Great neighborhood spot - it's super fun for birthdays or any sort of gathering. Food is always great, as are the overall vibe of the restaurant. On this particular Saturday, it took a while to get service, but we enjoyed our drinks - I loved my spicy roasted pineapple margarita - and complementary delicious chips and salsa. We also got the ceviche for the table - this was an interesting take on ceviche in a red cocktail sauce in a martini glass. It was tasty and refreshing to start. I also got the azteca salad with salmon as my entree - the salad portion was big, but the salmon was small and overcooked a bit. My fiance's combination fajitas of steak and shrimp were delicious though with lots of veggies and toppings. read more

Salsa 17 - ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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The restaurant was packed when we arrived. The hostess seemed annoyed that we were asking for a table when we first arrived and then we were seated at a table very close to the other tables. Our server was super nice, attentive, and made sure to provide recommendations. We did struggle to get more chips throughout the meal and had to ask 3 different employees for another basket. I ordered the shrimp quesdilla at the recommendation of the server and it was delicious! Large portion and came with a small serving of guacamole. We had started with the tableside guacamole, which was fun to both watch and eat! The side of rice and beans were a little bland, but a very large portion. read more

Excellent guac table side . Margaritas were not to my liking. Ordered shrimp and chicken fajitas came with green and redpeppers with onion. Vegetables were eh I think the char got on veg snd was reheated . read more

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My friend recommended this place after his recent visit and first great impression, so I decided to give it a try. The restaurant looks fantastic--the interior has a unique, authentic vibe. We wanted to sit outside, and although it was crowded, we found a spot in the alley, which turned out just fine. Service was excellent and fast. Our server, Omar, was clearly experienced and did an outstanding job. While waiting for our meals, we were served chips with a spicy salsa. Since my toddler couldn't eat anything spicy, we ordered guacamole instead--and I was pleasantly surprised to see it made fresh right at our table. Honestly, it was the best guacamole I've ever had! As for the food, everything was delicious. I ordered the Margarita La Pasión, which was rich in flavor, along with enchiladas (three in a portion, each filled with a different meat). My son chose tacos from the kids' menu with a side of rice. Everything was freshly prepared and full of taste. The prices are on the higher side, but absolutely worth it. I highly recommend this place--especially considering that I'm usually not a big fan of Mexican cuisine, and yet this restaurant left me truly impressed. read more

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This place used to be so great but has really become a huge disappointment ! Last night we went for a birthday celebration with our family (probably the 10th we've had here over the years) and from the poor service, dirty bathroom, uncomfortable seating, small portions , and 3$ up charge to sing happy birthday it will undoubtedly be our last. If you are headed to downtown AH for dinner skip Salsa 17. Not worth it anymore. read more

Dinner around 7PM ....downtown Arlington Heights is packed as all streets closed for alfresco dining... Seated in 3 minutes outside... Fresh guacamole made fresh tableside was AWESOME! Drinks were delicious Service was very attentive... Recommend steak quesadilla...enchiladas rojas... Will be back read more

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The food was great! We ordered the table guac and they made it in front of us! It was super super good. The restaurant is also very cute and the music was great! read more

Food very good! Service really good and ambiance.. The place was loud on a Friday yet was able to communicate with are table with no blasting music while we ate read more

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I believe we went here on a Sunday early evening. Maybe day before MLK day. Place was not full and no wait. It wasn't dead though. We went here with another couple. A few of us ordered frozen magarita's. We ordered table side guac. It was fresh and delicious as one would expect. I ordered fajitas. The other couple shared the chicken/steak fajitas. My wife ordered shrimp tacos. The food came out fairly fast. I think we had just finished our drinks. Nobody complained. Great ambience. What's funny is about a week ago someone mentioned a field near downtown AH, and I said I just went to a mexican place downtown, and he said you must be talking about Salsa 17! He loves that place too! read more

