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• El Arado

Enchilada/Tostada is a dish you can order at El Arado Mexican Grill. (Gary Moore/The Indianapolis Star)

Sopapillas ($1.25) are dusted with cinnamon and drizzled with honey. (Gary Moore / The Indianapolis Star)

The chimichanga special ($4.99) comes with guacamole, tomatoes, refried beans and rice. (Gary Moore/The Indianapolis Star)

Visiting El Arado Mexican restaurant in Fountain Square, my work buds (aka Mary and Ben) and I were able to eat three overly filling meals for less than $20! We are cheapskates, after all.

The mood

The Murphy Building has sprouted quite a few gems since the Square revamp. And while "gem" may be a strong word for El Arado, the deals and service can't be beat.

Swinging open a standard glass door, a not-so-ordinary entry welcomed us. A faux brick enclosure separates the doorway from the remainder of the brightly colored restaurant.

Stucco walls of orange and yellow provide display space for ceramic frogs, lizards and other south-of-the-border dwellers.

We sat in one of the many booths, which sported an overhang of simulated tile roofing and offered shelter from the fluorescent lighting.

Barely had our coats been shed when Clemente, our server, arrived and set us up with drinks and menus.

The food

Man! There are so many combinations.

The enormous list of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chimichangas, tamales, quesadillas and chalupas made my head spin.

To expand on the list, lunch combos of any, all and more are available. Uber-cheap weekday specials of the day are also offered.

El Arado doesn't have a dish, or even a series of dishes, that stand out as its trademark, which made choosing even more difficult.

Mary unknowingly ordered up one of the daily specials -- a taco salad ($3.79).

Ben is apparently more aware of his surroundings and chose the chimichanga, because it's a daily special. It was served with white sauce, lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes and refried beans ($4.99).

I ordered the No. 5. The chicken enchilada and beef tostada ($4.99), topped with shredded lettuce, tomato slices and a load of sour cream, arrived super fast on a super-hot plate. Refried beans accompanied. We even had enough money to tack on an order of sopapillas, crisp, fried tortillas topped with honey and cinnamon -- rather elephant ear-like ($1.25).

The drinks

Waters for all.

The damage: $15.65

El Arado isn't a joint I would go out of my way to dine at. But if "I'm buying!" accidentally slips out of your mouth, head over and feed the whole gang.