Starts with scary parking. Staff just stared at me instead of asking for my order and guy was rude. Food was very bland. 9 bucks for a salad. Went before and food was dry and bland as well. They don't give you the free chips unless you ask. Still hungry. Chipotle and Lime just next door are better and cheaper. Outside tables go up to your shoulders and inside only bar style. Chips were good so 2 stars. On federal so hard to get out of there, especially a left.
Review Source:I decided to give this place another shot since the first time I first ate here is when they first opened at that time I ordered the soft shell tacos and the soft shell was ice cold and rubbery and hard to eat..
This time around
I ordered the classic burrito with pinto beans and steak I had my order in under 3 minutes. I went back to my table with my salsas ready and bit in. First thing I noticed was how bland it was.. I was expecting a rush of flavor and all I got was the taste of white rice, meat and beans.. There was no rush of flavor. In a effort to salvage my 8 dollar burrito I went to the salsa bar and got the hot salsa, unfortunately that was very mild too and had no other spices but the hot peppers onions and tomato. Â Apparently this place relies on the hot sauce on the table and the salsa bar to spice up the food.. What ever happened to cilantro?
The food was so boring it was less than mediocre I ended up tossing the other half of the burrito in the trash. Â I do admit the food is fresh however I felt I was eating something prepared in an old age home.
I eat here all the time and I never once had a bad meal I really love the the steak rancharo dinner, not only is it excellent taste wise its only 8 bucks! it come with a chili relanos, rice, beans, guacamole, tortillas and a basket of chips and 4 or 5 choices of salsa. If you never been here I advise you to give them a try you won't be disapointed
Review Source:I like Zona Fresca because of the of how quick you get your food. Â The tacos aren't the best I've ever had but I only go there for the garden chicken salad which is healthy and tastes good. Â It's impossible to find fast food that's healthy but you can find it here with a fast served salad and be in and out in no time. The staff is quick and do their jobs well. The dinning room is clean and the place is always packed. Well I know I will for sure be returning here.
Review Source:We had a lunch at Zona Fresca when we visited Fort Lauderdale.
Because of number of good yelp reviews my expectations was very high. Â
I was ready to have some yammy burrito or tacos.
Maybe I am spoiled by Mexican food in California, but food in this place is just OK. Nothing special. Â It is very similar to Rubios or Chillies or any other Mexican restaurant chain.
I don't think guacamole was not made from real guacamole (look at picture attached).
No, it's not in any way authentic. Yes it's chainy with a rushed rather brusk unmannerly acting staff, gets crowded even on off hours of the day and has narrow undersized parking just right for getting the paint on the side of your car chipped when the kids or uncaring others parking next to you then whip their car doors open. But, for a chain and having eaten here on several occasions, I can attest that the food is really good though totally Americanized, the ingredients always fresh with the additional plus of having a good unlimited salsa bar.
With an establishment like Zona Fresca serving fresher more natural and appealing ingredients than most other chains of its type, it's difficult to believe that a competitor the likes of a Taco Bell can survive. So, in just sizing up with its comparable rivals, it's a Four Star even though only a simple Three Star if I were to compare it to a few of the family operated rivals.
Tried Zona after reading some reviews. The tacos are fresh as the Fresca name indicates. The shrimp is good but like others mentioned, a bit small and I found it needed a kick from the salsa. My favorite was the fish taco. I took the 2 taco combo that came with rice and beans. Good choice unless you are looking for a dish of tortilla chips. The gringo taco was okay but the steak was not as flavorful as I would have expected.
Parking is limited but I managed to get side street spot. Service is prompt. Beet is available. Outside seating was quieter than the bustle inside.
I would go back but there are other places that to try, too.
I truly enjoyed my traditional burrito, I asked for the rice and black beans on the side due to the fact that anytime I order a burrito (not necessarily at Zona Freaca) they always put a lot of beans and rice in my burrito.
But  I finished off both of them, so fresh and very flavorful! My burrito had, what appeared to be fresh cut lettuce and perfectly cooked steak. The condiment bar was stocked very well and the salsa that I tried was great. Like all the other reviews state the only problem with this location is the parking, however I kind of like that, most people know about the parking problem so they are USUALLY in and out so the place never gets ridiculously packed, unless of course you get 2 tour buses full of people show up @ the same time.....then your screwed LOL. I'm a fan of Zona Fresca, I'll definitely come here instead of Lime, it's less expensive and thefood so much better!
