I've visited this place a few times and always enjoyed the food, even though it's a bit pricey. Given the location and atmosphere, I could understand the cost. But my most recent visit left a really bad impression. We had a reservation, were seated, and had just started eating when--less than an hour in--we were told we needed to pay and leave because the next reservation had arrived. We were completely confused and surprised, yet the check was brought over immediately. It felt unfair, especially because other tables who arrived before us weren't being rushed out. The whole situation felt targeted and uncomfortable. After this experience, I don't think I'll be coming back. read more

Saw this place on Instagram so we decided to stop in. We were pleasantly surprised by how authentic the tacos were! We had the chicken, pork and beef. They were all delicious and the 3 salsas were awesome. We had the pitcher of margaritas (thank you for being on the rocks and not blended!!!) and they were great, perfect mix. We'll be back! read more

Zapoteca - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

What an amazing experience at Zapoteca. The restaurant has a beautiful view plus an amazing patio. The food was amazing, especially their ceviche and Carmitas with meat & prawns. Their jug of margaritas were so refreshing and worth the price. Their customer service is amazing, they were so helpful and friendly. Anyway, I'm looking forward to come back. read more

Zapoteca - Ceviche -Tuna - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

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There was no wait for a weekend lunch. Small restaurant inside plus a patio. Server was knowledgeable about the menu and our order was fast to come out. We tried totopos (chips with guac , feta , and pico de gallo) , fish tacos , and chicken enchiladas. All was cooked perfectly and tasty. Fish tacos were a little spicy. Enchiladas came with a ton of sauce. read more

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In. Sane. This gem of an authentic Mexican restaurant is hidden at the beginning of the White Rock main drag. There is convenient (albeit a little spendy)parking across the street in a lot. Walk across and be welcomed in by mariachi music and the friendly staff. We sat outside in the covered, heated patio and it's definitely heated enough to be comfortable. None of that cold winter water wind chilling your food right away! The whole space is tiny and if you're going with more than two people, you definitely want a reservation. The drinks are super cool and inventive, with probably the best margarita I've had in years and a really inventive drink called the De La Tierra. It's sweet, tart, and dangerously delicious. We saw a few other drinks pass by the table and they all looked gorgeous and tasty. For apps, go with the ahi tuna ceviche - it was phenomenal. Like I would probably order two and just eat them all myself as a meal. Portions were pretty generous as well. I got the barbacoa, because I need to not always get the same thing when I go to a new Mexican place, and it was some of the best barbacoa I've had. It's served in a boiling stone bowl and it was till hot an hour later when we were finishing. The steak was very good, and the mole got rave reviews. I hear the chocomole was also delicious - thick and rich - but I blinked and the whole thing was gone! Definitely worth the drive across the border and I can't wait to go back to try all the other dishes! read more

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We came here to celebrate National Boyfriend Day! We were seated at the heated patio. I can't remember what cocktail we ordered but it had rum with tropical flavours and it was good! We tried the tortilla soup and some enchiladas. The soup was delicious but we were not impressed with the enchiladas. The food was quite expensive here as it's in a tourist area. You may want to try this place if you are looking for a date spot. read more

Service was great. Carne asada tacos, beef and carnitas molcajetes were amazing. The salsa is spicy but so tasty- one of those you want to tolerate even though your nose maybe running because its so good. Cute place. read more

We love that they have dishes that are rare elsewhere The food is very well prepared Highly recommended read more

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Tyler was amazing as he made recommendations! we were over the moon with the corn ribs:) and the Cochinita pebil tacos were to die for! If you're in White Rock this is the place to eat!!!!! The ambiance was so comfy, clean and upscale. If I could give them 10 stars I absolutely would!!!!! read more

Every year we celebrate our first date anniversary. And this year we decided to try out some Mexican food at Zapoteca. We called ahead to get a reservation. We sat inside but their patio dining was warm as well. For drinks we got the margarita and blueberry mohito. For appy we got chips and salsa and choriqueso with vegan chilorio. For mains we got the enchiladas with rainbow salsa and side of rice and beans. And the Halibut al pastor. The staff was friendly. The food was good but felt it was overpriced. $27 for enchiladas which does not include rice and beans ($7) and $2 extra for rainbow salsa is pricey. read more

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the nachos were great, same with the sangria, but the calamari dissapointed me. the squid was old and had a fishy taste. It also wasn't the right textur. read more

