Taco Tuesday
Taco Tuesday at the Harbor: Johnny's Harborside Goes All In
Taco Tuesday means something different at Johnny's Harborside. This isn't a bar special bolted onto the regular menu, it's a full night built around tacos, from filet mignon and bone marrow to smoked brisket to a crispy Baja fish taco. Every taco is served as it's ready, so the table shares as things come up rather than everything landing at once. Located at 493 Lake Ave, Santa Cruz.
A note on our menus: what you see pictured changes often. We build this menu around the freshest ingredients available from local land and sea, season by season. Here you will see our menu update live as we give you the freshest ingredients of the season.
The Margarita, Done Simple
Taco Tuesday runs on El Jimador, silver or reposado, either as a margarita or as a shot with a Modelo back. No frills, no twelve-ingredient cocktail list tonight. Order, drink, order another taco.
The Tacos
This is the longest taco lineup we run all week, and it swings from refined to nostalgic on purpose. The filet mignon and bone marrow taco with beef tallow salsa sits next to the Mom Taco, a straightforward crispy shell with seasoned ground beef and iceberg, the taco a lot of us grew up on. In between: grilled black cod with chipotle salsa, jumbo shrimp with salsa verde crudo, smoked brisket with jalapeno tzatziki, confit pork belly with pineapple salsa and al pastor sauce, and a grilled swordfish taco built for guests who want something lighter.
Vegetarians aren't an afterthought here either. The crispy butternut squash taco with adobo sauce and the smoked mushroom quesadito with black beans and salsa verde both hold their own against the meat and seafood options.
Want more of the classic version? The Double Decker Taco stacks the Mom Taco inside a flour tortilla with nacho cheese, a bigger, messier take on the same idea.
Raw Bar and Harborside Classics
The raw bar runs as usual on Tuesdays, fresh and premium oysters with lemon and mignonette. A short list of Harborside classics stays on the menu too: buttermilk fried calamari, the signature Caesar, and tempura local fish and chips, for anyone at the table who wants something outside the taco lineup.
Guacamole, Made Right
The Guatemalan style guacamole uses Brokaw Ranch avocados, a Central Coast grower, with lime, serrano, cilantro, and white onion. Straightforward, no filler, the way guacamole should be.
Good to Know
How are the tacos served? As ready, not all at once. Order a few to start and keep going as the table decides what to add.
Is this menu only available on Tuesdays? Yes, Taco Tuesday is its own menu, separate from our regular lunch and dinner lineup.
Is there a vegetarian option? Yes, the crispy butternut squash taco and the smoked mushroom quesadito are both vegetarian.
What's the most popular taco? The filet mignon and bone marrow taco and the crispy Baja taco are the two most ordered.
Do the oysters run the same as the regular menu? Yes, same rotating fresh and premium selection, served with lemon and mignonette.
Is the raw bar safe if I have a medical condition? Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, particularly for guests with certain medical conditions. Items are cooked to order and prepared to your specifications on request.
What's the best way to order for a group? Pick four or five tacos to share across the table rather than one each, that's how the menu is built to be eaten.
Johnny's Harborside
493 Lake Ave, Santa Cruz, CA
johnysharborside.com
