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...

Black Bear Diner - Geriatrics Only

Walking into Black Bear Diner is a bit of a trip. This particular example has a strange mix of Christmas and Valentines Day decorations, a skeleton crew, and a location that leaves much to be desired. West Boise isn't exactly the height of dining elegance, but of the few taco stops on that side of town, this one is perhaps my least favorite. We also brought the average age down by probably a decade when we walked in. I was surprised none of the other patrons died while we were eating. On second thought, one may have, he was a bit slumped as we walked past on the way out.

It's a bummer, the last time I was at a Black Bear Diner was almost 2 years ago in Bend, OR and it was a really good breakfast after a really fun evening. I can't say this one went as well. But hey, if you want a pile of gross sweets to end your life quickly, you could do worse. Probably. Dumpster diving or something.

Presentation - Started rough as we awkwardly waited for service at the front of an almost empty restaurant. It was a bit early (5:30ish), but come on, staff up. We were seated after a few minutes, but the general attentiveness didn't improve. No drink refills, no check ins, and a check delivered probably 10 minutes after it should have been. The plating of the tacos was fine, but there's no saving this category. They sucked. 1/5

Aroma - Not much, but what little I could detect wasn't bad. Or maybe that was Addie's strawberry waffle. 3/5

Value - Two tacos, refried beans, and cole slaw for $9.99.  The tacos were decent sized, so the price is alright. There is mention of salsa on that menu. Take a look below, none to be found. 5/10

Fish - Fried cod, usually a sure thing. I would expect a decent flavor and a nice crispy piece of fish. The batter wasn't bad and the pieces, which were decent sized, were not too oily. However there was like zero flavor. No spice or anything. Not sure what went wrong, but it was not particularly impressive. 4/10

Not Fish - Tortillas are right. No lime. Jack cheese works alright. But what the hell is going on with the slaw? It was not spicy, it was actually pretty sweet. Annoyingly so. The side of slaw had some spice, but the taco slaw tasted entirely different. And what is with the cilantro? A couple awkward leaves sadly strewn on top of limp tacos. Mince it you dumb dumbs! And sprinkle, not begrudgingly throw. 3/10

Overall Taste - Between the sweet slaw and bland fish, there's not much going on. I've eaten worse, but they were just sort of depressing piles of mundane nothingness. I'd much rather go get some $2 Del Taco tacos. 3/10

Bonus Points - Tempted to give them a negative for continuing mundane food and type 2 diabetes. But I suppose it's proper preparation for Trump's America. +0

Overall Overall - 19/50

It's honestly a bit refreshing to have a place fall so far from the middle. This was unquestionably the worst stop so far. But it's one more down, so on we go!

Red Lobster - SNOWPOCALYPSE

I wasn't planning on fish tacos tonight. Snowpocalypse had other plans. Snowpocalypse shows no mercy. Snowpocalypse said no Fresh of the Hook. Snowpocalypse said Red Lobster. So did dad, whose birthday it happens to be today.

No facade picture. It looks like a Red Lobster. With like a foot of snow on top.

Presentation - It was awkwardly dark and, given the weather, expectedly empty. I think there were 6 other tables and they actually stopped seating people shortly after we got there. That said, the service was pretty meh. Slow and kind of infrequent. The plating was fine, taco holder did its job and the fries were...fries. I'm being lenient because, you know, snowpocalypse. 3/5

Aroma - I dug the jalapeno ranch. On top of a pretty standard set of fish taco fillings, they were appetizing. 4/5

Value - $10.99 for 3x tacos and a side, plus a soup or salad and CHEDDAR BISCUITS! Filling meal for a pretty fair price. 6/10

Fish - Tilapia is a nice fish taco fish. A nice balanced flavor that's cheap enough to allow ample fish for a decent price. These were no exception, perhaps just a bit mild on the spices, but very solid, especially for grilled. 7/10

Not Fish - Flour tortillas and only one lime slice. But pico, cabbage, and jalapeno ranch. Good flavor with a small tweak on a standard formula. One small ding for a couple burned tortillas. 5/10

Overall Taste - Another that falls squarely in the middle of the road. I don't regret ordering them, but if I went again tomorrow, I probably wouldn't get them again. Good, not great, about what I'd expect from a chain. 6/10

Bonus Points - If they offered a choice of dessert for the birthday guy I'd give them one. They did not. +0

Overall Overall - 31/50

The lower 30's are filling in. There are still plenty on the list that have the potential to place high in this tour. Onwards.

Senor Fresh - Resolutions

December was an odd month. I presume due to the lack of tacos. New Years Resolution - MORE TACOS! WE START TODAY! WITH SENOR FRESH! Truthfully I had to check that this one was actually in Boise, it's waaaaayyy out on Chinden past HP. I think I could throw a rock to Meridian from the front door, but it's definitely in Boise. If nothing else, they win the furthest Northwest award.

