Jason sent me a text meant to provoke jealousy this past Wednesday. The text came alongside a picture of a bottled coke and a delicious-looking plate of assorted tacos. Though envious he was eating without me, I remembered why I love that man.....and tacos.
He brought me back today. Salsitas is an authentic Mexican food joint at 3297 College St. in Beaumont.
For those of you seeking the real deal, instead of describing my plate with sense-inducing language, I'm sharing ten ways I knew this place was legit.
1. A telenovela (Mexican soap opera) with a scorned woman was on the tube.
2. You can count on fresh lime wedges and homemade tortillas coming with your meal.
3. Mexican blankets pair as wall decoration and curtains.
4. There was something creepy on the menu that I wouldn't eat, suggesting that this place serves cuisine beyond the amateur list of nachos and burritos.
5. They serve six kinds of tacos including pastor and azada. (Burger King isn't the only place that lets you have it your way).
6. We had to use part of napkins to blow our runny noses caused by truly hot salsa.
7. You can enjoy your meal with an Orange Fanta or Coke in one of those tall, thick glass bottles.
8. There's a taco truck outside with Christmas lights. I can't explain, but that feels authentic.
9. You get more cilantro with your dish than you do lettuce (the non-tasty filler).
10. The menu is in Spanish and you find yourself making sure you know what a ceviche tostada is. "That is fish, right?"
Here's Jason's foodie review to go right along with my ten reasons:
I had a lunch plate of Chile Verdes on Wednesday. This stuff was good. They have all the food stuff made up and on a steam table so you can see what's fresh and what's not. Since I was there around 11:30 both times this week, everything was fresh. It was raining Wednesday so there weren't any other patrons coming through the door, but the drive through line was steady.
The Chile Verdes was tasty, they were spicy and they were filling. That's what I'm looking for in a lunch plate. I also ordered a Taco Azada. I don't even know what that is. It's some king of delicious beef thing. Don't ask too many questions. Just enjoy.
Since it's Friday, I took Kristi back with me so we could have a lunchtime date. I was just a little disappointed. Instead of ESPN Desportes playing on three TVs and turned up loud enough to drown out a freight train, they had, as Kristi alluded to above, some telenovela thing going. It was like watching Days of Our Lives, but in Spanish. It didn't take away from the ambiance. I was just sad I didn't get to hear the announcer of the soccer game yell "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLL!"
Anyway, I figured since the one taco I ate on Wednesday was good, why not order 4 more. I did two Azada, one Barbacoa, and one Carnitas. That's Spanish for Tasty Beef, Delicious Meat, and Heavenly Pork.
These Tacos are simple and savory. Load them up with lime juice and hot sauce and you have the makings for a face full of flavor. I'm still sweating from the red sauce. Go with the green for a milder kick, but you will still be kicked!
Kristi went out on a limb with the Cameron Tostado. When I see and old food truck, my mind doesn't immediately say, "I wonder what their seafood tastes like?" No, far from it. But she was bold today. And this was one of those days where boldness paid off!
This was sheer goodness on a crunchy shell. She let me have a bite, and when I wanted to go in for a second bite, it was already gone. Add this to your "To Get" list if you get the chance to dine-in. If you're ordering out, it might get a little messy when you try to sneak a bite on the way home. It's piled high with Pico, Shrimp, and Avocado.
She also snagged a Chicken Taco. That was about the only English thing on their menu, but it was served up with full Mexican flavor.
I don't know why we love to take pictures of our food so much. I love taking pictures of Kristi taking pictures of her food.
On the way out, Kristi took a shot of this:
I don't know what it is. I'm sad that I didn't order it. This is my reason for going back sometime in the future.
If you're in Beaumont, anywhere near 3297 College St., not far from Baptist Hospital, stop by. You'll fill your belly without emptying your pocketbook.
If you've enjoyed this, let us know about other food spots you'd like us to try out. Also, make our day by subscribing to the email list. You can do that by entering your email in the block back at the top of this page.
Check out Jason blog at www.PastorBurden.com.
Here are some of the other spots we've been to:
Tracy's Seafood in Port Arthur