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.

Andrades - Date Night

Apologies for the delay, ran into another administrative issue. Fork has a tricky and vague menu with no definitive protein listed for their tacos. I had a business dinner there on Halloween and was hoping to partake in some fishy deliciousness, but it turns out the protein rotates. Halloween was pork for what it's worth, and the tacos were tasty. I'm trying to get in touch with them to figure out if fish has a set day, stay tuned.

To the topic at hand, Andrades. No website, so no hyperlink. Here's their Yelp page for what it's worth. Seems like they've been around for a while, though this is the first time I've visited. We stopped by on Saturday for date night. The sign out front reads "My Competition is in Mexico," which is a good start. There's also a fountain full of roses inside. Take that as you will.

Presentation - Rose fountain aside, I dug it. Miniature upstairs windows, indoor roofs, all sorts of oddball stuff. Pic below for reference. Nice server that kept up with the Diet Coke and tortilla chip refills. Basic plating, tacos are ala carte so no side on the plate. Lots of filling. Not a bad thing. 4/5

Aroma - Still struggling with this one. Also, the potato taco I got was much smellier, so it kind of overshadowed everything. 3/5

Value - Fancy pants fish tacos are 50 cents more than the other 13 varieties. Big spendin at three bucks a pop. As I mentioned, I got a papas & cotija as well, so a total of $11.50 for 4 tacos. Chips, salsa, and beans are a free appetizer. I was pretty full when we left, probably could have gotten away with just the fish tacos. Nine bucks for 3 tacos and an appetizer is solid. 8/10

Fish - Grilled and pretty well spiced. Something about it was different, not sure what kind of fish it was but it wasn't quite the standard white fish I've grown used to. A bit more fish flavor. A good quantity too. Something about it wasn't perfect, but I can't put my finger on it. So mid-high score. 7/10

Not Fish - As the pic shows they use cabbage literally. Double corn tortillas for each taco, one decent sized lime slice for the whole plate. Not quite enough pico and they could use some white sauce, but still above average. Plus radishes... 6/10

Overall Taste - They came together well, but as mentioned there was something a bit off. Not bad, but not top 5. 6/10

Bonus Points - Nope. +0

Overall Overall - 34/50

Tacos aside, these guys had a great menu. Seems like some legit Mexican food, not the standard Tex Mex fare, and prices are decent. Worth a stop.

The Ram - Third Chances

I wasn't expecting to write this post. I believe the last we spoke of The Ram my decision was "eff em". The universe apparently had different plans. A professional group that I'm a part of had their officer elections last night, as you may have guessed by now, at The Ram. Dinner included. Essentially free tacos. What can I say? Aside from bah, I thought I was done with these jag bags. Truncated review inbound.

No Facade Pic. Bwa Bwa.

Presentation - Average across the board. Average service, average plating, average interior, average facade. My jaded eyes were not particularly impressed. 3/5

Aroma - Pretty decent nose on these. Chipotle and avocado. It worked. 4/5

Value - Nose dive. $14.50 for two tacos and a side of rice and beans. The lowest so far, Piper Pub, was three normal sized tacos and a small side for $13.29.  The side is bigger here, but not enough to make up for a taco. 2/10

Fish - High point here, I got the battered haddock (ain't got no time for blackened ahi) and it was honestly great. Great breading, perfectly juicy, not a lot of spices or anything, but it didn't need it. My only gripe is that it was one big ass piece, not a few smaller ones. And I suppose that this is my 3rd friggin time trying to get these bloody tacos. 8/10

Not Fish - Tortillas were a bit small for the fish. Otherwise pretty on point, really good slaw, decent salsa, and great avocado crema. One slice of lime per taco. A bit off book but really good. The sides weren't bad, but nothing to write home about. 7/10

Overall Taste - I hate how much I liked these. They were expensive, but delicious. 8/10

Bonus Points - Time to take your lumps, Ram. 2 failed visits, 2 points off. -2

Overall Overall - 30/50

I'm admittedly still cranky about these, and they are expensive. If you are ok with those two facts, try them. They're pretty good.

