Combination fajitas, made with shrimp, beef and chicken at El Jalapeno

707 Edmond St., 749-4075

The brick walls, tiled ceiling and courtyard patio look like they were designed for El Jalapeno in Downtown St. Joseph. When combined with the piped-in Spanish music, Southwestern decor and overall authentic ambiance, it seems like the restaurant may have been here for years. But it was actually just in March of this year when El Jalapeno took over the building most people will remember as the home of Chloe and Bernard, a primarily French cuisine restaurant.

Some of the specialities at El Jalapeno include enchiladas, tamales, fajitas and margaritas. The portions are very generous, including the margaritas, which you can get for $4 during happy hour. And happy hour is all day - at least for now, we were told. So you also can get beer for $2, all day. Lunch specials range from $6 to $8, and dinners are about $9 to $10. El Jalapeno is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Saturdays.

The restaurant brings in entertainment (mainly classic rock) on weekends: Fred Lederer on Friday nights, and 101 in the Shade every other Saturday.