Craving Mexican Seafood in Orlando? Here's What to Order
For Mexican seafood at El Patron Restaurante Mexicano, order the Camarón Taco, the Grilled Fish taco made with grouper, or our shrimp enchiladas. Picture the menu open on your phone, one friend asking for something from the sea, and nobody wanting to scroll the whole list to find it.
Mariscos is the Spanish word you'll spot on a lot of Mexican seafood menus, and SpanishDictionary.com translates marisco as seafood or shellfish, while pescado means fish. Our seafood plates cover both sides of that line. Adobo shrimp goes into a taco and into corn tortilla enchiladas, and grilled grouper gets an artisan taco of its own.
Key Takeaways
Five facts to carry into your order, whether you're booking a table or ordering in.
- Our Camarón Taco pairs adobo shrimp a la plancha with melted Chihuahua cheese, cabbage-jicama slaw and poblano lime ranch.
- Grilled Fish is our grouper taco, with cabbage-jicama slaw, pico de gallo, chipotle ranch and fresh avocado.
- Two Shrimp Enchiladas and Three Shrimp Enchiladas share one description: corn tortillas filled with shrimp and Oaxaca cheese, under creamy chipotle sauce.
- These four seafood dishes all carry the same cabbage-jicama slaw, so they're easy to mix on one table.
- According to NOAA Fisheries, over 75 percent of the pink shrimp harvested in the United States comes from the west coast of Florida.
The Short Version
Order the Camarón Taco or Grilled Fish for a seafood taco you can mix with other artisan tacos, and order Two or Three Shrimp Enchiladas for a sauced corn tortilla plate rich with Oaxaca cheese, queso fresco and Mexican cream.
What Mexican seafood dishes should I order at El Patron?
Start with the Camarón Taco for adobo shrimp or the Grilled Fish for grouper, then add Two or Three Shrimp Enchiladas. All four dishes carry the same cabbage-jicama slaw, which is why they sit so comfortably together on one table. Side by side, the real differences come down to the sauce, the cheese and the format.
Our seafood tacos and enchiladas at a glance
| Dish | Seafood in it | Menu section | What defines it | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camarón Taco | Adobo shrimp a la plancha | Artisan Tacos | Melted Chihuahua cheese, cabbage-jicama slaw and poblano lime ranch | A lighter order, or one taco in a mix of artisan tacos |
| Grilled Fish | Grilled grouper | Artisan Tacos | Cabbage-jicama slaw, topped with pico de gallo, chipotle ranch and fresh avocado | Fish lovers who want avocado and pico de gallo in every bite |
| Two Shrimp Enchiladas | Shrimp, with Oaxaca cheese, in corn tortillas | Enchiladas | Creamy chipotle sauce, garnished with cabbage-jicama slaw, radish, queso fresco and Mexican cream | A table that wants to mix tacos and enchiladas |
| Three Shrimp Enchiladas | Shrimp, with Oaxaca cheese, in corn tortillas | Enchiladas | Creamy chipotle sauce, garnished with cabbage-jicama slaw, radish, queso fresco and Mexican cream | A hungrier diner who wants enchiladas as the whole meal |
The slaw ties all four together, so your real choice is between a seafood taco and a sauced enchilada plate.
If you eat seafood but skip meat, read each description in full before you order. Ask us about anything a description doesn't answer before you order.
Florida Shrimp and Grouper, by the Numbers
Shrimp and grouper both land in serious volume along Florida's coasts, and state and federal fishery records count the pounds every year. That's the backdrop whenever you order shrimp or grouper in Orlando, though those figures don't tell you where any one kitchen buys its seafood, ours included.
The University of Florida's Food and Resource Economics Department reports that Florida harvested over 37 million pounds of marine life in 2023. Its 2023 commercial landings table shows 13,593,689 pounds of shrimp and 2,957,758 pounds of red grouper. Shrimp outweighed every other species in that table.
Pink shrimp have an especially strong Florida tie. NOAA Fisheries' pink shrimp profile says over 75 percent of the pink shrimp harvested in the United States comes from the west coast of Florida. The same NOAA profile puts 2024 pink shrimp landings in the United States at 8.5 million pounds. The agency describes pink shrimp as flavorful and sweet, with a tender texture.
Grouper brings its own numbers. NOAA Fisheries' red grouper profile reports 2.8 million pounds of commercial landings in the United States in 2024, plus another 2.8 million pounds landed by recreational anglers that year. NOAA Fisheries also marks October as National Seafood Month.
What's in the Camarón Taco?
The Camarón Taco is adobo shrimp a la plancha with melted Chihuahua cheese, cabbage-jicama slaw and poblano lime ranch, from our Artisan Tacos section. Camarón means shrimp and a la plancha means grilled, so the name tells you how the star ingredient is cooked before you ever take a bite.
