ROSES by Sal

Constantly looking for good, affordable Mexican food is a common goal Hayden and I have. I simply love tacos and I strongly believe any time is Margaritas time (except from 9-5, I have a full time job). Hayden moved here from Dallas an year ago. He loves most things about living in Amsterdam, but he still constantly says 2 things: God I miss Mexican food and HOW MUCH FOR A MARGARITA?!

ROSES by Sal was on my list for a long time, after hearing about Rose’s Cantina over and over again (now closed). ROSES by Sal is owned by Thomas and Vincent Uzcudun, who are also the owners of the famous Salmuera.

We went there on a Thursday, which is also Salsa night! I was slightly worried it was going to be too loud and crazy while I just wanted to have a nice dinner. The event actually just made the place better. The band doesn’t play too loud and the skilled dancers are only bringing life to the restaurant. The tables are also set apart from the “stage”.

The restaurant is well known for its cocktails. Their Margaritas, while not cheap, were delicious.

The streetfood menu offers a wide variety of starters (or bites with your drink). I was and still am truly curious about their ceviche, but I went with the tacos this time. The tacos de santo were filled with roasted pork, pineapple cilantro and green tomatillo. Mmm.

The quality of the taco ingredients is high and you can immediately taste that. I would have personally liked them to be a bit juicier. The Dallas Tacos Master said they were exactly as they should be. 2 tortillas need to be used instead of 1 – the filling was heavy and the tacos broke after the first bite.

Hayden was craving his cheesy grilled corn, so we also had the elote de mais. We both enjoyed it, although I’m fairly easy to win over when you pour loads of cheese on top of anything.

As a main, I had the Kraken – octopus from the grill with saffron alioili. God, I love my instincts. The meat was so tender, and it paired beautifully with the spicy suave caliente salsa (ordered separately).

I had a coleslaw salad on the side, which was tasty and definitely healthier than your average coleslaw. Still, I kinda missed that unhealthy sauce, typical for this dish.

Hayden had the Entrcote Bife Chorizo, described as “a little less tender”. I am SO curious about their tenderloin now, because that entrecote was exactly what I would call a great, tender steak. He had it medium rare. The middle was a bit on the rare side, but no big difference.

Be aware that the steak comes on its own, so you will probably want a side or at least salsa with it. Hayden had the patatas huancaina . Perfectly salted and the texture was nice and fluffy, but we both agreed they could have used more sauce.

I definitely enjoyed having dinner at ROSES by Sal and I’d be happy to return. Your bill won’t be on the low side (mostly due to drinks), but the quality totally makes up for it. The vibe is casual and the interior reminds of Havana. Oh, and about that salsa night – they also give lessons! How cool!