2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW (202) 337-8080 Hours of Operation and Prices Open: M 11:30 am-10:30, T-Th 11:30-11, F 11:30-midnight, Sat 3-midnight, Sun 3-10:30 Entrees: $6.50-$14 Brunch: Sat-Sun 11-3, $5-$7 Other Information • Credit Cards: All major • Reservations: No • Dress: Casual • Parking: Valet (fee) at dinner • Handicapped accessible • For suburban branches: South Austin Grill, 801 King St., Alexandria, Va., (703) 684-8969 Austin Grill Springfield, 8430 Old Keene Mill Rd., Springfield, Va., (703) 644-3111 Austin Grill Bethesda, 7278 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, Md., (301) 656-1366.

But while all the cute stencils on the walls, the down-home decor and can't-keep-still music might lead you to expect that these are nothing more than taco palaces, the menu will convince you that these Austin Grills are more serious than that. Along with the inevitable fajitas, burritos and enchiladas, the Austin Grills serve awfully good grilled fish (though I'd skip the little dish of sweet orange tequila butter), as well as shrimp and scallops. There are chili-and-garlic-marinated pork chops adobado and a rib-eye version of carne asada. And some days you might find posole among the specials.

For me, though, the stars of the menu are the crab-meat quesadilla, which is delicate and subtle, and the green chili, a wonderful, slow-burning stew with roasted poblanos and cilantro fighting for prominence and plenty of diced chicken and potatoes to keep them in line.

If you go for the quesadilla, a side order of guacamole certainly will be in order once you've scraped up the bit that decorates the plate. Then perhaps another order just to make sure it's as good as you thought it was. Surely you won't have room for an Ibarra chocolate brownie.