Zazil

Delicious food, lovely atmosphere and amazing staff. Without reservation, it may take a while to get a table especially on Friday nights. Zaxil menu dones amazing authentic dishes so you won't find typical fajitas or common dishes. Loved fish tacos ( Tacos de Pescado Ensenada), came with fried mahi mahi and fresh veggies - full of flavors. Pollito Al Pastor (Chicken breast cooked with a chipotle sauce and served with baby broccoli and potatoes) is one of the two delicious chicken options in the menu. There is decent options for drinks, very well listed in separate menu cards -imoressive how well this is thought through. The menu is mostly full of Gin and Tequila/ Mezcal based cocktails and one whiskey cocktail which seems like a seasonal option. The bar looks amazing and quite busy. Overall a lovely 4 star authentic Mexican restaurant. The restaurant was packed so I assume that was the reason for slow service. But enjoyed the meal and will definitely add this to our favorite list in San Jose.

Our waitress Lisa was very friendly and informative when asked for drink recommendations! Food was good and portions were quite sizable. The guacamole was especially good, and not too spicy even with jalapeños.

If you’re looking for authentic Mexican cuisine with a vibrant atmosphere, this spot is a must-visit! The food was absolutely delicious—from the fresh guacamole to the flavorful shrimp ceviche, every bite was on point. The homemade tortillas really elevated the experience and paired perfectly with everything we ordered. Jesus, the bartender, was fantastic—attentive, helpful, and he makes a mean Old Fashioned. His drink recommendations were spot on, and his service made us feel right at home. We also enjoyed the live music playing outside—it added such a fun and festive vibe to the evening. Whether you’re going out for a date night, dinner with friends, or just looking to unwind with good food and drinks, I highly recommend this place. We’ll definitely be back!

I am biased, I ❤️ Santana Row. I could fill up eating and drinking at all of the restaurants on this little strip. I met a friend for lunch/brunch on a Saturday. There was live music in the courtyard next to the restaurant, added bonus. She had chilaquiles with (vegan option) Chorizo and I had the breakfast tacos. We also got the table side guac. Everything was great. We got a vodka, blueberry and Red Bull drink that was very refreshing. Great flavors. Service was great. They even found my friend’s daughter‘s little pink sweater and set it aside when we came back for it. She lives on the Row and this is one of her favorite places.

came here for the a drink with my friend and we loved the drinks! not only that but the greenery and lighting is perfect, makes a summer night vibe. recommend u check this place out! had the food before too so delish. Ceasar and Anthony did amazing making drinks and chatting with us, so fun.

It took us over 30 minutes to get an appetizer and over an hour to get our meal after ordering it. The overpriced guac $18 was not worth it as it was bland. The chicken mole was sweet. French sangria tasted like a lollypop with no sangria taste. Disappointed & overpriced drinks & appetizers.

A bit pricey but food and drinks were delicious. Lots of outdoor seating with heating lamps in between all the tables. Great location for ambiance and for people watching. We ordered 3 appetizers and they were all amazing. Of the 3, the pork belly tacos were the best with amazing flavors hitting your palate every bite. Our waiter was also fun and amazing.

Delicious delicious delicious !!!! We tried chile relleno and chicken enchiladas . Both bursting with flavors. Excellent service and beautiful ambiance.

On Wednesday the 25th my cousin and I decided to try Zazil for dinner. We enjoyed a few rounds of the house mule and the mi amor cocktail with some guac, queso, surf and turf and the grilled pulpo. Fast forward to the weekend: We're still talking about it thanks to our waiter Andres! He knew exactly what we'd like to order by asking the right questions, navigating us through the menu and giving us a few laughs when he'd check on us. The food was amazing but the service is what really put the whole experience together. Thank you Andres! We'll be back.

