Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: Z

[a] Zebb's
Zees
Zest
[am] Zetti's Pizza and Pasta
Zip's-Wiseguys Pizza

Key:

[—], , ,	Bill's rankings
[XXX]	recommendation from contributor whose initials are XXX
[a+]	on UB Amherst Campus (in the UB Commons)
[a]	near UB Amherst Campus (within 2 miles)
[m]	near UB Main St. Campus (within 2 miles)

(For more info on locations, see Geography)

All phone numbers are in area code 716, unless otherwise indicated.

---

Zebb's Deluxe Grill and Bar
2875 Niagara Falls Blvd. (south of North French), Amherst.
564-0610.

Part of the (local) chain.

[HPK, 4/08] says: "I had not been back to this restaurant in about three or so years. It has changed big time, unfortunately to the bad. My wife and I ordered nachos to start. Please tell me if I am wrong, but shouldn't nachos have cheese on them? Shouldn't they be somewhat hot? Neither is the case here. We even sent it back once; it came out lukewarm and with almost no cheese. The manager brought it by the second time and just plopped it on the table; nothing else was said. For our main meals, I ordered a California Pizza Salad, which, in the description, looked great. Absolutely no flavor at all. My wife ordered a cheeseburger; once again, no flavor. Which, by the way, when she placed the order for her "Cheese burger," she was asked, "do you want cheese with that?" Our waitress looked absolutely miserable; she did not want to be there. I forgot to mention, I ordered a Margarita without salt—of course, it came with salt. By the end, I should have said something to the manager, but we just wanted to leave. I will not be going back. After posting the review on this site, I sent a copy of it to Zebb's. I received a call today from the General Manager of this location apologizing and offering to send me a gift certificate. This is great customer-service follow-up. He said that this was not the way things were supposed to happen. I will give them a second try." [Editor's note: It may be great, but I'm beginning to detect a pattern here: Go; be unhappy; complain; be mollified? (Compare [HPK]'s story to [JF]'s, and reread Zebb's Laws.—Bill]

[Editor's note: Before reading the next review, please note that there's a follow-up immediately after it that shows the power and importance of discussing unhappy experiences with management. Readers might also find this page from Zebb's website of interest (thanks to another reader who wishes to remain anonymous): Zebb's Laws.—Bill]

[JF, 9/04] said: "I would like to share with you our family's dining experience last night at Zebb's. First, let me tell you that we eat at Zebb's often, and we really like the food and drinks. Last night was not a pleasant experience for us. My son and husband ordered burgers, and I ordered the Baja Chicken Enchilada. It took a very long time for our food to arrive, and our server explained that that was because an order for a table of 15 was placed just prior to our order. When we finally did receive our food, the fries with my son's burger were soggy (my husband ordered wet fries, so of course they were soggy), the tops of the burger buns were hard and dry, and my enchiladas were cold on the inside. I did eat most of one enchilada, because the server never came back to the table to check on our meal. Eventually, my husband got the attention of another staff member and asked for our server. When I told her that my enchiladas were cold, she sent over a manager. I told him that the rice on my plate was hot, but that the enchiladas were cold. He told us that he didn't see how that was possible since they are microwaved together on the plate. Well, it's nice to hear that I had a microwaved meal. And I know that it is quite possible for cold pieces of chicken wrapped in a cold tortilla to not reach the same temperature as a small portion of rice on the other side of the plate when cooked in the microwave. The manager proceeded to argue with my husband, and, after a couple of minutes, he walked away. He left me with the impression that he thought I was a liar about the temperature of my food and that we were just looking for free food. That is not the case, and we were billed for, and paid for, every item that we ordered. The manager's poor handling of the situation is what prompted me to write this message. It will take a while, but we will give Zebb's another chance. I hope the next experience is a typical good experience." [JF, 12/04] took action: "Our family had an unpleasant experience at Zebb's a few months ago, and I sent a letter to Richard Zdyb (owner) and forwarded the same letter to you. Eventually I did end up speaking with Mr. Zdyb, and he assured me that he had resolved the management issues, so we tried Zebb's again. We had a great experience. The food was all high quality, plus the Zebb's Original Margarita is one of the best in town. When I spoke to Mr. Zdyb, he mentioned that all of their food, including the soups, are prepared from scratch in the restaurants. That prompted me to order the Cream of Mushroom soup on my next visit, and it was excellent. In fact, it was so good that I placed a second order for soup to go. It is nice to know that a moderately priced restaurant is not just serving "freezer food". It is also nice to know that Mr. Zdyb does care about his customers."

[SMD, 9/04] says: "I tend to be "anti-chain restaurant" with so many fine independent restaurants in the area to choose from, but Zebb's is a notable exception. Zebb's is a regional chain with locations in Amherst, Orchard Park, Rochester, and Syracuse. What sets them apart from a lot of the national chains is their consistent quality and really fresh-tasting food. Lots of choices on the menu to suit any appetite: burgers, sandwiches, salads, and Tex-Mex. Fresh rolls for the sandwiches, and cookies and brownies (incredible!) are baked daily. Lots of seating and a kid-friendly menu, too. There's a nice "topping bar" for your burger, which features lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, onions, pepper, and too many other toppings to name here. If you're looking for a good meal in a casual atmosphere, try Zebb's. One word of caution: The place is very popular, and Friday and Saturday evenings there can be a wait. If you're so inclinced, relax in the lively bar and wait for your table."

