--Location/Parking-- Great hole in the wall in Dixon. Plenty of street parking and parking lot. I don't see anyone checking parking. There wasn't an issue when we went during the dinner time. --Ambience-- Minimal, bright colors. Simple Mexican restaurant. Simple seating arrangement. You don't go for the deco. --Service/Staff-- Friendly staff that was excited to serve a big party at the last minute. I recommend because of how friendly the staff were and were very attentive to us. --Products/Service-- I had the beef tacos with a side of beans and rice. No issues. Nothing to write home about. I had tacos from Chicago to, LA to San Antonio. I can't compare the two because of the location. I would just keep your expectation on the food quality and taste. --Capacity-- Indoors can hold 30 plus people based on various table size. I believe they would get busy during the lunch crowd. We walked up with a big group and got seating with no issues. --Overall-- If you are in the area and looking for Mexican food. Nothing to go out of the way to. The food is okay or just average, but take into the context of the area and the choice of selection. read more

i wish I could give more than 5 stars everything about them was amazing! I came by after an appointment from next door 20 minutes before closing and they were so super kind I sat down and ate and the food was AMAZING!!!! sweetest people ever I even left to wait for my ride esp since it was 5 minutes before closing and they offered me to come in and wait! absol amazing customer service attitude everything! please do not pass up this stop it will really bring joy to your day!!!! read more

Great service and tasty food. Family run. Chips and salsa for starters, then I usually go for a burrito or a chimichanga.

Solid, good, authentic Mexican food. That is how I would describe Salamandra. I dropped in for lunch near noon. The place was busy, and got steadily busier. I was greeted and ordered my drink. A waitress came out and took my order - I decided to try their potato and chorizo entree. While I waited, an appropriate dish of tortilla chips and both red and green salsa were provided. The entree arrived with beans and rice. It was quite tasty - I used the red salsa to spice it up a little bit. The bathroom was nice and clean, and smelled clean. The restaurant itself was similarly clean. Table seating is available. If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, you can find it here. read more

Salamandra Restaurant - The potato and chorizo entree - you can see the red and green salsa in the background. - Mexican Near Me - Dixon, Illinois

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Everything ... food, service & ambiance was perfect. Very quaint ... colorful salamanders decorate the walls. Service was prompt & very pleasant. Was welcomed as soon as we walked into the charming restaurant. First I have to say that the beans were Amazing. Best I have ever had. Chili verde was perfect. Pork was very tender and flavorful. We will be back. read more

This place is the most overrated and most expensive Mexican food in the area. Chips cost $. No mexican place I've ever been to charges for this. They charge for lime. Again only here. They would charge for water if they could get away with it. Then when they bring the meal it never fills you up. You leave hungry. Don't waste your time or money. read more

My favorite stop in Dixon. Family owned. Good service. The green salsa is so good. Home made beans are delicious. Fast service but worth the wait if there is one. read more

Salamandra Restaurant - Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Dixon, Illinois

Excellent, authentic and consistently good. I lived in Arizona & Colorado so my bar is very high. We are talking grandmother in the kitchen delicious. I crave their homemade salsas & chips, their refried beans are great, I always order the same thing - a chimichanga on the grill or fried if I feel naughty. They offer you red or green to top it, and I have to get both. So good. husband always gets chicken enchiladas with green. read more

This is probably one of the better hidden secrets in Dixon. I had a steak burrito with rice and beans for dinner and it tasted wonderful. I also had my first tamale since moving from Manhattan and have to say that it was quite amazing. This is a must have if you visit this establishment! read more

This is a great place for some tacos and such. I am glad we came here to try it. I think it is family owned. The salsas were delicious and fresh with chips. I got an enchilada and 2 tacos. Typically, I do not feel well after eating at Mexican restaurants. It is something in the ingredients. However, after I ate here I felt good and was so excited for that so I can eat here more often because I do like mexican. Their food is fresh, my body can tell! It took me a while to decide what I wanted beacuse there were many choices. I liked the selection of sodas from Mexico. If you are in dixon, ya need to eat here! Amd they do accept debit cards and cash. Not just cash only read more

Best Mexican food around!!! Service is great!! Cute place! They treat you like family. And, don't get me started on the frozen margaritas!!!! Stop by often!! read more

My favorite for Mexican! The food is awesome, but the service really makes it for me. Family ran business and it shows in in the care of each customer. Give it a try you won't be disappointed, from the service to the food... Excellent! read more

