Taco Summer: The Oaxacan Joint With a Fish Taco Cult Following

Restaurant Atoyac became a cult favorite among diners looking for Oaxacan food and fried fish tacos close to Central Phoenix.

By Shelby Moore

July 13, 2017

Atoyac's famous fish tacos are topped with crunchy cabbage and a spicy chipotle mayo. Shelby Moore

Audio By Carbonatix

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25. Restaurant Atoyac Estilo Oaxaca

Taquería: Restaurant Atoyac Estilo Oaxaca, 1830 West Glendale Avenue, C
Open Since: 2010
Style: Oaxacan Street Foods
Signature Taco: Battered fish tacos

Many thought that they had seen the last of Restaurant Atoyac when they closed without warning in 2014. But the restaurant, which first opened in 2010 as Tacos Atoyac, was just undergoing a change in management as the original business partners went their separate ways.

Lucky for us, after a short hiatus, the restaurant reopened in the same year as Restaurant Atoyac Estilo Oaxaca, which went on to earn a cult following of fish taco lovers from all over the Valley.

The batter for the fish is restrained — not puffy and crunchy beyond reason — letting the white flaky fish make itself known beneath a crispy, airy shell. The tacos are topped with a handful of cabbage and a healthy drizzle of spicy chipotle mayo, and when you’re hungry, two or three of these relatively light and fresh tacos just aren’t enough. That might be why the weekly Wednesday special, when the tacos run just $1.50 a pop, has proven to be so popular.

Hiding behind their super tacos, you can also find a long list of Oaxacan specialities like tlayudas, a Mexican pizza layered with beans, as well as tender chicken coated in a deep, dark mole, which are well worth checking out once you've had your fill of tacos.

Our Taco Summer picks so far:

50. Taqueria Don Beto
49. Kiss Pollos Estilo Sinaloa
48. Tacos Tijuana
47. El Burrito Grande
46. El Horseshoe Restaurant
45. Tacos Sahuaro
44. El Pollo Correteado
43. Adrian's
42. La Fiesta
41. Taqueria Lucy
40. Tortas Ahogadas George
39. Taqueria El Chino
38. Joe's Tacos
37. Taqueria El Gallo de Lagos
36. Tacos Huicho
35. Puffy Taco Shack
34. Ni De Aqui Ne De Alla
33. Mr. Mesquite
32. Senor Ozzy's
31. Tacos Jalisco
30. Ta'Carbon
29. Taqueria Los Yaquis
28: Helio Basin Brewing
27: Sonora Taco Shop
26: Mercado Y Carniceria Cuernavaca

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