Via-Mar Seafood Restaurant

Best way to put it. Imagine old fashion taco truck quality. Not I’m not talking about clean, organized, proper I’m talking about a roach coach. Food ok. Just a little expensive compared to its quality. Be careful on parking. That area is over populated and parking spots which happen to be street only are hard to come by. Can’t use a groupon on daily specials. That part sucked. I ordered the mahi fish and it tasted like the average fish from everywhere else.

BLESS these fish tacos. Probably my favorite fish tacos from anywhere! Get them.

I am torn in between giving it a 3 star or 4 star. My very first visit a couple years ago was absolutely great. My friend and I enjoyed the ceviche and the seafood quesadilla very much. We also ordered the lobster burrito, but it was just alright since it was lacking in lobster. We loved the food so much we talked about it all the time.
I finally made it back a couple of weeks ago and was super exciting to get my hands on the delicious food. I was however very disappointed with my meal. I should have read some of the more recent reviews, then I would have known to NOT get the oysters. They were smelly. I didn’t want to get sick, so I didn’t even bother trying it. The bf tried it and said it was gross. Not fresh at all. Good news is that he didn’t end up getting food poisoning. But we didn’t touch the rest of it. In addition, the smell is so strong, we had to put it away or else we would be able to smell it while eating our food. Yuck!
We each got a shrimp taco since it was the special for the day. The shrimp tacos were good. It’s huge with plenty of shrimp. Though they did raise the price now. We also got the mixed seafood tostadas. It was just alright. Some of the items were not very fresh either. The baby scallop tasted a bit fishy…
I am giving it a 3 star because this past visit just wasn’t pleasant at all. I would give it another try if I am in the neighborhood though and stick with the ceviche.

We wanted to take my sister-​in-​law to «someplace special for her 60^th birthday and got suckered into this place via a Groupon coupon (($ 12 for $ 20 worth of food). The photo of the garlic shrimp on the Groupon ad looked absolutely delectable! How could I resist? And although the portions were large, the food was not at all to our liking. The food was not at all like what was in the photo; the garlic were not butterflyed as in the photo and served on a plastic plate on top of some greasy french fries with a side salad of tomatoes and lettuce swimming in mayonnaise. You can’t always believe what’s advertised on Groupon. This is our second bad experience shopping on Groupon.

Love their shrimp and fish tacos specials! (Tuesdays and wednesdays) But my fave is the shrimp tacos! Love coming here for delicious baja style tacos for great prices!

I mean it’s OK. Not the best fish tacos but I total recomend the camarón soup… very friendly staff and great service. Very open air space

This place is solid! Very friendly staff. Very easy window to order and the food comes out fast.
I ordered the large Campechana which was a perfect size for a hearty lunch. It was loaded with shrimp, octopus, abalone, imitation crab, avocado and the awesome Clamato pico de gallo mix. I loved it here because they give you ketchup on the side so I could just do a little squirt instead of putting way too much like most places do. I also squeezed a lot of lime and doused each bite in hot sauce. I can’t wait to come back.
P. S. Ask for tostada shells to eat with the cocktail unless you want to go the ghetto chingone whetto way, way of doing it and eat it with crackers.

Super bomb seafood tacos, burritos, & ceviche. These people know what’s up. I only wish they stayed open later. The prices are from the 1990’s. Super good.

Love this place! I usually go for their Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday specials! Can’t beat the price!

I would give this place ³⁄₅ stars if it wasn’t for these things that have nothing to do with the actual food: 1) FLIES EVERYWHERE in your food, buzzing around you when you eat, not very sanitary 2) The employees don’t tell the drunk or homeless bothering you to leave 3) There are children rolling on the ground which is covered in other people’s food and flies, the sight of this makes you want to be sick, please keep your child in a seat
The Food, prices are a little overpriced for what you get. The burrito I got was luke warm and filled with mainly rice and only a little fish.
Btw if you eat Chipotle and consider that «real» Mexican food than don’t go here.

I had the fish tacos and a small shrimp cocktail, everything was awesome except for the oysters. Has a fishy smell to them, waste of $ 15.
Still recommend the food here but would pass on the oysters.
Great outdoor eating area

Fish tacos are a good deal, decent size and well garnished. As to the seasoning, that’s a different story, the degree of blandness rivals hospital food.
Order a shrimp cocktail and you’ll be paying about 1.00 per unit. I counted 8 shrimps in mine, swimming in a cocktail sauce made of highly watered-​down ketchup and finely chopped tomato, onion and cilantro, again — bland and flavor-​less.
Stale Saltine crackers came with the order. Meh is right!

