Zapatas

Off to a really bad start. We were seated well before 4 (lunch 11 to 4) went to put in order a couple of minutes before and waitress had to check if lunch specials still apply. She came back and let me know that they stopped serving lunch at 3 when the menu clearly states 4. Now I don’t mean to nit pick the possibility of ordering so close the deadline but to have the audacity to change the rules completely and not have it listed is wrong. My family is still eating but I refuse to eat and will be sure to never come back here again. Even though the first impression was a very nice one. Once we got past the first issue… my wifes margarita with salt (ordered that way) came out without salt and instead of…“let me fix that for you” it was nothing. I ordered a beer that never came so i made sure to have it cancelled after it was admitted that it was forgotten. Managment here seems to be lacking in many areas here. Food took an extra longtime almost 30 min compared to other mexican restaurants but our waitress made a good effort to provide good service and was very apologetic but she desperately is lacking the support of good managment. Food was okay but over priced in my opinion. I could go into other wrong things about the physical place but no need to pile at this point. Many other options for a better experience and mexican food. I wont be sending any of my friends here.

Not sure why this place only has three stars! It’s great true (not a fan of Tex-​mex) Mexican food! Solid prices and KIDS EAT FREE ANY DAY, ANY TIME! The bean dip with chips was a nice surprise! I’ll definitely return!

Their fajita meats are amazing. They use fresh ingredients in all of their dishes. I do not recommend their enchiladas or burritos, but anything with their fajita toppings are delicious.

I keep forget to check in when i come here! Ill remember from now on…
I dont understand the negative comments on the wait staff or the food. We absolutely LOVE this place! My husband and I get 1 «cheat meal» a week and we come here every time. We love the food, the drinks, and the sweet, sometimes shy waiters. The food portions are perfect and I’m a big eater, yet I always manage to bring some home. I adore the shredded chicken enchiladas verde… yum! And let me tell you, they do not skimp on the pollo! There are many mexican restaurants in BR, like alot, and I understand it may be difficult to make a pick, but I have never been dissatisfied or still hungry after eating here.

Very inconsistent, spotty service levels from fair to poor, every trip in they charge different prices for margaritas and the last straw was the $ 43 for TWO margaritas.
A shame because some of their food was actually pretty good.
Food 3.5
Service 1.5
Drinks 1.5
Ambience 3.0
Value 2.0

I had the burrito and enchilada lunch special. The burrito was barely a burrito. It was only ground beef wrapped in a tortilla. The enchilada was simply shredded chicken in a smaller tortilla. No rice, no beans, no salsa.

Three stars for the Mariachi band and ENORMOUS Margaritas. One star for the ceviche. I’ll be back!

Never had a problem with the food or service here. Friendly authentic and fun place.

Soooooo good. Get the big fajita bowl thingy! Best food I’ve ever had at a Mexican joint. Mmm

Good food here. Pretty fresh ingredients overall. Beans and rice are good also. I had the fish tacos which were good with a spicy sauce on the side. Just wish it wasn’t tilapia — not my favorite fish. Nacho plates are also good. The bean dip is also pretty good.
The service is ok. Nothing amazing, but solid. Overall cleanliness is also good, including the restrooms.
Only negative part of the dining experience was the mariachi music playing nonstop through our meal. It gets annoying after the first thirty minutes…

I am changing my rating from 5 stars to 3 stars. I am tempted to go down to 2 but I am hoping my most recent experiences have just been a hiccup and they will get back to normal. There is apparently a new owner and it is very obvious. The food is not of the same quality and has been cold and over salted lately. My friend had a coupon good through Jan 2015 and they refused to accept it and instead offered us 10% off which was not nearly as good of a deal and we already had the VIP card to begin with. We used to go once a week but I’m not sure when we will return again. It is too bad because this place was great but someone is running it into the ground! It is always empty now, I can’t see it staying open for much longer.

He place is not busy for 7 on Tuesday night.
Lighting at the bar is bad. Florescent light on.
Asked for skinny margarita. They had no idea of what I was saying. Then said taqula with fresh lime juice and aug ace nectar. Still no idea z
The bean did was good.
Had flan and it was ok. Miss my drink.
Not worth the trouble to go back.

