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If you're a fan of seafood, in particular if you're a fan of seafood tacos, San Felipe is the place to be, as there is a three block stretch, along Av. Malecón Sur, facing the Sea of Cortez and the fabled malecón, that could be called "mariscos row," as the majority of business in that three block stretch are small, family owned and operated restaurants, that specialze in seafood, and in particular, seafood tacos.
Photo: Mariscos Conchita features indoor, sidewalk, and balcony dining. Note the a.t.v. parked near the juice stand, which is a popular and legal vehicle, on the streets of San Felipe. History records that the fish taco was invented in San Felipe, but the city of Ensenada disputes that claim... Whatever the case, if you're a fan of fish tacos, I can think of no where on the planet that has such a variety of restaurants as San Felipe. Since there are so many restaurants vying for your hard-earned dollar, the competition keeps the prices low, so low it's almost ridiculous. In San Felipe, it's a diner's market when it comes to taquerias and fish taco restaurants. Most of the restaurants have their prices posted on colorful menu boards on the sidewalk, in front of the restaurant, to advertise their low prices and huge selection to pedestrians, and many restaurants feature outdoor dining on the sidewalk, or on a balcony above the sidewalk for a great view of the Sea of Cortez, and the crazy action along Av. Paseo de Cortez. Also, many of the restaurants employ a person, usually a waiter who has nothing better to do, who stands in front of the restaurant, greeting pedestrians with a menu, and attempting to lure them in with promises of low prices, delicious food, and a view of the beach. Such was the case with me, as on early Wednesday evening, October 1, 2008, I was lured into Mariscos Conchita, by a waitress who plied me with her charms, and promised an excellent dinner of fish tacos, rice, beans and all the condiments for a mere MEX $20.00. I was a bit skeptical, but at less than two U.S. bucks, what did I have to loose?
Photo: Felisha sits on the sidewalk, in front of the restaurant, and passes out menus and invites pedestrians to come inside and sample their delicious MEX $20.00 dinner of fish tacos, rice and beans. Not to mention an outstanding array of condiments, and all the chips and salsa that you can eat. Such good food for so little dinero! Mariscos Conchita is located on Av. Malecon, about 200 feet of Calzada Chetumal, facing the Sea of Cortez. Its a typical restaurant along restaurant row, as its 2-stories, and features indoor dining, both upstairs and downstairs, and sidewalk dining, and dining on a balcony above the street, which offers breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez, and the busy night life that San Felipe has to offer. Mariscos Conchita features a colorful menu posted on the sidewalk, and a girl in front of the restaurant, passing out menus, and inviting pedestrians inside, so when she invited me into the restaurant, I had an idea of what to expect, especially after she handed me a small, paper menu. She asked me where I wanted to sit and I told her that I wasn't sure, but I wanted to look around a bit before I sat down.
Photo: A sidewalk view of Mariscos Conchita, showing the juice bar in the front of the restaurant, and the downstairs dining room. Mariscos Conchita is open to the street, as is the custom for most small restaurants in Baja California, and Mexico in general. The tile floor in the downstairs dining room extends to the sidewalk, and the restaurant has a cluster of green tables and chairs on the sidewalk, for patio-style dining. They also have a juice bar, which offers tropical style pineapple and coconut drinks. Inside there are a few tables and chairs, but the main action seems to be on the second floor, which offers an outstanding view of the world of San Felipe. The second floor is accessed by a narrow staircase in the back of the downstairs dining room, and surprise! The kitchen is upstairs... I've never seen that before, but it makes sense, as most diners prefer to eat upstairs. Upstairs features indoor and outdoor dining. Outdoor dining is on a balcony that looks out over the malecón, and east to the Sea of Cortez, and you can look down upon your fellow diners as well, those who chose to dine inside or on the sidewalk. The second story patio dining is protected from the elements by the overhang of the building, as well as large umbrellas that shade each individual table. It's clean, attractive, and a fun place to party, and enjoy a great meal.
Photo: Balcony dining, on the second floor. Notice the gorgeous view of the Sea of Cortez in the background of the photo. I didn't really need to look at the menu, which is printed in both English and Spanish, as I'd already made up my mind to order two fish tacos, rice, beans, condiments, and of course, a couple of beers. Felisha, who happened to be the girl who invited me into the restaurant, took my order, and quickly came back with a beer... so I had a few minutes to relax until my order arrived. I was a little tired, so I ordered my food "para llavar," as I wanted to enjoy it at my leisure back at the motel. While I was waiting for my order, I took the opportunity to barge into the kitchen and take a couple of photos of the kitchen staff hard at work. I love kitchen photos, and in Mexico, you're rarely refused access to kitchens, as long as you don't get in the way of the busy staff.
Photo: I sneaked into the kitchen and took a photo of the kitchen staff hard at work, cooking my fish tacos.
Photo: Grinning Felisha poses in a corner of the kitchen, as I snap her photo. I'm not bashful when it comes to taking photos of people. I take the photos, and ask questions and/or make amends later. When my order arrived a few minutes later, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, as my order consisted of 2 delicious fish tacos, each with two pieces of perfectly cooked fish, rolled into two corn tortillas each, a generous helping of rice, and refried beans, cooked in lard! The gal brought a plate of condiments that contained a smoky red salsa, salsa cruda, shredded cabbage, red onions, cucumber slices, pickled jalapeño pepper slices, and key lime halves. All of this for a mere MEX $20.00, which is less that two U.S. dollars! What kind of meal can you buy in the 'states for two bucks? Since I had ordered my meal "to go," it was packaged in a styrafoam container, which made it easy to pack it back to the motel room. I loaded salsa cruda, onions, and smoky salsa on my tacos, and squeezed a bit of lime juice on them, and I was ready to rock 'n roll.
Photo: My dinner, packed to-go, arrives, with a plate full of condiments. I especially loved the smoky chipotle salsa, to the left of the photo. Later in the evening, after polishing off a few beers, I consumed my delicious meal. The fish was fried crispy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside, and not at all heavy or greasy. The condiments were fresh, and not watery. As I mentioned before, you could taste the lard in the refried beans, which is the benchmark from which fine refried beans are judged, and the Mexican rice was cooked just right, not crunchy, but not soggy. The dinner was simply delicious! Mariscos Conchita serves an outstanding fish taco plate at an unbelievable price. Even by Mexican standards, this meal must be a "loss-leader," but their loss is your gain, as the food is delicious, fresh, filling, and delicious.
Photo: My dinner, packed "to-go." I've applied salsa cruda to my tacos, with a few key limes, and a bit of smoky chipotle salsa to enhance the delicious flavor of my rice. As an interesting ending, when it came time to pay for my meal, I offered a MEX $50.00 bill, to pay for a $20.00 meal. They claimed they didn't have change for a fifty, so I dug into my pocket and produced $2.00 in U.S. money, and they gratefully accepted the U.S. money. Since my order was "to go," I didn't leave a tip... but I found it odd that they didn't have change for a fifty... Mariscos Conchita Copyright(c) 2009 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since January 19, 2005. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...
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