This place is for people who are all in on hardcore taqueria vibes and plentiful, delicious, inexpensive food. There will be a match on the TV, broadcast in Spanish. There will be no bathroom available to you. The service is transactional -- pay for food, receive food. You'll order at the counter and you'll sit down wherever you can manage and you'll pull your own basket of chips. Then you'll bus your plates unless you're a jerk. It is freaking perfect. If it doesn't sound perfect to you, don't go. read more

¡RACIST! Went with my family and unfortunately had a disappointing experience. The staff appeared more focused on watching a football game than helping customers, and the overall atmosphere felt unwelcoming from the moment we arrived. We were first-time guests and did not feel encouraged to return. When ordering drinks, our IDs were repeatedly questioned, which felt excessive and uncomfortable given that everyone provided valid identification. While I can understand staff needing to verify IDs, the interaction came across as distrustful and unpleasant. The food itself was decent, and the complimentary chips and salsa at the bar were a nice touch. However, service plays a huge role in the overall experience, and in this case it overshadowed the positives. read more

This is a great local spot with fast service. A lot of great selections. Free chips and salsa, and their free salsa station is amazing. Picked Jalapeños, radishes, pico de gallo and a few different salsa. Their salsa is mild in heat, I wish they had spicier. I got a Chili Verde Super Burrito and my son got the Asada Super Burrito. Both burritos had great flavors, but it was very wet. The bottom half of the Burrito were soggy and fell apart. It was also wrapped very loose and not as tight and compact as I would like. The establishment is good but the burritos I would rate 6.5/10. read more

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Quick taqueria mostly for take out. Some indoor and patio seating is available. Steady stream of customers so seems like a local favorite. The food was decent. The enchilada and rellano combo had good flavor. So did the rice. The cheese quesadilla was also good but smaller than other places. There is a salsa bar which added to the tastes. read more

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Visiting the area for a service and was a little hungry - stopped here for some tacos - wow! If I lived here I'd be eating here a lot! Ordered the ceviche tostada and ate the ceviche off of it - not fishy just tasty - also ordered a lengua taco and the meat was so tender and well prepared, no weird grisly pieces - husband ordered green chili pork and al pastor and was very happy with his selection as well - I had a bite of each of his and they were delightful. I love that you can help yourself to pico de gallo - which was fresh and alive with jalapeño ends - pico de gallo should be on the nutritional food pyramid as required daily haha - wow we were so happy with this meal, I wish we had been hungrier to try more items! read more

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Whoa! I was unprepared for how great this place is. I'm super impressed. I was looking for lengua and decided on a burrito for $13. They have a delicious salsa bar. The carrots and jalapeños included whole cloves of garlic and bay leaves. I mean really?!? Could it get any better? Actually yes it can. The chips were clearly freshly made. Crisp but not hard. Perfection with the pico and several salsas to choose from. Service was fast, efficient, the place was clean (took my order to go). But to find a taqueria that does both lengua and an amazing chip and salsa bar is pretty rare. I live a mile from here. Now that I found this place it's gonna be hard not to go back every week! read more

Best tacos in the Monterey area. Really good spot and very good and fast service. You get the authentic feel of the restaurant snd the food. read more

Taqueria Zarape - Regular Taco - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Cheap, delicious, but very greasy. I ate the carne asada burrito. I'll just say they have to contend with competition in town that also does cheap but isn't as greasy. read more

I just can't get enough of this place. Great service, chips are delicious salsa options amazing. Love the fish and shrimp tacos, the chile Relleno and anything else I have eaten. read more

Taqueria Zarape - Fish and shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Staff is rude and food is mediocre at best. Greasy and dirty in a bad way. Staff ignores customers, no thank you OR your welcome. They stare past you watching the tv while you try to order. Go to tacos el jaliscience down the street for way better food and friendly service. Posting this after two identical experiences there. read more

