Jibarra

I love the interior and décor of this place but when it comes to the food, something is left to be desired.
The service was great. Very attentive and friendly staff. The Margaritas were out in a jiffy which was número uno for us.
I think the Guacamole was delicious and the Queso with Chorizo was on point. I wasn’t a super big fan of the steak tacos as I felt they were a bit boring, less tender and lacking flavor compared to carne asada tacos I’ve had elsewhere. They weren’t bad but just not anything to write home about. And unfortunately, I’ve had this experience before here with some other dishes here a while ago (Ceviche and Chilaquiles). But perhaps it’s just my specific taste; I like bold and dynamic flavors while others may prefer more simple and subtle flavors. Who knows?!
This place has serious potential though. Like I said, the décor is so pretty and it would be a great place for a big group.

After our apartment lost power we choose jibarra since we have always had a good experience. However this time, to our shock, we were not waited on or even offered drinks after several minutes of waiting. I must admit we were not dressed as nicely as we normally do for a saturday night and I was wearing my Harley Davidson tshirt with stained pants.
I wanted to enjoy a lovely dinner at a trusted restaurant since we had no power from the storm and I still wanted to take my wife on a date.
This experience has turned me off of jibarra since I never thought they way I looked would be the reason my money is no good.
If i am compelled to go again i will remember to dress better no matter the circumstance of my or my families day.

Overpriced and not all that innovative. I went here a few weeks ago (I’m behind on my reviews) with some friends after the restaurant we planned to go to was closed. I sat at the bar while waiting for my group. It took a full 5 minutes before I was offered a drink, even though the place was dead. With the drink, I was offered chips and salsa, which I later discovered were not complimentary. The drink was so-​so, as was my dinner. Overall, was not impressed.

It was pretty good! I got the fish tacos and a beer – can’t go wrong there! I was impressed

I think overall, my experience at Jibarra was positive. It’s nowhere near my favorite place in Raleigh, but it’s a decent place to go eat if my friends are in the mood for it and I have no specific suggestions. I went there for my friend’s 21^st birthday celebration last night and there were a few things I liked.
The service: the person we got was courteous, and he was nice and accommodating even though we were a group of 7.
The food: I got the duck chilaquiles, and my friends got salsa and all four types of guacamoles. The duck chilaquiles was great, but the portion was rather heavy and filling, so it was hard for me to finish it. I can easily see myself splitting it into two portions, though. the amount you get wasn’t humongous, but it the duck + the fried tortilla was really heavy. I might not order it again because it was so heavy. That’s a bit hard to do for me.
I also tasted some of the guacamole that my friends ordered, and the crab guacamole was my absolute favorite out of the four. My next favorite would have to be the original guacamole. The least favorite was the pomegranate, even thought that was the one that I was looking forward to the most. It just didn’t click for me. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good, either.
This was probably a 3.5 for me, but I did have a nice time, so I bumped it up to 4.

Holy Guacamole.
Get the Quatro Sampler.
You’ll thank me later.

I’m used to TeX-​Mex. I can’t get used to green and chocolate sauces on my enchiladas. The, pulled chicken taste boiled instead of grilled, and radishes instead of onions.
They serve some of the best guacamole I have ever had, and their chips are warn and crispy. The service is good, along with a great sounding band.
I would prefer this restaurant for socializing, appetizers and drinks.

I’ve been meaning to visit Jibarra since we first moved to Raleigh, and I just never made it down to the train tracks to give it a try. A few weeks back, First Friday at the Contemporary Art Museum gave us the perfect opportunity to do so.
My pork chops with sweet potato mash and roasted brussels sprouts were outstanding. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, unique. A great level of spice that didn’t overwhelm.
My lady’s shrimp and scallops over polenta cakes with poblano sauce were also great. It’s so easy to overcook scallops, and these were large and tender, with a nice sear.
In short, you should go to Jibarra soon. I was pretty impressed. Normally, I’m a «divey» Mexican food guy. That said, the upscale style and presentation of the food at Jibarra, coupled with their eclectic margarita menu (and lack of sugary mix in a bottle) wowed me. We’ll be back for sure. You should go, too, and try the crab guacamole.

