The size of El Sitio's Big Mama Burrito impresses you first. Then it's the taste. The entree — one of the Mexican restaurant's house favorites — features fajita fixings (green pepper, onion, steak and chicken) with rice inside a flour tortilla.

Served with refried beans and rice, the giant burrito, costing $8.75, fills an entire plate and takes either two people to eat or one extremely hungry diner. You can order it mild or spicy. A spicy one takes more time to eat because bites are taken between  sips of water.

The Big Mama Burrito is the creation of El Sitio's new owner, Amin Ghaffar, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Rebecca.

The entree's name results from a restaurant experience he once had elsewhere. The owner, "Big Mama," checked the weight of a burrito by picking it up. If it wasn't heavy enough, it didn't go out.

 "It's kind of funny," Rebecca said, laughing. "He got the name from that."

Amin and Rebecca took over El Sitio, the neighborhood restaurant at 17th and Van Dorn streets, seven months ago.

The couple is from Iran. Amin, a project engineer at Lincoln Plating, has been in the United States for 19 years, and his wife for 12 years.

So how does an Iranian couple end up running a Mexican restaurant in Lincoln?

Amin managed El Sitio 15 years ago, when he was a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The previous owner moved to California some time ago and tired of running the restaurant from afar. He called the Ghaffars to see whether they had any interest in buying it.

The couple spent a month cleaning the restaurant before reopening it. Rebecca said regular diners have noted the difference.

"We hear a lot of compliments," she said. "They told me they had quit coming because it was so dirty. They are happy to see the changes."

The Ghaffars re-opened with a new, streamlined menu. It features typical Mexican entrees: enchiladas, tacos, burritos, nachos, etc.

"It's a little bit simpler," Rebecca said. "It's easier to make decisions about what you want to eat. As far as the taste, it's still the same."

The Ghaffars kept the free chips and salsa bar and the Tuesday night margarita special. Both are popular among diners. Margaritas, regularly priced at $4, are only $2.50 on Tuesdays.

I stopped in with a companion for dinner Monday and instantly noted how fresh and clean the restaurant looked.

My companion ordered the spicy Big Mama, and I went with the El Sampler ($8.65) off the Old Favorites section of the menu.

Dinner prices run between $6 and $9. There are about a half a dozen vegetarian dishes.

The restaurant has a weekday lunch special, which features various entrees paired with rice and beans for $6.39.

The El Sampler featured two enchiladas (ground beef or chicken), a hard shell taco and a mini nacho plate (cheese melted over chips, with or without jalapenos) served with beans and rice.

The enchiladas had beans in them, giving them an interesting twist.

We enjoyed our experience. Of course, I have a soft spot for neighborhood restaurants and was glad to see El Sitio is alive and well under its new ownership.

"It's been a lot of work, and a lot of stress," Rebecca said. "We've met so many new people. It's been great to share our lives with them. That's what we like."

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.

Dining Out

El Sitio, 17th and Van Dorn streets

Atmosphere: Casual

Specialty: Mexican

Payment: Cash, checks, Visa, Mastercard

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday

Phone: (402) 476-0414

Notes: Parking, weekday lunch special, chip and salsa bar, alcohol, $2.50 margaritas on Tuesdays, takeout