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Zuzu Handmade Mexican Food
Categories: Restaurants Mexican Event Planning & Services Caterers Mexican, Caterers [Edit]
5770 N Mo Pac ExpySte 500
Austin, TX 78731
(512) 467-9295
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 8 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 8 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Barry C. said: "Breakfast all day, sign of a classic Five Star Restaurant. So it's lunch time, so I order Breakfast. I had the #2, no toilet humor please. Two eggs cooked perfectly, three pieces of bacon, nice and crisp, toast and hash browns. The…" read more »
84 reviews for Zuzu Handmade Mexican Food
Review Highlights
"my favorite part of ZuZu is their salsa bar."
(in 18 reviews)
"I always get the rice and refried black beans."
(in 17 reviews)
"They also have awesome breakfast tacos."
(in 10 reviews)
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84 reviews in English
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Review from Kent L.
Austin, TX
12/21/2011
This place is pretty much a once-a-week staple for my family. The food is very fresh, and high-quality ingredients are the rule. The place is clean and modest and the service is good. ZUZUs definitely straddles the line between fast-food and a sit-down restaurant (the food arrives insanely quick--maybe too quick if you're enjoying some free happy hour queso), but the quality of the food pivots the place squarely out of the realm of traditional fast-food.
I am very health conscious eater, and I appreciate that ZUZUs gives me the ability to dive into some Tex-Mex style food, but not finish with that high-fat, processed-cheese, lard-based guilt-inducing coma most Tex-Mex restaurants leave me with. The Rosemary Vinaigrette salad is a standby side, as is the corn salad, and the black bean puree. The fried veggie burrito platter they serve is one of my favorite plates in town, and the grilled chicken salad is a standby too. Not to say you can't go traditional as the Mole Enchiladas are incredible, and the Mole is handmade and very nice and smoky. The Holy Chipotle steak burrito always delivers moist and tender shredded steak and veggies that are perfectly seasoned in a huge, tender, flour or whole wheat tortilla.
They have an amazing free salsa and pico bar and great homemade tortilla chips too. The restaurant is non-pretentious (it's in a quiet strip-mall), and the decor is pretty bland, but the staff are very friendly and they get to know their regulars. And families with kids seems to be the rule on weeknights (an ideal place for dining with younger ones). It's not trying to be the next classic tex-mex dive like El Patio, or powerhouse local chain like Maudie's, but ZUZUs does occupy a unique spot in the Tex-Mex pantheon that is Austin: healthier Tex-Mex. If you're looking for high-quality, great-tasting, less expensive, less waist expanding Tex-Mex, that doesn't break the bank, try ZUZUs. -
Review from Trista C.
Liberty Hill, TX
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
SUCKS - Staff wasn't very friendly and were to busy talking and hollering at other staff members. The tables that were empty were still very dirty and no clean places to sit.
Prices were on the high side for the food. The napkin holder was completly empty and everyone had to go to the cashier which was getting mad but refused to go fill it up.
Only reason for 3 stars is the Chips and Queso were good.
Not sure if I will return or not. -
Review from molly g.
I am writing about Zuzu as I sit here and finish my meal. I have to say, I live up the road, was craving Mexican food, and still thought I'd try 'er out even though she has 3.5 average rating. It's OK, not anything I'd drive far for, but there sure were a lot of people enjoying themselves and their meals.
The service deserves 5 stars. They thanked me many times for my business and made me feel really welcome. I loved that. They made me feel like an important rock star. You know, because rock stars are important.
What I also liked about the place is that you order at the counter and they bring the food to you. I love that. I much prefer to do that than have a waitress.
The other thing that made me a happy camper is that I went out on a limb and tried their chicken. I only like white meat chicken, and sometimes you never know with Mexican restaurants. Sometimes the chicken is a little dark or slimy. Not here. It's actually pure white meat. And the texture is good. Not slimy!
The food is OK. I felt like my portion was a little small and I'm still hungry. But, the meal only put me back $6.50, so should I really be upset about that?
They deliver, have happy hour and cater. They do it all. They have a big tv so you can watch the tube while you eat. Make sure you bundle up because it's cold in there!! -
Review from Christine A.
