Vivacious Molly’s Vibrant Eats

Just a great place to eat in Salem. I only get the Korean Tacos but I can tell you they are to die for. Molly runs it herself and is always pleasant. Call ahead, she will have it ready!

We found this place on Unilocal because of the delicious looking picture and craving for tacos. As soon as we read the reviews and saw the pictures, we HAD to try the place out. When we got there, it took us a while to figure out what we wanted because we wanted the entire menu. It all sounded amazing. But I ended up choosing the mahi mahi mango salsa lettuce wrap and the spicy pork hot lettuce wrap. My friend chose a chicken taco of some sort and the mahi mahi mango salsa lettuce wrap as well, along with her delicious unsweetened green iced tea. We really wanted to try the pancake but decided against it because we weren’t too sure about it. But when Molly handed us our food she said she threw in a free pancake for us to try! I was so excited! She also had organic agave nectar to put in our tea to sweeten it up a little bit! Amazing! It was a lovely day so we found a park to sit and eat it but the drive there was excruciating for the smell of our food was absolutely overwhelming. Our mouths were watering when we finally got to eat. And OMG. Explosions of flavor. Absolutely amazing. The spicy pork was a bit dry for me so I just added a little bit of the cup of sauce that she added in box. Not sure what it was but it went GREAT with everything. I couldn’t pick up the lettuce wraps until I ate a little bit of the food which I didn’t mind at all! So delicious and tons of food for only $ 8. You cannot beat that! I’m craving it today so I’m planning on going back! Definitely found my new favorite place to eat in salem! :)

Top five spots for lunch in Salem *^_​_​^* (and they’re hard to find out here: p…;))! Molly sources her food locally, tries to get organic when possible, and is super flexible with altering any of the dishes. This food cart is Korean-​BBQ-​meets-​Japanese-​grill-​meets-​islander-​inspired (I know a mouthful – basically lots of veggies, rice, lettuce wraps and grilled meats and fish with some asian themed sauces). Oh, and she serves some yummy, refreshing home brewed, unsweetened iced green tea.

Enjoyed the special of the day, a Cuban wrap that was perfectly pressed and toasted. It had lots of great flavor! Looked like a great menu for everyone. The owner is very nice and you can tell by the food, she loves what she is doing. So do I! Can’t wait to try the other vivacious items!

i stopped at Mollys on my way to work. I have driven by many times, but have never stopped. I got the Timmy Time, which was a wrap and two shrimp and green onion pancakes. Oh my goodness delicious!!! I got the chicken and rice wrap with my order. It was very good, but the pancakes… WOW!!! Molly let me know it would take a couple minutes as she makes the pancakes to order. Two pancakes came with the order. Fresh and delicious. I will be back again!

I had a great chicken salad cold lettuce wrap at the Salem Saturday Market. They were surprisingly filling and tasted great!

Finally was able to track this place down and was in the area for lunch today. Molly is a wonderfully pleasant lady and said that there was such a hold up with the city paperwork that caused her to be in hiding for so long. I am glad she finally found a place. (Come on Salem — ease up on the restrictions so we can have awesome food carts here!)
I ordered the taco plate — with one of each of her 3 tacos (beef bulogi, chicken, and spicy pork) for $ 8. Molly did not mess around with the meat, as each was stuff ed full and then piled high with the cabbage, kim chi, pickled cucumbers, and the rest of the fixings. So good. And Chuck was right– get the hot sauce. It was incredible.
My last review was solely because it appeared VMVE had closed up. I was tempted to give this one 4 stars, but as I was driving back to work, I kept sighing sounds of feeling deliciously full and my mind kept drifting back to the tacos. That doesn’t typically happen, so this place gets that extra star to 5. Wonderful all around!

Molly Frizelle, the chef/​owner, opened this cart around mid-​May, serving up Korean-​fusion tacos and lettuce wraps. The menu looked great, and with very few food carts in Salem overall, it became a must-​stop. Molly has dreams to open a brick-​and-​mortar place in the future, but a food cart and a booth at the Salem Saturday Market suffices for now.
Molly has three hot and three cold lettuce wraps on the menu. You can mix and match in any combination, two wraps for $ 8. I started with a Molly’s Chicken hot lettuce wrap, featuring marinated chicken breast, white rice, zucchini, mushrooms, green onions, and special sauce. Explosive flavors and moist chicken. The rice helped balance the flavors out.
The second wrap was a mahimahi and mango salsa cold lettuce wrap. If you love a refreshing, lighter version of a fish taco, this is right up your alley.
I mentioned to Molly that having just one layer of lettuce holding an abundance of flavorful toppings makes it difficult to pick up. I had to eat a substantial amount with a fork before hand use became a reasonable option. A double lettuce wrap would probably do the trick, really a very minor issue. Pandas don’t mind getting messy with food, especially if alone or with friends.
I then ordered both of Molly’s Korean fusion tacos ($ 3 each). Her spicy pork taco features marinated shredded pork, while the beef bulgogi taco has marinated beef and a special sauce. Both get a healthy topping of cabbage, cilantro, kimchi, marinated cucumber, and lime. Outstanding Korean flare. The bite of the kimchi contrasted with the savory meats. Having both fresh and pickled veggies equals multi-​dimensional awesomeness. You can even get three tacos for $ 8. I’m sure I could have put down a few more on this trip.
The accompanying spicy aioli includes sriracha, fresh lime, and chopped cilantro. It has wonderful flavor and perfect creamy texture. It’s very mild for me, but people with more sensitive palates may get a jolt to their taste buds. Maybe I should chug some of this sauce just for fun.
Molly features a special at her food cart, which generally changes weekly. She recently had a Cali wrap (turkey, bacon, avocado, tomato, spinach, and blue cheese dressing wrapped in a tortilla) with a side of chips for $ 5. Molly’s husband ordered it when I visited her food cart, and he loved every bite.
Molly also has a booth at the Salem Saturday Market, limited to the lettuce wraps and her shrimp/​green onion pancake, a savory pancake with shrimp, green onions, zucchini, carrots, and various seasonings.
When I went to the Saturday Market this past weekend, I wasted little time ordering the pancakes. Four pancakes in an order, six bucks! Molly even has a gluten-​free pancake option using rice flour!
Oh man. I would like a dozen of these savory pancakes for one sitting! They are light and properly seasoned, with a nice helping of shrimp.
There are three sauces: teriyaki, sweet chili, and the aforementioned spicy aioli-​like option. All are great, but the spicy sauce still wins by TKO. Not surprising, with my abnormal love for heat.
This is an excellent food cart! Satisfying, explosive, and refreshing, all in one menu!