Tres Tacos at Mariscos German

Kirk and Cathy and all the other yosoers are eating, taking pics, and having fun. Today, though, ed (from Yuma) wants to share three tacos with you and explain how he broke an important law.

I've never been very good at following directions or abiding by the rules. On the other hand, one culinary law rarely violated since I moved to Yuma is my rule against eating Mexican food anwhere outside of Yuma or Mexico. Yes, I know there is great Mexican food elsewhere, but when I go to San Diego or Monterey, for example, I am far more interested in other cuisines. I get enough good Mexican stuff around home.

So when I pulled into the empty lot next to a liquor store that surrounds the Marisco German truck at 35th and University, I felt a small twinge of guilt:

I had my reasons, however. First, almost all of the Chowhound buzz about this small San Diego chain of Mexican seafood eateries (estilo San Felipe) has been very positive. Second, Chris, a friend of yoso, compared Mar Azul, an excellent Mexican seafood house that I had just posted about, with Mariscos German. Third, as I was leaving my favorite San Diego used book store at around dinner time last Wednesday, I glanced up and noticed that the cross street was 35th. I took that as an auspicious omen and headed up 35th until I found the taco truck.

I'm certainly glad I did. Shortly after placing my order, I was handed a small styrofoam cup full of broth (free with order). The plastic spoon dredged up bits and pieces of fish and veggies:

After taking that picture, I ate the other solid goodies from the soup and then spooned a little bit of the broth into my mouth. Oh wow! The stock had a depth of fishy flavor like the one at Mar Azul, but even more complexity, all of which was highlighted by a significant picante hit of red chili. In my haste to wolf down the flavorful contents of the little cup, I forgot to take a picture of the broth by itself. Oops.

Soon after I finished the soup, I was handed a styrofoam tray about 10 to 12 inches long filled by three enormous tacos (each $3.75):

The gigantic taco on the left is a smoked marlin (marlyn) taco. In the center (partly covered by its neighbors) is a gobernador taco. And to the right, the taco is octopus (pulpo). I had wanted to try the scallop (callo) taco, but the truck was out of them.

My favorite taco of this trio has to be the gobernador:

The perfectly cooked shrimp had been grilled together with bell pepper slices, tomato wedges, slices of celery, and perhaps onion on a very hot griddle, charring some of the veggies and leaving little flecks and bits of smoky goodness throughout. Then the shrimp and veggies were placed in a warm yellow corn tortilla on which a layer of white cheese had been melted (much as in a vampire taco). Perhaps the cheese serves the same purposes as on vampiros - adding richness and flavor while keeping the tortilla from being soaked with juices.

The taco de pulpo was similar in having the seafood with veggies cooked at high temperature before being put onto the tortilla:

All the tacos were so huge that no way could I eat them in standard taco fashion before I had consumed half the filling with the forks provided. Not until then, could I fold the tortilla over small enough to cram into my rather large mouth. As I forked my way down into the generous filling, I discovered some of the sources of that great Smoky charred taste:

As you can see, many of the vegetables showed the dark scars of the hot griddle. The flavor of the octopus taco (a tako taco?) was outstanding, at least partly because of the smokiness. On the other hand, the pulpo was a bit chewy for my taste. I guess I have been so spoiled by the tender octopus in most Mexican cocketeles that I have forgotten how chewy octopus usually is.

The most powerfully flavored taco was the marlyn:

The combination of flavors in this taco is outstanding. Here the grilled charred vegetables were complemented by the deep, rich, dense, smoky, fishiness of the chunks of smoked marlin. And the veggies in this taco also added a welcome contrastive crunch.  As with the gobernador, the tortilla was covered with mild white cheese, adding a smooth richness. Again, the taco was far too gigantic to be picked up and eaten in a standard fashion. Let me say that I am not complaining about being given too much taco for my money; I repeat the point only because actual size does not always register in photos.

My one and only complaint about this wonderfully smoky and fishy treat is that it was a bit greasy:

Of course, as soon as I spotted the grease I stopped eating. Yeah right, who am I kidding? - that's not gonna happen with something that tastes this good. Plus, sometimes an intrepid reporter has to put him/herself at risk for the good of the community. Yeah right.

In no way should this little report about three tacos be confused with a real review. The three tacos that I ordered are similar in many ways, but the truck at 35th and University offers 15 different tacos, eight cockteles, aguachile, tostadas, burros, ceviches, and caldos.

