Elite Event: Karina’s Mexican Seafood

Love love loved this event. I’ve been meaning to get to Karina’s for a few years– so glad Unilocal gave me the nudge.
Food highlights: Karina’s Shrimp! Loved the magical green sauce that adorned the shrimp. The flavor was fantastic. The carnitas tacos were also good. The texture was perfect, and the flavor was spot on– (sometimes carnitas can be a little too «porky” — Karina’s were great)
Fun highlights: Had a blast hanging with friends and playing people BINGO. Thought it was a great way to get us up and socializing.
«Damn I’m good» highlights: Found free parking right in front of the restaurant!
Thanks for an awesome event, Brad B.

Awesome event.
I had heard about Karina’s but like many new restaurants I just don’t get a chance to remember them all. This is when Unilocal really comes to the rescue. Having the opportunity to gain exposure to these places and also get to sample their food and drink is a wonderful way to get me interested.
We definitely got enough to eat last night. The shrimp in green sauce was so fantastic that I went up for more than one helping. The beef and chicken was also as good and like the shrimp I had more. Now for the spicy shrimp mini tacos… I did not have to go up for more because the girls were constantly serving us all we could eat. In fact they were serving us more than we could eat. This is something I will never complain about. I only mention it so that I can express my gratitude to the kind people at Karina’s for the abundance of food and fun. Everything was great. It was more than great but I get tired of using the same words — Awesome, amazing, fantastic — over and over and over again. I need a thesaurus to help me give praise to Karina’s as well as our local Unilocal CM, «Brad» and the helpful intern Sandra.
We are the luckiest people here in San Diego county.

I felt like I heard of Karina’s but never went to one of these restaurants. Glad I signed up for this event because this place was delish. I was afraid it was going to be hard to find parking that evening because of the Padres game, but I luckily got a parking spot on the street not too far.
I’m part of north county SD, and this was my first Unilocal San Diego event. I had a long day at work and was kinda … What’s the word… Unmotivated to drive down. I just wanted to eat, drink and go home. When I saw there was an ice breaker-​ish game, I was like ughhh. Yeah I know what you’re thinking, killjoy!!! Let me reiterate, long day at work. But as soon as I got in, my vibe changed! I met a good amount of Unilocalers who were super nice.
This is a good sized restaurant mixed with tables and booths. The lighting was perfect, not too bright and not too dark. The ambiance made me want to have a good time.
The Karina’s girls were super generous when coming out with the tray passed foods. The tray passed food was good. I liked both the shrimp and fish ceviche. That one spicy taco… Was really spicy! So for the buffet food, I only tried the Karina’s shrimp and rice. oh I wish I got more of the shrimp. The shrimp was soo good. Every time I saw them refill food, I was sad the shrimp didn’t get refilled!
The bartender was definitely making the drinks strong. I am a light weight I was pretty done with 2 drinks. I got the mezcal margarita which tasted like juice.
I didn’t win any of the drawings. But we were all lucky and got a $ 10 Karina’s voucher to come back. Winning!
So in short, I had a great time here. After a long day of work, the answer is not to go home. Go here for a drink and a bite to eat to unwind! I’ll be back when I’m in the area.

Karina’s was really a pleasant surprise! I’ve never heard of this place until this event, but now I’m glad I do! Looks small from the outside, but is actually pretty spacious inside, with a bar that wraps along one side of the restaurant. Service and everyone were great! Very attentive and friendly all throughout the night.
Food were also very good. The ceviche and chicken fajitas were delicious but my favorite was the shrimp dish. So flavorful!
Another great time with Brad and company. Great idea with the get-​to-​know-​you bingo game, fun interaction with everyone!

