File Under: Mexican and Latin American. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Breakfast. Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • A mix of Americanized Mexican and more authentic stuff in a family atmosphere. Normaltown location has a gorgeous rooftop bar with a mural and nice views, plus breakfast Thursday through Saturday now starting at 7:30 a.m.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer (Clayton St.), catering, outside seating, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. • Locally owned burrito chain has expanded throughout the Southeast but remains Athens-y. Serves health-oriented Mexican-ish fare, highlighting low-fat options. Everything is customizable to your taste/dietary needs: burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, tacos, nachos and salads, lots of veggies; vegetarian and vegan options.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Counter service, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Tacos, grilled meats and Mexican standards, but the real attraction is the birria, a meaty stew highlighting goat or lamb, darkly spicy with ancho chiles.

File Under: Mexican and Latin American. Features: Outside seating, beer, wine and margaritas (Eastside), delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Both locations of this Athens original do Latin American food with a Peruvian influence: lomo saltado, big sandwiches, plantains (sweet and savory), yuca, tacu tacu (rice and beans topped with eggs) and much more. Lots of veggie choices. Eastside location is bigger with an eclectic atmosphere fun for adults and full of quarter-operated rides for kids. Lumpkin has a small fee to BYOB. 

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Full bar, take-out, delivery. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open seven days. • Family-run spot gives you free soup instead of chips and salsa and has a menu that ranges all over Latin America: quesabirria, bandeja paisa, lomo saltado, pupusas, sweet and savory empanadas, arepas. Delightful breakfast, kids meals and an array of coffee drinks.

File Under: Bakeries. Features: Counter service, take-out. Hours: Seven days. • Donuts, tamales and an absolute rainbow of Mexican sweet breads (conchas that resemble jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween and much, much more), all well priced and nicely made.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Counter service, take-out, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. Downtown location coming at some point.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Cheery spot in Watkinsville decorated with bright colors and ocean theme does a lot of seafood: shrimp, oysters, fish, octopus, ceviche, aguachile. Land animals, too, if you prefer. Also: margaritas, buckets of beers, palomas.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, catering, curbside pick-up, delivery, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Americanized Mexican staples done well: tacos, burritos, nachos, fajitas, quesadillas, big burritos, enchiladas, queso, fish tacos, fried ice cream. Margaritas, lots of tequilas.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • You can get Tex Mex or Americanized Mexican stuff here, but the better bet is to dig into the seafood section of the menu. The siete mares soup is particularly good.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Full bar, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Most of the restaurant is outside, and the lawn is often busy with a Five Points crowd. Tacos (including veggie and vegan choices) that change out regularly, plus other Mexican-ish standards, kids menu and a serious bar with lots of tequilas, a selection of mezcals, beer buckets and build-your-own margs.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Large regional chain Tex-Mex restaurant features murals and elaborate hanging lights, plus a big bar in the middle. You can find some gems among the standard burritos and taco salads: tableside guacamole, chile colorado, large selection of tequilas and margaritas in over a dozen flavors.

File Under: South American. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Brazilian steakhouse offers an all-you-can-eat model. Pay once, then go up to the meat window and/or the salad bar (which also has mashed potatoes, empanadas, etc.) as many times as you like. Vegetarians can do the buffet and grilled pineapple and still be happy. Lower prices for kids. Drinks and dessert are separate.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out, beer and wine. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Mexican place in Winterville has a big menu (with a section for kids) that includes your standard dips and quesadillas, fried and grilled fish, seafood soup, "tacos gringos" (hardshell with ground beef or chicken, lettuce and cheese), churros and lunch combos. Margs, aguas and horchata to drink.

File Under: American, Mexican. Features: Outside seating, counter service. • Wander around the flea market inside and outside and find some eats while you’re there, especially Mexican and Latin American foods. Look out for La Michoacana…es Natural's ice cream/paleta truck. Don't forget to cruise through the produce vendors for treats and supplies.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Catering, outside seating, take-out, counter service, full bar, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Birria-focused, adorable, family-run restaurant does quesatacos, ramen, burgers, ceviche, plus the hearty meat stew that forms the basis of most of its menu. Kids menu. Aguas frescas made in house.

