Zapatista
1307 S Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60610 (312) 435-1307
- Nearest Transit:
Roosevelt (Red, Orange & Greens)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Valet
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
153 Reviews for Zapatista
This was my first time at this establishment, and had come per a recommendation by a friend. The service was good, however the patio is a bit tight as it seems they tried to squeeze as many people as possible out onto their small portion of the sidewalk.
Overall the food was good - we ordered guac and had the steak tacos. Definitely a good choice.
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It's been a couple of years since I graduated from an institution of higher learning in the South Loop, and I haven't really been back until we took the trip to meet a friend at one of the South Loop's new eateries, Zapatista.
The food was really good. The service was great. The guacamole was some of the best I've had. The margaritas didn't taste all too strong, but apparently were as I had a tad bit of trouble walking in a straight line on my way out (good thing I wasn't driving). The salsa that came with the chips that they place on your table when you sit down had a nice smokey spiciness to it. it was really good without being entirely overwhelming.
My only little problem is that it took a long time for the main dishes to arrive. Plus, she said that her enchiladas could have used a tad more cheese, and I am not entirely sure that the beans with my burrito were indeed the Chorizo Beans I asked for.
The food was really good though. The service was really good. The atmosphere was cool. I will be back.
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5 Stars - The chips and guacamole were made to order to our liking, extra onion and mild. The margarita on the rocks was well mixed and very smooth. I ordered three of them and would love to take a jug of it home. The Carne Asada was seasoned perfectly and cooked exactly to medium rare. The service was spot-on and the server was very helpful by taking time to phone a cab for us...
Great brunch, amazing bloody marys and margaritas - service is very slow, ambiance is bright, airy and very comfortable. Best dish for brunch is the Mexican french toast which consists of toast with praline syrup and sweet bananas--very yummy. Parking is painful.
Now rarely do I venture out of my little Lincoln Park/Lakeview area. But boy, am I glad I did! Coming down to Zapatista was quite an adventure. I was lucky enough to get a flat on Lake Shore while on my way to a business dinner. Had to park the car in River North and hop a cab to make it on time.
Once I arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The patio was hoping, especially compared to the place next door. Inside was a little slower. If you wanted to come here for afternoon drinks it would be a nice change from the hustle-and-bustle, can't make it to the bar scene of the loop.
Both the food and drinks were delicious. I would call the food an upscale Mexican, which tastes great and is served in a nice presentation.
I don't know if there was a wow factor, so I'm only going to give it four stars. However, I definitely may venture back down :)
We've really enjoyed ourselves the couple of times we've stopped in.
I cannot speak to the entrees, but the guacamole is fantastic and the margaritas are really good as well.
The service has been hit and miss. Our servers have been really friendly, but not necessarily the most attentive.
That said, it's a great place to knock back a couple of margs before the trek over to northerly island.
This place reminded me why I don't like Mexican food.
I have yet to experience a Mexican dish or restaurant that really "wows" me. This place was no exception. I came here for brunch, and got the chilaquiles, one of the $5 brunch options. I guess you get what you pay for, but in that case, I should've paid much less. We waited forever for our food (a group of 5 of us went through 4 baskets of chips and salsa while we waited). When the entrees finally arrived, my dish was lukewarm/borderline cold, and the chilaquiles itself was too salty for my liking. I was not pleased.
My four other friends all ordered different items, and none of them enjoyed their meals much at all. One of them asked for a refill of his coffee when we were served our dishes, but he didn't get it until our plates were cleared and the check arrived.
Perhaps this place is better for lunch or dinner, but I have no desire to return. There are far better restaurants in Chicago to try.
I have visited Zapatista twice now, and I really enjoyed it. I have had only one service blunder, which our guacamole came out after our entree. The guacamole has a perect kick, and the fajitas were awesome. I would recommend to try the corn tortillas, everyone knows what the flour ones taste like. The margaritas are perfect to relax outside and people watch.
Service is poor, unless your at the bar and Oscar is working;. He if Fabulous! Otherwise forget being waited on. Food is good, but again you can't have the food if you can't have service.
Beware if paying by credit card and splitting the bill you will be charged twice! And, management takes no ownership but quickly blames your banking establishment. Good luck!
3.5 Stars it is!
As a new South Looper, I've had my eye on Zapatista for awhile. Dining al fresco? Tall, refreshing drinks? Count me in!
After reading reviews about the crummy service, I tried to come to Zapatista with an open mind. Alas, the reviews were right.
