URBANA, Anaheim Packing District

www.urbanaanaheim.com

4.5 🍅’s

Road trips! There’s nothing like a good ole adventure to feed your soul. “Will travel for food,” literally. My latest road trip to the Anaheim Packing District in Anaheim led me one of the best fish tacos I’ve had, EVER and the most remarkable micheladas from URBANA. 

I had traveled to Anaheim many times before, but never the Anaheim Packing District. As a foodie, when you walk in, it’s hard not to get excited. Every direction you look there is top-level food and beverage options, but I had a very specific reason for driving all the way up there, and that was URBANA. 

As you head down the stairs of the Packing District, to your right is URBANA Mexican Gastronomy and Mixology. Magnificent colors from the Dia de los Muertos artwork and decor immediately draw you in and invite you to take a seat at the bar. Another statement piece in it’s self, my travel companion and I made ourselves comfortable front and center at the bar!

No detail of URBANA is left to the wayside, including their house made salsa and chips. Made completely from scratch, smoky and rich, it is the perfect precursor of what’s to come. With so many appealing options on the menu we ultimately decided to go with URBANA’S highly regarded tacos.

The hype did not disappoint! URBANA’S Baja Fish tacos are literally some of the best I’ve had, EVER. The fish is cooked to perfection and the batter is something out of this world. Crunchy but fluffy, the batter has a buttery and rich flavor. Combined with the soft and velvety fish, the fish tacos just melt in your mouth. The fish is laid on top of silky house-made tortillas that are made fresh every day! I still think about those tacos every now and then, and seriously consider driving 2 hours in traffic just to get them!

 The fish tacos were an unexpected star of the show, but I traveled to Anaheim to try URBANA’S trio of distinctive, hand-crafted, and colorful micheladas. I love micheladas but typically they consist of the same minimal ingredients and taste very similar, so I was excited to try some unique spins on the classic Mexican drink. All made from different scratch ingredients and different colors, which fits right in with the decor, URBANA boasts the Tradicional, Aguachile, and Toro Rojo micheladas.

Tradicional

They may call this michelada the traditional, but there is nothing #basic about this michelada. Urbana’s house salsa negra mix is savory and deeply rich, a departure from traditional micheladas that are typically tangy and acidic. The salsa negra mix makes the michelada a dark red color that contrasts with the yellow and orange rim. The house-made chili salt rim uses chilis that have been ground up by hand and some other seasonings that leaves a lingering smoky and salty taste in your mouth after every sip!

 Aguachile

This bright yellow michelada is fresher than fresh made from Urbana’s house made aguachile. Aguachile typically consists of chili peppers, lime juice, salt, and cucumbers and you get all of that and then some in this drink. The crisp and bright flavor from the aguachile, combined with the carbonation from the light Mexican beer makes this michelada clear, smooth, and enjoyable to drink. The kick of heat from the chili peppers makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, true bliss in a glass.

Toro Rojo

“A tart and spicy super strength michelada” is how it reads on the menu, and they aren’t lying. Not only does this PURPLE michelada come with beer, they decided to throw in some hibiscus infused blanco tequila, because why not? The tart flavor comes from Sierra Nevada’s Otra Vez beer: a lime and blue agave nectar infused beer and the spiciness comes from…you guessed it…. chilis. The tartness is tamed by the wood-fired taste of the house made hibiscus smoke salt, which is also a beautiful magenta color. I would highly recommend this michelada if you’re a fan of tequila!

If you’re looking for true authentic Mexican Gastronomy, then you need to head to URBANA inside of the Anaheim Packing District. The tacos are next level (I challenge you to try them) and the micheladas are remarkable. The handcrafted cocktails in the bar program are worth taking note of too (try the Mexicillian). I really appreciated everything from the house-made seasonings, sauces, and salsas to the amazing artwork on the walls. I’ll definitely be stopping by again when I am up in the area for baseball!!