Reviews of Zocalo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina (Restaurant)

Hein Hillmer

As a new resident to the beautiful city of Atlanta, Zocalo has always been a favorite to visit when stopping over in GA. Their service, food, vibe and especially margaritas will just knock your socks off (sometimes a little more). This will forever remain a favorite of mine. You guys Rock!

Atlantis Johnson

Food was good and service was quick. HOWEVER, My waiter Joshua thought that it would be a bright idea to charge a tip to my card without my permission. I did not leave a tip because my friend left the tip but Joshua still took matters into his own hands and charged my card. So if you ever get Joshua (a white man) ask for a new waiter or only pay with cash because he’s a thief.

Gabriel smith

This place is great for pregaming

Nicole Julien

Cannot express how absolutely disappointed I am by this place now. This used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Midtown, but every time I've gone here in the recent past it's been terrible. Yes, the patio is great but that does not excuse the atrocious service, mediocre food, and lack of caring management that treats the staff more as best buds than as actual employees. It's entirely possible to have a fun atmosphere and great service/food, plenty of restaurants in the area achieve it (heck, Henry's is maybe 50 feet away). Pro tip: when people order queso, they probably also want chips to accompany it; when people order alcohol they probably also would enjoy some water; and when people order a green enchilada they would prefer for the sauce not be red. This used to be a Midtown staple, nowadays it's just lost all credibility. Save your money and go to one of the other amazing restaurants surrounding it.

Gigi Raynor

Drinks are fantastic and the decor excellent taste in Mexican art. I'm a very hard critic on Mexican foods as i was spoiled by having a Mex chef. So my tacos were okay. Nevertheless will go back to eat. Staff are great.

Ethan cook

Great bar with greszt food and drinks. Plenty of patio space and right in midtown

Jai Torres

Love love LOVE this place! I've been twice, complimentary parking (please tip!) and they are NOT stingy with their alcohol. The staff is real cool and vibe is I point!

Kianna Pimentel

Food was pretty good. Service was really good up until we finished our meal. We waited 30 minutes after being finished eating for the bill. My boyfriend and I are both servers and have never left less than 20%, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Especially when your waitress can't give even DECENT service in an almost empty restaurant. It was almost like she decided in advance that we weren't going to tip well no matter what. News flash, sweetie, profiling doesn't help pay your bills.

marina boules

The food and drinks are SO good and the atmosphere is always so fun! The general manager/bartender is responsive and always makes for a welcoming atmosphere. Also Leo is the best. The rest of the serving staff is awesome too!

Neel Bhatia

Food sucks and overpriced. Good location.

J San

This is not a food review (though I have enjoyed the food other visits)! Was here for a Margarita Bust with friends. Pros - Inclusive environment; friendly and alert bartenders; great people watching, deck. Cons - Tough to move around the place when it's packed bc of the spacing between tables (a restaurant that has tables too close together). This place is a fun time for mixing and mingling. Try the food as it's flavorable Tex-Mex.

Robert Rugg

Excellent food and service! They serve a very unique sangria (see picture) that has a little tequila and vodka in it also. Awesome vibe here, you can't go wrong.

marshall coben

I take it from a Californian this is exquisite Mexican food. I wish we had A chef in LA who cared as much about Mexican food as whoever is running this kitchen does. The beans are absolutely beautiful, the salsas are complex and magnificent. Maybe in Atlanta it’s hard to appreciate special Mexican food but in LA Mexican food is lazy and common and this is none of that.

Ms.Chelle Latrice

Our margaritas were everything! Food was ok. Would go back just for the margaritas!

Eric S

Super great friendly service, affordable pricing, friendly atmosphere, I love it. Plus the owner hung out me and was truely sweet and kind

Darin Lister

Food and service were great, but the atmosphere is too noisy to have a conversation.

Dylan

So much fun! And the margaritas are excellent (and dangerous..)

Alex T

Great margaritas and food.

Jordon Ray

Its a good spot..good food..not great..just good.

Sloan Stewart

I've been here a few times just to sip a margarita and destroy some wings, which taste great. Recently, I tried a carne asada taco along with a al pastor taco and they were killer! I'm also a fan of the salsa they serve with their chips. It deviates from typical salsa with more of a chipotle taste; very good!

