On pleasant evenings, this charming spot rolls up its garage doors to the patio of umbrella-shaded tables, which is where we found ourselves sipping a potent house margarita and a knockout mezcal negroni. Tacos and tequilas rule at El Venado: the former are served in the street style of Mexico City (grouped in threes on aluminum trays), and the latter are available in as many as 46 varieties. We couldn’t have been happier with our smoky queso, crunchy chips, and snapper ceviche perfectly accented by a not-too-fiery habanero salsa. After that we sampled a range of tacos—pastor, birria, chicken tinga, carnitas, fish—and a huge bowl of warm, comforting elotes. Our only disappointment was the highly anticipated Tequila Sunday dessert: thanks to a freezer malfunction, the dulce de leche ice cream was missing from the ancho chile brownie and cinnamon-sugar churro. A wedge of horchata flan filled in nicely, though.