Best Mexican Food Winner: Casa Manana

San Rafael Patch voteres clammered in last minutes to vote for their favorite Mexican food, and pulled ahead by one vote. 

, the battle for the best Mexican food was between Casa Manana on D Street and on Lincoln Avenue. And for these two, the last few minutes were vital.

This tiny restaurant has been cooking up fresh Mexican cuisine with a slight Salvadoran flair since 1984. It is tucked away in the courtyard of a small medical office complex. If you didn't know to look, you would never find them.

A Marin Independent Journal reporter said, "eating here feels like being in on a secret." More accurately, it feels like you're a guest in someone's home. The eight tables are in a small but bright room, with two walls of floor to ceiling windows. Two women are busy in the kitchen, serving and filling to-go orders. 

Second place goes to Las Camelias has been serving up family-style Mexican food in San Rafael since 1978. It offers large portions at a moderate price. Its chicken dishes feature Rocky Junior, and the sangria is popular.

Third place is reserved for Celia's in the Canal nieghborhood down the block from Country Club Bowl.

Patch reader , who's been eating at Celia's for 20 years, gives this restaurant five stars.  "My favorite is the Expresso Burrito (steak). They're margarita on the rocks is the best! Dine there and you will also love it," she wrote.