Morelia's on Walton Way is not your typical Mexican restaurant.

The recently opened restaurant was once an International House of Pancakes, so its design is different from most Mexican restaurants. It seems to be missing that Hispanic flair, but Morelia's is fast on its way to enhancing its ambiance, with brown walls and dark-red tables and booths, and walls covered with ornate butterflies and pictures of cities in Mexico.

A bar is in the small smoking section, and the checkout counter divides the smoking section from the nonsmoking section.

The design of the restaurant is not as important as the delicious food. At a typical Mexican restaurant, the waiters and waitresses bring out the traditional chips and salsa. At Morelia's, you get a surprise. A beef, cheese and beans mixture is served in addition to the salsa. It's delicious, and I definitely could have a made a meal of just the sauce and chips.

I ate all the sauce, to the chagrin of my friend, and ordered the lunch fajitas. They were served with pico de gallo - a combination of tomatoes, onions, green jalapenos, cilantro and garlic cloves that I found more enjoyable than the beans and rice served with fajitas at most Mexican restaurants.I have eaten at Morelia's three times and can highly recommend the fajitas, enchiladas and frozen margaritas. If you're not a meat eater, don't worry, because the establishment also features vegetarian dishes.

Go for dinner. The environment is more festive, and the restaurant isn't as crowded. You can relax with your family and discuss plans for the holidays.

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DINING OUT

The Eatery: Morelia's, 1531 Walton Way (map)

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Ambiance: Comfortable and relaxed

Cost: 99 cents to $13.95

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Phone: 826-4663

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