Last Updated on March 7, 2023

Choosing the best fish tacos in Baja California is no easy task. Although enjoying any fish taco and drinking a cold Pacifico beer on the Baja is certainly a slice of heaven on earth, some simply stand above and beyond the others by leaps and bounds. For that reason we’ve compiled a list of the best fish tacos we’ve tasted on the *Baja Peninsula throughout the years.

While driving south (or north) on Transpeninsular Highway 1 simply keep this article handy and grab our suggested fish tacos along the way. We haven’t included Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos or Ensenada but please share your favorite fish tacos from these towns.

*Note: The Baja Peninsula consists of two states: Baja California and Baja California Sur. The ENTIRE peninsula is commonly known as Baja California and is often referred to as Baja Mexico. This guide largely uses the former to denote the ENTIRE peninsula and each individual state is noted, where applicable: B.C. for Baja California state and B.C.S. for the Baja California Sur.

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Finding Good Fish Tacos in Baja California

While the city of La Paz (featured below) offers a few variables, fish tacos in Baja California seem to incorporate similar elements. All are served on either wheat or corn tortillas with coleslaw, seasoned batter, tomato/onion/cilantro garnish and lime wedges to squeeze on top. Eating Baja California fish tacos is an experience to truly savor and this article lets you know where to get the finest.

We always recommend choosing wheat tortillas instead of corn tortillas; the latter are dry and tend to fall apart easily. Also, corn tortillas have a mealy texture we don’t care for. Look for taquerias featuring plenty of fresh salsas and garnishes, too. Many fish taco establishments in Baja California sell out or close by early afternoon; don’t wait too long to get yours.

At (roughly) 760 miles long, as little as 25 miles wide and with 1,900 miles of coastline, it’s no wonder fish is the name of the game in these parts. In fact, fish tacos were born here. This is pure Baja comfort food so dig in right now and get familiar.

Order Here!

Served to you in this article are our selections of the best fish tacos in Baja California. We don’t name a favorite simply because it’s too difficult! Understand that most of our featured establishments don’t have phone numbers, none have a website and opening/closing hours aren’t always adhered to – this is normal in Mexico!

Some taquerias mentioned here are located alongside Transpeninsular Highway 1 and addresses have been omitted in this case; look for the name of the establishment as you drive along. Addresses and/or directions for fish taco restaurants away from the Transpeninsular Highway are provided.

The Best Baja California Fish Tacos in Guerrero Negro

Tacos El Muelle

Where: Carratera Guerrero Negro, next to Farmacias Similares.

Hours: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Taco Talk

This fish taco truck on the main road in Guerrero Negro is impossible to miss. Tony and his crew serve up what may be the tastiest fish tacos on the Baja. Foe 23 pesos you get a perfectly seasoned, battered and fried piece of fish wrapped in a tortilla.

This truck is popular with locals and Baja road trippers, many of whom stop in-transit to eat these legendary fish tacos. Are they that good? They are! Order several, find a place to sit nearby and savor a truly authentic Baja California fish taco.

The seasoning, or sazon, is a trade secret at Tacos El Muelle. That seasoned batter is fried to a dark copper color which works with the spices to create a fish taco with deep flavor. Also, the fish here is one piece rather than several smaller pieces like at most taquerias. This makes the eating these less messy as the fish tends to stay in place with each bite.

Tacos El Muelle scores for consistency; the tacos were as good on our first visits as they were seven months later. The batter is fried just a bit longer at Tacos El Muelle; this creates a superior taste over others. There is no seating at this informal location – the front counter of the food truck is for ordering and dressing up your fish tacos.

Our Favorite Baja California Fish Tacos…in Mulegé

Mariscos Peralta’s 

Where: Northbound Side of Transpeninsular Highway 1, Mulegé

Hours:

• 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
• Closed Tuesday

Taco Talk

We first visited Mulegé in 2013 and haven’t forgotten this popular taco stand. The fish at Mariscos Peralta’s is flaky white and the batter is tastier than most in town. The fish is also consistently firm but it’s the taste of the batter which stands out. We’ve eaten here many times and the fish is always fried to a perfect crispness. The ladies here offer you the choice of corn or wheat tortillas, too.

A selection of garnishes accompany your order; slather on all you can without making a mess. Recently, Mariscos Peralta’s started offering homemade tortilla chips and salsa while you wait for your order. At the time of research fish tacos were 22 pesos and a cold Pacifico was just 20 pesos – you won’t find beer from a restaurant or taco stand cheaper than that!

A car-wash/tire shop is attached to this restaurant, earning Mariscos Peralta’s the accolade of most authentic place to get a fish taco in Baja California! Passing through Mulegé  puts you within reach of this roadside fish taco stand, so pull over and don’t leave town without one!

The Battle of the Baja California Fish Tacos in Loreto

Taqueria El Molontzin

Where: Calle Ugarte, at the corner of Fernando Corsan, Loreto

Hours:  8:30 am – 3:00 pm. Taqueria El Molontzin, according to the owner, is likely open every day. You gotta love Mexico!

Taco Talk

During our visit, Taqueria El Molontzin was full of locals one day and empty at lunchtime several days later. Order fish tacos on wheat or corn tortillas for 25 pesos, or $1.25 each. El Molontzin also has the added touch of a refrigerated condiment bar and a bowl of complimentary homemade batter-fried jalapeno peppers at the front counter. The owner even wears a chef hat!

The visual impression of the fish tacos prepared us for a garden-variety offering. However, biting into the fish itself revealed a perfect bit of flaky white flesh with a batter that held more flavor than expected. Also, the batter held little oil from the frying process, earning the tacos here an extra point. El Molontzin was a pleasant surprise for us and it actually beat the more popular competition in town (see El Rey below).

