Erin is an amazing server who welcomed us with southern hospitality and a smile. The food was amazing and very gastro happy! The poutine was superb as were the local beers. We could have easily found this place in an area near San Francisco with outrageous prices . Thank you Opelika for having the amazing gem! Pamela and Brady Ps props to management for the "buy a six pack for the kitchen". For 10$! Happy kitchen amazing place ! read more

Worth a visit just for the duck fat fries. The beer and wine selection is amazing. I love that they have an upstairs and downstairs bar. The staff always provides exceptional service. We haven't been inside since the pandemic started, but the curbside service is excellent. read more

We had an amazing time at Zazu's the hostess was super nice and really did a great job. The food was to die for and the Craft Beer selection is huge they had the food to the table in no time. The place was so cool and relaxing atmosphere. A great place for a date nite. read more

Super good servers and fast service! Had the salmon and it was delicious, highly recommend!

Great spot for Sunday brunch. I had eggs Benedict, and it was fantastic. Friendly service and good food. Nice feel to the place with all the exposed brick and old beams. Cool place. read more

Love this spot, great food, atmosphere and location. Can't even talk when eating, because I didn't wanna stop lol

Thomas was our waiter and he was fantastic!!! My wife and I are visiting from Dallas, our daughter is a student at Auburn. I rarely eat in restaurants anymore because I'm on a crazy eating plan that most restaurants can't accommodate. Thomas worked with the kitchen, got creative and made my request happen. WOW!!! THAT'S SERVICE!!! I really didn't expect him and the cooks to try to help me. Oh...and the food is TERRIFIC here. A+. My daughter comes here all the time and loves it. I will certainly be back!!! read more

Three words. "CHICKEN AND WAFFLES!!!" If you are reading this, and you are human, and you are the type of human who enjoys brunch, I just want to congratulate you, because you have found brunch mecca. Let's walk through the experience. Walk in, sit down, the ambiance is a mix between a steampunk speakeasy and a classy loft apartment. The service begins with hush puppies the size of my fat face bathing in a remulade that I would bathe in if I ever discover it has any type of antiseptic properties. They ruin all other hush puppies forever, do it anyway. Then, you note a funny word on the menu, "Poutine,"... no, this was not what Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was cooking, it's better. These brilliant bastards had the audacity to deep fry battered fries in DUCK FAT! Then, they smother it with the thiccest (very thick for you people who aren't hip on the lingo) brown gravy you have ever had the good pleasure of being served, and sprinkle a hefty portion of the softest, happiest, cheese curds that exist in the known universe. Before these curds graced your fries they listened to soft jazz while bathing in a tepid bath of the finest vinegar and water while watching HGTV and burning lavender incense, they have a better life than you. After the appetizers have been demolished, you place your order, and since you knew what you were coming here for, you get it. CHICKEN AND WAFFLES. If you haven't ever had chicken and waffles from Zazu, you need to go. There is a big baptist church down the road from this restaurant, but I promise you that more people have found god through this dish than that church. They are remarkable, they are memorable, they make you want to hug a child, donate to charity, and start composting. The chicken is a piece of chicken thigh that has been marinated in sweet tea before being deep fried and layered with maple syrup. Just in case you missed the importance of that last sentence, let me give it to you again with emphasis, THEY MARINATE THE CHICKEN IN SWEET TEA AND LAYER THE FRESHLY FRIED CHICKEN WITH MAPLE SYRUP! You got that? It tastes like heaven and pre-diabetes. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE! The waffle is made with syrup in the batter so it comes out tasting like a praline. I think we should, as a country, pass a law that requires ALL chicken and waffle waffles to have the correct amount of maple syrup in the batter, it's just better, think of the children. All this is served with a side of home-fries that have just the right amount of spices and have a hint of dill to remind you that you are indeed dining somewhere that knows what they are doing, and not the waffle house. (NO hate on the waffle now, but you only go there when you are drunk, don't lie to yourself.) When all is said and done, you will thank yourself for your bright Idea to go to Zazu, you will exit their establishment in a better mood, a better version of you, rejuvenated, invigorated, and really really full. read more

Awesome food. This is the second time I have been here, and it has been fantastic both times. From personal experience the sweet tea chicken and sauteed shrimp are delicious. read more

The building is spectacular! I mean... truly world class design. The food and the service is mediocre. The ownership should definitely try to dramatically improve the service and cuisine to match the awesomeness of the building. I was very disappointed with my ciopini. UPDATE: I can't really get over how awesome the building is, but the food SUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS! Just go have a cocktail. DO NOT EAT THE FOOD! read more

Always a good choice for any meal but the brunch is always my favorite. Great dishes that never change and always different choice to go along with them. read more

