Nayarit EATS: My Quest for the Best Fish Tacos in and around Jaltemba Bay (Part 1)

I am a fish taco junky. For me, they are the quintessential hand-held Mexican comfort food. I am especially fond of the traditional baja-style tacos… you know, those beer battered, deep fried morsels of goodness wrapped in warm corn tortillas, topped with crisp cabbage and served with a mayo-based sauce. With that said, I am certainly not opposed to thinking outside the baja-style taco box and ordering grilled or sauteed tacos or those topped with mango, peach, pineapple and other fruit salsas. In my humble opinion, all fish tacos, no matter the style, should be required to have either a spicy chipotle or chile de arbol salsa available for drizzling, dipping or dunking.

I recruited my hubby and a few willing friends to join me in my quest to find “the best” fish tacos in our area. We visited several popular establishments known for their fish and shrimp tacos.

Here are our very flavorable findings…

Hinde y Jaime’s, La Peñita

For anyone who has ever visited the Jaltemba Bay area, chances are you’ve stopped by Hinde y Jaime’s Restaurant in La Peñita for their famous fish and shrimp tacos. They are pretty much the epitome of the perfect baja-style taco. They start with warm corn tortillas spread with just the right amount of mayo, then wrap them around deliciously moist lightly battered and fried pieces of mahi-mahi or shrimp topped with shredded cabbage, carrots and pickled onions… and serve them with a side of Hinde’s tomatillo salsa. Their tacos are served a la carte, and at only $10 pesos a piece you can afford to try at least one of each.

(above photo) My usual “dos y dos” (two fish tacos and two shrimp tacos).

Hinde y Jaime’s casual atmosphere and friendly service attracts locals and expats alike. Often times, you’ll find Jaime sitting at the bar chatting with the regulars, Hinde working her magic in the kitchen and Patty (their daughter), Javier and Jorge behind the bar making margaritas, daiquiris and other popular tropical drinks. They also offer a full menu with breakfast, lunch and dinner items that are worth trying as well. Go my friends and try these tacos. I’d be willing to bet that they’ll make their way into your day dreams!

Visit Hinde y Jaime’s Bar & Restaurant webpage to view their full menu, hours, location and more.

Baja Takeria, San Pancho

Baja Takeria offers a wide variety of tacos, burritos and salads, along with ceviche, burgers and such. The tacos come a la carte and are served with a side of their garlic pico de gallo and three salsas: spicy chile de arbol, creamy chipotle and crema (instead of the traditional mayo). We ordered the Pescado Baja Taco (Baja-style fish taco), Camaron Mezteño Taco (sauteed shrimp taco in garlic and chipotle sauce with cheese, which is more like a quesadilla than a taco) and the Marlin Conquistador Taco (smoked marlin taco with cheese). All three tacos were darn tasty, and while I am admittedly a baja-style taco fan, our vote was unanimously tied between the Mezteño and Conquistador. I also recommend washing your tacos down with one of their Micheladas, which they happen to serve without Clamato.

  
(top) Pescado Baja and Camaron Mezteño. (bottom) Baja Takeria’s Michelada and their creative taco menu.

The bistro-like atmosphere at Baja Takeria is charming, the food is fresh and the staff is friendly, attentive and they have a sense of humor… on nearly every page of their menu, it says “Relax, you’re on vacation! Each dish is prepared at the moment you order, we appreciate your patience.”

P.S. Learning about Baja Takeria online last season actually inspired me to write this story. Right then and there, I started thinking about how much fun I’d have writing it – and dreaming about how many fish tacos I’d have to consume to research it.

Stay tuned! You’ll find our findings on more local taco joints in an upcoming issue of our newsletter as we continue our quest for the best fish tacos in and around Jaltemba Bay. If you have other favorite fish taco places, please email them to Allyson@JaltembaBayLife.com or post a comment below and we will gladly put them to the test!