The food was meh. Not the the greatest. The service was good though. However, I don't think I will return.

Me and my wife go all the time. It's our favourite Mexican restaurant around. We try something new every time and have yet to find something we haven't liked read more

Considering this is Bowling Green, Ohio, El Zarape has some pretty good Mexican food. The staff always call you "amigo", which makes me happy :) They have a HUGE menu, which I love because you can pretty much get whatever type of Mexican dish your little heart desires. Prices are very reasonable too, and the portions are gigantic. Service is ridiculously fast - seriously, I don't think I've ever had to wait more than 5-7 minutes for my food to be brought out, no matter what I ordered. They also have killer margaritas, and some nights they have a live Mariachi band. Overall, a fun place to go with your friends for cheap, delicious Mexican food and a good atmosphere. read more

I went here once with a friend, once with my father. While the food was good, the second time I went the staff insulted me when I asked them where the bathroom was (I was using a cane to walk at the time, because of fractures). They said "Look at the cripple" in Spanish. I speak Spanish--as do an increasing number of Americans. Don't insult your customers--even in your native tongue, especially if it's a common as Spanish. I won't be eating here again. Good food, butI took off two stars for the manners of the staff. read more

Always fast, clean and friendly!! One of my favorite places to eat in Bowling Green!!

Much better than expected for the Midwest. Be sure to ask for their roasted Tomatilla Salsa. Lots of great flavor. We poured some of if right over our entrees. Second visit was better than the first. Our dinner party consisted of 1 party from the San Diego area, 1 party from Phoenix area & 1 party from Southern TX., all die hard Mexican food lovers! All of us were pleasantly surprised. Does it compare to the American Southwest? No, but for the rest of the nation, we collectively agree it's way above average. read more

I'll make this review easy.... EL ZARAPE IS AMAZING. BGSU doesn't have very many restaurants (REAL restaurants, not McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger Kings, etc.... if you like those... you'll find TONS of those [2/3 of each] around campus.) El Zarape is nice because it calls BG home and offers great options for it's low-budget and hungry students. It's amazing in more ways than one. It has fantastic food, service, and price. Food: I love Mexican. I have yet to find a restaurant that has more flavor to its meals than El Zarape. Starting with the salsa served with its pre-meal tortilla chips. Extremely fresh and has tons of tomato and herb flavor! I get the taco salad usually. I like this meal because of it's use of many flavors such as the mexican inspired chicken, guacamole, beans, sour cream, etc. All of the flavors I mentioned are the best of the best. Even the sour cream is unique. It's thinner and tastier than traditional restaurant sour cream. The guacamole is VERY fresh. I never liked it until El Zarape. I think you get the picture about the food. Service: Most of the waiters and waitresses are Mexican which, in my opinion, makes it a more authentic Mexican experience. I may be the only one that cares about that, but now you know :) I enjoy their use of Spanish lingo alongside speaking in English (hola, chicos/chicas, gracias, uno, etc, nothing major). You have an empty glass? It's almost as if they have a camera watching because that change that in no time. The same can be said about chips/salsa. Price: I spend $7.50 and leave that place stuffed!!! You get a ton to eat for a small price. As mentioned previously, since I'm a student and money is something I don't have a lot of yet, I enjoy that. I should also note margaritas are a huge hit there. I'm not a big fan of them (in general, not El Zarape's), but I know a lot of people that just go for those since they're, from what I heard, some of the chepest around and do a good job of getting you buzzed/drunk/etc. Also know when they say the plates are hot, THEY'RE HOT... I burned my finger on the plate a while back. If you're in BG and not sure what to eat, GO HERE!!! cheap, fast, great atmosphere for a few or a lot. read more

If you are coming here from places like California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, or Texas you will be very disappointed. The chips and salsa they bring out are not very good - the salsa especially is some of the cheapest I've ever tasted. The beef in my enchilada was dry, un-spiced and reminiscent of cafeteria food. On the positive side the service in my experience has been good. The food not so much. read more

This restaurant is not bad. The chips and salsa are yummy, and the food comes quickly. The pricing is perhaps slightly higher than Mexican restaurants you'll find elsewhere, but most food has large portions. A certain waitress (Patricia), behaved in quite a peculiar fashion. She stood and stared at us while we read our menus, while we ate, and then after she gave us the check. It was so awkward! After she first delivered our food (and perhaps went to go stare at other patrons?), she disappeared for awhile while we sat with empty drinks. When my brother finished eating, she ran over and asked for his plate before his fork even touched back down. The behavior of the server dropped the stars from a 4 to a 3. Overall, a very awkward meal! read more

Cheap mexican food, YES! Basically its what you would expect from any casual mexican restaurant. Lots of good choices and the service is super quick. The food always comes out hot and delicious, and they definitely fill the plate full. The servers are good at refilling chips and salsa as well as drinks. Great for birthday dinners, especially if you are turning 21! They have great Daiquiris and other drinks. Great for large groups, they are very accommodating. read more

i like it. nothing fancy. I've always left with left overs because you get a lot of food for a decent price. Service is great even though it's usually packed. the cherizo queso! order it! read more