Lisa our server was the best! Professional and attentive the entire time I was there. She definitely deserves a raise and a lot of tips! Thank you, Joe

The ambience was great and the location is what brought us to the restraurant The food was underwhelming The fish tacos had a bad after taste and were bland The salmon taste wasnt great either

I dined here last summer and totally forgot to write a review! Spacious open air indoor/outdoor dining. It was a typical warm August evening and there was an overhead hanging plant that kept dripping random water droplets ... Service was pretty good from our waiter at the time. Complimentary chips & two kinds of salsa. My favorite was the warm, creamy orange one with a kick, which our waiter brought extra of. Drinks: *Zazhilito Mojitos (mango purée) Eats: *Empanadas de Camaron *Ceviche Camaron *Pulpo a la Parilla (octopus taco) My friend initially ordered a different cocktail but didn't like it. Staff were so nice and obliged to bring over a mojito instead. Empanadas were gooey with melted cheese and loaded with chunks of shrimp. Ceviche was refreshing. Kinda surprised at the small portion size for the Pulpo. Pricey for what you get but it's expected at the Row. Nice place to unwind. Reservations available but walk in isn't too bad.

Great ambiance and service. Perfect place to go during the summer since it's an indoor/outdoor combo. Big menu and some good food. The empanadas with shrimp were soooo good. 10/10. I'd never gotten mole before, which was on the enchiladas poblanas. I'm not sure if I'm not a fan of mole, or if it was the sauce, but I had to choke it down. 3/10. The coconut daiquiri was pretty good too. 8/10. Had toasted, but not sweet, coconut shavings on top that added to the look, but not the taste.

Reyna is so kind and attentive. She made our experience at Zazil luxurious. Will definitely return.

This is more of an upscale Mexican dining experience. We came on a Monday late afternoon, and the place was pretty empty aside from a couple of small groups, which made for a quiet and relaxed meal. They started us off with complimentary chips and salsa, which is always appreciated. We ordered the guac as an appetizer and got a couple of drinks as well. The guacamole is made right in front of you in a lil molcajete--kind of a gimmick in my opinion, especially since the guac itself was pretty mediocre. I would've much rather had a well-seasoned, flavorful guacamole that didn't need the tableside prep. For drinks, I had the Oaxacan mule, which was deceivingly strong. It was a great twist on a classic mule--super tasty and balanced. For lunch, we ordered the enchiladas suizas. Fair warning: the portion isn't huge, but the dish is dense and filling. The green sauce was bright and flavorful, probably the highlight of the meal. A little on the pricey side overall, but that's to be expected for Santana Row and it matches the upscale vibe and aesthetic of the restaurant. That said, I do wish they had more of a happy hour--it would make it a bit more accessible for casual visits.

The food quality and high level of service always hits at zazil. Today, managers Roman and Marcela took extra good care of me because they know how much I like the orange salsa, it is strait fire. The cocktails and mocktails are all really delicious also.

I had a great dinner. Beets roots tortilla tacos cones in 3 tacos for $25. That's fair price for Santana row. Plus their two complimentary salsa & chips are the best in the Bay Area. I'm a big foodie. I fell in love. Came here with a friend. Next time, I will bring my sister here. The menu is broad and many cocktails to pick too. Waiter is attentive but not so much English. But he knew which dishes are good and which cocktail is the strongest. Not to mentioned their ambience is so relaxing!

Food was okay but service was very slow. We had trouble ordering second drinks or getting water refilled. It was not very busy. Location/ambiance/food were fine. May try dinner and hope for a better experience.

Visited after few months, and so glad we did. The ambience is amazing great music, lively and classy. Mauricio took great care of us as always. The hospitality and service is just beyond incredible! Everything right from chips and salsa, to the sweet lady that makes guacamole in front of us, to the food is just perfect. Mauricio gets me a customized old fashioned that is simply beyond delicious, not to mention that their carajillo are pretty awesome too! Zazil is definitely one of our happy place and I am grateful for people like Mauricio that go above and beyond to make it even more special!

