Review: El Patio Legendary Salsa (Medium)

Bottom Line: El Patio Medium Salsa delivers a rich, well-balanced blend of flavors with a nice peppery kick, and it comes at a price that makes it a good value.

There are plenty of jars of salsa on store shelves these days, and it is often hard to decide which one to put in the basket, so we usually reach for an old standby like Pace. But lately, I have been exploring some of the other options available, and one that I recently picked up (and I’m pretty sure I have tried it in the past) is El Patio Legendary Salsa. This comes from the Austin, Texas, restaurant of the same name, which has been a staple in that city since 1954. They have been selling their salsa in stores for a while now, and it is definitely worth picking up.

This has a jalapeño base mixed with other typical salsa ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, and lime. It has the good, tomatoey richness you look for in a salsa, along with some hints of smokiness. There is a bit of sweetness that counters the acidity of the tomatoes, but it does not dominate. There is also some tanginess and a noticeable saltiness, though just enough to help bring out the flavors. You get a nice peppery kick as well, more than you usually find in a jarred salsa, and there is a hint of garlic in the background.

I got the Medium heat level, and it has a bite, but not too much. I would put it above Mild on my scale and approaching Medium. It won’t set your mouth on fire, but it will bring a tingle to your tongue. Overall, for a jarred salsa, this is really quite good and similar to what you might expect to get at a Mexican restaurant.

One of the best things about this salsa is that it sells at a decent price. It retails for $4.48 at H-E-B here in Texas, but they often have it on sale, sometimes for as little as three bucks. This is actually pretty close to a craft salsa in terms of quality, so at that price, it is definitely worth it. I believe I have also seen it at Walmart, and other major chains may carry it as well. But if you can’t find it on store shelves, you can buy it on Amazon (pack of 6 jars) or directly from the El Patio website (4 to 12 pack). They also make a Hot version and one with habaneros, so I will be giving those a try at some point as well.

Nutrition Info:

Ingredients: Tomatoes (tomatoes, tomato puree, salt), water, jalapeno peppers, lime juice (water, lime juice concentrate, natural flavors), dehydrated garlic, salt

Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
Calories: 10
Fat: 0g (0g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 1g
Carbs: 2g
Sodium: 220mg