San Diego Mexican Food Reviews

4642 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 692-1652 (map)

Bottomline - Huge and interesting menu, healthy and vegetarian options, average Mexican food.

El Zarape has a good local vibe. If you work or live within a few blocks and want to walk to lunch for Mexican food it's certainly your best bet. And if you go back several years you'll notice it got some substantial press for being the new hotness in terms of San Diego Mexican food. While subtle, there is a still signature style. Healthy, gringo, urban.

Perhaps I'm being too coy. El Zarape used to be really good. But that was in the context of San Diego's more popular gringo Mexican options like El Indio or Roberto's. But looking around this area of San Diego now you see (within a few minutes drive) Mama Testa, El Cuervo, Chilangos, Marisco's German, Super Cocina, El Comal. And El Zarape just doesn't measure up to those places at all.

Still, it's good. And if you are looking for vegetarian Mexican food, it might even be great.

About the vegetarian angle - I'm sort of the opposite of vegetarian, so I'm a crappy judge of such things. But from the reading I've done on other sites, and what I've heard from friends, the vegetarian options here are quite good.

I would suggest avoiding the tacos and trying some of the other signature items like the scallop burrito. Other places do tacos so much better, and if your going to eat at El Zarape you might as well try what they're best at. I would also suggest passing on the 99¢ fish tacos.

The salsa bar is small, but quite good.

There is no parking lot, so bring some quarters as the area has parking meters. There will be a crowd at lunch, and seating is limited.