Fish Tacos

Are there any great (not fried) fish tacos in Chicago area anymore. I have read all the taco pacifico posts and sadly had not had a chance to go there before they closed.

J

Well, theirs were fried, you know.

I think it's fairly easy to find non-fried fish tacos, especially on the South Side (there seems to be quite a pocket of fish-oriented Mexican places, see the 47th-a-Thon toward the end, for instance. On the north side, try La Cazuela, 6922 N. Clark. Many others I'm sure.

How are the freshness of these places? Is there a predominant fish?

J

Hi,

I too am a fan of fish tacos. The only restaurant that I go to that I know are not fried is the chain Baja Fresh. You can get it with Mahi Mahi, which is grilled. They offer a fried tilapia fish taco, but I prefer the Mahi. Baja Fresh is in Deerfield Mall in Deerfield, Waukeegan and Lake Cook. For a chain, its not too bad. I'd love to know there are other places to get fish tacos, especially on the far north side of Chicago. I'm going to check out La Cazuela to see what that's like.

Joel

I like the fish tacos at the Local Option/Shack, 1102 W. Webster. They have swordfish and tuna (neither is fried), on flour tortillas with shredded cabbage and some kind of white sauce (?). There may also be pico de gallo, but all I can remember clearly is that there was cilantro.

Once again, the infamy of the Tacos del Pacifico fisch taco haunts me...I, too, missed the boat.

I don't know any great taco stand fish tacos, but Fonda del Mar (fried, not sure what type of fish), May Street Cafe (not fried, tilapia) and Shaws (not fried, seriously yummy, top notch tuna) are my favorite sit-down restaurant fish tacos. If you don't see them on the menu at Shaw's, just ask for 'em and the kitchen will usually make them.

Fonda del Mar
3749 W. Fullerton Ave.
773-489-3748

May Street Cafe
1146 W Cermak
312-421-4442

Shaw's Crab House
21 E Hubbard Street
312-527-2722

Has anyone heard an update on Tacos del Pacifico?

Does anyone know of a place that serves good fish tacos by the Northwest side? That should cut down the number of possibilities. And is tilapia the most commonly used fish in the tacos?

thanks in advance.

bontemps wrote:And is tilapia the most commonly used fish in the tacos?

Two "chains" that I found have
surprisingly good fish tacos
are Oceanaire and Ram Brewery.
(though I'm not sure Oceanaire
has a store in the Greater
Chicagoland Area, yet).

Oceanaire used "blackened"
chunks of salmon, swordfish
and halibut, I believe. What
made it so good were the
very fresh warm corn tortillas
and the fruit-based pico de gallo.

Ram also used a "blackened" salmon
(though milder).

My introduction to fish tacos was non-San Diego-style fish tacos, so I'm not a stickler for purity (ie, I don't care if they're missing the cabbage, etc.). If I'm really jonesing for a fish taco, so decent (meaning non-authentic, nothing to write home about, but they'll satisfy your craving) places include

* Schoolyard Tavern at School & Southport (choices include shrimp, some kind of grilled fish which used to be grouper and might now be talapia or mahi mahi, and a third option that's escaping me, but could be fried). They come three to an order, and you can mix and match. They're served on corn tortillas. I believe lettuce and tomato, plus salsa on the side, is the garnish.

* Taco Fresco (multiple locations around the city). I haven't been to TF for more than a year because I no longer work near one, but I recall that they had grilled tuna and grilled shrimp served on corn tortillas. Tacos were garnished with lettuce, tomato and possibly cheese. Salsa came on the side.

* Foodlife at Water Tower has served fish tacos in the past. I've only had them once or twice, and it's been a couple years. If I recall, these were served San Diego style (fried fish with cabbage and a crema-based sauce...is that right?). I can't recall much about them.

When I saw that Take Five (the new restaurant which replaced Strega Nona on Southport north of Addison) was serving fish tacos, I was eager to try them. I have to report I was very disappointed. I don't recall the fish, but it was grilled, served on a flour tortilla with lettuce and tomato. The tacos were bland, and no salsa accompanied the dish. (I requested some and was brought something that tasted store bought.) Take Five's gimmick is that every dish costs $5. These tacos weren't worth it.

I just had some good fish tacos (grilled tilapia) at a new mexican place in the former Cafe Zam Zam space, 2960 N. Lincoln Ave. Can't recall the name...

I'm no fish taco conneseur, so your mileage may vary, but I thought they were quite good. Some sort of fruit overtones too, like Oaxacan cuisine - tasty.

Their habenero salsa is also very good and blindingly hot.

They opened just a week or two ago so may need some time to stabilize, but my first experience was good.

I think that Don Juan up in Edison Park serves fried and grilled fish tacos, though I am not certain about the grilled ones.

Los Nopales at 4544 N. Western serves a tilapia taco ($1.50) that is quite nice. Grilled fish on homemade corn tortillas with avocado and pico de gallo. Also served are 2 very interesting salsas. Allow me to add a recommendation for the tortilla soup as well--it is outstanding, rich and creamy, and they allow us to share and order. Mmmm..craving Mexican food.

Peggy

Thank you all for the great suugestions! Any that truly stand out for being noteworthy?

Thanks!

J

I guess the fish is fried, so maybe that disqualifies this suggestion, but I like the fish tacos at the On the Border chain restaurants (on Milwaukee Avenue near 60, for example). I get the fish tacos nearly every time we go there.

El Cid has has grilled tilapia tacos.

El Cid #2
2645 N. Kedzie Ave

El Cid #1
2115 N. Milwaukee Ave.

I recently had the $1.99 salmon tacos that are part of the happy hour special at McCormick & Schmicks on Wabash, and I LOVED them. The catfish? Not so much...

