The gray dismal day when we visited made the colorful interior of Chile Colorado more striking than it already was — and the food only enhanced the brilliance.

This small, family-run restaurant is a good example that it’s possible to highlight Mexican culture through its food without an excess of gaudy cliche decorations.

Yes, there are a few sombreros on the wall, but the multicolored wall mural highlights the relationship referenced in the name: chiles and the Centennial State attracted the most attention. The decor was tasteful and vibrant, but the food was what truly shined.

Be forewarned, this is not a place where chips and salsa are immediately brought to the table. They’re available … at a price ($4). However, given that these are made in-house, they’re worth it. Instead of salsa, we ordered chips with queso ($7)

The creamy queso with bits of chile had just the right amount of spark for the taste buds without being overwhelming. The large bowl of chips meant we didn’t have to try to ration them since they often run out before the dip does, but not here. The corn tortilla chips were crunchy and not oily.

Chile Colorado’s menu is a single, two-sided page with the usual Mexican restaurant offerings and more. It’s the latter that whetted our appetites.

Fortunately, there are combinations along with “Homestyle Plates.”

I went with a combo of carne adovada and cheese enchilada ($11). There’s a choice of red, green or both known as Christmas.

The mixture of the two was a little more piquancy than I anticipated, but that didn’t deter me. The enchilada was my way of checking a standard and it delivered. The blend of white and yellow cheeses oozed out of the rolled corn tortilla to blend with the sauces.

The adovada was exceptional. The pork had marinated for hours in a red chile sauce.

It was so tender it practically melted at the touch of my fork. These were thick pieces of meat that you might expect to require some pressure from a knife to cut. This was far from the case. I would order this again, but for the holiday color scheme of both sauces.

Among the plates was the Deep Fried Burrito ($16). We expected a chimichanga.

However, despite the name, it was not fried.

It not only lacked the golden-brown color, but more importantly the crispy flour tortilla encasing the ingredients. While initially this earned a failing grade, the fillings saved the day.

Chunks of well-seasoned pork combined with plentiful pieces of avocado were packed inside. The union of flavors made it almost possible to overlook the missing expected crispy element — almost.

The burrito was topped with melted cheese and rested in a nearly-too-spicy green sauce.

There was heat, but it didn’t overwhelm.

The meal came with a side of fideo, chewy pasta cooked in a tomato-based sauce, and beans.

Neither of the sides was anything special, which might have been because the pork and avocado filling simply overshadowed them.

Our server was attentive and friendly.

We also appreciated her pride in our enjoyment of the meal: her brother’s the chef.

Chile Colorado

Traditional Mexican food

Location: 7 E. Vermijo St.

Contact: 719-741-0283; chilecoloradocos.com

Prices: $7 to $24

Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi.

Favorite dishes: Carne adovada and queso.

Other: Gluten-free and limited vegan options available.