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This venue is closed.

Happy-hour hounds have long appreciated this funky, cheap, basement-level Mexican joint—and for good reason. El Rey’s margaritas, made with fresh-squeezed watermelon, cantaloupe and grapefruit juices, pack a mighty wallop, and come in economy-sized pitchers for easy sharing. In good weather, the best place to enjoy them is on the spacious back patio, where a dozen or so tables are surrounded by trees and festively strung Christmas lights. The crowds can get thick—and roaringly drunk—so it’s a good idea to come early and eat something to help you go the distance. The menu of Mexican comfort-food dishes seems custom-designed to absorb alcohol: Crispy tacos are heaped with savory ground beef, manchego cheese, and fresh pico de gallo and burros (no diminutive burritos here) are the size of small logs. In winter, a more subdued scene occupies the low-ceilinged dining room— crammed so full of tinsel, flashing colored lights, faux-Mayan artifacts and Day of the Dead marionettes that it looks like a piñata exploded. — Sarah Gold

Picadillo crispy tacos, $9.95