Service was good. We had ASADA Taco and Chicken Enchiladas. I do NOT recommend eating the chicken Enchiladas. read more

One-line review: Decent for Mexican in the lower mainland; better than average venue. As people who spent much of our lives in California, we are particular about our Mexican food. And while there's been a lot about Vancouver to enjoy, our Mexican food experiences have been... mediocre, especially for the prices. The photos from Zapoteca looked promising, and we enjoy walking the shore in White Rock, so we thought we'd give it a chance. When we arrived, we discovered that the parking is free in White Rock starting November 1. I don't know if that's always true or if it's an attempt to draw visitors during this COVID season, but we were glad for it. A good start! Zapoteca has dining on their patio, which is a must for us; we haven't eaten inside a restaurant since at least March 2020 and given the surging coronavirus case numbers, outdoor dining (or take out and eating at home) is non-negotiable. The heaters on the patio were appreciated in November. :-) We had chicharrones de pescado (seemed a bit like a fried calamari alternative to me but pleasant) and the Carmela (a stone pot stew of beef, chicken, and chorizo -- fairly meaty and as a bonus, it stayed hot throughout our meal, even though we were dining outside on a cool day; but it was not what I was expecting. I think I envisioned grilled meats), served with a side of beans (didn't love this; thin and very smooth pintos(?) -- no discernible individual beans) and a dozen tiny corn tortillas (good but would have welcomed more). We added the jumbo tiger prawns (not big enough to be considered 'jumbo,' but I like shrimp) and later, the pico de gallo salsa (should have ordered this earlier). Taste was fine but not special, though it helped that we brought our own hot sauce. Service was fine though not memorable. I liked their set up for COVID -- dining on the patio, hand sanitizer on the table, a carafe of water (rather than the server returning repeatedly to refill), a QR code to get the menu on your phone. As someone who needs to be a little extra careful, I appreciated their obvious planning to make things safer. Bottom line: The food at the restaurant was fine, and I'd eat here again. Probably not good enough to merit a return trip before we've tried more of the many options in White Rock, always a nice place to be on a good weather day. read more

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The food was amazing, great service and nice patio to sit on. We are definitely going to come back again.

This quaint, beachfront location is a flavor powerhouse. The elote ribs and totopos platter are super fresh with vibrant flavors. You won't find a better piña colada in the the Lower Mainland. It's super creamy and topped with a delicious dehydrated pineapple wedge. The molcajetes were packed with meat and veggies. Each one has a different, incredibly mouth watering sauce. If you ever get the chance to do brunch here, DO IT. The friendly staff will bring you unreal coffee in a french press with condensed milk on the side. Their chilaquiles roja with barbacoa is next level. I love that everything is made fresh to order, straight to your table. Zapoteca is an easy Top 3 for Mexican. read more

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So lucky to have a gem like this place across from East Beach in White Rock. Zapoteca is a small Mexican restaurant that makes up for it with their big bold flavours. It gets very busy here especially during peak dinner hours so reservations are highly recommended. Luckily if you come with friends, you can order a variety of dishes to try! The main highlight for me are the share plates called Molcajetes. The Queso Fundido is the one that, once you try it, it then becomes a staple dish you order each time you visit. It says to share for two guests, but you can share it with more people, or just have it by yourself :P I have tried other dishes, but this is the only one that I can remember because it's that good. Service- can be a mix, but also be mindful that it does get very busy here. The few times I've been, the servers were great and attentive. Seating- as it's small, it can get pretty cramped. On a hot summer day, it might not feel the best, but luckily the beach is just across the street! Parking is also easy to find and very accessible. read more

Zapoteca - An older photo of Queso Fundido I've had before. It's a vegetarian dish but we ordered it with chicharonnes! - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

Loved this place. I've been craving tru legit Mexican food and wow. This place turned it UP!!!! I love a good horchata, its not winter yet but I was super excited to try it here. Its always a test to know if the roots are deep in the food and drink. And I was wooooowwwwwweeeed. This horchata was bomb. I ordered the Barbacoa because why not? I didnt know what to do with so much meat... it was delicious... but I wished I had veges or something... I liked the pickled onion and the sauce.. uh my lips were numb but the waitress warned me so now I'm warning all of yall. It was delicious though! But I felt the portion of meat was too much for the wraps? But I loved it... but I didn't.... heh Anywho to end the night obviously had to get dessert.. so i got a flan.. it was quite cheesy but delicious.. was expecting more of a creme Brule.. but didn't disappoint I guess... If u venture out to white rock please come to this Mexican restaurant - the pheromones are too good to not eat here. :D read more

