Zula Restaurant

My friends and I decided to try some place new to eat and celebrate my birthday . I checked out some of the reviews on citysearch and found Zula. The same evening, we decided to try it, instead of our usual spots. I am so glad we did! It was a group of 19 and the restaurant did a fabulous job w/the drinks& food! All of my friends really enjoyed waht they ordered & the service was great. I chose this place b/c of the reviews ( both possitive and negative) it got on Citysearch, but the great help & service over the phone won me over! They were very accomodating & it was totally no hassle. I HIGHLY recommend Zula .

Pros: Reasonably priced. Good food, amp; service

Posted 03/23/09

First of all we made reservations for Valentine's day my fiancee and I, it was $80.00 per person, which we were will to pay for great food and service. Service when we arrived was horrible, we were sat at our table and left there for 15 min without at least someone taking our drink order or something. Finally they came and took the drink order i ordered a Apple Martini, they came back with something that taste like lemonade???? I told him i'm not sure what that is, but it's not a apple martini, no alcohol at all. The waiter said okay i will get you another one i'm sorry, this time i will have the bartender make it. I'm thinking hmmmm.....did the bartender not make that last one??? He comes back and it's pretty much undrinkable from too much alcohol like the bar tender was trying to be smart or something. We did that one more time and i finally just gave up on the drink. Next we're still waiting our food it's been about 30min since we ordered and people who came in after us had already gotten their first course ( it was a 4 course meal). He decides to just bring our first and second out together because they forgot to bring out our salad. Worse service. And to top it off the food was horrible as well. I would never recommend this place to anyone i know. Waste of money.

Pros: The restaurant is really decorated nicely

Cons: The staff has horrible customer service and the food is not worth the money

Posted 02/27/09

Classy place in Houston

I recently dined here with my family and I was very impressed by the food, ambience, and service. The menu was very impressive with many choices from seafood to steaks. I had the grilled shrimp pasta for a starter and it was great. Overall this is a very nice restaurant and i would recommend it to anyone from a group, to a couple or family with kids.

Pros: Classy Restaurant/ Clean and good Food

Posted 02/26/09

I have been to Zula restaurant twice this year already and everytime go there , we have a such a wonderful time and make us come back again. The food, service and vibes are excellent and different from all other downtown or midtown restaurants. I dont know why people left hungry? dont know why people said the rest rooms were dirty, it was fine to us at the time, Well, Zula is not an one plate dish fills you up place. it is more like a fine dining restaurant you go there to order appetizer, main and dessert plus cocktail and wine. so I dont you to expecting to go there to get an over potions one meal south style dish and sprit the dish with friend. We love to go there for Thursday 1/2 price wine deal night! They got a great wine selection too.

Pros: Clean and Outstanding Food and service,

Posted 02/26/09

Amazing Service and delish Seafood!

I recently met friends for some dinner and drinks at Zula Restaurant after work for happy hour and had a wonderful experience. Our waiter was really helpful on what to order since we'd never been so I tried the Salmon Ravioli and Wedge Salad. The food was so fresh and delish!! The atmosphere is idyllic for a nice post-work cocktail to relax-I felt like I was on a little getaway! I would highly recommend this spot if you enjoy a nice service, great food, great drinks and a beautiful atmosphere. This is my new fave spot!

Pros: Great Restaurant for a Large Crowd, not to mention Amazing food!

Posted 02/26/09

My wife and I recently made the transition from Los Angeles to Houston. Our first two nights, before moving into our new place. were spent in a nearby midtown hotel. Our second night, after much needed rest, was to be an " out of town night/exploration" of the area. The hotel conciege ( a very cool, gracious and down to earth young woman) insisted on Zula Restaurant. The food was VERY good ( my wife used, "Rocked") The ambiance reminded my wife IMMEDIATELY of places she use to frequent in Vegas... I shared the same sentiment, but from a different coastal perspective. It was our second night in town and that sealed it for us. Food (10) Service (10) Ambiance (10) Can't wait to come back