I just came by Zazil tonight for drinks with my friends from out of town! This place is vibey and cute - and such a nice ambiance! Our server, Reyna, was so warm and friendly and recommended us yummy cocktails! We loved the seasonal cocktails! Reyna kept checking on us - and she was so attentive and helpful! We will definitely come back for food!

Very horrible service. We walked in, a lady server served us chips and salsa right away but disappeared for almost 20 minutes. Servers and the manager just walked past us without even checking in. We got up and left without ordering a single thing. Definitely won't come back to this establishment.

Amazing service, Magnolia was wonderful! I enjoyed the ambience and dining experience as well. Like a party for the senses. Fabulous tres leches cake! I felt like it was my birthday

I came here for a group dinner on Wednesday and we enjoyed it! The tableside guacamole was delicious, and I really liked that they had fun and unique mocktails on the menu. My friend and I shared the quesadillas with chicken and the tacos with pork belly. Both were good, but the quesadillas didn't have a lot of cheese (they were basically tacos), and the pork belly was so crispy that it was almost hard. However, the food was not bad. Our servers came around often to clear empty glasses and bring new drinks. I'd go back!

Lisa G was an amazing server friendly, kind , professional and attentive. Food was delicious and will be coming back again :)

OMAR! He was just brilliant with his service, extremely polite and attentive. He checked on us frequently but not to the point where it got annoying.....hahahahaha.

Visited Zazil on a Wednesday evening as a group of 5 for a team outing! Happy hour is from 3-6pm and we just so happened to show up 10 minutes before it ended. On the happy hour menu, we got two portions of guacamole and then each of us got a Zazil Margherita. On the main menu, we got Jalapeño Margheritas, two portions of quesadillas, two portions of vegetarian tacos, and one portion of the lasagna. For dessert, we got two tres leches and one me late chocolate. We all loved our drinks! The veggie tacos and quesadillas were tasty. My personal favorite was the taco, the tofu paired nicely with the creamy mayo! On the other hand, we were not huge fans of the lasagna - it missed the mark and didn't have much flavor to it, mostly tasted like vegetables and tomato sauce. The guacamole was decent but could have had more jalapeños and lime in it. The unlimited chips were nice and crispy. The tres leches cake was ok, and the me late chocolate was more bitter than I expected. It was a bit noisy inside but the decor is nice! Overall, it was a good spot for a team outing but if I were to return, it would be for the happy hour drinks. The portion sizes were small, and the dishes were a hit or miss.

The food was amazing, the service was even better Eva really took good care of us and made everything perfect

Omar was our server for our large group and he was fantastic! Very accommodating for large groups and found and drinks were great all around. Nestled on a nice corner of Santana Row.

The best place to spend a night to relax Great music and and very nice and friendly staff and Cynthia was great server

Lisa was an excellent server. Most servers return within 2 bites or 2 minutes but the interaction feels disingenuous. But her visits were sincere. She was amazing 5 stars and a tip please and thank you.

Rayna, most excellent service & professionalism. delicious food as well. guacamole can use some pepper. otherwise all good. thank you & we will be back.

Absolutely EXQUISITE food and drinks. The mango margarita was delicious with a tajin rim, and I learned about zero proof tequila for the first time from their nonalcoholic drinks Omar and the rest of the staff took great care of us and we were in good hands the whole time. I loved the ambiance inside and the warmth and joy they created with the beautiful greenery and decorations. We enjoyed the guacamole with the flautas and salmon. 10 out of 10 would come back again! They also had live music outside tonight (Thursday) so that's something to look forward to

Great service. Delicious food. Our server was attentive and cheerful. The live music was a major plus.