Get Street Tacos and Modern Mexican Fare at Jibarra
Visits: many
R-​Line Stop: R12
For many years, I’ve been enjoying the tacos at Jibarra but over the last year or so I’ve become particularly fascinated with fish filled tacos in my quest to be meatless. Jibarra offers the «Pescado», which is a white fish based taco. Most of the time, the white fish is tilapia. Two long strips of tilapia are flash fried and placed over shredded crunchy cabbage in a very light crema sauce, pico de gallo, and 2 flour tortillas. The fish has a dollop of red salsa that just adds a lot of flavor without too much heat. The tacos are overflowing with ‘filling’ that I usually make a mess so I’ve learned to eat it with a fork and knife. The fish is slightly crispy on the outside and very tender on the inside. The whole ensemble is delicious. Jibarra also offers the «Camaron BLT», shrimp tacos with crumbles of bacon, diced fresh tomato, and lettuce crowned with a slice of avocado. I’ve had the shrimp tacos with the bacon which gives it a little oiliness, a nice subtle smokiness and saltiness. Lately I order this dish without the bacon, it’s less oily and still very tasty but a little less flavorful. To spice it up, I add some salsa. Speaking of salsa, the chips and salsa are complimentary. And if you want to go completely vegetarian, there is a «Veggie» taco filled with a very yummy combination of poblano pepper, spinach, zucchini, and cheese. The tacos come with a choice of a side. I really like the black beans and rice. The black beans are amazing! However, I often go for the lighter option of the side salad with black bean, corn, radish, and cucumber in a light lemony dressing. I think the portions are quite large since I bring home about half of my lunch.
I haven’t eaten dinner at Jibarra since they changed their dinner but everything I had in the past has been super delicious. After 5 pm, I often enjoy a margarita. I favor the Pear-​Cilantro Margarita enjoying the fruity and savory flavors. IMHO, the margaritas taste great but tend to be weak. Jibarra offers a decent selection of wines from Spain and Latin America.
Specials:
Tuesdays: $ 4 margaritas
Thursdays: Half price bottles of wine
I ate at Jibarra twice when it was located in North Raleigh. However, I didn’t care for the ambiance. Since they relocated to downtown Raleigh in The Depot, I like the décor and the vibe much better. It seems that Jibarra hires experienced wait staff. Consequently, we have also received great service. They have changed their menu many times over the years so don’t get attached to a favorite dish but it’s interesting to try the new spin the chef puts on Mexican cuisine.

Sure, there’s a beautiful view to be had from the outside seating, and an elegant interior, and well-​crafted cocktails to be imbibed — but even if there were none of these things, I’d still eat at Jibarra because the FOOD. The food steals the whole show, no doubt about it. From the tender, tequila-​steamed mussels for a post-​work snack to the massive, vegetable stuffed-​omelet that serves as a lazy Sunday brunch to a laid-​back lunch sandwich with plantains standing in for the bread — genius! — I have never had a bad meal here. I’ve never even had a mediocre meal. Even the tortillas are lust-​worthy; fresh and aromatic, yielding but with just enough texture when you bite into them. Divine.
You can see the chef clearly has a vision, the skills to achieve it, and a deep love for food that results, and this shines through in every plate that comes to the table. My only quibble is that, while the kitchen staff excel, the front of the house staff can be anywhere from completely on the ball to vague and apathetic. Experiences have varied from the most alert waiter ever, who anticipated the need for drink refills and extra tortillas before we noticed ourselves, to a waitress who needed three tries to deliver the correct checks and even more reminders that we might like something to drink during the course of our meal. So go in knowing that while the service may be hit or miss, the food is there to make a great experience!

Stopped in here for lunch. This was one of those «I work less than a block from this place» stops, rather than a «I had to stop in because of the reviews» sort of stops. But I enjoyed it.
One of the reasons I love dining with my fiancé is that we have similar tastes. So we tend to order a couple different dishes and split them between us. And this time was no different.
We got the Steak Jibarraito and Burrito California. The Jibarraito is a sandwich that is actually made with plantains instead of bread — it was a very interesting sandwich. The burrito had a really intriguing flavor palate, too. Not all that spicy (which is not my bag), but will definitely suit many folks.
Service was pretty good. No complaints, but nothing that particularly stood out.
I do have to point out, though, that the salsa was amazing. AMAZING. One of the best salsas I’ve had in a Mexican restaurant. Nice and thick without being remotely watery. Goes on chips extremely well. Very spicy, but not overly so. Nice clean flavor. I’d go back for the salsa alone. And I plan on it.