Twin Peaks - Boob Joke

This one is a bit of an oddity on the list, it falls into the "breastaurant" category along such illustrious venues as Hooters and Tilted Kilt. The banner on the wall claims that Twin Peaks has been around since 2005, which the interwebs confirm. Not sure how long this location has been around, maybe 3 or 4 years? Fun fact, that biker gunfight in Waco, TX a couple years back happened in a Twin Peaks parking lot. True story.

Presentation - I was honestly surprised at the attire, it was revealing but not overly so. Short shorts, a bit of belly, but nothing as egregious as I was expecting. So...kudos? I guess? Anyway, the interior is not fancy, fake wood and fake dead animals plus a buttload of TVs. Functional I suppose. I will say they advertise their beer at 26-29 degrees, which is just too bloody cold for beer, even if it's garbage. The plating was good, 3 tacos surrounded with chips and a ramekin of salsa. Again, functional. 3/5

Aroma - They smelled flavorful, a good bit of chipotle in there. Distinct lack of lime, which was a bummer, but still good. 4/5

Value - High marks here. $9.99 for 3 good sized tacos and a healthy portion of chips and salsa. I was full when I finished, which has been rarer than expected in this tour. 8/10

Fish - I haven't had fried fish in almost a month. I'm craving it, need to address that soon. That said, this was not a bad example of grilled white fish. Good portions, decent seasoning, perhaps a bit on the fishy side, but not enough so to really hurt the flavor. Nice and juicy too. 6/10

Not Fish - Bad things first - flour tortillas and no limes. Bwa bwa. Otherwise pretty much to recipe with a chipotle twist on the sauce. Really nice flavor to the slaw and the sauce, a bit of spice but not enough that I'd call them "spicy". The chips were fine and the salsa was decent enough and unique, not just normal boring restaurant salsa. Plenty of both on the plate. We also had "Billionaire's Bacon" as an appetizer, which was 6 slices of fancy and tasty bacon. Highly recommended. 7/10

Overall Taste - With the bolder flavors in the non-fish fillings, I was a fan. Pretty traditional tasting, but not bland, plenty of flavor in there without being polarizing. Surprisingly good given the locale and reputation. 7/10

Bonus Points - Already made the boob joke in the title. Or at least said "boob joke". So I'll spare another one. They charged an extra dollar for Christine's side of veggies instead of fries, which is some BS. +0

Overall Overall - 35/50

I was not expecting these guys to do so well, so kudos for decent food in a restaurant known for something else. Glad we didn't take the girls. One less awkward conversation to be had.

Bardenay - National Taco Day!

Another administrative detail point; 13th Street Pub did not have fish tacos. They did have a pretty decent veggie burger. But alas, off the list they go.

Speaking of off the list, let's talk about The Ram. I gave them a shot. Two shots in fact. First we were greeted with an hour wait on a Thursday with no explanation. I'll give them a break there. However, they also decided that for the Blink 182 concert last month, they would only offer a limited menu. As you can guess, no tacos on there. BECAUSE TRAVIS BARKER HATES TACOS! OR SO I'VE CHOSEN TO BELIEVE! So two strikes. I put it to a vote on Facebook and got a mixed bag of "EFF EM!" and give them another chance. I gave them another (half) shot and tried to get in touch with the manager. He got back to me, not with an apology, but with a "Yep, our tacos are good, come try them." So it has come to this. EFF 'EM!

Presentation - 1/5

Aroma - 1/5

Value - 1/5

Fish - 1/10

Not Fish - 1/10

Overall Taste - 1/10

Bonus Points - NEGATIVE A THOUSAND! (+0)

Overall Overall - 6/50

EAT BUTTS THE RAM!

Anyway, back to business. Today is National Taco Day. It is also Feel Sick and Grumpy Day. Still, we had to celebrate, so we headed down to Bardenay for dinner. I've always been a fan of Bardenay, great location and a solid menu with a good vibe. Good booze too if you partake. I had pretty high hopes.

