I've been here most of my life, but I still rely on other people’s restaurant recommendations to find places I might have missed. I think a lot of us may have overlooked this first one.
I have driven past La Mejor Carniceria y Tortilleria an inordinate number of times and assumed it was just another Latino market. I could not have been more wrong. Sure, when you walk through the door, it looks like a market because it is. But the smells and sounds told a different story.
In the back of La Mejor, there’s a butcher shop unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else in the county. I wasn’t there to review that part of the business, but I can tell you my pellet grill is about to get a workout after seeing some of those cuts.
The restaurant’s serving area is just to the right of the butcher shop. They have a hot holding station for daily specials, and the full menu is posted on the back wall.
I understand that not everyone eats this type of food regularly, so I’ll briefly explain a few things. I have friends who get nervous ordering at places that aren’t “mainstream” restaurants, so hopefully this helps. If you already know these dishes, we’re probably eating at the same kinds of places.
Tamales are an ancient Mesoamerican dish made by wrapping seasoned meat, vegetables, cheese, or even fruit in a dense corn-based dough called masa. They’re wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and then steamed. I ordered two: a rojo (red) pork and a rajas, which is peppers and cheese. Not everything here is spicy, but the rojo pork tamal carried a little heat. Both were excellent.
My burrito was stuffed with chorizo, a well-seasoned Spanish pork sausage, along with beans and cheese. I’m normally not a fan of beans and cheese in a burrito, but in this case, they were a great addition. I'm pretty sure the tortilla was made in-house, too.
I also ordered a sope al pastor. A sope is made from similar dough as a tamale but shaped into a thick round base with raised edges and then fried. Al pastor is a beautifully marinated pork dish, traditionally spit-roasted and originating from Puebla. If you’ve ever had shawarma, it’s cooked in a similar way.
I grabbed a Topo Chico from the cooler and took a seat in the dining area. Everyone around me was just the right amount of friendly, and every part of the kitchen and dining area I could see was spotless.
My food came out in about 10 minutes, and it had clearly been cooked to order.
I apologize for the photo of the tamales. I had already gone back in for a second bite of the rajas before I remembered why I was there. Both were outstanding.
The al pastor was legit. When we lived in Nashville, there was a spot right across I-24 from my office that had incredible al pastor, and this was just as good, if not better. The entire sope was excellent.
My server came by with serious mom energy to check on me, laughing because I had ordered “too many food,” in her words, which was accurate. The portions are spot-on when ordering from the menu. Next time, I’m trying the daily specials. This time, I wanted to order several items from the menu so I could tell you about as much of what was available daily as possible. Plus, microwaving takeout later is a thing.
That Nashville spot reminded me so much of La Mejor. The food there was so good they had to bolt additional stainless steel counters to the outside of the building because lunch became standing room only. If you like Mexican food, you should give this place a shot. Even if you haven’t been impressed with Mexican food in the past, it’s worth stopping by.
La Mejor Carniceria y Tortilleria is located at 704 E Broad Ave in Rockingham.
John White is a photographer and lover of food who lives in Hamlet.
