With the temperature continuing to rise, (89.6°F in the house with 78% humidity,) I find myself less and less inclined to cook. But eating out all the time is expensive – or is it? We have found several places that serve up a superb meal for less than $6.00 US – for both of us combined, including drinks. Here's my list:

Oasis Torta Shop - It's painted light blue and is across the street from the downtown Ley. This place serves up the best sandwiches on homemade rolls. The first time we went, we both had the torta milanesa de res. It's pretty much a better version of a chicken fried steak sandwich. We both had special drinks. 65 pesos. The second time we went, I had the torta carne asada, Chuck had the gorditas. He got the way better end of the deal. Mexican gorditas bear no resemblance to the crap you get from Taco Bell. Beautiful, thick flat bread/tortillas spread with beans, then topped with stewed chicken, lettuce, grated carrot, crema, and cheese. There were three of them. On the side was the stewing broth for sauce. I can't begin to tell you the yummy factor. We both had pineapple drinks. Total: 65 pesos.

update 7/21/08: I have been told Oasis has closed. I need to go by and verify

Rico's Hot Dogs - He usually sets up on the malecon just north of Canuck's around 5 pm. Hot dogs wrapped in bacon, grilled, and served on a bun with mayo, onions, grilled onions, ketchup, tomato, sour cream, and jalapeños, mushrooms, and cheese sauce at your choosing. 10 pesos each.

Pollo Don Beto - Located on Zaragosa and Aqilles Serdan. You can get an actual fire roasted rotisserie chicken for 70 pesos. Its tender and juicy and tasty. He also includes some delightful tomato hot sauce and hand made tortillas. We usually eat the legs hot, then I take the breast and make chicken salad with it, yielding two sandwiches each. What a bargain!

Update 7/21/08: Every time I have been by Don Beto lately, they have been closed. I am going to give it awhile longer to see if this is permanent. They may be on vacation. I seem to remember them being closed for awhile last summer as well.

Taco El Barron - Located at Aquilles Serdan and Luis Zuniga. This is a lunch time only place. I love their tacos de cabeza. Its like brisket on a tortilla. They then top it with fresh cut onion, cilantro, and a lime-tomatillo sauce. You have your choice of adding any of 4 different salsas, 3 of which are quite spicy (by my standards). They are 6 pesos each. They actually serve the tacos on two tortillas, because they are too juicy for one. Add to that a glass of agua de jamaica – I call it adult koolaid. Its water flavored with hibiscus blossoms and sweetened, like cranberry juice but a lot more refreshing. Two tacos each plus the agua de jamaica totals 25 pesos.

Food Cart at Zaragosa and Virgilio Uribe - I've written about this place before [4] but they are worth the double mention. The best food in a wide array of choices and always less than $60 pesos for the two of us. They don't usually appear until about 7:00 pm and not at all on Mondays.

Carne Asada Don Alfredo - They are located on Ejercito Mexicano diagonally across from the Purina feed store. There is a big grill always set up out front. They are lucky enough to be at a bus stop. Many people on their way home stop and get a kilo of carne asada to take home while waiting for the bus. You can get a papa con carne for 35 pesos – a large baked potato removed from its jacket, mashed, placed in foil, then covered with butter and Chihuahua cheese. The foil is then closed and the whole shebang is put on the grill until good and hot, then opened and covered with carne asada. You can have a roasted jalapeño if you choose (I will never do that again). Or you can get an order of carne asada for 30 pesos, which is almost a pound of grilled beef served with tortillas, so you can make your own tacos. Either choice is plenty to feed two people. You can add a can of Fanta orange soda for 5 pesos. The best part is you can get a kilo of carne asada to take with you for 80 pesos. We usually eat it cold with caper mayonnaise or saffron dipping sauce [5]. Pair that with an artichoke or salad and that's dinner. A kilo of beef will last several meals.

El Bigotes - Located on Avenida Insurgentes. They have a wonderful outdoor dining room where you eat under a canopy of trees, blooming bouganvilla, and hibiscus. All they do is pork, and they do it well. Yummy, succulent, roasted pork is available three ways. You can have a sandwich on a bolillo roll for 18 pesos. You can have tacos for 9 pesos each. You can get the platter, which is pork by the kilo with tortillas and condiments including limes, onions, spicy onions, really spicy onions, and quartered jalepenos. The really nice lady who works there (and speaks English well) knows Americans and Canadians well enough that she doesn't put the chicharrones and tripa on the plate for NOB types. 1/4 kilo costs 45 pesos and will easily feed 2 people. Drinks are 10 pesos each. All meals come with a delicious salsa that goes very well with the pork.

Burrito Loco - Located at the corner of Rio Baluarte and Dr. Rafael Dominguez in Colonia Ferrocarrilera and open from 2 pm to midnight. They serve the usual array of tacos, tortas, vampiros, chorreadas, quesadillas, and papas, but they also do a really good arrachera (spit roasted beef). The true star, and the reason we keep going back, is the namesake of the place, the Burrito Loco. I have cravings for one at random points in the day, and then we have to go and get one. Generous amounts of carne asada, bacon, mushrooms, whole beans, cheese, tomato sauce, and avocado all rolled in a giant flour tortilla and grilled until toasty golden, all for 24 pesos. I usually substitute grilled onions for the avocado. The burrito is so big that they cut it in half to serve it. Each burrito is more food than either of us can eat, but we keep greedily ordering our own anyway, thinking this time it will be different; this time we'll finish it. We never do, but we really enjoy trying.

Cenaduria La Copita - Located at the corner of Belisario Dominguez and Luis Zuniga and open in the evenings. The cenaduria offers an array of "snacks": tacos, taquitos, flautas, gorditas, and enchiladas. I really recommend ordering anything with chicken. Their chicken is so tender and flavorful, it would be a shame to miss it. You order everything a la carte, 9 pesos each. Each item is served with a small cup of yummy broth for dipping and comes topped with plentiful salad, which helps balance some of the fried items. This is a neighborhood place and they don't get many tourists, so bring your pocket dictionary if you need it. Also, the seating is family style, so you may be sharing a table. Don't miss this place, you'll regret it.

Rosticeria Tirado - Yummy, succulent roasted chicken. They flatten each chicken out and put it in a cage that goes around the fire. As first I was turned off, because it looked like they cooked with a gas flame, which just isn't as good. They do have a gas flame, but right above it is a basket with wood and charcoal, so they are only kind of cooking with gas. It's $60 for 1 chicken, $80 for 1 1/2 chickens, and $100 for 2 chickens. You get a small stack of tortillas and a bag of salsa. Sides are available too - homemade potato chips, macaroni and cheese, frijoles puerco, mashed potatoes, sopa seca (Spanish rice) - for prices ranging from $7 - $12. They are located on Najera (the road that runs from the Fisherman's Monument) across from the Juan Carrasco Market. They also deliver. 669-988-6087 or 119-5080.