Amigos - Location, Location, Location

As the crow flies (and driving actually), Amigos is the closest tour stop to home. Just under a mile, honestly I would have walked if it wasn't bloody freezing out. Stupid winter...

For a close restaurant, the place isn't super accessible. It's next to a toy store in a tiny strip mall on the south side of State St. We had to make an odd little jog from 28th to get there and the parking lot is rather tiny. Bad zoning?

Presentation - Pretty bland interior. Fine wall decor, cafeteria tables. Not fancy. Decent plating though, something about it gave me really high hopes for the tacos. Averages out to a solid...average. 3/5

Aroma - The smell went with the look, promising. Nice citrus, spice, all that. Potential. 4/5

Value - The fish is tilapia, so nothing too fancy. $11.50 for a pair of well stuffed tacos and nice sized sides of rice and beans. An extra point for the traditional chips, salsa, and refried beans that came with the meal. I left full. 6/10

Fish - Grilled tilapia, and man it looked good. Not quite blackened, ample spices, on the right track. Unfortunately, a bit on the dry side. Bwa bwa. The spices were solid, good flavor without too much heat. Plenty in each taco. All around ok, not great. 5/10

Not Fish - To the recipe. Double corn tortillas, pico, white sauce, lime. The sauce was just a tad light and mild. Not a lot to fault. 7/10

Overall Taste - I think the dry fish and the light sauce ended up making them a bit dry overall. The flavor was good, just not quite enough to be memorable. Minimal complaints but no obvious reason to choose them over another option. 6/10

Bonus Points - I did an hour on the trainer later in the evening, which hurt. I can arbitrarily blame it on them, but obviously that was my own dumb choice. On the flip side, the kids meal had some good options that were plenty big and only $3.50 a pop. That's worth a point. +1

Overall Overall - 32/50

Again, no major complaints, if you're hungry and driving down State street, it's a fine place to have a meal. Just not a stand out. Middle of the pack.

Eureka! - Newcomers

Been a bit again. Travel and holidays. I actually had some phenomenal tacos on the Oregon and California coasts, The Good Harvest Cafe in Crescent City, CA and Shark Bites in Coos Bay, OR. Both would have ranked high on this list, but neither was cheap. Or remotely local. Anyway, upon return, a coworker told me to check out Eureka! They opened up in the last couple months and fish tacos are on the menu, so on Friday night we headed down to check them out.

Presentation - They're on 8th right across from Red Feather, pretty much under Fatty's. I had no idea what to expect, but it's a nice layout, a wrap around bar with a mix of high tops, booths, and picnic style tables. The beer selection was on point, multiple sours on tap which is no joke. Service was great, we had a very attentive server that was kind enough to bring the girls some snacks before our meal arrived to keep them happy. Basic plating but a nice taco holder and a decent serving of fries. Everything really came together here, and thus, they earn the new high water mark. 5/5

Aroma - I feel like this one was a bit easier than others, the spices they used were nice and aromatic, as was the mango salsa. Non-traditional but they smelled pretty good. 4/5

Value - Perhaps the low point of the review, though not unexpected. Downtown just isn't cheap, and our dinner wasn't either. The tacos were actually the more reasonable side of the menu, and I'll judge on that, because the kids menu was kind of ridiculous. These were $10.50 for a pair and a side of fries. You could upgrade that side for another buck or two, and they had good options but I stuck with the plate as delivered. It could be worse, but it wasn't particularly good, so middle of the road. 5/10

Fish - Grilled, but nicely seasoned. Between the blackening (they were actually blackened, not just in name like some others) and the spices, pretty tasty. Lots of it too, in small pieces so nicely distributed. Perfectly moist. Approaching as good as it gets for grilled. 7/10

Not Fish - As I said, not traditional. Single corn tortilla, though it was different for a reason I can't put my finger on. I don't recall a lot of avocado tomatillo flavor, but the mango salsa was pretty good, and I'm not usually a fruit salsa kind of guy. I could have done for just a bit more...something. 7/10

Overall Taste - An attempt at something different that went over well. I can respect taking the risk and would recommend these, nice and flavorful. 7/10

Bonus Points - On the plus side, great service and like I mentioned, bonus appetizer for the kids. However, kids meals are $7. Seven. Credit for unique options (lollipop corndogs, onion rings, avocado and watermelon) but that is knocked down by the price. So nope. +0

Overall Overall - 35/50

35 puts them up there with some big hitters. Solid performance for a newb. Stop by, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Andrades - Date Night

Apologies for the delay, ran into another administrative issue. Fork has a tricky and vague menu with no definitive protein listed for their tacos. I had a business dinner there on Halloween and was hoping to partake in some fishy deliciousness, but it turns out the protein rotates. Halloween was pork for what it's worth, and the tacos were tasty. I'm trying to get in touch with them to figure out if fish has a set day, stay tuned.

