Mariscos Las Islas Marias

We were trolling around Portland off 82^nd thr other day and were starving when we saw Mariscos. We frequent the Salem location and love it so we stopped in for lunch.
The host who greeted us was someone we recognized from the Salem location. He even remembered us too. We always order the steak fajitas to share and so we did the same on this day. (They are juicy and super flavorful.) After our order was placed we thought they would bring over chips and salsa and thr seafood dip they have in Salem. We waited a good 10 min before chips arrived. 2 salsas and no seafood dip. :(I was looking forward to it too. Once our food arrived the only thing I thought was weird was that they didn’t serve it with beans but had an iceberg salad with rice. Wasnt a big fan of the salad and the rice wasn’t quite as good as it is in Salem.

It is rare when I have such horrible service. I would give no stars at all but I decided to give one simply because I enjoy the music and micheladas. But the service is horrendous! If they don’t ignore you, they bring you your incorrect meal or serve half the table and ten minutes later the rest. I tried giving this place a few chances since finding good Mexican seafood is tricky but I hit my point! I went this weekend and was served moldy shrimp. When we told the waitress to please take it away and off the tab an older lady came out with a Raw shrimp telling us that they are meant to be blue and argued with us. This was Ridiculous! I will never again go and honestly its not worth it. DONT GO! The Salem one on the other hand has great service and even has better tasting food. How? I do not know.

Service wasn’t great and the food wasn’t all that great either. I had a fajita special and shrimp was hard and needed flavor. I’ve been to many seafood restaurants would not recommend this one.

The food deserves 4-​stars, but the service and the atmosphere are terrible.
First all I never expect great service from this type of places, being Mexican myself I know better, but this place is beyond. You only see your server 3 times, when you get the menus, second when she takes your order and third when you get your food and that’s it. No smiles, no hello, no how’s your food, and no thank you.
Don’t get me started on how long the food takes, I mean I know how the industry works I have been in the industry for over 10yrs. I wonder what they do back there if they are not spending any time with their customers at front.
Last but not least don’t bring your children here, this place it’s not family friendly. Unless you’re okay with your kids losing their hearing and starving to death. We usually seat in the back to avoid the music but it’s not enough. The music is so loud I can’t have a conversation with my date.
This place should become 21+ and come with a warning «Beware of all the drug dealer here»
Do yourself a favor and just order take out if they can hear you over the phone and good luck on getting a parking spot.

The food is ok. Server was just taking our order, serving, and collecting money. No checking on us, offering something else, nothing. I am not planning to give them another try soon.

If you like real Mexican food and music this is your spot. Great service, delicious food, the music was perfect too. If you want a quiet spot to have white washed Tex-​Mex go elsewhere. If you want to have amazing mariscos, listen to a marachi band and watch the game with a beer come here.

Muy buena comida, exente precio muy buen servicio, las meseras muy amables me gusto mucho

Never got a chance to try the food. My Partner-​In-​Dine and I went in looking forward to trying Mariscos Las Islas Marias. We had been looking forward to trying them out for quite a while. Tonight was going to be that night.
Upon entering it was clear this was not a restaurant on its way up. Rather it appeared on its way down. The banquette seats, nearly all, were torn. The foam beneath was worn down a few layers.
A very nice young woman seated us at a booth upon my request. She gave us our menus and a little time to look them over. She quickly brought us water and answered several questions each of us had. As this was going on a large man of about 40’s and a tall younger man set up electric guitars right up against a table full of what had to be friends.
My PID and I asked our server if she would please ask the musicians not to play while we were there. We had already ordered. She did go speak with them. When she came back it appeared they were, at least, going to turn it down or they might put up their guitars. Instead, we got a look from the musicians, and his table of buddies as they pumped up the volume. There was only that and one other table of people in the restaurant on a Wednesday night at 6 p.m.
I would have expected more people there at this time of the evening. But, as soon as we realized the childish and non-​business like behavior it was clear this was likely a part why this business was in the dumps. As soon as they (presumably the owner or owners) started their LOUD public self-​satisfaction.
My PID and I walked OUT. Clearly, the owner’s self-​gratification was more important than the $ 40 or more we were going to spend tonight.

So we decided to go have dinner with my sisters I asked for the breaded fish with shrimp when it was brought to my table it looked yummy but was really bland the rated like eggs my husband asked for the shrimp cocktail witch was also bland this place is expensive and not worth going to!

