“It’s a sign,” my Dining Companion said of the billboard we passed on Route 1 urging drivers to stop by Santiago’s Baja Grill in downtown Hampton.

He had recently walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain, and decided we should make a spontaneous visit to the Mexican restaurant — especially since it was Cinco de Mayo.

Scores for Santiago's

Atmosphere: 17/20

Menu: 17/20

Food: 18/20

Service: 19/20

Value: 19/20

Total: 90/100

Owner Andy DeBenedictis actually named Santiago’s for the fisherman in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” and it proved to be a warm, welcoming place for lunch on a stormy day.

We found free on-street parking; there is a large municipal lot with free parking one street over from Santiago’s. There are also spaces directly in front of the restau

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