This review is just regarding brunch. I had brunch here last weekend on Sunday and don't get me wrong, the food is fantastic. I mean, really great Eggs Benedict, even though they annoyingly refer to them as 'bennies', and good scrambles. However the service was atrocious. We walked in and no one said hi to us or welcomed us for at least 3-5 minutes. I mean, the place is one room, I could SEE all three waitresses, a bus boy and the bartender and no one even said anything. I finally asked one of the waitresses who came to the computer by the front door if we should seat ourselves or wait, and she said we were supposed to wait and then asked me if anyone knew we were there (?!). There were three, literally THREE tables that were open and they were not seating us. Finally the bartender, who apparently does everything, came over to us and said hi and that they would seat us at a table momentarily and that they were just setting the table. I would say we waited almost 10-15 minutes while the servers ignored us and looked miserable. Our waitress was nice but she spilled water on me and they all seem generally kind of 'hipster surly'. I am giving this place a 2 stars for service, the food and ambiance is great but I wish they had better customer service or would at least smile. read more

Zuzu, daytime: 3-4 stars. I like the weekend brunch well enough, though the service is sometimes really abysmal. Hate the brunch cocktail menu, just not my jam, so I stopped going for a while. Their eggs benedict (sorry, "bennies") are pretty creative and they have this dessert-type nutella waffle which is amazing. Never been for dinner. I'm out of touch and just realized that Z Rant (their M-F morning thing) closed. Shame. Zuzu, nighttime: awwww yes, cheap nightclub with weirdos everywhere. There is rarely a week when I'm not at Zuesdays (their Tuesday queer night) or Soullelujah (their Saturday soul/etc. night) or both or random other nights, some with free cover even. Shit's pretty good, and it helps that I can stumble home. It's good. It's...good. I just wish they'd actually get Crispin back in stock OR change their chalkboard menu so I could stop hoping (it's been like three or four weeks straight now.) read more

I went to dinner at Zuzu tonight and basically, I'm just... confused. We had a groupon ticket that ended in a few days, so we went in to use it. Unfortunately, everybody had the same idea, so it was pretty packed. The hostess seemed flustered and we had to wait ~35 min for a table. The hostess was also really nice, and really seemed like she was trying to make space for us. I've been by the restaurant on weekdays where there is no wait, so can't really blame them for it, although they definitely should have expected/been equipped for a crowd. Once we sat down, nobody said anything to us for about 15 minutes. Eventually we got water and after another 5-10 minutes, our waitress came by and we ordered. We ordered the Vegetarian Pu Pu Platter, the Fattoush Salad and the TLC Shrimp, which came with a side salad (there was 3 of us). Eventually, the Fattoush Salad came out. It was realllllly good. It had some kind of spice on it that was delicious. We inhaled it. Then our side salad came out. We decided to throw it onto the Fattoush Salad plate since we liked it so much. We kept eating for a few minutes until one of my friends said, "Uh... there's a BUG in the salad." We all gazed horrified at the bug in the salad for a few minutes. It wasn't huge, maybe an inch or so long. We stopped eating and looked pretty grossed out for about 10 minutes without anyone stopping and asking us if something was wrong. Eventually they brought out the rest of our food, at which point we told our waitress about the bug. She reacted really weirdly. At first she said it was just a spice. After pulling out her glasses and staring at it, she said she'd "go look at it" in the kitchen.Trust me, this wasn't a flea-size bug. They "looked at it" in the kitchen, then she came back out and tried to make some jokes about it, like, "It's a vegetarian bug! Happens all the time" and we all just kinda stared at her. She then asked if we wanted ANOTHER salad to replace it. And yes, she was being serious. We said no, so she insisted we get these appetizers on the house- they are similar fried mashed potato balls with some cheese in them, don't remember the name. These were AMAZING and delicious and probably the best part of the whole night. (Although when the waitress put them down, she said that she hoped they 'appeased' us- even though none of us were acting mad or upset...) We were a tiny bit grossed-out but the rest of the food looked good so we decided to forget about the bug. The shrimp was delicious, if the dish a bit spicy. The platter was interesting- I really liked some of the dips. The stand-outs were the olive pate and the whipped garlic. We didn't like the grape leaves, but the spinach dumplings and tabooly were yummy. The three of us couldn't finish all the food. The waitress did give us the free mashed potato balls (which I don't see on their menu) and take our salad off the bill to make up for the bug incident. But they automatically added gratuity to our bill (I think because of the groupon ticket) and it was ~18% (which we definitely would not have put down). Other than the 2 weird conversations with our waitress about the bug, nobody apologized or said anything else to us. All in all, the food was delicious but the waitress/service was just weird. This is the first time I've ever found a bug in my food, but I really hope other restaurants would not react this way. I will not be back to Zuzu's to eat, despite their yummy dishes. read more

