Chronic Tacos, a Southern California chain of surfer-themed taco shops, opened its first Arizona location on downtown Tempe’s Mill Avenue in late December.

The small restaurant and bar, which took over the former Cap Company space on the southeast corner of Mill and Sixth Street, offers a fast-casual menu of tacos, burros, enchiladas and tortas.

The mood: Colorful Mexican folk art paintings and shelves of T-shirts soften the unfinished look of the concrete floor and block walls. Funky decorating touches include industrial pendant lights and Cadillac wheel rims mounted on the air vents.

Three high-def TVs hang over an eight-seat bar, and a garage door opens to a sidewalk patio. We wait in the food-prep line to place our order, watch our lunches prepared and pay, then carry our trays to one of 16 high-top tables.

The food: The chicken burro ($5.89, pictured below) is filled with grilled chicken, rice, beans, cheese, onions, cilantro and salsa. For an extra $2.49, I turn my burro into a “meal” with sides of rice, beans, chips and salsa, and fountain drink.

My lunch companion orders a pair of tacos — carne asada ($2.99) and veggie ($2.39) — and opts to make a “combo,” getting chips and salsa and a drink for an extra $1.75.

The food is decent, but not as flavorful as, say, Chipotle, which has a similar (albeit more limited) menu, portions and pricing. Then again, you can’t sip tequila while watching a Suns game at Chipotle.

The drinks: Our sodas are included in the combo price.

The damage: $17.35. In my mind, Chronic Tacos is not so much a restaurant as a bar — one of the owners refers to it as a “tequileria” — that also offers food. But it’s also one of the few places to get a quick, inexpensive meal on Mill.

>> Chronic Tacos, 15 E. Sixth St., Tempe, is open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. (480) 557-8226.