My favorite place to go in Santa Barbara for a breakfast burrito. Everything always tastes super fresh and delicious. The staff is always very kind as well. Highly highly recommend! read more

Was really excited to try this place but didn't live up to the hype. Got my order incorrect, didn't let me use an access card or have any cups for salsa. Went back got the correct order and was still dissatisfied. read more

Has continued to be one of my go to spots for Mexican foods for burritos . Always excellent and consistent and waaaay better than some of the trendy Mexican spots on Santa Barbara. Def better than Super Cucas across the street. If you go, def get some of the pink habernero salsa. OMG is it HOT but all tasty at the same time. Great local hole in the wall. Every thing is good. Burritos, tortas or even the dishes on the side that change daily. Try it all and you will not be disappointed. Wish I still lived in SB so i could go there right now. read more

Huge fan of El Zarape, consistently great food time after time. If you are looking for a hole in the wall with affordable mexican food, this is the place to go. Open until 10PM as well! I recommend getting something out of the hot case. read more

Ordered a vegetarian burrito with double beans instead of rice. The burrito is supposed to include zuchinni, lettuce, tomato, pasilla and bell pepper and cheese. I received only a single serving of beans, no pasilla or bell peppers, and carrots. Plus, the vegetables were not cooked adequately. Very disappointed. read more

Solid 4 star spot. Great selection of tacos, burritos, tortas and breakfast burritos. Today I had the tacos and they are twice as big as the typical street taco. The tortillas are made by hand and that was one of my favorite parts of this taco. I will definitely be back when in the area. read more

And my 400th review goes to...El Zarape! Really delicious, legit Mexican food. The tortillas are made in-house, the salsa bar is amazing, and their carne asada beats the much hyped El Chato truck in LA (in my humble opinion). They accept credit card and there is plenty of seating in the adjacent dining area. Service is friendly. I ordered the carne asada tacos, which were flavorful and juicy, but not too greasy. The carne asada goes especially well with one of their salsas - can't describe it really, but just try them out; they're all good. Overall, El Zarape is my go-to spot for Mexican food in SB. Highly recommended! read more

Everything I've had here is fantastic! It's standard taqueria pricing. I usually get a burrito or a torta, both of which are great. The adobada is spicy and delicious. And they GRILL THEIR BURRITOS. This is icing on the cake for me when it comes to burritos. The rajas burritos are also fantastic with the melted cheese. I recommend making your burrito a California Burrito and it comes with lettuce, tomato, guac, sour cream, and cheese. My friend swears by the lengua torta. I haven't tried it yet. Added bonus...everyone that works here is very friendly! And they will deliver your order to the bar next door, Bo Henry's. read more

Okay, I went in to El Zarape thinking it was Burger Express (because they have some confusing signage) and I saw all these Mexican ingredients (totally legit homestyle platters etc) but I persisted "Can I get a cheese burger." It was the best cheeseburger I have ever had - HANDS DOWN. No joke, but the story gets better! As I'm eating this burger, a guy in a suit (the owner?) comes up to my table and asks how I like it. I smile, and he says "Wait until you try our Mexican food." OOOHHHH.... So the next time I go there I get a shrimp burrito... WOW. It was soo good, that I have NEVER ordered another burger from the place. Even if I want a burger, I'll go in there and order a Quesadilla or a Burrito instead. It might not be the healthiest but it is definitely the best tasting, and VERY fresh. The only thing that sucks is that they stopped serving their best salsa for free. I don't blame them - its freshly made and must have cost them a fortune. With your order, make sure you ask for some Pico de Gallo on the side - you won't be disappointed! read more

There is always something wrong in this place, either the food not well cooked and customer service sucks. Before my friend invited me, I told him" I've been there a couple of times, and did not like food/service. Still I gave them the benefit of the doubt. BIG MISTAKE. won't be ever thinking going back to that funky hole. read more

The definition of hole in the wall: When someone texts you to say they're joining you for lunch, then you get a text 10 min later saying they just drove by the place, had a sudden change of heart, and are just going to get a sandwich or something. El Zarape is straight up for mehicanos solamente. It's Mexican food like your Mexican grandma used to make it. In the line are Mexican neighborhood workers, and the lady at the counter doesn't speak much english. But when a plate of rice and beans makes you go wow, you know you've found something good. The enchiladas here are unreal... best I've had in years. So next time you're in Santa Barbara, do yourself a favor and put aside your airs and go get yourself a meal here. The sandwiches in Santa Barbara suck anyway. read more

