ZOCA Mexican Restaurant - Bethany Beach

The pulled pork on the tacos was so tough, it was like chewing on toothpicks. The $35 paella was a bit salty, and the rice was more like mush. We spent the whole meal shooing away flies. And after we were done eating, the waitresses just left the dirty plates on the table, and the flies kept crawling all over them. We had to call the receptionist over to get our bill. And guess what? They didn't even give us any complimentary taco chips and salsa.

Excellent food and service!! Great ambiance!! Ordered the mahi mahi tacos, and the sampler of queso, guacamole 🥑 and salsa. Our server set us up with a flight of tequila and was very knowledgeable! My friend got the brussel sprouts salad 🥗

Was so excited to try Zoca since it opened but boy was it disappointing. Ordered the queso/quac/ salsa sampler. Queso was different but good. Quac was good. Salsa was bland with no real taste. Two of us ordered burrito bowls - it was barely a bowl, rather a plate with tiny sections of quac, bland rice, cilantro, corn - no lettuce, no tomatoes, no cheese - it was horrible. One ordered chicken enchiladas that were just as bad. The chicken was so dry it was hard to eat without salsa… which they charged $5 for. There was hardly any enchilada sauce. The drinks and queso were the only good things of the entire meal. Three people to eat and 2 drinks each was $115??So not worth it and such a waste of money. Reading the other reviews, I don’t expect this place to be around long. Go to Mango’s or Ropewalk for a better meal, or Taco Bell for better Mexican food.

Went for mahi fish tacos at noon on Saturday. Unfortunately the fish was old, tough like it was freezer burned, and smelled as if starting to turn. My dining partners were pleased with their steak tacos & a pork bowl. The margaritas were delicious but we had to send the bill back for correction twice. All day happy hour was in effect but “not in our system.” “The manager put the prices in wrong.”

Almost all Mexican restaurants serve chips and salsa on the house but no such luck here. I ordered a Veggie Burrito and it was absolutely the most tasteless burrito I had ever eaten. Even Taco Bell is a million times more tasty than this. I requested hot sauce and salsa to give it some flavor. Expected Habanero sauce but got Tabasco and they charged me $0.75 for a small serving of salsa. Service was mediocre at best. Never ever going back there again. On the flip side the atmosphere is pretty good. They were playing some awesome music.

Stopped by on July 4th and immediately was seated at an outdoor table. Very friendly service from Gabby and everyone enjoyed their meals. Vegan vegetable tacos for me and the chips and salsa were great

Well....went again as i said....and it was just as good....i now have a place i want to go when we come back next year!!! Never have I said, "Let's go for Mexican at the beach"....or "One night, we need to go to ZOCA, cause I want Mexican food on vacation".... cause in my opinion its like going to Alaska for a salad......but....I stand corrected!!!! I was amazed how good this place was...to the point that I want it again before I leave and will now make this a stop going forward for us in the future. Expectation was it would be good...but not....omg, you need to try this guys, here take a piece.....Everything was enjoyed by all 10 of us and we tried each other's to validate if maybe I was just in a great mood being on vacation. I felt that I found a place comparable to back home and that's a HUGE FIND for me.

Been here an hour, just got told that there are 2 tickets ahead of ours by the server…….. see the pic to see how busy they are not!!! Not good

Food is always top notch! I normally get a sangria when I go but decided to try one of their margaritas recently and it was easily the best margarita I have ever had! Service has always been quick and the waitstaff is all very sweet. Definitely recommend!

GREAT FOR KIDS! We came here when all other restaurants were booked up. Food was FRESH and HOT (temperature). I had the paella and it was super seasoned... maybe a little too much. Kids food were well prepared and the rice was really delicious. Soft and moist. Excellent service. I haven't been carded in a long time and the waitress made me feel young and happy. Bright, beautiful and clean. No issues!

Woah! What a pleasant surprise Zoca was! We left the beach to grab some lunch and a quick google review search brought us to Zoca due to having a Sunday Funday Happy Hour! It was either here or Baja but since this place had a happy hour, we decided to investigate in-person. *Happy hour is seven days a week from 3-6! I ordered the street corn nachos which I added shrimp to ($22). Though it was a hefty additional $12 fee, it was totally worth it--giant shrimp flavored perfectly. In addition, I put in for a shrimp taco ($4) and a granadas margarita ($10). Best nachos I have ever had and the marg was also SO good--the bartender here knows his drinks! I'd totally drink here with the girls if I had the money to splurge on drinks! Would have given 5 stars, however, we asked for no onions and our dishes came out with a over flowing amount of onions, hahaa.

