El Zarape in Atlantic Beach

Good food but service is slow during lunch

Awesome food great service

Great food and service!

Went here with my family for lunch and was turned away because I had a service dog. The manager insisted that I provide her with an ID for my service dog and I tried to explain that an ID isn’t required and that I was waiting on the voluntary registration tag from NCDHHS. Instead of arguing about it I took my business elsewhere and highly recommend everyone else do the same.

This place ALWAYS delivers! The staff is extremely busy, and yet still just that right amount of attentive without being overwhelmed or overbearing! The food is excellent. We have eaten here many times, ordered several different things, and always delicious. My favorite at the moment is the Hawaiian Fajita.

I thought the ambience is especially nice here and I really love the appearance and decor. The food is good, but it’s not the best Mexican I’ve ever had. I had the taco salad and my husband had the burrito and enchilada. The kids had burritos and tacos. We loved the chips, salsa and queso dip!

Best Mexican food around. So flavorful and friendly service😋

Good was as good as most Mexican restaurants, but it was super expensive for lunch and they didn't honor the "lunch menu" prices.

Wow awesome Mexican food! Food excellent and magnificent chips and salsa!

Fresh and hot food with fast serving

I have never had any bad food there!!!

Fantastic atmosphere and excellent service. The food is outstanding.

Good food, nice atmosphere, and the service was nice too. The food was good but parking was very limited. We waited for a parking spot for a while and we can at lunch time.

Taco Tuesday, not to be missed. Consistently tasty.

Eat here all the time on the lazy nights. Love their homemade tortilla chips and green salsa! Get a top shelf tequila margarita grande, share :)

Excellent food, very fresh.

Food was ok. Service was good considering they were understaffed

The chicken and steak fajitas were tasty. Seasoned and delicious.

Great food, cold beer and great service. We will definitely come back next we visit here!! Be aware of the taco loco jalapenos they can get pretty spicey!! Fish tacos were excellent!!

Have a mask! Very good! Very nice experience!

Worst service ever. Our family went and eat and they will not let us seat together bc they could only seat 6 people together ((supposedly "per law only 6 people seating together allow" ))which we show them it was 10, and they didn't care. . but right on the entrance they had a table of 7 together and another family right beside not even 3 feet apart. The waitress was very rude and careless, they tried to seat us more then 6 feet apart a family of mainly kids. WORST PLACE EVER TO EAT WORST SERVICE. . . .WILL NEVER GO BACK. . . DEFINITELY NPT EVER TRYING AGAIN . And on our way out was a very rude guy and staff did nothing about him he was cursing and being rude. . .

Our favorite Morehead City Mexican fare! The salsa is delicious. And the Hawaiian fajita is amazing!! Serived in a hollowed out pineapple, so cool! Always enjoyed with a big Dos Equis Amber... delicious!

Good Mexican food. Great service.

Great place to eat. Food is always good. Service is slow depending on when you go and how many employees are there. I suggest fast food if time is of concern. I go multiple times a week for lunch and I have no complaints. Best Mexican food on the island for sure. Got my order within 10 min.

Food is good, but service wasn't so good. Came in with 12 people. Girl rolled her eyes when we told her. Seemed like we were asking for a million dollars. Due to social distancing, we had to be seated at 2 different tables. Ok....but the attitude continued...people if you're in the service industry.,. if you don't want to be there... don't come to work! Don't take it out on your customers!!!

We ended up coming back a couple days later because it was so good. Yes there are seating restrictions for large parties due to COVID-19. For our party of 7 it was fine we were seated in a booth and a table not too far away. The food is so delicious. It reminds me of the Mexican food I could get everywhere back in California that I have had a hard time finding here in NC.

Taco Tuesday was a fun filled family event. Service was phenomenal, even though they were so busy. Highly recommended.

I've been coming here for years. This may not be the "best" Mexican restaurant around, but it has all the comfort food you want and the guac isn't runny. Unlimited chips and salsa. This is a great place to bring a bunch of friends.

Not very friendly! I ordered fajitas with chicken, shrimp and chorizo sausage. I received the wrong order and it was over cooked and dried out. Not the typical sizzling fajitas. Took forever get my correct order as well as the bill. This was my first visit and will be my last. Sorry El Zarape’s you need a lesson in Mexican cuisine and local competition!

Absolutely enjoyed our visit to El Zarape. The food was extremely delicious ! Our waiter, Brian, went above and beyond to make sure our visit was great. He was very understanding that we are vegan. He even brought out a sample to make sure something was not too spicy for me ! We really appreciated his kindness and hospitality. The veggie fajitas were delicious! And food portions are large. We will be back!

El Zarape is a happy place, a restaurant with a personality and such fun as you can tell from the hat! It was my birthday and friends took me out to enjoy the evening and I did. Delicious drinks, yummy food and desserts to die for — all with a true Mexican flair. The staff was superior as well and made us feel part of their home fare with their courtesy. We enjoyed it very much and left with a smile on our face!

Some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. Excellent service.

Great food and friendly atmosphere. Giant beers!

Good food and service. The usual Mexican fare. The building inside is really nice.

My family and I ate here on a Sunday around 11 and was informed they don't serve the lunch menu on Sundays. Therefore we had to have a large portion at dinner price and the food was subpar at best. We ordered some queso dip and the lady brought it to us and said "careful it's hot because I just took it out of the microwave." We will certainly not be returning especially since there are many other great Mexican restaurants available in the area. The chips were burnt and the ACP was nothing like we expected. We ordered a side of refried beans and received something my kidsv wouldn't even eat. As a local I'm a little ashamed that this is the service provided. Just go to Bojangles it's cheaper and tastes better.

Great food, friendly staff!

When we want a solid meal served quickly this is a go to for us. Very good service and generous portions. The food is very traditional Mexican restaurant fare. No surprises. Love the iced tea.

I seen 2 mice running around and the employees trying to catch them with brooms. Disgusting

I was hesitant to go here, as the parking lot was almost empty. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The service was good, staff was friendly, and the food was tasty. I'd say to swing by it ya get the chance. The fajita taco salad with a side of pico is awesome!

Not enough staff, but the ones there were very good

Food is always good, service has been great as well. We eat here every time we’re in town and will continue to do so.

Consistently delicious. Maura our waitress is the best.

Great food for great prices. Also great drink specials!

Good food. Guacamole isn't the best though. Had a good time. Waiter seemed to be rushed but it was a bit busy.

It was such a pleasant experience. Been here before for dinner and loved it. Tonight was just drink as I waited on family to arrive in the area. Staff is extremely friendly and accommodating.

Great food. Service is usually pretty quick. Margaritas are good. Can get busy during the warmer months with a lot of tourists visiting the beach.

Awesome service great food and BIG portion. Great price!! Oh yea great margarita

Waiter was awesome food was great super service.

Very nice wait staff. Food tasted fresh and authentic. Waitress and kitchen got my custom order correct first time.