El Torito - Authentic and Spicy

I think this place used to be some hippy dippy bologna restaurant. I remember pulling up to check out their menu, laughing out loud at prices, and returning to my car to drive elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, those guys are no longer around, replaced late last year by an apparently very successful taco truck, Taqueria El Torito. Upgrade!

Presentation - Not much too this place. Counter service with a few basic tables. Most of the food came on paper plates. One little knock for the service, which left a bit to be desired. It was quick, just not super friendly. 2/5

Aroma - Pretty solid. Nice and balanced with a bit of spice. 4/5

If you can't read that, check the link above, they have a clear menu pic

Value - The fish tacos are the most expensive a la carte tacos on the menu at a whopping $2.50 each. I had three, and a shrimp one for good measure. The really cheap ones ($1.25!) are smaller, but Christine was happy with 3. Nothing on this menu was expensive. 7/10

Fish - Grilled pollock with some seasoning. On point, super tasty and up there with the best grilled fish I've had thus far in the challenge. Not too salty, not spicy (see the next section), I couldn't pinpoint specifically what was in the seasoning but I was a fan. 8/10

Not Fish - A bit of a departure from the traditional (albeit pretty American) "standard". No white sauce, single corn tortillas, avocados, and a healthy dose of hot sauce by default. If you're not a fan of spicy, these aren't for you, they're up there between medium and hot. That said, the flavors come together great. I could have gone for a couple more lime slices. And the veggies on the side were weird. 8/10

Overall Taste - Up there with my favorites. Another instance where I wish they would make a fried option as well to compare. Next time we go I'm going to throw a few more sauces in the mix from their salsa bar, I imagine they'll also be great. 8/10

Bonus Points - I don't usually get beer with the tacos, but they had a helles lager I really wanted to try. They also had a happy hour, so I asked how much a pint cost. $1.88. Holy balls that's cheap for a draft beer. It's cheaper than I could get it at the store. Worth a point. +1

Overall Overall - 38/50

I had no idea what to expect going in, but I left with a new name in the top 3 and looking forward to returning and trying more of their tacos. Worth a stop if you're in the area.

Sockeye - Salmon Done...Meh

The Cole location of Sockeye Brewing is an odd one. It usually feels like a dying strip mall restaurant, a hangover of the 90's that will probably close down any day now. I've been to really weird car club meetings (Les Bois Miata Club anyone?) and some solid Bogus Basin Ski Patrol fundraisers. All in all it's still alive and kicking, but pretty dated.

Jump southwest about 4 miles and you'll be at their new production facility, which feels quite different. Bright, open, it's generally the one I prefer, and still just within the Boise city limits. So technically either one was fair game for the tour.

We went to Cole. Traffic and all that.

Presentation - See above. Interior is...dated. Service wasn't bad, one less soda than I'd have preferred, but probably better for me. Super simple plating. I should have gone with soup, the fries were pretty run of the mill. Also, they offer both grilled and fried, but only allow you to choose one, not get one of each. Had to trade a fried to my dad for a grilled to get a taste of both. 2/5

Aroma - The fried smelled pretty greasy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but does overpower anything else. The grilled allowed some of the other scents to come through. A bit of spice from the baja sauce. Middle of the road. 3/5

Value - $12 for two tacos and a side. On the not side of great. Salmon is a "premium" fish, so I'll give them a bit of a break, but not enough to get to average. 4/10

Fish - It's no secret that salmon isn't my favorite. This is the first time I've had it fried, and it wasn't bad, but I think that's because it was heavily battered. The grilled version was pretty forgettable. Fairly mild flavor on both really, which isn't necessarily bad. I'll give them an average. 5/10

Not Fish - I liked the baja sauce and the slaw was pretty solid. However, I'm just now realizing that there's something missing. Check that menu. See it? The distinct lack of guacamole is now taunting me. That plus flour tortillas makes me angry. 4/10

Overall Taste - Definitely not as good as the Bier:Thirty salmon, but plenty palatable. Just not remotely memorable. Maybe some guac would have helped... 5/10

Bonus Points - $5.99 kids meals does not bode well... +0

Overall Overall - 23/50

With a name like Sockeye, salmon tacos were a given. With a location like the restaurant on Cole, mediocrity was as well. On we go.

Bier:Thirty - Salmon Done Right

It was destiny. Or maybe laziness. I woke up this morning knowing I wanted tacos. And I did not want to cook them. Also I added 3 more stops to the tour this week after some research, Rancheritos, Jalapeno's, and El Torito. Time makes fools of us all, or something like that.

Anyway, tacos tonight! I had a Facebook nudge from my friend Chris, so we ended up at Bier:Thirty. Eventually. It is really far east, always takes longer to get there than I expect. Bown Crossing is rad, but a hoof. Still, Bier:Thirty is a favorite of mine, for both beer and food, always happy to go out there for a meal.

