This place is so good, I forgot to take pictures of my food entirely. This is one of the few remaining restaurants in the Ithaca mall, and am I glad they are still around. The food is delicious and plentiful, the servers are phenomenal, and the atmosphere is so cozy. We stop in occasionally for take-out and the process is always smooth. But they get you in and served quickly when dining in. I know when I worked in the mall and had a long enough break, it was wonderful to pop in and grab a quick genuine meal before heading back to work. If you're looking for delicious, fresh, and authentic Mexican food, I highly recommend this place! read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I've eaten A LOT of Mexican food in New Mexico and Texas for 35 years, my spouse is from Mexico and is an excellent cook. This place is not good, it's pretending - but it's all there is. We've tried three times. The chips aren't fresh, the salsa is bland and plain, the tortillas are store bought, AND WHERE IS THE HOT SAUCE? Is anything homemade? It doesn't seem so. It's fairly pricey for what you get also. Definitely not worth another visit - but again, it's all there is. Shame though. Maybe the drinks are good? read more

Very good food but it's in a desolate mall. I came here bc it was #1 on yelp for Mexican food but didn't realize the location. Wouldn't rather wasn't somewhere with scenery we are from out of town read more

Always great. Never had a bad meal there. Service is fast and polite. Wish it wasn't in the stinkin Mall. read more

This is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the area! The waitstaff are all so kind and attentive and the atmosphere is so welcoming. They always have nice music playing and have it decorated for the holidays. I came with my friend for dinner and had a great dining experience. I am currently doing a cleanse and can only have fruits and veggies. I was so happy to see they have a vegetarian section and vegan options on the menu. The veggie bowl was perfect for me because it had no cheese, all veggies and beans, and I was able to get it without tortilla chips too. My friend got the seafood enchilada and she said it was delicious! I always look forward to eating here because of all of the menu options and fast service. Can't wait to come back to enjoy more of their food and cocktails. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Veggie Bowl without tortilla chips - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Small restaurant in a mall, came here for a family gathering. Place was very quick to seat and take our order! Lots of options on the menu for all types of preferences. The server was also very polite and patient with my family constantly changing things. This is the carne asada. Here you see a skirt steak with a slice of cheese, yellow rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, beans in a tortilla bowl, and a warmed tortilla. Food generally was pretty good but a little more of flavor could have helped. The cheese being seared was a very nice touch! Price was pretty decent for what you get. Atmosphere was nice, there's a bunch of cute Mexican decor and details. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I was a bit apprehensive visiting Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill since it's located inside a struggling mall in Ithaca with quite a few empty/closed down shops, but was pleasantly surprised with the food here. The ambiance and decor is that of an upscale and trendy Mexican eatery, and everything seemed modern and well maintained. They serve complimentary chips & salsa which is always a great way to start off a meal. Two of our party ordered Mexican beers which were reasonably priced at $5. For the appetizer, we ordered cheese nachos which were served in a generous portion with yummy chips and perfect tasting cheese. For meals, we went with the Hungry Coyote (chicken), the chicken quesadilla rellena, and veggie fajitas. Across the board, the food was presented well and was both delicious and satisfying. While I'd ordinarily rate each of the individual items ordered, it'd all rate a 4.5 to 5/5. This was case in point of solid, hearty, fresh, and flavorful Mexican food that was delicious and well-prepared using quality recipes. Service was cordial and friendly through the meal, and the waiter even took the time out to give us local recommendations after finding out we were visiting from out of town. If there was an award for best Mexican mall restaurant in the country, I'd certainly cast a vote for Zocalo for their delicious food, and would certainly recommend them to others for great tasting Mexican food in Ithaca. read more

