Café Salsa

Closed too bad it was better than Lauriol Plaza.

I was sad when this place closed a few months ago. The Cuban sandwich there was out of this world. But alas, the space is now occupied by a nice flower shop!

I took a friend to Café Salsa last night (Saturday, September 18). It was close to 9 pm when we got there. The first floor was almost packed; we sat at the table by the front window. Although close to the door it didn’t bother us and we enjoyed looking outside.
The server was friendly and overall the service was ok. Not great as it was a bit slow at times, but considering that the restaurant was crowded it was not bad.
I had been to this restaurant before and it was one of my favorites. However, it had been more than 6 months since the last time I visited and I was a bit concerned after reading some of the recent reviews.
I was not disappointed. The food was as good as I remembered it. And most of all my friend was very happy with it as well.
The only reason I did not give it 5 Stars was because the service was not stellar.

Good, not great. Not much flavor to my chicken dish. The mojitos were good though.

This place is closed!

Try the Tres Leches for dessert… it’s Orgasmic! Good atmosphere, ask for a room upstairs if you have a group of 6 – 8 for a more private dinner. The Puerto Rican Piononos is decadent! Good portions for the price. I recommend this place to all my house guests.

I thought the food was delicious and the prices were right. We ordered the ceviche appetizer (quite big), a fish entrée and mixed seafood entrée salad. All were very fresh and a nice size portion. Service was good, too. I’ll definitely be back.

For years I’ve been traveling to Riviera Maya and my favorite part of those trips has to be the local flavors of the Yucatan. Very different from what most Americans considers Mexican food. I would describe it as lighter, with a greater variety of fresh flavors rather than the heavy, occasionally spicy or cheesy items you get at say an Alero or Cactus Cantina. Not better or worse than those places, just different, so remember that if you’re checking Café Salsa out.
My favorite thing to eat when in Mexico is lime soup, essentially chicken soup marinated with limes. While the authentic is better, this is the only place in the city I’ve found where I can even get it, and a pretty good, and tasty, concession all things considered. I’ve been there for both dinner and happy hour (5pm-​8pm) and I will have to say sitting at the bar for HH is the way to go. Drinks are cheaper (great sangria and mojitos) and apps are half off, which you can easily make a meal out of and will give you the greatest variety of dishes to experience. The quesadillas and the mole are fantastic.
The bad is, just like in the Yucatan, table service is occasionally slow. That’s something that can stay behind in Mexico. A man needs to EAT!

Went here with a group of 6 girls on a Saturday night. I think we arrived about 10 and there was plenty of space, so we didn’t have to wait at all.
The service was wonderful. I think our waiter was Miguel, and we made it a point to chat with him and get his recommendations, etc. He was very attentive and sweet.
The chips were awesome and my friends all loved the tapenade, but I happen to hate olives. Miguel was kind enough to bring over a little bowl of salsa for me since we had told him we were starving.
We ended up ordering about 8 appetizers, and all were good. We also got a pitcher of margaritas (very good) and sangria (I think the ones who had it seemed to like it, as well). I think in the end we only ended up paying a little under $ 30 a person (including tip), which was pretty great for having had two drinks apiece and plenty of food. I think I’d probably order similarly again – it was great to have such variety with all the different appetizers.
All in all, not the most amazing meal I have ever had, but we all enjoyed it, and it was the only place of the night where we didn’t have to wait outside in the cold for half an hour, or end up being ignored by bartenders for ages. It at least seems like a great option for when Cork and Bar Pilar and all the other surrounding places to eat are crowded :)

