Salt & Lime Cabo Grill — Restaurant in Raleigh

Amazing experience with only minor gripes.

Let's get to the good first: the service here was excellent. We visited on a slow Monday afternoon and our server was attentive, quick, and more importantly, timely - she knew when to check on our needs and when to let us enjoy our food. She also gave helpful recommendations, many of which we took, and most were worth it.

My father ordered the Key Lime Mahi-Mahi and enjoyed it thoroughly. The balance of lime and mango, with hints of curry over the top, was splendid. The fish and shrimp were well prepared, and the bed of coconut rice carried the meal fantastically.

My mother ordered the Surf & Turf Burrito and certainly got her money's worth. She kept inviting us to take a bite, not only because there was so much to share, but also because of how well the steak and shrimp and grilled onions complemented each other.

I ordered the Cabo Burger, which came with a side of sweet potato fries and honey chipotle sauce. Those fries... oh man were they good. Massive wedges of sweet potato with a crispy crust that somehow avoided the starchiness that makes me dislike things like steak fries. And the sauce took them over the top. I'd go back just for those. The burger was well-constructed as well, meats layered and married with cheese and accented with a delicious chipotle-tomato jam. Hard to share bites because I didn't want to let it go (except to eat my fries!)

Dessert was their tres leches, which was moist and delicious, though not as creamy as your usual tres leches. If soggy cake has kept you away from tres leches, try theirs here. It was topped with caramel apples and toasted coconut and accompanied with cinnamon ice cream. Ended the meal perfectly.

Alright, minor gripes: We got the Cabo Rolls as an appetizer and they didn't really work for us. They came out very oily and the filling was a bit boring, especially without the spicy ranch. They don't serve any aguas frescas (horchata, jamaica, tamarindo), which was a little disappointing. Last, the Cabo Burger, while excellent, came out on a cool bun. Hot meat should be served on hot bread, so a little toasting on the bun would have made it impeccable.

Otherwise, it's on my family's map now and we'll definitely...

Salt & Lime for the last two years has been one of my favorite restaurants. I visit this place a few times a month, even ordering take out. Most times my experiences have been good but last night it was terrible. Every time I have dined in the African American girl with dreads or the Caucasian guy with tattoo's on his arm have been my server and they have been great. Last night I got a dark hair guy that didn't have the best customer service skills and had a very nonchalant attitude. On several occasions my daughter and I had to ask other servers to get our server for us. We asked for queso dip and he brought out the chips and said the dip would come out soon. Another lady server brought out the dip a few minutes later and it was cold. It took several minutes to get him to come back to the table so that we could tell him that the dip was cold. When the server brought the dip back out to us for the second time it was cold again. The lady server proceeds to come over to the table and tell us that our food was cold because the kitchen is so busy (as if that is our fault). The entire time we are looking around at others enjoying HOT food. Soon the manager comes over and brings our food (his attitude was worse than the server). We proceeded to tell him the dip came out twice cold, he states that he doesn't know why. Not once did this man apologize! He treated us as if we were lying. The manager put our food on the table and said he would take the dip off our ticket and walked away. But why wouldn't he remove the dip...we never ate it...we didn't even have it in our possession any longer...so he wasn't doing us a favor. I told my daughter to get her things and lets go because the customer service was terrible!!! We never even...

Overall Rating (1-10): 4.8 The interior of the restaurant provided a unique and welcoming ambiance. The food quality was above average, but the service did not elevate the dining experience to be exceptional.

Atmosphere (1-10): 8.2 The restaurant's interior was beautifully adorned with plenty of plants and intricately detailed walls that cleverly divided the large space into smaller, intimate sections. The music selection was family-friendly and complemented the atmosphere well.

Service (1-10): 3.3 The server was very courteous and attentive, recognizing the needs of a child with a cup with a lid. However, the initial wait of around five minutes before being greeted was noticeable. Although water was served promptly during the introduction, the delay meant skipping appetizers in favor of ordering entrees directly.

Short Rib / Mahi Mahi Street Taco (1-10): 6.3 These street tacos were above average, boasting noticeable quality and an appealing presentation. However, for $17, the portion didn't meet expectations for value without any accompanying sides.

Kids Quesadilla (1-10): 6.9 The quesadilla was very tasty and cooked to perfection, matching what one would hope for in such a dish. The fries were also impressive, rivalling those from specialized American restaurants.

Cleanliness (1-10): 8.5 The restaurant, especially the bathrooms, was exceptionally clean and well-maintained, which was a pleasant surprise.

Value (1-10): 4.9 The total bill for three came to $44 before tip, which felt very reasonable for the quality of food received but the portions were not enough to properly classify as entrees. If sides were ordered, it would of cost of $20 dollars for street taco entree. Also, on the Queso dip pricing, adding 1$ for jalapeños...