The good selection of fresh condiments also scored extra points over the local competition. These included three different salsas, assorted creme dressings, cucumbers, a coleslaw mix and possibly the best escabeche onions we’ve ever tasted. El Molontzin was consistent each time we visited – a quality not all taco joints share in Loreto. Simply put, Taqueria El Molontzin serves up some of the best fish tacos in Loreto.

El Rey del Taco

Where: Calle Benito Juarez 61, Loreto

Hours: 9:30 am – 2:00 pm

Taco Talk

El Rey del Taco (The King of the Taco) certainly pulls in tourists and locals alike. In fact, many say the king serves the best fish tacos in Baja California. Although that’s not true in our opinion, El Rey definitely serves some of the largest fish tacos in the Baja. At 35 pesos each these tacos do pack a punch and ordering two is plenty. Ask for a homemade fresh-squeezed orange or lime drink to wash it all down.

The batter was seasoned quite well but we found the quality of fish lacking on several visits; our visit in November 2017 was far superior to our last visit in July 2018. Our last fish taco here was stronger in flavor and quite mushy. The fish contained the lateral line which is the fatty, gray bit of flesh on a filet which we find undesirable. The overpowering flavor of this fish was remedied by adding a lot of coleslaw and salsa.

Belly up to the counter for the best seat in the house and watch the king do his thing. El Rey Del Taco does have the market cornered on large tacos and the hectic pace of locals and tourists coming and going certainly makes this place stand above others in Loreto. In short, you haven’t been to Loreto without a visit to El Rey del Taco.

Although the king’s court is filled with a rapt crowd – seemingly everyone in town – we found ourselves yearning for Taqueria El Molontzin for our Baja California fish tacos. The king’s crown is being threatened here in Loreto by consistent quality fish and an overall better flavor at Molontzin. Can the king be usurped? Let us know what you think!

Taquitos Del Valle 

Where: Avenida Benito Juarez, between Calle Ayuntamiento and Marques de Leon, Loreto

Hours: 

• 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Closed Friday

Taco Talk

Taquitos del Valle, on the same street as El Rey del Taco (above), offers an acceptable alternative to our first two choices in Loreto. When we bit into our fish tacos we realized how truly varied this Baja comfort food is in Loreto, however we endeavored to sort it all out in the name of dogged research. Each fish taco was 25 pesos, or $1.25.

This offering, although fresh and cooked to order, looked and tasted a bit like a batter-dipped fish finger. Is that a bad thing? Not really. The unseasoned batter was cooked perfectly and very light instead of greasy. Even unseasoned batter alone is, in our opinion, good enough if cooked right. Such was the case at Taquitos Del Valle. The fish was white, barely flaky and bordering on mushy – not the best but acceptable.

This place made the cut based on the wonderful, unseasoned batter. We tout seasoned batter within this article but found the simple flavor here a nice surprise. We even ate the fish alone, without a tortilla or the usual accompaniments. Locals seem to enjoy the food here and Taquitos del Valle is a viable choice in a town with a great selection of fish tacos for denizens and tourists alike.

A Different Spin on Baja California Fish Tacos in La Paz

Tacos de Pescado el Estadio

Where: 1320 Guillermo Prieto, Zona Central, La Paz

Hours: 8:00 am – 2:00 pm, daily

Taco Talk

This simple taco restaurant will fool you.Tacos de Pescado el Esatadio is possibly serving some of the very best fish tacos in Baja California. The secret? Sazon, or seasoning in English. These may be the cheapest fish tacos in Baja California too, but more on that later. Although we dealt with another corn tortilla here, this fish taco was damn fine. The fish made us forgive the pithy corn tortilla and that meant a winner!

Order from the cashier who then gives you a ticket to bring to the cook. Our fish taco was served with a batter consisting of perfect seasonings. I tore strips of the batter off the fish to isolate the two, just to eat them separately – both were perfect! Try to arrive before 11:00 am as that’s when the lunch crowd starts lining around the corner and the fish sells out.

These fish tacos don’t need much dressing but there’s an impressive assortment of sauces to slather on. If the flavor and quality here aren’t enough to convince you, perhaps the price will. At only 20 pesos each, or about $1, these are the cheapest fish tacos in Baja California we sampled. Visiting La Paz soon? Put this place firmly at the very top of your list!

Taco Fish La Paz

Where: Gral. Marques de Leon, Zona Central, La Paz

Hours: 

• 8:30 am – 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Sunday
• Closed Monday

Phone: 52 612 125 7075

Taco Talk

Taco Fish La Paz adds two variables not seen elsewhere: fish tacos only served on corn tortillas and one large filet fried whole and cut into slivers rather than smaller, individual pieces. Order your meal directly from the cooks who present you a ticket along with your food. Take your ticket to the cashier to pay after eating – a strange custom, indeed.

Taco Fish La Paz, while slightly more upscale than many taquerias, still offers fish tacos for 25 pesos. This local favorite is far from the touristy malecon in La Paz but is certainly worth the diversion. This place also offers an amazing toppings bar with everything you’ll need to spike your fish taco. Again, not having a choice of wheat tortilla was a rather sad reality for us here.

My fish taco fell apart quickly due to that dry corn tortilla. The quality of the fish was a surprise here; my taco contained a piece of fish with the lateral line, yet it was very mild in flavor. The fried batter reminded us both of fish from a chipper back in Ireland; we both both really enjoyed these fish tacos even if they were dominated by the taste of the corn tortilla.

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