Za — Restaurant in Elm Grove

First time here. It’s located right in the center of Elm Grove. Plenty of parking in their lot.

There was a group of four of us. It was a Tuesday night, and we had a reservation for 6:00. When we arrived, we were greeted by a couple of friendly hostesses and got our table right away (the place was about half full). Our server got to us right away with waters and menus. We ordered our first round of drinks, all of which were amazingly good. I highly recommend the Bourbon Paloma — it is probably one of the best that I have had.

We were doing lots of talking at our table, and we took a while to decide on our food choices. The server did a great job of giving us time, checking in every once in a while but not making us feel rushed (thanks, Sara!).

We ordered a couple of appetizers — calamari and meatballs — and they were both very good. The calamari was a good portion, with both rings and small whole squid. The breading was light and crispy, and it came out at the perfect temperature. I especially liked the combination of lemon aioli and marinara. I really enjoyed the sauce from the meatballs, spread on the toasted bread — that was delicious.

We finally decided on our entrées: Goat Pizza, Lasagna, Chicken Piccata, and Spicy Rigatoni Vodka. Everybody was super happy with their selection. All came out hot, flavorful, and in very good portions (leftovers for at least two more meals). My Goat Pizza was amazing. The hot honey drizzle was a nice compliment to the goat cheese.

The entire evening was excellent. The service was amazing — our server, food runner, and bartenders all did a great job. The food was excellent and memorable. If I had one complaint, it might be the noise level. Even though the place was half full, it was loud (we could still talk), but I imagine that with a full restaurant it would have been difficult (which some other people confirmed had been the case from an earlier visit).

Definitely made it on my "come...

We visited Za this evening. We were in the mood for woodfired pizza and decided to give this place a try. We had the beet salad, garlic bread, a Margherita pizza and we each had one beverage. The food was good. I really liked the beet salad. The garlic bread was good. The pizza was fine. My wine was tasty at $8 a glass.

The atmosphere was festive, albeit a bit loud. Although, I am a teacher at the end of the school year. So I might not have as much tolerance for the noise as others. I liked the open air concept along one side of the restaurant. It was nicely decorated. Our server was very friendly and was working hard!

We were seated right by the entrance to the kitchen. We just saw too much…dirty dishes, handfuls of dirty napkins, too many food smells, you get the picture. I actually think there’s a way to use their booths to block the entrance of the kitchen so that a diner wouldn’t have to see the unsavory side of restaurant service. Also, I think it’s so gross when the people who clear the tables stick their hands into the used glasses to carry them back to the kitchen.

The thing that freaked me out the most, though, was the two hostess staff that had open toed shoes on…one a flip-flop style and one a sandal slide. They kept walking back into the kitchen with their toes exposed. Ew, David! Not to mention SO dangerous for those two women. One spill?!?! One dropped knife?!? You don’t want to lose a toe!

Not sure we will be back but if we do go we will definitely ask for a spot away from the...

In a village of nuances and wholesome spaces, Za sings endearingly to the heart of the Elm Grove community, encouraging friendships to grow closer, the celebration of special occasions, and the simplicity of life to be enjoyed after a focused work week.

Jive (or glide effortlessly) on in to Za for a brilliant and enlivening meal with upbeat and refreshing service from two sisters, careful servers, and efficient cooks who are very attentive to interested in fulfilling the order you will place - either over the phone or in person!

I love the experience of this pizza for its bright, sweet freshness, with sauce so light with notes of fruitiness that I would like to bring all of my foodies and restaurant owner friends here for inspiration.

Specifying hot honey sauce in my to go order, a feeling of youthful bliss leaves me head over heels for Za’s margarita pizza.

This being my second time in for pick up, I am attracted to the bold contemporary interior design with homey appeal, feeling almost akin to the spacious vibe of Southern California with strong character and open concept (felt also through garage - style patio doors).

My friends and I feel so welcome here and I really hope that all pizza lovers will receive this personal and super helpful, friendly spirit when they visit.

I absolutely love living in Elm Grove and I’m so grateful that we have this amazing Za in our neighborhood! - Congratulations guys, I’m so...