Some family legacies are written in history books. Others come bottled with a slow burn and a side of tortilla chips.
When Matta’s Mexican Restaurant served its final meal in June 2023, it ended a 70-year East Valley institution. But Chris Matta, grandson of founders Manuel and Mary Lou Matta, wasn’t about to let seven decades of Mexican food memories disappear faster than a basket of complimentary chips.
He’s nacho typical business owner. His solution? Bottle the salsa. Keep the fiesta alive. And give loyal customers something worth dipping into.
From $3.25 Feasts to 70 Years of Memories
Matta’s first restaurant opened off Stapley Drive in Mesa, eventually expanding to additional locations throughout the city. Generations of Valley families celebrated birthdays, shared meals and developed a serious attachment to the restaurant’s signature salsa.
And the prices? Brace yourself.
A vintage menu reveals that the Deluxe Mexican Dinner included albondiga soup, guacamole salad, a sopapilla, a chile relleno, a taco, beans, an almond dessert and a drink, all for $3.25. That was the most expensive item on the menu.
Today, $3.25 might get you extra guacamole. If the cashier is feeling generous.
But even beloved institutions face changing times. “We sat 450 people. We had a banquet room, a bar, indoor patio, outdoor patio and a main dining room. It just got more difficult to fill it over the years,” Matta says.
When the last location at Higley and Brown roads closed in 2023, the dining room went dark. The family legacy, however, wasn’t quite ready to call it a night.
The Salsa Must Go On
“Salsa was the heart of our business — salsa and chile rellenos,” Matta says. “Chile rellenos are too hard to make and too time-consuming, but the salsa was something I could package and still share with all those customers. I see them all the time when I’m out.”
And just like that, Chris Matta’s Salsa Love became the next chapter in a decidedly delicious family saga.
The bottled salsa delivers the same thin consistency and signature “slow burn” that made it a restaurant favorite. It starts mild, then fresh jalapeños gradually turn up the heat. Think friendly handshake followed by a little kick in the pants.
Landing somewhere between mild and medium, it’s what Matta calls a bottled salsa that eats like fresh salsa, and it’s the exact same salsa that used to grace the restaurant’s table up until the day they locked the doors.
And for the full nostalgia trip, grab a bag of Matta’s tortilla chips. Some memories deserve a proper crunch.
Farmers Markets? It’s Getting a Little Too Crowded
While the salsa continues the family tradition, Matta is navigating a very different food scene from the one his grandparents knew. His latest challenge? Farmers markets.
“Farmers markets right now are a hot mess because they’re oversaturated,” he says. “Over the last two years, the amount of farmers markets that have opened has doubled, if not tripled.”
According to Matta, the explosion of markets has diluted the vendor pool, making an already competitive business even tougher.
Apparently, there’s only so much room at the farmers market fiesta.
Rather than fight for space in an increasingly crowded vendor scene, Matta is putting more energy into retail expansion.
Chris Matta’s Salsa Love is available in 12 Valley stores, including both Superstition Ranch Markets locations and Chuck’s Fine Meats, with plans to land on more shelves.
Want the Salsa in Your Neighborhood? Speak Up.
Matta isn’t leaving the next chapter entirely to chance. The company’s website invites customers to suggest stores where they’d like to see Chris Matta’s Salsa Love next.
The restaurant may be gone, but the Matta family still knows how to keep things spicy. Seventy years of history. One beloved salsa. And apparently, no expiration date on a good family legacy.
INSIDER TAKEAWAYS
- Seven Decades of Delicious: Manuel and Mary Lou Matta built a Mesa institution that fed generations of Valley families before closing in June 2023.
- The $3.25 Dinner Deal: Soup, salad, a chile relleno, taco, beans, dessert, a drink and more — for less than the price of many modern-day add-ons. Those were the days.
- The Salsa Survived: Chris Matta kept the family name on the table by bottling one of the restaurant’s most beloved recipes.
- A Slow Burn Worth Waiting For: Thin, fresh-tasting salsa starts mild before the jalapeños make their presence known.
- Farmers Market Fatigue: Matta says an oversaturated market scene is pushing him toward more retail opportunities.
- You Pick the Next Shelf: Already sold in 12 Valley stores, Chris Matta’s Salsa Love is looking for its next retail home and customers can help choose it.
Visit salsalovesalsa.com to find out more or nominate your favorite neighborhood market.
