11/25/08

Not impressed

by jimmy2

The overall atmosphere and decor in the restaurant is pleasant.

Unfortunately, we found the food to be inconsistently priced for what we were served. $12 for a Guacamole Appetizer is, simply put, obnoxious and while their full plate options were not as exorbitant, they really should not have been over $20.

We had the Pollo Con Huitlacoche, which was a little dry. At the end of the day, it was just just Chicken and Mash Potatoes...how could they get that wrong?!? On the servers recommendation, as one of their best plates, we also ordered the Arroz A La Tumbada which was a huge disappointment. The clams were not cleaned and very gritty which destroyed an otherwise potentially tasty meal. Honestly, we've had better shellfish at Joe's Crab Shack!

This restaurant is next to a Steakhouse and a Pan Asian restaurant in the Westfield Shopping Center. We made our decision to eat here only becase the other two restaurants had a waitlist and Zazil had open tables. We should have taken the hint...

• Pros: Nice Decor
• Cons: Overpriced, Average Food

12/28/07

Mildly disappointed but not surprised.

by diamondbackqueen

The reason I say I am not surprised is because in all the times I have come to central and northern California I have yet to come across a "mexican" resteraunt that is.. good. The kind of restaraunt where you walk in the front door you are greeted immediately and seated just as fast. Whatever you order you know is going to be delicious because these are the kinds of dishes were you can taste the cuminn, the onions, the cilantro, the chile actually has flavor. It doesn't taste like it comes from a can or from a jar. It tastes authentic without having to advertise itself as "authentic mexican cuisine".

I have been preparing and cooking mexican food for over 20 years. I run a catering service and our speciality is mexican food tamales, chile rellenos, birria and occassionally mole'.

I personally think it is unreasonabel to wait more than 5 minutes for a party of 4 when you have two available tables that seat 4. We waited becuase the tables not been bussed or prepped. Our waiting was nice but we had to constantly flag them down to get basic things like, sugar, more water,tortillas. I tried to order the sangria but was told they were out of sangria. Go figure. I ordered the coffee instead. The coffee was horrible. It tasted as though it had been sitting out.

So enough with the negativity. We ordered the mole` & the chile`relleno. They were delicious. In fact, they could have made up for the wait time, the so-so service and lousy coffee. The portions were good the presentation of food was alright. The rice with the Mole` had an odd taste like it had been burnt. IMO not worth 15 dollars.

I could have overlooked all that...the wait time the so-so service even the bad coffee but what I can not overlook is if you are going to garnish a mexican dish don't do it with Italian Parlsey. I mean come on guys its called Cilantro. I know here in Northern California you have access to cilantro.

Unfortunately the overall experience overshadowed the good food.

• Pros: ambience, mole`
• Cons: service, menu items availability

08/04/07

you gotta try this place- great food and amazing drinks

by ej12

When i first saw some of the iffy reviews posted for this restaurant, i was a little bit hesitant to try Zazil- but a huge craving for margaritias and mexican food while shopping prompted me to stop by... what a great place! I'm a big fan of tres agaves, mamacitas, etc., the food AND the drinks here were just as good but w/o the long wait. The warm tortillas (hand-made fresh in the back) alone are worth the visit- they literally melt in your mouth. the sangria was better than any place i've ever had- not too sweet, clean and fruity. we tried two of the margaritas from the extensive margarita menu- both were excellent, and so was the vanilla-mango mojitos and the taquilito (i know i spelled that wrong- it's the first mixed cocktail listed on the menu w/ pomagranate). as far as the food-- the spicy crab soup was my favorite- thick and flavorful. can't wait to go back to try some of the other things on the menu. next time you're at the bloomies mall- give this place a try- at least stop by for a drink!!

• Pros: convenient and no waiting, amazing food, drinks and service
• Cons: not a hip as some of the other higher end mexican places in the city

03/21/07

Convenient location with good food.

by tulip333

Zazil is conveniently located inside the Bloomingdale's shopping center in San Francisco, and offers a good selection of entrees. We started the meal with an order of the fresh guacamole; which was made tableside. Unlike many restaurants that serve tortilla chips with guacamole, Zazil provides delicious corn tortillas. Be sure to save room for dessert. The chocolate souffle is a must, but order it while eating dinner because it takes 20 minutes to prepare.

02/03/07

Great Service and Great food !!!

by cokeca

Was there tonight with my lady, Excellent food, taquila. Gucamole is a must - table side service. That's a great idea. Our server - Jose is very knowledable, friendly and attentive. Gay friendly. We had Gucamole for appetizer. I had a Pibil of Pork (could use more salt thou), she had Shrimp Enchaladas (YUMMY!!!). My gf could resist in ordering a dessert - Guava Rice pudding. It's very good but portion is little too big. I also ordered a flight of Tequila - WOWWWW....I love it. Definitely will return.

