Tampico Seafood & Cocina Mexicana Reviews

Three of us had lunch there, deciding on the whole fish with shrimp, scallops and grilled onions on top. It was FABULOUS! A side of rice was included. The chips and salsa were delicious, too. Just the perfect amount of spice! We also had a salmon fillet that exceeded all our expectations. It wasn't very crowded so service was good. All in all, a wonderful lunch.

I love Tampico...great food, good service, great prices and never pretentious. They even have a small fish market there if ya want to take home some fresh fish to cook yourself!

Now as far as seafood market/restaurants go this is my favorite. It's kinda strange that it has a Asian influence tho. The meals always come with small salad and fried rice and of course there is soy sauce on the table to douse it in...I like that. As far as the food I usually get the grilled snapper, the one without the head that is. Not so much because the head freaks me out but more so that I prefer my fish is a boneless filet. I have also gotten the grilled shrimp....it's good but I hate when they grill shrimp with the shell still on, it makes it hard and messy to remove them. It's really great to get there while happy hour is still going on. Among other items the ceviche and shrimp cocktails are half price and they make a wonderful appetizer before your entree.

Actually, better than in Mexico! Coming from a well travelled and dined mexican ;-) You should order Camarones Aguachile

This restaurant seats on airline street and is visited mainly by locals since the place is not in a very safe area, this place is clean , the food is delicious and freshly prepared specially the shrimp and the parking is plenty (lock your car and hide valuables) the ambience is average and the staff is friendly up to certain point. Recommended on weekends where you can see more people and interact more with some locals, always pleased with the visit to this place.

The food was really good, I ordered the parrillada tampico and consisted of 3 shrimps, chicken, beef, and guacamole. Also served with french fries (maybe too much) and bean soup. The best was the attention, loads of very good treatment, smiles and excellent service. The hand made tortillas is a must!

My father comes to visit me here in Houston twice a year, and before he ask how I'm doing he say's "lets go get some Red Snapper from Tampico." Get it a la plancha [or however you spell it]...basically "griled" fish, and if you have some extra dough grilled shrimp to go with it. The snapper is about $14.99 a pound and the shrimp is 19.99 a pound, or you can get a half pound shrimp for 9.99. I eat there about 1 time every other month. It iskinda pricey so if your short on funds....order the talapia instead. for 9.99 you'll get a great grilled fish allthe same. They serve it on top of a bed of onions and bell peppers. They have other mexican style dishes, however, it is decent, the real reason to go to this place is for the fish and shrimp. And for that 5 stars!!

One of the most delicious red snapper , shrimp and scallops I ever had . The margaritas also Is awesome.

The food was very good. The restaurant offers fresh seafood and delicious Mexican appetizers. I highly recommend trying it :)

My brother was in from Austin so we decided to stay close to home for lunch with a quick trip over to Tampico for the whole red snapper, shrimp and scallops! It's always fun to have that huge dish placed in front of you then start tearing at it to for delicious bites! We also love the Micheladas with dark beer, so tasty! Always a fun afternoon stop for great fish!

Reminiscent of being in Zihuatanejo or Tampico, this is the real deal... You HAVE to order the Aguachile-shrimps, the best ones ever...

I always get the same thing with a group of friends - we get the whole grilled red snapper for the table to share. Their happy hour drink pricing is very reasonable. While the restaurant itself is kind of a hole in the wall, the upstairs is open on Friday and the weekend for larger groups.

Tampico is one of our favorites and is now open again after remodeling. The service was superb and the snapper was fantastic. The food was just like it was before and the service people were so much fun. Going back again soon.

One of my favorite places to go on a Saturday afternoon. All the seafood here is fresh. Nothing fancy and quite different from most Mexican food places. One surprise is that they have amazingly good tacos al carbon. Not expected at a seafood place. While I've never had that huge Snapper a la Plancha, I do intend to someday.

Really good food, great staff and clean bathrooms! Enjoyed the grilled shrimp platter and the #9 sampler appetizer platter and it was ALL DELISH! The fried rice is a surprise and was also very good. Will definitely recommend and be back.

Excellent meal. Good service in a clean place. Not for a date but this was excellent. Fresh food and interesting menu.