Pros: All Good, Food, ambiance, Service

Cons: Nothing to complaint about

Posted 02/26/09

i went out with my friends over the weekend to this place, i didnt have a very good experience. originally the waiter that was waiting me was VERY RUDE! my friends are I were just talking amongst ourselves and we were getting loud because we'd been drinking and the waiter so rudely comes to us and says "baby your too loud" as if he'd asked us to keep it down a few times before. We called for the manager and had the waiter switched, the manager was awesome. the food however was not, i ordered the flattened chicken it was supposed to have cheese on it but you could tell it was valvetta for almost a 20$ meal without drinks i'd have better gotten real cheese...the only decent at this place is the manager and cheesecake but for 7$ your better off at cheesecake factory its a dollar less and doesnt taste like it came from the forzen isle at walmart

Pros: the manager (mike), very trendy interior

Cons: food, original waiter

Posted 02/23/09

My girlfriend and I decided to go to Zula for Valentines day, and it was bad from the beginning. We arrived for our 7:30 reservation and the hostess did not welcome us or walk us to our table, she only said "you can go sit at a table upstairs." The menus was a special menu for the night, but was only printed on a cheap black and white printer. It took us 20 minutes to even flag down the waiter, and when we did he was not polite and seemed as though he did not want to serve us. He did not even introduce himself to us or tell us his name. The courses were rushed through, they did not wait for us to finish our salad before they brought out the appetizer. The food was ok, but not close to the $100 they were charging. They were out of the dessert that I wanted, but instead of letting me know and offering me another choice, they brought me out the other dessert option with now apology. As a previous reviewer stated the restrooms were disgusting. A 20% gratuity was included so we could not alter the tip for the terrible service we received. Then to end the night I was going to complain to the manager on the way out, but there was not anybody there to thank us for coming as we were leaving. This was hands down my worst restaurant experience ever. I will not be returning.

Pros: NONE

Cons: Below average food for the price, terrible service, rude staff, dirty

Posted 02/16/09

My husband, several friends and I went to Zula one Friday evening before attending a performance in the Theater District; we were looking forward to the food after reading the mostly great reviews on Citysearch and checking out the restaurant's website. My husband and I, together and apart, have lived/worked in various major U.S. cities and overseas, and we both agree that Houston overall has wonderful restaurants with great quality and value. Without exaggeration, the food at Zula is by far the worst that we have had in Houston.

The service was acceptable (however we were the only seated table besides another table of customers at 7 o'clock on a Friday night) and the ambience/decor is reminiscent of 80's Las Vegas, but the food was simply unacceptable. The Boulevard Sashimi consisted of fair-grade sashimi tuna wrapped in nori, accompanied by a red-chili sauce that was cloyingly sweet. The Seafood Martini consisted of 5 rubbery-hard, overcooked shrimp thrown in some pureed stewed tomatoes with garlic salt and some sugar thrown in, accompanied by a few slivers of some sort of white fish. I had the Salmon filet, described to have been citrus-marinated and served with hollandaise; this dish had no hint of flavor, citrus or otherwise, and the hollandaise tasted like a simple amalgam of flour, water, and salt. My husband had the chili-rubbed Porkchop, ordered medium; it arrived very well-done, bone-dry and tasteless with a rub that had just a hint of chemical heat but no flavor. A friend had the ginger and wasabi tuna filet, again totally devoid of flavor...have you noticed a trend here?

Boiled-down description of our Zula experience: overcooked and flavorless. With all the wonderful reviews of Zula, I'm beginning to question their authenticity.

Pros: Relatively quiet for downtown restaurant on a Friday night (which may be a con)

Cons: The food

Posted 02/08/09

my wife and I celebrated our anniversary dinner at zula's on 1-11-09. Excellent wedge and ceasar salads.My wife ordered the salmon which she liked, and I ordered the flattened chicken. Chicken tasted a little dry, but I easily fixed by adding lemon juice on top. Atmosphere, decor ,and service was fantastic. We will return!!!

Posted 01/11/09

My suggestion to the Manager when he asked how the food was; ?Fire Your Chef Immediately? The food had no flavor at all. I have eaten at places like The Mocking Bird, Brenner?s on the Bayou. Now these places are Five Star Restaurants with food to die for.

