Salvador Molly's

Casual dining experience was great!! The bread pudding is the balm, must have item! I could only eat one fireball! 🥵

Not kid friendly. I took my 3.5 year old here as an after school treat. Server was more interested in how many fingerprints he left on surroundings than the special occasion. Restaurant was empty. He scolded my toddler numerous times for existing. I won’t be back. Drink was decent at $8 happy hour. Food way too salty.

What a delightful lunch we had! From the moment we walked in we were pleased: the decor and music lifted our hangry moods right away. Our food was all terrific (fish tacos, pork tacos, pork tamale & perfectly seasoned black beans) and portions were generous. The proprietor was fun and treated us like good friends. The shared parking lot can get quite full and is on a hill, so be aware of that if you have mobility challenges - it's worth it, in my opinion! 👍

The food was ok. Nothing exciting. I had 2 tacos and the were good yes, but I wouldn't brag on them. Maybe it was an off night because I've heard rave reviews. My husband ordered 3 of those great balls of fire and the waitress only brought him 1. She took our order and they brought my husband's and daughters back completely wrong. The beans I had were ok. Kind of bland and the rice was dry and hard.

Fantastic, diverse Caribbean menu, great food, service and drinks. We will be back and happy to highly recommend!

I can’t believe I went so long before eating at Salvador Molly’s! We were seated quickly, served fast, and the staff was super friendly. I’ll be back repeatedly!

How did we not know about this place!?! It's a ton of fun if you're looking for island/tiki vibes! Great food and great service! We are so happy to have something fun like this over here on the west side.

Great spot for Mexican and a variety of other cuisines. Great cocktails and appetizers (try the great balls of fire) as well. Our server Nathan was excellent. Highly recommend.

Is it a bar trying to be a restaurant or a restaurant with a fairly large bar area? I struggle with this one on a couple of levels mostly because I live in the neighborhood and want to support the out of the box vibe of this place. The ambiance is rustic beach-shack-meets bistro with a festive backdrop which is pretty appealing in my view. It's certainly casual here. But between the saba fish tacos and the bollitos (black eye pea fritters) there's a lot of pretty unique, internationally influenced munchies as well and, yea, a solid happy hour too, with both food and drink options. Wes at the bar will hook you up with a proper cocktail - he knows his stuff - but if you don't sit at one of the stools up there, the booths in the lounge are still hella cozy. The strip mall location can be off-putting but give it a chance. I come here often for both food and drink.

Kind of a disappointment this last visit. We've always had good food for years. This time not so much. The guacamole did not taste fresh. It had to have come from a prepackaged bag from a food service distributor. Had that preservative taste. Def not fresh. The dishes were just average. Nothing special. One of the bathrooms was filled with storage and no paper towels. One glance in to the kitchen while going to the bathroom was not pretty. Doesn't look like they've deep cleaned for a while. I think they've gone downhill over the past few years. We used to like coming here, it'll be a while before we try it again. Really sad to leave this review. I'd like to think I'm pretty understanding and fair. Just a "meh" experience.

We came here for lunch. It's a cute little restaurant with a very nice decor inside. We looked at the menu and they have a mix of Mexican food to American food. Even down to Hawaiian food. I decided to get a tropical iced tea. Not bad. It was pretty good. My daughter loves the pineapple soda she got. For my entree, I got the fish tacos. It comes with yellow rice and black beans. The rice was okay and the black beans were flavorful. The fish tacos were good. The fish was light and crispy. They were pretty big size which I liked. For dessert, we had the chocolate cake that came with caramel sauce and a raspberry compote. This was really delicious. The chocolate cake had a rich layer on the outside which I definitely liked. So good. Service was pretty good considering our waitress was the only one working the restaurant. I definitely enjoyed my dining experience here.

My friend has been raving about the tacos and what not here for years and I'm just now trying this place... And I'm glad it's still here after COVID, but that's old news these days. The food is delicious and the decor and atmosphere is really really nice and the service is pretty kick ass as well and very friendly. Great dive spot if you're into getting a drink and hanging out with friends on a Friday night or the weekend and just let it loose after a long work week and there's also parking available.there's also street parking but better parking in the parking lot to be safe because you never know...

