Taqueria Doña Raquel

With its yellow walls and bright open kitchen, Taqueria Doña Raquel is a bit of sunshine tucked among body shops and thrift stores. The entire Mex-Mex menu is written on a large blackboard, with only one seafood dish topping $7.99. Start anywhere; virtually everything is good, from tender chicken enrobed in a perfectly balanced mole and vibrantly flavorful fajitas served with fresh tortillas made in-house to an aromatic bowl of pozole on weekends. The tacos are excellent too, with fillings from grilled carnitas and a spindle of al pastor to steamed pork skin, tripe, and cabeza (tender, rich meat from the cow's head). They don't have burritos or margaritas, but beer is available, and the freshly made aguas frescas are made with real fruit. Just remember to brush up on your Spanish, because the friendly staff doesn't speak much English.