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Sal's Mexican Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
37 reviews for Sal's Mexican Restaurant
Review Highlights
"My favorite is the Verde fancy burrito."
(in 4 reviews)
"Excellent service and outstanding salsa."
(in 12 reviews)
"Great service always and affordable."
(in 3 reviews)
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Kathy Y.
Dublin, CA
10/20/2011
Sal's began several decades ago in its unique Selma location and expanded to this Riverpark location several years ago. While the location in Selma is situated in an unexpected location - in a residential neighborhood of single family homes - this location is in a more usual location in a shopping center.
Over the years, we have enjoyed celebrating Mothers/Father's Day in the dining room, and have made special memories enjoying wedding rehearsal dinners for dear friends at this Sal's in their private wing.
Sal's gets it right every time. The food is always delicious, moderately priced and served by courteous people who want your experience to be good.
If you haven't discovered Sal's yet, consider this one of the best tips you've gotten for a sure win restaurant. -
Review from Theresa A.
Fresno, CA
9/6/2011
I've been coming here for years and I never ever leave disappointed. I'll be coming back here this saturday to celebrate my mom's birthday because she loves this place so much!
I can't wait to eat that salsa again -
Review from Nicole F.
Fresno, CA
First time here and I had chicken quesadilla, it was so good and big, stuffed full of chicken, all the chicken quesadilla's I've had since have not been as delicious, definitely adding this place to my favorites!
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Review from Amanda D.
Fresno, CA
12/5/2011
probably my favorite mexican restaurant in Fresno. Friendly service and delicious food and prices are reasonable. They have good guac and I really enjoy their enchiladas and quesadillas.
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Review from C W.
Clovis, CA
12/29/2011
To me this is the standard by which all other Mexican food should be judged. It is not she-she or pretentious. It is just good, old-school Mexican Sunday cooking. The salsa is so good that I think I could literally drink a glass of it. If I ever move away and don't have it on occasion I don't know what I will do. The fancy burrito (chile con carne of course) with a side of rice would likely be part of my last meal request if I were on death row. I wish they had more booths in the place and service has spotty at times but I still love it. I also remember getting banana margaritas at Sal's 20 years ago or so... sure wish they would bring them back.
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Review from Deb K.
Fresno, CA
12/13/2011
Salsa gets 5 Stars, the other food 3.5, but the service brings it to a 2. Had a smart Alex waiter made a crack about taking my leftovers home. NOT NICE, best advice - TRY CASA CORONA.
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Review from David G.
Clovis, CA
8/8/2011 9 Check-ins Here
This is by far my favorite Mexican food in town. I've been a regular here for years and I always leave happy. To start, the chips and salsa are amazing. The staff is fast and friendly. The place is clean and not overdone with stereotypical decor. There are booths, half booths and tables in the dining room and patio. The soft drinks come in large plastic cups loaded with ice. And of course, the food is fantastic. The menu is very accurate . . . in other words, the house favorites are amazing! Order anything with chili verde and you'll be telling your friends about it. For your first visit, I recommend the Fancy Burrito. If you're dining in for lunch, get there early to put your name down . . . the place is always hoppin'.
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Review from Drea C.
Fresno, CA
6/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I prefer the Sal's in Selma, but that's a drive, so this one works. It's not AS good but it's pretty damn close. Fancy burrito all day long, son! Om nom nom. Plus, the service was ridiculously good. :)
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Review from Adela P.
Fresno, CA
10/8/2010
My heart breaks to rate the Original Sals a 2 star, but let me explain.
chips and salsa - their salsa is award winning, but lately someone hasnt been paying attention to the recipe and is adding way too much garlic. The salsa has a bitter bite that takes away all of the other wonderful flavors.
Entrée, some items arent as good as they used to be, the tamales for example were dry and i remember their tamales melting in my mouth!
However, with that said, some items on the menu are 4 star quality. The short ribs, Cocido, chile rellenos and chimi's are all excellent.
I had the worst service there recently. It was late, 8pm-ish, but our waiter was completely checked out, not rude, but aloof and lazy. He never checked back on us, and seemed to have the attitude that he was put out the whole time he was waiting on us. For the first time in a long time I did not leave at least a 15% tip. Honestly, the guy didn't earn it. Based on this service experience, I give service 1 star.
Go for the food, and if your server has a shitty attitude tell them (after you've paid your bill, you don't want a pissed off waiter handling your food)! -
Review from Hazel J.
Santa Monica, CA
4/14/2011
Worst mexican food I have ever had.
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Review from S C.
Playa Vista, CA
8/25/2007
Solid Mexican food - great price. Good for families or for a couple just looking to get a bite to eat. I heard a little about the family drama between the Salazars - quite interesting, but the food here did not suffer. Simple menu, nothing crazy, nothing too fancy.
I went with a group of friends, 6 of us, and food was good. Only complaint would be that it cost extra $ for additional tortillas to go with the fajitas plate. Even in LA, most places provide additional tortillas at no additional cost... -
Review from Chrissy K.
