11/23/08

Low end Mexican restaurant.

by Anafly

Ok so here is my background: Latin, hospitality manager graduate, worked in the restaurant industry most of my life, currently a food buyer for a major national company and as a second job I'm a flight attendant for an international carrier. If all of the above doesn't entitle me to make a restaurant review then I don't know what does.

We went to Zocalo's last Saturday to celebrate a friend?s birthday. I should have known better when we came (3 of us) to the restaurant and we were the only ones there! Ok so we get seated and the drink order is taken. The waiter brought some chips without salsa. We asked for it and she said there was a charge for salsa. Charged for salsa???? When have I ever been charged for salsa in a Mexican restaurant...? NEVER! We should have left at that moment but it was really cold out and I didn?t want to make a scene with my friends. My margarita arrived and to my surprise the glass was 1/2 full, I asked the waiter about this and she said that is how they served them..... Uhmmm 2nd warning! Our meal arrived, nothing special to mentioned, no specific taste or smells. It could have been heated up from a 10 lb bag and it would have tasted the same. We order some hot salsa to see if we could bring the taste a bit more authentic and to our surprise (or maybe not at this point) we were presented with a bottle of Tabasco sauce..... Please, do not insult my senses this way. Even if it is bottle sauce, please put it in another container. This is not Taco Bell; we are paying $27.00 for each dish.

My question is to the owner and manager: do you really care if you go out of business? Besides our table there was one more table with a party of 8 people. The count for a Saturday night: 11 people. No wonder. Please save your money and go ANYWHERE else. This place doesn't have atmosphere, good food, good drinks, or anything.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Bad food, bad drinks value, no ambience

08/05/08

Not so hot

by roxpark

This is my first review. However, having lived in Philly for 10 years and having eaten at many fine and not so fine establishments, I feel somewhat qualified to write this review. I went with my friend who lives in West Philly instead of going to Adobe Cafe in Roxborough because she didn't want to drive and had heard good things about Zocalo. We were seated promptly, always nice. And the outdoor patio was a pleasant surprise, perfect for having a nice meal on a warm summer night. The menu was sparse, unfortunately and expensive. First, the appetizer of chips, guacamole, and 2 differents salsas was $12. It was tasty but come on, $12 for basically chips and salsa that other places have out for free? I mistakenly assumed that Mexican would mean vegetarian choices but I guess I figured wrong. There were no vegetarian entrees except carrot and potato enchiladas which was $18. The $5.50 house margarita tasted wonderful but seemed like only half a margarita in the glass. My second margarita was similarly less than expected. When the entrees came out I was flabbergasted at how little there was for the price. Worse still, the enchiladas were not that great, really. Our total bill came to almost $100 including drinks which is frankly ridiculous for mediocre mexican. I would recommend the place for the margaritas but frankly, they were not worth the cost either. I will not go back despite the pleasant waitress.

• Pros: ambience
• Cons: cost, quality of food

06/18/08

won't be back

by lenipa

The first time i ate here it was great, the helpful server offered several vegetarian options, everything was great and the prices seemed worth it. I couldn't wait to go back. The second time was awful. The portions were cut in half, literally- the appetizer on our first visit had 4 empanadas, this time, just 2, but the price was the same! The server looked at our party like we were from outer space, said none of the entrees could be made veggie (??? it's Mexican food, throw some veggies and beans on top instead of chicken!) and 3 out of 4 people had to eat the same meal. $20 mediocre enchaladas- they are crazy! In a city where the #3 (and rising) rated restaurant is VEGAN, these places need to realize Philly is a Veggie-town, and maybe Zocalo wouldn't have been empty for dinner if they had a more diverse(or at least flexible) menu, with reasonable prices, and nicer staff.

• Pros: lots of available seating
• Cons: rude, overpriced.