Most sit-down Mexican restaurants in Spokane are kind of eh. That's not so much of an opinion as it is solid fact. Luckily the former El Gallo Giro-ites has set out to change that with their recently opened La Esquina, a small cafe located by the courthouse downtown.

And it's good. Very good, in fact. (The restaurant that is, not the courthouse, although I'm sure it has its merits too.)

There are a couple of things that sets La Esquina apart from other Mexican places in town. First, they have a large selection of dishes that are family recipes, which adds a bit of uniqueness to the menu. We're not talking just taking a burrito and slapping a "burro pequeño" label on it either, these dishes actually are a little bit different. Their alambres, for example. It's recognizable, but has its own twist. The beef slices are mixed with bacon and a good array of peppers and vegetables which adds a good depth to the flavors. It comes served with a nicely garnished rice, as well as refried beans. Not earth shatteringly original, I suppose, but it's the little things that sets it apart.

The sautéed vegetable burrito also holds a high standard. The vegetables are nicely cooked—many places make them too crunchy—and is served in a fairly spicy salsa verde. Again it's the depth of the flavors that are interesting here. It doesn't taste like a straightforward burrito; somebody put some thought into it. As far as a vegetarian burrito goes, this one ranks high, right up there with Guerrero.

You can also get breakfast all day, with egg related dishes dominating the menu. I have yet to try their huevos ranchero, but am curious how well they stack up against De Leon's.

The space, decorated with Mexican wrestling memorabilia, is all kinds of fun. It's a comfortable setting, only marred by less than stellar back-to-back bench seating. It is possible the guy behind me was just having the time of his life, but every time he rocked back and forth in laughter, I got a bad punch in the back.

Again: La Esquina is good. Very good. I'd even venture to say it is excellent. Over the last year or so a handful of places have started threatening De Leon's dominance of the Mexican food market, and La Esquina is right up there. Choice is good. Go give these guys some love.

PS: Mike Gonzales (sporting a fashionable dressed down look) of the Hispanic Food Network and KXLY was filming during our visit. You can rub shoulders with local hometown heroes here!