Essex's Fish Taco Voted The Best Taco In Seattle

The best tacos tend to be simple, with clean, vibrant, and varied flavors, each component good enough to stand on its own. A perfect taco is balanced in flavor, and isn't loaded down by superfluous add-ons. The tortilla (traditionally corn in Mexico, but often flour around the U.S. today) should be super fresh and, ideally, handmade where it will be served. The filling should be made with an eye for balance in taste and moisture level. The toppings, be they traditional onions and cilantro or new-wave chipotle harissa, should brighten, heighten, and tie the whole taco together into a cohesive, delicious dish.  

We published our third attempt at ranking the country's top tacos, and this time we looked to our readers to help us identify more of the best. We put out a call to action, asking them to comment on our site or our social media pages, or to email us with their nominations for the best tacos in the country. Additionally, we asked our knowledgeable Daily Meal staff and City Editors to weigh in with their picks. We gathered these nominees together and added them to all the tacos that were considered last year. In the end, we had a list of about 330 tacos, which we then compiled into a survey and sent to our distinguished panel of taco experts — food and restaurant personalities who know a superior taco when they taste one. They voted, we tallied the results, and then put together America's 75 Best Tacos. There are some amazing tacos served around the country and, as it turns out, one can be found in Seattle.

Taco & Tiki Tuesdays at Essex have Seattleietes all in a tizzy every week as they clamor to get their hands on chef Ricardo Valdes' excellent tacos. The lamb and chicken versions get a lot of praise, but everyone agrees that the fish tacos are not to be missed. The flour tortillas are made by hand, and the fresh fish is cooked in Valdes' wood-burning oven.s The result? Winner winner fish taco dinner. They're so good, in fact, they were voted to the #66 spot on our national list, and since they're the only tacos from the Emerald City to make our ranking, the fish tacos at Essex are also the very best in Seattle.