The Best Fish Tacos in NYC, in GIFs

When talking tacos with a New Yorker, Angelenos tend to take a condescending tone as if they were an adult explaining the alphabet to a kindergartener. "Cali's tacos are superior. They just are," they'll explain, glaring at the tortilla in front of them. A comes before Z. We get it.

The latter may be inarguable, but we will fight to death for the legitimate tastiness of East Coast tacos. Yes, even fish tacos. Baja-style fish tacos consumed in Coastal California are delicious and authentic, no doubt. But for what NYC lacks in proximity to Mexico and surfer savoir faire, we make up for with flair and sheer New York gumption. It also helps that we have some of the most inventive chefs in the world working their magic with a tortilla.

Summers in New York City (especially at this very moment) can seem suffocating and unbearably far from a decent beach, but we share one thing in common with our West Coast compadres—summer begins with fish taco season.

Shut your eyes tightly and imagine the smell of salt in the air. Even if you don't leave your air-conditioned apartment, you can still revel in these gems of the sea: The Best Fish Tacos in NYC, in GIFs.

Written by Shanté Cosme (@ShanteCosme)

Photography and video by Liz Barclay (@liz_barclay​)

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Neighborhood: Union Square
Address: 28 East 12th St.
Website: doradotacosnyc.com
Price: $3.25 (for one taco)

Co-owner Michael Brau recalls wonderful fish tacos being hawked on the corners of the lively port city of Ensenada, Mexico. It's a memory that has informed his fish taco philosophy. As such, Dorado's grilled fish tacos are fresh, inexpensive, and deliciously uncomplicated. Two large hunks of grill-marked Mahi Mahi are tucked into warm, white corn tortillas and topped with a refreshing tomatillo avocado salsa and an avalanche of bitter, crunchy cabbage. In other words, simplicity perfected.

Neighborhood: East Village, Upper West Side
Address: 96 2nd Ave.; 568 Amsterdam Ave.
Website: themermaidnyc.com
Price: $21 (for three tacos)

At the mention of Mermaid Inn, the image of something fantastical is evoked. Something you dreamt about as a child, maybe. And, while there are no raven-haired mer-babes here, there are great fish tacos. The generously battered variety, simply prepared with a creamy red cabbage slaw, peppered with cilantro and jalapeno, and served with a bright tomato pico de gallo. They also happen to be the prettiest tacos we've ever had the pleasure of eating. Even Disney would agree—this is what happy endings look like.

Neighborhood: Midtown West, Upper East Side, Financial District (Taqueria)
Address: 251 West 50th St.; 83 Maiden Ln.; 166 E 82nd St.
Website: toloachenyc.com
Price: $13 (for two tacos)

Amidst the frenzy of Times Square, Chef Julian Medina's restaurant is nothing less than a diamond in the rough. Or, if you will, a taco in the chaos. Their baja-style tacos are built with tender slips of tilapia soaked in a batter so light and airy, you can hardly believe it was fried at all. A sizeable splat of guacamole and a subtly sweet tamarind salsa fastens the fish to to a thin, homemade corn tortilla. A zesty jicama slaw with a hint of lime provides the perfect balance of citrus and heat. Yes, the cost of these two impeccable tacos stings at first, but while your mind unconvinced of their value, your mouth is entirely certain it was shekels well spent.

Neighborhood: Nolita, Noho, Union Square
Address: 227 Mott St.; 333 Lafayette St.; 103 West 14th St.
Website: pinchetaqueria.us.
Price: $3.95 (for one)

Oh hey, fried Mahi Mahi. Come here often? We do. And—this is getting awkward—it's because of you. Lightly battered and spiked with avocado salsa (more tomatillo than avocado) and gooey crema, you're as sexy as fish tacos come. And we've seen a lot of tacos in our day. Alright, that analogy got weird. But, these are great tacos. Go buy yourself one before you judge us. Trust, you'll be kicking game, too.

Neighborhood: Greenpoint
Address: 1 Bedford Ave.
Website: nightsandweekendsny.com
Price: $13 (for 3 tacos)

Chef and co-owner Ken Addington describes the crew that mans Nights and Weekends tiny kitchen as a "funny group of punk rock kids." But, not the kind that just look the part—"they're the real deal." What does this have to do with tacos? It means a fish taco that doesn't play by the rules. The elements are all there, but they've all got a playful (also, delicious) spin. Mahi Mahi is coated in panko, making for a wonderfully textured crunch. There is no sour cream here. Instead, we have a caper mayo, a salty play on tartar sauce that acts as the perfect foil to a mango and pickled habanero salsa. In lieu of traditional accouterments, N&W tops its tacos with frisée, which has more crunch and bitterness than cabbage, and adds some exciting contrast to the operation. If this is what anti-establishment tastes like, we're heading the anarchy.

