There were a few points that had me thinking this day would never actually come. The list took a long while to whittle down, and grew a few times along the way. But dammit, the time has come to finish what I started, and here we are. Tacos are gone, opinions have been cast, time to close this thing out. So, without further adieu, the superlatives.
Overall Winner - Bittercreek Ale House
This should come as little surprise, I loved these tacos and knew they'd set the bar really high. While others came close, no one toppled them. There was a lingering question about the menu status, but it appears that they have transitioned to the standard menu. The fish may have changed, and I may have to give them another try to confirm greatness. Once the budget recovers that is. Yeesh, July was $$$.
Best Fish - Reel Foods
Rice flour breading and a chipotle honey glaze on some premium fish. Pardon my language, but holy shit this fish was good. I expected greatness and was not disappointed. My only real gripe here is these are not always available. So looking forward to getting more of these in my belly.
Best Not Fish - El Habanero
To refresh your memory, two corn tortillas, cabbage, pico, avocado, jack and cotija cheese, chipotle sauce, and a lime wedge for each taco. Nothing super out of the ordinary, just the standard with minor tweaks that brought them up to great.
Best Chain - Rumbi
These had a distinctly Hawaiian flavor to them with pineapple, jalapeno ranch, and coconut...something. Super good side of rice too, and there's always at least a $1 off coupon out there for the taking. These guys have locations in Idaho, Utah, and Arizona, so readers outside of the valley can give them a try too.
Best Taco Truck - El Habanero
I went into their not fish accolades above, but they were all around great, and they tied for second for a reason. They're an absolute bargain and a great choice for a quick lunch in West Boise. I've already recommended them to probably half a dozen colleagues.
Cheapest Taco - El Gallo Giro
$1.50 a piece for their little tiny ones. Pretty much one-biters, but not bad. If quantity is what you want, you can get essentially all you can eat for like $25.
Most Expensive Taco - Highlands Hollow
$11.95 for a single taco. Yowch. I mean, it wasn't really a taco as much as it was a super weird quesadilla, but by definition, it's a pricey ass taco. You can get just shy of 8 tacos from El Gallo Giro for the same price. Your call (get 8).
Honorable Mention - Tin Roof Tacos
These guys ended up tied for 5th with The Matador, Fresh of the Hook, The Shed, and Barbacoa. All solid options really, and to be fair, the others are likely a bit better for just fish tacos. However, of all the stops on this tour, I have not returned to any venue more than I have to Tin Roof. I've lost count, but I'd wager that I've been to Tin Roof at least monthly since the original visit in May. It's such a great all around taco joint. My girls love the breakfast tacos, my vegetarian mom likes the veggie options, and I haven't yet found a better post-mountain-biking stop for a beer and satisfying meal. I was literally there yesterday.
Though I could probably squeeze a few more categories out of this tour, I'm going to call it there. Always happy to give a personalized recommendation if you want one, but that's a solid mini-tour of the tacos in this town. Go get some! And if anyone wants to kick in for a trophy for Bittercreek, let me know.