The food was pretty good, not your average Mexican, but interesting combinations. I had the stuffed shrimp with jalapenos, cheese and wrapped in bacon. Very good! The scallops were also very good. Very reasonable prices and good portions. The only down side was the atmosphere. A little bright downstairs. On the way upstairs there was a bad smell that was not very appetizing. Fortunately where they sat us, we could not smell it.

Have been going here for several years - food has always been good. Always had some sort of grilled fish (sea food).

Do not miss this local Mexican Seafood Restaurant. It is worth the drive. Try the whole Fish topped with Shrimp. You can share with the others at your table. Try to dine upstairs where it is quieter or done downstairs for the local flavor.

The worst experience ever! I just went there a couple of hours ago and I saw one of the "management" arguing with a waitress, what can we expect from a restaurant with that kind of management, also the prices are kind of expensive for that place, uglies chairs and table! Not a good place to go and eat

Tampico has two locations. The original on Airline and the new restaurant on the feeder street adjacent to the North Freeway (I-45). We take customers to lunch at Tampico's 1-2 times per week. We also have dinner here fairly often. The reason we keep coming back? The food. I have never had a bad meal here. You will feast on some of the best, freshest seafood in Houston. Personally, I love the red snapper (diablo style) and the fried shrimp. They also have some of the best chips and salsa in town. When you order an entree, get the rice as a free side. It is delicious (with salsa poured on top!). They also have wonderful Mexican food...great fajitas with really good meat and fresh, homemade tortillas. The shrimp ceviche is my wifes favorite. And great guacamole! For dessert try the tres leches or flan. I also think that the pricing is very reasonable, especially for the very generous portions you receive. They have terrific juices, like pineapple and lemonade. The service has always been fast and friendly. If you're lucky you might get a chance to meet the most hard working owners I have ever seen. They are right in there cooking, cleaning and entertaining.

Food and service are great. Will definitely come back. Atmosphere is appropriate for this type of cuisine.

We have eaten here many times over the 25 years we have lived here. A recent visit with friends helped me realize, again, how special and prototypically Houston this place is. Grilled whole or filet of red snapper with grilled butterfly shrimp over grilled onions and peppers in a garlic butter sauce. Need I say more? My east coast friend loved it! The fish is never over cooked and delicious sin hueso. And fried rice on the side. As we were eating at this very Mexican seafood restaurant in upper Heights a Muslim couple with traditional cover came in to eat - how typically Houston that was!

Not many people know that you have the option of getting Chinese style fried rice instead of fries with your seafood. The rice is very good! I have visited this restaurant many times and it never disappoints. The only thing I don't like is when they put shredded lettuce under your guacamole. It gives the appearance of more than what is actually there.

Looked on trip advisor...because we always trust it when looking for a new place...and again..we came out with a winner...food was excellent and service was friendly and attentive...will definitely come back...

Walking into Tampico was like walking into any number of seafood restaurants south of the border -- warm friendly greeting; comfortable, eclectic, but simple decor; and first-rate fresh grilled seafood! We had the grilled snapper, ceviche (both shrimp and fish), and grilled shrimp, and can't wait to go back for more.

not sure why chinese fried rice is a side here, but thank goodness it is. it is the best fried rice I've ever had I had fried shrimp and oysters. Cant go wrong with gulf shrimp. First night in Houston next door to a very nice Days Inn we stayed at. So my plate consisted of fried shrimp and oysters, hush puppies, garlic bread, and chinese fried rice. lol. all very good. My husband said his enchiladas were delicious, and I tried his refried beans, just like mamas. Everybody else had the seafood platter and they were huge. My son got the paridilla of tilapia. Interesting. lol. never had a whole fish with head and eyes on. Done very well though. Homemade flour tortillas were a litle dry and old. Frozen mango margarita wonderful. Their salsa is very good.

Their seafood soup is the best I've ever had, bar none! They have absolutely the best fried shrimp and grilled whole snapper. Always friendly wait staff. Their salsa is like none other, served hot/warm and with really good chips.....you'll want to drink the salsa.

