Happy Shrimp | Mariscos — Restaurant in Jalisco

We are visiting Guadalajara for the first time, traveling from Texas. Happy Shrimp was on our list to visit, specifically to try their famous “Happy Shrimp” (thanks to TikTok) We wanted to have that for our anniversary dinner, but luckily we called ahead and they where about to close at about 8:30 pm and where told they would open the next day (Saturday) at 11am. We got there the next day at 11:20 am to find out the kitchen was not open yet for hot dishes and they did not have servers yet. The person there told us they would probably open in about an hour. We where very disappointed because it took us 30 minutes to get there from our hotel and our flight back home was at 4 pm but still took the risk and waited at a cafe next door and enjoyed an outdoor coffee. At exactly an hour we walked to Happy Shrimp and a server rushed towards us and was very polite and welcoming, we ordered the happy shrimp, obviously! And man oh man! We where NOT disappointed, the hour wait was so very worth it!! Those shrimp exceded my expectations, they where delicious, so crispy that you could eat them from head to tail, with just the perfect spice and not to mention they where huge! I very much recommend this place, I would’ve loved to try some other dishes, but we where very short on time. We will definitely visit again next time we travel to Guadalajara. If you visit Guadalajara make sure you come to this place, don’t miss out. Oh and last but not least, at the end our server brought us a courtesy drink in a cute fish tail shaped glass, it...

Wow! The shrimp here is mouthwatering. We ordered the house and cilantro shrimp, along with a half dozen oysters and shrimp tacos. The specialty shrimp dishes are a must-try. The house special is a full-on experience of flavors and textures. It is tangy and spicy with a shell crisp enough to eat and meat that is tender and bouncy. The cilantro shrimp has a fresh and delicious cilantro sauce that cools the spiciness of the house special. Of the two, the cilantro was my favorite. However, both were stunning and caught me by surprise. I cleansed my palette between bites with the marisol cocktail which was light and refreshing, yet packed enough tequila to get me slightly tipsy. Overall, I enjoyed the food, casual ambiance, and speediness....

Happy Shrimp es uno de esos lugares donde el servicio te hace sentir bienvenido desde el primer momento… pero donde la experiencia completa no termina de cuajar del todo.

Empezando por la llegada: aunque tienen estacionamiento, es únicamente con valet parking, lo cual puede ser incómodo si prefieres estacionarte tú mismo. Que te bajen al sótano a cambio de una propina no es precisamente la mejor bienvenida.

El local está bien, sin destacar. La decoración no termina de cuajar y lo más notorio es la ausencia de aire acondicionado, algo que, entre cocina caliente, mariscos picosos y calor tapatío, se vuelve necesario y urgente.

Eso sí, el personal es impecable. Amables, atentos, rápidos y proactivos: te cambian el plato, recogen servilletas, ofrecen bebida sin que lo pidas… se agradece y se nota.

La comida, por su parte, me dejó con sentimientos encontrados. Arrancas con unos totopos y una salsa que es adictiva, de esas que te hacen rascar el tazón con vergüenza. La coliflor zarandeada tiene buen sabor, pero el zarandeado es tan líquido que termina cocinándola de más y le mata la textura.

Pedimos también el platillo estrella: los Happy Shrimp. Sabrosos, sí, pero tan condimentados que cuesta distinguir los sabores. El mayor problema es que son para pelar, pero el preparado que le untan a la costra se pega tanto a la carne que pelarlos es una odisea. No hay utensilios para ayudarte, así que acabas usando las manos, perdiendo media porción en la cáscara y la otra en la pelea.

En resumen: excelente servicio, comida con sabor pero con detalles importantes por resolver, y un ambiente que agradecería algo más de comodidad. Con un par de ajustes podría ser una gran experiencia, pero por ahora, Happy Shrimp no termina...