El Z. is a local Mexican joint that is mainly passed up b/c: if you enter under the sign that reads "El Zarape" you actually end up in the dining room portion of the restaurant. You have to enter the doorway under "Burger Express"...which makes no sense to me!! Neither the sign NOR the fact that this Mexican place is selling burgers.... ...Which leads me to my review. I took a relative to this place b/c it was just over the bridge for us and we wanted something quick. I ordered a chicken burrito with all the trimings (I like guac, beans, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, onions...you get the idea). It came wrapped in tinfoil and how the tinfoil could hold it without bursting was a miracle b/c the damn burrito weighed at least 4 pounds. No lie. Eating the thing was a feat of strength PLUS an exercise of balance. But it was delicious. I used the house red salsa that had just a lil' kick to it. It made all the ingredients blend well together. Yes, you can get burgers here...double cheeseburgers at that! Don't ask me what they taste like b/c I wouldn't know. I go elsewhere for burgers. You try first and write about it here on Yelp. As for ambiance, you may be able to catch a game of futbol or, if you're lucky, a telenovella playing on the singular TV. I don't recommend trying to bat down one of the pinatas hanging...they're empty anyway (if you wanna know). The place is kept clean, the soda machines, including the Ole brand drinks, are in working condition, and the house salsas are muy sabor! p.s. they really hook it up when you order in Spanish! read more

Great mexican food on the westside! I ordered a Lomito burrito and it was about the size of a large football for $8. They take axxess too, which makes it an even better deal. Great looking weekly specials and menudo on the weekends. I'm going to have to come back for Posole Thursday. Word of caution: Habanero salsa here is not kidding around. It will bite your face off. It's delicious. read more

Awesome food! I came here for the first time because of the Axxess card. I can't wait to go back. It was so good, I bought an extra meal to take home for later. I've been searching for a great Torta for a while and they have it. Their Bolillo bread is awesome and the sandwiches are great. I can't wait to try more of their food. The prices are good, staff is nice and place is clean. It's definitely more of a take-out or very casual spot for eating which is nice when you aren't feeling super social. It's also Burger Express or something like that which is odd but apparently those are well received too. The order area and kitchen is a separate room from the eating area. Plenty of spots and like others have said, the salsa is great. It's definitely a place I'll be going back to for lunch or quick dinners/pick-up. Plenty of parking on the street out front too. Axxess card has a 2-for-1 discount and 10% off thereafter. Happy I found this place! read more

A good Mexican Palette knows when a Mexican Restaurant is good; first taste test is always 'the beans'. If the beans are good everything else is going to taste like mom's cooking. This place is pretty darn A-ok! Try there chilaquiles. Worth a try. read more

Not only does El Zarape have the BEST breakfast burritos, but they also catered our wedding and the food/service was exceptional!! Raul was wonderful to work and the price worked very nicely with our budget. We were extremely happy with them. Thank you, El Zarape!! read more

My favorite authentic mexican food in SB at the moment. I may be biased because it's two blocks from my house but I'm sticking too it. Their taco's are particularly amazing especially on the days when they have homemade tortillas. I also recommend the tortas and burritos but I've never tried their burgers. Just seems wrong. The salsa bar is also good. The tables are a little cluttered and the place is never full so I feel like they would be better off getting rid of some of them. The meat can be a little grisly sometimes as well. read more

I had their catered food and it's not the same as in the restaurant. Restaurant: delicious, professional, non-greasy, and true to size. This is mostly a review for the catering service they offer. Catering: plain, very greasy, very unprofessional, not friendly. It's almost as if they didn't want to be there. They are expensive for the service they offer. Didn't meet expectations presentation wise. The meats and tortillas are cooked/sized different than inside restaurant. Witnessed minor fiascos that could have been prevented if they had been prepared. Save yourself a headache and a stomachache hire a more experienced restaurant that is true to catering. El Zarape restaurant GOOD. El Zarape catering TERRIBLE. read more

The food taste like authentic Mexican food. It was my first time but my sister said she goes there often so I thought I'd give it a try sense she is usually picky so I thought it must be good. I had their taquitos, two beef and two chicken with rice, beans, guac and sour cream. Best part not only did they have regular fountain drinks they also had Mexican bottled drinks as well, always best with some good Mexican food! Glad it's walking distance from my house :) read more

El Zarape - Mexican drinks (always better!) And great tasting Mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Ordered a carne asada quesadilla. wrong choice!! The meat didn't even look like asada and it tasted more like boiled ground beef. Meat had no flavor. read more

They will make a burrito as you want it. With being new to town I love how nice they have been to customize my California burritos to be in a San Diego style. Also they are one of the few places in town that offer a bean burrito at a price below $6.00. read more

Raul and his team at El Zarape were one of our favorite vendors to work with on our wedding day. The food was AMAZING, the prices were great, and the service was above and beyond our expectations! From our very first meeting, Raul was incredibly helpful, informative, and so fun to work with. He walked us through every detail and was prepared for everything from setup to clean up. When plans changed last minute, he was flexible and accommodating. The food and drinks were delicious, warm, and well presented. Our family and friends are still talking about the great food and drinks, and my husband and I can't say enough about how thankful we are for such incredible service. Raul is our favorite caterer to recommend for your next event! read more

Have tried to place an order to be pick be picked up for the next day, the person on the counter could not even understand english and should be a easy transaction, place my order and pay for an order to be picked up the next day, that was too much for the person to understand and still order was not placed and paid for it and she could not get it right, my nephew went to pick it up and not paid for, please hire people who know how to place a order to be picked up the next day, easy, charge and let the cooks know, called several times to talk to owner, if the person taking the call could understand english and take my number, could be resolved, owner never calls read more