Apparently asking the waiter to give us "a minute" to look over the menu threw him off a bit. He didn't come back for at least 30 minutes! Once he took our order (at this point, we had to order our app and entree together, because we didn't want to risk him not coming back), the service was. It just "was." Nothing extraordinary, nothing awful.
Service aside, I thought the food and drinks were awesome. We got the Empanada Appetizer, Tacos (two veggie and one tilapia), and a Burrito. For my drink, I got whatever they call the Frozen Sangria/Margarita and it was great.
After coffee and tea to cap off the night, I was expecting the bill to make a nice dent in my wallet. I was pleasantly surprised!! $63 with tax and a 20% tip.
I'm hoping the service was a one-time mistake... I'll give Zapatista another chance.
I want to give this place four stars - delicious mojitos, yummy guac, and $5 brunch.
But the service is so inconsistent from visit to visit that three stars it is.
On my most recent visit, my brother got a chicken burrito and on the first two bites, hit massive, huge bone chunks. We called our waiter's attention to it and he responded 'Oh yeah, that's chicken bone.' That was clearly never in question. He then asked if he wanted somethinge else, and my brother picked a steak burrito. It was brought out quickly and as my brother was cutting in to it, the waiter said 'How's that? Less bones in the beef, huh, haha'. Uh... not the response I would want.
Eventually (after we received a bill with both burritos), we were only charged for one, but the lack of a response about the whole ordeal was unsettling.
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If you like paying a lot of money for less than mediocre food and bad service, then Zapatista is the place for you. We've lived in the South Loop for 6 years and were excited when this place opened..and then we ate there.
We made a reservation on a Saturday night, expecting to have a leisurely dinner..not so much. Our waiter was asking us if we wanted drinks and would we like to hear the specials, all before we got our coats off. We were rushed thru the entire meal, and quite honestly were under impressed by what we did have. The only redeeming quality Zapacrapa has, in my opinion, is the outdoor seating in the summer..great for people watching.
I do not understand why people continue to go here. Food is very blah. Lived a couple blocks away from this place for 3 years and only gone there once.
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We came here with a group (9 total) for Sunday brunch and I have to say, the service was incredible! From starting at the bar while we waited for the rest of our group (great bartender!) to being seated outside as soon as everyone was there, to our awesome waiter, Eric. The Bloody Marys were fabulous and served with a Coronita as a sidecar, just love that! The food was also really good as were the margaritas, mohitos etc. We will definately be back!
The reviews on here for Zapatista are a mixed bag to say the least, so I was a bit hesitant when we all decided on going here for lunch this weekend..Maybe I was in an ultra good mood, maybe it was the company I was with, but I REALLY enjoyed myself here on a Sunday afternoon!! Had a great raised 4-top in the bar area. Music was festive and fun. Ordered a margarita..rocks with salt...Muy Bueno! Loved it. The chips and salsa were good, a little heavy on the cilantro, but still yummy. Ended up sharing the fajitas ( free-range chicken and steak combo) and they were fantastic. The outdoor seating area is really adorable. It just finished raining when our group was there so we were not able to sit outside, but will definitely be back to enjoy a couple margaritas al fresco!
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Monday night for 6pm dinner.
Sat outside at a table with 4 total. Tables were kind of close and I was backed up against my neighbor the whole time. $5 margarita was good, chips and salsa while you wait. Guacamole was pretty fresh, spicy was not too spicy but had a little kick. Got the steak fajita and it came as bubbling bowl of meat and cheese and was rather tricky to slop into a flour tortilla for eating - I would get veggies with it next time and was surprised they were not included. The meat was cooked just right though and was nice and tender and juicy.
Service was pretty good, water stayed filled. Mango marg's were super yummy ($6 special). I love outdoor seating so this location was great for relaxing and watching folks stroll by.
This is a cool South Loop restaurant...with great alfresco seating and well-made margaritas. The food is pretty good...it's not the most authentic Mexican food in the world but it's closer than alot of other Mexican restaurants in the city. Really, come here for the atmosphere and for the diverse South Loop crowd.
I do take issue however, with the slow refills of chips and salsa. Other than that....it's a great place!
I love, love, LOVE Zapatista's! I'm originally from Texas and I've had a hard time finding really good Mexican food in Chicago. Zapatista's is a Godsend to me. The food is great (great guacamole made to your taste), the service is friendly and the Margaritas cannot be beat. Never worry about not having enough tequila in your drink again if you frequent this place!
