Excellent Mexican Restaurant - The Salsa Kitchen

[Ulysses G.]

I guess you mean SoJo's. At one time the best farang (American anyway) food in the city. Not nearly so good now, and rather expensive too. Also, way out in World Club. I think they cater almost exclusively to missionaries now.

Yes, the place with Southern US cooking was Sojo's. I forgot to include the name.

It is good to know that they aren't so good anymore as the World Club is too far for me to go on a regular basis.

I really liked some of He11's Kitchen's food, but the most basic things - like potato salad - were tasteless to me. I much prefer Salsa Kitchen's Ribs, but LaTeefe was quite the character. I wish him well!

By the way, Lateefe's baked beans were amazing - The Duke's do not even come close. I bet Dave the Duke would pay a pretty penny to get his hands on LaTeefe's genuine soul food recipe (Dave's ribs are better though)!

Edited June 19, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[HTWoodson]

Can someone tell me where the new location is? Thanks I'll give it a try next time I'm in town.

Here is their website:

http://www.thesalsakitchen.com/index.html

[el jefe]

My wife needed her pork fat fix, so we were in Salsa Kitchen last night for the ribs. I had the Ropa Vieja with the potato salad and all the other sides. A generous portion of beef and they did well giving it a Cuban flavor. The only thing remotely Mexican though was corn on the cob. They used to have a pickled jalapeno salsa on the table, but no more. That was one of the best things they had. It spiced up their dishes since they refuse to use any heat even when required and requested.

[PeaceBlondie]

They serve Ropa Vieja? That's not old rope; it's old clothes! Can I order lumberjack shirt served with sauce?

Agreed, the 'Mexican' entrees are not spicy. The hot flavor in the dark sauce in 'southern' Mexico (Oaxaca, not Chiapas) comes not from chocolatl, but from very hot chiles in the mole. At Miguel's, you taste chiles.

[elektrified]

They serve Ropa Viejo? That's not old rope; it's old clothes! Can I order lumberjack shirt served with sauce?

Agreed, the 'Mexican' entrees are not spicy. The hot flavor in the dark sauce in 'southern' Mexico (Oaxaca, not Chiapas) comes not from chocolatl, but from very hot chiles. At Miguel's, you taste chiles.

I too think that the food from the Oaxaca region is some of the best Mexican cuisine. I concur with PB, chiles not chocolate. I think the "mole" sauce is actually from another region.

[heybruce]

They serve Ropa Vieja? That's not old rope; it's old clothes! Can I order lumberjack shirt served with sauce?

Agreed, the 'Mexican' entrees are not spicy. The hot flavor in the dark sauce in 'southern' Mexico (Oaxaca, not Chiapas) comes not from chocolatl, but from very hot chiles in the mole. At Miguel's, you taste chiles.

I think Oaxaca qualifies as southern Mexico, there's a lot more of Mexico north of it than south. The mole I tasted wasn't very hot, I just didn't like the flavor. There are probably different kinds, the stuff I had tasted of unsweetened chocolate.

[piercefilmlid]

Overall, I too think the food is OK but Mexican it is not!

I have eaten at Salsa Kitchen a couple of times and thought the food well prepared and good value.

Best "mexican type food" by far in CM.

Have you tried Miguel's?

Yes, which is why I eat at Salsa Kitchen.

[gpdjohn]

My wife needed her pork fat fix, so we were in Salsa Kitchen last night for the ribs. I had the Ropa Vieja with the potato salad and all the other sides. A generous portion of beef and they did well giving it a Cuban flavor. The only thing remotely Mexican though was corn on the cob. They used to have a pickled jalapeno salsa on the table, but no more. That was one of the best things they had. It spiced up their dishes since they refuse to use any heat even when required and requested.

That was the first thing my wife went for..pulling out the big cloves of garlic covered in jalapenos.

Noticed it wasn't on the table on our last visit and just figured that they saw us coming from the Shell station across the street and didn't want the wife to eat it all...

[just_Elaine]

We have eaten at Salsa Kitchen a few times in the last month. The food was very good each time - well prepared food and tasty. I like the beef in the red chili sauce (can't remember what it is called). We also really liked the salad that came with our meals. I have not tried the ribs yet this year, but plan to soon.