In all fairness, today was probably a very off day but I can only write a review based on my dining experience and today was a disaster. They had a Car Club Rally in the Shopping Center Parking lot and a much larger crowd than expected so service was essentially non existent. Will give them another shot in a couple of months but in the meantime, this was my experience today If thing improve next time, will write another review and update the experience. Lately have been reviewing places in my new neighborhood along with others in my old area. Today I want to try something someplace else. Granted I have written a number of reviews for restaurants in Lincolnton , most date back to when my Mother was in an Assisted Living Facility over there and I was going on a rather frequent basis, Since she passed have had little reason to be over there not that I need a reason to be any place in particular. Looking over the yelp reviews for Lincolnton this morning, I ran across Z'hay's Bar and Grill and noted that it had a good number of very positive reviews by fellow yelpers. Was familiar with the shopping center it is in so was expecting a somewhat of a hole in the wall but in many cases, these hole in the walls have the best food and service. Pulled into the parking lot a little before noon and was shocked. It was a sea of folks dressed in Red Jackets, White Shirts and Black pants I initially thought I had shown up at a Trump Rally (this was about 30 minutes after the networks had called the race for Biden) Drove on down to the end of the parking area, found the restaurant and pulled in. Turned out it was a Car Club and this was one of their rally's with folks from all over the Southeast. Walked in an there were four ahead of us in one party ordering take out. In a minute the hostess/server asked how many and my wife said two and she told us we could sit anywhere we wanted. She followed us back to where we picked out a table and she gave us our menu's. Poor lady because shortly after that, the flood gates open up and they were swamped. She did come back for our drink orders which she did manage to squeeze in and then it became the big wait. Finally she got a break and came to take our order. My wife noted on the Appetizers, it had Fried Green Tomatoes (Seasonal) and she asked it they were still available. Hostess said they were so that became the first item. My wife and I both order the Salmon Burger with Fries. Comes with Aioli with Red Bell Pepper and my wife chose not to go that route but I chose to go that way. More Car Club Members kept coming it and it appears that most of this restaurants business is take out or delivery. Never did see much activity in the dining room which is a shame because they have and excellent dining room and bar area. Bathrooms are spotless and many places could learn from them. After a good bit, my wife asked if we could go ahead and at least get the appetizers prior to our main order. They complied and a few minutes later, a big basket of Fried Green Tomatoes came out with Ranch Dressing. The hostess apologized for the delay and said the Chef had upped the quantity on the order as compensation for the wait. Not necessary and the Fried Green Tomatoes were nice and hot (almost too hot to eat when served) but probably the best part of the meal. A bit later, our order for the Salmon Burgers with Fries came out. Granted that Salmon is not the most robust taste you can get in a burger, this was more on the bland side. Granted by wife chose not to have the aioli with red bell pepper which would have added another level of taste to it, Matter of personal taste but I had the same with the aioli and it was bland as well. Overall. The owners are committed to their business and the core is good but needs work. Granted this was an exception but exceptions should be factored into your business plan. Will come back for another experience sometime in the future. read more

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Yummy food! Stopped by here for their Blackened Shrimp Alfredo and was not disappointed! Their fried deviled eggs and apple desert were great read more

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Food was great. Service was great. Zero complaints. I will eat here again and would recommend to anyone in the area.

There were a lot of items on the menu that I wanted to get but I'm glad I rolled with the Lincoln Burger. There was a gracious amount of pimento cheese which allowed me to dip some fries in and the bacon was cooked well, nice and crunchy. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because the fries were a little bland to me and lacked any sort of added taste. Based on pictures I thought there might be some seasoning but it was just a standard bar french fry. read more

Zhay's - Big Lincoln Burger - American Near Me - Lincolnton, North Carolina

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Took forever there Alfredo sause was the best thing i ever ate but the time waiting will drive you nuts and they got other things wrong we paid and left a tip even though it wasn't good also had to detail the shrimp read more

Husband and I had lunch there his week. It was delicious. Grilled chicken sandwich was juicy as was the hamburger. Service was also great. Don't miss going to this restaurant, they have delicious food. read more

My first time here! Excellent! Highly recommend the Southern Egg Rolls! Brilliant idea! Friendly service and great atmosphere. Crunchy wrap with Blackened Salmon, so good! Plenty of parking in the public lot behind the grill if the street is full! read more

It took forever to get our food. They were prioritizing to go orders but there were at least two tables who came in after us who got their food before we did. The fish special was dry. I doubt I will go back. read more

The fried flounder filet was delicious. I love the homemade tartar sauce and slaw. The added dill is perfect.

