Villa Azteca
157 Main St., Salinas 256-2669, villaazteca.com
In less than three years, locals have fallen in love with this restaurant in Oldtown Salinas, where you can taste a variety of modern Mexican recipes that combine traditional and contemporary ingredients to create a unique menu. The staff at family-owned Villa Azteca prepare all dishes and drinks from scratch, and some of its most popular dishes include mole amarillo, lobster enchiladas, carne en su jugo and birria. After more than a decade in the catering business, the Alvarez family opened a bricks-and-mortar restaurant, and hungry people are glad they did – manager and bartender Adilenny Alvarez says the restaurant’s success happened faster than they expected. “I didn’t think it would get so popular in such little time,” she says.