La Casa de los Mariscos

La Casa exclusively offers seafood items. I'd never been to a Mexican place like this before, and I'm super happy I went. Going in we were realllllly skeptical as this location changes names...A LOT. (Still missin' ya, Caracas Arepas!) Also there were not a lot of reviews online, and we all know how easy seafood is to get wrong.

Anyway screw logic and eat here! Here's why:

The service: really friendly waitstaff who are bilingual and knowledgeable about the menu. Our waters (and beers) were always full and the staff wanted feedback on everything we ordered. Super attentive and super nice people.

The atmosphere: casual and beachy. It's a strip mall restaurant but there's lots of windows and character inside. Music was loud but seemed appropriate.

The food: For apps we ordered Shrimp Ceviche, guacamole, and oysters on the half shell (ostiones frescos en su concha). The ceviche was super fresh and super tasty. It was like pico de gallo with equal parts shrimp. I've certainly had better ceviche...but that was on a beach. We were craving ceviche and La Casa delivered! The guac was OK -- fresh but not bursting with flavor like I like. The oysters, however, were perfect. Comparable to pricey sushi bars or steakhouses in Indy, I dare say.

As entrees we shared Molcajete Korita (seafood stew served in a hot stone bowl), Filete Relleno, and a fish taco. Skip the tacos...they're just OK. The Filete Relleno was good...but I'm not one to mix cheese with seafood. The Filete Relleno comes with a bunch of fries, which were surprisingly tasty.

However, if you love seafood at a good cost, order the Molcajete Korita! Good lord, it was tasty. In the hot stone bowl was succulent crab legs, clams, shrimp, scallops, and oysters. Probably some other fish I couldn't translate, too. Everything in the bowl was cooked perfectly and seasoned uniquely.  Between three people we could not finish it. Really tasty for an Indiana Mexican seafood restaurant.

Free stuff: Loved their take on chips and salsa: here it was pico de gallo with tostadas. You also get a sample of soup with a big ol' shrimp (I guess?) in it. Mine was cooked perfectly and basically set the tone for the meal.

Authenticity: No idea. I've been to Mexico, but only to touristy places. Judging by the clientele, however, I'd say this place resonates well with those seeking authentic Mexican food (ie not gringos who love stupid TexMex). La Casa appears to be doing just fine despite no big online presence. On the Saturday night we went in, there were maybe 2 tables not occupied.

In closing: tasty food at a good price, and I don't know any other restaurant that sells this kind of food in Indy. It's not seafood that's going to change your life, but check it out!

With all seafood based dishes, the menu is quite different from that in the typical Mexican restaurant in America.

The food was quite good and the staff was extremely friendly and attentive.

The homemade, habanero hot sauce is HOT (you will be warned), but it is very good. It is very flavorful, having strong citrus notes, and isn't just blistering heat.

Not Impressed...no where near the great stuff that Huachinanga offered a few years ago in the same location (most recently Caracas Arepas)

Music SO DAMN LOUD....BLASTING at the entrance that I nearly did not enter...nearly as loud inside...requested they turn it down..so they turned it off...then turned it back on equally as loud... explanation being that they did not have volume control for the jukebox.

Took 4 requests to finally get water...kept bringing me bottled water, which I prefer not to drink due to the impact on the environment..

Salsa stupidly hot...(this coming from someone that dabs Sriracha behind his ears prior to going out on a date)...with little corresponding flavor profile...was warned repeatedly about "caliente" the salsa was....yet...I couldn't get any water !   Here is an idea...bring lots of water when "warning" about the salsa ????

They served a soup (kind of an amuse bouche) with a single langostino in it, broth was excellent..but..langostino way overcooked.  Have had similar before...and I think other restaurants have plopped a fresh langostino in the hot broth...and allowed it to cook on the way to the table....

Ordered Marlin Ceviche....which was neither..I think.  Marlin is often caught of the west coast of Mexico in the spring....Marlins are cagey bastards that can swim over 60 mph, thus causing Hemmingway to drink to excess.  Not a fish you find at Costco very often.... I was excited to see it on the menu.  Marlin is particularly suited to ceviche. Normally ceviche is cubed, or cut up into bite sized pieces....this was shredded..and very much had the texture of fork flaked tuna.  Good ceviche is dependent on fresh ingredients...you simply CANNOT USE ANEMIC TOMATOES !  C'mon, canned is preferable to these disgusting mealy offerings...but...in the winter...go with cherry tomatoes if your supplier cannot get decent fresh ones......also....don't store your tomatoes in the darn fridge....lest they get that gross "mealy" texture...which these had.

Ordered octopus cocktail....typical Mexican fish cocktails are very fresh fish in a sweet tomato-ey sauce....not like St. Elmos sinus blasters.  Didn't get it....they brought something out on a crispy tostada thing....which was decent octopus (not rubbery, but lacking that "snap" it should have when biting into it) ....piled on the same weird forked Marlin stuff that was on the other tostada...and this also had the fake crab crap.....which I hate....ummmm....seafood restaurants should not have fake crab stuff !!   Had a couple of strips of avocado, which were tasteless, you have to season avocados.   Again, more of the anemic tomatoes....tomatoes are central to these dishes....ya gotta have good ones !  

Nice people, very clean....and they have another restaurant in Chicago...so they  must be doing something right....thus probably an off afternoon...or more likely I am an idiot and don't really know what the heck I am talking about.

They did figure out the meal mix-up....took the above off the bill.....and gave me the octopus cocktail to take home.

Unless I am missing something.....they hopefully will raise their game...and offer some excellent west coastal Mex cuisine !

Good luck to these nice people in a difficult location.