I have been going to Zarela's for the past 12 years whenever we have an early out from my office. Yesterday 12/23/2009 I visited Z's with 3 friends At about 2:30pm...We ordered margaritas and... More

I have been going to Zarela's for the past 12 years whenever we have an early out from my office. Yesterday 12/23/2009 I visited Z's with 3 friends At about 2:30pm...We ordered margaritas and Flautas..everything came promptly. However, as the clock began to strike 3pm, it seems that we had overstayed our welcome. The Asian- Russian speaking bartender (I miss the other guys that were normally there), seem to vanish and when one of my friends showed up at 3:21, it took about 5 minutes before she came back to the bar to get him a drink. Now 5 minutes at a bar may not seem like much, but if that is why you are there..it is a long time. Anyway, when she got the drink for him, she also made another drink for another friend & cleared away my half full glass of margarita on the rocks. When I pointed that out, she said it was just ice. I explained that it was still half-full which is why I did not order another one when my friends did. She seemed pissed..she then proceeded to make me another drink..and guess what..she gave me a half full glass of margarita with more ice than drink and almost no alcohol. My buddy that came in at 3:21pm wanted to eat something, but we were told that the kitchen was closed, even though the staff seem to be cooking and eating for themselves as we were there. Bottom line is that if you stay at the bar past lunch time, do not expect much service and the new "hip" bartender knows absolutely nothing about customer service. I have never been cheap at Z's & have always advocated the merits of going there to the people in my office. However, it seems that the original staff and management of Zarela's is no longer present and service is not a major consideration. Sometimes when you like a place, you dont want to admit that it is going downhill, but looking back at the last two visits and the visit yesterday, there is something def not Mexican about Zarela's. Anyway, we left Zarela's at about 3:40pm & went to Zocala's in GCT.good margaritas & good food. no more Z's 4 me & my friends.
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Don't expect your mother's food ( if you are Mexican). the Margaritas are very good, the salsas as usual are fresh not like some other places where they give you ketchup with Tabasco as a salsa. the... More

Don't expect your mother's food ( if you are Mexican). the Margaritas are very good, the salsas as usual are fresh not like some other places where they give you ketchup with Tabasco as a salsa. the problem here is that they are charging for everything, if you want rice or beans which usually come with your food in any other place, they charge you. the owner is old now and not there most of the time, therefore the place is going downhill. by the way she is not from Oaxaca as a lot of people think, she is from El Paso, Tex. that explains why the food is not as good as people expects from an authentic Mexican place. I would always go back for the margaritas and the salsas. I keep my jacket so I don't have to pay "coat check" Lol. Pros: salsas are fresh, food ok. Cons: Zarela is not there anymore, place going downhill.
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Let's just say my girlfriends and I walked out of the restaurant, halfway through our meal due to a visitor in our booth AHHHHH!!!! My friend pointed out that I had a cacaroche (city search bans... More

Let's just say my girlfriends and I walked out of the restaurant, halfway through our meal due to a visitor in our booth AHHHHH!!!! My friend pointed out that I had a cacaroche (city search bans the true word from reviews... hmmm... conspiracy much?) crawling on me, we screamed to high heaven, and a bus boy came and put it in a napkin and ran to the kitchen. Next thing I knew I was asking for the manager, who was a broad with too much attitude.... she tried to debate with me whether it was a cacaroche or a water roche... like woman, an inch long brown roche was crawling on me... do I really need to debate semantics here?? Anyways who knows if the perp was actually a cacaroche or water roche... either way I'm never going back there! Just as a note, when we walked out, a woman at the front who had just finished eating said "Oh you guys had a cacaroche by your table too?" Sorry that place needs to be shut the truck down. Pros: Strong drinks Cons: everything else
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I went with my family a few days ago. Upon arriving we were asked to give our coats to coat check only to realize it costs $1 a piece!! C'mon!! We were seated, the waiter took our drinks and then... More