I love this place. Lots of great mixed drinks. Good food (The zuzu pupu platter is great to split with a couple friends. The guac and salsa is a little superflous and I'd prefer more whipped garlic and more of the like, but it's still a good way to fill up, have a variety of food, share with friends, for a pretty good price.) Most of the nights are free. So it's worth just stopping in to check out what's going on. Soul-le-lu-jah is a fun, unpretentous good time. I debated giving this place four stars because of this one asshole bartender. But I haven't been there in a while and maybe he's gone. read more

Food is whatever here. I ordered the calamari once and got some kind of stew. Menu descriptions needs some tweaking. No trans fat though... says so on sign. Hmm so what do you do when you are waiting outside after a Middle East upstairs show and the old Tibetan man leaves you guys in the cold to go mingle with the bellydancers at Middle East corner? You go in the middle of those a.k.a Zuzu... first to stay warm.. next to drink a Bud (hey why not?) and finally to clear all four foreign body contorting dancers off the dance floor. Does the sweet bartender come over to take away your beer? Nope. Does the server come over to take away the daisies from the table that you put on your ears as accessories? Hell no. Does the DJ hate your guts for screaming "watch my feet" five billion times? Nah uh... he instead smiles a lot, plays the Cameltoe song and then thanks you for swinging by. It was the best end of a Sunday night of my life and yeah I never had a bad time here either. The key here is Spontaneity, use it wisely. read more

Soul-le-lu-jah!! Dancing? Soul music? ...mixed dranks? --It's the best version of 'crowded.' --It's a cover worth paying. --It's music that doesn't make you wanna poke out your own eyeballs and feed them to Miley Cyrus. Basically. Get yo' dance on and prepare for the best Saturday night everrrrrrrrrrrrr. read more

The bartender is nice and really funny! Low key between 2 and 5pm. Drinks are good and inexpensive. Love this bar!

Drunk dancing at Zuzu is epic. Drinks at ZuZu before drunk dancing as ZuZu is even more epic. A small bar, but a very warm cozy space. The bartenders can handle a crowd, the staff can handle maneuvering people, and the DJ spins some very interesting tunes. Beats I don't know how to dance to, but with enough liquid courage, I'll try. (and most others don't know how to dance either) Also, if you are looking to pick up a guy that looks like Moby, this is totally the place. There were at least 4 bald white guys running around, who may or may not be vegan. read more

I shared the Vegetarian PuPu platter with a couple of friends last week. It was amazing. Unfortunately, there were no spinach dumplings but they were more than happy to give us extra Fallafel. :) Be warned: Do not eat this if you plan on talking to anyone up close for the rest of the night. The platter packs a boatload of garlic in their dips and I tried to wash it down with a mojito(which are outstanding) and beer and was unsuccessful. This is the only reason why I am not giving ZuZu five stars. Everything else is top drawer! PS: ZuZu has a wonderful soul dance night on Saturday. Please partake in the Motown goodness. read more

A friend and I had run the 5 mile marathon sports race a couple of Sundays ago, and what better way to reward ourselves then with a yummy filling breakfast? We based our decision entirely off where we parked, and accidentally stumbled upon this place. We had walked by a few possibilities first, but this was the first place where the menu looked great, there were huge windows so we could enjoy the bright sun, and best part was no wait! One of my favorite parts of my experience was the staff, everyone from the hostess, to our waiter, to the man who was filling our waters were all super super friendly and very quick with anything we needed. We both got the Go Green! egg scramble which was great. The pesto was fresh, they were not stingy with their fresh mozzarella, and the fried green tomatoes were a great! The prices were super affordable and their lunch menu looked good as well, it would definitely be on my list of places to go back to. read more