Every part of the Camarón Taco has a job. The adobo shrimp brings a seasoned, griddled center, and melted Chihuahua cheese softens each bite. The cabbage-jicama slaw adds crunch, and the poblano lime ranch finishes the taco with a creamy, citrusy lift.
We'd start here if you're new to Mexican seafood, because shrimp, melted cheese and a creamy ranch make a friendly first step. The Camarón Taco sits in our Artisan Tacos section, so you can pair it with other artisan tacos from our full menu. The Camarón Taco page shows the dish on its own.
Grilled Fish: Our Grouper Taco With a Smoky Chipotle Finish
Grilled Fish is our grouper taco: grilled grouper with cabbage-jicama slaw, topped with pico de gallo, chipotle ranch and fresh avocado. Order it when you want fish rather than shellfish. It's also the only one of these four seafood dishes with avocado and pico de gallo.
Never had grouper? NOAA Fisheries describes one species, red grouper, as mild but distinct in flavor, with very firm, moist, flaky meat that's white raw or cooked, according to its red grouper profile. Our menu says grouper without naming a species, so treat that profile as a general guide to the fish.
We'd point fish lovers here first, because the chipotle ranch brings a smoky edge while fresh avocado and pico de gallo keep each bite cool and bright. The Grilled Fish sits in our Artisan Tacos section, and the Grilled Fish page has the full description.
Two or Three Shrimp Enchiladas Under Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Two Shrimp Enchiladas and Three Shrimp Enchiladas share one build: corn tortillas filled with shrimp and Oaxaca cheese, topped with creamy chipotle sauce. Each plate is garnished with cabbage-jicama slaw, radish, queso fresco and Mexican cream, which makes the enchiladas the richer, saucier seafood choice next to our tacos.
Oaxaca cheese does a lot of the work inside. Mexico produced just under 30,000 metric tonnes of it in 2020, according to Wikipedia's Oaxaca cheese entry, and here it shares each corn tortilla with the shrimp. Queso fresco and Mexican cream then add a second layer of dairy on top.
We'd order Two Shrimp Enchiladas when the table is also sharing tacos, and Three Shrimp Enchiladas when enchiladas are your whole meal, since both plates carry the same sauce and garnishes.
Taco or enchiladas: which seafood order fits your night?
Pick a seafood taco to mix with other artisan tacos, or pick shrimp enchiladas for a sauced corn tortilla plate with cheese and cream. Both routes share the same cabbage-jicama slaw, so the decision really comes down to format and sauce.
Order a seafood taco when you want
- Shrimp or grouper in a lighter order that leaves room for other artisan tacos.
- A ranch finish: poblano lime ranch on the Camarón Taco, chipotle ranch on the Grilled Fish.
- Fresh avocado and pico de gallo, which only the Grilled Fish carries.
- Melted Chihuahua cheese with your shrimp, which comes on the Camarón Taco.
Order the shrimp enchiladas when you want
- A sauced plate built on corn tortillas and topped with creamy chipotle sauce.
- Cheese twice over: Oaxaca cheese inside, queso fresco as a garnish.
- Mexican cream and radish alongside the cabbage-jicama slaw.
- One recipe you can order as Two Shrimp Enchiladas or Three Shrimp Enchiladas.
For a table of seafood lovers, we'd order one of each taco plus Two Shrimp Enchiladas to share, so everyone tastes shrimp two ways and grouper once.
What do the words on a Mexican seafood menu mean?
The words on our seafood dishes are mostly Spanish and Nahuatl terms: camarón is shrimp, a la plancha means grilled, and adobo is a marinade. Learn these eleven words and the four seafood descriptions on our menu read like a recipe card you already know.