Wildcard120

Great food. Service is reasonable. Atmosphere is nice....if you already know someone there

Alonzo Jones

Way too crowded. Trying to get a table or a drink can be a bit much on a Sunday

Jose Baggett

The best place to be Sundays Period.

Domingo Gonzalez

Was in town for the super bowl and decided I would drag a few friends with me and we weren’t disappointed. The drinks were spot on and the food was tasty. It was a busy night so the kitchen was a little backed up but I’m guessing it was from the crush of out of towners like myself adding to the madness. Reco

Paul Henington

Food was pretty good and service was great considering it was busy.

lo co

Beautiful service ,nice service ,food is so tasty ,will definitedly come back

Charles Hacker

Great neighborhood restaurant. Some of the freshest Mexican cuisine I've had in Atlanta. Tasty brunch and bottomless drink specials. Reasonable prices; courteous service.

Dominic Rangel

Really friendly owner and staff makes custom drinks if requested. Drinks and food are delicious.

Lynnette Barber

Best frozen margarita i have ever had

Wjw Wjw

The margs are perfect! You will make many bad decisions after 2-3! The guacamole is also soooo good!

Vito Wagner

Bartenders were great! We really enjoyed the place. Spend the extra on specific drinks (strong) and don't order cheap, happy hour drinks (normal amounts of booze).

Litischua Drew

The food and the price weren't great

Lucas Lamb

This is a great place when it's not packed haha. Much like all places.

Maria Rujana

This is the best mexican restaurant that I know in Atlanta. The food is very similar to the real mexican’s food in Mexico. The place has a good view in the patio. I recommend it.

CharQuinta Walker

Love this place! The food is always good and the people are even better. Whenever I go there I always luck up and have Mina as my bartender, he's the best!! This is a great hang out spot. Super chill and laid back. Love the atmosphere!

Adrienne Klein

If owner or mgmt takes this down, I'll repost a billion times.This semi-permanent building of a business depends on Underage and their fake IDs. No way the below par food and selection of liquor would draw a knowledgeable and or distinguished crowd. After 11pm, like insects to a light; the bar seats are rapidly occupied by undergrads and high school aged teens with fake IDs. Why hasn't this place been shut down? Because real adults have other places to visit around the corner. I'm kinda over a 3hr mass shot venue catering to the under 21 taking up valuable real estate. Report under 21yr olds when you see them here.

Doug Borck

Excellent staff and delicious food!

Joshua Giles

Solid tacos in standard South-Western Fair. The house chips are freshly made and warm and delicious. Service can be a little hit or miss. The bar is typically pretty good and the menu has a decent selection given the genre. Parking on side is limited but street spots can be found in the nearby residential neighborhoods and there is valet available.

Cristen Castillo

Great food, wonderful service and tasty drinks. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good bite to eat in ATL!

D H

The food is awesome the drinks are awesome the service is awesome... 10's across the boards

Charles Wheatley

Okay place, staff was very worried about customers coming into the bar while they were counting their tips. They were supposed to be open for another hour, but clearly did not want to work. Margaritas were premade, food was medicore.

Cai Gilliam

Great just wasnt ready for the crowd. Serious party atmosphere

ben peace

Awesome margaritas and food. The service was really good as well and the patio has a nice view for people watching

Drew martin

Been better than 10 years since i had been there. Still spot on!

Lamont Mckinnon

Sooooooooo, I haven't ever eaten food here... We accept for the guacamole which was great!!! But I have met friends here a few times for drinks and to hang out. It's a very small but olen space with a good little patio where you will find a DJ blasting amazing music on the weekends... They play everything under the sun so everyone hears something they like. The bar is small but those guys have it running like a Brand New Cadillac

Michelle Blain

Great vibe, people and food

Mari Hdz

Very friendly! And the food is amazing

Andrew Zdanowicz

Great authentic Mexican cuisine. Well prepared. Probably the best real Mexican food in Atlanta.

Cha Chapman

Nice spot to hang out with friends to eat and drink. Food is good. I had chicken quesadillas and guacamole, simple but tasty. I had an Atlantarita with peach snapps and a Spicy Orange today, both were great. I definitely recommend checking them out.

parisstyler3

Great authentic food

Kelsey M.

