One of the best parts of a vacation in Mazatlan is eating your way through the bounty of fresh, wonderful seafood and fish available here. First and foremost is the shrimp. Mazatlan is the shrimp capitol of the world. There are more ways to prepare shrimp here than I ever imagined possible. You could stay here a month and not eat shrimp the same way twice. But you shouldn't overlook the other wonderful options: scallops, lobster, oysters, clams, conch...all fresh and yummy.

All the choices present a special problem – what to order? Or, more specifically – what am I ordering? If you stay in the tourist zones, you won't have a problem. Just about any place you go will have a menu in Spanish and English, although some of the translations are quite amusing, most notably Pancho's by the Beach. They will also often have dishes that have been Americanized.

If, however, you want to break out of the tourist zones and you don't read Spanish, you could have a problem. I highly recommend a little culinary courage. When you find the small restaurants where Mom is doing all the cooking, you get great food, and you get treated like family. Plus, you get the bonus of a cheaper meal, often half the price.

Picking a restaurant is pretty easy. Look for one that is full of locals. That is usually a good indication that the food is really tasty and the price is right. When it comes to ordering, you may need a little help, so here is a list of common seafood and preparations:

Mariscos - Seafood

Pescado – Fish

Common Preparations

On most menus, you will see al gusto – how you like it. Most frequently you will see camarones al gusto or pescado al gusto. More than half the time, this will be followed by your choices. But often, that's all the information you get. Here are your usual choices for al gusto:

Common Dishes