The fish taco, a deceptively simple dish, has its origins in Baja, Mexico, though several fishing villages – San Felipe and Ensenada among them – take credit for the street food now wildly popular up and down the California coast. The Baja-style fish taco consists of a mild white fish deep-fried and placed in one or two warm corn tortillas, topped with shredded cabbage, a sour cream or mayonnaise-based sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. Other variations include grilled fish, shrimp, tuna poke, calamari or a host of other seafood fillings. So who's the modern day king of fish tacos in California?
The top 10 winners in the category Best Fish Tacos in California are as follows:
- Rubio's Coastal Grill - Multiple Locations
- Sandbar Sports Grill - San Diego
- Spencer Makenzie's Fish Company - Ventura
- Cholita Linda - Oakland
- Tocaya Organica - Multiple Locations
- Blue Water Seafood Market and Grill - San Diego
- The Codmother Fish & Chips - San Francisco
- Mariscos German Beyer - San Diego
- Don Pisto's - San Francisco
- Oscar's Mexican Seafood - San Diego
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Chelcey Adami (The Salinas Californian), Anne Chalfant (10Best), Joanne DiBona (10Best), Geneva Ives (10Best), Tom Molanphy (10Best) and Jenny Peters (10Best) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of the state's food scene.
Congratulations to all these winning restaurants!
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The Experts
Chelcey Adami
Chelcey Adami is the editor of The Salinas... Read More
Chelcey Adami is the editor of The Salinas Californian. A Texas native, Chelcey now calls the beautiful coast in Monterey County home.
Chelcey Adami
Chelcey Adami is the editor of The Salinas Californian. A Texas native, Chelcey now calls the beautiful coast in Monterey County home.
Anne Chalfant
“Your story made me want to go there” is the best... Read More
“Your story made me want to go there” is the best award a travel journalist can hope for, says Anne Chalfant, who also scored a few shiny metal awards during her career as newspaper travel editor. A cruise and travel expert for 10Best, Anne has traveled throughout the U.S. and 60+ countries and produced a trail of tales in print and online media. Anne’s love of fish tacos was launched when one of her sons said, “Gotta try this,” at a Santa Cruz seaside eatery. A longtime California resident, Anne lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is currently working on a novel in which travel sets the stage for a female protagonist fleeing Silicon Valley and the FBI.
Anne Chalfant
“Your story made me want to go there” is the best award a travel journalist can hope for, says Anne Chalfant, who also scored a few shiny metal awards during her career as newspaper travel editor. A cruise and travel expert for 10Best, Anne has traveled throughout the U.S. and 60+ countries and produced a trail of tales in print and online media. Anne’s love of fish tacos was launched when one of her sons said, “Gotta try this,” at a Santa Cruz seaside eatery. A longtime California resident, Anne lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is currently working on a novel in which travel sets the stage for a female protagonist fleeing Silicon Valley and the FBI.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne is an award-winning travel... Read More
Joanne is an award-winning travel writer/photographer based in San Diego, California. An avid globetrotter, she enjoys sampling--and photographing--the cuisine of each destination she visits. Her adventures have taken her far and wide, from swimming with whale sharks in Mexico and trekking through the mountains of Japan to small ship cruising in unique destinations. Her photos and articles have appeared in countless print and online publications over the decades. She is also a regular contributor to the pages of 10Best.com. And as a San Diegan, she does feel she knows a good fish taco when she sees it!
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne is an award-winning travel writer/photographer based in San Diego, California. An avid globetrotter, she enjoys sampling--and photographing--the cuisine of each destination she visits. Her adventures have taken her far and wide, from swimming with whale sharks in Mexico and trekking through the mountains of Japan to small ship cruising in unique destinations. Her photos and articles have appeared in countless print and online publications over the decades. She is also a regular contributor to the pages of 10Best.com. And as a San Diegan, she does feel she knows a good fish taco when she sees it!
Geneva Ives
Geneva Ives moved to Santa Barbara in 2000 on a... Read More
Geneva Ives moved to Santa Barbara in 2000 on a whim (ok, and to go to college) and never looked back. She loves Santa Barbara because it’s really one of America’s greatest small towns - it just happens to have glorious beaches and celebrity residents, too! Geneva spent a decade managing an adorable, locally owned boutique in downtown Santa Barbara and met her husband when he was working as a waiter at the Cajun restaurant right next door. Together they go on many adventures trying to find the best activities, drinks and dining experiences in the tri-county area.
Geneva Ives
Geneva Ives moved to Santa Barbara in 2000 on a whim (ok, and to go to college) and never looked back. She loves Santa Barbara because it’s really one of America’s greatest small towns - it just happens to have glorious beaches and celebrity residents, too! Geneva spent a decade managing an adorable, locally owned boutique in downtown Santa Barbara and met her husband when he was working as a waiter at the Cajun restaurant right next door. Together they go on many adventures trying to find the best activities, drinks and dining experiences in the tri-county area.
Tom Molanphy
The only thing that Tom Molanphy loves more than... Read More
The only thing that Tom Molanphy loves more than the food, art, music, and culture of San Francisco is sharing it with others. San Francisco never gets old for Tom. Tom has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 2000. His journalism has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, and 7x7. He teaches writing, journalism and literature at the Academy of Art University in downtown San Francisco. His latest book, Loud Memories Of A Quiet Life, is available through Outpost19.
Tom Molanphy
The only thing that Tom Molanphy loves more than the food, art, music, and culture of San Francisco is sharing it with others. San Francisco never gets old for Tom. Tom has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 2000. His journalism has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, and 7x7. He teaches writing, journalism and literature at the Academy of Art University in downtown San Francisco. His latest book, Loud Memories Of A Quiet Life, is available through Outpost19.
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los... Read More
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
