Restaurant Review: Palapas Seafood Bar

It all comes down to bones and eyeballs. Do you like bones and eyeballs? If your answer is “Unequivocally yes,” then drive to Lowest Greenville, run out of your car, breeze past the mariachi band, and order the pescado zarandeado. A whole red snapper is butterflied, marinated, and grilled over wood. Push aside the by-the-bag steamed vegetables and the palatable rice, and focus on the smoky, splayed fish—smothered in tomatoes, onion, pepper, and garlic—because it’s all you’ll need. The menu features a section dedicated to seafood from Sinaloa state on the western coast of Mexico, so start with the ceviche Mazatlán, a mound of Pacific shrimp cooked in lime juice and tossed with avocado. The ceviche is served with saltines, but I preferred dipping crispy tortilla chips in the fish. Scallops, prepared “Sinaloa style,” were gritty with bits of sand, and any potential taste of shellfish was marred by an overzealous dousing of lime. Shrimp with a garlic sauce was pleasing and a bargain at $15, which also included rice and borracho beans. Warm churros are a steal at $4. The pricey cocktails need a little work, but a mezcal cocktail with cucumber, serrano, citrus, agave nectar, and Cointreau, and the house margarita eventually rounded into shape as the ice melted.