Amazing food, delicious drinks, and great service, what's not to love? My chile relello was amazing and dad's steak was cooked perfectly. The queso and salsa are delicious as well. I wish I lived closer so I could come here weekly!

Gordon Geise

Ray & I had great food and bottomless drank for brunch. Salsa was PERFECT. Enchiladas great.

Stephen van Arcken

Good food and good drinks. Intimate atmosphere. I thought I was ordering tacos but ordered a sandwich. I guess that's my fault for not knowing what "torta" meant in English though

Robert Hunter

Nice atmosphere.. Clean food and strong drinks.

karl villarroel

The service was ok But the F O O D... OMG the best flautas I have in so long also the chicken Quesadilla was really good. And that black beans pure was DELICIOUS. Plus the ambiet and the music 10⭐️ I'm definitely coming back and inviting everyone. Was a shame they don't have the frozen margarita and Sangria swirl.

Eddie Farmer

Be prepared to wait. The only good thing here were the drinks

Matt

Its just okay. The service sucks most of the time, drinks are overpriced, and the food is nothing to go out of your way for.

Bryan Castano

The food and drinks have definitely improved since the new menus. We had the margaronas and they were very refreshing! We also had the chicken fajita quesadillas, soooooo good!

Leroy Mathews

Great drinks, fun crowd. The bartender was a little jazzy with us, but still had a good time.

Leah Lemons

Went for happy hour Wednesday afternoon and loved it so much I came back for lunch the next day. Amazing food great service fair prices.

Charles Macaluso

Oriana our waitress was super nice and very attentive! My chicken and waffles we're really good! Coffee was flavorful.

Katelyn Henry

Awesome brunch on the patio at Zocalo. Friendly server and great service. Bottomless brunch drinks for $17/person. Really worth it if you like any of the featured drinks. They were only serving the brunch food and not the regular menu and I would've liked the option of the regular menu since it was my first visit. Will be back for the open air, drinks and food! Good vibes, awesome sound track and a great mix of people & their pups. Patio is dog friendly!

Ana iRox Hair & Lashbar

Friendly staff, a little small but the bar is always a option. Food was ok but I am willing to try it again maybe....

Drew Thomas

Great area near Piedmont Park, great guac, better margaritas, overall great experience.

Ron Paxson

Place is delicious, strong drinks, great guacamole, always friendly

Royal House

Welcoming environment. Friendly staff.

Nardi Nard

Food is average tex-mex food. Brunch menu is not nearly as good as it was. Drinks are ok though

Victor Morales Duarte

Somewhat Americanized Mexican. Still very tasty.

June Waslin

Great service, great food!

Brandy Cameron

Awesome place! We were 43 people for dinner and everyone has been raving about the experience. Half were kids and they handled our crowd without a hitch. Thanks so much for excellent food. Most delicious!

Jennifer Xu

Nice outdoor seating and the food was pretty good as well. Really enjoyed the margarita. The guac is freshly made and would highly recommend as well

odaine richardson

The food came out cold af and i sent it back the waiter brought the same exact food that i sent back to my table as if it was freshly cooked lmao my finger print was still in the rice when i was checking the temperature of the food. Do not go to this restaurant if u are looking for freshly warm made food cause they will play tricks on u idk if it’s because it’s st.patrick.christian the manager was so rude. Do not spend your money here honestly. I still tip the waiter

Brandon Ivery

Awesome food, service, and live music on certain days of the week. Great drinks!

Chad Keinanen

We liked the space and the food was pretty good. Would hope for a few more vegetarian options and if drinks on the menu, like Bloody Mary's, are more than $6, then please serve them in a real glass. It was too cold for the patio to be open so that was a bummer.

Ty Harps

Food was decent, really great staff!

jessica

Always a fun place! Great frozen margy's that will sneak up on you!

Rory Montgomery

Great tacos! And refreshments...

Elizabeth Johnson

Great food, service, environment, and drinks

Kern Williams

Amazing place. Happy hour, food, good vibes only.

