La Paz in Homewood, just south of Birmingham, has been a city institution since 1988. The menu is Tex-Mex with enough depth to keep regular customers returning — the margaritas are strong, the enchiladas reliable, and the back patio is one of the more pleasant outdoor dining spaces in the area.
Not cutting-edge, but a solid choice for an unpretentious dinner. La Paz is especially popular with University of Alabama at Birmingham staff and Homewood families, which gives it a reliable, lived-in quality that newer restaurants in Birmingham often lack.