Chicago Mexican Fusion Cuisine with Unique Soft Shell Crab Tacos 🦀🌮

Mariscos San Pedro is a modern Mexican restaurant specializing in a variety of seafood dishes. The menu is concise, and with ingredients like Thai flavors, coconut, and crispy moss, it's clear this place doesn't follow traditional routes. Located in Pilsen, a predominantly Mexican neighborhood, the restaurant is right next to Thalia Hall. I've been to concerts there several times but never noticed there was a restaurant here. 🎶 On my first visit, I ordered based on Yelp and Google reviews. The soft shell crab taco really stood out. It had a squid ink exterior, giving it a striking black appearance. The taco featured Thai-style seasoning with avocado cream and shredded papaya—I think any seafood pairs well with Thai flavors. The soft shell crab was exceptionally crispy, especially where there was a bit of crab roe and meat, making for a rich texture. 🦀 Andrew’s plantain taco was also memorable. It was a pure plantain taco, and I enjoyed the sweet and glutinous texture of the plantain with a tangy sauce on top. The crispy coconut flakes added a unique flavor. You can tell the chef has a fondness for Thai cuisine. 🍌 The snapper ceviche had an interesting sauce, described on the menu as coconut and leche de tigre. Leche de tigre is a Peruvian seasoning, which made me think of a lemony ceviche I had at Tanta. This dish wasn't overly sour, and the fish seemed to have shrimp and apple in it (the menu was really minimalistic and didn't mention much). Overall, it was okay, but it didn't have the same wow factor as Tzuco’s dishes. 🐟 Wood Fried Camarones featured four large shrimp. I liked the accompanying sauces, especially the avocado cream. I felt the shrimp were previously frozen, which took away a bit from the experience. The ingredients could be better. 🍤 For dessert, we tried the Lava Cake and Granizado. I’d recommend the Lava Cake more. It had some Mexican twists, made with masa (corn dough). Looking back at the menu, it mentioned mole, a Mexican sauce, but I didn’t really taste it. Basically, it was still a chocolate cake. 🍰 Overall, Mariscos San Pedro seems to go for a more upscale, luxurious vibe. If you’re interested, it’s definitely worth a try! 😋 #ChicagoFood #ChicagoEats #ChicagoMexicanCuisine