NVM Review

Best of the US II: San Diego Fish Tacos - Honorable Mention

By Warren Rojas

BYO platter includes a grilled (good) or blackened (better) mahi filet, brown rice (boring), refried beans (buttery), homemade slaw (hit or miss), guacamole (lemony) and warm flour tortillas (stiff).

By Warren Rojas

Holy Mackerel dip ($6.50) summons a tower of toasted baguette slices radiating from a ball of cream cheese, herbs and smoked fish (fantastic). Fried oysters ($7) are less brazen, but no less flavorful beneath their crunchy cornmeal coating. A trio of buffalo fish tacos ($7.50) reveals spicy grouper nuggets cushioned by shredded cheese, lettuce and diced tomatoes.

By Warren Rojas

Given the steady stream of lunchtime supplicants and burgeoning dinnertime crowds, it would seem the recent move from Clarendon to Falls Church has evidently done little to sideline the popularity of Clare and Don’s Beach Shack.

An inland oasis manufactured by the local brother and sister team of Rebecca and David Tax, Clare & Don’s continues the traditions it began just down the road in Arlington by inundating customers with all the amenities of a trip to the shore without having to vacuum the sand from your car.

Autographed flip-flips dangle playfully above the main bar, encouraging you to kick off your own shoes, even if just for a while. Inlaid maps of touristy beach destinations (ranging from neighboring Virginia Beach down to Cocoa Beach, Fla.) stir up memories of family trips long gone. And the overabundance of bamboo, rattan and sun-tanned blond hardwoods help set your brain to balmy no matter what the weather outside.

The kitchen regularly prepares at least four fresh catch specials per day—a collection which typically includes tuna, grouper, mahi mahi and another seasonal selection (frequently tilapia or possibly snapper)—along with around another dozen seafood standards.

The grilled mahi mahi proves to be a monument to simplicity; the tasty fish gets promenaded past the grill just long enough to attain some respectable sear marks but otherwise emerges amazingly moist. (The mahi is so good, in fact, it prompted one dining companion to call back the next day to again thank me for the privilege of sampling the masterfully prepared fish). On another night, blackened tuna emerges blaze-orange on top—dusted with mouth-watering Cajun spices—but remains juicy throughout.

Finger food fans, meanwhile, are sure to love the outrageously spicy Buffalo shrimp, a collection of six jumbo shrimp with just a hint of breading and a whole lotta heat.