Baja Tacos @ Aldaco's
San Antonio is home to outstanding (the best in Texas, in this author’s view) Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine. This is perhaps not surprising, given its proximity to Mexico and large Mexican and Mexican-American population. One of many great Tex-Mex restaurants is Aldaco’s, which labels its fare “Mexican” but which offers a range of Tex-Mex creations, such as queso, quesadillas and fajitas. With three locations in the Alamo City, their Baja Fish Tacos (served with confetti rice and Tres Marias salad) are this author’s favorite. Recommended order: Baja Fish Tacos (obviously), Queso and Chips, and Carne Asada Marisol (rib eye steak, enchilada de queso and grilled shrimp in a signature roasted garlic crema al chipotle), served with rice, frijoles borrachos and tortillas.

Queso Mariano @ Mariano's Hacienda Ranch
Popular Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez (who runs three restaurant brands in the Dallas area) has a unique claim to Tex-Mex fame: the world’s first frozen-margarita machine. In fact, in October 2005, Mariano’s creation was added to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. To get a taste of the famous frozen concoction, check out Mariano’s Hacienda. Recommended order: Queso Mariano (Queso with taco beef, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream), Feast Fajitas (chicken, steak and shrimp) and The Whole Enchilada (a 20-inch platter with a chicken enchilada, guacamole tostada, beef taco, chicken taco, Tex-Mex rice and beans).

Carnita Tacos @ Lupe Tortilla
Lupe Tortilla is another Texas-based Tex-Mex favorite, with 17 locations in the Lone Star State. Recommended order: lime-pepper-marinated fajitas, served with guacamole, pico de gallo, grilled poblanos, Cheddar cheese, sour cream, grilled onions, rice, frijoles and hand-rolled flour tortillas. If you can’t wait to sit down and order, they will ship fajitas to you overnight.

Camarones Tijuana @ Pappasito's Cantina
Another popular Tex-Mex chain is Pappasito’s, the Tex-Mex outfit of the Pappas family. Other than a location in Georgia, all locations of Pappasito’s are in Texas. Recommended order: Camarones Tijuana (Broiled butterflied shrimp with chicken fajitas, guacamole, pico de gallo, rice and frijoles a la charra), Beef Brisket Enchiladas (with meat sauce or authentic red sauce and cheese) and Pappasito's Table-Side Guacamole (fresh chunks of avocado with tomatoes, toasted jalapeños, onion and fresh lime juice).

Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom @ Chuy's
Started in Austin in 1982 and arguably the most famous Tex-Mex chain in Texas, Chuy’s has more than 50 locations in states as distant as Indiana, Virginia and Florida. Recommended order: Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom Enchiladas (freshly roasted, hand-pulled chicken and cheese with Boom-Boom sauce, made with cheese, roasted New Mexican green chiles, tomatillos, green onions, cilantro and lime juice).

Lechón @ Lechoneria Dona Rosalba
Paloquemao is an amazing, maze-like market selling everything - exotic fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and meats. Near the loading dock behind the fish section you’ll find the Lechonería Doña Rosalba. For as little as $2 a serving you can try lechón, a typical dish from the Tolima area of Colombia. It’s a whole pig, about three feet long, stuffed with rice and vegetables, sewn up and oven-roasted for eight hours. The result is a crunchy toasted skin on the outside and flavorful meat on the inside.

Seafood Pack @ Soto's Fish Shop
Apparently Soto's Fish Shop offers the best fish and chips in Adelaide. It's a favorite amongst the locals with wait times hovering around the 30-minute mark during the warmer months. We ordered a seafood pack that came with a fish fillet, two prawns, seafood sticks and calamaris and a pile of fresh, hot chips. No grease or oil stains were left on the wrapped paper, the perfect sign to know they were super crisp. The fish fillet and chips were a standout. They had a nice crunch on the outside and the innards were soft, fluffy, moist and incredibly moreish. Best fish and chips in Adelaide? We think so.

Chengdu Dry Hot Chicken Wings @ Sichuan Garden II
These extra crispy chicken wings are double battered and rubbed in chili, garlic and ginger, then glazed with a maple sriracha sauce. It's hard to stop eating these finger-licking spicy goodness, and be glad you can pair it with some amazing cocktails at The Baldwin Bar inside the restaurant.

Red Rice @ Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room
Savannah red rice is one of just a dozen or more reasons to queue up for entry into Savannah’s only family-style dining establishment. Here you join around the family tables with other guests to taste through at least a couple of meats and several vegetable dishes. The red rice is the real deal – a family recipe handed down through the generations at Mrs. Wilkes. A genuine Savannah landmark.

Seafood Platter  @ Stingrays on Tybee Island
Roll up your sleeves, get a big pile of napkins and settle in for Stingray’s “all you can eat” blue crab special Monday-Thursday. Crack ‘em open, pick ‘em clean and enjoy some of the coldest beer on Tybee Island, Savannah’s beach getaway. On weekends, there’s still plenty of crab to sample – from deviled crab to thick and savory crab stew.