The Unhealthiest Restaurant Tacos—Ranked

When the craving for tacos strikes, it may seem like an overall healthy option: grilled meat or veggies, pico de gallo, a sprinkle of cheese, a little heart-healthy guacamole—what could go wrong?

The unfortunate truth is, most big chain restaurants really pack in the calories. While going for the restaurant tacos might seem like a better alternative to some of its cheese-covered counterparts on the menu (think nachos and quesadillas), the simple meat-and-veggie combo can quickly spiral out of control and result in a deep-fried, sauce-laden diet disaster.

So the next time you sit down and take a look at the taco options on the menu at your favorite restaurant, you'll want to make sure you don't fall victim to the wrong meal. Read on to uncover the unhealthiest restaurant tacos, ranked from bad to the absolute worst. Also, be sure to avoid the 8 Worst Fast-Food Burgers to Stay Away From Right Now.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse has an "Enlightened" section of the menu, which essentially means any dish listed there is a healthier meal option. But these tacos are proof that, well, this isn't necessarily always the case.

They're made with roasted barbacoa cauliflower and topped with roasted red peppers, sweet corn, onion, tomatoes, and even a Greek yogurt cream sauce. There are also Jack and cheddar cheeses to factor in and overall, while this meal comes in under 1,000 calories (which is sadly hard to find in most restaurants!), it's still high in sodium, the highest out of all the taco options at BJ's.

Not only do you need to be worried about the sodium in these crispy coconut tacos from Bahama Breeze, but the sugar, too!

At Hooters, the tacos are rather simple, as they're just filled with pico de gallo, cabbage, and a special sauce. But choosing the fried fish over the grilled is where the calories, fat, and sodium go up. Always be careful of anything labeled "crispy," as it's one of the common menu words that are secretly red flags.

No, you don't have to get pizza when you're dining at California Pizza Kitchen, but these crispy fish tacos are a no-go. The tortillas are filled with panko-crusted filleted white fish, and again, its the fried fish that's not ideal.

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Three flour tortillas are filled with seasoned chicken, pico, avocado, mixed cheese, jalapeño aioli, cilantro, and queso fresco—doesn't sound all that bad, right? Well, let's not forget that The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day for most adults, and this dish is coming in with more than 3,000 milligrams.

Skip this dish as well as any of the saltiest restaurant meals on the planet.

It's no secret that all of the dishes served up at Cheesecake Factory are over-the-top, and the Crispy Beer Battered Fish Tacos are no exception. When fish is fried, and in a beer batter no less, you know that means you're in for a highly caloric, fatty, sodium-filled dish. That's exactly what you get here!

Breakfast tacos count, too! Especially when they're as caloric and salt-laden as TGI Friday's variation. But seriously, this meal has absolutely no business surpassing 4,000 milligrams of sodium. What the heck is in these tacos, anyways?

On the Border thought it was a good idea to also deep-fry beer-battered fish for its tacos. With a creamy red chile sauce, cheese, and flour tortillas, it's the perfect belly fat storm of calories, sodium, and saturated fat.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Bonefish Grill's bang bang shrimp is a beloved menu item, but that doesn't excuse the lack of nutritional value. The shrimp in these tacos are deep-fried and covered in a sweet Thai chili mayo and sour cream. Plus, the tacos are served with a side of fries, quickly creating a fattening nutritional profile for this dish.

For more, don't miss 9 Hacks for the Best Tacos Ever!