Z South was a perfect spot for a Sunday family lunch. The patio is lovely and dog friendly. Our server Matt very thoughtfully brought water for our dogs. The warm chips and trio of salsas was excellent. The portions for lunch were generous and delicious. The margaritas were delicious. The service was attentive. We will be back! read more

I thought Z Cafe served the best food in the Fallbrook Bonsall area. So when Z South opened, with a Mexican menu and vibe, we went. Then again with friends. Then a third time just because we wanted another amazing meal. Expect a bit of a wait at dinner time, this small restaurant can get crowded ! read more

Fantastic little restaurant! My wife and I went here for a date night and were so pleasantly surprised. The ambiance was enjoyable, the service was excellent and the food/drinks were killer! I was especially impressed by the salsas they served with the chips and the cheese enchilada. Will certainly be coming back and looking forward to it. Keep up the great work, guys! read more

My dad told me I had to check out this place for lunch. Coming from Oceanside I was hesitant to drive nearly 30 minutes for lunch. But the moment we walked in I knew dad had it right. Greeted immediately with a smile by the team, they walked me through the menu (it being my first time) and brought out chips, salsa, and water while we looked through the menu. The restaurant itself has a friendly vibe, big screen TV by the bar, clean and welcoming. My dad got the chile verde plate, I got the 3 item combo (you can pick from a good amount of options and do 1-3 items for the plate). I wish I had pictures to attach to this post so you saw how amazing the food was but the moment the food came out my phone went away and I started chowing down! Food was hot, fresh, and delicious. Such a great experience it had me thinking of moving to Bonsall so I could eat here every day. I will be back! read more

Super disappointed with Z South. Service was painfully slow the whole time, like they didn't have enough staff, and we waited forever for both drinks and food. The Mexican dishes were very bland and tasted far from authentic, and even the chips came out greasy and shiny. On top of that, the prices are way too high for the quality. Definitely not worth it and wouldn't go back. read more

Get a new bartender that knows how to treat customers. Your girl Friday is rude and makes a sloppy margarita. Good food doesn't make up for bad customer service. read more

Z South - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Bonsall, California

Still our go to place for nice ambiance and local Mexican cuisine. Happy hour's flautas are my favorite for the deal, but the shrimp taco and cheese enchilada wins us over every time. Friendly staff and quick service always. I do wish they would finish the expansion, so the restroom was not in another building. Those Hazy IPAs make a person need the facilities. ;-) read more

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The restaurant is nice and in a nice area. Definitely well kept up and the staff is all really nice as well. The food however is sort of a miss. The chips were covered in grease to the point they were extremely shiny. I don't mind a fresh chip but not when it's swimming in grease. The chunky red salsa is good, the other red one is mid and the green one was extremely bitter. I'm not sure if it was because there were black pieces in there as well from maybe over roasting. The guac was interesting. Mashed avocado with copious amounts of lime juice to the point it was off putting and one tomato cut in half on top. Chicken tortilla soup didn't really have much substance. Just chicken in broth with pico and tortilla strips on top. The broth has decent flavor, it's just again not really anything of substance. Entrees were the best part. Carnitas on plate were hard though. In my experience carnitas is tender and juicy, this seemed it was just reheated and flattened on the grill to almost an extreme. Pollo Serrano plate (not pictured) was good and spicy. Carne asada was good in some spots, very bitter in others. Beans were standard, rice was a little dry. The portions on the plates are very good though. Overall I'm really not sure id come back here. There are too many good local Mexican spots to go somewhere mid at best. Update: 2/3 of us were not feeling well at all after eating this. I hope they can improve. read more

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Visiting from Encinitas found this place for lunch. Food was excellent, very reasonable prices. Nice patio. Large portions had to take home. read more

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I had a fly in my tortilla soup!!! This is the first and last time eating here. Caught a nasty cold and now sick to my stomach!! read more

