Food 5* Service 5* Ambiance 4* I've been here twice already, we heard about this place from Mark Weins. You pick your fish and they grill it to perfection. We got the red snapper and it's the best red snapper I've ever had. The crabs are incredibly delicious. We will be back on our next trip to Rosarito! read more

See all

This place was visited by the famous food blogger Mark Wiens and I could why! They're known for the Martian crabs I believe and it so tasty and meaty. They give you a piece of wood and a huge rock to break the crab legs open. It was a fun experience with my friends. We all definitely enjoyed the crabs and the oysters we got! It was 30 minute wait but it wasn't too big of a deal because we just explored the beach. Halfway through our meal a live band came in and started playing music at another customer's table which i think is common in Mexico. Because the restaurant was compact the music was disruptive to my group and I where we could barely hear each other talk. Just something to think about if you're not fond of loud music! read more

See all

Fresh quality fish. Algo bien! I had the zatandeado grilled fish and it did not disappoint. Corn tortillas are home made. What I really liked is I was able to choose the fish I wanted, we got 2. The firsts was fried, second one Zarandeado. I will come back when Possible. read more

This spot has been on my radar since last year, and I'm thrilled we finally made it to Mariscos La Estrella to sample their Martian crabs. Owned and operated by Chef Lorena and her wonderful family, the atmosphere was as warm and inviting as the flavors they served. Our group of seven indulged in two servings of their signature dish, alongside grilled clams, grilled fish, and octopus. All were soooo delicious. As a seafood aficionado, this meal ranks among the best I've ever had. I'm already planning for our next trip to Popotla. read more

The best sea food in Rosarito, don't take my word for it come and try it out. Today we waited for approximately 40 minutes to be seated but it was worth the wait read more

Mariscos La Estrella - Red snapper sarandiado!!! Yummy - Seafood Near Me - Rosarito, BCN

See all

Lorena her husband and two daughters Coral and Kate are the owners of this amazing family owned restaurant. We had the VIP treatment from start to finish. Muchas gracias! read more

You pick your own fresh seafood, well cooked and seasoned everything was delicious! Friendly people, bring your cooler inside enjoy your drinks they gave us glasses!! I was comfortable but ventilation is not a thing (didn't bother me!) would definitely go back! read more

See all

It's situated quite deep in the area of popotla so you have to pay close attention to not miss the restaurant. The prices are reasonable and the service is great. We had the clams ( BOMBBBB), completely great seafood soup, fried lobster, and the spider crab. All totaling about 70$? The flavors were great and the views really make you feel like you're in the town. Oh! The spider crab was alright - I felt like it was definitely more work than reward compared to the others. However the brains were great! They stir fried it with some sauce it had a salty tomato taste. Will come back! read more

See all

I am blown away by how amazing this little gem is! Tucked into the corner and situated on the beach area, it has amazing views and even better food. My boyfriend has been coming here ever since they opened 9 years ago, and it's still as amazing now as it was then. We were greeted with a hug and sat right away, we picked our own red snapper and had it prepared on the grill in a very special way. I have eaten at so many restaurants, including Michelin star ones in California and New York but that far exceeded expectations. This fish was the best I ever had!! The seasoning on it was perfection, it was so good that I came right back the next day for more. Service was quick and attentive both times and guacamole delicious and fresh. Don't let anyone hustle you into any other restaurant! This chef is the best and has the best spices that others can't get because her family brings them from another part of Mexico. Trust me you don't want to miss this one! read more

See all

This is my favorite restaurant here in Popotla, Rosarito. I've been coming here for about 10 years now. They know me and always greet me with a hug. I've brought family and friends for years to this place. The service is always great and the love in the cooking is bar none to the rest, better than all of the others. The ambiance is clearly better than most with an overhead view of the beach and a comfortable atmosphere. read more

Mariscos La Estrella - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Rosarito, BCN

See all

While making my way down to Ensenada i had to stop by this fisherman small village Popotla. They have a small fish market with fishes coming fresh out the ocean, you can literally watch the boats coming and unloading what they catch. You can't get more fresh than that. They have a ton of little restaurants that fight for your business. I fought through all that and made it here to this joint. Ordered the famous "martian crab" or "marciano". It was absolutely delicious. I have never had a better tasting crab in my life. Do your self a favor and plan a trip down there. It will change your life. read more

Mariscos La Estrella - Cangrejo Marciano - Seafood Near Me - Rosarito, BCN

This has been a go to spot for us when we visit Popotla. The food never disappoints. It's cash only! The service is always friendly and attentive. Wish I could more so I can have one of each. Gotta try the specialty sopes with Martian crab, out of this world. read more

