El Chilacatazo — Restaurant in Salinas

Upon entering El Chilacatazo, I was a bit worried by the ostentatious decor, complete with rainbow-colored walls and sombreros hanging everywhere. The fact there were three different menus -- none of which seemed to be the primary one -- deepened my vexation. When I was served the chips and salsa though, my tune changed drastically. This place has the best salsa I have ever had, which is a high praise considering I could tell you exactly which place was unseated (and they had a kick-ass tomatillo salsa). El Chilacatazo's salsa was deep, earthy, and smoky; you could see the flecks of char suspended within. It was decently spicy, what I would call exactly the right level of spice: enough to demand attention but not enough to drown out the rest of the experience. It was full of freshly chopped onions and cilantro. The chips were excellent too. I would guess they were fried in house, and they were thick and crunchy without being too hard and sharp. They had their own flavor but weren't oily at all. Honestly, I could stop the review here and tell you to visit just for that experience. But I was hungry, as I'd just sat through several hours in the courthouse waiting for jury duty appointments, so I am obligated to inform you of my further orders. I finally decided on the shrimp tacos and a sampling of two pupusas, one loroco and one chicharron. It took a bit longer than I had expected for them to come out, but it was quite a busy day and it wasn't enough to be a problem. When the tacos arrived, the first thing I noticed was the absolute heap of guacamole slapped upon each one. I suspect the tortillas were made in house as well, and if not they clearly have an excellent supplier. The tacos were filled to the brim with shrimp, guacamole, and everything else you could imagine, and were stupendous. The whole thing tasted so juicy and fresh, and I downed all three before the pupusas had a chance to make an appearance. My favorite thing about these tacos was the variety of textures. The chewy tortillas, stringy cheese, plump shrimp, and refreshing guacamole all contributed to a sensory symphony in three (identical nonetheless wonderful) movements. If I had to complain, I did think the shrimp could use more spice, as they were mostly bare, but that was mostly supplied by everything else in the taco. Before discussing the pupusas, I must disclaim that I have only ever had pupusas once before, which I considered a solid five-star meal. My initial sampling of these pupusas felt very different, and while I cannot claim which was more authentic or was made in a superior fashion, I can describe my subjective experience and enjoyment. Initially, I thought the pupusas were quite undercooked, in particular the loroco one. It was almost still doughy and much lighter than the other one, as can be seen in the picture. This put me off at first and so I transitioned to the chicharron. This one I thoroughly enjoyed. It also felt a little undercooked, but I could feel the grain of masa (which I consider a positive) and could taste both the breading and filling, both of which were delicious. Returning to the loroco, I realized its softness was mostly due to the incredible amount of cheese and realized it was quite pleasant as well. Ultimately I really liked both of the pupusas. The curtido also undercut my expectations but was good too. It tasted almost exactly like kimchi. Clearly, my trepidation was for naught. El Chilacatazo's cheerful and colorful interior grew on me as I progressed through my meal, and I now associate it with truly stupendous cuisine. Their menu is somewhere between your average traditional Mexican joint and a gourmet, modern taqueria. They stick to their roots to produce excellent food, and provide enough inspiration to not just catch but hold the attention, and hearts, of...

I work across the street and finally came over for lunch. They've been open for 2 weeks now and the waitress did tell me that they have a 10% discount for the first month, so take that for what it's worth.

I was seated quickly. Since I've frequented the previous establishment there, I've became accustomed to the place. It's very spacious, nice music playing in the background. They do have pies and various pastries for dessert. I didn't see any alcohol on the menu or in the refrigerator in back. They have high chairs for the the kiddos and I didn't see the restroom.

As for the food, I got a Chorizo & Eggs breakfast burrito. It was delicious. It came with a side of chips and salsa. I like a warm tortilla chip, lightly salted but the chip was cold and bland. The salsa was fantastic. I was also given a red & green sauce to go with my burrito. The verde sauce was amazing, creamy and savory. It put the burrito on another level.

I definitely will come back to check out other...

Came with a party of 7 including 2 toddlers and had a great experience. First impression was that the restaurant was really clean and I enjoyed looking at the tasteful art, tapestry, and ornaments on the walls. The food was outstanding. Everything got something different (Birria tacos, fajitas, sopa, Caldo de Pescado y Camarones) and we all enjoyed our food. The tortillas are handmade with the option of flour or corn. The Sangria was excellent and more flavor than just being sweet, same with the Jamaica referesca. Last but not least, the service was excellent and truly hospitable. Vicky really took care of my family and made sure we...