When you get off work on Friday after a long week, simply follow the crowd to El Cortez, the local favorite Mexican restaurant serving up comfort food to ease the busiest of minds.

The restaurant resembles a peach-colored Spanish-style hut. Don't be discouraged when you miss the one door you can enter and exit from, causing you to retrace your steps. The dining room is dim and dreary in comparison to the skylit, tiki-themed bar area, which is draped with beer specials and, often, beer-buzzed patrons. The seating in this room is fully lit during the late afternoon.

Outdoor patio seating is hard to come by, but I suggest waiting for it. Try the camarones diablos (shrimp simmered in pico de gallo) for $16, or a more traditional carne asada burrito dinner for only $6.

Those looking to save some cash should stop in for lunch; all items on the lunch menu are less than $8. Cheapskates can even get their tequila fix here; El Cortez offers an almost insane 33-cent margarita on Mondays (with the purchase of a dinner priced at $11 or more).

Centerstage Reviewer: Jill Kozak