La Superior — Local services in Durham

I went to the carniceria for lunch. They actually had a lot more menu options than I expected. They had things like tacos, tortas, tamales, real gorditas (not the Taco Bell fakes), and quite a few plates too. It is quite affordable at $2 per taco or $8 for a torta or burrito. I got 4 tacos, each a different meat to see what I liked best. The carnitas were a bit bland, but the other 3 (pollo asado, barbacoa, and al pastor) were well seasoned. They don't come with any toppings, but you can top them yourself. The salsa bar that people seem to love was fairly basic. it had onions, cilantro, pico, tomatillo salsa, a spicy salsa verde (jalapeno?), and a spicy veggie mix (onions, peppers, etc), and limes. There was also a few hot sauces and seasonings on the side. While I was waiting for my tacos to be made (~15 minutes), I got to watch the ladies prepare the food, because they work in an open kitchen. I found it interesting to watch them work, but was a little concerned about the food safety practices. My biggest issue was the pan of what I hope was oil (or butter?) next to the grill. They basically dipped everything in it before it got near the grill, namely utensils and RAW meat. Most restaurants put the oil in squeeze bottles to avoid cross contamination. However I must applaud them for the number of times I saw them change their gloves. That is one thing most cooks don't do often enough. My favorite part of the lunch experience was the Aqua Fresca selection. I got my favorite flavor, tamarind, but there were several other flavors available. They even had Horchata, a sort of sweet creamy cinnamon drink made with either nut milk...

Going in here as someone who is not Mexican was a bit intimidating to be honest. There are no prices anywhere, it's hella crowded and there are tons of items, but no signs on what they are. Where the restaurant is in the back, there are no prices on the menu, no information on what comes with the items and I had no idea what the ordering process was. I ordered three tacos, rice and beans. I thought the price was good, cost about $13 bucks, but I had no idea if I pick up the food at the window or at my table. Figured it out, food came and it was "meh". I got the Chicken Tinga, Barbacoa, and one other meat based one that I don't remember the name. Came with roasted jalapenos, limes and cucumbers (which I thought was weird). Flavor was just "ok", nothing special, I have definitely had better Mexican food off of a food truck. The bakery in front of the restaurant has tons of pastries... I got a donut and some other pastry, those were good. I'd go back for more pastries but probably wouldn't go back to the restaurant, the taste was...

When I picked this place I didn't realize it was a grocery store with a kitchen in the back and I admit I was skeptical at first. You have to wind your way through some isles and a bakery area and then the room opens up. It's full of tables and chairs that have seen better days. On the wall which houses the ordering counter and a window to the kitchen, you will find a smattering of laminated papers touting the daily specials. There is also a screen that cycles through the menu and pictures of various items. The lady working the counter spoke no English and couldn't figure our request for diet coke. After some vigorous gesticulations we managed to get everything sorted. She told us our number and we set down. After about 10 minutes our food came out. The meat was delicious and flavorful. The guac was awesome. The rice and beans were okay. My friend got a burrito the size of a baby's arm. This was also pretty good, but she said she will try something more exciting next time. TL;DR you should try...