The name just says it all - Munchies Mexican Bar & Grill. This north Raleigh restaurant has been open less than a year in the former home of North Seafood. For the name alone, we had to drop by for lunch. 

The Location: 10630 Durant Road in the Falls River shopping center. 

The Company:  A few members of the Out & About team. 

The Meal:

Kathy: I love a good hearty salsa and found this one a little thin. But I really enjoyed their take on the traditional taco salad (which they also serve.) I had the Munchies Salad, which is a flour tortilla filled with rice, black or re-fried beans (I got the black beans), and filled with cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce and topped with marinated chicken or steak (I had the chicken.) The salad was huge! Overall I enjoyed it, but felt it was a little heavy on the beans. Something else I liked there, the extensive vegetarian menu they offer. A great alternative to the traditional fare. 

Lisa: I stumbled upon Munchies just by happenstance when checking out new restaurants online and just knew I had to get myself to north Raleigh one of these days to check out a place with such a creative (and fun) name. I wouldn’t make the adventure too terribly regularly, but the next time I find myself near Durant Road, I’ll be stopping in again. The food was fresh and not run of the mill Mexican fare – the menu has as much personality as the restaurant name might imply. The chips and salsa – standard at any Mexican joint – were served fresh and I liked the hearty vegetable texture of the salsa… definitely illustrates a “made fresh” approach. I was bummed the patio was being pressure-washed on the beautiful, sunny day we stopped in… that seemed like the real place to enjoy a Friday lunch!

The Service:  Our server kept our drinks full, but got a little sidetracked and forgot to bring us a second round of chips. 

The Final Bill: Our lunch items were each priced under $8.50. Not too bad for the large portion sizes. 

The Verdict: We would go back, maybe even for Cinco de Mayo this Saturday!