Tortilla Flats (CLOSED)

The highbrow references end with the restaurant’s name, which Tortilla Flats shares with a John Steinbeck novel. After 25 years, this Tex-Mex dive is still good for salsa and kitsch—the border-town decor and Elvis ephemera satisfy our baser instincts. Ditto the food: Moist ground-beef tamales, gloriously greasy quesadillas and bulging bean-stuffed burritos go down easy with fruity frozen margs. On weekends, it’s mobbed with young yahoos; come on quieter weeknights, when you can chow down during bingo and trivia challenges.