A college favorite from many many years ago, we stopped in while in town on business and made the trek off the beaten path. Our group of four squeezed into the place on a rainy day for lunch. The menu is on the wall to read and is a little overwhelming. read more

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Ok I wasn't even going to eat here but once I showed up with my bf the menu looked too good not to try. What I love about this spot is their bowls- usually Mexican food leans on the heavier side for me with the tortillas and refried beans but the bowl has whole foods like romaine and black beans with meat and avocado. It was the perfect healthier option for me and now that I know about it will definitely stop by here more often read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Adobada bowl - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

The tacos here went hard. Pork belly was so flavorful and honestly huge, but the Cali taco was even bigger. The Cali taco was decent but not a full replacement for the Cali burrito. Maybe it's because I got corn instead of flour tortilla for this one? Either way, this place is a great deal. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was good and very reasonablely priced. I had the chili relleno, enchilada with shredded beef, rice and beans. The red salsa had a delicious smokey flavor. The adobada bowl was tasty too! read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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El Zarape is an easy go to for me and my gf. Their combos are filling and go for a really reasonable price. Also, it's nice that they have vegan options that are more than just a veggie burrito (even though veggie burritos are still bomb) read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Beyond California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Delicious local taco shop. The surf and turf cali burrito was so good. Super friendly and casual vibe. Definitely will be a regular.

They got rid of the Aloha Burrito and the fish taco special. Now it's just an overpriced taco shop. Fingers crossed the OG location on Park Blvd remains pure of heart. read more

El Zarape is a clean, colorful neighborhood spot with friendly service, amazing food, and the best salsa. Highly recommend! I enjoyed my food and the services was exceptional! read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I ordered a Veggie Breakfast Burrito. Best I've ever had. Even the hot red and mild green salsas were perfect. Most Veggie Breakfast Burritos are kinda bland but this was delicious. read more

This is a cute local eatery on Adams. There isn't much parking in this area so if you are planning to drive here, you would have to scour the neighborhood for parking. Once we got here, the menu is on the wall and you order at the register. Our server was really friendly. I thought that my steak fajitas were ok. Next time, I'd pick something else on the menu. I think the fajitas were too saturated with oil and the meat was overly marinated. They seem to have a large variety of Mexican food, so why not try something else in this cute restaurant. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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El Zarape is a great neighborhood burrito joint. Delicious food and everyone who works there provides excellent service. The sit down area is a decent sized for a fast food restaurant, nicely decorated, and super clean. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

1. Nachos were very tasty. Everything on the plate was fresh and well seasoned. 2. Carne Asada fries were made with the doubled fried battered French fries which were excellent. The fries alone had great taste and crunch. 3. My wife got the chicken taco plate with beans and rice and she thoroughly enjoyed it. read more

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This place has amazing food and despite inflation burritos are still in the $10 range. Today I had one of their chicken bowls, which was super tasty and filled with lots of fresh ingredients, including half an avocado. The fact that they give you chips while you wait is cool with three different delicious and fresh salsas. staff super friendly and welcoming. They have a sit down restaurant, but this is the fast food location which is still super nice and they have beer here too. Don't miss it! read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Chicken bowl - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Tasty spot with great options. Always order take out and they're so quick. Street parking only so I would recommend walking. I usually get the California burrito or chicken tacos which are always good! Green salsa is the best here too read more

Agree with others who said this location is the cleanest of the three! It's small but has all the essentials, the prices were super reasonable, and ordering was quick and easy. Somehow I paid $24 for a pretty big veggie quesadilla and 2 Modelos, which maybe I have Stockholm Syndrome to the economy now but I felt good about it! The veggie quesadilla had roasted peppers, onions, and zucchini, and they didn't skimp like some places do. I'd def come back for a quick bite! read more

Service was great. They were very friendly. The location is very clean and decoration is cute. The birria was amazing. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Carne asada combo - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here to have some Mexican food here is San Diego and let me tell you that El Zarape Mexican Eatery did not disappoint. I brought the whole family and they all loved it. The tortillas from the tacos were like the tortilla from Tijuana's which is a plus. The carne asada burrito was delicious and the flour tortilla was amazing. The chips and salsa had the right about of taste and just the right amount of spice. I definitely recommend this spot. Customer service was great and very attentive. Thank you El Zarape Mexican eatery. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Carne Asada Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great service and great food! We got the chile relleno and veggie supreme burrito and they were soooo good and healthy. Definitely coming back. read more

GREAT food, loved my taco trio, I had the pork belly, carne asada and shrimp. The beans were delicious and the chips are so fresh, light and crunchy. My only complaint is they were out of a lot of items (dont know if this is supply chain related) and I was only allowed one red salsa. Definitely coming back. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Dining area - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

10/10 amazing customer service, they are so nice. Their food was absolutely great, it wasn't overpriced like some other places it was a good average price and it was so good for the price. Although they were so good they did not have any customers other than us and I am personally surprised because their food and service was so good. I definitely recommend I love this place and it is my new to go place. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Carne Asada Fries - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