Presentation - My main gripe here is family seating, which is sparse. Most tables are high tops, but to be fair the clientele is primarily adult. We got a nice corner table which allowed the girls to spread out a tad. Counter service and a hell of a tap list today. The plating was as simple and without fault. Average all around. 3/5

Aroma - The first hint at something different, I got a good whiff of dill. Chipotle was evident too, and some vinegar. Pretty solid. 4/5

Value - $9 for 2 big tacos and a hefty side of chips and salsa. Above average deal. 7/10

Fish - Salmon was a hard start. Grilled was no help. However, these were not overly fishy, despite having ample fish chunks. Not up there with a nice fried cod or tilapia, but my favorite take on salmon so far. 6/10

Not Fish - Starts getting real good here. They don't explicitly say what's on them, but I believe it's pickled onions, cotija cheese, and a nice saucy cole slaw (with the aforementioned dill). Definitely a bold take, and a unique one. Not a lot of citrus, flour tortillas. I dig it. 8/10

Overall Taste - The risk of an oddball recipe pays off. Super good and memorable. I can see fried fish improving these, but not by a lot. 8/10

Bonus Points - Good beer selection, but that's becoming decently common. +0

Overall Overall - 36/50

Tied for fourth, solid performance. If you want salmon, this is my current recommendation. Get a sour beer too, goes great with the tacos. Cheers.

Cafe Rio - The Last of the Chains

At least I think it's the last of the chains. Of course, this thing has been going for like a year, so I have a few I need to add to the list, meaning I'm probably wrong. Bwa bwa.

Cafe Rio is an odd ball. For the most part I like their food, aside from the sweet pork, which is garbage. Seriously. If you like their sweet pork I'm going to reconsider our friendship. Blech. Anyway, decent food, but the evening environment is usually terrible. Just dominated with herds of uncontrolled children. I want to (and may have in the past) stick a foot out as they run past and send them tumbling into a table. CONTROL YOUR CHILDREN OR STOP BREEDING! OR IDEALLY BOTH! I digress.

Presentation - I prefer the layout of the Meridian store a bit, but the Boise one isn't terrible, especially when it's not full of kids. Good counter service sequence, decently open seating, and a nice drink bar. The issue is there are always kids. I had one wonderful experience at a work lunch that was nice and quiet, but otherwise it's just lousy with the little bastards. The service is average and the plating is typical counter service meh. Can't muster up a good score here. 2/5

Aroma - Caught me off guard a bit, they smelled really good. I think it was the tomatillo dressing and the lime just jiving well. Credit where credit's due. 4/5

Value - I originally scored them a bit low here, $9.69 for two tacos, rice, and beans isn't great for a counter service place. However, the price does include a drink and after eating them, I was nice and full, they are good sized tacos. That bumped them a few points. 6/10

Fish - Salmon isn't my favorite, tends to be a bit too fishy for me. I think I'm in the minority here. These were grilled and they included a good portion of fish with a nice seasoning. It was as expected, too fishy for me, but it was done properly. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. 5/10

Not Fish - The dressing was solid, as was the pico. The tortilla was flour, but decent. Way too much cilantro and romaine instead of cabbage. The sides were pretty boring and small too. Middle of the road. 5/10

Overall Taste - Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Definitely not the best salmon tacos on the tour. 5/10

Bonus Points - They offer a free quesadilla to kids under 6 with the purchase of an adult entree. That's worth something. +1

Overall Overall - 28/30

For what it's worth these are only available on Fridays. If you're dying for some fish tacos on Friday, you can definitely stop here, but bring earplugs. And maybe a nerf gun. Damn kids.

Basilios - Food Truck?

What qualifies as a food truck? Does it have to be mobile? Or even a truck? Does a trailer count? Tough questions. The stop in question, Basilios, is what I would consider a food truck. However, it doesn't appear to have moved in a good while, and it's a trailer, not a truck. So...not sure where I'm going with this, but I had tacos there today!

I feel like this one barely qualifies as in Boise, it's all the way out at Lake Hazel and Five Mile. Pretty much Kuna, though they have another truck/trailer that is often at Fairview and Five Mile, which certainly counts. So I suppose they're at least partially Boise based.

Presentation - Tough one. It's a food truck. Styrofoam and picnic tables. They do what they can, and they offer sheltered tables, which is something. 2/5

Aroma - The tacos are pretty basic (see below) and they smell the part. Simple and straightforward smell, not great, not bad. Mild fishiness. 3/5

Value - Nice easy to read menu, right? Fish tacos are $2 each. Not a bad price and I like ala carte pricing. They're not huge, but they're relatively filling and full of fish. 6/10

Fish - Not quite sure what it is, cod maybe? Mildly fishy, grilled with a pretty good seasoning, and small pieces. Not at all bad. 6/10

Not Fish - Relatively traditional with two corn tortillas per taco. Cilantro, cabbage, and oddly a big hunk of tomato. I prefer my tomato in smallish chunks in pico. One lime piece for all 3, mild and spicy sauces on the side. I could have gone for some white sauce, though their green sauce is solid. Didn't much care for the spicy red sauce. All in all decent, but a bit too simple. 4/10

Overall Taste - Again, simple, but not bad. Three was a bit light for lunch with a side of rice and beans (extra since the tacos are ala carte). I'd get 4 if I did it again. 5/10

Bonus Points - Nah, nothing to speak to here.

Overall Overall - 26/50

Even with an early visit (just after 11AM) there was a constant stream of visitors here. I think they make good and authentic Mexican food, I'd just go with something other than the fish tacos. They're just ok, and not particularly worth the drive to Kuna.