Zula really should learn to cook with spices and use fresh food. I was sick all night long after trying to eat at this place. Mind you I only ate a few pieces of my pork chop. This place was not good at all. The bread they served at the beginning was so tasty it was the best bread I have eaten. I thought it was a taste of what was to come; except Zula dropped the ball when it came to the main course. The food was uneatable and my guest and I left felling disgusted by what was trying to be passed off as a five star.

For those of you giving this place a five star you either work there or you have never truly eaten at a five star restaurant. No Taste, Gross Food and management didn?t seem to care. Enough said!

Pros: passing up this place

Cons: Food and bad Managment

Posted 01/10/09

The waiters were wonderful here but every other detail was very poorly managed. Our meal there was a group event and it was the worst experience we've had in almost 15 years. Fortunately we have a great group of people and still managed to have a nice evening. Our reservations (made months ahead) were confused with those of another group. The group coordinator was completely disorganized, unprofessional and unresponsive to inquiries. She never conveyed important details like pre-selected menu selections or headcount to the waiters and they had to scramble to make up for her lack of attention to details. The restaurant was filthy throughout (everything including bathrooms and water pouring out of the ceiling) and the food was simply awful~ not fresh.

We've eaten at Mark's and Quattro in Houston (both exquisite) and Zula is not in the same category~ not even in the same universe. Can't drag us back there even for free food. I'm really tolerant because I have waited tables but this was just beyond anything reasonable. Ugh!

Pros: Great waiters! Really worked hard to please us.

Cons: Awful food, group coordinator awful, filthy restuarant

Posted 01/08/09

Zula Rest. For me and my guest give this restaurant thumbs down. The food was terrible. The Trout they served was water logged and had no flavor AT ALL. My friend ate some of it but left over half her fish because she did not like the taste she tried to give it some taste with salt but nothing helped it. I had the pork chop and it had no flavor as well. The sauce they use for the topping was disgusting to say the least and the rice they served with it had no seasoning either it was like eating a piece of paper. I took two bites of my food and that was it. Yes it tasted that bad. My husband had the steak and he was unhappy with his meal as well. He said the gravy like stuff they poured over the steak did not taste good, he did not finish is meal. One of the guests I brought ordered pasta (which was over cooked and clumped together) but she said the grilled shrimp they served with it was good. 4 guest and all four walked away disappointed. Management did not seem to concerned when I mentioned the food tasted bad. Yes the restaurant decor was nice it seems they are shooting to be a ?fine dinning restaurant? and I have eaten at some very nice places were the food melts in your mouth. This place is far from it and there are not many items to choose from on the menu either. Save your self some money and time because this place was nice but we went for the food and the food was in fact disgusting.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Food

Posted 01/04/09

We finally tried this restaurant this past weekend, and were glad we did. The space is beautiful and the food was amazing. We sat upstairs which is very nice as its like a little mini lounge in itself. We started off with the Calamari and Crab cake which are some of the best I've had . For entrees, I had the River Trout and my husband had the Rib eye, both of which were delicious! We'll definitely be back !!!

Pros: Food , Service,

Posted 12/12/08

I am a restaurant owner from California, I dont get the negative reviews on hosts in general. They have the most thankless job in the restaurant. If customers are not sat at once or offered a free drink, a big comp they are HOSTITLE. People get a GRIP they are juggleing several things at once, Restaurants have to deal with the guests that are seated, the guests that are arriving and flow of the entire place. Zula is a big place and I have seen the owner do the best juggling act in the business. People are late and have NO reguard for the next guests. If you went to the hair dresser or a beauty salon and you were 30 minutes late they would send you home, why restaurants dont practice this is just plain silly. We accomodate thats our business. Zula is a great place , a beautiful restaurant . The food is wonderful , the room exciting , the service excellent. People need to be more positive , it just seems we all look for the negative , if its not the host, then its the servers, if its not the servers then its the bartenders , if its, you get the point, for some people its always something. To those people STAY HOME and make yourselfs MISERABLE. Dine out and have fun. ENJOY. Zula is one of the BEST place in Downtown of Houston.

Pros: Beautiful place, Excellent food, Amazing service

Posted 12/12/08

I rarely ever feel compelled to review a restaurant on this site. Zula was horrific. We walked in on a Monday night, and stood at the host stand for 10 minutes before anyone even came to the front. Two guys went into the bar, and didn't even come over to welcome us. Finally, a manager came out to seat us with the three other tables of people there. We ordered salads, which came out in 10 minutes. The main dishes, however, took another 45. And this was after everyone else in the restaurant had left, and we were the only ones who had not been served (8:00 pm , by the way). We had to ask the manager what was going on, and poof, our food came out.

