The whole time I was in Key West, I had been craving Mexican food. Who am I kidding? I’m nearly always craving Mexican food. While I knew I wouldn’t find the most authentic fare in that part of Florida, I still wanted to try at least one Mexican place. After watching the sunset, we walked back to Duval Street for a Mexican dinner and a low-key evening. Having lived in Mexico for two summers, I am picky about Mexican food. So I approached Salsa Loca expecting Tex-Mex fare rather than authenticity. If you are a fan of real Mexican food, I recommend that you do the same.
Salsa Loca offers a laid-back atmosphere with mediocre food and service
As far as Key West restaurants go, Salsa Loca is large, rambling and a little chaotic. The entrance to the indoor dining room is at 623 Duval Street. Around the corner, there is a separate entrance to the outdoor dining area. Given the choice, I’ll always sit outside. So that’s where we headed. It is casual, a mix of bar-height tables, picnic tables and patio furniture. Dogs are welcome; and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that shoes are optional. A couple seated near us actually brought their dog with them. The waitress gave the dog its own bowl of water, which it lapped up happily before dozing while its owners enjoyed their dinner.
Salsa Loca’s menu is similar to that of most other Tex-Mex places. The sinchronizadaa, which is described as a tortilla sandwich, is the most popular menu item. I ordered that while Jared had a combination meal. Both meals were served with yellow rice and refried pinto beans. His chile relleno was acceptable, if a little light on batter and cheese. It, and the burrito were covered in a red sauce that tasted like it had come from a can. The rice and beans were just average. My sinchronizada was a little bland, but still pretty good considering my low expectations. It was filled with a generous amount of lightly-seasoned shredded chicken, cheese, onion and jalapenos and topped with sliced avocado. Everything was improved once it had been covered with some hot salsa. Overall, Salsa Loca was no better or worse than I had expected. However, I don’t understand why it got such rave reviews from our B&B owners as well as a few other people that we spoke to.
Chicken sinchronizada, margarita & combination dinner
After dinner, we returned to the Duval Inn for a nighttime swim before talking one last walk down Duval Street. It’s rare to find a place that keeps it pool open 24 hours. The Duval Inn does; and we had it to ourselves. I guess no one else was crazy enough to swim in the cooler weather. But I’ve always been a fan of nighttime swims, warm or not. When it got too chilly, we went back to Duval Street for a walk and a nightcap.
Palm leaves & the moon made for a beautiful nighttime swim
Several locals told me that, since Key West is so small, there aren’t a whole lot of “local joints”. Locals go to many of the same places as tourists. They just do it on different nights. This was evident as I walked down Duval Street on Monday night. It really struck me as Jared and I sat at a quiet bar talking with a stranger and watching the Winter Olympics. Spending more than just a weekend in Key West gives you a great feel for the island. I got to see the loud and crazy Saturday night and the low-key Monday night. It gave me a little bit of a feel of both the tourist and the local side of Key West.
Even Irish Kevin's Bar, which is notorious for its debauchery and crowds, is quiet on a Monday night
