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| - I've never been to Cabo, and I don't like fish tacos. I also don't like paying to park in dodgy gravel lots. However, I do like parking for free about a block down from NoDa's Cabo Fish Taco. There I might see a man in the yard adjacent to my meterless spot, expertly swinging chains with fiery balls attached to the ends. That he was performing for the group of firemen encircling him made it seem somehow normal.
You just never know what you are going to get in NoDa. You do, however, know what you are going to get at Cabo Fish Taco.
Usually, you'll get a waiting list. They've expanded into the space next door, where the hardwood planks are far less buoyant than those on the original side, and added covered outdoor seating. Their popularity has grown as well, so the extra room is proportionate to the demand. They don't take reservations, and at lunch and even on weeknights there's sometimes a short wait, so it's best to plan accordingly.
You'll always get complimentary salsa. Not the liquefied tomato version of most Tex-Mex eateries, but Cabo Fish Taco's primarily corn, tomato and black bean brand that always has a few rebellious members who refuse to stay in the bowl or on a chip.
Fresh food is de rigueur at Cabo Fish Taco, along with special twists of white cilantro sauce and Napolito Salad. That's cactus, to the gringos. For those of us who don't care for fish, the menu also includes salads, burritos, tacos, quesadillas and my favorite, the Serrano Chicken Salad with a side of Mexi-Slaw, all sans fins.
Perhaps as a nod to the weird, or to the sense of community in NoDa, there are two toilets in the ladies room, but no stalls. I'd bet cash money that women with no previous interactions except simultaneously full bladders have used those potties in tandem based on their consumption of Purple Haze Margaritas.
Casual, and generally quick service is expected at Cabo Fish Taco, where the vibe is decidedly NoDa and what I expect of Cabo San Lucas: Anything goes, as long as it is good.
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