Wahoo’s Fish Taco

No flavor, not pleased :-(

Such a bummer they’re closed. But fear not! A new Mission Valley location will open within 6 months from what I’m told. In the meantime, the Point Loma location will become the corporate owned store.

They’re not really Mexican fish tacos, like Rubio’s…but they’re fish tacos nonetheless. The restaurant is pretty big, clean, and I like the surfer/​beach décor.
Service is friendly, menu is big enough, and prices are fair. I had the two grilled fish tacos with white rice and beans. It took quite a while to come out considering I was the only one there. Freshly cooked, sure, but I would hate to see the wait when it’s really busy. It was really just shy of a 10 minute wait.
My fish was nice, and the tacos had tons of cabbage and tomato on them. The black beans were typical black beans. What I really enjoyed was the white rice. It tasted a lot like Chipotle’s white rice, which is dangerously addictive to me.
All in all, the rice was the winner, and the rest was merely okay. I think I prefer the Mexican inspiration of Rubio’s.

Five of us went to Wahoo’s Fish Taco restaurant in Mission Valley a couple of weeks ago. I had been there a couple times before and no complaints. The food is not only excellent, but reasonable and the service is great, they bring your food to your table. Indoor or patio seating and great Hawaiian atmosphere.
They offer a nice variety of food, so check them out and their locations near you.
They are currently offering a pitcher of beer for $ 5 bucks so for a group of 2 to 5 or 6 everyone should get a nice cool glass of beer, when we went they were offering Samuel Adams, yum.
Parking is on the street in the complex, but we had no problems.
Highly recommended

It’s not mind blowing amazing, but when you’re hungry, it’s a fulfilling meal. I’ve always been a fan of Wahoo’s, and whenever I’m back on the west coast, it’s undoubtedly one of our spots to stop at, whether we’re in LA, OC, or SD. This time, we happened to be in SD for a wedding, and it was conveniently located near the hotel we were attending the wedding at. So, we took a quick jaunt across the street to the Promenades apartment complex (by the way, it is huge!) prior to the wedding and had ourselves a mini feast!
We ordered our standard 2 grilled tacos combo, and an additional 2 tacos a la carte. The rice and beans are normally fairly salty, but this time around, it wasn’t. The only thing that I noticed that this location didn’t have were lime or lemon wedges along the bar? A bit strange, but at least, we were able to find some Tabasco. Without that, the flavors don’t shine as well.
Service was good, even during the off-​peak hours we went at (~3:30pm). From the time we stepped into the door to the time we left, the time was about 45 minutes, and that was accounting for us taking our time eating. So, if you happen to find yourself near the Mission Valley Marriott and are famished (like we were) and not in the mood for In-​N-​Out, this Wahoo’s is a good option.

Have always had great food and service at this location.
Highly recommend the cajun fish bowl with cajun beans or same but with chicken. Both are great for spicy food lovers. Very filling, a bit pricey, but tasty. I generally have leftovers too. Put some green sauce and guac on your bowl for extree yumminess.
Best to come here during off peak times and park in shopping center lot across the street.
Only downside is no salsa bar… I think that would be a nice touch.

Went here on a Friday night in back in April because my bank was super close to it and I was starving from getting off work.
Food was pretty good although we could’ve probably made it at home. I thought it was kind of weird that they didn’t have a salsa bar & the guy asked if we wanted salsa, but never gave us any. We didn’t press the issue even though the place seemed pretty empty.
Could have been because one of the main doors was locked and a barricade of chairs was put up when we walked up from the street entrance.
Anyway, we ate at the place because Edgar the server was nice and we liked the décor of all the stickers & boards versus the weird vibe I get when I eat at Rubios. Does anyone else feel uncomfortable in Rubios?