I went with my family a few days ago. Upon arriving we were asked to give our coats to coat check only to realize it costs $1 a piece!! C'mon!! We were seated, the waiter took our drinks and then informed us that the 2-1 special was for bar seating only- it was too late as by then the drinks had arrived. My mother is a vegetarian and there was literally NO entrees for vege's-only sides which was disappointing. I casually ordered Tabasco or any type of bottled hot sauce...the waiter brought habanero sauce whcih was awesome except he failed to tell me that it would cost $2. The food was mediocre at best. I've had better Mexican in Manhattan. All in all- we were disapponted with the service, food and nickle and diming. Our bill between 5 adults + 2 rounds of drinks was $115 + tip. needless to say- Zarella did a lousy job in convincing us to come back. Pros: ATMOSPHERE Cons: NICKEL & DIMING/ No Vegetarian Entree
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A wonderful experience...fresh, delicious, and unique flavors combined with friendly, knowledgeable service made ours an excellent evening out. Pan-fried plantains with mole sauce, pork shoulder... More

A wonderful experience...fresh, delicious, and unique flavors combined with friendly, knowledgeable service made ours an excellent evening out. Pan-fried plantains with mole sauce, pork shoulder slow roasted in avocado leaves with sour oranges and habanero pepper relish. The desserts were outstanding--almond crepes with dulce de leche and amaretto ice cream, pecan-kahlua-chocolate pie. The manager came to suggest a Mexican wine that paired quite nicely with our dishes. Definitely a Turtle Bay highlight. Pros: Authentic flavors, amicable service
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I recently ate at Zarela's and while enjoying delicious food and yummy margaritas, my wallet was stolen out of my purse. I had it when it came time to pay the check, but we decided to stay for... More

I recently ate at Zarela's and while enjoying delicious food and yummy margaritas, my wallet was stolen out of my purse. I had it when it came time to pay the check, but we decided to stay for another round of drinks. When the second check came, my wallet was gone. Needless to say, this was a very upsetting situation and the staff at Zarela's couldn't care less. The extent of their help was looking around with a flashlight for about 5 seconds, never offering to call the police, comp a drink, question a staff member, or even an apology. Basically, if you decide to go here, watch out for your stuff! Who knows if this place is regularly targeted or if it was an inside job, but either way, dont expect any sympathy or even a decent human social skill from the staff at Zarela if it happens to you!
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A group of 5 went to Zarelas, the margaritas were good, the service was horrible. Empty plates were left on our table, we all ordered margartias, appetizers and some entrees. But still were forced... More

A group of 5 went to Zarelas, the margaritas were good, the service was horrible. Empty plates were left on our table, we all ordered margartias, appetizers and some entrees. But still were forced to order more because of the minimum per person; which we weren't told about til after we all had settled and ordered drinks. My entree was forgotten, and the waiter reassured me it wasn't my fault. Who says that? I however, still had to order more food which I told them to put in a to go box. The waiter didnt seem to know the menu because when he was asked if one entree could be shared between two people he said "yes" when in fact it couldn't be. It was overall the worst mexican restaurant experience I have ever had. Pros: Margaritas Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE.
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After hearing all the hype about this place, I went there with a group of six. I ordered a pork dish, and almost immediately bit into what turned out to be a piece of a broken plate. I obviously... More

After hearing all the hype about this place, I went there with a group of six. I ordered a pork dish, and almost immediately bit into what turned out to be a piece of a broken plate. I obviously had to wait for a new dish to arrive, but the waiter/manager failed to comp us a drink, or even my new entree, simply saying that it was enough that we didn't have to pay for the dish with the broken plate in it.
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The margaritas are made right! The most I've ever heard anyone drink is 4 or 5! And the tasty food will keep your blood-alchohol level below .2% Call a cab!

The margaritas are made right! The most I've ever heard anyone drink is 4 or 5! And the tasty food will keep your blood-alchohol level below .2% Call a cab!
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I've been eating at Zarela for years and have always enjoyed the food and Margaritas. I find it to be one of the best mexican joints in the city, although the attitude at the door is a big turn-off... More

I've been eating at Zarela for years and have always enjoyed the food and Margaritas. I find it to be one of the best mexican joints in the city, although the attitude at the door is a big turn-off for me. Regardless, its hard to find really good mexican food here, so we keep returning and once seated, and sitting in front of a nice margarita, its all OK, just don't expect 4 star service! Pros: food, margaritas, festive Cons: attitude, service
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