Chips and salsa. They’re kind of like a welcome gift when you go to a Mexican restaurant, right?
Well not here in New England. We’ve been here over 8 years now and tried many Mexican restaurants, and quite frankly, there hasn’t been a single one we’d go back to.
Not only have they all been duds, but not once in all those years here in New England did we ever receive free chips and salsa when we sat down.
Not once. Chips and salsa are not complimentary around here. They are something you order off the menu. It’s the strangest thing. Until yesterday.
Yada Yada Yada… We had to drive to New Hampshire to pick something up and on the way back we decided, on a whim, to grab a bite to eat before going grocery shopping at Market Basket {which was on the way home}.
The two possible choices were a sandwich shop and a Mexican place. We took a gamble and decided on Mexican food.
We walk in, sit down, the waiter greets us, sets down WARM chips, salsa and queso {OH MY WORD!} and asks if we’d like anything to drink.
We couldn’t believe it. As soon as the waiter walks away, the HH looks at me and says, we’ll this is promising. HA HA HA.
And it was!!!
Not only were the chips and salsa spot on, but so was the decor and the menu and even the bathrooms were clean.
We both ordered the chicken enchiladas, which were perfect.
They were so good in fact, we will absolutely be going back. The losing streak is over. We finally found a Mexican restaurant we’d go back to.
And it even has free chips and salsa to boot!
Cinco’s Cantina in Epping, New Hampshire. Muy bueno. If you’re in the area check it out!
~Mavis
P.S. Are you given free chips and salsa when you go to your local Mexican restaurant? Or is having to pay for them just an anomaly around here. Curious minds want to know.
SueD says
Free chips and salsa is the norm here in mid-MI. Queso, if you can get it, is a charge. And free refills on the chips and salsa if mains are taking a bit longer to come out, at the restaurant we usually go to.
Brianna says
We live in an area with a lot of diversity (NOVA-DC), so nearly every restaurant is authentic. The Mexican one I favor has all Spanish employees and English is rarely spoken and it is filled with Spanish families eating. It has free chips and salsa that is replenished. I have to ask for the spicy salsa, otherwise they assume I want the American salsa, which is like tomato sauce to me.
Kath says
Ooh, fellow NoVa resident here! We have two favorite places in Alexandria that give free chips + salsa, would love to hear where you go!
Pam says
Yes, we get free chips and salsa, the thin kind, we prefer chunkier, but still good. No queso without asking for it! Food is delicious, family favorite, lots of take home leftovers.
We are outside raleigh,NC
Jamie B. says
My family loves Cinco’s! They also give free chips and salsa when you order take out and catering.
Mary G says
Free chips and salsa are the norm where I am in Connecticut. The guac, which is amazing, is extra.
Marie ---NH says
We’ve never been to a Mexican restaurant that didn’t have free salsa and chips here in New Hampshire.
Kari says
Yep—unlimited free chips and salsa, and a small bowl of refried beans with the salsa. Queso is additional, so we usually don’t get it. The portions are so big that we have to save room for the meal.
We have been going to the same little hole in the wall for eons, and we order the same thing every time. They don’t even bring us menus anymore. Why mess with a good thing?
Lana says
Free chips and salsa here and one brings a fabulous warm bean dip, too. We have one with a salsa bar with a dozen choices. One opened up without free chips and salsa and it didn’t make it. We always felt like they were cheap by not bringing them especially with their high prices. I guess we weren’t the only ones.
Nan says
I believe Peppers Mexican restaurant in Biddeford serves free chips and salsa and also good food and is a neighbor to Market Basket as well! The Mexican restaurant in Sanford does too
Lisa says
We’re on the NH Seacoast and the Mexican restaurants we frequent always bring free chips and salsa to the table (and even refills if asked for!). The same goes for the places we’ve been to in MA. We would definitely be disappointed if we weren’t greeted with them!
Patti M says
Free chips and salsa here in southeast PA. I’ve never been given free queso though.
Dawn says
Free chips and salsa here in MA.
Mallory L. says
El Rodeo in Maine does free chips and salsa, even for takeout. We’ve found their food to be good across the board – and they have a great late-lunch happy hour too and specials during the week (though we prefer the SoPo location over Scarborough). Overall, I’ve found free chips & salsa to be more common locally than not.