Looks funky and interesting from the outside but beware of the food. We had the red snapper with scallops and shrimp. The snapper completely over done, the "bay scallops" tasted like those poor farm raised Chinese specimen kept in a chemical solution to stay "fresh" the shrimp shared the same fate as the snapper, way overdone. Even the Margarita was cloyingly sweet and didn't manage to numb the taste buds for what was going to come from the kitchen. No return visit for us

We came here on the recommendation of a friend. The red snappers in the display didn't look very fresh. But were told they were fresh. We ordered the signature dish, the red snapper a la plancha with 1/2 lb. of shrimp The shrimp were very tasty but can't say the same about the snapper The service was okay and nothing exceptional. The cleanliness is questionable and worst of all, the men's restroom was nasty. We won't be back.

We went there for dinner last Saturday and first the bartender approached us and got our drinks order. Then a busboy brought chips and half a bowl of salsa. We had to ask who was our waiter and it literally took him 20+ minutes to get approached by a server. We finally ordered and the food took another hour to reach our table. I understand that they might have been short in staff or someone called sick but they kept seating customers knowing that it would take them an hour to get served. I expected to have the manager at the table to apologize but he never came. I also expected him or her to come dome drinks or appetizers but it never happened. I need to mention that the food was tasty but the lack of appropriate management response was concerning!!

I've been here dozens of times and never been disappointed. I always get the Mexican grilled snapper. Delicious! It's not cheap, but not real expensive, either. I've had shrimp, scallops, and ceviche. Their margaritas are great, chips, salsa & guac to die for!

We dine at Tampico at least every other month. We have been coming here for at least 8 years and it is the very best place for fresh grilled snapper! It's grilled with a seafood side of tour choice, we always get shrimp, rice and my kids love the queso flamiado. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is great for families, friends. Only thing I would recommend is for them to change the carpet upstairs! But other than that great food!

We had the VUELVE A LA VIDA, a fish ceviche with shrimp, oysters and octopus, then we split a whole red snapper with shrimp, Veracruzana. Delicious. Service was excellent, everything was fresh. The large chains are good but this was better

This place has been here for as long as I can remember. This is Mexican seafood. You can get beef fajitas but you come here for the seafood. Fresh served seafood served in traditional coastal Mexican tradition. They have a fresh fish counter you pick your own fish/seafood and have it cooked your way. I personally like their shrimp cocktails or ceviche to start with. The grilled whole fish with shrimp and rice is very good. Lunch, dinner, family, or solo this a place to visit.

Taken by the family who had visited a few times before. Its a family place light and bright and relatively basic. Pleasant server. Took the shrimp and octopus cocktails as shared starters. Too much sauce for me on the octopus drowning the taste. Chose a 2lb red snapper fresh scallops and prawns from the fish counter cooked to order. Really superb platter and more than enough for 4 of us. Can quite understand why this place has been going for so long and enjoys the reputation it has. No hesitation about making a return visit.

Tampico has been a neighborhood favorite for 20 years. Known for serving whole fried fish with shrimp on a plank - serves 3 or 4. Good fried shrimp. Good shrimp quesadillos. Seafood served a number of different ways - fried, sauteed with tomatoes, onions, and bellpeppers, broiled. Full bar. Good chips and salsa. Reasonable prices, good service.

We found this restaurant by chance, while traveling on I-45 in Houston. We also didn't know that the food from Tampico, Mexico is vastly different that the usual Tex-Mex dishes. We ordered fresh oysters on the half shell, grilled prawns, and grilled fish. All the entrees were very well-prepared and delicious. The spices are different than those used in Tex Mex. The margaritas were also quite good. We liked it so much that we returned the following week. Our waitress was very attentive, and catered to my family. Highly recommend it!

It was my first time here and I ordered my favorite dish... oysters on the half shell. I always love them, but, for some reason, these were memorably delicious. I guess, maybe, they were just that fresh... like the Budweiser that is brewed down the street. The decor will remind you of the better times in Tampico, Mexico. The atmosphere is lively. I met a good friend who comes here frequently. As some others have mentioned, I did have to ask for condiments. But, since they weren't busy, I got them immediately. I can't wait to go back.