To the topic at hand, Andrades. No website, so no hyperlink. Here's their Yelp page for what it's worth. Seems like they've been around for a while, though this is the first time I've visited. We stopped by on Saturday for date night. The sign out front reads "My Competition is in Mexico," which is a good start. There's also a fountain full of roses inside. Take that as you will.

Presentation - Rose fountain aside, I dug it. Miniature upstairs windows, indoor roofs, all sorts of oddball stuff. Pic below for reference. Nice server that kept up with the Diet Coke and tortilla chip refills. Basic plating, tacos are ala carte so no side on the plate. Lots of filling. Not a bad thing. 4/5

Aroma - Still struggling with this one. Also, the potato taco I got was much smellier, so it kind of overshadowed everything. 3/5

Value - Fancy pants fish tacos are 50 cents more than the other 13 varieties. Big spendin at three bucks a pop. As I mentioned, I got a papas & cotija as well, so a total of $11.50 for 4 tacos. Chips, salsa, and beans are a free appetizer. I was pretty full when we left, probably could have gotten away with just the fish tacos. Nine bucks for 3 tacos and an appetizer is solid. 8/10

Fish - Grilled and pretty well spiced. Something about it was different, not sure what kind of fish it was but it wasn't quite the standard white fish I've grown used to. A bit more fish flavor. A good quantity too. Something about it wasn't perfect, but I can't put my finger on it. So mid-high score. 7/10

Not Fish - As the pic shows they use cabbage literally. Double corn tortillas for each taco, one decent sized lime slice for the whole plate. Not quite enough pico and they could use some white sauce, but still above average. Plus radishes... 6/10

Overall Taste - They came together well, but as mentioned there was something a bit off. Not bad, but not top 5. 6/10

Bonus Points - Nope. +0

Overall Overall - 34/50

Tacos aside, these guys had a great menu. Seems like some legit Mexican food, not the standard Tex Mex fare, and prices are decent. Worth a stop.

The Ram - Third Chances

I wasn't expecting to write this post. I believe the last we spoke of The Ram my decision was "eff em". The universe apparently had different plans. A professional group that I'm a part of had their officer elections last night, as you may have guessed by now, at The Ram. Dinner included. Essentially free tacos. What can I say? Aside from bah, I thought I was done with these jag bags. Truncated review inbound.

No Facade Pic. Bwa Bwa.

Presentation - Average across the board. Average service, average plating, average interior, average facade. My jaded eyes were not particularly impressed. 3/5

Aroma - Pretty decent nose on these. Chipotle and avocado. It worked. 4/5

Value - Nose dive. $14.50 for two tacos and a side of rice and beans. The lowest so far, Piper Pub, was three normal sized tacos and a small side for $13.29.  The side is bigger here, but not enough to make up for a taco. 2/10

Fish - High point here, I got the battered haddock (ain't got no time for blackened ahi) and it was honestly great. Great breading, perfectly juicy, not a lot of spices or anything, but it didn't need it. My only gripe is that it was one big ass piece, not a few smaller ones. And I suppose that this is my 3rd friggin time trying to get these bloody tacos. 8/10

Not Fish - Tortillas were a bit small for the fish. Otherwise pretty on point, really good slaw, decent salsa, and great avocado crema. One slice of lime per taco. A bit off book but really good. The sides weren't bad, but nothing to write home about. 7/10

Overall Taste - I hate how much I liked these. They were expensive, but delicious. 8/10

Bonus Points - Time to take your lumps, Ram. 2 failed visits, 2 points off. -2

Overall Overall - 30/50

I'm admittedly still cranky about these, and they are expensive. If you are ok with those two facts, try them. They're pretty good.

Twin Peaks - Boob Joke

This one is a bit of an oddity on the list, it falls into the "breastaurant" category along such illustrious venues as Hooters and Tilted Kilt. The banner on the wall claims that Twin Peaks has been around since 2005, which the interwebs confirm. Not sure how long this location has been around, maybe 3 or 4 years? Fun fact, that biker gunfight in Waco, TX a couple years back happened in a Twin Peaks parking lot. True story.