Another fabulous experience at this unique SW restaurant. Great service, and the reliable artichoke heart tamales do not disappoint. Other choices in our group of six included the chicken lime soup, pulled pork sandwiches, one can't go wrong here.

Whomp!! Very late review but I came here for their great balls of fire challenge/ it was televised! 5 balls of habaneros , each has 10 habaneros in it, deep fried. Served in habanero's soup/ sauce. You have 3 minutes to finish!! I was the only one under 6 foot or a girl! Everyone was big and rahhhhh! I finished mine in 1:45 ( 1 minutes 45 seconds). My picture is on the wall!! Rahhhhhh. It was also my first meal that day, nothing prior at 11:30 am something. The stomach pain after though.. lasted like 3 days :D At least I won. Whoop!

I hate doing this because we use to love this place, but it has definitely gone down hill. The food was very disappointing. The calamari was just okay. The red sauce that came with made it better the tartar sauce was not good. Their wings were tiny with hardly any meat on them. The fire balls were so tiny compared to what they use to be. $8.00 and they were half a golf ball size. My husband got the barbecue pulled pork sandwich. He said the bbq sauce was bland, cheese was cold and there was very little pork on each slice of bread. I got the cod po'boy and it was so so bland no salt or anything, I only took a couple bites same with the fries. The best thing we had was the strawberry lemonade. Sadly we will not go back here. Way better back in the day.

What can I say about this magical restaurant other than if you have never eaten here, YOU are missing out. Recently I sat at the bar and chatted with the owner, a lovely man and continued to order the " Hot Tamale" . Everyone thinks this place's food may be too spicy. It's not. I mean customers could choose from a selection of spicy sauces if they wanted the heat but my dish was perfectly seasoned and a delicious texture. Hand crafted corn dough made for a puffy blanket around the pulled pork filling! Amazing! Washed it down with a signature Sangria! I whole heartedly endorse this restaurant for an experience and adventure for your taste buds! Bravo!

The service was my favorite part of the experience! We felt welcomed and our server was super friendly. Service was also really prompt and efficient. We stopped in on a Friday during happy hour which and ended up getting an entree and a few happy hour items. I had an iced tea to drink, which was really good and you could tell that it was fresh brewed which is super important. We shared the Pele sandwich, which was on the greasier side, but super flavorful as was everything we had. We split the Caesar with tofu which was super tasty and Rasta rings. It was a lot of food for the price. While I enjoyed our meal, it was definitely heavy and I'd probably try a different sandwich next time. There were quite a few things on the menu that sounded good.

Nice intro to Cuban food and spices . Very generous portions and unique flavours. The fish and meat tacos were delicious . The jerk chicken was on the dry side but spices were good . The calamari was too thick in breading considering how small the calamari pieces were . Too dry. The vegetarian meatballs were different. I'd love to come back and try the other menu items . Ample parking outside and dining outside was pleasant.

I recently bought package of six frozen vegan tamales. I tried one yesterday and what a disappointment! They tasted horrible and didn't even taste like tamales. I purchased these from the PSU Farmer's Market. I won't be doing that again.

Haven't been here since the draconian lockdowns- boy I really missed Salvador Molly's! I had the Heartbreak fettuccine- it used to be on the menu but was back as a special. I'm not blown away very often - this one blew my mind. The chicken, shrimp and sausage were all perfectly cooked- the fettuccine was spot on. I ordered medium level spice and it was exactly like I wanted. Some of the best restaurant pasta I have ever eaten. So good. My wife had the fish tacos and loved them. Had them before and agreed they are excellent. The cheese poofs are so good- and the opposite of the balls of fire. So good. Great job! Keep supporting them. Great local place!

Man....I love the Shanghai Cowboy Rolls here. That spicy teriyaki dipping sauce is glorious. I would just get a few orders of those if it wasn't too weird. The wings and Yuca Frita are also good. I've had other choices in the past, but those three appetizers are delicious. The service is good and the atmosphere is fun, colorful, and casual. Good date night spot. Have a Pacifico!

Delicious food, tasty cocktails and GOOD VIBES!! It's an awesome blend of Caribbean, Jamaican, Central American, and African cuisine with flavor and ranging levels of spice.

