When *NOT* To Go To Mariscos Puerto Esperanza of Orange, CA

Looks can be deceiving.
Lured by the rave reviews on Yelp, the Chowhound accolades and, as of yesterday, The Orange County Register’s glowing descriptors, we were especially excited to dine at this Mexican eatery so many have ordained a "hidden gem". Unfortunately, last night proved that some treasures ought to be buried a little longer: never visit a small mom & pop restaurant the day a good review from a major newspaper hits the newsstand.    

Since the Register’s article came out earlier that day, the restaurant was COMPLETELY overwhelmed.  As a result, so many aspects of the evening suffered so much such that I doubt we’ll be coming back. We can forgive the glacial pace it took to get seated, the excruciating one hour wait for the food and the fact that we almost never got our appetizer.  What was unforgiveable was the quality of the food.


Our evening started with the complimentary chips (above) and salsa which could at best be described as "angry water". It was so under seasoned that adding salt and Tapatio hot sauce to it didn't bring any life to the condiment. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of the chili relleno appetizer (which arrived after our entrees, BTW).  Essentially, it was a beautifully plated, strikingly flavorful casket of chewy, over-cooked shellfish.  It’s clear the kitchen’s timing was way off.      

Meanwhile, the parade of the pretty plates continued ...


The bacon-covered shrimp plate “Langostinos Zaraneados” ($14.95) was another vessel of over-cooked sea creatures.  Shrimp only takes about 1 or 2 minutes to cook.  The ones we were served last night must have sat on the pan a good 10 to 15 minutes.  Sure it was flavorful & pretty, but that only goes so far. 


The tragedy of the grilled salmon dish “Salmon Yucatan” ($12.95) that you see above is that not only was the fish over-cooked as well, but the grilled veggies were bone-chilling cold.  Since it’s a small place with an open kitchen, we were able to see the plate literally sitting there on the counter like an unwanted child on Christmas, just waiting to be delivered to our table.     

Because the staff was woefully unprepared for the onslaught of potentially new customers, our dining event was marred by shoddy service and poorly executed seafood dishes. Should you decide to visit, wait a few weeks for the curious onlookers to subside and hopefully things will improve. The place is called "Esperanza" afterall, so who knows?

Mariscos Puerto Esperanza
1724 N Tustin St
Orange, CA 92856
(714) 998-3599
mariscospuertoesperanza.com