Went here with 9 people to celebrate an engagement and really enjoyed it. Maybe it’s a bad sign for the restaurant, but we had no problem making a reservation for 9 people on a Saturday night and we were sat immediately when we arrived. The entire staff was great the whole evening.
On to the food. The chips and guacamole were amazing, you have to get the guacamole sampler if you go. It was delicious and some really good spiciness, which went well with my pineapple jalapeño margarita, also very good (but only if you like jalapenos and can handle the heat). And now for the best part, the steak tacos. Well, mostly just the steak. The steak was so good and tender and cooked just right that I ate most of it without the corn tortilla or fixins. I was really surprised. The rice and beans were tasty too.
So anyway, it’s on the pricey side so I wouldn’t go here normally, but a good place to go if you’re looking for a nice dinner out.

Ok, I have a confession. I’ve never actually had dinner at Jibarra. Well, not a full-​on dinner. I’ve had Thursday night Happy Hour specials and Brunch several times, but I do have plans to have dinner here real soon. So, here is my combined thoughts on my visits over the course of a few hours and multiple visits (sans dinner).
Brunch — ok, I’m not the kind of girl that wants eggs for brunch or any regular kind of brekkie brunch. I can cook eggs at home for like .35 cents. I got it covered. Jibarra has a really nice basically inexpensive lunch/​brunch offering on the weekends for about $ 8/​9/​pop and it’s super filling. I love high-​end mexican and here you can sit out on the their covered patio and enjoy the view of the train tracks. Perfect way to kick off your weekend.
From what I remember their happy hour offerings were good, but it’s been some time. I’m planning to head back for my bday later this week to check out the dinner offerings. Their bevies are a little pricey though so watch out for that.

I had a mixed, though mostly good experience while at Jibarra, which led to my decision to settle on a 4 star rating. Let me break it down for you, starting with the good.
The margaritas were a-​mazing. Typically, it’s a better deal to buy a pitcher if you’re going to be ordering more than 4 margaritas, but in our case there was a special going… $ 5 per house margarita (the usual price was $ 8 per glass or $ 32 for the pitcher). So we went with ordering individual glasses. They were so delicious, tip top quality in comparison to other house margaritas around town!
This place must specialize in guacamole, because they had many options for your guac orders. We decided on the sampler platter so that we could try them all. They were all great! So from now on I’ll just be ordering the platter because I can’t decide which one I liked best.
My friend and I decided to split the chicken tacos because, well, Mexican restaurants have a really good habit of filling you up before your actual food order comes, and we’ve learned that lesson over the years. To put it simply and in all caps so that I can really get my point across, THE CHICKEN WAS TO DIE FOR. I almost want to give this place a 5 star rating for their chicken alone, but alas, I must hold back.
The quality of their service was unfortunately lacking so much that I was tempted to give Jibarra a 3 or even 2 star rating. My friend and I sat on the patio because it was nice outside. The table next to us had great service, and half the time we needed something we had to ask that table’s server for help because our’s was nowhere to be found. In fact, since so many different people were called upon (by us) for our food/​drink requests, we didn’t even know who our actual waiter was.
However, the restaurant apologized for the confusion earlier and told us our first 2 margaritas were on the house, which means they obviously care about their customers and felt genuinely sorry for their disappointing service. I never expect restaurants to do this, so I was pleasantly surprised when the waiter came by and explained the situation. This immediately jumped my rating up to the 4 star that Jibarra’s excellent food deserves. I will absolutely be coming back for more!