While it is categorized as Mexican food, to me, Wahoo’s is more like west coast –meets Pacific rim style Mexican, if that makes sense. The first time I ever walked into a Wahoo’s was back in 2002 when they opened up shop across the street from my HS in Orange county. I immediately fell in love with their casual, laid back skater/​surfer vibe and menu. Fast forward about a decade and some gaps between visits, and the vibe is just as laid back and food as tasty as it was when Wahoo’s first won me over.
The great (or not so great, if you can never make up your mind) thing about Wahoo’s menu is that it’s SUPER customizable. You can choose whether to have a burrito, or make it a plate /​bowl. choose your rice, beans, type of meat (and sometimes how the meat is prepared even), the sauce, etc… you get the point.
My favorite is the grilled chicken enchilada plate with green sauce and white rice. When you order chicken you can choose grilled (mild) or blackened (spicy-​ish), and if you’re getting enchiladas you can choose red or green sauce (Green is the BESTTTT). The white rice they serve at Wahoo’s is seasoned with awesome, so don’t be expecting that standard asian white-​rice-​outta-​the-​cooker blandness. I highly recommend asking for extra pico de gallo salsa to pour over your rice to enhance the yum factor. If you order a combo plate you also choose black or spicy cajun white beans. I am normally a huge fan of black beans, but tonight my beans seemed to be lacking in flavor/​seasoning, which was kind of a bummer (but let’s be honest I love the rice so much I didn’t have room for beans anyway).
Hmm. what else. The chicken tortilla soup is also great, highly recommend it. Broth is light yet flavorful, with *BIG* chunks of chicken, fat tortilla strips and hearty veggies.
I like to dine in when possible, but take out is just as good (I only waited about 5 mins for my 2 plate order to be ready) and I’m pretty sure they cater as well. Compared to the La Jolla location, this Wahoo’s is pretty big with patio seating out front with some umbrellas on a nice day, or plenty of tables and some booths inside with a tv or two. Soda station is stocked with flavored ice tea brewers as well as pepsi products, and condiments aplenty.
Parking is available in the horizontal spaces in front but also available in the building (entrance is right of the stop sign in the turnaround after you pass the trolley stop).

I definitely prefer Wahoo’s over Rubios, and overall everything is pretty nice here. The staff is always friendly and the vibes in the restaurant are pretty good, only reason I’m giving it a 4 is because it’s still cheapish food so if you’re willing to spend more there’s obviously going to be better places. For the price though, I definitely would suggest it.

Last weekend, I stopped by Wahoo’s Fish Taco for a late lunch. I ordered this combo:
– Shrimp burrito
– Black Beans
– Rice w/​Cilantro
– Cheese Enchilada w/​Green Sauce
The food presentation was spot on. Food was tasty as usual.
Thought the enchilada was on the small side but the shrimp burrito made up for it and then some. Tons of shrimp were stuffed into this one burrito. It would of made Forrest Gump pleased. Needless to say, I was a happy camper.
Outstanding service at this Mission Valley location. They were extremely helpful and friendly during my visit. Greeted me when I walked in; as well as, when I left. They even took the time to check w/​me how my meal was going.
For a taste of casual California lifestyle I would highly recommend visiting a Wahoo’s nearest you.

I am updating my review based on the chicken tacos I ordered today. They were pretty good! The salsa was nice and spicy and the chicken was juicy. The rice and beans were delicious also.
At an earlier date, I got the Baja Rolls (appetizer served cold) and french fries. The Baja Rolls were okay, but I didn’t expect them to be cold.
The staff is always friendly. Today I came in a few minutes before they closed (thinking they closed later); and the service was still swift and friendly.

I was craving some fish tacos and this place was closes to me, after finishing up with a local appointment; so I came in to have some lunch. I ordered one of their featured daily specials, the the two soft fish tacos with fries and a drink. You get to choose your type of tacos, so I chose blackened fish on corn tortillas. (
) The $ 7.92 included the tax. (
)
The fish tacos tasted good, but they were on the small side. They actually used two mini corn tortillas for each. If I would of know ahead of time, I would not of ordered them, but at least they tasted good. In addition, although I asked for the fish blackened, the fish just came grilled with some kind orange color sauce; again, at least they tasted good. (
) The tacos with the cabbage, tomatoes, and cilantro creamy sauce were fresh and tasted good. (
)
The fries were just okay and they were unevenly salted.
The service was very good and friendly. The manager came over and asked how my meal was and, I remarked accordingly. He gave me a to go menu to look over, just in case I would be interested in other menu items during a future visit.
Hey they carry Cholula!

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos
SD: Mission Valley Promenade
Sunday November 27, 2011
Five Stars
I had amazing Almost Carb Free Lunch here before the Charger’s Game. I ordered a Wahoo Bowl with huge piece of grilled fish on top of a mound of white beans, no rice, and added veggies. I love how this place has four different types of hot sauce.

Pros:
*Lots of options ranging from nachos to tacos to burritos to salads (I enjoy the veggie wet burrito w/​red sauce and grilled chicken)
*Relatively «healthy» mexican food
*Large portion sizes (maybe this negates the «healthy» observation… hmm…)
*Beer available
*Fantastic and fast service
*Cashier always asks if you want guacamole/​sour cream/​salsa
*Never really busy (at least when I’ve been there for lunch and early dinners)
Cons:
*Everything kinda starts to taste the same after a while. Maybe this is because they use the same rice/​beans/​etc for everything. Or maybe I just need to try more of their options.
*Pico de gallo is not «salsa»
*Not authentic Mexican food, if that’s what you are in the mood for

I came here for a company lunch. It was located within a mini plaza under some luxury apartments so it’s not that big of a place.
I had their chicken tortilla soup and a fish taco plate that comes with rice and your choice of black or Cajun white beans (I had the Cajun white beans… pretty good). I was not too thrilled about their soup… but then again, I am picky when it comes to chicken tortilla! I was not impressed with their fish taco… so far, Rubio’s fish tacos sh*t on all the other fish tacos I have ever tried. I do, however, adore their Paul Frank plastic cups ^^

They are known for their fish entrees and green sauce! I got the wahoo’s bowl, but they messed up my order. They were happy to get me what I wanted with a smile. Hooray for great service!

