Zaza Modern Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Marco Island

A good friend has been raving about ZaZa for many months, and he finally took me there for lunch. Wow! Was he right! It may not look much different than any of a dozen other Mexican restaurants, but the food is a big step up from anywhere else thanks to the ower and chef Esteban. You can tell everything is freshly made with top quality ingredients, and the flavors just go together so well. My friend ordered for us and I had a hard time pacing myself so I wasn't too stuffed to enjoy the next dish. We started with the Esquites appetizer with corn from the cob, a mayo-sour cream dressing and just the right amount of spice. First time I've had that and it won't be the last. Main dishes included Quesabirra Tacos made with melt-in-your-mouth short ribs, roasted onion and a Serrano pepper for some heat. Wonderful! Next were the Molé Enchiladas. I'm not usually a fan of molé sauce, but this is made with a really good quality Swiss chocolate that steps up the flavors to a level I've never experienced before. Then there were the Tampiqueña, green cheese enchiladas with thin-sliced steak topping them. Another winner! For beverages we had Micheladas, a surprisingly tasty combination of beer with Clamato juice and hot sauce. It's not on the menu, but ask for it and you...

5 Stars – For the Food and the Blonde Server

This little Mexican restaurant serves some of the best food I’ve ever had. The kitchen was absolutely slaving away and it showed in every bite—fresh, flavorful, and downright incredible.

Unfortunately, the service didn’t start out as great. The young girl waiting on us was too busy flirting with the bar patrons to even refill our drinks. She ignored all of her tables, barely lifted a finger, and clearly didn’t care. Honestly, she must be family, or there’s no way she’d still have a job.

After about 30 minutes of frustration, a second server came in, and she was a breath of fresh air. She walked in with a smile and got straight to work, checking on every table, refilling drinks and chips, bringing out food, and taking care of new customers as they arrived. Meanwhile, the first girl continued standing at the bar, doing absolutely nothing.

Next time, we’ll make sure we aren’t seated with her, but we’ll definitely be back for the food—and for the blonde server who...

10 for the food. Honestly the best quesasilla ever. My wife and I split the shrimp Q. It was truly exceptional. Great cheeses within it. I discussed the noise level with a "partial owner" as he described himself. He is aware of the bouncing noise and plans to make dining more quiet. He correctly commented that because of the noise, people speak louder, which increases the noise. The guacamole appetizer (with chips) was delicious. A little pricey (it is Marco), but a large serving. Several of the staff and servers are apparently new to the restauant business, but make up in pleasantness and eagerness for their newness. Not sure why the previous Kirby Coney closed. If it was simply because of the limited square feet, then Zaza's Kitchen may be similarly limited. It would seem the necessity of turning tables to get total revenue up might just not be possible. Will we go again. Yes, the food is that good. But choosing day and time to be able to hear each other will be...