Banzo — Restaurant in Madison

Thank you for the extensive vegetarian options. Banzo is one of the only places my family and I go for takeout and we heartily recommend the restaurant. Having curbside (pandemic aside) is so disability friendly and helpful to families with young kids who have difficulty getting in and out of cars for various reasons (the accidental car nap!). I hope all restaurants and businesses keep this service and recognize it as an important societal need that the pandemic revealed to us. Friendly suggestion: the mixed greens garnish always get soggy and are difficult to keep fresh whether you dine in or get to go. In my ideal scenario a diner could choose between or would be offered the choice of:

mixed greens herb salad no greens or additional cabbage salad

Options 2 and 3 would be able to be sourced locally much of the time. As is, the heat of the food just melts those tender mixed green leaves. The trend of using mixed greens that so many restaurants use is one I particularly despise. The greens often don't get consumed and they end up creating substantial food waste and have a high carbon footprint to begin with. Making modifications to technique, serving and sourcing are great ways we can all do our part to reduce food waste and reduce our carbon footprints. I will be requesting "no mixed greens please" when I frequent Banzo. Thanks for...

We had tried Banzo's food a few years ago on one of the Food+Music fests on the Capitol square. It used to be pretty good. We thought we would have the same experience again when we went there last month. We were craving for some good Mediterranean food. Madison seriously lacks even a good halal food truck. A serious business opportunity if you ask me especially with the students and the growing number of working professionals in the area. So, we ordered the shawarma bowls. Sorry to say we were thoroughly disappointed. The food was very bland. It seriously lacked flavor and aroma. The rice did not even have any color to it. Heck even the sauces were ordinary. And please don't get me started on the portion size. It was barely filing. I guess it helped in a way because the food was as uninteresting as it gets. The platter did not even have pita hummus. You have to order them separately. Also, I have never had such dry hummus. Looks like someone drained the life (read olive oil) out of it. The only saving grace were the falafels. They tasted the same as before. Not going there again. P.S.: Before I forget, please don't order their roasted cauliflower whatever dish....

The falafel pita makes for a massive, delicious lunch. The price might seem high, but it's enough food for two people. The falafel balls are crispy and dark golden, sometimes flirting with being burned, and surprisingly salty. Not overwhelmingly, just enough to notice. If you're​ looking for a fresh, low sodium lunch this isn't it. They also put homemade chips in, but those are often too close to burned for my taste. I get the feeling either their oil is 5 degrees too hot, or the cook is a little distracted.

The covered outdoor seating is pleasant, especially when they aren't running the a/c inside. The bugs are not as bad as I'd expect, being so close to the lake and under a tree. But, the deck makes me nervous. There are numerous holes in the wood that a chair leg will fit in, and the boards feel old. Some of them feel "spongy". I hope they have plans to do repairs before things get worse.

I don't recommend ordering for delivery. I tried it once and the falafel showed up soggy because of the steam. Ordering for takeout might have the same problem.

Overall, this is one of my favorite...