Haven't been here in years and that's been a hugh mistake. I had forgotten just how good this place is. Interior radiates an authentic Mexican Cantina and the food is as authentic as you could hope for. Wanted somthing lite, so I had Pozole with shredded chicken; the broth was outstanding; portion size gargantuan, definitely made in-house. this was a real treat. You'll find things on the menu you won't find elsewhere. Service was friendly and, attentive. If you're seeking something different when jonesing for Mexican, most likely it'll be found here. read more

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We Stopped here for dinner this evening with my family. We are recent transplants from Los Angels. Our server was very professional and friendly. Wife and I enjoyed their chips and salsa. I especially enjoyed their salsa roja and salsa verde which were served in two small plastic containers. I was disappointed with my fish tacos. The fish was dry, over cooked, and the tortillas were not soft. Their beans and rice were good. Over all, I thought the food was very mediocre. Maybe I should have started with a margarita. read more

This mom and pop shop is my favorite authentic Mexican restaurant. My go to is always their Birria Tacos. Always savory with fresh ingredients. Never disappoints. The owner always makes you feel at home. read more

Sarapes Restaurant - Birria Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Enfield, Connecticut

Coming from California and finding an authentic Mexican restaurant is like taking a breath of fresh air! Food was great, the place is great. They are super friendly, and the service was awesome. The menu has good variety, but not overwhelming so, and the prices are pretty reasonable. Also, did I mention breakfast!! So happy to find this spot, coming back for sure! read more

I had a vegetable tamale and my guest had the enchiladas with red sauce. The masa is smooth and delicious. Service was a bit slow for mid afternoon, but locals were there and there was just one server and she was lovely. Give this place a try. You'll be pleased. read more

I've been loving this place for over 10 years, telling everybody how great they are, but some recent changes are not to the better IMHO. First the free chips, they had the best chips that's lite brown in color, crunchy but not hard & it's super fresh & yummy tasting. That's gone & replaced by the generic pale colored tasteless & hard to chew chips. If you think people don't notice this subtle cost cutting measure, think again. The difference is night & day, please don't, just don't, don't make your chips like every other Americanized Mexican restaurants around here, please bring back the authentic lite brown chips. Second, I had fish taco special & they were terrible, I can hardly taste the fish & the sauce was runny & tasted weird, not appetizing. Third, I can no longer buy my favorite beef tongue taco individually, must buy a set of 3. Why? I don't want three, I just want one so i have room for varieties. All these small changes are not making it better, collectively they made me not want to come back. Plus a can of Diet Coke is now $4. No more Diet Coke for me, price hike too much. The only good part today was the beef lips taco, stil sold individually & still as goods as before. read more

Stopped in for lunch with my girlfriend. The surrounding area has a bit of a "housing project" environment to it, but don't let that fool you. Everything about this place was nice. From the Mexican decor to the service to the food and margaritas. I had a two-beef taco plate with rice and refried beans and my girlfriend had chicken tacos. One big plus for me is that they offer either soft shell tacos or crunchy. They default to soft, so if they don't mention it, be sure to ask. Our waitress gave us the heads up. The margaritas tasted good, ranging in price from $13 to $15 as of this review. The service was fast and courteous. We'd definitely go back. read more

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When does a restaurant recommendation expire? I ask because multiple people have recommended that I visit Sarapes, but the last rec was probably 10 years ago. It turns out I hold my friends to a high standard of care, because I've still planned to go all this time, and I finally went this month. I think the recommendation still holds up pretty well. Sarapes is a sit down Mexican restaurant with a large bar area and what looked to be a party room or secondary seating room behind the bar. I bet Sarapes, when it was first built, was festive and spectacular. It's still pretty good, but it needs some love in several spots. For example, I noticed faded spots in the black table tops of multiple tables. The lunch/dinner menu included burritos, tacos, gorditas, enchiladas, fajitas, apps and traditional entrees. They also serve breakfast. I didn't have much time to analyze the menu. So I went with something safe -- a pastor burrito and a beef Gordita. The pastor burrito was gorgeous. It was topped with green and white stripes, presumably some sort of salsa verde and crema. The components of the burrito were very good, but there was a lot of rice. Also, it could have been hotter. Since my only other Gordita experience was with Taco Bell, I didn't know what to expect. It was sort of like a ground beef, cheese, lettuce sandwich on thick, dense and savory corn tortillas. It was good. For the most part, service was pretty good. When I arrived, there was only one other group (three people) there, and that group was uniquely loud on a variety of subjects. I get that restaurants can't always control their customers, but It should have been pretty obvious to Sarapes by the time I arrived how loud the group was and I would have appreciated some separation from that group. But Sarapes seated me at the closest possible table notwithstanding numerous other options. The volume definitely affected my enjoyment of my meal. There some hiccups, but overall, my experience at Sarapes was good. I suspect that Sarapes has more authentic and higher quality food than most of the Mexican restaurants in CT. That's why I will further the recommendation of my friends. Four Stars read more

