El Zarape Mexican Restaurant

I have eaten here for 15 years. During college I would eat lunch here every day. Best food, great atmosphere, best salsa/garnish bar. Carnitas tacos with the habanero salsa, radishes with lime and salt. Definitely worth a good meal cooked with love!

I did not have a great experience here. In fact it was awful. I came in attempted to place a order for a steak quesadilla and double cheeseburger combo with a axxess card (buy one get one free). The lady who was cashiering informed me it did not work for the combo, no big deal I just changed it to just the burger with the quesadilla, no fries or drink since there soda machine was broken anyways. She then attempts to ring me up but vastly overcharges me so I go over the order with her again and the fact we are using the card. She then rings me up (while being very rude this whole time) and I show her the cash that it is wrong, she then realizes it is and gets more upset as she has to open the register and re-ring the order. No idea why she was being rude, not my fault she cannot do math or use a register legally to begin with. At this point I receive change, however it was incorrect. I pull aside to do the math as it was apparent she refused to ring me up properly and honestly. I did not receive a receipt with this order that was placed on 9/24/17 at around 5:30. When I did the math she charged me 11.42 for this order of a quesadilla and supposedly free burger. The prices stated on the menu are $6.29 for the quesadilla and $3.69 for the burger in question. So how did I get charged more then both of them with tax while using a axxess card? When I picked up the food and confronted her she was dumbfounded and had nothing to say, she was fine with stealing. I fully broke down the math for her as she was so clueless including the sales tax. By this time I am running late back to the job site, I leave and when I arrive so we can tear into our meals at least we find that they came out incorrect as well. I did not receive cheese on the cheese burger...and the quesadilla was loaded with fatty pieces of meat..what was sadder is how they do not include anything with the quesadilla, no sour cream or anything. If you care about ethics and integrity avoid this place. As stuff as basic as using a cash register legally and not under delivering on orders escapes them.

If you like menudo, it is delicious. I've also tried their carne burro, also very delicious.

This is such a great family restaurant. I have been here a numerous occasions and I've always had a good experience. The food is unbelievably good and has a very Mexican Hometown flare and it seems to be of high quality. The cooks seem very kind someone came out and asked if our food was okay from the back he was very friendly very courteous and for those who may or may not understand the language it's easy to learn and it was nice to be able to somewhat communicate with someone of a different ethnic background. I really like this place the food was very good for me and I felt great leaving they must make it with a lot of love cuz I felt good afterwards. I appreciate this place and I will always help contribute to their own economy

Great burgers and Mexican food. The prices are low. This place is bomb

We are so incredibly happy that we hired Raul and El Zarape to cater our wedding. From the very first phone call, Raul was professional, helpful, clear, kind, and accommodating. He was engaged and interested in the vision of our event so that him and his team could provide the elements to make that vision become a reality. He worked with us to create exactly the catering experience we were looking for: from fine-tuning delicious appetizers and margarita recipes, to providing bartending services, to giving us guidance on bar supply needs, to helping us with setup and teardown. They were also accommodating with dietary restrictions. He was on time and well prepared, and his staff were professional and kind to our guests. After the wedding, we have gotten many comments on how excellent the food was, and we agree! Working with El Zarape meant that both the food and the catering service at our wedding was better than we could have hoped for.

I've come here twice and each time the food has been consistent. Its pretty basic authentic mexican food. My favorite is the chicken burrito with guac. They give you a very healthy portion of guacamole. The atmosphere is less than desirable but ou can be sure to find a soccer game on one of their tvs.

Raul and his team at El Zarape were one of our favorite vendors to work with on our wedding day. The food was AMAZING, the prices were great, and the service was above and beyond our expectations! From our very first meeting, Raul was incredibly helpful, informative, and so fun to work with. He walked us through every detail and was prepared for everything from setup to clean up. When plans changed last minute, he was flexible and accommodating. The food and drinks were delicious, warm, and well presented. Our family and friends are still talking about the great food and drinks, and my husband and I can’t say enough about how thankful we are for such incredible service. Raul is our favorite caterer to recommend for your next event!

Fantastic tacos and fluffy tortillas! Would def recommend! As a native Californian, I've had many many tacos in my life and these make the top 5 for sure!

