Zocalo Mexican Bistro

They have closed. I guess the weather and the change in menu did them in. Too bad.

Wait… there’s a Zocalo in Arlington? And here I thought it was just a fancy Mexican restaurant in Boston.
On a search for a gluten-​free friendly place at my friend’s request, we ended up at the Arlington location. The restaurant was freezing when we got there on a cold snowy night, but the waitstaff’s hospitality warmed us right up. I know it sounds corny, but seriously, our waiter was so nice. He was also very patient about going back and forth to verify ingredients on the menu.
I got the vegetable enchiladas with summer veggies and red bliss mashed potatoes. From that description alone you should know they were delicious. Is this dish and the rest of the food on the menu authentic? I can’t say as I’m not an expert of Mexican cuisine, but I can tell you that it’s a nice cozy spot for a date or to indulge in a warm meal with friends.

We had a Social Living coupon and we are contemplating a move to So Cal and it was a very cold and snowy evening. We took the ’84 Chevy truck and managed to get to Zocalo without sliding. Lot’s of Christmas lights were still shining and the snow was piling up on the roads and sidewalks, finally felt like Christmas. When we entered the restaurant there was a crowd of people in the lobby and we thought we would have to wait. No bar, no TV’s…hmmm.
The hostess directed us immediately to a table in a very small dining area. I was comfortable but my husband was clearly not happy with the tight fit. The place was quite busy, but once we were seated, Santos greeted us and took our drink order. We were given time to look over the menu, never rushed. Santos helped us with our orders and WOW, the food was AMAZING! The salsa was awesome, the avocado sticks with cilantro sauce were AMAZING! The fish tacos were fresh and smelled so aromatic. The chicken tostados were TO DIE FOR! Hubby had the hefty Shrimp Compleanos and wow! the sauce was awesome and it arrived in a beautiful presentation with beans and rice on the side. I had the Mexicanos Ensalda with steak. The delectable greens combined with cilantro and flavorful tomatoes, queso blanco and huge slices of avocado, was decadent. (Must add that the beer and wine selections were perfect and reasonably priced.)
We drove home thinking that a move to be closer to real Mexican cuisine would be great, but for now, Zocalos fits the bill.

The best Mexican food around. I even liked the rice. And rice is rarely noteworthy. Everything seems homemade. The salsa is perfect. The guacamole was well worth the price. I had the enchiladas. Fantastic! Plus the ice cream and churros were amazingly good. I highly recommend Zocalo, just outside Somerville in Arlington.

I’m editing my review since Zocalo was purchased by another group. The food is way over priced now and the quality and flavor underwhelming. When we asked the waiter, he said the old Zocalo had financial problems. I wish they just increased their prices since I would have been willing to pay more for the same great food and service. We do not plan to return to the new Zocalo. :(

I am going to echo everyone else and say this place used to be simple, quite good, and inexpensive.
Now it is complicated (which they don’t do nearly as well) and quite pricey. My wife and I nearly doubled over when we got the bill. The continued changing face of Arlington…
Don’t get me wrong, the food is not bad. There is just something missing that makes it not worth the outrageous prices. Want to know what I mean? Go to Tu Y Yo outside Ball Square — right down the road. Same price range, but much better and more interesting options.

I love the new restaurant /​chefs so much more!
We went very recently and it was just incredible
There is no comparison… its outstanding high level deliciousness!!!
I seriously have never tasted a better tamale in my life… the «verde» sauce they really
took it a whole other level. I mean my taste buds were exploding with complexity tartness and the whole gamut of spices and flavor… I was in HEAVEN.
I hope the new owners get the attention they deserve because it was really a treat!
All the dishes we tried were prepared with similar succulence and «melt in your mouth»
ecstasy.
Also, the guys who served us, were real nice and down to earth and we felt really taken care of! DONT MISS THIS GEM!

Here’s a tip for the new management (as of August 2014). If you’re going to change the menu completely and multiply your average price by 2−3x… You may as well change the name.
I’ll miss the gambas burrito.

