had the pleasure of dining at Mariscos San Pedro in Pilsen this weekend and i’m not exaggerating when i say everything there was a 10/10. i genuinely can’t wait to go back to try more dishes!
first, the ambiance is really light and welcoming. they play great mexican and latin music that really enhances the vibe, giving it a laidback and put together experience. we went while Thalia was having an event, so they actually had live mariachi playing for a bit before they went down to Punch House. it was so fun seeing even the staff run over to get videos while they played!
we didn’t have a reservation, but walked in around 5:30 pm and got seated at the bar right away. we had two very attentive and cool bartenders; one explained the drink menu while the other shared the chef specials and gave us a run down of the food menu. though the restaurant does have a more casual feel, the service was top notch making it feel more special.
the drinks (not pictured):
the cocktail menu focuses mostly on tequila and mezcal, which was exciting because those are my personal favorite spirits. i had the passion fruit sour (tequila, mezcal, cinnamon, ginger, passionfruit, mint, lemon, habanero). it was spirit forward and really well balanced with the sweet and tart passionfruit. the paloma (tequila, mezcal, grapefruit, lime, basil, squirt) was another favorite! i feel like a lot of places make palomas too bitter, but they do this classic so well here.
the food:
the food is obviously where they really shine.
1. aguachile with hokkaido scallops: this is an absolute must. it has a lot of complexity that works extremely well together. it’s sweet, spicy, herbaceous, and the flavor of the scallops is killer. i genuinely could’ve eaten multiple bowls of this dish, it was that good.
2. baja fish taco: this one is on their happy hour menu. the fish is so crispy and juicy and didn’t fall apart or get soggy which was a plus. the veg on top gave a brightness to each bite that paired well with the fried batter and handmade tortilla.
3. cochinita pibil taco: okay this picture is so bad, but i promise it wasn’t that skimpy in person. the cochinita was sweet and zesty and sooo tender. the pickled onions added nice texture to balance how soft the rest of the taco was. just so good.
4. shrimp gobernador: this was my favorite taco of the night. the shrimp filling is wrapped in fried cheese, and it’s topped with chimichurri sauce that makes each bite so addicting. i’m sure you see a trend by now, but every bite is perfectly balanced both in texture and in flavor. i can’t describe how good this one was.
5. brandade dorados: another banger. the tortilla was fried so well – it wasn’t too hard that it shattered after your first bite. the filling was a fish, cheese, and i think potato mixture that was so savory and delicious. i wish i could make these at home because they tasted like an upgraded version of a meal my mom made growing up.
at this point, we were too full for dessert but trust when i say i’ll be back for their flan. i’m with a lot of you when i say that i was pretty bummed to hear Duseks closed, but Mariscos San Pedro is more than worthy of taking over the space. dinner was phenomenal, and im so looking forward to trying more food here! if you’ve been, let me know what i should try next!
by L0LUNA