Back around the Holidays, Inland Seafood sent me some of their new Seafood Tortas to sample. These Tortas are soft cheese topped with seafood and ingredients like artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, making them seem perfect to serve at parties.

They come packaged in a plastic cup and sealed with plastic as well. This makes it easy to store and serve. I kept them in my fridge for just over a week and they were still very fresh.

To serve, simply turn the Torta over, pop it out on your desired serving plate, surround with crackers, crusty bread or assorted vegetables and you’ve got a quick and tasty dish no one will be able to resist. I may or may not have eaten two all by myself.

These Tortas are combinations of layered soft cheeses. Choose from Crab and Artichoke garnished with Sundried Tomatoes, Smoked Salmon with Ginger, Sesame, and Wasabi, Maine Lobster with Roasted Corn and Basil, and Shrimp Provencal garnished with Roasted Tomatoes Zucchini, and Basil. They are available at local grocers, and retail for only $3.99.

Buckhead, Midtown and Grant Park- Tin Lizzy’s
Party at the Buckhead location with DJs or live music at the Midtown and Grant Park locations. They’ll have multiple bars and lots of festive music. And of course they have one of the best patios for margarita sipping!
3639 Piedmont Road
Atlanta, GA 30305

Downtown
No Mas!
Located in the heart of historic Castleberry Hill in downtown Atlanta, No Mas! is an award winning 350 seat Mexican Restaurant.
180 Walker St. SW
Atlanta GA 30313
404-574-5678

Virginia Highlands
Pozole
Pozole is sponsoring the Annual Virginia Highlands Cinco de Mayo Celebration & Block Party. Party is 5 pm to 11 pm. There is a $5 cover, $10 after 5pm. There will be beer and margarita specials and live music. For more information, click the link below.
1044 Greenwood Ave (at N Highland Avenue)
Atlanta, GA 30306
678-973-4779
Pozole Website

The Original El Taco<
Wonderful chips and salsa and margaritas in a beautiful atmosphere. Great place to party for Cinco de Mayo!

Westside
Nuevo Laredo
I have to mention Nuevo Laredo as it is a staple as far as Atlanta Mexican restaurants go, but I can’t imagine how crazy busy this place is going to be on Cinco de Mayo when it was packed on a random Tuesday when I visited.
1495 Chattahoochee Ave
Atlanta, GA 30318

Taqueria del Sol
Lots of delicious menu items like salsa trio starter (verde, asada and fresca), the shrimp corn chowder, the Memphis taco (smoked pork, jalapeño cole slaw, tequila BBQ sauce), the fish taco (poblano tartar sauce and pickled jalapeños).
1200-B Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA

Northeast
Pure Taqueria
103 Roswell St
Alpharetta, GA 30004

Decatur
Raging Burrito
Raging Burrito has a great patio. So, seems to be perfect if you’ll be in Decatur for Cinco de Mayo.
141 Sycamore St
Decatur, GA 30030

Sandy Springs
Teela Taqueria
City Walk at Sandy Springs
227 Sandy Springs Place
Suite 506
Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Perimeter
LaBotana
Cheap, cheap cheap. Kind of a hole in the wall, but with decent food and drinks. Maybe it won’t be totally packed on Cinco de Mayo.
2071 Savoy Dr
Atlanta, GA 30341

Not so Mexican
These three restaurants may not be Mexican, but they sure do have intriguing menus. And they are perfect for those of us that don’t want to be smack dab in all the Cinco de Mayo hoopla.
TAP
Live music and Dos XX or a handcrafted sangria. Crispy Fish, Yucatan BBQ Pork, Buttermilk Fried Chicken or Shrimp a la Diabla tacos. There will also be a taco eating contest. The winner will receive a grand prize of $150. 2nd place wins $50.

HD1
Grilled Wings with Adobo Sauce, Lime Crema and Pickled Red Onion paired with a traditional Mexican Coca-Cola or a Modela Especial cerveza for $7.00. S
664 N. Highland Ave NE, Atlanta, GA, 30306

FLIP
Carnitas Burger with a Spiced Pork Patty, Cilantro-Lime Mayo, Chipotle & Beer Braised Pork Cheek, Shredded Cabbage and Salsa Verde for $8. Thirsty? We got your Mole Churro Shake, a refreshing chocolate shake spiced with Chiles, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Nuts and Raisins for $5.00.

