This place has been around for a while. For some reason I really don't get here much. Maybe because it is off the beaten path somewhat. That is too bad because I always enjoy my experience here. The service here has always been phenomenal. I have never been let down with the waitstaff My last visit was no exception. The best spot to dine here is on the patio on a nice day. Although it is very close to bust LaGrange Road, The entire patio is fenced in minimizing the sound and maximizing privacy. The food here is solid. I have never been blown away but I have never been disappointed either. I have always enjoyed my meal. read more

Oh my god, I don't know if these reviews are fake profiles or they are just fictitious reviews!!!! Because this place is really not what these yelpers make it seem. We decided to dine here based on the spectacular "four star reviews" but boy, oh boy, was I wrong!! Unfortunately, me and my fiance decided to try it out for dinner on a Tuesday. First, the lighting at this place is horrible, it was very dimmed which did not go with the feel I was expecting of it being a fun and colorful atmosphere. Second, the tables seemed as if they were still stuck in the 90's era, they really need to remodel and bring this place back to life. Even the waiter was dressed like he was from 90's which really complemented the old taste of Cafe Salsa I guess, because once the food arrived, I knew I was never coming back again. Besides waiting almost 20 mins to simply order from the menu, it seemed it could not get worse but it did. When the food arrived, my dish was cold and the shrimp I had ordered was burnt. And it was only five pieces of shrimp with a lump of spinach and aragula in the middle with avocado slices turning brown around it. (I added a picture of it feel free to look at it because I am not lying) It cost $9.50 I'm not kidding. I could have made this at home for less than $2.00, seriously. I would have been fine with this if the shrimp were not bite sized either. It was extremely disappointing because my fiance's torta was soggy and the steak tasted as if it was marinated for days, almost had a spoiled taste to it. Not only was it expensive but the food was not good at all. Please don't go here unless you are willing to pay extra for garbage. So please avoid, avoid, avoid. If you want real mexican or south american food go somewhere better. I am a latina, I know the latin cuisine from the inside out, and this was not it. The only thing that exceeded my expectations were the warm chips with salsa but that was it. No wonder it is called Cafe Salsa, they place so much emphasis on their starter salsa that they forget about their main cuisine. They really serve unreasonable, unworthy, disgusting food. Cafe salsa please look at this---either hire real chefs, change your menu, or your restaurant. Sincerely, unhappy customer. read more

Cafe Salsa - It was not pleasant to eat at all. Burned, cold shrimp at $9.50 a plate. Please do better cafe salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Countryside, Illinois

Nothing groundbreaking in terms of Mexican fare but what they do serve is fresh and tasty. The complimentary chips and two types of salsa were great. My Dad and I came here on a recent Saturday for a late lunch and we had the patio to ourselves. It was lovely, beautiful flowers in all four corners and enough umbrellas so the hot sun wasn't an issue. The waiter was kind and sweet to my Dad. He kept referring to my dad as "Pops", it was cute. Service was great, quick but we didn't feel rushed. I had the veggie quesadillas and Pops had a taco salad and a dark beer. The inside was a bit noisy, not in bad way but the patio was a perfect spot for me and Pops. We'll be back. It's like a little oasis off of busy LaGrange Road. read more

Came here on Cinco De Mayo expecting some excellent margaritas seeing as this is also a Tequila Bar. We were disapointed. The Margaritas were weak and tasted like sweet and sour. The Guacomole tasted like it was store bought with a few extra tomatoes and onions mixed in. I did like the fairly large outdoor patio. I love eating outside, well atleast drinking margs outside! My salad was also very large, which is often rare at Mexican places. I would come back to sit outside again and maybe try some new tequilas...but probably won't. There HAS to be some better Mexican places around, we'll just have to keep trying! read more

Good honest Mexican food ! Bar tacos ! Nice place to get your south of the border fix

