Updated 2007-08-18 20:57
| Anna’s Taqueria/Boca Grande These two joints may be the closest thing to the real deal. Line up and get served - the fresh corn tortillas wrap around grilled veggies, moist chicken, chili verde, beans, cheese - and they're way cheap. Whether or not we believe the rumor that the owners are siblings who haven’t spoken in años, we like the food at both joints just fine, and patronize whichever one of their many locations happens to be nearest. Anna’s 1412 Beacon St, Brookline. 617-739-7300. 822 Somerville Ave. , Cambridge. 617-661-8500. 1412 Beacon St., Brookline. 617-739-7300. 10 a.m.-11 p.m., daily. Boca Grande 1728 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-354-7400. 149 First St.,Cambridge. 617-354-5550. 1294 Beacon St., Brookline. 617-739-3900. 10 a.m.-11 p.m., daily. |
| Border Café/Rudy’s The food at these places could be described as tasty junk or Americanized Tex-Mex. The Border’s ski lodge-meets-mead-hall atmosphere keeps them lining up around the corner in Harvard Square, and Rudy’s is a less crowded alternative near Tufts. Border 32 Church St., Cambridge. Sun-Thu 11 a.m.-midnight; Fri, Sat 11 a.m.-2 a.m. 617.864.6100. Rudy’s 248 Holland St., Somerville. Sun-Wed 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Thu 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri, Sat 11:30 a.m.-midnight. 617-623-9201. |
| Cactus Club Decorated with cacti and steers’ horns, the Back Bay’s Cactus Club looks part Navajo adobe, part Mexican fiesta and part frontier plain - a near life-sized stuffed buffalo stands guard over the bar. The menu offers your mouth its own fiesta: create your own quesadilla ($9.95) by choosing your preferred tortilla and which fillings will be grilled inside. 939 Boylston St., Boston. Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sat, Sun: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Dinner: Sun-Wed 4 p.m.-10 p.m.; Thu 4 p.m.-11 p.m.; Fri, Sat 4 p.m.-midnight. 617.236.0200. |
| Casa Romero For 35 years chef and owner Leo Romero has been running this Back Bay hideaway. He specializes in eccentric and authentic dishes that don’t require a mad dash to the baño afterwards. You won’t find broiled shrimp stuffed with a forcemeat of seafood served over a Huitlacoche cream sauce at Chili’s, amigo. This place can be a little rough on the wallet though, so make sure you really dig your date or get your parents to take you here. 30 Gloucester St., Boston. Sun-Thu 5-10 p.m.; Fri and Sat 5-11. 617.536.4341. |
| Fajitas & ‘Ritas The sign says it all: Fajitas and margaritas (if you’re over 21). Chicken, veggie, shrimp, steak and scallop. Mango, guava, raspberry and strawberry. Mix things up by ordering the Tequila wings or build-your-own-nachos. And they allow you to write on the wall, which seems kind of weird for a 21-year-old to be doing. 25 West St., Boston. Mon, Tue 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Wed, Thu 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sat 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun Noon-8 p.m. 617.426.1222. |
| Forest Café Located in a divey bar exactly between Harvard and Porter Squares, with decorations that look like discarded Christmas ornaments from the 1970s, and run by an Irishman, this place somehow makes our list. The place does food right. There is hardly any need to waste precious stomach space with apps, as they serve you a burrito the size of a guinea pig. 1682 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Open 7 days a week 11 a.m. -1 a.m. 617.661.7810. |
| El Pelón Our photographer is such a fan of this place that when his extended family from Europe took him out for a graduation dinner, he requested they take him here. They were surprised by such a casual collegiate destination, but they were not disappointed. We suggest the Totras, which are Mexican sandwiches on a toasted roll with refried beans and muchos other toppings. 92 Peterborough St., Boston. MBTA: Green Line to Kenmore. Daily 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 617.262.9090. |
| La Verdad If you want to treat your gal to something other than the Sausage Guy specialty, consider this upscale taqueria. Opened by Ken Oringer (Clio, KO Prime), La Verdad cuts close to the authentic bone with grilled corn, fresh, chunky guac with cotija cheese, chicken mole and chile verde pork. The taco plates — a balance of savory, sweet and a kick of heat — will please all eating ilks: carnitas, carne asada, chorizo and potato, fish and chile relleno. Can't get that at the park, can you? One Lansdowne St., Boston. MBTA: Green Line to Kenmore. Daily lunch 11:30 a.m.- 2 p.m., dinner 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m. 617.351.2580. |
| Olé Grill At this Inman Square eatery, they make guacamole in a stone bowl right at your table. A basic margarita is $6 and the size of a birdbath. This is another one where the entrees will make your dollars flee your wallet like Mexican jumping beans, but the Carne Asada Ala Olé is worth the $19.90, and you’re not going to find any better guacamole in this city. (Remember: Stone bowl, table.) 11 Springfield St., Cambridge. Mon-Thu 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri, Sat 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. 617.492.4495. |
| Picante Mexican Grill A sampling of the specials: Spinach and mushroom quesadillas, chicken flautas, veggie mole enchiladas, fish tacos (a rarity anywhere east of the Mojave desert) and tamales (Tuesday only). And the salsas, oh, the salsas: pico de gallo, chipolte, super picante, tomato rojas and salsa verde. Andalae! 735 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. Sun-Wed 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Thu-Sat, Sun 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. 617.576.6394. |
| Sol Azteca With three sprawling rooms and stucco walls adorned with muchos Mexican decorations, the food here is affordable and for real. Their combo platters allow you to combine up to three different dishes for under $15. We mixed the quesadilla and the enchilada de mole verde, which is smothered in a sauce made with ingredients that shouldn’t work together, like poblano peppers, onions, almonds and pumpkin seeds. 914 A Beacon St., Boston. Mon-Thu 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; Fri, Sat 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sun 5 p.m.-10 p.m. 617.262.0909. |
| Tacos Lupita They don’t speak English very well, but they speak the international language of Hot Damn, That Was Good! It’s like Anna’s and Boca Grande, but they take a little bit longer to perfect it. 15 Elm St., Somerville. Open daily, 11 a.m.- 9:30 p.m. MBTA: Red Line to Porter. 617.666.0677. |
| Tu y Yo Mexican Fonda What you’ll find here is an authentic atmosphere and family recipes that span over 100 years. From the Indio Vestido (cactus paddle stuffed with cheese, drizzled in a guajillo and tomatillo sauce) to the Torre De Mariscos (octopus, crab, squid and shrimp sautéed with corn, zucchini, olives, capers and tomatoes), this is legit. 858 Broadway, Somerville. Mon-Thu 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 4 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sun 4 p.m.-9 p.m. 617.623.5411. |