Austin, TX
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
For a quick lunch, I sometimes pop in here and order the Black Bean Musical Fruit Nacho Salad. I am a bean freak so steer clear if you see me eating this salad. Actually, my body does not create gas. I'm one of the few people in the world who does not pass wind. Cut the cheese. Toot. Okay, that's more than enough of my 12 year old boy persona.
This salad is truly delicious and begins with a layer of tostado chips, then lots of crisp romaine lettuce, black beans, fresh tomatoes, cojito cheese tossed in a rosemary lime vinegarette with a scoop of guacamole on top. Next, you have the option of adding anything you want from the salsa bar. Think about the addition of cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, red salsa, tomatillo salsa, jalapenos, lime and whatever else blows your skirt up. Oops, another fart joke. There I go, again, stinking up this review. -
Review from Lenore F.
Austin, TX
1/15/2012
The service was really good. Honestly, I think this is probably not the place for us but is really a family place (seemed geared for folks with kids in tow). Put it this way, I have never before in my life seen green peas and diced carrots in Mexican rice. I am not a Mexican rice expert -- maybe I just haven't had real Mexican rice before. It just kind of threw me. The portions were small for what we paid -- we were still hungry after we ate. The flavor of the sauces on both of our dishes was actually pretty good. On the other hand, the roasted potatoes on the side were pretty bland. Black bean puree pretty good, tortillas just OK. Meat was overcooked. Definitely not worth it for the money for us.
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Review from Eddie G.
Austin, TX
1/23/2012
Horrible place...food is very tasteless. You will only thin that this is a good place if you have never been to any other Mexican food place before. Only went here because I had a Groupon...won;t be going back. STAY AWAY!
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Review from Jeff E.
Austin, TX
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Note: The food is pretty damn good here.
Had an issue with an employee here a couple of weeks ago, emailed the owner (contact@zuzuaustin.com) with my issue and have never heard back. If you're going to have a contact email address on your site - respond when there are customer complaints, especially when they're serious.
A shame. -
Review from Jenny L.
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I read most of the other reviews, and decided to at least give this place a try. Mainly because it's right down the street. The decor hurts my eyes. It's bright and tacky.
The salsa bar is great, and the best was the tangy green salsa. Delish. I had a bean, potato and avocado breakfast taco. It was just that. Simple. The tortilla was great, crispy and chewy at the same time.
The husband had a sunrise breakfast platter, it's like a burrito thing. A massive burrito jammed with eggs and breakfasty stuff. He said it was okay, exactly what it was supposed to be. No surprises. Except the huge chunk of watermelon on the side.
So, zuzu's is just that. A simple, tasty, cheap breakfast. -
Review from richie r.
Austin, TX
8/28/2011
Got a breakfast taco, beans/potato/cheese on corn. Thought I'd eaten a BRICK, or the wet mortar at least. The hot sauces? They look nice, but have no flavor, just like the tacos.
Plus really snotty people working there. I won't be back, and you should avoid it, too. Taco Cababa is better than this place. -
Review from Urwhatuea T.
Austin, TX
Updated - 3/4/2011
I just had to detract a couple stars for now because of the awful atmosphere. It's not even zero atmosphere, it's like negative-atmospehere. SO MANY CHILDREN!! Jeezus, people, how many babies under the age of 10 can one woman have possibly birthed? I swear, I've never seen a family with just one, or even two children. There are always SEVERAL. Crawling and squirming all over the place, all squealing and yelling at once while the mother tries to loudly reign them in. Sometimes it feels like a brightly lit, echoey elementary school cafeteria in there, with scolding parents packed in trying to control them all (one parent per seven children).
Also I found a bug in my salad, which leads to me to believe they don't wash the lettuce. (??) At least not very well. Needless to say, green salad is no longer one of my preferred Zuzu's side items. And the corn relish is all over the place. Sometimes it's great, other times, yuck. When yuck, it's waaay too oily and tastes funny, sort of a chemical-flavor. Don't know what that's about... Last time I was there the corn relish was superb though and generously portioned. (Their portions are always extremely inconsistent.)Listed in: Austin's Best Grubs, Strip Mall Cuisine
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/6/2009
Do this. Go to Zuzu's and order either the fish taco or the chicken taco. Corn tortillas. Better… Read more »
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Review from Sasha T.