Presentation - I was honestly surprised at the attire, it was revealing but not overly so. Short shorts, a bit of belly, but nothing as egregious as I was expecting. So...kudos? I guess? Anyway, the interior is not fancy, fake wood and fake dead animals plus a buttload of TVs. Functional I suppose. I will say they advertise their beer at 26-29 degrees, which is just too bloody cold for beer, even if it's garbage. The plating was good, 3 tacos surrounded with chips and a ramekin of salsa. Again, functional. 3/5

Aroma - They smelled flavorful, a good bit of chipotle in there. Distinct lack of lime, which was a bummer, but still good. 4/5

Value - High marks here. $9.99 for 3 good sized tacos and a healthy portion of chips and salsa. I was full when I finished, which has been rarer than expected in this tour. 8/10

Fish - I haven't had fried fish in almost a month. I'm craving it, need to address that soon. That said, this was not a bad example of grilled white fish. Good portions, decent seasoning, perhaps a bit on the fishy side, but not enough so to really hurt the flavor. Nice and juicy too. 6/10

Not Fish - Bad things first - flour tortillas and no limes. Bwa bwa. Otherwise pretty much to recipe with a chipotle twist on the sauce. Really nice flavor to the slaw and the sauce, a bit of spice but not enough that I'd call them "spicy". The chips were fine and the salsa was decent enough and unique, not just normal boring restaurant salsa. Plenty of both on the plate. We also had "Billionaire's Bacon" as an appetizer, which was 6 slices of fancy and tasty bacon. Highly recommended. 7/10

Overall Taste - With the bolder flavors in the non-fish fillings, I was a fan. Pretty traditional tasting, but not bland, plenty of flavor in there without being polarizing. Surprisingly good given the locale and reputation. 7/10

Bonus Points - Already made the boob joke in the title. Or at least said "boob joke". So I'll spare another one. They charged an extra dollar for Christine's side of veggies instead of fries, which is some BS. +0

Overall Overall - 35/50

I was not expecting these guys to do so well, so kudos for decent food in a restaurant known for something else. Glad we didn't take the girls. One less awkward conversation to be had.

Bardenay - National Taco Day!

Another administrative detail point; 13th Street Pub did not have fish tacos. They did have a pretty decent veggie burger. But alas, off the list they go.

Speaking of off the list, let's talk about The Ram. I gave them a shot. Two shots in fact. First we were greeted with an hour wait on a Thursday with no explanation. I'll give them a break there. However, they also decided that for the Blink 182 concert last month, they would only offer a limited menu. As you can guess, no tacos on there. BECAUSE TRAVIS BARKER HATES TACOS! OR SO I'VE CHOSEN TO BELIEVE! So two strikes. I put it to a vote on Facebook and got a mixed bag of "EFF EM!" and give them another chance. I gave them another (half) shot and tried to get in touch with the manager. He got back to me, not with an apology, but with a "Yep, our tacos are good, come try them." So it has come to this. EFF 'EM!

Presentation - 1/5

Aroma - 1/5

Value - 1/5

Fish - 1/10

Not Fish - 1/10

Overall Taste - 1/10

Bonus Points - NEGATIVE A THOUSAND! (+0)

Overall Overall - 6/50

EAT BUTTS THE RAM!

Anyway, back to business. Today is National Taco Day. It is also Feel Sick and Grumpy Day. Still, we had to celebrate, so we headed down to Bardenay for dinner. I've always been a fan of Bardenay, great location and a solid menu with a good vibe. Good booze too if you partake. I had pretty high hopes.

Presentation - See? Such a nice facade. Really hard to beat on a summer night. The interior is great too, the distillery is front and center and well kept. Good decor, nice layout. On par with Bittercreek/Red Feather. The tacos were decent, well presented with a holder. A bit boring without a side, but clean. So close to perfect, but I have to dock a bit for kind of meh service. Not a lot of enthusiasm, not bad just not as good as it could have been. 4/5

Aroma - A lot of green on there, heavy on the tomatillos and cucumbers. Neither of these are particularly aromatic, and thus the tacos weren't either. Just a bit meh. 3/5

Value - $9.95 for two tacos is rough, especially without a side. To their credit, the tacos were not small, not quite enough for a meal for me, but not bad. Also, they were marked on the receipt as an appetizer. Not on the menu, and not really priced as such. 4/10

Fish - The menu said grilled, but first glance didn't look like it. Closer examination and I think they're heavily basted, almost to a fried texture. A bit dry and honestly, the ancho chili was pretty bland. It looked so promising, and wasn't bad, but didn't live up to appearances. 5/10

