Fans of this Wichita Mexican restaurant can now get its fresh-made salsas by the jar

Molino’s owner Mario Quiroz has been known for his salsas ever since he first opened Frida’s, which operated at 1580 W. 21st St. from 2008 to 2010 and offered a self-serve salsa bar with 10 different varieties.

Now he has two different Wichita restaurants — Molino’s Mexican Cuisine at 1064 N. Waco and the just-opened Molino’s Taqueria at 2035 N. Rock Road. And although the salsa is no longer self-serve, it’s still a popular Molino’s attraction.

Now, diners can take Molino’s salsa home by the 12-ounce jar.

Quiroz has just launched to-go sales of three of his salsas — the mild red served at the table at the Waco restaurant plus his medium green salsa and his hot molcajetes salsa made with roasted tomatoes and jalapenos.

For now, people can get the jarred salsas only at the taqueria on Rock Road, though Quiroz hopes to have it ready to sell at the Waco restaurant in the next week or so. They’re $3.99 apiece.

Unlike restaurant salsa customers can buy at Dillons, the Molino’s salsa is put in the jar fresh when the person asks for it. It’s not shelf stable, Quiroz said, but it’ll stay good in the refrigerator for 10 days.

His plan is to take both his salsas and his flour tortillas, which he’s now making fresh with the help of a fancy tortilla making machine, to one of the farmers’ markets this summer. He’ll also sell his fresh corn chips there.

Eventually, he said, he may start selling more flavors of salsa by the jar.

“I think it’s going to be something good for my guests,” he said. “They can come either to buy a jar of salsa or fresh-made tortillas and have a gift for a friend that is fresh, something made just today.”