The hostess was much nicer this time around, we were seated promptly, and we had an absolutely wonderful waitress. We also met the manager, Marco, who told us about La Salsa's specialty: the Cantina has more than 50 varities of tequilla. And we're not just talking Jose Cuervo, we are talking good tequillas - I'm not fond of them myself, but during the course of our dinner, my companions tried some out and gave praises.

The food was good. Our waitress recommended the new Queso Publano dip, which is melted cheese with Poblano peppers, tomato, onions, spices, and jalepenos. It was sooooo good. For my entree, I went for a favorite: chicken and shrimp fajitas. Fajitas are a relatively straightforward staple of Mexican restaurants, but my usual problem with fajitas--running out of tortilla wraps or toppings--was not an issue here. (This is always a plus, in my eyes). Service was prompt, drinks were kept full, and service was MUCH improved over the last visit. It should be noted too that La Salsa believes in fresh ingredients and no preservatives, so it makes for a flavorful dining experience.

Our waitress also told us about their weekend evening festitivities and invited us to return for them. She explained that they had live entertainment on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays and that it was always a lot of fun. (Unfortunately our schedules did not allow us to return this visit, but we'll try to catch it when we're back in June).

One of the best recommendations our waitress gave us, and which left us with with a perfect end to the meal, was their new fried cheesecake dessert. This sinful creation is a slice of cheesecake, rolled in a tortilla and deep fried, then coated in a sugar and cinnamon mix, and served with a berry topping. Absolutely tasty, and so deliciously decadent you won't want to share!

So, I am pleased to report that a year after our previous visit, our next visit to the La Salsa Cantina was a much different--and far better!--experience than the first, and that I would now return here again. Muchas gracias en una super experiencia!

We were seated immediately by a very unenthusiastic hostess and had to wait a while before our waiter showed up. (The busboy, however, was very prompt about bringing us water, chips and salsa). There was a pretty good selection of foods on the menu and the prices were fairly reasonable, especially for Vegas. We had to wait nearly 30 minutes for a pair of burritos and a mixed appetizer plate - pretty bad for a place where there were only about a dozen customers. We also had to ask three times before we got our specialty drinks from the bar.

I waitressed for several years, so when a waitress acts like she's doing you a favor by coming over to the table, it gets my goat. Luckily for our waitress that night, we were in a relatively good mood coming into the restaurant, and we were good company together, so we brushed off her behavior.

The food was standard Mexican; nothing remarkable, but fairly sizeable portions for the money, which was the restaurant's one saving grace.

I would not readily recommend LaSalsa to anybody looking for a great dining experience, unless your concern is bang for your buck. Even then, I would probably recommend looking around for a cheap buffet or even going to the neighboring McDonald's!

(this review for 2/04)