Wahoo’s Fish Tacos

If you want real Mexican food don’t come here. Everything was bland and unappetizing. Service was quick and the girl was nice. My husband returned his burrito because he just couldn’t do it. I ate the meat out of my bowl and kids are their tacos but our oldest said his taco was bland and had no sauce.

Just walked out. The staff played around with each other while we tried to order. We will never go back to this chain. This 16 year old joke with the long blond hair who was playing around while we ordered was the manager. The owner should fire him. Someone should lose their job for putting this kid in charge. This is the face of your company.

Love the new Paleo Bowl. Awesome addition. Also props to Bryce’s attitude. His positive attitude is infectious. Keep it up!

Delicious, great food, great prices, cool beach atmosphere and great for kids. Their salsa is really good and with a hungry kid and not many options we were pleasantly surprised with this place.

A saltine cracker has more flavor than this food. YUCK… Hospital food. You got 2 stars because the taquitos were fried crispy and your place at least looks cool.

Great spot, been coming here for years. Great selection. I love the fish tacos and citrus slaw. The have awesome black beans and great salsas. You can enjoy a glass Of wine or a beer too!

The person taking the order definitely need some training on how to provide good service. I’m sure the food is good but service is negative zero.

Food is good, but service is majorly lacking.
We often come in at night around 7:30 to 8:30 and our experience has been pretty consistent: no more ice tea on counter and we sit at the cash register for a bit until someone acknowledges us. I assume these two are both related to cleaning up early so they can leave early. I just wish they realized getting a jump start on closing can ruin the customer experience!
Don’t expect great service!

Got the bean rice and cheese burrito, and yes, I know its on the kids menu, but the beans were dry and overcooked, and the rice was seriously lacking in flavor.

Love Wahoos. Love Fish Tacos. Really love the citrus slaw fish tacos at Wahoos.

Really too bad because I want to like Wahoo’s. Just bought a chicken burrito and it was pretty awful. Very little chicken and it was around $ 8 bucks. This seems to be a new trend with corporate restaurants: Skimp on the costly ingredients in favor of a fast buck. Problem is that you saved a buck but lost a customer.
Also, it’s just weird that it’s got this whole extreme surf, skate vibe but all the workers obviously hate working here and the whole place seems oppressive. Isn’t this supposed to be a fun place — surf videos playing, stickers everywhere — CRAZY???
In summary, food expensive, not good. Place looks cool but not very welcoming.

Outstanding Food!!! Ordered the Wahoo Salad with Spicy fish as my protein and cilantro dressing. One of the best things I’ve ever eaten– no exaggeration. A healthy portion of mescaline mix of greens paired with their zesty slaw, guacamole, pico style salsa, cheddar cheese, and crispy tortilla strips all topped with the dry spices on the fish was absolute Heaven! Although «a little goes a long way”– I need to acquire about a gallon of that dressing… ;) My better half had the Kalua Pig bowl with brown rice and black beans. I tasted the perfectly cooked pork carnita meat which had been simmered in teriyaki– so good! This place wins in the flavor department! We are actually in the area for the next three days. We’ve already decided this will be dinner every night this week! Perfect eclectic and healthy little mix of Mexican and Hawaiian cuisine! See ya tonight Wahoo!

They have a very casual surfer/​skater vibe. There are stickers plastered all over the walls.
Food is good and priceded fair for the product. I usually order a salad or bowl of some kind and have never been disappointed.
This trip I ordered the whaoos salad with spicy fish. The fish was mild and had a nice seasoning that wasnt too spicy. The salad blend was micro greens and spring mix and then a citrus cabbage slaw. Then a scoop of quac, cheese and tortilla strips. They have a roasted cilantro dressing that’s super yum. Fresh and tasty lunch.
No real wow factor for the 5 stars.

I was last here about 7 years ago and found nothing that compelled me to return. But last night I wound up in the area with my family and we decided to give it a shot.
First, they got two of our four orders wrong. My shrimp burrito was big (good) but they seem to use the same seasoning for rice and beans that Chipotle does (not so good). I ordered and paid the extra dollar for guacamole and sour cream in my burrito, which I did not receive. Overall flavor was OK, but frankly I’ve had better Cal-​Mex at Islands.
My sister-​in-​law had just gotten out of the hospital and could not eat anything spicy; she inquired clearly before she ordered and was assured there was nothing spicy in the wrap she wanted, but it had a medium salsa in it when she received it; when she went back to speak to the teenage manager-​bot, she was told that «we can’t make it without the salsa». Huh? Guess that means they make their stuff ahead of time, not to order.
All in all, I was just as unimpressed this time as I was back in 2008, with the added frustration of the wrong orders. I will not be returning if I can help it. If I have to go, I guess I’ll limit myself to a quesadilla or something that can’t be screwed up.

