Top 5 Fish Tacos in Brampton

Published February 15, 2017 at 12:53 am

A solid fish taco can satisfy your urge for a jaunt to Fort Lauderdale and/or remind you that beach bodies are made in winter. Whether it’s tilapia, cod, basa, or halibut, fish tacos exemplify casual dining … no one brokers major business deals over a platter of fish, do they? There’s too much of a ‘party in your mouth’ happening, and full focus is required to experience the combination of warmth, crispiness, and sauciness, with a little extra drizzle to have you reaching for napkins (to avoid staining yet another grey blazer).

Here are the top 5 fish tacos in Brampton:


5) Harbourside Fish and Chips

Cute nautical decor and great service awaits at Harbourside, where it’s all anchors and starfish. Tons of natural light fills the restaurant, which opened last year in a Sandalwood Pkwy. strip mall. The standard cod fish meal offers two tacos, served in a toasty soft tortilla with fresh cabbage and fries. Here, you can get cod, tilapia, or halibut. Simple and served piping hot, the portion of fish seemed a tad small considering the price, but the lemon garlic aioli (which we’d requested on the side) was almost too delicious to notice. The owners were generous, providing two little cups of aioli. Mental note: Try the avocado lime sauce and Baja chipotle next time. 

Price: $10.95


4) Jake’s Boathouse

This legendary ocean-themed bar has been a mainstay in Brampton’s nightlife scene since 1979. Even under new ownership, a lavish serving of bronzed tilapia fillets stole the show. Two pieces of tilapia were doused with tomato salsa, crunchy slaw, cilantro/lime aioli, and super-thick fries – albeit frozen – were the perfect accompaniment, only outdone by service at the bar.

Price: $15.99


3) Fresh Burrito

Fresh Burrito is exactly that – fresh. They pride themselves on fresh toppings, and are pretty impressive seeing as they’ve been open right beside Burrito Boyz on Queen Street for some time now. This burrito joint, which also operates a location in Kitchener, makes all of its dishes in-house from scratch and offers such traditional Mexican fare as burritos (of course), quesadillas, tacos, and even churros! The restaurant also serves homemade guacamole and its very own signature red salsa and salsa verde (better known as green salsa), and they make their own burrito sauce with sour cream and mayo. As for their fish tacos, these babies boast big, juicy chunks of fish cuddled in your choice of hard or soft taco shells, topped with Fresh Burrito’s signature fresh veggies and homemade sauces – again, of your choice – and served with some lime to squeeze on top. If you’re in need of a quick fix of fish tacos to-go, Fresh Burrito is your spot.

Price: $7.50


2) Carve on Lot 5

These unique haddock fish tacos are the bomb! Three soft flour tortillas laden with melt-in-your-mouth, beer battered haddock and topped with a very tasty mango salsa, Carve’s fish tacos are truly delicious. The sweet mango combined with the citrus makes for a salsa you will be craving after you leave. All three tacos come on a fun skewer, too, which makes for an interesting presentation. If you’re looking for a quick bite of some delicious fish tacos crafted from scratch, take the time for visit Carve in downtown Brampton for sure! Bonus: get a side of parm or yam fries for about $5 for one of those bowls back there.

Price: $14


1) J Red & Co.  

These shrimp tacos are mind-blowing….so you’ve got to rearrange your day and hit this Main St. joint before 3 p.m. in order to catch them on J Red’s lunch menu. It’s completely mandatory if you care an iota about food. Battered jumbo shrimp beautifully topped with pickled red onions, Napa cabbage, carrots, sriracha mayo, and black sesame seeds; creativity exemplified. Accompanied by perfectly salted skinny fries, executive chef Cal Sandford hits this one out of B-Dot. Owned by celebrity chef – and Bramptonian – Jason Rosso, there’s a variety of international and homegrown influence on the menu, with offerings such as crispy fried cauliflower ‘wings,’ Vietnamese lettuce wraps, and a baked Canadian Brie puffed pastry with apple chutney and walnuts. The place was surprisingly empty at lunch. What’s up with that, Brampton? These are the best seafood tacos in the city! (Note: the menu still reads ‘crispy cod tacos,’ however, it’s currently out of the rotation. A cod sandwich, though, remains). 

Price: $15


  1. J Red & Co
  2. Carve On Lot 5
  3. Fresh Burrito Mexican Grill
  4. Jake’s Boathouse
  5. Harbourside Fish and Chips
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