Pleasant Grove’s historic downtown got a spicy kick earlier this year when Cocolito’s traded in its storefront next to Harmon’s in Orem for a street-corner location on P.G.’s Main Street that’s probably a little bit harder to find, but has a more refined ambience. Sometimes an older building with its own personality is just a better place to eat out than the strip mall shoebox that could just as easily be a dollar store or payday loan shark tank in its next retail life.

The paint is fresh and the decor is pleasantly unobtrusive at the new Cocolito’s, where we walked into the middle of a mini lunch rush on a recent Saturday afternoon. There are two dining areas, on separate levels, with the kitchen between them. Despite the presence of several other small parties, we were seated almost immediately and got fresh chips with a tasty mild salsa to keep our hands occupied as we scanned the menu.

The while-you-wait chips-and-salsa appetizer isn’t always complimentary these days, and some places provide your first serving for free but expect you to pay for refills, so it’s a notable mark in Cocolito’s favor that they don’t charge extra for hospitality. (I’m not saying that any restaurant owes its patrons free food, but if you put something on my table that I didn’t order, then it’s tacky to bill me for it.)

The menu at Cocolito’s probably has at least one of just about any Mexican restaurant food staple you could name, and serves most of them in two or more different combination plates, so there are plenty of options for indecisive diners.

Our party tried a chicken chimichanga, a combo enchilada and taco plate, and sizzling steak-and-chicken fajitas. Most entrees come with a side (rice or beans), and are garnished with lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream. The enchilada had a nicely zesty sauce, and the steak and chicken with the fajitas was particularly good, tender and flavorful. Most of the meats are good at Cocolito’s, and the refried beans, a blend of blacks and pintos, have a smooth, creamy texture.

The piece de resistance of our Cocolito’s experience, however, was a grand concoction called the Burrito del Patron. “Patron” is the Spanish word for “boss,” and it’s hard to imagine that even the bossiest of bosses would fail to be pleased with this monumental offering. The Burrito del Patron comes loaded with rice, beans and three different shredded meats: beef, chicken and pork.

The menu boasts that it’s a full 1-pound burrito, but what showed up at our table looked like a 1-pound burrito that had eaten at least two or three other 1-pound burritos. If you’re the kind of diner who a) enjoys a good burrito, and b) can never resist the temptation to pit yourself against the biggest item on the menu, then be sure to save room (lots of room) for the Burrito del Patron.

Cocolito’s has a devoted Utah Valley patronage, and anyone who’s been in mourning since it vanished from Orem will be delighted by what they find in Pleasant Grove.

Cocolito’s

Where: 99 S. Main St., Pleasant Grove

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday

Prices: $7-$15

Info: (801) 787-4841, www.facebook.com/coco.litos