My dad had been coming here pretty much his whole life, so when visiting family in Mankato, we had to make a stop to try the famed cheese chilito. They tasted very good, the service was friendly and you can understand how Zanz grew to be a hometown favorite in Mankato. read more

I ordered a beef enchilada, and two tacos. It came with beans, rice, aced a drink for $8.31. All I can say is, you get what you pay for.

I've lived in Mankato for 8 years now. When I moved here I heard everyone talking about this place. I have no idea why. Maybe it used to be good or something, but it's HOT GARBAGE! I've given it several chances because it's been around so long. Never again. I truly believe people say they like it just because it's local. No one can actually like their food. The Chilitos that are their signature item have zero flavor. The tortillas are weird and doughy, and leave white crumbs all over. Just get a chili cheese burrito at Taco Bell, 2200 times better. I had a burrito that tasted like canned dog food smells. I tried to put hot sauce on them to mask the flavor and it was similar to watered down catsup. Just the worst Mexican food in Mankato, that's all there is too it. I hate Taco John's and I would go there 100 out of 100 times over this dump. So many better options now. read more

Website says open until 10. Got here at 9 and they said sorry just closed. Very unhelpful employees!!! Not stopping again!

I've witnessed the different carnations of this place. Robbie's Hamburgers, Zapata, Zantigo, and Zanz. I moved from Mankato many years ago, but every time I visit my hometown, I visit Zanz. I had 4 delicious cheese chilitos today, and they were just as good today as they were decades ago. Thank you for the delicious lunch!! read more

Zanz Mexican Restaurant - a view from inside a car - Mexican Near Me - Mankato, Minnesota

Love Zanz. Love the food and the vibe. Lived in Mankato for many years and I still hit Zanz when I get back there to visit. Taco burrito + chili burrito, yum. We have Zantigo up in the Twin Cities which is what Zanz used to be back in the old days before they went independent. Pretty similar, both are old school fast Mexican that hasn't been reduced to Taco Bell quality over the years. Great taco meat, tasty taco shells and tortillas, fresh tomato & lettuce, etc. A reminder that fast food used to be respectable before the national chains started a race to the bottom with quality. Long live Zanz!! read more

Food is awful. Used to be so good I don't know what happened. Service is pretty hit and miss. Sometimes it's great other times the front counter person will ignore you and carry on with whatever conversation they are having with the kitchen. read more

After driving for over 6 hours, we decided to take a detour to stop in for chilitos. Once inside we were told they had a big order come in and it would be 30 minutes before they could take our order. Since we still had 2 hours to drive. Waiting that long for them to melt cheese on a tortilla is ridiculous. It seems they need a better system to serve both a big order and walk in customers at the same time. read more

The original and still the best. Hot cheese chillitos, of course. Taco burritos, yes please. It's not authentic Mexican, it's authentic ZANZ! Grab some grub and sit outside under the canopy. read more

Food was excellent, service was friendly and helpful, I found this place purely by mistake, but glad I did.

Disgusting, chips were stale and store bought the nachos were made with shredded cheese and was definitely sitting out for a while tacos were made horribly were not wrapped right and very greasy! Put way too much cheese on the tacos. They didnt give us everything we asked for. Repulsive and disgusting place workers looked like they didnt even know what they were doing. Genuinely a disgrace to real authentic mexican food. This some real American shit right here. Just go to taco johns across the street you could get something way better. read more

I have been going to Zanz for YEARS! Zanz has been around since the protesting even in the 70's. Most of the people leaving bad reviews don't know good food to begin with and they are millennials. I'm a millennial but I'm a foodie. Chilitos are amazing but so are taco burritos! I have gone to Zanz in high school, college and now as a nurse. I live in Kansas and I'm eating at Zanz today. Because it's worth it! Get me a chilito and a choco taco! read more

Better than your typical quick Taco store. Very tasty and pretty quick from order to eat time.

Not very good food, and table service was poor May be great for people used to that, but not for us....

Eureka, I've found it. The WORST Mexican food in Minnesota. Whatever the OPPOSITE of authentic Mexican food is, it can be had within the friendly confines of Zanz. And they've got it all: - Over-cooked flavorless beef with a dog-food resemblance? CHECK! - Gooey Mexican rice with the flavor profile of Spaghetti-O's? CHECK! - The driest refried beans that one can imagine? IT'S ALL HERE! - A flavorless burrito swimming in sour cream, hastily pieced together by an army of Millennial kitchen workers? BOOM! - A cozy seating area that allows great views of kitchen staff getting handsy with one another, and occasionally smooching? ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTE! Despite the aforementioned shortcomings, there is a steady stream of folks coming through this place for sloppy foodstuffs, so clearly the masses have little appreciation for edible food. The bar has been set awfully low here in Mankato. read more

oohhhhh how I miss Zanz. The cheese chilitos and their soft tacos are awesome. I haven't eaten there in like 12 years and I still think about it. Nothing fancy, small fast food mexican joint, but awesome. If you are in Kato, go get some. I am considering having a friend who still lives there buy me some cheese chilitos, freeze them and mail them to me. YUM! read more

