Fish taco mania migrated across the Mexican border and into San Diego in 1983 when Ralph Rubio opened a restaurant and made fish in a shell his signature dish. Since then, the idea has been migrating east. Today South Hampton Roads is heavily populated with places serving up fish tacos. Readers nominated 61 restaurants. Nearly 300 of you cast votes for your favorites, and more than 120 applied to be testers.
On a recent Saturday with south-of-the-borderlike temperatures, a trio of testers set out to determine the best. Here's what they found.
Our winner612 Norfolk Ave., No. 109, Virginia Beach
(757) 961-2987
Price $5.25; add rice and beans or small salad, $8.25
Score 82
The best of the restWhat the judges said
"The presentation is clean and simple. It smells like the ocean." - Mike
"The salsa is hot, but very good. Five or six bites in, you could really taste the fish.... Satisfying." - Malcolm
"All of the vegetables look fresh and garden picked.... The name of the restaurant may be Gringo's, but it tastes like it was made south of the border." - Ryan
3619 Pacific Ave., Virginia Beach
(757) 417-3970
Price $2.75 each or three for $7.50
What the judges said
"This feels like a locals-in-the-know kind of place. The fish tastes great, and I love the crunch." - Malcolm
"Topped with a garden full of vegetables. The perfect post-beach meal." - Ryan
"Simple, clean, cheap. At $2.75 these can't be beat." - Mike
206 23rd St., Virginia Beach
(757) 437-2920
Price House fish taco, fried only, $2.95; two tacos with beans, rice and corn on the cob, $7.95
What the judges said
"Thick and filling." - Malcolm
"Large, 10-inch tortilla, folded in half like a quesadilla. The fish was deep fried with a full crunch when you bite in." - Ryan
"The whole taco was grilled to melt the cheese.... At $2.95, it's a good value." - Mike
Big Sam's Inlet Cafe & Raw Bar
300 Winston Salem Ave., Virginia Beach
(757) 428-4858
Price At lunch, two blackened fish tacos with rice and beans, $8.99; with three tacos, $13.99
What the judges said
"Huge.... Mildly spicy." - Mike
"Looks great on the plate. Love the blue hard taco shell." - Malcolm
"What is this? It's definitely the Virginia Beach version of a fish taco." - Ryan
Craving more about fish tacos? Read on
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