This was some pretty amazing Mexican food. You know I had to get my favorite carne asada tacos and they just so happened to be cooked just the way I like. These tacos are currently ranking in the top 3 best tacos I've ever eaten. The chile verde also happened to be top notch. If I were to choose between the fancy Mexican outdoor patio restaurant down the street and this little hole in the wall, I would choose El Zarape all day!

If you're looking for that hole in the wall Mexican restaurant, then look no further! El Zarape is the place to dine at if you're craving abuelita's home style cooked food. They offer daily specials such as caldo de res or pollo, mole rojo de pollo, menudo, pozole rojo, Carne de puerco and much more that are ready to serve. Each day is different though, so be sure to check out their IG Page: el_zarape_sb On my most recent visit I had their chicken enchiladas. I wasn't expecting 4 enchiladas, but I was happy to get my money's worth! I paid around $12 for my meal and that is a deal compared to other places in town. I was a little disappointed though with the lack of chicken inside the enchiladas. Despite that issue, they were still good. The nachos are a must here! You get a very generous serving and they are delicious. The tacos are piled with meat or seafood depending on your preference and everything is made to order. My son enjoyed his shrimp alambres. They are cooked with red and green bell peppers, onion and cheese. Now for the bad news! They have no salsa bar nor do they offer a decent tasting salsa or variety for that matter. I find this to be very odd for a Mexican restaurant that serves up good food! There is a very watered down salsa that looks like a pinkish juice and the other is too spicy. I had to go across the street to Super Cucas to get their salsa because they didn't have any on the day I came here. How bizarre! Overall, the food is great here and the prices are reasonable, but you might just need to bring your own salsa if you can't live without it lol.

Usually good service but, this time at the beginning of the month i was charged twice she said no and I showed her on my bank statement i was charged twice. the cashier didn't know what to do so she called someone. And figured out how to delete one of transactions. Long story short I left my name and phone number for the owner or boss to call me to correct when they came in haven't received a call back yet also went in a few times a employee tried calling and no answer. I'd give this more stars if the restaurant can make this right on their end

El Zarape catered our wedding in October and we could not have enjoyed working with Raul and his team more. From the very beginning he was so helpful and really helped us to think about aspects of our wedding that we hadn't thought of. He is so knowledgeable and his experience with weddings was a huge asset. He was communicative, organized, and so easy to work with. Even our wedding coordinator commented on how great they were to work with the day of the wedding. If you're considering them for catering, wedding or not, I highly recommend! They took care of everything and even had staff available to help with some of the venue clean-up at the end of the night. Now the food? Amazing. The tacos were so good! We got so many comments from our guests on how good the food was (especially the guac) and we couldn't agree more. There were so many options for people during cocktail hour and dinner and we loved how quickly our guests were able to get their food and get back to the fun. 10/10 and we can't wait to go to El Zarape and enjoy some more food. Thanks for everything!

Delicious food, great customer service, great prices and hospitality! We will be back on the next family trip. My dad said, "I haven't had such delicious Mexican food in a long time!" I recommend the Quesabirrias; they are delicious! Thank you.

I'm happy to have found this place. There are so many places in SB to get tacos and I'm still looking for my go-to place. I ordered 2 asada and 1 al pastor. Not bad. I would come back. I loved how affordable and simple the tacos were. The only downside is that it was my first time so I guess I thought they'd put some salsa, a lime slice, napkins in the to-go bag but they didn't. I got home and realized they didn't provide any of that so I'm bummed about that. Lesson learned, though. Will definitely ask next time for salsa and lime or they could've instructed me to visit their salsa bar if they had one.

I have to say Raul and his lovely wife did an incredible job catering our Baby Reveal party yesterday!!! They arrived right on time.. They were extremely organized and the food was absolutely DELICIOUS! I can't say enough good things about this team and their food!! Look no further if you are going to have a big party! I wish I could give MORE than 5 stars!! Thank you so much to you both for all you did for us yesterday!! Such a blessing!!

Great spot. They always have four dishes simmering in pans. Those are the best bets. Get here before noon for lunch to beat the rush. By 12 the line is out the door. And for good reason!

Fabulous casual taqueria with delicious handmade tortillas. No-nonsense in its approach, El Zarape has amazing tacos at a great price with quick service. Definitely with a visit!