Absolutely fantastic! My fish tacos were perfect. My ceviche was perfect. And the molcajete was freaking huge, steamin’hot, and perfect! And there was not one other whitey in the restaurant except for me, mucho perfecto! Too loud for whitey, too authentic for whitey, and too delicious for whitey!
–The End.

When we got to the restaurant it was packed. The line was out the door, but we were seated within 10 minutes. I will say that it is loud, which is a common complaint I’ve read from other reviewers, but don’t let that deter you! The food is amazing! I’ve been trying to find good Mexican food in Portland since moving from California about 2 years ago and this is by far the best. The Micheladas were spot on paired with a Modelo beer. I had the Camarones a la Diabla, which is usually a gamble. Its either way too spicy or perfect, and this placed nailed it! My boyfriend had the Carne asada con camarones and it was delicious as well. Give this place a chance!

I’ve been back a few times now, and I have to knock off two stars. I was fortunate the first time– there was no music. But, on almost every other visit since– the same issue others have noted– LOUD, LOUD, LOUD MUSIC! We have actually avoided going in when we see any band in there… The music is so loud it is painful, and people sit around the edges of the room trying to avoid it. We actually resorted to stuffing shredded paper napkins in our ears!
I doubt the owners read these reviews– but if you do– please, for the love of shrimp tacos, ditch the music. And this isn’t from just a disgruntled gringa– I grew up in San Diego, I’ve been to lots of Mexican restaurants with music– this is something completely different, and completely horrible.
I will suffer for a good shrimp taco, but not that much.

My wife and I really enjoyed the food here. It is mostly seafood bard but has ask the other traditional fare as well. We have been big fans of El Indio and go out of our way to eat there but this opened up in our neighborhood and we were excited to Try it out. We thought the food was delicious. Wife had the steak/​chicken/​shrimp fajita. I had the steak and shrimp Mexican dish. It was delicious and the amount was amazing. The fajita was big enough for both of us. No joke. Way more than other Mexican restaurants and for only about 13 bucks. They even had a band playing complete with tuba. It was cute.
But then we went back a few weeks later after a trip to the easy coast. We saw the band and knew it was loud and didn’t want to deal with it.
Then went back tonight but really wanted the good food. It was great food! But that damn band… So Damn loud. We literally couldn’t hear each other across the table. Do the really need mics and an amplifier? IT’S MAYBE 1000 SF WITH NOTHING TO ABSORB SOUND. Our ears felt like they were shattering. If we go back, well get it to go. Great fid but we can’t stand the damn band anymore.

Saw this place opened up recently and gave it a go. Pretty middle of the road. The interior of the building is really cool. Very colorful and has cool maritime and sea oriented decorations. There was a live mariachi band that was really good. A bit loud, but thats what you get with live music.
The service was a bit slow but very friendly. The waitresses and servers are very helpful and polite. The place was pretty busy so I can understand how timelyness was a factor.
The food prices are pretty high for what you get. Most plates are $ 12-​$ 20. Serving size is pretty small. I ordered a chicken dish and it tasted great. My friend ordered the 7 seas soup and it was also very good. The chips and salsa tasted awesome. They use some kind of salsa that most places dont that has a peculiar taste. Delicious.
Overall, the place isnt extraordinary but isnt bad either. The value isnt there but the atmosphere is. I would recommend this place if you like seafood lively surroundings.

I love this place! I drive from beaverton when ever I get a chance! This is a real Mexican seafood restaurant they even have mariachi!!! My husband had them play me
A love song while we had the best food!
Recommend the molcajete !!
Very nice staff

I was very excited to try this place. The menu is incredibly extensive and that just made the wait for our food the more exciting.
–It was extremely loud. They had two huge TV screens competing for which show was more annoying and awful (a horrible telenovela and a banda music show). Thankfully the waitress turned the volume down for us at my request.
–Now, I am an adult who uses adult language. If I go to a bar, or read the Mercury and they use the «f» word, I don’t get offended at all. I don’t understand why a family restaurant would have food items named «poca madre» or «cabrones»; that’s just not classy at all, and quite frankly unnecessary.
–The place is very clean.
–Chips were stale, the salsa was good.
–We didn’t mind the wait because good food doesn’t come from a can.
–The waitress didn’t know how the dishes were prepared.
–The wait staff: very friendly
–My husband’s food came first, sans tortillas. He order the Shrimp a La Veracruzana, which he reports was good.
–I ordered a cold shrimp cocktail which was pretty good.
–Skip the margaritas, seriously.
I would not recommend this place, sorry. I know a couple of restaurants that serve the same quality/​type of food minus the loudness and with better service.

