Zest — Restaurant in Roswell

So I came here because Roux was closed. And I was automatically underwhelmed. I used to work at a sushi restaurant, so I won't touch on the over-sauced, over-priced, and unappealing "Japanese" section. My boyfriend and I had the steamer clams with bacon and the chicken satay skewers and both were absolutely terrible. Since I hadn't eaten for most of the day, I came in famished and with a headache. The ambiance was nice (I'll give it that) and we were seated quickly and given our waters almost immediately. We looked at the menu and nothing seemed really worth their price, but we decided to give it a try.

Food came out quickly and the clams looked delicious. Then we tried them. My goodness...my mouth still hurts from how salty the sauce is. Bacon, shallots, and fennel....and a bucket of butter and salt. I ended up having to rub my mouth on the glass from how salty the sauce was. The chicken came out shortly after (we were already pretty disappointed with the clams, but food is food and I was hungry). The chicken was uninteresting, barely warm, and whatever sauce they "drizzle" on there was almost nonexistent. My headache was actually WORSE after I left and I ended up going back home and eating boxed mac&cheese.

Food was terrible. The worst part is that our server, Erin (who I'm sure is a wonderful person) came by and filled our drinks, and....filled our drinks. She came by a total of five times (after we got our food) and not once did she ask how our food was. She spoke a total of fifteen words to us. Which would be fine if she was busy, but she was standing around.

Now, I've worked as a server and I've had my fair share of unruly customers. And had she done her job and asked how everything was and done what she could have done to make the dining experience better, then I'd have tipped her at least 20% (which is my minimum whenever I go out to eat). But the fact that she did nothing but run food and fill up water, made sure that I will never come back to this place.

Paying $21 to see the owner strolling back and forth and kicking bits of dropped food back into the kitchen...at least go somewhere...

We've eaten at Zest multiple times; we've always enjoyed the sushi. However, this latest episode of management INCOMPETENCE was the last straw. On a previous visit, when our food was just awful, we were told "everyone else liked it", ergo it must be your problem. This was our first clue that the management at Zest harbored Neanderthal customer service tactics. We should have heeded this “warning”.

Last night we were seated promptly, it wasn't too busy. As soon as the servers (veteran and trainee) introduced themselves we ordered a glass of wine, salad, and sushi (we have visited often enough to know what we want without the aid of a menu). The wine came, then the salad. And en we waited, and waited, and waited. The waitress (trainee) came by 45 minutes later and mentioned that "lots of people had ordered sushi and they were backed up".

Interestingly, the table next to us, that had been seated 30 minutes after we ordered, received their sushi order right after we were told of the "back up". When I inquired about this inconsistency in the restaurant's story, the "veteran" server who was training the new girl showed little interest in our plight.

75 minutes after we ordered, our sushi arrived. During this wait we were offered NOTHING. We ate, and the "veteran" server brought a "complimentary" dessert; then the check. I asked for a manager and she came over and said there was "nothing" she was authorized to do, other than deduct 10% ($6!). Period.

Zest is a PERFECT example of a POORLY run restaurant caught up in the frenzy of a suddenly very popular local (Historic Roswell). They will pay the price as the competition grows. The food is good, we don't blame servers, they are the product of management’s poor attitude and lack of training.

Our advice? If you're a gambler, go to this place, the food can be good. But if you EVER have ANY type issue, DO NOT COUNT ON MANAGEMENT TO BE OF ANY...

Yesterday, we had an amazing lunch at Zest. Very fresh oysters, my favorite "Kiss of Death" roll, some gyoza and chicken lettuce wraps. My cocktail was awesome and perfect for the sunny day! I even had to post and compliment them on Instagram. Also, our server (with the pink hair) is always great! This place deserves 5 stars, and I might change my rating in the future... BUT I'll explain why I'm a little unhappy with them. I usually call in pickup orders because I live within walking distance, like 1/4 mile. One night, I walk up there, pay for my order and only after getting home realized that it wasn't correct at all. I was too hungry to care, since all of their food is tasty... But it was LESS food than what I had ordered! The very next day, I was calling in another pickup order and afterwards, told the guy/employee about it. He said, "Well, we were busy so... Anyway, I'll see you in 10-15 minutes." Then he hung up on me. No apology, no offer to make it right... Nothing but attitude to a very regular and local customer. So, I guess if you order from them on a busy night, you will receive-AND PAY FOR whatever they decide to give you?!?! Wow. The patio is gorgeous, and it's often full so you have to eat inside. That's fine, however, even in the middle of a beautiful, sunny day they will keep the lights so dim inside the restaurant that it's very hard to take photos with friends/family unless you stand right in front of a window. So that sucks, and it gives the nice interior of this place a dreary feeling as you watch the patio customers enjoy the...