Really?????

That new place at the far north of town is already out of business? If you like chicken fried steak smothered in gravy and cheese, you'll be happy eating in Zapata. I think every restaurant in town serves it about 4 or 5 ways......I think it's intended to be ate for B,L,and D.

The steak house was pretty good for me and my buddies when we ate there a few weeks ago. They've got a couple of big screen HDTVs in that new building. They have a surprisingly good frozen 'rita, too... but yeah, it took us forever for us to get our food.

I'd have to agree. The chicken fry at El Paraiso is pretty good and the breakfast tacos at Valero/Stripes are a great deal but for anything else I'd recommend doing it yourself, especially steak.

Yes it is a Stipes store, the actual gas there is Valero:) Watch out for the Chorizo with the spicy beans... it can sneak up on ya later:)

If you don't want the cheese on top, tell them, and you can also choose having the gravy on the side. (Good stuff!) If you don't like Mexican food, there are always the "fast" food places.

The service in the new steak house is worse than the service in the old one. Took 30 minutes just to get a glass of tea. 6:00 P.M. on a Friday and they are out of Crown. Out of T-bones. Ordered rib-eye med and it was well, well, well done after an 1/1/2 hour wait.

And that is still better than the service at El Paraiso. To me there is just not a good place to eat in Zapata in the evenings. You just have to "put up with" what is there or bring your own.

Paraiso chicken fry

Rincon pretty good

Cool Breeze (ice cream place) has good burgers and good greasy fries if you like them that way. Burger, fry, and drink (including tax) was $5ish. Hard to beat that. English not great.

don't remember the names of the places but one night we had some great fajitas from the big mexican restaurant and the next night we went to a little hole in the wall place that served mexican and American food and had one of the best chicken fried steaks I've ever had.

careful! you'll get fat hehe.

Just got back. The resturants in Zappata should be embarrassed by the fact that the best food in town is the taco shop inside Stripes covenience store inside the Valero gas station in the middle of town. Great breakfast and lunch tacos to go. Long line in the morning but lots of cooks so it goes really fast. You can see them making the most delicious home made tortillas on site. So good we hit the one in Larado too! MMMMMMMM

I would have to agree with the folks that said The Steak House...

The service is slow; however, the Mexican food is hot and gooddddddddd...

If you want a steak go to San Antonio, Dallas or the like as they do not know how to cook steaks in Zapata... Their Mexican food is very good...

As for breakfast, the steak house has the Best Ranchero sauce I have ever had....

The only flaw I have with them is that they are slowwwwwwww.... Can not be in a hurry as you will be disappointed....

The problem is, they won't be embarrased because they don't give a shixt. THAT'S the real problem down there. A totally apathetic attitude about service and quality. They think if you walk out full, then mission accomplished, regardless of if it took 2 hours to get that way or that you are full from chips because the food is so lousy. It's that way all over South Texas. They're just lazy and they don't care.

Tina's has the best chicken fried steak...went to try the one at El something and thought it was terrible. Tina's for breakfast and Holiday Restaurant is good. Bring a grill and make steaks at the casa.

Take your own food and cook for yourself.