Presentation - Strip mall location with counter service. Not fancy, but clean and welcoming, especially in the recent snowpocalypse. Friendly and quick service too. The plating was about what you'd expect, a paper lined plastic basket with chips on the side. They individually wrapped the tacos in foil, which is fairly rare in this city for some reason. 3/5

Aroma - Mild. No limes, so not a lot of citrus, but not bad. 3/5

Value - High marks here. Tacos are ala carte, $2.50 each with chips on the side. I went with 3 on the recommendation of the server, which was almost too much. They were large, so my $7.50 filled me up just fine. 8/10

Fish - I struggled with this one a bit. There was plenty of fish per taco, but honestly it seemed a tad undercooked. Not like for the earth, but for fish tacos. I could have gone for a bit more crispiness. All that said it was not bad fish. Mild spices and seasoning alongside a mild fish flavor, just a bit of room for improvement. 6/10

Not Fish - Pretty much by the book, 2 corn tortillas, cabbage, pico, white sauce. Missing a lime. Also, the sauce was a bit inconsistent, one taco was drowning, another was a bit dry. Like the fish, a bit of room for improvement. 6/10

Overall Taste - Middle of the road, the sum of the parts didn't come together quite as well as I would have hoped. 5/10

Bonus Points - Though the place is nice and budget friendly, nothing jumps out as deserving of a plus. +0

Overall Overall - 31/50

Another worthy of a stop if you're in the area, but not particularly worthy of a dedicated trip out to almost Meridian. 363 days to go, so many tacos to eat! Onwards!

Amigos - Location, Location, Location

As the crow flies (and driving actually), Amigos is the closest tour stop to home. Just under a mile, honestly I would have walked if it wasn't bloody freezing out. Stupid winter...

For a close restaurant, the place isn't super accessible. It's next to a toy store in a tiny strip mall on the south side of State St. We had to make an odd little jog from 28th to get there and the parking lot is rather tiny. Bad zoning?

Presentation - Pretty bland interior. Fine wall decor, cafeteria tables. Not fancy. Decent plating though, something about it gave me really high hopes for the tacos. Averages out to a solid...average. 3/5

Aroma - The smell went with the look, promising. Nice citrus, spice, all that. Potential. 4/5

Value - The fish is tilapia, so nothing too fancy. $11.50 for a pair of well stuffed tacos and nice sized sides of rice and beans. An extra point for the traditional chips, salsa, and refried beans that came with the meal. I left full. 6/10

Fish - Grilled tilapia, and man it looked good. Not quite blackened, ample spices, on the right track. Unfortunately, a bit on the dry side. Bwa bwa. The spices were solid, good flavor without too much heat. Plenty in each taco. All around ok, not great. 5/10

Not Fish - To the recipe. Double corn tortillas, pico, white sauce, lime. The sauce was just a tad light and mild. Not a lot to fault. 7/10

Overall Taste - I think the dry fish and the light sauce ended up making them a bit dry overall. The flavor was good, just not quite enough to be memorable. Minimal complaints but no obvious reason to choose them over another option. 6/10

Bonus Points - I did an hour on the trainer later in the evening, which hurt. I can arbitrarily blame it on them, but obviously that was my own dumb choice. On the flip side, the kids meal had some good options that were plenty big and only $3.50 a pop. That's worth a point. +1

Overall Overall - 32/50

Again, no major complaints, if you're hungry and driving down State street, it's a fine place to have a meal. Just not a stand out. Middle of the pack.

Eureka! - Newcomers

Been a bit again. Travel and holidays. I actually had some phenomenal tacos on the Oregon and California coasts, The Good Harvest Cafe in Crescent City, CA and Shark Bites in Coos Bay, OR. Both would have ranked high on this list, but neither was cheap. Or remotely local. Anyway, upon return, a coworker told me to check out Eureka! They opened up in the last couple months and fish tacos are on the menu, so on Friday night we headed down to check them out.

Presentation - They're on 8th right across from Red Feather, pretty much under Fatty's. I had no idea what to expect, but it's a nice layout, a wrap around bar with a mix of high tops, booths, and picnic style tables. The beer selection was on point, multiple sours on tap which is no joke. Service was great, we had a very attentive server that was kind enough to bring the girls some snacks before our meal arrived to keep them happy. Basic plating but a nice taco holder and a decent serving of fries. Everything really came together here, and thus, they earn the new high water mark. 5/5

Aroma - I feel like this one was a bit easier than others, the spices they used were nice and aromatic, as was the mango salsa. Non-traditional but they smelled pretty good. 4/5

Value - Perhaps the low point of the review, though not unexpected. Downtown just isn't cheap, and our dinner wasn't either. The tacos were actually the more reasonable side of the menu, and I'll judge on that, because the kids menu was kind of ridiculous. These were $10.50 for a pair and a side of fries. You could upgrade that side for another buck or two, and they had good options but I stuck with the plate as delivered. It could be worse, but it wasn't particularly good, so middle of the road. 5/10

Fish - Grilled, but nicely seasoned. Between the blackening (they were actually blackened, not just in name like some others) and the spices, pretty tasty. Lots of it too, in small pieces so nicely distributed. Perfectly moist. Approaching as good as it gets for grilled. 7/10

Not Fish - As I said, not traditional. Single corn tortilla, though it was different for a reason I can't put my finger on. I don't recall a lot of avocado tomatillo flavor, but the mango salsa was pretty good, and I'm not usually a fruit salsa kind of guy. I could have done for just a bit more...something. 7/10

Overall Taste - An attempt at something different that went over well. I can respect taking the risk and would recommend these, nice and flavorful. 7/10

Bonus Points - On the plus side, great service and like I mentioned, bonus appetizer for the kids. However, kids meals are $7. Seven. Credit for unique options (lollipop corndogs, onion rings, avocado and watermelon) but that is knocked down by the price. So nope. +0

Overall Overall - 35/50

35 puts them up there with some big hitters. Solid performance for a newb. Stop by, I doubt you'll be disappointed.