HOW DARE THEY!!!

Casa Orozco is generally known for decent over-priced Mexican food in the Tri-Valley, but all that I can say about their fish taco is 'HOW DARE THEY!!!'



HOW DARE THEY use frozen fish fillet!
HOW DARE THEY put tar-tar sauce on a fish taco!
HOW DARE THEY charge $16.50 for it!

What a disappointment. The funny thing was that I heard a girl at a nearby table telling her party how good the fish tacos were. If she only knew. She clearly doesn't read Fish Taco Magazine.

These fish tacos belong on the kids menu.

Memorializing the Fish Taco

Squatters had a special on Memorial Day of salmon tacos, so of course i couldnt resist. Now, everyone must understand that Squatters Brewery makes an amazing fish taco on a normal day, so a salmon taco for funzies is a real treat. I'll write about the seared ahi tuna tacos with the creamy wasabi sauce another time (WHAT! AMAZING!!)

These salmon tacos were great. You can tell they take pride and time in plating a tasty taco of the sea. 2 sauces- 1 verde salsa, 1 spicy ranch. Crunchy chunky cabbage, a side of creamy black beans and rice and its complete. This isnt a mexican restaurant but worth the visit. Locations in Salt Lake City and Park City. A Memorial Day Miracle.

Red Snapper @ Lonestar

There is a reason why Lonestar Taqueria is one of the top five fish taco stands in the country. Per Beeper, there is a "fiesta of flavors" in every bite! I think I enjoyed it as much as the locals.
Maybe it was because they wanted a good review from Fish Taco Magazine when we walked in, but I have a feeling that every dish is created with sophisticated flavors and attention to detail. I'll have to go back under-cover to find out.

They surprised me with the use of red snapper in the taco. And the creamy cilantro sauce... oh so good.



I'll definitely be back. This is a top pick for Fish Taco Magazine and I am nominating it for our editors choice award.

Southern California & The Tasty Fish Taco

As expected... Southern California has many a great fish taco. This post will be about 2 of the standard "chain" fish tacos- no fresh fish on this post... If any of you have recommendations for local favorites... please let us know! We want to experience the real local flavor.

First up

This is a chain that is coined a fish taco restaurant. Bravo! They have a wide veriety, even sandwiches, fries... unexpected, but cool. It is very much a skate/surf ambiance, which i loved!

Its a simple taco, tasty wahoo fish (white). grilled, with no frills. just cabbage, fish, a small amount of cheese. True taste, not sauces. Make no mistake, this is a good fish taco. if you run into one- be sure to stop.

Ahhh Baja Fresh. This is a big chain... its everywhere out west. And Ive always loved it. They have a fantastic fish taco! I have enjoyed them for years, but i want to clarify.

They have 2 fish tacos on their menu. One grilled, one fried. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THE FRIED TACO.

Their grilled taco is Mahi-Mahi, which is always delicious, but they have a very tasty fish sauce. This is like a tangy, peppery, delicious sauce that i could drink. Order it, love it, cherish it.

Living the Dream

I have always dreamed of being a food critic, so working for Fish Taco Magazine is absolutely a dream come true. I was on assignment at Chevy's tonight. I guess corporate thought that it was time to go after one of the big chains to see what kind of fish taco they can produce.

I have to say, it was a decent meal. As all of my readers know, I am anti-chain restaurants and I try to avoid them whenever possible. So, as a self-proclaimed food critic, I have very low expectations when dining at a large chain like Chevy's. I figure it has to be pretty bad food to disappoint if you go in with low expectations. Perhaps that is why I was satisfied with their fish tacos tonight. They weren't special, but when you need to wraps your lips around a fish taco and you can only find a local Chevy's, fear not- your cravings will be satisfied. A few points of interest:
-flour tortillas. They didn't offend me, but the flavor of maze was definitely missing.
-grilled salmon. This was my first fish taco made with salmon. Not bad, but definitely less Mex and more Tex tasting.

My advice: squeeze that lime juice onto the fish and smother in salsa for a more Mexican experience.

Cinco de Mayo Fish Tacos

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo this year, we joined the throngs during happy hour at El Balazo in San Ramon, California. Since El Balazo is a legendary favorite for their super-burritos, I had high expectations for their fish tacos. The beauty of El Balazo is their simple yet unmistakably fresh and authentic mexican flavor- right off of the grill. So, imagine this:
-fluffy, flaky chunks of breaded halibut
-soft and warm corn tortillas
-tangy cabbage salad
-fresh, fragrant onions and cilantro
-served with hot mexican rice and black beans

No fancy sauces, no frills, just pure mexican flavors. A very satisfying fish taco.