Mariscos El Kaliman — Restaurant in Hesperia

⭐️ If I could give this place ZERO stars, I would. Hands down one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had at any restaurant.

I placed a simple order for ceviche — and they completely messed it up. No big deal, mistakes happen, right? But what followed was an absolute circus of unprofessionalism, rudeness, and outright disrespect.

When I called to let them know the order was wrong, a staff member named Daisy told me over the phone not to worry — we could KEEP the incorrect ceviche since it had already been touched, and they had our correct order waiting. Seems reasonable.

But when we arrived, the story flipped faster than a tortilla on a hot comal. Suddenly, we were being told by a rude woman at the counter that we had to return the ceviche we were previously told to keep — the same one we had already sampled. Excuse me, what? You want us to bring back food that’s already been eaten? Gross and unsanitary!

Then came the gaslighting. They flat-out refused to give us our correct order. No refund. No solution. Just attitude. As if we were the problem.

To make things worse, I’m Hispanic — but I initially spoke to them in English out of habit. They must’ve assumed I didn’t speak Spanish, because the manager, Yennica, turned to another staff member and said — clear as day —

“Déjalo en paz, a lo mejor se aburre y se va.” (“Leave him alone, maybe he’ll get bored and leave.”)

🤯 Are you kidding me?! I was stunned. This wasn’t just bad service — it was deceptive, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional. You don’t treat customers this way — especially when YOU made the mistake.

If you care about good food, respectful service, and basic human decency, stay far away from this place. They clearly don’t value their customers — and they definitely don’t know how to run a business.

Zero stars. And if you’re reading this, Yennica — I didn’t get bored. I...

I actually ate at this place twice yesterday. Around 1pm the first time then 7pm the second time. This restaurant has a nice vibe to it as soon as you as you walk in.

They gave me chips and salsa as an appetizer at first and the salsa that they gave me was ridiculously good. It had flavor and was spicy. Honestly, Indiana might want to take some notes on how it’s done right. This is for sure the best salsa I’ve had for chips and salsa.

When I went alone at first I ordered cóctel de camarón y pulpo. They gave me all the sides I needed for it as well as their own house made kaliman salsa. I made sure to make it spicy but I can say the dish itself was amazing. That’s why I went a second time on the same day.

The second time I ordered I got the mojarra served with a side salad and rice. It’s weird to say that the salad was actually delicious. I didn’t expect for a salad at a Mexican place to taste any good just because I’ve had it at other places before and it’s always meh. The fish was crispy and fall off the bone. The rice had a beautiful buttery texture to it that was seasoned very well.

If you’re looking for a great mariscos place this is...

Very, very loud for such a small place. Couldn't have a conversation over dinner. Very expensive for the quality & quantity of food & service. Husband had a piece of plastic in his salad. When we told the server she said she would have the manager come over. Got a new plate of food, but manager didn't come over. Asked for the manager & the check. She finally came over & talked for a min, told us a story about how her brothers sin had plastic in his salad before & she wasn't told or was aware of there being a Problem. She said cook tried to say it was a piece of our fork. It wasn't!! Didn't get charged for the plate, but we felt unimportant & definitely not a priority. Husband bit into his salad without knowing & stabbed his mouth with whatever the plastic was. The server was very nice & prompt, but it didn't seem like the manager was concerned....