File Under: Mexican and Latin American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Americanized Mexican in a stone-walled interior (both locations). Queso, burritos, combo plates, fajitas, quesadillas and lots of lunch specials. Yes, you can get a margarita or a Mexican beer, as well as a pineapple topped with chicken, chorizo and cheese. Kids menu.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Popular Americanized Mexican fare: burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, taquitos, nachos, tacos and quesadillas. Special entrees and combo plates. Margaritas, Mexican beers, domestics and house wines.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Drive-thru, delivery, beer and wine, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Fast-casual Mexican, both drive-thru and dine-in, offers birria, quesabirrias, burritos, tortas, tacos and a few surprising options, like a quinoa salad.

File Under: Frozen Treats, Mexican. Features: Counter service, take-out, outside seating. Hours: Seven days. • Hundreds of flavors of popsicles and ice cream in this shop attached to La Jalisco grocery store and taqueria. Also: street-food snacks like a grilled ear of corn encrusted with Hot Cheetos, agua fresca with ice cream, sliced mango with chile powder and a fruit cup topped with spicy gummy worms.

File Under: Ice Cream and Smoothies, Mexican. Features: Outside seating. Hours: Seven days. • Astonishingly good Mexican ice cream shop that makes flavors fresh in-store daily (including queso, tequila, eggnog and more), as well as gorgeous paletas full of fruit, smoothies, aguas frescas and street-food snacks like Dorilocos and loaded potato chips. Its food truck shows up at the J&J on weekends with ice cream and savory stuff.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Take-out, full bar, live music. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Big Americanized Mexican restaurant has a multi-page menu with all kinds of fajitas, quesadillas, burritos, lots of seafood. Grilled stuff is a highlight. Kids menu. Mariachi music sometimes.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, catering, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Not to be confused with the locally-owned Taqueria La Parrilla, this new place opening in Beechwood Shopping Center is a Georgia-based chain. The menus are somewhat similar: Tex-Mex, burritos, plenty of vegetarian options. Also: aguas frescas and margs. Kids menu.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Counter service, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Walk inside the grocery store to find this taco counter next to the butcher counter. Weekends usually find the tortilla press working hard. Tacos (including "American" style with lettuce, tomato and cheese), tortas, burritos and specials like shrimp cocktail and chiles rellenos. Horchata and aguas frescas to drink, or snag a Jarritos from the store.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Catering, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and brunch, open seven days. • Atlanta vibe at this cheffy Wire Park restaurant that brings you three salsas instead of one and offers lamb and octopus in its tacos as well as chicken and steak. Order something interesting, and you'll be happier. Good vegetarian and pescatarian options. Mezcal in addition to tequila. Swanky cocktails. Kids menu.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Delivery, outside seating, full bar, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • One of the best Mexican restaurants around, with excellent tacos (filled with cilantro, onions and fish, al pastor, barbacoa or lengua), big tortas, menudo, tostadas de ceviche, caldo de siete mares, gorditas, sopes and more, plus a mangonada margarita.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating, trivia. Hours: Dinner and Sunday brunch. • Huge bar with DJs, live music, gigantic TV for football games also serves a creative, fun Tex-Mex menu. Elote street corn "ribs," excellent smoke-fried wings in flavors like truffle-agave and honey sriracha, tacos with fresh corn tortillas, churro milkshake and much more. Brunch involves fried egg tacos and "brunchos" and is a bit quieter. Craft cocktails, palomas and margaritas on draft, and lots of specials.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Beer, counter service, outside seating, wine, take-out, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Get an elaborate michelada preparada, a pambazo (a torta soaked in red sauce) and some wet wipes, and you'll be thrilled. Lots of taco fillings, including an array of vegetarian choices that go beyond beans. Good, cold tres leches cake. Beer buckets.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Delivery, full bar, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Darling Dominican resto serves typical rib-sticking fare featuring a lot of rice and meat, including mofongo (plantains mashed with tons of garlic and broth), tostones, seafood, empanadas and churros. Full bar serving all your favorite island drinks.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • From the folks behind Lalo's and a few other Mexican restaurants around town comes this new spot on the former Applebee's site with a remodeled rooftop bar. Guacamole can be made deluxe with pork belly, queso fundido is flambéd tableside with tequila, and lunch features some breakfast tacos and a patty melt with an egg. Big menu. Signature sangria and cocktails.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, delivery, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • One location (the original) next to a gas station and the other in a much bigger space on Broad Street. Both serve reliably very tasty Americanized Mexican standards but also lengua, buche and tripe tacos. Chilaquiles and surprisingly good hamburguesas.

