<< back to foods in Montauk, Long Island

Local fish tacos

What: The local catch gets the Baja treatment in several spots around town, adding some ethnic variety to the usual “fried or broiled?”conundrum (see also: local fish, Chinese style).

Where: Hit up the mobile Montaco truck (check Twitter for location, though it often spends days at the westerly entrance to Ditch Plains beach) for a quick-and-gourmet local fish taco to go. It joins a delicious shrimp taco, organic meat tacos, veggie tacos, quesadillas, and salads on the menu.

When: July-Labor Day: Daily, 10am-5pm. Early- and late-season, 11am-4pm. (Summers only, though Montaco operates a catering business year-round.)

Order: A fish taco ($5)—lightly fried striped bass is what’s pictured, though we’ve seen mahi-mahi on offer as well—which is served on a pretty blue-corn tortilla with tomato, cilantro, and chipotle mayo (the meat/veggie tacos use white-corn tortillas). While it tastes great, we lament the small size of this taco in relation to its price tag, but it seems to be the norm around here.

Alternatively: We tried the fish tacos at Mexican-inspired The Hideaway (364 West Lake Dr., map), which were similarly prepared—with cabbage, chipotle aioli, and slightly crispier, lightly fried local fluke—and priced, at two teeny tacos for $10. You’ll find more fish tacos at Inlet Seafood (541 East Lake Dr., map).