If your idea of Mexican food includes slopping portions of beans, cheese, sour cream and guacamole, Rique's Regional Mexican Food won't meet your expectations. But if you're looking for an authentic meal rivaling those prepared in kitchens all over Mexico, you've found your place.

With the ruddy floors, walls coated with the work of contemporary Mexican artists and tablecloths hand-picked from Mexico to help replicate grandma's kitchen table, owner Enrique Cortes took all measures possible to ensure a rustic, snug dining experience. Rique's also accepts pesos to even further achieve that South-of-the-border feel.

With a large Central Mexican influence, the menu offers many of Cortes' favorite dishes from his childhood. Tinga, slowly cooked chicken with oregano and onions in a chile chipotle-tomato sauce, leaves a savory flavor lingering throughout your mouth. For just $1.60, the horchata, a rice-based drink with condensed and evaporated milk, vanilla and cinnamon, is absolutely scrumptious. And to bypass the awkward "What is this?" question that often accompanies ordering at ethnic restaurants, take a glance at the vocabulary list running down the side of your menu.

Vegetarian options are always available, and a special menu on Wednesdays provides more choices than you would imagine possible in a Mexican restaurant. You can also sample a different region of Mexico every Saturday night with a four-course meal for $19.95. Make it an even better deal when you BYOB.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Laura Brown