These 8 Montana Restaurants Make Excellent Fish Tacos

Finding great fish tacos can be very difficult because there are so many ways to prepare them, and they’re very easy to screw up. Thankfully, Montana has lots of great places to find tasty fish tacos on the menu. Fish tacos are delicious when the right seafood is used, and the batter (if the recipe calls for it) is seasoned well.

If there can be different takes on the classic fish taco, what actually defines a proper fish taco? According to TijuanaFlats.com, it’s all about the history and culinary birthplace.

The fish taco as we know it today, however, has often been credited to Baja California, Mexico. This is the version that most of us picture when we think of a fish taco. This is filled with battered and deep-fried fish, drizzled with spicy mayo, and topped with shredded lettuce, salsa and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Cod, sea bass, mahi mahi, and grouper are all excellent choices for the fish itself – although many places go in a shellfish direction. Tilapia, halibut, or even catfish might be a more sustainable option if that’s important to you.

Shrimp tacos can be incredibly tasty, even though they’re technically not fish tacos. If the fish is battered, enough seasoning is key because many of the fish used isn’t very flavorful on it’s own. Sauces can go heavy or light – mayo based or yogurt based.

Another important piece of a fish taco meal is what kind of side to serve with it. The choices are vast, and people have literally written books on “what to serve with fish tacos”.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Montana Fish Taco Cart gets a special shoutout for their creativity and devoted following. But since they are only a seasonal operation, we did not include them on the official list. “These truly are the best fish tacos I’ve ever had. By a mile!”