Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant, a modest, unpretentious establishment on East Dowling, is the only restaurant on an industrial strip dominated by tire and auto service stores. It hardly seemed a destination restaurant, but it happens to be conveniently located within minutes of my home, so I thought it was certainly worth a trip across the street.

I walked in on a weeknight, was promptly seated at the table of my choice, and immediately appreciated the casual tone and slow pace. I was in a no-nonsense mood with no patience for drama or special effect, and except for some parents trying (unsuccessfully) to hush their crying child, there was none. But at Los Arcos, a self-described family restaurant, even that was not unwelcome.

Looking around, I noticed the orange and white sponge paint made for a bright, busy interior while Mexican-themed paintings and live cacti were spaced along the walls and windowsills. Spanish pop rock played in the background and booth seating accommodated the family-friendly atmosphere, as did the layout, which featured a separate dining room for the bar. I scanned the menu, snacking on my complimentary basket of chips and salsa, and finally ordered a margarita ($6.95)—made with house tequila and fresh lime juice—and a dinner plate ($11.95) that included a tamale and a beef enchilada with sides of beans and rice. Nothing about the sizeable platter of warm food I received was especially notable, but neither was any component of poor quality. I mostly enjoyed the refried beans, which were creamy and still contained some whole beans. When I asked the waitress if the beans were made in-house, she replied, “Yep. Every day.” I thought that was a very efficient response, and perfectly informative. How fitting.

Several nights later I visited again with my parents and we seated ourselves on the bar side, which made for a slightly more dramatic evening. Fortunately my parents are so good-natured, because I was still in a rather dull mood, and not amused by the Friday night crowd. For a couple of conservative Midwestern corn farmers, they interact very easily with intoxicated people they don’t even know.

We ordered the halibut fajitas ($18.95) and a combination platter ($15.95) to share. The fajita filling contained onions, green peppers and an impressive proportion of halibut chunks and came sizzling in a cast-iron pan. The entrée came with sides of sour cream and guacamole, and the latter contained the perfect ratio of salt and lime. Wrapped inside a warm tortilla, the fajita was my best impression of the menu.

The combination platter included a beef taco, a beef enchilada, a cheese enchilada and a chile relleno—which my dad pronounced with the double “l.” It was so endearing I never even corrected him. Less precious, however, was the way the foods in this platter all sort of merged underneath a warm layer of sauce and beans and except for the green chile, I couldn’t exactly distinguish one combination item from another. But again, even though the dish lacked dimension, there was nothing distasteful about it.

For dessert we shared a dish of fried ice cream ($4.50) drizzled with honey and topped with whipped cream, all along marveling at the sort of miracle that is fried ice cream.

I enjoyed both my visits to this Mexican family restaurant and though none of the dishes were stand-outs, none of them were disappointing, and I left with the impression that Los Arcos is just as modest and unpretentious inside as out.

Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant

2000 East Dowling Road

Anchorage, AK 99507

562-0477

Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sat., noon to 10 p.m.

Sun., noon to 9 p.m.