Came here today to try out their great balls of fire. I have to say, they're not just spicy, but flavorable! I also ordered their bulgogi bbq tacos and they're delicious. Plus the wings that was recommended. YUM!

Great service and great food! Tucked away and was perfect for a weeknight dinner with friends. Affordable price as well, I had the tacos (one fish one pork) and two margaritas for a grand total of less than $40 (with tip) Will definitely be returning next time I'm in town!

Best tamales I've had outside of home. Soft, juicy, and hot. They also offer vegan and vegetarian varieties. Would highly recommend especially if you can catch them at the Portland farmer's market.

We stopped in for apps and drinks after running some morning errands. The new bar manager, Josh, is awesome. We enjoyed chatting with him while sitting at the bar and he makes amazing drinks. We got the great balls of fire, wings and yucca fries. All were delicious and we will definitely be back!

Came here on a Friday for lunch and it was a pleasant surprise. This place shares a small private parking lot with other businesses. The staff was nice but service was slow. I ordered the cowboy eggrolls and volcano sliders. The cowboy eggrolls were great and both sauces were delicious. I could have done without the volcano sliders and garlic fries. Way too much garlic.

Our bartender, Westin, was very insightful and gave great recommendations! The fish tacos were delightful and drinks and service were fast and wonderful. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for great food, comforting atmosphere, and yummy drinks. They also have multiple TV's that play different sports games so you'll always be entertained.

My sister had been recommending this place for weeks. We had the guacamole, which was like green glue and onion rings, which had been over fried and still arrived cold. We ordered the mac & cheese which was ok at room temperature and the catfish sandwich which is OK. Go somewhere else.

I was at Salavador Molly's yesterday with 2 of my friends. I mentioned to our server that I had done the Great Balls of Fire Challenge several years ago, and I hung my pic in the Hall of Flame. I moved some pics around, so I could hang mine next to Adam Richman from Man VS Food (as his show was where I first learned of this Challenge). It was very sad to hear (from our server last night) that someone actually stole his pic!! She said at one time his pic was even framed. Anyway... I just wanted to send these pics to you.... With my pic next to Adam's pic. Sorry the picture quality is not very good. The lighting was dim when we were taking photos. Thanks again for such a Fun Restaurant with YUMMY FOOD! The Fritters are HOT but DELICIOUS TOO! So many choices on the menu too ~~ But everything is DELICIOUS!! Fresh Guacamole & Drum Pan Jerk BBQ are my favorites. We'll definitely be back!!

great atmosphere and service! everyone was incredibly kind and there was amazing food

11/4/21 8:15 pm The bartender was absolutely rude, non-welcoming. Didn't say a word when we walked in or when we left. Seemed annoyed that we were there at all. I brought my dad who is from out of town, to show him a cool Portland place. On the way home, he asked if I noticed how rude the bartender was. I did and so did the rest of my group. 3 of us are local and won't be going back or recommending in the future. It's bad business to treat customer's like that.

Love this place! Its always worth going for their famous tamales, but they also have a huge variety of other affordable dishes that'll sure to please even the most picky eater. And of course, for those in search of a challenge, their infamous "Great Balls Of Fire", and the even hotter "Fear the Reaper" version, are recommended for anyone wanting to want to earn their picture on the wall of fame. Staff are always friendly, they have a separate bar area and outdoor seating when weather is nice... really there's nothing not to like about this Portland institution!

This place was an awesome visit as an out-of-towner. The options on the menu were varied and interesting. You can try so many foods from around the world here! We both settled on something that we would never make at home and enjoyed it thoroughly, and we want to come back to try more! The fishbowl drink was delicious and absolutely worth it - it makes for a great casual date meal. Don't come here expecting fine-dining, but if you want a relaxed, casual atmosphere and a new experience, it is a great place to visit!

I love the idea of "world food", and the wide variety in the menu. I started off with a Great Ball of Fire; it wasn't 100% clear to me that this was just a novelty food that was spicy for the sake of being spicy, mostly because I was annoyed that this cherry-sized cheesy corn fritter was $4. It was tasty though, and hot. I split the cuban sandwich and the fish tacos with my mom. In a recent review I talked about my frustration with the Cheesecake Factory for having a large, varied menu but not delivering on quality. In addition to the two aforementioned dishes, I tried the fish cakes and the mac and cheese. Everything was good! Maybe not great, but good at least. I dig the Hawaiian shirts the staff wear. I would come back, plenty on the menu left to try.

