Zarape has officially earned a spot in my regular rotation. My partner and I came in during happy hour to watch Mexico v. Czechia in the World Cup and had a great time. Our servers were kind and attentive. When the afternoon sun started pouring through the windows and making our table uncomfortable, they helped us relocate without us even having to ask twice. That kind of awareness is rare and very appreciated. The food and drinks were beautiful! The skinny margaritas came garnished with a dried lime wheel. The taquitos were the highlight for us. We ordered potato and chicken, topped with cotija, pickled red onions, and avocado crema. They tasted as good as they looked. The shrimp burrito was generous and satisfying, and the chips and guac came as a starter and paired well with the food. Everything tasted fresh and nothing was too greasy. What I appreciated most was the atmosphere. The game was on but it never tipped into chaos. It stayed lively without losing that sense of ease, which made it feel like a place where you could actually be present and enjoy the people you were with. That balance is something I notice and Zarape got it right! read more

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Excellent Happy Hour! Everyday 3-6:30pm! It was so fun going out on a Friday afternoon with friends for Happy Hour! Drinks and food are amazing! Prices are great especially for drinks! Our Server, Melissa, really made our experience! Helped with suggestions, how much to order, shared her personal favorites, and very attentive! She made sure to check with us before Happy Hour ended as well! Drinks. Definitely housemade mixes for Margaritas and Micheladas! We ordered Skinny Margaritas, Zarape Margaritas, Micheladas, and a Sangria. We all loved our drinks. Margaritas were perfect, not acidic, just the way we like them. Food. Guacamole & Chips, generous helping of housemade guacamole, so good. Definitely ask for more chips. Their salsa has a nice kick! Quesobirria, some of the best birria around town, and we have a lot of great ones in Long Beach! Deep fried, cheesy, with lots of birria, messy but very tasty. Served with a nice sweet sauce. Carne Asada fries, huge plate with lots of meat and cheese. We tried the Taquitos with 3 different flavors, beef, chicken, and potato. Beef was the winner but the potato was a close second. You can pick any meat for your three. Then we finished off with a Cheese Quesadilla, again, can add protein, but we went plain. Dessert. We ordered the Churros & Ice Cream. It was a prefect dessert to share between four of us, that were already over stuffed from our appetizers! Churros were nice and warm. Great with the ice cream and sauces, meant for dipping! Highly recommend if you are looking for a Happy Hour in Belmont Shore. Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner are also excellent options at Zarape! We will definitely be back! read more

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So the mediocre rating isn't bc there food or service isn't good, it was actually decent. The place is new, clean and has a decent vibe. It's 3 stars - bordering on 2 - because they are very stingy with their serving sizes. I ordered a marg, which came in a small cocktail glass, not much bigger (if at all) than a rocks glass. The Marg was gone in literally 3 sips, and easily could've been 2!! $18 for a drink that is gone so quickly??!!! I realize prices have gone out of control, but damn!! I also order a taco and taquitos, both which were quite good, but similar marg experience with the taco, very stingy with the carnitas and even the onions and cilantro. Maybe that's just how things are at these semi-bougie places, but Javier's at least gives me an adult size marg and doesn't charge me for chips and salsa - yes Zarape charges for those! Guess I'll keep going to Avilas and try South of Nicks when they open up soon. The SoN in San Clemente has always been a great experience and plentiful (and tasty) food. Sorry Z you're a no repeat for us. read more

Came here for the happy hour. They had a good selection of cocktails and appetizers. The corn was just okay it was hard to eat and it was lacking flavor. The cocktails were delicious and the service was good. The restaurant had a very nice interior and lots of light. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Catering Charrd Corn on the Cob - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

Amazing food, service, and ambiance at Zarape! We have been dying to come here ever since it opened up and finally got the chance. I've been back here two nights in a row already. Margaritas are super fresh not overly sweet no sugar juice juices, all fresh fruit fruits. Tacos are fantastic. All of the meats were delicious. Carne Asada was great and the best part tortillas are homemade. Beef taquitos are great and on happy hour. I can't wait to go back. highly recommend. PS happy hour deals are fantastic! read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

