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BBFYB (bee-bee-fib): Best Bang For Your Buck.
With such a healthy variety of salad bar items, cold offerings, soups, baked items---and really good, to boot, it is very hard to consider it expensive. I dare say, perhaps even wrong. Tag along with me and you'll see. Baked yams, black, kidney, garbanzo beans, veggie wheat pizza, cornbread muffins, fruit...
Always fairly clean for the most part. The design and feel seem perfect for a salad bar. Love finishin' it all off with some tapioca pudding.
Per pic, they gots free wireless.
Ditto my last reviews. True, you usually find the same old stuff with the occasional rotated items… Read more »
Starting going to Zoopa when the Northgate location was still open...now the only left is Southcenter (really preferred the Bellsquare one the most).
A little pricey for a non-meat buffet -- yes, but I really enjoy the different tastes comparitively to the standard fast food lunches.
Really like: chicken & dumpling soup, clam chowder, tuna terragon (mix in the bacon from the potato bar), broc-slaw, corn muffins (when they're warm, BOWN-CHIKA-BOW-BOW), garlic bread, caesar pasta salad.
Try to avoid: hot pasta bar (puts the b-l-a-n in BLAND), the extra charges for meat/chicken/shrimp
I LOVE sweet tomatoes but wasn't too impressed with Zoopa.
salad was okay, dressing was pretty bland.
prepared salads were not very good at all.
pizza was NOT good. think it was just really overcooked.
pasta just looked blah.
saving grace was dessert. the bread pudding and vanilla yogurt with strawberries were pretty tasty.
As a picky eater there is nothing that appeals to me more than assembling and selecting my own food. No cross contamination from messy garnish choices and no special ordering or substitution requests. The price is great. Yes, you'll have to put up with lots of kids running around if you go on the weekend or at night, but weekday lunches, not so much. The staff is totally mellow and friendly. My one complaint is that the items at the end of the salad bar - bacon bits, sunflower seeds, croutons, raisins, etc. are double stacked thus making that area look more like a giant trail mix bin once the spillovers begin. I can't be the only one with cross contamination issues!
Personally, my experience at Zoopa was good times. I made a rockin' salad at the salad bar and had some delicious potato leek soup from the soup bar. Mmmm. They have a good assortment of salad dressings to choose from, including several fat free options. I had a hard time choosing!
It's next to impossible to avoid making a soft serve creation at the end.... I felt like it would have been wrong if I didn't. Not to mention they have cinnamon graham cracker crumbs and coconut as topping options! Major props for those.
The lady who came by to clear our plates was extremely friendly, the restaurant was clean, and the food was good. Aaaaaaand they gave us coupons for discounts on our next visits. Which we will be using.. probably soon!
I wanted to like this place but it was paltry in its' taste and the offerings, blech!
I like Zoopa. I like it a lot. Its a buffet and its cheap and I like the food. Some days its better than others but that can be said about a lot of places. You've got your pasta, soup, or salad to choose from. Then its off to the bread section. Hey, that tiny slice of pizza looks tasty. They have baked sweet potatoes?! Is that bread pudding I see? Will you put some pudding on my plate? Yum, yum, yum. And its convenient for us vegetarians because they display clearly whether that salad, soup, or pasta is meat free.
If I was talented enough I would write a rap about how I thoroughly enjoy Zoopa but instead you'll have to get this review.
My wife had been raving about this place for years, there are none of these in the Portland, OR, area so we do Sweet Tomatoes. On a business trip I took the wife and munchkin with me and when we hit Southcenter she starts talkin' Zoopa again. So we got off and after a bit of searching (my Magellan Roadmate didn't know where it was) we stumbled upon it.
I can only compare it to Sweet Tomatoes (for many of it is called Soup-plantation, same owners), since that is a major staple in our lives (when wife was preggers we lived there). These are the bullet points of Zoopa against Sweet Tomatoes (ST).
Zoopa has more lettuce options
Zoopa has a tastier beet
ST has better dressings (i.e. ones you can taste)
ST has Coke products, not Pepsi
Zoopa has a better baked potato bar
Both of their pasta bars are kinda bland
ST has a better frozen dessert (yogurt for ST versus mystery milk)
Both have their high and low points in bread
ST has more soups to choose from, but the quality was comparable
Zoopa has real honest to goodness tomatoes while SWEET TOMATOES DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING BUT CHERRY TOMATOES! WHAT THE HECK?!?!?
Zoopas frozen mystery dessert bar is way better than ST, but you need that stuff to make the frozen synthetic cow product taste better
Zoopas has more color in the restaurant and better seating options
About a dead heat, really.