This place is good and all, and perhaps no one is going to read my review since there are so many, but I have one question, why do they completely omit the existence of the EZLN from their restaurant. On a card defining 'Zapatista' they completely omit the EZLN struggle or any of the other post-Zapata groups using the name Zapatista. There are no mentions on the website, the art on the walls, or anywhere else of one of the more known and popular and difficult to vilify armed resistance groups of our times.
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Outdoor seating is a must on summer afternoons, accompanied by the freshly made guacamole. Their lunch menu has many options (tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tortas/Mexican sandwiches, and many permutations of those). However, all three of us opted for the $10 choose any three tacos, plus rice and beans. In a word: eh. I had the pork, fish, and chicken tacos. Leaking of watery juice, the tacos encased by two small corn tortilla rounds didn't hold up well. Perhaps this would've been okay if the flavors were interesting and the meat tender...alas it was one-note all around and dry, dry dry. Even the rice and chorizo beans were dry. Service was inconsistent, with the waiter forgetting that my friend ordered flour instead of corn tortillas and another waiter who relieved him super attentive with the water. I'd imagine this is probably one of the better options in the barren South Loop, so I wouldn't be opposed to coming back...but probably never craving it.
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Great decor and delicious food! This place is excellent for a group. Our waitress was fantastic. She took orders for 10 of us by memory and did not miss one detail! She said the largest group she ever took orders for just by memory was 25! Very impressive. Unfortunately I did not get her name. Guac is made with mortar and pestle. I definitely want to go back and eat outside this summer for the $5 brunch menu! OH, and they have this great drink that is a blend of a mojito, pina colada and maragrita... wow!
The bartenders here are awesome and attentive. Great festive atmosphere. I would comment on the food, however, I didn't have any, just drank at the bar.
As a visitor from California (and as a Mexican girl) my standards are pretty high for quality Mexican food. I thought this place was great! Our server Eric (who was a fabulous server) came through with a wonderful recommendation - quatro chiles sauce on the enchiladas - and it was very good! I definitely recommend the sauce and perhaps some extra on the side just to make sure every bite is adequately covered.
My friends who ordered vegetarian items had mixed reviews. The enchilada was apparently a little dry but the veggie taco was delicious.
All in all a good experience for this Cali girl!
I give it 3.5 stars...
The guac and sangria are soooooo yummy, but I'm not really a fan of much else. Maybe I just don't like "authentic" Mexican food? Who knows. But I could only eat about 3 bites of their steak torta before I called it quits.
As for service...........the last time we were there we definitely had a waiter that was on something.....can't tell ya what it was, but he was beyond out of it. We got our guac and sangria and didn't see the dude for AN HOUR! When he came back to the table he just stared at us w/o saying a word. hmmmmm weirdo.
I've been there several times, but from now on I'm sticking to the guac and drinks!
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The wait staff seemed drowsy, like they needed a siesta.
Two out of the four plates were dirty when we sat down.
They food took forever too cook and they forgot to bring our appetizers.
My salad arrived and was a GIANT heap of over-dressed lettuce. There was supposed to be corn, black beans, avocado and other tasty items mingling with the lettuce, but they were few and far between.
Chips and salsa are good, drinks are great..food...not so great.
I have eaten here a few times. They have an OK veggie selection but the food is really not good.
The last time I went I ate about a 1/3 of my VEGGIE burrito then found some meat in it!!!!! NOT COOL!
That kind of thing has only happened to me about 3 times in the past 12 years..when someone orders something vegetarian could you try not to put MEAT in it??
This shows me that they don't really take seriously the request of their customers. They were not very apologetic at all!
I was so unbelievably grossed out I won't go here again.
I love love love Mexican food. And even more than that, I love a good Mexican restaurant. I like the atmosphere. Zapatistas was good. That is, they were alright. The food wasn't bad, but I had been led to believe that this place was incredible. The Service was mediocre. Our food came very quick, but that was after waiting about 15 minutes for someone to take our drink order and then another 15 minutes for our food order. Their Guacamole was incredible! I would certainly recommend it. Overall this palce was a dissapointment.
GROSS.
Poor service, lackluster food - in no way, shape or form should anyone go out of their way to eat here.
Every time I have gone the waiters have been incredibly inattentive or screwed my order up. I ordered shrimp quesadillas, not cheese.