Falini Shah

Slow service... too many restrictions on brunch... food was good but probably wont revisit

Oscar Solis

Good food , good service, good place

Ms. B

FOOD/DRINKS: This is definitely not authentic Mexican food.....definitely Americanized and I have found much better tasting Mexican food elsewhere. ATMOSPHERE: This place is definitely more of a hang out spot. Loud, casual and a place to people watch. It is extremely busy on the weekends- especially around Sunday brunch time. SERVICE: The service is mediocre but this place does not seem to pride themselves on providing quality service. It's in a great location and will attract a crowd regardless of the lack of service/food quality.

Patimous 3

Seemed super expensive for the amount and quality of food we got. Was good but didnt feel it was worth the price.

Samuel Zuniga

For someone that does not like margaritas, I love their frozen margaritas.They are strong and delicious. The food is good as well. I personally like going on their very busy times, Fri and Sat night, as well as Sunday brunch. It was a lively atmosphere.

Andy Speer

Service was unbelievably bad. After getting our food, we had to ask three times for silverware. The food was cold by the time someone brought forks and napkins. We asked for our check twice and still waited more than 20 minutes. This was a great local place but has definitely changed recently. We won't return any time soon.

Stephen Lim

Omgosh... It was such a fun time and those chips and salsa were so amazing xD I didn't expect much from the tacos but they were amazing and it blew me away. I stumbled upon it by nose alone. And beautiful ladies xD

Joshua Hulsizer

Awesome place with a great atmosphere. The staff is so welcoming and gracious. The food is absolutely delicious.

J Mack-Tyler

Fun place to hang out in Sunday's and enjoy the midtown vibe. Great margaritas as well.

Leah Davis

Amazing food and atmosphere. Make sure u try the sangria swirl frozen margarita!!

Heavens Fiyah

Cane on Cinco De Mayo and yes the house was packed. One thing I've noticed though...is that they are always packed any given night. Great atmosphere, drinks, food and music. Will definitely be back...

Tamera Mixon

Great place to have a drink or two with friends!

Jorge Rubio

Not the best Mexican food. Great margaritas though!

edgar mata

Good flavor, nice place

RXT FITNESS

Like the program taught me in school...Just Say NO.

AMILLIO Food Picasso

Great food & Great Drinks

Whitney

Customer service is wonderful. I had an issue with a bill and the GM was very helpful, polite, and made sure everything was taken care of. Love this place!

Evan Barclay

Good food and great outdoor area.

Nora Howell

Best guacamole ever! The frozen grain alcohol drinks will sneak up on you quick; so beware! Great staff

Tom Burchnell

Who knows what you're going to get. Sometimes it's okay, sometimes the food is awful. There is no in between and there is no good. Service is universally terrible, the party atmosphere is fun but not when it prevents you from getting any food, service or water for 15-30 minute intervals due to dancing. Tried to keep giving this place a chance as it is local, on tenth and close. Not anymore, it's done in my book.

Abhay Trivedi

Awesome drinks and food. In the heart of Midtown gaybourhood. Nice place to hang out and chill.

Greg Kurzner

Booked a reservation for 2 at 9 pm on Saturday night. Arrived on time and seated quickly, waiter brought chips and salsa and drinks in normal time. Ordered and then nothing...finally around 955 PM, I waived the waiter down and asked where our food was...he came back 5 minutes later and told us that the kitchen was backed up and it would be 5 more minutes...that was enough for us...we walked out. No idea how the food was...we never got it.

Nono Ny

The deal on the drinks was amazing, the food was amazing too..i will definitely go back

Max Duval

Good shrimp and beef fajitas with the spicy orange drink! Decent service...

Javierm Msuasto

It needs an upgrade

Georgia Jay

I have had an incredible experience every time I’ve been here! The atmosphere, food, and drinks are great and our servers are always awesome! My favorite spot in midtown

Vivian Feliciano

Food was very good. The server was not good. She was so bad that other servers came over to help us. She was gone so much that we could not remember how she look

Doris Garza

mexican food, excellent. This place has an awesome atmosphere. Like a restaurant in Washington I liked.

Sandra Sanchez

Great restaurant and pride friendly of cours ✌

Dylan Baker

Go to for margaritas! They’re the best in town.

Rebekah Brown

Food is delicious and has beautiful presentation. I had the tacos al pastor and cheese enchiladas.