What an incredible disappointment.
I’d been here twice before with my husband and friends. We’d enjoyed appropriate service and memorable — in a good way — food. So when my parents rolled into town this weekend and we wanted somewhere walkable from home, I thought this would be a surefire hit. Ummm… things have changed. And not for the better.
Rant #1: Reservation lost. Minus ½ star.
Made a reservation two weeks prior for 7:30. The guy who took it over the phone was cheerful. Made me spell my name, took my phone number. I repeated back the day & time… we had it straight. Arrived a few minutes after 7:30. The place was full; there was no table reserved. When I said «we have a reservation for 7:30,» the harried waiter/​host/​who knows what never asked for my name or looked at the (closed) reservation book on the front table. He said «it will be just a minute» and then we waited 15 more. When I make a reservation, I expect it to reserve a table. At a set time. Otherwise, I’d just walk in, right?
Rant #2: Holy _​_​_​_​the service SUCKED! There goes another star.
Our server was maybe 18 and if she wasn’t chewing gum, she should have been. Sauntered up to our table, asked if we wanted something to drink. We ordered a bottle of wine. Presented the bottle; dropped the corkscrew. Didn’t dust it off, apologize, or replace it. Just picked it back up & stuck it in the cork. Very appealing. Apparently couldn’t open a bottle of wine tableside, had someone else do it, and the cork broke. Second bottle was successfully presented by Other Server and wine was poured. Wrong appetizer was brought over by runner. Explained that we didn’t order that. He brought it to our indifferent service, in our eye shot, presented it to her with the explanation («they didn’t order it») and I guess she thought that if SHE brought it over, we might change our minds. Repeated same sentence to her. She stopped by once during the meal to ask how things were… and we told her it was pretty bad (see below under Rant #3, saving the best for last…). She said, «oh. Oh. I’m sorry» and wandered off. She stopped back again to drop the check but never returned to pick it back up with credit card attached. After another TEN MINUTES, I flagged Other Server who took the check. But didn’t bring it back. Seriously, TEN MORE MINUTES passed and I had to ask a «manager» to track it down. A dubious honor: the first time I used the CheckLite tip calculator feature on my iPhone to leave the barest of bare minimums. Horrid, horrid service. No one ever sincerly apologized for the poor quality of food or the wait.
Rant #3: The food. Subtract the last star + ½. Although I honestly should have rated the place a single five point wonder.
We’d been here in the past — the food was great! Not good — great. Tonight? The guacamole was blended smooth and devoid of flavor. My husband makes a mean guac at home, flavorful with cilantro and shallot and tomato and so on. This paled in comparison. We didn’t finish it. My mother watches her salt intake after her heart attack a few years ago — she requested that her red snapper be grilled instead of sauteed and asked that the sauce come on the side. She was served a lonely, wilted, overcooked piece of fish over tired vegetables. She ate two bites. Didn’t want anything else and I felt horrible that this is what was served to her. I ordered the Ensalada de Mariscos which I’d had before (and it was great!) — this time the mussels were bad (literally — smelled spoiled), the calamari tough and unchewable, the avocado flavorless. My husband and father did better with their entrees but not so much as to make up for the rest of the meal.
I was embarrassed to have brought my parents here, sad that it had deteriorated in quality, and furious that no one working there seemed to take a sincere interest in the satisfaction of their clientele. As we were leaving, the couple next to us was overheard mentioning that they remembered the food being better «last time.»
I couldn’t agree more. We won’t go back.

If you’re not deliberately searching for this place, you will most likely miss it. It’s tucked into a narrow space on 14^th Street, between R Street and Cork, and has possibly the most unassuming storefront in the world. I’m not even sure it says Café Salsa anywhere…
Anyway, I’m kind of on the fence about this place. We were a table of four, and I was the last to arrive, so we at least know they seat incomplete parties. The décor was kind of weird… ceilings too high, walls too red, Christmas stockings up way too early… just odd. The food was pretty good, though, although I’ve haven’t had much experience with Nuevo Latino cuisine. I ordered the Puerto Rican Piononos, which were three mounds of ropa vieja (shredded beef) wrapped in plantains and drizzled with melted mozzarella. I’m normally a little apprehensive about anything that is listed on the menu as «topped with melted cheese,» but this was relatively subtle and elevated the dish instead of burying it into gooey oblivion. The beef was well-​seasoned and was balanced with the sweetness of the plantains, although the «gourmet» salad accompaniment was nothing more than a few mixed greens, terrible tomatoes, and two medallions of hearts of palm. MEH. Other people at the table ordered the Fufu Marinero (which was deliciously fishy and stinky, with generous portions of calamari and zucchini) and the Matambre (with a name that translates into «killer of hunger,» it did the trick), which were both very good and not an overkill of Latino culinary tackiness. For dessert, we ordered the tres leches and «riko chocolate,» of which the former was exponentially better (we also had a hearty immature laugh over the phrase «rimmed with chocolate flakes»).
We started with a pitcher of sangria. The only variety they have is red, with crispy little apple bits floating around, but it is on the very sweet side. Nevertheless, we wound up ordering a second pitcher, and eventually wound up with a third and fourth after the large table next to us decided to leave early and generously donated them to us.
Service was very good and accommodating, even after we had a fifth late joiner. I would return if I were ever craving solid Latino comfort food, but, otherwise, nothing too exciting going on here.