Atmosphere is perfect with a «Mexican band» but the service from wait staff is extremely slow and inattentive to request. We waited a 10 –15 minutes to get chips and salsa and to have drink orders taken. The Restuarant was not busy. Food was nothing special and some food was served barely warm. Getting refills on drinks was difficult.

REVIEW UPDATE: I initially gave this place 4 stars, shortly after they opened. We used to come here fairly regularly. However, they’ve changed the menu: Far fewer choices, more expensive, and the food isn’t as good as it used to be. Not sure if there was a change of ownership or management or what. This place used to be a good deal, but it’s not really worth it now.

Tonight I ordered the Shrimp Chimichangas. The food was dry, somewhat bland in flavor and it felt like they had ran out of queso and I got the rest of what they had made for the evening which was a few drops. on top of my chimichangas.
The food items were accurate, but when I called I specified that I wanted queso on top of my chimichanga and it was mostly hard dry burrito with trace signs of queso which made it taste very bland. I would’ve also appreciated extra salsa, which I thought I had received two containers of but they only gave me one which was not even enough to eat with ¹⁄₃ of the chips they give you.
The order took longer than quoted to prepare. When I arrived they were still getting my bill together. They offered to give me chips and salsa, which I appreciated, but the salsa’s lid was not put on appropriately and ended up spilling all over the inside of my bag. They also provided no utensils or napkins and I have none in my hotel room.
The meal was around $ 20 with tip and after all of the before-​mentioned issues, too many stones were left unturned for me to be able to declare this a value in terms of the service and food I received for the dollar.

What happened to the food here? This used to be our favorite Mexican restaurant in Baton Rouge. The all of a sudden, not so much.
It seems they fell in love with liquid cheese. We asked them what had happened and they kept telling us they they had a new chef. I say get rid of the new chef. Who wants quesadillas covered in wet melted «nacho» cheese? When we requested for them to leave off the nacho cheese they then gave us chicken folded into a tortilla with no cheese whatsoever. UUGGHHH!
Positives: The Texan fajitas are really good and the bean dip you get when you arrive is delicious. Good entertainment and like someone else stated, the Mariachis are off the HOOK!!! The Cuban band they have playing every once in a while will get you to start tapping your feet and wishing for a dance floor.
Please quite covering everything in wet nasty cheese and we will be back. I miss my favorite Mexican restaurant.

Went here on a limb one Sunday evening when I was craving some Mexican food. My boyfriend and I started off with the white queso, salsa, and bean dip and for out entrees, he ordered the Steak Quesadillas and I, the Mixed Fajitas (Chicken and Steak). It was delicious! Their portions are huge and everything seemed very fresh.
The only reason I am not giving them 5 stars is because our server was absent throughout our meal and came to check on us a total of 3 times — Once to take out order, once to bring us our meal, and once to give us the tab. Aside from that, I’ll definitely be here again!

Zapata’s has reasonable priced, decent Mexican food for lunch.
On one of my many journeys between Baton Rouge and New Orleans I had a dilemma. I didn’t really have time for lunch, but was a tad hungry after working all day. I planned on driving back when the traffic gods decided to close the interstate for a while. That was my sign to take the next exit and eat at the first place that pops up. Since the first place was Chucky Cheese I decided to consult Unilocal and Zapata’s popped up.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the «most interesting man in the world: life-​sized cardboard cutout. Had I not been working I would have surely taken a photo with that thing.
Once seated they brought out chips, salsa and refried beans. I am a huge fan of the beans and chips trend so I was pleased. For my entrée I ordered the chicken enchiladas. While they weren’t amazing, for the $ 7 – 8 it cost, I think they did a god job.
If I am in the area again, I would be willing to try some more items. I would also take that photo with the Dos Equis guy.
If you’re in BR and want decent, cheap Mexican food, check this place out.

Slightly above average Americanized tex-mex/mexican…probably due to the proximity to Texas… but hey! it’s not bad at all and there’s plenty of tables, service is quick. Do ask for their house-​made green hot sauce, it’s great! Margaritas are pretty good as well. I danced a little on the way out to some Dominican music.

Mariachis are off the hook!!! The only Mexican restaurant in Baton Rouge with Mariachis. Great atmosphere and staff is very ftiendly.
I ordered the dinner for two which came with sizzling steak, chicken, chorizo and shrimp. And you can never go wrong with the 2 for 1 magaritas!!! I highly recommend Zapatas!!!