I drive out Covington Pike pretty frequently because our animals’ veterinarian is there at Stage Road. Before you get to the expressway, on the right, is a BP service station with a small restaurant attached. Formerly a Dairy Queen occupied that space, but it’s now home to New Mexico, a taqueria. You know how it is, you drive past a place a zillion times and every time you say to yourself, “I’m gonna pull over and check this out,” and then you don’t but resolve to do it next time.

So, finally I did that.

New Mexico is unprepossessing, a little cluttered but clean and homey. Handwritten signs are posted on a high menu board behind the counter; the offerings here are basic: tacos, tostados, lunch combinations and so on. There’s also a more formal menu with a full line of tacos, tortas, gorditas, egg dishes, seafood dishes and dinner combination plates.

Standing at the counter, I typically ordered too much: A plate of beef and bean nachos and a lunch deal that brought two tacos (one chicken and one beef), a beef tostado, rice and beans. With a bottle of water, this all cost about $10.50. You can see what the food looks like in the photograph. Topping the tostado are slices of avocado and pickled jalapena. You have to ask for salsas at the counter; they come in little plastic containers with lids, which doesn’t impress me much, but the salsas they hold are good. I put green sauce on the tacos — the chicken was a little dry — and on the rice and beans a fiery red sauce that gives new meaning to the term nuclear detente. The nachos, dripping with cheese, of course, were ridiculously addictive. Everything was good. No, not great, but simple, authentic and honest.

I’ll return to New Mexico to try items from the printed menu soon.

New Mexico Restaurant is at 1184 Covington Pike, south of I-40. I called the two telephone numbers listed on the menu but got several personal voicemails.