The Second ‘Salsa Guy Cafe’ Location Will Open in Cedar Rapids This Week

The date has been set! The highly anticipated second location of a popular Cedar Rapids restaurant will open its doors to customers this week!

The Original Salsa Guy Cafe

Before Salsa Guy Cafe became an actual restaurant, it was originally known as just "The Salsa Guy." The Salsa Guy was one of the most popular stops during the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Markets for over a decade, serving fresh salsas and dressings, as well as their delicious breakfast burritos.

In August of 2024, owner Tim Palmer opened up Salsa Guy Cafe at 2874 Mt. Vernon Road SE, and a new menu item quickly started getting the public's attention: The Conquistador Burger. After less than a year in business, the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen's Association chose it as one of the 10 finalists for Iowa's 2025 Best Burger competition! That's a HUGE honor!

The Mount Vernon Rd Salsa Guys Cafe is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The New Salsa Guy Cafe

Back in May, Salsa Guy Cafe owner Tim Palmer shared some good news and bad news. The bad news was that he would not be serving up his famous breakfast burritos at any of this year's Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Markets. But, that's because he and his team were working hard on opening a SECOND Cedar Rapids Salsa Guy Cafe, which was, of course, very good news!

The new Salsa Guy Cafe is located at 3925 Blairs Ferry Road NE, the former Wendy's that's right next door to the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh. Not only is this restaurant much larger than the location on Mount Vernon Rd, but it also features a drive-thru!

After several Facebook posts teasing that the new restaurant would be opening soon, it was revealed on Labor Day (September 1st) that the official opening date would be this Thursday, September 4th at 7:30 a.m. Why 7:30? Because that's the time that the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Markets opened, which is where the eatery got its start! The post reads:

"So of course, we open at 7:30 in the morning to offer you freshly brewed coffee and YES: An AMAZING AUTHENTIC DOWNTOWN BREAKFAST BURRITO that made us who we are today!

This THURSDAY, September 4th at 7:30 in the morning, you’ll see a dancing breakfast burrito on our front lawn signifying the beginning of the next chapter of Salsa Guy Cafe!"

Beginning on September 4th, the Blairs Ferry Salsa Guy Cafe will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday & Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can check out the official Facebook page for the latest updates HERE.

Get our free mobile app

READ MORE: New Eastern Iowa Restaurants & Bars That Have Opened in 2025 [GALLERY]