Mario's Peruvian & Seafood

(323) 466-4181

5786 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038 34.0834 -118.3264

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Neighborhoods: Greater Wilshire / Hancock Park, Central LA

Price:

$

Last updated 6.04.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Peruvian, Latin American, Seafood

What People Are Saying About Mario's Peruvian & Seafood

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Tucked in a tiny Hollywood mini-mall, this SoCal Peruvian favorite buzzes with fish fans. Okay, so the stripped-down interior won't win any design awards, but the autographed photos from Latin celebs attest to this joint's popularity. Peruvian seafood cooking relies on super-fresh ingredients, and the interplay between hot and sour flavors is what gives it that zing. Mario's offers a shrimp ceviche offset by boiled potatoes, and green mussels on the half shell are piled high with pungent fresh salsa.

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Cut the spices with a glass of neon, bubblegum-flavored Inka Cola.
ambiance
36.35999917984009% positive
  1. The parking was horrible.
  2. Though parking is minimal and the line may seem overwhelming, the food is worth all the wait!
  3. They have the BEST food ever, coupled with average service, bland ambience, and average prices.
  4. However, this restaurant is at a horrible location.
  5. The decor may be ugly and the line may be long, but it's totally worth it because Mario's makes delicious food.
  6. I'd recommend going here very early evening and mid-week - it's just easier to get seated and also for parking - the parking is hideous.
  7. If you're looking for a place with fabulous seating and decor, again, this isn't the place.
  8. The parking is horrible, and the decoration is very poor.
  9. This isn't a romantic place, just the food is a total killer!
  10. First of all, the neighborhood is awful and the parking situation is worse.
  11. Food is fantastic, but the parking lot is small and there are alway.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. highly recommend the Flan for dessert and the Saltado de Pollo for main course.
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. It was a steamed fillet of fish covered with finely chopped tomatoes in a lovely light wine sauce that didn't compete with or overpower the fresh fish flavor, but just enhanced it.
food quality
88.78000259399414% positive
  1. Their fries are delicious.
  2. Though parking is minimal and the line may seem overwhelming, the food is worth all the wait!
  3. The food was excellent, however, you have to wait at least 15-20 minutes on an average weekday or weekend night.
  4. Hands down the best Peruvian food in the city.
  5. yummy peruvian
  6. the seafood and pollo saltado is the best!
  7. It is the most delicious comfort food out in all of LA.
  8. Their Saltado dish is the best.
  9. If you like beef order the: LOMO MONTADO
  10. The two dishes I sampled here were both incredible!
  11. The best Peruvian food I've ever had!
  12. This isn't a romantic place, just the food is a total killer!
  13. I'm peruvian so I know about peruvian food and this place has the best peruvian food I've found in LA.
  14. The seafood is scrumptious.
  15. We order a shrimp ceviche, some lady brought us out fish ceviche.
  16. Their dish called Jalea (a potluck of different fried seafood topped with lime juice and a salad mix) is awesome as well and a great alternative.
  17. don't recommend the fried chicken legs, though.
  18. But if you're looking for good food and nothing more.
  19. It was a steamed fillet of fish covered with finely chopped tomatoes in a lovely light wine sauce that didn't compete with or overpower the fresh fish flavor, but just enhanced it.
  20. The carne saltado is delicious.
  21. If looking for authentic Peruvian food this is the place to go.
  22. The service was authentic and good, the food was tasty and the prices were surprisingly lower than we expected for this kind of a delicious experience.
  23. get their shrimp version everytime, but the beef and chicken are good too.
  24. For the price, you get more than you pay for, and it is great food.
  25. The shrimp saltado is my favorite--filling and flavorful--but there are many great dishes on the menu.
  26. If you like seafood order the: PINCANTE DE MARISCOS.
  27. They have the BEST food ever, coupled with average service, bland ambience, and average prices.
  28. Staff is very friendly and the dishes are more than sufficient to fill you up.
  29. Unless you like bad service and overpriced food do not go here.
  30. The decor may be ugly and the line may be long, but it's totally worth it because Mario's makes delicious food.
  31. However, the food is fantastic and a must try for anyone, especially rice and seafood lovers.
  32. The best food ever.
  33. The wait is long, and there is not a comfie lounge chair to wait on but if you love food it's the place to be!
  34. Excellent food for a down to earth price
  35. So far I have been to this place two times and my experience with the food has been really good.
  36. highly recommend the ceviche, which has boiled eggs and gives it a unique taste.
  37. recommend the lomo saltado, you'll see it's the most popular dish.
  38. However, if you love great food (please ignore the random comments from people who claim to get sick after eating there, as I have been there a good 15 times and have never been ill afterwards) this is the place in Los Angeles to go.
  39. am so exicted i couldn't finish the huge dish, so that I can enjoy some more of it tomorrow.
  40. As a perfect complement to that rich and heavy dish, we tried the wonderfully light and fresh and bursting-with-flavor pescado suldado.
  41. Mario's has awesome food but I will no longer go.
  42. Amazing food
  43. love their Saltado de Mariscos, very fresh with lots of great flavor and generous, although I rarely deviate from this choice.
  44. have read the review about how the service is bad, they are just really busy and still deliver your food in record time.
  45. This is a great place to go to if you haven't tried Peruvian food yet.
  46. Good Peruvian food is hard to find.
  47. By that standard, Mario's is simply a restaurant of great Peruvian food.
  48. Yet the food is so delicious that the cons are overlooked in my book.
  49. Service and restaurant appearance is not the greatest nor desirable, but food is excellent.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. The shrimp saltado is my favorite--filling and flavorful--but there are many great dishes on the menu.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. However, if you love great food (please ignore the random comments from people who claim to get sick after eating there, as I have been there a good 15 times and have never been ill afterwards) this is the place in Los Angeles to go.
  2. It's a good place for "family" meals in the late afternoon too.
  3. This is a great place to go to if you haven't tried Peruvian food yet.
service
68.17999839782715% positive
  1. requested to speak to the manager only to have him shrug off her improper behavior.
  2. All the waitresses are great.
  3. Staff is very friendly and the dishes are more than sufficient to fill you up.
  4. Being Peruvian, many people have recommended Mario's so I decided to give it a shot.
  5. In my experience the service has always been reasonable and friendly.
  6. But on the other hand, the only one complaint I have is the bad service.
  7. Unless you like bad service and overpriced food do not go here.
  8. The service was authentic and good, the food was tasty and the prices were surprisingly lower than we expected for this kind of a delicious experience.
  9. They have the BEST food ever, coupled with average service, bland ambience, and average prices.
  10. However, if you love great food (please ignore the random comments from people who claim to get sick after eating there, as I have been there a good 15 times and have never been ill afterwards) this is the place in Los Angeles to go.
  11. have read the review about how the service is bad, they are just really busy and still deliver your food in record time.
value
75.0% positive
  1. love their Saltado de Mariscos, very fresh with lots of great flavor and generous, although I rarely deviate from this choice.
  2. One of the best cheap eats in LA
  3. For the price, you get more than you pay for, and it is great food.
  4. The service was authentic and good, the food was tasty and the prices were surprisingly lower than we expected for this kind of a delicious experience.
  5. The decor may be ugly and the line may be long, but it's totally worth it because Mario's makes delicious food.
  6. Though parking is minimal and the line may seem overwhelming, the food is worth all the wait!
  7. They have the BEST food ever, coupled with average service, bland ambience, and average prices.
  8. not even mentioning that the portion is huge.
  9. Unless you like bad service and overpriced food do not go here.
  10. Food portions looked decent but their prices were $8 and up and I just feel this is too pricey for such a dive of a restaurant.
  11. Furthermore, for a portion of that size and a quality that rich, the price is certainly more than reasonable.
  12. Excellent food for a down to earth price
  13. am so exicted i couldn't finish the huge dish, so that I can enjoy some more of it tomorrow.
  14. Great taste, huge servings at a very reasonable price.
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. The wait is long, and there is not a comfie lounge chair to wait on but if you love food it's the place to be!
  2. This restaurant is always busy with a very eclectic mix of customers, closes quite early, and waiting can be a chore, but as long as you anticipate a reasonable wait mid-evening, then you should be OK.
  3. The decor may be ugly and the line may be long, but it's totally worth it because Mario's makes delicious food.
  4. The food was excellent, however, you have to wait at least 15-20 minutes on an average weekday or weekend night.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/26/11