Not Fish - Another unique one. Red radish and cucumber salsa, cotija cheese, tomatillo and cilantro sauce. So much promise, but again, just underwhelming. I'll give them credit for trying, and like the fish, not bad tasting, just not as much to it as you'd expect from the description. They did get the tortillas and lime right, which is something. 5/10

Overall Taste - Right down the middle of the road, hard to find fault, but bland plus bland equals, unsurprisingly, bland. I could eat like 11 of these without complaint, but I wouldn't seek them out, especially at $5/ea. A forgettable edible. I should trademark that. 5/10

Bonus Points - Not enough to earn one, but good kids meals at $5 each. +0

Overall Overall - 26/50

High hopes dashed. On the plus side, this is one of the few misses on the menu, plenty of other good options on there. Choose one of them and enjoy that patio. Vaya con dios!

Parrilla - Fridays Only

Managed to sneak in a third for the week! Unexpected trip to Parrilla! This one was tough, they only offer fish tacos on Friday, doesn't always fit with the schedule. A parent visit made it work. We've been fans of Parrilla since moving to the North End, they have a solid menu with a surprising variety. Some is more traditional Mexican restaurant fare, some the requisite hipster food for the neighborhood. So far, all solid.

I forgot to get a facade picture. Bwa bwa. It looks like a restaurant.

Presentation - The inside is as eclectic as the menu, a strip of booths down one wall, a high bar that sort of divides up the place, and a number of picnic tables in the bar area.  Kind of odd decor, mish mash of TV's and art I suppose. They also have a nice big garage door that opens the place up to 13th street and gives a great vibe. The presentation was basic, three tacos in a cardboard tub. Fine for counter service but nothing to write home about. 3/5

Aroma - They smelled like tacos. I suppose with a bit of pineapple in there. Yup. 3/5

Value - Note no price on the sign. They're $2.12 a pop, really solid deal in my opinion. I think they come with chips too if you want, though we ordered nachos already so I didn't ask for any more. 4 adults and 2 kids ate well for $44. Pretty good prices all around. 7/10

Fish - Unique in the fact that they cook to order. Order 3 tacos, 3 pieces of fish go on the grill. Cooked in the blackened style, no mention of what kind. A bit dry, mild seasoning but some citrus there. Only the one piece per taco, but that seemed to be enough. As usual, I wish they were fried. 5/10

Not Fish - I was worried about the lack of a white sauce, I expected them to be pretty dry. The pico and pineapple ended up being enough, my worries were unfounded. The cotija cheese really made the taste, it was present in every bite and it was really good. Unique ingredients, and unlike Bonefish, they came together well. No limes though... 7/10

Overall Taste - I dug them. Like the rest of their menu they're unique and solid, pretty obvious some thought went into them. They do allow you to customize with a number of toppings, so change them up as you'd like, but I'd recommend leaving them be. 7/10

Bonus Points - Nothing I can think of. I think we accidentally stole a soda, but that's not worth a point. Peanut butter honey tacos almost earn one, but they were a bit off tonight. +0

Overall Overall - 32/50

Decent enough score, not exceptional but solidly in the middle. About right. I won't go out of my way for them, but if I'm eating at Parrilla on a future Friday, I'll probably get at least one.

Bonefish Grill - Shhhhhhhhh!!!

First up, some administrative detail. Costa Vida was originally on the list and was the planned stop tonight. However, upon calling them, I discovered they no longer serve fish tacos. So off the list they go, one more down.

Plan B then, just across the street to Bonefish Grill. They are a chain, though I've never been so I wasn't sure what to expect. Walking in, it was quiet. Fancier than expected. A bit much for a Thursday out with the girls, but so be it, we're here. They sat us in the back where I got the stink eye from a goober with a goofy mustache more times than I'd prefer. I think we were too loud for his geriatric ears or something.

We told the girls it was a whisper restaurant, which they were surprisingly accepting of. We were a nice quiet table, at least until the waiter stopped by and let out a veritable wail of a greeting. OK then, rule's off.

