We were driving through Fort Smith and stopped at a local hotel. When I inquired about where we could get dinner somewhere close to the hotel and not a chain restaurant this place was recommended. We decided to try it and we're not disappointed. The staff was extremely friendly, all were fully masked. The tables inside for socially distance and everything was very well cleaned. My husband had the pork chili rellenos. He has had this dish in other places but nothing compares to this version. It was heavenly. The flavors were delicious. It was served with rice that was delicious and flavorful and a small bowl of beans that had some pork in it as well. He couldn't have been more pleased with the selection. I had the steak fajitas which were a large serving, and also delicious. They were served with the same wonderful rice, refried beans, and homemade flour tortillas. It was an amazing dish it also had some pico to Gallo, and fresh guacamole that was out of this world. I wish we lived closer because this would be a regular stop. read more

The service was wonderful. Some of the best service we've received anywhere we've eaten. The restaurant was clean and comfortable. The food was sorely lacking. Everything was either oversalted or had no taste at all. The guacamole was almost too salty to eat. The chips and salsa tasted like canned, crushed tomatoes. The food was cooked well, attractively served, looked appetizing, hot, it met all of the requirements except taste. I really dislike negative comments and remember, this is our opinion, but we were not impressed by the food. read more

Best Mexican in Fort Smith by far, that I have tried. The Fajitas are a favorite at our house. read more

El Zarape - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

Their food isn't as good as it used to be! I am not sure why? The food just seems bland. Also, the servers are very friendly, but clueless about providing good service. We had to keep asking for extra napkins, more salsa, more tortilla chips, and more drink refills. It was tiresome. Also, they didn't seem to understand why we wanted plates while eating our chips & salsa and our guacamole. That was just STUPID. Also, their made fresh flour tortillas were too thick and not fresh at all. The rice that was served with the Spinach Enchiladas was awful and the Spinach Enchiladas were flat and greasy. AWFUL DISH. Also, their Spanish Rap music is loud and irritating. read more

Yes, I will admit that I am NOT one of those people who orders fish when they go to a Mexican restaurant, but that changed today! I love salmon; however, salmon and Mexican, please "Just say NO thank you..." But, I did it! I took the BIG step, and said, " YES, I would like to order the salmon tacos!!!" OMG, I thought my mouth had died and gone to Heaven! The salmon was grilled perfectly! I will admit it; I ATE THE WHOLE THING I dare you to step out of your comfort zone and order El Zarape's grilled salmon tacos any night of the week. Cindy read more

Take it from someone who grew up in Southern California: This is the best Mexican food in the River Valley. I've tried them all, and this one is the best, bar none. It feels exactly like the Mexican places I used to eat at growing up, and tastes like it, too. read more

There was many little little kids aloud in bar area! Ridiculous!. They were screaming and throwing food we had a horrible dinner and all we wanted was adult time in a bar adult area! This should not be aloud! read more

I loved the salad and especially the cilantro vinaigrette. Chips were good and so was the salsa. Homemade tortillas. Queso was kind of thin but great flavor. Great experience with the take out and trash leche cake was so good - they deserve 5 stars based on that alone! read more

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The service was excellent!! The food was so very good. We base good Mexican food on the salsa and this salsa was kinda thin but tasted really really good. The salmon tacos were so seasoned and flavorful, my husband said the burrito was really good. And it was reasonable. Will go back if ever back this way read more

El Zarape - Salmon tacos, with pineapple sauce - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

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The queso was thin and flavorless. The rice was crunchy and likely old rice mixed with new rice and not fully cooked. The chicken fajitas were dry. Beef fajitas are not included in the Monday "traditional fajitas" special. The Cali burrito was the size of an arm and easily shareable for the family. Definitely go with that option. The taco salad was literally shredded lettuce with ground taco beef on top. The beef was both greasy and burnt into chunks. Don't be lured into a gum all on the way out thinking it's a cheap dessert alternative, it's old and spotty. read more