My first Unilocal review, whoo di hoo! …Hoo.
Overall pretty yummy FOOD:
–I had the POLLO CAMPECHE. I definitely devoured the plate with a vengeance. The sauce was quite perfect so I spread that sucka around the chicken and rice. Mmmmm. Sweet potato wedges on the sides threw me off a little bit but that’s cool.
–Friend had the PIONONOS, shredded beef stuffed in plaintains, with what appeared to be sour cream on top. DIVINE, but kinda too much after awhile it seems.
–Other amigo had the «NEW ASIAN GROUPER,» Semi tough (but not crispy) and fishy fish. I’m into the fishy smell but maybe not others.
–Yummy chips and salsa but not enough Salsa. Giant chips but small dipping bowl. WTF?
SERVICE:
Friendly server: Shout out to Alex!
Took forever for the food. Would have not appreciated if I was hungry and ate with boring non-​conversationalists.
So there you have it.

The salsa which is an olive tapenade is delicious; I wish they sold that by the pint. And that’s where the good ends.
We walked in with a party for 6 on Wednesday night, there were 2 tables when we arrived but we got the impression they might not be able to seat us. But the host was able to find a table set for 6 behind him.
We were served the olive salsa while we looked over the menu. We should have known it would not go smoothly when request for refills were answered with a yes, but never actually refilled.
There was confusion with an entrée coming out as an appetizer and then later during meal coming out as an entrée. We had to ask for our entrees which had been sitting out for 15 minutes because there were waiting for us to finish the entrée they bought out as an appetizer, despite telling them his error and asking for the food to be bought out as it was ready. At this point we’re annoyed, but still this is going to be good, there were steak quesadillas and ceviche coming.
By the time we got the quesadillas the cheese was a glob of plastic oil and the steak had an unfortunate mix of being burnt (not charbroiled) on the outside, red in the middle and tasteless. The steak that was ordered was the hot mess, but the chorizo was good. It had to be stabbed with the fork and hacked into. It reminded me of that scene from the Simpsons were Lisa presents some fish sticks she had burnt, but it was frozen on the inside so it evened out.
Funny enough the last the dish to arrive was the ceviche, which was just a disappointment to anyone who knows it’s not just lime flavored shrimp with red onions on top.
As a group, most of us have/​do work in the restaurant industry and were just disappointed at the service and food. We can handle befuddled service if the food is good or okay food with great service, but not both accompanied by high prices.
Plates were sent back and the manager came over items were taken off the check and we were double charged for the vegetarian’s meal, which did come out twice but only eaten once. I have never spent so much money on a glass of wine and olive tapenade before. It’s such a shame because DC could use a good Latin food restaurant that isn’t nestled away in a VA or MD Hispanic neighborhood.

SETTING: Went about 6 months ago. 2x. Once for a private birthday dinner and once for drinks at the bar.
SERVICE: Rushed and almost invisible (though apologetic and responsive when available) the one night (early stages and busy night) but most helpful and friendly bartender the other night.
DECOR: Simple but lively. Maybe too simple in some rooms. (Echo chamber, etc.)
DESSERT:
Gimme another, pronto.
DRINKS: Strong.
VERDICT:
Yes

I LOVE this restaurant. I’m not one for expensive food or meat, and although this is a little of both, I think their beef pinonos are one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Their mojitos are amazing, and their tres leches cake is one of the best cakes I have ever eaten. I’m overall pretty critical of restaurants, but this one is just amazing. I have eaten in Logan Circle and gotten the meal catered to an event, and both were equally good. Try it. (Not great for vegetarians)

