Pacifico’s Mariscos

if you’re into mexican sushi, this’s the place. if you’re into overpriced fish sticks, this’s the place. if you’re into «seafood», this’s the place.
i was promised rotisserie chicken. something like pollo a la brasa which was somewhere along the way. pacifico’s ain’t that chicken place. remember how your dad promised you prime rib and lobster for dinner, but instead you got broccoli and green beans? this was close to that feeling.
i was totally feeling chicken that night. i tried and i tried, and had the waiter wait on me while everyone’s order been taken 15 mins ago. he’s getting impatient. so thats when you hit jackpot. by then, waiter had enough bullshit and let me scored with the kid’s meal.
kid’s meal = 2 big fish fillets/​sticks with lotsa fries = $ 6
friend’s reg. meal = 3 big fish fillets/​sticks with fries = $ 15
who’s the sucka now?! remember lads, being picky is genius!

Pacifico’s… their Mexican-​themed sushi is their only saving grace. I live and work nearby so I’ve had a chance to eat at Pacifico’s many times. Were it not for the sushi, I would never have come back. Let’s start with the bad things about Pacifico’s. First, the service is slow and usually not friendly. To illustrate, I remember one time when one of the servers stared an argument with a friend about an appetizer she ordered. There was nothing to argue about and I’d clearly heard the order get placed and saw the server right it down. Why would a server argue about an order being placed… I have no idea. The second bad thing about this place is the overpriced menu. They charge $ 8 for chips and guacamole! C’mon! They also charge an exorbitant amount for chips and salsa, like $ 6. This is LA, who is going to pay that much for chips and salsa?
However, there is a gem to be tasted, savored even, at Pacifico’s and that is it’s Mexican-​themed sushi. For example, their mango tempura shrimp roll is out of this world. They add a spicy sauce to it, so it’s a perfect blend of soft and crunchy textures, sweet and spicy flavors. I’ve tried several of their other rolls and have enjoyed the freshness of the ingredients but the mango tempura camaron (that means shrimp in spanish) roll is by far my favorite. Unlike the entrees and other fare they serve, the sushi is also priced at a normal rate ($ 6 – 9 or so). Also, their sushi is not available at all times of the day, so call ahead if you’re going to visit for the sushi (again, sushi is the only reason you should visit) If it weren’t for their sushi options, I would give Pacifico’s only a two star rating, if that.
According to Dawn W. (see below), Pacifico’s may be closed. If not, I encourage you to check out the sushi at Pacifico’s with friends.

Walked by last week and the place is all closed up! There was a big notice slapped on the side that said they lost their liquor license. I think it might be time for a change. GREAT location, hopping area and Pacificos was just ok.

Went to Pacifico’s for a birthday celebration, and left thinking ‘that sure was a place i was just at!’
Nothing about the food or the place really stood out to me. Which is a shame considering its in an effin’ awesome location. I could turn that place into a bitching restaurant. We would have batting cages, and blackjack… and hookers! Tons of hookers! You know… forget the restaurant, the batting cages, and the blackjack.
Anyway, I digress. I ordered something I already forgot about, and had a few beers. The bill came out too high for my liking considering what I had. In an area with so many mexican joints, you have to work to get me to come back to your place.
While the food was ok and I would go back if someone else really wanted to go, ill pass if its up to me. Unless they get some hookers. Then im in.

I actually like this place but with those prices.
I like to think about it.
We came here quite a few times before.
My friend Jennifer and I would make it out here for our lunch hour. Once in a while they would give us free appetizers or entrees so we the customers could get acquainted with their low carb menu.
For this kind of money I can feed the three of us.
So with the price of oil hurting me now, YIKES !!

Overpriced underwhelming, unimaginative food (think: the shrimp and avocado salad really only has shrimp and avocados on a bed of lettuce), crummy service, and the crowd was pretty unimpressive too. Yuck yuck yuck, my stomach still hurts.