Karina’s Mexican Seafood was the place to be on a balmy Monday night. One hundred or so Unilocal Elites were invited to Karina’s new downtown location to savor some of her wonderful seafood delights. The always-​attentive Brad B, CM extraordinaire, put together another fabulous event along with his gorgeous and super competent new side-​kick Sandra M. (But we still miss you, Estefany!) With these two at the helm, the night was destined to be a great one.
Karina’s has an open, welcoming ambiance that invites you in for a drink and a maybe a meal. The beverages are solid and the food is really great. I had a classic margarita (or two) along with Karina’s famous fat shrimp in green sauce, which is out-​of-​this-​world good. Other treats included their fish ceviche, shrimp ceviche, carnitas tacos, beef and chicken fajitas, and spicy to super spicy tacos de camaron.
Brad and Sandra hosted a fun «scavenger hunt”(for lack of a better term) which prompted us to meet some new Unilocalers and get to know the ones we already know a little better. Who would have thought that so few Unilocalers would be wearing a red shirt, or that we have country music fans among the Elite!
At the end of the evening, Karina’s rewarded all of us with a $ 10 gift certificate. What a delightful idea! Now I have more reasons than ever to come back and try Karina’s outside of the Unilocal event. I will definitely be back!

Another AH-​Mazing Elite Event!
Thanks Brad, Sandra, Karina’s and everyone who made this another epic event! What can I say, when you are greeted at the door with samples of tequila… you pretty much have my full attention! (I am a Tequila Girl! so this event was instant LOVE!)
What a neat time mixin it up with others in our get to know ya game! Who knew that it would be a bit difficult for me to find someone born in the 90’s! It was great to see familiar faces and new ones. :-)
The food was mouth watering! Fajitas, Ceviche, Taco’s and rice and beans. All of it was tasty… even the Hot as Fire Tacos that burned my mouth, made my eyes water and I swear there was steam fuming out of my ears! The spicy tacos were covered in a chili oil. I took one bite and felt it for a an hour or so. The shrimp inside was yummy. I just had to be smarter than the taco shell and take it out of that spicy shell.
I loved the décor, it was chic and casual.
This incredible event was topped off by the generosity of our hosts with a drawing for some gift cards. EPIC when Brad called my name and seriously I was wishing SO hard that he would call my name since I loved the idea of a bottle of tequila coming home with me. For a fast second, I thought it was a voice inside my head that called my own name! LOL I am looking forward to tossing back some tequila and taking my guy with me to Karina’s for some killer tacos.
What a great way to top off the night, that everyone who attended the event was given a gift certificate to return! The generosity at Unilocal events is always impressive, humbling and amazing! THANKS!
Lookin forward to the next event!

Another GREAT event, It happened to be right down the street from my yoga studio! It was perfect for me, right after work i went to yoga, then just walked to Karina’s, what could be more perfect?!
I saw a lot of my usual Unilocal friends and Hawaii friends as well as some new faces, the scavenger hunt/​bingo game was genius, it forced me and others to reach out and mingle with other people while at the same time it was also in instant conversation starter to what square they were starting. It’s always nice to meet new people.
I loved how there was a buffet line, so that everything did not have to come from the kitchen and be passed around. The shrimp and fajitas were delicious, i especially liked their rice, I don’t know what they put in it but its very flavorful compared to most places. You know that a place is good when the simple things like rice are done well.
I liked the shrimp (with their signature sauce) it almost taste like a super mild green curry, I’ve been told the make a burrito with those shrimp, Mmm. maybe thats what I’ll use my gift certificate on.
I loved the carnitas tacos, the guacamole was so fresh. The crispy spicy shrimp tacos were good too (if you like it hot) they said it was a 6 on the heat level. I liked the crispy fried tortilla i was actually sweating a bit after this one!
There was so much food, i was actually turning food away towards the end! Man so stuffed!
I’m not one who usually likes ceviche, but i really liked the Shrimp ceviche, thats saying a lot!
I especially liked the Mescal margarita! So good, just the perfect mix of grapefruit and agave syrup, not too sweet, not too tart, but just right! I could see how this would be a dangerous drink, because you don’t taste any alcohol, so yummy!
The servers were beautiful and service was great, food came around many times, they came around and took drink orders so i didn’t have to go up to the bar to order, even waters were brought around toward the end with out asking! What service!
I really enjoyed myself! A big thank you goes out to Brad, the Unilocal team and the staff at Karina’s for putting on a great event!

