For the longest time, I drove by Hole Mole in Tustin without ever stopping. I knew they served fish tacos and had locations in Long Beach, but that was about all I knew. When I found out they offered a Taco Tuesday, I decided to say what the heck and give them a try.
Before I even made it into the shack like restaurant, I had trouble finding parking. The parking lot was a total mess, with most of the spots taken up by 7-Eleven customers or blocked off by Autozone. Though annoying, I’m glad I made the effort as I can honestly say that Hole Mole served up some of the best fish tacos in Orange county.
The inside of Hole Mole was casual with a small open dining area with an attached covered outdoor area. The inside dining room is usually pretty packed at lunch and on Taco Tuesday, but people eat quickly and move on, allowing tables to free up consistently. The inside can also get pretty hot on warm days with thanks to the lack of any air conditioning.
If the inside tables are full or it’s a hot day, just head through the door to the outside patio, where you will find more tables and a breeze.
On the menu you, will find an assortment of breakfast items (which I haven’t tried yet), burritos, tacos, tortas, and other items such as bowls, taquitos, nachos, enchiladas, tostadas, ceviche, and even dessert. You can also combo any item for an extra $2.99 which gets you rice, beans, and a drink.
I come for the tacos, more specifically the Ensenada Fish Taco. They are awesome and I highly recommend you order them.
If you arrive on Taco Tuesday, you can order tacos (Ensenada Fish, asada, chicken, carnitas, or al pastor) for only $1.15. You can’t beat that deal.
There are also happy hour specials after 5pm daily (except Tuesdays) with Ensenada Fish tacos and fish taquitos setting you back only $1.29 along with $1 off all beers. Nothing beats cheap tacos and beers.
Ensenada Fish Tacos
As you probably already know, I love fish tacos. I could eat them all day, everyday. Not surprisingly, I ordered the signature Ensenada Fish Taco ($1.15 on Taco Tuesday, $1.29 during happy hour, $1.69 other times).
Since I was hungry, I decided to order three fish tacos. The tacos were served on a basic Styrofoam plate. Doesn’t seem like the most environmentally friendly thing to do, but this blog is about food, not the environment.
The tacos, though small, managed to fit in a lot of ingredients and flavors into two small, warm corn tortillas.
The star of the dish was the perfectly battered and lightly golden fried fish, which was surprisingly large for such a small taco. My first bite of the taco was amazingly crunchy on the outside without it being oily or greasy. The white and flaky fish on the inside was perfectly seasoned and almost melted in my mouth.
The fish was topped with a simple mix of cabbage, tomatoes, and cilantro along with a delicious crema which added a great crunchy texture and creamy flavor to the tacos. All the ingredients seemed to come together perfectly, which was surprising for such a small taco.
The tacos served at Hole Mole didn’t disappoint and reminded me of the times I would drive down to Ensenada with my dad for fish tacos.
I bet the other tacos are great, but I will always first order the Ensenada fish tacos. You won’t find better in Orange County.
Fish Taquitos
Wanting to change it up, I decided to try out the Fish Taquitos ($1.29 happy hour).
Three fish taquitos arrived on a similar Styrofoam plate along with sliced cabbage and a side of crema.
The taquitos were hot and crispy yet small and uninspiring, especially after tasting the Ensenada fish tacos. The taquitos reminded me of those frozen snacks that I would place in the microwave and nuke for a few minutes back in high school. Ok, they weren’t that bad, but you get the idea.
I was also let down with the lack of fish on the inside of the of taquitos. Compared to the fish tacos, which were about the same price, I was expecting just a little more.
I still loved that crema though. Dunking the fish taquitos in the delicious crema made me forget about the negatives of the dish.
Service
At Hole Mole, all orders are placed with the cashier and then picked up at the food counter when ready. My order took about 8 minutes from ordering until it was ready, which was pretty quick for freshly prepared tacos. My order was correct, the cashier was friendly, so no complaints with the service.
Conclusion
Hole Mole serves the best fish taco in Orange County. Period. They also have a great Taco Tuesday and happy hour.
Pros
- One of the best fish tacos in Orange County
- Cheap Taco Tuesday deals and happy hour specials
- Great salsas
Cons
- Small tacos
- Horrible parking lot
- Fish taquitos were a let down