Barbacoa - What are these, tacos for ants?

Yet another piece of administrative detail; a friend informed me that Sunrise Cafe has fish tacos. So this is a net zero progress post, knocked one off but added one on. Such is the nature of the tour.

As a lot of Boise residents may know, Barbacoa has an interesting history. It burned to the ground in 2010 and was rebuilt with a notably different layout. I've been to the before and after versions, and I have to say I prefer the new one. The layout is open and unique, with great decor and ambiance. Food and drinks aren't cheap, but aren't egregious either. They could go for a slightly better beer selection, but their liquor selection is impressive.

Presentation - There's a bar upstairs called the Luna Rooftop Bar with a limited menu. The hostess said they'd have tacos, so we went up there first. They do have tacos, but not fish, so we ended up heading back down to the main bar. No matter, the upstairs crowd wasn't quite my bag, I much preferred the folks inside. Solid and attentive bartenders, awesome decor as I mentioned above, and unique platings. I can't find much wrong with the place honestly. 5/5

Aroma - I'm not 100% sure what was on these as the menu isn't explicit. Fish, pico, cilantro, some sort of cheese (I say cotija, Christine says feta), and a white sauce. It smelled pretty good, regardless of what's on it. 4/5

Value - $9 for a "brick" of 5 tacos. A buck eighty per taco isn't bad, but it should be noted that these are tiny. I two-bit the first taco, did the rest in one chomp. With a side of tableside guacamole and one taco to the lady friend, I left pretty full for a late night bonus dinner. Not a deal, not exorbitant. 5/10

Fish - Blackened white fish of some sort with some good seasoning. Blackened is rarely my favorite preparation, but these were a notable exception. Great seasoning, perfect amount per taco, really good. Not as good as they could have been fried, but really good nonetheless. 8/10

Not Fish - Two tiny corn tortillas per, along with pico, cilantro, some tasty crumbly cheese, and a really good white sauce. Oddly enough a lemon on the side. I left that be. The came with a mini-side of coleslaw that was great. I could have gone for a bit more spice and some limes, but pretty good all that said. Unrelated, I cheated and got an Anderson Valley Summer Solstice instead of a Diet Coke. No regrets. 7/10

Overall Taste - Not gonna lie, I wish I got 10 instead of five, they were better than expected. Well balanced, medium fishiness (fishitude?), pretty close to traditional with just enough difference to be unique. Dug em. 8/10

Bonus Points - If the upstairs bar wasn't full of douchiness and empty of fishiness, they may have earned one. But nope. +0

Overall Overall - 37/50

Tied for fourth, not at all bad for a late comer. I'm not surprised they did really well, their kitchen is on point, if not a tad pricey. For a fancy night out, highly recommended.