I hate hate hate my stomach problems as I wasn’t able to enjoy this elite event fully aka I wasn’t able to drink and eat too much. Before this event I had a mini fever and had some abdominal problems… But couldn’t flake, I will come sick or dying. Not gonna lose my good standing and/​or dedication to Unilocal.
Anyway, the event was awesome! All the guys were drooling over the Karina girls. They have certain requirements to be a Karina girl, I would never qualify, but they did look extra good! And hey were extra nice. Always at your service. Great friendly staff.
Food: I LOVE their ceviche!!! I think it was my favorite thing all night! They had shrimp ceviche and fish ceviche. I had multiple servings. I also tried a little of their fajitas (chicken and beef mix), shrimp in a green sauce, and some rice. The shrimp was good wish my stomach could handle more but I was only able to eat like 2. My friend told me about this place awhile ago and Brad read my mind and then we have an event here! Yay!
The gift card was a nice gesture on the restaurant. I will most definitely come back, even if they didn’t give us that gift card! Also the get to know your elites challenge was also cool. It makes you talk to people and you were entered into a drawing. I love drawings, free booze or gc and free monetary gifts! Who wouldn’t? And who would complain? Great event Brad! I came with a fever for you! Lol.

WOW!!! Was a word I used a lot last night. The service, venue, food, drinks, beautiful staff, handsome and generous owner, and getting to know more Unilocal elites… all WOW!
Where to begin… we were lucky and found a parking space by the gas station down the street, but even if you couldn’t find a spot, Karina’s offers $ 5 valet service! Unreal! When the doors opened, we were carded by the first hostess and then greeted with tequila shots! As we came around the corner, another waitress was handing us ceviche and did so the entire night. I think I OD-​ed on ceviche. It was so good and it kept coming. It was really hard to turn the ceviche girls away. They were so pretty! I guess I now understand the male mind. Haha!
As soon as I sat down to take a look at the game we were playing that night, at least 4 waitresses came by to ask if I would like a drink! Why, YES! Let’s get the margaritas flowing, and sure enough, it didn’t stop all night! In addition to the ceviche, we munched on beef fajitas, the famous shrimp in green sauce that was BOMB, beans, rice, and both the spicy shrimp taco and carnitas tacos were my favorite! The bartenders were on fire! Our bartender for the night was, Alejandra. She was fast and made our drinks stiff! Everything we love!
Gosh, I was super bummed out that my husband rested all day so that he could feel better for this event, but still felt sick and couldn’t make it out with me. But we knew that one of us had to come out. If it wasn’t for him urging me to go, I would have missed out on another AMAZING event put on by Brad, Sandra, and the entire Karina staff! Thank you so much for the generous gift cards, I’ll definitely bring him here to cheer him up. We didn’t want him to spread his germs anyways! HAHA! LOVE YOU, HUBBY!

I’m originally from Chula Vista and so I’ve heard about Karina’s, but had never been. I’m so glad I got my chance last night. This place was awesome.
Highlights of the night definitely include:
Karina’s shrimp — I could not get enough of that green sauce and you really can’t go wrong with shrimp.
Beef Fajitas — moist and flavorful
Shrimp Tacos — SPICY and quite greasy, but I’ve never really had a problem with greasy so we’re all good. This was probably my favorite!
Carnitas Tacos — This was a close second in favoritism, but let’s be honest, I loved most of the food.
Note to self: I wished I had been born in the 90s and that I had worn a red shirt. It seemed like those people got to meet the most people. Also, I found out that I am not a fan of tequila, no matter how smooth you guys tell me it is (cough*JulianaandAlan*cough) Hah.
Thank you to Sandra, Brad, and all of the Karinas staff for being so friendly and welcoming! I will definitely come back within the next two weeks to use my $ 10 gift card!