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No real complaints. We were seated right away. Drink orders up. Waters brought. Food came fast. I had the carnivore asada. It was tasty, but a little dry. Hubs had enchiladas. He said they were a bit bland. Portions are huge! Margaritas are right up there with the best of them. Decor is relaxing. Music isn't annoying. It's busy, so you are seated really close to families with lots of noise going on. I might just sit at the bar next time. Watch some sports and day drink. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Definitely a decent Mexican spot in Ithaca. * Al pastor Street Tacos ($15.99) This was okay but somewhat disappointing/bland compared to Tacos CDMX downtown, which has more of a pop of acidity from the pineapple. For this, I barely tasted the pineapple even though I saw little bits of it. I would rate this a 3 out of 5 - it's not bad but it's not the best. * Street Chori Fries ($10.99) Fries topped crumbled Mexican Sausage, onions, cilantro, sour cream, cheese dip with a hint of chipotle (as menu states) - can't go wrong with that classic combination! I would give this a 4 out of 5. Overall, I'll give Zocalo a 3.5 out of 5 stars. read more

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The drinks smelled like nasty bar. The chops were stale. The salsa tasteless. The refried beans were bad and the rest tasteless. Shame on you calling this mexican food. read more

My friend had a humongous burrito and I had 3 baby tacos with rice and a refried beans edible bowl on the side. We took pictures. Totally delicious and filling. A great birthday celebration! read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Huge burrito! Delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I love this place. Super convenient being in the mall. It's usually pretty quick stop too. The food will generally come out quite fast. I do recommend coming closer to dinner time as the good during lunch hour seems like it's been precooked as opposed to the fresh cooked taste at dinner. But it is always well worth it for me! The drinks are great, the bartenders always make them right and do not skimp on the tajin!! I dually love that you can substitute salt, sugar, or tajin on the rim of your margarita! The place has the perfect mix of Mexican delight and relaxed dining. The service is always friendly, informative, and quick! Give this place a try because it's a perfect one stop shop if you're at the mall but want more than pizza or subs! Very affordable as well. read more

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Zocalo was really enjoyable! The portions were gigantic and very affordable. I ordered one of their carnitas burritos and I was very satisfied. The service was good; I always had a full cup of water and enough tortilla chips to fill a house. Above all of this, the music was really nice. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Burrito Cochino - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

After seeing a movie at Cinemopolis we decided to give Zocalo a try. The only real issue was at the start of our interaction and it was about a 20 minute wait. Once seated the service was very quick. We had food within 10 minutes of ordering. The place was packed so getting it that quick was amazing. Waitress also forgot my second drink. I got Dinner Special #4 which was a chicken burrito, a chicken enchilada, beans and rice for $12.99!? The gf got a platter with grilled chicken with a fried vegetable medley tortillas guacamole and sour cream for $15.99. Very good and would definetly go again. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Went with a small group for lunch during the week. Service was a bit slow but they seem to be understaffed for front of house. The food and drink were so delicious and prices are decent. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Lunch chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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This place was bustling, but my party of 2 was seated quickly by nice staff. More people came, and the staff took one of our tables away, but they were kind and gave us queso and guac on the house. The chips, salsa, warm queso, and fresh guac were great. The guac was especially seasoned well with tomatoes and lime juice. For our entrées, we got the Combo Gordo ($19.99) and Carne Asada ($16.99). The Combo Gordo was 2 plates of ground beef burrito, a chicken enchilada, a chicken tamal, ground beef taco, a bean tostada, a chile relleno, a cheese quesadilla, rice and beans. It was a lot of food, but the quality was less than mediocre. Every dish was extremely heavy with heaps of shredded cheese piled on top. There was no harmony in the flavors. The Carne Asada came with grilled marinated skirt steak, rice, refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce, and tortillas. The steak was very thin and not much flavor that I ended up dipping it the queso. Overall, the service was nice, but the food quality not the best, and wouldn't come back. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Pretty good for a dead mall. This and Ole Ole are about the only decent food in the area so the score is bumped up since there is nothing else decent here. read more

Draft Negra Modelo for starts! Excellent presentation, quality food. Attention to detail. Grilled mozzarella, grilled scallions, serving size perfect. read more

I don't live nearby but I may start making the trip more often Zocalo is two for two Months ago we split a huge fajita dish that was spectacular.... Driving past today around lunch I pulled in and had chili releno I'll be back !!! read more

This is our absolute favorite restaurant/ place to be in Ithaca. The atmosphere is incredible, the food is amazing and the service is always great! read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Shredded chicken nachos, carnitas, beans and rice and chips and salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

