Bites Nearby: El Tango Taqueria

, a Mexican/Latin cantina — on the north side of Madison Avenue between Roosevelt and Robinwood — is like taking a step out of Lakewood and into Latin America.

It's brightly-colored interior features potted cacti, chile ristras, aged wood, clay pots, music, candles and inviting aromatic spices.

The menu ranges from $3 tacos to $16 dinners; it features Mexican staples- quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas- as well as some less-common entrees from Guatemala, Venezuela and Cuba.

There are no servers — all orders are placed at the register and the food is brought to the five tables and counter-height window seats; in the summer there are café tables outside.

We ordered prickly pear and mango-lime margaritas, chips and salsa with guacamole and two specialty plates (Mole Rojo del Istmo, Roasted Chicken Breast with Oaxacan Mole, and Yucatan Cochinita Pibil, Mayan Barbecued Pig in Poblano Sauce). The basket of chips would serve at least four people and the three accompanying salsas (pico de gallo, pineapple-tomatillo verde and cinnamon-chipotle) are fresh, unusual and delicious.

The open kitchen features a cook in a cowboy hat, lots of equipment and décor, and a girl at the register, who is a one-man band. She not only handles all transactions, but also takes orders, makes drinks, pestles fresh guacamole, serves those that are dining-in, sets and clears tables.

While we ate our fill of chips, salsa and guacamole and sipped our margaritas we sat - waiting - for - a - very - long - time, watching everyone else wait... It took one whole hour to get our food.

Our meals were artfully plated and the portions were generous, but I was disappointed.

By nature, I am a contrarian: when someone tells me that I should avoid something, that becomes an instant incentive for me to not avoid, but to seek out that something, which is why I had to go to El Tango.

Online, I came across some scathing rants inspired by unfortunate dining experiences there. When it comes to restaurant critiques I tend to fault the complainer, not the complainee:  people can be extremely unforgiving about minuscule peeves that not everyone shares.

I wanted to discover that this food was so spectacular it was worth the wait and the expense, and that this unorthodox method of service-without-servers actually works ... I wanted them to be wrong about El Tango!

I love food that tastes like it came straight from Mexico, I just don't want it to feel like someone walked to Mexico to get it. Next time, I will order a simple Negro Modelo with the chips and salsa.

14224 Madison Ave.

216-226-9999

Open Monday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Credit cards accepted. Metered on-street parking.