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The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill and the 919

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December 29, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Retake: Armadillo Grill, A Tex-Mex Classic That’s Still Chugging Along

Front of Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

When you think of Mexican food, you’ve got a lot of choices in Raleigh: Chuy’s, Cantina 18, Centro along with Jose & Sons to name a few. But before ALL those other places existed, Armadillo Grill has been around serving up its Tex-Mex for years. With locations in Carrboro and Raleigh, I’ve known about and eaten at the Dillo since I first arrived in the Triangle back in 2005. But like all stand-bys, they sometimes get forgotten. So I decided to go back for a re-visit since I had a hankering for some queso!

Ordering area at Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Ordering area at Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Located on the busy S. Glenwood corridor, Armadillo Grill sports a small fenced in patio up front. Inside you’ll find an order area with posted menus, pads of order sheets along with some special combos. Choose a taco (steak, chicken, chili, beans-cheese, guacamole) with any combo of toppings you’d like (peppers, onions, lettuce, tomato, beans, cheese, guacamole). Note that each topping is an additional charge-up from .05 (lettuce, tomato) to .30 (sour cream). I order up two soft tacos (chicken, chili) and add in a basket of chips and queso.

Dining room at Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Dining room at Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

I self-serve my drink, find some napkins and grab a seat on Armadillo Grill’s small patio. The food takes maybe 5 minutes to come out, quick like a bunny and served on a plastic tray. The soft tacos are on flour tortillas and served in aluminum foil which unfortunately, keeps all that heat and liquid trapped. There’s a good helping of cheese and veggies, but not so much chicken on the first taco. And while it tastes ok, the trapped moisture in all the ingredients makes the taco fall apart quickly, boo! The chili taco isn’t bad with more of its filling but nothing too interesting. Thankfully, the basket of chips is substantial and the queso decent which for me becomes the highlight of the meal.

Tacos and queso at Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Tacos and queso at Armadillo Grill in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

All-in-all the food at Armadillo Grill is serviceable but best suited for its target audience: college kids and people out late after clubbing. The food isn’t that interesting, isn’t that cheap and the counter-order and pick-up is all about quick calories. It just feels that time has passed this place by and they haven’t done anything to keep up. Another long-time favorite up the street, Mojoes Burger Joint, seems to have done a much better job staying relevant for Raleigh diners, sigh. Oh well so let’s just say that Armadillo Grill is an oldie but not so goodie in 2016. I’d prefer just doing Tijuana Flats if I had my choice but for right now on S. Glenwood, Dillo Grill might just suit your needs.

 

Armadillo Grill

439 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27603

919.546.0555

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Filed Under: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar Reviews, Retakes Tagged With: Tex-Mex Restaurants

April 13, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Media: Preview of the Renovated On the Border in Cary!

The re-opened On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
The re-opened On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining

If you were a fan of On the Border in Cary, you’ll be happy to know that the place is re-opening on Wednesday, 4/13! A serious fire at the end of 2015 closed the place but also gave the restaurant an opportunity to renovate and update the interior. To the tune of $1.5 million dollars from what I’ve been told and construction continues on an outdoor covered patio. Luckily I was recently invited to their Friends and Family preview day to prepare their staff for the grand opening. Here’s how it all went down!

Front of On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Front of On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining

On the Border is located in the back of the plaza on Walnut Street about 100 yards across from the Barnes & Noble. The entrance faces away from the parking lot which is odd! Lots of green and brick up front, the insides have been nicely re-done to give the place a rustic Southwestern type feeling (unfortunately I don’t have any interior shots). It’s a large dining room with a bar to the right and plenty of space to stretch out in.

Queso with chips at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Queso with chips at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Brisket quesadilla at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Brisket quesadilla at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining

We’ve got a limited menu for Friends & Family day but the full menu has plenty of Tex-Mex standards. We order up the queso with ground beef which is served with well-browned flour tortilla chips, excellent. The queso comes with guac, jalapenos and more and is quite good but we could use more given the shallow dish it’s served in. On the Border’s standard corn tortilla chips are fantastic! Thin, perfectly salted and they come in very large and flat pieces for salsa dipping.

