We loved this place! There was no wait time, and the service was excellent! The atmosphere in the restaurant was beautiful. They have an entire vegan menu filled with tons of awesome options. We settled on the vegan Mexican pizza, the vegan chimi, and the fried oreo ice cream for dessert! It was fantastic! One of our new favorite places to go in Olympia! Highly recommend!

First time in and loved the decor! Would make for an awesome date night place. Bar seemed really awesome with a fire as a centerpiece.

We have a hard time eating out since my son is dairy intolerant. Too much of a cross contamination concern. I was shocked to find out that they have a big Vegan menu. I explained to our server that he can have meat, just needed to be dairy free. They worked with us to find a good meal safe for him to have. He even was able to have a dairy free dessert. It was so nice having a date night with my youngest. Great service, good food. Will come back again for sure!

Worst takeout restaurant experience I've had in years. Practically everything was prepared incorrectly, or plain missing from what I ordered. They only good part was their online ordering was fairly simple. I paid nearly $20 for 3 tacos basic tacos that I ordered no cilantro because my wife is allergic needless to say they screwed that up. I also ordered a $20 3 combo plate that I only received 2 of the 3 entree's and on top of that the meats were incorrect and of course it was the meats that I paid an UPCHARGE FOR THAT WERE WRONG. I'm honestly shocked at how bad it was, and this was my first time trying this place out. See my pics the food literally looks like a Swanson TV dinner that was overcooked they should be embarrassed to serve this. I've also tried to reach a manager but phone twice, and if course ended up in voicemail. SMH Do better El serape...

Not authentic but good for eating out. The salsa is a little hot and the mild salsa tasted like sweet tomato sauce. The taco salad was fair as were most other items. The place was clean and the service good.

I’ve been in Olympia for three years now. I am an operating partner for a chain restaurant here in Washington. Wow!! I was impressed First time I came here to eat. Your restaurant is beautiful. Your staff so kind and attentive. I had one of the most exceptional dinners since I left the East coast. I’m sorry I didn’t come here sooner. I will be back. The food was impeccable and my Grandez Margarita was so well blended . Delicious!!! Thank you for making my night so special. See you soon

Don't expect too much disappointed! We were 😞 disappointed! Wait time: Not too bad about 15 minutes at rush hour 6:30pm. Atmosphere: well decorated front, facade, waiting area & dining area. Glass hanging lamps and iron vine adores the ceiling. Restrooms are well kept. Service: good service. Better if they can get the order right Check back with customers is being practiced. FOOD: Not as described! We were so excited about all the food in their menu and expected it to be at least a bit closer to authenticity. We ordered: Mexican Pizza ..soaked in oil, mushy and I was not able to pick up a slice. At least the edges were crispy. Pollo en Mole: described as "Boneless chicken breast covered in Mexicos most unique and complex mole poblano sauce, a dark mildly sweet rich flavored sauce." Reality check. Shredded chicken swimming in a pool of watery "mole" that tasted like a grainy sweet hot coco in a bad way. The sauce was just slapped on the plate that looked like an explosion. Unappetizing. Banderas: 3 chicken enchiladas in mole sauce. Again the same sauce, served with rice and beans. I have to put some green onions to the rice from the pizza to make the plate look better. The beer 🍺 on tap price on the menu say $6.00 for small. The bill said &8.50. Surprise??? Anyway, $75.00 was wasted. Plus the aggreviation after seeing and tasting the food. The only good part, chips and salsa. Could be different experience on different days maybe. But not coming back for sure. 2 Margaritas have better baked Mexi pizza and at least they serve what the picture shows.

Overrated. I was thrilled to finally swing by for a late lunch one day, but it was a let down. Staff was friendly, but food was mediocre at best. Happy hour prices made it okay, but I likely won’t be back. There’s other (better) options around Olympia. :/

There was great food and friendly staff, we got there really late, like almost closing time. We were welcomed in the staff was very friendly and never rushed us at all. I want to thank them for being so polite.

The west side location is a very nice building (way better than Tumwater). The atmosphere is great, the staff is friendly but the food was just average. I ordered my enchiladas with verde salsa. It had no jalapeño flavor to it. I was disappointed. Nothing to make you come back next week. My first margarita was all ice cubes. Three good sips and done. Told my server and my next one was a third ice. Great, but all lime juice. She replace it and finally got it right. Friday night should have an experienced person behind the bar. There is a much better place downtown and one at the end of Trosper in Tumwater.

I usually really like this place. The atmosphere is great and so are the hosts.. but after a dinner night of El Sarape was an evening of constant acid reflux, I am indifferent now😩 Not sure if this is from a dirty grill or the use of too much grease on the cooker?? I’ll probably try them out again later on down the road to see if it’s improved.

Visiting from California: Great service; the food was not so great. Ordered the enchiladas dinner; the rice was under cooked and the chicken enchilada was a bit dry + lacked flavor. Also ordered the street tacos dinner, this was great! Drinks could have been a little been a little more 'presentable'.

Great Atmosphere! Different varieties of places to sit. Really great and big portion of food.

We always head straight to the round table withe the fire! The atmosphere is inviting and love chatting with people around the fire. The food is great, I recommend the stuffed jalapenos. Chips and salsa and beans, yum! What I TRULY go there for is the coconut margarita!! THIS IS TO DIE FOR! Smooth and creamy with a coconut and sweet rim, OOoOO! I appreciate the service as well, they are quick to assist.

Absolutely delicious food! And drinks where awesome too! Staff where really nice and super quick! Customers around us where also super nice and friendly! We sat around the fire pit and it was so nice and pretty! My friends and I got the happy hour deal 2 tacos beans and rice and got 2 sodas and it came out to $25. definitely would come again when I come back to visit.