So this place is one of those miscellaneous spots where its large and loud enough for crowds but its not a spot you go to all the time cause the food is to die for?
It has your share of fun seafood options you would find if you were eating on a pier but then they start throwing out seafood rolls and the look & feel of this spot doesnt make you think of Japanese food…
Its pretty good but again, the theme sorta throws you off. Needless to say– good for large crowds

I love to go to this place, been going here for years. I seen it on I think the travel channel a few years back and love it.
Never had the Huachinango though, I don’t usually eat fried fish.
I like to go for Appetizers and Drinks…
Good Appetizers–
I do LOVE the Shrimp Cocktail, also their Shrimp Tacos are really good. The Calamari is excellent, and you have to try their Blue Chips, salsa, and Guacapico it’s great.
The Corn Chowder is good. Snapper Veracruz is pretty darn good too. The New York Steak and Fajitas are my faves though.
You get alot of food here for your money.
The outdoor seating is the best they have a huge fire pit out there to gather around when it is cold.

You know you’re a Unilocaler when you start ordering the most random thing on the menu, just to see what it would taste like. No, it’s not the smartest idea and may not make your stomach too happy either, but it does make life REALLY interesting.
The salmon enchiladas at Pacificos was that random thing on the menu. I’ve never heard of enchiladas with salmon in them, so that was a first. I’ve never eaten at Pacificos before, so that was a first too. I figure, might as well kill two birds with one stone and order a combination I’ve never heard of at a place I’ve never eaten at.
Yeah, I know. I thought the same thing, especially once I saw the plate of food in front of me.
The first bite was… well…interesting. No, not just interesting, but «interesting». Very fishy. Not quite the texture I would want in an enchilada — there was too much fish, which made it mushy, and not enough cheese to make it truly Mexican. The second bite was much better since it had more cheese in it. The third bite? Back to being «interesting» again. Once it was cold, I really didn’t want to touch it.
This restaurant was like my enchiladas — it was something random that I only needed to try once in life.

I don’t eat seafood, so it may seem strange that I go here, but for the last few months the LA Brights (
) have been meeting there for lunch. So there I be!
The menu is 90% seafood, and as you can see from the other reviews, apparently an acquired taste. My companions have been largely pleased with their food. So what does a non-​seafood eatin’ sumbitch do at a place like this? Chicken tacos, Baby Blue! And I love ‘em. Grilled chicken, lots of fresh lettuce and pico de gallo. Served with fries and salad rather than rice and beans.
Can’t say how the service would be like for a small group, but they handle our group well. Service is prompt and always friendly.
$ 10-​$ 20 per person. I’ve seen lots of people eating the whole deep fried red snapper. Yikes! 4 stars.

I am NOT a fan of Mexican food (why pay for it when mom can make it at home?), but this is a place even my border-​jumping mother likes.
Instead of chips and dip, they start you off with freshly cut cucumbers and jicama with seasoned with lemon and chili powder. And the servings are huge: the 3-​taco dishes are usually too much to finish. Then there are the garlic fries: awesome.
Do not, however, under ANY circumstances, eat the sushi at this place. You will be sorely disappointed. It’s a Mexican restaurant with French fries, for crying out loud! Have a tequila-​martini instead. Just upgrade to the good stuff (Don J will make the drink $ 14, but it’s better than choking on crap tequila!).

I second justin’s review– I only went once but I really enjoyed what we had. The «taco lights» lettuce wrap tacos with shrimp and mango were so refreshing, light, flavorful, and different. We got a few sushi rolls and I enjoyed the mexican twist– mango in the sushi is good. Nothing tasted weird, «fishy», or unfresh, and I’m pretty sensitive to that when it comes to seafood. It was healhty, tasty, and not too expensive.
Oh, and the margarita was excellent.
I’dve gone back already if they weren’t a million other restauarnts I need to try.

The best thing I can say about this place is that instead of the traditional chips and salsa at the beginning of the meal, they give you sliced cucumber with chilli and lime juice. The first time I went there I was so excited by this and the so completely disappointed by the rest of everything. I give it two stars instead of one because of the cucumber and the flan (very good). I’m a sucker for sweets…
The prices are higher then they should be for the food you get, and the service is fair.
Sit outside if the weather is even remotely nice, and even if it’s not, they’ve got a fire-​pit, which makes the atmosphere a little bit cooler. There’s street parking, and a private lot behind the restaurant, but there’s also the garages stationed around Culver City, which are usually a better idea anyway.

Got food poisoning from the ceviche.
Can’t rightly give more than one star if the rest of the dinner didn’t stay down.