Tough Parking Great food

by cmaya76 at Citysearch

The food is some of the best peruvian that i've found. I found better versions of some of their dishes, but I've never seen a place that overall compares to this place. My only issue is the parking. If you are limited on time, try to give yourself an extra 15 mins for parking and waiting outside to get a table.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/21/11

One of my favorite

by NancRam at Citysearch

This is one of my favorite restaurants i like to come the Lomo Saltado is to die for. The only thing im not to crazy about is the Chica morada, but I just have a nice cold coke and I am good!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/27/11

Delicious

by lovleyjenn at Citysearch

The food is absoultly amazing! I 've been going there for years and I move to Palmdale and I still drive down there just to eat their food! They have great customer service and great food. I recommend to my family and friends and never once have I gotten a compliant from them. Only that the wait is long. But I love it. Two Thumbs up :-)

4 Star Rating: Recommended

11/27/10

I only pick up

by kellynotabundy at Citysearch

My son and I love Mario's Saltado de Pollo. It's delicious!! I give this place 4 stars because the food is really yummy however, even though I have never sat down and eaten there, I can see what the "bad service" many are referring to means. The men that give me my order when I pick up are friendly but the ladies are not. I wanna say, "Smile... I'm your customer, too!" But it's pointless... so aside from the unfriendliness, the long line, and the worse parking situation for a restaurant, I'm much more content with calling in my order and just picking it up. :)

4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/08/10

Taste Bud Heaven

by AmyDoublet at Citysearch

Would have 5 stars but the environment is much less than perfect.

Yet, one for quality, they never disappoint.

The food is heavy, so don't expect the light in calorie or CA typical....it ain't AND it's worth the splurge a couple times a year.

GOOOOOD EATING!

Can take your own beverages, aka alcohol, if you so desire, no cork fees. Good to know, right?

  • Pros: Spiced to Perfection!
  • Cons: Environment, Dirty Floors, whole in the wall

The Details on Mario's Peruvian & Seafood

Place Categories:

  • excellent overpriced food
  • best peruvian food
  • not romantic place
  • like bad service
  • incredible saltado dish
  • favorite restaurant
  • love shrimp ceviche
  • recommend lomo saltado
  • delicious carne saltado
  • very fresh saltado de mariscos
  • bad service
  • horrible parking
  • great taste
  • polite waitress
  • like seafood
  • really good experience
  • great fish flavor
  • rich portion
  • reasonable price
  • like beef
  • good f
  • delicious fries
  • good nothing
  • yummy peruvian
  • highly recommend pollo
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