Austin, TX
1/11/2011
As my roommates are on the hunt for the best chimichanga in North Austin, we decide to try Zuzu. When we first walked in I just kept inhaling deeply. It smelt so good. :)
You place your order at a counter and they bring your food to you...it has a fast food vibe to it but as you can see into the kitchen and when you receive your order, you can most definitely tell it is far from fast food.
As my roommates place their order for the chimichanga the counter lady asks "chicken or beef"? My roommate replies ''do you have ground beef''? The lady behind the counter says ''No''.
I'm sorry..but what kind of MEXICAN restaurant...or ANY restaurant for that matter doesn't have ground beef? I don't think this counts as variety.
I ordered the Gorditas Plate, charro beans and spanish rice. I can honestly say, the only thing that tasted right was the charro beans. The gorditas were okay but not thrilling, even kind of bland. Sorry, but this place just does not get the beaner stamp of approval. Latino/as use spices in their cooking. There just wasn't enough spices or flavor in the food. Oh yeah, the coke from the fountain machine was good too. I don't think I'll be coming back here unless suggested by a group of friends. Not great and pretty over priced. -
Review from Candice M.
Austin, TX
9/23/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Yummy avocado tacos with great black beans. Didn't care too much for the "Mexican" rice, though. Will definitely get those tacos again!
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Review from Thomas M.
Georgetown, TX
9/9/2011
I was recently introduced to Zuzu by a friend, and have eaten there 3 times in the span of one week!. Had the grilled mahi mahi tacos twice, and the chicken enchilada platter once (with the green sauce). The food is VERY fresh, the staff is great, and aside from it's hidden location, (tucked away in a strip mall adjacent to a McDonalds), this place is GREAT.
It's not upscale dining in terms of atmosphere, or price but who cares! It's clean, bright and simple, the food is fresh, made to order and delicious.
I was tempted to give it 5 stars... I'll test a few more menu items and revisit my rating.
This is seriously GOOD FOOD!!! -
Review from Leigh D.
Austin, TX
2/23/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Fresh and DELICIOUS
An Austin favorite of mine for many years. Fresh, healthy food that's also fast, and easy on my tummy too!
I LOVE this place -
Review from Sarah C.
Updated - 6/10/2011
The owner has tracked down and confronted -IN PERSON-, 2 reviewers of his restaurant and banished them from his restaurant because they did not give him a favorable review. I will not be going back to this establishment and I don't think you should either unless you ONLY give them 5 stars.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/11/2009
OK. I lied. I didn't know I was lying the first time I wrote the review. I swear.
I've been spending… Read more »
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Review from Allison J.
Austin, TX
12/17/2010
If you're in a rush, have a hankering for tex-mex but want something fresh and not all greased up then Zuzus is the place for you, oh and me too!
There are two things on the menu that I order: the grilled chicken tacos and the grilled chicken salad. The tacos come on flour tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes and cojita cheese. You also get two sides. I always get the rice and refried black beans. The beans themselves come in a little corn shell which is a bonus if you are super hungry.
Their salsa bar is great and their green tomatillo sauce is the best. I cover everything in it!
I always leave Zuzus full and satisfied. -
Review from Jeff M.
Austin, TX
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best basic Mexican food in town. Super good food for very reasonable prices. Love the salsa bar
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Review from Karol M.
1/13/2011
This Tex-Mex restaurant is one of my favorite quick & healthy lunch or dinner spots. It's quick, but it's not fast food.
Their menu has all the standard fare you'd expect: fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, etc. The food is fresh, colorful, and well presented, eliminating that unhealthy "hues of brown and gold" effect that you often get with a Mexican food plate. This restaurant offers sides like a green salad (made with real leafy greens, not shredded iceberg lettuce), grilled corn relish, and blended black beans served in a taco shell cup (my kids' favorite). The fajitas include red and green bell peppers. The fish tacos (my favorite) are made with mahi mahi and served with green leaf lettuce. There is a specials board with various selections that change weekly. They have a standard kids' menu for 12 & under.
Salsas are handmade and are available on ice at a side bar. They offer pico de gallo, diced red onions, and a delicious verde & chunky red salsa.
For drinks, they offer bottled beer and Jarritos sodas from a cooler on the front counter, along with iced tea and sodas and lemonade.
