photo by: Sara Shepherd

Wash down your meal with a festive drink. Guava juice and reposada tequila flavor the Guavarita from Tortas Jalisco, 534 Frontier Rd.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, readers! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably never met a Mexican foodstuff you didn’t like. To help you celebrate the day, I’ve compiled a list of restaurants in town offering Cinco de Mayo specials.

This isn’t a complete list, of course, and if I’m missing any places, make sure to let me know. As you might’ve guessed, all the restaurants mentioned here are running some kind of special on margaritas or imported beers, but I thought I’d focus on what’s truly important: the food.

Genovese, 941 Massachusetts St.

Genovese‘s annual Cinco de Mayo Tequila Dinner is slated for 6:30 p.m. Four different varieties from Mexico’s Don Julio brand will be served, paired with dishes from the Yucatan Peninsula. The menu includes shrimp ceviche, a traditional thin chicken tamale wrapped in banana leaves and cochinita pibil, a pulled-pork dish marinated in sour orange, red onions, garlic, tomatoes and achiote.

The cost of the meal is $59 per person. Call 842-0300 for reservations.

Tortas Jalisco, 534 Frontier Road

The west Lawrence eatery is celebrating Cinco de Mayo with “all the traditional dishes from Mexico” throughout the month, says Tortas owner Angel Alvarez. Expect tasty south-of-the-border classics like tamales, pozole, chicken and mole sauce, and potato tacos. If you’re in the mood for something super patriotic, try the “Mexican flag enchiladas.” Green tomatillo sauce, melted white cheese and red salsa mimic the color’s Mexico’s flag, while a dollop of sour cream and pico de gallo symbolize the eagle in the center of the flag.

Mexquisito, 712 Massachusetts St.

Over at Mexquisito, Tortas’ sister restaurant, specials also include bandera (Spanish for “flag”) enchiladas, available in pork, chicken or beef.

El Potro, 3333 Iowa St.

Order up a “Cinco Burrito” in honor of the holiday. Along with meat (you can choose between chicken or steak), the burrito is stuffed with veggies and topped with chorizo.

La Parilla, 724 Massachusetts St.

Festive Mexican favorites abound today at La Parilla, such as the tri-color nachos (chicken, peppers and onions, topped with pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole), shrimp diablo and chicken mole.

La Familia, 733 New Hampshire St.

Perennial downtown Mexican cafe and cantina La Familia is serving mole with rice, beans and tortillas to pair with its margarita and Mexican beer specials.