Señor Antonio's

Señor Antonio's is about as close to traditional Mexican cuisine as Pizza Hut is to Italian food, as close as Panda Express is to Chinese food, or even as close as John McCain is to conservative. You know what you're getting when you walk in the door...tacos and burritos, chips and salsa and big Margaritas. Even with the predictability of the menu, Señor Antonio's does offer big portions at a fair price with fast service, making it a winner despite its more urbane upbringing.

The first winner for Señor Antonio's is that they feature seven vegetarian combos that are clearly marked "vegetarian combos." If I haven't stated this in the past, I will do so again: All restaurants should prominently feature vegetarian items on their menu. Vegetarianism, unlike the Atkins diet, is not a fad that is going away, and I'm glad Señor Antonio's is hip to this reality.

The chips and salsa are fairly standard. The salsa is mild with more tomato character than pepper spice. There are better chips and salsa options around, but I'm not going to complain about anything I get for free in a restaurant, whether it is an amuse bouche served by the executive chef of a four star restaurant or free chips and salsa at the neighborhood Mexican joint.

There are a wide variety of vegetarian combos on the menu. The choices are made up of fajitas, bean burritos, cheese enchiladas, veggie chalupas and bean tostadas. The garden quesadilla (pictured above) consisted of a large tortilla stuffed with some form of queso blanco (chihuahua, I'm guessing) and grilled green and red peppers and onions. For $6.99, it makes for quite a lunch alongside the chips and salsa. The other bonus is that the service is quick. Those who are on lunch break can get in and out with relative ease, making this a good lunch option that shouldn't cost more than $10 unless you are drinking your lunch, which whould indicate that you probably shouldn't be gainfully employed, anyhow.

Speaking of which, the margaritas from Señor Antonio's are well made and not weak. The tequila selection is a little limited, but you don't get shorted on the tequila, so it should make for decent drinking on National Margarita Day (or any other day, for that matter).

Check out the pictures, and if you're in the neighborhood, check out Señor Antonio's.

Senor Antonios