July 2023 Food: 5 stars Atmosphere: 4 Stars This location may look small but the quality of food they offer to customers is worth the wait. The entrance has a few seating areas for waiting but they don't have any outdoor dining. The menu is vast but offers a great selection for both meat and vegetarians. I usually opt for the taco plate since it's enough food for me to be full and have leftovers. The service can be a hit or miss, our server seem to be annoyed when we asked for refills (drinks, chips/salsa) so that kind of made the experience not as pleasant but the food is the reason why I'll be returning. read more

We went to their restaurant on Ball Rd which just recently reopened. Food was delicious and the drinks were excellent. Service and staff, as always, was excellent read more

If you're looking for a strong margarita with some good service this is the place. Mexican food is more white washed but it gets the job done 3 margs deep. read more

Came on a Friday around 12 for lunch and was seated right away. This place is a like a hole in the wall. It is on the other side of Baskin Robbin's making it a bit difficult to find. It was pretty packed. The portions here are pretty big. I appreciated the fact they gave nachos and salsa for free. The salsa is on the liquidy side but still good. It is also refillable. Shrimp enchiladas- 4/5: The enchiladas had a lot of large shrimps inside. I really liked the green sauce that came with it, but I do wish more sauce was given. The rice is on the drier side. It tasted better with the salsa poured on top. I was able to replace the beans for another side of rice. El Zarape Combo- 4/5: The taco was good with lots of chicken inside and the shell very crunchy. The bean sauce was creamy and good. I personally preferred the green sauce over the red sauce, but the red was also good. The chile was not spicy and there was a lot of egg to chile portion. The eggs were soft and fluffy. read more

El Zarape - El Zarape Combo - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

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We assumed arriving at El Zarape around 10AM we'd be the first diners to arrive. Boy were we wrong! By 10:10AM, all the tables were taken and people were lined up outside. It's a testament to the quality of food and service. The restaurant is well spaced out for guests to sit comfortably while eating. It notable that the dining room, restrooms, and tables were all clean and organized. Upon getting seated, you'll be greeted with chips and salsa. Which I must say are very good. I had the carne asada breakfast burrito, which has to be my new all time favorite. It's not overfilled with potatoes to make up for a lack of meat, it's well balanced. Compliment it with their salsa and you got a home run. From where I was sitting, I was able to watch the servers make their specialty margaritas and other drinks. Mind you, it was now about 10:30AM. The staff is constantly on their toes taking care of guests and clearing tables for all the waiting patrons outside. Thankfully there's both a huge parking lot and plenty of street parking. And just across the street is a park to walk off all the delicious food you just consumed. read more

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We've eaten here a handful of times... the food is great! My mom wanted to have some 6 foot burritos catered for a gathering yesterday (9/18) so we went in to eat last Wednesday and ordered in person. My mom called on Friday to make a slight change to our order... Sunday comes and my husband went get the food. We arranged for 3:15pm pick up time with the guy who took our order on Wednesday. When my husband told them the order name and the host went to tell the cook he said there was an "oh crap" look on his face; meaning, it seemed like they forgot to make our order. :-/ My husband was told it would be ready in 10 minutes...WRONG, it was 35 minutes. So here my husband left our party to pick up the food and doesn't come back for over an hour because our order that we placed 4 days prior wasn't ready. Frustrating! (We only live 4 miles away so drive time wasn't a huge factor). They did, however, get the order change correct that my mom called about so they have that going for them. Everything was packaged nicely, fresh and presentable. We got plenty of chips and salsa (not pictured) with the order. The food was a hit at the party and tasted really good. It just would've been nice if the food was ready at the time we discussed when ordering. I'm not sure how often this happens but wanted to bring attention to this matter to management. Maybe there needs to be a better system in place.... read more

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A friend invited me to dinner and this is where we landed. Best Mexican in Cypress for sure! The family owned business greets you with a warm smile. The chips and salsa were perfection, served warm and made fresh with just enough heat in the salsa. The tacos were amazing! The shredded beef and potato tacos were served in a fresh hard shell, with freshly graded cheese. The carnitas were my favorite served in a warmed tortilla, the pork was crispy on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside the way carnitas should be! They made a good margarita and service was attentive and prompt! We came on a Taco Wednesday and there was a ten minute wait and worth it! The decor was traditional Mexican but tastefully done with modern touches. I'll be back.... Soon! read more

El Zarape - Taco Wednesday Carnitas Tacos, Potato Taco and a Shredded Beef - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

Gonna change my review to 3 stars. I think I was over charged for my meal after looking at the menu prices.