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Four us got together for our monthly breakfast. We vary the eateries and this month it was Sarapes. Plenty of parking in a strip mall. Ample seating. Two of my friends chose traditional American fare....eggs, home fries, pancake, ham, sausage. Demanding Dan and I chose a Mexican classic (when in Rome, etc...). Machacado con Huevo (scrambled eggs with Mexican dry beef, onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos). Also came w beans and tortillas. After a few bites, DD asked if my beans were cold. I had been thinking the same thing. They were. The scrambled egg concoction, to me, was bland. No wow factor at all. One friend got his rye toast over 5 minutes after the rest of his meal arrived. Service was a bit spotty. Best part of breakfast was catching up with three friends. read more

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Best authentic Mexican food in the area. Server was helpful in answering questions and food came out quick. Good ambiance with family feel and fun decor. read more

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I really wanted to like this place more. But everything was just ok and the food seemed more tex mex ish rather then very authentic. read more

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Super authentic food done well! Don't discount breakfast - it's a great option. Chorizo, egg, and potato, with their in house made hot sauce. Delicious!!! read more

I'm always wary when someone asks if I "like Mexican food" when we're trying to choose a place to eat. I do, but so much depends on the specific restaurant. Everyone's favorite in my state (NH) is one of my least favorite, and I'm rarely happy with chain restaurants. So when my mother recommended we go to Sarapes, I was hopeful, but wary. The restaurant is clean and nicely appointed with booths, tables and a small bar. The atmosphere was perfect for this neighborhood restaurant (in the Thompsonville part of town)--not too loud, but friendly and welcoming. There's a parking lot with plenty of parking and a small grocery store nextdoor. The food was yummy. I know the guacamole is fresh, made-to-order, and I should've asked if everything is fresh made there, but didn't think to. I wouldn't doubt it. After the chips and guac, We each had a spicy pork taco, a chicken taco, and split some beans and rice. Mildly flavored, with just a bit of heat--I bet they can amp up the heat index if you ask them to! The restaurant is family owned and has been in town (previously in a different location) for a long time. I highly recommend! Oh, and they serve breakfast!! https://sarapesrestaurant.com read more

Heard from a friend about this place after the feature in the New York Times. After living in Texas, and visiting Mexico multiple times, I can tell you -- this place is authentic! I visited with a friend who is from Texas and even he was impressed with the authenticity. For drinks - we started with dos cervezas (2 beers) and they have a selection of American and Mexican beers. We also had flavored margaritas with chili / salt on the rim. Pretty standard margs! They serve chips & salsa for the table. I ordered the carne asada burrito -- very yummy but messy to eat. Super good with the house made hot sauce! My friend ordered the chicken soup and enchiladas. It was all super delicious. I only wish I tried the tacos! For that reason I'll be back! read more

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The star of the show is the birria tacos! Followed by the tripas, then the lengua. The asada was bland I felt needed more seasoning with the pastor and barbacoa to follow. The salsa were fresh as well as the cilantro and onions. You have to order tacos in threes and I felt with that and the main asada and pastor falling short I gave them 4 stars. read more

Sarapes Restaurant - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Enfield, Connecticut

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Sarapes has been our favorite Mexican restaurant for several years. The pozole, sopes, chilles rellanos, flautas, enmoladas, and mole poblano are among my favorites. I love the horchata, too, but it's a little sweet so I only get it on alternate trips. Our household also gets the al pastor, barbacoa and lengua tacos which I am assured are awesome though I don't eat those ones myself. Note that the "pandemic" menu says you can only get the pozole on weekends but I have always been able to get it any day. I also have had the sopes with chicken though that isn't listed on the menu either. We've been doing take-out in the last year but I did see they have indoor dining and both picnic tables and a table or two out front now. read more

