Del Taco

I love Del Taco. Let me say it again with the full knowledge that it may destroy my culinary credentials with everyone, but I love Del Taco. In the war between Del Taco and Taco Bell, I would choose DT 99 out of 100 times (the 100th time is when there is only a TB within several miles). Throughout my High School and College Career (and, sadly, still) if I am eating fast food after 10:00 pm, it is Del Taco. I have seen friends take down $18 worth of DT and then walk back up to the Counter for more (OK, it wasn't just friends, I did it too, but there was tequila involved).

My usual order is two chicken soft tacos (the best in the business in my opinion) and some sort of burrito. Every once in a while, I mix it up with their crispy fish tacos.

I have ordered the Crispy Fish Tacos at Del Taco may times and while they are always very good, I usually just consider them a starting point (or mid-way point) of a Del Taco multi-course Fiesta. So it was with rapt, laser-like focus that I enjoyed a fish taco with the goal of reviewing it here.

The setup is standard, double corn tortillas, cabbage, pico de gallo, and VERY crispy breaded and fried Halibut with "special sauce" (basically mayo and lime). Extra credit is awarded to Del Taco for including a lime wedge, a nice special touch that fish tacos costing triple sometimes forget to include. They are great for what they are, mega-chain (in SoCal), fast-food attempts at Mexican food. On the plus side, they are just about the crunchiest fish tacos I have had. On the negative side, they are very small and really don't have much fish to them, they are really fried batter tacos with some fish in them.

Del Taco's website.
Various locations. For list, see here.

Jalapenos

Jalapenos is one of those ubiquitous Mexican restaurants that line the many strip malls of Orange County. That is not to say that it isn't great Mexican food, just to say that you sometimes need to brave the Stepford-like malls of the Irvine Company (and Ladera Ranch in this case) to get good food.

I have been to Jalapenos many times, but previous to this visit, I had only ever ordered the Chile Verde or Chile Colorado (both excellent dishes, the latter being a smoky, spicy treat unique from many other places).

The fish taco is listed on the menu for $2.35 and is described as coming with cabbage, tomatoes, cliantro, onions and white sauce in a soft shell. And, in fact, it did.

The fish (Tilapia) was lightly breaded and friend and was a very good specimen of the lightly fried fish taco. The size of the taco was larger than most and the overall flavor was great. All in all, a better than average fish taco that I will eat again.

6404 Irvine Blvd
Irvine, CA 92620
(Woodbury Shopping Center)
Locations also in Tustin, Irvine, and Ladera Ranch
Website

SIlverware Needed

I love being surprised, which is why I really enjoyed my most recent visit to Opah Restautant & Bar in Aliso Viejo. As I made the short drive to lunch, I have to admit that The Year of the Fish Taco was not at the front of my mind. What I was thinking about was my go-to Opah order: Macademia Crusted Mahi-Mahi. At the risk of undermining this blog, let me put in a little plug for what I consider the best item on the menu! I can almost taste it now (eyes closed, glands salivating)...the sweet, crunchy exterior, the soft, flaky, Mahi-Mahi....whoa, what happened...where am I?

Sorry, back to the FTs. So let's face it, anyone who has been to Opah a few times can agree that fish tacos are not what you think of from this small, but upscale OC restaurant chain (locations in AV and Irvine). In fact, I almost didn't open the menu... thinking I already knew what I wanted. But, just before it was my turn to order, I glanced at the menu and spotted "Fork & Knife Blackened Fish Tacos." I knew what to do.

These FTs were different than the typical ones I have had in the past. First, as stated in their name, these FTs required utencils. But don't think for a second that utencils make these FT's not worth the effort. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

The lunch portion includes a pair of grilled, blackened Mahi-Mahi FTs covered in cabbage and sprouts and flanked by a healthy portion of a fresh papaya and cucumber salsa. The flour tortillas were spread on the inside with a roasted tomato butter. What made this dish was the combination of all of these things together. The sweetness of the papaya was the best part. Unlike most tacos I eat (fish or otherwise), which I douse in the hottest hot sauce available, these left a tangy taste in my mouth.

It is hard to compare these FTs to their hand-eaten brethren that you find at most Mexican or Mexican-inspired restaurants. Overall, I enjoyed these FTs and would encourage ordering them...presuming you have tried the Macademia Crusted Mahi-Mahi.