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I had heard good things about Salsa 17 and decided to try it on a Saturday night. I arrived just after 5:30 and the place was already packed. There was a 35 minute wait for a table for three, but a number of high tops for two next to the bar area were empty. Since I was in a party of three, we grabbed three seats at the bar. Within minutes, the bar seats were all taken. This place clearly is a popular joint on a Saturday night! I highly recommend being put on the waitlist before you arrive. The bartender quickly gave us water, napkins and utensils. He also grabbed a basket of chips and salsa. Both were incredibly tasty! We started ordering the guacamole, and our meals, but the bartender said he would quickly put in our order for guacamole so we could get that right away. He then came right back to take the rest of our order. A woman with the tableside guac cart arrived just as we finished ordering our meals. She asked if we wanted mild, medium, or spicy. The guacamole was then made in front of us, was plentiful, and was absolutely delicious! (On a side note, there is a tip jar on her cart.) Once we received the guacamole, the bartender gave us extra baskets of chips and salsa. So generous! I was thrilled that Salsa 17 has an entire vegetarian section on their menu, and decided to try the Enchiladas de Hongos. When I told the bartender my order and mentioned without cheese or sour cream, he said no dairy. So I'm guessing many people come here for vegan options. Our food came out 10 or so minutes later, which was quick considering how busy this place was! As we sat eating our meals, the waiting area of the restaurant soon filled up. My meal was very tasty, and had unique flavors unlike any other Mexican restaurant I have been to. We had incredible service, the prices were reasonable, the portions were excellent, the food was absolutely delicious, and the ambiance was fun and lively. I will definitely return and can't wait to come back soon! read more

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Haven't been here in years and the fish tacos are still delicious! My husband had the arrachera (steak) and it was cooked to a beautiful medium rare and juicy. We were sat right away - like that there's the option of indoor or outdoor seating. Restaurant itself is decorated with lots of colors and they had a great Spanish music playlist going. read more

Salsa 17 - Fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Best table side guacamole made right at your table! Everyone enjoyed their dinners. Great cocktails. I'm not a bean guy but their black beans are a great side. Nice upscale Mexican restaurant. read more

I came here with some coworkers after work. Now I've been Hispanic pretty much all my life but haven't really encountered mole. Salsa 17, believe it or not, was one of my first experiences of what can be achieved in the r walk of mole. Ordered the pork with a pistachio mole. Never realized you could make mole with pistachio. I love this concept and will probably continue to order it wherever I go. But here the food was pretty good and the mole tasted great. Also, the ambiance of dining on their patio early evenings during golden hour is fantastic. It's a great spot to grab a bite to eat while hanging out in downtown Arlington heights. read more

Salsa 17 - Mole de Pistache - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Love love love the food and the overall energy of this place. It's a busy place so remember to do your reservations. Lively ambiance and warm welcoming staff. The live guacamole took my heart away. The freshness and right blend of custom spices per your spice level makes it just perfect. The dips were amazing. I ordered vegetarian Tamale after reading the reviews. Personally not a favorite. I might stick to standard burrito bowl next time. No complaints though. read more

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$$$: A bit on the pricier side. The moment we walked in, we got seated in under 5 minutes, and the service is very good. Waitress was kind and had a sense of humor, consistently brought us a restock of chips and salsa while we waited for our dishes to come. The ambiance is amazing, 10/10. Love the authentic architecture and the lighting makes it feel like we're in Mexico. Music is good and it's a pleasant place for an afternoon dinner with family or a loved one. While waiting, we noticed a worker making fresh guacamole for a huge group and all of a sudden a glove falls off the cart they were making the guacamole on. Expecting for her to put it in the trash, she puts it right back in the glove container. DISGUSTING!!! The servings are huge. 8/10 will have leftovers. We definitely did, but the food was amazing and I would highly recommend the Lamb Birria. Best out of all the things we got. I would recommend this place. Just don't get the guacamole... read more

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I love this place. The staff, the service, everything was amazing. The food never disappoints, and the place is so cute. Highly recommend.

