Nachomama's (9643 Manchester Road, Rock Hill; 314-961-9110)
Welcome to the best independent Tex-Mex fast-food joint in St. Louis. Enjoy the tricolor tortilla chips served in flower pots to go along with guacamole that ranks among the area's best, and the salsas (especially the hottest version) that require a cold bottled beer. The kitchen specializes in burritos, quesadillas and the so-much-more-than-a-side-dish beans. But what you really need to do is order the nacho grande -- choose either steak, chicken, veggie or shrimp with guacamole, sour cream and pico. If you're in need of a quick fix, Nachomama's is speedy and handles pick-up-orders in a flash.
See also: - Gut Check's Survival Guide for 4/20
Siete Luminarias (2818 Cherokee Street; 314-932-1333)
Brothers Ramón and Luis García have added yet another destination to the list of Cherokee Street's fantastic collection of restaurants. At Siete, which we named Best Mexican 2012, you can find tacos, tortas and other standard taqueria fare, but dig a bit deeper to discover more exotic offerings: pambazo is a torta with bread soaked in guajillo-chile sauce; tlacoyos are masa cakes stuffed with melted cheese; tacos de cabeza are made from beef cheeks. Some have even suggested that the carnitas here might be the best-rendered pork in town. It also serves the chips and two kinds of salsa in tiny plastic mule-driven wagons, and that's pretty awesome.
See also: - Best Mexican Restaurant - 2012