I’ve now eaten at Kiosco twice. Once for lunch and once for dinner. When I say the place is tiny, I’m not kidding. There are about seven tables in the entire restaurant. I asked owner, Eddie, when he plans on expanding. His answer? “Never!” He said he loves the cozy feel of the restaurant and I get the impression he enjoys that fact that he can’t accommodate all wannabe diners on weekends because it keeps patrons interested in visiting his restaurant.

The food is very reasonably priced. Lunch entrees are around $7 and dinner entrees are around $13 – $15. All entrees, whether at lunch or dinner come with choice of soup or salad. Get the salad with Garbonzo beans, carrots, onions and cilantro, it is pretty delicious. The house made Sangria is a house specialty. Many groups order a pitcher as soon as they site down. You can’t go wrong with either one – white or red.

While there are several seafood specials, I have tended to stick with meat entrees. The Carne Pantacones – beef with fried green plantains, Round Steak, and the Bandeja Paisa (the mother of all dishes) are all tasty meals. See picture of the Pantacones above left and Bandeja Paisa above right. The Bandeja Paisa comes with rice and beans topped with a fried egg, steak, chorizo, Chicharones (pork rinds), and avocado. Be prepared to put away a lot of food if you order this dish.

As I said, the restaurant is small. If you plan to visit on the weekend, make a reservation or you won’t be able to eat there. Note that Kiosco is closed on Sundays.

48 Powder Springs Street
Marietta, GA 30060

With the slogan “We Know Tacos,” Perla Taqueria opened up their taqueria, the beginning of the year, in the Piedmont Heights neighborhood. Taking over a former Mrs. Winners establishment, the new diggs are still very reminiscent of a the fast food joint, down to the unchanged red roof. Stepping inside Perla, there’s bright colors splashed on the walls and the soup can lighting fixtures are a cute touch.

Nothing on the menu is over five dollars. In fact, most tacos, are around two. Customers order and pay at the counter. Then find a seat and place your table number so it is visible to staff and you’ll get your food shortly. Mine came out lightning fast, but I did choose to visit at an off time of day.

The menu is like that of a taqueria in that they offer the Al Pastor (pork), Chorizo (Mexican sausage) and Lenguna (Beef tongue). There are burritos, quesadillas and a smattering of other Mexican sides available. I’d like to return to give the house made Talmale and the Chicken and Corn Pozole a try. On this visit, I stuck to tacos, ordering the shrimp, fried chicken and Barbacoa tacos.

I loved that the corn tortillas are house made and while I don’t usually care for corn tortillas, I thought these were rather tasty. While I enjoyed the tacos, I did think the sauces added to them were quite overpowering. See the fried chicken one above right? Way too much sauce. I do like the fact that they are open late nights and have a drive through. It is a nice addition to the neighborhood – hope they make it.

1958 Piedmont rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
Perla Taqueria Website

As much as I like to go hiking at and around Kennesaw Mountain, I had never made it to Mountain Biscuits. It just never seemed the right time with my eating schedule. I knew Mountain Biscuits must be a popular spot, having driven by at peak meal times and seen the parking lot just about overflowing. However, I paid them a visit recently in the name of the research.

I visited late enough in the day to know I had avoided the lunch crowd. Good thing as there is not much seating inside. There are only about five tables inside that seat four people per table. There’s also a row of about six bar stools at the counter. It was nearly empty at my visit, close to 2 pm on a weekday. I did appreciate the bright colors and the mural on the wall. When it is not crazy hot and humid, there’s a picnic table to enjoy your biscuit outside.

I tried the sausage biscuit with egg and cheese. It was HUGE. I could have easily split it with someone and been totally full. Super cheap at only around three bucks for such a mammoth biscuit, it was delicious too. I kind of expected the biscuit to crumble under the weight of the sausage but it held up rather well. I’m anxious to go back and give Mountain Biscuits’s Country Ham, and Chicken Biscuit a try too.

Note: They are closed on Sundays.

1718 Old 41 Hwy NW
Marietta, GA 30060
770-419-3311