Las Salsas

Las Salsas
6022 South Columbia Avenue
Hammond, IN 46320 MAP
(219) 937-9370
Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

December 11th, 2008. 2:45 p.m.

My first impression of Las Salsas was very positive. Upon entering I was happily greeted by the young lady behind the register. As I ordered my burrito to go I also noticed the cleanlines of the restaurant and the nicely stocked coolers filled with a wide variety of drinks, salsas, and desserts.

Las Salsas’ fairly extensive menu features 11 breakfast items, a wide variety of tacos, burritos, tortas, gorditas, sopes, and tostadas, as well as full dinners, guisados (stews), and soups (caldo tlalpeño, carne en su jugo, and menudo and pozole on weekends). You can even get American food with a Mexican twist such as a Mexican Fajita Burger and fries, Mexican Hot Dogs (garnished with tomato, onion, and peppers arranged like the Mexican flag), or a Mexican Philly Cheesesteak.



Of course the steak burrito was what I came for. Chips and salsa are complimentary had I dined in and looked quite good under the heat lamp. My burrito was very good overall although too much rice prevented me from getting a sense of the steak flavor. There was no gristle or fat in this burrito that also contained beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. The red and green salsas were also very good and quite hot.

More steak and less rice would have bumped this burrito’s rating a little higher in both flavor and value. Regardless, Las Salsas is worth a visit and I’ll be back to try other menu items. That Mexican Philly Cheesesteak has me intrigued…



Weight: 18.7 ounces
Length: 7.5 inches
Circumference: 8.75 inches
Price: $5.50 or 29.4¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 8/10 sombreros
Value: 8/10 sombreros

Gomez Tacos & Pizza

Gomez Tacos & Pizza
922 Hoffman Street
Hammond, IN 46327 MAP
(219) 937-4016
Hours:
10:00 a.m. to midnight

December 3rd, 2008. 1:45 p.m.

With three locations (the other two in Chicago and Calumet City) and a four page menu that features everything from traditional Mexican fare to pizza, fried chicken, burgers and dogs, and even catering, there is something for everyone at Gomez Tacos & Pizza. This location is kitty-corner from the popular El Taco Real restaurant that I never really cared for.



I ordered my steak burrito to go and unfortunately was not able to try the complimentary chips and salsa. My burrito was wrapped in foil and sadly cut in half. The first thing I noticed was the great smell of the steak. The steak proved to have very good flavor although it was overly greasy (click on pic below) and contained no less than 7 pieces of grisle. Beans, lettuce, tomato, and cheese are included and sour cream and avocado are available for 50¢ extra each. Three tubs of salsa verde were in the bag as well. I only used one as the flavor (good) and heat (moderate to spicy) were such that I didn’t need to add it in gobs.

I really wanted to like this burrito better, but the grease/gristle overload held me back. So much so that I didn’t even finish the last 3 or 4 bites. So sad.



Weight: 24.0 ounces
Length: 7.75 inches
Circumference: 10.5 inches
Price: $5.95 or 24.8¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 6.5/10 sombreros
Value: 9/10 sombreros