# Fish tacos: Battered & fried, or grilled? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2020, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180 "2020-05-05T14:32:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/41 "2020-05-06T14:18:39Z")
Just put them all in my mouth please. I prefer unbreaded but I’ll eat then all thank you. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/42 "2020-05-06T14:54:46Z")
My first fish tacos were eaten on a Mexican beach with a red snapper I had caught earlier that day. It was grilled and it was delicious. So if one were to hold a gun to my head and force me to answer, I would go with grilled for that reason. But I love them both equally, and there is no gun to my head, so I can’t vote. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/43 "2020-05-06T16:51:25Z")
I vote for both of the above. > [@squeegee](#): > > A better question is Mexican or weird Gringo style. I live on the west coast and am used to the former: grilled or fried white fish with salsa and other normal taco fare in a grilled/pressed tortilla. The latter I’ve seen, and been repelled by, in the Midwest: breaded, fried fish (basically fish sticks) smothered in coleslaw in a cold tortilla. Ew. That’s assuming we’re not talking about those Midwest-style travesties. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/44 "2020-05-06T20:12:51Z")
I prefer the battered and fried, but I enjoy both. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/45 "2020-05-07T15:38:59Z")
I picked the poll option “Yes”. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/46 "2020-05-07T19:45:00Z")
Pedro’s Tacos started in San Clemente, California, has been feeding surfers since 1986, and their fish is fried. [https://pedrostacos.com/](https://pedrostacos.com/) ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/47 "2020-05-07T19:52:42Z")
If you’re making your own tacos on the beach with fresh caught fish, it makes sense the fish would be grilled. Nobody I know brings a fryer to a beach cookout. But all the hole-in-the-wall places that have been around for decades that I’ve gone to have battered and fried fish. I first saw grilled fish tacos at El Torito (!!!) so that’s colored my opinion of them. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/48 "2020-05-07T20:01:31Z")
I love tacos but seldom get fish or shrimp. I prefer a more assertive filling like chorizo. But I’d be happy to eat either fried or grilled fish tacos with a slight preference for fried. Without an indicator like ‘grilled,’ I’d assume a fish taco is fried tilapia, at least here in the Midwest. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/49 "2020-05-07T20:16:52Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I love tacos but seldom get fish or shrimp. I prefer a more assertive filling like chorizo. But I’d be happy to eat either fried or grilled fish tacos with a slight preference for fried. Without an indicator like ‘grilled,’ I’d assume a fish taco is fried tilapia, at least here in the Midwest. Chorizo? Blecch. Try\* Birria\* or\* lengua\*. Fried tilapia? Man, that’s getting into taco Bell territory. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/50 "2020-05-07T20:42:39Z")
Chorizo’s too greasy for a taco. I prefer carnitas with a cilantro-heavy pico de gallo. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/51 "2020-05-07T20:55:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Fried tilapia? Man, that’s getting into taco Bell territory. Too upscale a fish. Taco Bell would use perch. Or crappies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/52 "2020-05-08T00:06:55Z")
I think that is the first time I’ve ever heard tilapia called “upscale” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/53 "2020-05-08T00:07:50Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Taco Bell would use perch. I beg your pardon. Are you saying that you…don’t…like…fried…PERCH? Nah, that CAN’T be right; I must have got something in my eye. — Uke, who grew up on a Great Lake ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/54 "2020-05-08T00:19:23Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I think that is the first time I’ve ever heard tilapia called “upscale” Yeah, that is the cheapest fish I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/55 "2020-05-08T00:29:17Z")
Could’ve been worse. I could’ve said “catfish.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/56 "2020-05-08T00:34:10Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That is so wrong that if you look up “Wrong” in the dictionary, it references this answer. It takes a Masters in Wrong to give this answer. > > **WRONG!!!** I saw this and thought of you. Dr Cox from Scrubs. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/57 "2020-05-08T00:35:03Z")
My idol! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/58 "2020-05-08T01:10:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Could’ve been worse. I could’ve said “catfish.” I have eaten good catfish. But bad catfish is truly terrible. Still waiting for you to defend your slur on freshly fished, freshly fried lake perch, California Boy. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/59 "2020-05-08T01:28:15Z")
I’m none too fond of _any_ fresh-water fish. Salt-water, fine. So my “find a repulsive fish to use” list defaulted Fresh Water. And “perch” just sounds funny. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180/60 "2020-05-08T01:41:34Z")
Well, okay…as a fellow sea-dweller, I can see your point of view. But I have eaten freshwater fish dragged out of Montana streams and the Great Lakes. Pike, perch, what have you. When I got married 30 years ago my cousin hosted a wedding party at his Sandusky restaurant where he fried perch that a friend of his had caught earlier that day, in clean oil, and served on great platters with multiple quartered lemons and homemade tartar sauce. I still remember that meal fondly, as does the Ukulele Lady, who normally never eats fried food. Someday I hope to take you to a lakeside roadhouse in Wisconsin or Michigan or Ohio and feed you fresh-fried perch and French fried potatoes with copious amounts of cheap Pilsener. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-tacos-battered-fried-or-grilled/853180.md?page=4)