Experience Zuzu — Restaurant in Detroit

My family and I went to Zuzu to celebrate my son’s 16th birthday, as he loves Asian cuisine. My husband and I dine at fine restaurants in Detroit regularly, and we’ve even served at some in the past, so we understand the environment and the level of service expected. We had previously enjoyed our experience at Zuzu, which is why we chose it for this special occasion. Unfortunately, this time around, the night was completely overshadowed by the poor service from our waiter, Chris.

From the moment Chris greeted us, his demeanor was cold and dismissive. It was clear he wasn’t thrilled about having a table with two kids, and his attitude seemed even worse given the fact that we are a culturally diverse family. Throughout the meal, he repeatedly questioned whether we understood the menu, which felt condescending. For example, when I ordered short ribs, he made a point of saying, “Just so you know, these aren’t ribs on the bone,” as if I wasn’t aware of what I was ordering. Despite my attempts to lighten the mood and make conversation, his responses remained dry and short. While it was frustrating, I didn’t want to let it ruin the night, especially since my son was still enjoying himself.

The real issue came when we received the bill. A gratuity had been automatically added for our party of four, something that wasn’t mentioned beforehand, nor was it indicated anywhere on the menu. Even though Chris hadn’t earned that gratuity, we didn’t make a fuss and were fine paying it. However, we wanted to split the gratuity off and handle it separately. When we asked Chris about this, he claimed that his system couldn’t accommodate any split other than 50/50. Having worked with the Micros system myself, I knew this wasn’t true. After I pointed this out, Chris changed his story, saying it was their policy to avoid confusion with too many cards. We were only using two cards and simply wanted to split off the tip.

At that point, we politely asked to speak to a manager, hoping they could help us split the bill correctly. Chris’s sarcastic smirk in response was insulting and carried with it a clear insinuation that played into some unpleasant, stereotypical assumptions about us. I was livid, and at that moment, I wanted to address his behavior with the manager, but my husband, uncomfortable with how things were going, urged me not to.

What was supposed to be a celebratory night turned into a stressful one. Not only did Chris’s behavior ruin our son’s birthday dinner, but it also caused tension between my husband and I, as we disagreed on how to handle the situation. I have never felt so uncomfortable in a restaurant, and I have dined in places around the world. As someone who has served high-profile customers before, I know firsthand that appearances should never dictate how someone is treated. Chris’s attitude and treatment of us were absolutely...

Local Google guide, I'm not compensated for my reviews. They're strictly based on my own experience.

Zuzu Detroit – Honest Review from a Casual Night Out

I ended up at Zuzu Detroit on a spontaneous night downtown. After walking around and checking out the city, I was in search of food — Zuzu caught my eye since it was close by and open later than a lot of other places in the area.

From the moment I walked in, the service was impressive. I was greeted instantly and seated right away. I spotted a fun, carbonated martini with dry ice and couldn’t resist ordering one… or two (no regrets). I started with the dumplings, which were really good — definitely a highlight. For my main dishes, I tried the sweet and sour chicken and an udon noodle dish. Both were okay. The chicken had a heavy batter, and the noodles lacked a bit of depth, but they weren’t bad, just not super memorable.

The atmosphere was really nice, upscale but not stuffy. I was definitely underdressed — it was a last-minute decision and I came straight from wandering the streets — but the staff treated me with complete kindness and professionalism. That stood out to me.

Zuzu also has a small nightclub upstairs that not everyone may know about. It’s cute and intimate — could be a fun date night spot for a drink and light dancing.

The manager especially deserves a shoutout — incredibly polite, accommodating, and genuinely attentive. Exactly the kind of leadership that makes a place feel welcoming.

Overall, I could see this being a $100–$150 per person kind of place on a planned night out, but I’m not entirely convinced the food justifies that price tag. Still, for the ambiance, service, and unique drinks, it might be worth checking out if you're looking for a trendy downtown spot.

Note: A 20% automatic gratuity is added to your bill — something to be aware of, as I didn’t see it posted anywhere. At the end of the night, we had to ask another server to help us find our waiter since the staff was starting to close up and we wanted to check out the upstairs area. Personally, I feel that when gratuity is automatically included, guests shouldn’t have to track down their server to wrap things up.

I still tipped extra on top of the 20%, since we came in underdressed and had already had a few drinks — I wanted to make sure the staff felt appreciated. A waitress actually bagged our food even though we had a waiter, so I hope they pool or share tips. That reflects the missing 1 star.

I don’t mind automatic gratuity, but I do think it can sometimes backfire for the staff. I’m usually a generous tipper, but when it’s automatically added, I rarely go above it — which might actually result in less for them. That said, I understand that for a place like this, and the location automatic gratuity might be necessary. We will be back for a more former night out. I will make my final...

Long but necessary review! We were so excited to try this place with high hopes and we were sadly disappointed. Just was there last night (6/23) for an 8pm reservation, whoever i talked to on the phone was super nice but the waiter we got was so un personable! I worked in a few restaurants growing up and it’s important to be personable with your customers!! We spent well over $600 with the automatic 20% gratuity, which is fine because i typically tip more than that anyways. But he acted annoyed when we asked questions and right from the bat gave me a “i’m better than you” vibe. I’m being totally honest. What really got me was at the end when we paid he rushed over to grab the bill and snatched it from the table and asked if we were done and i politely said yes we are and you good thank you so much! I was nothing but polite the whole time even with the vibes being off but he snatched up the bill and walked away DID NOT SAY THANK YOU ONE TIME! He acted like we weren’t going to pay? I’m wearing a 20k watch give me a break, idk what his problem was. It was my son’s birthday and he didn’t even say happy birthday! We did get the free bday dessert but i got one for him thinking we weren’t getting one because their was ZERO COMMUNICATION, he did not mention the free one so we ordered one, which is whatever i guess. But this whole thing is mainly about the inside staff, nobody said thank you, have a good night, drive safe NOTHING!! I don’t expect much but a thank you have a good night is a standard i feel! Then again on our way out i walked by him and said thanks again and AGAIN NOTHING!! i know he heard me. So for that reason and that reason alone we won’t be returning and i told some friends who were about to go not to because the service was not up to par! Nobody came by to check on our table nothing, no smiles from staff, just noses in the air. I’ve dined at some of the best restaurants in Detroit, in Michigan and in the United States and never have had somebody not tell me thank you! Rubbed me WRONG, especially when we spent $600 for 3 people?! Insane. Atmosphere was decent not as cool as i saw on IG but it was light out, and food was good, took a while but it’s to be expected i suppose? Nicest people were the valet guys! Shout out to whoever was working Valet the night of June 23rd, it was the fireworks and even with all the commotion they still were so nice and polite! I wish i could remember names because they deserve praise and were on top of helping us get out of the car and back in. Should pay your valet more because they are the first people that you see and they killed it with kindness verses your horrible stuck up waiter staff. Guy that helped us was white and smaller i can’t remember his name but hope that helps, maybe you can tell him to say thank you to customers! Make sure you don’t get him if you go!...