Viva Zapata/ VivaZ Cantina — Restaurant in New Haven

There are a surprising number of positive reviews, surprising in that they in no way reflect our experience on the evening of Sunday June 16, 2024. I am hoping we just happened to go there on an "off night" but in taking a look at some other reviews they are more in line with our experience yesterday evening. First, pitcher of sangria was $50, pricey compared to the old Viva Zapata where the sangria was just as good if not better. The place was empty except for the bar and one other couple sitting near us who were finishing up and left very soon after we arrived. The sangria took a long time to arrive, which was a harbinger for the rest of the evening. We ordered three meals which took about an hour to arrive: a vegetarian enchilada which was passable but did not seem to match the description on the menu (don't know if they misunderstood what I ordered or brought the wrong thing); a steak taco, on which the steak seemed a little gristly but was cooked well and wasn't terrible (only cost $4?); and the steak dinner which was supposedly a special as it wasn't on the menu. The steak dinner ended up being the biggest disappointment of all: the piece of steak was okay though a bit small (especially for the priceof the meal); the portion of french fries was like a baby order, but we decided to order another side of fries and the portion on that ended up being very generous, so we didn't complain about that. The alleged "side salad" was just a little pile of iceberg lettuce with some pasty salad dressing smeared on top which was supposed to be some kind of chipotle aioli. That really got to me so I told the waiter that this is a pile of lettuce, not a salad, and so I wanted something else, either more french fries or an entirely different side. They replaced it with a very nice salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and oil and vinegar for dressing ... which is the dressing I asked for in the first place and they said they didn't have anything else, just the chipotle aioli. But by the time that replacement salad showed up I was almost done with the rest of the dinner (it would have been nice to enjoy my salad before/with the meal). A "Mexican restaurant" that makes you pay $6 for chips and salsa should have served as a red flag to us, but we got a late start for our Father's Day dinner and there weren't many other places open late on Sunday so we thought "This looks pretty good, let's try this place" ... to our regret. The condiments (ketchup, the "salsa" that came with the chips) were weird and watered down, especially the salsa (orange-reddish but almost tasteless). I could go on, but I don't want to write a total hit piece; the place seems to have potential so I hope they can get their act together. I love the old Viva Zapata space and everything else about the restaurant, but to pay over $100 total on a special holiday and get this kind of service plus substandard food just doesn't cut it. While I agree with some reviewers that the old Viva Zapata could sometimes be inconsistent (slow/sloppy) I never had an overall experience (especially with respect to the quality of the food) that made me feel like I just wanted to get up and walk out. I hope the owners / managers will see this review and take remedial steps to improve their restaurant. I wish to see this restaurant improved, not go out of business, in the intent of this review is to help...

Edit: Alas I feel like I have to knock off a star for the new 2025 pricing here! Same excellent food and drinks, but everything is $4-6 more expensive. Paired with a confusing menu (the "protein" - even veggies!- is never included in the item price itself) and a bizarre new taco scheme ($20 for three tacos? And no option to order them individually?) it was enough to knock it from a monthly treat to an "only on special occasions" price, especially on a student budget. For example, the meal pictured below - which cost me $16 two months ago - would now cost $25!

This place is still a great place for a date nigbt in New Haven - delicious drinks, tasty food, and a dark, romantic, rustic feel. If you're not sure what to order, you should get their Margarita (with a Coronita if you want more bang for your buck!) and Quesabirria, which comes with two full-size tortillas filled with shredded beef and tons of oaxca cheese next to a rich, dark broth laced with cilantro and onions. Eat one Quesabirria in the restaurant, and then take the other home for a delicious breakfast the next day. Their chicken taco is also fantastic, even better than their steak, which is rare in my experience. Over several years of coming here, I've found a few dishes here and there on the menu that weren't to my tastes (I'm not a big fan of the elote or the sopas), but the vast majority of the food here is fresh, delicious, and well priced. I especially appreciate their variety of seasonal drinks and the Happy Hour and Taco Tuesday deals that they've been doing, which are great if you can come earlier or later!

I've honestly been putting off writing a review of Vivaz Cantina, partially because I want to keep it all to myself, and partially because whenever we get food here we end up eating it before I manage to get a picture! I still don't have a picture (you can guess why) but I decided that it's been such a staple I need to write something about it.

We've also always had exemplary service here (and never had a 20% gratuity added automatically to our check, though we do always tip that much - I don't know what some of the other reviews are talking about.) It's very fast as sit-down restaurants go - perfect for stopping in before a show or an event. I've never had to spend longer than an hour here, though I have definitely dallied for longer - they don't kick you out by any means, and it's a nice place to take larger groups who might want to stay and chat.

My only small gripes are that occasionally the music they play can get quite loud around crowded times (8-10 PM especially), so be aware of when you're coming if you have someone in your party with noise sensitivities (or ask to be seated outside, in the summer). Additionally, they don't put prices on their specials menus, which has every once in a while led to a surprisingly expensive bill when I've ventured out of my usual order. Otherwise, it's a wonderful restaurant for couples, families, travelers, and New Haven residents looking for a fast and delicious...

It was just one Sunday evening when we wanted to get crepés. We got said crepés, but wanted to eat something. We walked and walked and came to the conclusion that it had to be hispanic food. The first hispanic place was much too loud, and the second one was closed. We walked a bit further, made a turn, and there we saw Viva Zapata! The music was lively and we got greeted at the door immediately. We got to sit where we wanted, and the atmosphere was relaxed and dim, chips and salsa (green and red) to start us off; great way from a long days work. We wanted to know Viva Zapate popular dishes, and our waitress, Ariana, gave a great recommendation on the Quesabirria! Other than that, we also got Horchata, Pozole, a Tamal, Caldo de Pollo, and Churros for dessert. Now, may I just say that ALL of this was delicious! The Quesabirria are HUGE; cheesy, hot, stuffed, it was so good that we were surprised to finish them so quickly. The Horchata was divine! Now I have been to 3 other Mexican restaurants, and here was the CLOSEST Horchata I've had from when I was in Mexico. The Pozole really reminded me of my grandma's pozole back in Mexico. It was spicy, savory, and full of flavor with every bite. The tamal is all about the masa (dough), and this masa was just right. Now, these Churros are next level; not only was the presentation beautiful, but the fact you can hear the crunch and crispyness of the churros really made the churros amazing with a caramel dipping sauce! Great customer service throughout our whole visit and will ABSOLUTELY come back to try...