Zona Rosa
| Address: | 1411 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126, USA |
| Phone: | +1 408-275-1411 |
| Site: | zonarosasj.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | Closed 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–9:30PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
KI
Kimberly Ann Graham
This place is NOT your usual Mexican restaurant! Went to the Alameda for lunch and stumbled upon this place. Turns out that we were there on DAY ONE of lunch service. Seated at a lovely copper topped sidewalk table in the dappled shade, ahhhhh! Started with the housemade Sangria Clara. Not on the lunch menu but we asked and they served us. I had tried it on a Wine Walk thru the Alameda and knew it to be good. Its a very light and fresh version featuring protocaoio blanco, garden peaches with apples and oranges. Mexican spices which I think would be a combo of cinnamon and nutmeg?, mint and sparkling cider. Not overly sweet. Great for a warm afternoon. We ordered the Guacamole, Dressed. Avocado, jalapeno, cilantro and lime. Dressed means they add crispy bacon crumbles and roasted pistachios, a capital idea! So many good things to try on the menu, my friend and I decided to do some splitting! The Cesar salad, romaine, roasted corn, dry jack cheese, avocado, jalapeno vinaigrette + blue corn topoto. VERY nice and light. Not the usual heavy dressing you find on most Ceasar salads. Made a nice size starter salad split. You can order it with protein and it would be a great entree! The Carnitas Club, what can I say? This torta (sandwich) is probably on of the most delicious decadent things Ive ever tasted. Slow roasted pork, niman ranch bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, olive oil mayo, pecan walnut bread. $11 Not sure how on earth I could have eaten the entire thing. It was a nice sized sandwich and very rich. Made a great split. Our server was very nice and really knew her food. She apologized for the fact that "the kitchen was a little slow getting up to speed on lunch". We did not think that the food came slow at all! Good quality like that takes a little time! We were in and out within an hour or so. #ReviewLocal
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Preeth Chengappa
Not sure if they had a bad day, but my lunch was completely, utterly average. Mexican food is a dance of flavors, textures and comfort.. Didnt get any of that here.. Lets start with the Guacamole - the avocado was fresh.. Everything else that makes an awesome Guac - Onions, jalapeno/Serrano, cilantro, lime and optionally, tomatoes, was either absent or present in minuscule quantities.. They even undersalted it..!!! The chips were OK, a bit greasy, but clean in flavor.. My spare rib tacos were again under seasoned and over cooked.. The salsa was again completely insignificant in taste and quantity.. Nothing on the side, thought I was asked if I needed extra.. The slaw (sliced cabbage) on top was fresh and crisp though. My friend was equally unimpressed with her tacos.. I might try this again just to give it a second chance..
MA
Martin Hernandez
We stumbled upon this place on the way home. It looked really busy. Even though the place is really small and it was packed , they were able to accommodate us in a timely manner. The drinks were really good and strong, something new. The food exceeded our expectations. We started off with the guacamole, the beacon and pistachios were a very pleasant twist. We had the three salsa appetizer they were very tasty they had one with seeds, one with cashew and one spicy one. Then we had two empanadas ( very good). Then for dinner we had the carnitas this was my all time favorite. We also had the duck enchiladas. Very tasty. Even the rice and beans were very delicious. Very happy with everything service was also great Celene helped us she was awesome.
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Kristin Briggs
Was looking for a great place to eat while here in business. Reviews were spot on. I made a reservation (for one) as suggested since it is December and I did not want to sit outside. Staff was friendly, place was cozy and beautifully done. Food was excellent. Had the house chips with three pots of dips. Salsa, a green jalapeno thing and some other one...haha. They were all great. Had steak Chimichurri tacos. Tiny pieces (tons) of perfectly cooked and seasoned steak over house made tortillas and topped with Chimichurri and micro greens. The beans...The beans had an amazing heat to them and I drank all of the juice up, they could be the best beans I ever had! Overall, this will be on my list to visit next time I am here. Wonderful gem!
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Scott Deas
Such a cool wee place. A small restaurant just outside downtown San Jose (or maybe its still downtown). Only has about 20-30 seats I think. Great feel to the place from the music to the quirky glasses and the laid back friendly service. It can be easily missed heading along The Alameda, but its really worth a visit. Mexican food, but not your usual stuff. Everything is made there - tacos, tortillas, chips & dips. A small but perfectly formed seasonal menu which various delicious types of meat tortillas as well as fish ones and veg stuff too. When I was there the dessert on offer was pumpkin fritters coated in cinamon sugar. Delicious.The coffee was lovely too :) Check it out!
VI
Vivian Chen
Stumbled upon this place with my friend and we just happen to want dinner so we gave it a shot. I cant say that all the food options are great but I did really enjoy my entree. We started off with the guacamole with bacon and pistachios. I was surprised at how flavorless it was and the chips had a stale edge to them. My friend got the carnitas which I took a bite of and found them average and definitely not worth the price. However I would consider coming back for their tempura scallop tacos which were absolutely delicious. The scallops practically melt-in-your-mouth. They are a bit pricey but worth it. Service was very attentive and nice the entire time
KE
Keri Garcia
I loved this restaurant from the moment I entered the patio to the front door. The ambiance of mom and pop, cozy, Mexican food dining was like an immediate warm hug. This small restaurant was packed by the time I left and almost full when I arrived. The menu served up popular and well known Mexican food dishes like enchiladas and more eclectic dishes like nachos with mole. The presentation of every meal from the kitchen was superb and worth a second glance. The service was excellent even with a very limited family staff. I will definitely visit again when Im in town. Thank you, Zona Rosa, for making my solo business trip even better for dining options.
AM
Amol Nirgudkar
The guacamole was completely tasteless. Traditional guac recipe requires both onion and tomato along with cilantro and some jalapeños. The tomato was absent and so was cilantro and tomato and the onion was barely visible. The chips associated with the guacamole were quite oily. The salsa trio was was overpriced and insufficient in quantity and taste. The crab ceviche wasnt marinated long enough in lime/lemon. Overall, I had high expectations but the food was simply mediocre at best. The service was excellent though.
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Jean Tenca
STAY AWAY FROM HERE. The food was WAY overpriced and did not taste great. I had the chicken enchiladas and was surprised it didnt come with rice or beans. I also said I didnt want any appetizers but the waitress asked if I wanted chips, to which I said sure (I was imagining it was the standard chips and salsa at Mexican places). As soon as I got the chips I realized the trap but it was too late. I was charged $9 for the chips!!! I will never come back and hope people stay away from here.