Seems both are a little expensive for what you get, it's like the only way to make bland food better is to have an endless supply of it. However, it pleased the wife and the rug rat (3 yrs old) so it cements my position as Father of the Year.
Removing a star from last review.
Arrggh, they desecrated the yummy vanilla crumble pudding (the pudding that was at one time my Yelp "Last Meal on Earth") by putting peaches in it! And why?
Sure, Zoopa's is buffet style. That might turn off a lot of people, but it really shouldn't.
For a…
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We were suckered in tonight by the TUESDAYS KIDS EAT FREE banner.
Even with free meals for our two kids, the total was $32 for two adults, four fountain beverages, and a $1.99 chicken add-on, plus tax. That's knocking seriously on the door of "real restaurant" kind of money and makes me seriously rethink whether you're getting value for dollar spent. I'm no longer the age where I'm compelled to cram my guts uncomfortably full just to feel I got my money's worth.
Much of what I said in a prior review holds true. I took off an additional star for a poor selection of soups tonight and pasta that was bland (who messes up mac-n-cheese?)
Still, the kids get to pick and choose what they want, you can pick out new things for them to try out, and of course, they always look forward to designing their own soft serve masterpiece for dessert.
Be warned: if you hate kids and having to battle people for your turn next to the pasta or salad bar, stay away.
A hybrid of hospital food and a 'Vegas buffet, with a few healthy choices (fruit and salad) to boot.… Read more »
My family loves this place, but I don't really prefer it.
It's good because it's all-you-can-eat, it's family friendly, kids can make their own sundae, the food isn't as bad as most buffets, etc.
Everything is always the same here! Same selection, same typical assortment of salads, pizza, rolls, and to be honest I think I see most of the same people there too! Once long time ago this was my favorite joint to come to, but I think I would just have to pass from now on!
It is what it is.
I'm not angered by Zoopa; yes, people think 'I'm eating salad and it's healthy' when in fact it's not healthy. At the same time, I'm not impressed by the novelty of such a restaurant (if you've been there more than twice, the new car feeling wears off).
For me, if I'm in Renton or Tukwila, am driving from Federal Way or Tacoma etc., or if my parents come into town, I'll go here. Do I hate it? No. But again, I don't love it, either. It's alright-maybe someone should do it right and not under the guise of "Bigger is Better!" and they will attract the next wave-cause people love a buffet!
I think this place is rad. I walked in and I was worried a little bit because I HATE buffets...but this was different. I made a salad perfect for boring me (hardly any veggies, lots of croutons, fatty dressing..mmm). and I also fet obligated to try the breads and pastas and they were all good! They have really tasty strawberry lemonade, and of coarse, the create your own sundae. the toppings for the ice cream are amazing!
Don't ever ask me, "How did you end up in Tukwila's Barnes & Noble"?
Because, I'll be very upset. And here we begin my story...
I asked the B&N Clerk, "What's good to eat around here"?
His response, "Burger King, Zoopa, Thai and Hibachi".
I asked, "What do you recommend"?
"Burger King. But if you're super hungry, Zoopa. It's an All-You-Can-Eat Salad Bar with Pasta...," he was so happy I asked. I started a motor-mouth going.
It all seemed like a dejavu scene out of a "Rachel Ray $40 A Day" episode.
I took his advice and had Zoopa for Dinner.
The place is huge. From the looks of the outside, I was expecting a Sizzler Salad Bar Galore with a $7.99 All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. I was prepared to conquer. It's surburb territory what else am I gonna expect. Then, I went in. Another unusual experience.
Bright colors. a carousel of plates, trays and utensils. Disney World suddenly came to mind. And everyone is smiling. It's creepy. But the place is clean. And it's $9.49 All-You-Can-Eat. That's expensive for a suburbian salad bar. But of course everything is different in Washington. Different state. Different prices. I've learnt to accept the differences.
Of course, I'm going stay and eat. I'm hungry!
Make Your Own Salad (missing some stuff)
Cold Ready-Made Salads (cole slaw, tuna salad, etc)
Soup Bar (great selections)
Pasta Bar (kind of whimpy)
Bread, Potato, Appetizers, Dessert, Fruit, Bar Sections (huge).
It was a healthy choice. And they had baked potatoes and yams. I love yams. I had baked yam.
My appetite was not disappointed.
Actually, I ate luxuriously. It's all in how you choose your foods.
Some people were complaining there was a lack of meat in the establishment. Then, I looked around closely. They're right. Zoopa appears to be like 85% vegetarian.
