Del Taco has hooked fish taco formula

The best fish tacos I've ever eaten were the ultimate in fast food.

Would-be diners stopped beside a wooden stand -- little more than a table under a thatched roof, really -- along a dirt road on the way to Santo Tomas in Baja California, Mexico. Fish tacos were the only thing on the menu, so the only question was how many you wanted.

They arrived steaming, wrapped in two corn tortillas straight from the grill, with fresh shredded cabbage and pico de gallo and a sliced lime. You squeezed a little lime on top and dug in. I looked forward to them on every surf or dirt-bike trip down the coast.

I've eaten plenty of fish tacos at restaurants and fast-food joints over the years, including the muchtouted Rubio's, La Salsa and Wahoo's (coming soon to Colorado Springs). None compares favorably. My pet peeve with most fish tacos -- even those that cost double digits in sit-down restaurants -- is that they fall apart by the third bite. You shouldn't need a fork to eat a taco.

Yet I always try them if they're on a menu -- even here, 1,000 miles from the ocean. They're usually so disappointing that I wasn't expecting much from Del Taco's latest menu item, the Crispy Fish Taco ($1.59). Actually, I was expecting too much: too much sauce, too much tortilla, too much grease.

(In full disclosure, I must say that I once worked at Del Taco. But I've worked for a halfdozen fast-food joints, and I can't discern a bias toward any one.)

The secret to a good fish taco, as with many things in life, is keeping it simple. I was surprised by the quality of Del Taco's newest taco. The fish, Alaskan pollock, was moist and a bit sweet, and the crunchy panko crumb coating was light and not a bit greasy.

There was a hint -- just a hint -- of the company's "secret sauce" and a healthy dose of crisp, shredded cabbage. The pico de gallo included diced tomatoes and onions and cilantro -- much better than sauce from a plastic packet. And the twin corn tortillas were thin, offering just the right amount of taste and support for the filling.

During spring break, I had the opportunity to do quite a bit of research on these tacos.

I ate Del Taco's fish tacos in Colorado, Arizona and California. Good all around. And I wasn't alone in my appreciation. My food orders were interrupted several times by fellow customers who chimed in to say how much they liked this latest menu item.

As much as I'd enjoy another surfing expedition along the Pacific, I have to say Del Taco's newest offering is a great alternative to the 1,300-mile trek to Baja.

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