Tonight was our first visit to Cafe Salsa and unfortunately our last because we really wanted this place to be good. We are still trying to find a good Mexican restaurant in the area. We had exceptional service by Susana, the chips and two salsas were very good, especially the green salsa, and the black beans were tasty but the main dishes left a lot to be desired. The portabella mushroom/veggie fajitas, sounded great on paper but were not good at all primarily because the odd sauce they put on them tasted like bbq sauce and vinegar. We also had the sweet potato/spinach quesadilla, another one that sounds good on paper didn't do much for us. There was an excessive amount of potatoes on them and little cheese so the sweetness overwhelmed each bite. I must say a real "A" for effort for the vegetarian options, but unfortunately it didn't cut the mustard. read more

Sigh-h-h-h-h-h-.......... Why is it I always find myself in Mexican food places, when it's not really not my favorite kind of food? All my co-workers raved about it. I'm just a stick in the mud, obviously. The guac was awesome. That's where the awesome-ness ended for me. I had chicken tacos. They were ok. Someone ordered the fish tacos and I was kind of all jealous and stuff. They looked good. It's too bad it was a work-lunch thing (including my boss); I like my boss and all, but I can't very well have a couple margaritas in front of the guy at 12:17 in the afternoon. Sigh-h-h-h-h-h-............... read more

Their chips and salsa are amazing! I love their enchiladas- beef or chicken- never had the steak but I'm not a steak person. My husband loves it. I've noticed my last 3 visits we have not had the best service. The last 2 visits they have gotten the food order wrong (including tonight). I'd like to think maybe they just aren't fully staffed with servers but at my visit last month there weren't too many people in the restaurant (we went between the lunch and dinner rush). Not sure what the problem is. I keep giving them more and more chances. Wednesday's they have half price margaritas but only the lime flavor. I think I may be putting cafe salsa on the back burner and sticking closer to home. We used to drive 40 minutes to get there when the service was decent, the orders were correct, and we didn't have to ask for a drink refill. 3 stars is for the food but definitely not the service I have experienced lately. read more

So my dad e-mails me on a Friday morning and says hey, I'm going to be in the SW burbs tomorrow, are you free for dinner? And I say, sure dad, and then get to looking for restaurants we can meet at 'cause he's from Indiana and counting on me to find someplace to eat. So, near 294, reasonably priced, decent reviews, suitable for meeting my (fairly straight-laced) dad... Cafe Salsa it is! Food: 3.5 stars. Good spicy salsa and decent fresh chips. A nice variety of options from tacos to fancy steak dishes, with vegetarian choices and some more unusual/authentic items, plus I like that you can choose 2 or 3 on things like tacos and enchiladas. I got veggie enchiladas that were flavorful but the veggies weren't julienned very carefully (lots of big stuck-together chunks) and there wasn't quite enough verde sauce on top. My dad got beef enchiladas and did not complain, but he's not a complainer. He did clean his plate. Service: 2.75 stars. A bit perfunctory, salsa/chip refills offered but one never arrived, no water refills after the first carafe. Atmosphere: Seems like the sort of place that has regulars, and we weren't it. Standard-issue dimly lit family Mexican restaurant/bar. Weird parking lot, so pay attention. Someone, somewhere in the place was having a birthday, and they piped in a very loud happy birthday song throughout the place. Otherwise, quiet mariachi music. All in all, not a bad place, but not somewhere I'd go out of my way to visit again. read more

Solid Mexican restaurant. They hook it up with the chips and salsa as soon as you sit down. Highly recommend the margs cuz they slap. Overall good sit down Mexican place and they put a sombrero on you're head if it's your bday (at least pre covid) read more

So I stand corrected; I am told the table salsa is made fresh daily; I guess I'm a bias given that my mom spoils me with her salsas~not used to having others but the restaurants' was good just not my mom's! Next time, I wanna try more items on the menu! ; D read more

I've been coming to cafe salsa for years and is always very good but tonight they didn't put the tortillas in my bag for my fajitas and instead of salsa gave me some tomato sauce. A bit hard to eat fajitas without tortillas and I love their salsa and was looking forward to that yet got something else instead. Disappointing and upsetting that they would get my order incorrect. I doubt I will get carryout from them again. read more

