The Salsa Room Quesadillas & Baked Empanadas

Visited TSR late last week. When they get the order right — man, it’s GOOD and completely justified my original 4-​star rating. Nicely cooked fajita steak, stuffed chock-​full of (the correct) toppings, significant portion, and fresh ingredients. Hopefully they worked out their ordering kinks! Back to 4 stars!

It’s quesadillas from a food truck for people like me who are too busy or lazy to pack a nutritious lunch! LOL How picky can you be? I will say I greatly enjoy the food! The Guac is delicious! the veggie emapanada sauce is kinda sweet but if you’re in the mood for it it’s good, the quesadillas are good I’ve had the cheese, vegi and bbq chicken one before.

I hadn’t had a quesadilla in a while so I was excited to try one from here. I was going to order steak after reading some great reviews about it, but sadly they were out of it. So I went with the bbq chicken instead and it was pretty awesome. Upon receiving my order, I realized that I had to get guacamole. What’s a quesadilla without some guac? I’m not sure if it was because the service was slow or because they didn’t have any steak left, but when I asked for some, the guy who helped me was nice enough to give me the guacamole for free!
As for the quesadilla itself, the portion was prodigious, easily enough for two meals or a meal and a snack at least. The chicken itself was grilled, juicy, not tough at all, and tasted great with their bbq sauce. For my three add-​ins, I got pico de gallo, southwestern rice and black beans. The combination worked really well, especially with some salsa, sour cream and guacamole. The salsa wasn’t that great (no real spice and only a little bit of flavor) although the guacamole was really good.
Definitely a food truck I would get from again, although next time, I hope I get to try the steak!

I’m definitely not an empanada expert. It has been so long since my last empanada, that I cannot remember when or where. My last experience had such a dry, crumbly crust with tasteless dry filling that I haven’t had another one since.
Until today. I needed a quick, easy-​to-​eat snack before a doctor’s appointment near Farragut Square. I love food trucks, so I figured I’d be able to find something at the Golden Triangle’s «Food Truck Friday».
This particular truck not only had a short line but also large, gorgeous, golden empanadas. I figured that fit the bill– quick and easy to eat. Cheap (at $ 4 per empanada) but filling enough. So I tried the chicken empanada.
The empanada was incredible. The crust was not dry at all. It was flaky but moist and perfectly baked to golden-​brown with a hint of sweetness in the dough.
I thought it was going to be pulled chicken inside– maybe with flavorful juices, if I was lucky. But as I cut into the empanada, I was surprised by the richly flavored gravy, thickened with potatoes and peas.
Hours later, I’m still craving another empanada.

I had a Fajita Steak Quesadilla with Black Beans, Sweet Corn and Pico de Gallo. This was very filling and YUMMY! Lots of steak (which was tender and seasoned to perfection), peppers & onions.
The ONLYYYY reason why I did not give 5 stars is because the 2^nd half of my Quesadilla got super soggy from the juice in the bottom of the container. It kinda sucked because I just had to eat the filling with my fork. I hate soggy bread, tortillas, chips, etc.
Otherwise, it was one of the BEST Quesadilla’s I have had and I will def be back!

This was my first taste of TSRQ&BE and I should have read the reviews before I tried, since I now agree with some of the other reviewers here that the empanadas are not the best. I’ve had a lot better.
For lunch, I picked up two empanadas for $ 8 (1 chicken & 1 chorizo at $ 4 each) with a side of guac for $ 2. At first glance I was impressed with the appearance, they were larger than most and perfectly baked with a beautiful golden brown hue. However, the insides for both were a hot soupy mess and contained more potatoes and peas than chicken or chorizo. I found that the ingredients lacked any identifiable Latin flavor and the chorizo empanada tasted like bland beef stew and left a not so desirable aftertaste in my moutn (gross!). I was very disappointed.
Not sure if I’ll come back to try again, but if I do it will be for the Quesadillas, since people seem to rave about those.

I really enjoyed the crab quesadilla I had for lunch, it was with Pico de gallo, sweet corn and black beans. Very tasty and not too cheesy but just the right balance of flavors. I also ordered the Chorizo Empanada, which is why they only got 4 stars. The empanada was ok, much too sweet considering its a Chorizo and I like my heat. It wasn’t balanced in flavors but overall I would come back to get another quesadilla any day!

I was lucky enough to be their last customer of the day… they squeezed me in right before closing. The Empanadas are DELICIOUS!!!
They were sold out of most empanadas… which makes sense since they are so darn tasty. But I managed to get a chicken empanada, and I will for sure being going back next week!!!
Not only is the food amazing, but the people who work the truck are awesome. This is so far my FAVORITE FOOD TRUCK!!!

