Salsa’s Mexican Cantina
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Mexican | The Hungry Wanderers - Part 3
Mexican
Salsa’s Mexican Cantina
My wife’s sister and brother-in-law came to town this evening, and we wanted someplace close that we could walk to for a meal. They suggested Mexican, and since I had just been to Don Pedro’s, my wife recommended Salsa’s in Ayrsley.
My recommendation: It’s nothing spectacular. In fact, I probably would recommend Don Pedro’s over Salsa’s, although Salsa’s is a distinctly nicer restaurant on pretty much every account.
Overall: While the food is of good quality, and the service was good, I can’t say that it has really left much of an impression with me. It’s not a bad restaurant… just lackluster.
Ambiance: Salsa’s is a Mexican restaurant that’s still seeking it’s an identity. The free-flowing fountain, and somewhat elegant decor is somehow undermined by the flat screen TV showing Latin American soccer, as if the restaurant WANTS to be a sports bar. The outdoor seating area perhaps supports this assertion, but the flat screen displaying MSNBC Money somehow undermines the sports bar intentions. And the free salsa and chips simply reminds you that it’s neither a sports bar or elegant restaurant, but just a Mexican restaurant.
Menu: Mexican. While standard Mexican is certainly available, including burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, and tacos, the prices are not reminiscent of the authentic inexpensive Don Pedro’s up the street.
Something you won’t find on most menus: $6 guacamole. It’s tasty, but I’m not sure it justifies it’s $6 price tag.
Service: Prompt and friendly, but nothing spectacular. I drink water like a fiend, and they were good about keeping me topped off.
Food: I had the combination platter with two cheese enchiladas and a beef burrito. It came with Mexican rice and refried beans, and it was all very good. In general, the food is very good, and I feel like the ingredients are of generally high quality, which is perhaps inconsistent with what I normally expect from a Mexican restaurant (too much Taco Bell, I guess). The bill was a little steep at $37 (no alcohol, no dessert).
2015 Ayrsley Town Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28273
Don Pedro’s
A couple friends and I checked out the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery as part of Charlotte Beer Week. Don’t be fooled, as the name is a bit of a misnomer. They had, admittedly, been open for 2 weeks. They had a beer tasting; for $10, you got 6 – 8 oz. beers, and a tour of the brewery. The catch was that they only had one beer on tap. The beer was tasty, though. For the record, I was driving, so I was not able to enjoy all the free beer provided for $10. Afterward, my friends and I were hungry, so we popped by Don Pedro’s; a Mexican place down off South Tryon.
My recommendation: If you’re in the mood for low-grade Mexican food, I haven’t found anywhere in Charlotte that you can beat it (I have not scoured South Blvd, however). The food hits the spot, and every day seems to be half-price margarita night.
Overall: The service is prompt, but lacks a certain Anglo-articulation. The food comes out so quick, that you’re barely done with one course when the next comes out. Depending on what you order, the food is either reasonably or large-portioned, and is tasty.
Ambiance: Authentic Mexican cantina. Down to the wrought iron benches (with cushions) that you might find in an outdoor seating area in a sun-drenched tropical country. And I have never heard so much mariachi music!
Menu: Mexican. Burritos, enchiladas, tacos, and combination plates abound! Most meals come with Mexican rice and refried beans. Everything is pretty reasonably priced, too.
Something you won’t find on most menus: Every meal comes with something like a flat churro, covered in cinnamon and sugar, with whipped cream and drizzled in raspberry syrup. Perhaps the nicest complimentary dessert I’ve ever had.
Service: While perhaps a little impersonal, and that could be mostly due to the evident language-barrier, the service is like a machine. You enter, you’re seated, your drink order is taken, and moments later, your food order. It only takes a few minutes to get your food, too. If you were trying to get in and out in 20 minutes, I bet you could.
Food: I had the deluxe burrito, which was good. It’s not spectacular food, but for $7 in a sit-down restaurant, you probably shouldn’t set your standards too high. If you want what I suspect is pretty authentic Mexican fare, I bet this is pretty close.
Don Pedro’s
8943 South Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28273