Very quickly received our food and it was delicious! So well cooked and flavorful. While pricy I have so much leftover, so multiple meals for me. Friendly and attentive staff made the experience great. The place is decorated and lively with the traditional Mexican music playing. read more

Salsa 17 - Chimichurri stake fajita - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

Grilled shrimp tacos were delicious!! Service was excellent very kind and aware of customers needs or wants, affordable!! Smoothies were amazing! read more

Hands down the most authentic chicken mole I've ever had. They have several levels of mole to choose from. I went with mole poblano and it did NOT disappoint. Had a great spice/chocolate combination. The presentation on the plate didn't look the best but it did not fail. Cute way of presenting the black beans too. Husband had shrimp tacos which he enjoyed. Rice was excellent had pigeon peas in it. Guacamole made right at the table great addition. Chips and salsa served as well, salsa has a smoky flavor note. Very nice atmosphere and our waitress was the sweetest and gave me extra mole to go. We will be going back absolutely!!! read more

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Genuinely one of my favorite Mexican restaurants! The margaritas are always great. I usually enjoy sitting at the bar, service is so quick, they keep the fresh chips and salsa and margaritas coming! Bartenders are great, food has never disappointed; and the fresh table side guacamole is to die for! The restaurant is always crowded & loud, but it's a fun night out! Outdoor patio is awesome when the weather is nice! read more

Finally made it out to Salsa 17! I've heard good things about it. We came here to celebrate my birthday and a friend's birthday with a group of 8. We loved the atmosphere! It is definitely a great place for a celebration- good drinks, food, and service! They don't currently take reservations, but they do have a waitlist on Tock that you can get on. You can get to it from their website. It helped us a lot because we were on it for an hour before we got seated but it was good timing! It would've been too long of a wait if we just walked in asking for a table. The margaritas were perfect!! Not too strong but also not overly sweet. The guacamole was fantastic and they actually come to your table and make it in front of you. It has that homemade, authentic taste! We ordered two for the table- mild and spicy. I could've eaten both bowls myself LOL. I ordered the chicken fajitas and they were good! They give you a lot! This place isn't skimping you on anything... the portions are big. They came with guac, beans, cheese, and rice on the side. My boyfriend ordered a burrito and it was massive! Once again, you won't be disappointed with the portions here! If you're here for a birthday, they'll come out and sing with you and your party, and they give you a sombrero to wear and take home. Lol. They also serve this delicious churro and ice cream dessert. It's not covered by them, so do keep in mind you'll have to pay for it. They charged us $17.90 for the churros and an extra $4.00 for the birthday package. I assume the two sombreros were factored into that. read more

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We arrived at 6:15 and told it was a 1/2 hour wait, that was fine. After 45 minutes, asked where we were at. We were told by a very snippy young girl the wait would be another 1/2 hour. When I questioned the discrepancy I was told the original time was only an estimate. Not happy with the response but dealt with it. A very nice manager was soon notified we weren't happy and magically found us a table. Food was excellent but waitress was horrible. Took our order but never came back until we were finished with dinner, only to ask if we wanted another drink? No mention of whether we were happy with our meal or not! I guess just wanted to add to her check! SO disappointing!! All we wanted was a nice meal after!! read more

A beautiful night to sit outside, with delicious food and drinks. It was crowded which said a lot. Highly recommended.

Visited Salsa 17 for a Saturday Lunch/Brunch. We got a variety of drinks to start: coconut passion, strawberry basil skinny, and passion fruit paloma. The coconut passion transports you to a beach with coconut run, pineapple juice and passion fruit flavor. The strawberry basil skinny had fresh muddled fruit; drink was light and refreshing. Passion fruit paloma also had chunks of fresh fruit which is such a nice touch over using purée. On the food side, my taco salad was straight forward; the meat was seasoned well. Salsa 17 is known for their mole sauce and was the star of the visit! One can get a mole sampler to try them all to see which was best. Lastly, the tres leches french toast was a the perfect mix of sweet, soft, nutty. The caramelized plantains were delicious! Make a trip to try Salsa 17 out; it'll strongly be worth it! Tip: The restaurant lets one join a waitlist via Tock. read more