Hermosa Beach, CA
7/24/2010
My husband and I are huge mexican food fans and just moved to Fresno from LA. We have been searching for our new favorite Mexican joint, and let's just say this is not it. To be fair, I will say we are not into traditional Mexican fare, hidden hole in the wall gems- think more Mexican meets California cuisine. We rate the joint 1st on the salsa, chips, and margarita's, and then the food. Unfortunately we were not impressed with any of it. My enchilada suizas had questionably chewy and dry chicken pieces and a watery verde sauce. Same luke warm review for the dry rice and watery beans. My husband was equally displeased with his food. (Karl Crazy burrito? )They were also out of tamales and short ribs, our initial first choice orders.
We will have to keep trying... -
Review from aaron c.
Santa Monica, CA
6/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
Three stars for being OK.
Good service but food is kinda ok. -
Review from Jerry M.
Fresno, CA
10/16/2007
Consistency here...alway very good. Always the same.
I am a sucker for this branch of the Salazar family...the same I believe as the location in Selma (the original). They just execute the family recipes on a higher level than the Bobby Salazar's chain. Better quality of ingredients, better attention to detail.
This is a nice mix of flavors that blend traditional Mexican style with the Americanized style.
I know it's subjective, but their chili verde is some of the best I have had...they use nice cuts of pork, not fatty, airy and grissle-ridden pieces like you get at some places. Their salsa is also seriously the best...whether you go there in January or July...it's always consistent. -
Review from Bowser J.
Burlingame, CA
1/1/2011
A good place to sit down and eat. Chips and salsa are great, and the burrito tastes more homemade style than like a taqueria. This was one of few Mexican style places in Fresno that I left fulfilled from.
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Review from Mike M.
Fresno, CA
12/29/2008
We experienced take out for Christmas Eve from this restaurant this year but we won't do it again.
The place was doing big business from two lines. Front was sending out sampler trays and in the back they were dishing out the enchiladas and tamales.
The tamales were terrible, period. They were hard, uneven and did not taste good. The enchiladas looked good in the pan but were cold and dry.
To send this product out the door in exchange for good money means you either don't care about your customer or your customers don't care about quality.
Take your pick.
Finding good food in Fresno is becoming a mythical journey. I don't think it exists. -
Review from Tom L.
Fresno, CA
2/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I heard great things about sal's from my friends in the past so I was pretty excited when I was there to try their food. First, I heard about their "award winning salsa" i dont know... there was nothing award winning about their salsa. He tasted just like the Bobby salazar's salsa you can get at the stores. So let's move on to the entree. My stomachs wasn't feeling all that great so I wanted to get something light and simple. So For some reason, I thought chicken quesadilla would be good. Nothing fancy. Thinking, how can they mess that up? Right? Well... They did. It Was was greasy. Too much chicken, not enough cheesy. Chicken looked little funky. Texture of chicken reminded me of canned tuna. Last thing I want to write about is service. There were 7 or 8 of us. There were 2 waiters serving our table. I felt like they were rushing us. Overall, I would not go back there.
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Review from i s.
Fresno, CA
6/15/2007
I loves me a Sal's Fancy Burrito! But I hate getting caught in this family drama between the Sal's restaurant and Bobby Salazar empire.
Sal's restaurant in Selma, the original, is the best and this updated version in northeast fresno is about as close as it gets. I believe the restaurant is run by one of Bobby's brothers and the food has a much more freshly cooked flavor than that of the warehouse distributed and warmed up in the restaurant flavor of Bobby Salazar's. (See my Bobby Salazar review and why I will never eat in one again.)
The new Sal's has a great outdoor eating area and is conveniently located east of the 41 from River Park. You get all the best Sal's recipes and nice clean atmosphere. The kids loved the friday night magician and the service is always friendly.
While it's not the most authentic mexican restaurant in town, it is consistently good. -
Review from Nick M.
Fresno, CA
5/8/2011
paula = best waitress
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Review from Bailey D.
Portland, OR
2/13/2011
I've eaten here a dozen times or so... Excellent service and outstanding salsa... The Chile Verde and Carne Asada are so good I've never ordered anything else... I love Mexican food! I make a point of stopping here on every trip to Fresno.
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Review from sklabahula X.
Santa Rosa, CA
10/7/2008
Awesome shrimp tacos!! The beans are yummy too.
The food here is excellent. So is the service.
Now that Francos has closed, I will come here when in town. -
Review from SARAH G.
Fresno, CA
7/28/2011
We recently had Sal's cater for our office and they did a good job. They were right on time and delivered great food. They did mess up slightly on part of our order but it was a huge order. Sals has good mexican food and the restaurant on Fresno street is great for a quick lunch during the work week. The food isn't the best in town but it is reasonable and pretty good over all.
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Review from Chris S.
Mission Viejo, CA
2/11/2009
Great Mexican food at a great price, can't argue with that combination!