In addition, Mariscos German also has trucks at 3269 Beyer Blvd,  and 174050 S. 43rd, and a restaurant at 2802 Ocean View Blvd. Try one, you'll like it!

Mariscos German, 35th & University, 619-239-2351, Open 10 AM - 7 PM daily.

Comments

[Carol]

I always read wonderful reviews of Mariscos German but have yet to make the trek down to try it. Okay, I've moved this up to the list (all the locations) and the next time I'm near one, I'm going!

[dave]

omg i love that truck. i have been hard pressed to branch out from my favorite marlin tacos, althought i did try the gobernador last time. it was just as good as the marlin! everytime i am there at least one person is eating a ceviche tostada. one of these days i will try it.

[janfrederick]

So was it mmm-yoso dance worthy? Heaven knows I'm doing my own dance right now just reading this post!

[nhbilly]

The excuses just to break your rules ;-) I just follow my nose to settle my stomach. I've never seen a taco so decked out with unnecessary vegetable other than cabbage especially with seafood.

[ed (from yuma)]

Carol, dave, jan, - these were pretty good tacos, but maybe not quite danceworthy. Of course, I've never been much of a dancer in public (well, OK, in private also). I would go back, definitely. I just wish I had tried something very different.

nhbilly - I know some folks don't like all the veggies, but I thought they were fine. The crunch is nice and they complexify the flavors. Would I want those on a deep-fried taco de pescado estilo Ensenada? No way, but they did not seem out of place here. I do wish I had tried something more different.

[foodhoe]

yeah sometimes you have to break the rules. contrastive crunch is very good too! and for 3.75 each they'd better be big tacos. sounds like an excellent meal.

[nhbilly]

I'm glad to hear all the other greens enhance the flavor and not take away from it otherwise I feel it defeats the purpose of seafood and I agree with you 101% there better be nothing on my fish tacos other than the sauce and cabbage and for carne asada tacos just onions and cilatro will do please. :-D I guess the simplicity is the way to my stomach :-D

[Chris]

mmm MMM mmm...I just completed a 3 week tour of the M.G. I kind of like the restaurant on 28th. The trucks are good though. I do agree with the vegetation being a bit much on some of the tacos. I reccomend pescado ala plancha, scallops al ajo, shrimp Americano style (batter fried shrimp).

Mexicano or governador style comes with all the bell peppers and celery and stuff, although I think it fits well with the marlin. Octopus tacos are good but try this in the cocktail is better IMHO. I also agree that these are more knife and fork tacos than pick up.

[Captain Jack]

Nice write up Ed. Does MG smoke the Marlin themselves, and if so do you have any details?
Cheers

[ed (from Yuma)]

Yeh, foodhoe, $3.75 for a taco seems like a lot, but in this case, it represents good value. After I polished off the three tacos, I went and grabbed a couple beers nearby and thought about going and getting another taco, but I was too stuffed. I consider a dinner for just a little over $11 a good deal.

Thanks for the info Chris. If I had really planned to go to MG, I would have reread the comments at Chowhound and been better informed.

I have no idea about the source for the marlin, CJ, but they may well smoke it themselves, considering that they have 4 locations.

[Angela]

Peter and I just tried the smoked blue marlin taco. Thank you so much for the tip...the food was delicious. I love smoked fish. The last time I had it was in a bagel in NYC...so eating it in a taco was really a great find.

[Saya]

Finally got to try this taco truck. Holy! It's the best mexican food I' ve ever had.

[Yoli]

Kirk- I just saw the Mariscos German truck in the Appletree Food Market in OB yesterday. My dry cleaner said they have been parked there regularly. I though it might have been just for the Wednesday Farmer's Market. Must try it since it is in my 'hood

[Kirk]

Hi Yoli - That's interesting... perhaps that's where they've moved. Recently, I've been hitting the German truck on Imperial. Thanks so much for the heads up!

[B. Leaf]

The Mariscos German truck has moved to OB. Get on out there, spend a few bucks, and keep them in town. They are there until 7 pm every day. The food is great, the portions are huge, and standing around in OB chatting it up with your neighbors is the best!!

[RightCowLeftCoast]

Kirk, I do not see a review of the one that the HuffPo wrote about in 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/04/best-fish-taco-san-diego_n_5607927.html What are your thoughts?

[Kirk]

I actually went there; but maybe it was on a crawl with some friends and I didn't do a post, RCLC. It was pretty good....at least at that time. Tell you what; lemme head down that way tomorrow and take a look at what's at that corner now.