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Came here with some friends on Saturday night and had an awesome time. The place isn't big but it was packed and had a great vibe. To drink we all had margaritas of course, which were delicious and very authentic. Our server was also awesome, very personable and gave us great service even though she was very busy. Wish I got her name to give her a shoutout! To eat, we had the ceviche to start, enchiladas and the carnitas. All I can say was wow, zero complaints, everything was super fresh, flavourful and most importantly for me at a Mexican restaurant, it was authentic!! Not to mention very filling, so we definitely left full! Overall, this was a great experience and I wish we tried this place sooner! 9.1/10 read more

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I ordered fish tacos and my husband ordered the steak burrito. It took awhile for our food to arrive but when it did, the presentation was beautiful! You could tell the chef took the good care to serve a delicious dish. 6 stars based on the first bite. This is a restaurant that serves quality versus quantity. The server was helpful regarding the menu. My tacos had a bit of a bite from the marinated cabbage. The steak in the burrito was tender and favorable. We did not have trouble getting a table but I suspect it will be a wait in the summer. read more

Zapoteca - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

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Make reservations if you can! This authentic Mexican restaurant is always a neighbourhood favourite and was packed even when we showed up around 8:30 pm on a Friday night! They've also extended the restaurant to include enclosed & heated patio dining. *MUST TRY* Barbacoa (5/5) - $25 Taste: This was delightfully served with the stewed beef & pork presented in a hot stone bowl. On the side, they provided corn tortillas and man, by far some of the JUICIEST tacos I've had! I would scoop a little bit of the meat stew combination onto my tortilla, add a bit of pickled onion & hot sauce, and every bite would be dripping with the juices from the meat. Absolutely scrumptious! Portion Size: 8 corn tortillas - sharing size for 2 Totopos (3/5) - $15 Taste: A good side appetizer to go with the meal - essentially chips with guac & salsa. It wasn't bad, but nothing crazy special that you couldn't make yourself at home. Portion Size: Sharing size for 2 [Value for Money] Between two people I'd share a starter & a traditional or 2 traditionals (for the hungrier appetites) for the best bang for your buck! I would say that this is a mid range price point but a great spot to try some sit-down Mexican food! read more

Zapoteca - Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

This is a fantastic Mexican restaurant! You can reserve, it's in a great location and the service is friendly. I ordered tuna carpaccio to start and let me tell you it was fresh tuna and melt in your mouth goodness. The sauce on it was yummy! The tacos were a bit on the oily side but them pork was tender and flavourful. I wanted a crunch on the taco but didn't quite get it. The chicken burrito was filling and a nice portion. Chicken was perfectly cooked and not dry. I will be back for sure! read more

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Best thing we ordered was a unanimous vote on their "costillitas de maiz", or deep fried corn "ribs". Absolutely delicious. Chicharrones de calamar was also good! The dressing dips it came with were so interesting, one of jalapeño and one of pineapple. Grand madame, the potatoes were so nice and crispy on the outside. Our waitress was nice, but we didn't have our waters taken care of so much. There were only two other parties in the restaurant, and it was not busy. The overall vibes were cozy and chill. read more

Zapoteca - Corn "ribs" - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

Took advantage of the Taste of White Rock & tried out the menu. It was totally worth the trip. The food were amazing and love the decor of the place. read more

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The taste and presentation of food is outstanding. Friendly staff & Great vibe, looks like it's typically packed although it's a very, very small restaurant. The major disappointment was two fold: 1) Incredibly overpriced food for the measly portions received, especially with the $55 "dish for 2" 2) The worst cocktails we've maybe ever had for $14 a pop it's shocking how little effort is put into those drinks. Unfortunate to say I wont be returning. read more

Finally able to hit Canada again for a quick trip. Great food here, good options, good drinks. Only a few reasons I didn't rate 5 star, first is my margarita wasn't very strong, but tasted good. Second, for a nice sunny day I would think they would have had the outside seating curtains open to the fresh air, but they were closed. Good service and the Cameron tacos were awesome, my son got the burrito and really loved that too. My wife got the pollo tacos and loved those. I got the battered Cameron and my daughter got the grilled Cameron tacos. read more

