Do you remember fun? In a year (era?) seemingly determined to suck the élan right out of our collective eyeballs, we need Güero. We need its exuberant soundtrack; we need its verdantly plant-decked, radiantly tiled room. Most of all, we need its version of Jalisco’s bodacious torta ahogada: a pork shoulder sandwich aswim in vibrant achiote sauce. The other tortas are good; the ahogada elevated a former food cart to Bon Appétit’s roster of the 50 best new restaurants in the nation. It’s a dream—an American dream!

(Plus, check out our full review of Güero from August 2017.)