Best spot for margaritas and enjoying a night out with friends! Super fast service, and a quick wait time which is always nice! Chips and salsa are plentiful and amazing! All food options are great, but I always opt for the simple pollo Norteno which is literally just chicken, rice, and cheese served with tortillas and veggies. read more

The best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to. They have abundant seating despite being almost constantly busy during dinner hours, have fast & friendly service, unlimited chips & salsa (so good), as well as a vegetarian section on the menu. The price is very affordable as well! They're also well known for their margaritas... You can get HUGE ones if you're so inclined. Oh, and if it's your birthday, they'll sing an exciting song for you. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

El Zarape - Vegetarian D - Mexican Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

We really like Mexican cuisine so eat in a lot of Mexican restaurants everywhere we travel including Mexico. This is very similar to other Mexican restaurant chains but somehow it is far better. We love it!! Also the staff is so efficient but always friendly and fun. We crave their food and visit often. Miss it when we are gone to Florida for the winter. No place even close in The Villages. read more

The food used to be amazing, but anymore the service has been subpar, we only plan on coming here for their margaritas

The food is awesome! Delicious flavors that excite your senses. I love the chimichanga; it's only 6 dollars and is so filling. If you are looking for a large and luxurious meal, go with the Burrito California! The flavors in this burrito will make you swoon. The margaritas are potent and a great value. One of my favorite places to go in BG. It gets straights A's for flavor, value, customer service, and atmosphere. Great for the whole family. P.S. Ask at the register for a punch card for even more savings. read more

Delicious food and very generous portions for the price. Great vegetarian options. The decor inside is very festive and upbeat.

Ok, I've had one good, one bad experience with El Zarape. For my first time, I got a combination platter that had nothing but dishes with their regular ground beef in it. The beef was dry and not seasoned at all. I had to douse my entire meal in hot sauce to make it edible. I later received advice from a regular there to only get the chicken, and never the beef. For my second experience, I ordered the enchilada platter, which was outstanding. They offered one enchilada of chicken, pork, bean, cheese, shredded beef, and ground beef. Yet again, the ground beef was incredibly dry, but everything else was splendid. Also, while I did not drink, everyone else in my party tried the margaritas and said they were to die for! Was this review helpful? Yes | No read more

Definitely much better that what you would think in Ohio. Refillable salsa and chips and really good service. Always order a combination platter as you are getting the most bang for your buck. Decent sized platters. Pretty good margaritas that come in pitchers. All the food I have had is pretty equally decent- enchiladas, taco salad, tacos, beans, rice. Not going to get anything else in BG but still a decent option. read more

Bang for your buck: 8/10 Quality: 8/10 Service: 7/10 Ambiance/Location: 9/10 Overall: 8/10 read more

The GOAT if your in this trash town get El zarape and it will make everything better.

The best Mexican restaurant in BG. Pretty affordable, fast, and delicious. I enjoy all my experiences coming to this place. The combo menu and lunch menu are great places to look if you are hungry and don't have lots of money. read more

Awesome food, quick and attentive service, fast refills without asking on drinks and chips/salsa. A great place to take kids to dine out as you can usually be in and out relatively quickly. They frequently have coupons in local mailers for a percentage off of your meal. BonusZ, read more

Some of the worse Mexican food I've ever eaten. Ordered a combination plate, plate came out so hot you couldn't touch it yet somehow some of the food was cold. I've eaten a lot of chille rellenos but I never had one not in a Polano chille this one came with sliced green bell pepper, meat on it was alright rest of the food in the combination was not good. After dinner while we were finishing our drinks the kid in the booth across from us knocked his salsa off his table and it splashed on the floor, our booth and my wife. I tracked down the waiter to get a bar towel for my wife to wipe off with. He brings it over, hands it to my wife and walks away. Doesn't wipe off the booth or get bus person to clean the mess on the floor. He just steps over it every time he goes up or down the aisle. After about 15 minutes we leave no one had cleaned it up so we told the hostess to tell the manager to get it cleaned up before someone slipped on it. read more

I love this place I've been going there since I was young and I've had many many of my birthday's there their food is pretty good they have plenty of delicious selections of food! And if its your B-Day you get a free ice cream!! read more

Though the menu is the same as any texmex place, they still have really quality food and service is great. (We had two people making sure we were waited on well at one point) also never really had to wait for service here. It's a great spot for a casual date night especially if it's nice out, ask for outdoor seating! read more

Fun atmosphere but the food was just ok! The bar is very nice and drinks are strong here!