File Under: Mexican Features: Catering. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, take-out, outside seating, catering, counter service, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Taco bar franchise based in Alabama appeals to college kids, with not very spicy tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos, plus lots of drinks. Loads and loads of free toppings. Also: kids menu, family-pack take-out meals.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, outside seating (Milledge), take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Athens fondly home this American Mexican restaurant. Milledge location has been open since the 1970s, with very little in the way of change, as it should be. Burritos, veggie chili, quesadillas (nuked or grilled), gigantic nachos. Eastside has some different options.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Counter service, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Excellent traditional Mexican inside a former Huddle House offers amazing values and delicious food: pollo, lengua, cabeza, al pastor, chorizo, carnitas, barbacoa, asada and tripa. Menudo on weekends, horchata and great sopes.

File Under: Downhome and BBQ, Mexican. Features: Drive-thru, take-out, catering, delivery, outside seating. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and early dinner. • Texas-style barbecue with a chef pedigree. Breakfast burritos in the a.m. on unbelievable housemade tortillas, pork and other meats in the p.m. (brisket if you're lucky), plus cornbread, beans, collards. Meats smoked daily.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, catering, counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Chef-crafted taqueria with a focused menu. Pork, brisket, fried chicken, carnitas, fish and veggie tacos, plus weekly specials and a blue-plate special. Great selection of premium tequilas, build-your-own margaritas and bottled beers.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Counter service, catering. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Great taqueria inside the Petro Express does tacos, sopes, gorditas and burritos with fillings including asada, chicken, al pastor, barbacoa, carnitas, desebrada (shredded beef), tongue, tripe, chorizo and buche (stomach), plus hot wings and really good soups. Excellent condiment bar.

File Under: Mexican. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Taqueria inside a full-service grocery store with a butcher counter. Menudo, carnitas, chorizo, tortas, al pastor and a few freshly made salsas. Great baked goods in the grocery section and paletas/helados next door.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar (Jefferson and Gaines School), beer and wine (Watkinsville), delivery, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Locally owned small chain Mexican restaurant has chips-and-salsa-type standards and will give you fried ice cream on your birthday, but also serves Mexican-style tacos and good tortas. Kids menu. Margaritas, Mexican beers, regular bottled stuff and pitchers.

File Under: Asian, Mexican and South American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Outside seating, take-out, delivery, full bar. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Small Atlanta-based chain does Asian/Latin fusion tacos: bulgogi and shiitake, teriyaki chicken with pineapple pico de gallo, tofu with sesame-soy vinaigrette and more. Apps, bowls and salads. Margaritas, cocktails, sangria and craft beers.

File Under: Mexican and Latin American. Features: Full bar, outside seating, drive-thru. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Central American and Mexican food at this cult favorite. Pupusas, massive tortas, regular specials and fantastic mole; lots of seafood options. Breakfast, which includes chilaquiles, starts at 10 a.m. and is served all day. Margaritas, beer and aguas frescas.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, catering, counter service, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days.