El Pirata

Everything. Most authentic you'll find pretty much anywhere close unless you're in California. And even then this place rivals some of the best places I've tried back home in California. No exaggeration. It's the best.

So I have now been here twice, after the first time I would have said you should speak Spanish... But after today, not necessary. If you want to go out on a limb try a different experience definitely head here for some seafood you will not be disappointed

Food was very good and generous portions. Cooked fresh to order. Relaxed and clean restaurant- recently remodeled.

Decided to try something new tonight. This place is small but cozy. It holds about 5 tables and a bar that seats about 3-4 people. The service was great, fast and friendly. We ordered the prepared oysters ($18 for 6), which had wonderful flavor with everything added, and the aguachiles verde ($20), which was "soupier" than expected and the flavor of the chiles was strong and not enough flavor for me and my boyfriend. We both had the balazo drink, but for $11 I was hoping for more than 4 shrimp and skinny slice of celery stick. Not much choice for children as my daughter doesn't eat chicken nuggets or fish. I ordered her a side of rice which looked like half a cup and was charged $3, though the rice was also very flavorful, I expected a little more than what they gave.

Mexican grandmother in sparkly bejeweled hat. Check.Single restaurant operator chef, waitress, cashier etc. Check.Jarring deep blue table tops. Check.Walls adorned with miscellaneous sea and fishing related bric-a-brac. Check.This place is a hoot. Mexican pirates you say? Alrighty. El Pirata is one of what seems to be a growing movement of Mexican seafood restaurants in town, as evidenced by their competition across the street and a still relatively newcomer on Kansas Ave.Tiny, slightly... no, quite tacky interior, Univision blaring away at a south of the border The Hunt rip-off, modest menu that clearly shouts, "not your typical taco joint."Come here expecting seafood, not tripe or pastor tacos. The mixed seafood caldo (soup) I had for lunch was not cheap at $18 + tax but worth it in my opinion. Nice chunks of whitefish and at least a dozen shrimp in a spicy savory tomato infused broth sprinkled with chunks of carrot, squash and count 'em, not one, but three bay leaves. Nearly impossible to finish monster of a bowl of spicy soup. I didn't finish mine, nor did the much heftier man sitting nearby. We both laughed and agreed when I shoved my bowl away at the end of the meal proclaiming, "no mas!"Large bowl of flat fried tortillas and Saltine crackers, plenty of juicy limes for squeezing into the soup which I did.Yea, I'd come back here. This place is a trip. The food is solid, and for nothing extra you get to experience a sort of bad 80s style Mexican seafood joint that only KCK can produce. Priceless. If you don't like a proper tacky joint, keep driving. Plenty of places on Southwest Blvd. serving dishes covered in melted orange cheese and drinks with salt on the rim.If you come: No chips and sauce, thank you, thank you.Corona and most of the bad American beers you'd expect.Plenty of Clamato on hand for Mexican red beers.Bring your wallet. Some of the fare is not cheap.Delightful lady working the joint, a real gem of a gal.The ceviche tostado at around $7.00 will be mine next time I return. And for the more adventuresome, they have a dish called Viagra weighing in at $22.00. I'm not making that up. She blushed when I inquired and said it's sort of an everything they can load up into one caldo and spiced extra hot. I stopped there.

I'm so full I don't know where to start. The portions are very generous and the food is delicious. If you want Mexican seafood this is the place. You won't be disappointed!

It is a rare day when you can be the first to add a business to Yelp and give it's first review!! THIS LOCATION IS A SWEET LITTLE SECRET ESCAPE! Clearly a restaurant prized by the locals, Mariscos Al Pirata is an authentic Latino dining establishment. The restaurant will seat approximately 20 people. Upon walking in, you should expect to be greeted by an amazing young man, the son of the restaurant owners. He will gladly guide you through the menu (all prices include tax) and ensure you find just the right dish. I am reviewing two trips in one post because I went back for a second visit almost immediately! It's just that good!First trip, the table ordered:Pescado a la plancha: Grilled fish with salad, brown rice, potato salad. The fish arrived and the grilled coloring was super appetizing. We couldn't wait to dig in. This plate is served in half sizes...which is recommend because it's a lot of food! The potato salad is creamy and is a nice compliment to the grilled fish. We found that eating the fish alongside a fried corn tortilla really brought out the smokey flavor. Pescado Madraso: Fish, shrimp, calamari, and crab steamed together in a foil pack with red sauce. This was enough to feed all four of our guests at lunch and it was decadent. This is highly recommended but come hungry as it does not come in half sizes. The sauce has a little spice and it was a crowd pleaser. All the forks kept dipping back for more!Caldo de pescado: This soup comes served in a VERY LARGE PORTION. Imagine a salad bowl size of soup because that's what you'll get. There is at least 2 full fish filets in this yummy soup. The seasonings have an old bay flavor and the soup includes lots of veggies. If you ask for extra bowls, they will bring them to the table along with a serving ladle. Second trip:Pescado a la plancha: REPEAT THE ABOVE REVIEW. Still excellentPescado al mojo de ajo: Garlic Fish...this was pretty good. It came with sliced steamed garlic over the top. Served with the same sides as previously mentioned. It was good but we both agreed the a la plancha was the winner today. I love love love horchata. If it's served, I always try it in my quest for the best horchata in the metro. The horchata was served in a large cocktail glass and it was pretty good. Maybe not the best...yet...but good nonetheless. Just a word on the "feel" of this restaurant. As soon as I sit down, I feel immediately transported to another place. Somewhere close to the shore. Almost as if I was invited into someone's family dining room. Comfortable. Casual. A note: There is a large condiment selection on each table. They appear to be well-used. :)

Although I wanted to review as soon as I left, I had to let Donna have the first review for finding this gem and adding it to Yelp.I was absolutely blown away. It is a divey little place that is far from divey when it comes to the food. Mexican seafood has been on my must try list and I may never need to go anywhere else.The fish is cooked perfectly. Flaky yet moist and the two options I tried were full of flavor. A plate of fish would satisfy me. The meals come with a nice creamy, minimal potato salad that I thought was perfect. Well cooked potatoes with just a touch of bite. The rice is a good Mexican rice. Nice flavor, I would bet cooked in broth. The salad is simple. The simpleness of the sides really highlight the fish and make them the perfect companions. A basket of crackers and hard tortillas are served as you sit down. I pretty much ignore them, but decided to try a tortilla before and my meal. Alone, a nice crunch shell, with a little fish on it, both are elevated to an incredible level. This is a must try. The restaurant is small. The booths are a little padding deficient. Service is great and the food is some of the best in the city!

This is a tiny little Mexican restaurant that specializes in seafood. We stopped in for a quick bite and ordered a small plate of ceviche and they bring you a basket of saltines and tostadas. They serve Mexican sodas in bottles, some beers, and had some candy at the counter. Their menu is pretty basic and without pictures, so I'd like to go back and try some of their other items. The entire restaurant is decorated in kitschy sea related items...shells, fish, nets, lighthouses.

Mixed Seafood (shrimp, octopus, clam, fish fresh clam lime juice cocktail) and platillo de Madraso (steamed to perfection mix of tilapia, shrimp, octopus in a excellent red sauce) are excellent! That is all.