I took a little trip south of the border the other night when I met a friend for dinner at Casa Romero. Okay, we weren’t really in Mexico. We were in Boston’s Back Bay. But — tucked away in a private garden setting on a mid-summer evening, sipping tangy margaritas from salt-rimmed glasses and nibbling on crisp chips, fresh salsa and creamy guacamole — it sure felt like we were in Mexico.

Chef/owner Leo Romero established the eatery almost 40 years ago. His goal was to serve authentic Mexican food in an authentic Mexican setting. He succeeded on both counts.

“After 37 years, my customers still tell me what a delightful discovery is it to step out of a Boston alley and into the heart of Mexico,” Romero writes on his website.

Despite its location right around the corner from the swanky boutiques and eateries that line Newbury Street, the entrance to Casa Romero is marked only by a small sign pointing would-be diners to a coffered door off an alley a few steps from Gloucester Street halfway between Newbury Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Inside, the walls of the restaurant are covered with talavera tiles imported from Puebla, Mexico.

On a warm summer night, wend your way past the tiled bar, through the dining room and onto the garden patio. Order a margarita, chips and salsa. Sit back and savor your little slice of Mexico.

-Lisa Matte, editor in chief