My boyfriend and I were in this area for a business meeting and we stopped here for lunch break. Since the weather was promisingly decent, we sat outdoors. The food was decent-- decent Mexican food. The customer traffic during lunch was busy and it was hard to find a parking spot. People and environment were friendly and pet-friendly too! I had one of their signature taco salads which was large in portion and scrumptiously delicious! Scrumptiously isn't a real word but speaking in terms of food, it exists. This place is worth your appetite.
Review Source:Locally owned, fresh, delicious food, great service, kind people and a wonderful salsa bar- what more could you want? Zona Fresca is the perfect place for a lovely little lunch or a quick dinner. It is a staple, go-to place for anyone in the area and should be visited by anyone and everyone passing through!
Skip the Chipotle across the street and head to Zona!
We got the steak, chicken and shrimp burritos and large side of guac and it was all delicious. Also the freshest guacamole I ever had.
High quality yet affordable. The burritos were packed with fresh delicious ingredients. They don't stuff it with flavorless fillers like rice,
The burritos were large and we could only eat half, and saved the rest for later. We really got our moneys worth.
Wonderful food and will be going back soon.
It's July 4th and the place is packed. Menu at this fast-food Mexican joint looks promising. Ordered the California grilled chicken burrito and (serve yourself) medium drink. They've got All-Natural Sierra Mist on-tap, so that's a plus (since I'm not a fan of high-fructose sodas). Â Top-notched salsa bar! Â Burrito was very decent: fresh and meaty, but lacking any special flavor to elevate it above any other decent Mexican joint. Gratis chips were probably the worst I've ever had at a burrito joint -- no salt and stale (no crunch). Â Overall, okay.
Review Source:I love Zona Fresca! The food it Delicious and fresh, and they are veggie friendly. That being said 3 people I know, including myself have gotten sick from them before, all of which were the result of eating salad, so my guess is some sort of salmonella-meat-contamination-coming-into-contact-Âwith-the-veggies poisoning. However,, I've gone back since, haven't gotten sick since and still love it.
Review Source:This place is great ... especially for the price!  I got 2 big fish tacos, beans and rice for 6 bucks!  Everything was really fresh  (hence the name I guess...) including the salsa bar which had delicious salsas and plenty of fresh cut lime wedges!  I'm looking forward to going back and trying other things!
Review Source:I went here with a friend on a last minute decision because he raved about this place. I thought it was great and would definatly go back here again. We went on a late sunday and it was not that crowded so we got our food rather fast.
I agree parking here can be challenging but if you go when it's not really crowded you're good.
It's 2:30 on a Tuesday and Zona Fresca is packed.
This place is buzzing during most all of their business hours, or at least every time the boyfriend and I have stopped in for some Mexican goodness. We can fill both our bellies on $8 nachos (and chicken on the side for the boy.)
The food: Delicioso. The service: Rapido. The price: Bueno! The parking: No bueno. This place is just too popular for the size of its parking lot. But I guess if that's the only problem you have, you're not doing bad at all! Â
BOTTOM LINE: Yes.
Fast, Fresh, and Fantastic! Â I am over-the-moon for Zona Fresca and found it on Yelp...so thanks fellow yelpers!
What I had and adored: the fish tacos. Â They were amazing; hot fish with cruncy cabbage and a cool cream sauce. Â So fresh, so delicioso!!
What else I had: the guac. Â It is not like your normal guacamole dip...it was very creamy and cool. Â I prefer seeing and eating small avacado chunks, but this was still good.
Negatives: parking
Other positive aspects: fast service. Â They serve a lot of people during the lunch rush, so don't be sad when you see a line because it goes pretty quick.
Mi corazon belongs to Zona Fresca's fish tacos. Â :-)
I was once obsessed with Moe's Southwestern. Â I say 'was' obsessed because I have moved on to my new obsession, Zona Fresca.
We tried the beef, chicken, shrimp and fish tacos, all in a 2 taco combo plate that comes with beans and cilantro rice ($6), carne asada burrito ($7.25) and an order of the guacamole with chips ($2.25). Â The fish taco was my favourite - 2 lightly breaded pieces of fish with a little pico de gallo and lime juice on top and it was wonderful.
Burrito was a good size and came with a side of chips. Â Our guacamole came with free refills of chips. Â I didn't try all the salsas in the salsa bar because I always go straight for the pico de gallo.
Having tried other Mexican fast food chains like Chipotle, Qdoba, Baja Fresh, etc, I think Zona Fresca comes out on top.