Mariscos La Estrella - Red snapper zarandeado - Seafood Near Me - Rosarito, BCN

See all

If you make it to Popotla, pass by all the vendors trying to call you into their place to buy trinkets or food. Make your way down to La Estrella (be careful because there is another place with a similar name). It's not fancy, this is a small fishing village. It's a cool place though! We had the congrejo marciano. I believe that's the same as a spider crab. We tried it cooked with garlic which is the classic way. It was huge and delicious. Be prepared to have to wear a bib and use a stone to crack open the legs!!! If that's not your style, try the shrimp (which was also great). They also serve lobster and fish dishes. The service was very friendly and the waiter was bilingual and explained everything. This place has the best view in popotla as well. Eating the martian crab is an experience. It's a little on the pricey side (about $75 for a large crab), but probably way cheaper than it would be in a restaurant in the US, if you could even find it. read more

Mariscos La Estrella - The Congrejo Marciano - Seafood Near Me - Rosarito, BCN

See all

Great food and service. We had shrimp diablo and fish tacos. The shrimp diablo sauce was homemade and spicy but not too spicy. The fish tacos were perfect as well. You can watch the boats down below while you enjoy your fish. It is the last restaurant at the end. Not to be missed read more

See all

Definitely off the beaten path! Walk down towards the water and veer off the the right. Avoid the barkers trying to lure you to another restaurant and find this one last on the left. Coolers of live crab out front. Floor feels like you might fall in the ocean but that just adds to the ambiance! We had shrimp ceviche, fish ceviche, shrimp and octopus cocktail and a garlic fried crab. Absolutely delicious! Service was great as well. Definitely will be back. read more

See all

I came here after I saw the famous chef Javier Plascencia post a video of him here with the chef Lorena who operates this place. I straight drove all the way down here to check this place out being pretty confident that it would be very good after seeing chef Javier Plascencia here. I arrived in the evening , so pretty much for dinner and boy this place was worth the drive. I ordered up a couple of different plates to get a real taste of this place and it was all good, very tasty food, very , very fresh and cooked super fast , the service was also super fast and very good. I have to say that the aguachiles verdes where the absolute best I've ever had, they were lemony in flavor and super fresh, the shrimp were huge, tasty, full of explosive flavors, this plate alone was worth the trip. The lobster was also superb, full of garlicky flavor and very fresh, very good stuff this lobster I tell y'all. My daughter had the grilled octopus which was made with love by the lady outside right on the grill over an open flame and served immediately afterwards, this was also a superb plate, very , very good. The place as of today, October 24,2020 is freshly built and without a sign but I only asked around and everyone knew where it was , a kitchen ran solely by women which I totally dig, awesome job ladies and I for one can say that they've gained a customer for life, super awesome and uniquely fresh food, great prices , very , very cheap especially compared to United States restaurant prices. Do yourself a favor and come here and keep coming here over and over again . I took a whole lot of pictures and posted them here so check them out . read more

See all

This spot is so delicious!! every dish is bursting with flavor. I did not need to pull out my personal salt shaker from my purse . It's a clean place that has just been recently remodeled do to leakage that burned down there previous building. It's a small place and sometimes there will be a waiting line but it is worth it. read more

See all

If you're looking for delicious food in Rosarito, you must come here first. We had got the king crab and it was so worth it. First they showed us how big it was and alive. Freshly caught, they fry it in butter and garlic. I've never had a crab with so much flavor, I woke up the next day thinking about it haha their octopus was also prepared with a lot of flavor and cooked perfectly. Their tacos were also really good. Times like this I wish I had 5 stomachs. I really wanted to try everything on the menu. But we'll be coming back soon. First time in Rosarito and so happy we found this restaurant. read more

See all

Looking forward to visiting this place every time we are in the area...being hand escorted to the panga boat to select our fish for lunch was a special treat! Don't judge the book by the cover...dive into the freshest seafood you can get your tastebuds on! Amazing view with VIP treatment has us hooked for life. Don't hesitate...make this your next stop!!! read more

See all

Not cheap compared to other places around and our crab was covered in sand. We visit this place all the way from LA after seeing a Instagram picture and it wasn't worth the trip. read more

See all

Amazing cute little restaurant by the beach- so relaxing and homey. I found it while watching Mark Weins travel channel on YouTube and had my mind set on going there to try their famous Spider Crab, and boy am I so happy I did! It was delicious, the beer and vibes were great. Awesome customer care, they let you chose your crab and fish- fresh out of the ocean! Popotla is just a cute little fishing village, tucked about 5 min away from Rosarito. read more

