The kingpins behind Taco Boy’s pivot deliciously to fancy seafood.
by Nikki Buchanan | photography by Gregory Rothstein
When it opened on Roosevelt Row in 2019, Taco Boy’s – the Mexican taqueria founded by father-and-son team Juan Francisco Cornejo Sr. and Jr. with their partner Suminder Singh Sodhi – was an instant hit. The main reason: superb carne asada tacos cooked on mesquite charcoal.
Six years and six Valley locations later, the three partners have charted a surprising new course, opening a high-end seafood spot in a tastefully renovated former Coco’s on Seventh Street. Dubbed Marisco Boys, the restaurant stands in classy, full-service contrast to the gritty energy of Taco Boy’s. The food quality has gone way up, along with the grammar. (Goodbye, redundant apostrophe.)
Naturally, you’ll pay accordingly, topping out with a shareable $120 mixed seafood platter called La Charola. Admittedly, my $8 fish taco, swathed in ultra-crunchy, house-made beer batter, then tucked inside a Kewpie-mayo-drizzled, cabbage salad-filled corn tortilla, is excellent. Even better is the taco gobernador, a melty-inside, crunchy-outside shrimp and cheese taco, jazzed up with serrano sofrito, a heavenly mix of chiles, tomatoes and onions.
Generous hunks of avocado and what I assume is yellowfin tuna (mislabeled yellowtail, an entirely different fish) rest atop crunchy corn tortillas to make fancy seafood tostadas. Drizzled with salsa negra (a soy-based sauce sparked with chiles), they’re rich and luxurious. Equally wonderful: tostadas embarazada, heaped with crab, tiger shrimp, octopus and schmears of avocado.
Chicharrón de pulpo – crispy octopus tentacles and nuggets, marinated and deep-fried – combine with avocado purée, tomatoes and cilantro for a light, salad-y take on octopus I’ve never had before but immediately love.
The big wow, however, is a giant platter of Nayarit-style pescado zarandeado, a seabream fillet, given a wet rub of garlicky mayo- and mustard-based sauce, then repeatedly flipped on the grill until it’s crunchy (but saucy) on the outside and moist within. Served with rice, refrieds, pickled veggies and lime, it’s a fantastic feast for two people.
Expensive? Sure, but you get what you pay for – namely, Mexican seafood generously portioned and flawlessly prepared.
Marisco Boys
Cuisine: Mexican Seafood
Contact: 2026 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 480-597-5623, mariscoboys.com
Hours: Su-Th, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; F-Sa, 11 a.m.-midnight
Highlights: Tuna tostada ($15): tostada embarazada ($15); chicharrón de pulpo ($23); Baja fish taco ($8); taco gobernador ($8); pescado zarandeado ($65)