They're overpriced for what is served.
I was content. They allowed me to go back for seconds. I was very hungry for dinner today. And happy they had fresh watermelon and cantaloupe slices on the Dessert Bar. They're some of my favorite things!
This is the place that repressed feelings come to feed. Or just extremely hungry people.
All in all, pretty good - salads, soups, pasta, etc.
Just watch yo bad self. Don't fall into the "I'm going to eat my money's worth" trap. Or the "Really, THIS is my last plate" routine. Zoopa WILL win every time.
I'm not certain what issue others have had, but on our trip there all of the produce was remarkably fresh, the dressing was fairly decent, and the sides, while nothing to write home about, were pretty good. And, despite the Souplantation reminiscing of DK up there, I've gotta say that their red bean chili was quite good when I tried it. We both left uncomfortably full and looking forward to our next visit.
One hint for the other carnivores: if, like me, you like bacon on your salads, skip the scary vegan bacos they put at the end of the salad area and head over to the chili fixings area. Voila, actual bacon, and a meaty protein source you didn't pay extra for.
how can you not love it?? its salad and bread and soft serve. its clean its fresh its cheap, it can be as healthy or as crazy as you like.
If you're hungry for soup and salad, and the kids are willing to eat pizza, you're set. If you're feeling like you want something pretty substantial, in my opinion, this is not going to do it for you. Go to Outback or Grazie instead.
Service is fairly reasonable, prices are fairly cheap especially if you are hungry. If you hate buffets, you will hate this, but it's better than Old Country Buffet.
i was hungry. So when my boyfriend said "buffet" my heart twittered, because I wanted to get food into me fast.
So we went to zoopa and this is what happened:
I got a plate, put old looking lettuce onto my plate, put a little bit of spaghetti, took one bite, went to the cashier and asked for my money back. yes. i asked for my money back. Why you ask? Well, the food tasted like freaking camp food. It was horrible. The fact that I was hungry didn't exactly help the issue either. Seriously, how can any place mess up on salad and pasta? The two easiest thing to make?
So no thank you Mr. Robinson, I will not be going to Zoopa again... EVER!!!!
I really don't like this place, but my kids love it (see that theme in the other reviews). It's not that the food is bad, it just isn't that good.
They have a large salad bar, several pre-made (and some of them okay) salads, some pre-cooked pasta, some watery soups, a potato bar, pizza and some dessert breads and puddings. Not cake, mind you, but muffins and scones.
It appears that Zoopa is on some nutritional kick, because there were several new items (yes, the kids like it that much, that we go there often enough that I can recognize new menu items) that were advertising their qualities of low fat, or nutrients offered by the vegetables in the dish.
They usually only have one kind of pizza, cheese, on a very thick bread crust. Kind of like they keep the pizza topping costs down by giving you a lot of bread to eat.
Also taking advantage of the mix and match make your own food (a valuable skill I learned in college - I could make a nice honey mustard vinaigrette dressing at my dining commons), one of the early times I went their I sprinkled those colored sprinkles on my youngest son's macaroni and cheese. Now it is a tradition!
The pricing for kids is by age and my kids, especially after swim meets, get their bang for the buck there.
I think that there are better buffets, with better selections of hot foods, but the salad ingredients are fresh and Zoopa is a hit with kids. And not too expensive either.
Oh, yeah - there was a patron with a mullet, too! Gotta love that - not.
Zoopa is a pretty decent Buffet. Its all-you-can-eat extravaganza. The atmosphere here you'll see a typical Buffet crowd, it well lit and unpretentious. It is not elegant, but it is very comfortable. The focus is the never-ending food bar filled with goodies. For a reasonable price you sample as much as you like of various american (macaroni and cheese) and ethnic (stir-fry) dishes. Best of all they have an awsome Create a Salad Bar!! The deserts that they offer are pretty tasty.
The Old Country Buffet cant hang with Zoopa..
A little bit of everything for everyone...Just pace yourself & dont waste the food =D
Sitting in the dining room of this dingy, dusty dump of a restaurant that used to be a pretty decent place for a salad I could only think of one thing. "Holy crap Americans are fat." Not just a little heavy or pleasingly plump. Fat. Looking at plates filled with chewy, tasteless pizza, pasta bowls overflowing with greasy and salty Alfredo sauce the only thing I could think of was how incredibly unhealthy the whole scene was. I lost count of the number of dangerously obese kids I saw sucking on ice cream cones.
At least at a fast food joint like McDonalds you know you're getting junky, greasy food. But here, in the late 90's pseudo market,salad bar surroundings people are shoveling in piles and piles of not very good tasting junk. Aside from being a very unsatisfying meal, this place just made me sad.
