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    Zandunga Mexican Restaurant

    4.3 (58 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Zandunga Mexican Restaurant Photos

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    ZANDUNGA MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Good for kids
    Happy hour specials

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    Part of combo with beef tamale and cheese enchilada
    Lindsay H.

    Had a hard time deciding between a 3 and 4 and would likely give a 3.5 if the Yelp gods let me. Missing a part of our order and a few soggy, inedible items were a bummer. It's the risk you take with to-go, so I will round up because many other items were yummy and we will definitely be returning to try more items. Should also note that we were charged an international fee on our debit card, as their online billing seems to be run through a Canadian company. Booo! (To unmentioned fees, not Canada ;-) ). Call instead. What we tried: -Mexican Corn on the Cob (street corn): two ears given and I LOVED the seasoning. More lime-forward than most street corn I've tried and I was a fan...hubby not so much. *shrug* More for me! The quality of the corn itself was "meh" but it's December, so not their fault. I can't wait to try this during corn season next summer. -Combo plate (beef taco, beef tamale, cheese enchilada w/ rice and beans: The quality of the taco innards were really good, but unfortunately, the shell got soggy and feel apart even though it was packaged separately. I feel like it would have been great in person instead of to-go. The tamale was really good, especially with some queso poured over the top. What's NOT better doused in cheese goo? The cheese enchilada was okay. I think I would pass on enchiladas next time. It tasted like a saucy tortilla, no cheese really present. -Shrimp nachos fajita: Super soggy chips, as they didn't package the wet ingredients separately. That was a bummer, as there was a lot of moisture from the veggies and shrimp pooled at the bottom. The toppings were really tasty. Know that there is not the mentioned melted cheese, but the very runny queso, which tastes great, but adds to the liquid. Cheese dip/Salsa/Chips: Really tasty queso with a slight kick. Very runny, but yummy. Salsa was exactly the kind I like-blended, not chunky and really flavorful. The chips were fresh and cooked well...could have used a touch more salt, but that was easy for us to sprinkle on. Chips and salsa were not automatically included and were a separate charge. Cheesecake Chimichanga: Paid for this and would have loved to try it, but they forgot to include it in our bag. :-(

    Chips and salsa, with extra so you don't have to ask for more
    Marian M.

    I went during lunch hour and was happy to see that they had reasonably priced lunch specials. All of the staff had smiles and the service was great. The restaurant had music playing, not loud at all, but it set the mood well. It has an industrial feel to the place, with some nice decor and what looks like a well-stocked bar. The salsa was smooth and thick, which seems to be a trend here in town. While I prefer my salsa on the chunky side, this one had more flavor than a recent visit I had to another Mexican restaurant here, and it's served in a little carafe, so you don't have to ask for more. The chips are thick and hold up to dipping. Since I missed breakfast, I ordered the huevos con chorizo and it came quickly. The chorizo was spicy, but not overly so, and it was served with the typical rice and beans. There were tortillas as well, and I chose flour. They were very soft and stretchy, so if you like your tortillas with a char, these are not for you. However, they served very well for sopping up sauce. I'll definitely have to come back to try their dinner options. Parking is easy, as it's between Hobby Lobby and the new thrift shop.

    Happy hour
    Day M.

    Great customer service and good deals! We love to come here for happy hour when we're in Oak Ridge. Portions are good too.

    steak tacos and steak fajitas
    Hannah C.

    very welcoming and attentive staff, definitely has a family feel. food was amazing! can't wait to come back

    Menu
    Stefan M.

    Service and food was good. Liked the clean atmosphere. The fajitas were good and definitely recommend the house hot sauce.

    Arroz con pollo no onions
    Michael P.

    FANTASTIC! The staff is friendly, polite and inviting. The food was fast, hot and fresh exactly as ordered. The dining area was spotlessly clean! One of the other servers (not mine) noticed my coke was low and topped it off instead of ignoring it. Nice team work!

    the front of the restaurant
    Bear K.

    Outstanding food, service and prices! The chips and salsa were perfect! The salsa wasn't watered down like some places. Try the veggie fajitas, it comes with a plate of delicious refried beans and rice. Our waitress, Lupita, was super friendly and had a million dollar smile!

    The front entrance
    Mike M.

    My neighbor & I wanted to try out this new restaurant next door to Hobby Lobby, that just opened. First impressions mean a lot. This restaurant did not disappoint us. Upon entering, we were warmly greeted. I was amazed by the decor & cleanliness. The walls are vibrant & trendy. This approach gave the place a more open feel. The restrooms were bright & very clean. The staff wore festive uniforms. Our waiter was very professional & conscientious. My neighbor is Latino, her enchilada and traditional squash and corn was excellent according to her. Her standards are very high. My experience has taught me that if the salsa is really good, I know the food is going to be outstanding. They nailed it! The salsa had flavors that complemented each other brilliantly. The other measure I use, are the chips. They were freshly made. These two factors told me a lot about this establishment. Another factor I use is their tacos. I have to say that their beef tacos were excellent. The ground beef actually had a very pleasant flavor. They had generous portions of cheese and lettuce. I chose black beans as my side & again they got it right. You have to check out this place in Oak Ridge. If you live in Oak Ridge or West Knoxville take the time to go to this place. They cook their food with love. They may take their time, but it's worth it. Most likely based upon the taste of the food they cook it to order.