Went tonight. Its a great choice for fast food thats cheap. Other than that, its not that impressive. I had the steak taco combo plate which came with two tacos (done classic mexican style with cilantro and onions), rice, beans, and cabbage. The tacos were honestly not that great. The meat needed to be seasoned more.
The plate wasn't terrible, but it wasnt the best. The one good thing about this place was the free chips n salsa bar. They also have cholula hot sauce which is a bonus for them! I would stop in again if I needed a quick cheap bite, but probably wont become a regular.
When I lived in Fort Lauderdale, you could find me at Zona Fresca at least twice a week, and I never got sick of it! Â I love their chips and salsa bar, and could make a meal out of that, but then I would be missing out on their other delicious items.
Most people go for their ginormous burritos, but I always got the chicken quesadilla or the garden chicken salad. Â I don't know what is in the salad dressing, but it is awesome! Â The quesadilla is huge so I would save half of it for later. Â
Zona Fresca is ALWAYS busy and the parking situation is never good, but it's so worth it!
I love the burritos here! This place kinda reminds me of Chipotle but 10X better. Plus the menu is much bigger. They have more than just burritos and tacos but I have only had the burritos so far.
My only complaint is the drink station. On a busy day there is a line to get your drink.....or at least there was when I was there. I think it would help to somehow add one more?? The salsa bar was fine though.
Definitely worth a shot.....oh and they have BEER!!!
We were visiting Fort Lauderdale and wanted something fresh and light for lunch. Â Enter Zona Fresca!
Pros:
-All the food was very fresh (especially the seafood tacos)
-Loved the salsa bar
-Prices were pretty reasonable
-You can order beer with your meal
-Free chips with the meal
Cons:
-Can be hard to find parking. Â We went at 2pm on a Friday and the place was packed. Â It's a testimony to how good the food is, but when you're hungry it's a con.
-Maybe a little too much sauce on the fish taco and not enough shrimp in the shrimp taco, but if we're ever back I'll know to ask for less sauce.
For Mexican Fast Food it doesn't get better than Zona Fresca. Chipotle Grill opened across the street and even though I mean to go, I can't get myself to try something different when Zona is so amazing. I usually get a veggie burrito, which is full of freshly roasted veggies and corn straight from the cob along with rice and beans, sour cream and guac. The salsa bar is great and service is super fast. I just haven't had a disappointing experience.
Parking can be a little difficult but if you come just slightly outside the busiest hour (12-1) you'll be able to squeeze into a spot.
I don't get it. Â A line onto the highway and a parking lot FULL of cars during lunchtime heeds a great sign right? Â Or, so we thought.
Ok. Â I live in Chicago, and we have some of the best Mexican in the nation. Â I have never seen a Baja taco in Chicago - we save the Baja for California, because that's where they do it best. Â Florida, the same should go for you.
Honestly, I think I enjoyed the salsa bar the most. Â Guacamole was whipped like sour cream, not a chuck to be found. Â The chips were mediocre and so were the tortillas. Â Cilantro rice didn't really have any redeeming qualities to speak of, and the shrimp taco gave a flavor of lighter fluid from a grill with a few sprinkles of cilantro and onion.
I'm beginning to think there is some sort-of cultural food block down in Florida. Â I've had better Mexican at Chipotle, which I seldom visit. Â This place could be SO much better. Â Maybe it was an off day, but I know quality ingredients when I see them. Â Start with the tortillas, they cost pennies, or hecho en casa. Â Make your chips in house with the same tortillas. Â I hate those bright yellow tortilla chips you see out there. Â Again, cheap and easy to make in house. Â
Some people just don't know good food, and I feel like the popularity of this restaurant is a perfect examples of that.
YUMMY!!! Â Heed the advice of your fellow yelpers and get the shrimp burrito! Â It was just as described - fresh, flavorful, creamy, chock full of shrimp with little rice filler. Â The side guacamole was sooo good. Â The fish tacos that my friend got were pretty good too.
Zona Fresca is what Baja Fresh wishes it could be!
This place is really 2.5 stars or 1 star anywhere between the Red and Rio Grande.
As a Texan who grew up in a town with more Tex-Mex joints than McDonalds, I will say this place is not Tex-Mex. It is Cali-Mex or Southwest (but would be laughed out of the Mission), Â but its regional designation doesn't matter as much as its suckiness.
The fish stick taco with cole slaw on it....come guys don't call that a Fish Taco...Long John Silvers could throw together something with better batter and tastier slaw.
The chicken taco is no better than a Taco Bell Fresca taco.
