Though you can certainly get your burrito with beans and ground beef, the menu at Cantina Real Manhattan Beach encourages a little experimenting. Beyond the bounds of familiar Mexican dishes, it offers the chili verde burrito, a tortilla packed with tender chunks of pork simmered in a tomatillo sauce. There's also the enchiladas jaiba—enchiladas filled with crabmeat and cheese, covered in ranchero sauce—and the mahi mahi burger, topped with grilled onions and pineapple.

After dark, the restaurant serves up an inviting spread of top-shelf tequilas. Bartenders pour them as shots or mix them into cucumber-mint margaritas by hand, instead of using the traditional repurposed cement mixer.