Jamelah Gonzales

Atmosphere nice food was not that good tbh I definitely wont be eating here again I guess it would be a good place if you dont know what real mexican food tastes like.

Gina Minichiello

Best Frozen Margaritas ever!!

Joshua Jones

Pretty good food with great guac and plenty outdoor seating. The drinks are pricey but they have good happy hour special.

Ham Harris

INTERESTINGLY Good food with lots of color and flavors and textures. Never a dull moment for your tastebuds. Parking was ok (Lunch on a Tuesday) with no crowd. Overall top notch enjoyable time in the heart of the ATL.

Kaiser's Quest

Its a Sunday and its packed !!! Great crowd !!! Like this review??? Lets us take you to the next level . Lets Brand you !!! Check out the Website ! Call me to have Lunch !!!

Hannah Jones

A little on the pricey side for what you get, but it was pretty good food and the atmosphere was super fun. The margaritas were great, but be ready to pay $40 after tip for a pitcher. All in all a pretty awesome place; I just wish I was less broke

Dr .Regana Babette Hill

Good food and drinks

Shay R.

Great tacos and outdoor patio.

Reid Simmons

I'm not one for midtown dining, so I found it surprisingly cheap food, which wasn't anything to write home about, but was definitely worth what I paid for. My girlfriend and I split a pitcher of Margueritas, which I felt was pretty expensive, but it was really, really good, and not at all stingy on the tequila, so I honestly wasn't upset. I'm a pretty generous tipper (typically 20-25%) and thought our waitress deserved 40% tip, and that should tell you all you need to know about the waitstaff. The location was great, not very far from Piedmont Park.

Niki Hart

This is a super casual place to get some good Mexican food and GREAT frozen margaritas! I've been here for brunch and dinner, and it's definitely a place I will come back to. The staff is super friendly, and there are a couple tvs around if you want to catch a game. All around a good time!

Kory Davis

Excellent bartenders and quick service. I love this spot when it’s crowded and when it’s not. The wings here are really good for a taco joint.

Angel B

Love the tacos and the set up! Especially love the Tequila

Natwana Pace

Such an AMAZING experience I had here with my friends! We went on a Sunday a little after brunch hours. We were at the bar and was helped by all of the bartenders! They all had great energy, one of them was able to properly pronounce my name (which is hard to do

Sarah Smith

The hostess told us that she just needed to seat a few people on the waiting list and then would seat us, so we stood waiting. Then a new table walked in and she sat them, so I asked her about seating us and if she needed my name or something and she said no, I can seat you. But still didn’t seat us, so not sure what she was doing. My friend went to the bar to order a margarita and when she asked the bartender for a margarita he said “No.” after that, we left. I will never come back. No clue what these people’s problems were.

Chrys Session

Well, 1st things is that my drink was alright. I ordered steak tacos and received grilled chicken instead. I said nothing and... I'm glad it didn't! They were great! The service is kinda slow but the tacos were AWESOME!

Amber Osborne

My favorite Mexican restaurant in Atlanta by far! The food, drinks, and service can’t be beat. We live nearby and come here often, and we have never had a disappointing experience here!

Jeff Lemen

Great staff, great food, great tequila. Showed me amazing hospitality for an out of towner.

Anthony Ross

Everything is good, I've been coming here for almost 15 years. Get a mojito!

Lori Rainwater

We waited for a table and never got sat while plenty of people sat down in front of us. I’ve been here before and it’s usually good but I don’t know why we were so overlooked. We ended up having to leave.

Chelsea Brown

Good service, great food, and margaritas wont disappoint

CGnAtl B

Great place to cool down and have a frozen Margarita. Found my new favorite bartender/mixologist Aaron, who mixes the best strawberry margaritas while providing fantastic customer service and friendly conversation. Highly recommend the chicken fajitas too!

Justin White

This isn’t a place that will blow you away, but it’s great for a bite or cheap margarita, the latter being offered for four dollars every Friday. In terms of food, I’ve ordered the steak quesadilla and enjoyed it.

Beauté SB

Second time coming for christmas dinner food and drinks delicious and great

Peter Chvala

Mina and the entire crew there are amazing! Great food, great service, super fun environment! Go!

Nick Bond

Waiter forgot our guac. Never refilled drinks. Food was bland. Basically enchiladas dipped in siracha sauce. Waiter also didn't fill our chips. Would never recommend.