Ever use pressed plantain as sandwich bread?! Me neither, until yesterday
Fueling by the desire to participate in this year’s Triangle Restaurant Week, and the obvious now frequent visit to Tasty Beverage Co next door, friends and I made reservation yesterday at Jibarra.
Promptly received by the waiter, we quickly proceeded to make our selection from the fix menu; it wasn’t that tough as we have already reviewed it for a day or two. While waiting for the first course to arrive, we enjoy the beautiful sun that rarely made its appearance this week.
First course — Tequila steamed mussels, tomatillo butter, pico de gallo, poblano cream crostini. Others might find the flavors overwhelming, but I personally think the aroma was enticing and enjoyed the heavy flavor in the cream based stock.
Main course — Crisp plantain bread «sandwich», sliced ribeye, crema, queso fresco, habanero salsa, lettuce, tomatoes. Served with a lemon vinaigrette mixed green. It was more than a welcomed surprise that pressed plantain held the flavor, and the sandwich stuffing, well together.
Dolce course — Empanadas filled with Goat Cheese and Guava Purée. Served with a generous serving of horchata. I am a loyal fan of Calavera Emp’s, but if Jibarra starts making this everyday, I will be quite conflicted.
**I feel like I am cheating by updating the review so soon after my first one, but as you can see, I had a really pleasant experience with this year’s #TriRestWeek I think I just have to share.

My husband and I came here for First Friday at the beginning of this month (April), really excited because though HE has been to First Friday stuff before I have not. We picked Jibarra because they had «$ 5 Tequila and $ 3.50 appetizers» — and neither the appetizers NOR the tequila disappointed, let me assure you.
Why they are getting stars:
— great food
— great service
— great tequila selection
Why they are getting dinged:
From the moment walked in to the moment we asked for our bill, we mentioned we were here for First Friday, kept saying things like «well, since the appetizers are $ 3.50 anyway» — and really, it could not have been more clear. When out bill came — NONE of our appetizers were marked down as $ 3.50, though my tequila WAS discounted.
We called the waitress back to our table the first chance we got (very politely, as we are not scene makers) and explained the situation. THAT was when we were told «oh, I forgot to tell you the deal is only good at the bar and only off SOME appetizers». If you download the map from the Live Work Play site of Raleigh, all it says is «$ 5 Tequila and $ 3.50 appetizers» for the First Friday period, no qualifiers otherwise — add to that the first thing I said about us being very clear that we were there for First Friday and constantly mentioning it… bad taste.
The waitress did go and talk to the owner or manager, and a couple of the appetizers were discounted, so they obviously still get those stars for service and the food and drinks… but we won’t be going back. Sorry, Jibarra — so much promise.

Husband just admirably reviewed this place. Be impressed, as he’s done very few reviews and had not exactly been receptive to coming here despite my numerous suggestions. (think he thought of it as too fancy and too expensive)
He has now been humbled to 5-​star status. It had something to do with a giant incredibly great steak burrito. (see Trent R review)
I can’t believe it’s been a couple years since I’ve been here. Shame shame shame on me! Quality here is so high. You see it and taste it.
Can highly recommend the queso dip. For another dollar you can add chorizo or spinach. I suggested spinach and can only recommend it if you like giant pieces of spinach that are hard to scoop up. Use a knife and you’re fine. No big deal, but for a dollar upcharge, probably not worth it. Maybe go with chorizo instead? Note: we asked for salsa to go with our queso and were granted with a delicous gravy boat of yummy salsa. Chips excellent.
Entrees: note this is an inexpensive Saturday lunch. Husband had the steak burrito and I went with Enmoladas. This was tasty lean shredded chicken wrapped up and served with lemon infused onions. With rice on the side. First few bites were absolutely amazing. Quality! The mole sauce is full of flavor and I dare any of us to make it at home. That’s what I love about this restaurant… they are so doing what none of us are doing at home! That being said, I could only do half of mine. The citrusy acidic onions maybe got to be a bit much. The cinnamon in the mole again, a bit too much. I think a touch of something creamy like sour cream would have perfected it. Or I just plain didn’t need more than I ate. Since I brought half home, I will soon be able to attest to whether that does indeed add to it. Will say I’m very much looking forward to the leftovers! Got a bite of Husband’s steak burrito and it was amazing!
QUALITY… that’s what this place is all about. You can taste it in every bite.
Atmosphere here is very good. Comfy booths, cool lighting, and just a good vibe.
Am so glad Husband had finally gotten over his hesitancy to come here.
Adding a couple pics.
Edited to add that I forgot to mention there is a Server here that looks like a young Tom Cruise. Seriously. And yes, I did mention it to him, and he said he hadn’t heard it before, but I’m telling you, I’ve now witnessed it twice. Young Tom Cruise AND he’s an excellent server if you’re lucky enough to get him.

