By RICHARD DAVID CHAMBERLAIN

There’s a bucket of menus at the front door of Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, the newest entry in Fort Lauderdale’s ever-expanding freshly made South-of-the-Border-themed restaurants. That this chain started in 2004 some 40 miles away in South Beach makes its hometown ties that much stronger.

By 2006, founder John Kunkel had expanded his concept to 42 restaurants, and sold ownership to the Ruby Tuesday chain for a caliente hot $24 mil. Ruby T, in turn closed 27 of those, while announcing plans to expand the franchise in other locations, the latest of which opened last month on N Federal Hgwy. All of which brings us back to the bucket of menus (shaped like limes, natch).

The plan here is to scope out the selections, and know what you want to order by the time you reach the register, which is about two steps inside the front door. The restaurant itself is industrial strength, housed in a loft-sized space in what was formerly Bellini’s Coal Fired Pizza for about two minutes. Lime Fresh sprouted in its place like alfalfa one day, with shades of mustard and green predominating. An airy outside patio complements the bustling interior lined with high-tops and stools.

On the day we visited, the orders were flying out of the exposed kitchen with the Taco Salad ($8.49) a clear winner if volume is any indication. It’s served in an enormous orange bowl the size of Tijuana, pairing ground beef on greens with housemade guacamole, black bean corn salsa, carrots, sour cream, shredded jack and cheddar cheeses, all topped with pico de gallo salsa and torilla strips. We heighten the heat of the dish by adding our own Habanero Salsa available by the scoopful from the nearby eight-flavor salsa bar.

We can also vouch for the 8th Street Burrito ($7.99), a toasted flour tortilla jammed packed with chucks of white meat chicken, organic black beans, rice, bacon, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla strips. For an extra 50 cents, the chef will add grilled onions and peppers, which complement this twohanded taste treat. It’s our favorite on the menu, which features seven other burritos, including a veggie version at $6.99.

The tortilla soup goes for $2.99 a cup or $3.99 a bowlful, and is a wonderfully spiced and simmered extravagance that only tastes like it should break the piggy bank. Ladened with chicken and a farmfresh vegetables, this soup is topped with both the pre-requisite tortilla strips and a scoop of pico de gallo.

Few Mexican chains serve up fish quesadillas, but at Lime Fresh, it’s a frequently ordered option. Combine a lite quesadilla (two whole wheat tortillas holding a fistful of melted jack and cheddar cheeses) with grilled fish for a delightful and succulent change of pace. It’s available in two sizes— regular at $7.49, or grande at $9.99. Both selections are served with warm tortilla chips that are thin and fried to a light golden brown, and so good that Doritos should steal the recipe.

We’re a sucker for nachos, anyway they’re served. Here, you can choose to have it your way. For $5.99, the kitchen will layer cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses, black beans, jalapeños, lettuce, chopped tomatoes and housemade guacamole. Add chicken, steak, or ground beef for an extra $2.00; grilled onions and peppers for an additional 50 cents; and top the entire platter off with bacon bits for half a dollar more.

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, look for $2.00 tacos and two-forone beer, sangria and lime margaritas, served from 4-6 p.m. Come early and tell them Florida Agenda sent you.