Any of the combo plates will work and I prefer anything with the tamales, tamales are probably my favorite!
The "James Special", I think that's what it's called, is delicious. Their party platters are great for well parties and the quality of food stays high.
Overall my choice if I'm ever in the mood for authentic Mexican food. -
Review from J L.
Fresno, CA
8/15/2011
So yummy our family had a catered event by them. All of the food was excellent we had chicken fajitas, arroz, frijoles, carne asada, and another dish with chiles fried with queso...Currently eating there right now off the Three Coarse get it while u can! yumm
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Review from Nichole M.
Fresno, CA
6/19/2006
We had our rehearsal dinner here. It is good food, and inexpensive. They closed off a portion of their restaurant for our party. They also have a very nice patio. Great Staff.
Listed in: My Wedding Day
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Review from james b.
Visalia, CA
9/6/2010
Well Sal's in Selma was closed for a kitchen fire at the moment, so we headed to Sal's in Fresno, which I've been told has the same menu and recipes. Well it looks like for the case of a lot of the reviews here already, unfortunately, it wasn't a Sal's in Selma kind of experience. It was an A-OK SJV mexican restaurant experience... but nothing like the original. Yes the menu appeared to be the same right down to the James' special, but unfortunately something was missing. I know what it was, the flavors were rather bland, and it wasn't as honestly fresh as Selma. Like I said, not a bad experience, and the service was pretty good, but not worthy of the name and association to the original.
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Review from Elias A.
Fresno, CA
5/18/2010
I looked up the best Mexican online and found a couple of restaurants, but took a few of my friends to this one. i don't think it was the hangover that made the food here delicious on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone of us loved what we had from enchiladas to pork chops. Also, the service was on point. The establishment was clean. It had a full bar and the prices were good. I will definitely go back to Sal's.
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Review from Drew B.
Yuba City, CA
2/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
Sals is ridiculously good. I love it and every time I travel anywhere near Fresno I stop in and eat. The Salsa is drinkable and the Short Rib Burrito is off the hook!! Ive been eating good Mexican food for many years and Sals is up at the top! Do yourself a favor and eat some soon!
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Review from Scott C.
Philadelphia, PA
8/23/2010
Generic Mexican food. It's supposedly tops for the central valley, but I gotta believe there's better spots around Fres-yes.
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Review from courtney w.
Fresno, CA
8/13/2010
I love SALS ! My favorite is the Verde fancy burrito. The have yummy beans and rice, and the salsa is sooooo addicting! Great service always and affordable.
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Review from Delaine Z.
Fresno, CA
1/5/2010
Good food, good service. However, their flour taco with shredded beef doesn't come close to the one I get at El Toro Tambien.
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Review from Kelly H.
Fresno, CA
7/13/2009
I think it's surprisingly hard to find good Mexican food in Fresno. There are a few "joints" but if you're in the mood for a place without a drive-thru, I'd recommend Sal's. The service is friendly and FAST and the food is, as another review said: "solid." Definitely solid.
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Review from Mike H.
Fresno, CA
8/11/2010
Everything on the menu is decent. Sadly execution at bobbys and casa are better... Also, the chips are terrible!! Always soooo thick and stale. Only reason why you get 2 stars. I need better tortilla chips!
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Review from Bob K.
Fresno, CA
1/3/2010
Today for lunch we dined at Sals Mexican restaurant in Fresno. I've been to the Selma location many times but this was my first time at the Fresno location. My main complaint about their Selma location is that it is always very crowded and cramped. The Fresno location has a lot more room. I found the service to be excellent, the food was delicious and it was very family-friendly(Clean bathrooms, crayons and coloring paper, and a changing table in the men's restroom, you would be amazed at how big this is to me). I had the steak fajitas which were really good. They also have excellent chips and salsa. The salsa was spicy and very flavorful. Carey had the Chili Relleno which was also great. We will be going back to Sal's for sure.
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Review from Frank O.
Fresno-High, CA
1/22/2010
I like their short rib burrito. It is as good as it gets. The service is always top-notch, drinks are cold and the sauces are great. Prices are not bad either. I cannot think of anything bad with this restaurant.
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Review from Martin W.
Vallejo, CA
6/21/2009
famous for its ribs but everything here is BOMB!! authentic mexican food!! on my annual trip of LA i gotta stop here
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Review from Bean A.
Roseville, CA
9/1/2010
I went here with relatives one weekend. The chile verde nachos were good, though a bit soggy. That plus a salad could be a meal. I ordered had the carne asada tacos plate. There was a generous amount of carne asada in each taco and the obligatory refried beans and rice. They came with shredded chopped cabbage. The tacos were very dry. The carne asada was dry as though it had been overcooked or sitting for too long. I tried to put some lemon juice and salsa on it, but it didn't work. One companion's burrito came with a little extra - a piece of aluminum foil buried in its folds. Service was good. I think I'll pass on a second invitation to Sal's.