The Salsa Verde is horrendous...and it is tough to make horrendous salsa verde...tomatillos, onion, cilantro, jalapenos (roast, blend and salt to taste)...come on Zona.
This place is really 2.5 stars or 1 star anywhere between the Red and Rio Grande, but I am trying to lower the overall average in order to not mislead anymore Yelpers.
Actually 3.5 stars but i'm feeling generous.
Pros: Bang for your buck is pretty good, It's a casual yuppie Mexican place that is quasi healthy, Fast, plenty of salsa choices,
Cons: Salsa tastes were alright didn't really have much flavor, it looks a little dirty (not too dirty but just a little),
Bottom Line: if you don't want to break the bank and you don't know what to eat this is a go to place that has something for everyone. Â This is strictly just a place to eat it isn't one of those Mexican places that your work has a happy hour and you get drunk on margaritas.
So what if burritos are not really Mexican? The lady who made them in a small downtown Guadalajara restaurant didn't seem to care the last time I was there. Zona Fresca's food takes some of the best traditions of Mexican street vendors to make their food taste delicious.
It's the best fast food I've ever had; and it's not that fast.
Like in any QSR, you order at the counter and wait for your number to be called. Keep your ears perked because sometimes the barker is a bit shy (drives me nuts).
Their fish ceviche is great. I'm not sure if they use corvina for it, but the fish is always perfectly cured and firm. They have that flavor combination down pat with the lime juice and the red onion. Fish ceviche and a cold beer go well together on a hot summer day.
Their selection of condiments is very good. Fresh pico de gallo, a habanero salsa and a milder salsa as well as tomatillo salsa. They also have roasted jalapeños that are unpredictably hot....or not.
Their burritos are generous and cooked to order. They are not loaded with rice and the main ingredient is the star of the show. My favorite is the shrimp burrito. The shrimp are cooked until they are just no longer translucent and they are cut into smaller pieces that are well distributed throughout the entire wrap. The chopped cabbage salad and the beans add a little bit of sweet crunch and creamy saltiness to the whole thing. I usually pick at it with a fork before bringing the whole thing to my maw.
Their tacos are great. Two or three do the trick. Just remember to squeeze a little lime juice on each right before you take a bite. Skip the gringo style or the taco sabroso, they are a great thing but kinda ruined by all the extras. I wish I were more of a fan of the fish taco, but the fish is batter fried. Simply grilled would make them so much better.
The chiles rellenos are good, but I rarely order them.
I haven't bothered with any of the quesadillas, salads or side dishes so I can't say anything about them.
Avoid this place any day between 12:15pm and 2:00pm. The parking situation is absurd and sometimes the line comes out the front door which is not a good thing in the summertime.
A pretty popular local tex-mex joint that serves the same selections as other 'fresh' mex places like Lime, Baja Fresh, etc. Â The prices here are pretty cheap though, and they serve you an ample amount of chips compared to other places.
The guacamole is a bit pasty, but the salsas are great (love their tomatillo)
Great place for kids and dog friendly too (outside seating).
Parking isn't spectacular and fills up quick on a busy day (which seems to be everyday), better off parking across the street at the surf place or on the grass.
A good, solid alternative to other types of fast food. Â The food is simple, fresh and made-to-order. Â You order from a counter and then wait to be called to pick up your order, similar to other burrito places. Â It is a little better than a Baja Fresh, and it can be very crowded in there, with limited parking and limited seating. Â
Also, they like to talk about how they do things the healthiest way possible, which I know is important for some people. Â Basically, for the same amount you would spend at a burger joint, you can get some fresh, healthy, tasty (although not amazingly delicious or anything) Mexican food. Â People who have spent a lot of time in Southern California will definitely recognize the concept.
3.5 stars actually. Â Cal-Mex...it's the closest thing to real Tex-Mex I've found here. Â Everything else I've tried in Fort Lauderdale is Cuban masquerading as Mexican or Tex-Mex. Â One problem with that is Cubans don't put spiciness into their food; then again it is South Florida and it's hard to find spicy food. Â
It's as healthy as you can probably get with Mexican-style food...and it's fast food. Â So much better than Baja Fresh (yuck).
I dig places with salsa bars, and they make all of theirs fresh. Â I like the smokiness of the chipotle in the hot salsa, and although it's not really hot, I like that they have pickled serrano peppers on the side if you want to make things spicier.
I like their selection of Latin bottled beers, and the best thing is actually their fish ceviche (if you like that sort of thing) that they only have on weekends. You get tons of it to share with 1-2 people for only $6.99. Â And it's fresh.
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