The weirdest part of the experience happened when one person ordered the flattened chicken. 45 minutes after the order, the waiter came out and said "the chef wanted me to let you know that we sold out of chicken." So, he ordered something else - again, 45 minutes after the original order. Then, another 5 minutes later, the waiter comes back out and says "oh, the chef wanted me to let you know that he got some more chicken, he just needs to cut it." Not only did this not make any sense, but it scared everybody as to where this chicken came from. When asked what the hell was going on, the waiter said, "we have a new chef, I don't know what's wrong with him."

After this nightmare, they offered us a free dessert, which we politely declined. No food was comped, and manager never came over to apologize or explain what happened.

Pros: n/a

Cons: strange atmosphere, slow service, extremely slow food preparation, no attention to customers

Posted 12/01/08

Had dinner here with a group of friends and loved it! We think this is a great place to dine, as well as party. What an awesome " Restaurant-that turns-into a Night club" if that is even a word?! The place is amazing! We were delighfully suprised by the delicious food and cocktails they had. We stayed throughout the night and partied way as the restaurant turned into a lounge. You have to try this place!!! if you are looking for a great time and amazing food, this is the place to be.

Pros: Nice atmosphere and Food!! Great service , Clean

Posted 11/25/08

I set up a lunch for 15 people to celebrate the completion of a project. First, we were there 2.5hrs for lunch and we had a reservation for when they opened at 11:30. Apparently, the kitchen decided that we were not worth the trouble as the other two groups got their food in a timely manner and had no issues (they were also larger groups and didn't send any food back, one group got there right before we walked in the door and were out before us.) We should have known it was going to be bad when the hostess turned to another worker and said they didn't have enough menus for us, we waited at least 15 minutes just to see the menu. We had to send two entrees back- one steak was ordered medium well and came back rare, when it was brought back out it was more like medium rare, but it was eaten since we had waited so long. The other meal was supposed to be a veggie burger, which came out as a buger with veggies, when we sent it back, we got a plate of veggies, that was sent back a second time and we asked for some pasta and sauce with the veggies with no mushrooms and add peas, we had no peas lots of mushrooms. The salmon was undercooked but people lived with it. My water glass was filled once the entire time, I snagged the extra water next to me as I was really thirsty. My dish was like licking a salt block, I won't need any salt for the rest of the month. When we finally asked for the check and the manager we were told the manager wasn't in. Two phone calls to the manager later, and the only thing they would do is take off our drinks- the tea and coke that about 9 people had ordered!!!! Several people went to the bathroom and said they were disgusting, like a typical club restroom. Apparently they make money by selling alcohol, so at night people get smashed and then they don't care what the food tastes like, if they ever get it. Moral of the story is don't bother unless you want to waste your time and money, or would like to help the kitchen staff cook your food.

Posted 11/18/08

Do not go to this restaurant. The food is inedible, and the restaurant is dirty. I ordered the tuna, but it was way overdone and tasted very fishy. I could barely eat it. As far as the atmosphere goes, the decorations were quite tacky and worn down. There weren't that many people dining there (even though it was a weekend night), and the other people who were eating there looked like they were going to the prom. There was also no valet at the restaurant, which is highly inconvenient since it is located downtown. Don't even get me started about the filthy restrooms. If they don't even bother to keep the restrooms clean, then I don't even want to imagine the kitchen conditions. I have no idea why this restaurant is rated the way it is. Maybe it has changed management and/or chefs. It is WAY past its prime. To summarize this restaurant in one word: depressing.

Pros: nothing

Cons: everything about the place

Posted 11/15/08

ZULA is THE place to go for steaks. We've done Ruths ( too expensive ,average steaks, small side dishes) Mortons ( great steaks, expensive, noisy ambience, dull side dishes) and Donovans( WAY too suffy) This place is ( like goldilocks said) " just right". The steaks are perfectly prepared, Asparagus must be grown specially for this restaurant because its aways crisp and very tasty, especially with the fabulous bernaise sauce. I'm allergic to seafood but my dinning companion often orders the Fish of the day and she say it's awesome. Zula has great wines to accompany any of their dishes. Their desserts, if and when you have room for them, are spectacular. FIVE stars every time!!!