Zhay's is an hidden gem in Lincolnton. The food was was amazing along with the staff, especially Nichole. The chef owns it and shows the love for his restaurant in his food. I would 10/10 recommend for anyone that is wanting fantastic food and an excellent environment. read more

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We always look forward to lunch or dinner at Zhays. We continually love the food and the service is amazing. We eat at many restaurants and must say the cook here not only serves delicious food , the presentation is top notch. We have never been disappointed. The service is excellent here, we feel like family. We recently had dinner there, Myself and my grandson had the ribeye and it was delicious, served exactly as ordered. My fiancée had the crusted mahi and raved about it. Nicole the owner always makes us feel welcome and is always pleasant assuring our dinner needs are met. We highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Brought our nephew and his family here for lunch, as they are from out of town, thought it would be a good experience. Ordered appetizers, once they came, it took the waitresses another 30 minutes to take our order, then another hour plus for the food to start coming out and not at the same time. 2 small children were not happy. 2 plates came out, 10 minutes another plate, 15 minutes, and the final burger made it out. Bottom buns were hard as a brick, chili tasted burnt, "crispy" wrap was nothing but a limp burrito, Waitress never came over to inform us of what was going on with our food, and when we asked she just said idiots in the kitchen don't know what they are doing. 1st time there and last time there. And embarrassed that we took our nephew here for an experience in our town. This was much better when it was in the old pizza hot line place. read more

We loved it... Locals warned us that they were pricey, but they really weren't. We enjoyed it along with a colleague of mine, and the ambience is very relaxing. read more

This is a quaint restaurant located in Court Square of the small Town of Lincolnton. The atmosphere is very nice, though a bit loud when crowded. The Crunch Wrap Philly Cheese Steak was super good! read more

Zhay's has moved to Downtown Lincolnton! With that move has come a fabulous upgrade in ambiance, in food and in service. We finally gave them a try due to every time we came by they were closed, but this time I planned right! They still have the casual sandwiches you know and love, but have added some entrees including daily specials that will wow you! They obviously treat their employees right as the servers were happy and productive and management was roaming around helping and making sure all was well. And the food! OMG. So darned good. We enjoyed our meals so much. I had beef tips over mashed potatoes served with green beans. All was delicious. We indulged in dessert at the insistence of our server and she was so right! I can't wait to go back, I've caught the Zhay's bug! read more

I've ate there several times and I really like it but the portion size doesn't justify the price. I spent $17 for some steak tips, grilled vegetables and potatoes, but it was a lunch portion with a dinner price. read more

Ordered lemon pepper wings & fries. Fries were homemade semi circles - just okay. Wings came with no seasoning at all.

The food was very very good, i definitely recommend any of the side dishes. the ambience was a little awkward, but still enjoyable. the service was a bit slow, would overall recommend! read more

Food was excellent, service was quick with friendly staff and the dining room was casual-up scale. Pricing was very reasonable too! Lincoln Burger Big Lincoln Burger read more

First time there , and I was greeted like I've been there for years ... the food was good and came out in a timely manner... I had the fry green tomatoes and Lincolnton burger with some amazing fries ... I will come back read more

My coworkers and I ordered food today. The lack of customer service is what I'm upset about. I paid for chicken and shrimp Alfredo plus veggies. I got hard chicken and 3 shrimp and little to no veggies in my meal. My coworkers orders were messed up as well. The lady basically said if we couldn't afford to pay for the food then order somewhere else. Very very rude. The money wasn't issue. If I recall she offered the first time when I called a refund or the food to made over. I suggested the food to be made over. Nothing about a refund. But yes a $20 meal goes a long way for people. This was my first and my LAST time going there. Don't say bring the food back up there and then get nasty over the phone. Very unprofessional. On top of that she wasn't even the manager. He was nowhere to be found. Just a bad first experience overall. read more

Amazing food. Great atmosphere. We decided to stop in for a rare date night. Definitely try the Fried Green Tomatoes.

