Tampico Seafood 1

The short of it: if you want Tex-​Mex then this is not your place. But if you want the best Mexican seafood in Houston then this is your place. Their bacon-​wrapped shrimp are superb; their grilled red snapper is as delicious as the one I ate on my last trip to Veracruz. Great Food!

This place is great! When you walk in there is the counter with fresh fish and seafood. The building clearly has some years on it, but it’s the good kind you’d expect from a place like this. I knew something good was about to come even before we sat down.
When we sat down we were given a basket of fresh chips, salsa, and we ordered a side of guac. We were also greeted promptly for our drink order.
Just as a side note, It seems to me that the only reason it has a lower rating on Unilocal is because people simply don’t know what to order.
Mistake #1 by other Unilocalers: Not getting the Red Snapper
Mistake #2: not getting the Red Snapper
Mistake #3: not getting the Red Snapper
If you go there get the fish aka the Red Snapper. Its the main image on their menu and it’s obviously what they are known for. They cover the fish in a red spice blend and cook it to perfection, served on a bed of equally delicious sautéed onions. We also got ½ pound of both shrimp and scallops with the same spices on it. You can get a special sauce put on top of the fish but there really is no need. The only thing needed is the squeeze of a lime.
Your side choices are either French fries or fried rice. It may seem unusual to have fried rice with this kind of meal but it actually works really well. If French fries are more your thing then go for it, but I’d do the fried rice every time.
We finished up and were given cleaning wipes for our hands. Overall I was blown away. If you like fish and want to mix it up a little then go to this place. There’s a reason it’s been around for over 20+ years.
I’ll for sure be back!

First time here. Excellent fresh fish and shrimp. Even though old, it’s a very clean restaurant. Will be back

randomly found this place before heading out to a nightclub. what a gem nothing fancy but gets the job done. the food was delicious. they started out with the chip and home made salsa delicious and i selected the chicken quesadilla it come with rice, fried beans cream it was sooo delicious. very very affordable my party was shocked at the price.

Called in a to go order and was told it would take 20 minutes. When we arrived we were told that the order was never placed and that we would have to wait.

First time here: Compared to other local seafood restaurants in the area, this one is just a little bit different than rest. 1^st thing I noticed… sign on windows saying «place is a restaurant, not playground», so this definitely kept the noise level quieter. 2^nd thing I noticed is that prices are about 10−20% more expensive than other local places. 3^rd thing I noticed is that I was trying to decide from 100 item menu. Then I got some free salsa and chips while I decided. Ordered mixed large ceviche for $ 12. Tasted good although as most Mexican style places was heavy in tomato/​cocktail sauce. I guess it was enough for a large but not overly impressed. For basic meal and drink prepare to drop $ 20. No special lunch menu that I saw. Giving this place, for now, a solid 3 stars or very soft 4. Only reason it got 4 was that it was quiet so I could think/​work while eating lunch. Will come back again

Just had lunch at Tampico. Absolutely delicious as usual. Had the snapper with shrimp on top with fried rice. Our server Mary helped make our visit a pleasurable one.

Overpriced, overcooked, and underserved. From salsa that tasted like it was mixed with dishwater to fish that was dry and tasteless, this is not a good restaurant. But the low point was the waitress who when she wasn’t ignoring us for long stretches was misquoting us the prices for the «market» seafood. There are lots of great places to get Mexican seafood; this isn’t one of them.

Great food, with ecellent presentation. Prices are very reasonable and the service is good.
I would recommend this place to any and all whom are looking for great food and good service

My dad and I wanted Mexican food on Christmas Eve after church. Our options were limited and we decided to stop here. Not bad, but not the best I’ve ever had.
The food:
I ordered the ceviche and a taco a la carte because I couldn’t decide what I wanted. The ceviche is in a tomato based sauce and is somewhat sweet. I’m used to ceviche in lime juice which apparently is only done with the aguachiles (shrimp ceviche/​cocktail). So it was OK. It had pico de gallo, avocados and tilapia. Served with saltines but I opted to eat it with chips. The taco was definitely the highlight of the meal. The steak was seasoned to perfection and juicy. I would definitely get the tacos again. They also give chips and salsa. Salsa was excellent and had kick. It was a red tomato salsa with a garlic aftertaste and served warm.
Drink:
I had an horchata and it definitely hit the spot. Loaded with cinnamon and a rice milk flavor.
Ambience:
Casual | booths and tables | TVs for soccer fans | bars on windows (kind of a rough part of town)
They do have an assortment seafood but I am not the biggest fan of seafood. Don’t base my review on the quality of the seafood. I am just commenting on the taco and horchata. LOL

Cené aquí en un jueves por la mañana fría. Seis de la mañana, es decir. Tuve frito tortuga y los pulmones de un gato canceroso. La comida era deliciosa y el ambiente suculenta. Los pulmones estaban tierna y húmeda.

