Ordinarily a new McDonald’s is nothing to get too excited about. In fact, I believe the last time I ate a lunch or dinner at one was in 1986. However what’s interesting about the McDonald’s going into the Celebration at Six Forks shopping center is the site itself. As in…it’s terrible!

McDonald’s is usually known for its incredible site selection. Few of the stores actually close and one of the reasons is their ability to scout a site and pounce before everyone else does. In fact, some businesses simply save money and follow McDonald’s coattails when choosing a site.

Celebration at Six Forks is a 1980-born shopping center in a huge area of Raleigh that has gone a long time without a McDonald’s. Currently the nearest stores are the drive-thruless Falls Village store, the former McCafe store at Spring Forest/Falls of Neuse, the Six Forks/Wake Forest Road store, and the Millbrook/Glenwood Ave. store. Certainly a chain as large as McDonald’s would be interested in a stronger North Raleigh presence. This particular section of North Raleigh, though, was long-since pioneered by McDonalds’ chief competitors. There is a Wendy’s virtually across the street. A mile or so to the north, at what was once the six forks (hence the name), Hardees, Char-Grill, and Chick-Fil-A have all staked their claim.

Not only is McDonald’s late to the party, they picked a treacherous site formerly occupied by the free-standing Record Bar/Tracks store. Because the property is secured by a 15-foot retaining wall, it towers beyond effectiveness over Six Forks Road.

Ultimately I’m sure this McDonald’s store will do fine. However, it will be interesting to watch the chain built on its consistency overcome an inconsistent site selection.

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Ahhh Cinco de Mayo; the day where people like to focus on Mexico’s history, food, and drink. Welcome to my world. In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I felt it would be appropriate to feature my favorite new Mexican hangout, Birrieria Jalisco. The name, quite simply, implies that the restaurant uses its Guadalajaran influence in serving birria, a delicious spice goat stew (Guadalajara is the State Capital of Jalisco in Mexico - map it). The restaurant is a spiffy, new, cozy retreat in the New Hope Church Road Wal-Mart parking lot, and is brought to us by the Los Tres Magueyes owner. Don’t be confused, however. This joint is the real deal.

In the time I’ve had to visit Birrieria Jalisco, I’ve been the only non-Hispanic person in the place. In fact, nothing on the menu is in English. The service is fast-casual. The fully-visible kitchen is spiffy, and the jukebox is loud. The food is the real hit, though.

What drew me toward the restaurant is the experience Dean at VarmintBites had. His excitement about the Birria (pronounced BEER-ee-uh) was understandably contagious. Set in a red pepper base, this goat stew is delicious, with just the right amount of pepper to keep you warm on a cold day. On the side is a fantastic little relish place featuring radishes, white onion, cilantro, and lime. I was excited later to find the relish plate is standard fare with all dishes.

Another fantastic entry in the Caldos (soups) menu is the Pozole, a hominy and pork stew. Surprisingly, the addition of lettuce to the soup made the taste of lettuce come alive in a way I’ve never experienced. Other soups on the menu are Caldo de Res (beef shank), Caldo Siete Mares (seafood), Pescado (fish), Camaron (shrimp), and Pollo (chicken).

These are big soups that would serve a couple well as an appetizer. For those moving on to entrees, figuring out where to go from here on the menu requires at least three levels of college Spanish, but the staff goes out of their way to help answer any questions to their fullest linguistic abilities.

We’ll keep it simple and move on to Tacos. The tacos are on soft tortillas, just like those served at Los Cuates, another neighborhood favorite. The fillers available include Carne Asada (steak), Al Pastor, Carnitas (pork), Chorizo, Tripa, Cabeza (cow head), and Lengua (tongue).

Most of these meats are standard taqueria fare, but the Al Pastor stands out. It is (from Wikipedia),”marinated during one or two days with a blend of different spices and herbs (such as adobo), and then slowly cooked on a vertical rotisserie called a Trompo (lit: spinning top), often with a pineapple on top. When ready, the meat is then thinly sliced off the spit with a large knife.” The Al Pastor is absolutely delicious, however I do not recommend a total dining commitment to the meat because it is quite greasy.

Sopes is the next logical step in the menu. Another favorite in Guadalajara, the sopes are (from Wikipedia) “made from a thickish, small circle of fried masa of ground maize soaked in lime (also used as the basis for tamales and tortillas) with pinched sides. This is then topped with refried beans and topped with crumbled cheese, onions, red or green sauce (salsa, made with chillies or tomatillos respectively) and acidified cream.” The filler meats are generally the same as with the tacos; same with the Gorditas and Tostadas.

The restaurant also has a nice selection of Tortas (mexican sandwiches). To be honest, venturing into the menu any more is going to take several visits for me.

It’s great to have so many new, different Mexican restaurants cropping up. Birrieria Jalisco offers some dishes we haven’t seen in other restaurants, in a very clean setting with a warm, inviting attitude. There are a few concerns that linger each time I visit, though. Though unrealistic, I have been trained through the years to expect chips and salsa while I wait for my entrees. These are not offered, though the entrees are actually very large. The other concern is the overall greasiness of the food. The Al Pastor, as previously mentioned, is far too greasy, but other meats and fried tortillas tended to be a little greasy, too. Most importantly, the jukebox is the loudest I’ve ever heard, and is a real distraction from the food or fellow diners.

Overall, though, I have no concerns about this restaurant. With the growing Hispanic population in that neighborhood, the demand for Birrieria Jalisco’s outstanding food makes the little birrieria’s future bright.

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National Art Interiors has moved from its prominent location at Hillsborough St. and Glenwood Ave. to the Zaytoun Orthodontics building on Six Forks Road. The store will open tomorrow.

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Bloom, Food Lion’s techie grocery concept, is coming to Raleigh, according to an article by Sue Stock this morning. The store offers personal handheld barcode scanners that let you scan as you shop with no checkout line. They also are aiming at a totally different feel and experience in their stores. The store will be located in a new strip center at Ray and Strickland Roads (map it).

It is surprising that Food Lion took so long to migrate their concept store to our little nerdistan. I am excited about having another shopping option, however the complaint I hear about the store is that it is supplied by the same regional distribution hubs as Food Lion uses for their main stores, so the store’s inventory is not different than a good Food Lion store’s.