At this mother-son taqueria and snack shop on the Southwest Side, Mom (Bertha Montes Garcia) brought the traditional recipes, and son (David Rodriguez Jr.) brought the modern skills he earned at the Kennison and Luxbar. Turns out it’s a formidable combination.

On the first trip, you’ll want to get the signature tlacoyo ($6.50), an oval of tender blue corn masa filled with refried beans and heaped with crisp vegetables, crema, salsa, and meats ranging from carnitas to filet mignon. Then again, you’d be hard pressed to find a better pambazo ($6.50), a chorizo-potato sandwich soaked in the thickest, reddest, most depth-charged guajillo chili sauce out there. Rodriguez serves breakfast tacos ($2) on housemade tortillas all day; can you imagine anything better after a redeye into nearby Midway?

Whatever you do, don’t miss the gorgeous tamales ($1.50 each). The ones with pork and red sauce are great; those with roasted chili strips, ropy cheese, sautéed tomato, and onion are astonishing.

You’ll want to hang out in the bright dining room, Shazaming the eclectic mix of new wave cumbia and laid-back trip-hop, sipping your tart tamarind agua fresca ($4), and plotting your return.