Mariscos menu decoder: 11 words, translated
| Term | What it means | Where you'll taste it |
|---|---|---|
| Mariscos | Seafood or shellfish, while pescado means fish, according to SpanishDictionary.com | The word to know when you search for Mexican seafood |
| Camarón | Shrimp, according to SpanishDictionary.com | Camarón Taco |
| Adobo | A marinade in Latin American cuisine that usually contains vinegar, garlic and chili peppers, per Merriam-Webster | The shrimp in the Camarón Taco |
| A la plancha | Grilled; the Cambridge Dictionary translates plancha as a grill or griddle | How the Camarón Taco's shrimp is cooked |
| Chihuahua cheese | A soft white melting cheese first made by Mennonite communities in northern Mexico, per Wikipedia | Melted in the Camarón Taco |
| Jicama | The edible, starchy root of a tropical American vine in the legume family, eaten raw or cooked; Merriam-Webster dates the English word to 1602 | The cabbage-jicama slaw on all four dishes |
| Poblano | A mild chili pepper that originated in Puebla, Mexico, per Wikipedia | Poblano lime ranch on the Camarón Taco |
| Grouper | A common name usually given to fish in the genera Epinephelus and Mycteroperca, known as mero in Latin America, per Wikipedia | Grilled Fish |
| Pico de gallo | Literally "rooster's beak," a salsa traditionally made from chopped tomato, onion and serrano peppers with salt, lime juice and cilantro, per Wikipedia | Grilled Fish |
| Chipotle | A smoked and usually dried jalapeño pepper; Merriam-Webster traces the word to Nahuatl and dates it in English to 1922 | Chipotle ranch on the Grilled Fish and creamy chipotle sauce on both shrimp enchilada plates |
| Oaxaca cheese | A white, semihard Mexican cheese with a texture like mozzarella or string cheese, named for the state where it was first made, per Wikipedia | Inside both shrimp enchilada plates |
Read together, the decoder shows why these dishes feel related: one slaw, two styles of ranch and a chipotle thread running through three of the four plates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for seafood lovers deciding between a table and an order at home.
Are the shrimp enchiladas spicy?
Our menu gives no heat rating, so the sauce name is your best clue. The shrimp enchiladas are topped with creamy chipotle sauce, and Merriam-Webster defines chipotle as a smoked and usually dried jalapeño pepper. They're also garnished with Mexican cream, queso fresco, radish and cabbage-jicama slaw. If heat matters to you, ask us before you order.
Do you have fish tacos?
Yes. Our Grilled Fish, from the Artisan Tacos section, is made with grilled grouper and comes with cabbage-jicama slaw, pico de gallo, chipotle ranch and fresh avocado. If you'd rather have shrimp, the Camarón Taco pairs adobo shrimp a la plancha with melted Chihuahua cheese, cabbage-jicama slaw and poblano lime ranch.
Can I get Mexican seafood delivered in Orlando?
Yes. You can order from our menu for pickup or delivery through elpatronorlando.com/online-ordering. If you'd rather sit down, we're in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property, and we're open daily for lunch and dinner. Either way, read each seafood dish's description first so you know exactly what's on the plate.
Can I reserve a table for a seafood dinner?
Yes, you can reserve a table online at elpatronorlando.com/book. We're open daily for lunch and dinner, so a weeknight shrimp taco run and a weekend enchilada dinner both fit. If you're planning around a park day, a reservation lets you lock in dinner before you head over.
Where is El Patron located?
We're at 12167 S Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando, FL 32836, (407) 238-5300, in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property. Enter that address in your maps app to check the drive from where you're staying, and our contact page has directions.
Seafood Night, at Our Table or Yours
Book a table at our restaurant in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, or order from our menu for pickup or delivery. We've been family-owned since October 2007, serving a modern twist on traditional Mexican cuisine just off Disney property, and we're open daily for lunch and dinner.
You'll find us at 12167 S Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando, FL 32836, (407) 238-5300. Check the drive in your maps app with that address, or use our directions and contact page. Current hours are on our homepage, and you can reserve a table online whenever you're ready.
Unlimited Taco Tuesday runs every Tuesday, and live mariachi fills the room on select nights. When the seafood craving hits at home, order pickup or delivery through elpatronorlando.com/online-ordering.
References
- University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Food and Resource Economics Department. "Commercial Fishing." fred.ifas.ufl.edu
- NOAA Fisheries. "Pink Shrimp." 30 June 2026. fisheries.noaa.gov
- NOAA Fisheries. "Red Grouper." 25 June 2026. fisheries.noaa.gov
- NOAA Fisheries. "Celebrate National Seafood Month." 1 October 2026. fisheries.noaa.gov
- SpanishDictionary.com. "Los mariscos vs. El pescado." spanishdict.com
- SpanishDictionary.com. "Shrimp." spanishdict.com
- Merriam-Webster. "Adobo." merriam-webster.com
- Cambridge Dictionary. "PLANCHA in English." dictionary.cambridge.org
- Wikipedia. "Queso Chihuahua." en.wikipedia.org
- Merriam-Webster. "Jicama." merriam-webster.com
- Wikipedia. "Poblano." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Grouper." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Pico de gallo." en.wikipedia.org
- Merriam-Webster. "Chipotle." merriam-webster.com
- Wikipedia. "Oaxaca cheese." en.wikipedia.org
Disclaimer
Menus, dishes and ingredients can change without notice, so check the current menu on our site before you plan your visit. This guide is general food and culinary information, not allergy, dietary or medical advice.