La Marina Mariscos — Restaurant in Maine Township

Some businesses forget the fact that the value of a customer is not in that sale to someone who visits for the first time, but in the value of repeated sales over future visits and the value of good reviews, written or just by word of mouth.

We visited last week Sunday for lunch. First shock was the very loud music. On an amplifier with 10 as maximum, it was likely 5. It was not easy to have a conversation at normal voice level. We had to shout our order to the waitress. I asked her to lower the volume, but she said she didn't know if it was possible.

The rum for the cocktail that we ordered was not mixed into the drink at the bar. It was contained in a miniature (those little airplane bottles) placed upside down into the cocktail mix. That is a novel presentation, but I wonder, how many people handled that bottle with bare hands? How was that bottle made clean enough to be in contact with the drink?

We ordered a small Mendigo Especial, that is, a soup. We it was served, we said that we had not ordered it. The waitress indicated that it was the soup that we had ordered. We were astonished! It was served in a hurricane-type glass, the one used in New Orleans for the red cocktail that about every tourist carries around many times full of the drink. Since when a soup with many pieces of vegetables is served on a narrow tall cocktail glass? For one, it was piping hot, not inviting to grab the glass to drink the soup. Next, it was extremely hot from chilies, making it not appetizing. We put it to the side after just a taste. If we had continued, how would we have fished out the vegetables? This, of course, is not Nayarit style.

My wife ordered the "Huachinango al Gusto" which we assumed to be cooked the traditional way. We expected it to be similar to the "Zarandeado" fish which traces its origin back to pre-Hispanic times, more specifically, to the island of Mexcaltitán in Nayarit. We made a mistake by expecting juicy grilled fish "Nayarit style"... and we did not verify at the time of ordering it.My wife was served a fish about 2 to 3 lbs when fresh (that is, quite big fish) that was deep fried. Crispy, but how tasteless! This fish was KFC style, nothing Nayarit to it.

I ordered the Salmon because I like its delicate and subtle taste. I was expecting it to have been marinated in the typical Nayarit style using fresh ingredients. Well, I was wrong. It was sprinkled with a dry spice blend, then grilled on a hot plate. The strong spicy blend and/or amount sprinkled killed the salmon again.

While we managed our lunch, the only other occupied table (and this place is big!) had three amigos having finger food and rounds of beer and tequila. As we finished our lunch, the the amigos decided to spill their party to the aisle all the way to the bar. It happened that our table was exactly located right along that pathway. One of the amigos got a wooden spinning rattle with very loud ratchet noise and a big Mariachi sombrero. Besides the loud ratchet sound, he got the establishment to increase the music from what I had considered being 5 on a scale of 10, to 7 or 8. Just to loud for anyone sober to enjoy. I guess someone knew how to increase the volume but not how to lower it.

We were surprised that this restaurant did not follow the cuisine style and the staff joined in the partying of the amigos, converting this place from a restaurant into a disco serving fast food.

By they way, they charge a fee for using credit cards. Yes, all businesses do that by burying it in the quoted price. This place might be charging it twice given the high prices on the menu. And on top of that, they do no provide a charge receipt!

Some businesses charge high prices because they have high standards and high class (and its own website). This place is no fine dining but they charge exorbitant prices being in reality a mom-and-pop diner.

This business lost any future business from us. There are many other Mexican restaurants in the area that offer better food and a more enjoyable dining experience, without trying to be overly fancy...

This was on dec 8th a sunday... I bought a red snapper at market price cucaracha style and i think the fish itself was old as it tasted fishy... The sides were nothing to wrote home about, tasteless rice, garlic bread, fries and salad

Also i bought a vuelva ala vida cocktail and it tasted watery ... No flavor at all...i had to add lime and hot sauce but it was mossing that delicious seafood broth taste

The cocktails were delicious tho... I recall my date ordered something very good and my hibiscus anejo drink was superb

The servers were very cool and they told me about a facebook promo where we got a beer and a shot just for hitting like ..

I'll try the food one more time but i dropped 85 bucks on the food and drinks yet i think its worth trying out for taco tuesday and wed margaritas

My date covered the tip and it was nice to take out an old friend to cheer her up....

La Marina Authentic Mariscos Mexican Restaurant is a true gem in Des Plaines, located at Algonquin and Lee. This family-owned spot delivers unbeatable service and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel like part of the family.

Their seafood dishes are incredible, but there’s something for everyone on the menu. The weekly deals make it easy to visit often, with $2 taco Tuesdays, $5 margarita Wednesdays, and half-price happy hour drinks Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7 pm.

If you’re celebrating a birthday, they make it extra special with a sparkler, a giant sombrero, and your choice of a free shot or dessert. It’s such a fun touch and shows how much they care about their customers.

If you’re in the area and looking for delicious food, great deals, and an unforgettable experience, La Marina is the place to go....