Oscar's Place becomes Salsitas Mexican restaurant in Tallmadge

Restaurant owner Oscar McBenttes has returned to what he knows best, converting his former Oscar's Place in Tallmadge into Salsitas Mexican restaurant Jan. 4.

New Year's Day was the last day for breakfast at Oscar's Place, which was converted within two days into the Mexican restaurant concept. Salsitas is open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays at 137 East Ave.

The reason for the change?

"I couldn't survive just on weekends. Saturdays and Sundays were great but during the week was just horrible," with a very low volume of breakfast customers, McBenttes said Tuesday. "I figured after four years I would have better business during the week but it just wasn't so."

McBenttes, who is Mexican, has previously owned seven Mexican restaurants. They included a number of Salsitas, a local chain that he started in 2000 in Austintown and expanded over the years to Youngstown, Hartville, Brimfield and Stow.

He sold his last three Salsitas locations in 2017 and opened The Breakfast Place in Tallmadge in 2018, which he renamed Oscar's Place in 2020 after the pandemic started. He offered a Mexican menu then, which he said got him through the pandemic, and got a liquor license to offer margaritas and such.

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In May, he switched Oscar's Place, at 137 East Ave., back to breakfast only.

Now, he said, "I went back to what I know."

"I had decided to go back to the original [Salsitas] here and just try it and see what happens" in Tallmadge, McBenttes said.

The restaurateur said Tallmadge-area diners are familiar with Salsitas from its days in nearby Brimfield.

What's on the Salsitas menu

Salsitas' lunch and dinner menus feature a variety of burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos and fajitas, plus a basic burger and a buffalo chicken wrap. Adult beverages include six margarita flavors and both domestic and Mexican beers.

The new menu's cover says "Salsitas: Nacho ordinary Mexican restaurant."

McBenttes said his most popular entrees are the Hot Spicy Burrito, which includes chicken and spicy sauce; and Chori Pollo, grilled chicken with chorizo, cheese dip, rice, beans and tortillas.

Diners commenting on the Tallmadge Talk Facebook page Dec. 29 about the switch to Salsitas were glad to learn that the breakfast quesadilla, deep-fried Fat Tacos and chimichangas they'd come to know at Oscar's Place are now on the Salsitas menu. So is the Devils Dish, a popular carryover from Oscar's breakfast menu with a Mexican flair that features scrambled eggs and chorizo on a bed of hash browns, covered with cheese dip, a jalapeno garnish and served house-made salsa.

Another poster was excited to see horchata, a Mexican rice water, on the menu.

"It's very popular. More and more people are getting accustomed to it," said McBenttes, who lives in Tallmadge.

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McBenttes, going by the alias Johnny McCall on Tallmadge Talk since he's not normally on social media, announced his switch to a full Mexican menu and drinks for 2023.

"We humbly ask for your continued support. See you soon!" he said.

Salsitas joins a couple other Mexican restaurants near Tallmadge Circle — Tres Potrillos at 70 East Ave. and La Mexicana Cantina and Grill at 76 West Ave.

"As my mom would say, the sun was made for everybody, and all we're trying to do is just survive in this business," McBenttes said.

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Salsitas' temporary website, https://garrickvim.wixsite.com/salsitas, will be updated, as will the restaurant's social media.

The eatery's decor has been repainted a festive orange and yellow, McBenttes said. More decorative features will be added, including the Salsitas menu logo on a back wall.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

Details

Restaurant: Salsitas

Where: 137 East Ave., Tallmadge

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 to 8 p.m. Sunday

Phone: 234-334-4335

Website: https://garrickvim.wixsite.com/salsitas (to be updated)