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The small town of Iguala, Mexico, in the state of Guerrero, isn't known for much. About 20 miles south of charming Taxco, the country's "silver capital," Iguala is overshadowed by this neighbor to the north, and even more so by the hospitality and grandeur of Acapulco, to the south.

Becky Stein/special (ENLARGE)
The tacos al pastor is among the best dishes.
Becky Stein/special (ENLARGE)
The coconut flan.
Becky Stein/special (ENLARGE)
The torta asada
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The band of brothers who opened Taqueria Los Hermanos eight years ago (with a second location in Lilburn opened in 2003) are originally from Iguala, but having spent a lot of time in California, the food at the original location leans toward the breezy, relaxed beach food of Baja and Mexico's Pacific Coast, with few reminders, like iguana pozole and shrimp ceviche, for which the state of Guerrero is so known.

In other words, the menu is kind of all over the place — excellent chiles rellenos stuffed with sweet cheese and batter fried, as well as moist, musky tamales stuffed in corn husks with chicken and masa in a red chile sauce are always specials — while snacks like fish tacos of deep-fried tilapia and a thin, fiery jalapeno tartar sauce round out offerings that read like old standards.

There are five brothers Ballesteros that make up the hermanos of Los Hermanos: Miguel, Eddie, Raul, Orlando and Roel, who does the cooking. Miguel makes the desserts. And as good as the food is, I would visit Los Hermanos on occasion just to have Kahlua flan and bread pudding, especially if one of the ever-polite waitstaff was willing to make me a fresh batch of coffee.

Flan is a Latin legacy that has become so ubiquitous it has lost much of the allure it deserves — Miguel's sensuous mix of eggs and cream jelled into a caramelized mass of cold smoothness laced with the coffee flavor of Kahlua is intoxicating, literally and figuratively. He's not shy about using liquor: the bread pudding, served as two thin, shingled slices, is drenched in a riveting tequila syrup-cum-sauce. Almost every region of Mexico has a version of beloved bread pudding, and Los Hermanos' is soft and sweet, almost like a soaked French toast. The restaurant's tres leches has garnered a local rep, but the spongy cake-and-cream-concoction, with its bright fresh fruit topping, pales in comparison.

Dessert is easily earned with bites of tacos al pastor, a Mexico City taqueria specialty of pork grilled on a spit crowned with pineapple, sort of like a gyro. There's no spit at Los Hermanos, but the pork pastor is just as succulent as if there were — marinated, then grilled, it has the flavor of vinegar and chiles and offers bits of sweet, acidic piná and cilantro to offset the dark flavor of the meat, all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla with a red-chile-and-tomatillo salsa.

There are other snack-like, lunch-style goodies of tortas (the best is a gigando-normous sandwich of pastor pork with gobs of avocado, lettuce, tomato and cheese sauce served with refried beans and sour cream) and quesadillas with beautifully fresh shrimp, onions, bell peppers and cheese served with savory guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream. And nachos of house-cut-and-fried tortillas smothered in cheese sauce with chicken and beans. Slurp. It's easy to find these elsewhere (excluding, perhaps, the tortas), but it's not so easy to find renditions that taste this good.

And that's what's so magical about a restaurant like Taqueria Los Hermanos. Tucked into a shopping center anchored by Publix, it is the definition of a foodie find, beloved by locals; hailed by critics. Me gusto.

Food: Pan-Mexican
Service: Prompt, efficient, polite. The triple threat of service standards.
Address, telephone: 4418 Hugh Howell Road, Tucker, 678-937-0660
Price range: $ — $$
Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
Hours of operation: Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Best dishes: Chiles rellenos, tamales, chicken nachos, tacos al pastor, Kahlua flan, bread pudding, pastor torta
Vegetarian selections: Spinach-and-cheese enchiladas, nachos, vegetable enchiladas
Children: Absolutely; there is a small menu for kids
Parking: Adjacent lot
Reservations: For parties larger than 8
Wheelchair access: Yes
Smoking: No
Noise level: Medium
Patio: No
Takeout: Yes
Website: No

KEY TO RATINGS
Outstanding: Sets the standard for fine dining in the region.
Excellent: One of the best in the Atlanta area.
Very good: Merits a drive if you're looking for this kind of dining.
Good: A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss.
Fair: The food is more miss than hit.
Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated Poor.

Pricing code: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)