Zapoteca - Corn battered camerones tacos - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

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If you ever find yourself in White Rock, I would highly recommend going to Zapoteca. The food is amazing, the service is so friendly and we love the atmosphere. The dish we ALWAYS get is the Carmela Molcajete - enough for 2 famished people or enough for 3 to share!! The dish is $50 for a really amazing meal. A mix of grilled chicken, steak, chorizo, grilled avocado & jalapeño that come in a gorgeous stone bowl. It comes with beans and corn tortilla. I love that you can make your tacos just the way you like them I would also recommend the virgin Paloma to wash it down because it's delish!!!!! read more

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Wonderful service, fresh herbs and seafood, and I had no idea I liked mole sauce until I had their homemade mole.

The CARMELA is marketed as a dish for 2.... It should be marketed as a one person dish. It May feed 2 skinny girls, BIG MAYBE- definitely if they ate a sandwich beforehand. I'm not a huge guy, but my buddy and I shared it and we went through it in less than 5 minutes.... We went to Wendy's shortly afterwards. Good was too salty too. read more

Decent tacos (fish), and super nice location to sit outside even on a cold day. Some awkward interactions with one staff member who also was a bit rude to another guest. I'd go 4 stars were it not for that and prices but location is superb so can still recommend. read more

Quality ingredients and beautifully presented. Yummy drinks. Staff is really friendly. Good patio table set up just across from east beach boardwalk with protected inclosure from the elements while allowing sunshine to fill the space. Great vibe. read more

So good, we came back the next day. The grand margaritas are fantastic and go down dangerously easily (we probably ordered about 10 between both visits). The corn ribs are a MUST, same with the barbacoa (the habanero pineapple sauce it comes with is out of this world; sweet with a nice kick). We ordered our enchiladas with all the sauces (salsa verde, salsa roja, mole) and it was also delicious - the mole was really nice but my fave was the salsa roja. You really can't go wrong with anything on their menu, but definitely ask for recs if you're unsure what to get because the service (especially the manager) are wonderful. Will definitely be back every time I go to White Rock! read more

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Fantastic food, fantastic service.... Love their steaks, guacamole, fish taco's, and their salsa! Fresh and delicious! read more

Don't bother to make a reservation 4 days ahead , and call them at 12 pm for the reservation at 5 pm ,to make sure they have a table outside for you cause when you get there they want you to be placed in a dirty filthy booth inside ! We left and others patrons said the service is very bad Can't say anything about the food ... but if that's kind of attitude the food is probably the same .... read more

Beautiful restaurant with a fabulous water view. The staff was very nice... although they didn't seem to care that we were celebrating an anniversary... The food was non traditional... but good. The Totopos were delicious.... with home made tortilla chips. The Enchilladas stuffed with chicken (the other option for a filling is mashed potatoes??) was delicious, but the portions were very small. The biggest complaint we had were the Magaritas. The small glasses were filled with ice and not much anything else. We had maybe two or three sips before we got down to the ice. At $10 a drink, it was flavorful, but not very potent. We've been to plenty of Mexican restaurants over the years, and these Maragaritas definitely were not impressive. read more

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Visited Zapoteca for an early birthday dinner. The atmosphere was energetic and loud, which I really like. The server we had was very kind and friendly, and was very patient with us as we took a bit of time to figure out what he wanted to order. I was excited to eat tacos, but they don't serve them at dinner time. I thought to myself, what Mexican restaurant doesn't serve tacos all day?! They only serve an appetizer portion of shrimp tacos. So then I just settled for the enchiladas, along with a side of chips and pico and a paloma to drink while we waited. The chips were very crunchy and salty, and the pico had a nice fresh taste to it. The Paloma was super refreshing. The grapefruit juice wasn't too bitter, slightly tart and sweet with a salted rim. Super yummy! When the enchiladas arrived, I noticed they were rolled like taquitos. I've never had enchiladas that way before. They were stuffed with chicken and swimming in your choice of salsa. I chose salsa verde. The dish was good, but not spectacular, and honestly a little bit forgettable. My friend had the halibut, I can't speak on the dish because I didn't try it but I noticed she barely ate any of the rice that it came with. I was hoping for more from this place, the atmosphere is just so fun and inviting. Unfortunately the item I chose from the dinner menu wasn't completely what I was expecting. The dinner items seemed to be a bit overpriced as well. I would like come back for lunch to try their tacos, I just find it too bad they only serve them for lunch. read more

