Here we are again at this magical time of year. Family and friends gather to fill the house with cheer -- and so many more mouths to feed!

The holiday feast and its leftovers only go so far, and we are coming up zero on creative ideas for quick meals. When we factor in our depleted energy reserves, we're crashing until we remember we have some very good takeout restaurants.

3 Bite Tacos in Vero Beach is one restaurant we can count on to source only fresh, top-notch ingredients.

The cuisine is authentically guided by Alfonse Alexander, who grew up in west-side San Antonio, Texas, where he ate the best of Tex-Mex in the kitchens of his grandmother and his aunt. Military service and college brought him to Florida, where he decided to stay and share the fruit of those beloved family recipes with his new community.

He enlisted an artist friend to paint the walls of his small café in a colorful, whimsical Tex-Mex style.

We feel good about sharing Alfonse's families' homestyle delicacies with our loved ones without fear of breaking the bank. Rather than herding my crew into the small dining area, I called ahead and picked up the Tex-Mex feast to enjoy at home:

We shared a brisket taco and a skirt steak taco ($5.95 each), made very tasty with onions, cilantro and queso fresco. I was disappointed they had no vegetarian taco to offer, but we had three kinds of burritos:

For those who are Topo Chico fans, this fabled sparkling mineral water sourced and bottled in Monterrey, Mexico, since 1895, can be obtained at 3 Bite Taco for a mere $2.75 a bottle. Enjoy this refreshing drink as is, or take it home and add blanco tequila and fresh lime juice for a real Tex-Mex party! Happy holidays!

Maribeth Renne dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm. Contact her at [email protected].