Zeke's Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Smyrna

It’s an americanized Caribbean restaurant with a few Haitian dishes at best but, it’s the closest I can get locally so it’s been decent. It is not an authentic Haitian restaurant but, they have a few good dishes and service is usually amazing. I have also met the owner who was very nice so I have always supported the business.

I have not been there in a few months so I am unsure if ownership has changed but, I don’t think it has. I was extremely disappointed when I went this past Sunday. I placed an order over the phone and when I arrived I was told they were not taking any cash. I said “Awww man, I wish I was told that over the phone.” The worker said “We don’t need to disclose that to you”, verbatim. I was so taken back by her attitude and response. I said “actually you do and that was very rude to say”. There was a lot of neck roll, eye roll, and whispering to the other servers. I said you know what its fine, I’ll just talk to the owner about it. She said I can get him for you, in a dismissive tone. She called him and proceeded to talk about me, in front of me. She said “Well I don’t have any change so I told her that”. I said it’s not what you told me but the way you said it that was disrespectful.

Another server then brought me the bag of food and said you can take it, have a good day. I said “No I want to pay for my meal”. (I did not have an issue paying. The discrepancy was paying with a company card for a personal purchase as opposed to the cash I brought). The server rolled her eyes and repeated you can just take the food and leave. I was with my young son which is why I never raised my voice or escalated things further. But I truly felt disgusted with the treatment I received.

As a proud Haitian with what we are currently going through, this is the time to be even more supportive. It’s unfortunate but even when I got home and opened the food, it got worst. My son had rice and chicken in sauce but we got dry chicken tenders. My food was but 2 spoons of rice....

What I know about Haitian food could fit the top of a pin, but if Zeke's is a fair representation, I now know that it must be flavorful. The djon djon bowl was the crowning glory of our order, and it deserves all the hype it gets here on Yelp. I was curious about what 'djon djon' was, and when we asked our server, she explained it was their version of a traditional black rice made with beans or mushrooms. Whatever was in it, it was the most delicious bed for the charred plantains, grilled shrimp, and toppings. It can also be ordered with jerk chicken, salmon, or avocado - all of which I'm looking forward to trying on return visits. The menu describes the accompanying aioli as 'epic,' which is entirely correct. It reminded me of a slightly spicier version of the white sauce that comes with Halal food, and it brought the whole bowl together beautifully.

My husband ordered a jerk chicken salad, which he praised as "fresh and tasty". We were a little less enthusiastic about the salmon dip, which sounded delicious on the menu but turned out to be a little saltier than I would've preferred.

What rounded up our love for Zeke's was the service. Our water glasses were constantly refilled, food was bussed out with efficiency, and our servers couldn't be kinder or more welcoming. The interior is surprisingly nice (in fact, as we walked in, my husband wondered aloud if this was too fancy a place for our athleisure outfits), but I agree with one reviewer about the music being a tad loud. Luckily, here are a few outdoor tables available for those who might...

We just ate dinner at Zeke’s and were sadly so disappointed. My husband and I were looking forward to trying this restaurant for a date night without the kids. The vibe was excellent and the drinks were delicious! Our waitress was phenomenal. She was attentive and honest and she made the overall experience better than the actual food. My husband and I both ordered the Tasso plate with goat. After quite a wait, our plates arrived and we both noticed that everything looked especially overcooked. Nevertheless, we were hungry, eager to eat, and had movie plans for after. I will admit, the flavors were there, but the food was exceptionally dry and overcooked—both the plantain and the goat. My husband is from Kenya and I am from Trinidad; we also have numerous Haitian friends. We were shocked that this was what came out of the kitchen—so much so that we had to confirm the chef was Haitian. We mentioned our concerns to our waitress and she graciously offered to comp us dessert. She also told us that the kitchen would make adjustments to their meal prep based on our feedback, as the goat was already three days old when it was served to us. We would have loved to have spoken to the owner who was circulating throughout the restaurant, but he never stopped at our table. Ultimately we want to see businesses like Zeke’s thrive. Our area is in desperate need of delicious, flavorful food from the African diaspora. Hopefully, they will make the necessary adjustments and serve quality Haitian...