[SLD, 10/98] says: "I ate appetizers—delicious!!!!!!!!!! Its a bar and restaurant; it's so good and a lot of fun. Free wings, TVs, big portions."

Zees Patio and Grill. WARNING: LOUD MUSIC ON WEBSITE!
92 Picton St. (in the Shaw Club Hotel, WARNING: LOUD MUSIC ON THIS WEBSITE, TOO! across from the Festival Theatre), Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, CANADA.
1-800-511-7070.

[7/05] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[WHN, 6/08] says: "We had lunch here several times before the hotel and the restaurant changed names and ownership, but this was our first time at Zees. On Sunday, 6/22, we sat on the covered veranda, an addition since the restaurant changed hands. For lunch, my wife had a lobster salad with shaved fennel over greens, with a vanilla and citrus vinaigrette. She loved it, especially the flavor that the fennel added to the dish. Also, there was a lot of lobster meat for the money (C$17); the server said it was a whole lobster tail. Obviously, it was a rather large one. I had crab cakes with spicy remoulade, and greens with a mustard vinaigrette. The crab cakes were delicious, as well. We shared an order of house "frites" with three sauces: aioli, chipotle ketchup, and basil pesto mayonnaise. They were also very good."

Zest.
1469 Pelham St., Fonthill, ON, CANADA.
905-892-6474.

Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer. [PDF]

Zetti's Pizza and Pasta.
[m] 3500 Main St. (University Plaza), Buffalo. 831-8000.
[a] 4621 Maple Rd. (near UB North Campus Flint Entrance), Amherst. 691-8535.

Reviews of the newer, Amherst location:
[WHN, 6/09] says: "One of the worst pizzas we've ever had. Almost no sauce or cheese."

[AAB, 6/09] said: "My family and I went here after an exhausting day. The space is large, well lit, and mostly clean. Behind the glass at their mammoth counter are tempting pizzas with a variety of toppings, waiting to be slid into their oven and heated. The pizza in Buffalo is almost uniformly disappointing. Thick, pillow-like crust cut into squares (even when the pizza is round) or, worse yet, simply randomly cut so that the pizza is in uneven and bizarre shapes. The pizza at Zetti's, however, is everything a pizza should be, even down to the grease, the texture and taste of the cheese, and the smell and thickness of the crust, and cut into a wedge. Moreover, they assure me that, unless it is a Sicilian pizza, they will never cut it into squares. The service was good, and I loved the friendly and welcoming atmosphere."

[SMD, 4/09] said: "Zetti's has opened a second location located on Maple Road directly across from the UB Amherst Campus. The place was full of a cross section of Buffalo: students, families, and people who appeared to be stopping for a quick slice on their way home from work. I tried a slice of the plain cheese pizza, and it was very good. Super thin and crispy crust, not the blobs of dough that usually pass for pizza crust in these parts. It is not heavily seasoned with Italian spices, which is how I like my pizza. They also serve pasta dishes with some delicious-looking slices of real Italian bread and had probably 12–15 different varieties of pizza that you can purchase by the slice. It's a bustling place with a very basic set-up of tables and chairs. Don't expect anything fancy, just good pizza. One of the guys behind the counter was tossing a phony rubber pizza crust to acrobatic heights, which was entertaining to watch while waiting for my order."

Reviews of the original, Buffalo location:

[MaSt, 1/08] says: "My husband, daughter, and I stopped at Zetti's in the University Plaza this evening, bottle of wine in tow, all set for a wonderful pasta dinner—which never happened. We told the young man at the counter that we were interested in having a sit-down dinner in the dining room. He said, "Fine." We walked back to find several unoccupied tables, many of which were dirty. Many were loaded with stacks of pizza boxes. An employee emerged from the kitchen, strolled through the dining room, ignored us, used the rest room, strolled back through, ignoring us yet again, and went back into the kitchen. We waited somewhat patiently for another 10 minutes and finally left without anyone noticing. The owner needs to decide what he wants: a takeout business or a restaurant, because he obviously isn't capable of managing both. We will never patronize this place again."

Bill said:

[7/06] Returned a few weeks later on a Friday at about 5:30 P.M., at the insistence of my son, who really liked the pizza. This time, we had a whole pizza (half pepperoni, half plain cheese), which was made to order fresh (as opposed to the previously merely reheated slices). The taste was marginally better, but still rather bland. The men's restroom was filthy, with very little supplies and an apparently broken sink.

[6/06] I [Bill] ate here with my 10-year-old son on a Wednesday evening around 6 P.M. I was very hopeful, given all the rave reviews below. But I was both disappointed and puzzled. The pizza had the right size for NYC pizza. It had the right crust. It had the right mixture of cheese and sauce (and greasiness :-). But it had no taste. I would have put salt on it, but decided it was probably unhealthy enough as it was. I hasten to add that my son liked it a lot. But I was disappointed. I was also puzzled: I have never before been in a restaurant or pizza parlor that only had Coca-Cola to drink: regular Coke, and only 8 cans at that. Not even any water! As for the alleged dining room with a long list of Italian dishes, it was dark and apparently not open.

