Baja Fish perfects the fragile fish taco

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

Like so many ocean-adjacent restaurants before it, San Pedro’s Baja Fish is positively nautical: tables, stools and walls washed over in varying shades of sea-borne blue, every corner covered in aquatic paraphernalia, glossy groups of fish, scaly mirrors and sculptures and gaping sets of shark jaws. With the regular briny breeze shooting through town, the restaurant feels as though it might very well be some sort of converted captain’s quarters.

Baja Fish’s seaside styling is practically a necessity: The restaurant doubles as a fish market intent on offering the entire hook-to-plate experience. But as convenient and practical as that is, it’s the restaurant’s fish tacos that draw consistent crowds and beat back some of San Diego’s fish taco fame.

The most basic of the tacos is the eponymous Baja fish taco: a corn tortilla stuffed with fried cod, cabbage, pico de gallo, and topped with the usual white sauce (self-referentially dubbed Baja sauce). The taco’s a worthy one—the cod keeps crunchy, the cabbage crisp—but when up against the fresh fish sitting in the display case, the fried cod seems a waste, a battered cover-up to what is an otherwise excellent taco.

It’s with the halibut taco that Baja Fish truly makes its mark. Here, a heavier corn tortilla is wisely swapped for its flour counterpart, a thin disc pocked with crisp brown spots collected by just the right amount of time on the grill. Piled inside are hunks of grilled and scored halibut tossed with more of the same cabbage, pico de gallo and Baja sauce. The combination comes close to the Baja fish taco, but the halibut isn’t buried in fish batter. The result is a taco that’s guiltless and light but still every bit as pleasing as even the most charred carne asada. Simply put, the halibut taco is about as close to a perfect fish taco as there is.

There are a handful of other fresh fish tacos available: mahi-mahi and sea bass—both of which recall the light, white flavors of the halibut taco—plus tuna belly for a richer flavor and salmon for a noticeably stronger one. There’s even shrimp, if you prefer your seafood to crawl rather than simply swim.

But Baja Fish doesn’t just stick to the tiny tortillas—it does a good burrito business, too. Again, here the halibut burrito, filled with the same hunks of halibut, beans, pico de gallo and avocado, is probably the best choice. It’s sparse, but that’s how it should be—a simple mix that keeps as much cohesion as the taco and won’t weigh you down.

You can also order any of the aforementioned fish on their own, grilled and paired with rice and beans. (Baja Fish makes good on the rice and beans, too, turning otherwise unremarkable sides into worthwhile supports that actually complement the fish, so order the beans whole and the rice as airy as you like it.) The restaurant wraps up its menu with its sort-of tortas: French rolls with onions, lettuce, tomato, avocado and your seafood of choice. Nearly all of the usual options are available, though you can also grab a shark sandwich if you’re looking for a deadlier catch.

Maybe it’s just a result of routine, but with each visit to Baja Fish, the maritime décor weighs less on you. Charts filled with just about every fish family seem like required reading; scale models and sculptures seem like necessary research. And that’s a good thing. With enough trips, you’ll get your sea legs.

BAJA FISH 611 S GAFFEY ST | SAN PEDRO 90731 | 310.521.1931 | OPEN MON-SAT 7AM-9PM | SUN 10AM-8PM | FOOD FOR TWO $15-25

Tags: baja fish, fish tacos, Food, mexican, San Pedro