We haven't been to El Zarape for a quite a bit since the location we went to stopped selling the Lobster Burrito. But, we wanted to double check and found that there were orher locations. After checking the online menu, we saw that this location still had it and boy were we so happy! The Lobster Burrito was just as good as we remembered - flavorful with nice chunks of lobster! We totally forgot about the green salsa- a must try to go with your food as it is so good! Our order came with a bag of chips to complete our lunch. Due to the pandemic, they weren't offering dine-in services when we went. But, calling in a phone order was quick and easy. We were told the food would be ready in about 10-15 minutes and they were right on-time. We only waited a minute or two after getting there so our order was freshly made. The cashier was super nice and made sure our order was complete and reminded us about the hot sauce. Parking here can be a bit tough as there isn't any designated parking spots for the restaurant, so you have to look to the streets for open parking. We went at the begining of the lunch time and were able to find a spot nearby. Just a quick walk but it was worth it! read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Lobster Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Overall exceptional! Not gonna detail my food, since it was the same delicious meal I always get here (see my other review), however, I have to say the service tonight was even more fantastic than usual. Frederico delivered excellent service and friendliness all night. His cheery attitude and frequent (but appropriate) attention to our food and drink needs was pleasantly welcomed. Looking forward to coming back again, sooner than later. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Shredded beef flautas - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

great selection of food. food is fresh and tasty. Often order from a delivery website and this is where quality becomes an issue for me. I would estimate that a third of the time an item is missing something. Today a carnitas bowl was missing avocado. I ordered a vegetable burrito and had to hunt for the beans. It was mostly lettuce. read more

Been going here since I was a kid! Really good food! Very clean highly recommend anything they got all the surf and turf is extra good I my opinion read more

This place was only okay. I thought overall that Lolita's is better. Fish taco - good: Nachos - a little on the small side. Taste was okay. Rolled tacos - too much tortilla in the roll and not enough meat. Pork belly taco - good, a little dry though. Wasn't too busy when we went. Service was fast and friendly. Wish the kitchen was a little more open. read more

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4 stars because while certainly not bad, was not mind blowing either. San Diego is a tough place to be a Mexican restaurant... the competition is abundant and stiff. You walk into a bright, clean restaurant, which is reassuring, and while bright and colorful, has a sort of empty feeling. Standard selection of items, we ordered; Cali burrito, regular tacos with rice and beans, rolled tacos and a bean and cheese. The Cali was typical- was nice that it came with and order of chips! The regular tacos were generously portioned, beans were good, but rice was extremely orange colored (too much!!) and bland. The rolled tacos were lacking... how to put this nicely.. gringo style perhaps? Meh. Bean and cheese was solid. Since I don't live in this area-it's unlikely that I will go here again. I would never purposely avoided, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. It's a solid 4/5 stars tho, so if your in the area and need a fix, it will certainly do! Bonus points- the do serve beer! read more

This place is conveniently located in a very central part of Adams Avenue. Every time I go, I want to love it so bad, because I LOVED the old El Zarape from 5+ years ago. Unfortunately, I'm always left wanting more from my experience with El Zarape. I don't know what it is....do I want greasier food? Spicier salsa? More flavor? All I know is it doesn't taste like how it used to taste. I got the fish tacos for $.99 along with a Surf and Turf California burrito on my last visit. Fish was very crispy. Carne Asada and Shrimp were both cooked well. Overall taste didn't hit the spot. I might come back for convenience, but I don't see myself craving and going out of my way to have El Zarape. read more

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It seems to me the owner of this place, Maritza, doesn't know what's been going on lately in her own restaurant. She employs a rude staff that likes to mess with certain folks' food. The food has taken a sky dive into the concrete floor. Today we were served food that was inedible & food that was thrown together unattractively. It has been declining in time since the first visit, when we asked for an adjustment to the heat level. The first time we dined in here was fine except for one minor issue. We let them know; they took offense. They take offense if there's something you want changed up, i.e., no quac, less heat..this was an issue then & has escalated on each subsequent visit to the point they crashed & burned today. Literally burned. Take a look at today's picture & see guacamole dumped on a chicken taco, & crema?? dumped all over a shrimp taco. Earlier pics show the meat clean, with slices of avocado nicely placed. When you ask for mild (yes, I can't take 'hot' foods much anymore), & the food comes out hotter than the Mohave Desert, it's a problem. Some people can actually end up with an ER visit because of something like this. Thankfully, I didn't, but I felt drowsy, my head started a pounding headache & my stomach hurt. All because there is a very real trend here. If they know you want your food MILD, it will be handed to you INEDIBLE, too hot to taste. As someone who actually likes to frequent small businesses that treat their guests right, I'm banning this place forever. Should've known better. HARD PASS read more

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The reason I'm giving two stars is because they never refunded me for the part of my order they forgot to include a week ago.I walked in last Thursday and placed an order to go for a California burrito, 2 quesabirria tacos and 1 order of potato tacos with guacamole. It was to go so I could eat with my family at home before trick or treating since it was Halloween, and once I got home I noticed my quesabirria tacos were missing. I immediately called the restaurant and the guy apologized and said he had them there still. He offered for me to go pick them up and I asked if he could just refund me since my kid was ready to go and already halfway done eating. He said he could definitely refund me the 2 tacos from my total order of $36. 8 days later and they never refunded the tacos I didn't get to eat. I will update my review if they honor the refund as originally guaranteed. read more