Still the best chorizo breakfast burrito I've ever had after coming here for 10 years. Seasoning goes hard, everything is balanced, extra tomatoes onions peppers... unstoppable. A work of art! read more

Taqueria Zarape - Chorizo breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Delicious Asada Super Burrito. I judge a taqueria by the salsa bar. Nice salsa here. (After Covid sometimes hard to find open salsa bar) And free chips a bonus. Jalapeños and radishes. Recommend if in the area read more

Taqueria Zarape - Asada super burrito. Nice salsa bar too - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

I like this taqueria! It's no wonder why it's popular. There's lots of people eating here and ordering to go. I ordered their turbo burrito (shrimp and fish), a super burrito and kids quesadilla with chicken. I appreciate the complimentary chips and salsa bar too! It's not common to have this addition nowadays. Their burritos are heavy with rice and beans which is a slight downfall because there's not much meat. I do I asked for refried beans instead because the beans are pretty soaked and make the burrito wet. The turbo burrito really tastes like fish meat which is great. The carne asada here is diced thinly but it does have a nice crisp to them. We weren't fans of the chicken quesadilla because the chicken wasn't shredded; rather it was sliced in huge cube chunks which was hard for my toddler to eat. The food is decent and still worth coming to. It's nice seeing the veggies and meat get cooked on the flat grill for everyone to see. Prices are cheap too which is another star for me. Great spot! I'd come back again. read more

Coming from Chicago I drive a hard bargain when it comes to Mexican food. But this spot hit tonight's craving. I tend to be a big eater so when I opened my plate of beef fajitas, I was definitely pleased. It was piled high with beef and peppers on a bed of rice, cheese, and beans for a good price considering CA costs. But yea other than that it's just your classic spot. read more

Taqueria Zarape - Fajitas with beef - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Bomb place! If you're in the Area and want some good Mexican Burritos! This is your place Fam!! Service was prompted! The gentlemen running the business were very cordial , and the ambiance was just perfect. Place was clean, and their Mexican sodas is great! Come support them and Enjoy! read more

Taqueria Zarape - Entrance and busy place - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

I ordered the three carne asada tacos + horchata and they were delicious! Would recommend this area if your passing by. Their service was excellent and attentive alongside a quick service read more

From the outside this taqueria doesn't look like much at all. If it wasn't recommend to me I don't think I'd drive by and think about stopping in. This is a fairly small taqueria with a few seating options inside as well as outdoor seating options. Ordering is done at the front counter and service was quick and to the point. I ordered the pollo asado super burrito which came out within minutes. The burrito was really good and I appreciate the complimentary chips and salsa bar. read more

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Fast and tasty tacos. The super tacos are piled with toppings. Parking and seating are tight read more

Food is always fresh and full of flavor, you really can't go wrong here. If you're looking for authentic Mexican cuisine, this place truly delivers. Absolutely delicious, ¡muy buena la comida! read more

Honestly we were recommended this place by a housekeeper since I had asked for a good menudo spot near by . I was hesitant to walk in since the place looked run down. Came up to register to order and the place looked a mess. I asked if the menudo was good and he said everyone is eating it. So we decided to order 4 menudos and 2 tacos. The menudo did not have any hominy or any pata . I had asked for it but didn't get any in any bowl. The tortillas were all burned and hard. Honestly ppl probably eat here cause it might be the only spot in town. But I will never come back at all. Don't recommend at all read more

Taqueria Zarape - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Came here for breakfast on the basis of their Yelp reviews, and I wasn't disappointed. Got one of my all-time favorite breakfast dishes, Huevos Rancheros. Food comes out fast n' hot here. Reasonable prices. Free & open basic salsa bar & complimentary self-serve tortilla chip station. Self-serve water dispensing jug. Restaurant's centrally located here in town. Parking could be tricky during busier times, as the lot's kinda small. Then you must find street parking, but not really an issue. Restaurant capacity: 41 diners. Bueno! read more

Taqueria Zarape - Huevos Rancheros plate, includes hot tortillas. Very good. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