Neighborhood: Dumbo
Address: 5 Front St.
Website: granelectrica.com
Price: $11 (for two tacos)

Homemade tortillas every. single. day—that's the secret to Gran Electrica's spectacular fish tacos. Well, at least one of them. Flaky Pollack take a dip in a Pacifico batter made with vodka and mustard before doing a cannon ball into the deep fryer. The result is a lightly crispy, flavorful coating that gives way to the soft sliver of fish beneath it. A limey crema and a guacamole suave that's created by pureeing tomatillos and jalapeño with avocado until smooth and creamy also gets involved, adding a slight acidity. The end product is a well-balanced taco that tastes, well, damn good. Word to the chef.

Neighborhood: Nolita
Address: 267 Elizabeth St.
Website: tacombi.com
Price: $4.49 (for one taco)

What can we say—we're a sucker for tacos made in a VW bus. Come to Tacombi on a summer day, and you'll find a red and white Volkswagon parked squarely in the center of the lively eatery (which is actually a charmingly appointed garage). That's where your tacos will appear from. Somehow, that cramped bus pumps out some serious fish tacos. Moist tilapia encased in a beer-battered shell encased in two Tortilleria Nixtamal tortillas—and it's a good thing these are two of these substantial shells. All the better to stand up to a hefty smear of chipotle mayo that makes you want to lick your fingers. The taco ends with a satisfying coleslaw crunch and the incredulous awareness that your new favorite taco just came off a bus. We're not mad at it.

Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: 207 West 14th St.
Website: coppelianyc.com
Price: $9.95 (for two tacos)

Coppelia serves Latin American comfort food in a diner environment, so yes, you'd expect them to nail the fish taco. And your expectations would be more than met. Buttery tilapia is secured to a paper-thin flour tortilla with chunky guacamole, topped with a roasted tomatillo and garlic salsa, and blanketed with a wildly rich, subtly spicy chipotle slaw. Unpretentious and hearty, it's hard to imagine a craving this killer fish taco couldn't satisfy.

Neighborhood: Union Square
Address: 38 East 19th St.
Website: abccocinanyc.com
Price: $13 (for two tacos)

Jean-Georges Vongerichten and chef de cuisine Ian Coogan's Mexican tapas joint seems a confusing concept at first. You're not quite sure what to expect from it. That is, until you taste this phenemonal fish taco. Griddled a la plancha (a very hot flattop grill, for you gringos), this flounder is tender, buttery, and generously peppered before being placed on a textured, freshly made tortilla. On top, an inventive mix of thinly sliced apple, Napa cabbage, habanero, red chili, and mint. Yes, mint. Somehow, it really, really works. Incorporating elements of salty and sweet, with a nearly unidentifiable hint of mint has a great effect: suddenly, you're scoffing no more. In fact, you're sold.

Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 230 W 4th St.
Website: empellon.com/taqueria
Price: $12/18 (appetizer/entree)

At Alex Stupak's sleek, innovative taqueria, fish tacos don't invoke a surfer sentiment. Instead, these impecable dogfish (yes, shark) tacos are created with a designer's sensibility and a scientist's precision. The firm hunk of fish is dipped in a Negro Modelo batter aerated with Co2, resulting in tempura coating that is lighter, fluffier, and more crisp than any you've had before. This is how Stupak's creation sons every baja fish taco you've ever had. The fish is anchored to an oversized corn tamale with a bright lime crema, some finely shredded cabbage, and a pickled jalepeno relish that is tart and spicy all at once. A thin slice of radish and micro cilantro are applied with tweezers. We try to act unimpressed, but two bites in, we're smitten. Forget surfers. We respect a chef who can cobble together many elements that seem contradictory, but in unison, sing.

Neighborhood: Rockaway Beach
Address: 95-19 Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Website: rockawaytaco.com
Price: $4

Rockaway Taco doesn't sell tacos—they sell a taco experience, a delicious escape, particularly for locals still ensnared by the lingering after-effects of Sandy. It's clear co-owner Andrew Field knows this as he smiles, eyes squinting in the sun. His humble surf shack anchors a community, a fact that's undoubtedly motivated Field and his crew to get Rockaway up and running (despite great difficulties) in time for fish taco season. Yes, that's a thing.

Rockaway’s fish tacos are bliss. Seriously. The tilapia's browned coating is gluttonously full-flavored. It has a puffiness and subtle sweetness that's reminiscent of the richness of food found at fairs. The tortilla is crisp, almost crunchy, and covered with an amazingly messy mound of guacamole and apple cider vinegar marinated shreds of cabbage. You park your short-clad ass on a hot bench and dig in, and guacamole inevitably ends up on your warm cheeks. Yes, it's an undeniable fact: This is the happiest taco experience you've ever had.