Yambo Restaurant

This colorful Nicaraguan joint is one of those places you visit to feel like you’re on vacation even if you’re already on vacation. Yambo is as much about the atmosphere as it is about food. On the terrace, folk-art knickknacks — miniature guitars, hats, porcelain pots, even a mounted boar’s head — hang from and cover every possible surface. A larger-than-life statue of a knight guards the tiled dining room. And you’ll hear only Latin music coming out of the jukebox. Little English is spoken here, but monolingual Anglos needn’t worry: Simply walk along the cafeteria-style counter and point to what you want. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will find plenty to gorge on — crackly fried tacos de pollo, and pescazones (fried knishlike potato balls brimming with chayote and cheese. Your order is piled high onto a Styrofoam plate alongside a generous portion of shredded cabbage and the usual sides of rice, red beans, plantains, or yuca. New Normal: On Yambo’s outdoor patio, grab a beer, poured into a to-go cup.