Twenty-six years ago, Luz Maria Nevarez arrived from Mexico and took her first hostessing job in Vero Beach. She bussed tables in Port St. Lucie for two years, served in Fort Pierce for two more, then managed for thirteen years in Okeechobee. Last month, she celebrated the fourth anniversary of Takos Cantina, the Bradenton restaurant she now owns.

Veer off I-75 toward Lakewood Ranch and join a Day of the Dead fiesta. Skulls in floral headdresses grin from the walls. Starburst lights glitter upon black lacquer tables and white leather chairs. The pungency of red onion and cilantro fills the air. Mariachi melodies weave with clinking margarita glasses, hissing fajitas and chortling from the bar.

“I saved my money, and they gave me the opportunity,” Nevarez says of her former bosses, the Rodriguez family. “Now we’re partners.” Hector Rodriguez also co-owns La Casa Patron in Sarasota. Here, Nevarez runs Takos Cantina with the help of Vincente de La Cruz, manager and longtime colleague. Her brother, niece and daughters, Hally and Giselle, round out the team.

The menu brings Jalisco and “something for everyone,” says Nevarez. Meals commence with tricolor chips and salsas, while guacamole is mashed table-side with lime and salt. To start, there’s tropical mango ceviche or La Torre, a bright stack of seafood. Street tacos arrive on house-made tortillas: pineapple-kissed al pastor, melt-in-your-mouth carnitas or cauliflower chicharron with jalapeno jam. Birria tacos arrive golden and adobo-stained alongside rich consommé for dipping. “You never get it wrong with fajitas,” says Nevarez, pointing to her menu. She also recommends the poblanos.

Lunch specials run weekdays. Happy hour stretches daily from 11 to 7 through February: $5 margaritas, $6 sangria. The bartender serves Cazadores tequila, shaken with mango and jalapeno, or a smoky mezcal blended with orange cream and agave. Adventurous “Ritas” feature blueberry, guava and dragonfruit. Every cocktail gets a send-off with salt rims and floating flowers.

Since opening, Takos Cantina has drawn a steady crowd. Singles and coworkers perch bar-side while friends and families pile into booths. Hands reach across tables for Molcajete Ranchero: a big bowl of fire-licked meats with rice, beans and chile.

The hostess, Giselle, waves goodbye to diners with a smile nearly identical to the owner’s. At 16, she is Nevarez’s youngest, learning the business her mother spent decades mastering. Nevarez traveled a long road to get here. One espies more cantinas ahead.

Takos Cantina, Mon-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun11am-9pm, 5770 Ranch Lake Blvd., Bradenton.