After hearing that the wait at Nicks would be an hour long, we found that there was no wait at zinc and plenty of patio area which was perfect for our group! The service was great and the food came out relatively quickly, though more importantly it came out all at once so we didn't have to deal with the awkward situation of "oh let's wait for everyone's food to get here even though we're starving" Food itself was not bad, I got the farmers market sandwich and sweet potato fries as the side. As veggie sandwiches go, this one was pretty solid both in terms of taste and portion size. There was squash, sprouts, tomato, caramelized onions, arugula and of course avocado, and if you put some sweet potato fries in there for good measure, ooh some danks right there! I was happy to see that there were a decent number of vegetarian options, everything's relatively decently priced considering it's a hotel restaurant and it seems that they do brunch til decently late on weekends, so if that's your thing def give this place a visit. Best part of this place was that if you check in on yelp, you get free cake pops!! Overall, 8/10 not bad read more

zinc@shade - Free cake pops for checking in, thanks zinc!! - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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We had a wonderful birthday dinner for my girlfriend's birthday. If you go here ask for these two amazing servers named Victor and Ari. We tried half the menu the Happy hours items were great. We had Australian sea bass tacos, carnitas tacos, calamari, mahgerita pizza, brussel sprouts, and truffle fries with sweet and garlic aioli. Incredible romantic atmospere with fabulous food and drinks for the ladies. read more

zinc@shade - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Perfect date spot for good drinks and food. Walking distance from lots of shops and other restaurants. Perfect low key beach city eatery.

Wanted to enjoy the New Orleans Brunch with 6 people including me and we got sat at a small table. We had reservations in advance and was told the tables set for 6 were "reserved" when we had reservation.. No accommodations to get us a bigger space. Very much poor service for a cool event . read more

Michael was our bartender - and let me tell you, you will NEVER have someone who tends to your alcoholic needs as much as this man. He will make sure your glass is never empty, your lips are never dry, your liver is ALWAYS working... Michael was a lifesaver. Come here - get bottomelsss- let this man escort you into the drunk. I promise you will not regret it. read more

zinc@shade - Bottomless mimosas! - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Good choice when visiting manhattan beach! I went there at dinner time. This one seems to be waited for rather shorter time (which is 15 minutes..). It is a nice restaurant with nice decoration and good interior design. But it is a little bit noisy for me. This place offer some combination dinner choice, which makes choosing easier.haha. I usually have difficulty choosing the dish from the complicated menu. Although it is expensive, the food seems not that worthy. Probably it is because it so closed to manhattan beach, it is reasonable that the price is higher. Generally speaking, I had a nice time dining here. read more

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Great place for brunch before visiting the beach. My friend brought her puppy here because they are dog-friendly. Nice patio. Set in a beautiful hotel embedded within a nice shopping complex. A bit pricey for what you get, but the food is good. Got Mimosas that came with peach and guava chasers. The peach chaser was much better than the alcohol. Service was amazingly friendly, but it was a guy and I'm pretty sure he was hitting on my friend... read more

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Hidden gem. Chef is award winning and it's obvious after one bite. Menu is diverse. Service is casual, but attention to every detail. Wonderful ambiance. They truly care and you feel it. Nick, the manage, is on it. And weekend music is unexpected...fantastic artists. I will be back. Strongly recommend. read more

This is my first negative review ever and I had no intention of posting it until I called the restaurant. My wife and I have been here and it's been great. We ordered takeout tonight. My wife's sandwich was just truly disgusting. Turkey meat was likely from a "lunchables" container and was cold with uncooked bacon. Fries = cold. Tuna appetizer was fine but was half of what we've gotten when we've been there in person. Fish tacos were fine, not like when we've been there but for takeout, totally fine. We were truly so disappointed when we got the food. After giving it a chance, I called the restaurant as a way to get out my frustration. I told them I had no intention of writing a bad review but that I truly could not believe how bad it was. He laughed. He did not care at all. Maybe they get these calls all the time due to quality or maybe he just thought I was looking for something and wanted to get off the phone. Bottom line is that I will never go to this establishment again and reverse course on recommendations I have given in the past. read more

