Z Burger Tenleytown — Restaurant in Washington

I am and have been employed in Tenleytown for the past 3 years, and consider Z Burger to be one of the most viable lunch options in the are. In general, the food is tasty, fast, and filling.

I am writing this review because of the unacceptable customer service I received the last time I visited and the no-reply over email from the owner, Peter, who received this complaint privately. Z Burger at the time was offering a free burger to Pokemon Go players, which was convenient since I happened to be one of the 100 million eligible candidates for this deal. Z Burger's marketing was extensive, in that they hired a kid to hold a sign outside, and employed their best in-house graphic designer who posted a handwritten sharpie-laden description of the offer on a sheet of paper and then taped it to the front door.

I came to dine in for lunch with some colleagues and though we were meeting separately, I was the first to arrive. I was greeted by this location's most recognizable staff member, Josif. His greeting was non-chalant and ambivalent, which is fine -- I was looking for a hamburger, not a new primary care physician. In my most confident "I'm an adult, but I still watch cartoons" voice, I started my order by asking to redeem the Pokemon Go offer.

Josif responded by telling me "No", the offer was over and I had missed it. As rebuttal, I used my most convincing pointing gestures to draw his attention to the sign on the door, and their hired human signage outside. He responded by saying "that's old, it's from yesterday". I'm not exactly sure how that logic applies, considering I, for example, am from yesterday, and the many days that precede it, and yet there I was. There was a brief back and forth where Josif continued to deny and refuse to investigate the existence of the very obvious offer.

I then backed down and placed an order at regular price. My colleague walked in at this moment. He would then be a few minutes behind me in ordering. Josif was noticeably bubblier towards him in the instant he first saw him, enough to attempt to engage him in conversation before he was even prepared to order. I grabbed a seat to wait.

Shortly after, my second colleague came as well. Considering I had maybe misinterpreted the marketed offer, I asked if they had noticed any of the signage on their way in. They responded with a unanimous yes, and agreed with my assessment of it. They also suggested I inquire further about it. At this point I felt Josif's behavior was discriminatory, and decided to address it.

After eating, I returned to Josif's register, and asked him for further clarification on the advertisement. His tone immediately changed, "yes, yes, the free burger! How would you like it?" I pressed him on why he refused to offer it to me earlier, but he continued to steer the conversation back to a transactional tone. Eventually he replied "my boss just called me and told me about it". What a uniquely specific and timely phone call! I accepted the complimentary burger out of principle, but certainly not out of hunger (5-star portions, yo).

Now, up to this point, I would call this a "traditionally" frustrating experience. One in which confusion mars the customer experience, but someone acknowledges the mistake and respectfully finds an amenable resolution. I don't write complaints about those.

What made this a non-traditional frustrating experience was that Josif made no attempt to relegate acceptance of his mistake, either on his own, or on behalf of the establishment. I recognize that apologies can come as second nature to some, so after he provided my receipt, I gave him the easy out and asked him directly if he felt he owed me an apology. He instead DOUBLED DOWN and said "No". I cocked my head so fast I almost broke my neck and died. As a rebuttal, he offered the following counter-arguments in succession:

"Maybe if I did something wrong" "I didn't make a mistake" "My job is to convey the information I have." "I did nothing wrong" "I will not apologize" "Why would I do that?"

I won't...

Our journey to the one and only Z Burger wasn't a spur of the moment scheme. This was a well-planned out assault discussed on a late Saturday night in a dark watering hole in the District. For when we rise, we will dine like kings in Burgerland. Dilly Dilly! We knew nothing could satisfy this hankering like a hand crafted loaded Double Bacon Cheeseburger from Z Burger. When it was show time, it was just as we planned and expected. Clean, quick and attentive service, it is how I am treated every visit and is what has kept me coming back. The customer service makes me feel as I am the only one dining, but the room is packed and it’s the primetime lunch rush for these hungry Washingtonians. The classic rock and roll on the speakers had me dancing through the line. As I ordered my burger to my liking, I was informed of the newest menu item, a Crispy Chicken Sandwich. I thought, could these guys really follow through with their dedication to quality with this new sandwich? For the rock bottom price of $4.99? I wasn’t going to wait to find out. I was then informed the Crispy Chicken sandwich comes with not just one crispy piece of chicken, but two. SOLD. My chicken sandwich was ready before I was. I still wasn’t mentally prepared for this journey I was about to embark on. The sheer size of this sandwich made me wonder, am I stealing? Is this my order? Is this the sandwich I traded just 5 American dollars for? (tax not included) The first bite made me wonder, do I need to call my priest? The second bite, the pope. After the third bite, I was down on my knees begging Jesus Christ himself for forgiveness. The tenderness of the never frozen chicken rocked my world. I was full of chicken and guilt halfway through. I knew I had been on the winning end of this barter. This sandwich is packed with everything you would want in a Crispy Chicken Sandwich. A fresh baked, soft, toasted bun. Crisp and juicy pickles. The sandwich has just the right amount of spice, which makes everything nice. Now, don’t let the dressing take away from the real champion of this sandwich, the chicken. I received the inside, possibly secret, details of the preparation of each and every chicken patty. If I recall correctly, each never frozen chicken breast is marinated for 24 hours in over 20 different herbs and spices. Imagine how you might feel after spending 24 hours at the spa. That is how good your two chicken breasts have it, as they wait for you to make the smartest investment of your life. Z Burger has proven they are the kings of Burgerland, but now we know who the prince is. I look forward too many more pleasurable experiences with our friends at Z Burger. Now, it's time for my Loaded Double Bacon Cheese Burger.

Cheers, The...

Not recommended. Prices are slightly more expensive than Five Guys, but the quality is worse in every way. The beef patties have most of the flavor grilled out of them and what remains isn't particularly satisfying. The burger buns have a plastic-like texture to them. I was served fries that were an odd mix of square cut and steak fries, making me wonder if the staff had scooped up some bags that fell off an Ore-Ida truck.

Speaking of the staff, they're the biggest disappointment. They're impatient at best, short-tempered at worst. I had to repeat my order twice the last time I went because the guy at the register was using his smart phone while I tried to tell him what I wanted. Naturally, he got annoyed with me about that. You also need to watch the counter like a hawk when orders are being filled, because they will only shout the order number once and they're usually unintelligible. Not because they have bad English skills, mind you. They...