Michel Lacerda

Latino bartender with a full beard and tatoos was rude to our party and put his bare hand on our food. Not coming back

Summer Holt

Atlanta icon. Food is so authentic and the drinks are strong!

Askia Abdull

One of my favorite places to go in Midtown and they have the best drinks and frozen drinks definitely recommend to go

Julio Perez

This place is great to grab a few beers with chips and queso or get a full meal with friends and family. The staff is very friendly and are attuned to your needs. Great service, great food, and nice cold beers. Will come again. Stop and visit.

G D

A place for a margarita. Do not have too high expectations when you go there.

Connan Moody

Good food, good service the only thing I'm not huge on is that it is an extremely cramped space. Pretty well priced.

Wendy Foss

Many years ago, I practically lived there.... Now I cringe when I walk by. Ordered a Jack & Coke while I looked at the menu. After a couple of sips, I knew something was wrong, so I ordered a shot of Jack just to see if my suspicions were correct. Yep, the actual liquor was totally watered down. I complained & got denials & much attitude. I paid for it & regret not having just walked out. Needless to say, I didn't order food. I had eaten there recently before & the food was TERRIBLE!!!! I was going to give them another chance, but watered down liquor is fraudulent, in my opinion, close to theft. They obviously don't care. DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aimee Vondrak

First time at Zocalo and won’t count on them again for a spring or summer weekend experience. Seems the Real World taping took priority. My friends and I arrived about 230 on a Sunday. Definitely the first weekend of nice weather for the spring, so understandable they would be busier than expected. However, when I finally got our table, it was at least 20 minutes before we realize the server had not been to our table and I had to get up and ask the host stand for someone to come over and take our order. Once our food arrives, the queso we ordered, instead of coming as an appetizer, arrived with the entrées. And also arrived with out the chorizo we ordered with it. We received plates and silverware but no napkins. I eventually went up to the host stand and interacted with the manager, Christian, who I informed of the slow and impersonal service; he stated he would remove the queso from our checks. Our server didn’t come to the table again to check on anything at all. I had to get up and ask the host stand again to have someone come give us our checks at the end of the meal. We almost got up to leave before our checks arrive because it was at least 10 to 15 more minutes before our checks came. We were only at a table of five with separate checks, which doesn’t seem that it should take that long to separate. Most of us have been in the service industry and understand that today was a very busy day, but the lack of hospitality and unapologeticness of the staff made it an experience we would not want to repeat. For a group of five, with a few special requests, we felt that we would not be welcomed again as a large group on a busy weekend. We will definitely never choose Zócalo again on the weekend for a party of more than two.

James Hunter

Bartenders are the worst; ugh. Go elsewhere.

Harrison Gunn

Valet service and strong drinks!

Amanda Hill

The food was good, but the service was so bad! We told our server we were ready to order, he never came back and we had to ask a different server to take our order. People that came in after us were waited on well before us. Then the food took forever to come out and then we had to ask twice for our check. They were busy but should have been better prepared for the lunch crowd.

Just Me

It was ok....

myz raquel

Absolutely loved this place delicious food and great drinks

Anntoinette Jordan

Food use to be great. It's starting to lack flavor and seasonings

Gouthami G

Very good cocktails and Tequila. Zocalo nachos are excellent!

Danielle Arehart

Love the atmosphere great music great drinks would definitely come back!! Had a blast for the taco crawl the DJ was off the chain with the jams

Mary Ann Vazquez

Good chicken nachos and drinks

Chrissy Hernandez

Brunch was amazing, highly recommend getting a pitcher of whatever drink you want so you don't have to wait for the waitress, it gets very busy. The guacamole is yummy and made right at your table. Fun and friendly crowd.

Bernard West

Great little spot with some outstanding customer service

Leo Aquino - Mentor

Nice drinks and very interesting crowd! Such a fun place to be on a Sunday afternoon!

Larry Mathis

Good food, good prices, and friendly staff.

Andrew Girvan

Food is good, drinks are strong, service is like a group of people have woken up from a trance, found themselves dressed in black and responsible for running a restaurant. Most things took forever, requests were met with blank stares.

Anthony Moore

Great margaritas!