I used to go to Wahoo’s a couple of times a month, before I lived in San Diego and had trillions of burrito places to choose from. But, now I work just up the street from this location, and it is a healthier fast food option which makes it good for lunch if I don’t feel like bringing one.
For vegetarians, they have banzai veggies (a mix of teriyaki vegtables), tofu, or teriyaki mushooms for a filling choice. The ordering style is you pick the thing you want (taco, burrito, enchilada) and then pick your filling. I am a fan of the mushroom tacos, I want to try the tofu ones but I can’t tear myself away from the mushroom.
Onion rings are a must order if you have someone to share with. My all time fave onion rings.
The sauce situation is annoying. You have to ask for each sauce you want, and if you want Mr. Lee’s chili sauce (the best one) they give you a teeny tiny plastic cup of it. I need two cups per taco, it is seriously a measly amount. They justify this system by saying salsa bars are nasty because they require a sneeze guard, and they will give you as much sauce as you want so you shouldn’t complain. However, I will still complain. I like to get my own salsa, in my own amounts. I don’t like having to ask for sixteen hundred tiny cups of Mr. Lee’s. I know they will never change their sauce situation, but I had to give my two cents.

I was very disappointed – my spicy fish taco and carne asada taco were both (1) dry and overcooked; and (2) lukewarm. The server who came to retrieve my dishes asked me how everything was and I told her, «Not good. The meat was dry and just lukewarm.» The look on her face indicated she did not expect that response; she apologized and said she would inform her manager. (I’ve eaten at Wahoo’s in SD off of Pearl Ave and one in Long Beach and both times, the food was good and I told her that. It was noon today and not busy either when I went here for lunch).
Wahoo’s has a readable menu on the side wall when you are in line and delivers food to your table by giving you a number. It also offers the healthier fish taco (not fried). But I won’t be coming back to this location.

Ordered a filling shrimp Banzai Burrito, which was a bit of a surprise. I thought the burrito was going to be bigger, but given the size and the stuff that was in the burrito, it was really quite a meal. Combined with the tasty and not overcooked chips and guac and regular soda, it was a worthy meal of a little more than $ 7.
I actually like this atmosphere — almost empty on a Friday afternoon — and it’s a quite sizeable restaurant that’s tucked into this little private shopping center in Rio Vista. I was always of the thought that you couldn’t enter that area because it was private property and that there were only apartment buildings in there and not a shopping center. Heck, there’s even a trolley stop nearby. Parking’s a bit of a problem because of a lack of spaces, but you can always park in the huge lot across the street (Rio San Diego Dr.) and walk to the restaurant. I like the personal Polaroids plastered all over the restaurant. They could’ve gone with more contemporary music than the songs they played over the PA (The Who and Peter Frampton were some of the artists played), but that’s a small complaint.

Born in Southern California, the Wahoo’s Fish Taco story actually originated with three brothers in Brazil. These days, Wahoo’s is a staple in the extreme sports scene and have established many restaurants and boast even more followers. My Wahoo’s experience actually starts in the sky.
After a day spent flying in a Cessna 172, my buddies and I developed an appetite for some tacos. Of the dozens of restaurants in the area that served them up, we decided that none could beat the quality and flavors of this locally loved eatery. To get a feel for the unique Wahoo’s flavors, I decided to order the 2 taco combo platter with both the regular and spicy fish, served with a heaping helping of ahi rice and a split of the spicy Cajun white beans and black beans. The tacos, though a little meager in size, were delicious and had a nice balance of flavors. The textures were a little on the dry side so the addition of a sauce of some kind would definitely improve that aspect of the dish. I loved fluffy the ahi rice, especially when paired the beans. They give you a huge portion of it, but I was able to finish it all without any difficulty and only wished that I could have more.
For my first dining experience at Wahoo’s Fish Taco, I was happily surprised by the quality of the food here. Everything was definitely fresh and the portions were quite large. The restaurant itself has a very laid back feel, and it seems that anybody is free to tag a sticker to any part of the building. I will definitely check out Wahoo’s again, if only for the very attractive women who seem to flock here every day. Need I say, «Yum-​o»?
Food: ⁷⁄₁₀
Service: ⁷⁄₁₀
Price: $
Atmosphere: ⁷⁄₁₀