El Zarape - Burrito California - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

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Taco Tuesday it's a good deal or the all you. Can eat tacos on Tuesday good food good service

Went there for lunch. Large place and mostly empty. There are a lot of menu options, so some items may be better. We had street tacos and a quesadilla and some side items. The food was just okay, nothing special and portions were average. Service was good and the food came out quickly. The worst part was that they charged more than was stated in the menu. We didn't complain because it was only a couple of dollars overall, but it was annoying to get charged more than expected. Too many better Mexican options in FS. read more

Me and my service members will never go back to this place. Due to y'all setting your own tip. I gave these people a $2 dollar tip and they put a $30 tip instead. The food is okay but not that good and definitely not worth when they want to steal money from their customers . I will be going back next drill to confront them . read more

The restaurant itself is beautiful. We had five different meals and everyone loved theirs. We definitely make this stop next time we come through Fort Smith. read more

El Zarape - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

Easily my favorite Mexican food in Fort Smith. Great service, good drinks, and the bar is a fun place to hang out. When the weather is nice, the outside seating is perfect. If you're a fan of a michelada, they're the spot to go! read more

Great food and even better sloppy beer. Anytime I'm passing through Ft Smith, we stop and eat. It's worth the 10-12 minutes off I-40. The fajitas are dang good and enchiladas. That's all I've eaten here, so that's all I can speak of. read more

Reviewed May 25, 2018 Health Score 72 out of 100 You have to try the hot salsa!! I have to start this review with the salsa. They have a nice tomato based salsa that is served with the chips. Ask for the hot stuff. It is probably the best flavored hot restaurant salsa I have ever had. I cannot figure out exactly what was in it, I am guessing habanero with garlic and some other spices that gave it a wonderful flavor. It was hot, but not just hot, It had a complexity of flavor. As you ate it with the chips, the endorphins kicked in and you had trouble stopping! They have a great lunch menu and very reasonable prices. I had the lunch beef fajitas (with 2 chile toreados) and my wife had beef burrito. The fajitas are not served in the hot skillet you expect. However, it comes with caramelized onions, Spanish rice, barracho beans or refried beans and guacamole salad. The barracho beans had a great bacon/smoky flavor. I normally skip the tortillas, but I tried their flour tortillas. They had been very lightly brushed with oil and then warmed on a flat top grill or in a pan. Excellent! Very reasonable prices on their lunch menu and the service was great. read more

El Zarape - "The lunch fajitas with 2 chili toreados. The small square bowl of salsa is the good stuff!" - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

First post COVID-19 review!!! So the family and I brought our Polaris RZR here to hit some of Arkansas trails and came into town for dinner and decided to try El Zarape. The exterior was clean but parking was somewhat limited, but had overflow parking in the rear. Started off with chips and salsa and some queso at the behest of the girls. The queso was creamy and the girls gobbled it up; the salsa was thick and smooth just as we prefer it. Could have used a slight bit more of cilantro but that is me being picky. The girls had shredded chicken with waffle fries and chicken burrito. My oldest devoured the burrito and reports, "it was STUFFED with chicken". Our youngest reports, "I like food" so what that means I don't know. My wife and I split the Molacajete but added shrimp since we split it. Tons of flavor and very filling. We left nothing in either plate and were more than satisfied but less than stuffed/miserable. I just report it paired very nicely with the margarita (despite my joy being a fan of them). We chose the medium which was perfect, almost got the large (32 oz) but glad I didn't. Time to turn in for the night and go tear up the trails tomorrow. read more

