Eat Athens: Family-owned Mexican seafood restaurant brings fresh flavors to Oconee County

Finding good seafood in Athens isn't always easy, especially when the goal is to eat something that isn't oysters. Grilled salmon aside, the average offerings are going to be battered and fried, cooked into a saucy dish or chopped up inside something else.

We're used to it, and those of us who've enjoyed surf in coastal eateries are reminded of what we're missing.

Costa Alegre Seafood & Grill opened under the radar in December 2023, but their recent win as Best Hidden Gem at the annual Taste of Oconee event brought their unique menu of Mexican seafood options into the spotlight.

Located at 1101 Mars Hill Rd. in Watkinsville, Costa Alegre is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and again on Sunday, and stays open until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

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Owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Martha Rodriguez and Jesus Mendoza, Costa Alegre operates out of the space that was previously occupied by Sabor Latino. Though Mendoza and Rodriguez are both from Mexico, they met in Georgia and officially took over Sabor Latino the same day that they married in September 2023. Rodriguez told the Banner-Herald that the restaurant never closed, it just switched to Costa Alegre in December.

"It took some of our regular customers a little while to get used to the way that Mexicans do seafood," said Rodriguez, who handles the numbers and hospitality while Mendoza puts together the menu and runs the kitchen. "We serve the whole fish, and not everyone wanted to look at the face at first, but now they love it because they know they're getting an authentic seafood experience."

For guests who are feeling less adventurous, Costa Alegre's menu is full of familiar Mexican items such as tacos, burritos, fajitas and empanadas. When the Banner-Herald visited, we were there specifically to try the restaurant's ceviche, a traditional Peruvian seafood dish that is cured with lemon, lime and onions rather than being cooked. Where the Peruvian variety is fairly stripped-down in terms of ingredients, the Mexican version tends to be more extravagant.

We ordered the $20 Ceviche Tropical, which consists of chopped shrimp, leche de tigre (citrus-based marinade), pico de gallo (onions, tomato and cilantro), mango, jicama and pineapple. The portion is large and best enjoyed with tortilla chips, and the flavor is a masterful blend of powerful citrus, fresh seafood, and the sweet textures of fruit. We also had a $10 octopus tostada, which is the best way to have octopus, and an alcohol-free Corona that cut through the acidity to cleanse the palate between each delicious bite.

For additional details, visit Costa Alegre's Facebook page at facebook.com/costa.alegre.seafood.

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This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Eat Athens: Mexican seafood restaurant offers an ocean of flavor