Salsa's Gourmet Mexican Restaurant Reviews | Springfield Restaurants & Bars

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OK, dinner Thursday night 9/20/12 7:00 PM,
First hard to find, yep the curtain closed, no light on sign, but there it was.
Do not expect a Chipolte here, Â home made food, homey local atmosphere not the spotless chain, but, plenty of character.
Did you know that there was Salvadorian food on this menu, not I until I asked.
Well started off with two different Pupusas,(been and white cheese, and pork with cheese) wow, and the cole slaw yummy. chips freshly cooked home made salsa, lots of cilantro :)
OK and two Modelos good start, now a tostada, with chicken once again tasted great, looked good and very fresh, asked about the tamales, well they were not done yet, getting ready for Friday and the Weekend the server (owner?), than fried port with cassava, OK, huge....great flavors, the port was crispy outside very tender, the cassava was cooked just right, soft, white, with a very nice golden color out the pan, lots of lime and salsa again, great.
bring cash no credit cards here, just really good food, leave your ego outside and just enjoy a person or family that is just enjoying making your day a bit better

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Posted on 09.21.12 David E.

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Went there last night after reading reviews. Who knew burritos were not Mexican. Had the beef one. It was great, huge, tasty. Enough for two meals. The salsa was very hot so if that is not your cup of tea, go easy on it. Need to bone up on your Spanish if you want to read the menu. This gringo had a hard time with it.

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Posted on 07.28.12 Bruce D.

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BOOM! One of the first places I went to after moving from Chicago. Followed another reviewer's advice and got the Salvadoran pork and cassava. Actually, I got it twice in a week and ate it 4 times. The portions were enough for a lunch and a dinner. Make no mistake, it's a store front dive, but so what? It's welcoming, clean, cool on the hot days I was there, full of people (families, couples, groups of friends) eating and having a blast. The pupusas are pretty much culinary heroin - you know they aren't good for you, but one nibble and you're hooked! As a gringo that speaks and understands SOME spanish, but is NOT afraid to ask questions or look foolish in being inquisitive, it would be a bonus if the menus were a bit more translated, but I get it. No biggie. Besides from what I've seen/smelled come out of the kitchen, I don't think there is a wrong decision to be made when ordering. Cerveas fries too!!!

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Posted on 06.18.12 Eric D.

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I guess I can contradict/complement a previous review at the same time - I've only had food from Salsa's once but it was a chicken burrito and it was the best and biggest one I've ever had. It was literally as big as my forearm, stuffed with chicken, black beans, cheese, tomato, and lettuce. Accompanying it in my to-go container was sour cream and hot sauce, homemade I think. It ended up being two filling meals for me. It's small inside but I don't think I'll be getting burritos further down Sumner anymore. I'm definitely going back to try other things on the menu as well, and I'll update my review accordingly. Another great place to eat at the X.

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Posted on 08.01.10 S K.

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Authentica!oh my iam so excited I yelped this place. Hole in the wall, small, loud Mexican music. Great selection on beers served w a lime, like in Mexico! Two ladies running this place on a Sunday night both cooking and serving. Forget the burrito, which is Not Mexican any way. Homemade chips just out of the deep fryer, greasy but good, 2 dollar gauc and spicy homemade salsa I could have drank it. We ordered alpastor tacos, pollo enchiladas and carnitas. Yummy yummy. Rice and beans not to exciting like mentioned in other review but it's good Â to not
fill up on any way. Ill be back for sure, I wanted to get up and salsa dance.

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Posted on 03.07.10 Masea T.

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This small storefront restaurant located conveniently at Springfield's heavily trafficked "X" serves hearty plates of authentic Mexican and Central American food.

The space might not be much to look at, but with its crowds of Mexican, Central and South American immigrant regulars, voluminous Latin music, Spanish-language television and wafting kitchen scents, the atmosphere is friendly and comfortably lived-in.

However, it's the food, which is authentically simple but surprisingly delicious and generously portioned, which is the real reason to visit this humble, and some might argue easy to overlook eatery.

So far I've stuck primarily to the chicken dishes, with a few beef items mixed in, and I can wholeheartedly recommend both the chicken burrito and the chicken quesadillas, as well as the ground beef and steak tacos, but everything else I've seen LOOKS delicious too.

One of Salsa's strengths is their meat, whether chicken or beef, which is of notably good quality, naturally good-tasting, cut into perfectly bite-sized pieces and imbued with a smoky, grilled flavor which sets it apart from other similar restaurants.

If there's any weakness in their fare it's their rice, which is on the plain side, but is perfectly flavorful if you mix it up with their admittedly straightforward beans, which is what you should be doing with it anyway.

That being the case, I don't know if I'd recommend ordering a side of rice or beans by itself, but since the burrito plate comes with a side of rice and beans that's not really an issue.

If you're expecting to pay less for a plate at this spot than you would at one of the Mexican joints in Northampton or Amherst just because it's in Springfield and is frequented by the Mexican community, think again.

But being comparable to the competition as it is, even if the competition is for the most part relatively far afield, Salsa's food is far from overpriced.

So, if you're in Springfield, especially in the Forest Park neighborhood, and you're craving a real taste of Mexico don't hesitate to stop in.