A new restaurant in the 800 block of Market Street may catch your eye with its familiar name: Zarzour’s. But the locally known name is only half the story at the new place, Zarzour’s Eats & Jackie’s Treats, and there’s no connection to the family-owned Zarzour’s restaurant that’s been a popular dining destination on Rossville Avenue for nearly 100 years.
For clarity, we’ll simply call this new place ZJ’s.
THE MENU
The main menu at ZJ’s has something for everyone, from sandwiches and burgers to soups and salads. There’s also a special served every day. On Fridays, it’s bourbon-glazed chicken or lasagna. Saturday lunch features fried chicken or spaghetti and meatballs.
There’s a also a variety of home-cooked veggies offered daily that you can order whether or not you get the meat special.
ZJ’s also serves breakfast, beginning at 6:30 a.m. weekdays and 7:30 on Saturdays. The offerings include eggs any style, breakfast meats, pancakes, omelets and wraps.
IF YOU GO* Where: Zarzour’s Eats & Jackie’s Treats, 809 Market St.* Phone: 305-0366.* Hours: 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday.* Price range: $1.50-$5.95 (breakfast), $3.95-$7.49 (lunch).
The order (for two): BLT Cobb salad and vegetable plate with broccoli, sweet potato casserole, mac and cheese and carrots.
I love a good Cobb salad. Although this one wasn’t as big as most I’ve had, the mixture of crisp bacon, hard-boiled egg, fresh lettuces and tomato was hard to beat. Traditional Cobb salads also include avocado, but, like many restaurants, ZJ’s adds its own twist. So, rather then avocado, it features tart dried cranberries and sliced almonds, which added a burst of flavor and nice crunchy texture. All in all, this is one salad I will order again, though the price for the size was a little steep.
The veggie plate was filled with small dishes of each vegetable, all of which were quite good – the mac and cheese is really some of the best around. There were no fancy cheeses or anything; it was just good and thick with a nice cheddar cheese flavor. The sweet potato casserole had a touch of clove, which made the taste a little different.
For dessert, we had chocolate silk pie that had an excellent flavor, but the texture, due to the fact that the sugar was not dissolved, was a disaster – more grit than silk.
Best bets: BLT Cobb ($7.49); any of the daily specials with three vegetables ($7.49); patty melt on grilled rye with fries or chips (5.95); Applewood bacon cheese burger with chips or fries ($7.25).
THE SERVICE
When we stood for several minutes in the center of a half-full restaurant and were totally ignored, I had a feeling service wasn’t going to be up to par, and I was correct. Service was rather incomplete, with our server’s attention elsewhere. She didn’t remember that bread went with my salad until I mentioned it twice, then had to go back a third time for butter. Service can make or break a meal. In this case, it broke it. I may go back because the food is good. I just hope service will improve.
THE SPACE
The restaurant has a shotgun design, with a dessert-display case and cash register along the side as you walk in. Tables take up the rest of the space. Windows across the front let natural light into the eatery. It’s a clean space that seems to pack lunchtime diners in during the week. I would imagine Saturdays usher in the growing number of folks living downtown.
THE VERDICT
ZJ’s is in a good location, away from the bustle of the aquarium district. It’s just what the area needs, as there are few places for lunch and even fewer for breakfast. It’s a nice addition.