Salamandra Restaurant - Best Taco's in town - Mexican Near Me - Dixon, Illinois

THEY DO NOT TAKE CREDIT CARDS or DEBIT CARDS....... CASH ONLY, we didn't see the sign until I approached the cash register to pay, thank God my wife had enough cash on her, my son had to tip the gal, ( he's 10 ). Have you ever HAD to take $7.00 from a 10 y/o ..... I'd rather deal with a loan shark..... Then to top it off, it was cold outside, and when ever someone would open the door to come in or leave, this very small restaurant would fill with cold air, that really bugged us, it was cold in that place they just couldn't keep it warm. So far I'm not sure why I gave them 3 stars Because the food was just OK... The staff was very good. $31.00 + $7.00 tip for 3 of us. Fix the CASH ONLY and the front door and you get 3 1/2 stars. CASH ONLY !! read more

Salamandra Restaurant - CASH ONLY!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Dixon, Illinois

The Dude and I returned to Salamandra for good old-fashioned day drinkin'. We each had two giant margaritas, which were quite reasonably priced at only $6.75 each. I went with lime on the rocks, while my big, tough boyfriend ordered a very girl frozen strawberry margarita with a sugared rim. Our waiter was a lot of fun and very friendly. He even brought us a bigger basket of chips once it became evident that we were just there to drink and wouldn't be ordering entrees. The salsa is fabulous! The menu noted that the place's proprietor is a "Master of Salsas" - I would have loved to have seen more of them on the menu since the two that I tried with our chips were amazing. The only hiccup during our visit came when the Dude tried to pay. He had a $20 certificate from The Real Deal, a Groupon-type thing that the local newspaper offers. When we ordered our drinks, we checked with the waiter to ensure that it was good toward alcohol. Yep, he said, no problem. Well, when the Dude went to pay, the other woman working there told him it could only be used on food. She insisted it said it couldn't be used on alcohol...which it didn't. She finally realized she needed to honor the coupon, but it was a bit frustrating. Overall, it was a much more positive visit than our last one and I'm glad we gave Salamandra another shot. read more

I went here once many many years ago but the experience wasn't memorable enough to comment on. I went again today on a whim, and I am so so glad I did. I might be ruined for all Mexican food in our area for good. The atmosphere is homey and small. The waitstaff are all family and you feel like you're sitting in Abeula's kitchen. The menus are small and not overzealous which means the cooks have time to pour their hearts into the recipes. When I first sat down, I was given chips and two house-made salsas. They were both delicious and I poured them both all over everything I ate, not because it was bland but because I couldn't bear to leave even a drop of that salsa behind. I had the chorizo and potato sincronizadas. They were served with a plate of rice and beans-clearly homemade. It was an incredible plate of food. Spicy, crispy, cheesy. Be warned: they are CASH ONLY. I ended up having to run to an ATM to grab some money to pay my bill. They have one or two signs up but somehow I carelessly missed that. They were awesome about letting me run over one block to the ATM at a nearby bank. The food was delicious, the people were friendly, and it was like being in a familiar Mexican kitchen. You won't be disappointed. I'm newly obsessed and you will be too! read more

This place is truly as good as it gets for Mexican food in Dixon (rural America), IL :D They have Mexican beers, check! They have Tex-Mex food, and and a few legit Mexican dishes, check!! They also have a nice atmosphere in the restaurant with Mexican artwork, and photos of the family that runs it! Very nice!! Overall, I liked to this place, as it really fulfilled my craving for good Mexican food :D read more

Both Lee and Whiteside County boasts a prominent Latino population, so there are many good taquerías to choose from. Salamandra is located in downtown Dixon, which makes for a convenient lunch destination. The atmosphere is comfortable and airy, but there are days when the place is packed and buzzing with dinner time chatter. But even if you hit it during the peak of the lunchtime crowd, the food is worth it. Do come hungry - the servings are huge. Most of the offerings are more flavorful than spicy hot, which can be a good thing if someone in your party prefers good Mexican fare minus the heartburn. Of course, there's always the house salsa to up the ante. A minor caveat, though: you have to pay your bill with cash. read more

Chicken enchiladas and tacos very good, salsa fresh. The portions are getting smaller and smaller. Takeout order contained 1/4 c rice and 2 Tb of beans!? Really? Napkins are sparingly provided. At times taco salad shell tastes like the environment. I'd rate 4 stars but please stop skimping on portions. read more

A hidden gem here in Dixon. The service is great. The food isn't anything over the top but shines with it's authenticity. The only downfall I see with them is that they are cash only and a lack of presentation with the dining area. Still an enjoyable place to get some decent food at an affordable price. read more

