Fabulous food, but expect SLOW service
Written: Dec 28 '06 (Updated Dec 28 '06)
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Pros: Fabulous food and good margaritas (especially during happy hour). Reasonable price.
Cons: Slow and sometimes uncaring service, I hope this changes in the future.
The Bottom Line: Fabulous food and go in with the expectation of slow service and you might even get lucky and get one of the good servers.
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| colstudent69's Full Review: Salsas Mexican & Seafood Restaurant |
Introduction:
My wife and I really enjoy Mexican food and we are lucky enough to live in Houston, TX that has a Mexican restaurant on nearly every corner. Pappasito's and Chuy's are the big Mexican sit-down chains in our part of Texas and while they are good, they definitely can't hold a candle to Salsas' food. The one glaring problem at Salsas is the service, but I keep hoping someday it will improve.
The Location:
4604 Seawall Blvd
Galveston, TX 77551
(409) 621-2630
The Restaurant:
The building itself is painted a cheery bright yellow and there is a giant pepper shaped sign near the entrance announcing Salsas! The exterior is sparsely decorated but still appealing. The inside has more Mexican decorations, just enjoy to realize you are going into a somewhat Americanized Mexican restaurant.
There is a bar near the greeting area that can seat about 20 and has a few booths opposite the bar that can be used to eat or just drink. We have only tried the margaritas from the bar and while they are small, they taste good and during happy hour are only $2. They typically aren't very strong, so it would take many to get plastered, but the wife and I just like them for the taste.
The seating area is a giant U with two doors opening off the top of the U into an outdoor patio. There are many comfortable booths with ample room, but you need to get there before peak times to have a good chance at one of those. The sit-down tables are of acceptable comfort, but given the really slow service(more on that later), my wife and I prefer to wait for a booth before being seated.
The outdoor patio is stone benches covered by a large awning and is a nice place to eat when it is not windy outside. With the restaurant being right on the seawall in Galveston it is typically windy. As you walk into the restaurant from your car, take note of the wind and don't sit outside if it is too hot or windy. The restaurant will typically close the patio if it is too windy or hot.
The bathrooms are nothing to write home about, but they are typically kept pretty clean and both contain a baby changing station.
4 stars
The Staff:
The cooks here are VERY good, the food is consistently of the same quality every time we go. I have gone to this restaurant dozens of times, maybe even approaching 100 times, over the 5 years I've lived in the Houston area and the food has always been prepared well. So the cooks get 5 stars. The greeters are typically friendly and nice, so they also get 5 stars. The problem is, the waiters and waitresses, the people you interact with the most, are just downright slow and many do not appear concerned about customer service.
As I've mentioned in many of my previous reviews, I like to drink a lot of Coke and water during my meals and my glass has sat empty for 10-20 minutes many times at this restaurant and it is unacceptable. A few of the waiters catch on and some have even brought me two cups when they realize I drink a lot, but the majority don't catch on and in one meal I'll wait 10-20 minutes for refills 2-3 times. One time I asked for the manager and after that the refills came quickly, but I think in a well run restaurant this should not need to be done. So the management and servers get 2 stars.
Overall 2.5 stars.
The Food:
This is why we keep coming back to the restaurant, although my wife is sick of the slow service and only agrees to come here once a year since she knows I love the food. The rest of the time I go with co-workers and friends and warn them of the slow service ahead of time.
As I mentioned earlier the food is always well prepared and comes in large quantities for the price.
My favorite items:
The Fajita beef or chicken chimichangas: By far my favorite item and I rarely eat anything else. It is a very large chimichanga and full of meat and some beans and cheese. Crust is just VERY lightly fried and not greasy at all. It comes with the option of salsa or chile con queso on top. Go for the queso, it is very good here.
Fajitas: A no brainer, comes on a sizzling iron skillet and has an ample portion of meat, onions and peppers and lots of sides (cheese, rice, beans and pico de gallo). This is my wife's favorite and I typically "borrow" a tortilla or two.
Taco Salad: When I do stray from the chimichanga, I usually get this enormous taco salad with beef. The meat portion is a little small, but still a good taco salad.
Dirty Nachos: The best appetizer here, they are topped with your choice of fajita beef, fajita chicken or just ground beef. All are excellent choices and it also comes topped with lettuce, tomato, refried beans, cheese and sour cream and guacamole. It is a LOT of food for two people, better shared among 3 or 4 people.
The FREE chips and Salsa: The free chips are typically great, although they are occasionally too greasy, being light and crispy. The green and red salsas are very good and we are told they are homemade at the restaurant. The green has a hint of cilantro and is just downright yummy. If you are going to the restaurant on a budget, skip the appetizers and just have the chips and salsa. Thankfully there is usually a chips and salsa guy running around the restaurant refilling chips so you don't have to wait for the slow server.
The deserts are nothing to write home about, but not terrible either, really the only blemish on an otherwise excellent menu. Many of my co-workers really like the fish tacos for you seafood lovers out there.
5 stars (OK 6 stars since I can)
The Bill:
If you fill up on the chips and salsa and eat only half of your large entree, you should still have a lunchbox for the next day (most of the food reheats very well, especially the chimichanga) and for two people you get out the door for around $40 with tip and tax.
If you get an appetizer and margaritas and a desert, then two people will leave with a reasonable $55-$65 bill.
Summary:
Hands down the best Mexican (Maybe Tex-Mex) food I have ever had in the USA and I've been to dozens of Mexican restaurants. There was one Mexican restaurant in Cancun Mexico that was better, mostly because of excellent service. As long as you go prepared for slow and rather poor service, the food is worth it!
4 stars
For More Information:
You can visit Salsa's website for more information, including a PDF menu:
http://www.galveston.com/salsas/
Many thanks to Megu for adding this restaurant to the database!
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Fajita Beef Chimichanga, dirty nachos, Fajitas, taco salad, fish tacos.
Best Suited For: Kids and Families
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Epinions.com ID:
colstudent69
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Member: Brian
Location: Houston, TX
Reviews written: 127
Trusted by: 14 members
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Instructional Technology Educator
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