Ok. Off street parking. The service is fine. The food is not very good for the amount of money they charge.

Went to this place very near the beach for happy hour with relatively low expectations because you never know what you're going to get so close to the beach. However, our expectations were exceeded with the quality of the food and the price we sat at the bar and the bartender was Very knowledgeable about the menu and gave us some great recommendations for both drink and food. We nibbled our way through dinner and had drinks and it was a great experience.

Okay, first of all I love Mexican cuisine and have eaten it everywhere including South America in multiple countries. But enough about that. This place is very chill and Anna is the most awesome bartender ever. I actually call in advance to see if she is working before I commit to going there. Great service, food and atmosphere is awesome. The chimichanga is awesome, the queso is really to die for, the tacos are great, and the burrito bowl is a must have. They also have a great selection of tequilas and of course, then there has to be margaritas. You have got to check this place out.

As you can see my first visit here was back in November 2021. At that time we enjoyed our dinner when we sat at one of their regular dining tables. We were recently in the mood for Mexican food. We returned here with our family and friends for happy hour around 4 pm on a Wednesday. We were the only people here when we arrived with my party of 7. We sat on the corner of their bar. I started with and enjoyed my two Pepino ritas with cucumber jalapeno infused tequila, agave, lime and chipotle salted rim for $10 each. I also enjoyed my puerco en chile rojo sopes with pork, refried beans, lettuce, radishes, cilantro, sour cream and thick masa tortilla for $8. I also shared and enjoyed their Adobo chicken wings for $9 with ranch dressing although I prefer blue cheese dressing over ranch. I ended my dinner with and enjoyed their Brenkenridge draft vanilla porter for $5. Bartender Julia M. served us very well. My total bill for both of us less gratuity was $68. When we left we were still the only customers in the restaurant. Business seems to be slow here during this off season compared to other happy hour restaurants.

A few months ago, Birthday Twin called. "Hey, I've got a ton of Marriott points and a teenager who hates me. Want to get away to the beach?" She didn't have to ask twice. Bethany is a picturesque town with a small but well mixed "downtown". Zoca was our choice for the first dinner we had there. The building it's in is a wee bit confusing as several restaurants share the long porch. We accidentally went to the wrong place first, they cheerfully sent us next door. This happens, apparently, all the time. We had reservations, were early, this was not a problem, we were seated promptly. The space was open, bright, warm tones, beachy vibe without being knock-over-the-head beach. We first made our drink order - BDT got the Cazamingos Mezcal after our server patiently explained the difference between tequila and mezcal (fermentation process). She declared it "yummy". I went for the Famous Last Word marguerita which was also yummy, however either the mix overpowered the tequila or there wasn't enough because I didn't take it. Entrees: My "test" dish for basically every Mexican place is the chimichanga, so I ordered that, with beef, and a street-corn-on-the-cob. BDT got the mole enchiladas. Everything was very good, and it was also more upscale and playful than traditional dishes. The Chimichanga came with an interesting sauce, the corn with a spicy mayo type drizzle. The mole was heavenly. This really is a "fusion" Mexican establishment, as they play with flavors and textures, which I liked very much. Service was prompt, patient (BDT asks a ton of questions) and friendly. We'll definitely go again next time we're at Bethany.

I have been so excited to try the restaurant given its popular views in the community! We arrived for a late lunch at 1pm and it was still pretty packed. We sat at the booth like seating, keep in mind there are no cushion on the seats. But there are plenty of pillows to fulfill your comfort needs. There was somewhat slow service, possibly due to shortage of staff, we received mix matched glasses, and there was a 45 minute wait for drinks. Some of the food was cold, some of the food was warm. Nonetheless, we had a nice, relaxing time.

They had great service and some vegan options! I got the Vegetarian Tacos- pretty tasty! Have to give them the stars for their amazing staff and service provided. Would love for there to be some more vegan options added, as the options they currently had feel a bit bland. Maybe adding some vegan sauces would be great!