For what it is, this place is great. A relaxed, cheap, festive place you can take the kids and a few girlfriends. I would not come other than for all that. But I came with 3 girlfriends and two hyper kids and for this- it was perfect. While the 1 and 3 year olds jumped on furnature in between chips, us ladies enjoyed inexpensive pitchers of margaritas(full of too sweet mixer- hey, you get what you pay for!) and cheap tex mex. The combo plate I split with my little one fit us perfectly. Veggie portobella mushroom fahita- yum, bean and cheese enchilada- yum, two bites of quesidilla- it's what it is- all for 12.99. Not bad! A little guac in there too and you are set! And everyone else has there jumping bean, noisy kids and friends too so nobody cares. A happy easy place to take families and friends. read more

Probably the best Mexican food in the area. Margaritas are excellent. Complimentary chips & salsa are a crowd pleaser. Great beer menu too! read more

This is a cute place, in an odd location. If you could pick Cafe Salsa up and move it further down LaGrange Rd, it would be perfect. Despite the odd location, I enjoyed my first visit here. The complimentary salsa and chips were delicious. The salsa was chunky, with plenty of fresh veggies and the chips were a homemade, deep fried delicacy, which were apparently bottomless because my party went through 3 baskets! I ordered the "Chargrilled Tacos" which came with two grilled steak or chicken tacos and a side of Spanish rice and refried beans. I opted for the steak on corn tortillas. The tacos came with an additional two tortillas because the filling of steak, beans, lettuce and cheese is generously portioned. The tacos were good, but nothing memorable. There was nothing that set these apart from the other steak tacos I have eaten elsewhere. I can say the same about what my friends daughter ordered as well. She chose the Shredded Chicken De Casa Tacos which came with a total of 2 tacos and a side of Spanish rice and refried beans, which she liked. Again, nothing memorable but they were good. My friend ordered the "Chimichanga", which was like a deep fried tortilla stuffed with grilled chicken, refried beans, lettuce. I had a bite of this and it was really good! This is probably the only thing that has left a lasting impression on me and why I will have to go back to Cafe Salsa...one bite was just not enough! The service here was lackluster. Our water was never replenished and that's because we never saw our waiter other than when we placed our order and when he presented us with the bill. It wasn't busy and there was absolutely no reason why our table wasn't taken better care of. All I know is that when I go back, I will be sure to ask for two carafes of water as a precaution! read more

Cafe Salsa is AWESOME. Been coming here for a good five to ten years. Grew up around that area, and when I go to visit my parents or brother's family out that way, we usually grab dinner there. Prices are very reasonable, and the quality is very good. Wednesday evenings there are $4 house margaritas, which are very big and very delicious. Their chips and salsa are spectacular, and their steak tacos are my order every single time. My lady has had their ceviche which was pretty darn tasty. I stick with what I know and what I love at this spot. Never had a bad experience here, EVER. Chendo is the man. read more

The staff is always on top of things. Food is very fresh and delicious. Service is very top notch.

Horrible food I ordered a steak torta a sandwich and when I was served the sandwich,it had mold on top!!! read more

Cafe Salsa - Mexican Near Me - Countryside, Illinois

Another great time at Cafe Salsa. A party of probably 15-20 friends and family members came in for dinner in celebration of a young woman's graduation. After dinner, we sat outside for drinks and were pretty rowdy and loud - no matter. They kept the drinks coming! They even set up the outdoor heaters for us - these were a must on a chilly evening. After sunset, we moved the party to the bar and kept it going. We continued to have great drinks and nice service. Dinner tasted great, too. Hats off to these guys for putting up with a bunch of family and friends in their 20's and 30's - and for keeping the margaritas and sangria flowing! read more

In response to what the owner of Cafe Salsa recently wrote, my answer is that I don't have to ask how much tequila they put in, because it s the end result that matters. When my husband and I dine here and decide to have a TOP SHELF margarita with an included side car of Gran Marnier, ONE is CONSISTENTLY all it takes to walk away with a nice Friday evening buzz. Benito's margaritas are FABULOUS, that's all I have to say. read more

