El Zarape - delici-yoso Fish Taco's!

Now I have to admit something right off the bat, we've been to El Zarape 3 times since I've started this blog about 6 weeks ago. The first time I brought the camera, but forgot all about it when it was time to eat. The second time I didn't even bother to bring the camera, period! Well this time I made sure to bring the camera, and displaying extreme self-control, even managed to take some pictures.

This little hole in the wall, features fresh, flavorful Mexican food. In what must be one of the best bargains in San Diego, the Fish Taco's here are just 99 cents, yes, 99 cents.

The fish tacos are always fresh with a crisp batter, and moist in the interior. Though it usually comes with a white sauce, we order it without it, and use a good amount of the smoky hot sauce. It's a taste and texture delight that totally blows another "famous" San Diego's chains soggy, gloppy, fish tacos out of the water! Oh, and did I say, just 99 cents every day!

Today I ordered the Shrimp Chimichanga, basically a deep fried burrito. This was filled with a generous amount of large shrimp and topped with Sour Cream and Guacamole. Very crunchy, with shrimp that had been sauteed before being rolled in the tortilla, this is a favorite of mine.

My only, slight complaint with El Zarape, is that the Guacamole is a bit "over-processed" and tends to be runny and bland, but everything else is "spot on", and scratches all those little "gastric itches" (OK, let's call them cravings).

We also had a shrimp quesedilla($4.99), easy on the cheese:

Crunchy on the outside, with great tasting shrimp and fillings inside, topped off with some spicy hot sauce is the definition of what mmm-yoso!!! is all about. This was alot of food, but we managed to finish everything.

El Zarape boasts a huge menu with everything from soy burritos and vegetarian offerings to "don't tell my cardiologist" loaded carne asada fries. El Zarape is another one of those "places" with a regular spot on our rotation. I may not know much about Mexican Food, but I know what I like, and I like this place.

Parking can be an adventure, so I recommend going to the end of Park Blvd, finding a space and walking half a block. Service can be slow at peak times with a line forming out the door. So be like us and go early, and often!

El Zarape Mexican Restaurant
4642 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 692-1652
Open Daily 10 am-10 pm

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Comments

[elmomonster]

Yummy! Love fish tacos! And DANG! 99 Cents! Along with the others you've suggested on your blog, this one's going on my list the next time I'm in SD.

[milgwimper]

Ahhh Fish Tacos, I would love some but I think it is one of the few things i don't try here. The first fish taco I had was SO goos, and the second SO terrible. I am afraid to try again, but those look really good and for 99Cents ohhhh *drool*

[Kirk]

Hi Elmo - Yes it's a bargain at 99 cents - also if your going to Balboa Park - you just stay on Park Ave North until it almost ends - I suggest you get one regular with the "white sauce" and the other without...nice snack after the zoo!
Hey Mills - I know what you mean, the first fish taco I had was from R****'s,and it was really gross, almost put me of it for the rest of my life! Fish taco's are a bit of a gamble, more bad ones than good ones; but when you find a good one - it's delici-yoso...

[Diamond Dog]

Kirk,

Love you blog and I linked to it on mine.

I am jealous that you have such great access to such awesome fish tacos.

I get to San Diego every now and then as well.

I have to go to Hawaii soon for business. You sound like you are from the Island, Bro?

I try and eat at all the local places when there, except when I entertain. I love the sushi bar in the Madarin Oriental hotel!

Next time I go, I am going to have you map out my dining for me. Do you have any local connections over there or friends? its hard when you are stuck in Oahu and don't know anyone.

I get treated pretty good there. For some reason I look like a local boy (until I start talking).

I bring home Spam Musubi's when I go there.

[Kirk]

Diamond - My good Fellow Blogger Reid has the ultimate "local" food blog - http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono_kine_grindz/ - he's pretty much got it down, and is one cool Bruddah! He knows all the good grindz - not the tourist stuff but where the locals go! Check him out - send him an Email - he'll probably read this also! And yes, born and raised in Honolulu!

[Kirk]

Diamond - Feel free to Email me - mmm-yoso@hotmail.com as well - let me know what you like and we'llcome up with an initerary for you! Love your blog as well, fun and interesting - I've got Pho Tranh and China Garden on my list as well.

[Reid]

Hi Kirk,

LOL! =)

Anything to help someone out.

BTW...the fish tacos look awesome and so do those pics. Are those taken with the new camera? If so, that Mega-OIS does wonders doesn't it?

