Southie has long been a stronghold for the area's working-class Irish American community, and despite the steady influx of new arrivals (not the least among them being plenty of college students), the presence of long-time locals remains pronounced.
That's why it was probably silly of you to come here for Mexican food.
I'm certainly not saying that there cannot exist an oasis of ethnic authenticity in an otherwise relatively homogenous land. Kitchens are kitchen, and on Southie's sweeping plains of pizza-and-sub shops, dimly-lit bars, and humble breakfast stops, they can be had by anyone willing to buy (or lease, as it were). But this isn't one of those times. I don't know who owns Salsa's, or even who works in the kitchen, but either they don't know what real Mexican food is, or they don't care.
In fairness, the latter may be the more likely scenario. After all, you're in Southie. For Mexican. How interested in authenticity can you possibly be? So maybe they get points on the savviness scale. After all, when the average townie gets off work and heads over to Dorchester and Broadway, what are they really looking for? Technically precise carnitas, or some tasty chips and salsa? How about a comically oversized margarita to wash that down?
Hey, the chile en nogada is actually really tasty: jam-packed with interesting flavors, it's exactly the sort of dish I love, and the creamy walnut sauce more than hides the dry ground beef. But the fish tacos were salty and mind-numbingly boring, and the carnitas were inexplicably -- and unforgivably -- cubed. The salsa was quite good, and that being their namesake, perhaps I should just take the hint and admit that they do what they, in all likelihood, seek to do: get Southie natives sloshed on tequila, beneath the approving gaze of a fake saguaro.
If that's what you're looking for, then hell, come on over. Support the South Boston economy, and maybe have a drink while you're at it. But don't expect exacting Mexican food, and for the love of god, if you happen to enjoy it, don't tell MC Slim JB.
Pros: Chile en nogada: very tasty.
Cons: Again, you want Mexican, and you're in Southie.
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