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    1 month ago

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

    I went for a late lunch and the food was excellent. Had the beef chimichanga. Friendly service... will go again.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

    We come here all the time. Best Mexican in oak ridge by a landslide!! Staff is so friendly and the food is so fresh

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very nice place with good food and service. Among so many other Mexican restaurants in the area this one is remarkably good!

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The atmosphere is, blank communal lunch room. The staff are all nice but the food isn't the best.

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Good food great service they are the closest I've found to authentic Mexican food! Try it out!

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    3 years ago

    Best and freshest Mexican I've ever had. Unlike most of the chain-type restaurants. Awesome flavors.

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    My favorite local Mexican place. The food is always very good and the service and prices are great.

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    La Casita Charra - The guacamole...with no avocado. Nope.

    La Casita Charra

    4.6(34 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $

    What happened? I am crossing fingers the usual chef is simply on vacation because our meal tonight…read morewas terrible. Carnitas Guacamole special is always my go-to. Tonight, the meat was sparse, dry (yet fatty), and bones were left in. There was undercooked rice and underseasoned beans (which are usually amazing). Probably the worst part of the meal? The guacamole had literally no avocado in it. They instead chopped tomato, cilantro, and onion and tried to pass it off as guacamole. My husband was also missing avocado that was supposed to come with his meal, so they must have been out. If so, we would have loved a phone call to let us choose an alternative or give a discount, given that guac was a main part of my meal. My husband ordered the beef rib plate and said it was perhaps the worst meal he's had all year. It was served with tortillas but the meat was so incredibly chewy and inedible, served as a long strip with bones intact. He felt the same as me about the rice and beans. We DID like the cojita cheese with the beans, the homemade tortillas, and the tortilla chips with salsa verde. We normally love the queso with its tasty, somewhat runny consistency, but today, it was congealed with a hard film covering the top. We microwaved it thinking it would help, but it was still so chunky that we couldn't dribble it over our meals. It got tossed. Because of previously amazing experiences, we will try it again (and hopefully update review) but if it is the same lacking quality, we will probably find a new spot.

    I just ran in to get some tamales to go. They had a warmer right by the cash register full of…read moretamales!! I got 2 packs of 4 each (2 pork snd 2 chicken) and was thrilled!! I've just now heated them up and they were delicious!! My grandparents lived in South Texas so I grew up having authentic Mexican food at times and I'm very partial to tamales!! Glad to find my go to tamale place!!

    Photos
    La Casita Charra - Inside

    Inside

    La Casita Charra - Eggs and chorizo

    Eggs and chorizo

    La Casita Charra

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    Gallo Loco - shrimp burrito

    Gallo Loco

    4.1(92 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $

    Tl;Dr service is crap now and it reeks of human waste and has for at least six months…read more Look, the good is...pretty much on par with the area, there's better but it's not the absolute worst either. Years ago the price, quality and service couldn't be beat for town. Years ago. Whatever. Quality went down but portions, pricing and service remained better than the rest around four years back. Two years ago quality/flavor continued to tank, but service was okay and prices still okay. This past year? Gross. They're charging almost as much or the same as places in town that are much better in all fields: taste, quality, service, pricing, ambiance. Price creep came first. Then quality and flavor. Then came service and ambiance. Honestly, I hesitate to even brush it off as ambiance, it's closer to a health issue now and has been for at least six months. The area near the rest room absolutely reeks of sewage and human waste. I went to use the rest room and I genuinely vomited. When the smell hit me I was going to just...not use the bathroom, but my body had other plans and I was forced to use it because I had to vomit. I held my breath but then I tasted it in my mouth and vomited again, and then one last time. It was that bad. I don't know why I went back to this place, honestly. Dumb old me assumed twice now they would have this disgusting issue under control. "Surely by now" I said. It's not even that good, the only thing I can think of that possessed me to give this place a try the past two times and now this final time is that I have memories of this place. My family is close to the (previous) owners and waitstaff, we had my mother's wake here when she passed, things like that, and the make my margaritas strong because of that relationship. But that staff has been leaving over the past year, and the service shows the loss. Last time we were here we stood there for ten minutes to be seated. It wasn't anywhere near close, four hours to go actually, a weekend, and pretty dead. I understand why now. The guy in the kitchen just kept looking at us. Some other guy was in the office/kitchen just talking in the phone. The poor BOH kept ringing their little bell and couldn't even get any of the staff to come run food, it was ridiculous honestly. The mod food isn't even consistent anymore, it's like they can't even keep a cook so you order something and it comes out complete different every time, down to the salsa. One day spicy no cilantro, next day not spicy at all heaps of cilantro, one day no spice no cilantro etc. Avocado salad is the same way. So are other items. At this point, and it really hurts me to say it due to nostalgia, there is no point at all in visiting this place unless you like poor to mid food priced the same as better places in town, awful service, and the literal smell of human feces. RIP Gallo Loco.

