There’s an interesting ambience at Joe Bandido’s Mexican Restaurant on Main Street in Springville. A long-established outpost of Mexican cuisine, it’s definitely a Joe — not a Joseph — and while the building looks like it’s probably a converted residence, the restaurant space on the inside feels like it was born in a bar. The interior is inviting, in a lived-in sort of way: Joe Bandido is the guy who used to throw big parties in high school, who never left town and still keeps his door open to everyone from back in the day.

The restaurant is open late six days a week (closing time is a few hours earlier on Sunday), and even though we made our appearance after 8:30 p.m. on a weeknight, there was a steady trickle of diners in and out. The entrance is on the west side of the building, away from Main Street, which feels like going in through the back door.

Joe is an offshoot, of sorts — it’s complicated; we’ll call them cousins — of Joe Vera’s in Provo, and the two share a signature dish, the El Bandido. It’s either an open-faced burrito, or a tostada, depending on what you make of the undergirding. I say it’s a tostada (those who gainsaid me shall remain nameless), and a good one at that.

We ordered the El Bandido with shredded beef, and it arrived piping hot and with a delicious blend of meats, cheese, creamy refried beans and the usual garnishes (shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños). You also can choose chicken or pork with most entrees, and we chose the chicken with our order of fajitas. The tender, spicy chicken with the fajitas was excellent, and made me think I’d probably have enjoyed chicken with our El Bandido as well.

We rounded out our selection of entrees with a shredded beef chimichanga. I only got a few bites, and wished I’d had more.

I can rarely resist the appetizer menu at Mexican restaurants, and Joe Bandido’s was no exception. We tried the guacamole (a chunky, spicy blend with lots of onions; served with chips) and the quesadilla. The quesadilla was especially noteworthy, decidedly improving upon the usual blueprint (tortilla plus cheese) with the addition of finely chopped vegetables.

The chips at Joe Bandido’s are popular with many diners, but what was especially impressive to me is the flour tortillas. They’re part of numerous entrees and appetizers, and, with the exception of the batch that came with our fajitas, they were baked or fried in some way that adds a crispy texture and a hint of extra flavor.

I don’t know if there are other ways in which the banditry of Joe Bandido manifests itself, but he is a little stingy with the complimentary chips and salsa, an almost universal perk of dining at Mexican restaurants. There’s a little placard at each table to warn the unwary that the first basket of chips and bowl of salsa is free (with purchase of an entree), but you pay extra after that.

On the other hand, maybe Joe Bandido is doing all of us (and our waistlines) a favor. I tend to suck down the free chips and salsa like a Hoover, and it felt surprisingly nice to still have room for the main course.

Joe Bandido’s Mexican Restaurant

Where: 1435 N. Main St., Springville

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday

Prices: $5-$20

Info: (801) 853-1500