CLIFTON PARK — The dining room at the new Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina chain restaurant in Clifton Park is much bigger than I expected, but they’re going to need the room. Mom and I visited for lunch, and we can assure you that the food is fresh, tasty, and reasonably priced. This first one in the Capital Region has been open just a few weeks, and it’s already quite busy.
The concept behind Salsarita’s is fresh Mexican-style food that’s fast, healthful and fun. Owners Mark and Jennifer Matteo, who have the rights to open additional restaurants in the Capital Region, also own the Nothing But Noodles restaurant next door.
Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina
WHERE: 22 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park (Clifton Park Center mall). Phone 518 348-7777, fax 348-7778.
WHEN: Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $14.20
MORE INFO: MasterCard, Visa, American Express. Children’s items available. Wheelchair-accessible.
Salsarita’s is light, open and cheery, painted in bright colors — a strip-mall store with a Southwestern motif that’s both interesting and attractive. Wooden booths with padded seats line the perimeter with separate tables and chairs in the middle. There’s a low wall that essentially divides the large space into two comfortable smaller ones. Zippy Spanish music plays and, should you need entertainment, there are three large flat-screen TVs.
It’s somewhere between fast food and fine dining. You choose an entree and its components and they assemble it to your order. Prices are within reason for a family, ingredients are extremely fresh, and meals aren’t heavy or greasy, all the same things that Noodles does very well.
Assembling your order
Go straight ahead to the counter to place your order and with any luck, you’ll get Tiffany, who explained the concept and choices so clearly and concisely that in less than a minute I knew exactly how to order. In case she’s not there, this is what you do: You’ll see the wraps, shells, and plates right there at the counter used to assemble the five main entrees: burritos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas and salads. Then you move along the counter and pick out toppings. It’s as simple as that. When you reach the end of the line you’re conveniently at the cash register. The restaurant ran smoothly while we were there.
Here’s a tip: You can add nacho chips and salsa and a soda for $1.99. Go for it, the soda is $1.89 anyway, and the chips are warm and salty and really, really good. “They’re not like the commercial ones you get in a bag,” said Mom, my dining companion, meaning that they’re way better. We chose mild salsa, not because we’re wimps, but because it was so attractively composed of fresh chopped cilantro and vegetables. The selection of hot sauces on the table met with Mom’s approval.
Mom ordered a crispy quesadilla shell and added delicious, fresh Romaine, shredded pork, salsa and guacamole, topped with fresh diced tomatoes and cheese. Tiffany steamed up a burrito shell for me and added the chips to my plate, then piled it with grilled steak. I picked rice, black beans, salsa and cheese, and it got wrapped so nice and tight that it never came apart. They get points just for that.
We got straws, napkins and utensils and settled into a booth to examine our food. We couldn’t resist the warm chips, and found the salsa, with its snappy cilantro and fresh tomatoes, was as good as it looked. My burrito ($4.99) was just full of grilled steak, and Mom got a heaping portion of shredded pork on her salad ($5.29).
Ate it all up
And we dug in. The only criticism we had was that the meat could have been a little warmer. But we loved the food and ate everything up. It was all tasty and the vegetables were wonderfully crunchy and fresh. The grilled steak was very tender and pleasantly salty, although later it made me thirsty.
At $1.89, the sodas aren’t cheap, but I guess that’s to encourage you to order the upgrade. And there’s fresh lemon and lime near the soda fountain for you to add to your drink. That’s nice.
Find out how many calories are in your food at their Web site (www.salsaritas.com) with their really easy-to-use calculator. My grilled steak burrito had 519 calories. Watch out for those chips, though. They’re 417 calories before you add the salsa. Serving sizes aren’t provided on their calculator. Keep in mind that some menu items are nutritionally better choices than others.
Cookies (99 cents) are soft and fresh. I loved my oatmeal raisin cookie, but Mom reserved judgment on her chocolate chip. I noticed she finished it, however. So have a cookie.
I cleared the table (there were no leftovers) and bussed our trays. We left very satisfied.
The tab for lunch came to $14.20. Salsarita’s costs only a bit more than fast food, but it’s way better, and way better for you. Mom likes the place. So will you.
Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina
WHERE: 22 Clifton Country Road, Clifton Park (Clifton Park Center mall). Phone 518 348-7777, fax 348-7778.
WHEN: Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $14.20
MORE INFO: MasterCard, Visa, American Express. Children’s items available. Wheelchair-accessible.
July 3, 2009
