Where: 14 W. Figueroa St., 962-5541, 1280 Coast Village Rd., 969-9059, losarroyos.net
What: The best Mexican food off Milpas Street, and in Montecito you can get margaritas.
How much? Tacos $8.95-$9.95, burritos $7.95-$12.95
The dish: Tony and Maria Arroyo have been dishing up hearty Mexican fare for over a decade downtown and, for the past few years, in the slightly more upscale (of course) Montecito location. You have to pay for chips but the guacamole is fine and the salsas even better, from the mild but tomato-rich chip salsa to others that will toast your tongue. The specials board is a good place to order from, especially if the tacos a mano con rajas de chorizo is offered: basically Mexican sausage and peppers, but flavorful every which way. That mariscos enchilada will contain huge shrimp chunks, that chile verde burrito enough pork to make you feel like a happily stuffed pig when you’re done. It’s not the cheapest Mexican food, but it’s always fresh and appetizing.