I heard good things about Zuzu and it's always busy when I want to go so I figure it's a sure thing. I went here on a winter weekday afternoon for lunch and it was pretty empty. Entered to deafening quiet. No greeting just workers making noise while doing their jobs. I came my wife and our 9 month old baby so we asked for a high chair which they had. It was filthy, layered with grime. I thought maybe it was because kids can be dirty ... Looked down at the table and it was the same. Every. Single. Table. I wiped it down with 5 sanitizing wipes and they ended up being brown. 🤮 Maybe the food is it's saving grace? It wasn't. It was sub-cafeteria quality food at not so cheap prices. The coffee was also watered down and didn't taste fresh. We left the place unsatisfied and smelling like burnt food because I don't think they own an exhaust fan. Honestly I'm not sure why this place get such high praise. Skip this place if you're coming from the zoo, you'll be better off eating at the zoo.
ZuZu Cafe
Excerpts
I heard good things about Zuzu and it's always busy when I want to go so I figure it's a sure thing. I went here on a winter weekday afternoon for lunch and it was pretty empty. Entered to deafening quiet. No greeting just workers making noise while doing their jobs. I came my wife and our 9 month old baby so we asked for a high chair which they had. It was filthy, layered with grime. I thought maybe it was because kids can be dirty ... Looked down at the table and it was the same. Every. Single. Table. I wiped it down with 5 sanitizing wipes and they ended up being brown. 🤮 Maybe the food is it's saving grace? It wasn't. It was sub-cafeteria quality food at not so cheap prices. The coffee was also watered down and didn't taste fresh. We left the place unsatisfied and smelling like burnt food because I don't think they own an exhaust fan. Honestly I'm not sure why this place get such high praise. Skip this place if you're coming from the zoo, you'll be better off eating at the zoo.
Great little cafe near the zoo. The paninis were crunchy and tasty and big enough for two meals. We ate outside in the first week of October and loved it. Staff were great, too. Also had the hummus plate, nice substitute for a salad. And service was very fast. Will definitely go back for some of the Mediterranean specialties.
Great little cafe near the zoo. The paninis were crunchy and tasty and big enough for two meals. We ate outside in the first week of October and loved it. Staff were great, too. Also had the hummus plate, nice substitute for a salad. And service was very fast. Will definitely go back for some of the Mediterranean specialties.
Zuzus has incredible food as far as I can tell. The food here is surprisingly delicious, and has like complex flavors and creative recipes with fresh ingredients. It's not expensive, the portion sizes aren't insane, and it's usually light, tastes good, fresh, and right next to the zoo. I would say this is one of my most favorite restaurants that I've visited so far in Madison, as someone who doesn't go to sit-down restaurants a lot. The cooks here are really good, and I think that has to do with the size of the menu. The quality you get here is like, more value for your buck than most of the casual food places I've been in this city. I recommend this place. The atmosphere outside is okay, considering its right next to an intersection, it can be variable. It looks alright inside. The service is alright.