Pajaro is a small town, but its restaurants and bakeries pack a lot of flavor.

Little by little, life is returning to normal in Pajaro. After the Pajaro River levee broke on March 11, thousands of residents in the small North County town were displaced by flooding. And once those residents were allowed to return, starting on March 23, weeks of work cleaning up – including removing mud and damaged appliances, clothes and furniture – began.

Slowly, businesses in the area started reopening, including bakeries, restaurants and food trucks. Margarita Gutierrez Perez, manager at El Nopal Bakery, says business is now returning to normal levels. Weekends are the busiest days: “We sell out all the bread.”

At Mariscos Puerto Vallarta, business remains relatively slow. “Many of the people who come work in the fields,” says server Leticia Villazana. She highlights how several customers have mentioned that strawberry and blackberry harvesting is delayed in the Pajaro Valley after the winter storms.

Over the weekend of April 28-30, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez organized a “cash mob” – a flash mob to spend money at Pajaro businesses. “It’s up to us to keep our local businesses going and make a positive impact on our economy,” the invitation read.

But even in the absence of an organized weekend, going out to eat in Pajaro is worth your while. Pajaro is a small town with a large Latino population – and lots of delicious food.

If you’re looking for seafood, Mariscos Puerto Vallarta (17 Porter Drive) has a large selection of cooked and raw dishes including fish tacos, Mojarra frita, fried fish, ceviche and aguachile. The tostada de aguachile – a crispy tostada with raw shrimp, cooked octopus and tiny chunks of tomato and cucumbers, onion slices and red sauce – is like a canvas. It’s perfect for any palate, because you can dress it as spicy or lemony as you like. It comes with a slice of lime and there are six different sauces you can choose from, including Tapatio, Salsa Huichol and the restaurant’s homemade salsa: a spicy green sauce made with serranos, lime, garlic and salt that adds a fresh and hot kick.

If you want to enjoy traditional Mexican food made from scratch, stop at Mi Rancho, a small family-owned business (2-10 Brooklyn St.). There, all salsas for chilaquiles, mole and enchiladas are made from scratch. Also handmade are the tortillas. You can order breakfast at any time of the day, and they make chilaquiles as mild or spicy as you like. One item on offer that breaks out of this traditional Mexican menu is pupusas, a Central American flatbread similar to gorditas. The pupusas and gorditas are very popular – restaurant owner Maria Colin says they added pupusas to the menu due to customer requests.

If you’re looking for traditional Mexican bread, El Nopal (103 Salinas Road) is a must-visit. This bakery has been in Pajaro for over 50 years; people from Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties form a line out the door to get their hands on baked goods including bolillos, conchas, cookies and filled turnovers – pineapple filling is a customer favorite. In the mornings, staff can barely keep up with the demand. On a recent Thursday morning, at least 10 people were waiting in line.

If you’re craving tacos – from land or sea – make a stop near the train tracks on Salinas Street. There, three food trucks attract travelers and locals alike. There is a wide area on the side of the road, where you can comfortably park and check out their food. You won’t regret it.

The food truck Los Cristaleros has a variety of tacos including tongue, carne asada, shrimp and fish. One star dish is also a hot food trend: quesabirrias. Quesabirrias are a cross between tacos and quesadillas – tacos filled with queso and birria, a Mexican beef stew. You get a trio of quesabirrias made with handmade tortillas, with a dollop of guacamole on top and a cup of hot consomé (beef broth you can drink) on the side. It’s an explosion of juicy, beefy and cheesy flavors, paired with a lemony and creamy guacamole touch.

One note of warning: There aren’t tables or chairs near this collection of food trucks, so you’ll have to enjoy your quesabirrias standing up or in your car. Also, be sure to bring cash, as many establishments in Pajaro are cash-only.