As soon as you enter Zona & Co. Grille, you’ll know you’re in for a unique experience. Its subtle southwestern vibe paired with an exposed brick wall and crackle paint on the woodwork create an effortlessly eclectic and laid-back atmosphere.

With “American Dad” playing on one TV and ESPN on the other, it’s obvious that this is a place that puts comfort and fun above anything else.

This year’s Restaurant Week menu includes a three-course lunch for $12 and a three-course dinner for $20. Both menus include a few gluten-free and dairy-free options. While many of the options offered for lunch carry over to the dinner menu, a few heartier dinner items such as the black angus center-cut sirloin make the reasoning for the price differences obvious. I chose to try out its lunch specials.

As an appetizer, I ordered the vegan sweet potato corn-and-bean chowder, which was gluten- and dairy-free. This soup featured corn, Bermuda onions, black beans and tomatoes cooked in a vegetable stock and topped with fresh cilantro. Black beans have the power to make a dish heavy, but due to excellent proportioning, this was not the case. Instead, the beans added a silky texture to the soup without weighing it down. The tomatoes, potatoes and onions paired well with the sweet, fresh taste of the corn. However, it was the cilantro that made the dish. There was just enough of it to tie everything together with a pop, but without overwhelming the flavor.

My dinning partner chose the roasted “buffaloed” cauliflower, which consisted of roasted cauliflower florets tossed in Buffalo sauce and topped with a ranch drizzle. The sauce has a mild kick to it and an enjoyable flavor, but I wish the drizzle was bleu cheese instead of ranch, as this would have given it a more authentic Buffalo flavor. In addition, the florets could have been a bit more crisp. But overall, as a Buffalo native, I gave this appetizer my stamp of approval.

As an entree, I chose the south of the border burger and my friend ordered the Old School. Both were served with a side of kettle-cooked chips. With neither a slice of tomato nor lettuce in sight, The south of the border burger was not your average burger. Topped with grilled jalapenos and onions and a chipotle aioli, it was packed with flavor. Upon the first few bites, it didn’t think the jalapenos were very strong so I decided to try one on its own. I was wrong — they were indeed very spicy. However, their severity was toned down when paired with the onions, kaiser buns and a good-sized patty.

It should be known that the burger is only available cooked medium-well, and as a person who opts for medium-rare beef, this was somewhat disappointing. Luckily, the meat was very juicy which helped quell my minor disappointments.

The Old School is a sandwich with thinly sliced, house-roasted, medium-rare beef topped with a sweet, horseradish aioli. While my photographer felt that the sandwich was flavorful, she wished that the meat hadn’t been served as cold as it was.

Dessert options include ice cream or the dessert of the day. When we went, the ice cream was rocky road and the dessert of the day was a vanilla bread pudding, both topped with whipped cream. The ice cream had an oddly frost-like texture on top, which dissipated the deeper into the dish I ate. I assume this was the result of pre-scooping and freezing the ice cream in its dish. If not, I cannot think of any other reasoning for this odd texture. Frostiness aside, ice cream is ice cream, and it was enjoyable.

Bread pudding is something you either love or hate, especially if your palate is influenced by texture. I wasn’t a fan of this bread pudding, but my friend enjoyed it.

Zona & Co. Grille the perfect place to go if you’re looking for casual dining that maintains a bit of pizzazz, and will make an excellent stop during your Restaurant Week excursions.