Really enjoyed our meal here tonight. Went with the wife and 2 kids and the portions were huge. Got the trio of dips (queso, guacamole, & salsa) and we all enjoyed them. Kids liked their tacos with rice and beans for about $12 which was a very large portion. The beans were borracho style and were quite flavorful. Wife and I both got a spicy margarita and shared the avocado, brussel sprout, and blue cheese salad and both were delicious. And then we split the paella, which was huge and had a ton of flavor. Included mussels, clams, chorizo, and shrimp. Also the restaurant didn't have much of a wait on a sat night, which was surprising - though we did go a bit early (5:45pm). Overall a solid meal at an upscale Mexican spot.

I really wanted to like this place more than I did. The atmosphere is cute, nicely decorated. Stopped in for happy hour but it was not a happy hour prices at all. The margarita was still $10, normally $12. Also got nachos which were good but for a $50 happy hour meal for two drinks and nachos....no thank you.

Overall our experience here was mostly about the service and not so much the food! Neither of us asked any questions or tried to waste any if his time from the beginning, but our waiter started out pretty sassy and was only nice handing back the check at the end of the meal. Which might be my biggest pet peeve. I could tell he was annoyed with something going on inside the restaurant and maybe we just caught him on a bad day, but after he rolled his eyes at us we were very thrown by the whole experience. The manager handed us our food and she was lovely! Asked how things were and we felt maybe she could sense the tension in the interactions. Not sure, but she made us feel a lot more connected to the experience there! Otherwise, we both ordered tacos and they were good! Very filling. We were both glad we didn't order anything else, but we were very happy with the meal. Tacos were filling and definitely didn't skimp on the protein!! That's a big plus! With our meal, I ordered a spicy margarita and he ordered a Moscow mule and we both ordered seconds and thirds! Those were awesome! Hit the spot after a hot day at the beach. Overall I would give it another try for the food, I know it's not everybody's day at work. The spicy margarita definitely hit the spot!!

Right on the main strip next to the boardwalk, we were able to sit on the outside patio. The margaritas were REALLY good-strong and not too sweet-definitely my favorite part of the meal. We ordered the queso which was good in flavor but was very sour cream heavy and served Luke-warm. It was not the typical melted cheese I expected. The chips were seasoned with Cajun style seasoning which added a little kick. Tacos came in sets of 3- I ordered the shrimp. The shrimp was decent however bland- aside from the pickled onions there wasn't much flavor/any sauce. I had a bite of a mahi taco which was really good (I will be getting that next time) as it was fresh/juicy tasting with a chipotle style cream sauce.

Had an early evening reservation during the week to try Zoca for the first time and it was pretty good! My spouse started with the house margarita which was decent but you could tell the tequila wasn't top shelf here. For our entrees we had the chicken tacos and the chorizo burrito. We really enjoyed both of these and the burrito in particular should definitely fill you up! The service was quick and the restaurant had a cool beachy Mexican vibe. I would recommend this restaurant for a quality Mexican meal while visiting Bethany beach.

This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever eaten in. We came for happy hour and had four tapas plates. We were stuffed, three would have been plenty. They were all excellent with the superb standout being the empanadas, the flavors burst in your mouth. We had room for the incredible tres leches dessert. The waitress was excellent and knew all the details of the menu. The drinks are full strength. We ate outside where you can get a breeze from the ocean. Zoca is a must visit in Bethany.

It's in a very convenient area, right on the way to the boardwalk. Drinks are pretty sweet (I got the cranberry marg and then got the regular marg and they didnt' put enough mix in it, so I had to send it back). They have TONS of veg options which I loved. But the food wasn't great. It's a nice place, nice vibe, great place to get drinks.

First time coming to Zoca's and from the decor alone I knew it was going to be mediocre. The rice and beans were meh but I liked my tacos and the chimichanga was huge.

We love Zoca! It's open year round--so it has been a go-to restaurant for us over the past couple of years. They also have outdoor covered dining with heaters, which is always a plus. The decor is eclectic and fun, and the menu is extensive. Besides the great tacos...we love the Blackened Mahi Mahi tacos--there is a nice happy hour and very good Margaritas. It seems like a great place for groups to gather. On our most recent visit, a large ladies's group was meeting in the back section, which is partitioned off perfectly for groups. On April 14, 2022-they are advertising a Comedy Night (which we would love to check out), and there is a special by reservation dinner coming up, too. Also--they do carry out--in case you want to take some dinner to the beach (which is basically a block away!)

