Standing in the homey El Torero, you might not think of bullfighters, which is the English translation of its name. Or glamour. Or adventure.

But in one respect anyway, the restaurant has captured the masterful command of its namesake by producing some of the best independent and inexpensive Mexican food in town.

Formerly home of La Perla Tapatía Mexican Taqueria, the interior is pleasantly inviting with faux painted walls and neat tables in one dining room. (There are plans for a bar in the adjoining room accessing the kitchen.) The décor is clean and simple, focusing more on what will grace the top of the table rather than the style of the tables themselves. It’s an atmosphere that conjures up images of cold cervasas and flips flops sandy from the beach.

The alcohol won’t arrive until the aforementioned bar is finished, so try out a refreshing, flowery Jamaica tea ($2.50) and an order of chunky, lime-redolent guacamole ($4.25) instead to enjoy with the house salsa, which is juicy and peppery.

With the exception of the chips, the prevailing theme is fresh and homemade from the top of the meal to the bottom, from the tasty tubes of the beef taquito appetizer ($5.30) to the happy ending of sopapillas. While these items are forgettable in many restaurants, El Torero’s offerings were finger-singeing hot, flaky, crisp and totally devoured.

The heart of the menu, as is often the case in Mexico, consists of El Torero’s a la carte items ($2.25) and combination plates ($6.50 for one item, $7.75 for two and $9.50 for three). The Internet tipped me off about the quality of the chile rellenos, which were moist and great smothered in a tart, slightly smoky red sauce. However, the chimichangas won the day with both the shredded chicken and carnita fillings.

What’s more exciting, on the other hand, rather surprised me: fresh seafood. Specifically, the shrimp tacos, which, for $10.75, are one of the top-dollar choices on the value-priced menu. Folded as traditional into a double layer of corn tortillas, the succulent shrimp is diced and mixed with an acidic pico de gallo, making the tacos light, bright and reminiscent of ceviche. On the richer end of the palate, the house-named Camarones Toreros ($11) wrap the shrimp in bacon.

El Torero is open for breakfast six days a week, and loudly advertise their $2.99 breakfast burrito. I highly suggest, though, forgoing the burrito in favor of the Mollete Breakfast Sandwich ($4.50). Hoagie bread is spread with beans and piled with eggs. The whole sandwich is then grilled until toasty, making more of a fork-friendly that’s a great twist on Mexican breakfast.

Speaking of those beans, every side of them I ordered at El Torero was obviously made without the aid of a can opener and a microwave. The beans still have texture and heft, and the rice was fluffy and pleasant.

Communication with customers is perhaps not the restaurant’s strongest suit. The multi-lingual servers – most of them family, all of them friendly – often had trouble explaining the difference between more complex dishes. The communication with the kitchen, though, is comfortingly loud and happy as, again, each plate is made fresh and to order. The sizzling is audible, even in the dining room next door.

There are a few disappointments, such as over-cooked pork in a mealy version of chile verde ($8). Some further professionalism – regularly answering the phone, hosting a Web site and organizing the pages of the somewhat disorganized menu – would also be helpful.

Squeeze some lime over these tasty shrimp tacos, whose filling is chopped fine and reminiscent of ceviche. Photo by Kate Jonuska

Hand-painted and narrow, the shopping-center exterior of El Torero opens into a newly decorated, warm and welcoming space. Photo by Kate Jonuska

El Torero’s queso fundido is loaded with chunks of chorizo. Photo by Kate Jonuska