Tacos from Tamales La Pasadita. Photo by Travis Mullis/UP

The restaurant: What this place does well is right there in the name of the restaurant. Their tamales are fatter than their culinary counterparts throughout the city and are begging to be doused in the Mexican crema, salsa verde, and salsa roja that accompany them to the table. Other menu items are equally as good, if not better, than the tamales. The tacos are handmade, at once crispy and soft, and filled with various marinated and grilled meats, cilantro, and onions. If your mouth begins to feel the heat, cool off with an agua fresca or a bottle of Mexican Coke. 

The cuisine: Masa, corn dough, is the touchstone ingredient for Mexican and Central American cooking. It built empires and gave the world tamales, tacos, pupusas, arepas, and more. Whether they come wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks, tamales are rightfully one of Latin America’s most beloved dishes.

Our must-order: Tamales are a must-have, as the name implies, and their aromatic corn smell wafts through the dining room. The tacos might be the best in the city — toppings and tortillas are truly equals here. Their pozole, a Mexican stew of hominy and pork that is topped with cabbage and radish, is the perfect meal for a cool Autumn night.

Why we go: In a food scene that seems to always be chasing the trends, Tamales La Pasadita is a Latino-owned restaurant doing delicious food the same way it has been done for centuries. This is the real deal. There are no edison bulbs or giant margaritas here. Any worries over authenticity or culinary buzz are nowhere to be found. This place is just making food with love for a city that often doesn’t give places like Tamales La Pasadita the spotlight they deserve. —Travis Mullis