This used to be one of my favorite places, has since gone down hill. Freshness replaced with fried. Drinks still fun less selection, hope returns to better.

It's a Portland institute! It's been here longer than I have and I just hit the 18 year mark! It's always been fun, eclectic Pirate Caribbean grub and I have an infatuation with Molly's balls! I slip them into my mouth every chance I get! It usually ruins my appetite for anything spicy afterwards so I always go with something more mellow for the main course...but that is kind of hard to do when everything is curry, pepper, or heavy based entrees! I've had my picture on the wall no less than 6 times but honestly...i don't even remember half of them or how many more there might be. They are tasty...but i've also learned to eat them faster than should be humanly possible to prevent doubt from setting in...so I'm not sure I even taste them anymore :) If you go for the challenge, eat a banana before and after...it will help soften the blow to your digestion and cool your mouth more effectively than anything else...yes, i'm a recommending you sneak a banana into the restaurant with you. Don't drink a lot of liquid...it will burn when it exits the body...seriously! Balls aside...I've eaten several dishes through the years and everything is popping with flavor! They have mastered that...creative and unique as the restaurant itself...Salvador Molly's remains a solid unique dining experience to take out of town family and friends to show off Classic Weird Portland! Thank you for being you Molly!

Giving three stars, but in actuality is 2. They get an extra star for having to deal with all the issues that covid has brought upon them. Oh man. I hate to kick a local institution while it's down but I couldn't recommend this place to anyone. We were ignored when we walked in, we were ignored after we sat down. 4 of us ordered drinks. I watched our drinks sitting on the counter for ten minutes before they were brought to us. Then the waiter had the balls to say it was a new bartender learning the menu and it took longer to make them. Nah bruh, you let our drinks sit out for ten minutes. From the time we sat down to the time we got our drinks it was a total of 30 minutes. The drinks were water, a little bit of sugar, and a little bit of alcohol. If that sounds appetizing then by all means get drinks here. The food arrived after about an hour of us sitting down. I got the chimchurri steak with greens and mashed potatoes. The greens took up 75% of the plate and it looked like someone dumped a salad kit on my plate. The steak was like the size of a credit card, but was thick. It tasted like they let it sit in salt water for 24 hours before they cooked it. The half dollar size of mashed potatoes on my plate were good, but there just wasn't much of them. Chimichurri was completely flavorless. My partner got the pulled pork sliders and they were just as flavorless. The garlic fries were good though. The waiter completely forgot two of my friends orders and they had to wait longer. If you're expecting the great balls of fire challenge to be the hottest thing you've ever experienced, it's not. It's hot, but it's a decade+ old challenge and it's really not that bad. It does taste good though. At the end of the day we left disappointed. It's way too expensive for what it is and the service was super sub par. Keep in mind the staffing shortages due to covid. Maybe this place will be better after covid is over.

Our visit to Salvador Molly's was an adventure "to say the least". Kitschy is a good term to describe the surroundings within the restaurant but with a flair for fun. Menu is fun and provides choices that inspire return visits. I started with the Great Balls of Fire and then for my main dish had the La Cubana. Great Balls of Fire arrived to the table and surprise, I was the only one that ventured to eat them. Good thing I only ordered 3 because these balls are gosh damn booty burners. The habanero had me sweating like a girbil at a Richard Gere party. I won't even get into the after effects later that night but now I no where the term "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream" came from. The La Cubana came just about the time my taste buds returned. It was a nice sandwich simular to most but they use smoked pork. It was tasty and a nice change from the burning sphincter bombs I started with. Salvador Molly's is a fun place and the food is good but beware of the cheese fritters, the aftermath is something that will give you nightmares for some time. We will return!

Such a great ambiance, they offer so many different types of food. Hispanic, Cajun etc. I ordered the Shrimp Jambalaya with corn bread - it was very good but a bit spicy for my taste. Rasta Onion Rings - were really good! I will definitely be back to try some of their other items. Sign up for their rewards and get some texts for some good deals.