Salsa 17 - Taco Salad with Ground Beef - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

So happy with Salsa 17 in Arlington Heights. I had a birthday promo which they honored past my actual birthday. I was sick (pneumonia) and when I explained what happened they said - come on in. Food was fabulous (and a lot of it). And the margaritas were heavenly! I was just so pleased with the service, food and drink. I highly recommend going there. read more

Salsa 17 is always delicious! It's my favorite Mexican restaurant in Arlington Heights. On my most recent visit, I got to sit in the alley. The outdoor environment with the lights above make it my favorite place to sit. The food and service were excellent as always. read more

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Came to Salsa 17 for a Sunday brunch and it was great! I have been here a few times and I think their enchiladas are some of the best in the area. My friend got the bloody Maria and the toppers looked so good - I mean pork belly!?! Come on! So delish. Our server was fantastic. Helpful and attentive. Will definitely be back! read more

Salsa 17 - Bloody Maria - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Dangggg, it's been a minute since I've last reviewed Salsa 17! I will say, it's still one of the top restaurants in the Burbs and still one of my favorite Mexican spots to go to. As someone who's been coming here for over like 10 years, the food here will always be so delicious. From their loaded burritos, to flavorful tacos, to the sizzling fajitas, the food here remains a 10/10. I've never ordered something I didn't like! Their tableside guacamole is also the best guacamole in the suburbs in my opinion. The cocktails... say less. Again, one of the best cocktails in the area, as well. My favorite dish that I'll always recommend is the fajitas - the carmelized onions and peppers are perfect, and they LOAD that plate up with whatever protein you decide to get (chicken, steak, or shrimp). I will say the one thing that changed for me and maybe I didn't really notice it until later since I usually sat outside or with a group - if you come here with just 1 other person and they seat you at the tables on the side where it all shares one booth, be prepared for a tight space where you can barely hear the person you came with. The last 2 times I came here was with my boyfriend and we got sat at these tables and it just felt uncomfortable being THAT close to someone. I get they want to make room for everyone but I rather wait and get a better table where we don't have to hear the peoples' next to us conversations. It's hard getting out of your seat, too, without bumping the table next to you because they're so close. They have great pricing, a hard-working staff, and super delectable food and drinks. The only thing that may ruin your experience is the tight space. You'll still find me here, though! read more

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Food was good, sort of pricey, and not the best presentation but still solid. Party like atmosphere, loud and energizing. Decor was impressive, felt transported out of the little suburb. Service was fine. Cocktail was great. read more

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Overall the food was pretty decent. But the only real saving grace was the table side guacamole which was great and the steak fajitas my friend got were probably the best dish overall. My modelo braised short ribs in my tacos were tough and chewy, although the flavor was there. Also I've never seen enchiladas where they just take tacos and then douse them salsa Verde sauce. I honestly found that quite odd. One big reason I'm giving 3 stars instead of 4 is that the service was just mediocre. The waitress disappeared after dropping off the food, and we had to ask for to go boxes multiple times and even then was hard to get her attention. Saw her take new chips to tables without anyone asking(table right next to us) but oddly left our basket empty. Final nail in the coffin was the 2.5% fee for credit card transactions. read more

Salsa 17 - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois

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Just to be clear, I am not prejudice in any way, our country needs more immigrants from all countries. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS PLACE GETS 5 STARS FOR ANYTHING as the posts reflect !!! Service was terrible and it was not busy at 5pm on Wednesday night. I order a can of beer, it to 15 minutes to get it! Our order was for vegetable tacos. HOW CAN YOU SCREW THAT UP ??? We got all mushrooms a few onions in flour tacos, waitress could not understand us ( she could not understand english ) The guy they sent to talk about correcting the order could not understand english either so.... the manager comes over , all he wants to do is rave about how he loves what we ordered, really....... actually all he wanted to do was talk, he did not want to hear us, so sad. NEVER AGAIN !!! read more

