For an authentic Mexican experience, most urban-dwellers have learned to turn to dingy storefront eateries and tacos sold off of a truck. While no-frills, cash-only, assembly line-style taquerias deliver the goods for next to nothing, sometimes you need a little atmosphere. That's where Bridgeport's Pancho Pistolas comes in. An open dining space features all the colors of the cantina rainbow alongside lofty touches like exposed brick walls and silver duct work.

A traditional menu offers heaping portions of long-time favorites, and the reasonable prices make upgrading from a taco shack as easy on the wallet as it is on the taste buds. Cheese-stuffed poblano peppers, egg-dipped and deep-fried pack some serious heat in the chiles rellenos, and the classic comfort dish, enchiladas suizas, arrives practically swimming in zesty red sauce and cheese. While these dinner options are bound to satisfy diners, the focus at Pancho is on the steak. Carne asada can be ordered in anything from tacos to salads, but most regulars go straight for the dinner plate; served with beans and rice, this char-grilled skirt steak is done to your order, and the outlandish portion (big enough for two) is only $12.45. If you're in the mood to share, but can't suppress the burrito-craving, opt for the Pancho Grande; at a whopping seventeen inches, it can feed a small army for only $11.95.

No cantina atmosphere would be complete without copious amounts of booze, a rule that Pancho's margarita menu takes to heart. Available in four sizes (all the way up to a giant pitcher), the concoctions come in lime, strawberry and peach flavors. This libation has a history of livening up the Pancho experience, as the bartenders are notoriously heavy-handed with the tequila.

Centerstage Reviewer: K. Tighe