Review No. 190: Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant
912 Front Street
(501) 205-1926
The Situation
He Said: This location in downtown Conway has been through several iterations since first opening as John Daly’s restaurant in September of 2017. That place closed less than a year later after running into some difficulties. In July of 2019, Local Patio Grill opened here, but after some initial success, closed sometime during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with a lot of other places. By the fall of 2020, Diablos Tacos & Mezcalería was in the space. But after they closed, Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant, with ties to Salsa’s in Hot springs, was opened here in September of 2022. So let’s wish Salsa’s a lot of luck, and hope that this space is not jinxed. Important tip: If you eat here and pay with a credit card, you’ll notice that your credit card bill will say you paid the money to Diablos Tacos & Mezcalería—which suggests that maybe the previous owners still have some stake in this place.
She Said: My Cousin Alice was in town from Lawrence, Kansas, and it was our 22nd wedding anniversary, so we felt like hitting the town and having a fun night out. I’d been wanting to try Salsa’s for a while, and it felt like this was the Thursday night to go!
Ambience:
He Said: It’s a light and friendly-feeling place, and I did enjoy the lively salsa music that filled the room—it wasn’t so loud as to be overpowering or to interfere with conversation, but you could still hear it and it gave a lively atmosphere to the place.
She Said: Yes, it is bright and colorful, with fun music, a convivial bar area and an Instagrammable wall in the dining area where we sat. I felt comfortable, relaxed and ready for a fun time when we were seated.
Drinks
He Said: They had Pepsi products, which meant I could get that seldom-available Mountain Dew that I crave every once in a while.
She Said: It was a special occasion, times 2, so I looked to the cocktails list and was so happy to find Salsa’s offers a cucumber margarita! (I do love a cucumber cocktail or mocktail very, very much.) It was tasty, suitably “grown-up” and not too sweet, as some margarita flavors are for me. I had two, one for our anniversary, and one to celebrate my cousin being in town.
Food
He Said: I was at first paralyzed by choice, since the menu was really large and varied, with pretty much any kind of popular Mexican food choice available. Then my eyes locked onto the “combo” meals, which come with refried beans and rice, and you can choose one, two or three main dishes to fill out the combo. I chose the two-item selection and ordered a burrito with fajita chicken and red sauce, and an enchilada with grilled chicken and cheese sauce, to go with my refried beans and Mexican rice. I was pleasantly surprised by the entrée: the burrito had a perfect blend of spices in the chicken, and a tasty red sauce, and the enchilada was delicious as well, and I was glad to have the cheese sauce that gave it an even more lively flavor. The refried beans and the rice were tasty as well—pretty much what I’m used to from most Mexican restaurants. But the two main selections were a cut above most of the other 9,475,652 Mexican restaurants in Conway. I was happy I’d ordered them.
She Said: I had perused the menu before we arrived and had settled on a taco salad, after enjoying their tasty guacamole with the chips, since I do not like salsa. (Don’t @ me: It’s made with two foods I dislike, tomatoes and peppers). I had originally thought I would get chicken with my taco salad, but once we arrived and reread the protein options, I took a chance on “fajita shrimp,” and I am glad I did. The salad itself was not huge, which I like, as I can never eat all those anyway, and a lot of times, it’s a big crispy shell filled mostly with lettuce. This taco salad had sour cream, guacamole, plenty of shrimp and some greens. I really enjoyed it, and even though it wasn’t huge, it was so filling, I couldn’t finish it, even though I wanted to. I would definitely get this again, as the shrimp was particularly good with the taco salad they serve.
Service
He Said: Our server was friendly, fast, and efficient, and was attentive without being intrusive.
She Said: Yes, I thought our server was great. There were a lot of options with what we ordered, and she took it all down, repeated it back to us and brought us our exact specifications. I really appreciate that attentiveness to detail.
Cousin Alice Says: From walking in the door to leaving nicely full, Salsa’s made me want to dance. There was fun music that wasn’t too loud, service was quick, and I was able to eat a delicious meal as a vegan with a lot of dietary restrictions! (I had the Ranchero Vegetariano.)
What We Got and What We Paid: 1 large guacamole and 1 large cheese dip, 1 Mountain Dew, 2 cucumber margaritas, 1 Ranchero Vegetariano, 1 taco salad with fajita shrimp, 1 2-combo with a burrito with fajita chicken and an enchilada with grilled chicken and cheese sauce, all for $85.77 before tip.
Elapsed Time from Our Arrival to Food Arrival: We entered at 5:10 p.m. and our entrées arrived at 5:33 p.m., and during these 23 minutes, we snacked on chips, salsa, queso and sipped our drinks.
Rating:
He Said: Salsa’s is definitely one of the better Mexican restaurants in Conway. And I’m definitely going there again.
She Said: I enjoyed the atmosphere, the food and the service very much, and any place that has a cucumber margarita is going to be on my short list!
Is Salsa’s good at what it’s good for? Salsa’s is a super Mexican restaurant in downtown Conway, with good food and drink and a celebratory atmosphere.