We are so incredibly happy that we hired Raul and El Zarape to cater our wedding. From the very first phone call, Raul was professional, helpful, clear, kind, and accommodating. He was engaged and interested in the vision of our event so that he and his team could provide the elements to make that vision become a reality. He worked with us to create exactly the catering experience we were looking for: from fine-tuning delicious appetizers and margarita recipes, to providing bartending services, to giving us guidance on bar supply needs, to helping us with setup and teardown. They were also accommodating with dietary restrictions. He was on time and well prepared, and his staff were professional and kind to our guests. After the wedding, we have gotten many comments on how excellent the food was, and we agree! Working with El Zarape meant that both the food and the catering service at our wedding was better than we could have hoped for.

Alright so I know when it comes to Santa Barbara tacos there's always going to be an argument. Typically ending with a battle between #TeamLilys or #TeamMonys. But I'm telling you, El Zarape belongs in this conversation. Is it slightly more expensive per taco than the others? Yes. But they make it so worth while. These guys absolutely load you up with meat so that those $3 you pay per taco are worth every dang penny. My favorite is the Verde Pork and the Carnitas. Also if the have Birria, get it. Absolutely incredible. I would recommend this place a thousand times over. Especially if you live on or near the Westside then go here, I promise you'll have a new favorite spot

I had the Pasilla Breakfast Burrito (special for burrito week) and thought it was pretty good although a little on the plain side flavor wise. But, they have some decently spicy and tasty salsa that took care of that and I am satisfied for sure. It was quite hearty too as I had more than half left for a second breakfast in a few hours. And, it seemed like the ingredients were fresh and I was left feeling great and satisfied. I will be back for sure to try some other menu items and update.

I feel cheated. I ordered a California burrito And I got a massive bean burrito garnished with a minimal amount of Asada. California burritos aren't supposed to even have beans in them. What they did was the equivalent of stealing. I gave it two stars because they do cater a Party for work every year, and the food is good when they do that.

Ordered food for our sons first birthday, Raul made the process very easy. Food was amazing! Family was so happy to be able to take home leftovers after the party! No food went to waste! I have eaten here with my in-laws regularly and am never disappointed. I'm vegetarian and they are very vegetarian friendly, which is not the case in a lot of Mexican restaurants. They are happy to cook my food in a separate skillet off the grill so no meat accidentally gets into my food. The red enchiladas are the bomb. Green salsa is delicious!

What a great local restaurant. We always get good service and good food! I have to say this is surprisingly clean food, free of extra salt and fat which I've often experience at other Taquerias.

Raul catered our neighborhood party and did an exceptional job. He was on-time and was very receptive to customizing to our party's needs. The food was excellent quality & reasonably priced. We would not hesitate you use him in the future. Thank you so much for all your help with this event!

I made a large order recently, after hearing from my son how good the tacos are at El Zarape, and they were absolutely delicious! Everything from the veggie tacos to the carnitas (and asada, chicken, rajas, salsas and more) was fresh and perfectly seasoned, with generous portions all around. A special shout out for the carnitas--juicy and flavorful--some of the best we've ever had! It wasn't an easy order given the time constraints, but Raul made it happen and everything was beautifully packaged to go right on time. Near the corner of San Andres and Micheltorena, in the heart of the Westside (you probably have driven by it many times), El Zarape is authentic and amazing---Go!!

My personal favorite breakfast burrito option in Santa Barbara. Amazing ingredients, tortilla and salsa options. Highly recommend!

What a fabulous experience working with Raul and his team! We started organizing an event two years ago and due to the pandemic only got to enjoy it this past weekend. We hosted a rehearsal dinner at Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara for 80 guests and Raul's team was so nice and professional and the food was beyond delicious! I highly recommend the quesadilla station with hand pressed tortillas, the ceviche and the taco bar! Also the Horchata - I truly think it's the best I have had. The rentals, table colors and decor he organized for the party were fantastic as well. We had a great time. Definitely call Raul for your next event, you won't regret it!

Underrated and under visited location. You will feel much at home here. The burritos are some of the best in town and there are rotating entrees for combo plates. Skip the line of more popular restaurants and give El Zarape a shot.

Need some real California Mexican food? This is the spot. Everything is incredible. My mouth waters thinking of the carnitas.

So delicious! Been looking for authentic Mexican flavors that don't have dried out meat like all of the other restaurants that are so popular around here. Meat was juicy and tender and portions were very big. Ordered their taco specials of Carnitas and Adobada. Also, please don't complain during a pandemic about irrelevant things like language and support your local authentic businesses.

