Elon University students tend to be on one side of a never-ending battle between which of Burlington’s Mexican restaurant is better: La Cocina or La Fiesta. Students stick with their unshakable beliefs, vehemently defending one’s guacamole and chips versus the other’s.
A Mexican restaurant that never comes up is San Marcos Restaurant. Having only opened in September 2015, San Marcos isn’t as well known to Elon students as its more established competition. The small chain has only six restaurants between Virginia and North Carolina, with its newest being in Burlington and Raleigh.
Tucked behind the Barnes & Noble in Alamance Crossing, replacing Mimi’s Cafe, San Marcos is unnoticeable, but is definitely worth a try from the Elon community.
San Marcos has a large menu with more traditional Mexican dishes, such as arroz con pollo and enchiladas, but also American dishes, such as a burger with fries or a garden salad. The menu also features quesadillas, seafood, fajitas, burritos and tacos.
The lunch specials are well-priced: most are under $10, usually between $6 and $7, and the portions are extremely large, leaving leftovers for the next day.
A lot of the dishes, like the arroz con pollo, which translates simply to “rice with chicken,” come on a bed of flavorful Spanish rice and a queso sauce that is thick and creamy, but not too spicy or overpowering in order to complement the rice. The chicken is also grilled thoroughly, leaving it nice and juicy.
The food at San Marcos is very filling and a bit richer and heavier than your average fast food or large chain Mexican restaurant, like Taco Bell and even Q’Doba.
The staff and atmosphere has more of an authentic Spanish charm compared to these chains as well.
“The atmosphere is really nice and there are always a lot of people when I go,” said junior Megan Graves. “It seems like it’s pretty popular with the new hype.”
The decor of the restaurant transports the customer to an ancient Aztec city. It has a fun and casual feel with a Mexican flair. The environment is definitely family-friendly — it’s the type of place where the whole family can get together and sing “Feliz Cumpleanos” for a birthday celebration while wearing a sombrero, courtesy of the establishment.
“I really liked the environment,” said sophomore Jessie Boak. “I thought it was very authentic and an aesthetically pleasing ambiance. The service was also good and they dealt with my gluten allergy well.”
For any gluten-intolerant or allergic student, it can be difficult to find good options on and off campus. Most food either contains gluten or is contaminated by a gluten product.
“Even though they didn’t have a gluten-free menu, San Marcos switched a wheat tortilla to a corn tortilla to accommodate me with no other questions asked,” Boak said.
For those celebrating their 21st birthday or have already celebrated it, San Marcos’ drink menu is also extensive and colorful. There are margaritas and sangria specials that look as good as they taste and are Instagram-worthy when put next to the delicious food.
Next time a Spanish cuisine craving hits, instead of turning toward the more well-known Burlington favorites, consider San Marcos. There might be a new contender in Elon’s great Mexican food debate.
“I love all the Mexican restaurants in the area, but San Marcos by far has the best food and the service was great and very professional,” Graves said.
It’s located at 3111 Waltham Blvd. in Burlington and is open 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. weekdays and until 11 p.m. weekends.