We ordered a few dishes here for dinner on Friday evening, and I was not impressed. The Kalua pork was not flavorful and came out rather salty. Tsunami Yucatan surfer tacos were more soggy chicken than spice, and same goes for the bbq pork sliders. For the latter, I couldn't taste the mango. The better dishes were tamarind mint shrimp curry, though the flavors were indiscernible, and the garlic fries that came with the sliders. Overall, glad I gave this place a shot after driving by it for so many years, but don't think I would return here.

Drum Pan Jerk BBQ: tender jerk chicken. Cacophony of spices. Love the salad and the sweet potatoes! Cheesy poofs: Best eaten HOT. Gooey and great. Would definitely order again! Onion rings: chewy and odd spice that's used. Wouldn't order again. Whiskey infused hot Toddy: YES! Very good on those cold days. Overall I'd give this place a 3-3.5. I'll be back.

If you're looking to spice things up a bit and get some authentic foreign food this is the perfect stop! The ambience here is fun and lively with bright colors and fun decore. The food menu is a mix of different Latin and Caribbean food options. The prices are a little high but the food makes it so worth it. They have a fun drink menu option as well with fun margaritas and fishbowl options if you want to share with friends. The staff here has always been absolutely pleasant. We will be back!

HONESTLY AND STUPIDLY!?!?! We just came here for the "Great Balls of Fire Challenge." Of course I attempted it and my girlfriend cheered me on my demise. They have the Man Vs Food Guy, Adam Richman's picture in their wall of flame. So stupidly as planned.. if he can do it, sure I can do it, too; soon I will regret that decision. As I'm readying myself to eat Satan's balls; my girlfriend ordered their chicken sandwich which consist of an avocado, cheese, veggies, and a grilled chicken on a pit bread. It was quite ok she said. Fast forward it 5 mins... I ate that hellish balls. I have to eat 5 flaming habanero cheese fritters. The fritter are quite delicious at first, but soon it is like Chinese New Year in my mouth. It is a indescribable feeling on that moment and I want to cry to mommy, but hey I finished it. My price??? A picture in the wall of flame to immortalized my stupidity. Overall, I want to bring my friends here so they can try this hellish challenge and I can try their regular food without burning my mouth. PS: Don't do this challenge with an empty stomach PSS: Damn it hurts.. if you know what I mean ;)

This has become one of my favorite spots in the Portland area. They have friendly staff that contribute to the many positive experiences I have had here. The food is all good and most of it is great! Happy hour is also one of the best in the area with many options at different price ranges, all of which are good deals. My favorites from here are pele's volcano and burrito but I've really enjoyed just about everything I've tried (and I've tried about half the menu). They also get bonus points for being a very dog friendly restaurant. Salvador Molly's isn't the best restaurant around but it is one of the most enjoyable to visit, especially for how affordable it is.

We came for happy hour. Place was busy and has a nice vibe. Family friendly. Tried the pork sliders, chicken wings, Mac and cheese, Caesar salad, and chicken satay. The Pork sliders were my favorite item. The pork was tender with some crisp and full of flavor. The roll fresh and light. The wings were flavorful. The rice that came with the satay was yummy! I don't know what was in it but I don't care - bring it on! The satay was dry and boring tonight, but mom says it is usually pretty dang good. Waiter was very nice and very busy.

This place is so good! We just moved to Portland and still getting the bearing in here. When this place popped up on recommendations we definitely had to give it a shot. Apparently it was mentioned on Man vs Food or something for their hot wings. I'm not about that life and I still loved it! We ordered the cheesy poofs after all my fellow lovely helper recommendations. They were delicious and i could've ordered another and just had that as my meal. I ordered the chicken(I think) tamale and it was pretty good! I forgot what he ordered. There ended up being a mix up and it took a while for our food to come. The drinks, though expensive, we're really good! I ordered the special of a Hawaiian coconut martini or something? I ordered two it was so good. They have so many options on their menu I will definitely be going back!

