There have been three restaurants at 238 S. College Ave. within the past year.

This one might be the keeper.

Ixtapa Family Mexican Restaurant is family in all kinds of ways. Restaurant owners don't allow cigar or pipe smoking. They offer a host of Italian sodas for kids, one of which I'm sure to be back to try. There's a big kid's menu with enchiladas, burritos, chicken nuggets and Mexi-pizza. They also have a large menu of vegetarian dishes for those among us who don't eat meat.

Stacy and I took a break from the office on Tuesday to try it out for lunch.

I've heard a lot of thick Spanish and Mexican accents in my time. Yet, for the first time I found myself wondering what the waiter was asking when he said, "Something to drink?"

This was the closest I ever came to hearing the real thing without being in a different country. An accent not muddied by English. Not broken. Just true to its origin.

Being the meat eater I am, I ordered the Ixtapa Burrito ($9.50). Stacy ordered the Seafood Chimichanga ($7.25). Lunch specials are typically priced lower, but I was anxious to try the dish that shares its name with the restaurant and the waterside city in Mexico.

To my question of what 'Ixtapa' means, the waiter said it includes steak. They brought out salsa, chips and a bean dip just after we were seated. The bean dip reminded me of the kind of beans that were included in the chicarones burritos my parents and I would take a road trip to get at a little out-of-the-way Denver restaurant. Those were always the more authentic places.

The salsa here was new to me. Thankfully, and I can tell, that it wasn't something from a jar. "It's definitely fresh," Stacy said.

The Ixtapa Burrito is a soft flour tortilla filled with rice, beans and beef chili, smothered with cheese and "Colorado" sauce, then topped with guacamole, sour cream, onions, tomatoes and a mild salsa.

I was impressed with the steak in the burrito. The rice was a nice touch inside the burrito, but I thought there might have been a little too much of it before I got to the steak.

Stacy's seafood chimichanga came with shrimp and sides of rice and refried beans.

They don't try to Americanize this Mexican food, which I appreciated. Even the menu comes with several Spanish words, but the descriptions of each dish are in English.

Stacy was not impressed with hers, having tried something new. She said she wouldn't order the seafood again.

Yet, she said, "I think I'd probably try this place again, but I'd chose something maybe more along the burrito line."

I too, will be back to try their combination platters. The fajitas also looked tasty, prepared in the traditional cooking style handed down for generations in Mexico.

The service was very friendly and quick to meet our needs.

It's good to see this particular corner being used as an eatery again. I can't see it any other way.

Anna Basquez covers arts and entertainment at the Coloradoan.