My Mom and I have been here twice this week and really loved it. All food is made to order from scratch. Great cocktails and comfortable ambiance. All servers are super friendly and in their A game with prompt service. I have yet to be for happy hour so tomorrow I will let you know - happy hour is 2:30 to 6. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Oops took picture after I started - avocado toast and shrimp cocktail - house Chardonnay and Tito's, soda splash of cran... lovely - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

First time. Happy hour was awesome. The Zarape marg was one of the best I've ever had. Great menu and happy hour portions were generous. Staff was so friendly and engaging. Loved loved loved. Thanks for a great evening. Highly recommend. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Amazing happy hour and friendly staff - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

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People that work here are very nice and the space is lovely, but I've given it four tries now and while the food didn't seem to be of low quality, none of it tasted good - at all. I have never finished a meal from here. Won't be back. read more

I got a shrimp burrito and payed extra for guacamole and sour cream. My burrito had no sour cream a few rubbery shrimp that were so rubbery I fished a few out of maybe 4 in the whole 30 burrito once you add all the guacamole and sour cream I never got. No salsa was given with a handful of chips. Last time I got rubbery chicken enchiladas. There will be no third time. read more

I came here on Valentine's Day and ended up loving it. They were a little busy but were able to get me seated at the bar and then moved to a table. The customer service was absolutely fantastic. Every single worker spoke to me and made sure I was okay because I was alone. They let me know that the food would take long to come out because they were running behind because they had just opened and it was their first busy day. Although the food did take some time, they offered non alcoholic drink recommendations and checked on me. Once the food came out everything was delicious and worth the wait! I'll definitely be coming back. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

I came on the first night. I love this place. I live in Belmont Shore and feel lucky they are here. The people are so nice. And the place is buzzing with excitement. The people waiting outside are dying to get in. All I can say is congratulations to Long Beach because we now have an authentic 5-star Mexican restaurant that is as good as South of Nick's in Laguna Beach, if not better. read more

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Such a nice local place, amazing happy hour with great service! Good margaritas and very fun vibe, I recommend. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Valdo Prosecco Split - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

Cute place with patio. Everything made from scratch. We ordered chips with guacamole. chicken empanadas, chilaquiles with chorizo, horchata and margaritas. Chicken empanadas were tasty as it had a crispy fried crust, not like the traditional crust. I have to say I was disappointed in my chilaquiles. First I asked for chorizo with it but they gave me chicken instead. I didn't want to waste it so I tried it but the Chicken was bland so I asked the server to give me chorizo on the side which was more flavorful. Unfortunately the tortilla chips were soggy and not very crispy. It just had too much sauce. Definitely not the best chilaquiles I've had. The margaritas were yummy. Maybe happy hour is better here. I felt the service was bit slow and I felt our server had a bit of an attitude when I noticed that she charged me chorizo on the side when it should have been free since they gave me chicken with my chilaquiles by mistake. She removed that charge from the bill but I could tell she was annoyed. Not sure I'd come back to this place . read more

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Beautiful bar and atmosphere! Perfect place to visit for a great time visiting Second Street. Our bartender was very attentive and it was greatly appreciated. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Lime margarita - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

The only thing that keeps bringing me back is the convenient location and the fact that there's never a wait. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be giving it another chance. I've been here 4-5 times. In the beginning, the food was decent, and I was hoping it would continue to improve, but my experience has been the opposite. On the drive home last night, I said to my husband, "I guess that was okay, it just lacked..." and we both said at the same time: "flavor." The guacamole needed citrus and salt. The fajitas needed citrus and salt. The food consistently feels under-seasoned, and nothing we've ordered has been memorable enough to make us want to come back for a specific dish. On top of that, they nickel-and-dime you for every add-on, so the bill adds up quickly. At these prices, the food should be the reason you return. Dining out is expensive these days. When a meal feels forgettable, it's easy to see why people choose to stay home instead. read more

