Got into El Veneno on Saturday for a much anticipated dinner. This place has just recently gotten on my radar - Turkobs post immediately above with the photo of those crabs, and a post by da beef on his blog: http://www.chibbqking.blogspot.com/2009 ... eneno.html

Kind of mad at myself it took me so long to get in here, and sorry no pics to post, still working on getting a new home p.c.

Cool atmosphere from the time you hit the door, plus you can smell the seafood cooking for a couple blocks away. Arrived around 5:00 on Saturday and grabbed one of the couple open tables. A celebration dinner for us - Vangies birthday, our 13th anniversary and fathers day. So just 3 of us, all fans of anything shrimp and crab. BYOB made the visit even more fun, High Life and some bugs of the sea are a good mix.

Enjoyed the house salsa, it does pack a slight punch but it is nice. Shrimp empenadas topped with a fresh slice of avocado, these were good as served, but with a drizzle of the house salsa they were fantastic. Guacamole was also solid.

shrimp empenadas:



Mains: Went with 3: fried red snapper, crabs in red sauce & 1/2 order langostinos nayarit. Some serious eating, talking 3 whole crabs, a whole red snapper deep fried and topped with crunchy chopped garlic. Man a couple of top notch dishes. Langostinos were good, but compared to the snapper and crabs they were kind of an afterthought. The fish was fantastic, crisp and crunchy fish skin, tender meat. And the crabs, sweet meat thats for sure, and I enjoyed the buttery, slightly spiced, red sauce for dipping chunks of the crab meat in.

bad ass crabs:





Overall a great meal, before tip $100.

Great spot, cant wait to go back.

yeah.. im hooked on this spot. Cancelled a reservation for Sumi Robata for Saturday night and was glad I did.

That $40 crab plate has to be one of the better deals in the city. and gets my vote for the #1 crab dish(feast) around.

2nd visit in June, Shrimp empenadas were better this time(not that they werent great last time), just more shrimp. A little of that great hot sauce and some of the avocado and these are a treat.

Did the whole snapper deep fried with garlic again, also a small shrimp cocktail(decent), and the langostinos.

Hit of the night was the crabs (again), 4 meaty crabs in the bowl this time, fantastic. I got the garlic bread this time and man some of that bread dipped in that buttery red sauce the crabs come in is good stuff.



Tab this time was about $115 before tip, plenty of food for 3 adults and a 6 y.o.

love this place.

I guess we were really lazy this weekend, not in the mood to cook, nor get in the car for that matter. So continuing in reports from my weekend in the neighborhood, my thoughts on a meal at Mariscos Veneno:

I've always liked El Veneno just fine, definitely more than El Barco, but I'd never exactly had a transcendent experience at the place (side note: I recently had a good meal at El Barco too, but more on that another time). I'd just never ordered right there and I knew this– seeing the sight of other tables piled high with shared platters of mountains of seafood. My parents love this place (and Barco) so I usually go with them, but the idea of family style ordering at a Mexican joint has been lost on them, so they always order the plate dinners consisting of a piece of fish with seasoned fries, rice, and salad. That leaves me to order one giant honking plate of camarones huicholes and the like by my lonesome.

We tried to hit up Mott St. on Saturday night, but I wasn't having an hour + wait, so we grabbed some Modelos and headed down Ashland. We would do it right this time. Fortunately I noticed the micheladas in the room, so we asked and were greeted with chalices of spicy brew that we tipped our beers into. The best I've had in Chicago and free to boot, as much as I loved the food, this was enough to make me a happy camper. It seemed as though the whole neighborhood was partying in there that night, a more inclusive vibe I challenge you to find at a restaurant on a Saturday night!

We ordered two recommended dishes, Langostinos estilo Nayarit and Pulpo Especial and a request from my friend's lady for something less spicy, which would be the Botana Al Gusto Estilo Al Ajo (though I thought the waitress called it Capuzon as she served it to us).

I didn't snap a pic of the Botana, expecting to find it ho-hum. Arriving was a heap of medium sized peeled shrimp studded with the occasional chunk of octopus. It was surprisingly pretty great– very garlicky, very buttery, well cooked seafood without a hint of fishiness. I prefer the shells (and head and everything else you got) on my shellfish, but there was an indulgent satisfaction in being able to shovel forkfuls of unobstructed frutas de mar directly down the gullet.


The pulpo was also fantastic. Tender tendrils that had a nice sear (if not char) in an assertive sauce of butter, chile, and a strong tang from an acidic element (probably lime, but possibly tamarind).


I'd had the langostines before and they were good, enabling me to get my elbows on the table to dig out and slurp down all the gooey, chewy, and crunchy bits from the halved bodies of these crustaceans. The sauce, yup, buttery once again, hot saucy, and very salty with perhaps a note of Maggi.

We left stuffed and satisfied, it was a great way to celebrate the weekend. We'll be back sooner next time.

Jefe wrote:Fortunately I noticed the micheladas in the room, so we asked and were greeted with chalices of spicy brew that we tipped our beers into. The best I've had in Chicago and free to boot, as much as I loved the food, this was enough to make me a happy camper. It seemed as though the whole neighborhood was partying in there that night, a more inclusive vibe I challenge you to find at a restaurant on a Saturday night!

I love that this place always feels like a party. Even better when the 3 piece mariachi band is traveling around the room with battery powered amps, serenading each table for tips. As much as I'd love less of a wait on the weekends, if they were to ever move to a larger space, the cozy charm would be lost.

As to the micheladas, as I mentioned upthread they are my fav in the city as well. Lots of depth and spice to them. Staff oversight or not, we are usually not charged for them, but I do remember being charged on one occasion. Whatever the price, I'll happily buy them over and over.

Looks like you ordered well, the pulpo being the star of the show at Veneno, but next time you gotta bring enough people to get the crabs!

Apparently, Mariscos El Veneno has re-branded or been bought out, or something, as they are now calling themselves Alegria's Restaurant Veneno de Nayarit.

Check it out on their website.

That said, nothing about the experience, food or otherwise was any different last night. Mmmmm, pulpo especial...

I would have sworn it was documented somewhere on LTH, but yeah, there was some sort of change at least in name, I think well over a year ago. I think before it was even before the GNR was given. However as you noted the quality did not change so I think it must be the same chef/staff.

I notice they have "byob guidelines" suggesting one bottle of wine per three adults. Has anyone had any experience with how strictly this is enforced?

cleanplateclub wrote:I notice they have "byob guidelines" suggesting one bottle of wine per three adults. Has anyone had any experience with how strictly this is enforced?

Even on a Saturday nite, no one bothered us at all and we were well over the guidelines.