By Catherine du Pont
As many of you probably know, Wahoo’s Fish Taco opened it’s doors in Old Towne Orange at the end of last month. Wahoo’s already won me over years ago with their delicious Maui bowls, cajun chicken tacos and special green sauce so I was excited when Kelly suggested we go check out their new location. I have been to numerous Wahoo’s restaurants all over Southern California and I can easily say that their Old Towne Orange location is my new favorite.
When Wahoo’s purchased the space a few of years ago, not many people knew that there was something behind the concrete facade that faced W. Chapman Ave. But lo and behold, there was something beautiful behind there! The original building was a hotel built in 1886. The facade in front of it masked the decrepit state that the building has been in for awhile. Wahoo’s did an amazing job restoring the building to its current look. If you want to check out more pictures of the location back in the day and the renovation process, check out the Orange County Register’s slideshow HERE.
Now the restaurant has a lot of open space inside with fun posters and stickers all over the place in usual Wahoo’s style, but there is still that sense nostalgia that many spaces in Old Towne Orange have. They have a lot of the options on the menu such as tacos, burritos, bowls, salads, nachos, and more! They have a lot of different options for the fillings including different meats, seafood, tofu, veggies and even mushrooms which makes this a good option for everyone. My sister is obsessed with their shrimp tacos and swears that they have the best in the entire world.
They have a lot of seating inside which is a fun option because there is always something to look at in a Wahoo’s restaurant. They have TVs, stickers, posters and unique decorations such as skateboards on the railings in line! And the outside seating is phenomenal! You can take a seat on the wraparound porch or sit on the huge side and front patio. There are a lot of the seats in the sun but there are a lot of shady spots for all of those worried about too much sun! This will definitely be a place you will want to go to with friends and family on a warm, sunny day! There is also a fire pit out there that looks like it would be pretty cool when lit up at night. The restaurant was busy as we went during the lunch rush but the food didn’t take long to come out, which was great because I was hungry just from smelling all of the delicious food while waiting in line! Everyone was very friendly and helpful when I needed anything!
Kelly got one cajun chicken taco, one shrimp taco, rice and both cajun white & black beans. 
I got my usual Wahoo’s dish, the Maui Bowl which is teriyaki beef with beans and rice. Both were delicious! That’s me, the happy camper after my yummy meal!
If you haven’t checked out the new Wahoo’s yet, go take a look at their amazing restoration of a historic building and get a taco while you’re at it! Wahoo’s is located at 234 W. Chapman Ave.