Presentation - I like the location, right at Broad and 9th with a nice patio and a well designed facade that lets you see downstairs too. The girls loved it. The inside was good too, nice consistent fish theme and a good ambiance, if not a bit dark. See the interior pics for evidence. The taco plating was simple but decent. Always a fan of the taco stand. 4/5

Aroma - Different. Between the mango and whatever the green stuff was (cilantro?) they were a little more pungent than I'm used to. Mild, but good, and pretty unique. 4/5

Value - In two words, not great. $13.30 for 3 tacos and some fries. $2.99 for drinks. Their fish strips (sticks?) kids meal was $7.90! I honestly don't recall seeing a kids menu that expensive ever before. Two of the "cheaper" ($6.30) kids meals, two entrees, and two drinks plus tax and tip and we were well over $50. Not great. 3/10

Fish - Nothing wrong with it. Nothing memorable either. Well prepared but overly mild, no seasoning to speak of. There was a decent amount of it. 4/10

Not Fish - I'll give them credit for trying something different. The "mango salsa" is pretty much just mangos. Not a lot of the white sauce. Lettuce, not cabbage. Mystery green stuff. Flour tortillas, one lime slice total. Swing and a miss. 3/10

Overall Taste - The aroma lied. Plenty edible, but not much more. Just nothing to them. Calories. Protein. Carbs. An acceptable meal. So on. 4/10

Bonus Points - Nope. +0

Overall Overall - 22/50

Been a bit since I could confidently say "skip it". I'll say it now. Skip Bonefish, at least for fish tacos. They probably have better items on the menu (the girls popcorn shrimp was solid), but this one isn't worth it.

Cafe Ole - Mall Tacos

Another hiatus. This one has a bit more explanation and was not for lack of trying. More details soon enough. Either way, it ended last night with a trip to (*shudder*) the mall. I read through the list, Cafe Ole is definitely the closest in proximity to the nightmarish hellscape that is the Boise Town Square. Oddly enough I actually ventured inside this past weekend, took Addie down there to use up an almost expired Eddie Bauer reward. She got a flashlight, I got reassurance that carrying a pocket knife at all times is not a bad idea.

Oddly enough the ambiance of this little place is completely removed from the suckfest of the mall. Walk past the fountain and through the doors and it's a nice joint. I preferred the old downtown location a bit more (if for nothing more than the location) but this is by no means bad. Quiet, well laid out, plus an indoor fountain! I don't get it, but the girls love it. The decor seems fairly authentic, even with a very tex-mex menu, and the place is sort of divided into rooms which keeps it from feeling super full.

Presentation - As mentioned above, nice atmosphere. My small gripe was our benches were awful tight to the table, but it didn't really cause any issues. The plating was good, I like the separate dish for the rice and beans to keep things nice and tidy. The sauce on the side was a nice bonus too, made it easy to customize tacos as you ate. 4/5

Aroma - Nice and citrusy, the fish was marinated in something simple but appealing. I'm factoring in the great smelling salsa options too since you have the ability to add it at your leisure. 4/5

Value - This continues to be a tough category to remain consistent on, but I will try. Three tacos with rice and beans for $11.99, average to high for a sit down restaurant. However it really helps that they start you off with chips, salsa, and refried beans. I can't confirm, but these seem to be bottomless as they refilled them for us with no charge on the bill. They also have a salsa bar with a great variety of options to complement the already included ones. I'd say this is normally a $4-6 appetizer at a restaurant, and one I'd typically order. I was also completely stuffed after my meal, so the portions were generous. 7/10

Fish - The waiter didn't bat an eye when I asked for one grilled and two fried, which was nice, let me try both options. The fried is definitely pan fried, not a lot of breading. You can see it in the picture above, probably closer to blackened than fried. The pan frying dried it out a bit and killed off some of the seasoning, so surprisingly enough, I preferred the grilled. The flavor came through a lot better, it was nicely juicy, and just overall tasted better. Not amazing, but solid. Instead of one or two large pieces they are smaller chunks that are plentiful and well distributed. 6/10

Not fish - Some oddities here. The corn tortillas are pan fried and relatively greasy. Not enough to offend, but different. This helps them hold together well enough, even with just one per taco. There's also melted cheese hiding under the ingredients, uncommon for fish tacos. The tacos came relatively naked, I tried the first one with just a squeeze of lime (one on the plate but I think there were more available at the salsa bar) and it was a bit bland. Adding the sauce and some salsa made it much better. Cabbage and pico were solid, sides were good, I like that they default to black beans instead of pinto or refried. 7/10

Overall Taste - These came together well, just enough off the normal recipe to stand out, but still undeniably identifiable as fish tacos. 7/10

Bonus Points - I really like the kids menu, $3.99 for a wide variety of tex-mex or boring options, all of which are plenty big for kids. Counterpoint, drinks aren't cheap, $2.99 for soda, $1.95 for chocolate milk, almost $10 total in beverages at the table. Counter-counterpoint, kids eat free on Mondays. Tipping point, our server (sorry man, forgot your name entirely) was great. +1

Overall Overall - 36/50

36 is getting a bit crowded. I'm 22 stops in and I have 4 of them. Only 6 under 30, seems like I'm a bit positively biased at this point. Either way, worth a stop in to try these.

