La Mojarra Feliz

this place is closed

Ever since the beloved Ba Le ($ 2 for a phenomenal Vietnamese sandwich) closed over a year ago, we have wanted to try the ostioneria that moved in it’s location.
First of all, let’s explain the 4 stars (and not 5). Don’t order the oysters. The dozen was only $ 7.99 (should have been our first clue) but smelled a bit too «fishy.» Being stubborn, we still ate the dozen, and did NOT get sick, but we probably shouldn’t chance it again.
PROS:
+ HUGE, cheap, under $ 3.50 micheladas (I had 2 tecate micheladas)!
+ homemade tortilla chips were great — not oily at all
+ the mojo de ajo (garlic sauce) was great on the tilapia fillet (also not greasy!)
+ portion sizes were perfect
+ outdoor patio (if you feel in the mood)
+ great selection of dishes
CONS:
— location on busy North Lamar (let’s just say, be careful driving on North Lamar. LOTS of pedestrians in the middle of the street, running in front of cars)
— oysters (see above)
— not a big selection of spicy salsas (aside from their 1 homemade salsa)
We’ll be returning, and with our friends!

Really 3.5 STARS!
Have a craving for tilapia? Do you like it grilled, fried, stewed, foil cooked, etc. Whatever way you like it, La Mojarra Feliz probably has it. The menu has a good variety of seafood, but as for fish, tilapia seems to be the only choice.
What I liked abt. this place was that the food was cooked relatively healthier compared to other Mexican restaurants (the food wasn’t drenched in oil) and there is also a decent selection of seafood. The only downside of dining was the service and the fish wasn’t the freshest.

Ever have one of those days when you just CRAVE a whole fried fish with the eyeballs still on? Of course you do. I’ve finally found a place in Austin that serves them — La Mojarra Feliz.
I first experienced the whole fried mojarra at what was probably the only real Mexican restaurant in Cincinnati. Basically, they pluck the unsuspecting little sucker out of its tank and fry it to a crisp before it knows what happened, and you get to pick it apart and eat all the light, flaky meat inside (and all the other parts, if you want). The mojarra is an Atlantic food fish, but despite its name, La Mojarra Feliz uses tilapia. They taste pretty much the same, and I’m sure they’re much easier to come by.
Make no mistake, this place is a hole in the wall — probably 10 tables in a square dining room that could have been a fast food joint in a former life. The restaurant specializes in sea food, so the walls are plastered with tacky ocean-​themed décor: plaster mermaids, bright dolphin paintings, dangling nets holding inflatable fish. There’s also a big screen TV that was, to our delight, showing Univision period soap operas.
The menu is extensive, with shrimp, fish, oysters, and my personal favorite, pulpo (octopus) prepared in a variety of ways. I think they offer some chicken fingers for the kids, but basically, if you don’t like los mariscos, this isn’t your place. There’s a small domestic and Mexican beer selection, along with agua fresca and a formidable michelada.
We ordered the pulpo al ajo (octopus with garlic) and the namesake dish, the mojarra feliz. The mojarra was appropriately fried to a golden crisp and came with a handful of friend and grilled shrimp, rice, avocado and tomato. The pulpo was tender and chewy, as pulpo should be, with delicious little roasted garlic cloves mixed in. They also bring you tortillas so you can scoop all the stuff into little tacos.
The food was cooked well — an essential for seafood — and the fried stuff wasn’t excessively greasy. My only complaint is that both dishes could have done with some kind of sauce, as they were a little on the dry side. We got the regular mojarra feliz, but the menu offers it with garlic or Veracruz style, so maybe those will be saucier.
Since both entrees were healthy portions with sides, there was too much for my boyfriend and I to finish. Of course, it didn’t help that we loaded up on the fresh tortilla chips and salsa verde, or that he was facing down a michelada the size of his head.
Service was prompt and polite, if a bit frazzled, in this busy restaurant. Shortly after we sat down, there was a big roll of thunder and sparks flying from a telephone pole outside, and the whole place went dark. Servers and customers just kind of paused in silence, and we were sure we weren’t going to get a meal, but five seconds later … HEY! everything was back on.
God clearly wanted us to enjoy some tasty Mexican seafood.

The 2−22−08 review in the Austin Chronicle sounded scrumptious, as well as cheap, so I hurried over Sunday afternoon. It’s a little free-​standing fast-​food type building at the edge of No. Lamar with a lot of glass and a small outside dining porch on the side. Seemed clean. Soccer on the tube, being watched very attentively by the almost –exclusively Hispanic families inside.
I chose outdoor dining. That created some problem, because out of sight equalled out of mind a bit. Eventually, I ordered the big, steamed Talapia with two kinds of shrimp and octopus, for $ 13. Plus rice, lettuce, avocado, and fries. Good deal.
The order got lost inside, and when a less-​than-​English-​proficient waitress checked to verify, she asked me the entrée number, which I had no idea of, as the menu had been turned back. So I got the steamed Talapia, but not the other seafood goodies to try. $ 11.
What a great Fish dish! The fish came out in aluminum foil. Very hot in temp but not a bit overcooked or dried out. The Veracruz sauce was like a delicious soup broth. Tomato, onion, other spices. Light, mild, tasty. Almost Thai in its subtlety and delicacy. The sauce was scrumptious with or without the rice, which came in a small circle on the platter, outside the fish-​in-​foil.
The fish was supremely tender and moist. Yum, yum, yum. Full of spine bones, but long ones you could see and work around. No nasty surprises!
The fries were starchy and tastless, ditto the chopped iceberg lettuce. The rice was firm, dry, and a touch tasty. The four tiny slices of avocado were fine. Some small lemon and lime slices; two small orange slices. Two thin buttered pieces of white bread. Presto! A full meal.
The corn chips served were thick, dark, not very tasty. Two choices of salsa: marinated onions, and green stuff with other stuff in it. Not bad; not great.
The entire Ladies Room and its toilet were very clean, but the tank top was off and open. The manager had to be asked how to flush it. Could’ve been embarrassing. Don’t the staff USE their own facilities and keep an eye on ‘em? Demerits. Ditto for losing the order.
But it’s a nice, homey little place with a lot of light. Road noise isn’t too bad, at least on Sunday, and the outdoor patio is covered. Adult beverages are available. Most importantly, they seem to be able to cook fish well, and the price is definitely right. And they try hard, even tho’ short on execution. No attitude here! But don’t go seeking atmosphere or efficiency of service.