It bothers me when a restaurant’s own logo proclaims “authentic Mexican food,” yet nachos, fajitas and other non-native dishes take up menu space that could otherwise be devoted to mole poblano, birria, pozole, carnitas or even ceviche.

But then you spot a lunch special: huevos rancheros.

Canned refried beans and sorry rice almost desecrate the  sacred--and very simple--filler. The eggs, however, are rich and runny and and swathed in  a rustic earthy and spice ranch sauce. When golden yolk spills into this ruddy pool, the effect is warm and comforting.

San Pedros tamales come highly recommended. They may not match those served by street vendors--it seems curious that restaurants across the country find it difficult to match the work of these independent peddlers--but the masa is dusky enough to lure your mind away from the faint-hearted filling.

Still, the restaurant’s menu roams all over the map, including Tex-Mex or other Americanized fare. There are seafood dishes drawn from the Mexican coastal region, borderland basics and bits adapted from some of the country’s diverse culinary landscape--all tweaked for north of the border palates. Apart from the occasional huevos rancheros, the offerings hardly seem daring. Mexican cuisine, after all, has earned the respect of chefs and gourmands across the globe for its unique regional flavors and clever nouveau fusion.

No fault, really--it is good business for an ethnic restaurant to lean toward local preferences. Authenticity wavers, however.

That said, I prefer that American favorite, the margarita, to purely native drinks like pulque. Unfortunately, San Pedro’s cocktail bears an unearthly green tint--glowing almost neon. The flavor is little more than store-bought margarita mix with a rim of salt.

Tequila seems like an afterthought.

Other than the drink and the rather predictable oversized menu, what the restaurant attempts, they achieve to a reasonable level of success.

Despite claims to authenticity, San Pedro is a middle American fiesta, with branches in Lexington, North Platte and Kearney to emphasize the point. And there is a place for such a restaurant. Tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, nachos, tortas, quesadillas--the lines between American and Mexican are often blurred. The dishes, however prepared, are part of our culinary vernacular.

Considering all this, the restaurant is fine, if not always exciting.