Here's what makes it quick: You view the menu and order the food at the front counter, pay and get a plastic number tent. Then you pick up your drinks & silverware and choose a table. They bring your food to you when it's ready (usually 10-15 minutes max). The dining area is one large room with mainly 2 & 4 top tables, with a few available for larger party seating (we've also shoved a few tables together for larger parties on occasion). They bus the tables when you leave. All in all, a pleasant dining experience. -
Review from Vanessa Z.
Austin, TX
11/3/2010
Ah man, it is so convenient for me to stop here on my way to work to pick up some breakfast tacos. I've been doing it for about 6 months. Not everyday, but maybe once a week. The tacos were never great, but they were pretty cheap, and once I covered them in salsa, pico, cilantro, lime, etc, well, you can make anything taste good with a lot of condiments.
Sometimes I would get the eggs, cheese, and bacon, other times, the eggs, cheese and potato. But, no matter what I got at 9am, around 4pm, I was always running to the bathroom. It never failed. Stomach cramps, and the worse diarrhea known to man. I'm sure ya'll are thinking, "well, that could have been from anything." Except it happened every single time I ate breakfast tacos from ZuZus. When I told some friends who frequently go to the ZuZus on 2244 about my problem, they totally agreed, and said they too had similar experiences. I'm not sure if it's improper food handling, ie, cooked eggs that have been sitting out for too long, but they really need to do something about it, cause they are making people sick;( -
Review from Dona A.
Austin, TX
2/27/2011
I was not impressed by this restaurant. I have nothing good that I can say about the food.
The location is awesome, however, and that is why I gave my review two stars instead of one. -
Review from Austin T.
Austin, TX
8/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's very OK. We excused a lot for being local owned and fresh. We did not like the thick tortilla soup at all.We do like the corn tortilla tacos
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Review from Tim L.
4/21/2011
Pretty decent Tex-Mex for those in a hurry. It's technically a sit down restaurant, but you get your food fast. There are your regular options as well as more healthier ones. And they have a really good salsa bar. That's the good. Here's the bad. Like URWhatUEa T says, there's plenty of out of control children. I'd expect that at Chuck E Cheese, but ZuZu's? Not so much. I had a hard time biting my tongue every time kids ran by my table. If you don't mind that sort of thing then no worries.
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Review from Eve R.
7/23/2011
Meh. I like the idea better than the execution. Fresh ingredients, locally-owned, bright paint, how can you go wrong? I'm not sure, but Zuzu manages to do it.
I had the Mexican cheesesteak "super burrito" - not sure what was super about it, because it was pretty small and didn't seem to have all the ingredients the menu said it did. I'm pretty sure the menu listed beans, rice, meat, cheese, lettuce. All I found for the most part was tough meat - and I mean REALLY tough - hard to chew - and a LOT of lettuce, with a very tasty sauce that was only evident in about 1/3 of the burrito. It almost seemed like the burrito was rolled the wrong direction because one side was so saucy it got all over me, and the other half didn't have ANY sauce evident at all. And the only melted cheese was at the very bottom of one half - it was really good with melted cheese, I sure wish that had been included throughout the whole thing. The menu also mentioned it was served with queso, but there was not anything that resembled queso on my burrito. Overall, it was small, tough, inconsistent, seemed to be missing half the ingredients, and not worth the price at all.
The bf has been a loyalist of this place, and he says he has "gotten used to" the food. I don't want to have to "get used to" the food. It's either good or it isn't, and this just isn't. He had a blackened catfish platter of some kind, and there was so little fish he had a hard time finding it under a pile of finely chopped veggies. It was a SERIOUSLY small quantity of fish. I tasted his corn relish, and didn't care for it at all. Just had a flavor I didn't like. I didn't try the rice he got, but it looked ok.
He tells me I didn't like it the last time we went either, which I don't remember. I guess that's to be expected, since the food really is not memorable. But the paint is nice! -
Review from Amanda R.
Austin, TX
1/19/2011
I was out running errands and had driven past this place a zillion times so I stopped in to get some lunch on the run.
Here in Austin, we have a plethora of wonderfully delicious mexican places-so save your money and go to Tacodeli, Torchy's or a great little taqueria. Hell, even Taco Cabana is better if you are desperate and on the run like I was.
