March 16, 2009
Salsa Brava
2220 E. Rt. 66
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
The Setup: Greg and I recently took a mini-vacation to Arizona. We spent most of our time in Phoenix, but ventured up to the Grand Canyon for one day. After spending the afternoon walking around at the Canyon, we had worked up a good appetite as we drove back to our hotel in Flagstaff. About a mile from our hotel, we passed Salsa Brava and almost simultaneously spoke up that we should turn around and check it out. The parking lot was packed which, for us, was a sign that Salsa Brava was definitely going to be our dinner destination!
The Experience: Situated on historic Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona, Salsa Brava is an unassuming Mexican restaurant surrounded by a string of cheap motels. Upon entering the restaurant we saw a big poster of the Food Network's Guy Fieri, and a stencil on the wall reading "Guy Ate Here". We had stumbled upon one of Guy's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" destinations! There was a small line at the door but we were quickly seated at a table near the kitchen. There were quite a few large parties having dinner--all of whom seemed to be returning customers--which again reenforced that we were at the right place.
The Food: Most Mexican restaurants start you off with free chips and salsa. Most, however, do NOT start you off with free chips and a salsa bar! That's right, a salsa bar! When your server brings out your chips, they also bring out a few empty bowls and direct you to their salsa bar where they have about 7 different types of salsa, all for your enjoyment. The salsas are all homemade, fresh, and are rated based upon their degree of heat. Our favorite was the pineapple habenero, with the mild and the tomatillo coming in closely behind.
For our drinks, Greg went with a Mexican beer called Bohemia ($3.50) and I had a Sangria ($6.00).
For dinner, Greg had the special (pictured above) which consisted of 3 soft corn tortilla tacos with your choice of meat (he picked carne asada steak). This was served with rice and beans on the side ($9.50). The size of the tacos led Greg to believe he would be left hungry, but at the end he could barely finish.
I decided on the lobster and shrimp enchiladas. Sounds delicious, right? It was! If you like seafood then you definitely shouldn't pass up this dish. 2 good sized enchiladas topped with a cilantro cream sauce and served with rice and beans on the side. I also had trouble finishing!
The Verdict: A Overall, Greg and I really enjoyed Salsa Brava. The packed parking lot, the unexpected fame from the Food Network, and of course the salsa bar all helped to make our quick-pick for dinner a huge success. The only thing that was unfortunate about the experience was that our hotel room didn't have a mini-fridge, so we were forced to leave our leftovers behind!
