"This El Paso taqueria was a semi-finalist on the 2025 James Beard Awards’ long list of Outstanding Restaurants, its third time earning a nod from the prestigious food foundation. Run by husband and wife team Kristal and Emiliano Marentes, it focuses on freshly made tortillas, which are the star of its tacos. From there, the chef explores traditional Mexican recipes and flavors with various techniques, like using a Japanese grill rather than trompo to cook meat. Using high-quality meats, finding the right amount of time for them to marinate, and making every bite special is the goal here. Diners can also enjoy plates of agua chile with the catch of the day, desserts like pineapple sponge cake with tres leches, and limited special dishes like gorditas covered with colorful produce with fatty beef belly inside." - Courtney E. Smith