Opening its doors in 1998 on the corner of Dorchester and Broadway in South Boston, Salsa’s welcomes patrons through its little doorway to aromas of Mexican cuisine and deliciously fresh Margaritas and Sangrias.
Salsa’s looks like it is in a little bit of disrepair but that somehow lends itself to the lure of the place. Its brightly painted walls are adorned with pictures and large cactuses with overhanging gothic looking chandeliers and rickety mismatched chairs, which does give it a quaint charm that makes you smile. They are in the middle of an expansion with the hope that they can be ready by Cinco de Mayo, which will bring with it new furniture and an updated look.
We were seated at one of the high tables in a little vestibule area at the front of the restaurant with the windows wide open and the warm breeze blowing through the restaurant. The place was busy, as it usually is every night of the week and the waitstaff seemed to be incredibly rushed as they worked their way from table to table with smiling faces.
A complimentary basket of freshly made, warm and mildly salty chips were delivered to our table with a side really tasty, spicy hot salsa. I do love their chips and salsa and more is always on offer if needed. While we looked at the menu we also ordered a side of guacamole. I think it had been left in the fridge for quick delivery to tables as it was just that little too cold. I liked how it was spiced with jalapeños with just a touch of lime and nicely salted but I prefer my guacamole at room temperature.
Instead of going for the usual margarita or sangria we decided on a bottle of Albarino. A perfect choice for spicy food with its tastes of fresh apples and crisp citrus.
The menu offers lots of authentic Mexican dishes from Tortilla Soup and Spicy Chili on the small plate/appetizer menu with intriguing offers of items like Mahi Mahi Chowder, which I have had in the past and can attest to its goodness. The entrée menu is quite extensive offering fajitas, burritos and enchiladas but also inspiring choices of chicken, fish and beef dishes. They have a selection of “Specialty Dishes” from Mixiote – an Aztec plate of chicken or lamb baked with onions, garlic, potato, avocado leaves and guajilla and Mole Poblano – a traditional Aztec mole salsa made from 25 ingredients including five types of chilies, sesame, dark chocolate, almonds, raisins, brown sugar, banana, fried tortillas, onions and peanuts to name just a few.
I was becoming overwhelmed with choices so decided to go a bit more basic and picked the Pork Tinga*** Enchiladas.
Tinga*** is apparently very spicy, however, I didn’t really thinks so – not for my palate anyway. The dish was full of taste with sweet red sauce, and an abundance of melted cheese, which I loved, smothering soft tortillas filled with shredded pork and a side of rice and creamy refried beans. This is a big portion so there was lots of take home for me. Reheated it was just as good.
My friend, Kathleen picked one of my favorite dishes on the menu, the Chicken Papa Taco. Although very plain to look at, there is nothing plain about this dish at all. Soft bites of baked potato mixed through creamy sour cream and cheese and salty bits of bacon. I did keep picking at her plate throughout the evening. It is such a tasty dish!
Salsa’s offers great choices, friendly service and a superb price point and with the larger space, it is going to continue to be a fun location for folks wanting something different from ordering from a takeout joint. Well, lets face you can’t get a margarita with your takeout!