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Sarapes is a go to spot for me and my coworkers in Enfield! Everyone working is so friendly and makes you feel very welcomed. I love their chips and salsa! Their menu has a wide variety of options but my favorite are their Al pastor tacos! No pineapple chunks but the flavor of this meat is unreal. So tasty and not dry at all! Exactly what you look for in an Al pastor taco. I only wish the rice was just as good as the taco- just needed some more flavor to keep up with the awesome tacos. Totally will be back! read more

Sarapes Restaurant - Al pastor tacos - Mexican Near Me - Enfield, Connecticut

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Got some burritos here for take out since everyone kept raving to me that this was the place to get some "top-notch" Mexican food. Overall, I'd say this place is just okay - while the food is authentic, the quality of the ingredients used are not the best. And while I don't really mind that so much, I do mind that their prices don't reflect this. Our 2 burritos were $25 total w/ tax. Worse of all, the burritos weren't that big either. We got two burritos - al pastor, carne asada. They were mostly comprised of rice and had a very sparse amount of meat in them. The meat was dry and overcooked in both burritos. We also didn't even get a full cup of salsa to go with our burritos. A few hours after we ate our burritos, we both ended up with tummy aches. So I'm not stoked about the freshness of their ingredients either. read more

Absolutely the best fresh Mexican food. We eat there at least 3 times a month. The dessert are delicious

I came here on St. Patrick's Day because I like to avoid the crowds in the Irish pubs. It's always a great choice. Dare to be different. This was my first time here and I had heard so many great things about Sarapes. My friend Tim is a regular and always sends me pics of the great things he gets. I pulled up the pictures when I got there and our server explained what each one was and sure enough, we ordered them all. Thanks, Tim! Pro tip: I got the Tortilla Soup and it was AMAZING! I highly recommend that you try that. My friend and I shared the Carne Asada Burrito, Chicken Tostada and a Beef Gordita. It was a fantastic meal at the bar. The inside is decorated very traditionally- bright and colorful. All good vibes in Sarapes. I got a Churro as a dessert and how can you go wrong with a Churro? Can't wait for the next time I'm in Enfield. Tortilla Soup to start always. read more

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Can't tell ya the last time I had Mexican, so was happy to oblige my neighbor's suggestion! I went to Sarapes once at the old location years ago....I was glad to see the new location is much bigger! We seated ourselves in the bar section and chips and housemade salsa was brought over (wish the salsa container was bigger to allow for easier chip dipping!). We also opted for guacamole-- super creamy! Also got the horchata, which if you've never had, is a must try! I had the mole enchiladas-- always love a good mole sauce and was very happy with this one! It came with the standard refried beans and rice. Neighbor had the #5 combo-- so much food and she was so happy with her choice! Hubby couldn't join, so a burrito to-go for him. Would definitely return! read more

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Gave me food poisoning, service was NOT good, and the whole vibe of the place was just not it, they served a clearly underage kid a drink tbh never coming back here in my life. read more

