Willowcreek Grill - New Downtown Location

Sprint stop part deux! I love double taco days! Taco Tues...err...Thursday! I've legitimately had five fish tacos today.  Three to go...

Did you know Willowcreek Grill has a downtown location now? I don't hate Vista Avenue, but 10th and Bannock is so much closer to home. I did have to pay fifteen cents to park, but I suppose it was worth it.

Presentation - The location is pretty awesome, kind of on the edge of downtown with a unique but nice layout. There's a bar area, a sushi bar, a patio, an upstairs, and a nice "standard" dining area. Really anything you can ask for, except maybe a swim-up salsa bar. But you'd have to be pretty weird to ask for that. They had the patio door open but the AC cranked, so it was pleasant, even in 100 degree temps. Good service and a nice plating with the taco holder that I've come to love. 4/5

Aroma - The seasoning plus the chipotle aioli made for a nice smell. 4/5

Value - Two tacos and a choice of chips & salsa, twigs (fries), soup, or salad for $10. Really not bad for a decent sit-down restaurant, and plenty of food. I didn't have room to finish Rylie's grilled ham & cheese, which is saying something. 6/10

Fish - Grilled seasoned cod, which was not particularly bold but not at all bad. It blended with the other ingredients well, but after nomming some on the side, definitely tasty. Not in short supply either. 6/10

Not Fish - A bit cabbage heavy, but good. Corn tortillas, one lime slice per taco, and the chipotle aioli was solid. Ended up adding some to each taco and dipped the mix of regular and sweet potato fries in the rest. 6/10

Overall Taste - The aioli tied it all together and made for a solid pair of tacos. Well balanced, and oddly enough the most "standard" of the taco options. The others are carnitas, pork belly, and asian style chicken, all of which sound super tasty. Next time... 7/10

Bonus Points - Solid performance here with two high points. The first is a good kids menu with unique choices for both the side and entree. Ample portions too, both kids brought home leftovers. The second is one I'm usually not fond of; live music. They had a guitar player on the patio and from the center of the restaurant the volume was perfect. Loud enough to hear and follow, but easy to have a conversation over. Great cover of Fire and Rain too. +2

Overall Overall - 35/50

High middle of the pack, right where it belongs. Worth a stop if you're downtown and want to try something new. Or on Vista for that matter. Free parking there, leave your nickles at home. FIVE TO GO!

Lorena's - Fish Triangles

A couple administrative details to knock out up front. I contacted both The Refuge and Solid, who were maybes on the list. Both don't have tacos, and thus both are off the tour. Bwa bwa. Gloria's is still a maybe, haven't gotten a hold of anyone there yet. We'll know soon. On the opposite side a stop over at Barbacoa for an anniversary drink revealed another stop. They serve them by the "brick". Looking forward to another visit there shortly.

With a net minus one on the remaining stops, we're getting down to the last of them. In fact, I'm considering a sprint to the finish, so expect many stops in short succession. Lorena's is the first in this whirlwind and made for a fine lunch break at work today.

Presentation - Lorena's is essentially a semi-permanent food truck behind the Jack in the Box at Fairview and Maple Grove. I can honestly say I had no idea it was there until today. That said, it's got a nice little seating area and an overall pleasant vibe. The plating was a paper plate. Covered with aluminum foil to go. A little to be desired, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for being a stand out food truck. 3/5

Aroma - Though the toppings were a bit odd, they didn't smell bad. Not stand out great either, but not bad. 3/5

Value - $2.50 a piece isn't bad. I had three, could have gotten by with two if I went with a side. $7.95 with tax. For reasons explained below, that's good, not great. 6/10

Fish - Can you see it in the pic? Something fishy (lol). That fish is in a triangle shape, not unlike Gorton's Fish Fillets. One might say it is in fact one Gorton's Fish Fillet per taco. I may say that. I do say that. I think they threw them in the fryer, because they didn't taste bad, but that's cheater fish. I'm being generous here. 3/10

