Zocalo — Restaurant in Atlanta

If I could give this place zero stars, I would.

First, I’ve been in the restaurant industry for 20 years. The “welcome” by the host was non-existent.

But then came the worst part: the service.

I can’t even call him a server. We would’ve been better off with counter service at a local deli. The homeless guy in the parking lot asking for money greeted me better than this guy.

We waited almost 10 minutes for him to acknowledge us. There was no friendly greet, no explanation of the menu, he did not care at all. It was my first time. It was a Thursday night. If he needed help maybe someone should’ve helped him (hello, management? Anyone?)

The fact that they still use a QR code on the table in 2025 is absurdly embarrassing and impersonal. It is not 2020 anymore. Management: get real menus.

So we were waiting on a friend, ordered chips and salsa. He dropped off waters and again disappeared for an extended period of time (I implore management to check the videos, I don’t care.)

Our water went empty. Our chips went empty. He didn’t check up on us.

Then our friend arrived. I gave him a better greeting than anyone at this establishment gave anyone that night.

Again, our server (name started with a K) was NOT around at all.

I figured “oh once our friend arrived he will explain the menu and give suggestions.”

None.

I wanted to walk out, but this was a friend I wanted to see and enjoy time with. No management was present.

No one else checked on us. I saw multiple servers/staff standing around, staring off into the distance, checking their phones but not the guests.

Then the icing on the cake: zero explanation of how to pay. Our friend had to tell us to use our phones and scan the QR code to pay. It would’ve been nice if the “server” would’ve explained this bit or ANYTHING at all.

Suggested tip pops up and starts at 20% then goes up to 30%. At this point I’m enraged. I’m paying for SERVICE, not a robot walking around. I will gladly tip according (again, I’ve been in the business for almost 20 years and will easily go 50%) but in this moment I thought, “no way.”

Train your staff to be hospitable. This is the hospitality industry, not the robot industry. Absolute embarrassment from start to finish and I will never return. I can’t stop talking about how awful this...

First time at Zocalo and won’t count on them again for a spring or summer weekend experience. Seems the Real World taping took priority. My friends and I arrived about 230 on a Sunday. Definitely the first weekend of nice weather for the spring, so understandable they would be busier than expected. However, when I finally got our table, it was at least 20 minutes before we realize the server had not been to our table and I had to get up and ask the host stand for someone to come over and take our order. Once our food arrives, the queso we ordered, instead of coming as an appetizer, arrived with the entrées. And also arrived with out the chorizo we ordered with it. We received plates and silverware but no napkins. I eventually went up to the host stand and interacted with the manager, Christian, who I informed of the slow and impersonal service; he stated he would remove the queso from our checks. Our server didn’t come to the table again to check on anything at all. I had to get up and ask the host stand again to have someone come give us our checks at the end of the meal. We almost got up to leave before our checks arrive because it was at least 10 to 15 more minutes before our checks came. We were only at a table of five with separate checks, which doesn’t seem that it should take that long to separate. Most of us have been in the service industry and understand that today was a very busy day, but the lack of hospitality and unapologeticness of the staff made it an experience we would not want to repeat. For a group of five, with a few special requests, we felt that we would not be welcomed again as a large group on a busy weekend. We will definitely never choose Zócalo again on the weekend for a party of...

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