Just came in for cocktails and Diego was our server. He was so gracious and accommodating. Thank you for the amazing service.

Amazing Mexican food. The wife and I had been wanting to try this place. I ended up going with some coworkers and thought it was just OK. My wife still wanted to try it so we went back and I'm glad we did. The red sauce is amazing as well as the asada burrito and enchiladas. The salsa is great and the chips are fresh. We probably go once every couple weeks now. read more

The new location in Los Alamitos is larger and has a nice bar. We came here with out of town friends who were frequent patrons of the Cypress location. My hubby ordered a burrito and enjoyed it. I ordered the chimi flautas without lettuce. However it came with lettuce even though I made it clear I didn't want it. My friend got the chile relleno & enchilada combo. Her enchilada was tough. read more

El Zarape - Lettuce! I had to try to take it off before eating it. Hence why I had them standing before I took the picture. - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

The Mexican food is good, the get on a wait pretty quickly as their dining room is small. However the food comes out very quick and so people are in and out. My only thing was my burrito was half beans and then as you can see in the photo I had a huge side of beans. Just a little too much beans for me but that is just a preference. read more

El Zarape - Burrito Mojado Dinner - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

El Zarape continues to excel! Our server, Luis, made sure our orders were taken correctly. Meaning, that he asked questions to make sure they proved exactly what we wanted. The restaurant, though quite busy, provided a very nice ambiance. We were comfortable and did not feel rushed. My wife enjoyed 'Old Reliable' (Shrimp Tacos), while I had something I had not tried at this restaurant, Fish Tacos. The quality of both dishes was excellent. This restaurant is a winner, and Luis is a first team All-Star. read more

Top Shelf Margarita: good tequila but cheap mix, so average overall. Food was tasty but again, average. It noon overload. Salsa not as good as when they win the Salsa contest a few years ago during the Cypress festival. Good service by Luis. Wishing Sal - Buenes Sureta on the second location coming by November 2023. read more

El Zarape - Taco ala carte - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

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this was our go to place to eat, the very best for a chili Verdi burrito. today the burrito was very tart. not as creamy with flavor. We also had issue with fighting off flies, not just one but about four zooming around. not a happy camper NO BUENO read more

GOOD GOOD GOOD! Best food, atmosphere and servers! The bossman comes by to make sure all is appetizing. read more

This place is good for a quick bite. Happen to be in the area and was hungry. Food is ok salsa and tostadas were good I feel is over priced for the food quantity and quality. My wife ordered the fish tacos and there is a $2 up charge per taco of u want them battered. There's a $3 up charge for asada burritos. Service was attentive and friendly kept checking on us and got us everything we needed. Place is small feels tight sitting many people order to go. read more

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El Zarape seems to always be busy, which is a good sign. If you're unfamiliar with the location, it might be difficult to find from the parking lot. You need to walk past the Baskin Robbins to find it. Inside, the place is a little cramped, and everyone is seated very close together. The food is decent here. I really enjoyed their strawberry blended margarita. It went well with the chips and salsa. I was pleasantly surprised with the salsa because it had some heat to it, and I'm a big fan of spicy food. For entrees, we ordered the shrimp fajitas and the wet carne asada burrito. Both dishes were good, and the rice and beans that came with them were delicious. I will definitely be back. They have 50% off tacos on Wednesdays, which is a little strange, but unique. I will be trying different dishes next time I'm here. read more

El Zarape - Grilled Shrimp Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

Family owned. Not a bad little place, and I do mean little. It has a small dining room, maybe 10-14 tables. They have a line out the door for their take out food. I think you can call ahead for pickup, which would make sense. Its our first time and we came on a Wednesday. Who knew it was "Taco Wednesday"? 50% off any taco, with any beverage. Any taco except for the Asada and the Shredded Beef. I came with a friend and we each tried a crunchy ground beef, and a soft carnitas taco. It was tasty and filled us up. We ordered a side of beans and rice, which was enough for 2-3 people to share. 4 tacos, 2 drinks and a side of beans and side of rice came to $27. read more

