HomeFOODAll Things Food & WineFestive feasting at Salsa Mexican Grill

Festive feasting at Salsa Mexican Grill

A fun atmosphere, flavourful food, sombreros, skulls and fantastic tequila… these are some of the things that make for a great Mexican restaurant. We were treated to a yummy spread at Ballito’s Salsa Mexican Grill at the Ballito Lifestyle Centre recently.

We definitely made the right decision choosing to have our monthly Get It team lunch on a Friday afternoon this month. Salsa is by far the most festive Eat Street restaurant we’ve visited to date!

The panko-crusted Coconut Prawns disappeared fast!

And, apart from the flowing cocktails (albeit mostly virgin ones – work and all that), and the fantastic, friendly service, the food was also absolutely spot-on. So much so in fact that we all ate a little too much and found ourselves needing to loosen our belts a notch on our way back to the office. The management of the Salsa Mexican Grill at Ballito Lifestyle Centre was recently taken over by seasoned restaurateur Christos Konahos who has worked hard to fine tune and improve the quality of the food and service at the popular eatery, and who is clearly very passionate about his business.

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What we ate . . .
Instead of each ordering our own meals, Christos brought a selection of dishes to the table, allowing us to have a taste of everything. And boy did we eat! From Coconut Prawns (panko crusted prawns with mango habanero dipping sauce) and Calamari Poppers (stuffed with creamy cheese, jalapeno, red onion and peppers) to Prawn Tostada’s (crispy tortillas topped with avo salsa and prawns), we were in finger-food heaven! No visit to a Mexican restaurant is complete without tacos and nachos – and the Tacos Al Gusto (six mini soft-shell tacos) and Mild Nachos are both great dishes for sharing. As are the Chipotle Ribs which, by the way, are fall-off-the-bone finger-licking good! Other favourites included the Chicken Taquitos (tortillas fried with marinated chicken and mozzarella) and the paella-style Red Prawn and Calamari served on a bed of Mexican red rice. Yum.

What we drank . . .
A cocktail (or two) is mandatory when visiting Salsa and we recommend you try the Classic Margarita, Tipo Tinto Rum & Raspberry, Litchi & Mint Margarita and Cheeky Tiki Rum. No one had space for dessert after our indulgent spread, but we managed to squeeze in a sneaky craft tequila before we left. When in Mexico, right?

Try the Litchi & Mint Margarita!

Our 3 top tips when visiting Salsa:
* Not sure what to order? The menu is vast and everything is great, which makes it a little challenging deciding what to order. Why not order a variety of dishes to share with the table? It’s a fun way to taste more than one dish and tapas-style dining really works with Mexican food.
* Have a tequila! Even if you don’t like them. Even if your last tequila experience was really bad . . . we guarantee you’ll be impressed with the variety and quality of tequila available at Salsa.
* Turn your feast into a fiesta. Gather some friends, pop on a sombrero and let your hair down. Salsa is a great spot for a quick lunch or shared snack, but it’s also a really fab place to relax and enjoy some down time with good food in a fun environment.

Skulls and fantastic tequila

Our favourite dishes . . .
Justine – Calamari Poppers
Leah – Chipotle Ribs
Nicole – Red Prawn & Calamari paella
Monique – Red Prawn & Calamari paella
Lisa – Coconut Prawns

Details:  Salsa Mexican Grill, Ballito Lifestyle Centre / 032 815 0500

Text: Leah Shone | Photographs: Monique De Villiers-Delport

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