RESTAURANT REVIEW : Piquant, With Potential : Granada Grill reaches for the Mexican-Southwestern experience. Give ‘em some more time.

Eating at Chatsworth’s Granada Grill reminds me of one of the slogans from the recent presidential campaign, “We can do a better job.” That’s the prevailing attitude at this bright, cavernous Mexican and Southwestern style cantina, brought to you by a staff that I’d call uncommonly cheerful. When the kinks are ironed out, this restaurant should be a real winner.

The place is permeated by the same contrived festivity you find in chains such as Acapulco and El Torito, with the design to match: stucco walls, gaudy wrought-iron chandeliers, serape-motif curtains and comfy colonial furniture. But this restaurant has touches of eccentricity, giving it a slight edge over the competition.

The third of the restaurant on your left is probably the most genteel, a cozy section filled with plush booths and further decorated with a spate of mounted ceramics. The center dining area is an airy hacienda-style room, dominated by a lowering Aztec sun symbol above the fireplace. There’s nothing nearly so mystical about the remaining third, a Margaritaville-style bar. It’s predictably stocked with neon beer signs, big-screen TV and rowdy customers, a typical northwest Valley watering hole.

It’s fun to start a meal here with a basket of hot blue and yellow tortilla chips and a big, slushy peach margarita, but go easy on those chips. A large appetite is going to be called for if you order the Granada fiesta platter, a huge appetizer plate recommended for four. It isn’t really as substantial as it looks, because the bottom half consists of gooey cheese nachos, but they’re half-buried under a mass of finger foods: deep-fried chorizo ravioli with a colorful tomatillo sauce, saucy Buffalo chicken wings, baby back ribs, three-cheese quesadillas, guacamole and a huge tamale. Expect to run out of steam by the time you hit bottom.

Ordered separately, the best bet among these appetizers would have to be the ribs--stewed, fall-off-the-bone jobs chopped into little pieces, Chinese style. The honey ginger glaze makes them taste like something you’d get in a Taiwanese restaurant in Monterey Park. The chicken empanada is good too, despite an oily puff pastry crust (puff pastry on an empanada?). The filling is an unusual mixture of shredded chicken, corn, black beans, crushed peanuts, cilantro and sour cream. I found myself liking it more and more with each bite.

After the appetizers, you have a big, eclectic menu to select from. You won’t go far wrong with the sopa de casa, a smooth, flavorful black bean puree with subtle hints of garlic, cumin and ancho chile, but be warned that it is wickedly filling. Caesar del mar is one of the best salads, enriched with bay shrimp with a pungent dressing. If you are after a sandwich, try chicken Colorado, made with white meat chicken breast, Cajun spices and grilled onions. But avoid the awful Granada beef, an oily breaded steak on a toasted bun smeared with avocado relish.

Most of these entrees are designed for big-time eaters, so they’re served with a heap of shockingly dry Mexican rice and a pile of bland black beans. Pescado asado is one of the least appealing. It sounds wonderful--sea bass broiled in a banana leaf with fried plantains but turns out to be even drier than the side dishes.

Tex Mex chile relleno and carne asada are more pleasing choices . . . if you can overlook the accompaniments. The chile relleno is a classic, fresh-tasting green chile in egg batter, oozing a mixture of cheeses in a light, chunky tomatillo sauce. Carne asada is, of course, basically steak in a Mexican costume. This is a good one, thick and juicy, served with delicious pico de gallo, that piquant salsa of tomato, onion and pepper.

I’m sorry to say Granada Grill’s desserts are a mild turn-off, if only because they’re boringly topped with aerosol whipped cream and maraschino cherries. Scrape off the cream and maybe you’ll like the eggy coconut flan, or the dessert called dreams of the queen (vanilla ice cream with Grand Marnier and mixed berries) or the homemade chocolate mousse cake, four layers with a generic filling. I wouldn’t be so picky, but it’s obvious from everything else that they could do, well, a better job.

Where and When Location: Granada Grill, 20549 Devonshire St., Chatsworth. Suggested dishes: Granada fiesta platter, $12.95; black bean soup, $3.95; Tex-Mex chile relleno, $6.95; carne asada, $12.95. Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday; dinner 5-10:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, till 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; brunch Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Price: Dinner for two, $18-$30. Full bar. Parking lot. American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Call: (818) 993-1534.