Zona Fresca — Restaurant in Pompano Beach

Craving disappointment? Look no further.

I came here dreaming of a comforting bowl of pozole to cap off my week — a Sunday tradition. What I got instead was a $12 lesson in regret. For that price, I received a thimble of bland, watery soup, three sad flour tortillas that tasted like they were peeled straight from the plastic wrap, and a toddler-sized fountain drink.

Oh, and the pozole? Lukewarm. As if they microwaved it just long enough to disappoint me twice. Somehow, despite tossing in the right ingredients, they managed to strip every ounce of flavor from this dish. A culinary magic trick — but not the good kind.

The real surprise, though? A nice mouthful of chicken bones hidden like booby traps in the bowl. One of them actually cut the inside of my mouth, and I reflexively had to spit it out onto the table. Nothing screams "gourmet" like bleeding mid-bite.

And those tortillas? I wouldn't even call them room temp. They were fridge-chill and rubbery, like someone thought “presentation” just meant “basket.”

The vibe? Total apathy. Zero pride in the food, the prep, or the experience. I left embarrassed, still hungry, and with a lingering mouth wound.

Maybe the staff was tired. Maybe it was the holiday weekend. Or maybe this place just doesn’t care. Whatever the reason — I got the short end of the stick and a long list of regrets.

Save your appetite, your dignity, and your $12. Go literally...

I had been going to the Zona Fresca in Fort Lauderdale for years and have previously written a good review for that location. When I move north to Deerfield Beach I tried the Zona Fresca in Pompano Beach and have been there at least 50 times. It is a clean place that cooks the food to order within a reasonable timeframe, has a good assortment of very cold beer as well as the usual sodas and has an excellent salsa bar. The quality of the food is excellent and one of the favorite dishes for my girlfriend and I is the Baja Ranchero with chicken, which has grilled chicken, Rice and beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, flour tortillas, and a chili relleno. Have complimentary chips and salsa while you’re waiting for your food to be prepared and picked up at the counter when your number is called. Always excellent....

I used to go there twice a week for many years...

Then one day I got Violently Ill... Didn't put things together. Could have been any restaurant...

Went there again 3 days later. Again, immediately got VIOLENTLY ILL. Still didn't think it was that Zona.

Went there again a week later. Again, I got VIOLENTLY ILL!

I started getting suspicious and the next time I went, I WATCHED THEM MAKE MY FOOD. The 2 guys making my food squeezed a dirty rag into my food and laughed (They didn't see me watching). I paid the $25 and just threw everything out right there. I wish I had recorded video of them doing that.

I have NO IDEA WHY they would do that because I've been going there for many years, Always left a tip, even for takeout.

I don't go...