See all

Everything we tried was delicious! Place is very small, not the prettiest but the food will not disappoint. We tried the Martian crab! It was soooo good. The almeja gratinada was really yummy as well. Micheladas we're good too. Aguachiles are a good portion and good, not too spicy. read more

Mariscos La Estrella - Martian Crab - Seafood Near Me - Rosarito, BCN

It's kind of hidden but we walked around and we're able to find it. The food was AMAZING. Dad had the pescado zarandeado and was one of our favorites along with the Molcajete de Mar y Tierra. My husband was able to change our chicken for octopus. The service was great too! I also had one of the best Paloma's I've ever had here. Will be one of our go to places every time we are down here. read more

See all

This is a long overdue review and all I can say about this place is you must try it. The only regret we have is we didn't have a chance to go back for a second run. The day we went back, which was ourlast day, they were closed. We've tried several restaurants around there and by far, this is the place we will definitely go back to on our next visit. read more

This was our second time here. This place burned down last December, but they are up and going without missing a beat. Very friendly place, staff is real accommodating to ones needs. Food was delicious fresh and affordable. Will be back again! read more

See all

If you find yourself in Popotla, you must come here. You will be tempted with other options. People will try everything they can to get you to go to other places. Don't be swayed, my friend. Stay focused and get to Mariscos La Estrella. The service here is outstanding and so is the food. You can either order food from the menu or you can go down to the beach and pick your own food for them to prepare. I don't think you'll be disappointed either way. I went during a guided tour with Club Tengo Hambre and we were treated to a five course meal. The oysters were super fresh and only served with a lime. That's really all we needed. The marlin taco was bomb and if you've never had marlin you need to try it. The tostada was delicious and super fresh. The fried crab was amazing and they only give you a big pebble to crack it open. Yep. Take all that aggression out on that crab to get the delicious meat out. The last course was a butterflied fish that had some sort of marinade on it and it was...something special. There's also a full bar because, duh, you need a Paloma with this great food. Or a big, cheap Michelada:) Already planning my next trip. read more

We had the best King crab here! We were looking for a fish place outside of the hustle and bustle of downtown area and found this place! $30 for King Crab for 2 plus rice, beans and flour tortillas. It's worth the stop to come here and pass up anything in Puerto Nuevo since it is very touristy and the lobster is marginal at best. The crab was so flavorful and fresh! I would definitely come back here! The food and the service were 5 stars! It closes at 8:30 so make sure you head over earlier to get a spot! read more

Delicious and fresh seafood, a no frills restaurant that delivers with amazing and flavorful dishes. Located in the fishing beach of Popotla you will enjoy the food. If you are looking for a fancy, overpriced restaurant this is not the place. But if you enjoy having a very reasonable priced meal in a fishing village-family atmosphere, theirs IS the place! read more

For a hole in the wall place, the service is superior and they start you with an amuse-bouche that rivals high end places. On my 2 visits, it was a most delicious seafood broth replete with abalone and on another visit was garlic fried spiny crab that was also outstanding. That alone makes the visit to this place worth while. We ordered a whole fried fish that was just brought in from the sea by the fleet of fishing boats that come into the Bay of Popotla. Beer and liquor is available as well as water and soft drinks. Everything we have ordered have been outstanding and prices are way lower than the bigger places in the immediate area. This is a definite gem of a place with a pretty decent view of the bay if you seat near the windows. Highly recommend a try... read more

Mariscos La Estrella - Fried fish at LA Estrella - Seafood Near Me - Rosarito, BCN

See all

If you guys come down to popotla please stop by this amazing seafood restaurant they have amazing service and the food is to die for I can't fully explain how amazing this place is the chef is so amazing her food is so tasty simple and amazing puro sazon Mexicano read more

I think all the YouTube hype has negatively effected the quality. Asked how much for the famous Martian crab and first I was told 80, I said no and he came back with 55. 55 was just the crab no rice, beans or tortillas. Margaritas tasted like just mixer. Service was horrible. As we left I asked one of the seafood vendors how much for a Martian crab and they said $9. We ended up ordering a side of rice and beans, never got them and then they tried to charge us. Other reviews raved about this place I'm bummed we had a such a horrible experience. read more

My first time caming to Popotla l loved it u can pick a fresh fish from the market and cook it for u right in front u. This doesn't happen in San Diego right read more