Zapata Restaurant - St. Catharines

We have Mexican background so when we found there was a Mexican restaurant while we were visiting St.Catharine's we decided to go and try. We're super critic of Mexican food since most dishes I can cook myself.We requested to be seated at the patio; it was nice but there are also tables inside.The service was very good. Our server was super friendly, very accommodating and funny.The food was acceptable good; tasty and spicy at a reasonable level. We had the margaritas; they were ok, not the very best but acceptable. Then we ordered the melted cheese with chorizo. It was good. My husband tried the bean enchiladas and I had the stuffed chile. They were overall good. For desert we ordered churros and coffee. All portions we're well served.We paid, taxes and tip included, $30 per person. I would definitely recommend the place.

Went after hearing so much about this place and was disappointed. Sat in a booth but the seat was short and not comfortable. The main dining was closed so we were in the back area. The starter Cheese flambé dish was great as was the enchilada but the chimichanga had a cheez whiz type sauce over it and didn't seem authentic at all. Ended up with excess gas and a bit of a tummy ache.

Very tasty food, especially the chili rellenos special with the walnut sauce!!! Fresh hand made corn tortillas, and lots of options for tacos. Dinner for three - and we were so stuffed! - with two appetizers, and a pitcher or Margaritas came to about 100$.

My husband and I were really excited to try this place and we drove specifically for our dinner last week. First impressions were great, we loved the decor and the taco stand in the corner is awesome (and the cooks work so hard)!! Yes, the service is inexperienced.. but friendly and trying hard nonetheless. The food came promptly, we had the melted cheese appetizer and an array of tacos for our mains.. My husband was pleased with it all, but I did find all the food a bit bland.. even the hot sauce is no where near hot, so it would be nice if they upped their mexican sauce selection.The only real huge disappointment were the margaritas.. SO excited for one.. but they were AWFUL. They tasted of pure bar lime mix, cloyingly sweet, no taste of tequila..anywhere. Cant they make them homemade with lime juice instead of those awful mixes? Amazingly bad, even. Im hoping they just had an off night or what have you because those were awful, alcohol-free, inedible sugar bombs.All in all though it was a fun night, we will try it again and hope they fix a few minor tweaks!

We are new to the St Catharines area, so we have been slowly identifying critical services: Plumber, check. Dentist, check. Great Mexican restaurant -- well, now that we've tried Zapata, check. This is some of the best Mexican food I've had anywhere, including Mexico. The tacos are fresh, made in-house, and delicious. The range of salsas is impressive -- they bring eight for you to sample with your gratis tortilla chips -- and the menu is expansive (don't miss the grasshopper taco -- made with real grasshoppers and lots of other good stuff). Tyler provided great service -- and after travelling through 56 countries and spending the last year in Latin America, his advice was authoritative and our conversation engaging. Zapata is housed in a lovely (if somewhat incongruous) brick heritage house in downtown, and while the lower bar/restaurant and outside patio are now the serving areas, there are several other dining areas with fireplaces, hardwood flooring and great atmosphere they are developing. It will be interesting to see what they end up with, but I am hoping for some comfortable, informal seating areas where we can enjoy the terrific food, good beer and warm ambiance during the winter months.