PAPA CHEVO’S TACO SHOP ~ Cannery Row, Monterey

10:34 AM PST on January 14, 2009

Papa Chevo's Taco Shop ~ 299 Cannery Row Monterey, CA 93940 ~ (831) 372-7298

While cruising down the 101 from San Francisco to Big Sur, the Bay views put one thing lingering on my mind as hunger set in: fish tacos. Luckily, I was fast approaching Monterey, where I was sure to find a wide array of seafood specialties.

Knowing full well that all tacos are not created equal, and being the tech-savvy traveler that I am, I whipped out my iPhone and googled “best fish tacos monterey." The first search result was in a Yelp! review praising a Cannery Row joint called “Papa Chevo's Taco Shop." I plugged the address (again into my iPhone), and it led me faster than Steinbeck-ian winos to free Ripple. Papa Chevo’s, like the best taco spots, is rather unassuming, despite a location on this legendary street, looking quite upscale these days and enjoying its beach-adjacent real-estate.

My fish tacos were served hot and fast, with little tortilla chips sticking up in a cute crown from the side of frijoles. As I savored every bite before hopping back in the car, I noticed that I felt sated, but not stuffed. It was perhaps one of the more perfect eating experiences of my vacation in California, and I recommend it highly to locals, or folks that just happen to be passing through. iPhone not required.

~ by Carolyn Weiss, California roadtripper

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Erich Redson

Former editor of L.A. Taco. I still live in Los Angeles but mainly just hang out at parks and stare off into the distance.

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