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    El Zarape

    3.3 (49 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 4:00 am - 7:30 pm

    El Zarape Photos

    EL ZARAPE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Divey
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Think this was a lentil soup , it came with the meal and was quite nice
    Steve B.

    Drifting thru Nogales after taking care of business I felt the need for tacos. I thought about walking across the border to hit something on the south. Then I drove past El Zarape. This was good . Nothing special in the way of ambiance but the food was spot on.

    Chilaquiles with egg.
    Jose A.

    Food was great and the service was fast. Only bad part, the parking lot is really small and tight.

    Drink Station
    Richard F.

    On our recent trip to Nogales we looked for the restaurant where we ate on our last visit but, unfortunately it was closed. So just down the street we found this place and it turned out to be a good find. We arrived after the lunch crowd left so we had no trouble finding a comfortable booth. Our server came right away and took our drink order. She was back quickly to take our food order. We decided to order two combinations and then share. I ordered the chile relleno, taco dorado and enchilada. My wife got the chimichanga, gordita, and quesadilla. Both were served with a nice portion of rice, a salad and a hot homemade salsa. We shared and both had enough to satisfy our hunger. Everything was delicious and the hot salsa added enough spice to give it a great flavor. If you like authentic Mexican food rather than the pretend Tex-Mex this is a great place to eat. We will return for sure soon and hope they do not close in the meantime.

    Peg P.

    Driving down to Nogales for a lunch with stops at the Dove of the Desert and Tumacacori Mission makes for a nice day. We stayed on the American side, got to see that hulking border fence up close and personal and read from fellow Yelpers that the El Zarape is a good place to eat. First impressions: Friendly service, noisy, full of locals (a good sign indeed), in need of floor sweeping, rather high prices for the type of restaurant it is, and dominant aroma was grease. On the food side, the cheese enchiladas and chili rellenos were very good. We had to pay extra for salsa and got no chips. That was surprising. Would we go again? Probably. But it would be fun to try out a couple other places.

    Red Menudo, served with toasted birote and fixin's.
    Sabee B.

    Okay, I'll try to keep this short and sweet. The food is tasty...home made goodness. I could do without the cook's attitude though. When he'd address me, he'd speak in broken English, slower as though he were talking to a child, and in a condescending manner. Jerk. I may not look Messican, but Spanish was my first language! Anyway, our server was very slow and aloof, but nice. The 5yr old clearing the tables was the cutest thing ever. I guess there are no child labor laws in AZ ;) My friends and I ordered the Beef Birria, Red Menudo, and a Grilled steak plate. Our food arrived before our drinks, my tortillas came warm, but on an open plate with nothing to cover them. Cold corn tortillas are not very tasty...they turn into leather! My friends enjoyed their food, as did I - flavorwise - though my friend and I both agreed that our menudo and birria dishes could have been heated a bit more thoroughly. My guess is, the food is probably heated via a microwave.........just like you'd do at home :P All in all, we had 3 entrees, 3 drinks, and 2 desserts, all for under $30 and we left stuffed. Would I go there again? Sure. The food is tasty and inexpensive...I'll just refrain from speaking to the cook.

    Delicious

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    13 years ago

    Nice authentic Mexican food. Gotta be early though that parking lot gets packed pretty fast!

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    13 years ago

    If you get down to this area and looking for a great mexican meal for a great price.. This is the spot!

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    La Roca - Combination

    La Roca

    4.4(106 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    We did a quick little breakfast trip across the border with my girlfriend and my dog and ended up…read moreat La Roca - such a beautiful spot. Walking in honestly feels like stepping into a hacienda. There's a gorgeous fountain in the center and a mix of seating areas - some more loungy if you're just having drinks, others perfect for coffee or a full breakfast. There's even an upper level with a bar-style balcony, which is where we sat, and it was such a great view. They are dog-friendly in the outdoor areas (I had mine in a stroller), and the staff could not have been more accommodating - they even helped me carry her up the stairs. Service overall was amazing. We had multiple servers checking on us, which just shows how well staffed and attentive they are, especially since it was pretty busy with the buffet crowd. We heard their buffet is really good, but we weren't quite that hungry, so we ordered off the menu. I got the huevos rancheros, and I'm not kidding - the beans alone made the whole trip worth it. I don't know what they're doing back there, but they need to keep doing it. The eggs and red sauce were also so good. My girlfriend got the chiles rellenos, and just watching her cut into them with that perfect cheese pull told me everything I needed to know - she confirmed they were delicious. The decor is beautiful and full of Mexican culture, the space feels really inviting, and overall it was just such a great experience. If you're in Nogales and want something nice without going too far into the city, this is literally right across the border and absolutely worth it.

    Great ambience exceptional service coupled with the best margaritas and over the top…read moreDelicious food!

