available in most coastal towns and cities in Mexico and are often combinations of seafood including shrimp, lobster, fish, crab, mussels, and oysters. They are often served in cocktail sauces, on tostadas, soups, burritos and tacos. We started by sharing the Queso Fundido with Pulpo served with corn tortillas. The queso was a bit oily and the entire dish was a little too heavy. I wouldn't recommend it. For our lunch, Astrid had the Tostada con Pescado y Camarones (Tostada with Fish and Shrimp) while I opted for the Tostada Mixta, a combination of fish, octopus and krab (yes, crab with a k or fake crab meat). We both ordered freshly-made jamaica that was sweet, but not cloyingly sweet like most aguas frescas. The fish was super fresh and tasty. The addition of the spicy, tomato-based ketchup-like sauce was fantastic. They served housemade tortilla chips and a sting-around-the-rosy inducing green salsa. One tostada was more than enough for each of us. We were absolutely stuffed. Out the door our bill was about $28.00. A little steep for mariscos. We'll definitely try Nayarit again when/ if we're in Seaside! But honestly...I miss that little mariscos taco truck in San Diego. read more

Mariscos El Pilar De Nayarit - Tostada con Pescado y Camarones and Tostada Mixta. These are HUGE! - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

We happened to come here unexpectedly due to the other restaurant closed on Mondays. I was apprehensive because of the sketchy neighborhood. But to my surprise this place turned out to be surprisingly one of the best caldos marinero! The lady behind the counter is very nice. I asked is they had hot tea she said not but could make me canela instead. BTW canela is not on the menu so I thought that was very generous. The gentleman waited very polite too. We ordered caldo marinero, aquas chile and chips n salsa are complimentary. Salsa is delicious just enough heat but not over powering. Everything was presented beautifully and had so much fresh flavors. I would highly recommend this place for excellent Mexican seafood. read more

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After filling up on gas on a rainy weeknight, we popped into this tucked away restaurant. We were the only patrons in the restaurant, even though the kitchen had plenty of people in it. A telenovela played loudly on the TV. Don't expect fancy environs or decorator decor. This place is definitely a locals' place that probably thrives on a lunch crowd. The menu is mostly seafood. Really. And, they only take cash. We were greeted warmly enough and sent the most English proficient server available. She, like the others, were casually dressed but eager to serve. After much deliberation, we ordered a fish ceviche tostada, taquitos de papa (potato) and seafood enchilada. The server informed us that they don't serve their food with rice and beans and serve it "like they do in Mexico, you know." Instead, they give a chopped light salad. The fish ceviche tostada was yummy! It tasted fresh but also well-marinated in a lime juice. The cut cabbage and tomato on top was great. The taquitos with potatoes inside were served with a spoonful of freshly, refried beans. Very starchy and tasty as well. The shrimp enchilada was interesting. The tortilla had been marinated and cooked in red enchilada sauce, so the flavor had been baked in. The shrimp too were well seasoned. So, rather than the typical, drippy and cheesy enchilada, it was a drier version packed with flavor. Overall, we left full and happy. In total, it was relatively cheap and a tasty adventure that only locals will love. We agreed that we'd be back and bring a vegetarian friend who eats fish. It's worth going. One mild warning is that the salsa is geared to those used to super spicy foods. Be warned that the heat is strong. read more

Now Serving ALCOHOL! Best Micheladas In Town! As of July, 26, 2016 They also have the best Aguachiles Verdes & Enpanadas. Really good food for lunch & Dinner. Me & my wife love coming here. read more

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Best fish tacos I have ever eaten!!! Fresh, fast, and oh so good!!! Cash only, but worth hitting the bank on the way there! Friendly and inexpensive too! read more

Cash only! So come prepared. Great service. They make you feel right at home! Their camarones a la Diabla and aguachiles rojo are sooooo spicey but delicious! Only thing is place needs a little renovation. Little run down. read more

We had the Coctel Chico and it was good!! Staff was friendly...but they don't take cards..so bring your cash!!

Delicious seafood and great service! Highly recommend this place! The ceviche tostadas are great