Z South - fly! - Mexican Near Me - Bonsall, California

Very well priced just like Z Cafe. Cute little atmosphere with great service. Made-by-them-not-from-a-bag kind of chips and salsa on arrival. Perfect spicy margarita. Bring extra hand wipes for the birria taco. I say this as a positive thing, it's so good! Only $5 for a good size taco, too. The enchilada was also delicious, but beware of the spice. I got the green sauce and I'm used to spicy food (from Texas even,) but this was *extra.* Still a wonderful taste to it. The hole being burnt in my stomach wanted me to stop, but my taste buds were egging me on. Haha! Most definitely will be back. read more

Z South - Birria taco - Mexican Near Me - Bonsall, California

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Fabulous service, wonderful food and lovely ambience. And did I mention very fair prices??

Really neat little spot on the 76. Great service. Very solid Mexican, more SoCal than TexMex which is good!

Good Taco Tuesdays and Happy Hour! The service is great and friendly. They have a early Happy Hour that has good Mags. Their salmon tacos are my favorite read more

I've been eating at Z South since it's opening week . . at minimum monthly . . loved the place. But in the last year the place has gone downhill. Extremely noisy, impatient staff, occasionally rude. Last week I was served a piece of spoiled fish. When I pointed it out to staff they got argumentative. I'm done with them!! read more

Great Mexican food! Awesome service and good beers. Staff is always great and on it. From chips n salsa to the mains it doesn't get better in Bonsall / Fallbrook read more

Z South is a friendly local place to relax, have a cocktail or something from the menu. The happy hour is from 2 -5 and their street tacos are fabulous. Two tacos with your choice of Carne Asada, Chicken or Carnitas. The prices are reasonable. For example, I drank two tap beers and the street tacos for $14.00! Highly recommended Z South for a fun time! read more

First time here and will be back. Restaurant was a bit difficult to find, it's kinda in the center of all the buildings, across from the cleaners, a short street with parking spots. Small dining area so there may be a wait (4 booths, few tables and bar seating inside, 3-4 tables in front patio). Service was friendly, it was busy but our server Javier was on point, attentive and informative with the menu and drinks. Generous portions, good flavors, reasonable prices. Cadillac Margarita was good. Forgot to take a pic of my own plate, Chile Relleno was delicious! read more

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Had a delicious lunch on the patio last week. Service was good and the food delicious. Some of the best Mexican food we have found in North county and the chips and salsa top notch. read more

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I have been there a few times, and the food as always been tasty and delicious. They have a good happy hour as well. The family loves their chips and salsa :-) I like the fact that this is not your run-off-the-mill Mexican flavors, they have a slightly different take and flavor profile that distinguish them from most and makes it interesting. They have a front terasse and back patio for outdoor eating. Quite enjoyable, however it can get hot, especially on the patio. Service is usually good and attentive, but it sometimes can get busy and the kitchen gets behind a bit. read more

We came for the happy hour and ordered the house margaritas and they were so delicious, the best we have ever had. We devoured the fresh tortilla chips and salsas. The poke tostada was wonderful, but what took the cake was our server. Ella was accommodating, inviting and vivacious. Her personality was sparkling and so warm and genuine. She rounded out our experience with joy and happiness. We recommend this place highly. read more

Z South - Poke tostada ( one left of the 3!) - Mexican Near Me - Bonsall, California

Food is great and is very consistent, smaller menu for lunch but nice choices, large portions, good value, full bar, nice patio and comfortable interior, nice atmosphere and good service. read more

The prices are fantastic! The food was good, drinks were good, staff was (slow) but really nice. We will definitely be back.