The place is small and home town feeling. The food is great. My favorite is the side of veggies; squash and zucchini. I'm not sure what they use to cook them but it's so buttery and good. Waitresses are kind, it's typically quiet in there even when it's packed. Very nice. read more

We stopped in for lunch and were pleasantly surprised! We had a grilled chicken sandwich with a side of Mac and Cheese, a grilled chicken breast with a side of Cajun corn and sautéed potatoes, 5 chicken wings with a side salad and a plate of sides: mashed pototoes, spinach and mushrooms, collard greens and a side salad. All the food was super tasty and fresh! The staff was very friendly - we will be back for sure! read more

Love it!! First time here. We live in Hickory and stop care after scrimmage football game at the high school and found this place in a little strip mall parking lot. Small place very friendly atmosphere excellent food awesome prices. Will be back. Did I say we live in Hickory and that way we'll still be back. Yes!!! read more

Zhay's - American Near Me - Lincolnton, North Carolina

One of my favorite places to eat the owners are very friendly outgoing. They changed the menu but it's still great food. I just miss the risotto is fresh made daily when it's on the menu, maybe it'll make a come back. read more

The food at Zhay's Bar & Grill is fantastic! The prices are very reasonable! They have a diverse menu for even the picky eaters. Great to have this option in Lincolnton. read more

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Hate to see this place close COVID is a business killer. The same guy owns Leo's and I have eaten at both so I hope everyone goes their and gives them a try so we can help keep local businesses open!!!! N read more

I'm giving Zhay's 2 stars. The decor is interesting and the staff are friendly and polite. It's good ol simple cooking, but the menu is a little misleading. I ordered the mushroom "burger" thinking it would be some form of patty made from mushrooms which is a really cool idea, but what was served to me was sautéed mushrooms onions and peppers on a hamburger bun. The fries were quite limp but not greasy which makes me think they were baked, which is great, just needed to be cooked a bit longer. read more

Amazing wings!!! The Philly cheesesteak was so good. Fried green tomatoes were delicious. GREAT service. Will definitely be back.

This place is an amazing place to go eat and enjoy time with friends. The atmosphere of this place is astonishing and the food is even better. The wings were cooked to perfection, the bacon cheese fries were loaded with flavor goodness. My girlfriend has the chicken philly and she said it was the best she has ever had. I highly recommend trying this place out. Take a friend, grab a beer and get some amazing food. read more

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Finally got to try this place today! I had high hopes and my expectations were met and exceeded! The food was so fresh and amazing, nothing frozen etc! The fried pickles were some of the best I've had, and the fries were seasoned to perfection. I got the chicken kabobs, which were super yummy, lots of yummy veggies and the chicken was very flavorful! The staff is very friendly and attentive! This is just the place lincolnton needed amidst all of the other frozen cooked garbage! The only thing I'm sad about is the fact we didn't try it sooner!!! read more

Zhay's - Forgot to take the photo of fried pickles before we ate most of them! - American Near Me - Lincolnton, North Carolina

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Arrived at the restaurant at 8:05pm. As we walked through the the door the employees announced that they were closing. The posted hour sign on the door and the online information provided stated that closing was at 9:00pm. The employees were not nice about it and came across as really rude. We will definitely not be back. read more

I've been 3 times since they opened. Each item I've tried has been excellent. The wings are great and the blackened shrimp philly is to die for. I highly recommend you try them. read more

Went here on the grand opening because of yelp, popped up in recommendations and thought I would give it a try. We ordered the buffalo chicken wrap and the junkyard dogs. The chicken wrap had lettuce, tomato, ranch and buffalo chicken tenders. It was pretty good. The junkyard dogs are 2 battered and deep fried hot dogs covered in chili and cheese, it is a mess but very good and comes with fries as well. Overall it was a good experience and I will go back to try the other items on the menu. read more

We stopped for lunch today and had the blackened salmon and the Parmesan salmon. Both were excellent!! We both had potatoes. Sautéed and mashed!! Both excellent! Our server Ashley did an awesome job! We will definitely be going back!! read more

Stumbled upon this restaurant, and so glad we did. The food was amazing! It's a new restaurant in Lincolnton and it deserves your business. Thanks, Chris, for a great experience! read more

Zhay's - Pork Loin & pan seared potatoes - American Near Me - Lincolnton, North Carolina

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Food was amazing. We had ordered a variety and it all delivered. Fries are different but good. I would just ask that they update menu. To distinguish between lunch/dinner options. read more

This restaurant has a great atmosphere in the downtown Lincolnton area. The menu has a lot of choices for all and the food was very tasty. It's definitely a restaurant you should try if you haven't because if you do you'll be back. read more

Zhay's is great restaurant. I have been there many times. Employees are always friendly, Service is great, Food is great.