You need to know that neither of us knows a thing about Mexican food except that if it's spicy, we won't like it. So we entered El Charro, in Prescott, with some trepidation. We needn't have worried. The hostess and waitress were welcoming, and the food was terrific.

After a drink (they serve beer, wine and tequila drinks), we started with cheese crisps (tasty!) and then two combination plates. She had a taco and an enchilada, while I had two tacos. Both came with beans and rice and some veggies to put in the tacos. The tacos were good, the enchilada wonderful. Everything was filling, but we managed a little room for fried ice cream with strawberries. Having now experienced it, we're not fans of the "fried" part, but the rest was fine.

A big plus was the fact that the waitress took the time to explain the food and to talk about various levels of spiciness. For example, they put out some salsa with chips, and my wife found it very spicy. I refused to even look at it. The waitress conceded that the salsa was a bit hot, and returned with a milder one that my wife liked a lot. As for me, I've never liked salsa and never will, so I'm no judge.

Best of all, the atmosphere was warm and friendly. It became clear that a lot of regulars eat at El Charro. Its location, right in the middle of town, works in its favor.

Prices are reasonable. Some specials were $9, and you get a lot of hearty food for that money. Combination plates were more. Our bill for two, with two drinks and dessert, was a little over $30.