More often than not, good and authentic Mexican food can only be found in hole-in-the-wall restaurants or a home kitchen.  But at Ostioneria Bahia Mexican Seafood 2, the opposite holds true.

 With an enormous, attention-grabbing sign on Tustin Street and Chapman Avenue, Ostioneria is a full-fledged restaurant with fancy decor and great food.

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by brightly painted walls, tables and chairs. The restaurant is very colorful as all sorts of Mexican folk-art objects adorned the brightly, multi-colored walls. The servers wear traditional attire that matched the bright colors of the restaurant’s décor. I found it fun and refreshing.

Despite there being only eight or so people in the restaurant, I had to wait a couple of minutes for the servers to even notice me. However, it is important to note that I annoyingly slipped in 30 minutes before closing time, just as they were sweeping and beginning to close up.

Once I was seated, my server handed me a large menu with an abundant amount of choices. Almost each entree was accompanied by a photo, showing an arrangement of seafood, meat and chicken.

The pictures suggested that the portions were large, so I decided to forgo the appetizers and save room for the main entrée. There was everything from Pulpo Al Mojo De Ajo, octopus grilled in butter and garlic ($11.95), to Camaron Torta, a Mexican-style sandwich with shrimp ($5.95). I went with the Fajitas Mixtas, which included steak, chicken and shrimp fajitas served with the traditional beans, rice and salad ($13.95).

Meanwhile, I munched on the complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were slightly stale and the salsa was not nearly as spicy as I would have liked, but they curbed my hunger for the time being.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long. The Fajitas Mixtas came out surprisingly quick, in about 10 minutes.  The chicken, shrimp and steak with grilled vegetables were still sizzling and the beans and rice were pouring over my plate. It was a glorious sight.

After the first bite, there was no stopping me. The food was absolutely delicious. The meat and chicken were so tender that it practically melted in my mouth. The shrimp was fresh, enormous and deliciously flavored in its own juices. The rice was moist with butter and mixed flavors of garlic, onion and tomato.

When ordering, the prices didn’t impress me much. However, after seeing the portions and taking more than half of it home for a later meal, the food was well worth it.

Let’s just say that when I got home, I protected that Styrofoam box with my life, writing “Do not eat. This is mine” all over it.

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