Pros: Steaks, fish , wines, ambience

Posted 11/10/08

After reading some of the earlier reviews , I was a little worried our anniversary dinner wouldn't be so great. BUT we were surprised . Our server, I think his name was George , was very attentive yet did was not over bearing. He asked us questions about what kind of wine we like, he listended and brough us a bottle we absolutely loved. Service was superb, right down to the plate presentation. My husband works in the industry and I am a veteren, so we know when we get good service and this was a definite. Food was delicious. Interesting flavor combinations. Some of the reviews said this place was not in good shape, absolutely not. Would go back and recommend to others.

Pros: Food was Delicious and Service was superb.

Posted 11/08/08

I have to say I was a bit skeptical after reading most recent reviews online. I didnot know if we were in for a great meal or a noisy night of pertention. After reading the menu I was really worried- some of the ingredients sounded good but they were combined in such a way that I wouldnt normally choose any of the items. The food proved me wrong. Two things stand out: Our Rib-eye steak was incredibly tender , the service was superb , my wife main course was also awesome. Over all, the food was outstanding.

Pros: Food , Service

Posted 11/08/08

We went on a Thursday night before the theater and we were the only diners in the place. Waiter served wine with cork in it. We got our appetizers/salads fairly quickly and then it was another 45 minutes before our entrees. We think the chef went upstairs to take a nap! We finally got our entrees with 10 minutes to spare. Guess you know what kind of tip he got. The weird thing is the food was really good. BUT the bathrooms were filthy and smelled of that sickeningly sweet stuff they spray to cover the real smell. The fabric on the banquet was old and worn out. All in all not a good experience. AND the music was so loud we had to yell at the waiter to get him to turn it down. And then he couldn't even figure out how. So sad.

Posted 11/05/08

I had been to this restaurant many times in the past and it had always been a great experience. However, I went there with two friends before the theatre last week and it was a big disappointment. I always liked the funky decor of the restaurant, but it now looks worn and tired. The bathrooms were also not in good shape and unkempt. The music was so loud that we couldn't hear each other and we had to ask to have it turned down. There was no one else in the restaurant and the service was very slow and not attentive. We had to hurry to finish our meal before the theater because it took so long to get our entrees. Once the food arrived it was actually pretty good, however, the rest of the experience ruined the evening and I will never go back.

Posted 10/28/08

I visited Zula with a friend after reading about it on both CitySearch and OpenTable. Upon arrival, we were taken upstairs to what looked like a storage area turned dining area for the evening. (We were told that the entire bottom floor had been rented out for a party.) Our table was so off balance that we were concerned it was going to fall off of the center leg, and after showing our waiter, he immediately "created" another table for us. It was so dark, that we could barely see our menus and ended up using the light from our cell phones to see them. It smelled very musky! The carpet was stained. Our waiter changed twice during our meal. The first one did not have a clue as to how to serve wine. He came to the table with the bottle, popped the cork, stuffed it in his pocket, poured a huge glass for my male friend, and then another huge glass for me, sat down the bottle at the opposite end of the table, and took off. We spent the rest of the meal filling our own glasses - as he never returned to do it for us. The only thing I can speak positively of was the food. It wasn't impressive per say, but it was good. To summarize, I was very disappointed and embarrassed. (It was my turn to pick a restaurant and I thought I had it in the bag) I was wrong. I'm sure Zula had their heyday at some point, but the present time isn't it.

Pros: The food was ok

Cons: No valet at 7pm that evening, parking is across the street in a pay as you go lot

Posted 10/28/08

My date and I went to Zula before an 8pm show at theater. We had a nice dinner
( salmon and steak from the menu) and a pleasant bottle of wine . Food was excellent, service was good , attentive and not intrusive. The waitstaff was well coordinated. I mentioned to my date that we would try a particular wine, and within a few minutes our waiter returned with three bottles to choose from. We were finished by 7:40 and on our way to the Theater. We will be back soon, many more.

