In my quest to visit some of Richmond’s most beloved restaurants that have stood the test of time, I hit the Powhite Parkway and headed south to Midlothian Turnpike.

For over 30 years, the Zajur’s have been sharing their native Mexican food and culture with the families who live on the Southside. They named their restaurant La Siesta to pay homage to the Mexican custom of spending the mid-day break with family and friends, and pride themselves on serving fresh and authentic food made from traditional recipes.

Hundreds of schoolchildren have learned about Mexico on fieldtrips to La Siesta through the restaurant’s. Designed to highlight both the culture and food of the country, the program includes Mexican cooking that dates back to the Aztecs, a Mexican Fiesta with music and dancing, Spanish lessons and a visit with La Siesta’s mascot, the costumed character “Pepe”.

On a regular visit, your children will love the sombreros and colorful, kitschsy décor, and may want to take a turn on Pepe’s donkey outside the front door. Your server will deliver crayons and placemats for coloring before you have time to open your menus.

Kids’ choices include samplers like the Mexican Jumping Bean, a demi-sized platter with a miniature beef taco, burrito or enchilada with a choice of rice, fries or beans, but there are also standards like Chicken Nuggets and Cheese Quesadillas. Prices of $2.95 to $3.95 make it easily affordable for a family outing.

Grownups won’t be disappointed either with most entrées and combination platters in the $8.95 price range. The Ropa Chimichanga with slow roasted beef and jack and cheddar cheeses is a standout, but I usually go for a taco and enchilada combination.

Enchiladas come Suiza (with warm sour cream sauce), Verdes (with spicy green verde sauce) and Mexican (with cream, verde and tomato sauce that emulate the colorful flag of Mexico), with your choice of beef or chicken.

With an infinite variety of combination dinners and an extensive á la carte list that lets you design your own selection, everyone can have exactly what they want, and the friendly servers won’t blink an eye at special requests and substitutions. Vegetarians have specialty choices as well from a Portabella Burger ($7.95) to Vegetable Quesadillas ($8.95).

The complimentary chips and salsa, served with La Siesta’s signature Salsa Roja and a choice of either Salsa Verde or Salsa de Crema, will tempt you to fill up before your entrées arrive.

All of the salsas are available for take-home purchase, and are also sold in local grocery stores throughout the city. They’ll even bag up some fresh chips or tortilla strips to go along with the homemade dips.

With the large portions and the free munchies, it’s difficult to pace yourself through appetizer to dessert, but the tortilla soup is a must-try starter. If you make it through to dessert, traditional offerings like Sopapillas, flaky pastries with honey cinnamon syrup and whipped cream, and Fried Ice Cream are always a hit.

There aren’t many full service restaurants in Richmond where a family of four can have a meal for under $25, but that’s why La Siesta has been consistently voted one of Richmond’s “Best Mexican” restaurants. And while it may not be fine dining, it’s always fun dining.