Although the atmosphere is unpretentious (from the free jukebox to the bar top tv-vcr combo playing Return of the Jedi) the waitstaff is most certainly not. One uberhipster waitress with a very unbecoming Paris Hilton as punk brunette hairdo and a very unbecoming attitude all but ruined our humble gathering of 7 celebrating my pal's birthday. We ate while the place was barely 1/3 full at 8:30PM but from the appalling service we received, you'd never know it. The menu was fair, good for vegetarians, few main courses to choose from, so we ordered mucho tapas and 2 middle eastern pupu platters (one meat, one veg). They were great, but our waitress couldn't be bothered to tell us what each lump of mush was! Luckilly, having eaten a lot of middle eastern food, we were able to taste our way through the standards, but I'll be damned if I could figure out which was the kibbeh and a few of the other selections remained a tasty mystery. As folks in our late twenties, most of us with post-grad degrees, we are unaccustomed to being treated as if we wouldn't leave a tip. Nonethless, our party of 7 was charged a 19% service fee on our tab. Food = fair to good Service = horrible read more

Ok time...if you can get in. But honestly, not worth the wait. Over the years I've realized just how little the staff at this place care about their guests. If you want to dance there are better places in Boston/Cambridge that actually care and ultimately have a more positive atmosphere. Check out the Cantab Lounge instead. Live bands, everyone knows each other and cheaper beer :-) read more

After Sasha, Tarah and I gchatted for HOURS (seriously) about where to eat in Central, we landed on Zuzu's. Good choice ladies! I liked: The decor - love the lighting and the atmosphere it supplies. For some reason, the layout reminded me of Brown and Brew at Tufts (well spaced out but still cozy). The bartender's hair. Awesome. The crowd - if there is a "Cambridge flavor" Zuzu's has it in spades. Very hip. The food - SO good. Our babaganush had these great feta undertones. My spinach feta thingies had a subtle lemon flavor to it. My falafel was very good (albeit a big over friend, but still delicious) and Sasha's salad was tasty (I think I am getting that next time). Everyone enjoyed the spiced pita as well. The service. Our food was a little slow to come out (maybe it felt like that bc I was starving, not sure) but after that, not one problem. Glasses were filled, jokes were made, cards were split, change was made. There really wasn't much to complain about. The menu is kind of limited, but I don't really see that as a problem. Maybe if you were a vegetarian, you could only get a few dishes, but I tried some of those dishes and they are really good. I will be back for the salad and the tangines! read more

My boyfriend and I went to ZuZu a while back and had a great meal. I love to eat with my hands, and forks were definitely not necessary that night as we used our endless basket of pita to feed ourselves. We split two pupu platters, the vegetarian and the Zuzu, because how can you go wrong with a pupu platter (or two)? Everything was good, but the meat options tended to outshine the veggies. If your a fan of dip, then I highly recommend the vegetarian platter, as it comes with an assortment the likes of which I have never seen (including some whipped garlic that is out of this world). We also ordered the sumac rock shrimp for an appetizer (it came with the entrees, but whatevs) which was delicious. Overall, I think Zuzu is pretty good for the price, but they really drop the ball on dessert. I got the chocolate baklava sundae and it was one of the blandest, most uninspired desserts I have ever had (and this is coming from the guy who used to smuggle baklava home from the dining hall when they made it at school). I would have been much better off simply sticking with the pupu (tee hee). 3.5 Stars read more

I started going here because my friends do. Most recently there was a way-too-hip DJ spinning and some dudes vogue-ing on the floor. One girl traipsed about in a black too-short jumpsuit thing, too. I like the couch against the wall. I really like the velvet print of the wolf near the restrooms. I like how there's one bartender for cocktails and one for beer. One star short on account of my Sapphire and tonic being served in a plastic cup reminiscent of my dentist's office. I swear I'll order food there sometime. read more

