Head to Georgetown's Coliman for food, fun and futbol

A giant, inflatable bottle of Budweiser wearing a Mexican sombrero says it all: This is a place for people who like cold cerveza, good times, cheap food and futbol on the TV. Kitschy Aztec art and tired pink lattice line the walls; Jimi Hendrix holds forth on the jukebox. Welcome to Coliman, a colorful outpost in the no man's land between Georgetown and South Park.

The menu: Mexican-American standards prevail — burritos ($6.95-$7.50), tacos ($2), chimichangas ($5.50) — with a few novel touches. You'll find camarones, or shrimp, prepared six ways ($10.25-$12.95); classics like carne asada ($10.95) and chicken mole ($9.95); and a number of veggie selections made with whole pinto or black beans. Combination plates arrive with rice, beans, lettuce and sour cream ($5.95 for one item, $7.95 for two, $10.95 for three).

What to write home about: The pollo ala crema ($10.95) rates a return visit — strips of chicken in creamy sauce with bell peppers, onions and mushrooms, served over rice. It's a spicy, almost currylike mixture that you wrap into a tortilla. The salsa is also a cut above — a thin purée with a nice, roasted aroma.

What to skip: The night we visited, the guacamole ($2.95) was bland, the tacos ho-hum.

The setting: Coliman sits just off a somewhat desolate stretch of East Marginal Way South, on the site of the old Oxbow Inn — kitty-corner from the Lindo Club de Baila and across the street from the Chief Seattle Motel. It was quiet on the weekday night we were there, but our friendly server reported that with karaoke on Friday nights and the dance club thumping just across the intersection, it's lively on the weekends.

Summing up: Our party of four shared super nachos ($7.95) and then split three generous entrees: a three-item combo plate ($10.95), mini chimichanga and tostada ($7.95), and the pollo ala crema ($10.95) for a grand total of $37.80. Plenty of change left over for one of those Budweisers ($2.75) — but maybe without the hat.

Lynn Jacobson: ljacobson@seattletimes.com