Don Sal Cocina & Cantina — Restaurant in Lancaster

I should have posted this the night we visited but I left my phone elsewhere. We immediately seemed to agitate staff based on our arrival time, 30 mins before closing. I KNOW, I KNOW, DON'T JUDGE US we've all been that guy at some point 😊. We were seated immediately by a smiling young woman, at a booth in the middle of the room facing a large kitchen with viewing glass. A group of staff sat in the far corner laughing and most likely sharing stories of their shift. Their body language, synchronized stares, as if we walked in late to a wedding, looks of exasperation & head rolls towards our party from across the room were not necessary or appreciated. I didn't get the name of the young woman that seated us but soon she joined the other staff sitting in the corner. Their plans to drink after a tiring shift were easily overheard as the place was pretty empty now and I'm sure well deserved after a long shift. This did not distract us too much, as we felt guilty about showing up late and already knew what we wanted to order, no menu needed (a bean burrito, a side of fries and a side salad). I realize We could get these items at any fast food place but we were already on the boulevard so why not keep money local right? We understand the arrival time may have been an etiquette call but welcome to the food industry, people will always show up late. American sized portions, from what I saw on other people's abandoned plates at a booth nearby, we even witnessed a table shoving several sets of flatware into their to go boxes, eww. We sat idle for a while, finally recieved water on the table and a drink order for 3 ice teas. Nearly finishing our water, we noticed the beautiful kitchen was clearly being cleaned up for the night and our server, if assigned one, was blatantly MIA. Fearing we would not be served we decided to leave, not terribly upset just a little hungry and already deciding where we could go grab a bite. We decided to leave and either no one noticed or cared to fake any sort of professionalism or acknowledgment of our sluggish exit (still hoping to be addressed). We could have easily walked out on our bill, had we been served and received a bill. The group in the corner didn't flash the slightest glance, as one could only assume was their wish to simply end their night and rid the resturante of it's lingering patrons. One guest walked towards the group and asked for his bill. I should have encouraged him to simply leave but he did not look to be in a joking mood. Positive things I can say is the young woman that seated us at least threw on smile, albeit obligatory it's the effort that's appreciated. Staff uniform were basic & professional, and there is proof that the kitchen does get cleaned. We ultimately took our cash to Palmdale, as we will do in the future; we were not made to feel like an inconvenience to the staff. I would have like to have had the opportunity to fairly critiqued Don Sals but the opportunity was not presented as I'd hoped. Food service is the one place I don't believe in second chances. THANK YOU YARD HOUSE for a warm, welcoming night of great food, unplanned cocktails and excellent service; well deserved 30% tip, we look forward to future dining in...

A Disappointing Experience with a Rude and Dismissive Waitress

I have been a loyal customer at Don Sal Cocina & Cantina for quite some time, and it’s truly unfortunate that I had the worst experience during my last two visits. I’ve always enjoyed the food and atmosphere, but my encounters with Miriam, our waitress, on Saturday night (3/29/25) and Sunday brunch (3/30/25) were beyond disappointing.

Saturday Night (3/29/25): From the moment Miriam approached our table in the booth section, her attitude was noticeably rude and dismissive. It was clear that she was having a bad day, but unfortunately, that energy was projected onto us. Every time we asked a question about the menu, she cut us off before we could even finish, making us feel like we were inconveniencing her. The real issue arose when we politely mentioned that the beverage we usually order didn’t taste the same and asked if we could switch it for something else. Instead of handling the request professionally, she became visibly irritated, repeatedly questioning us almost interrogating about why it didn’t taste the same. It was incredibly uncomfortable. Thankfully, another employee noticed the situation and immediately stepped in to resolve it.

At the time, I chose to give her the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has bad days, and I didn’t want this one incident to cloud my perception of a restaurant I truly enjoy.

Sunday Brunch (3/30/25): However, I was completely shocked when I returned the following day for brunch and had an even worse experience with the same waitress. From the moment she approached the table, her attitude was even more condescending than the night before. We were handed menus when we were seated, but when we kindly asked for the brunch menu, she immediately snapped, saying loudly, “No, we do not do that! Sundays are buffet only.” She then insisted on taking back all the menus in an abrupt and dismissive manner.

I remained calm and simply acknowledged that we weren’t aware of the Sunday buffet setup. Instead of a polite response, she shook her head, scoffed, and said, “Oh well, it happens every Sunday nothing new.” At this point, I felt completely disrespected and unwelcome. The way she handled the situation was not only unprofessional but also incredibly rude. Her demeanor made it clear that she had no interest in providing good service. At that moment, I decided we would just leave rather than endure more of her hostility.

As we stood up, she aggressively snatched the menus from us, further solidifying that her behavior wasn’t just a one-time lapse in professionalism it was a pattern.

I never leave negative reviews, especially for places I truly enjoy, but this experience was completely unacceptable. Loyal customers or ANY CUSTOMERS should never be treated with such disrespect. The way Miriam handled both encounters was unprofessional, dismissive, and honestly, humiliating. It’s disappointing because I’ve always loved Don Sal, but experiences like this make you question whether returning is worth it. I sincerely hope management takes situations like these seriously because no customer loyal or new deserves to be...

We visited Don Sal Cocina on a Friday evening for dinner. There were three in our party: me, my wife, and my teenage granddaughter. We purposely arrived a little early for dinner, about 4:30, so that we could avoid the weekend crowd.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a pleasant hostess who asked if we preferred a table or a booth. We chose a table. She cheerfully accommodated our preference, but advised us that the tables are cleared off in about three hours so that the area could be used as a dance floor. I assured her that we intended to be finished with our dinner within the three hour time limit. We both smiled at the absurd thought that my wife and I, senior citizens eating during "early bird" hours, would actually commandeer a dining table for more than three hours and interrupt the evening's dance event.

We were escorted to our table and in a short time chips, salsa, and bean dip were set before us. We dug in immediately. The chips were nice and crunchy with just enough salt. The red salsa was full of flavor and the bean dip was good as well.

Our food server came to our table within a couple minutes to take our order. As we placed our orders, he carefully explained the basic ingredients of the dish and accommodated any requests to omit certain ingredients from the entree. (My wife is notorious for always asking that her food not include tomatoes, onions, or sour cream.)

There were many specialty items to choose from, all of which looked great and were quite tempting. However, we played it rather safe, with my wife and I getting "combo" meals and my granddaughter ordering a beef Ranchero burrito. My wife's combo included a beef taco with a cheese enchilada. She really enjoyed it and let me have a taste of her taco. The taco was stuffed with meat, and the beef was tender and well-seasoned. My combo included a carnitas taco and a shrimp enchilada. Again, a generous portion of chunky meat was on the taco and it was tasty and tender. The shrimp enchilada contained shrimp in every bite and the sauce that came on the enchilada complimented the shrimp without overpowering it. My granddaughter really enjoyed her burrito but did not offer to share a bite with me, so I'll have to take her word for it.

Our service was good and the interior of the restaurant is inviting with high ceilings and lots of rustic wood. We ended up quite full and satisfied, and beat our three hour time limit by two full hours. Let the dancing begin! We all enjoyed the experience and look forward to returning again someday to try...