Fodor's Expert Review NicaMex

Among the local Latin population this 60-plus-seat eatery is a low-budget favorite for Nicaraguan and Mexican flavors. It helps if you know Spanish, but the menu is bilingual, and some staffers speak English. Although they term it comidas rapidas (fast food), the cuisine is not Americanized. Try authentic huevos rancheros or chilaquiles (corn tortillas cooked in red-pepper sauce) for breakfast. Specialties include chicharron en salsa verde (fried pork skin in hot-green-tomato sauce). Hearty beef soups are top sellers. If you want (or dare), Mexican plates from tacos to tostadas can be made with beef tongue. Choose among domestic or imported beers, and escape south of the border.