I realize that in this day in age, where the children dictate restaurant hours, and everyone want's $15/hr. Things are getting sad. I came into the restaurant to order some food at 8:30, only to be told that they "Don't serve food after 8:30 (so that the kids can get out of there exactly at 9 I'm guessing?), except for chilitos". You already close earlier than you used to, presumably at 9 according to your sign. Probably should just say, close at 8:30, so your guests don't have a preconceived expectation, that just because you say you're open, that they can actually get something more than a chilito. So disappointing. read more

I went to Zanz today for lunch after reading the reviews here. I like all kinds of food, authentic or not. I told the guy at the register it was my first time here and had read reviews online about the chilitos. He said, yes we are know for the chilitos. I thought awesome, this should be a pretty good experience. I ordered the hot chilito, (he told me it wasn't very spicy and he was right) and the taco burrito with sour cream, which was also suggested in the reviews. What I got was a tortilla wrapped around some chili cheese mixture (chilito), and a smallish taco burrito. My first thoughts were, I was hoping for a little more. I was very disappointed with the chilito after all the reviews. It was really nothing special. The taco burrito was pretty good. As I walked out the door, I thought, I will never eat here again... Too many other options out there... read more

Had my first Zanz experience yesterday for lunch - here's my take! This is an "old fashioned" walk in, dine in or take out fast food Ameri-mex place. The interior is classic 70's/early 80's perhaps but clean and I think charming. We need more independant/nonchain places in this world! The prices are great - only paid 6 bucks for my lunch and the staff were very friendly. Had heard only good things about the chilitos so gave one a whirl. I remember loving chilitos as a teenager from Zantigos so this took me back! Just delicious cheesy goodness with some chili like sauce all rolled into a large soft tortilla - pure love with some hot sauce drizzled over top. Two crispy tacos - good ol' crispy tacos! These also bring me back to my childhood when we had never heard of soft tacos and the ONLY option was beef. Only question I had was each taco had one tomato piece sitting on top of the lettuce and cheese - is there a point to only one? Both my tacos were served like this and I found that odd but, okay I wasn't upset. Either put tomatoes on it or leave them off huh? :) Ok but really, nothing but love for Zanz - will be back many times I'm sure! read more

I've lived in San Diego for 8 years so I'm a mexican food snob (i've been spoiled with GOOD mexican food, as I live less than an hour from the border), and Zanz isn't authentic by any means, but it still does the job :) It's not a fancy establishment, which is fine by me. The prices are SUPER cheap and the staff is incredibly friendly. I of course tried the mild cheese chilito, which I heard was something you HAD to get, and I wasn't disappointed. It was AMAZING, probably not good for you, but delicious :) I also tried the bean and cheese burrito, which wasn't anything special, but it wasn't bad either. I tried the taco burrito too and honestly, it tastes like a taco in burrito form, which I thought was funny and cool haha. Honestly, for the price you pay, this food can def. satisfy your Mexican cravings and it tastes pretty decent. And trust me, get the cheese chilitos, SO GOOD :) read more

Crispito: yummy when fresh hot out of the oven (apple filling)! Taco salad/beef small but good with extra jalepenos! Comfortable scenic seating. Good value. read more

Zanz Mexican Restaurant - Simple extensive menu. Clean cozy place on sunny cold winter day! - Mexican Near Me - Mankato, Minnesota

I liked the chilito's, prefer the hot to the mild. Two totally different flavors. Hot is more green chilis, jalapeno mild is more red like enchilada sauce. Cheap prices, fast service, friendly staff. Only booths, kinda tight for a big gal like me lol! read more

I'm not here to complain about their dive appearance (which it definitely is- HELLO- the interior looks like something seen on the second episode of the Brady Bunch) but, the food isn't anything all that special. The food is good, yes, but the portions are tiny. For the price you could order multiples of something, I suppose, but they really aren't anything satisfactory or filling. I also don't like seeing a restaurant serve things on foam plates. It seems more like a picnic than any sort of sit down restaurant. It's also SUPER cold in there. Mid summer, the AC is blasted and I feel like I'm in a meat locker. During the winter, it's about the same. I could have sworn the vent above me was still blasting cold air in mid January. I would be sad if Taco Johns, across the street, put them out of business- it's always good to see a business make it through out all of these years- but perhaps charging a little more, you could increase the portions, and update the interior. It would be much needed, and would probably increase the amount of customers! I would say a "B" rating at most. Passing, because of the good food, but nothing spectacular. read more

Every time I go back to Mankato we go to Zanz. I went there when I met my husband 32 years ago and his dad still lives there. The chillitos are the best ever! Taco Bell is like dog meat. Taste like they burn it. Zanz is creamy and big. My I took my daughter there last time and she thought the chillito was super good. She also had a taco that was way bigger and better than Taco Bell. And a new tradition starts. read more

