Cafe Zamora

Followers of my reviews are well aware that I’m on a lifelong (and very important) quest to find THE best chimichanga on planet earth. There are many places that attempt to serve up chimis, but only a few have mastered the craft. Cafe Zamora hits hard with a classic chimi plate, beautifully assembled, complete with rice and beans, healthy scoops of guacamole and sour cream, and a pinch of diced tomatoes for some beautiful color. The tortilla was fried until perfectly golden brown crispy, and it stayed crispy until the last bite. On the universal 13 point scale of chimichanga deliciousness, Cafe Zamora’s chimichanga scored a very strong 12. Perfection might not be attainable, but this is dang close. Whether or not an absolute 13 exists in the universe is not the question. It’s a question of whether a chimichanga is worth feasting upon, and in this case, the answer is absolutely.

A friend of ours recommended this place and we can see why. The food was delicious! My husband ordered a green chili burrito with red enchilada sauce, and I ordered the shredded beef tacos combo. The tacos were full of meat, just the way I love them, and my husband’s burrito was saucy and very good! Their chips & salsa were good, but if you want spicy salsa, you have to ask. It had the perfect heat flavor 👌🏼 The staff were attentive and very friendly. We’ll be returning

Aye yi yi this place rocks the casbah Jaime from Ciens recommended this place to eat while i waited for them to install fog lights and stereo this burrito was soooooo daaaayyyuuummm goooood i just wish they served margueritas and beer great chips and salsa both homemade the waitstaff very quick and food arrived in NO TIME at all!!! I got to see and check out "old town Avondale" best wishes to the chef great food!!!

This has to be the best authentic restaurant I’ve ever been to. Food was amazing delicious I had chimichanga #13 shredded beef My hubby had 3 tacos rice and beans The chips and salsa was soooooo good The waitress was so sweet and polite The atmosphere was so peaceful we will definitely be coming back again soon . God bless you all and thank you for great service today

Very welcoming staff, and accommodating of my family of 7. Food was good we got the ribeye steak and eggs, potatoes and beans, and the kiddos got menudo and chicken nuggets and fries. The only feedback I’d have would be more seasoning on the food but that’s why there’s salt and pepper on the table. Other than that very nice.

Cafe Zamora is a favorite of the locals in the area! There are always customers in the restaurant. Service is excellent and staff is very friendly! Food is delicious and always hot! Chips and salsa are always served and always fresh. Salsa has just enough heat. No alcohol but sodas are very generous in size. Pictured is a plate with 3 tacos, rice and beans and the other is one taco, a cheese enchilada with rice and beans. This is one of our favorite 'go to' restaurants.

My niece recommended the menudo,.it was pretty good and the caldo had good flavor. The patas were cooked good and coffee good too. Great service, but I they hear you. Speaking Spanish, they should try to speak Spanish too. Most likely,.I will be back, even tho it's like a 40 min drive for me.

The food was ok, big portions. Chips and salsa are served and they were really good. Hostess is available, but you find a seat yourself. Waiter was friendly and came often to refill and ask if there was anythingelse we needed. You sit there until you realize you don't get the bill at your table, you get up and pay at the register.

Food was very good prices were good and service was very attentive!! I will be making this a regular spot. Next time I will be bringing the family

A friend of mine recommended this restaurant for authentic style Mexican food. Walking in the restaurant was busy but not crowded. The staff was super friendly and very attentive. The restaurant was decorated with traditional Mexican style motif. The taco/torta/rice and beans were delicious and served fairly quickly! Well done!!

