4/5 Jay K. 4 years ago on Google
Mariscos
El
Pescador
is
one
of
San
Diego's
legendary
mariscos
(Mexican
seafood)
trucks
known
for
its
tacos,
tostadas,
and
ceviches.
As
food
trucks
go,
this
one
is
easy
to
get
to:
it
is
located
in
the
parking
lot
of
an
abandoned
Toys
R
Us,
right
off
of
the
I-5.
Despite
local
folklore,
the
local
mariscos
trucks
are
NOT
run
by
the
same
person
or
family
--
they
are
competing
enterprises
with
different
menus,
different
preparations,
and
different
levels
of
quality,
even
if
there
may
be
some
kinship
between
a
few
of
the
operators.
The
taco
to
order
at
Mariscos
El
Pescador
is
the
"Tuna
Estilo
Marlin
Taco"
(tuna
in-the-style
of
Marlin,
from
Spanish).
In
Mexico's
coastal
states
of
Nayarit
and
Sinaloa,
a
Marlin
Taco
refers
to
a
smoky
stew
of
pink
fish
with
sautéed
vegetables
heaped
into
a
tortilla
with
melted
cheese.
While
the
meat
in
these
tacos
is
often
actually
marlin,
many
purveyors
on
both
sides
of
the
U.S.-Mexico
border
use
other
fish,
often
ahi
tuna,
as
a
substitute
for
marlin
in
their
Marlin
Tacos.
Mariscos
El
Pescador
is
one
of
the
few
operations
that
is
completely
transparent
about
the
substitution.
Here,
the
savory
smoked
tuna
is
braised
in
herbs
and
spices,
leading
to
a
a
finished
product
that
is
juicy,
meaty,
and
dense,
served
with
onions
and
celery.
It
is
excellent
enough
for
me
to
ignore
the
mediocre
corn
tortilla
it
is
served
on.
I
was
also
pleased
with
the
"Spicy
Shrimp
Taco"
here,
although
it
is
nowhere
near
as
piquant
as
most
other
spicy
shrimp
tacos
around
town.
In
this
taco,
I
tasted
coconut.
While
some
may
not
believe
coconut
has
any
business
near
a
taco,
here
in
was
pleasant,
even
if
uncanny.
The
shrimp
were
char-grilled
in
a
sweet
marinade
in
a
taco
that
reminded
me
more
of
something
I'd
eat
on
a
Caribbean
island
than
in
Mexico.
The
"Fish
Taco"
served
at
Mariscos
El
Pescador
is
average.
It
is
$1.75,
which
is
about
the
right
price.
I
didn't
find
the
tempura-like
batter
to
be
particularly
crunchy,
and
the
fish
itself
had
a
slight
piscine
edge
to
it.
I
prefer
my
battered
fish
to
be
milder,
a
clear
indicator
of
its
freshness.
You're
taking
a
leap
of
faith
when
you
order
seafood
out
of
a
truck,
after
all.
That
said,
this
was
a
good
fish
taco
otherwise,
with
a
solid
ratio
of
meat
to
cabbage
to
sauce.
I
tried
to
liven
it
up
with
the
squeeze-bottle
salsa
verde,
which
was
way
too
fruity
for
my
liking.
This
is
the
first
mariscos
truck
I
heard
of
and
visited
after
moving
to
San
Diego
and
I
couldn't
figure
out
why
people
were
losing
their
minds
over
these
trucks
based
on
that
one
visit.
This
is
because
I
ordered
a
bunch
of
fish
tacos
from
this
truck,
which
I
now
know
to
be
average.
However,
even
to
this
day,
I've
yet
to
discover
the
one
item
on
Mariscos
El
Pescador's
menu
that
will
compel
me
to
make
a
special
trip
here
from
central
San
Diego,
whereas
I
frequently
drive
further
to
Mariscos
German
Beyer
in
San
Ysidro.
Is
this
truck
cruising
off
of
a
reputation
earned
long
ago?
Or
am
I
not
ordering
the
"right"
meal
from
here?
Regardless,
it
will
continue
be
a
while
between
visits
due
to
options
I
perceive
as
superior
elsewhere.
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