"They say money can't buy happiness... ion kno about you, but I've never been sad at a Mexican restaurant!" Loved the ambiance, the food, and that the alcohol wasn't diluted! The food coma afterwards was an 11/10 Took the parents here and we split a bunch of dishes. I want to try their soups and margaritas next time. read more

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I'd had this place recommended to me by multiple people before I finally got around to ordering some food for lunchtime takeout one day... and why it was so 'recommendable' by so many, I have no idea. When I ultimately did get to Zocalo? It wasn't worth the visit. I waited a good probably 20 minutes at the entrance of the restaurant to pick up my food (I'd ordered online)... nobody was tending to the entrance (either to get people seated OR to assist people with their takeout orders), and there were multiple of us just waiting... and waiting... and waiting. When I finally did get my food, it was mediocre. I had made two requests for my order when ordering online, neither of which was correct in my received order. Also, the pork chunks in my al pastor tacos were just super fatty (and honestly, my fish tacos were just breaded/fried haddock thrown on what tasted like stale tortillas... with barely any red cabbage at all... besides just being SO DRY). TL;DR My mango margarita should have been a lot more boozy to offset the unimpressive food here, let alone the totally lackluster service. read more

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Good and consistent meals can be found here. They start you off with crisp and salty tortilla chips and a flavorful but not to spicy salsa. They limit the baskets of chips to two per dinner which should be plenty. We placed our orders next. I love the jalapeño margarita and would give it 5 stars. It's spicy and delicious and packs a nice punch. Tom gets the house margarita with salt. Says it's always good. I get the vegan veggie bowl on white rice and he ordered the Santa Fe burrito. He loves burritos. My bowl was filled with sautéed veggies and a large portion of black beans. It used to come with a shell but they don't make them any longer according to the server. So I requested white rice. It's then topped with a scoop of pick and guacamole. Lots of flavor and it's filling. Tom's burrito was filled with chicken, steak and rice. He seemed to enjoy it and he was filled up. Probably the best option for Mexican in Ithaca, NY. read more

THIS! This was by far the best meal I had in Ithaca....and it was in a mall of all places! Parking was a little obnoxious but it was easy to listen for the music in the mall to find it. Very cool, kind of sexy decor. We were seated immediately. Our server was fantastic and had so many suggestions. We started with their jumbo margaritas which were definitely heavy on the tequila while still being delicious. The table side chips and salsa were so yummy and you could tell the chips were homemade. I ordered the queso which wasn't the best I had ever had but still a nice appetizer. My boyfriend got a queso with shrimp, chicken, and steak and practically swallowed the bowl. For dinner I opted for the chicken fajitas. They brought me homemade corn tortillas, cooked beautifully with lots of toppings to create my own masterpiece. The chicken was cooked properly and I loved the veggies. They have togo margs too! read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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From the bottom of my heart I wanted to give this restaurant 5 stars. Sadly, the food made it impossible. The drinks, a coronarita and piñarita were phenomenal. The coronarita came with a 12 oz bottle injected into a huge mug of margarita on the rocks and the 1800 coconut tequila was perfect in the piñarita which was frozen. Now onto the food. It was a little strange that every table in the establishment already has salsa and chips laid out. I've never seen that. My mom ordered the lunch trio fajitas which she claimed were "very dry" and "unimpressive". Also on her plate was a bowl of refried beans which had a soup consistency. My arroz con pollo was also dry but was presented nicely on the plate. The ambiance was pleasant but the bar area was very cluttered. Out waiter was great and made the drinks himself. Overall I would try again but my mom said never. read more

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What a memorable experience celebrating one of my dearest friend's Bachelorette party here! The skinny spicy margs were off the charts we got a 2nd round! The nachos were piled high and coated in a delicious exotic sauce! While slightly deserted at 2:38 pm on a Thursday, the lack of other patron's conversations allowed us to overhear the authentic Mexican music being played in the kitchen which was such a treat! Our amazing waiter Kristopher even brought the bride a celebratory shot on fire!!! Zocalo's paired nicely with a visit to a Spencer's across the way. 10/10 would visit again! read more