If there was ever a time I was going to be high maintenance (typically I’m a lot more shambly than chic), it was a few weeks ago when I organized my friend’s bachelorette dinner at Café Salsa. The staff and the kitchen did not let us down. The mojitos were, as Arielle F. said, not too sweet, the sangria was strong and fruity, and our meal was amazing. I’m not giving five stars only because I don’t feel comfortable doing that based on one visit.
The food I had was impressive. The gazpacho, which was the thin, non-​chunky kind, was super garlicky (as it should be) and still packed a lot of flavor. For dinner I had the piononos … O.M.G. I so wanted to finish this traditional Puerto Rican plantain dish, but it was just not possible. The quesadilla was also good.
I would say that the staff really shines here. Two different bartenders waited on me while I was waiting for everyone to arrive, and the second kept me company for what turned out to be awhile while everyone dealt with metro/​traffic delays. He was great. The hostess was very accommodating about holding our table for 8 even though we sat down about a half hour late. Our waitress was a great server, but also fun, getting into our celebration and offering to bring a dessert with a candle for the guest of honor! We never waited too long for anything or felt rushed. I’m so happy they made it a great night, and will be sure to be back!

Came here for dinner the other night and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the place was. This place has been on my «DC do to list» for a while, and I was happy that it lived up to my expectations. I really enjoyed the mojito– it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet and it came with real sugar cane, which really impressed me. I split the papitas Rellenas and the Alcapurrias de Mar. Both were heavy and, even though they didn’t have the boldest flavors, they for sure filled me up. Other then having to wait to get the check, the service was great. And once we did ask for it, it came right away.
What’s really great about the place is the upstairs bar where they host the happy hour. The area is huge, making it a great spot to go to with a group. They have seating at the bar and they also have small couches, which is great because then you’re not competing for space at the bar– the tell tale sign of a bad happy hour spot. The happy hours vary daily, so check their website, but definitely add this place to your DC to do list if you haven’t done so already.

After seeing the review in the Express, we decided to check out the weekday 4−8pm happy hour with half price drinks and apps. We arrived a bit late (7:45) and tried to get mojitos at the bar upstairs before we missed it. We were ignored by the bartenders for 7 – 8 minutes before the hostess came to tell us our table was ready. We explained what we were trying to do, and the manager graciously comped two mojitos for us! I wouldn’t expect this to happen again, but I’ll chalk it up to a new place trying to make a good reputation for itself.
Even without the free drinks (which were some of the best mojitos I’ve had), the food was enough for a return trip. We ordered the cuban nachos, shrimp with sofrito, and ceviche — all appetizers — and had to take some home. These may have been the biggest appetizers, but they were enough for a meal for 2. We will definitely go back to get them for half price — though 8 or 9 bucks was a reasonable full price.
The waiter was a little bit absent… may have had something to do with the girls at the next table who spilled their pitcher of margaritas TWICE! Keep a hand on that top when you pour :-)

My first impression was one of wonder as to how some place that just opened last month could be so busy, then I tasted their food. I ordered the vegetarian peppers dish and my friend ordered a steak dish. I didn’t try his, but that vegetarian dish is something I have been dreaming about since I had it last Friday. Honestly, some of the best food I’ve had in this city.
Great food, great staff, great atmosphere. This place is definitely a new regular spot for me. Finally, order a mojito, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the presentation.

So the place just opened so I can forgive the uneven service. The waitress was a bit frazzled and came back to double check our app order 15 minutes after we placed it and 2 minutes before the entrees came out. They fixed the mix up and were very nice about it (I would have let it go but the company I keep is not prone to letting things like this go), and they brought out free dessert, which was nice. New restaurant, these things happen. Older folks who seemed to be the owners were there and they couldn’t have been nicer, greeting us as we came and left.
BUT, the food just wasn’t that great. The best measure of a dinner is whether or not I could have made it at home. I had some kind of stuffed vegetarian pepper, meh — probably could have thrown it together with some rice myself. My app (which was delivered before the entrees after the mix up) was good — a banana stuffed with sea food. I would have liked a bit more alcohol in my caipirinha (which I can neither spell nor pronounce) and the sangria we ordered, but perhaps I should just stick to pure alcohol drinks and stay away from the sugary stuff.
Regardless, I think you can do better elsewhere.