This was the best enchiladas I've ever had. The chicken was grilled inside the enchilada the sauce was perfect. The flavors were amazing. My server was very nice very good attitude The place and the decor very authentic and very cute

Omg soooo good authentic Mexican food worth the drive for me! It feels like your in a cafe in Mexico

I've always liked coming to this Mexican restaurant because it's hard to find great Mexican food here in Phoenix, today I was disappointed with the beef caldo which I drove 45 minutes to and from because my wife is sick and she was wanting caldo from here specifically but only to get home and it was flavorless I had to doctor it up! Please don't ever change the recipe! Whom ever made it today 07/19/25 should get a lesson in cooking caldo 101 or fire the cook‍but on a good note my lengua tacos were fire and the rice was delicious. The staff is extremely friendly and the restaurant is beautiful and clean.

one of our favorite spots, hard to find a good & reasonably place.... and great staff. Little hidden place

This place was found by a blogger on IG. They were correct, this place was delicious! From the start of walking in, you are greeted and given options of your own where to sit. They greet you promptly with chips and delicious salsa and request for your drinks. We asked for the pico, which the blogger suggested to ask for, and it did not disappoint. It was so tasteful, you could drink the juice. I ordered the steak picado with rice and beans. Oh man! The flavor was so full of love! The beans were the best! Rice was perfect consistency and flavor. My husband got a carnitas burrito, and they didn't shy on the meat. We received green salsa, oh man. So yummy. The place wasn't fancy, wasn't huge. I'll keep coming back, because the food was very delicious and oh the prices....perfectly priced.

We thought we'd give Cafe Zamora a try, since they are within walking distance & the reviews seemed strong. Frankly, our experience was so different I had to double-check that they were talking about the same place. The green chile was BORING & the rice was dry. We were offered more chips, but no salsa to go with them. We were Empty. I was never offered more water, either. The clincher was that the check was slow to come, & we had to run down our server so we could pay and go home. And when we got home, I found the food did not agree with me! It's a shame. Had things gone better, we would've loved to return. As it stands, we do not recommend CZ.

We were in the mood for tacos and have always wanted to stop in to try this place. I got a cheese enchilada and taco (fish $2 up charge) with rice and beans and my other half got a 3 taco (tripas) rice and bean plate and an extra taco or lengua. It was all really really good great flavor and huge portions. I got an Horchata to drink and it was pretty good as well. The atmosphere is very comfy and has a family feel to it, definitely an inviting place. The staff was very nice and quick as well, I would recommend for sure

If you want good food, great service and the absolute nicest, best servers and staff, this is your place. My wife loves menudo but not the meat, not really meat but that's what people call it when they don't want to say stomach. Lol She asks them for no meat and they go above and beyond to remove it for her and I mean all of it, no other restaurant takes the time to do this for her and trust me, when momma's happy, my life is good. My favorite is the #20 Machaca Dinner. It is so flavorful and they load up that plate. It's now our go to Mexican food restaurant for good food but more importantly the service is fabulous.

Great food and experience we appreciate the customer service and great food plus it's healthy.

I eat shrimp fajitas wherever I go because they're my favorite. That's why I ordered #34 here and it was fantastic! Close to the best I've ever had and certainly among the most reasonably priced. Generous number of good sized shrimp. Freshly made hot tortilla and exciting chunky table salsa really made it perfect. Totally relaxed family atmosphere with fast friendly service. I asked for sour cream and they brought it immediately at no extra charge. Highly recommend. If I have to travel 30 miles to Avondale on business again, looking forward to coming back to this restaurant will make the trip easier!

Every time I eat here, I want to bump my review, as every Arizonan should try Cafe Zamora. It's open an airy, the booths are comfy, the service is always very friendly and the food is absolutely top notch. If you can finish your lunch special, you must have been really hungry! The salsa is fantastic, and I'm always amazed by the generous amount of meat in whatever you order. Grilled shrimp, asada, carnitas, Pollo, it's all expertly prepared. The salsa is some of the best I've ever tasted. Take a trip to Avondale. You'll be glad you did.

Love this place everything I have tried is so good I usually get the 3 beef taco plate or the chicken enchiladas which are both some of my favorites. The servers are always so nice and make you feel like family!

Good food Layed back place good service nice employees would recommend nothing fancy but good

Excellent Staff, Excellent Service, Excellent Food. I can't believe we have drove past this place for over ten years without stopping in. We felt like we missed a lot but now have to make up for it. Great Family environment dining wise.. Wonderful place to enjoy a meal !!!

Amazing food and the service was outstanding. You won't leave hungry the food comes out hot. If you want authentic Mexican flavor - go there!