Opah Restaurant & Bar

26851 Aliso Creek Road, #C

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

(949) 360-8822

Tacos & Co

Tacos & Co is a small chain of mexican food restaurants that I have been to many times (because their location at Bristol & Jamboree) is central to everything. They have five total stores and I have not been to any of the others ones. My regular order at Tacos & Co is the carnitas and I have always enjoyed them.

As I drove up today, I saw a huge sign advertising fish tacos for $1.99 hanging out in front of the store. On the wall menu, I saw both grilled fish tacos and Sonora fish tacos (fried) offered. I ordered two grilled fish tacos with rice and beans. Each one was $1.99 and the rice and beans was an additional $0.99.

There was a small mix-up with my order and I only received one taco (as pictured) with the sides, but they quickly rectified the mistake and brought me out my second taco within a minute. The tacos are standard in their construction; double corn tortillas, yellow-tinged chopped up and grilled Tilapia, mixed-cabbage slaw (very crunchy), crema, and diced tomatoes. I tasted the first one without any additional salsa and found it to be a very good fish taco. The best part of it was the crunchy cabbage mix which was much more toothsome (although pleasingly so) than others. I couldn't detect what the mysterious yellow seasoning on the fish was and forgot to ask. I will be back to sample the Sonora style tacos and will ask then.

My overall review is positive. The tacos were above average, incredibly well priced, and the cabbage mix was really pleasingly crunchy.

They have great nachos and give student discounts as well (though my student discount days are growing farther and farther away at an alarmingly rapid rate).

Tacos & Co
3601 Jamboree Road, STE #6
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Good coupons on their website here

George's Mexican Food

It was 2:00 pm and I hadn’t had lunch. I was running around trying to get my two year old son a Thomas the Train crossing arm that he desperately wanted and that took me far from Irvine to the mean streets of Westminster (and incidentally, if you need ANY model train paraphernalia, go to http://www.arniestrains.com/). On my way back to the freeway along Edinger, I saw the bright sombrero of a grinning man beckoning me to come in to George’s. Despite it having a drive-through, I parked and walked inside to better feel the ambiance and enjoy the fish taco as George would have me do it.

I walked into the empty restaurant (although there were several cars in the drive through) and perused the menu. I have to admit that there were so many good looking menu options that I wanted to order a torta or a carnitas burrito, but, this is the year of the fish taco, so I soldiered on and ordered the 2 item combo with two fish tacos and rice and beans for $5.49. I inquired from the less-than-friendly lady behind the counter what type of fish was used in the tacos and she informed me that it was Tilapia. For those that don’t know, Tilapia is a freshwater, tropical, white fish that is a bottom-feeder like a catfish, however, most are farm-raised and good for you since they are low in fat and high in Omega 3 and 6’s.

I watched as the cook took a Styrofoam, 3-part “picnic” plate and piled up refried pintos in one part, Spanish rice in another part, and prepared four corn tortillas on a steam press. She waited for a cook in the back room to produce two 5 inch fried filets of fish through a pass which she then placed into the double tortillas and added a white crème freche (or Crema) sauce, a shredded cabbage mix, and pico de gallo. She added two lime sections and a handful of chips and handed me the plate.

Upon inspection of the fish, I found that it had a thick, bright orange breading that appeared to feature several spices and that the fish inside was somewhat slimy and had shrunk from the crispy outer shell. The tortillas were larger than most and the filet of fish in each taco was much larger than most.



The overall flavor was ok. Nothing special. I found the consistency of the fish within the breading (the sliminess) a tiny bit off-putting, but overall, it was a mediocre fish taco. The chips were above-average and the rice was one of the few Mexican rices which I actually ate and found to be tasty (no doubt from the overall fat content since it appeared to be completely covered in oil). Overall, it was a passable lunch and well priced, but left me thinking that I should have ordered a carnitas burrito…

I checked out their website and it says that they have been doing it for 25 years. I found their website to be pretty impressive for a drive-through Mexican food place. My only criticism is the opening video where a clearly Caucasian voice says, “Our food is Bueno and picante!” with no attempt to add any sort of accent and with a funny way of saying “bueno.” They should have told her to roll like the newscasters who speak perfect English until they pronounce a Spanish word and roll their r’s into oblivion. They even have a twitter feed and online coupons. Now if they could only improve their fish tacos…

George’s Mexican Food
6581 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA
http://www.georgesmexicanfood.net/index.php

Wahoos Fish Taco

First a disclosure: I eat at Wahoo's almost once a week because my 2.5 year old loves their fish tacos and rice and beans. I love Wahoo's Kahlua Pig and Carne Asada, but until yesterday had never ordered a fish taco. Also I know the founders of Wahoo's and think it is a great company.