I ordered their grilled fish fillet combo with House al mojo sauce (a butter garlic sauce, with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and white wine). Tasted like buttered water. After a few bites I was done eating. My friends got the shrimp soup and shrimp platter. They did not comment on their plates. Complimentary chips & salsa. Their salsa was pretty good-​had a good kick to it. It was hard to flag down any of the wait staff as they were flustered and seem busy even though it was not crowded. Tampico also serves beer & cocktails as well as the typical Mexican menu of fajitas, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, etc. Looks like their fried seafood items are popular here so I guess I ordered the wrong thing. Next time… maybe.

Lo que pagué no valió la pena. La mesera se desapareció después de habernos tomado la orden y no volvió a ofrecernos algo más o preguntar cómo estábamos. Pedí una coca mexicana y me sirvieron una de «fountain». Mi esposo ordenó unos camarones a la plancha pero no se atrevieron a traerle unos limones. Al ordenar, pedimos unos jalapenos con fajita envueltos con tocino y no los trajeron pero si los cobraron. Horrible Servicio! No muy buen sazón y no vale la pena pagar por esa clase de comida.

Wow. Great seafood without costing you an arm and leg. They have two levels of seating with plenty of tables. I got the tilapia (4) full order with fried rice and salad. Very tasty. The stuffed jalapeño was great as well for sharing and good portion. Their margarita was cold, stiff and solid. Definitely a great alternative to El Tiempo or Pappa’s. Only thing bad was that the wait staff took awhile to get back to us to check on drinks even though the place wasn’t packed. Food took some time to come out but was worth it. Will go back again soon. Great price for quality fresh seafood.

Do not eat here. I have never dealt with more rude people in my entire life. Even outside of a restaurant. I tried to put my son into a high chair, but he was screaming and being fussy. I frequent this restaurant and am familiar with their signs posted everywhere asking parents to be mindful of their children. I quickly calmed my son, sat him next to me, and apologized to nearby diners. There were only four other tables in the restaurant two of which had infants. The waiter came to our table and took our order for drinks and appetizers… Then things quickly went sour. My son was quietly watching YouTube on my phone when the manager, Jim, came to me and told us we needed to leave if I could not «control my child.» I politely asked why he thought I couldn’t control my child when he was quietly seated and had been for several minutes and if he’d like us to leave we would be happy to take our patronage elsewhere. When our server brought out our chips and guacamole and micheladas we asked who the asshole was that was being so aggressive. An older gentleman then came to our table and took our food and drinks and yelled at us calling us «pinche gringas.» I told him that «I would not engage in arguing with him because we are not trash» and we happily left and got Spanish flower where the food is better quality and the staff is well trained and polite.

I LOVE this place!!! The oysters are fresh, the ceviche is awesome, and I personally believe they have the best micheladas in town. This place always leaves me wanting more. Good job!!!

Just picked up an order of fish fillets al plancha. I love the fish al plancha and better when they are red snapper. This is my to go food when I’m in the mood for fish for one.

Came here recently to try the Snapper a la plancha which is one of their best known dishes. Came away very impressed for a taqueria style restaurant. When you walk you in, you can see the fresh fish on ice and pick the size you want cooked for your meal. We also had the grilled and seasoned shrimp and this too came out great. Seasoned well and butterflied. The fried rice was nothing spectacular, pretty much identical to Mambos. Very plain in my opinion. Kind of pricey for a taqueria style restaurant but they do specialize in seafood. Everything we had was fresh, cooked well, and seasoned properly. i’ll def come back!

I have been eating fresh seafood in this area since most of the restaurants were just small seafood markets and ACTUALLY, you buy they fry it type of places. Tampico is by far my favorite seafood place in the area.
They have a great selection of seafood entrees on their menu at incredible prices, but for a real treat order something at market prices. For a fabulous experience, I recommend the Huachinango a la Plancha, which translated means grilled red snapper. The whole fish is seasoned just right and grilled to perfection. Why stop there? Ask them to top it with some grilled shrimp and scallops. You won’t regret it! It will arrive at your table sizzling hot with a huge pile of fried rice.
Now be patient! It takes a good 20 — 30 minutes for his delicacy to be prepared, but no problemo! Order a shrimp cocktail and throw back one of the city’s BEST Micheladas while you wait.