More of a cantina than restaurant. Place is so loud u need to yell your order to the waitresses. Most patrons are drunk yelling with the mariachi not enough space for people eating let alone two bands playing. The food is very cheap and okay.

Fantastic seafood! Called at the last minute with a party of thirteen, and they were great sports! Thank you, we’ll be back!!!

The first thing we noticed when entering this fairly new restaurant was the very loud music. There were a few tables of patrons already eating and we took a window seat when the woman told us we could sit anywhere.
The menus are very colorful and they obviously feature seafood. There is a wide range of items on the menus, ranging from soups and giant shrimp cocktails all in the $ 13 plus range (they have crab too), to specular shrimp platter meals all in the $ 23 range. In-​between were the fajitas, some of the few items what weren’t seafood. I ordered the steak, chicken and shrimp fajitas because, as my father said it sitting across the booth, «It’s the only thing that looks familiar.» He ordered the same but without the shrimp, $ 12.99 and $ 15.99. My wife ordered something with shrimp in a Veracruzana sauce ($ 13.99) and she said it was a bit too spicy for even her tastes. The fajitas were very good and the heat was the kind that builds up in our mouth, not the kind that smacks you upside the head with every bite. All entrees came with rice, salad and tortillas. The three of us had leftovers, enough for two lite or one hearty meal. Service was fine, a little bit of a language issue from both sides. Bottle Mexican beer was $ 4.
By the time we had eaten all we could, a woman walks over, we assume associated with the restaurant, holding a nice looking pineapple upside-​down cake, «would you like some dessert?» We declined stating we were too full.
My wife next to me says, «She just walked in from her car outside with that in her hands. Isn’t it against code to serve anything that isn’t prepared IN the restaurant?»
Made us wonder. They did «comply» with their health code inspection.
Once in the car, the question between us was, «Would you come again?» I think my father put it best, «The food was good, but not again because of that loud music.»
I might have given this a 4 star if, the music was at a reasonable level, the prices a buck or two lower and we hadn’t been offered dessert as we were.

I love Mexican food and seafood. I spotted a new MARISCOS Mexican joint that used to be a Chinese place. So I thought I need to give it a try especially my favorite marisco joint aka Puerto Marquez closed down. The menu is 40% seafood (mainly shrimp), and the rest is typical mexican standard items.
There were 2 wait staff for the restaurant, a waitress and a food runner. I got sat by a waitress who seem to has bad attitude and brought her little daughter to work. I was sitting by a server station which was right by the kitchen. I asked the server which shrimp dish she would recomend, and the answer was it’s up to you, whatever you want. Wow, what the hell was that? So I just ordered camarones a la crema aka shrimps with onion and mushroom with cream sauce $ 14.25.
While waiting for my food, I saw the main server was playing with her hair and scratching her back/​neck inside the shirt on and off without washing her hands. YUCK!
Chip was staled, salsa was chunky and spicy. My food was really bland, it was served in a big plate with little scoop of rice and bean, and 7 medium shrimps for $ 14.25. I spend lots of $$ on food all the time, but to be told it is economical, then leave hungry, having twice what I usually do for lunch… not impressed.

This place just opened up a block or so from my house. I walked in, and had to wait a good 20 mins for a table cuz the place was packed! There must have been 15 families and 8 couples. A music group was playing in the corner (guitar/​accordian/​singer/​sousaphone). Totally awesome feel when you walk through that door!
While waiting, I got a chance to snoop around. The place is CLEAN as a whistle… though, it is brand new. Bar has a good selection of mexican beer.
Menu is 95% seafood, mainly shrimp. I saw an order of oysters on half shell covered in tomoatoes/​cucumber/​shrimp. It was huge! Unfortunately, they had run out! Menu is in both Spanish and English, but if you have questions, you can ask the servers… very friendly!
I ordered the standard shrimp el diablo plate and a chelata. Wife ordered the grilled shrimp fajita plate. The food and beer came out in less than 5 minutes, so my assumption is that much of the food is pre-​prepared.
The shrimp was overcooked and chewy. The diablo sauce was flat… needed some zip. Seemed like it came from a pot, rather than prepared to order.
Parking was extremely difficult. So, if you can find street parking, or can park in Fubonn, I suggest it.