This place was alright-- first of all it was a little confusing to find because Google directs you to a parking lot, but you can only access the restaurant on the street side so we did a few circles before finding it! It was very packed on a Saturday night!!! This was the place to be and it's a very very small space so it was kind of cramped. Wasn't a fan of all the people waiting outside to be seated as they were literally blocking the door and not bothering to move as I struggled to get a stroller around them and into the restaurant. We opted to just keep our car seat out and put the stroller in the car because this place has LITERALLY no room for any of that. On to the food, it was okay. I really wanted to love it because it had 5 stars, but everyone in my group (3 others) all said the food was missing salt. The chips and salsa were really good, but the main dishes all just missed the mark for us. My husband got a wet burrito and he said the green sauce could have been better. I wasn't a fan of my cheese enchilada sauce... it just wasn't my usual go-to flavor for Mexican food, but my crispy shredded beef taco was good! Really enjoyed that. They also had tasty beans and rice. Our waiter was very nice too, which I could remember his name, but he was an older gentleman who was knowledgable about the menu and very kind. He recommended the tropical margaritas and they were delicious! All in all, I'd come back to this place now knowing what I liked! Just be prepared for a tight squeeze in these small quarters! read more

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Place is 5 minutes from my house. It's been there since I moved in 27 years ago. I love Mexican food, so you think this would be my go to place, but I drive by it all the time to eat Mexican food. The food is ok. Prices are ok. Restaurant is too small and they cram in as many tables as possible, so you are all over each other. The staff has a bit of an attitude and service is below average unless you're a regular. The vibe just pisses me off, so in 27 years, i've eaten her 4 times and that's because three times I was with people who wanted to here. read more

Awful from beginning to end. Service is not important here. Food is average at best. This is definitely the best Taco Bell in the neighborhood. Do yourself a favor and drive to Enrique's in Long Beach. Only a few miles away. Management here is lazy and disrespectful towards its patrons. I overheard them talking about prior guests horribly. "Kim" the manager lies to guests and laughs in your face. Totally disrespectful. Here's your review read more

Mexican Must Have! They have a new location opening up by the Trader Joes in Cypress . We came upon this place while we were driving around trying to find a place that sells chilaquiles for my husband (his favorite dish) We are very picky with Mexican food & this place is definitely a must try!!! The ambiance is super cute and cultural. The restaurant is small so if there is a wait WAIT! Trust me, it will be worth it. This place has the best chips and salsa while waiting for your food! The whole staff was super helpful and on it with refills, checking up on our table and clearing our plates. We went for breakfast and it was the best! The food was amazing and the portion was great for the price. I would say it is a great place to bring the kids and the food options / portions a great for kids too Definitely going to come back and visit their new location! Stop by and give it a try! read more

El Zarape is a very solid option to try if you're looking to have some Mexican food for dinner. It's a very compact restaurant but it feels really homey and has such a family feel to it. The wait for the table took a little while but once we were seated, everything went smoothly. They bring you chips and salsa when you sit down, which to me is a huge plus. I'd much rather have that than bread lol. We sat down and I didn't know what to order. I don't usually eat at Mexican sit-down restaurants, typically hole in the wall places or places where you order your food for takeout then leave, so eating here was quite new to me. I ordered their tamal and taco combo which comes with rice and beans. I should also note that the food came out quickly. Like very very quickly! I have never experienced that at a restaurant before and thought it was great. The food itself was very good. The taco I got was hard shell and had a lot of lettuce and cheese sprinkled on top. It was delicious, though I do wish it was a little bigger. The tamal I got was also really good! It was super flavorful and had an awesome kick to it due to the red chile sauce it came smothered in. Also, it came with beans and rice, both of which were also quite tasty. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this place. Everything was good, the servers were friendly, they bring you chips and salsa, the food was delicious and filling, so what more could a person ask for. I would come back here to try some of the other food on the menu, for sure :) . read more

