Guero's Taco Bar, on South Congress Avenue

Guero's, which opened on South Congress Avenue in 1994 inside a century-old feed store, has become one of the region's definitive spots for spicy, flavorful Tex-Mex cuisine. A vintage Gibson "folk art" guitar sits outside the restaurant, beneath its endearingly faded pink sign. Guero's has live music many nights, both in the restaurant and outside in the Oak Garden seating area. The food is out of this world - Michoacan-style beef and pork tamales, chips (you can choose from among several salsa varieties at the salsa bar), chiles rellenos, spinach-and-mushroom enchiladas, and steak tacos.