Zarape is a brand new Gourmet Mexican restaurant on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore. With the future opening of the new Nicks at the other end of the street, along with the current Viaje, one wonders if all three of these restaurants can survive. But Zarape is off to a promising start. You should know that as of this date they don't yet have a liquor license, so no margaritas for us! The inside is extremely loud with poor acoustics. We asked to be moved outside and they granted our request. The outside dining area was lovely. The service is a little slow, but like I mentioned earlier, this place is brand new and staff is trying to work out the kinks. I ordered the tortilla soup, which is vegetable based, an added plus for this vegetarian. My husband had the chicken enchiladas verde and look how he cleaned his plate! The chicken was delicious and the green sauce had a very complex and interesting taste. What was so delicious were the black beans and white rice. We loved this Cuban touch. Delicious, light, flavorful, we will be back for our margaritas! read more

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Excellent happy hour! Tacos were amazing, we had fun trying the great selection. We'll be back!

I believe this may be a new spot that I came across on Yelp. We came here this past Sunday afternoon after we bar hopped from Saint & Second. What drew our attention there was the Spanish Fried Calamari. But I also saw that this spot had calamari so my date and I decided to bar hop for calamari lol. We sat outside in the patio area which was really nice. All the waitresses were cool. One in particular standing out the most with her big playful professional like energy lol if you know what I mean. She was funny haha adding to the good vibes and day we were already experiencing. Unexpected and well needed energy indeed. Customer service was great. The calamari came out fast !!! And I say that cuz it was quicker than I expected. As if they knew what the assignment was lol. But it was so good. I really enjoy this calamari more than Saint & Second. The only thing though, I would probably prefer a different sauce maybe. But it was still good. The seasoning, flavor, crunch and color were all just really on point for me. And a great presentation. Unfortunately, they were not serving liquor so I had to get a Modelo. Which was not bad at all. It actually turned out to be a great pairing item with the calamari. The mini tacos were so good. The birria tacos were so fire. No complaints and that was the best consome, hands down. If it's not made like that, I don't even want it lol. I need a pot of that to go haha. I could see myself coming back. Especially when they start serving cocktails lol. Pull up when you get a chance though. read more

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What a disappointment. First of all, we thought it was another branch of El Zarape. It was not. This restaurant is over priced! First of all, they charge for chips. We wouldn't of mind if everything else was good, but not. Draft beer is MORE than bottled beer. The Mahi mango ceviche barely had mango in it. The enchilada plate had white rice. A mexican restaurant serving white rice?? And the esquites, served on a flat plate, a hand ful/1 serving spoon full, for $9. We won't come again. Oh and the bartender was talking too much and our drinks took a long time. read more

Alright that breakfast burrito and salsa combo slaps so hard omg!!! Super fast and friendly service and really cute interior. Will definitely be back! read more

Food was great and service was excellent !!!! We will be back to try breakfast soon. Thank you MiMi for the excellent service today and for the breakfast recommendations !!!! read more

Good vibes, great staff! The food is next level! This food makes me homesick for my mama's cooking. Next time I will take photos before eating. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Nachos with chicken HH Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

Zarape is such a cozy gem! The atmosphere is warm and casual. It has that welcoming vibe that makes you want to stay a while. I ordered the molcajete and WOW. It came out sizzling and packed with flavor. The meats were tender, the sauces were rich and perfectly seasoned, and everything tasted fresh. The portion was generous and definitely worth it. Service was friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food in a comfortable setting, Zarape is a must-visit. I'll definitely be back! read more

