02/13/08

Upsetting, but I will try again

by brownasian

Personally, my experience was pretty bad. Maybe I chose a bad day, I don't know. My best friend and I were on a mini vacation and wanted to dine somewhere nice. We liked the place, but the service was bad and the dinner wasn't superb. Our cocktails didn't arrive until we were ALMOST done with our dinner! So I thought maybe my Martini would save the evening... NOPE. Even though, we wasn't happy, we're going to give it another try.

04/08/07

Jazz Brunch, NOT!!! Bad Service, Awful Food, 2.5 Hours Wasted

by shootmeok

Came for the brunch without reading any reviews. The "Basket of the Best Breads" was so much less than that, barely enough for two people (2 slices of each bread) at $7.95, missing some of the advertised breads and definitely not warm. The Challah bread was hard as if stale, not pleasurable. In the starters the "Mixed Greens" were minimal and the Overflowing Melon Bowl was anything but, the equivilent of one slice of unripe melon and a dollop of yogurt. The waitress was not even aware that certain items were not available until she put the order in and we had to reconsider our orders. The main dishes did not arrive until we had been there one and a half hours. In the mean time the band was loud, not together (a member was learning the tunes), and played motown soul cover tunes not jazz. When the food finally arrived Huevos Rancheros and Poached Eggs Oscar it was cold. The side of bacon was only 2 slices, and the homefries side was barely the equivilent of a 1/3 of a baked potatoe at $3.95 each. Finally it was time for dessert. The "Homemade Godiva Chocolate Bread Pudding" was replaced by a Brownie, and the "Peach Crisp" by peach cobbler. Neither were good. We came in with an open mind and average expectations, but left disappointed, disgusted, and hungry.

• Pros: Easy to find, Good Location
• Cons: Inattentive staff, Disappointing Food

02/15/07

Awful service, mediocre food

by tskubiak

Though the atmosphere is nice and the jazz for the Sunday brunch is great, the service at this place is atrocious and the food is mediocre at best. The brunch offers a drink, starter, main course, and dessert. 1 hour and 15 minutes after ordering... no starter. No waiter to be found either. We found the manager, they admitted that the waiter cancelled our order in their system, and promised our food would be up right away. Another 15 minutes went by, and we received the starter. Another 30 minutes went by and no main course. We asked the manager again; they promised it was coming. Almost 30 minutes later SOME of our food came out. By the time the rest of the food came, everyone else's was cold. Everything was overcooked and bland. Then we got the bill.... and never received the dessert. We spent 2 1/2 hours there. What a waste of time and money.

02/02/07

Crappy Cuisine and Belligerent Bouncer

by fritzadelphia

I went with a few friends on a Thursday night during restaurant week. The bar has a nice layout, and the jazz was excellent. Our server was also very nice and attentive. However, the food was awful. The cuts of steak consisted of 50% gristle, and the red snapper tasted like all the moisture had somehow been sucked out of it. More disturbing than the bad food, however, was the belligerence of the bouncer/maitre d' who came rushing over to our table and menacingly screamed, "you need to calm down, son" to me, as I was responding to an amusing story told by a friend. The use of the term "son" when addressing a 28-eight-year-old was particularly appreciated. The hostess then ran over, bewildered, asking whether anything was wrong. For the rest of the night, the bouncer/maitre d' glared at our table. If you plan on smiling and laughing DO NOT come here. Perhaps they took Ari Gold's admonition, "Silence is golden," a little too much to heart.

• Cons: Angry Bouncer/Maitre d'

01/21/07

Excellent experience!

by aborgman

Had a romantic dinner Friday night and really enjoyed the whole experience. The staff was very friendly and helpful, the entertainment was fantastic, and the food was great. The shrimp tempura, with bits of fried asparagus, was quite tasty. For dessert we tried the sweet potato cheesecake, which was amazing, and the chocolate cake, which was also quite good but was stood up by the cheesecake. I never would have thought to make cheesecake with sweet potato, but after trying it, it makes perfect sense. Meanwhile, the service was well-timed and the atmosphere cozy and comfortable. It's an experience that's well worth it!

• Pros: Entertainment, sweet potato cheesecake, atmosphere

Classy supper club turns out smooth jazz and haute cuisine.

by Contributor

In Short
Classy couples, single traveling business folks and jazz nuts sit in the same room eating, sipping champagne and digging the music. Live jazz plays seven nights a week as the kitchen turns out classic Southern cooking, soul food and Latin and French dishes. Menu highlights are warm spinach salad, Portobello mushroom Napoleon, crab cakes and West Indian pollo pan-do (chicken breast, curry, cayenne and coconut rum). Weeknights feature a three-course prix-fixe meal based on a theme.

12/08/05

15+ Years Later, it's Still Great!

by hubriis

We celebrated a romantic anniversary at ZB last weekend ~ food was glorious, service was exceptional, and the Jazz was Hot! I always come here when I'm in the city, and I will continue to do so!!!!!!!!

• Pros: Romantic, Great Atmosphere, Hot Jazz

11/14/05

Always a winner

by mishma

My boyfriend and I visit Phildelphia twice a year and each time we go we always stop at ZB for the music and the food. The Short Rib and the Salmon is out of this world. The prices are just right, and if you are not a heavy drinker, or wnat to save a few bucks they offer half bottle, even on the expense champagnes. The Price for the depends on the band for the evening. This place will always be a favorite

• Pros: food, service, music

11/04/05

In the mood for jazz

by ariellager

We went for dinner during restaurant week, so menu was a little different than regular. The food was pretty good, but the desserts were excellent! Our server was a little slow and inattentive, but she was very nice and apologized every time she forgot something (several times). The mood here is very hot, very sensual, and the decor and food go right along with it - I would definately recommend Zanzibar for a special date.

• Pros: good atmosphere

09/23/05

Everything Good Except for the service

by emw1

Went for dinner, at first the service was good, then a few more people arrived and our server seemed disoriented, we asked for drinks three times and all three times she said she would be right back, and we waited, and waited until finally we wrapped up our food and went to the bar area.

• Cons: faster service