I didn’t try the Empanadas, and I’m sure they are to great. I had the Quesadillas which doesn’t have a lot of reviews in regards. Let me tell you this was an awesome item to get! I tried the fajitas/​shrimp combo with pico, beans, and corn. You get sour cream sauce, verde, and salsa to dip this wonderful creation into. You can literally drink the salsa its so good!
The atmosphere around the truck was cool too, as they had speakers going while you wait on your order. They have a pretty good number system so if its busy they don’t lose your order. It took me about 5 minutes from ordering to eating on this day which isn’t bad.

I arrived at the last Truckeroo event of the season today and was ready to chow down! I have a few favorite trucks that I always seem to gravitate to — one of them being DC Empanada. On this day, I was one of the first people to arrive, so DCE was not yet open for business. Although I was bummed at first, it was just my luck! I stumbled upon TSR truck and thought, ‘Hey, Self, what is this little gem… BAKED empanadas… In my belly, NOW!” And who would fight your brain/​tummy in times like these? Certainly not moi!
I ordered 1 chorizo & 1 cheese/​jalapeño empanada. Even at first glance, my mouth watered. It was hot and smelled ooooh sooo good. Tasted just the same! The chorizo empanada was filled with meat, potatoes, veggies and spices. The crust was warm, soft and flaky. WIN! The cheese/​jalapeño empanada crust was just the same. Most importantly, in my book, the middle of the crust was actually FILLED with warm, gooey cheese. The jalapenos were not overwhelming and added just a touch of flavor. DOUBLE WIN!
I hope to see TSR back at Truckeroo again next season! This experience has also moved me to bookmark their restaurant and I can’t wait to go!
*Sorry DCE, you’ve got some MAJOR competition!!*

Kind of a hot mess of a food truck. The lines were so long, the service so slow, and the cashier giving estimated wait times so far off the actual wait times that I thought there might be riots. I watched several customers leave with out their orders, others demand refunds, and almost all of the remainder (such as myself) had to be pacified with free flan.
The wait was so long (over 25 minutes) that my other friends had already eaten their lunches by the time I got my food. I walked with my burrito back to my office, and upon returning to my desk I discovered the following: they missed 2 out of 3 of my burrito ingredients, the quinoa was undercooked, and what they lack in service they more than make up for in excessive amounts of sour cream everywhere. Oh, and the flan was gross. Most of my lunch ended up in the trash.
I liked the idea of this food truck. Maybe on another day it would be better, but I won’t be back.

The Salsa Room has a more subdued, even plain, food truck-​black with white lettering-​so it would be easy to miss if not for the lines. It’s always a good sign when you see a line formed in front of a truck, with another group of people standing on the side to wait for their orders.
Besides the crowd, I was drawn to this particular vendor because I saw crab quesadillas listed as one of the daily specials on a dry erase board. Sold!
Quesadillas range between six to twelve bucks, depending on the filling. The crab quesadilla was $ 10. All quesadillas also came with three sides. I later learned that the «sides» constituted part of the filling.
To complement the quesadillas, I got black beans, corn, and quinoa. What a perfect combo! The quinoa gave the quesadillas, with their ooey gooey cheese, a lighter yet more filling quality. The black beans and corn went well together and added to the texture of the quesadillas. The «fresh crab» indicated on the menu wasn’t as visible, but I could definitely taste it and know it’s there.
Overall, I was pleased with my pick because portions were plentiful (I have leftovers), the flavors went well together, and the price wasn’t bad (brick and mortar restaurants typically charge two to three dollars more for seafood-​filled burritos/​enchiladas/​quesadillas). Will be back to try their empanadas on another beautiful summer day.

I’ve picked up empanadas from this food truck twice. I’ve had the veggie, chorizo and the chicken. The filling is a mix of meat and veggies and the dough is very sweet. They remind me of Julia’s Empanadas in texture. The spicy salsa that comes with it really helps cut the sweetness of the dough. I enjoyed both the chorizo and chicken, but the veggie empanada was disappointing. The menu claimed it had seasonal vegetables, including zucchini. But the filling seemed to be a frozen vegetable mix and was very bland (and no zucchini was in mine). Unlike the meat versions, the veggie one didn’t have enough salt or flavor to balance the sweetness of the dough.
Two empanadas make for a very satisfying lunch.

I got a chorizo and a chicken empanada for $ 4 each, and a side of guac for $ 1. I thought the empanadas were absolutely delicious — the chorizo had just enough hint of spice to give a little kick without overwhelming me and the chicken was very tasty and juicy. The portion size was perfect for lunch and the price very reasonable for a food truck. The food truck guys were friendly and it came out fast and very hot.
The guac side was also a reasonable portion, and was very enjoyable with just enough onions in it. I’ve been having problems with some guac recently being too lime-​y or too cilantro-​y and this guac was just perfect.
Best of all, they accept credit cards and advertise that on the side of the truck. I was thinking of going to the taco truck next to it but didn’t see a credit card sign so I came here — glad I did!
There were some other intriguing looking options — seafood ceviche type dishes. I will have to try that some time. I was overall very pleased with this place. Yay!