Not Fish - The tomato is a weird choice, kind of out of place. Just sitting there suspicious like. It's trying to blend in and failing. The lettuce, cheese, and red sauce are just fine, two corn tortillas, and a slice of lime. Plus an orange for some reason. And a little tub of green sauce, which was actually solid. I put it on the last taco, should have put it on all three. 6/10

Overall Taste - I chucked the tomato slices right in the trash. Yuck. Without those the tacos were honestly pretty good, even with supermarket freezer fish. 6/10

Bonus Points - No points for you fish cheaters! +0

Overall Overall - 27/50

If you happen to be nearby and want a fish taco, I guess it's worth a stop here. Actually, nah, drive a little further and go to El Habanero. Or get something else at Lorena's, the reviews I've read have been very complimentary, so I may have just found a meh item on an otherwise decent menu.

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.

El Habanero - I Love Surprises

We're getting down to the tail end of this thing. 11 left as of last count, 3 of whom may or may not actually have fish tacos on the menu. So I don't expect too many major shakeups on the rankings, but surprises do happen. Today was a good one, with a stop at El Habanero for lunch.

Presentation - The truck is usually in the parking lot over at the old Eddy's bakery on Five Mile. As far as ambiance, um, it's a food truck. You order through a window, push money through said window, and receive food from the same window. Kind of magic if you really think about it. Like a fish taco wishing well. Or something... Anyway, they gave us our order on real plates which was nice. Fancy for a food truck. 3/5

Aroma - Well rounded. Nothing really stood out, but it blended quite well. Just a bit of spice from the sauce. 4/5

Value - Hard to beat here. $2.25 a piece, and I didn't see the price on sodas but it was a buck or less. The total price for lunch for two with sodas was less than just one plate of tacos at Matador, and it's hard to tell from the picture, but those tacos are grande. No side needed. 8/10

Fish - No flaws that I could find. Fried, ample amounts, not sure exactly what it was but it was really mild. Nothing that made it stand out, batter was great and not too greasy, flavor blended nicely overall. 7/10

Not Fish - High point here. They start with the traditional recipe of 2 corn tortillas, cabbage, pico, and lime. Then they add avocado, jack and cotija cheese, and a really good sauce, I believe chipotle. Tortillas were lightly fried, not greasy. Portions were about perfect. Everything was fresh tasting. Just about perfect, I can't think of a way to top it. 10/10

Overall Taste - Man these were good. I had 3, which was a filling lunch. I believe they could be very slightly improved with a bit more seasoning or flavor to the fish. That'd be tricky though, personally I'd recommend they leave as is, very close to perfect. 8/10

Bonus Points - Almost a negative because I tried to go on May 5th, but the truck wasn't there. May 5th. Cinco de Mayo. Doubleyou tee effo? I'll let it slide though. +0

Overall Overall - 40/50

New tie for second place. Damn near a new tie for first place. And both cheap and close to work. I can get behind all of that. 10 to go!

The Matador - Not That Matador

There's a mexican restaurant in Fort Collins, CO called Matador. I love that restaurant with my whole heart. This is not that Matador. Oddly enough this is part of a small chain that has a restaurant called The Matador in Fort Collins. But still not that Matador. Confused yet? Don't worry, this one is just The Matador in downtown Boise.

I forgot to get a picture on the way in.

And on the way out.

Whoops.

