Picante   

735 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 2139
617-576-6394
www.picantemex.com

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Crispy corn chips, browned flour tortillas filled with melted cheese and a salsa bar outfitted daily with sauces made from scratch, make Picante (in both its Central Square and Davis Square locales) a welcome alternative to the usual sandwich shops and pizza parlors. It doesn't offer table service, but then you're certainly not there for the service, are you? No, you're not, and neither are the throngs that appear at lunchtime to order their custom-designed burritos and quesadillas, and linger over the chips and salsa (we prefer the creamy tomatillo). On its menu, Picante proclaims its effort to "get the lard out"; the cooks don't fatten up the beans with oil or sugar, and their portobello mushroom quesadilla is noted to be "like steak without the heart attack." The chicken-tortilla verde soup with shredded, grilled poultry and corn strips gets rave reviews. There's also an unusual variety of vegetarian offerings. Prices are unbelievably low, and everything on the menu makes easy takeout.