Reel Foods - Premium Fish

I've been looking forward to this one. Reel Foods Fish Market is very well reviewed, but has tricky hours. They cater a bit more to the lunch crowd and, as I found out today, tacos are typically only available one week per month. We stopped in on a whim after a busy morning and were lucky enough to catch the last day of said availability week. Huzzah!

Both the location and layout are a bit odd. Reel Foods is in the same parking lot as FedEx on the NW corner of River and Capital and is split between a diner-like oyster bar area and a market with a few tables and a bar. I'm sure it would suck if it was crowded, but it wasn't so it went surprisingly well.

Presentation - Christine and I sat at the bar with the girls right behind us at a short table. There are no 4 person tables, so we had to improvise. There also isn't really a kitchen, but a fryer and a small grill opposite the bar and a prep area right against it. It actually ended up being a nice cozy feel, we talked with the cooks and servers the whole time. Really nice folks there. The plating was rather simple, fitting for the overall feel. Really kind of average in terms of restaurant layout, which looks like what they're going for. 3/5

Aroma - About as good as I've had yet. They used a honey chipotle glaze on the fish, which was the dominant smell. Smelled amazing. More on that in a bit. 5/5

Value - Tough one here. $11.99 for two tacos and a chips and salsa side. That is not cheap. However, to be fair this is probably some of the best fish in the valley. Never frozen, fried up right in front of me, and as fresh as you can hope for in Boise. Giving them a bit of a bump for that. 6/10

Fish - I struggled finding a flaw. So much so that I failed. The fish was done to perfection. I asked, they use just a bit of rice flour for the breading which leaves the fish wonderfully crispy but light and not greasy. They were pretty generous with it too as you can see. As I mentioned in the aroma section, it's tossed in a honey chipotle glaze after cooking, which is downright fantastic. I don't think this fish can be topped, and I score them accordingly. 10/10

Not Fish - A bit on the simple side, though not bad. Corn tortillas (one each), a salsa that had a light sweetness to it, a bit of cabbage, a simple but tasty white sauce, and one lime for the pair. The fish was the star here, and they wisely didn't go too crazy with the other stuff. I could have gone for another tortilla per taco, one more lime slice, and a side of the glaze, which they did offer. Next time I'll take them up. 7/10

Overall Taste - Among the best fish tacos I've ever had. Unique and memorable while still holding fairly true to a good formula. Not much that can be done to improve these. 9/10

Bonus Points - I'm tempted to give them one for their fish and chips. They use rice flour in this batter as well, which is a tad heavier but still nice and light. The girls cleaned their plates, but not after I stole a bite. Super good. But not enough to justify a bonus point. +0

Overall Overall - 40/50

It's been long enough that I don't remember the Bittercreek tacos as well as I should. I need to go try them again so I can properly rank these two. They both definitely deserve the 1 and 2 spots, but I'm not sure which wins at this point.

Joe's Crab Shack - Location Isn't Everything

For some reason I've been putting off a visit to Joe's Crab Shack. I drive by it every day on my way to work, I've never had a particularly bad experience there, but I just haven't felt like going in there yet. Didn't really feel like it tonight either, but I gave Christine three choices and this one won out. So across the river we went.

I swear I took a facade picture. My phone thinks otherwise...

Driving into the lot, I think it's really been the location that's been putting me off. Awkwardly nestled next to Fairview in a weird corner by the river. Tricky to get in and out of, weird shaped parking lot, and the exterior looks a little dingy. Luckily that fades away pretty fast once you walk in, it's nice and clean inside with a pretty solid view of the river.

Presentation - The service was great, regrettably I forgot our servers name, but she never let a drink go empty and was very prompt with anything we needed. The layout is nice and open, cozy yet spread out, which made the two times the staff sang happy birthday to a customer not particularly irritating. The taco spread was good, no real complaints. 4/5

Aroma - The avocado lime dressing smelled great, as did the seasoning of the fish. Christine's crab was a bit pungent, otherwise a great smelling meal. 4/5

Value - $12 for three tacos, chips, and queso. Normally an average deal, but these tacos were seriously big. Finishing the plate left me pretty darn full. 7/10

Fish - Blackened mahi with a good dose of seasoning. Honestly just a tad light on the fish, could have used one more chunk per taco, but not enough that I felt ripped off. Solid flavor, a bit light for the amount of seasoning on them, but good. 6/10

Not Fish - First up the side, queso. Unique so far in this challenge and appreciated, if a bit cold. Single flour tortillas, which worked but would have been better if they were corn. One slice of lime per taco and about the perfect proportions of cabbage, pico, and sauce. Not bad at all. 7/10

Overall Taste - Just a tad on the spicy side, but pretty darn good. These are grilled fish tacos I'd happily eat again. They come together well and leave you festively plump. 7/10

Bonus Points - Kids meals can be a tough one. I often feel ripped off paying $5-6 for a tiny portion of simple, mediocre food. This menu was good in that it offered non-standard choices and wasn't overpriced. The real shock came when Addie's plate arrived, pictured below. It was massive. I swear she got more food than I did for a bit over $5. Pretty solid value there if you have a little one to feed. +1

Overall Overall - 36/50

After the trainwreck that was Black Bear Diner I didn't have much hope for the remaining chains. Joe's Crab Shack dispelled that worry, these were a nice surprise. 21 to go...