This food comparing to LA is 0 I don't know what Santa Barbara standards are but the food was bad, I ordered El Pastor taco and beef torta. Pastor taco didn't have any flavor, like eating a regular taco. My beef torta " no beans" was saggy and semi wet " no crunchy bread" more than half of the beef in torta was fat. I would rather eating Taco Bell then from this place. Sorry :|

We came to Santa Barbara for the day and we stopped at about 3 other Mexican restaurants before going with this location. The food and service were really good and the price was reasonable.

Honest and authentic. As soon as I walked in, I felt good about my decision. Got the carnitas plate with a flour tortilla and a fried jalepeno (chile toreado) on the side. -Carnitas was just the way I love it - oily and crispy. -Beans and rice were simply authentic and delicious. -Flour tortilla was perfect. -Chile toreado, good but undercooked by my standards. Tap water wasn't great. No worries, next time I will bring my own water. Order at the counter and wait with your given number.

Loved the food the chef cooked for us This was my second visit here and it was great We got 2 burritos of Asada and 1 taco everything was freshly made and really hot just the way I love my food Esme was great definitely great customer service The only downside is that they don't serve chips that would be great if they decided to do that in the future

So damn good that I had to take a pic as soon as I bit into the burrito! Great customer service and authenticity of the food was beyond exceptional. 5 stars!!!! We both had a super burrito with Carne Asada and AL pastor mixed. Try it!!! And carne tacos

This place is great! It's definitely a hole in the wall kind of restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food. We saw reviews on yelp and decided to give it a try. They are known (won awards and been on news) for their breakfast burritos! We got a chorizo, potato and cheese burrito and a classic carne asada burrito and was IMPRESSED. Both burritos are large enough to keep you happy and full. We used our axxess card and got BOGO. Friendly staff and fast service, this just might become my go to Mexican spot! - J

Torta HUGE Taco de Asada HUUUGE !!! Not expensive at all. Little Hole in the Wall. Nothing Fancy but you will get Full.

My favorite place to go in Santa Barbara for a breakfast burrito. Everything always tastes super fresh and delicious. The staff is always very kind as well. Highly highly recommend!

Was really excited to try this place but didn't live up to the hype. Got my order incorrect, didn't let me use an access card or have any cups for salsa. Went back got the correct order and was still dissatisfied.

Has continued to be one of my go to spots for Mexican foods for burritos . Always excellent and consistent and waaaay better than some of the trendy Mexican spots on Santa Barbara. Def better than Super Cucas across the street. If you go, def get some of the pink habernero salsa. OMG is it HOT but all tasty at the same time. Great local hole in the wall. Every thing is good. Burritos, tortas or even the dishes on the side that change daily. Try it all and you will not be disappointed. Wish I still lived in SB so i could go there right now.

Huge fan of El Zarape, consistently great food time after time. If you are looking for a hole in the wall with affordable mexican food, this is the place to go. Open until 10PM as well! I recommend getting something out of the hot case.

Ordered a vegetarian burrito with double beans instead of rice. The burrito is supposed to include zuchinni, lettuce, tomato, pasilla and bell pepper and cheese. I received only a single serving of beans, no pasilla or bell peppers, and carrots. Plus, the vegetables were not cooked adequately. Very disappointed.

Yeah...it's some of the best Mexican food in town. Tortas, alambres, menudo...all freshly made and served with a smile.

Solid 4 star spot. Great selection of tacos, burritos, tortas and breakfast burritos. Today I had the tacos and they are twice as big as the typical street taco. The tortillas are made by hand and that was one of my favorite parts of this taco. I will definitely be back when in the area.

I found this place by accident... I thought I was grabbing a burger at Burger Express. We were renting a house for the weekend around the corner, and were on a mission to find some burgers. We turned the corner onto San Andreas, and lo and behold (what we thought) burgers! As I walked up to the door I was a bit confused. The specials listed Mexican dishes. The place is a little walk-up and order, but they have ample seating in the next room. They DO sell burgers, but with the food on display and what I could smell cooking I opted for El Zarape's Mexican food (same establishment/building as Burger Express). I ordered a sope because I can never pass one up. A carne asada one, with everything on it. Delicious. I added their habanero salsa. Delicious. The food here is legit, has tons of flavor and meat is cooked perfectly. Food is fresh and definitely hand/homemade.

There is always something wrong in this place, either the food not well cooked and customer service sucks. Before my friend invited me, I told him" I've been there a couple of times, and did not like food/service. Still I gave them the benefit of the doubt. BIG MISTAKE. won't be ever thinking going back to that funky hole.