I've tried basically every taqueria and Mexican restaurant in the Monterey/Seaside area, and I can confidently say this is the best one. Great food, great deals, all in a simple walk-up, no-frills setting. Self-serve chips and salsa come with three different salsas and a homemade pico de gallo. I'd recommend their breakfast burrito and taco plates--you can't go wrong with any of the meats, though carnitas and pastor are my favorites. I got a three-taco plate with rice and beans, a huge breakfast burrito, chips and salsa, and two Cokes for about $30. You simply won't find better food or a better deal in the area. read more

Taqueria Zarape - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Things you will not find here: servers waiting on you hand and foot in a peaceful atmosphere. Things you WILL find here: some of the most epic-ly delicious street style tacos this side of the border. Do yourself a favor, order a shrimp taco plate, drive 3 min to the beach and celebrate your amazing good fortune! read more

We came here around lunch time and it was not busy. We got a carne asada burrito with guacamole on the side, chile Verde taco and carnival taco. The burrito was okay, both tacos were mediocre. The guacamole was more like sauce and not real guacamole. It was quiet and there were plenty of parking. I would not come back. read more

What used to be a go to for tacos at a good price, is now a very expensive weak excuse for traditional Mexican cuisine. We ordered the super quesadilla for $13 which in my book is high priced. Mind you this is not the meal with rice and beans just a quesadilla. What we got was two soggy tostadas squished together. No flavor from the meat or salsa just tons of soggy lettuce. It was so bad that my Hispanic wife had words with the guys behind the counter. What kind of taco shop cannot get quesadillas and salsa right. Zarape is the one that can't. We are sad about this because we used to enjoy going there. Save you money and go down the road read more

Fast service and great food. Good variety menu. Amazing Shrimp Tacos!! They handled a large group of us without blinking an eye.

I always get the super burrito wet with al pastor and no sour cream . And it always slaps . The chip and salsa bar is a plus too . So delicious. read more

I ordered two carne asada taco salads. They were very tasty. I finished the whole salad because it was that good. We definitely will be back to try other menu items. read more

One of our favorite taquerias in the area! Zarape always has fast and friendly service and food is consistently delicious. They are definitely a casual spot to grab some delicious food. Their El Pastor is probably the best in town with a perfect marinade, cooked perfectly, and served wet, unlike some other super dry El Pastor meat at other local places. Their nachos are delicious as are their wet burritos, street tacos, quesadillas, and plates. Salsa bar includes multiple options, radishes, and limes, which is somewhat hard to find around here. The only thing I don't love at this spot is the carne Asada, which is just so-so, but I haven't found a better Asada nearby either. Fish and shrimp tacos are incredibly loaded here. Carnitas are good with nice crisp bits. Overall I love this place. read more

Always delicious & fresh. Their carnitas is just off the chart! We have been regular customers for 12 years & it never disappoints.

Used to get them once a week. Now the food smells like the cheap soap they use. Not sure if they aren't washing their hands well or if they aren't using gloves. But they also fought door dash when I tried to get my money back. Tiny men with tiny men energy. Also I wouldn't trust the pork! read more

