Mariscos Chente

MÉXICO 🇲🇽
(NAYARIT)

📍 10020 S. Inglewood Avenue, Inglewood, South Bay

 

COVID-19 UPDATE: This article from May 2018 has been updated with information from a May 2021 visit. As of that visit, the restaurant is only doing pickup and takeout and the dining room and patio are not available for eating.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An updated version of this article is available as part of the Free Friday Favorites section of our Substack page. Check that out here:

https://eattheworldla.substack.com/p/mariscos-chente

You can walk here from the airport, and in a pinch you would do just that. Before moving to Los Angeles, it used to be a brilliant first stop, as it is conveniently located close to most of the car rental agencies. They invite you to bring your own beer, and that really is the perfect way to enjoy seafood and get yourself into the Nayarit beach mentality.

Nayarit is a coastal state between Jalisco and Sinaloa and is best known for its delicious seafood. The Nayarit-style seafood selection here is on many city best lists; worth coming to even when your origin is farther than LAX. This brilliantly fresh aguachile ($16, below) was thoroughly spicy and tart, perfect.

This mojarra frita ($16, above) seemed like it was caught just before arrival. Squirt some lime. Upon stepping outside, will it be onto Playa Sayulita?

Green sauce is housemade and great, but ask for their wonderful pico de gallo (below) if it goes well with your orders, or even just to snack on intermittently if you need some spice relief.

Once the aguachile is devoured.

As expected from that wonderful aguachile, the ceviches here are also top notch. The ceviche mixto ($18, above) uses shrimp so fresh they barely need the lime bath cooking, some octopus, and imitation crab. This is also full of zesty crunch from the diced cucumber and onion and do stir often to get plenty of their delicious green salsa in every bite.

While technically the creation of their neighbors to the north, camarones culichis ($18, below) are given the nickname of folks from Culiacán, Sinaloa's capital city. Mariscos Chente knocks this dish out of the park, sauteed shrimp that are in a creamy bath of crema and cheese made very slightly spicy from jalapeño. There may be no better rendition in the entire city.

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