Presentation - See? Such a nice facade. Really hard to beat on a summer night. The interior is great too, the distillery is front and center and well kept. Good decor, nice layout. On par with Bittercreek/Red Feather. The tacos were decent, well presented with a holder. A bit boring without a side, but clean. So close to perfect, but I have to dock a bit for kind of meh service. Not a lot of enthusiasm, not bad just not as good as it could have been. 4/5

Aroma - A lot of green on there, heavy on the tomatillos and cucumbers. Neither of these are particularly aromatic, and thus the tacos weren't either. Just a bit meh. 3/5

Value - $9.95 for two tacos is rough, especially without a side. To their credit, the tacos were not small, not quite enough for a meal for me, but not bad. Also, they were marked on the receipt as an appetizer. Not on the menu, and not really priced as such. 4/10

Fish - The menu said grilled, but first glance didn't look like it. Closer examination and I think they're heavily basted, almost to a fried texture. A bit dry and honestly, the ancho chili was pretty bland. It looked so promising, and wasn't bad, but didn't live up to appearances. 5/10

Not Fish - Another unique one. Red radish and cucumber salsa, cotija cheese, tomatillo and cilantro sauce. So much promise, but again, just underwhelming. I'll give them credit for trying, and like the fish, not bad tasting, just not as much to it as you'd expect from the description. They did get the tortillas and lime right, which is something. 5/10

Overall Taste - Right down the middle of the road, hard to find fault, but bland plus bland equals, unsurprisingly, bland. I could eat like 11 of these without complaint, but I wouldn't seek them out, especially at $5/ea. A forgettable edible. I should trademark that. 5/10

Bonus Points - Not enough to earn one, but good kids meals at $5 each. +0

Overall Overall - 26/50

High hopes dashed. On the plus side, this is one of the few misses on the menu, plenty of other good options on there. Choose one of them and enjoy that patio. Vaya con dios!

Parrilla - Fridays Only

Managed to sneak in a third for the week! Unexpected trip to Parrilla! This one was tough, they only offer fish tacos on Friday, doesn't always fit with the schedule. A parent visit made it work. We've been fans of Parrilla since moving to the North End, they have a solid menu with a surprising variety. Some is more traditional Mexican restaurant fare, some the requisite hipster food for the neighborhood. So far, all solid.

I forgot to get a facade picture. Bwa bwa. It looks like a restaurant.

Presentation - The inside is as eclectic as the menu, a strip of booths down one wall, a high bar that sort of divides up the place, and a number of picnic tables in the bar area.  Kind of odd decor, mish mash of TV's and art I suppose. They also have a nice big garage door that opens the place up to 13th street and gives a great vibe. The presentation was basic, three tacos in a cardboard tub. Fine for counter service but nothing to write home about. 3/5

Aroma - They smelled like tacos. I suppose with a bit of pineapple in there. Yup. 3/5

Value - Note no price on the sign. They're $2.12 a pop, really solid deal in my opinion. I think they come with chips too if you want, though we ordered nachos already so I didn't ask for any more. 4 adults and 2 kids ate well for $44. Pretty good prices all around. 7/10

Fish - Unique in the fact that they cook to order. Order 3 tacos, 3 pieces of fish go on the grill. Cooked in the blackened style, no mention of what kind. A bit dry, mild seasoning but some citrus there. Only the one piece per taco, but that seemed to be enough. As usual, I wish they were fried. 5/10

Not Fish - I was worried about the lack of a white sauce, I expected them to be pretty dry. The pico and pineapple ended up being enough, my worries were unfounded. The cotija cheese really made the taste, it was present in every bite and it was really good. Unique ingredients, and unlike Bonefish, they came together well. No limes though... 7/10

Overall Taste - I dug them. Like the rest of their menu they're unique and solid, pretty obvious some thought went into them. They do allow you to customize with a number of toppings, so change them up as you'd like, but I'd recommend leaving them be. 7/10

Bonus Points - Nothing I can think of. I think we accidentally stole a soda, but that's not worth a point. Peanut butter honey tacos almost earn one, but they were a bit off tonight. +0

Overall Overall - 32/50

Decent enough score, not exceptional but solidly in the middle. About right. I won't go out of my way for them, but if I'm eating at Parrilla on a future Friday, I'll probably get at least one.