Greetings Yelpers, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND RELY OFF MY REVIEW. I'VE GROWN UP IN THIS AREA AND HAVE BEEN COMING TO CAFE SALSA MY WHOLE LIFE. In addition to the above statement, I have also tried just about every restaurant in the area. I've also lived and currently live in the city of Chicago and I'm a total foodie. I've tried every Mexican restaurant in town. Café Salsa is hands down the most authentic best bang for your buck food in the state of Illinois. The restaurant décor coupled with the friendly knowledgeable staff makes you feel like your in a small town in Mexico getting some good ole home cooking from recipes that date back generations. The bar area of the restaurant is also comfortable and a lot of fun. On any given night the place will be packed to the gills with a mix of regulars and newcomers. In fact, it's common to overhear conversation amongst Café Salsa's loyal followers and a newbies on their jubilation of finding this hidden gem - like a stray dog that finally found a place it could call home. While everything is top notch, from their Cadillac margaritas to their homemade chips and salsa, my favorite dish hands down is the carne asada churrasco style. I seriously wake up in the middle of the night dreaming of this dish. The steak they use is perfectly tender and succulent. The blend of cheese with the accompanying sauce (churrasco style) makes this dish perfection. Folks do yourself a favor and try this experience. Once you do, you will become hooked and a regular like me. Stay thirsty my friends, Greek Steel read more

Cafe Salsa - Carne Asada Churrasco Style. Amazing dish!!! - Mexican Near Me - Countryside, Illinois

My family has been eating at Cafe Salsa for years. Same management and staff. Excellent service. We love your outdoor patio and like you've now added covered seating in parking lot due to Covid. Skinny margaritas are the best. We are so happy to be back!! We were there the Friday you reopened the patio at 12:00. read more

We have been coming here for decades. Their wait staff is exceptional and much missed during their take out only period. Food is always consistent. You cannot ask for a better hang out when it is in full swing. The patio is lovely during warmer weather and now in phase 3 of restaurant openings. Keep up the good work guys! We want you around for the next few decades. read more

Let me start by saying their food is really good. This review is strictly based on my experience today. I get it was Cinco De Mayo & everyone is stuck in CoronaVirus hell. However my online order must have been lost or something because it took 2 Hours after my estimated pick up time for me to receive my food. The pick up process was extremely unorganized, people were not social distancing, there was no set up pick up process. We checked in but there was no confirmation that our orders were actually received, no estimate of how long it would take, no information other then people yelling out names from a doorway if front of the building. I wanted to be sure to support all my favorite restaurants during this trying time, but I don't think I will be ordering carry out from here again. I hope this ends soon because they are a wonderful dine in restaurant, but tonight was an epic fail. read more

We've driven by this place so many times and finally decided to try it. So glad we did! They have the best chips and salsa and they bring each person their own little bowl of the salsa which is great, you can go at your own pace and not worry there won't be any salsa left. Anyway....THEY HAVE FULL SIZE PITCHERS OF MARGARITAS! Yes, full size not the mini ones which are really only two drinks. We lost count, after all it was a FULL SIZE pitcher but I think we each got 3 maybe four glasses. Yum, good stuff. I ordered the churrasco and hubby had the carne asada. Both steaks were awesome! Mine came with au jus, small salad and rice and beans. For the beans you have choices, you are not limited to the usual refried beans; you can have black beans, charro (which is out of the pot before being mashed) and refried. They also have other options instead of the rice and beans, you can also order potatoes either mashed or fries. We both agree that on the side orders the portions were small so although the steak portion was good we ran out of the side orders too quickly and were considering just placing an individual side order of something, anything just to finish off the steak but instead we just had more margaritas! Service was ok, nothing to write home about. Good atmosphere, everyone seemed to be enjoying their meals. Looked around at what others were ordering and steak seemed to be the choice all around. Would definitely go back, probably with a group, there were a few groups there that day and the atmosphere is good for it; it was a bit loud and everyone was having fun. We stuck around to finish our huge pitcher and it got a little quieter and they put on background music, it was a good choice to have it off during the main meal time as it would have been over the top, instead it was a good balance. read more