Goose Island Clybourn has surprisingly good Fish Tacos. Not fried. Grilled chunks of fresh fish, cooked to order. (I had rare tuna last time)

The use Frontera Salsas and it's also a generous portion - 3 tacos with rice for ~7.99.

I really like the tilapia tacos at Los Nopales on Western and Montrose. They are ala carte and only about $2 each. They are really very fresh and good--not fried.

I like everything at Los Nopales, actually. It is such a nice family owned/run place.

I reallly like the tacos pescados at La Cazuela. Last time I was there, they were an add-on to the menu - taped onto the bottom of the page.

La Cazuela
6922 N. Clark St.

I third the Los Nopales recommendation. Their tilapia tacos are wonderful and fresh. I'm a big enthusiast of Los Nopales in general - but the fish tacos are really quite good. Start with the guacamole - it's some of the best I've ever had.

BTW - it is byob.

Los Nopales
4544 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 334-3149

nr706 wrote:I reallly like the tacos pescados at La Cazuela. Last time I was there, they were an add-on to the menu - taped onto the bottom of the page.

La Cazuela
6922 N. Clark St.

I think I gathered from the above thread that these are grilled?

Iam still looking for a resonable replacement for the sadly missed Tacos Del
Pacifico - those were Baja style I guess, fried (tilapia I think), and shrimp
(and sometimes scallops).

Does anyone have good recs for these? Fried, cabbage, crema, hot
sauce - tilapia (I think), and shrimp. Anywhere in the city if theyre
*really* good (TDP was like 106th street after all), but preferably on
the northside. Rogers Park is loaded with Mexican places after all
(witness the North-Clark-a-thon)... surely there is one place with
a resonably good Baja-style fried fish taco out there, even if not quite as
sublime as TDP?

Any help will be greatly appreciated (I once dragged non-foodie friends from
the NW burbs to 106th street to TDP last summer... and they actually
reminded me of it last week, saying those were the best tacos they
had ever eaten in their entire lives, and was that place open anywhere
yet... and I sadly had to say no, and inform them I had no current
substitute Help Us, Obi-wan-LTH. You are our only hope.


c8w

Yes, I think the tacos at La Cazuella (tilapia, BTW) are grilled. Never made it to TdP, so I can't compare.

I've never had the fish tacos at la cazuela - do they come with the cabbage and crema etc?


cuetzala serves fish tacos (tilapia), and they aren't bad but they're fried not grilled and come with the standard taco toppings.

[quote="zim"]I've never had the fish tacos at la cazuela - do they come with the cabbage and crema etc?


cuetzala serves fish tacos (tilapia), and they aren't bad but they're fried not grilled and come with the standard taco toppings.[/quote

I misunderstood (or misremembered) the above - so I went to La Cazuela
yesterday. They had the specials of fish tacos, but it wasnt fried (as I had
mistakenly thought it would be). And while it was ok, it was very very
disappointing, as it wasnt a patch on good ole TDP (as I had been
hoping it would be).

So Cuetzal is fried? Iam confused now - where is Cuetzala again? On
the west side of the street, further north from Cazuela? If its only
"normal" toppings, maybe it wont be quite the replacement from
TDP anyway.

Anyone have any other options, especially on the north side or Rogers
Park? (The closest Ive had suggested is Fonda del Mar - but since Iam
mostly interested in the fish tacos, I havent actually made it down there
yet; doesnt seem like the kind of place you go to and ask just for a
fish taco appetizer either Tho I probaly will do that soemday
anyway - Iam really looking for a place to replace TDP, where I can
go and get like 5 awesomely brilliant fish tacos and nothing else, and
be supremely happy with my meal

c8w

not that they're anything to write home about, but Baja Fresh has them... problem is the Baja Fresh @ michigan ave/lake st closed last week .. i think they have another location somewhere around though...

Shoot me, but the fish tacos at Brownstone, Schoolyard and probably other bars in that group are not unlike fish tacos from the SD chains -- which I assume is what they are going for. Be sure to specify fried. Comes with the slaw, the goop and the cheese on a flour tortilla.

JeffB wrote:Comes with the slaw, the goop and the cheese on a flour tortilla.

You had me until the word cheese. What are Schoolyard and Brownstone?

Maybe not cheese, but specify without to be sure. Brownstone is a bar on Lincoln near Byron. Schoolyard is a bar on Southport, at School.

If you have an aversion to plasma TVs or recent college grads, don't go. But they are not unlike most places to eat in San Diego, so maybe they are authentic.

I'm on record as not completely appreciating this Japanese Mexican American surfer taco, so please proceed with caution. In any event, the kitchens are Mexican staffed, the food is us. ok for a bar, and the tacos can be good with a beer and some tater tots. Brownstone is the less grating place of the two.

JeffB wrote:I'm on record as not completely appreciating this Japanese Mexican American surfer taco, so please proceed with caution. In any event, the kitchens are Mexican staffed, the food is us. ok for a bar, and the tacos can be good with a beer and some tater tots. Brownstone is the less grating place of the two.

I tried them at BajaFresh once and was sadly disappointed. These sound similar, but thanks for the info. To me, a proper fish taco is just about the perfect food: salty, sour, hot, and crunchy with fresh tortillas, I honestly can't think of anything else I could ask for in a handheld food product.

Kristen

dddane wrote:the Baja Fresh @ michigan ave/lake st closed last week .. i think they have another location somewhere around though...

They used to have one in Evanston, but it closed 2 years or so ago. According to their web site the closest one is in Niles
5716 W. Touhy Ave.
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 647-9410
Store Hours:
Mon-Thurs 10:30AM - 9:00PM
Fri & Sat 10:30AM - 10:00PM
Sunday 10:30AM - 9:00PM
Store hours may vary