Salsa Bowls & Tortilla Holders

Salsa Bowls: What You Need to Know

Many Mexican restaurants attract customers by offering complimentary chips and salsa at every table. To do so, you'll need the appropriate vessels, and KaTom's selection of salsa dishes fit any restaurant tier. Finding an appropriate salsa dish makes every table setting that much more attractive, so we carry a multitude of styles and colors to ensure every operator can find a salsa server that fits their existing décor.

Tortilla holders are also important if you plan to serve fajitas. Tortillas can dry out very quickly if they're heated and left, but having a holder insulates them and prevents them from reverting to room temperature before they're sent to your guests. Not only that, but our tortilla servers can reassure your customers their tortillas are protected from pests and airborne contamination on their way to the table.

Common Questions About Tortilla Holders

What type of equipment does this category hold?

This category houses KaTom's selection of tortilla servers and salsa bowls, including molcajete bowls. Most of our tortilla servers are sold as a combination of bowl and lid, but if you already have the server and need a replacement for the lid, we have a few lid-only options. Both our tortilla holders and salsa servers come in various colors and styles, ensuring every operator can find a piece to fit their aesthetic.

What is a molcajete?

A molcajete is an ancient tool used for grinding and preparing spices, similar to the mortar of a mortar and pestle. This rounded bowl usually has three short legs and an animal face carved into the outside. Traditionally, a molcajete is made from porous lava rock, which has a distinctly natural look that can make your guests feel their meal is a special event.

This basalt rock takes special care to make it usable. Fragments of basalt can break off and enter into food if the dish is not properly seasoned – but this is only a concern if you're using real, unseasoned basalt. For commercial restaurant use, other materials are often preferred to lava rock, such as melamine and plastic. These are made to resemble basalt, but are not as heavy, don't have to be seasoned, and can be cleaned in a commercial dishwasher. These materials don't hold the same heat that basalt rock does, though.

What materials should I consider for tortilla holders and salsa bowls?

The three main materials used for making these pieces are plastic, melamine, and ceramic. Plastic pieces are usually cheaper, but also less durable. For restaurants running on a budget, plastic salsa dishes and tortilla holders serve fine. Melamine is a type of plastic reinforced with organic strands that give it significant strength while retaining the light weight of plastic. Melamine cannot be used in a microwave, so if that is part of your process, you'll want to opt for other materials.

Ceramic is the highest tier of material we carry for these products. It usually is more expensive than plastic and melamine, but will last the longest. Ceramic usually can be cleaned in both high- and low-temperature commercial dishwashers, so it can be added to your existing warewashing procedures.