Madame Zuzu’s — Restaurant in Highland Park

WPC, WYED? I've been a loyal and die-hard fan of WPC for nearly 30 years and I was so excited to finally get to ZuZu's. It breaks my heart to say this, but I really wish I hadn't gone. It's a tough time for musicians and ageing rock stars, I get it, but seeing your hero's awkward and weird (not in a good way) business in a strip mall in the 'burbs made me feel sad and confused. I'm guessing (hoping) his girlfriend is more involved with the business than he is because it (she?) seems to be trying way too hard. All my seven dreams aside, I will continue this review as a patron of a suburban Illinois specialty tea shop/clothing boutique/book store/record store/occult shop/music venue/event space/plant-based cafe and not a biased Pumpkins fan.

When I arrived at the suburban strip mall and entered Madame ZuZu’s, Chloe was there (not wearing a mask, even though her help was) and she was showing off the clothes by the stage to some local customers. While I was shopping through their merchandise (a mediocre hodge podge of tarot cards, children’s books, incense, t-shirts, records, mugs, random Pumpkins merch and photography, and …), Chloe was interviewing someone to work at the café. She sounded cold, defensive, immature and unprofessional. I hope for his sake that she didn’t hire him to work there! I find it odd (not in a good way) that Chloe comes from a long line of furriers and runs a plant-based café (granted her line is fake fur and Maison Attia does generously support PAWS). J. Mendel (her father’s brand) claims to oppose the inhumane treatment of animals and only uses furs either farmed or taken from abundant sustainable populations in the wild. Why not have yet another revenue stream of free range or wild caught meat in your café? Are you just jumping on the trendy plant-based bandwagon? Do you even know what you are doing with all of this? Does it even matter to you? Clearly Chloe excels at being faux.

Anyway, I needed this disappointing experience to end so I selected a ZuZu’s mug and a tin of green tea blossoms and went to the counter to order an iced tea. The girl at the counter was friendly enough but boy was she having a tough time with the two basic items I was attempting to purchase. She seemed very flustered trying to ring me out and even exclaimed, “it’s just really hard to find things in here! (the point of sale system)” Not her fault- I blame management for having such a clunky process. Once she found my tin of tea blossoms in the system, she looked at me and stated, in what came across as an exasperated apology of shock and disbelief, “this tea is forty dollars.” It’s okay! The price was clearly marked on the tin and I was here for the specialty tea shop experience. Their menu is confusing and all over the place (literally and figuratively) but the iced green tea I ordered was tasty. I could have gotten pretty much the same at Starbucks- but tasty, nonetheless.

I left with the impression that Madame ZuZu’s is trying too hard to be something they haven’t quite figured out yet. Even their online store is desperate. I looked at something on their website without buying it and soon got a “We saw you looking at this” email encouraging me to complete my purchase. I doubt I will ever purchase anything ZuZu’s again, as it seems to exploit Pumpkins fans, vegans and tea aficionados. They claim "Sorrow is the Family Business" and I definitely left there feeling sad (not in...

I’m giving 5 stars because we’ve been enjoying food from Madame Zuzu’s for years but today was difficult for my child to eat there. If you’re a parent of someone on the spectrum or someone who has food texture and taste sensitivities then you’ll understand the issue we had today. My child ordered the Caesar wrap with no cheese (she can not tolerate the taste of any vegan cheese) and a side of potatoes. Our order came out with my side salad on her plate and the dressing was pooled in the bottom of the plate and was on the wrap, making it soggy from the outside, along with an excess of Caesar dressing on the inside making it difficult to pick up without falling apart. This is what she orders every time we eat here so she knows what to expect, which for some children, is a big deal. We got side plates to switch out her potatoes (could not put the potatoes on her plate because there was salad dressing all over) that were put on my plate and she put my salad on another plate because I was hoping to make it right so she could eat. At this point, you could see her wrap falling apart by the “seam” and she was unhappy because she ordered this specifically to have tomorrow for lunch plus, there was excess oil that was not supposed to be there - from the salad. I went up to the register and asked if they could make her a new one without the excess dressing and no side and I offered to pay for the new sandwich to which they said they would just remake the wrap with less dressing. We were informed it would take a while because they just got slammed with orders which was also ok with us. I reminded them to leave off the cheese but there were the cheese shreds all inside the sandwich when it arrived. If it was a slice of cheese, it would have been somewhat easy to remove but since these were shredded, it was everywhere and she would have had to pick apart the wrap. I offerred to order and pay for a whole new wrap without the cheese but at this point she was so frustrated that she did not want it anymore.

The staff were super professional and kind even though I know they were just as ready for us to leave as we were. It had to be just as frustrating for them to have me up at the counter so many times trying to get my daughter’s food order correct. I plan on remaining a customer when I’m in the area but my daughter feels like it’s a sign for her to not eat at Madame Zuzu’s anymore. She felt like it didn’t seem to matter that they could not get her order correct and she did not feel valued.

In case you’re interested, I had the crunch wrap with al pastor and we tried it with the spinach wrap for the outside. It was delicious as usual but I like the regular wrapped...

I thought it would be an overhyped, celebrity-owned cafe, but I was terribly wrong—Madame Zuzu’s is eccentric, wholesome, delicious, fresh, innovative, timeless, inviting. Madame ZuZu’s delivers a unique cafe experience, showcasing rare teas from around the world & locally sourced plant-based bites, to Smashing Pumpkins fans, ethical fashionistas, vegans, businesspeople-on-lunch-break, & curious kids alike. My partner & I were blown away by their “Insane Grilled ‘Cheese’” & Tofu Bánh Mì (I think it says much about their food that my carnivorous partner devoured the grilled “cheese” & left no crumbs!). Ultra fresh. Crisp. High quality. Stuffed. Dimensionally tasteful. We were pleased at the large portions, too. We also tried their Reishi Mushroom-infused Hot Cocoa & Green Matcha Latte (both with oat milk); they were calming yet energizing & perfect for a snowy day. Moreover, Madame Zuzu’s was physically spacious (perfect for social-distancing) & architecturally gorgeous (a mix of modern & vintage). They also have a stage for music & art performances (pre- & hopefully-soon-to-be-post-pandemic). The staff was friendly, professional, & knowledgeable. I felt safe & comfortable inside as it looked neat/clean & everyone was following the appropriate COVID-19 guidelines. They also have a merch section to browse through (perfect for gifting!) while you’re waiting for your order—their diverse selection of tea, tea pots/kits, apparel, children’s books, sage smudge sticks, & crystals. I will definitely be a returning customer! Thank you, Madame Zuzu’s, for being a light in the north shore...