El Pirata

Reviews

• Viri L.

  star star star star star 17 July 2026

  Only restaurant we ate at twice in our trip.
  
  We wanted real authentic Mexican aguachiles and ceviche. And this place did not let us down. My boyfriend said, it was the best aguachiles he's ever had. But be careful, they carry a kick to them. I had the ceviche with a side of avocado and it was beyond delicous! We also order the lobster in garlic, fried whole fish, and blue crab with garlic. The lobster was overcooked, we did not end up eating it. The fish could have been a more fried, as we love a really crispy skin. But the highlight of all the dishes, was the garlic soft crab. Crab so was delicious, sad part is, that the second time we came, they had ran :(
  
  Service was good and prices are reasonable for the amount of food they give you. I highly recommend this place to everyone if you're near the area.

• Sydney M.

  star star star star star 15 July 2026

  Skip the super touristy spots along the avenue and head here for amazing fresh seafood. We stopped by mid-afternoon to grab a couple of dishes to share.
  
  Fried Fish - flaky and delicious, the fried outside did not take away from any of the flavor of the fish. It fell right off the bone. Before we ordered, the waiter brought out a tray with three different sizes of fresh fish to choose from for the day. They looked really fresh - impossible to beat.
  
  Shrimp Cocktail - delicious, but definitely was overshadowed by the other dishes we ordered. Pretty standard shrimp cocktail in a mild sauce.
  
  Garlic Shrimp - if you like shrimp, definitely recommend this over the shrimp cocktail! Grilled to perfection, and flavorful sauce without being greasy. The rice, beans & veggies were a great addition.
  
  Paired with a cold beer, the seafood was amazing. El Pirata is a gem!

• Madison M.

  star star star star star 15 July 2026

  This place is ~ CASH ONLY ~
  
  You will not find seafood more fresh. They are a seafood market and restaurant. I would most definitely return for the smaller portion of ceviche de camarron (less than $10 usd). The most fresh shrimp mixed in with tomatos, white onions and lime juice *YUM*
  
  Be aware that prices for the whole fish are PER Kilogram. So, 290 pesos for pescado frito; a whole fried fish is weighed when whole and raw, then fried to order. Turns out that my husband had the MOST DELICIOUS whole fried fish, but when we got the bill.... the pescado frito was 385 pesos (~$22 usd) for a whole fried fish.

• Davis T.

  star star star star star_border 13 July 2026

  While I believe this spot is considered more touristy it is quite good. They have indoor and outdoor seating and very attentive staff. They also do live music everyday.
  
  The cocktails here are HUGE. Fish bowl sized. I highly recommend. The food is also good however this is based on us ordering one dish which we shared amongst four people. We ordered one of the fresh fish. They bring a selection (in our case) of three freshly caught fish for you to see and pick between. There are also menu options if this isn't your thing. You pick your fish and then they fry it for you. It was absolutely delicious. The fish was moist and even though it was fried it was not oily at all. The fish fed all four of us. They give you tortillas so you can make tacos.

• Damian P.

  star star star star star_border 7 July 2026

  Huachinango because this ia what the locals insist it is. This place is defintely off the beaten path and a few blocks off the main stay. Of course, asking the locals where they would have this delectable fish was important and you never go wrong.
  
  They do allow you to pick for two or for a group of four. Which of course would scare the Dickens out of someone who never have Huachinango. Its BIG! Did I say thay without smirking? But of course, due to it being actually big. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the biggest fan of this type of fish because you can get squimish with its mere existence (or lack of) just starring at you. With its glazed eyes, whoxhof course locals also pop in their mouths for a delicacy, but me? I'll skip thank you very much.  Still I must admit that the fish does feed four, and for the price which is less than $15, you seriously can't go wrong.