Great service and the food is excellent! If you have any family, friends or co-workers coming into to down and you want them to try purely authentic Mexican food, CAFE SALSA is the place to take them. You, nor they will be disappointed! I recommend dining in and not delivery as the food coming straight off the grill and the atmosphere is 2nd to none! read more

The place is big...the room is a bit dark, but the colors are festive. Great menu with MANY choices. The Guacamole was perfectly salted! Chips are great! Food was decent, but not the best. My mom ordered well done and she got more of a medium steak. They add way too much sauce that its gets all over your plate... I order my usual chile relleno. It was great but a big too cheesy. I was tempted to order one of their many desserts but I didn't. Next time I will...However, I don't see myself going to this place anytime soon. read more

As a tequila extraordinaire, I love this place. They have tons of different tequilas (not sure how many, I'm guessing 50+). Last week I had their Cazadores Añejo, neat in a snifter. Delish. If you like tequila, this is the place!! They lose a star because their parking lot is *atrocious*. It's strange - 3 or 4 spots here, 6 spots there, some on each side of the building, some in the back, some even further back. Of course I had to drive through all of the different little parking lots to finally find a spot. I just wanted my tequila!! Oh, their chips are REALLY good. Hot off the press! read more

Tried this place with a friend tonight. It wasn't too busy when we arrived, but it filled up as our dinner went on. We received chips and salsa almost immediately after sitting down; they were addictive. The salsa provided just the perfect kick before our meal. Our server was initially very attentive and speedy, and brought out our mango margaritas right after they were ordered. Although our first choices of margaritas were passion fruit and guava, we were informed that these were no longer available. Fortunately, the mango margarita was strong, delicious, and filling. Our food came out probably five minutes after we ordered it, so we didn't really have time to enjoy our drinks. The food was quite decent - I ordered the basil goat cheese quesadillas, which were oozing with goat cheese. My friend ordered two tacos and rice. She liked the tacos, but complained about the sauce on the rice. After we received our food, the place crowded up and the service got exponentially slower. I was promised guacamole with my quesadilla and didn't receive any. By the time the server came around to fix the issue, I was almost finished with my meal. Kind of a bummer, but no big deal. It took about twenty minutes for us to get our check after that. Would've rated this place five stars if the service maintained itself throughout our entire experience.! read more

Lead B. Has been a troll giving out false reviews to lower scores of restaurants. Cafe salsa is a staple of the neighborhood. Strong house margs. The best damn chips in salsa in a 6 miles radius! There steak quesadilla is fire! The best I've ever had and I have searched left and right! The chicken quesadilla is flavored with chipotle adobe and green pepper and onions. Fantastic. We usually get the one of each to split between 4! read more

depending on what you order you can be mildly pleased, to totally blown away. The coctel de camarones was pretty mediocre but the black bean chicken chili is sooo good. Service has always been good. Margaritas are good and the Tequila list is good too. Overall a good, basic family Mexican restaurant that tries some more adventurous dishes. Hey, I keep using the word "good". read more

Reliably tasty Mexican food. All your typical fare- and done better than a lot of the other Mexican establishments around the area. Prices are on par. Service here is impeccable the times I've been there (and that's many!) The specials menu often delivers some great tasting items. Especially the pork medallions. Rarely a wait, even Saturday nights. read more

This is one of my favorite spots. I've been coming here for over 20 years. Chendo, Juan, Drea, Connor, Jamie all take good care of me whenever I am there. Wednesday's you can probably find me and some friends sitting at the bar, singing to the Jukebox, and downing several margaritas. They're 1/2 off on Wednesdays which doesn't hurt at all. Love the avocado tacos. read more