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Good tasty food and inexpensive. Looks nice inside, we were seated right away. Slow service but overall good experience. read more

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Ignore that this place is in the mall. The pictures you are exactly how the food comes out. Table salsa is of mild spiciness. Chips are fresh. We had the Nachos w chicken and beef, chicken was super flavorful, beef and beans were delicious. Guacamole was tasty but if at all possible to say there was just too much cheese in the nachos. Part cheese sauce and part shredded. That being said, an entree with any of those ingredients would be great. Hubs had the enchilada burrito and asked for carnitas instead - no problem. Asked for no beans - no problem. Great service, wonderful atmosphere, tasty food. Will definitely be back. read more

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Had a great dinner here and the waitress was really attentive. Cheese dip was super good, fajitas and a quesadilla all hit the spot. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Cheese dip, fajitas, quasadilla - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Great restaurant!! The food was delicious. The drinks were phenomenal. The ambiance swept you away to another place and you forgot you were at the Ithaca Mall! The portions were large. The chips and salsa that come out before your food were delicious! The chips were warm and fresh and the salsa was mild enough for even our 2 year old to enjoy. It was a very affordable place. Our waitress was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be going back! read more

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My sister lives in Santa Fe, NM, after being out there recently and eating everything on the plate, this is the best place in Ithaca/Lansing for authentic southwestern Mexican food, of that's what you like, they do not disappoint, also, the fact that they pay attention to my wife's food allergies means a lot read more

I love this place. The food is always good and the service is great. It is one of my favorites to eat at. It's hard to find a place that serves authentic Mexican food and prices are not bad. read more

Surprised and impressed. Despite the reviews, I was expecting to be eating in the food court on metal chairs and ordering dinner from a food counter. I was very wrong ! This is a real restaurant ! Great atmosphere friendly, professional wait staff. Extensive menu and great food. We arrived at around 5:00 pm and there was only a few people there. When we left the place was packed and a large crowd waiting outside. We will Definitely be going back and arriving early . read more

Best Mexican food around. Always enough food , great price..the food is out of this world. The staff are top notch. I will always go to Zocalo for Mexican food. It's read more

The better Mexican spot in Ithaca. They have margarita towers and really great lunch and dinner combo deals. The food is not necessarily impressive but tasty, generous portions, a variety of options. Honestly I did not have the best service last time I went, as the girl heading the entrance was a little rude, it took time to get menus and water, as well as to get our check- but trying to be understanding that they are greatly understaffed, there was really only one person waiting tables. I hope this improves soon. I am rating high because despite the service, I was pleasantly surprised with the al pastor. Coming out, the dish looks like small bits of ground meat on corn tortillas. I found however that is was actually whole meat pieces chopped up to make tender! They were good! I'd give Zocalo another try once they are more staffed. read more

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So good & so many choices !! Packed full on a Sunday night. Great menu, margaritas, and service.

Food was alright, but every single time I order online from here, I am warned from friends and coworkers that I will be overcharged. The first two times, I ordered a quesadilla and then a lunch special (both on weekends) and was charged as advertised. I went today for the third time and was charged $16 for a chimichanga lunch plate that was advertised as $10.79 after tax when I ordered. I was told in person that they don't do lunch specials on the weekends even though I ordered one with no issues last week. There is no mention on their website of not doing lunch on weekends, and this establishment needs to honor their advertised prices. I am shocked that I am the only reviewer calling out their price gouging and the owner should be ashamed that they are taking advantage of customers. read more

The food was good with quick service. Great amount of food for the value. I was full after half of a 10$ burrito. Those are prices that are hard to find now. The atmosphere was busy but still cozy. Went into a food coma and almost fell asleep. 5/5 would recommend read more

Had lunch there today with one of my best friends and her daughter who is also my friend and we had the most amazing to our lunch get together wonderful food fantastic service authentic food very happy. Highly recommend read more

Great pork street tacos that are very delicious and filling. Friendly and good service. The Grand Senora margarita was quite nice and highly recommended. We will definitely return. read more

Zocalo Mexican Bar & Grill - Pork street taco. - Mexican Near Me - Ithaca, New York