This is one of my favorite food trucks because of their large menu with many delicious options. My usual order is a beef empanada and a flan. The empanada is always filled with well-​seasoned meat and a load of sauce that just spills out. The flan is always nice and cold with a rich, creamy texture.

DELISH!!!
I happened to stumble upon one my FAV dance venue’s food truck as I ventured away from my desk in downtown DC for lunch today. Let me first say that The Salsa Room (TSR) is one of my FAV Salsa/​Bachata spots to dance in the DMV area… consistently GREAT music and it attracts the dancers & non-​dancers alike… and they bring some of the biggest and best names in the Latin music world (i.e. Migz, Loisaidas, Oscar D’Leon…just to name a few) for concerts throughout the year. My feet stay busy!
So…the food! I got the chorizo empanada. I’ve been reading that since its baked that its officially a saltena as opposed to being a full-​fledged & fried emapanda and that its filling (consisting of veggies, potatoes, meats and other delish ingredients) also qualifies these delish bundles of baked goodness as saltenas… whereas a true empanada is primarily meat. Whichever category it falls in… it was delish!
It came with a side of spicy sauce, which I didn’t use because it was already so well seasoned and sabroso! The shell was baked to perfection and slightly sweet, which further enhanced the savory filling. I wish I had purchased 2!
At $ 4.00 per empanada/​saltena (which seems to be the going rate among TSR’s food truck competitors for the same item), I was fine w/​the price. I also noticed that they serve more than just empanadas/​saltenas! There was a variety of quesadillas on the menu (of which the crab qusadilla was sold out… I’ll have to try that next time!).
I did also get an empanada from a fellow food truck, but, found it to be smaller and oily compared to the TSR product. I think I’ll stick with the saltenas… delish and at a good price… I’ll be back! :)

I just finished enjoying my beef and a chicken saltena. I loved the chicken saltena and if you hold it right and bite off the tip, you have a little empanada bowled stew!

Just so we can all be clear, a saltena is a baked empanada. So I give the Salsa Room props for trying to dumb it down for us non-​South Americans ;)
I got the steak quesadilla. It came with no frills. Just a load (like, a lot) of cheese and (obviously) par cooked steak in a huge flour tortilla. There was also a cup of salsa and a cup of sour cream involved. Nothing fancy or outstanding. It solves a quesadilla quandry especially in the L’Enfant area where our food options are few and far between.
Stick with the saltenas…
How to Eat a Saltena like a champ:
1. Buy delicious saltena from The Salsa Room truck. I went with the beef saltena. I was happily rewarded with juicy bits of steak.
2. Savor your first bite. Strategically, go for one end or the other. If you want to go hard on it, take a big bite from the middle and prepare for this hot juicy pouch to burst.
3. After that first amazing bite, I like to put the folded side down and cut down the middle with my spoon. I like to eat it like this because it’s the sweet, spicy, savory sister to the chicken pot pie.
4. If you like it spicy, pour some of their hot sauce on… it goes really well with it.
5. Discover the peas, raisins, and olives swimming with the steak. Yum.
5. Proceed to inhale the rest of your saltena. The outside is slightly sweet while the inside is just a little spicy.
6. Get another one. Repeat. One is a bit more than a snack. Two is the perfect lunch.

The Unilocaler who compared the Salsa Room’s empanadas to the ones from Julia’s is right on the money; if you like Julia’s Empanadas you will like these, as the Salsa Room’s fare is similar in taste, size, and price to Julia’s.
Pros: Generally tasty empanadas, quick-​to-​no wait in line, authentic fillings
Cons: Lack of variety in choices and the meat empanadas all taste very similar (the filling for the chicken and beef empanadas is almost indistinguishable).
In the battle of the empanada food trucks, I give the edge to DC Empanadas (for the constantly rotating options and unique flavor choices), but certainly the Salsa Room is a good lunch option.

Only time for a quick review today, so sorry for the brevity.
As my quick tip today mentioned, The Salsa Room serves up fresh hot Bolivian Saltanas. Saltanas are a bit different than Empanadas as firstm they are baked not fried, and second, the ingredients are a medley of meats and veggies… not the typical beef and only beef or chicken and only chicken you will find in an Empanada.
Why do they call them Empanadas on the truck and on the menu? Because who has heard of a Saltana before? On the other hand, everybody knows how tasty a good Empanada is!
I got one chicken and one beef. Each were stuffed (literally) with about 50% meat and the other 50% consisted of potatoes, peas, olives and other non-​meat goodness. I didn’t take a complete inventory as I was too hungry to take the time :-)
Anyway, I will gladly be back. The ladies at the truck made sure to give me a sample of their delicious flan as well, and I will definitely add that to my order next time.
Enjoy DC foodies!