Salsarita’s Sizzles with Originality
Story and photos by Becky Billingsley
A pair of restaurants has moved into the Myrtle Beach market offering fresh customized food at economical prices in dining rooms with ambiances that fine dining eateries would beg for. Salsarita's Fresh Cantina is a different kind of eatery.
During the seven years they’ve owned a Maggie Moo’s ice cream restaurant in North Myrtle Beach, Chris and Cindy Tobin built reputations as successful business people. That image was enhanced by an almost unbelievably swift success bringing another restaurant back from the brink of closure.
Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina opened five years ago in Myrtle Beach’s Plantation Pointe plaza at the intersection of U.S. 17 Bypass and 38th Avenue North. The restaurant was an immediate hit, but gradually the quality of food and service deteriorated. When the liquor license was revoked in 2008 business dramatically declined and the parent company, BRV, Inc., took the unit back.
The Tobins bought that store in February 2009. After owning the Salsarita’s for six months, in August 2009 Chris Tobin was named the company’s Rookie of the Year. In December he was awarded the title of Franchisee of the Year (out of a field of about 100) plus a trip to Super Bowl XLIV.
Tobin said there is no big secret to his and Cindy’s success except their hard work. She runs Maggie Moo’s and he handles Salsarita’s, and neither one asks employees to do any work they won’t perform themselves. Each quarter they give employees rewards.
In May 2010 the Tobins opened a new second location of Salsarita's Fresh Cantina in North Myrtle Beach at Barefoot Landing, and this spot is waterfront overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. At both locations the decor is impeccable: bright, fun, spacious and immaculate with stainless steel, mosaic tiles, warm jewel-toned paints and plenty of comfortable table, booth and bar seating.
As for the food, Salsarita's lets customers decide exactly how they want their lunch or dinner prepared. With the use of vivid digital menus and the help of friendly staffers, diners are deftly guided through a selection process.
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For those who are sick of quick-serve Mexican restaurants where you get burritos big around as infants' heads stuffed with beans and rice or filled with goopy and unhealthy ingredients, Salsarita's provides health-conscious customization.
If you want a burrito with just meat (grilled steak, shrimp and chicken; pulled pork; ground beef; shredded beef), you can have it. If you're vegetarian, you can choose from black beans, rice, shredded cheese, grilled vegetables, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, red onion, black olives, jalapenos, sour cream (regular and flavored), guacamole, cilantro, tomatilloes and salsas ranging from mild to hot.
Those filling choices extend to soft and crispy tacos, taco salad, quesadillas, nachos and enchiladas.
Chips are light, crispy and not greasy at all, and you can have them with salsa or melted queso. This is not the bright yellow cheese sauce pumped out of a warehouse-size can in concession stands at sporting events. Salsarita's queso is real Mexican cheese: mellow in flavor with a slight spicy kick and a nice rich cream color.
You pay when your food reaches the end of the decision line, and there is a condiment bar where you can also fetch your own non-alcoholic drinks. If you prefer a little stronger beverage there's a full bar at both locations where $3 margaritas flow during happy hour (4-7 p.m. daily).
I love a good margarita, but there is a specialty of the house I like even better: Prickly Pear Margaritas. They're sweeter than a classic margarita, and pleasantly so. The taste is almost as sweet as pineapple juice, but pleasantly not.
There aren't many places in Myrtle Beach where you can get dinner and an adult beverage in a waterfront setting for less than $10, but Salsarita's offers economy with fresh flair.
Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina is at 3731 Oleander Drive in Myrtle Beach, (843) 839-2383; and waterfront at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, (843) 427-7183. They both open at 11 a.m. daily and serve lunch and dinner.
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