Looking for the best burrito? Then keep looking!
Friends of mine have raved about this place as having a great chicken burrito for some time. The burritos we purchased were the chicken and the shrimp. The food was dried out, the texture of the rice seemed old and overall taste was fake.
The reasons why I gave this restaurant 2 stars is because the woman behind the counter was super nice and enjoyed her job. The ambiance of the place was quaint and very relaxing.
One snobby suggestion I have is for the owners to invest in some ceramic decorative pots instead of having giant tropical plants sitting in crappy hospital white plastic pots. Colorful ceramic pots will give a much more authentic feel.
This place has a lot of potential but the food we ate the other day was pretty gross.
Still the best burrito one can get is 65 miles away at No Problemo in New Bedford.
My search continues…

We live three blocks from here. Have been going to/​getting take-​out from the old Zocalo for six plus years. The menu/​ownership change is significant. The old place had several different versions of chile rellenos, which were a fascinating variant where the chile was crisp and deep fried. Also, delicious. Accompanied by the only rice and beans I’ve ever found worthwhile eating. This has changed. The new chile rellenos (not on menu) was much more traditional and drowned in sauce. This says to me that the kitchen staff has totally changed. Chips (a former glory of fresh and sometimes even warm) were at least a day old. Guac quality seems to have been preserved. Cheese quesadilla (old standby for the daughter) is gone from the menu. Prices seem up. Low-​carb streak burrito had rice in it.
Upside: order was still ready in 15 minutes, like the old place.
To sum up, any review written before August of 2014 is about a totally different restaurant.

The restaurant recently went through an ownership change resulting in a brand new menu. First of all, the service and food are excellent. Everything I ordered was fresh and delicious. The wait staff are very attentive and cheerful. The only disappointment I found was in the pricing. I was so excited about the food that I didn’t pay attention to my bill, which is my own fault. My sister had two small enchiladas that were $ 16.50 and I had the chilaquiles, described on the menu as mexican vegetable lasagna, and it was $ 18.50.
I expect these sort of prices at a white table cloth restaurant, not a neighborhood casual dining restaurant. For that reason I cannot rate higher than a three. I really wanted to make Zocalo my go-​to spot for Mexican food in the Arlington/​Somerville area, but I will have to make it a special occasion spot.

If I were to describe this restaurant to a white person I would say this Mexican place is, ‘the real deal,’ but, to be more accurate, this is a great small restaurant featuring food from Mexico’s Oaxaca & Veracruz regions.
I guess the Unilocal audience would be interested in knowing I went here on a warm July evening and sat at an outdoor table, which there were two of, and the bill came out to under $ 40 with two entrees, an appetizer and no alcoholic drinks.
The hostess and waiter were very friendly, and the overall experience was beyond what I expected. I plan to go back.

I loved my meal! Tasted homemade and it’s such a quaint little place. I thought the service was wonderful. I’m picky about guacamole, and their’s wasn’t my favorite, but I mean it’s guacamole… anything is still pretty good.
And their sangria? I saw the bottom of the glass. I tried the pear. I’ll definitely be going back to try other flavors for sure!

Three words: Chicken Mole Enchilada.
That’s really all you need to know.
The chicken is tender, the mole sauce is a not-​too-​spicy, zesty chocolate chili sauce, it is not overly cheesy, and the enchilada is flanked on both sides by savory rice and beans and topped with sour cream and pico de gallo.
The owner is super friendly, the space is romantic and intimate and illuminated by twinkling fairy lights and candles (and on Valentine’s Day, the tables are strewn with rose petals), and the chicken mole enchilada is exquisite.
I have celebrated Valentine’s Day here, had my surprise 21^st birthday dinner thrown here, and even trekked more than half an hour through the snow from Tufts to get here on several occasions. It’s that good. And even though it’s actually in Arlington, it still makes the cut for my «Freshman Fifteen: Best of Somerville & Cambridge» list because it was truly one of my best loved places from my time at Tufts. (Thank you, Dave K.)
Sadly, I don’t get to come here often because it’s a little inconvenient to get to by public transportation and for some inexplicable reason, none of my friends seem to share my love for Zocalo, though admittedly, not everything on the menu measures up to the deliciousness of their chicken mole enchilada. It’s been a year or two since I’ve been back but nevertheless, I am still a big fan!

