Some (not us, of course), would say that SoLuna is trying for tony. White tablecloths cover the tables (and Plexiglass tops the cloths), there are genuine flowers in blue bud vases on the tables, the sound track spews out the senior Iglesias, the original Cole, the perdurable Johnny Mathis. And lunch prices range from $7.95-$13.95, a risky price point in save-a-buck San Antonio. All would nevertheless be well if you got what you paid for.

But (you anticipated this, right?), you don’t. There is apparently just one margarita, the “Chispa,” on the drinks menu not made from a mix—which, by the way SoLuna sells. We actually don’t mind la Chispa—at least it doesn’t reek of Rose’s or smack of sweet and sour. We can also say nice things about the seriously toasty salsa and warm chips.

But the buck stops there. Refried beans are boring, lacking the lustiness of lard and the comfort of a just-mashed texture. Rice is routine. The guacamole is over-blended and needs both salt and lime. A token tamal? Dry, its pork stuffing unremarkable. The corn tortillas are acceptable—not hand-patted, but neither are they chalky and leathery. Carne adobada, utilizing cubed pork, does incorporate at least some of the classic adobo ingredients (though we tend to prefer versions with apparent citrus or vinegar), and the resultant sauce, rusty-red with bright-flavored dried chiles, is decent without evoking “the most Authentic and Original Mexican dishes in the city.” Who ever believes that kind of propaganda anyway?