I had some kind of weird combo plate and the only thing good was the chicken flauta. So, I basically spent like $15 to eat a chicken flauta. I will never return and I wished someone had warned me. -
Review from Alex S.
Austin, TX
5/5/2011
I have tried Zu Zu on many different occasions since I work close by and they have never once impressed me. I have ordered mostly breakfast tacos from them and I would say half of those times they have messed up on the order. I never order eggs on my tacos and it seems like they put eggs every time. I find their food to be bland and have no taste or flavor. I feel like their customer service is slacking in more ways than one and the owner is not pleasant or warm welcoming. He also gets on his employees about them not doing their job correctly while customers are standing waiting for their food or trying to order. I find this tasteless and tacky. Like I said the only I eat there is because it is so close by but I would rather have La Salsa up the street.
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Review from Tee D.
11/3/2008
You're obsessed, a friend says to me as I chomp down on my fish taco.
Muwhat? I'm mid-chew.
Obsessed. With the fish tacos. It's ridiculous.
Is not.
Why do you always have to act 5?
Do not.
Exactly.
I can't have this conversation right now. See this? I point to the fish taco. This requires silence.
Lalalalalalalalalala!
Now who's acting 5?
Lalalalalalalalalalala!
I hate you. But you (I look lovingly at the fish taco), I love.
Obsessed!
Am not!Listed in: Words, words, words
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Review from Javier D.
2/18/2008
This place has consistently good food. I love the way the salad is always fresh. My tummy always thanks me, so I can tell this is probably one of most health conscious mexican food menus in town. The black beans are really good and I love the chip boat. I usually order their quarter chicken meal. It never disappoints. I have eaten my way from the top of the menu to the bottom. It's all good. And the portions are just enough to satiate, not so much you feel guilty or sick.
I recommend you try a little of everything from the salsa bar. It's not like the Taco Cabana where you have to worry about the cleanliness. This place is always spotless. I even tried to eat some of the chopped jalpenos, but they were pretty darn hot even for this native Texan. Try the Mango iced tea, you won't be sorry. It's delicious and it will put that jalapeno fire out in a hurry.
The service is great. If you've been coming here for the last 9 years or so it's been open, then you know that they have some of the same faces working behind the counter besides the owner (who is always nice by the way). This says a lot to me about the working conditions. The same girl that has worked the register since they opened has become a very confident woman from when I saw her for the first time and now.
I am happy to give them five stars. They always come through for me in a pinch. The restaurant lies in that comfortable zone above fast food but below a restaurant dining experience, but you sure can't tell once you start eating this delightfully light alternative to the usual Mexican fare. -
Review from Lucy L.
Austin, TX
2/1/2009
Dear Zuzu-
A lesson in cultural cheeses. When I get Italian food, I want it to include mozzarella. When I get Mexican food, I want it to include cheddar. The opposite is NEVER true. Why did you put mozzerella on my breakfast taco? Furthermore, what disgusting flavor combination are you using in your eggs? Just like Dana B, I had to remove ALL of the egg from my breakfast taco. My new go-to hangover food nearly made me sick from the odd flavor combination that I just WASN'T interested in.
Thank you and have a nice day.
PS your tortillas suck too. -
Review from chappy s.
Austin, TX
12/6/2006
Zu Zu is a nice neigborhood mexi-food place..
they serve a variety of dishes, mostly standard items, it comes off as kinda west-coast style.. definitely not tex-mex, and def. not jalisco style.. maybe its just tailored to the west austin yuppie/family crowd...this isnt necessarily a knock on the place since it doesnt come off as snobby or pretentious, just trying to give you a feel of the vibe..
the staff is mostly mexican though, so i guess that counts for alot..
my favorite part of ZuZu is their salsa bar.. they have a nice variety of salsas (the verde is spectacular), sour creme, fresh diced jalepeno, celantro, and a few other goodies that make nice free add-ons to your meal..
I usually order the beef chimichanga, its a fried burrito topped with queso.. a calorie packed, scrumptious meal.. the chipotle chicken enchiladas are also a good bet.. and they make really good breakfast tacos in the AM.. try the chorizo egg and cheese..2 of'm and you might skip lunch..
the prices are higher than your avg taqueria, but still reasonable.. you'll spend.. about $6-8 on an entree.
overall, ZuZu is a good quick meal if youre looking for a place around 2222 and Mopac..
peace out,
Chappy
http://www.tacotown.org -
Review from adriana t.