Best CHEESE CHILLITOS ever! The mild are great and the hot are out of this world. They also have rice and bean options for vegetarians and vegans. read more

Wow, Yelp failed us on this one! My wife, son and I were in Mankato this evening and checked Yelp for some restaurant tips. Zanz came up at the top of the list... five star Mexican, awesome! Wrong... avoid this place if you like Mexican food (even fast-food chains blow this place out of the water). This was by far the worst food we've paid for in many years. The rice tasted like they poured spaghettios sauce on it (cheap, sickly-sweet tomato sauce). The beans were totally unseasoned. The only spice used on my platter (and I requested "hot") was salt, and way too much of that. The beef enchilada consisted of plain, dry, salty ground beef in a tortilla with cheese and goopy sauce on top. The tacos were dry and flavorless -- I could make better tacos at home with some beef and a jar of cheap chili powder. The much vaunted chilitos were ok -- our 1-year-old son liked his well enough. When we asked for a cup of water to wash down the saltiness, they told us that they only sell bottled water. I agree with some other reviewers that the look of this place could be updated, but that's the least of their problems. I've been to rusty, broken-down taco trucks with FAR better food. I am stunned that this place has been in business for so long. read more

All around good place to eat, would kill for their taco burritos. Admittedly the place looks a little grimy but the food is still good

Seriously, I know Zanz looks like a major dive in appearance. They don't even have a public restroom. (You have to use the one in their kitchen.) A couple locals took me there using force. Their hot chilitos are sooo very yummy. The tacos and tots are good too. I normally don't use taco sauce, but I use the packets they have. Several people I know that have moved away, including myself now, will actually get a supply of them to take home and freeze for later. I heart Zanz. read more

Great food have been going there for ages I have never had a problem with them being rude or mean I've gone there several times there food is great and it's for a great price read more

I mainly go here for the Mild Cheese Chilitos every time I'm back home in Kato.

Love this place. Grew up here and every time I come back to visit I try to get my fill of cheese chilitoes... it's like heaven in a tortilla. Not sure why but the craving for these never go away after 30 of being gone. Still the same place, same decor. Who says you can't go home again? read more

Zanz is no Five Star eating establishment. You go here for the same reason you go to White Castle: Great comfort food that will eventually cause you some gastric distress. Some places are worth it, and this is one of them. DON'T go there if you're looking for a cup of water and ice, and a public restroom. DO go there for the amazingly simple and tasty Mild Cheese Chillito, Chips and Cheese, and Taco Burrito with sour cream. You'll love this place that has not changed since 1976. read more

I never lived around this area but I still grew up eating the cheese chilitos here. They are absolutely amazing and everyone needs to try them. They are so good that I am willing to drive 2 hours just to eat them with my family and that's saying something. I believe that everyone needs to have them at least once in their life because they will bless you with their deliciousness. read more

Oh man the hot chilitos! I used to eat here all the time when I lived in MN and still always make it a point to go stock up when back from Nashville. This place is just amazeballllls. Sucks they've raise the prices so much but ill still always go! read more

Love this place. I moved out of state and when I came back this was the first place I went for lunch. Cheese chilitos are disappointing everywhere else after you've had these. read more

Really great food considering the price. Chilitos are the way to go here! I personally recommend requesting NO French dressing on the salads if you get one...surprise attacks your taste buds cause you're expecting Mexican hot sauce not American salad dressing. The taco burrito is also a decent menu item. Overall good experience but very casual and simple in comparison to other Mexican restaurants. read more

I am one of those who grew up eating Cheese Chilitos...I mean since like 1977! It used to be Zantigos. I am not sure when it changed to Zanz but the taste of the food never changed. Neither has the building. Roof leaks, buckets on the floor, no bathrooms, same faded plastic menu board. Now I live over an hour away and still will drive there just to get my fix. The Hard Shell Tacos are another treat for me. The shells are so thin and tender. I have never found anything that taste like the food from this little dive. I hope they never change a thing! read more

I LOVE Zanz! Whenever I'm back in Mankato, I always stop here for some cheese chilitos! Honestly, born and raised in Mankato and having eaten here for at least 20 years...I've never had anything BUT the cheese chilitos and a fountain soda. I would try something else, but I'm a firm believer of if it isn't broke, don't fix it! :-) And, I've never heard anyone else get anything else but cheese chilitos from here - so if I hear of anything else that is good from here, I might be tempted to try it. But, until then, 2 cheese chilitos please!! read more

One of the greatest places to eat in Mankato! It is a must stop! Cheese chilitos; mucho tostada; tacos; chicken enchiladas---everything is amazing!!! read more

The best cheese chilitos in town. I used to eat here once a week but been on a diet and havent ate it in forever. The mucho Tostadas are amazing also read more