In a city where dozens of new restaurants seem to sprout every week, it’s not an easy feat to stay on the culinary map for more than eight decades. Yet amidst the bustling streets of San Rafael hides a true oasis – a place where time seems to have stopped – a laid-back, family-run institution where fresh seafood and friendly service have been the norm for the past 80 years.

Boca del Río

Sitting down to lunch at Boca del Río on a Sunday is, perhaps, one of the best decisions we’ve made lately. The spacious, retro dining room is populated with a healthy mix of families, couples, and a few groups of friends who, like us, know their first mission is to order the ultimate Mexican hangover cure: micheladas and seafood. Afterwards comes a soothing cup of shrimp broth, savory and slightly spicy, keeping us company as we browse the menu.

Boca del Río

Choosing from the long list of dishes is like exploring the Seafood All-Stars, reflecting the restaurant’s history and its commitment to staying true to its origins. Founded in 1941 by husband-and-wife team Paulino and Carmen Castillo, Boca del Río began as a roaming seafood cart in Tepito, a neighborhood just north of the historic center. After a number of years and a few address changes, the business grew enough to find its current home in San Rafael, where the vibe and decor have probably not changed much since. Upon our arrival, we enter a dining room with charming green-tiled floors and matching green chairs surrounding formica tables. Behind the wood-paneled bar, Alfredo Castillo, Paulino and Carmen’s son, who took over when they passed away, watches over his guests kindly.

Boca del Río

We start with shareable appetizers: a generously sized campechano cocktail – a mix of shrimp and oysters in cocktail sauce – that demands a stack of crunchy Saladitas (a Mexican brand of saltine crackers); a shrimp aguachile with a bright, spicy sauce, and an assortment of quesadillas that, surprisingly to some, don’t have any cheese. These warm, fried dough pockets are stuffed with marlin and dogfish prepared with a savory mix of tomato and onions, and taste even better when topped with the homemade salsa that sits at the center of the table.

Boca del Río

The room gets livelier as the afternoon progresses, filling the air with cheerful chatter that harmonizes with the live music, courtesy of a classic Jarocho group playing traditional regional tunes. The soft, cheerful harp transports us to the town that inspired this restaurant’s name: Boca del Río, in the coastal state of Veracruz.

Boca del Río

The feast continues with a platter of camarones a la diabla, shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce with a traditional side of rice, and pescado empapelado, a fish fillet cooked in tin foil, keeping it tender and juicy. The dessert cart graces our table with an array of beloved classics to choose from, including key lime pie and our winner: a smooth, sweet flan. We decide to crown the afternoon with a round of carajillos which, perhaps a bit unexpectedly, end up being some of the best we’ve tried recently. The fact that they’re shaken and served in giant copa glasses makes them even more delicious.

Boca del Río

By the time the check comes, we’re already planning our next visit. There’s still lots on the menu for us to try – we hear the seafood soup is fantastic, and that chef Edgar Núñez – who heads the legendary fine-dining restaurant Sud777 – is a fan. With any luck, when we come back we’ll find everything just as we left it.

  • Tacacá do NorteMay 30, 2025 Tacacá do Norte (0)
    The eyes of Tacacá do Norte’s harried staff widen as yet another customer arrives during […] Posted in Rio
  • HakusendoJuly 9, 2025 Hakusendo (0)
    Eastern Osaka's Joto shotengai, or commercial district, is a sleepy shopping arcade […] Posted in Osaka
  • Altri TempiJuly 7, 2025 Altri Tempi (0)
    In Palermo, we don’t need a time machine to travel to the past. Stepping into Trattoria […] Posted in Athens, Palermo
Cristina AlonsoAndrew Reiner

Published on April 29, 2025

Related stories

May 30, 2025

Tacacá do Norte: The Amazonian Shake Shack

Rio | By Taylor Barnes
RioThe eyes of Tacacá do Norte’s harried staff widen as yet another customer arrives during the lunchtime rush. The bedroom-sized snack bar can barely hold one line of chairs around its bar but they have somehow managed to squeeze in two. Impatient regulars shake hands and whistle “psst” to the young men staffing the establishment,…
Hakusendo, Osaka
July 9, 2025

Hakusendo: Hidden Candy Shop Cafe

Osaka | By Sam Graham
OsakaEastern Osaka's Joto shotengai, or commercial district, is a sleepy shopping arcade frozen in a bygone era. Walking down its twisting alleyways of faded storefronts leads to a colorful candy shop whose stacks of sugary treats conceal a hidden cafe called Hakusendo. Built to look space-age futuristic in 1970 to coincide with the Osaka World…
Altri Tempi
July 7, 2025

Altri Tempi: Trattoria Time Machine

Athens | By Francesco Cipriano
AthensIn Palermo, we don’t need a time machine to travel to the past. Stepping into Trattoria Altri Tempi, it’s possible to be transported by the nostalgia of classic flavors from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when Sicilian cuisine still retained its distinct identity, before the influence of other regional Italian cuisines…