Restaurant

On summer afternoons, the crowd clamoring to get inside Agua Verde spills out onto the sidewalk. Part of the reason for this is the restaurant's picturesque view of Lake Union. But for the most part, Agua Verde's patrons are all about its low-priced and thoroughly tasty Mexican food. The tacos, stacked high with your choice of barbecued pork, portabella mushrooms, tempura battered sea bass and more, are fantastically good, as are the margaritas to wash them down. Try the "Tunarita," made with prickly pear juice. It's much, much better than its name suggests.

A bonus: Agua Verde rents kayak during the warm months, and it's a tribute to their cooking that you're able to hop into a kayak right after lunch without succumbing to "food coma." The dining room changes from walk-up, to table service at dinner, and large parties should be advised that the staff is merciless about seating incomplete groups — make sure your party's all present before you try to claim your table.

By Geoff Carter
NWsource staff