Thursday, August 8, 2013

Review of Z Garden

 
I gave Z Garden an overall score of 4.3, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories:
number of visits4 of 5
price range4 of 5
family friendly?3 of 5
% menu vegan4 of 5
quality of service5 of 5
quality of food4 of 5
local mainstay?2 of 5

Comments:
Once in a while, an oasis of good food pops up in a place you don’t expect. If the food is right and the owner is a business-minded mover and shaker, deal maker, then it has a chance of sticking around. Z Garden seems like one of those places.
They did the best they could with a sleepy and aging shopping center, and it’s much improved over the last tenants. The interior is trendy and clean, though, for the decorations and furniture, they have consistently chose expensive looking over quality and function. They also opened up the outside with a few tables between the building and the sidewalk.
Service has always been great and they understand and work with vegans. When I asked if the falafels are vegan, they responded, “yes, we don’t use egg,” putting my “don’t understand vegan” fears to rest. It has a family feel and the people they hire, whether they are family or not, are always friendly and helpful.
Now, as for the food, it is very tasty and they seem to use good ingredients. Most vegan selections like hummus and baba ghannouj are olive oil heavy, so it appeals more to my sense of taste than to my sense of health. For entrees, they have a vegetarian kebab and a vegetarian plate that are both filling and delicious. There’s plenty on the menu and you can’t really go wrong.
Z Garden is a fresh new place that I hope has a future in Santa Monica. They have great food and good service. The only real drawback is that they use disposable plates and utensils. But, go support them, order vegan, and slip in a comment to ditch the disposable. Then go tell your vegan friends and let’s see if we can get them to stick around.

Update: Z Garden has opened a 2nd restaurant in Santa Monica that has a better location, interior, and vibe.  Best of all, the ditched the disposable plates and utensils.
 

 
Additional Info
Address: 2350 Pico Blvd, 90405
Area: Pico
Reviewed Meal: Lunch
Ethnicity: Mediterranean
Click for more info.