If you find one of those coupons on the back of the H-E-B register slip, use it; if you don’t find one, head for Sazon anyhow. The coupon deal we saw most recently, I think, gets you one entree at half price when another entree and two beverages are ordered; just dining there without the coupon gives all the value needed. Sazon, at 1816 South Lamar, is one building north of Mother’s Tinted Glass. The image shows the pleasant outdoor seating area.

The mole expert pronounced the mole to be divine; I’m just expert enough to say that it was delicious. We all loved the guacamole. To my taste, the caldo xochitl was a bit on the salty side, although this was mitigated for me by the side of rice and lime juice and chile to be added, and it was so solid with good-sized pieces of delicious chicken that there was barely enough room for the additional ingredients. At $3.85 for a cup, this caldo is a wonderful bargain, and enough to see a person through an afternoon until supper. The charro beans were supreme, and we loved the black beans, too. Meltingly tender chunks of pork in a cascabel sauce could have fed three. The table salsa has addictive qualities; it’s smoky and picante, with plenty of lime juice.

Knowing that we weren’t returning to work and noticing happy people at the horseshoe bar, we asked whether there’s a liquor license. There is; and available here is a great classic straight-up margarita (not frozen, not on the rocks) at an excellent price, with the savor of fresh lime juice and the absence of the saccharine.

Indoors, the sound-track was Latin pop music, and there was a silent TV tuned to sports; outdoors on the very pleasant covered patio, the acoustics were surprisingly good. Watercolors by Gordon Fowler brought life to the walls.. The napkins are generous and of cloth. Desserts, skipped, included tres leches cake and flan. For breakfast, the menu promises what seem to be at least a dozen egg dishes and all the usual breakfast tacos. Hours are from 7 am to 10 pm on Mondays through Saturdays and from 9 am to 3 pm on Sundays. Call 326-4395 for additional information. We’ll be returning to try more dishes (chile relleno? carnitas? tacos al pastor?) than we had time or people for today.