Looking up reviews on El Zarape and from what other people have told me about this restaurant I wasn't sure what to expect; but I always try to go in with an open mind and judge for myself. My first impression walking in wasn't great. There was a line at the register, a large group waiting to be seated, several open tables and only one person, obviously overwhelmed, trying to handle it all. I was surprised they didn't have a second person helping her. We were eventually seated and quickly greeted with some chips and salsa. The chips tasted fresh as did the salsa so I thought we might be on our way to a good meal. Our server followed soon after to take our drink and appetizer order. I ordered a Sam Adams Seasonal, unfortunately, they were out of it at the moment. She offered me the Shock Top special which was a tall beer for $3.50 so I went ahead and got that. We also ordered a sangria margarita and the White Queso dip. The drinks were fine but the queso left a lot to be desired because it was served lukewarm and honestly it was closer to the cold side than warm. Had it be anything close to warm/hot I'm pretty sure it would have been good but for this visit it was very disappointing. For our entrees we went with the spinach enchiladas and fish tacos. I'd have to say, thankfully, this was the best part of our dining experience. The food was good and on par with other Mexican restaurants I've been to. There was nothing terribly special about either dish but I certainly don't have any complaints about them either. My biggest disappointment with this visit was the service after our food was dropped off. The restaurant didn't seem all that busy but once we received our food we only saw our waitress once. When she did return we asked for the check and then she never came back. We waited 10 minutes for the check but nothing. Finally we went to the register to see if the person working there could help but she wasn't there either. Once she returned she had to go track down our waitress to get the check, meanwhile a line of people to pay forms behind us. We eventually got our check and were able to pay our bill but it was much more of a fiasco than it should have been. Certainly this was not my worst experience at a restaurant but, for me, there were enough things I found disappointing that I won't be making a return visit anytime soon. read more

El Zarape - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

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I ordered the Flaming Fajitas with steak, chicken, bacon, onions, mushrooms and cheese. Amazing! read more

El Zarape - Flameada Fajita - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

This is the premiere place to eat Mexican in Fort Smith. Get chimichangas. The chicken was gorgeous, chips were as fresh as today and the salsa was plentiful. Beans and rice were good quality your gma would be proud to be compared to. Service out standing all looked good were polite and the place was clean. The guacamole is great but portions small of it. Take out is too hot to eat right away. They don't forget things. Got the order right too. You can buy fresh h made tortillas cooked when you order them. Only draw back is the take out drink size is too small and the kids are sketch and you can easily spill these. It's a good deal and good meal. read more

This place is my go to in fort smith for Mexican food they never let me down fresh made tortillas and the piñata water and the Jamaica is amazing and the staff is extra nice won't be disappointed read more

El Zarape - Carne asada plate - Mexican Near Me - Fort Smith, Arkansas

Upon walking in, the service was fantastic and our server was extremely attentive and polite the entire night. The food we ordered was beautifully plated and delicious. We ordered the guacamole made table side. I was very impressed with how well seasoned it was. The chips and salsa are just okay in my opinion. Husband thoroughly enjoyed the molcajete. The seafood nachos were also a huge hit with my daughter. I wasn't as thrilled with the pork rellano, but I still enjoyed it. They advertise the best margaritas and I have to admit it was very good! Will for sure be back again. read more

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The service was excellent, however, the food was subpar The corn tortillas tasted like they had sugar in them. The enchiladas tasted like they had sugar in them. I had enchiladas and my wife had a Mexican steak and both were not anything like what we would've expected from a restaurant with good ratings. The only thing I can say with the service was good but the food was horrible. I would not recommend this place if you want to get meal. read more

We lived in Fort Smith, AR for approx 5 years back in 2000, and this place was so good even back then. I am so glad it's still open, because we plan on visiting Fort Smith this summer. My kids have even gone back to Fort Smith, as adults and have eaten here as well. I can't wait to visit and eat this great Mexican food. Thank you El Zarape for all the workers making great food for so many years. read more

Our favorite place near our home! Tamales are a must and their queso dip is second to none!! Great staff and always can predict the exact time we will get our order, very prompt! read more

And old favorite under new management. The manager Javier is very engaging and made our dining experience very enjoyable! We ventured beyond our customary items thanks to the updated menu! The food was great, service was speedy and friendly and the margaritas potent!! Portions are very generous!! Don't forget they always have the buy one get one for a penny small margaritas! If you haven't stopped by in a while, give them a try! read more

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Amazing food, drinks and service! Been here a few times while on military duty and it's always been pretty good.