The definition of hole in the wall: When someone texts you to say they're joining you for lunch, then you get a text 10 min later saying they just drove by the place, had a sudden change of heart, and are just going to get a sandwich or something. El Zarape is straight up for mehicanos solamente. It's Mexican food like your Mexican grandma used to make it. In the line are Mexican neighborhood workers, and the lady at the counter doesn't speak much english. But when a plate of rice and beans makes you go wow, you know you've found something good. The enchiladas here are unreal... best I've had in years. So next time you're in Santa Barbara, do yourself a favor and put aside your airs and go get yourself a meal here. The sandwiches in Santa Barbara suck anyway.

A good Mexican Palette knows when a Mexican Restaurant is good; first taste test is always 'the beans'. If the beans are good everything else is going to taste like mom's cooking. This place is pretty darn A-ok! Try there chilaquiles. Worth a try.

Not only does El Zarape have the BEST breakfast burritos, but they also catered our wedding and the food/service was exceptional!! Raul was wonderful to work and the price worked very nicely with our budget. We were extremely happy with them. Thank you, El Zarape!!

Everything I've had here is fantastic! It's standard taqueria pricing. I usually get a burrito or a torta, both of which are great. The adobada is spicy and delicious. And they GRILL THEIR BURRITOS. This is icing on the cake for me when it comes to burritos. The rajas burritos are also fantastic with the melted cheese. I recommend making your burrito a California Burrito and it comes with lettuce, tomato, guac, sour cream, and cheese. My friend swears by the lengua torta. I haven't tried it yet. Added bonus...everyone that works here is very friendly! And they will deliver your order to the bar next door, Bo Henry's.

The food taste like authentic Mexican food. It was my first time but my sister said she goes there often so I thought I'd give it a try sense she is usually picky so I thought it must be good. I had their taquitos, two beef and two chicken with rice, beans, guac and sour cream. Best part not only did they have regular fountain drinks they also had Mexican bottled drinks as well, always best with some good Mexican food! Glad it's walking distance from my house :)

Raul and his team at El Zarape were one of our favorite vendors to work with on our wedding day. The food was AMAZING, the prices were great, and the service was above and beyond our expectations! From our very first meeting, Raul was incredibly helpful, informative, and so fun to work with. He walked us through every detail and was prepared for everything from setup to clean up. When plans changed last minute, he was flexible and accommodating. The food and drinks were delicious, warm, and well presented. Our family and friends are still talking about the great food and drinks, and my husband and I can't say enough about how thankful we are for such incredible service. Raul is our favorite caterer to recommend for your next event!

Have tried to place an order to be pick be picked up for the next day, the person on the counter could not even understand english and should be a easy transaction, place my order and pay for an order to be picked up the next day, that was too much for the person to understand and still order was not placed and paid for it and she could not get it right, my nephew went to pick it up and not paid for, please hire people who know how to place a order to be picked up the next day, easy, charge and let the cooks know, called several times to talk to owner, if the person taking the call could understand english and take my number, could be resolved, owner never calls

Ordered a carne asada quesadilla. wrong choice!! The meat didn't even look like asada and it tasted more like boiled ground beef. Meat had no flavor.

They will make a burrito as you want it. With being new to town I love how nice they have been to customize my California burritos to be in a San Diego style. Also they are one of the few places in town that offer a bean burrito at a price below $6.00.

Great mexican food on the westside! I ordered a Lomito burrito and it was about the size of a large football for $8. They take axxess too, which makes it an even better deal. Great looking weekly specials and menudo on the weekends. I'm going to have to come back for Posole Thursday. Word of caution: Habanero salsa here is not kidding around. It will bite your face off. It's delicious.

I had their catered food and it's not the same as in the restaurant. Restaurant: delicious, professional, non-greasy, and true to size. This is mostly a review for the catering service they offer. Catering: plain, very greasy, very unprofessional, not friendly. It's almost as if they didn't want to be there. They are expensive for the service they offer. Didn't meet expectations presentation wise. The meats and tortillas are cooked/sized different than inside restaurant. Witnessed minor fiascos that could have been prevented if they had been prepared. Save yourself a headache and a stomachache hire a more experienced restaurant that is true to catering. El Zarape restaurant GOOD. El Zarape catering TERRIBLE.