James Glover II / Star staff A taquito combo plate sits atop one of the hand-carved tables at Luna's Mexican Tradition in Oxnard. The restaurant is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

James Glover II / Star staff Patrons eat lunch at Luna's Mexican Tradition in Oxnard. The Sanchez family, which owns the restaurant, reports it has 35 years of experience in the business.

The Sanchez family must be doing something right at Luna's Mexican Tradition restaurant to have survived three years at The Palms shopping center in Oxnard. A pleasant spot with lots of parking, but little storefront business, The Palms now includes a California Lutheran University extension, which might bring in hungry people on a regular basis. But to thrive, an eatery there must stand out.

Luna's does, primarily because the Sanchez family, with 35 years of good cooking under its belt, brings to the table fresh, tasty Mexican food at reasonable prices. The day we stopped in for breakfast, a manager told us that the restaurant mainly uses family recipes, and a brother was in the kitchen cooking.

Another plus is the decor, featuring a fanciful mural depicting Mexican village life, and handsome tables and chairs hand-carved in Mexico with scenes and symbols (including the moon, or luna). An ornate wrought-iron chandelier hangs overhead.

Even though Luna's is an order-at-the-counter eatery, for our breakfast, things weren't yet humming and the manager was most helpful in bringing food to tables. He was eager to satisfy customers' preferences, saying it's "your casa."

We were drawn to breakfast partly because of the amusing names of several of the dishes, including Huevos Divorciados (Divorced Eggs) and Desparamado (Crazy) Eggs, both of which we ordered, along with a chili relleno.

Luna's also offers chilaquiles (tortilla casserole), huevos rancheros and a chorizo plate. Diners who order Huevos a la Mex can choose from three omelet ingredients, such as carrots, potatoes and ham. Breakfast burritos are available as well.

Huevos Divorciados ($7.99) are so named because one-half of the eggs is served with green sauce and the other with red sauce. I asked for scrambled eggs, which were very good in themselves, and relished the two sauces. The green brimmed with cilantro flavor and moderate spiciness; the red was a light, fresh tomato mix. The eggs were served over a lightly fried tortilla with creamy beans and a simple but well-seasoned rice. Lots of avocado, fresh tomato and queso fresco topped the dish, which was very satisfying.

Desparamado Eggs, also $7.99, featured two eggs (we ordered them over medium), covered with "Spanish sauce"— another light tomato sauce — and came with the same beans and rice. Home fries can be substituted for an additional 99 cents.

We couldn't figure out what was supposed to be in the chili relleno because the menu said "poblano chilies stuffed with cheese fried in egg and beans," but we were happy with the result. The chili contained a combination of cheese and greens, possibly spinach, and was covered with more wonderful light tomato sauce.

When I glanced at the bill for the breakfast, I was surprised to see that the chili relleno was $1.99 instead of the $5.99 listed on the menu. We told the manager that he was undercharging us, but he explained that because we ordered two dishes that included rice and beans, he considered the relleno a la carte.

We almost ordered one of Luna's desserts — flan or homemade cheesecake — but neither was ready yet in mid-morning.

Our experience at the Sanchezes' spot would certainly entice us back for more of their good food. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, the restaurant actually has an extensive menu that includes house specialties like Lunas Nachos, with pork in vaquero sauce in the mix; quesadillas, tostadas, tacos, tortas, gorditas, sopitas and burritos; shrimp and steak dishes, including Tampico, a grilled steak with enchilada; and combos of the customer's choice.

Menudo is served on Saturdays and Sundays, and tamales are available by pre-order. The Sanchezes also cater events, meetings and meals.

— Rita Moran visits restaurants unannounced and pays for her meals. If you know of a new, unusual or just plain good restaurant, please contact her at ritamoran@earthlink.net.