Ate here first time today for lunch! We have been having trouble getting good Mexican in AZ, but finally found it! Food piping hot and delicious, lunch portions huge, had to get a to go bag, so much food. Soft drinks are also huge!, very friendly service. Will definitely be back!

Such great food. I had chorizo and it was very delicious. Menudo was flavorful and the hot salsa is great as well. Also, coffee was very good and wasn't watered down .

Ordered a chicken quesadilla. Couldn't taste the cheese or the chicken. The overwhelming flavor was of whatever oil was being used on the griddle. The chips were good but the salsa was watery and without flavor. Staff was nice.

5/5 every time!! This is a great hole in the wall restaurant. The food is delicious no matter what you pick from the menu, comes out fast,hot and flavorful!! The service is wonderful. You'll never be disappointed. Also the prices are more than reasonable. Come down and see for yourself!

I offered from this establishment the other night, food was great and people were even better. Thanks for a great dinner/experience

We are always in search of a new Mexican restaurant. After visiting many different restaurants and researching Yelp, we found Cafe Zamora. My wife and I enjoy southwestern style Mexican where the taco shells are fried and chili Rellenos use Hatch Chili. The photos on Yelp looked promising so off we went to Cafe Zamora. Upon arrival, there was a sign that said to wait to be seated, but after a short wait were told to seat ourselves. The restaurant is kind of a hole in the wall which I do really enjoy. It was clean with an A grade on the door from the health department inspection. That's really great to see! After being seated, the young lady brought some chips out. She was friendly and hard working, but appeared t be the only waitress in the restaurant. The chips were okay, but not my favorite. They seemed heavy on the lard. So I decided to have a beer with my Mexican dinner, but was promptly told that they didn't serve alcohol. For me, I don't mind saying that not having a Mexican beer with my meal is a big letdown. Okay, well, let's give everything else a try. We ordered a Chile Relleno, Enchilada, and Taco. My wife ordered her Taco with ground beef and mine was shredded. Interestingly enough, hers came with a preformed shell, whereas mine was fried. The food was pretty good but not quite what we were used to. The shredded beef had a flavor that was a little different. The green sauce on the Chile Relleno was also a little different and it was served omelette style which I'm not partial to. The enchilada was the best. We had them add onion. This was favorite. I did take a restroom break and found it to be very clean and nice smelling. After dining, there was no ticket left at the table, instead we were told to go up front. The same young lady that served us also checked us out. The food might not have been exactly what I was used to, but the number of people frequenting the restaurant, tells a different story. I woud suggest deciding for yourself. Everything went really well and we enjoyed our dinner. I really would have enjoyed that beer though. Thanks Cafe Zamora.

Absolutely fantastic Mexican food! We come from California twice a year and have been looking for really good Mexican food here. Well, we finally found it! Extremely clean restaurant and bathrooms, very friendly service from the staff and tasty food. I had a cheese enchilada, chile relleno and beef taco. All of it was delicious but the relleno was next level good and really big as well. 100% I'll be back!

If you want authentic food like your Mom and Grandma used to make them this is your place. Some of our favorites are the shrimp à la Diabla, shrimp fajitas, or Machaca! The servers are always on point and compliment this special place! Give it a try, you'll be glad you did!

Outstanding food and service. Located in old town Avondale. Quaint decor and ample dining area. Try it! You'll thank me later *Great area to take a stroll after dinner too

Chips and salsa were straight gas! Had such a good experience I will be coming back my food was soooo good !!!!

Excellent service and food. They serve some of the best salsa I've had at a Mexican restaurant. The atmosphere is homey, older restaurant style. Service is quick and friendly. The employees are always laughing with the patrons. Food is served fresh and hot. The shrimp tacos are stuffed with amazing grilled shrimp. The enchilada is stuffed with chicken. They do not skimp on the meat fillings. Excellent lunch experience.

