Manzanilla Fish Tacos
I’ve had a love affair with fish tacos since I was a kid camping on the beach in Ensenada, Baja California. My grandmother would go out with us kids and we would stuff our faces with all the local foods! Imagine my surprise when we came to La Manzanilla four years ago and no one was selling fish tacos at a stand!
This year we have a real fish taco stand, Mitchu Tacos. It’s a big truck parked next to the crocodile viewing platform at the entrance to the town.
You go up, order and wait for your fresh fish tacos! They are lightly seasoned, pan-fried to perfection, and topped with red cabbage. All you have to do is add your choice of sauces or sauces. I personally really like the mango ginger sauce! But if you’re a traditionalist, it also has pico de gallo and other salsa variations.
For $10 pesos each you can’t beat it! They are definitely in the Baja California tradition of fish tacos. It has a variety of other offerings…but this post is about fish tacos.
Mitchu Tacos is open from 10:00 to 4:00 most days.
So while I’m on my fish taco kick… there are a few other restaurants in town that offer seaside delicacies, to my chagrin none of the traditional Mexican palapa restaurants are serving them, but several of the places owned of long-time expats are making it…and very tasty I might add.
Palapa Joe’s
La Manzanilla’s answer to a sports bar with a guitar-playing bar owner -aka-. Palapa Joe’s serves up an excellent fish taco plate. You can find them in Tacos de Baja for $100 pesos, each plate comes with 3 tacos and a salad. I have never been able to finish the entire dish in one sitting! For me it’s the best of both worlds: fish tacos and a salad with blue cheese dressing. The owner, Willy, tells me that he can’t “stand for things” when it comes to blue cheese. But it’s made in-house and it’s out of this world!
The fish tacos are lightly battered and deep fried, it’s up to you to add the flavor, you can go with tartar sauce or go for the house smoky flavored sauce.
Palapa Joe’s is open, during high season, from 12:00 to 10:00 every day except Monday. On Fridays they have live music and once a month you will enjoy an open mic night; where the local talent of La Manzanilla shines.
flower cafe
Oh that chef Alex never delivers what you expect! And all the best for it. His version of fish tacos is Dorado dressed in a cilantro dressing and grilled, then served with chopped red cabbage, salsa fresca, and a creamy cumin sauce to die for, all wrapped in a toasted tortilla. Every bite is the perfect flavor combination. These are unique tacos and definitely worth a try! You’ll find them on the appetizer menu for $75 pesos, but two make a meal.
Open in high season for dinner only from Monday to Thursday. Reservations recommended and live music on Wednesdays.
These are served a la carte at $10 pesos each. Breaded and fried and served with pico de gallo. You can sit outside to watch the action in the garden (main square) and have a cold draft beer as a side (one of only two places in town with draft beer). Open every day except Wednesday from 9am to 10am ish.
Any visit to La Manzanilla, Mexico would not be complete without trying the local version of Fish Tacos!