New downtown location did not disappoint!
Location: It is easy to get to from the 5 and it’s pretty straight forward. There are plenty of parking so you will just have to choose how much you want to pay or if you are lucky enough you can spot an open parking meter. I would say that Fridays and the weekends can be challenge.
Ambiance: You walk in and you are greeted by a friendly hostess. The décor is fantastic. It’s spacious and there are ample outside seating just in case it gets crowded. Great layout, you can get from one end of the room to the other without difficulty.
Food: Well, you got the location and ambiance not on to the food. Do you like spicy food? Tacos de camaron enchilados it the treat for you. I love spicy food and this one made me sweat (in a good way). I enjoyed the sauted shrimp in Karina’s special sauce, the sauce is savary that you can top your rice with it and make it’s own meal. My new favorite is the Carnitas Tacos, unlike the Shrimp Taco this is much milder. Let’s not forget about the Chicken and beef fajita, it’s the bomb.
Staff: Everybody is so welcoming and friendly and they are all eager to answer your questions.
Awesome place to have your Mexican food fix!

Strangely enough, a few weeks ago my friend told me about this place since he works down the street, and I had been meaning to try it. Lo and behold, our AWESOME Community Manager Brad B. was already planning an event here! This is like the Fogo de Chao thing two years ago, around the holidays, but that’s another story.
Similar to a Bingo chart, everyone was scurrying around to complete their list of 13 elites who matched the qualities listed in each box. It was an interesting game as it allowed us to get to know more of our peers, new and old. Definitely nice meeting new people, and seeing some familiar faces.
As for the food, wow! «small bites» is an understatement for the generosity that the staff at Karina provided.
— Beef and chicken fajitas buffet — tender and juicy beef and chicken strips!
— Sauteed shrimp in a green creamy sauce — mmmmmm the sauce is worth the cheat meal. So much shrimp, cholesterol be damned.
— Spicy shrimp tacos — the sauce reminds me of what you’d have in a spicy seafood jambalaya. Bold flavor with a nice kick in spiciness
— Shrimp and fish cevche cups — loved it! There was plenty to go around. Just get some tostada and you’re all set
— Stiff drinks are definitely worth the hangover the next day
Apparently they have an all-​day happy hour special on Mondays and Tuesdays, and even a late night HH on Friday! Seriously, WHERE can you find that in downtown San Diego?! Margaritas make me a cheap date, in more ways than one.
San Diego is really blessed with excellent Mexican cuisine, Karina’s Seafood included. And seriously, the employees here are not only really nice and inviting, but are also veryyyyyy easy on the eyes. *wink wink hint hin nudge nudge* Cheers to Karina’s for hosting and the Unilocal community for planning and attending~

Ceviche is the one food i could live on and i got to eat as much as I wanted to tonight!
fish ceviche… fresh and delish!
shrimp ceviche… spicy yumminess!
I am already a fan of Karina’s…specifically National City location…
I had no idea there were locations outside of South Bay… now i know!
this spot is huge, clean, hip and fun
service was beyond fabulous and friendly
décor was fun… love the birds throughout!
event was perfectly «packed» …tons of Unilocalers. but yet there was room to walk around.
oh wait… there was more food than ceviche.
we had a buffet of beef/​chicken fajitas… but more importantly. karina’s shrimp in that oh so amazing green sauce. love their rice and beans too!
but wait… there’s more…
tray passed carnitas tacos (yum) and SPICY shrimp tacos (double yum)…the heat was amazing but then disappeared. leaving me wanting more.
good thing i had some yummy margaritas to wash down all that food. This was a night of pure indulgence!
thank you to Karina’s and Brad for an amazing event!
on to the post party…