Tried this place out and I had high hopes because little hole in the wall places are usually pretty good and this was just ok. Not horrible and price is decent but I'm still looking for a good Mexican restaurant. Not just a taco place, a restaurant. I live on the west side it shouldn't be this hard. I got the combo plate with green chile burrito and rice and beans. Green chile burrito was good and it's big so I took half home. The rice was mushy and bland. I liked the beans though. Shocker! I don't normally like the beans at Mexican restaurants but these weren't bad. Not better than my friend's homemade beans but good enough that I ate them. That's saying a lot because I don't normally. I guess the hunt is on! Give me your Mexican food restaurant recommendations.

Food is great, love coming here . However, last night my cousin and I stopped in for lunch and the whole time from when our food was dropped off until we were done with our meals, not one person checked on us to ask if the food was okay, to refill our empty drinks, or anything for that matter. By the time we were ready to go we had to wave someone down just for a box for the rest of our food .. that being said we tipped minimum in cash and paid with card. Come to find out there was a tip added on to the card when it came out of my bank account . I don't know how to tell you to avoid that when I clearly wrote zero on the tip space and signed . Just not appreciated and disappointed with the lack of integrity after being a returning customer .

So this was our first time here although we have passed it many times. It's nice cozy family atmosphere, every single staff member we came in contact were very polite, helpful and overall sweet!!! The service was great! They are enforcing social distancing, masks, gloves limiting capacity, and doing a great job! They brought us chips and salsa and the salsa is so good! Very good flavor it's a mild salsa but we all liked it. My husband ordered the red menudo he enjoyed it, my son and I both ordered the chorizo and eggs with potatoes and beans. Everything was hot and fresh, and we all liked our food. We will definitely be back, wish we tried it sooner!

The food was phenomenal, and the service was very friendly and music was amazing. I highly recommend

Complementary chips and salsa (pictured) are really tasty. Not too hot not too bland. Plus they asked if we would like more! That's why there's a picture with a larger bowl. Very courteous Their menu said breakfast only served till 11, but when we asked about huevos rancheros, they said no problem. And it was the most unique huevos rancheros I've ever tasted. The red sauce had bell peppers tomato's, onions and other spices and had a tangy flavor to it. Not typical red chili like I expect. It was a pleasant surprise. I ordered the taco salad with chicken and it was, very flavorfull. Another thing we noticed was that the wait staff here was really aiming to please the customer. Not only us, but we heard conversations at every other table where a customer asked, can I have it this way? Right away, they would say yes! There's a real culture of excellent customer service here

My wife and I enjoy CZ a lot. We're spoiled from street tacos in Mexico, but CZ is reminiscent of Mexico. The Baja, where we normally travel, does not have chips and salsa. Bummer. But CZ does, and it's the very best in the Valley! If there is anything CZ could improve, tacos with beef barbacoa, radishes, peppers and grilled scallions would take me in heaven! I know you can do it, CZ! Ed & Mary Ricketts

What a great find! I don't know how I've lived in the Phoenix area for past three years without knowing about this café. It is the real deal with great food and quaint atmosphere. Don't miss your chance to enjoy some really good Mexican food at reasonable prices.

I've driven by this place for years and finally stopped. Let me start with the ambience and setting. It's a no frills mom and pop neighborhood restaurant that truly represents all of the great qualities that come with one when they're ran with love. The service was great, and our server went above and beyond for my daughter and myself. I told her this was my first time here and asked what the spice level of the green chili was, she quickly replied with "I'll be right back and you can try it to make sure you love it before you order", it was fantastic, very flavorful, and a spice level of 1-5, about a 1. I personally would been thrilled with a 3-4 level but overall very tasty. I went ahead and ordered the green chili chimichanga with rice (I don't care for beans) and it was not disappointing whatsoever. My daughter had the Chorizo Con Huevos with rice and beans, it was also seasoned well and tasty, and came with a piping hot, made from scratch flour tortilla that we could've honestly just sat and ate a pile of with some butter, and called it a night with a smile! The prices are so reasonable and the portions are very generous, and overall I highly recommend you stop on in. The food is fantastic, the service is friendly, kind, and not forced; like talking with your neighbor, and I mean the one you do like, not that other one across the street, LOL! In addition I can't believe I almost forgot the salsa. It's a chunky restaurant style that is always what I'm personally hoping for, and it was GREAT!

