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If your idea of margarita night is serape blanket-covered tables, spangled sombreros on the wall, and a host in an embroidered tie, make a beeline for Rancho Alegre. The neighborhood Tex Mex restaurant, named after a Texas border town, beckons local gringos with a specials board on its second floor stoop. Though a short glossary of regional Tex-Mex items is on the back of the menu, the few unfamiliar items like pipian sauce (a mole popular in northeastern Texas) remain unexplained. There’s a fairly generic though not un-authentic assortment of college student grub like quesadillas and a mediocre selection of tequila. The extensive line-up of cheap combination platters, with greasy but tasty enchiladas, crisp tacos, and decently overstuffed burritos, is a good way to sample a little of everything. — Jenny Feldman

Shrimp quesadilla, $7.95; side of guacamole, $2; two beef tacos with a side of rice and beans, $7.95