Excellent food, amazing drink list, great service and relaxing atmosphere. Definitely a do over.

Zoca was closed for 4 months after being flooded from a broken pipe. The Zoca I know and loved is gone. Totally new and very limited menu with all my favorite items gone. Several items on the limited menu weren't available. The service was horrible and our table had mold on it from the water leak. I guess I need to find a new favorite Mexican restaurant. Very disappointed.

Great ambiance, conveniently located to parking, friendly staff, quick service, nice plating, not very authentic Mexican food but still delicious. Order the nachos! They're delicious and a great portion to share! The tortilla chips were hot and hefty with a dusting of some seasoning I wasn't able to pin point. The weight of the chips were great for scooping up the creamy mellow queso fresco cheese and other toppings. The waiter was sweet and accommodated our request for them to be made without meat. He even mentioned the beans are made with meat so he omitted them from our order. I ordered the vegetarian tacos which came with fajita style bell peppers and onions as well as mushrooms on corn tortillas. Others in our party ordered vegetarian fajitas, asada tacos, a shrimp chimichanga and Long Island ice teas. Everyone was happy with their food and service.

Just stumbled into this place so glad we did!! Happy hour everyday, amazing drinks and apps, really nice staff already recommended to friends!

We went to Zoca on a pleasant Sunday night (think breezy weather in the 70s) and enjoyed our dinner Al fresco. The server was wonderful. The chips and salsa as well as queso were great. The guacamole left you wanting for more acid; next time I'll ask for a lemon! The carne asada was also tasty but the frijoles borrachos were the star of the plate! The shrimp tacos were delicious! We didn't have room for dessert (well honestly we went to Kohr Brothers across the street because obviously we had to!) The prices here were quite steep as expected on the touristy part of town so close to the boardwalk and ocean!

So glad they are back open! We are vegan and loved their guacamole and salsa. We hope to have more Veggie options as different beans and rice are a main stay ! We do love their Margueritas ,Mexican music , and the staff is wonderful & accommodating!

I'd be happy to write you a 5-star review of a restaurant server named Julia! If you're looking for a top-notch dining experience, look no further than Julia at Zoca. From the moment we walked through the door, Julia made us feel welcome and at home. Her friendly demeanor and infectious smile immediately put us at ease and set the tone for a wonderful meal. Throughout the course of our meal, Julia proved to be an attentive and knowledgeable server. She answered all of our questions about the menu with ease and made excellent recommendations based on our tastes and preferences. Her attention to detail was evident in the way she checked on us regularly, ensuring that our glasses were always full and that we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. Julia's professionalism and expertise were matched only by her warmth and charm. She took the time to get to know us and made us feel like valued guests, rather than just another table to serve. Her genuine interest in our dining experience was evident in the way she went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time. Overall, we could not have asked for a better server than Julia. Her exceptional service and friendly demeanor truly made our dining experience one to remember. We highly recommend her to anyone looking for a top-notch dining experience and can't wait to return to Zoca to see her again!

Locale wonderful, service nice and food was good! The guacamole was a bit chilled and not fresh made like many other places do these days.... So it was fine, but I have had much better. The chips with a few red flakes was an added flavor. The tacos were great and made up for it! I recommend this place, but they should work on making fresh guacamole per order.

The prices at this place are out of control. The cheapest way to get chips at this Mexican restaurant is $13 with salsa. The shrimp add on for the salad- $12 for 8 tiny shrimp that were so salty they were practically inedible (they put them on a plate separate from the salad, so it's easy to see it's only 8). Definitely not going back

Food usually good. Apps good. Service in Summer months lousy. Drinks just ok. We have been disappointed last few times we have gone.

The quality of the food and drinks as well as the ambience do not nearly match the price of the meal. The margs were were $12-$14 and nothing special could have made much better at home. We ordered chips and queso and out came this enormous bowl of white stuff that was cheesy but i guess also sour creamy? Anyway it was not so great and some of the chips were under cooked. Soup and tacos were okay but still overpriced. Would not go back.