I have an admission… I am a pig. Not in the bad way… I just feel that I ate too much at this event. We had a buffet of chicken and shrimp fajitas, rice, beans and then there were carnitas, enchiladas, ceviches. Yes I admit it, I ate too much.
Now for the good stuff, although not all the food was to my taste (spicy ok but not too spicy), most of the food tasted were pretty good. With a large menu at Karina’s Mexican Seafood, you will find yourself having a wonderful meal. We only sampled some of their offerings but next visit, I will venture out and try other things in the menu.
The margaritas were neat and sweet (but not overly). I prefer more salt on my rim (glass you dirty minds!). But overall, including getting some shots (3) of mezcal (blanco was my favorite) and anejo, I was certifiably inebriated for a Monday night (but not bad — always mix water in between and do not mix too much alcohol together). After we went to another spot after the event, all I had was cider.
Overall, we always appreciate the openness and hospitality of the businesses like Karina’s who try give us a preview of what we can have at their restaurant.
P. S. I got a taste of the flan (take that early leavers… lol! jk) Rich and creamy.
Thank you Brad and Sandra from Unilocal for being wonderful organizer and thank to our hosts including the liquor shots provided.
With our $ 10 gift cert in hand, we might stop in before or after a Padres game soon!

When l first learned of Karina’s Mexican Seafood being in the downtown area, they sure have come a long way from their first locations in Chula Vista.
Karina’s happens to be one of my favorite Unilocal Elite Only Events! Not only did hook it up with Tequila Los Tres Tonos, but the food kept on coming.
Fish and Shrimp Ceviche were perfectly seasoned with freshness in every sample. Seriously there was plenty to go around.
Then came the tacos, the mini buffet of delicious Fajitas, Shrimp in Salsa Verde, rice and beans. Every bite was packed with flavor.
I took a detour back for more tequila. Actually l had to try them all. Even the mezcal– both of them! I’m not even a tequila drinker but these shots were extremely tasteful with a hint of fire.
Speaking of fire, if you passed your chance on the best tasting mini Shrimp Tacos A La Diablo. Man, even being a natural to take on the heat with every bite keep my head burning up.
Karina’s is a fine establishment that has an excellent bar, professional staff (minus the beauties), this place is the real deal.
I’ll be back. Better prepared to take in the hottest items off their menu. From fajitas to tacos and everything in between for mariscos, Karina’s does it right.
The fat: Everything is not only mouthwatering, but so is the service.
The skinny: $ 5 valet parking.

I got my fiesta on with a shot of 80 proof Mezcal as soon as we were welcomed inside of Karina’s Mexican Seafood. The spirits materialized quickly, and a Mezcal Margarita with Tequila and triple sec, citrus, and agave syrup appeared like magic in my hand. Hospitality was generous and attentive throughout the evening. Colorful birds appeared overhead. (You guys saw them too, right? They were real, I swear!)
Plump little shrimp caressed by Karina’s signature sauce were my favorite taste of the evening. The green sauce tastes like a curry, and it was so delish that I returned to the buffet just for more rice and Karina’s green signature sauce. Mmmmm…
Fish ceviche with chopped veggies, serrano peppers and fresh lime juice was lovely, light and healthy.
I enjoyed mingling with friendly Unilocalers in the festive and colorful atmosphere at this YEE, which turned a Monday into a Funday. An icebreaker game encouraged Elites to interact with more Unilocalers in the search for answers. Two of my Unilocal friends, Ryan and Linda, won $ 50 gift certificates to Karina’s Mexican Seafood! Everyone went home with a $ 10 gift certificate at the end of the night for Karina’s.
This was a well organized YEE, and I enjoyed a generous taste of what Karina’s offers on B Street. I understand they have 8 lively locations. Thank you, Karina, Brad B, Sandra, and Unilocal,for the opportunity to discover a fun Mexican seafood restaurant in San Diego.

Fun décor, yummy drinks, and tasty snacks all make for a fun night!
The drinks: margaritas! There might have been more, but I stuck with those. Not too sweet, not too boozy, and not too sour!
The snacks: shrimp in Karina’s EPIC sauce (not sure what the ingredients were, but man that sauce was good); chicken and steak fajitas; and a super spice shrimp enchilado taco. Almost too spicy, but this guera was able to handle it.
A huge thank you to Karina’s for their (the servers and bartenders were amazing) hospitality and fun!

