El Camino

Delray Beach wasn't complete until it received its new taqueria-ish El Camino. Here, owners Brandon Belluscio, Brian Albe, and Anthony Pizzo -- also of Cut 432 and Park Tavern -- deliver Mexican soul food and a topnotch tequila bar just a few steps from the city's Atlantic Avenue restaurant row, at the entrance to Pineapple Grove. The building is adorned with colorful street-style graffiti from artist Ruben Ubiera, including a custom portrait of Emiliano Zapata Salazar, leader of the Mexican Revolution -- along with Day of the Dead skulls and an El Camino car. Inside, bright lime-green booth seating and a handmade, rustic wood-beam bar run the length of the space where bartenders sling craft-style margaritas and customers put them back like they're nothing more than water on a hot summer day. The establishment offers patrons a taste of Mexico through the lens of executive chef Victor Meneses, originally from Juarez. Like the drinks, the food is a little more craft than you'd expect, including hand-formed blue corn tortillas, homemade chorizo, and more than a dozen sauces, including Meneses' secret recipe for hot sauce. In addition to tacos, speciality items adorn the appetizer and entree menu, with highlights like smoked brisket nachos and charred octopus or chili relleno pan-fried with egg -- no breading -- to keep with Meneses' family recipe. A favorite starter: the crispy fried pork skins, or chicharron. Crunchy strips of fried pig's ear let off a muffled pop in your mouth with every bite, like some sort of edible fire cracker, served with a cactus slaw and sour cream. Read our full review.