Came here for brunch on lunar new year weekend. Loved that they played Latin/Chinese fusion instrumental inside! The decor and the vibe inside was also good, but of course that's what you're paying for. Service was good. Ordered the chilaquiles and a quesadilla dish. They were both good, but the meat in the quesadilla was a little dry. Liked that beans for the chilaquiles came in a cute separate little pot. Ordered two cocktails but they didn't really feel strong so BOOO. Overall don't feel a need to try again, because if you're going to charge a lot (for drinks), you gotta taste darn good/strong.

i love the vibe here! the food and drinks are so solid. whenever i come in there live music and such great ambiance! jesus the bartender makes a mean drink and is such a genuine soul. everyones always smiling and checking up on you! you honestly can't go wrong checking it out! i would definitely recommend the zahalito mojito for a first drink! thank you jesus and the rest of the staff for making it a safe space!

Very good ambience. They had live music but I stayed inside. The chips are soooooo good! I love them! The poke appetizer had too much dressing for my taste but it was good. I ordered the file mignon and it was okay too! The food presentation looks better than the taste but it was a great experience overall.

Excellent vegan options - there's no vegan menu but the black beans and rice, with guacamole and mixed vegetables are awesome. Add homemade tortillas for a fantastic vegan fajita dish! Guacamole made to order at your table. Omar is the best server! He's kind, attentive, and very aware - without ever being overbearing! Great service, we have had him twice recently and will ask for him again!

The ambience at this place is intimate and cozy. As vegetarians we tried the following: Gaucomole - 4/5. This was some really good gauc. They made it at our table , which is quite a cute experience. Only thing to fault it is that the quantity was less. Elote - 2/5. This one was on the cob and was a definite miss. It was just lathered in butter and cheese. Might skip this next time. Chipotle smashed potatoes: 4/5. This was slightly runny otherwise the flavor was spot on. Vegetarian Tacos : 4/5. This one was pretty good. Chili Releno : 4/5. I really liked the sauce this came in. For deserts we tried the following: Flan : 5/5. The texture was really nice. Tres leches: 5/5. Really enjoyed that it came with fresh fruit. However the portion was way too small. Chocolate pudding: 2/5. This was a complete miss. It was dark chocolate mostly. Would have liked it to be slightly sweeter

Came here for dinner the other night and was underwhelmed. The restaurant itself is nice inside and looks like it could be a good spot for a date night however the food was not that great. There are plenty of restaurants on Santana Row and given how pricey it is here, I expected better. Prior to eating here, I was looking on Yelp to see what people were ordering. It looks like they've changed the menu a few times. I was interested in getting the fajitas but found out they don't serve that for dinner anymore. I was also interested in the fish tacos but my menu didn't list that either. I decided on the salmon entree with mixed vegetables and wow the portion was tiny. It also listed that it came with vegetables but it was basically just some corn and thinly sliced carrots and zucchini. The chips and salsa were just okay. The chipotle salsa had a nice kick but the salsa verde tasted watered down and was missing some jalapeños. I feel that service could've been better given that gratuity was automatically added to the bill. They didn't check on us that much. It was also hard to flag someone down when we needed something. I'm glad I got to try it but I'm not in a rush to come back.

Dined here a few times and both the food and service is a bit inconsistent. My go-to is the tasty mole enchilada poblanas. We also enjoy the bottomless crispy chips with salsa. The decor is modern and cozy, and lively with medium noise level during peak hours. There was a followup visit where the service was slow and un-attentive and the chips were a bit stale, otherwise subsequent visits were decent.

Zazil is clean and elegant, and relatively new to Santana Row. We went with a group of friends and the service was really good and friendly. The bottomless chips and salsa are great. I tried the enchiladas suizas which I really wouldn't recommend. While it had generous amounts of chicken and cheese, the sauce was overpowering and sour. The enchiladas poblanos with the mole sauce was much better. Flavorful with really good chicken. The carnitas plate was good as well. Other friends got omelette and the huevos rancheros. I don't like eggs so I'd never try it, but I didn't hear any complaints. I'll go back. This is a good restaurant with really great service.