Austin, TX
2/27/2009
In a town with so many tacos...so little time...Zuzu's is at the bottom of the list. I can appreciate the concept of the healthy fresh mex thing...but somewhere along the way...the flavor fell out...everything taco I have had there is crammed full of green leaf lettuce. Where IS the beef ?
The salsa bar is not bad...if there were only a decent meal in this place to slather the salsa with...we might have something.
Every time I have gone there, I have been underwhelmed...not impressed with their pricey over lettuced everything. The counter service is nothing to write home about...just snotty order takers.
The place is usually squeaky bleach and ammonia clean...which I guess is nice, but when the aroma of cleaners overpowers the food smells...me no likey.
If I want Fish Tacos I will hold out for La Salsa...another chain of the fresh mex movement but they leave the flavor in and leave out the attitude. -
Review from Jen L.
Cedar Park, TX
7/31/2007
Zuzu's is one of our top favs in Austin - neither the service, or the food, has ever disappointed.
The atmosphere is slightly above fast food, but the service is quite a bit above fast food. The restaurant itself is almost always immaculately clean, airy, and open, the staff behind the counter are almost always recognizable, and that's no doubt due to the owner's hands on management. He's often at the restaurant despite having a small army behind the counter.
The food is almost healthy, but is definitely fresh - my favorite dish is the cheese enchilada platter, with a side of green salad and roasted potatoes. The food is definitely not Tex Mex, and is not oppressively greasy or heavy - the cheese in the enchiladas is mozzarella, making for much lighter fair.
And kids abound in Zuzu's because they have a very reasonably priced children's menu, and the dinner for the kid's there is far healthier and less greasy than your run of the mill cheeseburger. The grackels on the patio, while annoying to the adults at times, absolutely mesmerize the kids, too.
The extremely light rosemary salad dressing, unique to Zuzu's, is absolutely fantastic. Rather than slathering it on, the lettuce is ever so lightly coated with this fantastic stuff. Since you can only get it there (unless you buy some to take home), it keeps us coming back.
I've been going there for years, and the food is always consistent, and always good. I definitely recommend checking them out if you want a casual, quick meal that's heavy on taste, light on penalties. -
Review from Natalia B.
Austin, TX
Updated - 9/2/2008
My second experience going here was better than the first, I'm pleased to say. This time I got the steak enchiladas, and boy were they yummy. The portion size of the meal was enough for both my husband and I to share. This time the sides were better too. We got the corn relish and black beans. Yum.
Also, I saw where they had a sign up that said "Monday-Wednesday night kids get two kids items free when an entree is ordered." This is just another way to say kids eat free Monday-Wednesday. I think that's cool.
Oh! I forgot to say that they also threw in a surprise free taco! Cool!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/28/2008
My husband and I decided to try this place for take-out after getting a coupon for one free meal… Read more »
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Review from Cody R.
Austin, TX
3/18/2008
I checked out ZuZu today for lunch and was pretty impressed. The unfortunate thing is that the rice and beans were better then my tacos.... that's good news if you are a rice and beans fan, but I would assume the majority of people come here for the main course. I wasn't that impressed with my first visit and I would have written the place off but:
a) jessica s. says it's really good....
b)The other food people were eating looking amazing. I just think the Tacos weren't the way to go.
c) It's decent Mexican food on the north side of town.
I will definitely be trying this place again. I got the Taco plate and a drink and it was $9.16... not crazy expensive, but definitely a lot more then I wanted to spend on lunch.... especially for tacos. it also took a while for the food to come out and we were maybe 1 of 7 people in the restaurant and the only ones who hadn't been served food. I think we waited 20 minutes for one order of tacos.... -
Review from John A.
Austin, TX
11/24/2007
I met a friend here every Thursday for lunch for several years, and it's funny how often I'd see other people meeting regularly for lunch... so, this place is definitely a "let's get back there" kind of place. It's dependable, the food's fresh and well-prepared, not too spicy and not too bland, the service is friendly, helpful and consistent. Every now and then, my friend would order catfish tacos (go figure) for lunch, and it'd take a little longer than usual for them to make it out to the table. But what the heck, he liked them and it gave us more time to chat.