I am disappointed to only give 3 stars– but let me explain myself. My mom and I went the other day and she ordered chicken taquitos. There was hardly any chicken in them! I wish I had taken a picture. My fish taco was good but very small so I ordered chicken taquitos too. Mine had way more chicken in them and came with sour cream and guacamole, my Mom’s only came with sour cream. They need to make sure they put enough meat in every serving… It was cool that my Mom basically got rolled up taco shells!

It was OK. I had a carnitas burrito and the meat was a bit boring. Carnitas is traditionally braised pork that is crisped up in a hot oven or fryer and this pork was simply soft like it was in a crockpot for hours. Additionally, the food took a very long time to come out. With so many other choices nearby, I can’t see myself coming back.

So gross. Fish was super over cooked and dry. They gave me Cajun when I asked for grilled. No flavor except spicy. Hubby got the fish burrito and I am just not a cheese with fish fan. Upset tummy now. Water was good though. Ha!

Huge selection of salads, tacos, bowls and more The meat selections range from chicken to tofu. They also have vegan menu on the back side. When I drove up I saw a lot of families sitting for lunch. There wasn’t really mich of a wait just one person before me. Which gave me time to maul over the menu. I ordered a salad with tofu, which was seasoned with Asian spice & scoop of guacamole yum!
Like I said lots of families with kids in there. Which I don’t mind, the workers seemed to bus the tables quick and keep them clean. I left a tip for them & headed to work

I’m a long time fan of Wahoo’s. I was first introduced to them in Texas where their take on Mexican food is unique. Fish tacos and their southern Californian take on Mexican is not the norm there. Now that I live in San Diego and there are many and better options, I still enjoy their simple take on things.
The restaurant is located in a shopping center with lots of convenient parking. The interior is spacious and comfortable. The décor runs toward surf and skateboard. It’s very casual and busy. The staff is always friendly and polite, helpful at the counter and quick to deliver food when it’s ready.
My favorite here is the blackened fish taco plate. The tacos are made with a lightly spicy grilled fish with lots of shredded greens and tomato. I love the green sauce at Wahoo’s and usually ask for extra with my tacos. The tacos are accompanied by a hearty portion of rice and beans. I go with white rice and black beans. Potentially because of my Caribbean roots. They also offer brown rice or white beans. If you aren’t in the mood for tacos, the bowls at Wahoo are also a great option. They’re made from the same ingredients just in a different format. The food always tastes fresh and healthy. I always leave feeling fit.
They are a great choice for a quick, inexpensive and healthy meal.

Something went awry at Wahoo’s and I have a sad report. It was a spur of the moment decision to grab dinner in Encinitas and I have been having cravings for some ono.
The vivid memories of juicy tortas with flaky white ono danced in my head and I had a rush of excitement when I arrived. After scrubbing the menu, I decided on the secret menu item, my favorite Torta with onion rings.
The plate arrived quickly and my excitement faded that same moment. While I was waiting for the ranch dressing that they forgot, I opened up my sammie to find a small, burnt scrap of over seasoned fish that barely covered half of the bun. I walked it up to the cashier and showed him the mess on my plate. Instead of concern, he bragged about how the portion looked commensurate with their 3.5 ounce portion size. He offered to give me another ounce or two of fish and sent me back to my table.
The proper response would have been to fix my plate, but they sent me back to the table carrying the rejected meal. Within a minute or two the cashier brought me little bit of cold over seasoned fish to try and make up for the failed sandwich. There is no way that they cooked it for me, I wondered where it came from and if it was ono since the color was gray instead of white.
I added it to my sandwich resulting in a dried out, salty meal with the wrong bread to fish ratio. I nibbled at the fish and discarded most of the bread. Thank goodness for the onion rings which were the star of my meal.
When I had just taken my last bite a staff member came by and asked how it was. Had she looked at the pile of dead food on the plate the question would have been a mute point. My wadded napkin covered the remains which included most of a torta roll, some burnt scraps and an empty bowl of Ranch dressing.
Three stars for Wahoo’s, they get another chance to make me my Ono Torta, I sure hope it tastes good.