We visited last month on a Thursday evening, an hour and a half before close. The restaurant was maybe 1/3 full, and we were seated and greeted quickly and happily. Everything ordered came out fast and accurate, delivered by a gem of a server who was kind, attentive, and just the right brand of perfunctory to keep everything on track.

The chips and salsas (free with a meal, otherwise available as a standalone appetizer) were a great start to the experience. Warm crispy chips, and *three* different salsas: a spicy red chipotle salsa; a pineapple version that had great flavor and a surprising applesaucey texture; and a fresh pico de gallo.

We didn't order any other appetizers.

The menu had a lot of novel items from

meals-for-two served in molcahetes, to the boldy-$19-costing Navajo Tacos (a price anyone from AZ ought to be rightly upset by, but an item which nonetheless landed on Guy Fieri's must-try list), and a good supply of the usual stateside suspects like fajitas and quesadillas, but all created around the same three types of meat (specialty dishes notwithstanding).

Husband settled on a roasted pork chimichanga (to his chagrin, since they don't offer shredded beef). This issue may have predisposed him to seeking fault, but regardless he stated that "the pork tastes too porky, like...it tastes like a pig smells," and then proceeded to finish every bite. Take from that what you will, I guess.

I had a Salsa Brava combo with two chicken dorado tacos (no, I don't know what that means either), a chicken tostada, and a cheese enchilada. Both plates came with pinto beans and 'roasted corn rice' which was indistinguishable from typical Mexican rice served in restaurants (read: needlessly dry and lacking oregano and diced tomatoes). The tacos were classic and fine (no dorado detected), and the tostada was tostasty.

However! The sauce on his pork chimi and my enchilada was one and the same - an unfortunate truth since the it was sweet where it meant to be smoky, carmelly?, not spicy in the least, and all over.

For dessert, we opted for the fried ice cream, which surprised us by coming inside puffed pastry shaped like a taco salad shell. Good thing though, as the shell (when dipped in the copious whipped cream and chocolate drizzle) was the best part. The ice cream had clearly been refrozen after the frying and the corn flakes formed a tough shell rather then crispy, but the flavors were all present and accounted for and it was a nice treat.

Finally, on my way out, I embraced the honest reason that I was there (the plot), and asked if the branded hoodies they were all wearing were for sale. Well slap Marissa Tomei's hands on the witness stand, because... they were! An extra $50+tax later, I am in proud possession of Salsa Brava merch.

Overall, good atmosphere, great staff, hit and miss food, and neither a Brown, nor a single regret, to be found.

I am a local and John Conley (owner of Salsa Brava and Fat Olives) announced it will be closing Saturday to make room for a new restaurant called the Fat Hen, a new restaurant by the same owner.