I have been a big fan of zoopas for many many years. I started going here in high school when I lived near this location. I was hooked. They used to have a location in northgate mall and bell square but they both closed down unfortunately. Just like everyone said , its a all you can eat salad,pasta and soups. I mostly go for the pasta and great soups. There clam chowder is good and they have a rotation of other soups, grandmas chicken and dumpling is by far the best. I go there just for that sometimes. Prices are good for lunch or dinner. This place is probably best for lunch time though, just because the type of food they serve is more lunch type food I guess. I live a good 40 miles north of this place, but anytime Im down south visiting the parents or buying cheap furniture at ikea I always make a trip here. Good stuff, something everyone should try at least once.
I like Zoopa,it's cheap and pretty healthy if you don't eat a bunch of Alfredo,brownies and pizza.It's one of my all time favorites because of the great selections of vegi's and different types of salads,soups,pastas and breads.It's a good place for family's and guests too.
What can you say, its a buffet. I only come here when I don't pack a lunch and I need veggies. The salad veggies are pretty good, but don't come here if you're looking for lots of fatty, mayo-packed salads.
The soup is actually pretty good, I've tried several and they are well seasoned and not over-salted.
The pizza sucks. Its just thick crust with nas-tay cheese on it.
The cornbread is a little too sweet, but not bad.
I'm trying hard, but there just isn't anything funny and/or overly interesting to say.
Its-a-BOOFEYYYY!
How sad can a salad buffet be. Wife and I are hungry, go to Zoopa, and get grossed-out.
We ate salad.
We ate salad with crappy watered down dressing (tried 3..and stopped trying after that)
We took one bite of cooled microwaved pizza.
We took one bite of nasty over-soaked pasta.
We picked up some bread sticks, but the oil used to coat them was a blend of some olive and lots of vegetable oil that was obviously expired ( read: rancid)
Same oil was available for the salad bar.
We left our food on the table and bitched our way out of this dump.
We left, pissed off and hungry.
NEVER EVER WITH A GUN TO MY HEAD WOULD YOU FIND ME THERE AGAIN!
Not terible for a salad-only type salad bar... and in their favor they don't seem to put kale into lentil soup (a little peeve of mine) but other than that... It was said before, its not that the food is generally bad- its just also not generally that good.
Salad wise, maybe this has just been my expereince but I have been here a few times now and the veggies seem overly wet. Like they were washed, which is good, but not dried... just thrown out for customers. I feel like I ought to pack my salad spinner along! Its a weird little quirk that I hold against an otherwise pretty standard salad bar with a few perks thrown in.
Beyond salad, the soup isnt bad, the pasta is bland but not bad, the pizza I have never tried... Nothing else has ever struck me as being very special about Zoopa beyond its location being convienent for me and people I work with seem to like it.
Overall- just not really a very memorable place.
Neat place, I like it!
Everytime I think of this place I wonder why there aren't Souplantations here in Washington. Seriously, have we as a nation just so given up on not being fat that we have just eliminated soup and salad as a meal option? If you are ever in California, try a Souplanation. The chicken and noodle soup is awesome. If you are ever in Tukwila, do yourself a favor and skip Zoopa, which strangely enough does not have good soup.
I am in Seattle on business for a few days so I thought I would check out some of the restaurants around my hotel. This is one of those all you can eat soup and salad bars that starting springing up in the 90's. Whether you call it Soup Plantation, Sweet Tomatoes or Zoopa, they are all just about the same. This particular restaurant was as nice one. It was clean, the produce was fresh and the staff was friendly. My dinner was only about ten bucks and considering that you can fill up on as much soup and rabbit food as you like, it's a good deal. It is also a good place to go if you are trying to eat healthy.
This is a really crappy salad bar. I've been here a few times over the years and nothing has changed. The lettuce is old and nothing else has flavor. I could have gone to Jack In the Crack and got a better salad! Enough said.
This gross little cesspool is sizzler without meat.
We like Zoopa and the kids really love it. The Northgate and Bellevue Square locations were always busy but have closed so we don't get there as often anymore. A good deal on more than a salad bar place. Fresh pastas, soups, pizza, breads and more. Typical all you can eat crowd which is sometimes annoying. Soft serve desert machine to top off the meal. AAA discount and kids are pretty cheap.
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Renton, WA
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Renton, WA
Tukwila, WA
Category: Restaurants
Tukwila, WA
Category: Thai
Tukwila, WA
Category: Cajun/Creole
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