Horrible service!!! The waitress ignored us the whole time, she passed by without making sure we where ok. When food was brought to the table she didn’t ask if everything was correct she just walked away and continue to just stand around. The food was horrible very bad quality. I wouldn’t come here ever again.

I have heard such great things about the grilled snapper and how awesome it is. We ordered that tonight along with the shrimp. The snapper appeared like it was going to be full of flavor when it was on the platter. No, it was just fish and bones. Not only was that dry, but so was the shrimp. Not impressed whatever.
Our waitress was very inattentive. She came to the table to ask if I needed anything, said she was going to take drink orders, and I guess decided against doing so. She just walked away.
I also understand that the place is covered in those signs warning need to not run around and behave themselves. So I get that while it is a playground, I believe my child has the right to Stand up from his chair. My son walked over to look at the television and I was instructed very rudely that he needed to get back in his chair and stay there. That’s a bit much.
I have had much better food and much better service.

You MUST try the Red Snapper al La Plancha with shrimp and fried rice. OH MY GOD. the fish was perfectly seasoned and crispy. I ate the tail first as that is my favorite part. It’s so crispy and crunchy. Heaven.
The Minchelada was spectacular. I ordered one with a Dos Equis and it paired perfectly with my fish. The down part is the cost. I can’t seem to locate a solid website for this place that offers the price of the fish but there were 3 of us and I think I paid 20+ bucks including my beer.
Thumbs up!

Love that they offer grilled seafood! This may sound odd but most Mexican seafood restaurants only offer fried fish and if they do offer grilled it’s usually just shrimp. I had the red snapper and my partner had the catfish (both grilled) and they were delicious. Tampico also has the best rice in the area. Loved it all!

One of the best fish places in town. I have been coming here for at least 10 years. The food was good then and now. It’s a bit pricey than some of the other places in the area, but quality is far superior. I have never been disappointed in their food or service. The place is a bit tight and dated, but that can be over looked.
Fish, any fish, would the item to order. It comes with fried rice which is ok, but the fries are really good, they have flaky texture and very delicious. If your are a fish fan visit here at least once. I usually order the crab stuffed snapper with fries and rice. That’s some good eating.
Large parties are still a bit harder to accommodate unless you can go upstairs.
They also have a fresh fish selection, which looks good but I have not given it any thoughts.

Met pals for lunch. Two of us went for the 15-​fried shrimp special. $ 8.99. About six of my 15 were right on that edge of ‘gamey’. Ate them, the un-​freshness coming thru partly in aftertaste. Other pal did not have iffy ones. I reported my experience to our waitress, but no one responded in any way. Third pal had seafood soup that looked and, he said, was very good. He also had ceviche which I tasted and thought was too sweet. But he likes it like that. Overall I might be talked into going back… having had good food there before. Have to say I have NEVER had iffy seafood at any Mambo.

GO GO GO for the freshest seafood! And their frozen drinks are delish!

Grilled fish tacos, grilled shrimp tacos — Pretty bland. Not exciting.
Fried oyster torta — Nice sweet and soft bread. Oyster taste was a bit lacking. Good fries.
Prices seem higher than you’d expect from a place like this. Most dishes are over $ 10 although admittedly, it is a seafood restaurant.

I have the pleasure of coming here once a year on my Dad’s birthday. We always get pitchers of margaritas and ceviche, guacamole, or oysters for an appetizer (or get all three!), and of course, the special. If you are not familiar, you haven’t been paying attention:
Tampico — Home of the Red Snapper a la plancha
Good god it is fantastic! It is a giant whole fish (you simply tell them how many people you wish to feed) grilled up with some veggies, with whatever sauce you desire (garlic butter, duh), with the addition of more amazing seafood on top (we typically pick shrimp and octopus). Conversation stops as everyone digs in, and only resumes when folks start to feel full. We then linger over our drinks and slowly pick at the remaining fish until only bones remain.
Don’t judge a book by its cover — the offensively bright cafeteria/​deli-​like setting when you walk in is not so appealing (except for the display of fresh seafood). Instead, I recommend you snag a table upstairs where it feels a bit more homey.
Go gitsome!