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A bright and festive addition to Cumming's offerings, Chepe's strives for a step above the average Mexican joint in both decor and design. A quick survey of the surroundings and a scan of the menu are proof enough.

Bob Andres/AJC (ENLARGE)
The seafood burrito comes with tilapia and shrimp.
Bob Andres/AJC (ENLARGE)
Carne asada, using an 8-ounce skirt steak, is a specialty at Chepe's Mexican Grill in Cumming.
Bob Andres/AJC (ENLARGE)
Tacos de carnitas are one variety of tacos served at the new restaurant.
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IT'S GOT THE LOOK

Mexican restaurant veteran Jose Rodriguez and longtime friend Kelly Martin had always dreamed of teaming together to create their own restaurant. With the addition of partner Tom Litke, Chepe's became a reality.

The smell of fresh paint and drywall fill the air at this just-out-of-the-box eatery. The back wall has a brick installation with an arched wooden door in the dead center, simulating the look of a classic Mexican village. The red and yellow color scheme alternates on the walls and on the square panels above the sizable wooden bar. It's there that a series of glass shelves framed by a wooden arch holds various brands of tequila begging for a suck of lime and a lick of salt.

AN APPETIZING START

On its menu, Chepe's claims to whip up its homemade guacamole throughout the business day. The truth comes in the taste teeming with freshness and zest. Guests scoop up small mounds with admirable chips. But it's tasty enough to lap up with a fork. Mexican shrimp cocktail, a fajita salad in a fried tortilla bowl and beef soup boasting rice, pico de gallo, tortilla strips and avocado are among Chepe's variety of starters.

LOADS OF OPTIONS

Sure, Chepe's has the expected numbered combinations you find at most Americanized Mexican haunts. But additional options are massive, from specialty nachos, quesadillas and tacos to a wide range of fajita, seafood and veggie dishes.

Browse the menu for items bearing a bold, blue title. This marks Chepe's specialties. They include the carne asada, which comes to sizzling life in a fajita pan. Its thin, 8-ounce skirt steak sits amid a steamy pile of onions, and green and red bell peppers. Diners slice up the meat and pile helpings into smallish flour tortillas and add other fixings from a side platter, including pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. A total of three fish tacos, another favorite of the house, sit open face on a large white platter. Each features a filling of sauteed tilapia nestling with pico de gallo and an avocado wedge. The tops get a drizzle of Chepe's secret chipotle sauce. Although the innards are a bit conservative in size, a side of charro beans, which include bits of bacon and chorizo sausage, can be used as tasty filler or eaten alone.

SWEETS AND TREATS

Chepe's has a small troupe of desserts, including the decadent fried ice cream. A softball-size scoop of vanilla is deep-fried in granola. Cooks add a dousing of honey, and the chilly treat sits in a fried tortilla shell with a more-than-generous plop of whipped cream with streaks of chocolate sauce and a cherry crown. A sprinkle of cinnamon and dots of chocolate decorate the plate. Children will surely delight at this and the scores of multicolored balloons, each weighed down with a small bag of Teddy Grahams.