Zaiqa Restaurant — Restaurant in Surrey

A Heartbreaking Experience

I visited this restaurant recently, and while the food and the service from the waitresses were wonderful, what I observed from the manager or owner (I’m not sure which he was) was deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. The way he treated his staff, particularly the young waitresses, broke my heart.

It seemed clear that this man who appeared to be an Indian gentleman, around 55 years old, slim, with some gray hair, and about 5’8”was treating the staff in a hostile and demeaning manner. I overheard him raising his voice at the waitresses near the reception area. Later, while we were enjoying our meal, one of the waitresses came rushing to our table, asking if we were done and trying to take our plates away.

Mind you, we had spent about 15-20 minutes waiting for the food, and another 30-45 minutes eating, chatting, and having a good time. The restaurant was almost empty, with plenty of space for any potential customers who might have come in. We hadn’t even been there for more than 1.5 hours, and our bill was over $150. Yet, we were being rushed out. It was obvious the waitress wasn’t acting on her own she seemed pressured by that man, who stood in the background, staring at us and calling her back to direct her more.

We felt rushed, but more than that, we couldn’t ignore the unfair and harsh treatment she was enduring. Watching her body language nervous, scared, and stressed was deeply upsetting. I’ve been in situations where managers or supervisors treat their staff poorly, and I know how soul-crushing it can feel. No one deserves to be treated this way, especially not those working hard to make ends meet.

At the end of the meal, I wanted to tip the waitress directly in cash. When I asked her if she could accept it, she became visibly scared, shaking her head and saying, “No, no, no, next time.” Her reaction backing away and nervously looking around was heartbreaking. I looked back and saw that same man standing there, watching. It was clear she felt intimidated and unsafe. In that moment, I realized that even if I tipped through the machine, she likely wouldn’t receive it.

Every business thrives because of its employees and the customers who support them. Leadership should be about respect and encouragement, not control and hostility. What I witnessed was a complete failure of leadership and a reminder of how power can be misused to make others’ lives miserable.

This review is a call to action for anyone reading it. Be a voice for these hardworking young employees. Create awareness about this type of mistreatment. Every employee deserves to work in an environment where they are respected and supported, not treated as disposable.

To the man I saw that day whether you’re the manager or owner this is your wake-up call. Your behavior is unacceptable, and it will backfire on you. Treat your staff with the dignity they deserve, or you will lose them, along with customers like me who notice these things and care deeply.

To the waitresses: I see you, I appreciate you, and I hope you find a workplace where your hard work is valued, and you’re treated with the kindness and respect you deserve.

Let’s all do our part to stand up for fair treatment in the workplace. No one should have to endure what I...

We ordered a few different dishes and none of them were good. Starting with the salad they provide, everything was so dry that we did not even touch it. The naan we ordered was practically burnt, we could not finish all of it and chose not to pack it to go. The curries and vegetable dishes were all so oily, you could take a spoon full of just the oil if you really wanted.

We've been here numerous times through their early stages when they opened and during covid. Quality has taken a sharp decline since then it seems. They reassured us that ownership had not changed, but I find it hard to believe.

The restaurant was empty throughout out 90 min+ stay except for us and 1 other party. For whatever reason they put us directly beside this other party, not just in the same space but literally next to them. It wasn't clear why that was as it was at the end of the restaurant so it did not make a difference in distance from the kitchen either. Small detail but enough to question the experience.

As we went up to pay we were practically begged to leave a review. I said okay and the man asked for my phone so he could do it for me. I found this extremely off putting and ignored him as we paid and left. I have no issues with asking for reviews but basically forcing me to do as I'm trying to pay and wrap up my time is only going to end poorly.

Unfortunately we have decided to not return anytime in the near future. Hopefully things change for the better but I cannot recommend anyone eat here currently.

2 stars as at least the chicken was hot & fresh, and not...

I went to Zaiqa Restaurant with my family today for their weekend breakfast buffet. A staff member provided us a table and asked us to wait a little while she was cleaning the table for us. While we were waiting, another family came and we were told to go out and sit in patio, because they wanted to give that table to that family (may be their known). It was quite surprising for us that how can they treat us like that. We were their customers and it was totally against customer service ethics. I know it, as I also work in customer service industry. Another staff member came and told us that the table was reserved, which we knew was total lie. Because just before us another family was using the table and there was no sign of “reserve” placed on the table. When I complaint this to Mr. Zafar ( the name he told me) may be owner/manager of the restaurant, he said we need to go out. If the manager has no sense of customer service, what we can expect from the staff. Mr. Zafar himself needs to learn customer service ethics. His behaviour was ridiculous. We were very much disappointed on their unprofessional attitude. We left the restaurant without eating anything and went to Taste of Lahore, located in next door shopping area, and found excellent food and excellent and courteous customer service there. We will never go back to Zaiqa Restaurant again and we will never recommend anyone...