Los Zarapes Mexican Restaurant

Granite Bay meets Mexicali at Los Zarapes Mexican Restaurant, located in Granite Bay, CA. Why travel to Mexico when you can enjoy delicious, authentic northern Mexican cuisine, locally in Placer County? A plus... you'll be treated like family by some of the friendliest people you'll ever have the pleasure to meet.As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted by a staff member, and seated at one of the booths in the dining room. "Soup of the Day," along with "Today's Special" are posted on the counter. There are many signed photos from regular diners pasted to the counter. The dining room is long and narrow, very clean, comfortable and attractively decorated. The decor reminds me of a mid-level restaurant in Tijuana or Mexicali, complete with the vivid, earthy colors that you'll find in Mexico.Immediately after I was seated, I was presented with a complimentary basket of fresh corn tortilla chips, along with a bowl of salsa. The chips were crispy, fresh and warm from the kitchen, and the bowl of salsa was delicious, as I could tell it was made from scratch, by the talented chef Anna Sr. That's a great way to get the meal started!Like everything else I enjoyed today, the corn tortilla chips were fresh from the kitchen, warm, crisp and flavorful. These tortilla chips weren't left over from yesterday, as they were freshly made and I could taste the difference.The salsa was freshly made from scratch, thick and very flavorful, with just a little "kick" to make things worthwhile, but nothing at all extreme. It was made from scratch and you could tell, as the flavor was simply delicious, and it tasted just like the kind of salsa you'd find at Tia Maria's house in a northern Mexican town. Simply delicious!From the "Mexican Favorites" page of the menu, I went with "Borrego," along with pinto beans and Mexican rice. My choice of tortillas was corn, and I was in for a treat, as I enjoyed some of Anna Sr.'s made-from-scratch tortillas, hot from the kitchen. Muy sabroso!The menu describes "Borrego" as, "Marinated, seasoned lamb shank, braised slowly until tender. Served with marinade sauce, pico de gallo, sliced avocado and corn or flour tortillas." Such a difficult choice between Anna Sr.'s corn or flour tortillas!The seasoned lamb shank was marinated in a robust, red marinade, which held in the juicy flavor, and made it fall-off-the-bone tender and simply delicious. I notice the very red color, and the thick texture of the marinade, most likely due to lots of tomato and a chili pepper or two, along with slices on onion. The thick marinated coated the lamb shank, which added flavor along with juiciness, and enhanced the delicious, tender lamb, but didn't overpower the robust taste. If you're a lover of lamb, and you've never enjoyed Mexican Borrego before, you're in for a treat. The meat was so tender that a knife wasn't needed, as the meat fell off the bone when poked with the fork. The shank was of a generous size.As an added bonus, there was a small dish of the marinated on my plate, with was meant to dip the lamb into. The marinade was the same as used for the lamb shank, except it was much thinner, as it was meant for dipping rather than sticking to the food. It was simply delicious, and made for a great enhancement to the delicious bites of lamb.The Mexican rice was simply amazing! The rice had a delicious, Mexican flavor, not at all spicy, but simply bursting with flavor. I suspect the talented chef must have used chicken broth rather than water, as this rice wasn't simply "blah" like the rice you're served at many restaurants... this rice was a cut above and "top shelf" any way you looked at it. Like everything else on my plate, the portion size was generous.I opted for pinto beans, but after placing my order, I asked for an order of refried beans on the side. The pinto beans came attractively presented in a small dish, complete with lots of thick bean juice. The beans were tender, flavorful and simply as good as plain pinto beans can get.The pico de gallo was fresh, and especially with the sliced avocado, made for a refreshing side to my lunch. Diced tomato, white onion, cilantro and... surprise... sliced cabbage made up the pico de gallo, but it was wonderful, and the cool veggies contrasted with the warm lamb, beans and rice, and made a wonderful side dish.The corn tortillas were simply OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious, and I could have made a meal of them alone! I'm running out of space... this restaurant is AMAZING and just might be my new favorite Mexican restaurant in Roseville. FIVE STARS!!

Excellent all around! Friendly and efficient service which was appreciated. Delicious homemade chips and salsa that were complimentary. My chicken enchiladas verdes were excellent, and so was the rice and beans. Hubby loved his mixed fajitas, and he especially loved the freshly made flour tortillas!!! This place is truly a hidden gem, some of the best Mexican food we have found in this area.

Los Zarapes Mexican restaurant recently changed ownership. It's a family run business with multiple generations working there. They treat their customers like family, exuding a welcoming family vibe. They serve up traditional Mexican comfort food done right. The unassuming restaurant is tucked inside a strip mall in Granite Bay. I ordered borrego which is a marinated lamb shank. I never had borrego before. I've had lamb shank, just not borrego. So I was excited to try it. The plate also came with refried beans, rice, tortillas, and a bowl of the sauce that the lamb was braised in. $19.99. The sauce had a strong, deep flavor replicating the flavors of the shank. The shank had a strong gamey flavor as expected. I enjoyed it. The meat was tender and fork shreddable. Mmm. An added bonus was that on the weekends, they serve housemade tortillas. Fresh off the press. They make both corn and flour. I was able to ask for a half and half order. They had a classic, home made taste and look. They provide complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa was darn tasty. Hubs ordered the crispy shredded beef taco plate. Of course, I took a bite of the taco. Not bad at all. Hubs and I popped in for lunch on a recent weekend. The place was popping. So much so, folks had to wait for a table. We lucked out and just beat the crowd. The two waitresses were busy. Our waitress was fantastic. She had a bright smile and personality. But with a full house, she was a constant whirl of energy and stretched a bit thin. She mentioned that since they opened, they have been gradually getting busier.

Los Zarapes has been opened for 9 months now, and we love it! Every time we have gone, we have had great service and great food. Everyone is super friendly, and the ambiance is chill. It's not crazy loud or anything, and is a small setting We love that it is walking distance from our GB neighborhood. We always enjoy our time at Los Zarapes.

Ordered food to go and when I got home to eat it this is what I found. Maybe the cook wasn't having a good day but this is unacceptable. They did offer store credit but I don't think I'm going to be going back here.

Best authentic Mexican food I had since moving to this area of California.Service 10/10Steak fajitas 10/10Cleanliness 9/10 (new tables coming soon)Meet owner Anna, she sent over her secret habanero sauce 10/10Her husband does most of the cooking. Ask for freshly made tortillas!

I wanted to like this place because it's close to work but their burritos are so weird. I don't get why all of the burritos have only rice, beans and meat on the inside BUT the other ingredients go on TOP like the sour cream, guacamole, pico & lettuce?!?! Why can't they all be stuffed inside the burrito so I can HOLD it and eat it without have it to use a knife and fork?!I try to look for an alternative burrito where the ingredients are wrapped in but the menu doesn't offer it. Won't be going back.

Unique and varied menu in this warm, friendly, family-owned restaurant. Way better Mexican cuisine than any of the many others we have tried in the area. If you go, expect all the regular dishes on the menu, but don't hesitate to try some of their specialties. We're becoming regulars!

We decided to have a family dinner here for the first time and we are glad we chose this place. The service was friendly and helpful and the food was great. We ordered the albondigas and it was excellent. Generous portions, nice flavors, and perfect spice levels. We highly recommend eating here!

Amazing food and great service. Homestyle cooking. Authentic Mexican. Family owned. They are located in the spot where Bernardo's and Carmelita's used to be. Ambiance is laid back. I highly recommend. Not noisy. Can have a quiet meal in peace.