Breakfast, Lunch & Coffee in Old Towne Orange

The Story Behind the Zocalo

Made by a family. Made for this neighborhood.

Cafe Zocalo is named for the zócalo — the town plaza at the center of Mexican life, where families gather, neighbors meet, and the day begins with good food and familiar faces.

We opened our doors in Old Towne Orange because this neighborhood has its own plaza, its own rhythms, and its own sense of place. One block from the historic Orange Circle, three from Chapman University — and right in the middle of a community we’ve grown to love.

We’re Mariana and Juan Carlos. We met over a shared love of the food we both grew up with, and the dream of a place that felt like home to everyone who walked in. Every recipe on our menu started in a family kitchen — and we cook them the same way today, by hand, every morning. When you sit down at Cafe Zocalo, you’re at our table.