Ambiance Moody lighting with large light fixtures, open seating bar, and plenty of tables in the main dining area. There's window seating where you can people-watch and see views of the bustling Santana Row strip. Customer Service Excellent customer service was provided throughout my experience by our server, Eva B. She recommended special menu items to order from and was very prompt with providing our food and refill requests. Food Starter Complimentary warm and freshly made tortilla chips were served with green salsa and chipotle condiments. Mains Ceviche Camarón - $20 Served with 5 large shrimp, cubed cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and orange-citrus marinade. The complimentary tortilla chips paired nicely with this refreshing dish and was easily shareable between 2 people. Flautas de Papa - $24 The tortillas were very crispy and came with chorizo, salsa verde, queso fresco, and sour cream, and shredded lettuce. The queso fresco looked like a mountain of cheese, but it was a perfect portion for the dish. This was my favorite dish and I would order it again. Pollo y Mole - $28 The dish was served with airline chicken breast, mole sauce, and rice. The chicken was a bit too dry and hard to cut. The mole was thick and is one of the best I've had in awhile. Drink Strawberry Aqua Fresca - $5 This was the drink of the day on the menu. It was so light, refreshing, and not overly sweet. Decor Neutral and natural wood aesthetics. This place is perfect for a happy hour, casual outing, or date night. Minus 1 star for the 5% small mandate fee on the receipt.

Great food and service, the guacamole is excellent and they make it in front of you. Overall love this spot, hope they continue to stay for a long time!

I definitely had a love for this place for a long time But recently i had one of my worst visits and it just turned me away from this place. Service is always good but this time it felt like we were ignored. The food took forever to come out. And once it did my steak was medium rare and i asked for medium well. Honestly it's human error and it's ok, except for the fact that instead of taking it back right away one server had to consult with another server and it took 15 minutes to get back to me just for them to say ok we'll re make it. Usually they would've have just removed it then and started another. Honestly just made my whole night feel crappy. Wish the service was better. Almost makes me feel like the more they expand the less they focus on things

I am always skeptical when a restaurant doesn't even have 4 stars on yelp but I liked the ambience and vibes and have also walked past this place like 40 times and so we tried it and I have to say I was really impressed and delighted!! First off, service was great. Waitress came by often. We were sat at one of the tables facing the theater. Very nice place to sit. I tried the lemonade with lavender and it was ok. It looks super pretty though! She didn't tell me she was going to pour the lavender in though and that would have been a nice video. Oh well. My boyfriend and I weren't that hungry so we just shared the enchiladas suizas, which used to be my favorite dish at Pedro's in Los Gatos. We did the chicken option and omg to die for. A lot of cheese but delicious!!!! Also the complimentary chips and salsa is so fresh and flavorful with the perfect amount of spice! My bf also loved their mezcal margaritas! And a new friend (she works at the row) walking by mentioned they have really good mezcal margaritas too. Highly recommend. Great experience!

Super lively vibe & a great group hangout for a fun Mexican evening. The service & food was on point despite a busy Saturday evening. Highy recommend the tacos de cochinito - the tender & juicy pork belly nicely blends with the spicy smoky flavor of guajillo sauce. Top that with a refreshing basil jalapeño margarita & the meal is sorted.

