People say they like fish but let’s face it, how much fish can you really eat without fearing heavy metal poisoning?
Which is why the Laguna Fish Company seemingly changed overnight to Bodega Laguna, a Mexican place.
Because in Laguna Beach we need Mexican food every half block.
At 400 S. Coast Hwy, it’s the old Tommy Bahama location – check that, Jolly Roger, for those feeling nostalgic.
Backed by Ivan Spiers, owner of Mozambique and Skyloft (in the same Heisler Building), the Fish Co. only lasted a year, perhaps somewhat because of its confusing fast-casual concept. It hovered somewhere between casual and fancy, which didn’t work.
The fish was good, though, and reasonably priced. Fortunately, they’ve carried that expertise over to the Mexican dishes.
Bodega opened on Sept. 27, and we went just a few days later to catch a Sunday happy hour. It was good.
We overheard that “the ceviche was excellent,” but we opted for the $10 taco special. You get two medium-ish sized tacos, a battered fish and a shrimp.
We typically don’t like the fried, Baja-style fish, but this was good – very lightly breaded and a generous portion. Unfortunately, the shrimp was skimpy. Both sauces were very good, however.
The happy hour house margarita was $10. Is that a discount price now? We don’t know. And it was just OK. The mix had a strange after taste. We wanted to like it but switched to something else for our second drink.
Happy hour was busy. It was standing room only at the bar, and there was a wait for tables.
Again, who doesn’t like Mexican?
The full menu looked impressive, and we are eager to go back again. Appetizers run from $10-$23. They kept some raw fish offerings as well. A la carte tacos are $5-$6. For the entrees, there are several fish offerings along with a nice mix of traditional Mexican meals. They range from the mid $20 to mid $30.
The atmosphere is kind of cool and funky. It was all curated by the Bodega store managers, Amanda and Jimmy Duval. They spent time in Mexico sourcing a lot of the decorations to make it more authentic, and it shows.
There’s a small store onsite – fulfilling the definition of “bodega” – if you want to buy some branded gear and Laguna-themed items.
With the new concept, the restaurant should succeed and most likely will pull foot traffic away from Finney’s and Nick’s when they are slammed.
Oh, and believe it not, the big second room in the back was open with people in it.
Never underestimate the power of tacos.