• Pros: Good food, great tequila selection, good service, great guacamole
• Cons: Tables are a little tight, somewhat noisy

01/25/07

Innovative Mexican fare and high-end tequila find their way to the Westfield San Francisco Centre.

by Contributor

The Scene
Tired shoppers get a break from busy mall shopping amidst breezy bamboo ceilings; pink, tiled floors and alternating shades of cooling blue on the booths and walls. Large light fixtures hang, jelly-fish-like, from the ceiling while brushed metal fish swim along the walls to playfully re-create a coastal Mexican feel. Fishtail-shaped flatware complete the theme.

The Food
Much like the offerings at sister restaurant Colibri, Rocio Gomez's inspired menu abounds with Mexican and Central American influences. Stuffed baby squid pop with Veracruz minilla, axiote-and-orange-marinated pork is wrapped, Mayan-style, in banana leaves and beef medallions are enrobed in velvety mole Oaxaqueno. Spices take center stage in starters like crabmeat soup cooked with four chili peppers and desserts like the chocolate tamal atop chili-laced berry sauce.

01/13/07

We felt special

by sash

We have been to Zazil a few times since they have opened and each time we like it more. The bartender remembered us and actually called our drinks perfectly for the second time. The service is attentive and they'll give you as much or as little information as you would like on the dishes/recipes. Each time, whether it was at the bar or in the dining room, we were treated very well.

The food and flavors are fantastic. The recipes are sophisticated, the presentation is beautiful and the drinks-wow. They make their own margarita mix (if you like Jose C, blended margs- try elsewhere) and have more tequilas than any other place I have been to (excpt Colibri). The have over 280 different 100% agave tequilas! We tried their monthly flight of three tequilas what a treat.

I had to write as we wanted folks to know that this restaurant deserves an address of it's own! Don't judge it because it is in a mall (Bradley Ogden opened up next door for instance), or because you can get low-end mexican food in California for half the price. This place is quality, from the service to the food. I was a little disappointed that they did bend (after a month) a little to TexMex & have house made tostaditas for purchase to go with the guacamole (I guess most folks couldn't grip the idea that chips are not really authentic Mexican food, not originally.)

The last time we went was at lunch (actually their first day serving a new lunch menu, they'll be adding more each week) and we had the best chilaquiles (tortilla strips with cheese, green sauce, crema and chicken) ever. I am excited to try their new lunch menu items the next time we shop because I'd sure rather be served and relax for lunch than stand in the food court downstairs. You can eat in an hour or less if you would like to, but why rush?

I want Zazil to succeed, we need more authentic Mexican food in a state that is mostly Mexican. Hats off to Zazil for going the extra mile and being very good at it. Thank you!

• Pros: authenticity, service, drink list

01/09/07

Delicious food.

by notti

I was in this new restaurant in the mall and was very pleasantly surprised. The quality of the flavors and plate presentation was all to appealing!!

I had the Torre Salmon (salmon tower) and it was flaky tender and might I say visually exciting with the plantains and the vibrant colors... mmmm I would go back just for that.

this was my first exposure to traditional mexican cuisine and with the upscale presentation ...............I will be back.

The price was par for the caliber of food we were enjoying about $32 per person and the service was great ,,I would highly recommend this restaurant .

• Pros: Great food, Great Service
• Cons: none

12/15/06

pretty good but overpriced

by somen

went for dinner on a thursday night. pretty cool decor, nice ambiance so long as you don't sit in the front area looking out at the mall. food was pretty good, due to the very interesting flavors. i had the chicken huitlacoche which was stuffed w/some portabellas, huitlacoche, corn, and squash. there was a very tasty sauce on the side, but i found the chicken breast to be a bit dry. generally speaking i was pleased with the food because the flavor was so good, but found the restaurant to be far overpriced. the chicken and an agua frescas ran me $30 (including tip)...not totally unreasonable if the food is rather top notch, and in a non-mall-like location, but a bit pricey given the circumstances. would go back, but only if the prices came down between $5-10 per dish...

• Pros: decent food, nice drink list, friendly service
• Cons: overpriced, food kinda overcooked

12/07/06

Yummy seafood dishes

by mirie34

After a long day of shopping three of us decided to try out a new restaurant in the Westfield Mall. Zazil was a nice casual restaurant we decided to dine at and try a few different platers.

We tried the Ceviche Trilogy, Octopus Carpaccio, Fish Tacos, Guacamole (made at your table), spicy garlic shrimp, rice soup and a chocolate tamal for dessert all delicious no complaints. All the dishes had different flavors and spice factors. If the dish wasn't spicy enough there are three complimentary salsa's. Yum!!! I didn't try the tequila this time around but would definetly try some on the next visit.

Two thumbs up!!!

• Pros: Service, Parking, Ambience
• Cons: Pricey if you're on a budget.