Unimpressive food but the service and staff were really solid. They earn the stars for Paficifo’s. The Huachingo my friend enjoyed, but the sushi, while it tasted OK, is an interpretation and not traditional in case that’s what you are looking for.
The fajitas were nothing special, but not bad. Sitting outdoors is definitely nice as was the pitcher of beer we had…

I like this place but mostly for the dressing on the salad. It’s this red thing that comes on the house salad when you order an entrée. Pretty yummy stuff. But if you order a fish salad, then it’s different. But anyways, get a fish entrée because they’re a pretty good size, and you can say you’re kinda eating healthy because it’s fish. The wait can be long sometimes because of its location. A little more on the pricey side for casual dining, but then again, it’s seafood. Don’t do sushi here, just get a fish steak of some sort. Good corn tortillas. The fried stuff is pretty good too. I think we got shrimp cocktail once which was also yummy.
The wait stuff sucks one and a half. And they’re majorly slow as hell. But whatever, just don’t come that often.

I am such a sucker for the Food Network. All those restaurants they feature on there… even if it’s in the middle of nowhere. I’ll still write down the name thinking I’ll go someday. *Shaking Head* So when they featured this restaurant one day showing images of the staff screaming ‘Huachinango!’ while throwing a huge Red Snapper from the glass case they have in the front of the restaurant, I dutifully wrote down the name of the restaurant so that I could go someday. When I realized it was in Culver City and not in the middle of Arkansas somewhere like many of the restaurants I’d jotted down, I decided to try it out.
There was no one yelling «Huachinango!» throughout the entire duration of my visit to this restaurant. Not even after I ORDERED the Huachinango. I was disappointed. Not only because there was no lively fish tossing going on like they’d shown on TV, but because the food wasn’t even very good. If you don’t like whole cooked fish, don’t order the Huachinango. I don’t mind eating whole fish at home but at a restaurant, staring into the dead Red Snapper’s eyes was somewhat disconcerting. Plus the fish was dry and flavorless. They wouldn’t even give me extra lemon when I asked for it.
Décor is minimal. Picnic tables and rolls of paper towels on them instead of napkins. There was crust on my silverware. Gross.

I had a shrimp cocktail here and a chicken wrap which were both pretty tasty. :)
I also like their classy paper towels on every table.
I’ll come here again.

I wanted to like Pacifico’s. I really, really did. It’s in my neighborhood, it looks cute & festive and I ADORE Mexican food. But it just did not work out.
The idea of Mexican seafood alluded me and I decided to be adventurous and go with what the menu boasted as the «Huachinango».
I asked our waiter what a Huachinango was and he basically explained it as fried fish. I am a big fan of anything fried so I was sold. I guess I should have asked for a more specific explanation because what was brought out to me was a LITERAL fried fish. Like they pulled the entire fish out of the water and threw it in the deep fryer. Bones, skin, EYES, it was all there. Staring at me. Daring me to eat it or run for the hills. I hated to be a brat. But come on, the damn fish was LOOKING at me! I took 2 bites and couldn’t do it. Even my dinning partner could not look at my food.
I know I brought this on myself ordering outside of the box, but it really put me off. Even her meal, a simple seafood salad, was iffy and she was not satisfied. I would give this place a second chance, but I was too thrown by my first experience. And as many other reviews have said, the waitstaff doesn’t really seem to care if you have issues with your food and are not big on really letting you know what you’re ordering.
The place left a bad taste in my mouth. Literally.

I’m sorry, but this place is gross. I had two disgusting experiences here. First, I was eating an ahi salad and when I got about half-​way through I turned over a leaf and found a dead fly. Not an innocent little country fly that you might expect to be buzzing around a field of lettuce looking for some manure to nosh on, but a big, slow, blue-​black house fly with giant green eyes. The kind of fly born from dumpsters and raw sewage. When the waiter came around I pointed out the fly to him and he said, «oh, sorry.» and took my plate. I didn’t see him again that night.
Round two. I’ll give any place a second chance. This time I ordered a seafood salad. Three bites before I finished it I came across a piece of cardboard the size of a stick of gum from a vegetable box. It looked like it was from the bottom of the box because it was all scuffed up with dirt and oil. My friend, who had been with me the first time, called the waiter over. He apologized and offered me a free desert.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that a free desert doesn’t make up for finding garbage in your food? I didn’t ask for anything more, because I didn’t think I should have to. And because I’m not one of those people who likes to make a scene. But, I was disappointed to have to pay for that meal, to say the least.
It’s too bad this place is so gross because they have a really nice outside area with a fire pit that makes a great place for drinks after work. Oh well. The food is over-​priced anyway.