    Very inviting atmosphere with kind and helpful staff. We were seated immediately but I bet this…read moreplace can be quite busy. The food was excellent. We all enjoyed the beans that they served with the chips, a nice surprise. All the meat was cooked expertly and everyone liked their meals. We will be back.

    Photos
    Gallo Loco
    Gallo Loco - Tacos Locos

    Tacos Locos

    Gallo Loco - Interior

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    Interior

    El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant

    El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant

    4.2(100 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $

    What a nostalgic experience! Dan and I are visiting family in Knoxville. Today, we drove to Oak…read moreRidge where we used to live and had lunch at our favorite restaurant when Oak Ridge was home. I would love to move back to our Oak Ridge house. If we could move back, we would once again be regulars at El Cantarito and I will tell you why. I'm the frugal yelper. I love a good deal and I recognize value. That doesn't mean I like cheap food or don't enjoy fine dining. I just like value. That's what you get at El Cantarito. Their prices are fabulous and their food must be good quality because it tastes great. Dan and I each got a tostada lunch for just under $5. Dan got the tostaquac which included ground beef and sour cream. I got one with everything besides the ground beef and sour cream. Both had refried beans, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. Delicious. That came with rice and beans. The salsa was delicious, just the right amount of kick. I made the mistake of ordering the large beer without asking how large it was. It was 32 Oz. Dan got one, too. That was way too much for either of us, so we left much of it. The large draft beer was $4.99. During happy hour domestics are $1.99 for a small and $3.99 large. Modelo is a dollar more. It has a Mexican diner feel to it. It looks authentic and very much is authentic. During lunch hour it is very busy and a little noisy. We recognized our server but she didn't remember us. The check just said she's #2. She didn't recognize us. #2 gave us excellent service. We couldn't have asked for any better service. Oak Ridge is so lucky to have this wonderful Mexican restaurant. I hope they appreciate it.

    When we lived in Oak Ridge we were regulars here for lunch. First time back in 5 years and were…read morequite pleasantly surprised to find the same good food and very reasonable prices. They have lunches as low as $4.75. Most of the staff is the same. Our server even remembered us. Walls decorated with Mexican art among the TVs showing sports and news. Very large menu with many selections from which to choose.

    Photos
    El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant
    El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Fajitas

    Fajitas

    El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant

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    Barrios Mexican Cantina - Barbacoa was the best of the 3.

    Barrios Mexican Cantina

    4.3(60 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    We were coming home from a long day of driving and found this place along the way. To say it is…read morethe best Mexican restaurant food I've ever had would be an understatement. Everything was epic. We started with chips and salsa and beer. I wish I could remember the name of the young man who served us because he was a very good bartender and server. I ordered three different tacos and man, oh man! The cauliflower taco was hands down the best taco I've ever eaten. The lengua taco was just as good. The seasoning and accompanying veggies were the perfect ingredients for these tacos. The Baja shrimp tacos were good too, but not off the charts like the other two. The street corn was seasoned nicely and I enjoyed each and every bite My husband, who doesn't really like or eat Mexican food ordered the Philly Steak and Cheese burrito with rice and beans. He ate all of it, so I know it had to be good. We are already making plans to return, although it's over an hour away from our house. I'm excited to try other items. Barrios, thank you for the great food, the clean bar, and the excellent food. We look forward to seeing you again! And, we were aware of the upcharge for using a credit card, so there were no surprises as mentioned in other reviews.

    It's time to update my review from 2 years ago! Yes, Barrios, you have a dedicated fan now! Since…read moremy last review, lots has changed about this place and only in a good way! They added an outdoor, dog-friendly patio and a new bar inside. Each time I've come now, that place has been clean and inviting! The service has been great - prompt, attentive, and friendly. But as a taco-loving Texan who now resides in TN, I have to say this is the BEST Mexican food in town. They have the best salsa, margaritas, and everything I've ordered, from tacos to brunch items to green chili has been yummy! While the salsa has been toned down for the 'can't handle the heat' locals - just ask your server for something else with more spice. They will accommodate you. There's some salsa Verde and tomatillo salsa that has a bit more kick and is my go-to! And they have corn tortillas too - you can just ask them to swap them out for the flour if that is your preference. I promise, my partner and I have hit just about every Mexican place in OR - and he even agrees, Barrios is where it's at!

    Photos
    Barrios Mexican Cantina
    Barrios Mexican Cantina
    Barrios Mexican Cantina - New seasonal cocktails

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    New seasonal cocktails

    Zandunga Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated May 2026

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