I would rank this as the middle option of the El Zarapes. I like it better than the one on Park, but not as much as the sit-down one a little further east. It's also probably in the middle in terms of fanciness and price. So a solid choice all round! The shrimp burrito had lots of nice, plump shrimp. I saw another review complaining that there wasn't enough "stuff" in it, and I admit there wasn't as much as in most shrimp burritos. But it was reasonably full and pretty tasty, so I don't think that's a major complaint. Besides, if the burrito is all shrimp, there's more of a good thing! Takeout burritos still came with chips, which I always appreciate. The salsas were good. I could have done with larger servings, especially since they weren't very spicy. But still solid all round. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Takeout burritos still come with chips - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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the potato soy chorizo burrito was pretty good! the flavors were nice and savory and the potatoes were very tender. burrito is also super filling, had half of it saved for later. i wasn't a big fan of the tortilla chips. the two sauces that were served with the food were also good, i liked the green tomatillo one. the person working was nice and the food came out quick. the place is pretty small but cute. overall enjoyed the food and would definitely come back when i'm in the area! read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - Potato Soy Chorizo Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Definitely one of the better value taco Tuesday deals--3 street tacos and a beer (draft or bottle) for $10. I'm sold. You order at the counter, take a number, and within minutes your food arrives. I had the carne asada, pork belly, and Pulpo tacos. My favorite was the pulpo because it came with a great chipotle sauce (and since when is octopus a street taco? I'm not complaining though). The pork belly was extra juicy and the carne asada was a little forgettable and needed to be embellished with some salsa for extra flavor. I also had a .99$ fish taco (it's always this cheap not just on Tuesday's).. a good taco for the price, however, I would pay much more for this. All in all, a good experience, I will recommend this place. read more

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One of my go-to's less than a 5 min walk from my house. I'd drive here for the Carne Asada tacos (alway on flour tortillas) and the surf & turf burritos. The "green" & "hot" salsas are some of the best I've had as a San Diego native of almost 38 years. You can order online and the food's ready in about 10 minutes. I could cook many of these foods at home but I find myself choosing the Eatery... a lot. 5/5 recommend! read more

I ordered online and was very pleased with my order. The carne asada plate was tasty, chicken nachos were crunchy, not soggy or greasy. Good portion sizes. I also tried the shrimp tacos and was not disappointed! Everything was fresh and carried well. Their green salsa is so good, too. Side note: My order came with a burrito that I didn't order, but was excited to try! I took one bite and did not like that. At all. Everything else was good. read more

Had awful experiences ordering online more than once. One time they closed early but didn't shut down the online ordering system. So they took my money and I never got my burritos. When I messaged them for a refund I never heard back. I should have stopped ordering online from there right? Nope. I decided to give them another chance. This time when I ordered online and arrived at the store they hadn't checked their order tablet. I don't think I'm going to give them another chance. read more

Decided to stop by here on a whim after running into a friend and him recommending this place. Surely one of the best cali burritos in San Diego. Juicy, flavorful meat, all the fixings. Very reasonably priced given how expensive food has gotten recently, even included chips! All three salsas/sauce were delicious and the red had a very nice kick. read more

El Zarape Mexican Eatery - California Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I come here often for lunch because I love the service and great food. My favorites are the carne azada tacos and the salad bowl with nopales. One taco has enough meat for two good sized tacos. I definitley recommend this eatery. read more

Rice and beans were on point but sadly the carnitas I got were very dry and lacked flavor. Sadly the meat was biggest portion of my meal so I didn't eat much. I also don't know if the person who ordered my meal ordered wrong but I originally asked for pork verde. So can't say what with wrong there since I wasn't there for that moment. The chili/salsa options are good though. I know there is at least 3 flavors. A green based, red based, and a salsa based. read more

I am so disappointed in El Zarape. I ordered their vegan California burrito and ended up with regular ones with real meat and cheese in it. Then when I called them they said they'd make me vegan ones. I brought back the meat ones and they hadn't started the vegan ones yet! They wanted me to pay for one. Nope. Then they wanted me to pay the difference which I was fine with but I didn't want to have to wait there while they made new ones. I ate meat by accident b/c of them and they were not willing to fix their mistake. The person at the counter didn't even apologize or care. The manager wouldn't even come out to talk to me. They just lost a regular costumer. I feel disgusting right now read more

Came here with a friend in the late evening really hungry for a shrimp burrito. I ordered the Camaron a la diabla burrito and had them add rice and beans inside the burrito for an extra 50 cents. This burrito hit the spot. The flavor was delicious and the shrimp was fresh. It was a little bit spicy but it hurt so good. (I love spicy food). This visit was extra sweet because the chef came out and greeted us and we had a nice little chat about our experience. Will definitely be coming back when I'm in the area :) read more