A colorful, little convenience store in Carrboro might be a little inconvenient for those who don’t speak Spanish, but it offers everyone food muy rico, an inventory muy diverso and an atmosphere muy auténtico.

The store, Don Jose Tienda Mexicana, located at 708 W. Rosemary Street, is a one-stop-for-everything-shop with a foreign flare.

Customers can eat traditional Mexican food, shop for groceries and other goods and even pay their taxes, all in one trip.

“It has everything you could want,” Durham resident Juan Chavez said in Spanish as he purchased a Mexican soda and took a free chunk of pineapple dusted with hot pepper from the counter.

The storefront, illuminated with dozens of different signs, only hints at the hodge-podge behind the doors.

Inside, dried peppers and seasonings, candy and snacks imported from South America or as far away as China, and CDs, scratch tickets and phone cards line the walls. Piñatas hang from the ceiling next to paintings of Mary. A glass counter showcases brightly-colored pastries and a gigantic television displays Lord of the Rings – in Spanish.

Don Jose opened 5 years ago to serve the rapidly growing Hispanic community in the area, but now caters to a diverse group of people, many of which do not speak Spanish.

“We have customers of all sorts,” said owner Gloria Valdez. “They all come here for the food.”

She and her husband, Miguel, bought the business after it had been open for only six months.

At first they offered only corner store staples like drinks, chips, flour and spices, but the previously existing kitchen - a remnant of an older restaurant that occupied the building – called for Gloria to cook.

Now people flock to the tienda for lunch.

“The place is very crowded from 12:30 to 1:30 for almuerzo,” employee Esmeralda Moreno said in Spanish.

The large cardboard menu taped to the wall showcases the dishes Gloria and her husband have developed using family recipes from Mexico.

Besides the familiar tacos, Gloria said she suggests that customers try the gordita asada – steak pressed between a thick tortilla, oozing with cheese and salsa, like a Mexican Panini – and the baked goods.

“We make our own tortillas and also the bread each day so they are really fresh,” she said. A massive tortilla machine sits in the back of the dining room.

Susan Gutierrez, an accountant who operates a tax service for Hispanics from a desk in the dining room Monday through Saturday, often gets her lunch from the store while working.

Her and employee Moreno’s favorite dish is los tacos de lengua – beef tongue tacos.

“There is little fat and it’s very rich,” Gutierrez said. “Surprisingly, it’s very clean and tastes delicious.”

The Biscuit recommends:

As Gloria said, the gordita asada is truly wonderful. Try the huarache – a flat, pizza-like creation of a thick masa tortilla topped with beans, delicious pork carnitas, lettuce and cheese. Wash it down with a licuado de fresa – strawberry milkshake (no ice cream really, just cold milk) – and you will find yourself wondering if this has been one of the best meals of your life.

Note: Mexican is The Biscuit’s absolute favorite food, consumed multiple times a week, and Don Jose offers probably the tastiest, cheapest and most authentic cuisine from the country anywhere in Chapel Hill. Go there now!

P.S.! This article was written a few weeks ago, but The Biscuit went back to the tienda today to snap some photos and cannot reiterate how great this place is. Right up there with Magnolia Grill in Durham, this is one of the best places for your taste buds in the entire area.