Use to be one of our favorites. Not sure but must have traded hands. We walk in and the hostess asked how many and walked us to our table, threw down the menus and walked off. No more buy one margarita/get one for a penny. Now $3 margaritas every day but wasn't told that. Learned that from the manager when we asked for him. Food was barely warm, chips were brown and not fresh. Manager copped our meal but we won't be going back. Can't stay in business like that. read more

Haven't been here in over a year. I tried it today. It was awful. They put peas, corn, an carrots in their taco meat. I got a taco salad, it looked like a bowl of chili. Tasted terrible. I sent it back. Won't be back. When they 1st opened they were the best. Not anymore. read more

Fantastic Food and Service. Great Atmosphere! Had the Chili glazed shrimp dish.....was very very pleased...food was so good i wanted to go to sleep on the table....now you know thats good Mexican food!!! Great job to all you were on point!!! read more

I'm being generous with the 3 stars because my meal was tasty (shrimp enchiladas). And the chips and salsa were good as well. However, the service was unbelievably bad. Table not ready despite calling ahead, very difficult to order, drinks did not arrive, appetizers never arrived, meals were missing and had to be reordered, waters not refilled, could not get a check printed. And no recognition from staff that anything was going wrong. They clearly needed our table to free up for the literal soccer teams waiting to be seated, yet we had to go to the front to pay without our ticket printed....15-20 minutes after requesting the check. It was stressful and not a relaxing night out at all. You might want to try this place for take out but do not eat in! read more

Not just another Tex-Mex place; delicious food, great (if a little chaotic) service, upscale atmosphere. Our trip wasn't great, but this restaurant was a highlight. read more

Food is usually really good. The only complaint is that some of the wait staff really need to learn more English. When they get the order wrong it's usually because the wait staff did not understand. I speak Spanish so it's easy for me to correct but not everyone does. They are always nice. read more

Great authentic Mexican food the staff is friendly I got a margarita and it tasted like a real margarita

Thier salsa literally taste like ketchup. Food was mediocre. Service was great. The servers were really helpful

The worst Mexican food we have had. The food is over spiced with cumin. They saturated everything with cumin. It's not authentic Mexican food. Fire the cooks or take away their cumin. read more

This place is a hidden gem! Immediately seated and brought chips and salsa in the bar area. Salsa was okay, but after asking for something spicier and mixing that into their regular, I was extremely pleased. Chips were hot and not thin. That's a plus! Drinks were ordered and brought within a timely manner. Also, very reasonably priced. I couldn't believe how big the michelada was, along with my mango margarita. So tasty and refreshing. Food came out hot and full of flavor. Being from Texas, I'm pretty picky with my Mexican food, but this was so good. we came back the next night being that we were in town for an event. We ordered a molcajete and a chicken dish that was in an incredible sauce. Be sure to order the veggies with your meal, don't miss out on those. They taste as if they're cooked in a white wine cream sauce. Once we were full from dinner, the server asked if we still wanted our penny margarita! How nice to have this offer posted when you walk in, but also have your waiter follow up with asking for another. Anytime we are close to fort smith, we will be returning! read more

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The food here is amazing and the service is even better than the food. This is not Tex-Mex. It is real Mexican food with a little bit of flair thrown in from other Latin-American countries. The dish presentation is creative and the ingredients are always fresh. Portion sizes are more than enough and the staff there is always very friendly. I always dine here when I'm in town for work and I look forward to next time very much. read more

Consistently good food. Bruschetta shrimp is bacon wrapped and stuffed with poblano cream cheese. So delicious.