4 stars because food is still great. Lost a star because their once award winning salsa has gotten so inconsistent. One time it is so spicy you cannot eat it . Then it will be so bland. Then loaded with devil weed Cilantro. Then again it is so watery. WHT??. This used to be so good. Get it together Zamoras!

Best Carnitas I've found in the West Valley since I retired here a year ago. Generous portions in a casual atmosphere. They also have the friendliest wait staff, giving the restaurant a great vibe. I can't wait to go back and try the Taquitos!

The food is amazing!! Customer service is great! Everyone is so nice and attentive! You get free chips and salsa while waiting! Perfect for families! Great Mexican food!

Another delicious dinner at Zamora's! Friendly, and super fast even on a Friday night.

The food was amazing and authentic. The price of the food was also unexpectedly low for the high quality of food you get. 10/10 will be coming back.

My husband and I have truly enjoyed going to Zamora's to eat. It is my husband's favorite place to eat. But the last two times we were there the food didn't taste as good as it was once was. Today though really has us re-evaluating our restaurant choices. The service was absolutely the worst. The lady cleaning the tables was great! She was courteous and professional. The rest of the staff however was anything but. We sat at a table and received our menus about 15 minutes later. 22 minutes after that I had to go find someone to take our orders. When he did we asked if we could get more tea. 18 minutes later we received our food. Again I asked for more tea. The young lady said yes. Left and 15 minutes later I had to go search for someone to bring my husband more tea. My chicken flautas were the worst ever. No salt or any kind of seasoning at all. The chicken after my second bite of my flauta was crunchy. I looked at it and it resembled shredded wheat. The door behind me was open, I guess it leads to the kitchen, it's not the one in the front area as you go in, and they had a radio on so loud that even small children were covering their ears. It is really sad that this place has come to not caring about their customers, it used to be one of their best qualities. Well it's been a great 12/13 years for me, but I guess it's true that all good things come to an end.

Oh my gosh!!! This is the best Mexican food!! Every time I'm in Arizona I have to go. ALWAYS Consistent!! Been going there for many years. And it's been there forever!! Family own!! And family ran!!! AAAAAAAAA+++++++++ always

Wandered in here cuz Laura's Burgers was closed I thought it was foing tobe pretty good like most hole in the well I never really liked it he was little Bland the red sauce your salsa wasn't spicy but they're really cheap it remind me of a Filiberto's that that there was a server I'm sure like Filiberto's if you're drinking it would be really good the service was okay me and you could tell it's a mom and pop place so Services rough around the edges but overall who is okay probably won't go back there

Stopped in for lunch for the first time a few days ago with my mom and we enjoyed our meals so much we returned again today! We tried the taco salad, fish taco, shrimp taco and Carne Asada Torta. All were amazing and the staff was friendly, attentive and quick both visits! Can't wait to come back!

For the longest my mom has mentioned this restaurant to me, for about 2 years now, and being my wife's bday today, I asked her what she felt like eating today so I mentioned Zamora's, so we head down to Avondale and walk in, really courteous staff and really nice, chips and salsa were definitely on point , horchata was very tasty I had to get a refill, so I ordered the chimichanga smothered in red sauce and a side of menudo, DAMN !!!!! super delicious I've come to the conclusion that I'll definitely be a regular here great food and great service...

Yes yes yes. This place has delicious food. I tried their huevos rancheros and am in love with their beans. I am already planning my order for the next time I go. Their horchata is also amazing and reminiscent of my grandmothers. I have and will recommend everyone to this restaurant for authentic Mexican food.

Great food & service from a local business! If you like it hot I highly recommend the shrimp a la diabla w/ rice & beans on the side. However you cannot go wrong with anyone of the homemade meals. Excellent service, excellent food!

Quality Mexican food with flavor and . I'll b back. Clean,reception welcoming, and salsa is fresh homemade. Excellent service. Cheap prices with flavor!!!!