[MRT] said:

[8/05] "We went to Zetti's for a sit-down dinner, now that they have begun dinner service. The service is BYOB, and we brought a bottle of excellent Italian wine with us, as well as glasses. The food and service is first rate. My husband and I began by sharing a very generous Caesar salad. Delicious bread and very soft butter were brought with the salad. All three of us ordered the eggplant parmesan. I'm from NY City, and I've always said you can't get decent eggplant parmesan outside of NYC. This was great eggplant parmesan. It came with your choice of three different kinds of pasta. With a promotional coupon worth one free dinner, our entire dinner only cost 28 dollars. We will most certainly return for dinner at Zetti's with great pleasure. Zetti's is the perfect place for dinner just before a movie at the Amherst 3."

[7/05] "We've now been to this pizzeria once a weekend more weekends of each month than not. I grew up in a town just over the line from NYC. This is pizza from my childhood. It's the best pizza in the world.:-) As of this writing, he has now opened up a full service restaurant in the back of the pizzeria with waiters, etc. His liquor licence will arrive in a few days."

[3/05] "Based on the review of [AJB], my husband and I had pizza for lunch today. I was born in Manhattan, and the pizza at Zetti's is just like the pizza back home. Yes! This is where everyone from the NYC metropolitan area needs to go for pizza. I asked for a Veggie Lover's pizza, because I wasn't thinking. All the vegetables were great, but next time, I'm just going to get a cheese pizza. The crust is good and thin, the sauce is great, the cheese is great. How can you go wrong?:-) He's going to open up a sit down restaurant in back. It will have room for 50. Right now he does a big take out business during dinner. He does offer a big Italian menu. An Italian grandmother told me his home made ravioli were great."

[SMD, 5/05] said: "I gotta admit, the best pizza I've had in Buffalo in ages. Unfortunately, the guy at the counter was kinda rude. I was greeted with "Whadda ya want?" and a scowl. Made me feel like I was back in Manhattan. Can NY-style pizza be served with a smile, or is that against some ancient custom? [Bill's editorial note: probably the latter :-)] I had the cheese pizza. It had just the right ratio of cheese to sauce and that great crispy crust."

[AJB, 2/05] said: "Mission accomplished. As a native downstater, I'm very particular about pizza. La Nova & the like are OK, but I'm partial to thin-crust, New-York-style (or Neapolitan) pizza. This is a rare breed in WNY. Until now. Sure, I love Romeo and Juliet's, and La Hacienda. But this place is different. It reminds me of home. John Fusco closed a pizzeria in Dobbs Ferry (Westchester Co.) and used the money to open up the first (and really, the only) authentic, genuine NY-style pizzeria in Buffalo, at the plaza across from UB South, and next to the Amherst Theater (corner of Main & Kenmore Aves.). He came to Buffalo because he new the product here wasn't good enough. He remarked to me, "When you're from down there [downstate], the stuff up here is just unacceptable." So true. The pizzas have a crusty, crunchy dough because it's baked right on the surface of the oven—not in a pan. The cheese and sauce melt together perfectly; if you lift the cheese, it has almost blended with the sauce. My favorite is the Eggplant Sorrentino pizza, featuring sauce, mozzarella, dollops of ricotta, and large slices of breaded eggplant. If you're looking for real NY-style pizza in Buffalo, this is just about your only choice."

Zip's-Wiseguys Pizza.
1341 Hertel Ave., Buffalo.
877-3473.

[TC, 7/08] says: "I'm shocked there aren't any reviews of Zip's on this site—considering its reputation around town. The long and short is: Don't bother ordering a pizza for delivery—you won't get it. Or rather, you will get, three hours later. We've ordered here twice—each time believing that there is no way a pizza joint can sustain itself with such godawful customer service. Each time, we've come away increasingly disgusted. The first time we ordered, on a Saturday night, we were given a delivery time of 45 minutes. Pizza was ordered at 11—arrived at 1:30. We didn't get to keep the pizza, though—because Zip's had forgotten that we had ordered with a credit card. Get this! After being an hour and half late—they had the nerve to take the pizza back to the store so they could enter our credit card number. They came back 30 minutes later with our ice-cold pizza. No apologies. By this point, we were too tired to eat the pizza at all (we had been quahogging in the bay most of the afternoon). Giving Zip's the benefit of the doubt (we're generous people), we tried ordering from Zip's again. The second time we ordered, the pizza never came at all! We called twice to ask what the status was—and they told us each time the pizza would arrive in ten minutes. Even though they promised us a time of thirty minutes—they refused to cancel our order or offer us any compensation. After waiting nearly two-and a half hours—we shut out the lights and went to bed—and I can just as well assume the pizza never came. As for the quality of the food, well, we can't say really...all ice-cold, dried-out pizza tastes the same to me. How does this place manage to stay open?"