The TACO (Tackle) Box

So you've decided to go out to Georgetown to maybe hit up a few bars or lounges and want to get a quick bite to eat before drinking. You realize every sit down restaurant is horribly over priced and the wonderful smell of the Potomac (I say that sarcastically) has you craving some seafood. As you walk around you see a restaurant with picnic tables and a large American flag draped on a wall.

The Tackle Box was introduced to me by a friend of a friend. She was raving about the place for a good 15 minutes and it took another 15 minutes for us to figure out that this place is called the TACKLE Box and not the TACO Box (which it might as well be called) because of her difficulty in pronouncing it. So we decided to give it a try because it was suppose to be amazingly fresh seafood at an equally amazing price.


The first thing we noticed as we walked in was that this place is NOT cheap. They do have their specials with meals starting at $8 but that would only be enough food as a snack. As we looked through the menu meals below $15 consisted of various fried fish and seafood with sides such as mashed fries, cole slaw, etc. I had initially wanted the lobster roll but it was over $20 which is a bit pricey for a self serve place with picnic tables. After much deliberation I got scallops with grilled asparagus, sweet potato fries, and tartar dipping sauce.

The scallops were actually quiet tasty. They did not have a rubbery texture which low quality frozen scallops have and they were a moderate size. I thought the portion of scallops given to me was pretty fair for the $15 I paid but it lacked flavor. The asparagus was well just grilled asparagus. It was a bit bland as it seemed no salt was put on it but it was fairly fresh and not overcooked. It also had a nice smokey flavor. The sweet potato fries were not very impressive. They were a bit greasy and lacked any flavor. It was almost like eating cardboard.

At the end of my meal it was a bit lacking. Even though my meal was not bad it was not good either. I was still hungry afterward and I had just spent $15. Below is what everyone else got. I didn't try anyone else's food (somehow everyone tried mine....) but I'll try to relay what they told me as accurately as possible.

Their signature dish is apparently the fish taco. I'm not sure what kind of fish they use but Kris and Jason both said it was really tasty. The only downside is the portion size. For $8 you get two small tacos that leave you wanting more.

Terro and Cheryl both bot the blue fish with potato fries. They were both pretty happy but at $15 they both were left hungry after their meals.

The Tackle box is definitely not a bargain. For $10 more you can get a proper seafood entree that is both tasty and filling at many restaurants in Georgetown. I had high hopes for the Tackle Box mainly because of its decor but I soon realized the decor is analogous to a person who is obsessed with North Face clothing. They wear a ton of North Face gear to make people think they're outdoorsy adventurous people but in reality have never gone camping once in their life. And Tackle Box has succeeded in this. The place is made to look like a hole in the wall with lots of promise but sadly it has none.

Rundown:

Price: Moderate - High

Service: N/A

Food: Average

Restaurant Decor/Setting: Extremely Casual

3245 M St NW
Washington, DC 2007
202 337-8269
www.tackleboxrestaurant.com