La Super-Rica Taqueria

La Super-Rica in Santa Barbara, California, is the best taco joint I've been to outside Mexico. The tacos are topped generously with chicken, pork, or carne asada, and they've got dishes from all over Mexico, such as Mexico City-style pasilla chiles filled with melted cheese and grilled chicken or pork or vegetables. They make the most amazing variety of tamales, including ones stuffed with corn, zucchini, chayote, cheese, and potato, plus a chicken mole version wrapped in banana leaves. Their quesadillas contain their out-of-this-world handmade tortillas, which you can watch the cooks make while you wait in the long, long line. —Jeff Belton, Sunnyvale, California