CRUDA Mariscos & Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Tucson

This evening we went for the first time after hearing so many good things about the food. It's rare that you find a restaurant that lives up to "all" the hype. Entering the music is just loud enough and it fits the vibe. The ambience for me, was perfect to enjoy what was to come. We started by being quickly greeted by the hostess and while we didn't know it we were just early enough to avoid the rush. Our server, here name was Greecé and she was awesome throughout the meal. Her recommendation of everything is good had me a bit nervous.... Lol but we settled in two appetizers, guacamole and a seafood tower of various shrimp, octopus and oysters and right there is where my taste buds were instantly transported to a coastal city deep on the Mexican peninsula... I mean the two sauces alone were different in their own way but complemented the batter on the shrimp and the oyster Rockefeller with chorizo was perfectly balanced and delicious and I don't eat oysters. I did today. Now for the entrees, the shrimp and scallop tacos were presented on a wood plank and I thought it was a bit simple but it's because they need no herald they simply deliver deliciousness. The other entree was a deep friend red snapper that I was concerned about from other people's pictures but the nugget/strip ended up being one of the best ways to truly enjoy the dish to its fullest. I have enjoyed variations of this for years but tonight I was beyond satisfied. And let me mention again SERVICE WAS IMPECCABLE! We ordered for the little guy a fresh Mexican Agua Fresca that was pineapple and it was refreshing to say the least and not overly sweet which is the norm. Probably perfect to make a margarita with fyi .. lol and lastly the desserts were insanely good. The house specially was a lemon cake with a fresh meringue and goooood laaawd my taste buds were ready to forgive me for every other bad thing I ever made them taste in my 50 years cuz the first two of my life I think I did a lot milk and other things that were jammed in my mouth... Ok let me get back to this because the Choco Flan cake was just moist but not wet and the layering of the flan on top of a most decadent cake was made for a fat man to love.. all in all I'll be back and I can only give 4.5 stars because I need a second visit to qualify for 5. But this is a must stop, must...

Finally had the opportunity to visit tonight. Had a short 15 min wait to be seated. Enjoyed the music and views of plates being served as we waited. Now, speaking of waiting, the owners really need to hire more servers especially for Friday evenings. The 2 servers they had were working diligently, however it was evident they were over loaded with number of tables to serve. It took a server over 15 minutes to acknowledge our arrival and take our drink order. Likewise, our drinks sat on the bar for 14 minutes before our server had the opportunity to bring them to our table. The drinks were well mixed and luckily not too watered down from having sat on the bar. We ordered oysters as a starter, which having a selection (of 4) to choose from was a pleasant surprise and were clean, fresh and delicious. We proceeded to order a second round of drinks simultaneously with placing our entree orders. Again, another long wait for our cocktails to be served to us. The main courses were also flavorful with the Filete and Piña Mar being favorites of the table. In summary, we had an enjoyable dining experience when considering the taste of the cocktails and food alone. However, the overall experience is diminished when the longer wait times for service coupled with the higher than average cost (for similar mariscos establishments) are added into the equation. Lastly, was also very surprised to see an automatic 18% gratuity added to the bill for what was labeled as "party of 6+ gratuity". I politely brought that obvious mistake up with the server seeing as we were only a party of three. To which she replied 18% gratuity is automatically applied to parties of six or more as well as to bills exceeding $150, regardless of party size. In my opinion, that's a very presumptuous practice, one of which I had never experienced. Being a generous tipper, the tip amount wasn't what I took umbrage with, simply the unexpectedness of it. So, something to be aware of... Would I recommend this place to a friend or family member? Not likely. Would I return? Also, very unlikely. Too many great options in the area with better staffing and equally as delicious options to choose from than to have another experience that fails to meet...

I don't think EXCELLENT will do justice for this place. I been wanting to try LA CRUDA since they open but today my husband and I finally had a little free time within our busy schedule to go and let me tell you..... it's one of the best experiences I had in years. They definitely surprised us. There is not a single thing I can think of to complain about. We walked in and we loved the decor, the set up and their funny sign in the wall saying: "LA CRUDA Y LOS CALZONES NO SE QUITAN SOLOS" I just loved it. 🤣🤣. Our waitress ALIZE welcomed us with a beautiful smile. 5 stars just for her from us ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Their menu was very simple but interesting at the same time. Prices very reasonable for a place like that. We ordered our first round of drinks a Piña drink for me and a michelada for my husband. Both of the drinks were excellent! Beautiful presentation and the flavor was awesome. Mine was very refreshing. I ordered a "Coctel de Camarón " my husband wanted to try their "Ostiones Rockefeller " to share with me and we were very impressed, really good flavor and very different than other places. Coctel de Camarón had giant shrimps (lots of them) 👌 last, my husband ordered their Arroz Marinero and wow! I so, wanted to order one for me too! The ingredients were super fresh and we could taste every single one of the entire dish. I don't remember ever having a dish where it didn't need to add or remove any ingredients or even salt or pepper! It was a piece of art. I can't say enough about it. We asked our waitress if we could meet the chef and what a pleasant surprise to meet CLAUDIA she is the best! She was very grateful we called her to let her know how much we loved her dishes. She and her husband are rocking that place and making sure their dishes are cooked and served to perfection five stars for her too! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Finally, while talking to the chef, the owner showed up and she took a few minutes to thank us for our visit. The entire visit was a great experience. They definitely exceed our...