Zavala's Market & Taqueria

Absolutely amazing food!!! Couldn't get enough of the fresh warm chips and guacamole! Our server was very kind but got a few things wrong with our order (we didn't ask for them to be changed and just ate/drank what we got), and the dining room was filthy when we arrived -- we had to ask that our table be re-wiped, plus there was a large table next to ours that needed to be cleared and wiped, but it was still not clean by the time we left after dinner. We'd totally go back for the food, though: delicious and lots of it. A great value!

We’ve ordered take-out from here a few times and it was always good. Today we went in to the restaurant and it was DELICIOUS! I started with a mango margarita and my husband got a michelada made with Pacifico…if it were Saturday instead of Sunday, we’d have had a couple more. We got the choriqueso as an appetizer, it was very tasty, but the homemade chips were amazing. For entree I got the empanadas de barbacoa and the hubby got gorditas de asada, both authentic, flavorful and obviously homemade. One warning, the green chile is spicier than the red! Still good, but definitely has a kick! We brought home flan & pastel de tres leches for dessert and even though they look tasty, we will probably have to wait til tomorrow to try them when we’re not so full.

Zero stars for food delivery. The 3 dip and chips was awful the guacamole is brown, the queso is runny and watered down and hardly any chips. The burrito lacks flavor.. it’s huge but does no good if you don’t want to eat it.

Ordered doordash. Chips were old and guacamole was the worst I have ever haf. Avocado pieces in a tomato juice with no taste. At first I thought they sent the wrong item. the beef taco was good

I tried Zavala's a few years ago while visting Madison and I think about how good the food was all the time. Today I drove 5hrs one way to try it again, and it did not disappoint! The food was amazing!

Always delicious food - I usually find myself not being able to stop eating until I get too full. The servers have always been nice when I go in, and wait times are reasonable given the circumstances. Pricing is also reasonable. I usually carry out orders so I can't say much for the inside of the place, but it is nice.

I’ve been going here probably the last 4 months when we stumbled upon it.. the Nacho Deluxe WAS perfect for two people to share. We’ve gone here so much that the employees know us by face and know that we order the nacho deluxe. AT FIRST, the food (our norm) included Nachos deluxe & Steak Tacos- it was perfect. The portions were great, price was affordable, and most importantly it was delicious! However, over the course of the last two months or so our food has been horrible. We keep going back because the Nacho Deluxe is just the right size for the right price. The size of the nachos has gone down dramatically, chips are stale and most importantly…. The cooks do NOT READ what you request. They make things how they normally would make them. If you specify that you don’t want something- they need to make sure to honor that because it could have something to do with religion, dietary needs or be life threatening. They do not honor that, and don’t look at what you request. That has gotten worse in the last month or so. Most recently today, we placed an order and asked for rice on the side. They forgot our rice on the side so we went to get it .. the container had a hole in the plastic top and there was PIECES OF PLASTIC IN THE RICE. There ended up being rice on the nacho. The Staff who work at the register are usually pretty responsive and great. They tend to make it right by doing what they can. Photos are included on the beginning nachos to what we’ve been getting lately. Great atmosphere and they have a wide variety of options at the grocery store area.

This is the best Mexican restaurant in Madison. I had the birria pizza and fries.my wife had taco platter. OMG everything was filled with so much flavor. The beef was so tender. O had to meet the chef and thank him. I have no complaints. A must try.A must have.

Great service and food came out fast too! Ordered the nachos and they were huge and very tasty. Could've used a touch more al pastor on them but otherwise good. Shared them as my meal and couldn't even finish them! Wanted to try so many other things on the menu too. Would return certainly

Really kind people. Delicious food. The red salsa was way too hot for me. But the fajitas with shrimp seem like the way to go, or calling in on the weekend to ask for vegetable posole. Probably a bit closer to 4.5 stars.

This is the kind of place that Yelp was built for: driving by you would never think there was a delicious restaurant inside the small grocery building. Even when you walk in, you have to walk through the market to get to the restaurant, which is decently sized with a good amount of seating in booths and tables. Good quick service. The guacamole was fresh and the chips were hot and well seasoned. The quesabirria was a style I like less (it appeared fully deep fried, as opposed to griddled on both sides) but the meat & broth were both tasty, even if the final product was greasy. The standout, and the dish I'd go back for, was the huaraches. It's a must-try dish - soft chewy corn tortilla outside wrapped around meat, cheese, and avocado, served with a side of grilled onions and a jalapeño. We had the asada, but I would like to try every flavor they have!

The food was really good. Prices a bit pricey but overall yummy. The service was great. Went early on a Saturday night and got sat ate and out in under 45 min and we chatted for a bit. I can recommend trying this place. They have unique specialties.

Had to try the huarache! It was really good and indeed massive. The size of my forearm massive. Would love to go back and try other menu items!

I didn't even know this existed until a friend took me in the back for some tacos. Like the other reviewers have said - some of the best tacos I've had in Madison. Really good service and staff!