And the food? For the most part, not good. I had a particularly bad experience when I ordered the Chili Relleno. I had gotten back from New Mexico prior to this experience so I had high standards. Anyone who's had Chili Rellenos in New Mexico will know what I am talking about. Well, I don't know what the HECK they did to this poor chili, but it was IMPOSSIBLE to cut. It was really tough - inedible. I scooped out the inside and ate that (a cheesy mess), but it was really disappointing.
I've also ordered quesadillas here (shrimp quesadillas), and as I said before, they messed up and gave me cheese instead. The waiter didn't come back for half the meal so I never got what I ordered. I just ate what I had. It was okay, I mean, how can you screw up cheese quesadillas?
Their guacamole is good, but it seems to take them forever to get it to you. I'm aware that they make it to order, but it shouldn't take 20 minutes to get the gd guac.
You all can do much better than here. Pass.
One of my best friends, whose couch I'm always crashing on, lives a few blocks away from Zapatista and is there at least a couple nights a week, which in turn means I'm there at least one night a week. I must admit that I haven't ventured too far into the menu, but their guacamole and steak tacos come in generous sizes, are made to order, and are quite tasty. But my heart belongs to their drinks and their bartender, George. He'll make me any kind of goofy fruity concoction I request, without complaints. They have drink specials throughout the week too, which has been invaluable to Project Build Jen's Alcohol Tolerance. And on those nights when I can't keep up with everyone else, George will make me a virgin Mojito, just so I still have something to knock down.
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Zapatista definitely hits the spot for authentic Mexican. It's not my favorite, but the service is outstanding (very accommodating to a picky friend) and the ambiance is rustic and comfortable. I ordered the chicken fajitas, which were tasty but a little too spicy for my liking. I believe they serve close to 75 different tequilas, and for the true aficionado, they offer tequila flights for $25 per person. I was quite content sipping on an ice-cold Pacifico-- a throwback to my San Diego days.
In the summer, you can sit outside on their lovely patio though the South loop stretch of Wabash isn't the prettiest. Oh, and they've got $5 brunch entrees on the weekend. Think typical Mexican fare-- burritos, enchiladas, huevos rancheros and Mexican french toast.
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MMMM I absolutely loved this place! They had amazing margaritas on the rocks, great service, and even better food!
I went with a friend and we had quite the feast! She had the enchiladas which were amazing and I had the steak fajitas! Definitely melt in your mouth good. The presentation was interesting because my fajitas were served in a lava like bowl and the steak was draped over the side while the red sauce/cheese mixture was in the bowl. I ordered the pico/guacamole add on and it was also delish! I also noticed they make some of their sauces to order...there was a cart by our table and I noticed a couple waiters cutting up avocados and mixing in pico and what not.
I would highly recommend this place and I cannot believe it took me so long to discover it! The only thing I'll add is it might be a little pricier than run of the mill Mexican. For 2 people with entrees and a pitcher of margaritas it was around $70ish. However it was WELL worth it!!
We go to zapatista often because we live just about a block away.
The good: $5 brunch, margaritas (particularly the mango margaritas), the fajitas.
Really, this place is a good little mexican place to get an alternative to the greasy "tex mex" from other places. Their food is a little more complicated/refined than most mexican joints. We really like it!
Zapatista was a mixed experience. 5 stars for the El Bijote Famoso, Zapatista's amazing drink that blends margarita, pina colada and Mojito into one liter of goodness. It tastes like vacation.
The food though, is only a little better than average. The guacamole was tasty-- we got "medium" and it was spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. I order three types of tacos-- pork, steak, and chicken. The pork and chicken were both spicy and very flavorful. But, the steak was only so-so. My friend ordered the Barbacoa enchiladas, but, thought they were bland and was disappointed.
I'd certainly go back to Zapatista for drinks and guacamole... but, I wouldn't stay for dinner.
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I only went here because it was a 1000 point reservation on opentable....I usually am not a fan of "mexican" restaurants that try to be fancy...but i'm glad that i went.
I really enjoyed the food here. the seasoning on the steak fajitas was out of this world... even if the price was a little high for them.
the service was top notch, i felt like there were employees tripping over themselves to bring more water, or beer, or whatever we needed. we went a little earlier than we would usually eat (around 6pm), and it was beginning to sleet a little, so the place was not crowded. i'm sure this helped.
Things that i wish they had : Beer on Tap, Churros for dessert, larger tortillas for the fajitas.
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I wasn't crazy about it. We were in a group of 15 for a surprise birthday dinner last night. They were very accommodating in seating all 15 of us in a long table, and they even squeezed in a few last minute guests that arrived late.
