The best fish tacos in Seattle? We’d say so

Superlatives are beyond cheap on the Internet, but the Yelp reviewer who claims that El Sirenito has the best fish tacos in Seattle is onto something. The brand-new next-door sibling of beloved Georgetown Mexican spot Fonda La Catrina focuses on wild-caught fish and local produce, and the results are great. Add in an entirely pleasant setting, very good cocktails and remarkably low prices, and it’s more than well worth going out of your way. (No kids allowed.)

The menu: Everything we tried was extremely tasty, including crunchy fried-wonton-style pescadillas (don’t neglect their pickled red onions and green salsa; $4 for two); olive-oil-bathed sardines on Macrina bread (evocative of Spain, $4 each); and grilled octopus with tiny, tender potatoes in a smoky, subtly spicy, brick-red guajillo chili sauce (plenty for $10, the highest price on the menu).

What to write home about: Arguably Seattle’s best fish tacos ($3 each): A pliant house-made corn tortilla swiped with seasoned mayo cradles delicately breaded, crispy-fried rockfish, piled high with cabbage, pickled onion, pico de gallo and avocado crema. (The shrimp ones [$4] are even better.) It’s a spicy, creamy, crunchy, soft, highly untidy and wholly joyous experience. (Our server brought us more napkins at just the right time.)

I’ve thought about these tacos more since I ate them than any food I’ve had in months.

The setting: The simple, low-slung, shotgun-style room with its whitewashed ceiling is stylish, comfortable and vaguely evocative of a hacienda vacation. The back patio has a fire pit for these cold, dark evenings and the promise of sunny fun when summertime comes.

If something had to replace the Magic Wheels biker clubhouse — and in Georgetown these days, it was probably inevitable — at least it was El Sirenito.

Summing up: Cactus salad, pescadillas, two sardine montaditos, two fish tacos, two shrimp tacos and pulpo a la parilla was more than enough for two and came to $39 before tax and tip.