This was only the second time we have gone to Zoca. The last time was less than satisfying (right after first opened) and last Thursday was no better. Staff was friendly but the food was terrible. Beef was rubbery. Ribs were mostly bone. Rice was cold. Chimichanga was filled with gristly chicken. We went because of the promise of a comedy show. Comedy was t very good either.

Food was okay but the drinks were yummy and the staff was very friendly. The nachos with pork were really good.

Just not good and def not Mexican. The "chimichanga" was a huge tortilla with only a thick cheese inside that made my sister sick. Also the elotes were just corn with mayo, very sad. My aunt was rooting for this place to get closed the next year and it didn't. Don't go.

Great place to go for happy hour! Incredible margaritas and must try nachos plus lots of other fun dishes to order from

Ordered Drinks, Apps and Dinner. Apps and drinks came out..... 45 minutes later I asked where our dinner was and the server never put it in. No manager, no apology. Just a check. And never got our dinner. The food at the other tables looked good but I'm leaving hungry and annoyed.

Another fresh & tasty meal at Zoca! Happy Hour is the best with with wonderful margaritas and yummy nachos!

I am giving Zoca a large benefit of the doubt with this review. Given how hard it is to hire people these days, I am going to assume that they were severely short staffed on Saturday. On the plus side, we were seated quickly. We had guacamole and mole enchiladas. Both were very good. And Famous Last Word margarita was excellent. On the negative side, service was painfully slow. It took a long time to deliver water, take our drink order, take our food order, bring out same, etc. However, they gave us the guacamole for free as we tried to patiently wait and enjoy the evening. I would go back because the food and drinks were so good. But would go with the expectation of slow service, at least until the hiring market loosens up a bit.

I love Zoca! I dined-in twice (pre-pandemic) and I've gotten carry out a few times more recently. Some of my favorite menu items: * Beef empanadas. Excellent pastry, just crispy enough, and loved the filling (A fairly classic picadillo-style filling). * Mole enchiladas. Mole sauce can be made lots of ways. This one tends toward rich & sweet but maintains a little kick. * Street corn nachos! A giant pile of chips, cheese, beans, street corn, pickled onions, and a seasoning that I *think* is Tajín. Messy & perfect for 3-4 people to share. I also order a margarita almost every visit. Zoca's tend to be more twangy than sweet (which I like). There's outdoor high-top seating when the weather is cooperative & the inside setting is quite nice, too.

I'm not a fan of Mexican food usually, but it all turned out pretty good. We had the queso dip and chicken quesadilla.

$20 for shrimp tacos. The tacos had one shrimp each that was maybe a 30-35ct size. It's not that the food is bad. It's that this is an absolute farce.

There is not much I can say except DANG Zoca!! We dropped in after around 4 hours on the beach with our two littles. They'd played themselves out and exhausted our meager snack supply. Though we fully intended to go on to Ocean City for some rides and games, we needed to eat. Quickly. We were parked about a block off the boardwalk but, yesterday being the end of the season, most everything was closed. Tragic. My mother in law saw some people on the balcony and grabbed a menu and a kids menu. My kids were sold in the quesadillas and immediately demanded to eat there. The restaurant was mostly empty, so effectively social distancing wasn't difficult. Our waiter was polite and brought waters before even coming. We looked like we had just come off the beach so it was nice that he picked that up. We were ready to order immediately given the kids chorus of "I am extremely, Extremely, EXTREMELY hungry" (eye roll). But he took our orders efficiently. I had to ask him to bring the kids meal before the rest of the food which was disappointing but he brought a large carafe of water for us to refill and our food took just long enough to ensure it was prepared to order! Unfortunately there are no free starters, no not even chips and salsa. In fact, their basic salsa is $9 and I think they charged me an up charge for the side of salsa I requested with the kids' quesadilla-don't quote me on this I didn't take my itemized receipt but I think so. That's annoying as they're fairly pricey for Mexican as is, which is a nod to the location, but to then not have chips and salsa and charge for salsa, is insane. Their appetizer dip trio is queso fundido, salsa and guacamole and It's basically $20 which...ummm, it's on the boardwalk but that's more than a lot of their entrees! The price is high for what it is, we paid $71 for fajitas, enchiladas, tacos and two kids meals without drinks, but again the location supports this. The chicken in the fajitas and the kids quesadilla was perfectly seasoned and grilled. DELICIOUS. The quesadillas didn't come with salsa or sour cream though and they didn't ask if we wanted any so I'm fairly sure they charge- you can ask. I ordered the mole enchiladas which were CHICKENNNN! They're usually pork (which I don't eat) or beef, which I barely eat and don't like, so I was EXCITEDDD! The mole sauce is perfect, but they're stingy with the seasoning on the pulled chicken, my only complaint. I'd give the dish a 4/5. My mother in law's 3 fish tacos were blackened mahi mahi served with fried avocado and slaw on a corn tortilla. There was a tiny stream of salsa and crema fresca but again no salsa or other hot sauce was offered. She rated them a 5/5 though. We didn't drink because all day with the kids on the beach plus an impending drive to Ocean City is not when you need to be impaired, but that drink list looked amazing and I'd love to try it out if it were open later. Unfortunately, it closes at 9pm --these may be off season hours, I didn't check, but given how dead everything was I'm just guessing that's the case. Food was good, service was okay, their beans were chili randomly, but good, and the yelllow rice was quite good.Great location, good family spot and good food. It's worth a shot if you're hungry and like Tex-Mex.

