Bites Nearby: Jalapeño Loco

At the corner of Midland and Mentor Avenue at the Points East shopping center sits , the once-raided and much-beloved Mexican restaurant known for its speedy lunches, combination dinners and especialidades, featuring combinations of enchiladas, chalupas, burritos and chile rellenos, most with rice and beans on the side.

Mexican cuisine has become as much a part of our dining-out experience as other major genres, like Chinese and Italian. In 2010, the United Nations put it on its list of "intangible cultural heritage." And an , , dot each town in Northeast Ohio.

Jalapeno Loco offers a spacious dining area, good natural light and bottomless chips and salsa just for coming in. A savvy (and cheap) patron could presumably order a soda and enjoy the chips while watching ESPN or soccer at one of the booths in the bar area.

But Jalapeno Loco's signature is the rate its food is dispatched. (And not just the Speedy Gonzales — one taco, one ground beef enchilada, choice of rice or beans, $3.95.) Without fail, an order at Loco will be out — "Careful, very hot plate," is the warning — in under 10 minutes, whether your table has two or 10.

That consistency in service and predictable quality makes Jalapeno Loco an easy decision, which produces repeat customers. Its website is temporarily down, but its menu can be found using a Google search.

The menu also provides a valuable section called Translations, which explains that Chile Poblano is a pepper with Mexican cheese topped with egg white and ranchero sauce. All menu items are under $10 and most are between $5 and $7.

The bar is full service; but the margarita is the celebrity drink in small ($3.75), medium ($5.99) and $10 "as big as your head" (my phrase) sizes. Tip one of those monster-sized margaritas over when finished and wear it as a crown the next time you're there. You're sure to get your picture on the wall.