Mariscos El Guero

Mariscos El Guero is a seafood cart working the corner of Boulevard Costero and Avenida Miramar in central Ensenada, a few minutes from the Mercado Negro fish market and the cruise terminal, and it belongs to the same tradition of pavement shellfish that made the port famous. The stand opens in the morning and is fed directly by the market, which means the shellfish and fish on the counter have generally travelled a few hundred metres from the boats. Smoked marlin is the specialism. Marlin caught off the Baja Pacific is smoked locally, shredded, dressed with onion, tomato and chilli, and piled onto a crisp corn tostada; it is the plate the cart is known for and the one the queue is usually waiting on. Shrimp ceviche, scallop cocktail served in a glass with clamato and lime, octopus, and a mixed tostada round out a short menu that changes little because it does not need to. Every tostada is finished by the customer at a salsa tray that runs from a mild avocado sauce through chilli de arbol to a fiery habanero preparation, and lime wedges are handed over by the fistful. Prices are low even by Ensenada standards, with tostadas and cocktails generally between 60 and 150 pesos, and a full lunch for two rarely reaching 400 pesos. Payment is cash only and no reservations are taken. Seating is a short row of plastic stools along the counter and standing room on the pavement; there is no dining room and no shade beyond an awning, so a hat is useful in summer. The stand serves daily from around 9AM to 4PM, with local trade heaviest from late morning until early afternoon. It is a straightforward stop for anyone walking the Ensenada waterfront between the malecon, the market and the Lopez Mateos shopping strip.