Salazar — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Salazar. Great food and the ideal twilight LA atmosphere. If you don’t booze and stick to the tacos you can actually get out of there for surprisingly cheap. But let’s see you try to pass the psychedelically long wait time without a few delicious pineapple margs. Most likely you’ll cave, just out of boredom. (No clue what “google wait time” is measuring...the walk from your car?)

During this grueling wait time you WILL ask yourself WHY. On first entering Salazar you think: cute, a high-end lil Mexican cantina vibe. Then you look around and realize this is the most deceptively gigantic restaurant ever....“Damn, I am literally eating at The Staples Center, no wonder this is taking a century.” I don’t normally get flustered over a decent wait; I’m from California, I like good food, I like Friday nights; a lot of other people are going to have the same idea. But Salazar is kind of next level. Get ready to forward your mail and put the old auto-reply on your email—you’re going to be here for a while. It’s not really for lack of (friendly, helpful) staff—there are no less than 17 servers dragging their lead feet around like they’re Frankenstein over the outdoor gravel “floor”.

I actually really like that the margaritas aren’t stupidly strong here—kinda refreshing after the El Compadre diesel that has me dancing with a lampshade after three sips. Nonetheless, by the time you have a couple of these, you won’t even notice your waiter asking if you want “chips, salsa, and guacamole” —speaking so quickly it’s like the Micromachine Man at an auction. And little wonder why; that last word that sounded more like “gacmle” instead of “guacamole” is a sly $15. Oh well, call it the door fee to Club Salazar.

Anyway god bless that little shoe box-size kitchen (think this must be an old auto shop?) working their tails off to plate 4,000 tacos per hour—I fully appreciate that and whatever time issue is going on here is likely not for lack of hustle.

I think the management might just need to calm down on the quantity of tables. It ain’t making anything go faster, and now you’ve got four tables literally within farting distance of the toilets. Could that really be less repulsive than just taking reservations?

And along these lines—just a general thought on the subject: maybe avoid continually telling your patrons that you’re “backed up”...”The kitchen is a little BACKED UP,” or “we are just really BACKED UP right now,”——the image is pretty evocative of a plunger situation. Speaking of, avoid the black beans. But don’t leave without trying the street corn. Explore the tacos, the tortillas are perfection and the al pastor will never disappoint.

2022 update: They now take reservations! Unfortunately I had to find this out from an extremely sassy, husky, tattooed with glasses waiter (normally that’s my exact friend profile!) who narrowed his eyes and snapped at me: “welllll this is why people make reservations!!” My crime? Err not wanting to sit at that back table that is literally inside the server station with a trash can and flies buzzing around like a city dump. My genuine reply was “wait you take reservations?” Cuz for like years y’all didn’t even have a phone as part of I don’t know the boho LA river vibe happening (which I love don’t get me wrong). Anyway, apparently you can book seats and tables here like you’re flying British Airways now, that’s fantastic. I will know next time and avoid eye contact with the mostly quite miserable-seeming staff…testament to the tacos, mezcal, and street corn because I will...

So…as a native of the town of the Rana’s aka frogs…I would say authenticity and respect for the neighboring culture, which made Salazar’s auto repair shop, is def lacking… The food can use a second taste, just to make sure that dash of Latino flavor is still there. In my opinion, the molcajete should be a staple at any Mexican restaurant and if too pricey for a consumer maybe adjusting the contents or serving size would not be a bad idea. Instead of Getting rid of it completely, Why not a mini Molcajete? I see that not a lot of places ever offer a one person serving and maybe they should.

The customer service was saved by the waiters charm and smile, and the bus boy’s friendly conversation. Rather than just a quick pick up or water being brought to the table, he asked us if we did need anything and also recommended some of the food.

The best part was the fact I was there with my family and what would of been perfect was to feel back at home, instead of on a set of a hip Netflix series about gentrification and all the other trending words we can’t get away from.

I don’t like to point people out, but I will say that we can all evolve as humans and a culture, Without letting the heaviness of the long black trench coat, and the sharpness of those trendy heart framed glasses get in the way of a friendly hello or smile. When you have to drop a plate off at a table or clean one near another party, that heavy dark energy can definitely be the reason an establishment can go down. So if you’re not a people person, maybe staying in the background and not around the customers would be a better role in the business.

Keep the culture. Keep the authenticity…or bring it back. Just because different things pop up in the vicinity, try not to forget that there’s still a neighborhood that would support your ever changing business as long as you don’t forget about them and the role they played in the success of...

Food was nothing special. By the looks of how the menu is partially in Spanish, I thought it would be a little more special. The chilaquiles were a 2/5 - the red sauce has a decent amount of spice, but there is no other flavor and no protein other than the one egg on top. Someone else got a breakfast burrito and it just looked liked a regular burrito; no dipping sauce or anything mexican about it. Besides the food, the service was weird. Our physical server was really nice and attentive but the hostesses were weird.The first one greeted us and had us wait a minute while she was busy which was completely fine. Another hostess greeted u, "Hello"....complete awkward silence and staring for a good 5 seconds while my party just stood there waiting for them to ask us how many in our party. The second hostess put her elbow on the hostess stand and laid her head on it and just stared without saying anything. We got weirded out and proceeded to ask her if we could sit for a party of 2 after the awkward silence and stare. She replied with yes, then...again another awkward moment of silence. Next, I said "ok, can we just choose anywhere to sit then?" She laughs and says no. FINALLY, the original hostess shows up but i dont know if she was training the second one or if they were both high or what....but I honestly did not want to sit and eat there after that experience with the second hostess. The best things we ordered were the watermelon and cucumber frescas (non-alcoholic). Also, we were never informed that the chips and salsa they offer after you are seated is not...