One of the best Mexican restaurants in the area! Great food, fast and friendly service, good prices. The fajitas are amazing! Last time I was there I had the fajita taco salad and it was great. They have delicious homemade salsa and tortilla chips. read more

Do not buy the combo platters. They were exclusively (no rice, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese) filled with ground beef. The burrito, enchalada, etc. All the same. On the other hand. Do buy the queso. Everything else looked delicious. Excited to go back and not have a combo read more

Quick sit down lunch option. This is the place to meet for work lunch or after work get together. Service is friendly and fast, allowing us time to talk business or share life after work. Food is good. read more

Had the fajita burrito and it was excellent. Cheese dip aka queso was perfect. Chips were a little stale and the waiter was a little slow. Fast paced and decent food. read more

So for my fiancé's birthday today, three of us decided to celebrate at El Zarape since he has never experienced a birthday there. We walk in the restaurant and immediately notice how busy it is. We still decided to put our name in and wait, expecting a very long wait to be seated, which it was. However, that was not a problem whatsoever for any of us. We eventually get seated, but do not see our waitress for twenty minutes. We finally get to order a pitcher of margarita (at which point I mention that we are there for his birthday) for us all to share and a glass of water for each of us. Even with sitting for twenty minutes, that was all the order we got to put in because she immediately walked away. So margarita comes, but no water. About another ten minutes goes by before we can ask for water again and order cheese dip as an "appetizer" along with ordering the rest of our meals. It didn't take much time at all for us to get our cheese dip and TWO glasses of water. Silly me thought that the third glass would come out shortly (thinking her hands were just full) so I was generous and let the other two people with me have those glasses. Maybe another fifteen minutes later I have to ask AGAIN for my water. Eventually I get the water along with a refill of chips maybe another five minutes later. FIFTY minutes goes by with NEVER hearing from our waitress again. I get up to go to the front hostess stand to ask for a manager. I even had to wait about 5 minutes before someone showed up for me to inquire about management (and at this time the restaurant has died down SIGNIFICANTLY). During that time, all of our meals showed up. I return to the table to discover that all three meals have clearly been sitting for a long time. Not one piece of food was hot. A lot of it, in fact, was actually so hard that it was like touching a piece of a brick. We sit there, with all the food basically untouched, for about five minutes before a manager shows up. I let him know that we have been there for over an hour and just received cold food and that we do not even want it anymore and we would all like to leave. We were offered new food at no cost, but that would just require us waiting even longer, so we said no thank you and left of course. So long story short, we all just received the absolute worst customer service that we have ever had and walked out without eating dinner. All three of us acknowledge the fact that it was a busy night for them. Again, we anticipated slower service from the beginning. We also acknowledge the kindness that the manager showed and really appreciate him trying to make it right. However, that does not make up for how neglected we were for over an hour. Believe me, all three of us have jobs that involve providing customer service. We have a lot of patience in these kind of situations because we can relate. But this does not make up for the fact that we were there for my fiancé's birthday and the waitress knew that. I'm not saying that we deserve special treatment because of this (please don't take this in that way). I just wish his birthday dinner (or lack thereof) didn't end up being so horrible. If we ever do go back to eat here, it won't be for a very long time. When that time comes, if we ever walk in to another crowd like that, we will immediately walk right back out, and I recommend that you do the same. read more

My favorite restaurant in the area the staff if friendly enough, and the food is EXCELLENT I would recommend the Pollo Norteno with a pomegranate margarita, it's never been a bad choice! the area is very cultured size portions are large and prices are very college friendly! Bathrooms are relatively clean read more

Amazing authentic Mexican food. I was very impressed to find such a great Mexican restaurant in Ohio. The food was cooked with love and the service is top notch. I can't believe it's taken me this long to try it. When I come back to visit I guess I always over looked it but a friend suggested we go there last night and it's was incredible. One of the best Mexican meals I've ever had. Can't wait to go back and get their amazing food. I had the cheese steak tacos with rice and it was perfect. Prices are good for such good quality of food. Keep up the excellent food and service. Cheers! read more

YUMMY...amazing food! John had the carnitas dinner and I had chili poblano...guacamole and gold margarita; all was fabulous. Wait staff was good BUT it's the food babe the food! read more

One of our top 3 Mexican restaurants to go to. Staff are friendly and generous portion size.

For Bowling Green, an excellent Mexican restaurant. Good chips and salsa when you sit down. Mouth puckering delicious margaritas. My favorite menu item is their soup! Chock full of chicken, rice, and guacamole. Warning: it's addicting! All menu selections are good. Their sister restaurant near Krogers on N. Main is just as good. read more

Decent food, friendly service, moderately priced. Entrees averaged $10. Margaritas were a bit weak but I ordered their "regular" so ordering their premium might be the key there. As far as Mexican food goes, I'm spoiled coming from Chicago. This was a valiant effort for a college town in BG Ohio but not what I'm used to. read more

If you are from a state that actually touches Mexico, you will be disappointed at this place. Note that their "chili relleno" is really a stuffed bell pepper. The fried ice cream was gross... Taco Bell is better. read more

My family went here for the first time on Christmas eve. We had wonderful service, and some the best authentic Mexican food I have had.