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