Zen Japanese Grill & Sushi — Restaurant in Louisiana

Sadly, I am having to post 2 stars today... this is the second time I have visited Zen recently, and it seems the restaurant is struggling! I am giving 2 stars because this USED to be a great place to eat and I hope something changes!

Went in for lunch on Sunday afternoon (on the late, around 1:30pm) and was very disappointed. The restaurant was not super busy and we were sat immediately... also two other couples were sat around us as well (I mention this because they recieved food way before us even though the same waitress took our order first).

We ordered 2 Bento boxes and Veggie Noodles. The salad and soup took over 15 minutes to recieve, and the couples around us recieved their drinks and salad already by the time we realizedwe hadn'treceived ours. We didn't mind the wait for the food because usually everything is really good and definitely worth the wait. Well, we were watching a movie on the TV in the restaurant and realized it had been a while since any service had been received at our table.

We did finally receive our soup and salad, which were good and at the right temperature... but our food arrived shortly after LUKE WARM ☹️

The noodle dish was cool on the top and warm on the inside. I tried to stir it to see if the heat was at the bottom...nope, you could tell it had been sitting for a while!

Same with the fried rice and stir-fried veggies in the Bento Box. It was VERY disheartening after sitting there for all that time hungry. I flagged our waitress down and told her about the food. She gave an apology, but I asked, "Why is the food cold?" To which she replied."I tried to get it as soon as I saw it. "

We informed the waitress we were leaving... left the restaurant hungry and disappointed with the whole experience. The restaurant used to be really good and the food unique, tasty, and worth the wait. Now, sadly, I don't think we will be back...

Update: July 2023

Have been back to try the toro, and it was good! Very fresh, and market price was not bad at all. It was around $20 for 5-6 slices. I have paid $40 for 5 slices in Dallas ($9 per slice) so when they said it was only $20, I had to try it! I came back again within the same month to eat it, and it was still as fresh as the first time. I also tried the lunch steak hibachi with fried rice which was good! Huge portions for the price, and of course, I had to get the sashimi sampler because I’m a sashimi girl. The fish were all fresh, and the cuts were perfect. Next time I come, I hope to try the uni!

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It’s an alright sushi place for Houma. Nothing outstanding or spectacular that makes it outshine the other local Japanese restaurants. I wouldn’t necessarily go there as my first choice, but if friends ask me to go, I wouldn’t say no. It just wouldn’t be my first pick. I decided to try the sashimi platter because I was craving for it, and it was okay. Presentation was mediocre, but the slices of fish were good portions. I also ordered the rock n roll because it’s a typical standard sushi roll that I know they can’t mess up. Service was also nice! I just wish the quality of the food was better, but like I said, it’s decent for Houma. I’d still go though because there’s not many Asian food choices in this town. I just alternate...

TL; DR: The food is good, but the service is consistently horrendous.

Tonight, I ordered takeout for my family. I called in and placed an order at 7:21 PM, and I was told my food would be ready in 30 to 40 minutes. I showed up and paid my ticket at 7:55 PM. I was told that my order was almost ready, and the take-out server asked me to wait in my car (she was going to bring the food out to me in a few minutes). After 20 minutes of sitting in my car, I called in and asked how much longer my food would be; I was told 15 more minutes. At the 15-minute mark from my first call from the parking lot, I called again. I was told that they were boxing my food. More than 10 minutes later, I finally received my order (7:42 PM).

I have never had bad food from Zen (including tonight); however, I have had pathetic service on many occasions. I’ve never written a review of Zen before, but I felt that tonight’s experience warranted it so that other consumers can be aware of what they may be getting themselves into by going to this business. If you are looking for a quick lunch/dinner, I would recommend finding an...