El Chiloko Restaurant

We were in Salinas for one night, and the owner of the hotel where we stayed recommended this place for good Mexican food, and he was right. We walked over for dinner, and had enchiladas, carne asada, and burritos. We really enjoyed the food — it was fresh & flavorful, and we could spice it up any way we wanted with their spice bar, which offered several different salsa’s, along with fresh peppers, pickled jalepenos & onions, and some other spices. We enjoyed the food very much. This is not a place for those who are not adventurous. Their menu is a set of pictures & names of dishes on a wall (picture is below), so if you are not familiar with the dishes, it can probably be intimidating. There are also no prices posted anywhere. It screams «small town eatery», without much ambiance, but very good food. The gentleman who took our order was very friendly & helpful, and the lady who served our meals was also very friendly & helpful. If you are looking for some good Mexican food in Salinas, this may be a good option if you are an adventurous sort. Next time we are in the area, we’ll defnitely go back, and probably order something blindly «off the wall» (new for us).

Little old lady was shy but nice. I ordered the Vallarta shrimp. I got some mini shrimp on tooth picks wrapped in a string of bacon. The rice and beans were bland. Overheard the cook telling a customer that the internet bill wasn’t paid so they couldn’t charge credit or debit cards, fortunately I had cash on me.