    Photos
    La Roca - Outdoor lounge vibes

    Outdoor lounge vibes

    La Roca - Chile rellenos with rice and beans

    Chile rellenos with rice and beans

    La Roca - Better than water...

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    Better than water...

    Cocina La Ley - One of the best Tacos I've ever had! Highly recommended Birria

    Cocina La Ley

    4.7(166 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $

    I travel to Nogales every so often, and when I finally arrive to visit friends, they know that the…read morevery first question out of my mouth is, "Is Cocina La Ley open today?" It's true. I've been going there for about 10 years, and without fail, their seafood is always consistently delicious. Although most of the locals are probably very aware of this small yet mighty restaurant, it's tucked away in an unassuming location - it doesn't look like much from the outside, but as they say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." I always order the large ceviche, which comes with tostadas, and I also get a side of warm tortillas. When I get that large bowl in front of me, I just can't wait to dig in. But first, I absolutely must put a couple of drizzles of their out-of-this-world made-in-house tamarind hot sauce on top of each bite. I can't begin to describe how amazing this sauce is - just a little sweet, but hot enough to burn your face off. What makes it amazing is it's flavor is so unique and complex. One time I visited, and I saw that there wasn't any hot sauce on the table. I asked the server and he said that they were in the middle of making a new batch. After telling him that I came all the way from Florida for their sauce (and ceviche, of course), the owner came by and sold me a couple of jars of the deliciousness. We had a great conversation about their food, their hot sauce, and how much love they put into their 30 year plus establishment. Back to the food - the shrimp in the ceviche is perfectly bite-sized and always tender, in perfect proportion to all of the other ingredients. The liquid is delicious enough to slurp up at the end of the bowl. I also started ordering the fried shrimp tacos the last few times I went to La Ley. A small plate comes with a simple warm tortilla and perfectly breaded fried 2-3 pieces of shrimp. Their sauces and toppings bar has everything you need to complete the taco - pickled onions, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, etc. With some of their creamy sauce and more of the tamarind hot sauce, each bite is a moment in heaven. Like the ceviche, the shrimp is tender, the breading is fluffy, not oily, and when you put together spicy, creamy, salty, sweet, and sour, you've got one of the most satisfying dishes I can think of. Clearly, I love this place. As I sit here writing this over a thousand miles away (having just visited), I wish I was back in Nogales to visit La Ley.

    This place is simple, cool, clean, and very comfortable. The food is absolutely amazing. Yes, when…read moreI first hear about this place I was like: yeah, maybe another "wannabe" good Mexican place. BUT oh god, this place is delicious!!!!!! The service is good, you have to order first at the cashier, and then seat. They also have this salsa bar where you can find the cilantro, diced onion, matcha salsas and other toppings.

    Photos
    Cocina La Ley - A real Mexican Restaurant just this side of the border.

    A real Mexican Restaurant just this side of the border.

    Cocina La Ley - Lengua taco

    Lengua taco

    Cocina La Ley - Pet area!

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    Pet area!

    La Castellana Cafe - Sail covered patio space to protect from the sun and enjoy the garden breeze

    La Castellana Cafe

    5.0(10 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    I had an appointment here. The food was amazing! And In took some empanadas home! Honestly,…read morethey're the perfect size! They're about half the size as a regular empanada so you know what that means half the calories. Lol they come in pineapple pumpkin and apple. Each flavor was very tasty. The thing I like about empanadas is that they're not too sweet and these were just like that. I especially like the apple filling. It had a little bit of what seems to be cinnamon and it was again not too sweet, but perfectly sweet. Of course, and why am I the thing that makes an empanada great is also the crust. It was perfectly crispy on the outside. He's empanadas are the superstars! Another reason I love this place is because they're training people who have disabilities for employment. I had Chile Riano's with beans and rice. Everything tasted like the Mexican food that I love in Tucson. The portions are pretty large for the Rihanna's and then the sides were not overwhelming just right. I got to chill Reynolds and I ended up taking one home. I definitely recommend you giving this place to try especially because of what they do for the community. The prices were very inexpensive as well. If you're looking for a fun day trip and then you want a good meal this is a great place to stop while supporting the community. All the staff was very nice as well as the students being trained which you couldn't really tell who is who. And I appreciate that too! Please support them!

    The food was verywell presented and delicious The service was very good and we had a very nice…read moretime. The restaurant is very clean and the staff friendly. It is a restaurant and a bakery and a plant nursery Nextdoor. We enjoyed our visit very much!

    Photos
    La Castellana Cafe - A separate meeting room is available behind the counter and the doors can be closed.

    A separate meeting room is available behind the counter and the doors can be closed.

    La Castellana Cafe
    La Castellana Cafe - Sign to cafe

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    Sign to cafe

    El Zarape - mexican - Updated May 2026

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