Excellent food & drinks! Love the Queso, cinnamon beef empanadas and watermelon jalapeño maragrita are my favs! Beautiful atmosphere with good music. Bartenders don't skimp on the drinks either! ************************************************ BUT- When ordering carryout I received a half filled cup of Queso for $12 dollars!!!!! I dont mind if you raise your prices to $12.50, but please do NOT cheat your customers on take out! When ordering in i received a LARGE CROCK of cheese!

Great ambience and vibe. The staff was extremely nice. Overall the food was average (our table had nachos which were good). The margaritas were tasty.

Very nice place and comfortable ambiance. Staff was friendly. The place is Mexican cuisine but it's different at the same time. The dishes won't appear like the traditional Mexican dishes you might be used to. They are uniquely different but it is very good. I had the Nachos which were probably the best I have ever had in my life (no kidding). Unlike any Nachos I have ever had. Incredible and a huge portion. Entree was the burrito with chicken. It was more like a wrap. I was expecting something more traditional with melted cheese on top but it wasn't that. Still was good though. Entrees are not served with any sides which ran the price up a bit but overall I definitely recommend it. GET THE NACHOS!! you won't be sorry.

The food and service are unparalleled and absolutely outstanding. I can't say enough positive things about this establishment.

The service is great and food is good, but the real gem of this restaurant is the bar. They have at least one fantastic (and award winning) mixologist of a bartender, Chris, who is always coming up with really unique drinks that are delicious. Traditional drinks like margaritas and Sangria are outstanding. . He also made a sweet potato drink from real browned sweet potatoes that tasted like a sweet potato pie. He also made another drink with carrot that was very interesting. Just a block off the boardwalk, it is a great place to grab a drink (it is usually low key in the afternoon) and head back to the beach. You never know what Chris might mix up next!

We've been coming to this spot for the past few summers as it's always been a favorite of ours. This was the first time we left feeling really dissappointed. It's not uncommon these days to see price increases, so we were thrilled to see that our favorite happy hour order was still the same price as we remembered. Unfortuntately, when we got our food, we noticed that while the price stayed the same, the portion had been halved. Instead of paying $18 for the regular full-sized entree, we paid $20 for the same portion, ordering two of the quesadillas during their "happy hour" that appeared to be a single tortilla split between two plates. I will say the food is just as good as we remember and our server was lovely, however after feeling very ripped off during what is marketed as a discounted time, we will not likely be returning soon.

Very overpriced Mexican food. Came for my takeout order - they did not include the margaritas. Had to ask them to get them. Asked me if I wanted ice, I said yes, but no one gave it to me, had to ask again. Asked for plates and forks, they have no to-go plates. They did not include the chips and salsa that was on my order, I didn't notice. The margaritas are great. The rest of the food was just okay.

Great cocktails. Nice apps. But do NOT get the black angus filet! It was such a measley portion I was astounded they charged $33 for it. See the pic. Cocktails were good as well as service.

Way over priced for the quality of the food. Service very good, chips were stale not fresh at all.