Pros: good food, good service

Posted 10/16/08

Most recently I dined at ZULA prior to attending a concert. Simply put, ZULA is a reliable restaurant---consistantly good food, beautiful ambience, friendly and helpful service. The restaurant is moderately and fairly priced and especially so in comparison to other restaurants in the same category of dining. My friends and I have dined at this gem of a restaurant many times over the years ( I've twice dined at ZULA in the past two weeks) and we have always enjoyed our experience when dining there, without fail. Without hint of hesitation I highly recommend ZULA.

Pros: Very good food, reliable and beautiful ambience

Cons: none

Posted 08/21/08

Read the most recent review and Zula did not let me down! Seated promptly. The server covered each menu item with a description exceeding the well prepared menu. Every item peaked both our interest and our appetite. The steaks prepared and seasoned to perfection! I enjoy steaks rare and it had a nice charcoaled crust and a cool pink interior . Yes-one of the finest steaks that I have ever had in houston or anywhere for that matter. Our meal for 6 people was over $300 with the elegant wine-well worth the experience! and yes-The best steak in Downtown Houston! Thank you Zula!

Pros: superb service, great cuisine, wonderful wine, ambiance and perfect steaks and wonderful waitstaff.

Cons: should have free valet for dinners

Posted 08/16/08

The pictures of this place are misleading. Although they are of the inside of the restaurant, you may be surprised to find that the inside looks like the gaming floor at casino royale. I found this depressing, especially in the daytime. Here's the good news: the food is decent. But it's not great. People keep praising the steak. The one I had was on the lower side of middling. This is probably not worth trying.

Posted 08/16/08

My husband and I ate here July 26th, 2008. We were worried at first because at 7PM. the restaurant was only about half full downstairs ( there was a private party upstairs) and its located in Downtown of Houston. My husband wanted some red wine ( a glass) and they only had merlot and cab to offer. The cab was no good, and the merlot was warm. Our waiter did let us try both first, then went off to chill the open bottle merlot and came back in a few minutes to offer a fresh, cool, bottle from their cellar. I ordered peppita crusted red fish taht was wonderful. my husband ordered their filet with blue cheese. The manager came when the food was delievered to be sure it was good. My husband steak was overcooked. They immediately took it back . They brought back a much better looking, less cooked steak, my husband cut into it and it was too rare-the manager immediately took it back without hesistation saying that he would get it right. The 3rd time it was perfect. We've had plenty of steaks in Texas and he said this was one of the best. In many restaurants these days that type of customer service just cannot be found! and the food was very good.

Posted 08/08/08

I visited Zula the other night fro a business dinner and had a absolutely wonderful time. Our server was outgoing and very friendly. He also helped us choose a great wine, because we really knew nothing about wine. I had the crab cake and it was some of the best I have ever had as was the Market fish. After dinning, we moved to the bar were we got to watch the game on plastma TV . I will come back and bring friends next time.

Pros: Nice ambiance , attention to detail

Cons: couldn't find any!!

Posted 08/08/08

Coolest atmosphere in town... menu changes each season, but always good. I had one of the BEST steak here. Will go back.

Pros: coolest atmosphere. Best steak

Cons: N/A

Posted 08/08/08

My family and I dined at Zula yesterday and we loved it! It was our first time at the restaurant and I heard about it from a co-worker of mine.

I was impressed witht the location and the decor . The service was great and all of the food tasted great and was cooked perfectly. And at the end of our meal , our server even brought jout a special birthday plate with sparkel candle ( I had mentioned it while making the reservation) and took our picture for us. We had a blast! Afterwards we popped into the bar for another drink and the bartenders were a lot of fun. Highly recommend for any occasion!

Pros: food , service, atmosphere

Posted 08/07/08

Service was terrible. Food was good but just not worth it. Our server forgot to bring part of our order, so when we did get it, we had to send it back to be reheated. We were one of 4 tables in the entire restaurant, and the servers kept mixing up orders with the table next to us. When I pay $100+ for a meal, I expect a much better experience. Also, we did not receive one apology for the mix-ups. Even that would have made things better. We won't be back.

Pros: Food was good.

Cons: Service was terrible.