This place SUCKS… I bought 2 lobster burritos, a hardshell shrimp taco, and a fish taco.
The ingredients aren’t fresh, the sauce is stale and there is no condiment station. Even the tortillas sucked on the burrito. They were bland on the fish taco as well.
To top it off, my girl and I had to play tag with a pestering bee who wouldn’t leave us alone, and a bunch of flies. Normally there are holes in the wall in the ghetto that have great food, but this isn’t one of them.

There is not many places especially in LA with seafood that will leave you wanting more! I have came here 4 times and every time I get the fish tacos. I have tried the Swai fish and the Tilapia. I love both BUT the Swai is definitely my favorite! The sauce they put on it is to die for and the people who own the place are really nice too. 5 stars for sure. Ohh… The ceviche is delicious as well! I like the fish one more than the shrimp one.

What happened to the old specials??? I was devastated last Tuesday to go and see the changes in the menu.
I’m not saying change is bad, it’s always good however so hard to not see my favorite Tuesday special… 2 shrimp tacos for $ 2.99… Sad to see it gone. From 4 to 2

I took my order of 2 fish tacos to-​go because i didn’t feel like waiting around in the heat for a family to leave. They took a while to make, which i like because at $ 2 each i expect quality and care to go into my food! Even if it was just a fish taco. They wrap my tacos in aluminum and put it in a paper bag with limes. I don’t bother to open up the bag. I’m new here so i trust them.
When i get home i notice there’s something leaking through the paper bag. The limes! Was my first thought. They’re safe and dry in a ball of aluminum… Huh. I take out the tacos, aluminum surrounded in oil. I take the tacos out, tortilla in tact, the grease is coming from the fish. My stomach churns a little, but I’m starving, so i let the oil drip off on my napkin.
First bite: oil and burnt batter. Yuck yuck yuck! I tried taking out the batter from around the fish and tried making my own tacos, but the damage was done. The next morning I was burping up bile with the worst heartburn! And i never get heartburn. Skipping this place from now on.

This is my favorite authentic Mexican fast food seafood place. Love the outdoor seating… There’s always a good place to sit! lolll… :DD The 2 cashiers: Fabiola & Carina are nice, friendly and always get my order right… The service is quick and food is great!
They feature, by far the best, tastiest fish tacos! It’s a medium sized, double white flour tortilla… warmed and oiled on a metal skillet. Big chunks of white swai fish are battered and deep-​fried. It’s crispy and filling. Other «goodies» inside include: fresh slices of tomatoes and raw cabbage with white cream. They also add red salsa on it, but I prefer leaving it out…
The other really amazing thing about this place is the fact that they make their own tostadas from scratch! It’s fresh, thin, crispy and comes straight out of the deep fryer! Other places buy theirs bagged and are not fresh tasting…
Out of all the ceviches I’ve tried, the jaiba — imitation crab is a taste bud winner! They pile ample strips of crab meat with the classic ingredients: tomatoes, sweet red onions, cilantro and lemon/​lime juice… I bring my own Vietnamese fish sauce (nook mum) mixed with powdered chicken bouillon & sprinkle it over my grub to enhance the ceviche experience… My special sauce tastes amazing on the fish taco, too!

It takes something to stand out not only in a city filled with great taco stands, but a neighborhood such as Highland Park… and Via-​Mar certainly has what it takes, which is what keeps me coming back at least a couple times a week.
A simple, well-​executed menu. Can’t-beat-‘em prices. Swift, friendly service. Patio seating on a vibrant block of Fig.
Don’t just settle for the usual tacos… check out the entrees such as the Costa Azul shrimp and the garlic shrimp. Like the tacos (the shrimp taco is unlike any you’ve had!), they will leave you very satisfied.

Fish taco craving satisfied! Long line but worth the wait! Fast and friendly service! Adding this place to one of our favorite go-​to restaurants!

Best Shrimp ceviche I’ve had in a long time. The fish taco and the shrimp tacos were excellent.
Service was really friendly and the outdoor seating was perfect.
Would be a regular I’d I lived here.

im goin again!!!