Selena's Salvadorian Restaurant — Restaurant in Tucson

As a mother, nothing upsets me more than hearing that my son was treated with such disrespect and distrust at a place where he was simply trying to enjoy a meal. I wasn't there, but after hearing about what happened, I can confidently say--this is a restaurant that no one should support.

Food That Was Both Disgusting and Unsanitary

First, let's talk about the food. A hair in his coleslaw. Absolutely unacceptable. That alone would make most people walk out, but he stayed and gave them a chance. What did he get? Shrimp and beef that were barely edible. The only thing that wasn't terrible was the chicken, but even that wasn't enough to save the meal.

Service That Was Beyond Disrespectful

Good customer service isn't hard. A simple greeting, a warm attitude, and basic attentiveness go a long way. But what did they do? Nothing. No welcome, no check-ins, no water, no refills--they didn't even bring him silverware. My son and his girlfriend had to get it themselves.

And when he politely mentioned seeing their stand at the farmers market to try and build a connection? The server still didn't care. It's one thing to be inattentive, but this was just rude.

Accused of Stealing Because He Stepped Outside?

Then came the part that truly infuriated me. Their system shut down, and they suddenly only accepted cash--without warning. My son's girlfriend had to leave to find an ATM while he stayed at the restaurant.

He stepped outside to get fresh air and make a phone call--and the staff actually followed him out, watching him like he was about to steal. They jumped to conclusions and treated my son like a criminal when all he was doing was waiting to pay.

Racial Discrimination That's Impossible to Ignore

As if that wasn't bad enough, what happened next made me absolutely disgusted.

A Black woman walked in after the system had already shut down, and the worker immediately turned her away, not even giving her the option to pay with cash. She was understandably upset, especially after driving 40 minutes just to eat there.

But minutes later? A white woman came in for takeout, and the same worker offered her the cash payment option. The difference in treatment was blatant. There's no justifying it.

Do Not Eat Here

I raised my son to be respectful, kind, and honest. He doesn't deserve to be treated like this, and neither does anyone else. Bad food and bad service are one thing, but when a restaurant shows clear prejudice and blatant distrust toward its customers, that's when they need to be held accountable.

If you care about how businesses treat people, do not support this place. They don't deserve your money, and they certainly don't deserve my son's (They keep...

Easily one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. As a big foodie, I was excited to try this place, but it ended up being a complete disaster from start to finish.

Food Quality - Disgusting & Unsanitary

Right away, my meal was ruined when I found a hair in my coleslaw. That alone should’ve been a red flag, but unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. The food itself was just bad—the shrimp and beef dishes were borderline inedible. The chicken was the only thing that tasted halfway decent, but that’s not saying much.

Service - Nonexistent

The service was some of the worst I’ve ever had. No greeting, no warmth, and no effort to make us feel welcome. I even mentioned seeing their stand at a local farmers market to start a friendly conversation, but it didn’t change anything. Our server never checked on us, never asked how our meal was, never even brought water or refills. We had to get our own silverware, which is ridiculous.

Cash-Only Chaos & Being Treated Like a Thief

Out of nowhere, their system shut down, and they suddenly required cash payments only—with no warning. We didn’t have cash, so I had to leave to find an ATM while my boyfriend waited at the restaurant. 5 minutes after i left, my boyfriend stepped outside for fresh air and a quick phone call to tell me how close am I to pass the cash to give to them. The staff FOLLOWED HIM OUT like HE was about to dine and dash. The way they stared HIM down made it obvious they thought HE was trying to steal. WE had every intention of paying, and yet they treated US like a criminals.

Blatant Discrimination

As if everything else wasn’t bad enough, I witnessed something that made me completely lose any remaining respect for this place. A Black woman came in wanting to order takeout or dine in, but the worker immediately denied her service without mentioning the cash-only option. She left frustrated after driving 40 minutes just to try the food. Then, just moments later, a white woman walked in for takeout, and the same worker offered her the option to pay with cash. The double standard was obvious and disgusting.

Final Verdict - Stay Far Away

Between nasty food, awful service, unprofessional and distrusting staff, and outright discrimination, this place is a complete embarrassment. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Spend your money somewhere that actually...

I have been here many times and always walked away incredibly joyous from the experiences me and my appetite have shared. However last April, I had a more special experience that I wish to share.

It was late April and I was in Tucson for the Tucson Tango Festival (which also deserves 5 stars, but that's another story.) I was the president of the ASU Tango Club and was looking for a restaurant for our group meal that would show my appreciation for them all (with a few exceptions, but that's another another story.)

The restaurant I chose was Salena's and I was glad I did, the only thing I regretted... as that I didn't think to call in a reservation ahead of time. We gave them a call and asked if they could manage a party of fifteen people. They said 'Sure, is it for tomorrow?' 'No, today' 'Oh.'

Obviously poor planning on our part. However when we got there, we found the tables pushed together and proceeded to have an amazing experience full of tostones, pupusas and lots of other treats, including amazing drinks!

It was a wonderful experience. I feel very lucky that I was able to take part in it. Although one of our members was cranky that we weren't getting pizza instead(despite her lactose intolerance) and she left to get pizza next door. But even that contributed to the atmosphere.

Love this place. Also they play...