Great spot for a night out with the girls! Delicious Margarita options. Nachos are humongous and serves like 5 people! We got half steak and half carnitas . Meats had great flavors. Quesadilla was nice and cheesy with a good ratio of chicken. read more

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Went in for drinks and snacks. Ambiance- good. They decorated for dios de los muertos. It was beautiful. Staff- we had very friendly server. Staff was wearing dios de los muertos tshirts and sweatshirt that gave a really cozy feel. Noise level- very Loud. Crowd- very crowded place. The table are very close together and I didnt see anyone walking between isles without bumping on someone's stuff. Waitlist- we went during peak hours on friday night and we had to wait 20min this time. One time we were said that wait time is 50-60min and we decided to go somewhere else at that time. Drinks- i ordered margaritas and asked for less alcohol, she added only half alcohol and gave other half on the side. Chips and Salsa tasted store bought and nothing fancy out of it. read more

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The food was amazing! Best Mexican food I've had in a long time. Authentic. Service was exceptional.

For the second consecutive year, we walked into Salsa17 at 11 am, following the annual Santa Rotary Run, and asked for a table for 16 people. And, for the second time, Salsa 17 delivered! The staff and especially our server, Alphonso, we're absolutely amazing. We were seated within minutes, with chips and salsa and asked for our drink orders. Alphonso took all the orders first from the senoras and senioritas. So respectful and courteous! I haven't seen this done in a restaurant before, especially a group this large. Very unique and memorable experience. The brunch queso burger I had with avocado was delicious and filling, but I have also had taco salads here. Everyone was pleased with their food and drink order. The tableside guacamole is delicious too and so fresh. This will be an annual tradition for us, and we will be back soon, for sure. Great music playlist, too, with holiday songs sprinkled in. The decor inside is festive and colorful and makes for a celebratory atmosphere. Thank you, Salsa 17, for being a great place to dine and connect with family or friends. We'll see you again soon. read more

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Don't know what people see in this place. Extremely Americanized "white washed' and not in the least authentic. The best thing here are the drinks and the guacamole. Although the staff is very Latino the flavors are not. read more

The food is 5 star worthy. The server and food runners would get closer to 1 star. They don't matter so I'll share what food we got. Modelo Braised beef rib, I'll go back for this dish. First of all it looks like a dinosaur bon and I am here for it. Served with a wonderfully rich flavored sauce and chipotle mash potatoes with some sautéed spinach. We got the chicken enchiladas, pork tacos, combination fajitas, table side guacamole, and the house special with the pork chop. The pork chop had a Chipotle cream sauce I would buy in a jar. We also ordered a sampler of their molés and very impressed by the range and depth of flavor each one had. Overall very impressed with the food. Their standard house margaritas might be the best to order, we tried a couple of them but the best was traditional. Sorry I forgot to take pics but will be back there and I'll share next time. read more

Got shrimp tacos to go, they were disgusting. I don't live far away, got home they were soggy and a funky smell. I love shrimp and I've had them here before- idk what happened today, but won't be going back! read more

Short and sweeeeet....pistachio mole over salmon/ shrimp burrito and the wings.An added feature would be the pozole and equally tasteful tortilla soup. read more

The ambiance here is amazing with great music. This restaurant has one of the biggest menus I've ever seen too.  My friend and I came here and ate at an awkward lunch time (3:00pm) but the restaurant was still pretty crowded! In the end, we ordered the guac prepared by the table-side, a salad and the taco meal. The guac was SO good that we finished two bowls of tortilla chips with it!! The taco meal was very flavorful and filling too. We thought it was very cute that the beans were served in a tortilla bowl. I highly recommend dining here; I don't live in Arlington Heights but I would stop by when I'm near the area again! read more

Salsa 17 - Mexican Near Me - Arlington Heights, Illinois