Met up with some girlfriends here a few weeks ago for a Happy Hour on Wednesday, May 4. I called it our Cuatro de Mayo Feliz Hora and intended to make it a good one with apps for $ 3.50 apiece too! I got there at like 5:30 and was probably the only one in the whole place aside from the staff. Interest. It is a decent sized dimly lit space.
I made my way to a table in the bar area and set up camp to wait for my friends. I was attended to well while waiting for the girls. There were 5 of us and we enjoyed it quite a bit. TI got the Flautas which is supposed to be crispy taquitos filled with Mexican barbequed chicken served with lettuce, crema, queso fresco, and salsa borracha but I got it with just the crema and queso. Pretty good, if I do say so myself. Tried the guac too and it was gooood… and I don’t even love guac.
I also tried a Blood Orange Margarita which I thought was somewhat overpriced at $ 8 considering the size. I’m not a huge margarita lover, but it was actually pretty good.
I wish I could give it 3.5 stars because it was a really dead happy hour. That’s a tough location to sell happy hour though. The service was okay, but didn’t blow me out of the water. I think their regular menu appears to be a tad bit overpriced as well. What little food I tasted really was good though.
They have plenty of weekly specials to choose from. Their Classic Jibarra Margarita is only $ 4 on Tuesdays. They have Tequila Tastings on Wednesdays. On Thursdays, select wines are $ 5. Then on Sunday their wines are half off. I used to be «friends» with them on Facebook, but finally un-​friended them because I was tired of all thier Colombian party promos. I wonder how those parties are, but again, it’s an odd location for me to go all the way to. Their brunch is on Saturdays and Sundays, and I’ve heard it’s pretty bangin’. Maybe one of these days I’ll check it out.

OMG– I don’t want to be the Unilocaler that rains on everyone’s parade, but blech. We started with the guacamole, it needed some lime juice and salt. We asked the waiter to bring us something spicy, he brought us a sweet bbq sauce with a kick. My funny honey called it KC Masterpiece.
I ordered the pork torta (marinated shredded pork, habanero mayonnaise, red onions, black bean spread, avocado and tomato) I was expecting beautiful roast pork sandwich, but it was saucy bbq. Tasted average, look at the photo, you can see a big hunk of fat in the sandwich. I tried my friend’s beautiful mole chicken enchiladas, no flavor, she added KC Masterpiece and jalapenos.
The saving grace was my wonderful blood orange margarita, yummy. I will go back to Jibarra anyday for cocktails!!!

Want to be treated like royalty on the weekend? Head to Jibarra for brunch.
Unlimited mimosas are $ 10 (per person), though it said 3 for $ 10 on the menu. My favorite flavor was guava, but they are all pretty similar due to the large portion of champagne. Our server had a great eye for when our champagne flutes were empty.
For $ 18, you get coffee, fruit, an entrée, and dessert. The fruit was a nicely presented assortment of strawberries, melon, and watermelon accompanied by cup of yogurt. For the entrée, I chose the Tacos de Camaró (shrimp tacos) and my girlfriend had the Tacos de Carne Asada (rib eye tacos). Both were very well portioned considering we had dessert coming. My shrimp tasted great, though I would have welcomed a little less salad and more pico de gallo. My girlfriend actually got a side of cheese ($ 1) for her tacos, which (in our opinions) should not have been left out. I really liked the potato medley that came with her tacos – it had a good amount of spice.
For dessert, I went with the cheesecake and she went with the Pan de Natas (a nice doughy bread with chocolate ice cream). My cheesecake was great, but I definitely enjoyed her dish more, especially when combining the bread with the marmalade (which was served on the side). I’m going to order that next time.
Overall, I like this place. Honestly, it’s hard for me to resist walking over to The Pit, but Jibarra for brunch can’t be beat. I guess it may be a Sunday tradition in the south to get BBQ after church, but I’d encourage y’all to try Jibarra instead.