Boston's best: Guacamole

When you're gaga over guacamole, uninspired blends just won't do: It has to be the creamiest avocados, the most flavorful add-ins and the perfect combination of spices. So, just in time for Cinco de Mayo, here are the best places in Boston to gorge on the green stuff, whether you fancy your guac to go from a tiny taqueria or prepared right in front of your eyes.

Angela's Café

One scoop of this guacamole tells you why Angela's is regularly recognized one of the top Mexican restaurants in the entire Northeast. The silky dip arrives tableside in an oversized molcajete (or stone mortar), blue-green tortilla chips protruding from a careful blend of the freshest avocado, salt, lime juice, cilantro, white onion and tomato. If you still have room, follow up with Angela's famous mole poblano, a complex recipe of dozens of ingredients, including dried chiles, nuts and sweet chocolate, served over chicken or pork. 131 Lexington St, East Boston (617-567-4972, angelascaferestaurant.com)

Ole Mexican Grill/Olecito

When you order guacamole at Ole, prepare for a show. The server rolls a cart to your table, halves an avocado and then buries the blade into the pit, swiftly and cleanly extracting it. Then the real work begins: The avocado is mixed with lime juice, tomato, cilantro, onion and green jalapeno in a molcajete, resulting in a chunky blend that's served with crisp corn tortilla chips. If you don't have time for the theatre, grab guacamole on the go from little brother taquerias Olecito across the street or in Brookline Village. 11 Springfield St, Inman Square, Cambridge (617-492-4495, olegrill.com); 6 Cypress Street, Brookline (olecito.net, 617-739-1408)

Zocalo Cocina Mexicana

This is guacamole just the way you like it: The restaurant's tableside preparation gives you the freedom to request less lime juice, more tomatoes, hotter spices or whatever else your guacamole-obsessed heart desires.  Zocalo's recipe combines all of the traditional ingredients—avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro—and toasty, salted chips. While you wolf down your guacamole, also sample the sangria, in flavors like mango, pear and peach, and try to snag a seat in the outdoor patio area. 35 Stanhope St, Back Bay, Boston (617-456-7849, zocalococinamexicana.com)

Poe's Kitchen at the Rattlesnake Bar and Grill

Ascend to the roof deck (when the weather allows) and dive into the kitchen's trio of offbeat guacamoles. The traditional version is dominated by set-your-mouth-on-fire green jalapeno peppers, while a less traditional guac brings together earthy, purple beets with bright green sprigs of cilantro. The best might be the mango guacamole, with spears of sweet fruit, red and green pepper bits, red onion and cilantro. The lime-zested corn chips are addictive: thick and salty, they get your hands greasy, just as authentic Mexican chips should. 384 Boylston St, Back Bay, Boston (617-859-7772, rattlesnakebar.com)

Border Café

Although more Tex-Mex than authentic Mexican, the Harvard Square restaurant's guacamole draws legions of fans, attracted to the chunky blend of avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro and Mexican seasonings, served with warm tortilla chips. The price is surprisingly nice for a sit-down joint, so you can order a bowl as an appetizer or as a side to your meal. The festive atmosphere and prime location– and don't forget those giant margaritas!– make this a great gathering spot. 32 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge (617-864-6100, bordercafe.com)

El Pelon Taqueria

A fire may have forced El Pelon out of its hallowed Fenway-area digs, but the taqueria's location near Boston College still serves up all of the beloved dishes of the original, including pickled cabbage-topped fish tacos and the monstrous "El Guapo" burrito, stuffed with all the usual fixings plus fried sweet plantains. But sometimes, the simplest dishes are the best: Add some of El Pelon's velvety, cilantro-flecked guacamole to your burrito or order it as an appetizer with better-than-average chips and finely diced salsa. 2197 Commonwealth Ave, Brighton (617-779-9090, elpelon.com)

La Verdad Taqueria Mexicana

You can order the tasty, traditional guacamole here, but the seasonal offerings are where the kitchen truly shines. A recent visit yielded mashed avocados topped with pink beet cubes, goat cheese, sliced grapefruit, slivered red onions and chives. Other seasonal varieties have included avocado laced with pomegranate, basil and roasted garlic, and the warm, bubbly chips are the perfect scooping implements. Consider dropping by on Tuesday evenings when the Red Sox are out of town, when you can also score tacos for a scant $1 apiece. 1 Lansdowne St, Kenmore Square, Boston (617-421-9595, laverdadtaqueria.com)

Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar

This cavernous Back Bay lounge, swathed in sultry reds and blacks, proffers four very distinct guacamoles. Do you take your avocado traditional with serrano chiles, spicy with chili oil and hot green peppers, smoky with bacon and fresh tomato or ridiculously decadent with jumbo lump crabmeat, lobster and a garlic-wine butter drizzle? Whatever your choice, wash it down with one (or more) of the bar's dizzying number of tequilas, sangrias or cervezas. 271 Dartmouth St, Back Bay, Boston (617-369-5609, lolitaboston.com)