These places serve food that is just as crunchy as I am.

It is no secret that I love Chipotle. I love the sustainability, taste, and ethics of offering food without growth hormones. And their guac. It gets me, every time, er, I guess I should say, I get it.

But let's face it, there are some pretty great local, Mexican restaurant

While that's how I prefer to eat, it's not always possible and sometimes I want to try new things. So, when I do apply the 80/20 rule (80% healthy, 20% wherever I want), there are some pretty great local, Mexican restaurants to try.

1. La Rancherita, Rock Island, IL.

I'll never forget when my sister brought me here for brunch one Sunday. We all could barely move when we left, but it was all so worth it. Very authentic and hit my taste buds just right.

 

2. Nally's Kitchen, Davenport IA. (Rockingham Rd.)

My mouth watered at the Yelp reviews and pictures and now I'm hooked. One Yelp review left said, “Everything from the tortillas for their awesome steak tacos to the churros are homemade from scratch!”

3. Los Agaves, Moline, IL.

I've been known to meet my pals from WQAD here a time or two and can't think of anything here I didn't like, especially the fajitas and cheesy dip. Oh, my goodness.

4. Cactus, Milan, IL.

My parents first turned me on to this place and we have shared many dinners here. My favorite thing? Their guacamole. Shameless confession here. Sometimes I just buy a big thing of their guac to-go and just eat that. Their pico is wonderfully cilantroed. I just made up that word.

5. Azteca, Davenport, IA.

I have many memories at these restaurants in my years with B100. I've eaten my fair share of food here, had celebrations, good-byes and even done family karaoke. There's nothing here I wouldn't try, on my 'cheat days,' of course.

 

 

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