HH is great and every day. Great margaritas. We only had a few dishes between us but they were all very good. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Was excited to check out a new Mexican place in the shore. Cute interior, cozy and fun vibe. Upon sitting down, we were informed they do not yet have a liquor license. Mexican without margaritas? What??? Anyway- we ordered the white and red sangria- red was better but neither were delicious! Strange menu- part French- they have steak frites, part Spanish- they have paella, part Italian- they have cioppino. All over the place basically!! We started with the guacamole, it was fine- tiny portion served with their house salsa-which was good. Then we had Mexican Caesar salad- way over dressed, soggy lettuce. They we ordered whole branzino- well I am sad I didn't take picture- there was nothing Mexican about it. Deep fried, no flavor and served with French fries!!!! What kind of a Mexican place serves French fries??? I kept looking around- I think it was supposed to be Mexican- but after the meal and the menu- I am not sure. They do have a happy hour- all week long from something like 2:30-6:30- would consider checking that out- but will not be back for dinner again! Sad that it wasn't better- was looking for a fun spot in the shore to meet up with friends. read more

Went for brunch on Sunday with a party of 9. The good: Brunch food was good Michelada was good I look forward to going for happy hour. The food menu looks good and will have something reasonably priced for my daughter, since there is no kids menu. The not so good: Music was too loud for lunchtime. Half the food came out. Nearly 10 minutes later the rest of the food came out. They said "do you have everything?" Uh no, 2 people are still missing their food. My food wasn't very warm by the time I started eating since I waited for everyone to have their food. Ordered the $8 side of fruit. They brought out such a small bowl of berries I couldn't help myself and said "this is the $8 side of fruit??" (They did come back with a larger bowl that would be the expected size for the price) They have a full drink menu but are only serving beer and wine currently (no distilled spirits ABC license right now). Kind of confusing. The main entrees are more than I'm willing to pay. I'll try the tacos and burritos. lol. But I'll go elsewhere on 2nd St for more reasonably priced enchiladas, chile reallno or steak frites. read more

Came here for brunch on a Sunday and there were three of us. There was only one other table in the restaurant that was occupied so they weren't busy. It seemed to take a while to get our food. When it arrived, all three of our chilaquiles were cold. Not warm at all. The eggs were warm and we ate. Nobody really came around to ask how our food was. No management presence. When we left, I mentioned it to somebody that was wiping down the menus and she really didn't seem to care. $200 for brunch and drinks. I will try it again and hope things are different next time or it will be the last. read more

I really wanted to love this place. My boyfriend and I have been waiting for it to open for the longest. Finally they opened. So on the first day they opened up we went in for dinner. We were greeted and seated right away. The waitress came to ask us for drinks, i asked for lime on the side for the waters but the limes never came out, had to ask 3 times for her to remember to bring it out finally. Then she asked for our food order, which I think she forgot to put it in the system because the food took over 55 minutes to come out not to mention it was only 2 simple tacos and nachos. The food was bland with almost no carne asada as they call it looked like ground beef. Other tables around us that came way after us got their food, drinks and check while we were still waiting on our appetizers. To be honest I am very disappointed in the service we received and the food quality. I wish our waitress had put more effort into her job. And hopefully the restaurant will step up their food and meats quality. Maybe one day in the far future I'll give them another try! read more

The food was delicious and authentic, the service was great, the decor is beautiful and the vibe was chill. It was pleasant overall

Went here for lunch. We shared chips and salsa which were very good. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of the whole meal. I had the Albondigas Soup and a Carnitas Taco. The soup consisted of two large meatballs in a thin red broth. No vegetables! Nothing but the two meatballs in a pool of nondescript Mexican red sauce. Not even a sprinkling of onions and cilantro that usually comes with the dish. The taco was very meh. My friend had a salad with Mahi Mahi. We split the check and paid $36 each. Totally not worth it. read more

Understanding this is new and some bugs to be worked out--that is usually service though, and not food. Prices are very high--which given the decor I understand they are trying to be upscale Mexican. That said, how can you be an upscale, or any, Mexican restaurant without chili verde, a staple of the cuisine and a great test of the quality of the food and skills in the kitchen. I had an al pastor burrito ($18 pre-tip/tax), there was so little al pastor I don't think I can give a fair review on the quality and taste. The burrito was filled with rice, a bit of beans. As I was eating I had two thoughts, "when want Mexican on this side of The Shore, go across the street to place that has been there for decades for a reason," and, "too bad Rubio's closed." Little chance I'll be back given the portions and prices. read more