This is a beautiful brunch spot with delicious food. Service was exceptional. Our Server Elliot was very kind and attentive. Would definitely recommend this place! read more

zinc@shade - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

A small group of us came here after our run club to celebrate a birthday. Pretty happening place located in the lobby of the Shade hotel. It's located in the heart of Manhattan Beach. Originally they were going to seat us in the casual lower seating but we asked to sit in the higher stool tables near the bar which the hostess obliged. Very nice decor in the lounge. Cute centerpieces of white sand & coral or seashells encased in a glass cylinder. Bruno was our waiter. He brought out our drinks (coffee & tea) in a timely manner. The brunch menu has a lot of great options. I wish I payed closer to attention and saw the pressed juices & mimosas (ginger) :( Next time! I ordered the Shade Omelet (applewood bacon, avocado and tillamook cheddar cheese), house-made hash browns and a side of spicy chicken mango habanero sausage. Very fluffy eggs and a good amount of cheese & bacon inside the omelet. The spicy sausage was a good compliment to the omelet but the real star to this meal was the hash browns. It looked like the shape of a McDonald's hash brown but the surprise of a little spiciness (poblano pepper or jalapeño) made it a delectable treat. A wonderful birthday brunch for us. They even brought out a birthday dessert fruit plate for my friend. This place is a true gem near the ocean. read more

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My friends and I stumbled upon this restaurant while looking for a place that served brunch options that didn't have an hour long wait. We were a little confused that the restaurant was basically empty. Since short lines in LA are oftentimes equated with bad food, I was a little worried. However, once we got our food, my worries faded away. I ordered a trip tip sandwich with sweet potato fries. The fries were perfectly crisp and the sandwich had heaps of hot steamy tri tip slices. The bread was a little too thick for my taste, but other than that, it was a superb meal. Seating and ambiance wise, you need to sit outside to get the best experience. They have large comfy couches that made the experience that much better. read more

zinc@shade - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Burger #74: Trapped in a Cougars' Den More often than not, I succumb to the will of my woman. When she says she wants to drink in public in some kind of lounge setting, my only request is, "Oh god, just don't let it be in Hollywood." So we ended up at the trendy Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach. Many reviewers had labeled it as a cougar den, this I did not believe until I saw it with my own eyes. The place was PACKED with women in their mid 30s to early 40s and the douchiest of guys in their mid to late 20s. I saw at least a half dozen guys with sun glasses on inside at 9pm and at least two dozen women in their 40s sporting mid-drifts or clothes only an Olsen twin would dare wear. Just being there reaffirmed my dreaded fear of being single past my prime. But lucky for me, we got to eat. For the girl we ordered the meat and cheese plate, which was properly LA priced at $18. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/z8WsAT459fvxb3KlsFa6qw?select=jkeEy-JYNRpgZYsg_eHzGg Three out of four cheese were really good, particularly the bleu. The figs were great and half the meats were above par. Not the best charcuterie plate I've ever had but definitely not the worst. After a couple 7'n'7s I was ready for my treat, a trio of sliders. For $14 I got, one grilled sirloin and Grafton cheddar with grilled onions, one seared ahi with hot house cucumber and wasabi and one fresh chicken with goat cheese and apple relish. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/z8WsAT459fvxb3KlsFa6qw?select=QQ1spKizURf6z59WC7BFyw The ahi was good but started to fall apart as I ate it. I really enjoyed the buns on all of the sliders, perfectly chewy and just a tiny bit sweet. The chicken was almost my favorite of the night, it was damn juicy and I really liked the sweetness the goat cheese added. Lastly I had the beef, which was cooked perfectly medium and was full of beefy juicy flavor. The grilled onions and cheddar were a great accompaniment. After we ate and drank, our table area was being swarmed by douches trying to watch the baseball game. Soon it was so loud we could barely hold a conversation, at that point my lady freed me from the den and we left. Scott K., this place is for you =] read more

zinc@shade - burgers [3 petite] - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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If your looking for an upscale but not stuffy good time, Zinc at the Shade Hotel is it. Early in evening, it's good for couples (dates) as there is space to sit and relax. After 10pm, it exudes rip roaring hot chicks and dudes. Because it doubles as a hotel lobby, it closes down pretty early (midnight), but until then -- get a groove on to their great DJ. Purely, a white mans overbite's dream. read more

