My husband and I are Mexican food fanatics. Our hotel was not far from Zarela and we thought we would try it out. Their happy hour must be a good time, as the bar was packed when we arrived at 7pm. We were taken upstairs to a very crowded dining room. Our table was positioned right in between two other couples and it felt like we were all dining together. The atmosphere was loud and it was difficult to have a conversation when competing with the music and the people sitting right beside you. The chips were fine and the salsa was quite good but I have had far better drinks elsewhere, and we upgraded our tequila. The menu was lacking and did not have many options. I had a shrimp dish that was delicious but I was already disappointed by the time I received my meal. When we ordered, the waiter asked what side dish we wanted. Thinking a side dish was included, we both ordered the cheese rice, which was not Mexican at all and after receiving our bill found out the side dish was not included with our meals. The waiter had ""suckered"" us into ordering side dishes by making us think they were included. He did not ask if we wanted to order a side, he asked what we wanted as our side. If you want a side, this isn't a problem but if your meal is large enough, you will want to be aware of this. The service was lack luster and it was very difficult to understand our waiter, especially with the noise. I left the evening feeling riped off instead of satisfied.
Pros: Good entree
Cons: Service, Ambience, Price
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