We hired El Zarape to cater our wedding for 200 guests, and we could not be happier with our decision! The owner, Raul, was so helpful in our planning process, and helped us create a menu including a delicious array of appetizers, drinks (we used them for our bartenders too) and an excellent taco buffet. Our guests could not stop raving about how delicious and authentic the food was - in fact, at least one guest hired him on the spot to cater multiple future events. Raul and his team are so friendly, helpful, and professional - they anticipated our every need and helped our wedding day flow absolutely seamlessly! We will definitely be recommending their catering services to all of our friends and family! read more

Love the VEGETARIAN tacos. They do a mix with zucchini thats really good. Its my new favorite taco joint every time I visit from San Diego. read more

Stingy with the meat on the burritos and not well cooked. This has now happened to me the past three times I've gone. Definitely not going here anyone. read more

The torta was grande. The salsa was fuego. The atmosphere familia. Sitting here listening to Mana on the jukebox watching infomertials in spanish i think im in heaven read more

El Zarape - Cuatro Lengua tacos - Mexican Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This was not a good food experience. Carnitas were dry, dry, dry. Asada tasted funky, the pastor was tasteless. On the bright side the torta loca was ok. Would not eat here again. read more

The service wasn't the best. They ran out of ice. The coke was flat. No chips were served as a complimentary. Bathroom was dirty (like really dirty). But the food??? Delicious! Carnitas burrito was generous on the meat. Recommend order to go. Don't stay and eat read more

The adobada and asada burritos left a bit to be desired from the flavor aspect. Meats didn't really stand out as particularly good, when they should be the highlight of the meal. The plus side is the price was somewhat reasonable for Santa Barbara and they offer cactus salad (nopales: +1 star) at the salsa bar. Green sauce wasn't quite right, red (not roasted) sauce was decent but reminded me of something you serve at a Mexican birthday party with a side of chips. Cleanliness was average. Overall probably won't be returning. read more

Hot chips, homemade tortillas, extensive free salsa bar, authentic fresh budget food, ...muy authentico! cafeteria ambiance. read more

The food here is delicious. I had a torta with chorizo. The salsa that I had from the salsa bar was one of the best that I've ever had. Viva El Zarape! read more

Yummy authentic Mexian Grub in a clean but casual walk up to counter atmosphere. Gringo friendly. Owner Raul super friendly. Even referred me to a job opening when I mentioned I was new in town and "between postions!" I'll definitely be back next time I am near that corner of town!! Friendly neighborhood too! read more

Seriously the best place in town for Asada Nachos. They really load it up!!! Everything on their menu is delicious and fairly priced. I love this place and eat here all the time. I recommend it to everyone, it really is delicious. read more

Damn good. They were out of all the really good stuff (lengua, buche, birria de chivo etc) at 8pm, but the asada and choriqueso were tasty and unusually chunky-good -- this is not an amorphous chorizo slurry but chunks of a more spanish-style sausage. Carnitas was meh -- but I'm not a carnitas guy, generally. "Hot" salsas were very tasty, but not very hot. Just right in my book. The habanero was slightly less hot than typical strong jalapeno salsas in SF. That's a good thing. House made tortillas are a standout, at least for me with my crappy industrial-tortilla joints in SF. Clientele is legit and the specials all look extremely tasty, too. read more

Visited El Zarape, because of good reviews on Yelp! Hello! might taste like your grandmas but not mine! I ordered red enchiladas, nothing to write home yo mom about. Flavorless watered down enchilada sauce. Beans were bland, rice was at most ok. I spent 7.00 on a über to get here, wasted my money! I guess you get what you pay for! read more

We dined at this restaurant due to the high ratings - huge mistake on our part. Here are one liners of our experience: - we were at counter to place order, lady behind counter on phone for several minutes which appeared to be a personal call; she didn't even acknowledge us - ordered Carnitas Burrito and 2 soft tacos, very disappointed in the Carnitas, Carnitas was hard and not fresh tasting - salsas were so so - you get better salsas at fast food places - Pico de gallo did not taste fresh - we both had regular water (not in the bottle) that came out of a dispenser, OMG it tasted like there were chemicals in it so we didn't drink it - the chips for $2.86 a basket were edible Bottom line is we left starving and you may want to think twice about eating there unless they improve A LOT. read more

Killer Mexican food. Consistently putting out amazing food. The staff is super nice and restaurant always busy. We come here at least once a week. Weekly specials and everyday favorites like burritos and nachos. This place rocks. read more

This place makes a mean burrito and a great deal on lunch plates. They also have a really great light pink salsa that I have never seen around in town before - tastes almost like a grapefruit but with some heat. The Santa Barbara Axxess deal is buy one get one which you can't really beat in town. Their tortillas are spot on - if this place wasn't next to Super Cucas it would hold the title belt. read more

A beloved staple in the Westside, and there's a good reason. They make up 4 daily special concoctions, and these are delicious! I tried the Puerco Costillo, with nopales. Excellent! The owner is a great guy that knows food and what sits well on your taste buds. I really enjoyed his que mada salsa! read more