Everything about the Shade Hotel and its bar and its restaurants is the best of white people doing white people things...I'm white and I'll say it...Shade = Rich-ass Whitey hideout. Is the food good, yes. Is the bar a fun place to hang out and people watch, yes. Is the hotel super posh, hell to the yes. Is it all extra effing expensive, very much yes. Is it all white people talking white people things, another big YES. Manhattan Beach in general is a very uppity neighborhood, without a lot of (how do you say this nicely) diversity. Most of the South Bay is diverse...Redondo, Hermosa, El Segundo...are very diverse and culturally happy cohesive areas, but something about Manhattan Beach has this Stepford Wives feeling to it...like everyone is a robot, an alien, or living in the Matrix or something...all the people are white, pretty, rich, fit, and strangely blank faced. Little to no expression, going about their day with a $24 green juice, wearing $800 of Lululemon, and driving a Tesla Model S. And I say all this because my latest experience at the Shade eating lunch with some friends was like I walked into the Matrix myself...people all moving about for no real reason, time and space stopped (although I ate a hamburger and a side salad), the servers were all identical, the only real feeling I had was the pinch in my wallet...I don't remember if the food was good...I cannot place the conversation...the weather was clear and I never felt a breeze (ate on the patio, they still have outdoor seating in the matrix). It was like I was in a program. Computer, execute Shade program 4.1.0 please. Yes Scott...I will...enjoy your hamburger and white people conversation. Thank computer, I will. And while I'm in there upload some economic facts and ebola news so I can blame the current administration for all my first world problems. Yes Scott, I will. I will (bleep bleep blurp bleep). Computer, did you just call me a Crakcer Assh*le??? Yes Scott, I did. read more

Came here to celebrate my friend's birthday with a birthday brunch. Our server Nicole really went above and beyond to make sure our mimosas were flowing, food came out on time, and we really had the best time because of her. We had a party of 17 so it wasn't easy. Firstly parking is easy. They have a public parking lot that is metered. We were sat outside at the patio seating and it was a really nice day. We will be able to check in and get free calamari! The calamari was delicious. I ordered the rigatoni and my boyfriend ordered the burrito. My rigatoni was okay but my boyfriends burrito was delicious with the short rib inside! The bottomless mimosas were really good. You can mix either orange juice, peach or guava juice. I recommend the Guava juice! Both of the items were delicious. All in all, brunch was great but I have to really hand it to our server Nicole. She made my friends birthday the best birthday possible! read more

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I just hosted my birthday at Zinc and it was PERFECTLY AMAZING! I contacted the hotel a couple of months ago and the hotel manager, Megan, set me up with the manager at Zinc, Alissa. Megan is super nice and got me special rates for 2 hotel rooms for the night. Alissa is super great also and set up the lounge and gave me recommendations on the food and made sure that everything was perfect for my party, and it was! Alissa set up the north side of the lounge with the sofas, enough seating for about 20 people. We also had tables all around for the tapas. All of my guests enjoyed the food, and our favorites are hands-down the pear & brie grilled cheese, lamp lollipops, crab cake sliders, and ahi tuna tacos! The staff at Shade overall was so friendly and nice. The night manager at Zinc, Samantha, was great, and our waiter, Anthony, did an amazing job also. The DJ started playing music around 8pm, and we danced until the lounge shut down around midnight. I didn't know that Shade was affiliated with The Strand House, so when I mentioned after-party, Alissa told me that they are and arranged for our party to be on the guest list for the Strand House. We stayed at the hotel and had the complimentary breakfast the next morning, and they had a pretty good selection. It was a beautiful day out and the location of the hotel is right downtown with the restaurants and there was a courtyard with water fountain where kids could play. I cannot say enough great things about Shade and Zinc; I couldn't have found a better place for my birthday party! Thanks so much for everything!!! read more