Posted 08/02/08

Can't say this was horrible but can't say it was great either. Food is average...a bit on the pricey side for what you get. Wine list needs serious work...very limited in selection. Lobster ravioli was good but for the price, I was expecting more fresh lobster meat and not the lobster mousse/pate. Pepita-crusted redfish with saffron rice sounded very good and would've been great had it been served with saffron rice (instead of plain rice pilaf).

Not a fan of the decor...infact, I'm not sure what's going on in there. Our server was nice and attentive but I wasn't appreciative of the fact that the other staff/management were cleaning and converting into the lounge scene while we were eating. I feel as if they are trying to compete with the likes of Monarch at Zaza....don't think it'll happen. Maybe this is a better place for lunch.

Posted 07/30/08

This place is amazing! From the food to the service to the decor. This restaurant is a must, especially if your into American Cuisine,Steak and Sea Food. I had recently dined there and had many of their signature items. There were so many great entrees and appetizers that I couldnt decide. The Market Fish was phenomenal, it was so fresh and had been prepared on a grill having the perfect balance of flavor and char with a hint of lemon, this was a great entree. The baseball cut Tenderloin steak was also incredible. An absolute must try!!!. At no point during the meal did I feel as though i needed something. The server and all the waitstaff anticipated our every need, the buspersons were right on with clearing tables, everything was spotless. the decor inside is great. It has great feel and atmosphere. I definately would recommend for dinner or even just an after work drink. ZULA, I will be back.

Pros: Exceptionally fresh seafood, juicy and tender steak. Well trained wait staff.

Posted 06/25/08

The Service at Zula under the new management and ambience is top-notch, but the food served here that makes this restaurant worth coming back to. New American Cuisine has never been one of my favorite cuisines, but Zula's appetizers and entrees have turned me into a fan. Wine list is very extensive. All in all a great place and a great sophisticated evening out. Price is very decent also. I will definitely return. Thank for a great service.

Pros: Very reasonable price and excellent food

Posted 06/25/08

If you want an excellent steak and "King-Like" service, Zula Restaurant on Main@ Capitol would be a great choice. There is something to please every palate. Choose from delicious steaks, chops and seafood. The wine list is impressive. Service is attentive but not bothersome. Great place for a lovely evening.

Pros: great food, great service

Posted 06/04/08

We were there for Mother's Day brunch and were extremely disappointed. They are not usually open on Sundays and this was very clear. They ran out of all desserts but 2 (supposed to have 5). There was throw-up in the lady's restroom. We were supposed to get free mimosas but had to ask for them and then convince the waiter they were included, although it was clearly stated on the website. This is unacceptable for any restaurant - to put your customers in the awkward position of having to explain what the waiter should already know. When we arrived we had to wait even though there were plenty of free tables. We were also promised a round of champagne by the host because we had to wait, which was never served. It was very dark and depressing for a Mother's Day occasion. Expensive for what we got; could have had a Four Seasons meal for the same price and better experience. My chicken dish was not good - huge hormone injected breast with little flavor at all. The other dishes were very good though - excellent filet, fantastic pan fried salmon. This place is probably great for a wild Saturday night, but avoid for any special occasions on Sundays, especially in a city that is known for fantastic Sunday brunch.

Pros: Mostly good food, unique decor, great bar area

Cons: disappointing service, terrible brunch experience

Posted 05/13/08

There is not a lot more to say about Zula-- the reviews below sum it up perfectly. This is a wonderful restaurant for any foodie visiting Houston. The service is impeccable, the staff is warm and friendly, and the food is beautifully prepared and presented. My husband and I shared the Filet Mignon and the market fish and it was amazing. Each bite was delicious; you could taste the love in each dish. One of the best restaurant I've ever been to. Run to your telephone and make a reservation now. Your stomach and soul will thank you.

Pros: fantastic food, good service

Cons: Wow!

Posted 05/13/08

I visited Zula's today 5/9/2008. I love going there becuase of the flatten chicken and delicious macaroni. Today I went and the executive cheif must not have been in the building because my food was very different. My chicken was overcooked. It is usually light brown and easy to cut. Today it was dark brown like it had been deep fried. I had to saw on it just to cut it and eat. My macaroni was over cooked as well. It tasted grainy, I could not eat it. The sad part is that the macaroni is my favorite, it is usually a little spicy and smooth but not to day. I had to order potatoes which took about 15 minutes for them to bring out.

