Crab Louie in Portland! (fish tacos!)

[Dan S.]

Crab Louie, on Commercial Street, is absolutely killing. In this town that is starved for anything even resembling a halfway decent taco or burrito, they are making exceptional fish and shrimp tacos, along w/ oyster Po' boys and more traditional crab shack offerings.

The decor is no frills and a touch fluorescent, but it's worth it. For $7.99 you get a very large fish taco in a soft flour tortilla, with homemade red cabbage slaw, super fresh and not oily fried fish, and a touch of zingy sauce. It is now my favorite lunch item in town.

The sad thing is, it being Portland and all, I'm pretty sure they won't last. So get one while they're there (and help keep them in business!!!)

[lupaglupa]

I went by this week and tried the fish taco (and helped the family with various other things). The taco was good, although I thought the sauce with it was too sweet - it was very red and didn't have much spice, just sugar. The fried fish was good, fries were ordinary.

The family verdict was that they liked it but would go back to Susan's next time.

[Science Chick]

Did I read correctly that they are serving it on a flour tortilla? That would kinda ruin it for me.......I personally prefer the traditional two corn tortilla presentation

[laurmb]

Yeah, flour tortilla but it's actually quite good- crispy but light.

[Science Chick]

So, it is a hard shell flour instead of soft shell corn?

[laurmb]

There's a little controversy about this in my house. My husband says it was fried, but I think it was grilled, or lightly browned in a pan. Next time I go I'll have to ask. It wasn't entirely hard or crispy, but it wasn't totally soft, either. Sorry to make this more mysterious; hopefully someone else can describe it better.

[adl]

I'm eating one right now and I say the flour tortilla is definitely either grilled or lightly pan browned.

[laurmb]

Just went today and I absolutely loved the fish taco. - thanks for suggesting it! My only problem is that it's a little pricey or the portion is a little small. It's probably in line with the surrounding places, but a fish taco (with no sides), crab cake sandwich, hamburger, & drinks for 3 (we're talking water & soda) came to about $30. The taco was the best I've had since living in CA, but unless it gets bigger or comes with something else, it can't be an every day thing for me.

[sciencediet]

Where on Commercial Street?

[Dan S.]

Near Pearl Street. I'm eating a fried shrimp taco w/ extra chili lime sauce and it's divine. I have to keep myself from going there every day.

I asked how business has been, and the guy there replied it's been very mixed. Sometimes busy, sometimes completely dead. Things here don't tend to last like that. Go have a fish taco - now, and every day, like me.

[sopobungalow]

Dan, I'm curious what you mean by "things here don't tend to last like that." What is the category they're in that doesn't fare well in Portland? (Not trying to be snarky, just curious.)

[joss2]

I agree about pricy -fish taco and kids fry was $10. It's a small place with no A/C. That said there's a bunch of menu items I'd like to try and take out to a bench somewhere.

[CandyGirl13]

They've always been busy the few times I've been there