Ate here for lunch yesterday and I'm not sure what all the grumbling is about. It was a beautiful summer day and my date and I ate outside in the patio. I had the summer salad and she had steak fajuita's. My salad was nice, fresh and tasty and my dates fajuita's featured good lean peices of meat, fresh vegetables, beans, rice etc. Service was great, the whole deal cost $23.00. Not cheap but hey if you want cheap mexican food, there are plenty of "hole in the walls" that will give you that. My date loved the fact that one of the waiters took leftover water that were on vacated tables and used it to water the plants out on the patio. "Smart use of our limited resources". I'm glad I went back and I'll be back again. read more

Can't believe I've never written a review as we love this place and have been fans for many, many years!! What is good? Everything!! If there's a wait when you arrive just hang out in the bar because their Margaritas are A+ !! I can't remember all the different items we've had but everything has been great! Their chips are crispy (not greasy or overly salted) and their homemade salsa (and their Guac) has really great flavor. This has become the only place that I'll eat fish tacos - seared ahi tuna is yummz. My favorite dish is their Fajitas. I like that they offer corn & flour tortillas and their special sauce is so darn good!! I order their Portabella fajita with Chicken added. You have to ask for it done this way as the Portabella & the Chicken are listed as 2 different options. Look at their specials list - many times it'll list a non-regular menu item, so it's a great way to try something new. And if you love the item, there's a good chance they can make it for you on your next visit even if it's not on the menu. The staff is always pleasant, attentive and very accommodating to any particular menu request/alterations. I can't say enough great things about this place. The food is always very flavorful, they offer a wide selection of well prepared foods, the place is always clean and the staff is always great. We're obviously longtime fans & I'm so hungry now writing this review that I've decided this is where we're having dinner tonight! *Sidenote - only one "down-side"....the staff always wants to rush you. I appreciate efficiency, but rushing is too much. This happens when it's slow or busy. When the 5 of us go, between cocktails, apps, our meals & possibly a dessert, there is no way we are rushing through all that in one hour. We aren't table hogs but we want to enjoy our time visiting as we fill our bellies. When just my friend & I are go for cocktails/food & catch-up time, (usually when it's slow) we've learned to inform our server that we'll be visiting & taking our time, which has seemed to help. And of course, we tip well to show our appreciation. read more

Great margaritas! Waiter Pablo was so sweet to us! Music was nice, great lighting, delicious food! I come here for dinner but they also have nice lunch specials. Nice and clean restaurant. read more

We're fans. This is not the best out there, but it's by far one of the better Tex-Mex restaurants. They use white mean chicken, nice tender beef, and lots of veggies. Salsa is not what we would consider the greatest but you can tell that it was made with roasted tomatoes and fresh onions. Definitely will go back when we are in the area. Update 3/6/10: Have been back to this place a couple times now. Each visit brings poorer service and food quality than the last. Not sure if they changed cooking staff but it seems that things have gone down hill since the first visit. Will not be returning. read more

Had a girl's dinner here last night. The chips and salsa are top-notch and addicting! The chips are served warm and are light and airy in your mouth, while the salsa is thin with just the right flavors and tang. I ordered the passion fruit frozen margarita and it got me feeling it without being too overpowering - not to mention delicious! I also ordered the grilled chicken quesadilla, which was super hearty and perfectly cooked. Overall, service was pleasant - but didn't return to the table too frequently. And the chicken was diced a little small and fell out of the quesadilla. Definitely recommend coming here for some quality Mexican food! read more

The first three or four times I ate here it was very good - 4 stars. The last three times have only deserved 2 stars. The management was very nice and very apologetic, but after the 2nd not great meal, I don't know if I will go back. The chips were super greasy and too dark, like they'd been sitting under a heat lamp for a long time. None of the food had great flavor. This restaurant is super cute inside, so I wish the food were better. I don't know if they've had a change of management, owner, or cook over the past year or so, but I'm just not getting good food here lately. read more

3 of the 4 dinners were overcooked and tough. We let the waiter Chendo know but he didn't offer replace or discount. I will not be going back and I will not recommend. read more