Mariscos El Submarino — Restaurant in New York

Nestled at 222 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Mariscos El Submarino brings the vibrant flavors of Sinaloan coastal cuisine to New York City. An offshoot of the beloved Jackson Heights original, this casual eatery has quickly become a go-to spot for seafood enthusiasts seeking bold, authentic Mexican dishes.

Ambiance & Setting

Mariscos El Submarino maintains a laid-back, counter-service atmosphere reminiscent of its Queens predecessor. The walls are adorned with cheerful cartoon lobsters, adding a playful touch to the dining experience. A notable feature of the Greenpoint location is its spacious patio, offering an inviting outdoor dining option that's especially popular during warmer months. Given its popularity, it's advisable to make a reservation a few days in advance if you wish to secure a spot on the patio .

Culinary Highlights

The menu is a celebration of seafood, with dishes that pack both flavor and heat. Standouts include:

Aguachile Verde: A zesty concoction featuring raw seafood marinated in a lime-heavy serrano chili sauce, served in a molcajete with fresh tostadas. It's a dish that delivers a delightful kick, leaving diners reaching for their drinks between bites .

Taco Gobernador: This crispy pressed taco is generously filled with chopped shrimp and melted queso Chihuahua, offering a rich and satisfying flavor profile that's hard to resist .

La Sicaria Tostada: A layered delight combining shrimp aguachile verde, fish ceviche, avocado, and cabbage atop a crunchy tostada, delivering a harmonious blend of textures and flavors .

The Cracken: A unique pressed taco featuring tender grilled octopus and melted cheese, showcasing the kitchen's creativity and mastery over seafood preparations .

Service & Experience

While the restaurant exudes a relaxed vibe, service can occasionally be slow during peak hours, with some patrons noting longer wait times for acknowledgment and seating. However, the staff is generally friendly and accommodating, contributing to the overall welcoming atmosphere .

Final Thoughts

Mariscos El Submarino in Greenpoint offers a flavorful journey into Mexican seafood cuisine, with dishes that are both authentic and inventive. Whether you're a fan of spicy aguachiles or looking to try something new like the octopus-laden Cracken taco, this spot delivers a memorable dining experience. Just remember to bring your appetite and perhaps a glass of milk to cool...

The restaurant does not have a system to make reservations, so the process of getting a table is often a mess. On the weekends this place is disorganized, and because of their informal seating process, it seems they struggle with handling an influx of people. When they have a Banda performance there’s an even larger crowd, and since there’s no reservation process, it’s difficult to get a table to enjoy the music (unless you know someone). Several times, we saw parties cutting the line because they knew someone or were able to talk up the hostess. It did not seem like a fair process. The influx of people on a performance weekend also makes for a difficult time to use the restroom. The line for the restroom was about 8-10 people long, which made for a tricky dining experience. A person from my party had to use the restroom and ended up going to a nearby establishment because the line was too long to wait in. Another person in our party, had their items taken that he left at the table because the manager assumed he had left, when in fact he had just been waiting in the long restroom line within their own establishment. Through a multitude of assumptions the manager was clearly unwilling to remedy the misunderstanding. Instead, he got angry and even ripped the receipt from a person’s hand when discussing the itemized list. If this place wants to create a reasonable experience with music on the weekends, a reservation process would be a great way to manage large groups and the influx of people. It may also manage other issues and provide diners a way to use their facilities with less of an unreasonable wait time. While the food is amazing, this weekend experience made it...

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday at Mariscos El Submarino and it was an unforgettable experience! We called to book a table for 10 and although the place is on the smaller side, they were super accommodating and willing to work with us. I have fell in love with this place since the moment the Brooklyn location opened and have never had anything but great things to say. The food never fails, the staff is nothing short of amazing and the drinks paired with the music unforgettable.

From the moment we walked in, our table was ready and the staff went above and beyond to make the night special, providing exceptional service and ensuring every detail was just right.

You can never go wrong with any of the dishes, but the main things we ordered that night were the ceviche, specialty tostadas( tuna and crab), fish, steak, shrimp tacos and the “para botanear” dish which is super spicy but my all time favorite to share.

The ambiance, combined with the attentive service and incredible cuisine, made my birthday celebration truly memorable.

I come here almost once a month, but if I could I would come here every day as it truly makes me feel like I’m on the coast or Mexico laying on the beach, even though it’s winter in NYC haha. I love the Mariscos team and thank you so much for allowing me to celebrate my...