Zino's Greek & Mediterranean Cuisine — Restaurant in El Paso

Went to Zino's for lunch (on a Monday at about 13:00). It was just me - final bill was $18.38.

I had a soda ($1.99), a falafel appetizer ($6.99), and a gyro with fries ($8.00). The soda was typical fountain pop, so no different to any other restaurant in the world. The falafel was rather mediocre; it was a little over-done (slightly burnt), and extremely bland and tasteless. The gyro was somewhat better - the lamb/beef in it was extraordinarily tender, but still somewhat lacking in seasoning. They overstuffed the pita, however, so about half the innards would have landed on my plate had it not come in a handy 'sandwich diaper'. The fries, on the other hand, were pretty good at first taste... until I took a closer look. They're just standard prepackaged frozen fries that they've dusted with a blend of seasonings (I could taste strong rosemary and a hint of fennel included) and an overabundance of salt.

All in all, it wasn't the worst Greek food I'd ever had, but it was far from the best, and definitely not in line with their prices. In fact, I would go so far as to say that for the quality of the food they serve, their prices border on being extortionist. Horribly overpriced they may be, I couldn't fault the server - she was friendly and professional through my visit and never once did it feel like she was 'hovering' or...

Found Zino’s West 2 years ago when I moved here. Having had Greek food in multiple states and in Greece I knew well the kind of food to expect. I mean, who doesn’t like Greek food? It’s delicious as a general rule. So I think many of the amazing reviews here are simply responding to the flavor palette of Greek food and less to Zino’s in particular.

Over this last 2 years I’ve seen the food quality decline and be inconsistent from day to day. One day a gyro will have the the pita lightly grilled and the next it’s dry out of the package, so dry it crumbles making it impossible to pick up to eat. One day a gyro will have tzatziki sauce inside, the next it will be dry. The one I just ate had only 1 piece of tomato. Often the gyro meat could stand to be spit roasted a while longer.

The owner would do well to take a tighter reign on the quality. With no real competition to keep them honest there’s little incentive to run a tighter ship. If you’ve ever been to Baltimore’s Little Greece section of the city you’ll know what real quality Greek food is like. I’d suggest Zino’s owner fly up there for a taste of how he’s falling short. Try a place called Samos and you’ll know instantly yourself. You’ll also know Zino’s...

I have updated this review twice now, for various reasons. Food at Zino's is spectacular. Of that, I and many others are sure. A large component of that enjoyment--sometimes the very reason my family would go despite being tight on money--was Dawn Goo. By far Dawn was the best waitress I had ever had. You usually don't think too much about the waitress when having dinner, but Dawn made it dinner and a show. And so, because of Dawn being gone, my family and I have chosen no longer to dine at this establishment. By no means am I trying to get you not to have dinner here. If you are not greeted by Chef Zino or his wife, the staff are truly lovely people. No, the reason I mention anything else is because while Zino's is truly a delicious restaurant with truly good food that will make you crave more and more, I believe that a major component of my dining experience has been removed. The stars stay the same because it deserves five out of five for the food alone. Please dine at Zino's and do not allow my backstory divert you from trying some of the best food of your...