Salsa Y Beer - Do you wanna make the drive to Lake Balboa? You Should.

My review of Salsa Y Beer was originally printed in the Sun Community Newspapers on 5/3/2008, and is reprinted here with permission.

Before I tell you about Salsa Y Beer, a small Mexican eatery near Encino, you have to ask yourself one question.  What are you looking for when it comes to a Mexican restaurant?
Are you looking for a decent if uninspiring 3 item combo that you can get at one of any hundreds of places in the Valley?
Are you looking for a cool, hip vibe, a place with a long sleek bar that you can sidle up to and order form a list of tequila's a mile long?
Or maybe you're looking for a happening scene, a place where pretty people gather 3 deep at the bar, drinking watered down margaritas?  If you are, let me know, because I can think of places that will fit the bill just fine.

But if you are looking for authentic, unpretentious, delicious Mexican food, that will often surprise you, then look no further then Salsa Y Beer.

The space is small, and decorated with large, brightly colored murals of suns, moons an rustic scenery.  We were greeted warmly but then had to wait for a table.  If you go on the weekends, expect a wait because this place is almost always packed.

After sitting down we were served fresh, warm tortilla chips along with a spicy bean dip.

If salsa is a bit more to your liking, check out their  small salsa bar.  Their offerings range from your standard salsa fresca, to an unusual spicy orange salsa with coffee and chocolate notes, much like a mole.  Or they have a spicy green, creamy avocado salsa that has terrific pepita and cilantro flavors.

Our drink order was taken pretty quickly and I should tell you that they serve only beer and wine, so if you are looking for tequila, you won't find it here, although they do offer wine based margaritas and sangria.  Our drinks came quickly but then our server dashed off to take care of another table.  We noticed that the service was a little slow, but what the waitresses lacked in speed, they made up for with great attitudes.

While we noshed on chips and sipped our beers we check ed out the menu which serves food from the Jerez, Zacatecez region in Central Mexico.  There are your traditional menu items and others that sounded a bit more unusual, like the Carnes con Salsa de Molcajetes.   Vegetables, rice, beans and potatoes are served with your choice of meat and topped with Molcajetes sauce.  A molcajetes is a stone mortar and pestle used to crush the fiery red peppers that are the base of the sauce.
This dish is not for the faint of heart.  The flavors were delicious, the adovada, or cubed pork meat was beyond tender, but the heat of the dish was intense.
Another word of warning:  don't overindulge on chips and salsa at this place because the servings are huge.

The carnitas, grilled pork, was also pretty damn good.

It was steaming hot and practically falling off the plate.  The meat was incredibly moist, rich and flavorful, with that perfect caramelized crisp on the outside.

We also ordered the Steak Torta.  The portion was easily enough for two.  The crusty white bread was toasted to a golden brown and the cream sauce dripping off the sides was so good that finger licking was definitely in order.

Spicy Green Enchiladas also did not disappoint, in heat or in taste.  The all white meat chicken wasn't dried out as is so often the case.  The green sauce was creamy, sour cream based, not tomatillo as I had expected. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was.

The Fajitas Tostada came with shredded carne asada, some of the best I have ever had, along with freshly grilled onions, peppers and zucchini.

We also tried the Tortilla soup.  For the price, $3.99, the portion was more than generous.  The chicken was, again, all white meat, the veggies just tender enough without being mushy and the broth had a nice kick to it without being too spicy.

Like I said, Salsa Y Beer might not be the right call for a first date, a romantic evening or a night on the town, but it's certainly a good choice for a family dinner or a casual evening out.  It's for sure a great choice anytime if you are looking for delicious, quality food, friendly service and a reasonable price. 

But before you tell your friends about Salsa Y Beer, make sure you ask them that one question:  "What are you looking for in a Mexican Restaurant?"

Salsa Y Beer

6740 White Oak Ave.
Lake Balboa, CA 91406
         818.609.8877      
Hours:  Sun-Thurs:  11 am - 9 pm
Fri - Sat:  11 am - 10 pm      

Comments

[erin]

Oh, those carnitas look amazing! I never explored the Valley enough when I lived in LA. There is actually a taco truck on my block here in NY and new yorkers rave about it, but it's no substitute for SoCal Mexican food.

[Deborah]

I'm definitely all for the authentic, unpretentious food. This sounds delicious. Now if I only lived in California!!