Collegiate Times

Image: 2011-03-22 22:21:55

As a hardcore Mexican food lover, I expected to be a pretty tough critic when I tasted Cabo Fish Taco’s cuisine.

Everyone I know is obsessed with Cabo, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about paying more than double the price for tacos when I can get them right down the street at El Rodeo for much cheaper.

I had only been to Cabo once before, and I made the mistake of ordering a salad. The salad was good, but it wasn’t anything special. I would never order a salad at El Rods, so I got what I deserved.

I decided to give it another shot and headed to Cabo, located on Main Street, to see if the food was as great as people say it is.

The great thing about Cabo is that you can sit in three different atmospheres. You can sit in a dark wooden bar area or a room filled with barstools that parallels a beach shack. But if you luck out like we did, you have the option to sit outside on the brick patio and enjoy the sun. The outdoor atmosphere, combined with the food and music, created a beach feel that left me excited for summer.

Cabo is probably one of the most laid-back restaurants in Blacksburg.

As we sat down, our server took his time before he approached us. All the servers embodied the restaurant’s casual persona. The female who bussed tables even sat with her friends, drinking a beer until customers left. While that may sound offensive, it really showed how relaxed and happy the employees were, which made for better customer service.

When our server brought us our chips and salsa, I was ready to attack. I’m usually a fan of traditional, yet spicy salsa, so I wasn’t sure how to feel about corn salsa. But it was absolutely delicious and fresh.

To make the chip round even better, we ordered queso. While the cheese was great, it only stayed melted for a few minutes. It became hard and was difficult to dip the chips into — we ate it anyway.

My two roommates and I ordered three entrees: lemon-grilled shrimp tacos, beer-battered shrimp tacos and a sushi-inspired Cabo roll filled with crab and shrimp. 

We all agreed the wait to order was longer than the time it took our food to be served. Although we had stuffed our faces with chips and were getting full, we were anxious to dig into our meals.

My one roommate and I decided to split our tacos so we could try each other’s. After my first bite, I was finally on board with the Cabo lovers.

The tacos were incredible. They were crunchy, fresh and flavorful. The tacos were unique because they were soft and yet crunchy — providing the best of both worlds.

My other roommate who ordered the Cabo roll was in heaven. She is a seafood maniac and is disappointed by the lack of “edible” fish on campus. The design of her dish was stunning, and it tasted even better.

We passed around forks trying each other’s meals as we enjoyed the great food and weather. By the time we were finished we had zero complaints.

It may have been the weather and ordering the wrong dish during my last visit that influenced this great review, but the food was undeniably delicious, and I’m already planning my next trip back.

But don’t expect to get in and get out of this restaurant, that’s not its style. Be prepared to relax and have a great time at a joint that takes a unique spin on Mexican food.

A version of this article appeared in the Mar 23 issue of the Collegiate Times.