Yet another Example of the Importance of Revisits: If I'd only gone once to El Patron (2455 West Broad St.), the brand-new Fayxican restaurant that has occupied what was previously La Cazuela, I might have almost nothing but good things to say. As is, I went back and had a fairly different experience the second time, most likely due to the fact that the two managerial/owner-y-looking guys in blue button-downs tucked into dress pants were no longer buzzing around. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle of the two, just as with any restaurant. The restaurant can feel like a well-run chain establishment, more like On the Border, considering its huge menu and extensive selection of cheesecake (five different flavors), than something smaller like Taqueria La Parrilla. If your kids would prefer chicken fingers or you yourself happen not to like Mexican food and have been dragged along by others, you'll have plenty of options. On the other hand, the presence of the word "draft," screened in capital letters in the background on every page of the menu, feels less like a design element and more like an error. Yes, you can order raspberry iced tea, raved about by a table nearby, but if you wander into the restroom, you may find it dark and a good 10 degrees cooler. The experience can be inconsistent even in the course of a single visit.

El Patron's prices are a bit higher than the standard cheapo Mexican place, even the Americanized ones, but there are deals to be found at lunch. Its torta is on the pricey side, and it doesn't exactly resemble the greasy sub sandwiches packed with al pastor or chicharrones one can get at, for example, Sr. Sol, which makes an exceptionally delicious one, but while the options are more like "steak or chicken" and it'll run you $8 instead of $5, it does come with a side of lovely yuca fries, nearly indistinguishable from french fries but for their more floury texture. The refried beans that come on the side of a lot of plates are made with black beans rather than pintos, a healthier and tastier option of which I thoroughly approve. The salsa has a good kick to it. On the other hand, the fish tacos you can order at lunch, while a bargain ($3.50 for two tacos plus rice and beans on the side), are disappointing in execution, filled with sad lumps of bland fried fish and a bit of lettuce. No sauce? I even asked the waiter, confident that this had to be some sort of mistake on the kitchen's part, but he shook his head no. No sauce. Sigh. A bottle of Tabasco on a nearby table and the jalapenos that accompanied a passable pork tamale helped make things slightly more exciting but not exactly recommendable. The potato flautas likewise were supposed to come with a sauce, but it seemed the whole sauce equation was out of whack that day. Maybe it was some kind of Lent thing. At any rate, the fajita burrito made up for it, with zippy flavor and a good pressed, grilled composition, and the lunch fajitas are worth your time as well. El Patron is still working on its liquor license, which may well sway you away from going for the present. It accepts credit cards and is open for lunch and dinner every day. What You Can Do: Like many of you, I read the news about the potential shuttering of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and gasped, but what could I do? Well, I bumped a visit to the Gardenside Café, the eatery on-premises, back up to the top of my list. The café changed hands in the late fall, but its menu continues to be small and similar to the previous one, with a focus on sandwiches and a hot entree and sides that change daily. It's nothing fancy, but the atmosphere is pleasant (you have to walk through the tropical greenhouse to get there, which can really brighten your mood on a gloomy gray winter day), the staff is sweet and helpful and the prices are darn inexpensive. A sandwich by itself, without pickle, chips and drink, is a mere $3.50, which seems like a more than fair amount to pay for a nice, simple chicken salad (no grapes or celery to be found here) on multi-grain bread. A homemade pimento cheese sandwich is even less ($2.50), and even the hot plates (catfish or chicken fingers plus a big baked potato with toppings and coleslaw, drink and dessert) are rather affordable at $8. The dessert is eminently skippable, even if you could use the calories, as an apple cobbler could easily have been taken for a mushy bread pudding, but the no-frills sandwiches are plenty good. Is it worth the drive out Milledge Avenue? Not just for lunch, but if you'd like to show your support to this valuable and beautiful state institution, you could schedule your visit in the afternoon and contribute twice. The café is open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and takes credit cards.

Hillary Brown