Starting to get into the less familiar area of the list. There are a bunch on there I haven't been to in years, even more that I've never patronized. Horizons unknown or something like that. Onwards.

Rumbi Island Grill - Short Straw Saturday

This was an unplanned stop. It was supposed to be a day of building a little Hulk at Lowes with the girls, Comicon at the library, and rearranging the house a bit. It ended up taking a bit of a turn, and instead I'm at work making sure the contractors moving giant steel plates don't die. Best laid plans. As such I set my alarm for roughly 25 minutes before I needed to be here this morning and didn't pack a lunch. Luckily work is right around the corner from two of the stops on Tour De Fish Taco. Tough choice, but Rumbi won out.

Funny story about this Rumbi, its contents used to belong to a now closed location in Longmont, Colorado. I went to that Rumbi numerous times when I worked at Micron. It followed me home. Decor and all I believe, the themed interior feels a bit too familiar.

Despite those visits (and the previous visits I made to this location) I don't believe I've ever had their fish tacos. Plenty of different varieties of bowls, but no tacos, so I didn't know what to expect.

Presentation - Interior is par for the course, simple island decor, nothing fancy, does the job. The waiting area for to-go food is awkward, a tightly grouped "L" of chairs. Luckily I was the only one. The tacos were surprisingly good for fast casual to-go, they essentially matched the menu picture. Even the Stonehenge of chips was intact when I got back to the office. Kudos to the kitchen, this plastic clamshell presented better than a lot of the sit down restaurants I've visited. 4/5

Aroma - Something had coconut in it. Either the salsa or the ranch. I usually don't care for coconut, but for some reason it really worked here. Solid smelling tacos. 4/5

Value - $8.99 for two tacos and a side of rice and beans. $1.99 for a drink. $11.64 out the door for lunch. Initially this wasn't going to score well, however after eating them, I am pretty full. That rarely happens with a two taco plate. They were generously filled and the side of rice and beans was not small. Additionally there is always a coupon floating around. If I had some foresight I would have brought one, but eating solo it probably wouldn't have helped (coupons are usually buy one, get one for $1). Overall a bit above average. 6/10

Fish - I wish I knew what the fish was, it's on the menu as simply "seasonal fish". It was good, nice little chunks with a mild spice and great texture. Not fried, but not bad. 6/10

Not Fish - I wasn't expecting much from the side of rice and beans, it ended up being great though. Nice flavor, not boring, and it was filling while still feeling healthy-ish. However, the non-fish taco filling was the real star. As mentioned above I'm not a coconut fan, and there was definitely a heavy dose of coconut flavor here, but I really enjoyed it. Mild spice from the jalapeno ranch, nice sweetness from the pineapple, great consistency and balance. I'm guessing this is the best a flour tortilla can do in this tour. 8/10

Overall Taste - Unique. These tasted decidedly Hawaiian and surprisingly different from the more traditional flavor I've come to enjoy. They were great, top to bottom, including the runoff sauce that I mashed the rice and beans into. Just really enjoyable. 8/10

Bonus Points - Nothing jumps out, solid tacos, expectedly decent experience, but nothing above and beyond. +0

Overall Overall - 36/50

Not counting the one-off Bittercreek tires (still deciding their fate, or rather ignoring them until I have to) a 36 puts these tied for 2nd place. Sort of, there are two 37's, so I guess they could be tied for 3rd. Never fully understood how that should work. Regardless, very respectable with 21 stops down. I expect these will become my new go-to at Rumbi, they're solid. Cheers.

Taco Del Mar - It's In The Name

Taco Del Mar is pretty much named for this tour. Taco of the sea, really either fish or shrimp, and shrimp is not on the menu. Might as well call the place Fish Tacos. They pretty much do actually, see below.

See that sign in the lower right?  It's been in the window of all of the Taco Del Mar locations I've visited. Good sign. Literally.

The interior is kitschy, if not a bit forced. Definitely feels like the inside of a Chili's or something, enough freedom to differentiate a bit, but you can just sense the corporate mandated "flair". The girls liked it, surfboards are enough to pique their interest. Not a bad set of kids menu options either. When I ordered the tacos the server asked if I wanted them traditional and gave a short description, which more or less matches my definition of a "proper" fish taco. Another good sign.