With all of that said, I don't have such wonderful things to say about the Fish Tacos at Wahoo's

The menu is not very descriptive, it merely lists "fish" as a potential filling for the tacos. I ordered a #2, Two Tacos. Then the series of interview questions begins...the order taker will ask if you want your fish spicy or regular (I chose spicy), beans black or spicy cajun white beans (SCWB, but black for my wife and son), and rice brown or white (brown for all of us). I also ordered my favorite item on the menu, Mr Lee's Chili Sauce (described on the menu as a blend of red chilis, garlic, and ginger). A moment on Mr. Lee's...

Mr. Lee's is my favorite type of hot sauce. I put Tabasco or Cholula on my breakfast eggs, Tabasco Chipotle on my Macaroni & Cheese, and Sriracha on anything remotely Asian. Mr. Lee's is better than all of these because of the garlic and ginger. I like Mr. Lee's so much that I once ordered the 12 oz. size to take home (which did not end well because the spicy chili oil ate its way through the styrofoam container and ended up all over my refrigerator). I also have attempted several times to make it at home and have not gotten there. One of my favorite food bloggers, elmomonster (who also writes for the OC Weekly and Chowhound) equated it to an Indonesian Sambal which, after testing other Sambals, I now agree. See here

So on to the tacos. The corn tortillas are standard and doubled up, the fish is white, flaky, and pretty mild, and the tacos are topped with shredded cheddar cheese, shredded cabbage, and a red salsa. I covered my tacos in Mr. Lee's (and my rice, and my beans, and my chips, and my fingers, etc.) and proceeded to see what the signature dish at Wahoo's would taste like. I think that I was expecting a lot and I think that I was let down because a) I love Wahoo's b) I love the carnitas, asada, and Kahlua Pork at Wahoo's and c) I love fish tacos. They weren't bad, but by no means were they good. I may give them another try for academic honesty, but I really just don't think there's anything unique here.

I'll keep going to Wahoo's and my wife and son will keep ordering the Fish Tacos, but I will be ordering my other favorites and of course, drenching everything in Mr. Lee's.

The website for Wahoo's says that they use Wahoo or Mahi-Mahi in their fish tacos. I did not inquire which was being served that day. It also shows that they have locations in California, Colorado, Texas, and Hawaii.

www.wahoos.com

Steelhead Brewery, Irvine, CA

Tonight I sampled the fish tacos at Steelhead Brewery in Irvine. The menu features: 'Three corn tortillas wrapped around our beer battered Alaskan halibut, topped with cheese and shredded cabbage, served with guacamole, salsa, black beans and wild rice.' $13.95

The tortillas were small and marginal. Of the 3, one was blue corn and 2 were yellow. The fish was the same fish from the fish and chips and had a delightfully crunchy exterior. The fish itself was relatively tasteless...not in a bad way, just very flavor neutral. Our waitress suggested I add some of the chipotle tartar sauce served with the fish and chips. I complied and her reco and found it to be a great addition.The sides of beans and rice were marginal, but ultimately unnecessary since the 3 tacos were very filling.

My Bombay Bomber IPA was a great foil for the richness of the fish and very hoppy in its finish.

We need an overall ranking system and categories.

Next time here I will try the grilled fish tacos.

Our waitress suggested the following:

Aloha Grill in CM

Eat Chow in CM

Catalina Fish Kitchen in CM

Steelhead Brewery
4175 Campus Drive
Irvine, CA 92612-2618

Welcome to THE YEAR OF THE...

Three of us were sitting around drinking and talking about the fact that one of us had ordered the same dish all year (tamales) in search of the best one. We had a few more drinks and debated what dish we should chose for 2010 and declared 2010 the YEAR OF THE FISH TACO.

Ground rules: There are none. We will simply order fish tacos at as many establishments as possible and provide a review of each. Perhaps as the year moves on we will select certain awards to give out and we will definitely come up with a ranking system for the fish tacos.