Great salsa music and environment. Servers all very friendly and attentive. Ordered chips and salsa , chicken empanadas and surf and turf.. Salsa is tomatillo and Chipotle salsa. Id say 9/10 not to spicy and great flavor. Chicken Empanadas 10/10. If you like chicken and crema you will love these. Amazing! Surf and turf e 8.5. Rib eye is 9/10 very juicy and good flavors shrimp 7/10 little dry and needed more seasoning but still very good. The Mashed potatoes 8/10 great flavor comes with tomatillo on top and mexican cheese. Dessert Churros dolce de leche cake 10/10. Absolutely amazing flavor!!! Wow!!! Definitely will be back read more

Art was phenomenal. You can tell he is really passionate about his work and the food that is served here. Good wine, good beer. Mini taco platter was awesome, gives you a great sampler of the different types of tacos offered. Taquitos were superb, and we loved the salsas! Salad wasn't the star for me, but we will definitely be coming back. Great service, great ambiance, great food. Thank you! read more

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First to review !! Went to the spot yesterday from Temecula to check it out and drop off a few things. The restaurant did not open til Monday for grand opening so I missed the food. However, the owner was super friendly and showed me around the restaurant. The place was spotless and the furniture was modern and comfortable. Bar and beer station also was spotless. Back of kitchen was huge, well equipped and clean. The whole place gave me assurance this place was on top of their game as far as prep and cleanliness . I'm bummed I was two days early before their grand opening but I can tell you that kitchen was serious stuff. I have no doubt the food and service will be top notch. As former bar and restaurant owner myself I give this place an easy 5 star review. read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Outside photo - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

As Belmont shore locals we have been excited for Zarape to open! We tried this week and we'll definitely be regulars. Happy hour is our thing so we were happy to see they have it daily until 6:30 which is generous. They also offer brunch which I'm excited to try. Food was good and I liked the variety of menu options. Keep in mind they literally just opened so are probably working out some kinks. The reviews that mention slow service didn't take that into account and I'm sure they will improve soon. Welcome to 2nd street happy to have this! read more

Zarape Cocina & Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Long Beach, California

They have a few kinks to work out. First, they don't have their liquor license, and so it's beer and wine only. That wasn't communicated until we were ready to order. Second, their prices are way too high for the quality and portion. The food was good, but not for the price they are charging. Our group ordered fajitas, paella, enchiladas, and tacos. Everyone enjoyed the food, but many other established restaurants in the area offer the same items with better portions and prices. read more

The one star reviews seem suspect. We've gone twice and the servers have been very attentive each time. The food is delicious and made to order. The salsa playlist is a nice touch. read more

Everything is made in house and you can taste the quality and freshness. The ambiance is great. Service is great. Looking forward to going back. read more

Service was very good. Very pleasant and caring . Disappointed with the food. Chicken fajitas had maybe 4 to 5 small pieces of chicken rest onions, zucchini,red peppers. Rice was like lump of flour . Beans were runny, no taste. Corn and flour tortillas were a little doughy . The mini tacos were tiny , hardly any chicken and looked like shredded enchilada mix. Ordered alcohol and appys from Happy Hour got there before 6.30 and when the bill came it did not have happy hour price . If we did not look then we would have paid full price. A little disappointed read more

We live down the street and have been waiting for months for it to open. We went the first night and have been a couple of times since. Do they have some kinks to work out? yes of course, just like every new restaurant that opens up. I'm really disappointed about some of these bad reviews that mention that they know it just opened but....... Come on, before you do a very negative review try them back in a month where their kinks have smoothed out. Other than that, the food is great, the staff is beyond lovely as well as the owners. They have been very accommodating and just want their customers to have a wonderful experience. My only complaint is they have to wait for 60-90 days for their liquor license to go through. Their drinks look and sound amazing. They do have wine and beer right now and their Sangria is wonderful. read more