Caborca, in the Mexican state of Sonora, is known as "The Pearl of the Desert," and its not particularly close to the Sea of Cortez, as the closest outlet to the sea would be the booming town or Puerto Peñasco, which is a drive of several hours.  So you can imagine that I was quite astonished when I came upon Mariscos Guaymos, located on the north side of Federal Highway 2, just before the turnoff into Caborca, which advertised that they serve fresh mariscos.  It was time for lunch, the weather was quite warm, and a cool marisco seemed like the perfect lunch.

Left:  As you can see, the kitchen is located at the front of the business, with a table for those who truly enjoy outdoor dining, but I prefered to enjoy my marisco under the shady awning located in back.  Right:  Mariscos Guaymas is located just north of the street that leads to El Centro de Caborca.

Mariscos Guaymos is a perfect example of your typical mom and pop Mexican restaurant, located along a busy federal highway.  The business is co-located and is adjacent to house of the owners, Pedro and María Pérez, and it faces the busy highway, just north of a main intersection.  Their menu is posted in front of the business on a handwritten sign, and Pedro is proud to point out that the ingredients are freshly delivered to the business every morning by a truck, direct from the docks of Puerto Peñasco.  So that is how a restaurant located in a landlocked, desert town, can boast of fresh mariscos.  I didn't need any additional encouragement, so I ordered a shrimp and octopus marisco, which translates in Spanish to a Cockteles de camarón y pulpo.  Whew!

Left:  Mariscos Guaymos's menu is displayed on a low-tech, hand-printed sign.  Right:  Pedro Pérez cuts up my shrimp and octupos, and loads my delicious cocktail into the glass dish.

Mariscos aren't cheap, as I paid MEX $45.00 for a medium-sized cocktail, and the reason the price is high as there is a huge amount of waste, as fresh shrimp and octopus doesn't keep very well, even under the most meticulous conditions, and I noticed that Mariscos Guaymos keeps their camarón  and pulpo in an ice chest; not the most ideal conditions for preserving fresh seafood.  Most norteamericanos would cringe to even think of eating seafood stored under such conditions, but since I'm a seasoned veteran of Mexican dining, I just shrug my shoulders, take a deep breath, and enjoy a delicious meal.

My marisco arrived after about five minutes of Pedro hurriedly sorting and chopping the ingredients, and preparing a custom-made marisco, right before my eyes.  My delicious marisco consisted of chopped shrimp, octopus, diced cucumber, diced red onions, and picante sauce, mixed together into a clear glass jar the size of a large coffee cup. My order included a couple packages of saltine crackers on the side, and naturally, I pulled a large Mexican Pepsi from a nearby cooler.  How can you eat a marisco on a hot day without a cool Pepsi?

Left:  Note the ample condiments that are offered to enjoy with your cocktail.  Gee, even American catsup is offered, which is a rare offering in Mexico.  Right:  My marisco, served up close, and personal.

The seafood and vegetable ingredients were fresh, and skillfully blended together to for a delicious marisco. Mariscos are at the "high end" of street food in Mexico, but like anything else, you get what you pay for and if you're in the mood for a delicious marisco, you have to pay to get the finest, fresh ingredients.  My delicious lunch at Mariscos Guaymos cost me MEX $53.00, slightly over 5 U.S. greenbacks, but the same lunch in the 'states would have cost me over twice as much.  Unlike in the 'states, where my meal would be unloaded off a Sysco truck, my marisco was prepared before my eyes, using fresh ingredients.  I love Mariscos Guaymos!

 

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