Heading south on El Camino, my roommate’s car is packed to capacity. Ricky is discussing the Native American frat he wants to start. (He’s going to call it Nu Delta Nu, or NDN for short).

The other passengers in the car are discussing reasons we should or should not be part of the frat.

“I should be in your frat,” says my lily-white roommate. “If it weren’t for my people, it would be pointless. I mean, you’d own the continent. So why have a Native American theme fraternity?”

Ricky, for some reason, seems unconvinced by this argument.

Then our friend Debz chimes in: “I should be in your frat,” he says. “My people are the Indians that Columbus was actually looking for!”

Luckily, we reach Los Charros before any more political incorrectness can transpire. The savory smell of sizzling Mexican food is apparent all the way up the block.

At the door, the waiter greets us in Spanish, and we are escorted to a table for cinco.

Los Charros is a bustling, cozy, family restaurant. We watch a college-aged couple trying to have a conversation while the kids at the next table sprinkle each other with pepper and use the Tapatio hot sauce as a club.

Los Charros looks like a stereotypical Mexican restaurant, from the soccer game on TV to the sombreros on the wall to the decor by Corona. But there’s no phoniness here — this restaurant is what it is — and what it is is good, fresh food.

The menu is built around burritos, tacos and other standard Mexican fare. Complementary chips and pico de gallo salsa whet your appetite. For starters, get a giant quesadilla with sour cream and guac to share with friends. If you order a burrito, ask for it “wet style” — smothered with green chili sauce and extra cheese.

If you want to be adventurous, there are entrees beyond tacos and tostadas. Menudo (tripe and hominy soup) is available Fridays and Saturdays. But If you’re not in the mood for sheep stomach, try the shrimp fajitas or eggs with chorizo.

No matter which entree you order, be sure to choose a drink more exotic than Diet Coke. Make your meal even more authentic with Corona or Tecate, or try fresh-squeezed carrot or orange juice. Best of all, Los Charros has Mexican Jarritos sodas. If you’ve never had horchata (rice milk with vanilla and cinnamon), order it. Now.

Only a few minutes after I place my order, my burrito arrives and the table sags under its weight. This burrito could feed a family of four for a week. If your housing doesn’t provide meals on the weekends, order one of these babies and take your leftovers home. I dig in.

We’re sitting at the bar and I have a perfect view of the kitchen. I watch one of the cooks chopping avocadoes with a terrifyingly large cleaver, while another fries up chicken fajitas.

Meanwhile, Debz is watching the soccer game.

“They don’t have names on their jerseys!” he observes. “Every one says Corona. I guess if Corona sponsors your team, everyone has to change their name.”

He laughs. “Corona passes to Corona, Corona up the middle — Corona scores! The crowd goes wild!”

We were tipped off about Los Charros by a Mountain View resident, and she knew what she was talking about. When the check comes, it arrives with an after-dinner peppermint for each of us. What’s not to like about this place?

he verdict: Los Charros is perfect student fare. This hole-in-the-wall taqueria is cheap, authentic and unpretentious. Take your friends this weekend.