Loreto, BCS. Taco total: 26

Full disclosure, I didn’t even write down the name of this touristy restaurant in Loreto. An otherwise unassuming - if kitschy - town on the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja Peninsula, Loreto is a beautiful place. It’s a whale-watching hub, and it draws a captive gringo audience during winter. Still, it doesn’t have the prime location of a place like Cabo San Lucas or the ease of access like Tijuana, so it remains less developed than most other tall tourist draws on the Baja coast.

I succumbed to my appetite, though, and disregarded the countless taquerias and food stands on the way into town and settled for the easy way out: a restaurant near the beach overtly designed to appeal to tourists.

I sat at the bar and ordered an expensive margarita and listened to Jimmy Buffet. Whatever. The fish tacos - grilled, not fried - were actually pretty solid. I have to imagine the fish was sincerely fresh given our proximity to the marina.

Still, the salsa was atrocious. Minimally flavorful and overly watery, I was not psyched. I ordered another margarita and asked for more tortilla chips to drown my disappointment. Can’t win em all.

Cost: embarrassingly expensive. I think I spent like $200+ pesos on this meal and a few drinks. Welp!