My steak fajitas had burnt French fries in the mix. How do burnt French fries even get into fajitas?! I told my waiter about it when he came over. He offered to have them make more for me, but I was already grossed out, wondering how disgusting the kitchen must be for fries to end up on the grill with my fajitas and nobody to care or notice. I left without finishing my meal and had to pay full price. The waiter was good, so I left him a tip, but I will not go back.

My husband and I LOVE this place. The menu is great, haven't gotten a single thing we haven't liked. Love the atmosphere and the service is always stellar. Amazing drinks too! They also have a great happy hour and lots of vegan/veggie options, which is refreshing for a Mexican restaurant.

Great spot to get Mexican food, drinks and a nice atmosphere. They have a great selection of vegetarian and vegan options and the drinks list is extensive. The only issue I had was that I felt we were being rushed to order, eat and get out. Went on a weekday after happy hour so not sure what the rush was. Had our bill on the table before we were asked if we wanted more drinks or food so we just paid and left

I personally took myself out for a date what a wonderful experience they had the trees up it was still festive for Christmas went to the bar if you're going by yourself go to the bar they have a fire pit it was nice warm setting the food was wonderful my server was excellent the owner himself welcomes you and I thought that was a great value of this business and company Great Cooks the drinks was wonderful I only had one I recommend this place for a family I'm not sure if you need reservations but I would think on the weekend you might want to call ahead of time you'll enjoy yourself be ready to spend at least an hour to 2 hours thank you for a wonderful experience for the new year 2023

Portions are generous. Good variety of enchiladas, street tacos & seafood dishes. The bar seating is separate from the restaurant. Bar seating offers views of TV.

Stopped in for a quick lunch after shopping. We split the asada burrito which was amazing. The chips and salsa were great and the margaritas superb. We sat at the bar and the service was fast and friendly and we will be back. Only knock is that it’s on the pricier side and there are other spots with food and drinks on par for less $$. Overall, great atmosphere, food and drinks, just a tad on the high side for pricing.

We eat here semi-regularly, but our meal last night was so good I needed to finally add a review! I had the tortilla soup with chicken and my husband had the burrito especial ….they were both delish! Yet my favorite discovery of the night was their avocado margarita!!?? Seriously. It was such a creamy delight and avoided the over-sweetness so many margaritas embody. Give it a try!!

El Sarape offers an extensive and diverse menu that highlights the richness and variety of Mexican cuisine, featuring classic favorites such as tacos and enchiladas, with American flavors like sour cream, cheeses, and mild hot sauce. The ambiance of these restaurants is simply delightful, with colorful décor and a cozy bar area that's perfect for relaxing with friends and family. Offer satisfying combination meals that will satiate even the heartiest of appetites. With such an excellent blend of delicious food, warm hospitality, and inviting atmosphere, it's no surprise that it is a popular dining destination.

Awesome place! Really great atmosphere! The service is hit and miss to be honest. I've had excellent service here and terrible service. Food is good and great happy hour specials.

Good stop over for vegetarians when we were coming back from Woodburn. Great ambience, fancy restrooms, good not great food. Positive vibes. Great seating. I was blown away by entire page of vegan menu and settled for a burrito gorde and a kid taco. I felt that the burrito tasted nice apart from the soya substitute. I am not a big fan of meat substitutes. We love to eat things without any substitutes. Overall it was a good experience. I would say it’s a little pricey but good. Kids taco was around $6 :)

Great food and great service, usually. I really like the fact that they have so many vegetarian and vegan options. I only wish their vegan meats didn't make my tummy upset.

Amazing experience! Came all the way from Hawai’i and the food was exactly what we wanted. They seated as us soon as we walked in. The mole was brilliant, if a bit sweeter than expected, & the Chile Verde was delicious. Service was brilliant & staff was constantly checking up on us to refill chips, salsa, water, & take our empty plates away. We never had to just sit and wait. Our server Arnulfo definitely deserves a raise! He was so kind, polite, helpful, everything.. he truly made up at least 2 of these stars. The hosts & one boy who took our plates were very smiley and greeted us as we walked in and out. Lovely place & lovely staff!

What a great atmosphere. The food was amazing and so were the drinks. The staff was super friendly! We will definitely be back!

Hadn't been to an El Sarape in many years so decided to give it a try. This one in Olympia was formally a Black Bear Café. First impression was positive. Friendly staff. Spacious restaurant. Went to the bar. Great round fire place for ambiance. Ordered a happy hour mango margarita. Used fresh mango's. Excellent. Chips spot on and delicious hot salsa and bean dip. Ordered three dishes from Happy Hour menu-- carna asada street tacos, chicken quesadilla and taquitos. Tacos were fresh and tasty. Came with a strange cream sauce. That didn't look appetizing so skipped it. Recommend substituting for salsa verde. Quesadilla was fabulous. Excellent flavor to chicken marinade. One of the best I've had in years. Also spanish rice was tasty, light and fresh. Now unfortunately the taquitos were blah. Spinach filling made it taste off a bit. So two out of three ain't bad. Service slipped a bit at the end too. Forgot to get us more chips, extra cheese on taquitos or check in our drink status but I'll let it go this time. With that said El Sarape beats the hell out of the local Mexican chains Puerto Valarta, Azteca and the Mayan so make a point to go out of your way to here if your in the mood for Mexican. Be sure sit in the bar by fire!

The Tamale was sad to look at. Came out looking like a beef burrito or enchilada. Mi tia would slap me if I made a tamale like that 🥴