Zed Cafe is located in Lakeside, just down the hill from the Bryan Park entrance and directly across from Roy’s Big Burger. I have been to Zed Cafe twice and am ready to throw my two cents into the pile.
Friday Night Dinner:
I had the hanger steak. It was served with mashed sweet potatoes, garlicky greens, and wild mushrooms.
Pros: The food was awesome! Oddly enough, the wild mushrooms were my absolute favorite. They had a great texture and the sauce they were served in could not have been better.
Cons: Ordering a beer was a might challenging, they were out of a few things, which meant multiple trips to the back to hunt for the next selection. We found ourselves looking around, wondering why the service was slow, since there were very few people dining. When it came time for desert, Mel was disappointed to find out they were out of the Coconut flan, which she was looking forward to for the entire meal.
Sunday Brunch:
I had the french toast with fresh fruit.
Pros: The french toast was very tasty.
Cons: Apparently, “served with fresh fruit” means “served with one strawberry cut into four pieces”. I was disappointed to find that the only protein available for a side dish was chicken sausage. I tried a bite of Mels and was not very satisfied with the texture or flavor. Mel asked for a pear soda, which was listed by the waitress as an option, only to find that they were out of it. Someone at the table ordered the scrambled eggs with cilantro and it turns out the egg / cilantro mix was about 50/50, which was too much for the diner to handle. They did replace the scramble with some plain scrambled eggs however. Lastly, the service was, again, very slow even though there were very few people present.
Summary:
I can still say that I like this place. I think the service and stock is what needs the most attention. “I’m sorry we’re out of that” on both trips was a definite disappointment. Attention to the amount of time a table sits unattended is also very important. As far as the food goes, I have to say they still get high marks. Some of the options and flavors presented, in my opinion, are for people that enjoy organic foods. I think I would take a liking to the chicken sausage if I had it a few times and the cilantro eggs may be excellent to someone that does not label themselves as a picky eater. If you like organic foods, you should certainly add this restaurant to the list of new places to try, just don’t be surprised to find they are out of your first choice of something.
-Kamen