CRETE — The differences from what was once Santiago’s XII are subtle.

There are a few new items on the Mexican restaurant’s menu. There’s a new sign out front, with a new name, Cristina’s Family Restaurant.

The new name is in honor of the Cristina Lopez, the head of the kitchen, said her daughter, Xochitl Lopez.

The Lopez family, which opened the restaurant in the old Wanek’s of Crete building four years ago, dropped their affiliation with the Colorado-based Santiago’s in March.

Doing so, Lopez said, has given the family more flexibility with the menu — which is why they’ve added Mexican sandwiches called tortas, as well as chimichangas and adobada tacos, which are stuffed with pork.

Dropping the affiliation with the Santiago’s chain also has led to another change.

The food tastes a little bit different now, said Lopez.

Her mom is using her recipes now, instead of the ones prescribed by the franchise.

“We don’t have exact recipes or written recipes, because everything is in my mom’s head,” she said.

Lopez said she likes the new taste better.

My mom and I stopped in for lunch on Saturday.

She had the smothered chicken and rice burrito and I went with the smothered chicken enchiladas, both of which were covered in a flavorful sauce.

Our meals were good, and neither of us left hungry.

Bonus: The chips served before the meal were warm.

We were among just a handful of customers when we visited late Saturday afternoon.

Lopez said the restaurant usually has brisk lunch and dinner business, but in between is a little slower.

Still, she said, business has grown steadily since they first opened, enough to merit an expansion and a new liquor license.

The restaurant now seats 112, Lopez said. And they’ve started doing some events — mostly graduation parties so far — too.

And within the next month or so, Lopez expects the menu to grow a little bit, too, particularly in the dessert section. So far, she said, response to the changes has been good, so they thought they might add a few more selections.

The restaurant remains a family business, Lopez said.

The staff is her mother and father, some cousins and an uncle.

And some of their customers have become like family, she said.

Lopez and the other staff members make a point to chat with regulars. Recently they started giving part of the proceeds from the sale of gift certificates to a local charity.

“We’re trying to become more a part of the community,” she said.

Reach Cara Pesek at 473-7361 or cpesek@journalstar.com.

Editor's note: Ground Zero is off on its traditional July road trips to visit restaurants in nearby communities.