«Oh, I’m gonna go to the special hell…»
— Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), «Our Mrs. Reynolds,» Firefly
That quote came to my mind when I saw the waitresses and bar staff at Karina’s at tonight’s Unilocal Elite Event. I’d heard of the place being referred to as Mexican Hooters, but these ladies would definitely put some of the Hooters girls to shame! Seriously, between the short dresses (no wonder they have those aprons on!), the cleavage the bartenders were sporting (especially the one with the silver necklace), and the one waitress with the braces that had me wondering if she was even legal (really, she looked that young!), and yowza is the word that comes to mind — amongst other things. Added to that was that one of the spaces on the Unilocal Elite Bingo was to take a pic with a Karina’s waitress, which had me hoping that my lady wouldn’t mind. (Of course, I also took a photo with the hostess up front… she may not have been wearing the Karina’s uniform, but she counts as a Karina’s gal.)
Aside from the comely and friendly waitresses, the food and drinks were amazing. Loved my mescal margarita, and the shots of tequila from one of the event sponsors went down easy. And the food… while the various ceviches (fish and shrimp) along with the fajitas were good, the shrimp in Karina’s sauce was EXQUISITE. I felt bad for our assistant CM Sandra, who didn’t get to try it.
The fun part of the evening — well, besides seeing friends I haven’t seen in a while — was the Unilocal Elite Bingo that had us going around the room getting blocks crossed off (although, if anyone reading this really was there at their first YEE, let me know. That was one of the hardest to fill out). It was a good way to approach our fellow Elites and get to know one another.
A big thank you to Brad, Sandra, and the staff at Karina’s for this Unilocal Elite Event, and for the $ 10 gift card we got at the exit. As Karina’s is actually less than a 20 minute walk from where I park during the work week, looks like I’ll be stopping by soon for happy hour.
See you all at the next event (well, not the ladies’ only event, that is)! And now, I am gonna have a cold shower…

Dear Unilocal,
Three of my favorite things are margaritas, ceviche, and good company.
This event was filled to the brim with margaritas, ceviche, and good company.
Sounds like five stars to me.
Xoxo,
The Guy In The Red Shirt

Hot Stuff People!
…And I’m not only talking about the tacos de camaron enchilados that sent my mouth quickly to the bar asking for milk, but Karina’s beautiful staff with their charming personalities, with the ability to melt this gents exacting personality into a puddle of reverence.
The eats this evening were plentiful and quite delicious. My favorite no doubt was the Sautéed shrimp in Karina’s signature green sauce. The sauce was creamy, provided great flavor, and had a great green appealing color. The shrimp were tasty and they certainly did not skimp on them for this occasion. The carnitas tacos came packed with tender savory pork and a well made and seasoned fresh guacamole.
The fajitas were full of tender well seasoned beef and chicken, some great vibrant charred red peppers, and tender onions. The tacos de camaron enchilados packed a punch via flavor and heat, and I loved the crunchy chewy corn tortillas. I was unable to get to the ceviche for being such a chatter box, but Ali L. and a few others commented that it was quite good. Also, how Kitty was able to score a huge slice of flan is a mystery. Must be that smile.
I admired the cordial staff at Karina’s. The whole evening they passed around trays of great eats with a smile, they kept our tables cleaned, and at the end, participated in rounds of picture taking with fellow Unilocalers. They do not get any better than this.
Karina’s, thank you for opening your doors to some of San Diego’s finest Elite Unilocalers, and providing such an abundance of your special food. I’m telling you, that Karina’s Special Green sauce is a winner!!! Gimme…
Special thanks to Brad B. and Sandra for putting this event together. You guys are the envy of Unilocal CM’s around the world. As usual, it was a pleasure to see all your wonderful faces this evening my fellow Unilocalers.