| rev:text
| - We all want to find those hidden gems. You know, the tucked away place that makes a few dishes shockingly well? The thing is, mostly there will be something about them that sucks. Sure, a few dishes will explode in your mouth, but most items will disappoint or the service will be poor or some other thing.
Not here. Mermaid Fish and Grill House proved to be an exceptional. An amazing experience all round.
I was in the neighborhood with family and searched Yelp reviews by rating. A few people seemed to give it decent ratings to I stopped by for lunch. A few minutes too early, we waited outside until it opened. Some graffiti artists had driven by and I saw them trying to negotiate with an employee there, offering to redo their signs. They were rejected.
While I would have rejected them and their shabbily painted cube van, they did have a point. The place is in a strip mall, replete with about four barbershops (I counted). The windows are covered with shoddy pictures of their fish and other offerings. All in all, there is no hint that this place is the gold-mine that it is. I was concerned. But what the hell, my parents and I needed a quick bite...
Entering, I was surprised. While it's not a fine dining ambiance by any stretch of the imagination, it's a clean, sit-down place. The catch of the day is well-laid out on ice by the cashier. You pick your fish, calamari, or other items, they weigh it, and you pay by the poundage. They'll serve it grilled, baked, tagine (spicy north aftrican cooking style), or a mix of the above.
We ordered the Tilapia and Calamari. Tagine all. We were NOT disappointed. The Tagine was phenomenal. Spicy, but just enough for flavor, with the tang of the tomatoes not overshadowed and enhanced with just enough lemon. The hummus and other sauces were top-notch. I commented to my family that this was pretty much how I remember home-made hummus (which is a HUGE compliment). We didn't order any special rice, but the side of rice came with shrimp and a goodly amount of spices mixed in.
They kept bringing fishes and giving service that surprised me. The cook? Very friendly and helpful. The staff? Always coming to our table. Even the water they brought had some limes and other flavorings tossed in that gave it just that extra edge. And the caviar? What? Did I order a caviar condiment?
No, but they brought it anyways.
We had such a good time, were so impressed, that I told my family that the food was too good there, we had to make it a celebration. So we did.
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