The ambiance is family friendly. It kind of reminds me of Carnivale on a much smaller scale, with lower ceilings and a less hip crowd. The people who work here are very nice. We did ask the server several times if we could keep the curtain to the room closed as it was a surprise. They seemed irritated at first, but finally got it :)
The food - It's not that great. The guacamole is fabulous, but very cilantro heavy and the chips come out hot and fresh. I am not a big Mexican food eater (except DeCero and Adobo Grill), so I had the sesame crusted ahi tuna. It came with rice and swiss chard. I asked for the tuna to be seared rare, but it came out more medium. It was covered in mole sauce... and I learned yesterday that I do not like mole sauce!!! Everything on the plate was very bland, My girlfriend had the pork chops with sweet potato friends. It was also very bland and boring.
I heard the steak fajitas are good, but the steak comes out well done. The wine list is good for food pairings, and their tequila selection is good.
Overall, I don't think I'd come back here.
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I LOVE THIS PLACE! I have been to Zapatistas maybe 5 times. I have always had a good meal here. I have had the tilapia tacos, the chicken tacos, the shrimp fajitas, I also had a fish dish there. I can't remember the name of that one but it's the one where they bring you the whole fish. The Guacamole is great too! The drinks are divine. They have flavored Mojitos that I have tried. Overall I give it 3 1/2 stars!
I was really excited when this place came to the South Loop. There aren't very many choices here. However, I'm pretty picky when it comes to Mexican food. I really didn't think the food was that great. I would definitely rather go to Nuevo Leon in Pilsen.
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Creative dishes, outstanding service, and upscale but cosy ambiance is what makes Zapatista such a great place to hangout whether you go for drinks or for dinner. I recently attended a private event there and the appetizers were fabulous, esp the coconut shrimp...mmmm
I really enjoyed this place. My first and only visit was with my boyfriend and another couple. The layout and atmosphere is very comfortable and appropriate for the cuisine. It has a trendy, Mexican look. We first sat at the bar area as we waited for the other couple to join us. I could have sat there longer if need be, casual yet sophisticated.
The food is good, which I would describe is fairly typical mexican cuisine with some great innovative twists. I had the taco sampler, from which you can choose three tacos. I chose roasted pork (which came with a sweet pineaple relish that I really enjoyed), chipotle chicken, and the fish taco. I asked for a side of mole because I often judge a Mexican place by its mole. I thought it was excellent. I've had mole in authentic parts of Mexico and I sometimes find it bitter, but Zapatista's had good flavor and was very well balanced. I also liked the refried black bean option.
Guacamole is traditional, fresh, and good. I don't know how people can get so critical over guacamole because it is usually just a few ingredients and to be completely honest, I've never experienced huge differences in guacamole except for those establishments that may add sour cream. The mojitos and caipirinhas were well mixed. The food was moderately priced but a good value. I picked up the tab and it was around $150 for four people including lots of drinks and extra guacamole.
I would definitely return.
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**Updated 10/29/07 - added brunch review**
I heart Zapatista.
Drunkards
The drinks are great. Margaritas are good... Also, this mojito/margarita crossover thingy I had... UNBELIEVABLE. Try the Submarino - Corona with a shot of tequila submerged in it... for $4.75. Heaven. Good wine list with good prices.
Pre-eating
The Guac is great. Better then Adobo... take that!
The two tamales are amazing... I mean, really freaking good. Mouthwatering.
Eating
We had the fajitas once and they were very disappointing... I think the waitress knew this because she gave us comp chips for a free margarita and a free order of guacamole... Which was awesome. The steak, chicken, and fish tacos are all very good. The qusadillas were also good. Next time I would like to try an entree.
Fatty Treats
Haven't had any yet.... I assume they are tasty.
Brunch
All brunch items are only $5. We expected skimpy portions, but were pleasantly surprised. I had the Mexican French Toast, well worth it. Very tasty cinnamon raisin bread with fruit. The boy had the Chilequiles. I would say pass on this... It was good, but not served the way we like it typically. The eggs were not mixed in and were over-easy rather then scrambled. The coffee was great - I love strong Intelligentsia. Seriously, the brunch is an excellent change of pace... for REALLY cheap.
Atmosphere
I really like the decor and vibe of this place. Very diverse and low-key with an upscaley vibe. The bar is very good. I have eaten at the bar, in the dining room, and outside... good experiences.
Staff
Everyone is very helpful, friendly, and competent. I love that.
Neighborhood
I'm down with the south loop crazy style.
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