"I love a big Mexican dinner With beans and rice and hot chili" (The Kentucky Headhunters) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtW1gXmfJ2c We had tickets for the 8:00 show by the Opera House Players, so we needed a place in Enfield for our pre-show meal. The Yelp app, and our realization that we hadn't had real deal Mexican food (by that I mean "not bought at a Chipotle or Moe's") in a while led us to Sarapes. It's in a strip mall on High Street with a ton of parking, so access is pretty easy. It's a family owned non-chained place that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. When you walk in, you'll see a sign to seat yourself, so we grabbed a booth in the back of the dining room, and soon met our charming server Guyla, who had a lot of personality and was a real pleasure to interact with. We went right to the beer menu and ordered $4.50 bottles of Corona Light and Victoria (a Mexican beer I was unfamiliar with). It tasted great- on the light side, so it was super drinkable and very refreshing. Complimentary chips and salsa came out, and the salsa was obviously house made and literally burst with flavor. No heat at all, but the taste was off the charts. My only quibble was that the size of the serving ramekin was on the small side. The Sarapes menu is pretty ambitious, so you'll have a lot to sort through. Expect to see eight appetizers (Chips with salsa, chips with guacamole, nachos, quesadillas, and wings), seven kinds of tacos (including fried tilapia, beef lips, and beef tongue), some Mexican "snacks" or Antojitos such as burritos, tortas and huaraches (not the sandal, but sort of an open faced sandwich on masa dough and mashed beans), a dozen seafood dishes, ten combination plates, and Gringo-ized sandwiches, melts and salads for those not in the mood for Mexican food. We went to the appetizer section for Chicken quesadillas and to the seafood section for Camarones (Shrimp) ala Diabla. The quesadilla ($10.99) was sliced into six wedges that were pretty crammed with cheese and chicken. Good portion size, good value, good taste -good all around. One quibble was the absence of any sour cream or salsa served with the dish, that is pretty common, but not here. My Camarones ala Diabla ($17.99) was a home run. This beauty of a dish included seven big and perfectly cooked shrimp served over rice with a spicy red salsa, fresh white corn tortillas, and a nice garden salad. It was one of the best restaurant meals I've had in a very long time. Just plain excellent. Bottom line- our dinner (including two beers) ran just $40. Gracias Sarapes ! read more

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Came for lunch on a weekend. It was easy to get a table. Not a big restaurant, few tables and the bar, but we had no issue being seated. Service was quick and food was very good! I had a combo with chicken flautas and a tostada, hubby had the Platillo Oaxaqueno. The little one had chicken fingers and fries. We all enjoyed our meals thoroughly- including the hubby (who rarely gives compliments at restaurants). He even ordered a dessert which is very unlike him unless the food is good! Looking forward to coming back! read more

Once again, on the search for smaller eateries that might be little diamonds in the rough. Back in the Enfield neighborhood, wanted to do something different. So we looked up this place and decided to give them a chance. Servers were nice but a little green. We attempted to order 4 tacos, a tamale, and some chips with guac. The fish taco gave the server difficulty, since they only served them as 2-packs rather than singles. Menu didn't say that so it was a bit weird. For tacos we opted for the beef lips, pork, fish, and ground beef. Service took a little longer than expected but wasn't too slow. We took our meal outside and had a nice picnic. The tacos were not the greatest, but not bad. They seemed underdressed, missing a lot of toppings and lacking flavor. The tortillas were fresh and doubled up, with the outer one being toasted. This left the inner tortilla undercooked and a bit doughy. The fish tacos were tilapia. That was the most complete taco with lettuce, tomato, some crema, and a decent portion of fish. The beef lips were greasy and only had onions in it. Tender, but no seasoning just greasy beef. Pork and ground beef were the same, no spices but a decent amount of meat. The tamale was okay. The masa was cooked in chicken broth so it had a decent flavor. Was overcooked though, making it mushy. The guac had fresh avacado, but was really lacking in everything. It needed salt, onion, lime, and cilantro to be a serviceable guac. Their chips were from a bag as well. Overall, not the best Mexican food I have had. Hoping it was just a bad day, but they have the ingredients just not the preparation to be a great spot. They have pretty decent prices so if you want a cheap taco they will scratch that itch. read more

Fish Tacos were very good; whole fish was ok; Do Not order the munudo soup. Very authentic restaurant that you might not like. read more

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I ordered food to go 2 days ago and ate it and got food poisoning. never again will I eat here.

The first thing I want to comment on is the service at Sarapes. Our server was wonderful, friendly, great sense of humor, knowledgeable, just a pleasure. While there are limited vegetarian selections, there are a few to pick from. I had cheese enchiladas in mole sauce. Our server recommended the mole and she was spot on- thick & chocolaty and filling. There is also a veggie burrito that we didn't order, but probably will next time. The atmosphere is very casual and neighborhoody, it's a nice little hidden find in Thompsonville. read more

One of the best authentic Mexican restaurants in CT!! With friendly staff and excellent food, this place is a must go. Every now and then my husband and I will drive half an hour just to dine here- and it's always worth it! read more

