Review of Restarante de Mariscos de Bahia de Los Angeles... fish tacos and more...

Restaurant de Mariscos de Bahia de Los Angeles is a long name for a small restaurant, e.g... Can you say it all in two seconds? ... but as the restaurant may be long on it's name, it's also long on value, and delicious food. So what if it takes you over two seconds to say the name, just head to the restaurant if you're in the mood for delicious fish tacos, at a very reasonable price.

Photo: Restaurant de Mariscos is co-located with Dos Piños mini-market, near the center of town. Note the covered and attractive outdoor dining that the restaurant offers.

As the name implies, Restaurant de Mariscos de Bahia de Los Angeles specializes in seafood dishes, including fish, shrimp and dorado tacos, and other seafood specialties as well, including mariscos, which are a Mexican version of a seafood cocktail, and they offer many varieties, including, shrimp, octopus, clam, mixed and more, and they also serve Mexican "comfort food" such as chili rellenos, soups, tostadas, and combination plates. Whatever you desire, you'll probably find it at Restaurant de Mariscos.

Restaurant de Mariscos de Bahia de Los Angeles is located on the west side of the unnamed main street in town, just a block south of Las Hamacas motel where I was staying, and the restaurant is co-located with Dos Piños mini-market; I suspect they must share the same owner, as the businesses seemed to be joined at the hip.

Photo: Restaurant Mariscos' kitchen is attractive and very functional. The hand-printed menu is posted on the wall, in the upper right hand corner of the photo.

Although Restaurant Mariscos (I'm tired of typing out the full name!) is a very typical open air, and completely open to the street, Baja California restaurant, it's a giant step above most such small restaurants that are to be found in Bahia de Los Angeles, as it features covered dining, the restaurant is very clean and comfortable, and you can actually sit at a table and enjoy twilight, over the Sea of Cortez, as the place has a spectacular view of the sea. You can linger for hours, sitting at one of their tables, as you munch on delicious fish tacos, smell the salt air, and observe the goings on in small-town Mexico; I'm getting ahead of myself... Like most small restaurants, Restaurant Mariscos features a hand-printed menu with limited choices, posted on a wall in the kitchen, a counter where you place your order, pay for your order, and place condiments on your tacos, and only one girl, who does everything. Sure the food police say to avoid one-person operations, but in all of my travels in Mexico, I've never had a problem eating at a one-person operation.

During the time of my visit, on an early Thursday evening, early in October, 2007, I was the only patron at the restaurant. I walked up to the counter, and received a smile and a "Buenas noches" from the girl behind the counter; I replied with the same phrase, all the while scanning the printed menu that was posted on the kitchen wall, just to the right of the range. My eyes stopped on the first item on the menu, Tacos Pescados, for the bargain sum of MEX $10.00 each, so I ordered two of them, with all of the trimmings, and sat down at a comfortable table to relax, observe the action, and enjoy the darkening light, as the sun reflected its dying glow over the placid Sea of Cortez. I'd already enjoyed a few tacos de carne asada, and I was truly ready for the taste of a fish taco, served at a friendly restaurant with a view of the Sea of Cortez at sundown. Fried, fish tacos are a Baja California sensation, and they're very common in Baja California, and U.S. California to the north. However, if you're on the east coast of Mexico, you won't find fish tacos, as they don't exist. I found that out during my visit to Bagdad Beach, in the eastern state of Tamaulipas, back in October, 2006, that fish tacos aren't served on the east coast of Mexico, and most people haven't even heard of them. If you're visiting Bahia de Los Angeles or other Baja California towns, enjoy the fish tacos, as you won't find them east of the Mexican state of Sonora.

Photo: My delicious fish tacos are being fried. If you're watching your weight, you'd better stay away from fish tacos, as they're fried, and most likely loaded with calories. But they taste sooooo good! Note the comal on the burner of the red-colored gas range, where tortillas are cooking.

The girl that was operating the restaurant opened the door to the refrigerator, took out a couple of pieces of fish from a bowl, containing fish and batter, and placed them in a frying pan, that was already sizzling on the stove. Next, she grabbed a couple of CD-sized corn tortillas from a stack on the counter that had been covered by a cloth towel, and placed them on a comal, next to the pan of fish. As I was sitting at the table, enjoying the view, she asked me if I wanted her to place the condiments on my tacos, and, as a dedicated taco reporter, and a free-lance lover of small Mexican restaurants, I invited her to do so.

In small Mexican restaurants, timing is everything, as the operators strive to have the meat and the tortillas ready at exactly the same time, and to achieve that goal, the girl at Restaurant Mariscos timed it perfectly, as the fried fish and the tortillas were ready at the exact same time. Since I had ordered, "con todo," (everything,) she placed the cooked fish on the corn tortilla, then drizzled each taco with "crema," which is basically sour cream, watered down with lime juice. Then, she piled on the tacos shredded cabbage, diced jalapeño peppers, and diced tomatoes, which makes an outstanding ensemble to compliment the delicious taste of the fried fish. The whole affair resulted in two, very delicious, fish tacos.

Photo: Yeah, that's your author, sitting at a table, on the attractive and covered patio the restaurant offers it's patrons, with the beautiful Sea of Cortez in the background. Thanks to the friendly girl who operates the restaurant for taking my photo. Yes, I'm really that dark.

As she brought the tacos to me, I even talked her into taking my photo, although she didn't want me to take the classic waitress-brings-food-to-table photo, which I prize, so dearly. Stupid me, I never did ask her name, so as far this article is concerned, her name is simply, "the girl."

The fish tacos were simply delicious, as the fish was perfectly cooked; golden brown and crunchy on the outside, yet white and tender, within. The tortillas were blistered, as per the protocol on a Baja California griddle, and cooked enough to be chewy, pliable, and to be able to hold the main ingredients in place, without breaking and causing a huge mess. Condiments were offered on a self-serve basis on the restaurant's counter, but I chose to have the taco girl arrange my condiments, and I have to admit that she did an excellent job, as the presentation was both attractive and delicious, after I'd taken my first bite.

Photo: My two delicious fish tacos feature shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, chopped white onions, and crema, which is sour cream with lime juice added to it. Delicious!

Duh... Gee, I have to type their long name once again, as Restaurant de Mariscos de Bahia de Los Angeles, serves outstanding fish tacos at a bargain price, and the restaurant features comfortable seating, with an engaging view of the beautiful Sea of Cortez. Fish tacos are priced at only MEX $10.00 each, so what have you got to loose? When you're visiting the beautiful town of Bahia de Los Angeles, I highly recommend a trip to Restaurant de Mariscos de Bahia de Los Angeles!

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