I have to say that one of the biggest reasons it must be so popular is the margarita selection, which is almost biblical in its scope and presentation. There are literally dozens of variations including every fruit known to man (cantaloupe anyone?), chocolate, Almond Joy, and so many more that I can't even begin to list them here. I played it safe with a strawberry version and it made me wish I had been more adventurous. Next time I will be.

The menu has an interesting mix of traditional Mexican flavors with a lot of seafood dishes thrown in for good measure. Start with appetizers ($6-12) of things like nachos, quesadillas, chili con queso, or the avocado and cilantro shrimp cocktail.

For soups and salads ($3-9) you can have the dinner size taco, Mexican shrimp, or Zia salads, the latter of which featured grilled chicken and pine nuts or go for the more traditional Caesars. The tortilla soup also looked mighty tempting.

For entrees you can stick with the usuals - tamales, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chimichangas, or fajitas - all of which come available in a variety of styles, meat offerings, and combos. Or you could go with the more daring pastas like the Green Chile Alfredo or Creamy Red Chile Lobster. They even have filets and veal chops with a south of the border flair if you need to hold onto some sort of American flavor.

Prices range dramatically from around $7 for the lower end tamales and tacos all the way up to $17 for the more expensive filets and the like. However most main course are within a buck or two of the $10 mark.

We sampled that Zia salad, the chicken fajita burrito, and the traditional steak fajitas for our meal and although everything was good, we weren't blown away by anything. My burrito was perfectly prepared and the chicken was juicy and tender, but it wasn't so delicious that I'd rank it as the best in Las Vegas. Top 5? Absolutely.

For dessert we sampled the strawberry sopapilla, a cinnamon frosted Mexican pastry stuffed with vanilla ice cream and topped with strawberries and whipped cream. It was quite yummy for only about $4 and big enough to feed the table.

I recommend Garduno's mainly because good Mexican food at reasonable prices is hard to find in the hotels. If you're willing to go off the beaten path there are better Mexican restaurants in Vegas but Garduno's is definitely a contender.

And heck, after a few of those margaritas, who cares what the food is like?