Chicken tacos at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Chicken tacos at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Fajita salad at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Fajita salad at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining

I go with the brisket tortilla which comes with the chicken tortilla soup while my friends go with a chicken taco and fajita salad. My tortilla soup comes with lots of chips and is decent but a bit over-salted. The quesadilla is nicely pan-fried and the right portion-size for lunch. The chicken tacos look like the big winner at the table, three beautiful looking tortillas stuffed with white breast meat and onions. And the fajita salad is prepared hot and sizzling at the table, a nice touch.

Margarita at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining
Margarita at On the Border in Cary- NC Triangle Dining

My muerto margarita is pretty refreshing but a bit sweet and sugary for my tastes. Service at On the Border was solid for pre-opening and I’m sure they will get better once things have shaken down in the first couple of months. So welcome back On the Border Cary! I know that you’re a favorite for quite a few folks in the area and I’m sure they are going to love the new space and refreshed menu, buena salud!

 

On the Border

1102 Walnut Street

Cary, NC 27511

919.439.5030

 

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Filed Under: Cary, Media, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Tex-Mex Restaurants

April 15, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Cantina 18, Raleigh: Delivering Southwestern Flavors in Cameron Village

Front of Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

When is Mexican food not Mexican food?!  When it’s Southwestern food!  That’s what Cantina 18 bills itself as, a Southwestern eatery.  But if you look at the menu you’ll find all your usual Mexican faves albeit with a twist.  Given that Cantina 18 is part of the restaurant group run/owned by Chef Jason Smith, you’ll find some gourmet touches throughout the menu.  But that’s not always a bad thing, so let’s dive into a meal at Cantina 18! It had been years since I had last been here but I’m glad I was able to get back for a re-visit…

Interior of Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Interior of Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Given that Cameron Village can be tricky to navigate, you need to keep your eyes peeled for Cantina 18’s sign sporting red and green in the middle of the plaza.  On the outside they’ve got a nice sidewalk patio like most of the Cam Village restaurants and inside it’s padded booths, a bar and some festive Mexican decor.  Tonight we’re sitting outside and thankfully Cantina 18 has a house margarita special running on Monday’s.   We start off with a nicely pan-fried chicken quesadilla that comes with some Southwestern slaw, sour cream and salsa.  Nicely done and a bit lighter made with white cheddar.  The salsa brought to the table is light, mostly pureed tomatoes and then there’s a carrier full of hot sauces to spike the salsa with some heat.  While I like the idea of DIY salsa, I actually prefer the pre-made type for easier eating.

Chicken quesadilla at Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Chicken quesadilla at Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

For my main I order up a couple of tacos: short rib and shrimp which comes with some beans and slaw.  Typically I pay about $3 per taco so definitely the eats here at Cantina 18 are on the high side.  But I can say that you go do get more here in terms of ingredients and presentation.  The shrimp taco is laced with mango while the short rib has a smattering of corn and chipotle cream sauce, both were delicious.  The beans were fine and while the red slaw looked interesting visually, it was not that tasty to me.  My friend’s queso with beans also looked pretty delish.

Shrimp and short rib tacos at Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Shrimp and short rib tacos at Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Queso with beans at Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Queso with beans at Cantina 18, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Service at Cantina 18 was good and pretty deliberate.  They had a trainee on hand whom was pretty enthusiastic and attentive.  Overall I can say I enjoyed my meal at Cantina 18 and will try and get back for a second meal.  While my instincts are to do a more authentic taqueria, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the food here and its proximity to Cameron Village and home make it a no-brainer.  So rock on Cantina 18.  Even though you’re doing Southwestern eats with the emphasis on the Southern part, it tastes mostly like Mexican to me which is a good thing…

 

Cantina 18

433 Daniels Street

Raleigh, NC 27605

919.835.9911

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Filed Under: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Cameron Village Restaurants, Tex-Mex Restaurants

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