Best restaurant in surrounding area! Stands above the rest as a reputable place for inspired dishes!!! read more

One of my favorite places to eat when it was located in Auburn and now that it's located in my town, Opelika it's even better! Very unique layout of the restaurant with the different levels and balcony. I took my siblings for a Christmas party, there were no complaints! I will be back! Great, friendly, attentive staff! read more

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Go across the street. We've been eating at Zazu since it was in Auburn. We used to love it. In the last few years its been a 50/50 toss up whether we'd get the best food in town or something inedible. Since April it's been burned food every time. They are trying to get food cooked faster and turning the heat up too high. Last night our appetizer of Mexican street corn looked great til we each picked up piece and the back 2/3 was shriveled and black. The steaks came out so burned the whole restaurant could smell it. theyve turned brussel sprouts, hamburgers even bread pudding into charcoal bricks. So my advice is go across the street. read more

This is our go-to date night place in Opelika/Auburn area. I love the atmosphere in downtown Opelika, and Zazu is in such a unique building that I feel like I have escaped to a completely new town. The food here is delicious! I love the poutine, the quail, duck, and blackened redfish. The shrimp and grits is not as good at some other places, so I would go with something else. I have loved everything I've tried besides that. And the beer selection is always phenomenal. I'm a Gose girl, and they always have something I love. read more

Didn't care too much over priced for something you can get in the frozen section at win dixie , place is just upscale but the food isn't or maybe it's just one of those nights service and food way off read more

My boyfriend and I ate here for dinner. The service was wonderful and the food was amazing! We were able to snag a reservation very last minute, and it did not disappoint. Would recommend to anyone! read more

Our visit was an experience! I took my son & two of his children for lunch. Weather was perfect to eat on the balcony so our waiter had to make repeated trips up & down 2 flights of stairs to serve us. He did this with not just pleasantly but joyfully! Thank you, Rob! The food was delicious. The children had been there once (5 & 6 year olds). They remembered what they had last time, wanted it again & really enjoyed their meals. Great place, atmosphere & staff! read more

Zazu - Lunch with the Grands - Gastropubs Near Me - Opelika, Alabama

The meal at Zazu's was definitely a great meal. My burger was prepared perfectly, juicy, pink and very tasty. The waitress was outstanding. I will visit when I return to Opelika and Ft Benning. Thank you Zazu staff. read more

Zazu - Gastropubs Near Me - Opelika, Alabama

This place is mediocre for the "publicity" it has around the community. The server was very friendly, and the building was kind of cool, but the food was not impressive for the price. The trout was over cooked. When asked for special sauces, she recommended the hot sauce which tasted like watered down barbecue rub. The oysters were small and only serving 5 total for the price of $12 was discouraging considering they were not the greatest in size. I did find the bacon gnocchi to be good, but there were only a few on the dish I ordered. This place does support the local drag in the community, which I love, but I never saw any advertisement for events/drag brunch in the building. I only hear about the events through social media friends. read more

This is without a doubt one of the finest dining experiences in Opelika. You can't miss with any of the items on the menu (which changes periodically - which is nice). The waitstaff always proves knowledgeable of the menu items and is well-equipped to make recommendations on both food and beverage. A pleasant experience from your greeting at the door until they bid you farewell, but the most enjoyment will of course be realized between those events. Wish I could give it 6 stars. Oh, and I didn't even get to the beautiful architecture of the restaurant. Don't miss that. read more

Wow... what a find. I was driving through Opelika when hunger set in. A quick check on Yelp took me to Zazu. I was not disappointed. The menu is great as is the draft beer list. I ordered Poutine and a beer. Everything was perfect. Service was spot on. I will go back. Update... Went back... Still killer.... Update.... Went back.... Still killer... Update (sorta/kinda)..... haven't gone back... but got so-so poutine elsewhere.... couldn't help thinking about Zazu's. read more

I can't thank Zazu enough for my incredible vegan dish! Dominique was kind enough to verify menu modification options, at which point this special was offered. We had such a lovely evening and especially enjoyed hearing from Chef Connor about the beautiful and unique ingredients that went into the dish. The floor manager, Ben, was gracious and genuine in asking about our experience. Thank you, Zazu! read more

Zazu - Chef Connor was kind enough to create this beautiful and delicious vegan dish for me! - Gastropubs Near Me - Opelika, Alabama

A pleasant find in Historic Opelika. Loved the ambiance and the food. What drew me to give this place a visit was the Cuban Sandwich. Having grown up in Hialeah, Florida, I love a good Cuban. The nice touch of Zazus version is the hickory smoked bacon. Nice selection of spirits!!! Good food. Great service. Good place for lunch and worth the trip. read more