Presentation - The restaurants on 8th street tend to be nice, and this is no exception. Nice clean decor, well laid out, and surprisingly kid friendly. We got a booth that both trapped the girls from getting in the way of servers and gave them ample room to goof around a bit. Service was good, they don't have a physical kids menu but offer kids sized portions of the staples, my only real gripe was they ran out of calamari. The plating was plain but fine. Good all around. 4/5

Aroma - About as good as I've experienced thus far, just a wonderful blend of chile, citrus, and garlic. Top of the heap. 5/5

Value - These are getting harder to judge. Two tacos with rice and beans for $14.50 is steep. Portions were large, so that helped, but still below average. 4/10

Fish - Chile rubbed, so pretty heavily seasoned. Or rather, perfectly seasoned. So good. Unique in that it was essentially one large piece per taco. Dead on all around, grilled fish doesn't get much better than this. 8/10

Not Fish - A good blend of unique (green chile sauce and garlic crema) and standard (cabbage and pico). They let you pick the tortilla type, though corn only comes with one per taco. No limes. Sides were decent enough. 7/10

Overall Taste - I wish there were three. They were super good. 8/10

Bonus Points - Kids meals, lack of menu and all, were great. Well above the normal fare we've come to expect, I stole a good 1/3 of Addie's burrito. I told Christine that if they were $6 or less they'd get a point (we weren't sure what they cost, see the lack of menu comment). The check came, $6 each. +1

Overall Overall - 37/50

Tied for 4th with Fresh Off The Hook and Tin Roof. Worth a trip. Half price fancy tequila on Tuesdays too! Ole!

Tap & Cask - Breastaurants LOL

As usual, some administrative detail up front. The menu at Barrelhouse (formerly a Crooked Stave property) has changed, no more fish tacos. Off the list they go! Additionally I checked with Fork as that was the first choice for the night. Their menu indicates a rotating protein in their street tacos, but the person I talked to said no fish. Or at least rarely fish. So I'm bumping them too. Down to a dozen left after tonight!

To the task at hand, Tap & Cask! This was a recent addition to the list, added after they took over the former Tilted Kilt location. Tilted kilt is similar to Twin Peaks, employing a certain kind of server, usually in ill fitting clothing. Tap & Cask seems to have done away with that, the servers were just...servers. There are some left over Tilted Kilt signs and whatnot, but it seems like they've put a decent enough effort into renovating the place. I feel like they want to be the local beer bar, and they made a decent attempt, but it doesn't seem like they're pushing quite enough through the lines to pull the super rare and desirable stuff. Their beer menu reminds me of Yardhouse, large but run of the mill without any standouts. But that's not why we're here.

Presentation - Awkwardly unused tap setup aside, the interior was nice enough. It kind of resembles a large barrel, which I can dig. Service was good with a very attentive server that never let a glass go dry and allowed me to get 1 blackened and 2 fried tacos so I could try both. They have a patio, which for some reason was occupied on this rather cold May day, and they didn't keep the door closed which was annoying. Minor ding for that. Presentation of the tacos was normal, not special. All around slightly above average. 3/5

Aroma - The chipotle cream and pico jived well. Good. That's all. 4/5

Value - I actually bumped this two points after eating. 3 tacos and a side for $10.95 is not bad, but not outstanding. However, it left me stuffed. They didn't skimp, especially with the fish. Good deal. 7/10

Fish - Pretty solid on both fronts. The fried was a bit lacking in a unique flavor and perhaps a bit salty, but still good. The blackened had a nice spice to it, didn't quite overtake the fried in tastiness, but put up a good fight. Can't go wrong with either choice, and you'll get plenty either way. I'd wager the volume of fish is larger than that of not fish. 7/10

Not Fish - I'll start with the bad; the side of rice and beans was super meh. Not bad, just super forgettable. I wish they offered a choice or something. Also flour tortillas, which are obviously not my favorite. However the filling was solid, chipotle sauce is a good choice with an appropriate amount of spice and the pico was fresh and tasty. Slaw was a tad sweet. 5/10

Overall Taste - Minor shortcomings aside I liked these. 7/10

Bonus Points - Solid enough kids meals but not an exceptional deal. Nothing quite worth of a point. +0

Overall Overall - 33/50

Tied up with the last stop, Lucky Fins, oddly enough. 21/42 so far, dead middle of the pack. Want tacos and on Broadway? Worth a stop. On we go!