Tried 4 different entrees: Quesadillas with Chicken Tinga, Enchiladas Poblanas, Milanesa De Res, and Carne Asada y Huevos. Price around $30 per person without alcoholic drinks. The Quesadillas with Chicken were pretty good but it's extra $4 to add chicken and it came with salsa roja on the side; no rice nor beans. Three quesadillas on a plate which looked more like soft tacos than quesadilla. The Tinga which is the chicken was quite tasty. It had a tomato based sauce. Most quesadillas I've had tend to be salty because of the cheese and the salty meat but this one was not. Had balanced salt flavor with the tomato and the onion flavor. The Enchiladas Poblanas did not skimp on the mole sauce. This chicken enchiladas were completely covered with Mole. Mole had a slight bitterness from the chocolate, sweet and some spiciness to it. Earthy almost nutty flavor. The tortillas and chicken under the Mole were good. Most of the flavor was from the Mole. It had a s very small amount of sour cream on top. The Milanesa De Res was a very thinly sliced steak coated in bread crumb and fried. The steak itself did not have much flavor if eaten by itself. But completely different when eaten with the cilantro, dill , lemon juice and cherry tomatoes that it came with. If Christmas has a savory taste, I think this it what Christmas would taste like because it reminds me of eucalyptus with the dill cilantro flavor and aroma. Additional layers of flavor from sweet sour taste of the cherry tomatoes, tart from the lemon. Served with mashed potatoes. The Carne Asada y Huevos was from the Brunch menu. The tasty nicely seasoned skirt steak was a bit dry and tough. But the corn, tomatillo sauce and cream that it came with made it better. Scrambled eggs were also included. They serve complementary chips and two sauces: chipotle salsa and green salsa. The chipotle sauce was really good, about spicy, creamy and just yummy. The green salsa was on of the better tomatillo salsa I've had, thin consistency but good green roasted tomato flavor. They charge $2.50 for a small side of sour cream which I think is too pricey. Staff were nice and professional. Waited less than 15 min for the food. They automatically charge a 5% small business fee to the bill. Will definitely go back to try other items in the menu.

This place came highly recommended by friends, but it didn't quite do it for me. I'm vegetarian and that's probably why everything I ordered had a ton of cheese! We ordered a few different dishes, but all I could taste was the cheese and none of the other flavors came through. The Guacamole was good! I liked the service and vibe overall, so will probably go back and give it another shot.

Came here for a happy hour on weekday . They don't have a happy hour menu which was the first time I ran into a restaurant which highlights happy hour without a dedicated menu . We asked the server for the happy hour options and there were very few options that you can chose from regular menu . I just hoped they would be bit more upfront with a dedicated happy hour menu. Restaurant just has on another table occupied at the time. Service was meh . We got vegetarian tacos and a mock tail . None of which was part of their happy hour. Tacos and cocktail were pretty decent. They do partner with inkind so could be an option to pay bill and get some discounts while paying the bill.

Reyna our server was amazing the most kind server I have seen. Very caring and thoughtful! Highly recommend Zazil experience with Reyna

Went here for a date. The food was delicious. Reyna was beyond pleasant, and she was so accommodating!

Our server Omar was very nice and attentive. Food was served pretty quickly. Weather was perfect, so we sat outside and had a lovely ambiance.

Love the setting and the ambiance. The plants hanging inside are just gorgeous. The food was very flavorful and for me the salsa had a bit of a kick to it but it was so good! I had the enchiladas suizas and so did my friend and we both enjoyed it very much. Also had a marg and that was great too. No complaints ! :)

Beautiful restaurant and beautiful presentation of food! Pricey but I enjoyed everything. The pork belly confit on these tacos was delicious.

Zazil located in the street of Santana Row. They have one of the best soft shell tofu tacos . I have tried their mock tail which was different and refreshing. They have very good ambiance along with fast service. They have both indoor and outdoor sitting which is making this place more beautiful. The cherry on the top is the vibe that you can feel of Santana row while sitting outside and eating food.

Friendly & prompt service. Food was great and follow through with detailed attentions after placing our food orders. Table was kept very neat and clean while we were dinning. Reyna was our waitress and she was fantastic! Very pleasant and warm personality.

A friend and I stopped here for lunch because it seemed to have great ambiance. Unfortunately that's where the good vibes ended. We ordered the fish tacos and the piece of fish was so small- barely 1/3 the length of the cold flour tortilla. It was on top of a bed of shredded head lettuce with a single radish on top. We had intended on ordering this as a first course and sharing some other items but we never saw our server again. About 45 minutes after receiving our sad tacos, we went in search of someone to pay so we could leave...still hungry. I'd say this ranks as the worst Mexican food I've ever tasted AND worst service.