El Zarape - Morehead City

We started with the stuffed jalapeños appetizer priced at $5.25, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The breading was off; it fell off the jalapeño and was a bit doughy. I was quite disappointed. For the main course, we ordered the mixed fajitas for $13.45, which were bland and cooled down too quickly. By the time I had my first fajita, the meat was cold. We ended up taking the leftovers home to jazz them up for lunch the next day. On the plus side, the portion sizes were large and hearty. The chips and salsa were a standout—they were better than what I've had at other Mexican restaurants. The bathroom was clean, and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was comfortable. I’m not sure I would return unless I wanted a drink and a chance to chat with Alvaro again for some laughs. Overall, it was an interesting experience. 12/18/21 evening.

First off, our server was outstanding—she was friendly and knowledgeable. After looking through the extensive menu, we settled on burritos, and she reassured us we had made excellent choices. Our burritos arrived quickly, steaming hot and ready to enjoy. I opted to use my fork instead of trying to pick up the massive burrito. After my first bite, I paused to take a picture so I could remember to write this review. It was truly one of my best Mexican food experiences in a long time. The freshness of the ingredients was surprising, and even after finishing the rice and beans, I didn't feel weighed down. I will definitely be returning!

This restaurant was beyond disappointing. The waiter was incredibly rude, and the service was just terrible. To make matters worse, two people in our party who ordered the shrimp ended up getting food poisoning.

We had a large family gathering on July 4th weekend. We decided to do take out and get chips, queso, and guacamole to supplement our meal. We paid over $100 for a small bowl of salsa, 15 small bags of chips, a large queso, and a tiny guacamole (supposedly a large). The amount of food did not justify these prices. The portions were tiny and the manager was rude once we communicated our disappointment. I do not recommend getting take out from here.

Food was great! Every booth and table was occupied. Service was a little slow because of the pandemic and the fact that they are short staffed, but all of our meals were wonderful! We got tacos locos, shrimp quesadilla, guacamole salad, tacos asada and a couple of kids meals. Owner apologized for the slow service, but we understood. We are just visiting the area but would definitely come back if we were local.