Bear Trapped

Ever since the seeds of this blog were planted, I have heard about Bear Flag Fish Co. in Newport Beach. I had heard from multiple sources that their fish tacos are the benchmark for fish tacos. I was excited. Upon picking up my wife at the airport (returning from a Bachelorette Boondoggle in Veg-Rock), and with my daughter in tow, we headed down to Newport for lunch.

Located a mere 2 blocks from the sand and sharing a parking lot with a popular "Sunday Funday" bar, Bear Flag has an unbeatable location. On a warm sunny SoCal day, as it was during our visit, this place shines. Tables inside and out with a casual, surf-fish vibe inside. There was a line 10 people deep, which was a good sign. We ordered to-go and took it home.

Anxious to bust into our eats, we snacked on the chips on the way home. Thick and with a homemade taste, these tortilla chips were a second good sign that we were able to sample some fantastic FTs. We got home, set up our feast and dove in. I ordered 2 panko-grilled fish tacos. The tacos had your typical shredded cabbage and came with tomatos to top on each taco. Here are my takeaways:

1. The corn tortillas held up very well, considering there was 20 min. between our ordering and eating. The tortillas were grilled, giving each taco a smokey flavor. Unexpected and different.

2. Each FT came with a lemon, which was a nice change from the typical lime that comes with FTs at other establishments.

3. The Tommy sauce was drizzled on each FC, and really made for a nice tangy tasting experience.

Overall, the tacos were great. The smokey taste with the Tommy's sauce really left you feeling like they were aiming for something different that other places. They were offering a creative solution. I have nothing but good things to say about the taste, but...

The size of each FT was a serious issue. Typically, when I order FT's I use the price as a guage for the size. When FTs are listed at $1.99, I know not to expect much. But when they are priced at $2.99 with $1.00 extra for avocado ($3.99 total), I expect a sizable FT. For lunch, 2 FTs for $8, should fill you up, right? Not at Bear Flag. A filling lunch here would have required me to purchase at least 3 FTs, perhaps 4. $12-16? That seems a bit absurd to me, even if they are great.

So, either go to Bear Flag when you are only half-full or be prepared to hand over a few more sheckels than you would think.

B

Bear Flag Fish Co.

407 31st Street

Newport Beach, CA