Mariscos El Pescador marks 15 th anniversary With opening of North Laredo venue

 

By María Eugenia Guerra

 

Mariscos el Pescador, that brightly colored landmark of a restaurant at 3919 San Dario, marks its 15th anniversary with the opening of a second location at 207 Shiloh, an innovative 13,000 square foot restaurant that offers its patrons a unique dining experience in a beautiful setting.

What is so heartening about the Mariscos el Pescador success story is that it has been very visible in its own telling. Laredo seafood diners drawn over the last decade and a half to the San Dario location by the consistently good food and excellent service will remember that a one-room dining area grew to two and eventually to three and then to an upstairs dining room. They will remember, too, that parking there, once a feat of jockeying and driving around the block, now covers a city block. What they never forget, according to general manager Grace Rodriguez, is that they had a good meal of generous proportions, authentically prepared with fresh ingredients and served well. Once offering service at five tables, the San Dario location now seats its seven to eight hundred lunch hour customers at 63 tables. Another 400 diners come to the restaurant for an evening meal.

"I was a customer here once," recalled Rodriguez. "It was a humble place that has grown because three things remained fixed -- the price was right, customer service was good, and the quality of the finished product was maintained," she said of the company's phenomenal growth, adding, "A staff of three has grown to 70, including me and four other managers." The Shiloh location, which Rodriguez will also manage, will have a staff of about 100, including longtime Mariscos el Pescador Chef Ramón Sandoval and 10 cooks.

"Our customers who live and work in North Laredo have told us they are excited about the new location. They have told us over the years that we needed a northside restaurant," said Rodriguez, adding that the opening of the Shiloh restaurant may alleviate some of the demand on the San Dario location.

The Shiloh location was designed and built to ensure efficient service, according to marketing director Joe Martinez. "The state of the art kitchen will be a pleasant change for the cook staff, but the taste and quality of the food and the service will remain as always. That is what has fueled the growth," he said, crediting at the same time Rodriguez' management skills. "She is hands-on and wherever she is needed. She leads, they follow."

Rodriguez, who keeps a high profile in the day-to-day operations, is more modest about her role in the Mariscos success story. "It's the salsas," she said. "And a very faithful customer base."

Mariscos el Pescador on Shiloh features a stage for live entertainment, a sound system, and large screens on which to view old film clips of Americana that includes John Wayne films, the Ed Sullivan show featuring The Beatles, and Mexican films, starring, to name a few, Tin Tan, María Felíx, and Pedro Infante. "The authentic Mexican-style seafood, the stage and the films, the colors and fixtures the owners selected, the art on the walls, the trios and mariachi that will perform there, the tiendita, the in-house bakery -- all of this creates an ambience that celebrates our Hispanic culture," said Martinez . "There is a great deal of pride throughout our organization, and a lot of excitement about the new restaurant."

Both locations of Mariscos el Pescador are open daily Monday through Saturday from 11 a .m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m.

For further information, call the San Dario location at 724-8958 and the Shiloh location at 795-8207.