Zapoteca - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

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Great service and food! Will come back again! My friend and I do not eat pork and they were willing to add extra beef and chicken at no charge for us for our order or Carmela. We were extremely grateful for it read more

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My gfs and I ended up here while we were in white rock. We had the best experience ever. We called last minute on a warm summer evening and wanted a patio seat. We were a party of 6 and they managed to get us in. AMAZING! From the minute we walked in, to the service, the food, the vibes and the overall experience; we had the best time ever. The staff are so friendly and sweet, the owner was amazing - the food OMG the best authentic Mexican food we have ever had. The patio is so close to the beach and the views are breathtaking. We will def be back here, the entire time we were there ; we were talking about how much we have loved the staff and food and were raving about how amazing this restaurant is read more

Never disappoints! I always end up there because it's within walking distance from my store and residence. The food and drinks are amazing and fresh. Love the heated patio. 10 out of 10! read more

Mm'kay. So, this was our NAFTA meal; A pair of U.S. citizens eating Mexican food in Canada. Expectations were not sky high, but that said, this is the highest rated restaurant on this strip. We were expecting to find something that set them apart from the rest of the tourist-trap eateries. And we found it: enthusiasm. They're new. The music is louder, the servers more smiley and engaging. But this is not Mexican food except in concept, and if you're looking for a decent, honestly poured drink to knock the dust off after 6 hours on the road, well, you've come to the wrong watering hole. Enchiladas are actually taquitos, smothered in bland sauces. Meats are similarly bland and over-cooked, almost unidentifiable. The "Al Pastor" meat on my dish was nothing like al pastor I've had anywhere, in that there was no pineapple at all, and the dry, chewy protein in the bland red sauce presented might as well have been cat for all I could tell. The flavor was gone. The red sauce tasted like a freshly opened can of tomato sauce, with maybe a hint of onion. The server warned me it might be too spicy. I've had spicier glasses of water. The drinks may or may not have had alcohol in them, jury's out. They were just sweet, and none too cold. Given all the helpful signs posted around about drinking in moderation, I would say we were just charged for alcohol we never received. Pathetic. Goat cheese is not cotija. Taquitos are not enchiladas. Smashed avocados with almost no seasoning is not guacamole. Real Mexican cooking doesn't come from cans. Alcoholic beverages contain actual alcohol...at least, these things are true in my world. But not in theirs. Avoid this place like the plague if you're a lover of Mexican and South American flavors. If all that is required to distract you from poor quality food and drink is a big smile from your server and loud mariachi music, you've come to the right place. Oh HELL no. read more

Tonight we had a craving for some tacos! We were in White Rock and came across this amazing little Mexican restaurant that we hadn't been to before! The prices are super reasonable 5 tacos for $12...you can only order one type of taco per order though! They also have a Taco Tuesday special 15 tacos for $30...pretty great price when you have a taco craving! So because you can only order one type of taco per order we ordered one of each meat taco on the menu! We decided to each try the same taco at once and ratesd them as we went through the different kinds! The table consensus was as follows (although the Tinga and the Chorizo were almost tied): 1. Tinga (pulled organic chicken in Chipotle on a crispy corn tortilla) 2. Chorizo 3. Pastor (Marinated Pulled Pork) 4. Asada (AAA Sirloin Beef) I would have been happy to have ordered any one kind of tacos...they were all fresh and delicious. Topped with cilantro, onion, jalapeños and lime and served with salsa, and a slaw. The slaw included pineapple...which is recently one of my favourite topping on a taco...so good! We grill ours at home with some butter and honey...oh my it is good! As we were leaving we saw an order of Elote - Corn on the cob topped with sour cream, feta, tajin and lime on the side...looked soooo good! It's always fun to find a restaurant that has so many yummy looking things on the menu that you have to keep coming back so you can try them all! We will definitely be back for Taco Tuesday and a starter of Elote! Zapoteca is a great place to get authentic Mexican! read more

Zapoteca - Chorizo tacos with the side slaw and salsa...maybe my favourite taco...all so good! - Mexican Near Me - White Rock, British Columbia

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