Great food and good vibe . Drinks were good and decent priced . Service was excellent

Before heading out to Pala we stopped in for dinner at 5 PM on a Friday night. The place was packed! We had to wait but got to sit outside in the back patio area to enjoy a drink. We had a party of seven so we knew it would be awhile. I am not sure if we had reservations or not but I do know someone called in so they at least knew we were coming. The bartender came out and served us. She was Great! Lots of fun even with it being a mad house. We only waited about a half an hour and a table outside on the front patio came open. We were thrilled. The food was very good. The flavors are outstanding. I can't rave enough about this place. The service was great, especially with how busy it was. I really enjoyed my meal at the Z Cafe so we were excited to try Z South. We were not disappointed. Be aware that parking can be a problem and that this place is busy. So make plans ahead of time and/or come early. But relax and enjoy once you are there. July 7, 2023 read more

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Finally got to check this place out and ended up going back again a couple days later as we enjoyed it so much. They've got a great happy hour menu and their regular menu has a lot of great options as well. Very reasonably priced too. Both times we were greeted right away and sat at a table inside. The seating inside is much smaller then what it previously was as the bar has been extended. We arrived before the dinner rush so did not have to worry about a table, but if you come around 6-7:30 I could see there being a wait. I'm happy we have a good Mexican joint so close to home now. read more

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Went here on a Taco Tuesday at lunch time. The place was packed! With good reason too, the food priced right, and tastes pretty decent. There was only one gal waiting on everyone in the entire restaurant, but she was doing an awesome job. I had the tortilla soup and I'd get it again! read more

Came to Z South on a Saturday afternoon and was relieved to be seated on the patio with my dog and husband after a short wait. There was plenty of parking and the ambiance was lovely. We ordered the Tamarind Margarita and one of their draft beers. The drinks took about 10-15 minutes to come out, but luckily we weren't in a hurry. The Tamarind Margarita tasted a bit like chemicals and have had better/fresher. I enjoyed the grilled shrimp taco and the birria taco. I will say that the birria taco started falling apart as I was eating it, and would probably start with that one first next time. All in all a nice experience and glad to have a Mexican restaurant nearby. read more

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My husband and I went here last night for dinner, we absolutely loved it! We were greeted and sat quickly, got there around 5:45pm right before the dinner rush. The chips and salsa are amazing! I got the 1 combo green chicken enchilada, he got the carne asada plate. Both delicious, flavors were so good. We thought the portions were perfect, not too much and not too little. The music is a perfect volume to be entertaining / make the vibe but not so loud we couldn't talk to each other. Both of us commented how Z South would be a cool place to host a dinner or some kind of celebration one of these days. We got the churros desert which we also really liked. Out the door for $38 plus tip! Total win. Note we did drink water, but still... for the experience, amount of food we got, and convenience -- the price is perfect. We will absolutely be back. read more

Stopped in here after a round of golf. We looked at location and reviews to help us decide. The reviews are accurate, all aspects met our expectations. We sat outside and quickly were greeted and drink orders were taken. Chips and 3 salsas were dropped off at the table. They were perfectly crispy. Ironically we both ordered the same 3 tacos. Birria, short rib and al pastor. The short rib had a light smokey flavor that was great. The pineapple on the al pastor was perfect and the consomme was tasty. This is out of the way for us normally, but when we go back to the golf course there we will return. Service was fast and the staff was very friendly. There are TVs inside but we decided to stay outside for our meal for the quiet. Before we left it was getting pretty crowded. read more

Food - AMAZING! We've tried a few different items in the menu and they have all been perfect! Service - ZERO complaints. Staff is quick to answer any questions and very attentive. Ambiance - Friendly and relaxed. We aren't locals but really enjoy coming here. Options for indoor or outdoor seating. read more

We were attended by Alyssa and Ilima, these girls were on top of everything. This was the best service we have had - didn't even have to ask for anything. The food was delicious and everything was right on time. I do recommend this place 100%. By the way the ambiance was just so perfect to enjoy your meal very relaxing and soft music read more

Pretty small place. Food was just OK. Not as good a deal as Z Cafe, the parent restaurant. Didn't taste as good as taco shops either. My wife didn't care for it at all, but I would go back to try again. read more

