Sal Y Lima Comes to Rockaway Beach

By Katie McFadden

Add a little salt and lime and you’re in for a good time. That’s what Sal Y Lima is serving up on the corner of Beach 90th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard since opening their doors on June 26.

Bring your amigos and start off with Tres Amigos, a trio of salsas including a smoky roja, a zesty verde and a mango habanero, all made to scoop up with crispy homemade tortilla chips, or maybe opt for the Rock Guac, a homemade guacamole with avocado, cilantro, lime, a hint of jalapeño and some flaky sea salt to dip those chips into. But save room for the Tequila Lima tacos with grilled shrimp marinated in tequila-lime with an avocado crème and mango salsa to top it off, or maybe the Seoul Surfer, a Korean-style beef taco with crunchy slaw, toasted sesame and gochujang aioli, a highly recommended selection that’s flying out of the kitchen.

Such flavor and hints of spice are going to require a cold beverage to cool down your palate. That’s where the tequila comes in, and Sal Y Lima has a smooth selection of tequilas straight from Mexico to fill these drinks. If you want to keep the spice going, the popular and photogenic Sunburn may hit the spot with reposado tequila, mango, habanero and lime. But you can’t go wrong with a classic house margarita with tequila, triple sec, fresh lime and agave, and maybe with some added flavor like hibiscus or passionfruit. But for the non-tequila fans, there’s a little something for everyone with a selection of wines, beers, other liquors and even frozen drinks like a refreshing pisco sour.

The tequila and tacos are enough to draw crowds in daily since opening, but it’s what folks find inside that keeps them coming back to Sal y Lima. The business partners, including Erik McManus, Peggy Ann McCann, Chris Salmonese, Danny Rafferty and Michael Laino pulled out all the stops with enlisting the help of general manager Kristina Hughes and her wait staff, delivering a customer experience with a friendly yet professional personal touch, bar manager Chris Saylor, who often spent half the year running a surf bar in El Salvador and knows tequilas superior to Casamigos, and freelance designer and branding expert Sarah Ross, who helped bring a vision to life that has people saying “Wow!” the second they enter the corner spot’s door. From the hanging plants and unique lighting fixtures to the huge bar with comfortable seats, to the vibrantly colored walls and the leather-bound menus, a lot of detail went into creating an elevated place to impress, that comes with a casual vibe.

For some, the décor reminds them of home. “The best compliment this week was a Mexican woman who stopped by and said, ‘This place reminds me of Tulum and your food matches it,” Erik McManus said. For others, it feels like stepping into a beautiful establishment in Manhattan, without leaving the peninsula and without Manhattan prices. “Numerous people have said this has a city feel and that’s a great thing because NYC is known as the restaurant and bar capital of the world,” McManus said.

Sal Y Lima wasn’t even a concept when McManus and business partners bought the former RBI’s spot about seven years ago. Originally it was Epstein’s Beach, a bar that ultimately closed after about two years when the Covid pandemic rolled in. But it was an opportunity to rebrand, and the owners started to think of something a little more upscale for the surrounding community and for the growing crowds coming down to the popular surfing beach just off the A train at Beach 90th.

“We went over plans and said, we have to redirect this whole situation. That’s when the concept of Mexican food and tequila came in. It wasn’t really done down here, and we thought that would be the best fit for the neighborhood,” McManus said. “Tequila tasting spots are quite trendy now,” Ross said. “And being up the block from the beach makes this feel like a vacation spot,” Hughes added. So, Epstein’s was out, and Sal Y Lima was in.

It just took a little longer than anticipated. “This place really needed to be knocked down to the ground and construction ran us about six months longer than it should have,” McManus said. But the extra time was worth it to make sure everything was just right. After all, as the former owner of Jameson’s, McManus has some insight into the hospitality business. “I knew we needed to have great food and great drinks,” McManus said. “And I think the results speak for itself.”

As the Sal Y Lima crew gets into the swing of things, they’ll soon be rolling out an expanded food and drink menu. A variety of nachos are coming soon, quesadillas, and even the taco menu is expanding. One specialty will be the B King Barbacoa, named after a local kid who played basketball at nearby St. Rose, and drowned in 1982. “I’ll never forget him,” McManus said. They’ll also be rolling out some vegetarian taco options, and bowls and burritos will be added come this fall. As espresso martinis grow in popularity, Sal Y Lima will be serving up their own take on it, The Carajillo, a mezcal espresso martini with Licor 43. “I think people are gonna lose their minds over it,” Ross said.

And as time goes on, the experience will grow. Things like Sunday brunch, tequila tastings and maybe even monthly salsa dance lessons are all under discussion. But delivery and takeout are sure to come by September. In the meantime, the bar and restaurant are open for walk-ins and reservations are accepted for parties of six and more. And the owners want folks to feel at home when they walk in. “Hospitality is bringing the home inside. So many people have stress. We want them to come here and forget their problems. It starts with great service from the front of house to enjoying great drinks, good food, chill music and as they’re leaving, they forget about everything else,” McManus said.

Sal Y Lima, located at 88-22 Rockaway Beach Blvd., is open seven days a week. Sundays through Thursdays, they’re open from noon until 10 p.m., with the kitchen closing at 9 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, they’re open from noon until 11 p.m., with the last seating at 9:45 p.m. for food. For reservations or info, call 718-795-0088, check out salylima.com and don’t forget to follow @salylima_rockaway on Instagram.