Excellent food. The burger is phenomenal. The soup of the day was roasted tomato bisque. I'm not a fan of tomato soup, but this was incredible. They have a good selection of beers on tap and in the bottle as well. Service was superb. Our waitress was pleasant and very complimentary of the food. The kids ordered vanilla ice cream for dessert and the waitress brought a caramel sauce (which normally goes on the bread pudding) to top it. Oh my goodness, that is one of the best sauces I've ever tasted. The ratio of caramelized sugar and butter was perfect. Absolutely perfect. This place is an hour from our house, but we will be back. read more

Awful. Ordered biscuits and gravy with eggs scrambled very lightly. Asked for cheese and onions in my eggs. Was told that they didn't have enough cheese or onions to spare. Received two biscuits that were overcooked and very hard. Eggs were the same way. No gravy. After several minutes, a cook brought me gravy in a little thing that would normally have ketchup or mustard in it. About two tablespoons. He said they were out of gravy. Then blamed the waitress for not ordering it. I will never go back and recommend that you steer clear of the place. read more

Good food, good service recommend it for dining in Opelika. One of the better places for dinner in the area

I very rarely leave a bad review, but was shocked at how bland and underwhelming the food was for the price. Went for lunch and ordered the Grilled Mahi Tacos ($12). I had trouble locating much if any fish on the 2 small tacos. Four tortillas were right out of a bag, not heated up, and the entree itself was bland and uninspiring. The "side of chips and salsa " was literally five chips next to a small cup of salsa. The salsa wasn't bad and I put it on the "taco" to give it some flavor. Bottom line, cool atmosphere but I came hungry and left hungry. Should have got the burger. read more

It's a different place. But the portions are very small. I ordered salad and had to pay $5 for salmon to add, but was the smallest piece ever! So I paid $15 for a small salad with a tiniest piece of fish. No thank you!!! read more

Great atmosphere and the food is tasty and the service is good. I typically sit at the bar and the bartenders know how to make craft cocktails and interact with the guest regularly. The only knock I have, is that its always FREEZING in there. Please turn the temp up! - lol read more

Had such a good brunch experience here! The atmosphere and the food were incredible! Super friendly staff and very quick service. I am definitely coming back for more! read more

Beautiful location, loved the atmosphere and decor. The food was hit or miss - tried the Korean bbq spring rolls, which were amazing, but was slightly disappointed with the duck entree that I had. I would like to come back to try some other menu items because their dishes were very unique and many of them sounded really good. The brussels sprouts were also phenomenal! read more

Food is pretty good. The service was friendly. Not good for kids. Watch out for the big gap in the floor on the second level by the window (unmarked). My toddler almost fell through and would've dropped an entire story below. read more

Great place for date night. We loved the ambiance. The menu has some interesting choices and everything we had was really good. The staff in general and our server particular was attentive, and very friendly. The poutine was awesome! read more

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Wow what a great find in Opelika!! Cool old building with a great atmosphere. Food was DELICIOUS and our server Caitlin (sp)? was the best!! Prices are great too! Can't wait to come back through here on our next trip. read more

Went to Zazu last night with a friend and loved it overall. We both ordered the cheeseburger and I had duck fries while she had regular fries. Our waitress was very sweet and patient with us. The menu didn't have much variety that would probably be the only semi- negative thing I have to say about our experience. The cheeseburgers were fantastic and cooked just right though! read more

The location is beautiful and inviting, and the food seems to be crafted with care and artistry. It's a place I'd really love to go, but they just don't have any appealing vegetarian options. I check the menu regularly to see if they offer something other than salad for lunch or dinner, but it doesn't seem to adapt to have an interesting vegetarian dish. I've had French toast from the brunch menu, and it was well made, but I'm not a big fan of sweet breakfasts and didn't feel inspired by anything on the brunch menu either. If they had just one vegetarian dish for lunch and dinner that wasn't salad and was slightly complex in flavor profile, it would be far more appealing to vegetarians. read more

Pan Seared Scallops were incredible, staff was very pleasant and accommodating. They even support local farmers and breweries which is great. read more

Zazu is a place I regularly go for a nice date night. In the last year Zazu has gotten way more consistently delicious. They've gone from good to great. The last few times Ive been it has been outstanding. I highly recommend Zazu for a nice night out. read more

Absolutely the best food experience I've had in quite a while! Truly well crafted foods that incorporate locally grown foods as well as attention to details. Friendly staff that paid attention to every need as well as explaining the menu very well. Best burger I've had from a restaurant in a long time. My best suggestion is that you save room for dessert, or maybe even start with it first. The homemade, made to order, bread pudding with caramel sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLD! We will definitely be back for more sooner rather than later. read more