This brings me to my next issue. It took 40 minutes to recieve my food. I arrived at 11:35; only one other table as filled when I arrived. I purposely arrived early in order to get out early. I didn't get out of there until 1. I can't say that today was my last visit, but if my next visit is similar to this one, it will definitely be my last visit.

Posted 05/09/08

Just so everyone knows, the Chef on the website is no longer there. He hasnt worked there for a year and they are still falsley using his name.

Pros: LIARS!

Posted 05/07/08

I have been to several places that claim to be " best club/restaurant" but after visitng Zula Restaurant and Lounge , they were simply upscale fine dining restaurant and night club.

The place has it all from an unbelievable wine list to gourmet food featuring top notch ingredients. I say try with the Tenderloin. The wait staff, bartenders, etc... are exceptional and aim only to make your evening the most memoriable.

Finallly the women are beautiful and it is not a high pressure atmosphere. After all, you dont have to travel far to find the most relaxing club atmosphere.

Pros: Good food, exceptional service and Beautiful bartenders

Cons: none

Posted 04/18/08

If you're hoping to be treated like a king during your stay in downtown of Houston, then Zula Lounge might be the place where you find your throne. Inside this massive restaurant that's has been designed to look like a classic Las Vegas palace, you will find lounge offering premium liquors and wine, sport viewing, 5 Stars dining, and of course, lots of drop-dead gorgeous women.

Zula is truly one of the most luxurious restaurant and bar in town.

Posted 04/18/08

I went to a birthday dinner with a group of frineds on a Saturday night. The service was horrible and it was only our group of about 16 people and I looked around and maybe 3 other tables had people. When I was seated I ask for a glass of water with lemon. I did not get my lemon until I reminded my server two additonal times. The prices were relatively ok for a 4 or 5 star restaurant. The unfortunate part was that the food was not a 4 or 5 star quality. It took about 30 minutes to receive my food after my salad. I ordered the Trout with lump crab meat I substituted mash potatoes instead of veggies. After receiving my food it was luke warm and for the first couple of minutes I had to search for my potatoes. Guess where I found them. Under my fish....go figure. The only good thing was the guy that served the water kept my glass full.

Pros: The ambience and decor was fabolous

Cons: Everything

Posted 03/17/08

Zula's has the absolute best Veal Chops encrusted with brown sugar and a gorgonzola bread pudding to die for! My husband was afraid i was taking him out to a very expensive restaurant because the decor is extremely upscale and chic! However he was pleasantly surprised to enjoy his turf and surf beef tenderloin fish and risotto perfectly prepared without breaking our dining out budget. The atmosphere is very romantic and service friendly and attentive. We have found our new downtown date spot!

Pros: Romantic Fine Dining at it's best and reasonable prices

Cons: NONE

Posted 02/08/08

If you're looking for a good place to take clients for an impressive lunch, Zula is definitely a great choice. The crab cake sandwich is to die for. My colleague had the flat chicken and macaroni and couldn't stop raving about it. The creme brulee was one of the best I've ever had. Zula is most definitely a top pick for downtown dining.

Pros: Atmosphere, food, location

Posted 02/07/08

Here it is finanlly, our heartfelt recommendation of your great team! " Working with Zula and their Catering team is a dream, for the palate and the spirit". From a truly inspired wedding banquet of 250 to an intimate wine dinner for 12 we have always been impressed beyond measure by their delicious, wonderfully creative and visually stunning creations. True to his New American Cuisine but always finding new ways to interpret those flavors, Zula's team never fail to suprise and wow the crowd. Always thoughful of our needs and special wishes. Zula Restaurant truly embodies catering par excellence. And Zula's remarkable team puts our minds at ease knowing that our affair will be run smoothly, professionally and one to talk about and cherish long after. We are looking for a reason to call on you again soon. All Best/ Rob & Catherine

Pros: All Best

Posted 12/18/07

I visited yesterday for lunch and the experiance was great. I loved the food and I was definitely impressed with the service specially coming from the manager. AMAZING!! I will truely be back! Thanks ZULA!!

Pros: food, service

Cons: no cons

Posted 12/06/07