Love this cute little spot. Full bar with perfectly made margaritas. Bartenders are wonderful. Food is really good, service is top. It's one of our local go to's in the area. The daily specials are large portions, and the tacos are excellent. Big flavors, comfortable booths and TV's above the bar for sports. I heard they're expanding as well so we're not the only ones who love it I guess. read more

Z South - Mexican Near Me - Bonsall, California

Tonight we went for a date night. We were greeted and seated right away. Chips and 3 kinds of salsa. One was too spicy for me; I'm a lightweight gringo. But the other 2 were yummy. Ordered wine and hubs ordered beer. The restaurant was clean and our order was made to perfection. This is our second time coming here. That's how good it is. read more

The food was good. The atmosphere was lively, and the staff was super friendly. I'll keep going back for sure.

Really enjoyed Z South fresh tasty food, great service and the ambiance was excellent. Started out with fresh warm homemade tortilla chips with a trio of superb salsas and an extremely attentive server. I ordered the Carnitas plate thanks to the recommendation of my cousin and I was very happy with my choice left nothing behind it was supreme. My cousin and Dad went for the Carne Asada and they both seemed to be on the same level. My Dad can be very stingy with compliments but he sang high paise for the Z South squad! Absolutely will be back with my wife as we have been searching for a new Mexican food spots in the area -we live in Temecula and this will be in the rotation even if it's a bit of a drive. read more

The restaurant was clean and Pleasant. The staff friendly and helpful. I had the Carne asada which was juicy and flavorful. My only complaint, the chips are very hard. read more

This is my second chance for Z-South. Was here for the soft opening and was less than impressed. I was told their kitchen staff has since changed, so here we go. I was greeted by a friendly young lady at the door , and I chose outside seating. I ordered their house Margarita and was presented with a lovely basket of chips and three different salsas. Roja, Verde, and roasted Chipotle. All were fantastic. For starters, I chose the Calamari. Flash fried, with grilled lime, Cotija cheese, and aoli. Amazing! For entre, I had the three item combo. A beef and cheese Enchalada with a chili relleno, rice, and beans. The Enchalada were on point, but the star of the plate was the Chili Relleno. Not only on point, and a stand out in its own right. It's one of the top three I have enjoyed. 5 stars for Z South. Great job! read more

Z South - Calamari appetizer. - Mexican Near Me - Bonsall, California

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"Pleasantly surprised", said my wife, and I agree. We have been desiring to check this place out since hearing about it several months ago, but never have found our desire never met up with our direction of travel that particular day. Today, we needed to head the other direction, but also had to burn some time before we returned home. Knowing they had a bar, was part of the charm we felt worth investigating. A pretty tasty traditional margarita shaken and served in a highball glass was again, just a bit different than most other Mexican restaurants, as was the menu . . . just a bit different, served in a charmingly small bar/dining area and 2 outdoor areas for overflow and enjoying the Bonsall air and sunshine. However, the bathroom is a small trip out the back and waaaay around a railing, as not too convenient for the disabled or elderly. The food was mostly very well executed, the chips and salsas were both excellent. The Al Pastor taco, was pleasantly offset by the sweet pineapple and a quenching squirt of lime. The Braised Short Rib taco was also very tasty with its pickled radish and cilantro. The Pollo Serrano was a nice plate and the Serrano crema was not spicy. The stuffed Poblano could have been served a bit warmer as it was the coldest item on the plate. The cilantro rice was good, but rather underwhelming for what I had been hoping for. The server was very pleasant as the place now started to bet busier by the minute, although I hesitated upon tipping. Again, there's the 3% surcharge added on the final bill presented (see pictures), which was different from the bill initially placed inside the cocktail/credit-card glass. Then I noticed the tipping suggestions started at 18, 20 and 25% BUT on the total, added tax AND the added surcharge. However, upon leaving the place, my wife exclaimed, "that was priced modestly", then I explained the addition of the surcharge. "Oh", she said. Do stop in, some pretty good food and times are yet to be had here at Z#2. Nice art again. Dicks read more

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