Best Fries I've had in a LONG time $6 served with aioli & a sweet sauce (not ketchup) Artichokes in a cast iron skillet - wayyyyyyy too much oil, served with a side of ranch dressing The lounge does have a dj setup with music playing on Sat nights Dig the blue LED light theme Location: upon entrance of Shade Hotel Parking: metered lot, street metered read more

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Don't overlook this restaurant just because it's a hotel restaurant. Best happy hour in the South Bay! Their outdoor patio is really nice and overlooks Metlox Plaza. Love their brunch too with unique shareable brunch "tapas". Ideal for large groups in their patio space. read more

zinc@shade - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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If you are looking for an upscale bar that has a bit more energy than a wine bar and less attitude than the WLA scene-look no further. Zinc is a great spot to get the night started. We really didn't have a plan for dinner or drinks and decided on this midpoint spot based on yelp reviews. Upside: Drinks: Great cocktails, great prices - I was going for wine but the menu was irresistible. Food: Above average bar food. We had the lobsta tacos and some skewers. Not greasy at all, infact I could have chowed down at this spot if we arrived earlier- my bad,I really didn't have the energy or desire to go out. Ambiance: Great vibe. Great DJ and a great place to people watch. Minimalist in furnishings but pretty comfy. Very friendly people and great service. Despite the great music - the acoustics are great and you can still carry a conversation. The whole vibe changed my mood about the evening. Downside: They close up pretty early. It's a great place to start off the night. Women take note: Knock on the restroom stalls - some of these drunk women can't figure out how to lock the stalls - atleast that's what they said - Whoa! Yep happened twice on the same night. read more

zinc@shade - Lobsta Tacos! - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Went there for DineLA and was pleasantly surprised. My friend and I sat on the patio and shared the tapas style dishes. Favs were heirloom tomatoes, kalbi tacos, lobster and brie taquitos and the chocolate panna cotta. Service was excellent. Our waiter had great tips and his recommendations were spot on. I would definitely go back. read more

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You can't throw shade at Shade hotel!! Haha. (In reference to Real housewives of Atlanta). If you haven't been to Shade hotel then you're missing out. It is located along valley (a one way street until you hit the corner in the direction of live oak park. It is a boutique hotel with great service. I've been coming to shade hotel for many years. My family and I have enjoyed brunches and countless meals here. We personally have not stayed since we live in the area, but who wouldn't want to have STAYCATION here? The blue/teal tones are beautiful and the open area where Easter brunch and Mother's Day brunch take place is breathtaking. There is a living wall of plants--such as those in Paris that I have seen. Pretty cool. The staff is wonderful and have always given excellent service. This last Easter (4/5/15) we had Ryan as our waiter. He was very personable and was really friendly. We are actually low maintenance people compared and had to ask several times if we needed anything when in fact we wouldn't need anything because he was awesome!! I love coming here. It's always a pleasure because the food is amazing and the service is as well. There is valet parking for 8$ or self parking. The spread for brunches are amazing. For instance, Easter brunch included an omelette station, pancake/French toast station, dessert station, savory station (bacon, braised beef, etc), cheese and fruit station and many more. It's my favorite!! Then after brunch you can leisurely walk around the metlox or down the street to the beach. Cool place. My family will continue to go during holiday brunches! read more

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Amazing place for bottomless mimosas victor took care of me today amazing service and food. Had the zinc burger was cooked to perfect 10/10 would recommend. read more

Without a doubt, the best hidden Happy Hour in town. Great ambiance, fantastic food, amazing service! Good conversational noise level! Can't wait to go back! read more

This place was good.. good drinks and food.. my server was victor he was really good.