Food was amazing. Service was just as great. Definitely a good place to check out. I got the 3 tacos rice and beans and man was it amazing.

I was there to check if they sell plaintains. Unfortunately no plantains there. I dined in. Houraches was really good. A side of fried onion was a welcome change from tortilla chips or french fries. Tacos doros was good as well. Horchata and mango juice were ok. I took a gansito and a mexican hot chocolate drink mix as well. I noticed the chocolate mix was manufactured more than an year before. It still had one more year to expire though.

Zavala's Market & Taqueria is an incredible hidden gem for delicious authentic Mexican cuisine tucked away in a small low key strip mall! It is very easy to miss this place! Don't expect anything fancy or a top notch dining experience because it is a very casual family owned market. Zavala's Taqueria is located inside the little market (mercado)! You can order take out or eat inside. They are truly one of the best places in Madison to go for the best Mexican tacos! They serve a variety of cheap delicious street tacos such as al pastor, chorizo, carnitas, campechanos, tongue, & tripe ($1 up charge)! If you have a big appetite try their amazing giant Huarache Estilo Moroleon (quesadilla) stuffed with your choice of meat, onion, cilantro, avocado, mozzarella cheese. It comes with a side of grilled onion, jalapeno and salsa! I enjoy also ordering their popular savory Birria tacos which come with 3 barbacoa tacos filled with cheese, onion and cilantro accompanied by a flavorful consome to dip your tacos in!!! Come early as possible on weekends for their delicious Authentic Mexican specials you crave such as Carnitas, Pozole, Menudo and Tamales all made fresh/homemade! You never know when they will sell out. Zavala's also serve simple American style eats such as wings/fries, chicken tenders, and they do Fish Fry Fridays! Don't forget to complete your meal with some Mexican beverages such as Horchata, Jamaica, or Jarritos! I truly appreciate low key spots like this that share Mexican culture through the love of food and community! :) This might be a little market but they are serving something truly special!

A friend recommended on Facebook. Looks like they just opened in the summer. I had a long day at work and wanted to stop by. Got 3 tacos and the Jamaica. So delicious. You can get it carry out or eat in. I decided to eat in. They have a small grocery section with some staples (beans, quest fresco, bags of tamales). Highly recommend! Plenty of parking at nighttime. They close at 10pm on Friday & Saturday and 9pm the rest of the week. Everything is fresh and made to order! Good for lunches and some smalllll groups.

This place is like 3.5/5 for us but compared to other local taco places here in Madison, it is like a 4. We have been here twice. We ordered tacos, empanadas and caldo de res. Their caldo de res was yummy but there was not a lot of vegetables like other places'. The steak, lengua and al pastor tacos were good. I wished they would add pineapples to the al pastor taco. We had their chicken tacos here but it had no flavor. Would not recommend at all. The empanadas had cheese in it and it was ok. Overall, it was good place to get tacos.

I'm so disappointed because this is close to my job and I love to find new places to eat. I ordered the quessabirria tacos. They looked amazing but I bit into them and tasted nothing. It literally tasted like water. I had to eat an orange to see if I lost my sense of taste or something because it was that bland. If you are sensitive to seasoning and/or spice this may be for you. I was just expecting some flavor and unfortunately this missed the mark. Maybe it was just a bad day. I may try something else. To the reviewer that said these were the best in town-liar liar pants on fire.

The best quesabirria I've ever had! The servers were very attentive & brought food out fast. We ordered the quesabirria pizza, which could have easily be shared by two or more people. All in all, Zavala's is such a hidden gem & I would highly recommend to anyone in the Madison area!

I would hands done recommend this place if you are looking for Authentic Mexican food. This place is tucked inside a small strip mall. They are only open for 4 months now. They have a market when you enter and a restaurant inside. We were seated right away. The service was fast and extremely attentive. We ordered 2 tongue taco, an order of quesabirria tacos which came with an extremely flavorful consume and a steak huarache which is a large homemade corn tortilla. The portions was so huge- I had to bring half of it home. Everything we had was super tasty. The only critique I have is I wish their salsa is little spicier. They had 2 kinds both won't spicy enough for us. We r so glad we found this place. We are sure to go back! I could recommend this place in a heart beat!!!!!! MUST TRY

Overall great food! Only issue is i ordered pickup and left a (30%) tip but when I got my statement from my bank it stated additional was added (45% tip - 15% increase). I'll take it as a mistake but it's something you should be know happened.

Outstanding! I visited Zavala's with my family yesterday (Thursday) at about 5:45. We were immediately seated in their new seating area, which was nice and tidy with tables and booths and colorful decor. The server was very friendly. Our little kids got the kids quesadillas, which they loved. My wife got the huarache, which was huge and delicious. I got the quesabirria, which consisted of 3 tacos with a dipping sauce/broth. It was next level delicious--just fantastic. This is my new favorite Mexican place in town.

