McGrath's Fish House - Ahi!

Getting down to the last of these stops, and really some of the ones I have low expectations for. McGrath's was near the bottom of the list. I don't really know why, I haven't had a bad experience there or anything, just wasn't looking forward to it. But alas, the tour must complete, so off we go!

McGrath's is in the same complex as the Black Bear Diner, which is a rough start. Nothing much to look at outside, but the inside is nice and kitschy. We ate at standard old people time, about 5:30, and the clientele matched the hour. I heard a lot about the illustrious world of razor clams from the elderly gentleman behind me. The manager was about as enthused as I was.

Presentation - Weirdness and geriatrics aside, the service and ambiance were good. I'll get into the menu in a minute, but they were happy to let me have both fish options on one dish. All things considered, not much to complain about. 4/5

Aroma - Appropriately fishy. Nuf said. 3/5

Value - They charged me the ahi price for the mixed tacos, which is fair. Portions were large and the rice side was really solid, lots of veggies. I left full. 6/10

Fish - The "fish" option is grilled white fish with some decent seasoning. The ahi option is seared with a good amount of cajun seasoning. Also, ahi! That's a new one for the tour and was honestly pretty solid. Unique and you need to be ready for raw fish, but I can dig. Neither option was a real standout, but they were both pretty good. 6/10

Not Fish - These tacos were full. Dirty rice is another new addition to the taco fillings. A bit odd, but not terrible really, another welcome change from the usual. Like the fish, not a big standout, but good. 6/10

Overall Taste - Something about the ahi made this come together. Same with the rice pilaf, just different enough to make for a solid meal. 7/10

Bonus Points - Nothing to report here. Bwa bwa. +0

Overall Overall - 32/50

These are starting to get a bit shorter. Running out of things to say as this thing draws to a close. That said, these are worth the try, especially if you are an ahi fan. And McGrath's didn't suck. Also they're a chain. Who knew?

Crescent Bar - Now Family Friendly?

Down to the last 10! Probably even less actually, 3 of them may or may not have tacos. Kind of a mixed bag left, some I'm really looking forward to, others a bit more meh. Crescent Bar falls into the latter, but so be it, the tour must proceed!

They are really touting their family friendly atmosphere for some reason. Presumably an odd location and dwindling customers, but who knows. I don't think they changed much to bring about the family friendliness, it's still all high top tables or bar seating (unsurprisingly kids can't sit at the bar). Also no kids menu.

Presentation - See above for my thoughts on the ambiance. Feels like a bar really. Luckily my girls are old enough to sit at a high top table without incident. Service was good, though they only let me have one type of fish. I chose fried cod. Sorry tilapia. Plating was meh. 2/5

Aroma - Smelled like fried fish tacos. Not a standout, but not bad. 3/5

Value - $8.99 for two tacos. No side. Big pieces of fish, but by no means a bargain. When the plate arrived I expected to need to stop at Del Taco on the way home. That didn't happen, so I'll give them one extra point. 4/10

Fish - One big piece, and not bad. Good breading, not too greasy or heavy, solid flavor. A bit of a pleasant surprise. 6/10

Not Fish - Only one tortilla per taco, but also one lime slice per, which offsets it. The sriracha ranch wasn't bad and was needed to avoid an otherwise dry taco. Fresh veggies, still not sure about that jack cheese. But overall it came together. 6/10

Overall Taste - I didn't hate them. I actually liked them. Not like a lot, but no real complaints. Well balanced and more filling than expected. I wish they would have let me do one of each. 6/10

Bonus Points - They tried here, the owner brought out some snacks for the girls. Nice gesture, but they were expired. +0

Overall Overall - 27/50

Didn't expect too much out of this one, they ended up coming in a bit above what I anticipated, but still blend into the middle. At the price point I'd advise you skip it. If you're in the area and really jonesing for some fish tacos, there are plenty of better ones within a mile or two. 9 to go.