The food is really good, more authentic than most Mexican places, but the service isn't very fast and most of the workers' first language is Spanish so they couldn't understand me and I couldn't understand them very well. It also gets extremely busy really fast, and when it's busy you will have to wait up to an hour to actually get your food; it's really annoying. They have a good selection of Mexican beers and fun drinks for the kids, too. read more

One of the best things in Dixon! I ate there often when I worked in town. Yum!!! Love the green salsa

Ummm, not good. This town is in the midst of a massive depression. This place was down the street from the Reagan visitor center. No credit cards. read more

The food was oddly bland for Mexican. I hate the chicken fajitas and the chicken wasn't at all seasoned. The rice was really dry and had no flavorat all. The beans were more of a puree than actual beans, and again, no flavor. The service was (I hate to say it) not very good and having to pay cash was a little inconvenient. If we had known it was "cash" only, we never would have even stopped there. I have to wonder if Uncle Sam is getting his due whenever a place is cash only. The reason I say that is because many years ago, I had a friend who owned a business that was cash only and he didn't claim anywhere near what his actual sales were. To say you don't accept credit cards is just plain disingenuous. It is the person that uses the card that is charged the fees, whether they be hidden or not. read more

Stopped here on our way from Macomb to Milwaukee. I thought the food and service was spectacular. The salsa was really tasty too!

I have eaten here regularly for the past 5 years. The people leaving negative reviews really have no clue about quality, authentic Mexican cuisine. I have yet to have a disappointing experience with this place. I lived in San Diego for about 10 years, so I know good Mexican food. This place gives exceptional value and uses quality ingredients in all of its menus items. The Margaritas are exceptional as well. read more

This place has wonderful food and I highly recommend to anyone looking for authentic Mexican cuisine. However, make sure to bring checks or cash, as try don't accept credit or debit cards! read more

We visited the Salamander mexican restaurant today. Outstanding!!! Item we ordered was the #26 on the menu, a dish of green peppers, onions, meat, bacon and cheese with either corn or wheat tortillas, which we split. Comes with a side of refried beans and spanish rice. Generous helpings. Courteous service. The sauces for Chips is out of this world. We even bought some to bring home. Outstanding family owned and operated restaurant. Prices are reasonable! You want a great meal and ombience this is the place to go. read more

What to say about this place....umm well the beer was good. The chips were stale and the dinner was forgettable. Not a place I will visit again. The seasonings was too American Mexican taste if that makes sense. I lived in San Diego for years and had good Mexican food and this place doesn't have what I call good food. The beef burrito was seasoned too strong with tamale sauce and not the taste I wanted. read more

My wife and I moved to the area after living in Phoenix for 20 years. The food here is excellent. Fresh, well-seasoned (not burn your house down hot) and flavorful. I like the beans a lot, lightly pureed and nicely flavored. I usually go for the chicken chimi, not deep fried but grilled. Friendly staff. BRING CASH. read more

Salamandras is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the Sauk Valley Area and offers a traditional menu with OUTSTANDING salsa! The drinks are HUGE and the chips and salsa are amazing. I eat here for lunch quite often when you can get a very satisfying meal for about $6. They even offer french fries and other "American" foods for picky children which, according to my 11 year old brother, are very good as well. The burrito meal is my go-to meal and it is delicious every single time. The staff is very very friendly and excellent at remembering faces/names and are very personable. I love this place and consider it a true gem of Dixon. A must try place! read more

We love Salamandra! We are from the western burbs of Chicago and have a weekend place near Dixon. We haven't found affordable Mexican food in the burbs that compares to Salmandra. salsa's are fresh. The chorizo queso is good with the corn tortillas. The tamales are tasty. We love the Enchiladas Verde. We highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Pretty bad all around. Deluxe nachos had canned cheese - seriously. The tortilla chips came in the crocks use for guacamole in real Mexican restaurants. You get 6 to 8 chips to go with the salsa. We had to ask for more chips and they had to go in the kitchen and ask the owner. Cash only and they said it was due to cheap customers - they said they lose money on $5 credit card purchases. read more

I eat at Salamandra's regularly and I agree with Marc. The food is always fresh and cooked to order. The other reviews are right, though, in that the food is different than you get at typical chain-style Mexican restaurants. In my opinion, this "different" is good. They stopped accepting credit cards to help keep their menu prices low, but there are several ATMs within 1/2 block. If you want authentic Mexican cuisine, Salamandra Restaurant is a great place to go. read more