Lots of great things on the menu, but I was looking to be healthy and was surprised by the California Fit Frittata. It was delicious, healthy, only 250 cals, and left me more than satisfied. Cool atmosphere. The patio area is bright and breezy. Great place for a classy brunch. read more

Love this place! Such a fun atmosphere and the food/drinks are amazing. I had a bartender named Matty serve tonight and his service was excellent. Every cocktail was perfect and his recommendations did not disappoint. The wine selection is also great...I WILL BE BACK! Thank you Matty and Zinc Shade read more

Zinc at Shade is hands down my favorite spot. The vibe is SoCal and extremely relaxing. The staff is friendly - especially the bartender Matt - he makes every occasion fun and spirited. read more

Reliable Awesome lunch/brunch especially if u have a dog. Places are getting UPTIGHT about dogs but the patio here is super chill. I can have my pupp on my lap and sit anywhere we like. Cocktails are strong :p read more

zinc@shade - Skinny sashimi salad ( aka the perfect lunch) - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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Came here on a Friday afternoon for my sons school 9th Grade Parent Luncheon. We had approximately 60 people seated in the the patio area. They had a menu for us with a nice selection of meals to choose from ($25). My husband had the Quinoa Burger and I had the Fish Tacos. He gave me half of his burger and I gave him one of my tacos. The Quinoa Burger was very tasty and filling. They came with fresh cut fries, yummy. My taco were really good. They came with black beans, tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole. Very tasty meal. The ice tea was on point too. Will defiantly come back. read more

zinc@shade - Menu For Our Luncheon - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

If the magic of alchemy could really turn Zinc into solid Gold...this place would be it! The real magic: posh, soothing vibe/decor/ambiance draws sophisticated fun-loving crowd in a relaxed, must chill-end-of-day atmosphere, nearby other trendy hotspots. Bummer, no real PR commish for this but I seriously find this place to be a true gem & their divinely blended cocktails. Complete w/a magical potion, "The $6 Orchid" tastes enchanting as it sounds...& looks! Specially sculpted ice rim conical glass provides the crystal shell to float a dainty, freshly plucked sacrificial purple & white bloom. Exquisite, artful, & seductive--way to go Shades for your clever creativity! Btw, any relation to the pricey/shih-shih Shades of HB? Website or Google may reveal some correlation if any... Other $6 HH items such as Calamari, Margerita Pizza, & more extended esp. for hosting a casual Thurs. meet/greet like this one: http://www.meetup.com/LIVELYFRIENDS/calendar/13337103/ Come back again is a must, perhaps even a hotel stay & brunch--how spoiled I ridiculously strive to be! Therapy for that condition here would be so ideal. read more

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I was drawn here for the location, of course, and the menu. The good reviews didn't hurt either. We really liked this place! The vibe is relaxed and casual while being chic and trendy at the same time. We had attentive service and a great table on the patio. The food was good and while I wasn't totally blown away by anything, it was all pretty satisfying. My sister and I split the chopped salad and the steak frites, bf had the chicken sandwich and brie with tomato jam, which he really liked, another DC had the a veggie scramble that I would have liked a bite of, but he ate it so quickly, I didn't have a chance. Guess he REALLY liked it. They have a pretty decent wine list and their cocktail menu also looked intriguing. I would definitely go back for brunch as well as in the evening. Their lounge menu looked awesome. Valet is only $7, which at a trendy hotel in an affluent area is unheard of. read more

This was my first DineLA restaurant I decided to try. It was their menu that most captivated me for it's variety and price was well what I was looking for. This restaurant is located in Shade Hotel. As a restaurant located in a hotel, my expectations of the place is very high. Indeed, the cleanliness and service was up to par. My friend and I got seated right away. You are given two lovely choices of either sitting inside or outside. We opted to sit outside for it was a really nice day out. The inside tables seemed more like a lounge like than restaurant though. We were asked very friendly if we wanted any drinks to start out with. ***Ask for their DineLA menu ahead of time because they'll just offer you their regular menu. Their DineLA menu is a 3 course meal; appetizer, entree, and a dessert. Appetizer: Shrimp ceviche. It was very tasty. A lot of great ingredients and nicely chopped. It was a great start to my meal. ***My friend's trio taco's were also delish! Meat was moist and lots of ingredients added. Entree: Sirloin steak. It was cooked medium well. I found it a bit strange that my server did not ask me how I wanted it to be cooked. I would've wanted mine rare. Anyway, presentation of the dish lacked a lot of color and veggies. The plate was very dark. The steak was paired with fried onions that was covered in dark gravy. Overall, I thought this was just alright. ***My friend's salmon dish was also a disappointment. Barely any veggies and her "risotto" only tasted like rice with spaghetti sauce, literally. Dessert: Panna cotta. Horrible. First off, it was not fresh. How did I know that? Well, it was frozen as they brought it out. How do I know it was frozen? They had to time our entree to make sure it was defrosted by the time we asked for it. Thus, when I tried to take a bite from it, it was pretty frozen solid. The same went for my friend's cheesecake. Overall, our service was really good. They consistently asked if everything was ok. I enjoyed their live music they had. There was also a nice bar, too. In conclusion: Food started off excellent and then it came downhill after the appetizers. Entrees and dessert was not good. My friend and I thought their appetizers were the best part. However, I guess their service and location of the place made up for some of their lack of good food. I think I would come here for a quick appetizer or drink as it is near the beach. I wouldn't come here for an actual meal though as I don't think it's that great. Sincerely, Fifi read more