We love this restaurant but I cannot get through to call and place an order. The voicemail for the original restaurant on Ball still talks about closing in May for 4 weeks due to training at the new restaurant ( which has been open for quite awhile now) and cannot get anyone to pick up after. I tried calling the newer restaurant in Katella but after a voicemail transfers me, it just rings indefinitely. Your website also talks about the May closure and will not let me accesss any other part of the site??? It would be wonderful if Someone could update everything. Other than driving over to your restaurant to ask if you still do your foot long burritos, I cannot get through to anyone?? read more

Busy little place. Cute and very small. The food was delicious. The server was friendly, but they were definitely understaffed. Price was good for the amount of food and quality. read more

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Drove several miles to get here and it's closed. Update your hours on Yelp so people don't waste their time.

DELICIOUS FOOD, beautiful ambience ; There is a bit a wait ; I recommend coming early ; worth a wait ; waiters are really attentive and charasmatic read more

El Zarape - WET BURRITO/ burrito mojado dinner plate - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

Service was good, food was excellent. Only slight drawback is the size of the restaurant, very small but they've made the most of the floor space making things a little cramped. read more

El Zarape - Grilled shrimp enchiladas with tomatillo & sour cream. - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

Service is always great. Food is always wonderful on point-wonderful drinks great service great atmosphere

Tried this place off of a co- workers recommendation. And yes it was a great recommendation. Place is rather small so that meant a bit of a wait, but it was well worth the wait. Service was friendly and quick, chips and salsa were spot on, salsa had a nice kick. Got my buzz on with a jalapeno margarita, not very strong but tasty. I ordered the Chile verde burrito dinner and i have to say I made a great choice, meat was nice and tender, sauce had great flavor, beans and rice were perfect to scoop with chips. Overall I definitely recommend this place. read more

This place was so amazing!!! Check out @about_2eatt on TikTok or instagram to see more food videos. read more

Honestly the place was at best mediocre. It's was 90° inside with no AC and every table full! They had a taco night, so with every drink you could get 1 taco for $3. I asked " any taco" which she said " yes any taco". So I ordered 2 asada with the two drinks we ordered. Come to get the bill and got a $12 charge for 2 tacos. So I asked and the manager said " no not carne asana only ground beef or chicken ". I told him that's not what she said and he said " we order filet mignon how is it going to be $3". And walked away. Meanwhile they charged $10 for a kids tortilla wrapped in some beans and cheese. Naw I won't come here again. Beer was not on draft and the bottles weren't cold! Horchata was so sweet you couldn't drink it. Enchilada was pretty good tho read more

So glad they are in their new location. Beautiful designed restaurant. Indoor or outdoor dining. Great food and our waiter was great.

Overpriced and not great. The bean burrito was good but too expensive and my $16 chile relleno burrito had no chili, just dry egg. Would not recommend. $26 for a chili relleno burrito and a kids bean and cheese is crazy. read more

El Zarape - Chili relleno burrito not great. - Mexican Near Me - Cypress, California

Great food, great service. Sal the manager is very nice and greets you like family. The atmosphere is great and the staff us very attentive read more

Pros: Excellent food and margaritas. I haven't had anything here I did not enjoy Quick and friendly service Cons: Be prepared to wait, this place is popular and the restaurant is not big Parking at times is not great. there is a lot shared with other businesses and street parking I actually prefer a table to a booth here read more

This rating is actually for the new El Zarape Cocina on Katella in Cypress of which I have been 6 times since it opened in May. Best Chili Riano's I have ever tasted! Love the shredded beef and carnitas Taco's. Cadillac Margaritas are amazing! We always have great service! Courteous Hostess's. Our favorite go to Mexican Restaurant! read more

Food fresh, hot and delicious Service excellent at the bar and in the restaurant Ambiance great We will definitely be back read more

If this review was for the in restaurant dining experience it would be five stars and I'd need AI to write all the good things I'd want to write. Unfortunately this review is about the to-go experience. Twice now in as many days to-go orders have been wrong. Calling in today to report this felt like those TikTok video memes of the customer service agent saying "oh you might not come in again??? Where will we ever find another customer???" I guess I can only go here when I have the time to dine in and wait for them to fix their mistakes. read more