The Mexican-Spanish word orale -- ``Right on!'' or ``OK!'' -- is an apt name for the Mexican restaurant opened in Hollywood six months ago by an enthusiastic team of Latino entrepreneurs.

With a plump cartoon avocado named Señor Aguacate as its mascot, Orale offers a large selection of regional specialties plus Tex-Mex standards, veggie plates, lunch specials and a children's menu.

Co-owner/manager Juan Rodriguez is from Reynosa, on the Texas border near McAllen. He came to the United States in 1989, ending up in Georgia, where he ran a Mexican place for nine years. He became friends with Bolivian-born twins Manuel and Hugo Porres at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, and through them met his Bolivian wife, Claudia.

When the Porres brothers moved to Miami to pursue careers in finance, Juan and Claudia followed. They are all partners in the restaurant, with the twins helping out at night after their bank jobs.

Mexicans celebrate the Christmas season nightly from Dec. 16-24 with parties called posadas. At Orale, one can begin a feast with guacamole and a dip of melted white cheese with a hint of jalapeño, good with a basket of chips. There's also shrimp ceviche served on crisp tostadas, fried taquitos, and jalapeño poppers.

Tacos can make a mini feast. A trio comes stuffed with carnitas (pork chunks), fried fish, chorizo or lengua (tongue) plated with rice and beans. Lighter eaters can get the Vallarta salad topped with steamed shrimp, avocado and crumbly añejo cheese.

Chilaquiles brings layers of fried tortilla chips and sauce topped with melted cheese. Camerones a la diabla is shrimp in spicy-hot tomato sauce.

Juan concocted what he calls chicken jardinero (garden style) with shredded breast in tomatillo sauce with mushrooms and sour cream. Sincronizadas is a sort of flour tortilla panini, sandwiched with grilled shrimp, peppers, onions and melted cheese.

Lunch specials range from huevos rancheros to chimichangas. Satisfy a sweet tooth with churros. Orale!

Linda Bladholm's latest book is Latin and Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified.

Place: Orale! Mexican Restaurant.

Address: 2041 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

Contact: 954-367-6795, oralemexicanrestaurant.com.

Hours: Noon-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until midnight Friday-Sunday.

Prices: Appetizers $3.50-$9.95, tacos $8.25-$9.59, plates $8.95-$19.95, burritos $10.95.

FYI: Lunch specials 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Kids eat free every Friday.