Changes Coming On Main Street in Clayton

Had dinner tonight at Festejos @ 905 E. Main Street in Clayton. This is the old Andy's location in downtown Clayton.
We enjoyed our meal and this is a very clean and comfortable authentic Mexican restaurant. Wait staff was very friendly and prompt service.
Has anyone else dined in this new restaurant in Clayton?

 

There was a write-up by Greg Cox in the N&O a couple of days ago.

 

yes i have and have mentioned on here a couple times how good it was. I think it is the best in clayton

 

Another write-up today (Wednesday) by Greg Cox about Clayton restaurants, but a couple were in Cleveland. Write-up sounded more like a press release than critique, as he got the location of Taters wrong. :?

 

Wife and I ate there last Friday. We normally frequent La Cocina, but the place was really crowded, with the line out the door. The other restaurants in that shopping center must have been busy too, because the parking lot was completely. We had been wanting to try Festejos, so we headed down there hoping for a shorter wait. They were not crowded at all. I hope this does not continue, because I want this place to last.

We had the guacamole made at the table, which was really good. All fresh ingredients, and you choose which you want. It seems a bit expensive at first glance, but it's made with 2 whole avocados, fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, etc. It's a good amount of food.

I had the veggie burrito, which was really good, and my wife had a combination platter with a chile relleno (made with bell pepper as in most places around here), a beef enchilada, and a beef burrito. This was also very good. We both felt the amount of food was good for the money. We took food home for the kids (who didn't want to go out that night) - beef nachos and a chicken enchilada with spinach (we asked them to add the spinach, because they don't have this item on their menu).

The prices were definitely a bit higher than the chains we normally go to, but the food was better (in my opinion so far). Also, La Cocina just recently printed a new menu with some new items, and all the prices were increased as well.

The menu is quite large, with many more choices than the typical chain Mexican around here. There are a lot of seafood choices, and there are some items whose descriptions were in Spanish. I want to try some of these some time. They have all the basics we are used to, but also lots of other things we were not familiar with. Some of the employees don't speak much English, but are eager to please. Our waitress spoke English well, but the lady that helped refilled our drinks did not. The customers in the dining room that night appeared about equally split between Hispanic and English.

We were quite pleased, and will definitely be going back. I would like to see this restaurant succeed, as it definitely provides some completely different options.

 

We went to Festejos last night with friends. It is located in the old Andy's location on E. Main Street. All of us thought the food was very good and the service was excellent. I hope they are successful.

 

That all sounds cool, but if a lot of people start going to Main Street in Clayton it's going to be a traffic and parking nightmare. It can be hard to get in and out of lots on Main as it is. I often parked in the grocery store parking lot at Lombard@Second and walked to wherever I was going on Main.

Downtown Clayton always had a funky charm to it. It's a nice change of pace from the strip mall-big box mess that much of the RDU area is becoming.

Since it came up....it's not downtown, but Fiesta Mexicana in the Wal-Mart strip mall near the Cici's Pizza is worth a visit for anyone in or around Clayton looking for good Mexican food. That place is as authentic as any place I found in NC, and it would hold its own here in Texas. I can't say that for a lot of Mexican restaurants I sampled in and around Raleigh.

 

You're in TX? How did you find your way here?

 

The same way everyone else from every other state finds their way there

I am actually back in Houston now. From Dec. '05-Jan '07 I lived in Johnston County, first off Cleveland School Road just south of where it passes over 40, and then in a small older neighborhood (relatively speaking in that area of course) off Cornwallis Road near the Wake line. I went there to be with a wonderful woman who grew up near Clayton; she is now with me here.

But back on topic...when I was there I went in and through downtown Clayton quite often. My insurance agent's office was on Main and I also used the Clayton post office a lot since Cleveland didn't really have one.

It's pretty obvious downtown Clayton was laid out before there were cars. Every time I went down Main I imagined seeing horses and buggies instead of cars for which that road doesn't really seem designed for at all. Though it's frustrating while trying to drive there, walking around it's rather interesting. When the big highway goes through the edge of town and bypasses the old city center they often get rundown and forgotten about. You see that a lot in small-town Texas. Lots of boarded-up windows and rusted roofs while all the action is out on the "bypass" and it's all Wal-Mart and KFC and Subway. So it's good to see some new stuff going up there in old town Clayton.

 

Went with friends to Mulberry On Main in downtown Clayton last night. We thought the food was excellent. Music was too loud. They turned it down. Plenty of wait staff and friendly. Their 4th night open. Good crowd and saw quite a number of pickups for takeout. Currently only open for dinner Thursday-Saturday. We will return.

 

the feista mexican is not as good to me as la cocina and the festivas on main.

 

Looking forward to it tonight, going before the concert at the CCC.

 

What kind of menu do they have?



Craig

 

Italian

 

Clayton Steak House meal was delicous! Menu was very basic as previously discussed, Rib Eye comes in about 6 different sizes and the Salmon was also great. I was thrilled that my Rare steak was grilled perfectly.

 

Went Saturday night, because friends wanted to try it. Was ok, service slow, food bland but not awful. Probably won't try again. Kind of looking forward to some new, different restaurants. Maybe the next one to open in it's place in 6 months. (jemes, moonbeams, good times...etc)

 

If you are talking the Steak House it was invite only (not open to the public until Tuesday), and your experience did not match with anyone I talked to.

 

The location indicates Mulberry. Keep in mind that service is instantaneous, not continuous.

 

Sorry, I was talking about the Italian place. I thought the steak place did not open until Feb 12 or something. It sounds good, got to try it I guess.

 

:iagree:

Because of this recommendation, DH and I ate there last night. It was DELICIOUS!