Who hasn’t conspired over a plate of nachos? Nachos are inherently shareable. They’ve also got glorious crunch, given extra dimension when cheese and toppings are piled on or scooped up. Plus, food that’s meant to be eaten by hand is just more fun.

Below are AL.com’s picks for the top five nachos in Huntsville. For this list, we’re focusing on ventures located within 10 miles of the city’s downtown square. As always with our Huntsville food lists, no regional/national chains are included, otherwise nacho-strong places like Las Trojas Cantina and Taco Mama would be contenders.

Since this summer, we’ve tallied our fave HSV mac-and-cheese, chicken wings, fried chicken, breakfast, barbecue, pizza, burgers, ice cream, hot dogs, meat-and-threes and doughnuts.

As with all our food lists, you’re welcome to disagree with some or all the picks. We expect it. And if you’re the type of person who gets ill about listicle rankings from a free website, well, you do you, man.

5. Buenavista Mexican Cantina

3045 Mountain Cove Blvd. S.E., Owens Cross Roads, buenavistacantina.com

Let’s salute the nachos next door. Straight-ahead, no-frills versions of this classic Tex-Mex app/meal. No bougie ingredients or “rockstar chef” reimaginations. Just chips, ground beef, refried beans and cheese piled high with tomatoes and sour cream on top. Boom. Buenavista’s nachos supreme adds shredded chicken for unfancy yet effective enhancement. For most Huntsvillians, dining at Buenavista means you get the added bonus of the scene drive over Monte Sano or Huntsville Mountain to get to this charming restaurant. (There’s also a Buenavista location in Guntersville for you lake-folk there.)

4. Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant

7900 Bailey Cove Road S.E., facebook.com/CasaBlancaAlabama

Casa Blanca’s nachos machos are a food-orgy of Caligula proportions. Grilled shrimp, steak and chicken submerged in queso dip, on top of refried beans and enough tortilla chips to placate Andre the Giant. I like my nachos machos with a side order of pico de gallo added. (Sans pico, they’re still an epic eat worthy of this list, just less pretty.) Best use a fork with nachos machos, unless you want to end up like “Seinfeld” character George Costanza at the U.S. Open. But some culinary schools of thought, seafood and cheese together is a mortal sin. But rules are meant to be covered with queso. (There are also affiliated Casa Blanca restaurants in Madison and Athens.)

3. Fusion Barbecue

1300 Meridian St. N., fusionbarbecuehsv.com

Alabama’s a world-renowned barbecue hotbed, and there’s no shortage of crushable barbecue nachos in Huntsville. I really like Fusion’s remix. Standard chips are subbed for exoskeleton-crisp wonton versions. The pulled pork is tender and rustic, while sliced fresh serrano peppers provide pops of heat. Creamy-sweet Japanese and tangy Korean sauces tangle among shredded cheese and green onion. The barbecue nachos version of watching the Iron Bowl game through a “Dark Side of the Moon” prism.

RELATED: Huntsville barbecue options just got more interesting

2. Phil Sandoval’s Mexican Restaurante

6125 University Drive, philsandovals.com

Most nachos are somewhat interactive. Besides the top layer of chips, smearing/dipping the remaining chips into the toppings flotsam and jetsam yourself is integral to the dish. However, the Acapulco chicken nachos from Phil Sandoval’s are largely prefab. Toppings are divvied up/arranged onto each individual chip. (Scoops of guac and sour cream are in the center of plate.) As a result, they’re way less messy (and more first-date friendly) than standard nachos. Acapulco chicken nachos also taste awesome. Raspberry chipotle sauce and diced pineapple give sunny charms, and black beans offer detour from Refried Beans City. Melted Chihuahua cheese over grilled chicken … luscious. It all adds up to an island vacation on every chip, without the sunburn.

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1. Champagne Taco Kitchen at BeeZr Gastropub + Social Exchange

109 North Side Square, gobeezr.com

Champagne Taco Kitchen does gourmet updates without getting prissy. Exhibit A, the nachos chorizo off their dinner menu. They make the blue tortilla chips in house, their queso involves beer and Hatch chiles, and the chorizo’s a hearty protein changeup. Cotija and mozzarella to level-up further. Roasted corn, cotija, diced onion and cilantro do the culinary confetti thing. The lime wedges aren’t just to make the plate pretty. Squeezing their juice over these nachos subtly activates other ingredients and enhances cohesion. A carnitas version of nachos is also available from Champagne Taco, part of downtown spot BeeZr, which also has coffee and craft-beer components, as well as charming al fresco dining out front. Welcome to white-tablecloth-worthy nachos you can eat while wearing an old pair of Chucks.

RELATED: The new must-try tacos in downtown Huntsville

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