Fiesta
2400 N. Rancho Drive, North Las Vegas
The chili capital of Las Vegas -- make that North Las Vegas -- Garduņo's delivers an unadulterated dose of the real thing, using fresh-roasted hatch green chilies to add fire to the flavorful selections. (No wonder they rate the relative chili hotness on a chalkboard.) With 21 different salsas at the mild-to-wild salsa bar -- and 21 different specialty margaritas (there's even a margarita sampler for those who can't decide) -- it's hardly a surprise Garduņo's ranks as a reader favorite. Sizzling to second place in this hotly contested category: last year's winners, the Guadalajara Bar & Grille restaurants at Boulder Station and Palace Station.
Our Pick: RICARDO'S
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South
More than one Review-Journal staffer interviewed for a job over lunch at Ricardo's now-closed Meadows mall branch. So nostalgia probably plays a role in our choice of the MGM Grand outpost, which features a walk-up margarita bar, a palapa taco bar and lively live music. But in a tug-of-war between fond memories and here-and-now appetites, Ricardo's lives up to its past, demonstrating with a tasty array of dishes that Mexican food doesn't have to burn your mouth out to light up your taste buds.