I had no idea this place existed until it came up in an Internet search and I just had to try it. I might normally mark it as four stars, but I was between four and five... and I ordered it from a third party and I think getting it at the actual restaurant would make a difference. Anyway, the tacos were fantastic either way. I ordered three tacos (steak, pastor, chicken) and all were very good. The chicken was a little bland and dry, but I honestly feel that way about most chicken tacos so it doesn't really impact my review. The chicken taco certainly wasn't bad. I liked the salsas they provided as well. I saw another review didn't think they were spicy, but as someone who can't handle spice, I found them both to have plenty (so I guess it's all relative?). The green salsa was milder and delicious. The red salsa was too hot for me so it had to sit this meal out. I don't love that I only got one lime wedge for all three tacos, but again, I ordered from a third party and if I were actually in the restaurant, I could just ask for another lime wedge. The tacos weren't overly loaded with filler stuff either. There was a good amount of meat in each taco yet the onion/cilantro complimented it well. I certainly plan to order from here again, and would absolutely order more often if I lived closer. Zavala's is definitely in my top favorites for tacos in the area. I recommend you go and see for yourself!!

What a sweet little gem! Would never know this place was going to be as good as it is when you look at it from the outside. It's small and in a strip mall, but don't let that fool you. Food is authentic and very tasty! Service is quick and friendly! I had the chips and guacamole, which was very tasty with large chunks of tomato and onion mixed within. I ordered two tacos: one chicken, one steak. Both were excellent! I loved their two homemade salsa's. I prefer the green one, but the red one was also quite tasty!

I can't remember the last time I trusted a place enough to order gorditas. I can't wait to come back and try more food.

Zavalas market and taqueria has the some of the best quesabirria, I love them and I usually order out but the food is amazing everyone should check it out

From now forward, I will bring visitors here impress them with the Huarache Estilo Moroleon. Delicious, unique (to me), and just a really interesting dish. We also ordered the nachos, which were massive and also very good. None of that that canned, generic, nacho cheese on these. I'll definitely be back...repeatedly.

Can't recommend this place enough. A friend and I have been looking for a good taco place on this side of town. This is by far the best we've found in Madison, and the only one we'll go to now. We've been several times, and it's consistently great. All of the food is excellent, but the birria is the best I've had anywhere. You can't beat the price, especially for the portion sizes and quality. Everything is a bit more authentic than your typical Tex Mex restaurant. Half of it is a small grocery section, and the other half is setup for food service with a few tables. It's more of a casual sit down vibe, or a perfect place to grab takeout. If you're reading this, I highly recommend giving it a try.

food was good but very pricy. the cashier added the tip without my consent. I will probably not go back.

This place is a hidden gem! We ordered the quesabirria tacos and the huarache estilo moroleon (al pastor) and both were amazing! We're both very full and still have leftovers.

The food was tasty--empanadas and sopes. We also asked for help getting a tasty pasty in the grocery and the worker made an excellent recommendation.

My friend and I came in close to their closing time and they were so nice and accommodating. Originally we were gonna get food to go, but after browsing around the store front we noticed a beautifully decorated dining area and decided to eat there. They were so nice and immediately asked what we wanted to drink. I got chicken street tacos- the chicken was fresh, juicy, and seasoned well. 9.4/ 10 My friend got a Hurache Estilo Moroleon- it was HUGE, flavorful and felt the salsa enhanced the meal for 8.3/10. One of the best Mexican spots in Madison we've had so far AND the customer service was STELLAR.

Loved this family-friendly casual restaurant in the grocery. There's table service for dine-in customers. We had a burrito and the carnitas platter, which came with delicious corn tortillas. Two squeeze bottles of sauce arrived on our table; one a roasted red chile salsa, one a bright salsa verde. Both were great. Portions are generous--we took food home--and we thought everything was excellent.

The most amazing empanadas! The Birria tacos and nachos were also some of the best in Madison. We got it delivered and ate it so quick we forgot to take pictures, but this will be our new staple.

While test driving a Tesla we passed this small strip mall. Nothing fancy on the outside but after reading another Yelp review who gave it 5 stars we decided to try it out. We were not disappointed. Very clean and newly remodeled. Food was excellent, no free chips & salsa. If you wanted them it was $3.99. Horchata came nice and cold in a glass with no ice so you got your moneys worth. The small store attached had a great selection and reasonable prices. Menu says on the weekends pazole, menudo and carnitas by the pound. Definitely recommend!

Mexican grocery store with a delicious restaurant inside. The one lady who waited on us was very nice, checked on us, and cared how customers liked their food. Hands down the best & most authentic Mexican food I've had in Madison. Don't think you could go wrong with anything ordered here- next time want to try their tamales. It's fairly small restaurant to eat inside- takeout might be a good option- though clean and the colorful paintings on wall of cities in Mexico give a pretty decor to look at while dining in. Definitely will go back again & again!

THE QUESABIRRIA TACOS WERE INCREDIBLE. So flavorful and tender and good I didn't want to finish them. The store also is a great place to gets drinks and groceries. I wish I could eat here every day. 10/10