I hate to speak poorly about a Baltimore restaurant, as I think too much of that happens already. However, when the food is as bad as it was last night at Zen West Cafe in Belvedere Square, that is really the only option.
So, on to the story. Last night, I met up with the good people from Tilt Studio and the local design collective they organize, for a happy hour at Ryan’s Daughter. For those of you not from Baltimore, Ryan’s Daughter is a nice, cozy Irish pub with good beer and good food, an excellent choice for a networking happy hour.After a few drinks, and some light food, Dustin, Mike, and I decided that we needed more to eat and headed over to Zen West Cafe. I’ve passed this place a bunch of times and it actually looks pretty cool from the outside.
I guess we should have known when there were only 15 people in this huge restaurant, that something wasn’t exactly right here. But, we decided to go in anyway and give it a try. The hostess and waitress were nice enough, but the food was a bit pricey, especially for how good it was. I ordered fish tacos, which were $11. I was a bit surprised when my plate came out with only 2 tacos on it. The fish tacos were a bit dry and also oddly-seasoned.
The three of us ordered the Guac Burger, Chicken Fajitas, and Fish Tacos, respectively. I think it’s safe to say that none of us were particularly pleased with our food. But it wasn’t until this morning, when I got multiple emails about how harsh the food was and how much everyone’s stomaches were killing them, that I decided never to go to Zen West Cafe again.
So, if you are looking for good Mexican or Tex-Mex food, I would suggest looking elsewhere. Unfortunately, Zen West just isn’t making use of the awesome space and location that they have.
If I would have seen this video before yesterday, there’s no way I would have gone there.
August 29, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Zen West – doesn’t sound Tex-Mex in the least.
August 29, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I agree Paul, but that’s what they call themselves. Do you have any suggestions for good Mexican restaurants in the area?
August 29, 2007 at 3:43 pm
It’s easy to say that I will never step foot in that place again. Like you said the prices were too high for the quality of food offered. My stomach hasn’t been this upset in a long-time.
August 29, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I still say Holy Frijoles is the best Mexican ever. And its not just because it is a block away from me and Im lazy. As many people know, we go buy their salsa whenever we have get-togethers at our Hampden abode. And its always the first thing gone.
Chris, I heard Los Amigos is banging.
August 31, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Chipotle is more authentic than Zen West. I think my stomach still hurts.
Holy Frijoles is very good, however probably not the best. I would dare to say that (East) Fells Point probably has some of the most authentic Mexican food in the City…
September 3, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Chipotle is like a police station – disgusting inside. The foil-wrapped food is bulging with blandness and a serious lack of style. I would rather eat out of a garbage can than digest a crumb of anything from Chipotle.
On the other hand, the Burritos at Zen West were more than flavorful and did not cause any intestinal distress. Perhaps the other reviewers were vegetarians and their bodies have a hard time digesting meat.
Zen West gets a thumbs up, so does Holy Frijolies.
Chipotle gets a big thumbs, and bottoms, down.
September 4, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Looks like we have a expert on Police station interior design.
I think the lack of patrons in Zen West says it all. Remains a big thumbs down.
September 25, 2007 at 5:15 pm
I’ve been to Zen West twice and had a great experience both times. It’s not the greatest Tex Mex in the world but it’s far from the worst. And the “mexican martini” is real, real good.
And no, I don’t work for them/know them etc. I just wanted to put it out there in the interest of equal time.