When dining at Abuelo's in Sterling Heights, here's some advice: Don't give in to the tortilla chips. The chips come to the table fresh from the fryer. They're delicious -- light, crispy, barely salted. Dip a chip, or 15, or 25, into the zesty house salsa, and soon you'll feel almost too stuffed to dig into dinner. The food and atmosphere are more refined but less authentic than at a Mexicantown taqueria. Stippled blue sky, tile floors and tropical foliage adorn Abuelo's as hand-painted murals hang from the walls and Latin music plays through a sound system. It's a vibe like P.F. Chang's, but Mexican. The menu's core is traditional dishes such as enchiladas, tacos, tamales, rellenos and fajitas, rounded out with fish, steak and chicken specialties from different regions of Mexico. Everything is made fresh daily. Expect a wait of up to an hour on weekend nights. The 248-seat restaurant doesn't take reservations or call-aheads. Delivers for catering only. --Emiliana Sandoval

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