Best of Austin: 9 Tasty Spots to Satisfy Your Ceviche Craving

Geography enthusiasts may have noticed that Austin is a landlocked city, so getting good, fresh fish hasn’t always been a given. In recent years, though, Austin has really upped its ceviche game. For lovers of the typically lime-cured raw fish in its many iterations, Austinites now have many options, from street food–style to upscale, with plenty of stops in between. Read on for a few of our favorites.

Ceviche7

This tiny Peruvian food cart gets rave reviews. With a name like Ceviche7, it should come as no surprise that their mahi mahi ceviche is a star player on the menu. The lemon- and lime-drenched fish comes mixed with spicy bell pepper, onion and corn and is served with boiled sweet potatoes.

Hudson’s on the Bend

This iconic Austin restaurant recently underwent a makeover when it was sold to The Prime Thyme Restaurant Group last spring. Newly reopened in November, it’s now headed by Chef Billy Caruso. Although the brand-new menu retains the restaurant’s previous focus on wild game, it also includes a delectable yellowtail ceviche with tiger’s milk, blood orange, and basil.

Parkside

Known for its great happy hour specials and fantastic seafood offerings, Parkside’s classic ceviche is a go-to for many Austinites. Though the types of fish included in the ceviche change, melt-in-your-mouth salmon is always part of the dish. Currently the ceviche also includes fluke and bass, and it’s paired with avocado, tomato and jalapeño. [pagebreak]

Zocalo Café

The most traditional option on this list, Zocalo Café’s ceviche brings the dish back to where it started. Their marinated white fish with avocado, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños will almost make you feel like you’re on a beach in Mexico — except that it’s served with crackers, not chips. 

Geraldine’s

Geraldine’s combines Southern-inspired fare with live music in an upscale-yet-cozy atmosphere. Their ceviche (feature picture) simultaneously feels like comfort food and is full of unexpected flavor combinations — the fish is cobia, and it’s served with crunchy fried chicken skin, ruby red grapefruit, avocado, cucumber, house salsa and lime juice.  

Papalote Taco House

Papalote Taco House is about as unpretentious as you can get. On a menu full of tacos and tortas, you’ll find a traditional Mexican Tostada de Ceviche of shrimp and fish on a crispy tostada, topped with cilantro, onions and a slice of avocado. If you’re craving the basics, this is the place to go. [pagebreak]

Manuel’s

Manuel’s has been a staple of the Austin restaurant scene since 1984, and their dedication to fresh, seasonal, high-quality food has never wavered. The restaurant’s classic ceviche veers away from the traditional by using yellowfin tuna, which is cured with lime juice and mixed with salsa fresca. Best of all, it’s wild-caught and sustainable, so you can feel good about eating it.

Clark’s Oyster Bar

This tiny, bright, upscale-casual café is known primarily for — no surprise here — its oysters. But if you’re willing to set down the oyster fork for a moment, give their red snapper ceviche a try. Served with golden roe, cucumber, cilantro, serrano and finger lime, it’s simultaneously traditional and totally unlike every other ceviche in the city.

Delicious

For a modern take on the classic flavors of ceviche, head to South Lamar’s Delicious, a sophisticated gourmet market and farm-to-table restaurant. Order their Scallop Aguachile, an artistic dish made with cucumber jalapeño puree, fresno chile, radish, pickled onion, pepita and jicama. It’s almost too beautiful to eat … but one taste and you’ll quickly change your mind.