If your ever in the Manchester, NH area, right next to the SNHU Arena, El Rincon is top notch too.
Jaime says
For me, I think it depends on the restaurant. More “upscale” places you have to pay but some times at “mom-and-pop” type places you occasionally get them for free.
As a sidenote: from a quick search, it looks like this restaurant may be in Epping??? Their site lists 3 locations, none of which are Raymond. I’m not usually up that side of NH but I’ll have to keep it in mind if I ever am.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! It was the one in Epping.
Christy Rose says
Small world, I know the owner, his wife and their children quite well.
Cincos belongs to my sister’s granddaughter and her husband! I visited them last month. Nicest people. I live in California.
Mavis Butterfield says
That’s awesome!!
Cheryl says
I live in south West PA and everywhere has free chips and salsa. Your food looks delicious.
Stacey says
We have a couple of good Mexican restaurants here where we live now. So far, we still get free chips and salsa, but not beans unless we purchase them. The food is excellent!
Sue in SoCal says
I’ve never heard of having to pay for chips and salsa. But here in SoCal there’s a Mexican restaurant on every other corner seems like which is fine by me as I don’t think I’ve ever met a taco I didn’t like. No free queso though or refried bean dip.
Cindy Brick says
The first basket of chips and salsa is free — but refills are usually extra.
(And if you go to Chili’s, open a rewards account and they’re ALWAYS free. Otherwise, they charge for the initial basket. Or get the ‘3 for me’ special, which we do — a lot — in order to watch Michigan football — go Blue!)
Southern Colorado is crawling with excellent Mexican restaurants. Only here the food would be considered Colo-Mex or Tex-Mex, not true Mexican. Only a few serve that, including our favorite: Calvillo’s in Alamosa.
Cynthia Parido says
Here in WA state we get free chips and salsa, sometimes free bean dip too. Although we have come across having to order chips and salsa once. I can’t remember where as we never went back.
Gayle says
We travel across the eastern US often and decided long ago that we weren’t going to get good New York style pizza in Georgia or perfect enchiladas in Ohio! Just decided to eat regional!
Sharon L Thompson says
Our local place offers one round of free chips and salsa. Any more and it’s $5. Another place offers “doritos”/ pinwheels free, unlimited. Super fun and tasty
Alecia Loveless says
I have lived in Northern New Hampshire for 30 years. The ONLY restaurant that has what I’d consider to be authentic Tex Mex like I get from mom and pop restaurants when I visit my family in Texas is Fiesta Jalisco in North Conway.
We have a South American/Mexican restaurant in Bethlehem and they do charge for chips and salsa. $8. You receive a tiny cup of salsa and about 20 chips. Their fajitas are pretty good but they only give you 2 tortillas and it’s like pulling teeth to try to get additional ones.
sandy says
Southern California native here- chips & salsa are a staple, and provided at all Mexican restaurants.
We are lucky to have so many to choose from.
Charlotte says
Ohio “chipping” in. We have a ton of Mexican restaurants in central Ohio. Some chain and some mom and pop. We have never paid for chips and salsa. Sometimes they bring refills without asking. Also they are included with carry out.
Kathy Wolfe says
In Alabama we get free chips and salsa and some places give free refills of both.
Candace Hassen says
Down here in GA free chips and salsa are the norm in Mexican restaurants. Not free queso though.
debbie in alaska says
The absolute best Mexican I have ever had (including Mexico) was at Riviera Mexican Cantina in Redondo Beach California. I still dream about it.
debbie in alaska says
And yes, free warm chips and salsa so good you want to drink it
Gigi says
Chicagoland here and I think it’s the 2nd or 3rd largest population of Mexicans outside of Mexico City. Usually free but depends on the price point of the restaurant.
KCB says
We go to El Toro in Puyallup. Always very good. They don’t charge extra for chips & salsa. Recently they reduced the amount of chips you get by half. But if the basket gets empty they ask if you would like more. I think the change is to reduce waste.
Carole says
In south TX it is mandatory and expected, well you really don’t even think about it, it just shows up automatically
Joyce says
If you get up to Ellsworth, near Bar Harbor, Casa Jalisco serves free chips and salsa. Good lunch specials, too.