Mambo Seafood - Brooks City Base — Restaurant in San Antonio

Mambo Seafood City Base: Ample Space, Lacking Flavor I recently visited Mambo Seafood City Base for a Wednesday dinner, and my first impression was certainly one of scale: an absolutely humongous, albeit mostly empty, parking lot greeted me. While the vast parking offered convenience, the culinary experience inside unfortunately left much to be desired.

My meal began with the Empanadas Costeñas, and this was an immediate red flag. Lacking any discernible golden color, they tasted distinctly like they had been frozen and merely reheated, likely in a microwave. The texture was unappealing, and overall, they were a disappointing start.

Hoping for a turnaround, I opted for their signature dish: the Grilled Octopus. What arrived was a significant surprise and a far cry from the enticing picture I had seen. The amount of semi-raw onion atop the octopus was simply overbearing, completely overwhelming any other potential flavors. Beyond the onion onslaught, the octopus itself was overcooked, rendering it tough, and shockingly devoid of any inherent flavor. Visually, it was not at all appealing.

The accompanying sides were equally problematic. The grilled vegetables were cut into excessively large, unwieldy pieces and were barely cooked, retaining an unpleasantly raw crunch. Ironically, the only truly edible component of the entire plate was the rice, which tasted more like Chinese fried rice than a typical seafood accompaniment.

While the food experience was largely negative, I must commend a few aspects. The dining room itself was impeccably clean, creating a pleasant environment. Our server was a definite highlight – incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about the entire menu, providing excellent service throughout the meal. And, as mentioned, the parking lot is undeniably massive if you're looking for easy access.

Regrettably, despite the attentive service and clean environment, the fundamental aspect of the restaurant – the food – fell far short of expectations. Given the significant culinary shortcomings, Mambo Seafood City Base isn't a place I would consider...

Pros:

1. Reasonably priced
2. Glad to have new option in this area
3. Service was excellent
4. Ambiance was good (~4.5)
5. Beer is cold
6. Great lunch spot

Cons:

1. Apps and mains came out at same time.
2. Street Elote corn tasted very "chemically" and could/would not eat it. Manager took it back and offered another option. Replaced with Mambo Corn and it was good.
3. Mambo shrimp is large but not peeled or deveined. For me, large deveined shrimp is a deal breaker in a modern restaurant. We're not dockside in a Louisiana bayou - Devein your shrimp please.
4. The rice: if you've ever been to a cheap all you can eat Chinese buffet, then you've tasted Mambo rice. Really. It is literally regular Chinese fried rice (which explains the soy sauce on the table). And I do not mean the good stuff. I'm talking the very pedestrian, "that'll do" buffet style fried rice.
5. Mambo Fried Fiesta: Devastatingly underwhelming. Everything tastes like literally every other fried fast food seafood place. Golden Corral level bland.
6. Coconut shrimp: blah.
7. Beer selection is largely Mexican themed (see no.9)
8. Major identity crisis. Their whole concept is very confused. Are they Cajun food? Are they Mexican food? Are they Asian food? Who knows?! It's all over the place. We thought it would be Cajun seafood but walked in to blaring Jalisco music. ...Ok. Sat down and to find a bottle of Asian soy sauce, Mexican hot sauce, and soda crackers at the table. Mmmmmk. There's a big difference between fusion and confusion. Pick a lane.
9. Forget crab or scallops. No crab or scallops here which are odd choices for a seafood joint.
10. Asked server for a to-go container for the shrimp and he gave us a food-stained and broken plastic to-go tub. We showed him, he quickly apologized and brought out another set.

Sorry Mambo. It's a one and...

The rice is good…yeah that’s about it. My friend and I went into Mambo’s wanting to try it out since it’s new to us. Went in ordered the stuffed jalapeños as an appetizer, it was decently good stuffed with crab, rice and some other stuff. It was at least hot. My friend ordered the shrimp skewer plate and when it arrived it was cold and rubbery. (Yes rubbery, I bit into it myself and I swore it was going to pop me like a rubber band.) I myself got the stuffed shrimp and 2 pieces of fish. The fish was pretty good, but unfortunately the shrimp suffered the same fate…rubbery. I was also not surprised to taste that what the shrimp was stuffed with was the exact same as our appetizer.

The only redeeming factor to this entire visit was the Chelada and their “famous” rice. The rice was very good and I can see why they sell a whole plate of it. If it’s better than the rest of the entire menu might as well, I guess?

Anyway this to all say that I probably won’t be back, it was 40 bucks for two people and the food wasn’t that great. If you wanna try this place you better go soon, I can’t see them staying...