I would probably rate this establishment closer to a 3.5 instead of four, but they get the extra half star because of the overall value. Atmosphere: There's nothing special about the exterior of this Taqueria and it's probably something you would drive past, and never notice. My buddy and I decided to stop by though, because we noticed that this location was rated pretty high on yelp and there seems to always be a steady amount of people visiting this location. There is a fair amount of interior seating, but I was surprised to see ample (about five or six tables) seating in an outside patio area. Even though we are well into the Covid-19 pandemic recovery, I still prefer to eat my meals outside. With that said, this location could do a bit more to up their cleanliness game by clearing some of the empty tables and wiping them down but I'm assuming they are fairly short staffed. Food: with inflation, at an all-time high, all of my favorite Taqueria's have now priced their burritos well above the $10 range and tacos usually run $4-5 dollars each. I was pleasantly surprised to see the prices here and it's this value that will likely bring me coming back in the future. The quality of the burrito itself was pretty top-notch. The meat was not overly greasy and the burrito was assembled really well. I would've liked a little bit more seasoning on the ingredients inside of the burrito but it's not anything a little salsa was not able to fix. With that said, their salsas could also use a little bit of work. They were all fairly mild and lackluster. Our food came out pretty fast, considering there was a line of about four or five people in front of us when we arrived We waited maybe 10 minutes tops. We were there around 8:30 and this restaurant filled up by the time it was 9 o'clock. It seemed to mainly be people from the local area which is refreshing in a tourist destination. The only area of improvement for me would be to up the spice levels on the salsa, season the ingredients of the burritos, a little bit more, and honor the customer pricing notice posted at the register. I paid in cash and actually feel like I was up charged from the posted menu price. It was still a good value though so I'll come again and give this place another try. read more

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This is a nice place to come to if you want a quick stop on the way to Monterey Bay. There are lots of options of yummy and healthy Mexican food at cheap prices. We got the following - Super chicken quesadilla ($8.25): two tortillas stacked with cheese, lettuce, and chicken in the middle. Chicken was tender and flavorful. - Regular burrito ($8.25): Huge burrito stuffed with lots of carne asada, rice, and beans; this was very filling. - Super taco with carne asada ($4.75): Came with lots of toppings including a pile of lettuce, meat, cheese, and a slice of tomato on top. Looked very healthy. There was also free chips and salsa at the restaurant, as well as plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Taqueria Zarape - Super tacos - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Best breakfast burrito I've ever had! Highly recommend this place! Small hole in the wall other items

Truly authentic taqueria. Reminiscent of the bygone days. All you can eat free Chips and salsa bar with your meal. Great selection of meats, carne asada, lingua, cabeza, chicken , shrimp and fish. The caldos are delicious and gigantic. You can get seafood or beef and chicken. read more

Quick Summary: Taqueria that seems popular with the locals, serving awesome fish and shrimp tacos and burritos. Self-serve chip and salsa bar available. I was visiting Monterey, looking for a fish and shrimp wrap or burrito for lunch to remind me of the one I got from Fishwife years ago that's now filled with more luxe ingredients and a much more luxe price tag. I definitely got what I wished for! The Turbo burrito which is a fish and shrimp burrito was absolutely delicious. It was big for the super reasonable price and packed with flakey white fish, whole shrimp (both perfectly cooked and seasoned), Mexican rice, salsa, and refried beans. It was so good, I couldn't stop talking about it, so I came back for dinner for round 2. This time, it was a bit messy and juicy, but still totally worth the clean up. My partner also got a hefty fish taco and a shrimp taco and really enjoyed both of those as well. I'll definitely be back! Highly recommend. There's plenty of seating indoors and a section of outdoor seating as well. As for parking, there's a small lot on the side connected to a bigger street and also a little alleyway that you can drive through from the other side of the block. read more

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The best authentic Mexican food on the Monterey Peninsula. 20 bucks for a full meal for two and amazing salsa and spiced veggies. My favorite is the veggie burrito. read more

Taqueria Zarape - We are here and felt like we crossed into Mexico. Best Mexican Food on the Monterey Peninsula! Hands down. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

The best burritos in town!! It's always so tasty and the salsa bar is bomb, you can't go wrong with it. read more

This place served me a chicken burrito filled with only rice...no chicken and no cheese. Just rice in a flour tortilla. Otherwise, the shrimp taco was good. Don't order burritos here, just order tacos. Adding...they refused to redeliver the chicken burrito and left it with only rice. read more

Taqueria Zarape - Chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

The food here is mediocre at best. My cheese enchiladas were barely melted and the free chips aren't even worth being free. They taste stale and oily. Location is extremely dirty and unkept. The real review however is about the customer service. I've never been treated so poorly. Please don't waste your money at this dirty restaurant. read more