Eat Up Havana: Seafood and Spice Makes Everything Nice at Mariscos 3 Rios

Over a decade ago, former Westword food editor Mark Antonation began his food-writing career by eating his way up Federal Boulevard. Now, we’re turning our attention to another vibrant culinary corridor.

The four-plus-mile stretch of Havana Street between Dartmouth and Sixth Avenue in Aurora is home to the most diverse array of international cuisine available in the metro area. From restaurants and markets to take-and-go shops and stands, food lovers of nearly any ethnicity or interest can find a place that will remind them of home or open new culinary doors. In Eat Up Havana, Antony Bruno will visit them all, one by one, week by week. Check out his previous stops.

This week, Bruno visits Mariscos Los 3 Rios.

Those raised on the U.S.-influenced “Tex Mex” style of Mexican food have become familiar with certain Spanish words, such as “carne,” “asada,” and “carnitas.” But “mariscos” might be a new one. 

Spoiler alert: it means seafood, something found far less often on meat-heavy Tex-Mex menus. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the menu at Mariscos 3 Rios bucks this trend by leaning significantly into fish and shellfish, taking full advantage of Denver’s access to fresh seafood via DIA.

Across the menu at Mariscos 3 Rios, you’ll find page after page of lobster, shrimp, oysters, mussels, scallops, octopus, and yes, plenty of fish, including tilapia, red snapper and tuna. Much of it is served with beef, and there are even exclusively beef items on the menu. But if you’re visiting a restaurant with “seafood” in the name, it seems like a smart bet to focus on that in your ordering. 

Doing so here will get you not only a wide selection of seafood combinations, but an impressively dizzying array of presentations as well. In fact, presentation is a big part of the game here, particularly if you’re either really hungry or ordering in a group. 

Some of the more impressive spreads include a whole shell-on lobster tail with grilled steak and charred octopus, stacked vertically on a metal spike inside a wooden and metal-framed platter. There’s also a selection of molcajetes, served in the eponymous stone mortar and pestle bowl. And a “parrilladas” section of table-sized mini barbecue grills covered in meat and chiles. 

Ceviche more your thing? No problem. Choose from six different kinds, several of which come served in a chilled half pineapple. Don’t like pineapple? Fine, go for the option of a hollowed-out coconut instead. 

Or if you can’t decide on your protein of choice, there’s the $150 Parrillada Especial that combines lobster, three kinds of shrimp (fried, grilled, and head-on), and bacon-wrapped chiles stuffed with cream cheese, fish, and clams. 

There’s also grilled fish and plenty of octopus selections, served as tacos, tostadas, ceviche, and more — and enough shrimp to put the recently closed Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. to shame: rancheros shrimp, chipotle shrimp, shrimp zarandeados, wrapped shrimp, shrimp empanizados, mojo de ajo shrimp, shrimp al ajillo, shrimp a la diabla. 

And perhaps unsurprisingly, there’s also sushi. Or more like Mexican-sushi, such as the Flaming Hot Roll, stuffed with fried shrimp, along with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and a Cheeto sriracha sauce.

Be warned, spicy here means spicy. Not hot. Not warming. Daggers-in-the-throat spicy. The spicy mayo served with the pulpo taco (octopus), for instance, is a creeping death shot of pain and punishment that deserves a disclaimer. The first dip is subtle and deceivingly safe. By the third dip, the regret kicks in, face flushed with sweat and regret.  

Housed in a former Denny’s, which it took over and renovated about two years ago (even retaining the iconic sign frame, now filled with its own design), Mariscos Los 3 Rios is part bar, part restaurant, which is made clear early in the menu browsing thanks to a number of options designed to mix the two. Botonas, or snacks, include a tray of four beers, rimmed with Tajín and covered in cooked and marinated raw shrimp, oysters, and aquachile. More into tequila? You can try the same with shots. 

While lunch can be a fairly calm and sober affair, the place pops off on weekends with live music, from regional Mexicana to mariachi and more. We’re talking the full band, tuba included. So it gets loud. People are dancing. They’re serving drinks in buckets — not a bucket of beers, but a bucket-sized drink (or if that’s too complicated for you, there’s a bag option with a straw). 

The whole affair is set in a large cafeteria-like seating area, tended to by friendly, uniformed servers. It opens early, and stay up late, with plenty of dedicated parking for easy access. So if you’re sick of the same old Tex-Mex and are looking for some sensationally served seafood, Mariscos Los 3 Rios will present you with something far different than the standard routine. 

Mariscos Los 3 Rios is located at 921 South Havana Street in Aurora and is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit mariscoslostresrios.com.   

All the previous Eat Up Havana stops:

• Old Town Hot Pot
• Leezakaya
• Chutney Indian Cuisine
• El Tequileno
• Milkroll
• Shin Myung Gwan Korean BBQ
• Watan Restaurant & Bakery
• Las Fajitas
• Mr. Tang
• Nana’s Dim Sum & Dumplings
• Yemen Grill
• Tofu House
• Sushi Katsu
• Coco Loco
• Ali Restaurant & Bakery
• Thank Sool Pocha
• Taqueria Corona
• Hanyang Wang Jokbal
• Coffee Story
• Tofu Story
• Havana Street Night Markets
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the Hot Pot)
• Seoul BBQ & Hot Pot (the BBQ)
• Pho 75
• Yong Gung
• Chopsticks A GoGo
• Angry Chicken
• L Cafe & Food Court
• Gangnam GT Lounge & Karaoke
• Katsu Ramen
• Dae Gee
• Snowl
• Chef Liu’s Kitchen
• Piramides Mexican Restaurant
• Nile Ethiopian
• +57 Bar & Restaurante
• Il Forno di Tutti
• Ifka Cafe
• Maandeeq Restaurant & Cafe
• La Sazon de Irene
• U&I BBQ & Karaoke Bar
• Pho 99