This place's quality and customer-friendly atmosphere is from the top down; the owner Russel A. is often behind the counter, and is a friendly host. Most of the rest of the staff were the same for the years I've been going there, which in today's world speaks volumes about how people are treated. (i.e. quite well) The food was always good, and there are a few things that stand out and deserve special mention:
The peach mango iced tea is a flavorful treat, a departure from the ordinary run of the mill iced teas encountered elsewhere. Mix it 50/50 with the regular tea to get your caffeine fix. I never made it in the ladies room, but the men's room was always spotlessly clean and smelled like it had been scrubbed thoroughly with pine-sol about five minutes before I arrived. It's nice to have clean restrooms when you're a grown-up, and when you've got kids with you, it makes you feel good about bringing them along.
Really good food and a nice staff. -
Review from Vanessa D.
Pflugerville, TX
8/5/2010
I am such a stick-in-the-mud when it comes to ZuZu but they have the best tortilla soup ever and so that is all I ever order. I love it along with chips and the green salsa. Add a ZuZu cup filled with ice cold Dr. Pepper and I am in Heaven!
When I was pregnant with my first son (12 years ago) my husband and I would always go to ZuZu before attending our childbirth classes at Seton Northwest. Food really wasn't my friend during either pregnancy but ZuZu's tortilla soup helped me make it through. -
Review from Alan J.
8/15/2009
Actually 4.5 stars, but hey, I'm feeling generous, since I just ate there and am in a happy place.
Had the blackened catfish tacos with black beans and corn relish on the side. Usually fish tacos are made with fish and cole slaw, but these had an avocado slice and a delicious sauce, probably Adobo, spicy, smoky with a hint of chocolate. I didn't miss the cole slaw a bit.
The beans came in a small crisp tortilla bowl - a nice touch - and were wonderful. The corn relish was the only mis-step - it was okay, but a little bland. i think some onion, or some lemon juice would really bring the relish together.
In any event, I'd be happy to go back there again, and in fact look forward to going back.Listed in: Favorite Eats
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Review from courtney d.
Austin, TX
12/15/2008
I love you Zuzu.
I have loved you ever since I first laid eyes on your fresh salsa bar.
Your queso is amazing...but that is not even the best part.
You grill your tortillas so each breakfast taco has a little crunch to it...and the white cheese is all melty and delicious.
You also make a mean chicken salad with yummy vinaigrette.
And finally, as if it could not get any better, I read an article somewhere that you broke off from the Zuzu chain so that you could use fresh, healthy ingredients (like veggie stock instead of lard in the beans, for instance). -
Review from Jennifer W.
Austin, TX
8/7/2010
Was really in the mood for enchiladas the other day, had heard a few good things about them so I thought why not give them a try.
I was completely let down. The food was average, sauce tasted odd, and there was hardly any cheese in the enchilada. The queso, I am pretty sure, was velveeta and rotel, though they did have some nice salsas. The rice was ok, but the pureed black beans were just weird. They served them in a tortilla bowl, not something you would put a liquid in, and as it got soggy the beans leaked out.
Basically it is 3 steps up from taco cabana. A friend raved about the shrimp tacos, so I may go back to give those a try. -
Review from Alex M.
6/16/2008
Decent place to meet up for a quick, order-at-the-counter lunch.
I love that they have so many vegetarian options (rice and black beans check out clean). My mango iced tea tasted pretty off, so the cashier said if I dumped it out, I could have a Coke. Uh, ok. The sides are key, since many platters come with your choice of things like corn or potatoes.
A pleasant change from the usual. Go, check it out. It's not really TexMex and it's not really Southwestern, but that's ok. Just know that you might get something different on your plate than you expected, but it'll be fine.
Key driving hint: it's next door to a McDonald's. And, if you turn north on Balcones, at the light behind the shopping center, you will have the chance to slingshot (aka fancy U-Turn) around to the front of the shopping center, which faces the Mopac frontage road. -
Review from Gwen T.
Austin, TX
8/16/2010
Great lunch spot!
Love the salad topped with grilled chicken, or the fish tacos w/ corn tortillas. Also LOVE the green salsa from the salsa bar. The red's good too, but I LOVE the green!
The only thing I've had here that I really didn't like was the corn relish that comes as a side dish. Very oily and unappetizing.