Presentation - This is always a tough one with fast food. I didn't do it any favors either, taking it home and thus, letting it cool down a bit more than I should have. That said, they did about as good as they could have.  Aluminum foil wrappers are the right way to go, I wish there was a lime tucked in there, but I can't have it all.  Coupled with the rest of the decor, middle of the road.  Perhaps two citrus slices short of a 4th point. 3/5

Aroma - A bit of citrus on these, relatively mild fish smell. Good, not great. 3/5

Value - $4.59 for a pair, so $2.30 each. Make it a combo with a couple sides and a drink for $7.59, $8.09 if you want guacamole. Two tacos were fairly filling, though I stole the girls leftovers, as a dad is privileged to do. Overall a pretty decent deal. Make it sweeter by buying a Groupon like I did, ended up feeding myself and both girls at a cost of a bit over $10. 7/10

Fish - This is where my delay in eating them is not so helpful. Luke warm they were surprisingly alright, but hot they would have inevitably been better. Pretty mellow breading, not quite as crunchy as I like but not bad. Good flavor, good quantity. 6/10

Not Fish - As I mentioned above, they were offered to me as "traditional", which for the most part was dead on. Cabbage, pico, white sauce, wrapped in two corn tortillas. They included cheese, which wasn't a terrible addition, but wasn't necessary. I liked the white sauce, it had a nice citrus flavor to it that made the lack of limes tolerable. Being a bit generous here to try and even out my mistreatment of the tacos. 7/10

Overall Taste - As usual, follow a recipe and you'll make something very palatable. This is a case in point, these didn't wow me, but even a bit cold, they were good. Not memorable, but solidly good. 6/10

Bonus Points - These tacos were actually free for me. I got some arbitrary Groupon credit a while back that got me the deal for free, and to top it off their internet was down so they couldn't charge my card the extra $3. I don't carry cash because it's 2016 and they refused my offer to write a check, so free tacos! But that was just luck and happenstance, so no points.

Overall Overall - 32/50

32 is a respectable score and these would be a good option for a quick drop in fish taco. The biggest issue for me is location, there are 4 in the valley, but the closest is 6 miles away. Many tacos closer than that. On we go.

El Gallo Giro - Tiny Tacos!

Yeesh, been a bit, eh? This was the big vacation for the summer, a few days in Oregon, a couple days back at work while the girls stayed on the coast, and then back out to Washington to hit some national parks. 11 days total and obviously I've been slacking on the blog. I apologize. A little bit at least. Not a ton.

I did have some tacos on the coast, rockfish and halibut at a place called Clearwater in Newport. Not bad at all, but they had the advantage of being by the ocean. Like right by it. There were seals in a pile on a dock not 50 feet from where we sat. Barking the whole damn time. Dicks.

But tonight we're back at it! For some reason my dad is a huge fan of El Gallo Giro in Kuna (Google says it's called Enrique's now, not sure if that's true), so I've been there a few times. Not bad. Hadn't been to the El Gallo Giro in Boise before, but with a vague understanding of their relationship, I assumed good things.

The restaurant is well hidden on Glenwood, I had to annoy the drivers behind me as I slowed a few times trying to find the place. We eventually made it in to a pretty sleepy restaurant. A couple other customers, Olympics on the TV, and quick service. Just fine for an early Thursday evening.

Presentation - Really no complaints here. It has the ambiance of a typical valley Mexican restaurant and a menu to match. The molcajetas are their specialty (Christine got one, it was pretty decent) but they also have a pair of taco options on the menu. Per the rules, I tried the entree and added an ala carte solo taco. Nothing fancy in the plating, though taco holders are always a welcome addition. 4/5

Aroma - They smelled like tacos. The big ones had a cheese smell, probably because they had cheese on them. The little one was simpler, cilantro, onions, and salsa. Nice tomatillo smell to that one. 3/5

Value - Like Fresh of the Hook, a bit tricky here. The entree (Tacos de Pescado) is $10.95 and comes with a pair of good sized tacos, rice, and beans. Average deal, and the tacos are generously sized. The ala carte option is $1.50, as you can see it's not large, Still, it's a dollar freakin fifty. For $10.95 you could have seven of them. That'll fill you up fine.  I'd wager that 4-5 plus the free chips and salsa they give you would be enough for a filling dinner at well under $10 with a drink. Really solid for a sit down restaurant. 7/10

Fish - I really liked the breading, it was nice and crunchy and just the right amount. Reasonably generous amounts all around, the tiny taco is a two biter, the entree tacos are stuffed with it. Flavor is decent, not a lot of seasoning and they didn't specify what it is, mild but nothing wrong with that. 6/10