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Matty is not only a bartender who makes great cocktails but makes ya feel like they care about you with his heart.

Came here for a girlfriends birthday dinner on a Saturday night. It's more of a side bar than a restaurant but still nice nonetheless. The décor and vibe is very modern but caters to a little older Manhattan crowd, guess the young folks can't make it pass Santa Monica yet. I ordered the Margherita pizza and it was both filling and delicious. It wasn't to thin or thick and had a sweet tangy sauce. I would recommend this dish, especially if you have a table that is willing to share it as an appetizer or you can order it for yourself as an entre. Drinks were made a little to strong for my taste, I'm sure you'd be better sticking to wine or beer. The service was good, except there was one server for the entire outside. I'm sure he was overwhelmed. He was kind enough to let my friend pick out a dessert for her birthday. You can either valet or park in the structure next to the hotel. Eventually a DJ starts up inside the lobby bar area. Grab drinks and dance away to your hearts desire. read more

zinc@shade - Bread pudding - New American Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

One word: Mattitude! Great experience with Matty at the bar. We felt like we were at our corner bar with our bartender anticipating our drink orders and ensuring we had a great time. Martinis are cold, service is impeccable. Will return again! #mattitudeiseverything! read more

Went back to Zinc@Shade to check out their Brunch and was happy that we did! Started off with some sparkling wine and added some St Germain (which makes it a Lavender Mimosa, I believe), as recommended by our server, Rico. Amazing flavors and presentation! Thanks Rico!! The Ahi Taco starter was fresh, light and tasty. Definitely a must have! There were so many items on their brunch menu, but I chose the BLTA Wrap with fries which was delicious! The portion was so generous that I was able to bring the other half home for later. Towards the end of our meal, Alissa (Manager on duty) came by to make sure that everything was to our liking. Although nothing was wrong, we thought she was super courteous to check in on us. All in all, we left feeling happy, full and satisfied with the quality of the service and food and will definitely be back again. Next time, I can't wait to try some items from the breakfast portion of the brunch menu. My friend had the Eggs Benedict and ate every last bite! :) read more

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Best happy hour in the South Bay! Ask for Victor....You won't be disappointed! #teamvictor

The Zinc Lounge crowd on a Saturday night is a mix of all ages and ethnicities, but what made up a majority of the group is men and women over the age of 40, and men in their early 20s. Everyone is dressed up, which is rarely seen in the Manhattan Beach community just two blocks from the strand. I can see Zinc living up to its reputation as a cougar hot spot: sorry older men, you are going to have some stiff competion with guys half your age. I suppose if I was a bit older I may not feel as out of place here (and perhaps if I wasn't dressed like I just spent my afternoon at the beach) but I may be a bit young to adopt any cubs. What a scene though! You will get some decent front row seats for a show because with this type of eclectic crowd, something interesting will bound to happen. read more

Zinc is a nice spot to stop for a drink in the area. Cocktail prices are in the area of $10 to $14, which is expected considering the proximity to the water. If you like a little spice in drink try the Fire and Ice. Would I make this a destination on a night out? Probably not, but a nice place for a drink if you are looking for something in the MB area. read more