North Raleigh and Chubby’s Tacos

North Raleigh, where I live, gets maligned for all the right reasons. It's full of Yankees from places like Long Island and Boston. It's also Generica, with massive Master Planned Developments that truly looks like Stepford America. There are row after row of little (and not so little) houses that seem nearly identical. One could easily say that it's Levittown all over again, only with bigger houses, less land and better weather. Call it McMansions'R'Us writ large.

Culturally, there's not much going on. There are no hot spots where the beautiful people congregate to see and be seen. No, beautiful people hang out inside The Beltline. Or in Durham. Or in Chapel Hill. But not North Raleigh. Much like Cary to the south, North Raleigh is a place to warehouse those people with funny accents and Yankee / Red Sox Nation paraphernalia affixed to their SUVs and mini-vans. And while it might not be as bad as Chernobyl, it's certainly not high on anybody's must visit list.

As far as the culinary scene goes, there really isn't that much going on, either. The Generica that are the Master Planned Developments supports all the usual chain fare. If you can get it anywhere else, you can certainly get it here. Even the independents offer tame menus aimed at either a) empty-nesters looking for an early bird special or b) something kid friendly for the generation with crumb crunchers. In short, if you want fresh and innovative, hop into your SUV or mini-van and hit the trail to points west.

That is, until last week. Chubby's Tacos opened in North Raleigh.

Now, normally, I adhere strictly to Dave's Rules of Restaurants which states that one should never go to a restaurant during its grand opening; that savvy diners wait about a month or to let the kitchen work out the kinks and the servers to master the menu. There is a caveat though: if the new place is a new location not a new restaurant, then you should be cool.

I went, and it was.

We went on a busy Tuesday at lunch, and the line stretched from the counter to the door. "Mr. Chubby" himself was taking orders and coaxing the system along. Her Imperial Majesty had a Chubby Burrito made with Spicy Tinga – chicken with onions and chipotle peppers – and spinach. I had a pair of tacos – one with carnitas – mild, shredded pork, with onions, lime and cilantro – and one with grilled shrimp in a mild chipotle sour cream sauce. I also opted for sides of rice and refried beans.

Her Imperial Majesty made a quick stop at the Salsa bar, where Chubby's offers at least eight different varieties, each with a different level of spiciness. Our favorite was the Chile de Arbol.

My tacos were perfect. The carnitas taco was light and fresh with a nice balance of cilantro and lime juice. The shrimp taco was marvelous with the chipotle sour cream adding a nice counterpoint the shrimp and tomatoes. Her Imperial Majesty's burrito was a massively over-stuffed thing that we – meaning both of us – could only manage to finish half. It was delicious with the Spicy Tinga nicely complemented by the crispy lettuce and the just wilted spinach. In retrospect, we probably should have approached it with a knife and fork.

Just like the other locations, the food was well prepared, relatively cheap and quite tasty. Service was swift. Is it an asset to North Raleigh? Yes. Is it a reason to visit North Raleigh? Only if our Chubby's is closer than yours. Will it make North Raleigh fashionable? No, but it's a heck of a start.

Chubby's Tacos Falls River Town Center

10511 Shadowlawn Drive
Suite 119
Raleigh, NC 27614
Tel.: 919-846-7044

chubby@chubbystacos.com

Hours of Operation

Mon-Fri		11:00 am-2:30 pm lunch
Mon-Fri		5:00 pm-10:00 pm dinner
Sat		11:00 am-10:00 pm
Sun		Noon-9:00 pm

Cuisine: Modern taqueria

Rating: ***1/2

Prices: $

Atmosphere: North Raleigh strip mall chic

Noise level: low to moderate to high

Open: Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Tuesday-Saturday, brunch Sunday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Reservations: No

Other: Self service, credit cards okay

We rank restaurants in five categories: Extraordinary***** Excellent**** Above average*** Average** Fair*

The dollar signs defined: $ Entrees average less than $10. $$ Entrees $11 to $16. $$$ Entrees $17 to $25. $$$$ Entrees more than $25.