Not Fish - The sauces (apparently there were two of them) on the entree tacos were really mild. I can't say I actually saw or tasted them, though I didn't look too hard. This left the tacos a tad dry, but not enough to matter much. The little one was just fine. Flour tortilla on the entree, two corn tortillas on the ala carte. One lime with the ala carte, none with the entree. Just a bit above average all around, nothing wrong but nothing exceptional. 6/10

Overall Taste - These all went down very easy. I don't vividly remember them, they didn't wow me, but they were balanced and tasty, I cleaned my plate. 6/10

Bonus Points - They have an all you can eat taco buffet on Tuesday for something like $8. I want to try that. However it does not include fish tacos and today is not Thursday. No points for you. +0

Overall Overall - 32/50

Middle of the pack, good not great. They will not be winning this contest, but I'll be back for Taco Tuesday to try their other offerings. That has to mean something. Ole!

Fresh Off The Hook - So Many Choices

I knew this day would come. A truly complicated menu. 3 fish options, each available grilled or fried, and without an obvious "everything" option. One or two tacos, one fish at a time. Not unexpected from a high quality seafood restaurant like Fresh Off The Hook, but difficult all the same. With a little finagling I was able to get a plate with all 3 fish options, which was about all I could fit in my stomach anyway. We'll have to leave the grilled options for another time I suppose.

We ended up at the BoDo location on Saturday night, which ended up being perfect patio weather. A light breeze, low 80's, shade, hard to beat. The location is good, right on the corner of 8th and Broad, good people watching and general entertainment. The server mispronounced cumin, but I'll forgive the mistake, she hooked up the off-the-menu triple taco plate.

Presentation - The patio was great as mentioned above. Service was decent. The interior seating didn't seem quite as inviting, but overall not bad. On the whole, solid experience. The plating was nothing out of the ordinary, functional but not anything visually exciting. From the left; cod, mahi mahi, and halibut. 3/5

Aroma - As usual, mild but good. The salsa and lime-cilantro dressing were appealing, but were not strong. The breading pretty easily overpowered them, luckily it was also good. 4/5

Value - This was actually a fairly contested point with Christine. The 3 taco plate was not cheap at all, $19.99 total. I originally had this as a 4/10, which I feel was being a bit generous, but she thinks it deserves more. Let me fully explain the menu; Regardless of how many tacos you get, you get a salad (or soup for an extra buck), a side of chips and salsa (or fries or coleslaw for $0.75, sweet potato fries for $1.50), and a sherbet. At $7.99 for a single taco (they are not small) this becomes a better deal. Personally a single taco is a bit light for me, but if it's enough for you, solid price. The deal you get is your decision, so we came to a consensus on this and an extra point was earned. 5/10

Fish - Things start to get really good here. Unsurprisingly a seafood specific restaurant has really good fish across the board. I also salute their choices, all 3 are mild flavored and on my arbitrary "good fish" list. High marks before the tacos were even delivered. When they came, they did not disappoint. The fish was plentiful (tortillas were leaning more towards the "burrito" size versus the "taco" size) and perfectly battered. I ate them from left to right, so cod first. It was the best of the three and about impossible to find fault with. Mahi mahi, while good, was a bit dry and lighter on flavor. Halibut was a close second to cod, still a tad dry but seasoned well and oh so tasty. 9/10

Not Fish - Flour tortillas, while not ideal, worked ok here. If nothing else they helped the sizable tacos hold together. Only one lime for the three tacos, but it was juicy. The dressing and pico were simple but tasty. The menu claims guacamole and cheese, neither of which I actually noticed. They could have been there, could have not. Might be getting a bit generous here but I can't find any big faults. 8/10

Overall Taste - Really good, if not a bit on the simple side. A unique sauce or more flavor to the existing ones may up it a bit, but maybe that's not what they're going for. I can see these appealing to a wide range of tastes, as they did to mine. 8/10

Bonus Points - Nothing jumping out at me here. No kids with us this time, so no opportunity there, though their kids menu looks good and decently priced. If I hadn't included the sherbet in the value section it might have earned one. Anyway. +0

Overall Overall - 37/50

37 is a solid score. Depending on where Bittercreek falls it's tied for 1st or 2nd. About what I expected for a true seafood place, but again slightly dinged by the value. I think I'm going to have to have some extra awards at the end, best fish, best value, all that. Anyway, solid tacos, really looking forward to the rest of the real seafood joints.