[Kirk]

Hi Reid - Mega-OIS? Sounds like the sound I make when I get up from my seat "mega-oooos" - ;) Actually the optical stabilization does seem to make a difference. These pic's were from before I got my new camera - but I think I'm getting a bit better with this picture stuff. I'm using the new camera (I love the size of it BTW) on my Mariposa post. I still think I need to take some classes though!

[Jo]

That really does look like a fish taco worth trying. I've never had a bad experience, mainly because I'm scared of having a bad experience! ::sigh:: When it comes to fish I'm a bit squeamish I'm afraid, especially since my precious husband RUINED my BRAND NEW GRILL frying WHOLE UNSCALED crappie then feeding them to me without telling me they had scales!!!! That was the "Great Family Reunion Story of 2003". I still haven't forgiven him. I shake the grill before his eyes every now and again...

[Kirk]

Jo - We men all have our crosses to bear - I dropped a whole pizza(it fell completely out of the box and everything) onto the front seat of our car. Every so often I catch a whiff of tomato, and I swear the pizza's coming back to haunt me. Sorry 'bout the grill - gives new meaning to "crappie fish" though :)

[Jo]

OH MAN! Does it ever! I sometimes think I'll never eat another fish because when I think of it, it makes me ill. Can you imagine a mouth full of teeny tiny scales and your relatives (who were there when it happened knew what was up but you had to go to town for cappucino and just got back and happen to be ignorant) all just sitting there watching to see your reaction? Trust me, the whole story is now the stuff of legends...

[fossie]

Hi Kirk! I did check out the El Zarape this past Saturday and we were very impressed! The food is very fresh indeed!! We tried the fish tacos and the shrimp quesadilla, I will need to try their burritos when we go back again. Have you ever tried El Cuervo on Washington Street? I'm curious to see what you think of the restaurant. I think the food is good there, a bit on the greasy side but I think it's pretty good. It's certainly a lot better than the three fast foods -- La Salsa, etc. The fish tacos are better at El Zarape though.

[Kirk]

Welcome Fossie - El Cuervo is one of my regular stops since I work in the Hillcrest area - it's good dependable Mexican food, also priced right. El Cuervo and Bronx Pizza do a real smash-up lunch time business.

[Victor Lieberman]

Know anything about Tijuana?

[Kirk]

Hi Victor - Nope, never been. As a whole, and I think I'm really upfront about this - I know as much about Mexican as a "Kid from Hawaii" would. That said, I know what I enjoy - some of my friends rave about places in TJ, but I've really never had the desire to explore. Maybe you can do that, and let us all know what's going on.

[Jo]

Kirk, you da man! By the way, I miss going to TJ when I was a kid with my mom.

[Kirk]

Hi Jo - I'm sure TJ would be great, but I'd like someone to provide a bit of guidance before I'd try. Anybody know of a TJ Food Blog????

[Jo]

Actually, I would much rather to shopping in TJ and food further south. As I recall the best stuff in TJ was the panaderias (bakeries). The torpedo rolls ...::sigh::... equisitely soft and eggy. The best thing to do with them is bring them home immediately, heat a quantity of extra virgin OO in a small skillet, slide in a couple eggs when it's still a tad on the warm side, spinkle salt on the yolks, gently splash oil over the top until the yolk is covered with the thinnest white film, plate the eggs, then dip mouth size pieces in the yolk... oh happy moment. The Mexican version of "polvorones" is pretty good too. Those are the giant pink cookies. The best thing would be to take some good cheese & salami from home, pick up the bakery goods in TJ and head towards Baja & Encenada. In Encenada, seafood, lobster, prawns, halibut!

You know, as I was typing that I was thinking about how long it's been and decided to see if there is anything online. Here is a site I located: http://www.tijuana.com/index.html

This seems fairly comprehensive. Under the restaurant heading "El Taurino" looks pretty appealing. Maybe one day we will be able to do a trip south... Question is, would I be able to get past Disneyland?

[Natalie Garcia]

I can't believe that you did not have Olinda's in your Mexican Food list. Oh My Gosh, the best chile rellenos ever!!! Our family has been going there since the 80's

[Kirk]

Hi Natalie - Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I do have Olinda's on my list of places to go to, but there are tons of Mexican Restaurants in San Diego(I've got more then 30 of them on my "list"). So I'll get there, eventually!