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FOOD REALLY ISN'T the strong suit at No Mas Cantina, a fancied-up Mexican bar and restaurant in Castleberry Hill. Which is not to say that a body can't find sustenance here, along with something cold to drink. It's just that the exotic atmosphere — with trickling fountains and glowing glass lanterns — promises something like you might find at a colonial hacienda in Central Mexico, while the menu delivers a few too many bland reminders of casual dining at the mall.

MEXICAN RETAIL: No Mas is an offshoot of Atlanta's No Mas Productions, Mexican furniture and accessories importers. The company opened another showroom, No Mas Hacienda, next door to the Cantina. Enter the restaurant from either Hacienda or the parking lot, and you walk through a pretty covered patio area. Inside, room upon room, and up into the soaring balcony, the space is packed with armoires, sculptures and artwork in myriad shapes, colors and sizes. Think the Mexican Pavilion at Epcot, without the strolling mariachis. Pretty much everything you can see here is for sale — from the hand-blown stemware the margaritas are served in, to the chairs, tables and candles and even the shirt off the waiter's back. And just in case you don't get the idea, it's all outlined on the picture menu. A to-go order of barstools with your flan? No problemo.

Becky Stein/SPECIAL (ENLARGE)
The tampiquena is well-seasoned skirt steak cooked to order and served with rice, beans and a cheese enchilada.
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MEXICAN CHOW: The salsa, which comes with complimentary warm corn tortilla chips, is a nice surprise — thick and smoky with Chipotle peppers and tomatoes. Guacamole, on the other hand, disappoints, blended to the texture of baby food, and served way too cold. Jumbo shrimp cocktail over chopped avocado has a more likable chill. Fajitas aren't exactly something you would order at an authentic Mexican restaurant, but somehow they work here, especially for sharing at the bar. Strips of sizzling-hot steak come with good-and-soupy beans simmered with chorizo, typical orange rice and all the fixings — pico de gallo, cheese and sour cream. Better yet, try the tampiquena, a big hunk of well-seasoned skirt steak cooked to order, with rice, beans and a cheese enchilada on the side. Bargains can be had at lunch weekdays and brunch weekends.

AT THE BAR: While the lush patio is certainly the place to be in warm weather, right now the sprawling bar is the best spot for trying one or two of several dozen tequilas. Margaritas tend toward fussy concoctions, like coffee-flavored Patron XO and Irish cream, topped with butterscotch candies. But if you remember to order the No Mas margarita (mixed with Cuervo, Grand Marnier and lime juice) on the sour side, and the bartender is feeling generous, it's a pretty good deal at $6.75. Beyond Negra Modelo, there's nothing to recommend on the all-Mexican lager beer list, while the wine list wanders from sangria to some rather pricey Spanish red.