Zorro's Cafe Cantina - Shell Beach

A hidden gem across five cities for exceptional Mexican cuisine.

I'm not sure what went wrong with this place, which used to be a staple for my husband and me when we visited Pismo. It's been about four years since my last visit, and the food was just okay. It was underwhelming and felt inauthentic. The pastor tasted like plain, unseasoned pork, and the salsa seemed to come from a jar. Unfortunately, it just wasn't anything like I remembered.

Shell Beach is a classic spot. Be sure to arrive early, as there may be a bit of a wait.

We love dining at Zorros since we're locals and can always count on a great meal. We took our visiting relatives there this evening because they adore Mexican food, and everyone truly enjoyed their meals. However, what really made the night special was our server, Christopher — he was the best server we've ever had! His personality was fantastic, and he answered my cousin's questions with a smile that was absolutely contagious. We all had a wonderful dinner and a lovely evening. The guacamole was exceptionally fresh tonight, and I really enjoyed the margarita!

Very glad I went out to lunch with a new friend and long time local of area here. (At her recommendation Every bite was 100% delicious! Ordered Zorro 's lunch special that offers a surprisingly large 1/2 sandwich either cup or bowl of soup (I ordered the turkey sandwich adding bacon to make it a true 'Club. ' And the Soup I added the $2 extra to upgrade from cup to bowl. (I made a mistake doing that because that was a deeper and wider sized bowl than i had figured on, next time I know to get cup ... The Clam chowder was my soup choice. Omg! So rich, creamy and flavor filled! What is more it had a lot of clams not tiny diced chunks a very pleasant surprise!! This is Not the typical bland style clam chowder, if seasonings and lots of hearty chunk of potatoes, clams and celery with paprika and other seasonings is not your idea of yummy, (how is that possible btw? lol! Seriously, tho this is great chowder!! The ambience is very relaxed and fun with Hispanic themed decor and a smaller sized building that lends well to a true local family owned eatery, (which is exactly what it is. If you are looking for a great place to bring a friend or 3 or a small family for lunch. You will NOT be disappointed coming to eat here. Service was very good. The waitress was several times checking on what we needed refilled etc., even after it got busier. We did not have to wait to be seated long either since we came on a weekday and beat any lunch rush. All around amazingly positive experience. I followed with a walk on the beach. (Had to walk of some of those yummy thick chowder calories!