RESTAURANT REVIEW:

Fish has always been a staple of my diet, and finding new ways to eat fresh-water or ocean-catches, or shell fish has been a fun way to expand my dining repertoire.

My fascination with Mexican seafood restaurants was instilled in me by an old girlfriend who used to take me to a favorite place of hers in east Los Angeles.

The shrimp was huge, the flavors unique, and it took me about five minutes to get hooked.

Mario’s Fiesta Maya began in 1994 and is the third restaurant in the family-owned Mario’s in Huntington Beach. While the other two are virtual carbon copies of one another, this restaurant keeps the theme of the quaint, family-owned traditional Mexican restaurant, but puts a menu together that is quite different.

The eight-page menu is intimidating at first glance, but everything is pretty self-explanatory and well-organized. This was going to be a fish-themed evening, but two of the four who were eating are not fans of seafood. No problem, Mario’s has pulled enough non-fish dishes together to keep anyone happy.

While the pair didn’t care for seafood, they did expect an entrée that was beyond the simplicity of the dinner combinations of tacos, cheese enchiladas and tostadas.

The first diner got the carnitas Uruapan. The pork was so tender you barely had to chew, and the flavor was delicious. The spices and herbs, like garlic and cilantro, made the dish so delectable I forgave my guest for not wanting fish.

The second non-fish diner chose something equally special. She had the chicken enchiladas suizas, a sort of gourmet chicken enchilada.

The word suiza in Spanish translates to Switzerland, and this dish got its name for the cream sauce that usually accompanies the dish. It can be made several ways and usually varies from restaurant to restaurant.

The dish is sometimes called a Mexican lasagna and can be sometimes stuffed with spinach, but these did not have any. They did have green chiles, which made them spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. The chicken, much like the pork I tasted earlier, was tender.

My friend Mark and I went for the fish. Mark has been coming here for years and gets the same dish every time. There is good reason he orders the red snapper al mojo de ajo — it is a great piece of fish with some of the tastiest garlic and butter sauce around.

The fillet is sautéed and then meshed with the pungent sauce and it gives the fish a nice crispy coat. While the outside has a shell-like texture the inside is nothing but soft, flaky snapper. It was an incredible piece of fish and one I will order my next visit.

My entrée was one of my favorites at Mexican seafood places. I ordered the crab enchilada and got a halibut taco with it.

There was plenty of crab in my enchilada, but it was covered with so much jack and cheddar cheese it was indistinguishable. The problem was solved by scraping away most of the cheese from the enchilada to the beans, which made them that much more tasty. The restaurant had the same quality homemade rice and beans I have had at other Mario’s restaurants and I was glad for that.

The taco was also good, with the fish chunky and a decent amount of pico de gallo salsa and fresh cilantro and chopped onions.

The décor of Mario’s was interesting to say the least. The Pepto-Bismol-colored tablecloths kind of threw me, but were tame compared to the shrine, complete with Virgin Mary candles, near the waitress’ station.

The Mayan theme takes up the rest of the room, with artwork and knickknacks placed around the inside and outside dining rooms.

If décor is not a high priority with your evenings eating out, this is a great place for quality seafood and reasonable prices.

MARIO’S FIESTA MAYA

ADDRESS: 17221 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 375-6292

CUISINE: Mexican

SPECIALTY DISH: Camarones La Paz

ALCOHOL SERVED: Full bar

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $7.09 to $33.09

FAMILY FRIENDLY: Yes, seven-item children’s menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

RATING: ***

JOHN REGER reviews restaurants for the Independent. He may be contacted at [email protected] or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.