Fantastic food! Outside seating available, and great service! Best place me and my fiancée ate during the pandemic in a while. I highly recommend the Argentine steak and Jamaican dish. And the Kalua Pork Tacos are delightful and savory. This was my second visit to Salvador Molly's and the food and service were beyond exceptional. We really enjoyed the vibes of this place. Staff was respectful of the Social Distancing guidelines. Extraordinary spot to take the family out for dinner.

Pretty good! Nice price and good food but I would maybe consider a different place over this next time. Wait staff acted 'inconvenienced' so that was awkward...

Living on the other side of town, I hadn't been here in a while, but I'm glad a co-worker suggested a return. Fortunately, I couldn't identify anything that had changed. Salvador Molly's has been an institution for as long as I can recall, and it's just the type of neighborhood place that I'm happy to see is still going strong. Laid back environment, a wide ranging menu, and tasty drinks never go out of style.

You can never go wrong with eclectic menu. The flavor fusion in dishes are amazin and will have you salivating as you read! I've NEVER LEFT DISAPPOINTED in my meal thinking if only they..... We just ate there and i tried for first time the Trinidad Big Burger!!! I thought I was super hungry, but couldnt even make it through half! The grilled mango chutney went phenomenally with the garlic aoli on the roll! My fiance got the the El Jeffe Burrito and was giant and packed full of flavor!

I haven't eaten here since well pre-pandemic, because the food hasn't been good in years. I decided to get a drink before a ballgame at Wells, and ordered bollitos to snack on. How bad could something deep fried be? The drink was fine. The service was excellent - efficient and friendly. The bollitos, not so much. Everything on the plate was lukewarm - things that should have been hot and things that should have been cold - and I don't want to think about how old the fryer grease tasted. I knew it was gross, but I didn't know it was so bad that I would need to leave the ballgame at halftime to go home and throw up. I really loved Salvador Molly's years ago, and I want to support my local businesses, but I'm afraid I'm done giving it additional chances.

Love this restaurant! Try the soups! Sat at bar last time and was welcomed with great service and a smile plus yummy food.

Flippen Habanero balls are fire. Holy moly they are hot. Chicken wings were good although not my favorite dish here. The fish tacos were perfect. Huge portion and perfectly seasoned. The staff are very helpful. I love the fact they leave a huge pitcher of water on the table to help quench and extinguish the flames coming from my mouth. Great place and should be added to your restaurants in the Portland area.

This place has definitely gone downhill. Service and the food were lackluster at best.

The bar is one of my favorite places to hang out; listen to cool music; eat food and have a cocktail. Except when the reggaeton is in session.

This review is based on separate lunch and happy hour experiences. First, lunch. We ordered an array of food including tamales, fish tacos, and kalua mojo pork. What stood out was the fish tacos- talk about perfect breading on a HUGE piece of fish with the right amount of toppings. The black beans and rice were just okay. Second, we came back for Happy Hour to check out the deals. This is where the disappointment set in. We tried the Shanghai Cowboy Rolls and Bollitos. For $4 you get one eggroll which was also just OK, nothing special although the dipping sauce was nice. For $4 you get 3 little bollitos which were a little dry and not super flavorful. I also ordered a fish taco off the happy hour menu which was $5 for a single taco. I really was not impressed by the prices for the amount of food received during happy hour. What made the experience worthwhile both times was the service. Waiters and bartenders are both friendly and attentive. Your food comes out FAST, too which was much appreciated. It's a fun ambiance with funky decor, and a a few unique items on the menu but I would say overall, overpriced (especially for happy hour).

My Husband and I came here for date night! Our food was great! Our server well wasn't! Alex was short, rude and condescending. I asked if something had pineapple in it and he said "I don't know, and not sure if the chef is still in" How can you not know the menu? Every time our water glass was empty I had to ask for a refill. We had Groupon gift certificates to use since we got them for Christmas. I have him both and He wouldn't take two of them due to our party being only two people. So I kindly asked "could you split the bill and each of us use one?" Alex's reply was "I won't do that, want to speak with the boss lady " (tosses the groupon back at me)after that comment, I replied yes, get your manger. Emily (manger on duty) kindly explained why and apologized for Alex's rudeness. She took the dessert off. I paid the rest of the bill and she asked if I wanted to break any change... I replied no thank you, it's only 10 cents. And we left! Don't get Alex for a server!