Sarapes Restaurant - Burrito de lengua. - Mexican Near Me - Enfield, Connecticut

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We didn't know what to expect but my my this restaurant is on point! Top 5 Mexican Restaurant in the Area! The food was authentic and amazing! We will visit again for sure! read more

Fantastic breakfast. Many options on the menu that have a Mexican twist and traditional as well. Mimosa's, margaritas and bloodys are available. Great ambience spacious inside and very friendly staff. read more

Sarapes Restaurant - Fiesta omelette - Mexican Near Me - Enfield, Connecticut

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I want to love Sarapes, I love a small, family run restaurant. This is my second time here, once in the old place, and once in the new. The restaurant is still small, which I love. It has a real nice family feel to it. The service was a bit slow. The servers were friendly, but service would benefit from them being more attentive to guests than each other. I wouldn't complain, if they had at least stopped by to take our drink order. I mean a margarita goes a long way toward makin' things better. Once we ordered, the food arrived in a good amount of time. I had a combo platter: chile relleno, which is a poblano pepper, stuffed with cheese, breaded and deep fried. It tasted okay, but was a bit soggy; the tostado, which was very good, a crunchy bottom topped with spiced chicken and crunchy lettuce with a nice smattering of a sauce; and the pork tamale, which although flavorful, was very light on the pork stuffing. The requisite rice and beans, met your expectations. A pleasant meal, and a solid three stars. read more

Sarapes Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Enfield, Connecticut

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GREAT food, wonderful service! Every item was fantastic, we loved our dinner and everyone was so nice.

First time - take out order. Ordered 4 different dishes and churros. Everyone loved their dishes. Nice and light, not over seasoned but with exceptional flavor. We are very impressed. Fajitas, sauté shrimp and garlic, carne asada and fish fillet dinners- delicious !! The churros were like nothing we ever experienced - amazing !! THANK YOU ! Can't wait to try again. There are no pics because we inhaled our dinners . read more

The mariachi band was great thats about all that was great... the food was mediocre at best the server should hang up her order book and try another profession. because you just dont argue with a guest . The margaritas didn't have alcohol had to order 10.00 shots of tequila to add so we paid 20.00 for a 10 oz plastic cup of margaritas. What a joke the food was not good very lackluster my wife ordered ",floutas which were teqitoes floutas are chicken wrapped in flour tortillas, taqitoes Are corn tortillas.. but I digress the service was horrible the food and drink was very lackluster chances are I won't be back... read more

I had really high expectations for this place because of the high reviews. It was just OK for me. We got a couple of the dishes: fish tacos, chicken tacos, chicken enchiladas, and the veggie burrito. Everything was pretty good and definitely authentic. The only thing is the taste was just OK for me and the ingredients didn't seem super fresh. The lady, I think she was the owner, was really really nice but she said she couldn't customize a lot of the dishes because everything was pre-made already (like the sauces and the enchiladas). The rice and beans seemed kinda dry... I really wanted to like the place but the food was just a little blah for me. But like I said, pretty authentic, everything homemade and the owner was very very nice. The taste was just ok. read more

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We have lived in Enfield for 10 years and it was suggested we try Sarapes for authentic Mexican, but we just didn't get over there. But when Sarapes bought out one of our regular eateries--Molina's, we decided to try their main location (although they will soon be moving to the Molina's location, which is much better for foot traffic and parking). We lunched at Sarapes on a Sunday, and hubby had the chicken with homemade mole. Wow. This is one of the best moles ever. Very complex and well done. I had the chili rellenos and they were OK, not great. The breading was the main problem. Not fried in hot enough oil (and I didn't bother to ask what the oil was to assure I would eat it :( But, they were acceptable. The refried beans, served in a big bowl since I wanted double beans, no rice, were pretty good--lots of queso chunks. I liked that some avocado was included with my meal--usually extra charge for that. We also had horchata which was deliciuos, although I asked for very little ice and it came with quite a bit. All in all, we will go back or wait until the new location. It is not really cheaper than finer ambiance places, but we like local and homemade. read more

Great tacos and friendly fast service the have great combo dishes that go great together

Excellent, authentic Mexican food. Excellent wait Staff. Huevos Rancheros are delicious!

My family has been eating here for many years. We love the burritos and now our little grandsons love them too. Authentic and delicious Mexican food consistently and perfectly prepared. read more