Nice little neighborhood place. On warm days they put out chairs and you can dine al fresco and watch all the fancy people walking by to the upholstery store next door. There is plenty of parking in the neighboring streets.
The food is good. I think being from SoCal my bar for Mexican food is really high, so I don’t think the dishes were super special or anything. But I really enjoy being able to walk here on a nice day on the weekends and just chill. I think the best deal here is lunch! You can get a giant burrito for about $ 6, big enchilada plate for $ 8. Mmmmm.

Arlington’s Zocalo earns its 3-​stars and lukewarm reputation fair and square.
Because it’s close by, I’ve been here with friends and family and at least tasted something from almost every corner of the menu; the food ranges from tasty homecookin’ to downright dull. The portions aren’t quite big enough for my husband and he always leaves hungry. The service can be a little awkward and unfriendly. The drinks are nothing to rave about. I wish they charged less and became, truly, a «hole-​in-​the-​wall» joint. Or charged more and stepped up their game. Commit, Zocalo!
But the guacamole appetizer is huge. There’s that.
And on a busy night, the restaurant manages to achieve a warm, friendly vibe despite its serious shortcomings.

My husband and I are regulars at Zocalo for their low-​carb burritos. Take-​out from Zocalo is the only exception to Arlington’s disappointing lack of quick burrito joints. On the days when we’re too exhausted to plan a meal yet we want something healthy, we call up Zocalo and get two burritos to go.
They’re also great as a sit down restaurant. I highly recommend the enchiladas.
The only reason I’m giving them 4 stars instead of 5 is the disappointing chips. You could break a tooth on them, a real shame considering their salsa is the best around.

I really enjoy Zocalo as a small, hole-​in-​the-​wall type restaurant in Arlington. It’s hidden off the main path of Mass Ave, so it’s also more quite and family friendly.
I used to eat here a lot when I lived in Arlington, but recently I’ve been ordering ahead for pick-​up if I’m swinging through the area on my way home from somewhere. I recently ordered some burritos to go, and they are SO flavorful and delicious. I would rather eat here ANY day over Anna’s or Boca Grande. Also, if you can get their chips and salsa, the salsa is one of my favorites ever. Most Mexican places have really salty salsa, which just makes you want to drink a gallon of water and feel really gross the next day. This salsa is perfection.
Oh! And the staff is always friendly and attentive, which is nice for when you eat in the restaurant as opposed to take-​out.

I’ve previously been to the Zocalo in Brighton (now closed) and the one downtown, and always enjoyed my meals. So when meeting a friend for dinner in Arlington, I decided it was time to try once again. And I was not disappointed!
I was able to get parking right across the street and my friend was already there when I arrived. I love the colorful décor and mosaic-​topped tables. Makes it feel more authentic.
Crisp, tasty chips & yummy salsa were already on the table when I got there, but we of COURSE had to order the guacamole. This came out immediately (my friend said he was making it for about 10 minutes for another table) and was SO CREAMY. I make a mean guac, so I’m very picky about it. This was great, although I could have used a BIT more jalapeño.
My friend built her own quesadilla and when it arrived, I heard her say «this is huge!» She ate all but 1 slice, which she saved for lunch the next day.
I was disappointed to not see the Carnitas I loved so much at the Back Bay location, but was intrigued by the Pollo al Carbon (Char-​broiled boneless chicken breast topped with fresh orange, jalapeños, cilantro & pickled onion salsa). I went with this and was NOT disappointed. This was also huge, served with black beans & rice, and I pretty much devoured the entire thing. It was light, fresh & so tasty. A perfect meal for a warm spring (or summer) night.
It came out to about $ 36 with tip, which is not bad considering we got an appetizer & 2 entrees. If I had maintained my willpower, I would have had 2 meals out of the chicken.

Food is pretty good. Very tasty guacamole. If you ever come here try it!
Also good vegetable enchilada.
Service is pretty fast and friendly.
I kinda wish this place was a bit bigger. But they make a good use of space so it feels very cozy.
Diverse crowd eating here. Families with kids, couples on a date and friends just getting together.
I would definitely come back.