In town for a couple of days and a friend recommended we meet here for drinks on a Monday night. After a lovely dinner (as usual) at the Middle East we stopped in for drinks. Our server was a jerk. The female bartender was gracious and served us quickly, but her partner working the floor couldn't have been more put out by our presence. In an empty bar, hours before the DJ was scheduled to go on, he couldn't have been less obvious about trying to push us out. I live in Los Angeles, asshole. If I want to be condescended to by trust fund babies waiting tables while blowing daddy's credit card on truly horrible "designer" clothing, I'll just stay home and head over to Silverlake. This experience was made more upsetting by the fact that the rest of the Middle East family (restaurant, bakery, and both the "downstairs" and "upstairs" music halls) were a huge part of my formative years in Boston. I've got nothing but huge love and respect for the management at the Middle East and in particular, their support of local music in Boston. Get with the program, Zuzu. Get over yourself. After being hustled out, we went around the corner to TT's for the rest of the night and had a great time. At least you helped us get there faster! read more

The sweet lil dance gem of the MidEast complex, Zuzu is where it's at if you are in Central and looking for a party without the Top 40 insanity that can take over Boston. The nights have affordable covers and are completely diverse. Monday is a free live rock show around 10 with barside poster coloring (!) earlier in the evening. Tuesdays (BONA|FIDE), Fridays (Solid!), and Saturdays (Soul-le-lu-jah) will get you moving with everything from funk, dance, house, or soul plus all the lovely audio bits in between. Other highlights include bi-weekly Sunday movie nights and a monthly rap/hip hop Thursday. Granted, it's a small space and on the popular nights the dance floor can get pretty comfy. But we're all there to escape the drama, so just go with the flow and lift those hands in the air (fun and on some evenings, neccessary). Keep an eye out for their Mass Ave. patio seating to open up on warm days. Nothing like some falafel and a 'gansett to go with your Central Square people watching. read more

I came out here for dancing with some people after hitting up a bar, and it was fun enough. It didn't get sweltering hot, and the music wasn't crazy loud where you can't hear for 3 days. We went on a Motown night and they played some pretty great songs, and the crowd was great. You can take a break and stand outside and people watch, that's a plus too. I didn't have any drinks, or any food, so this review is basically just to say that they play good music and the airflow is nice enough that you're not going to pass out from the heat. read more

Japanese Art Show, Soul Music, and Stuffed Grape Leaves Tonight was actually a very eclectic crowd because, well, the artist is biracial. I love that this particular art show brought New Haven homies together with Museum School kids. I am not partial to the actual dance night at Zu Zu's; I gave it two trys over the years and I found it a more of a young trendy yachters night than a "Soul Night" but some people swear by it. That said, I am also more of a person to dance at a friend's house party anyway, especially since Bonnie and Angel left town! The great main Zu Zu DJ spun for the art show and he is friends with the Zu Zu curator and you know I was networking for my other buddy. Zu Zu spun your wonderful curtis and your rapper's delight, and as someone who grew up on motown, I also noticed there were lot of rares and B-sides. This provided a great warm and fuzzy background music from a more get -down era that did not take over the main event of the night--Mr. Ko's art. No one was dancing for very long, (people had a valid excuse this time) but everyone was friendly and having a good time. "Best food at an art show ever" -Brian Excellent stuffed Grape leaves that are properly bitter but not overwhelmingly so, baba ganoush, hummus, chicken salad, pita, yum which my neighbor, the artist, sprung for the whole room. this was a treat esp since you simply cannot get Middle Eastern food in Jamiaca Plain!! On the house Wildwood red and white wine. By the way, lovelies-- tip at an open bar.. These ladies can't get by on their good looks alone for the night! I haven't eaten here at Zuzu's/ Middle East in over a year before this, I always pass right by it for a show, why am I denying myself this goodness?!! read more

ZuZu has three personalities. Anything wrong with that? Nope. Not for me. Me neither. No matter which you encounter, you'll be glad you did. The waitresses and bartenders pay attention to you. The tables aren't on top of each other. Local art dons the walls. A jukebox of music like what's on your iPod keeps things rocking. And you're a stones throw from other stops on your night (say, a show next door The Middle East - who owns ZuZus) Earlier in the evening, sit down for dinner of nicer-than-the-MiddleEast middle eastern food. I've been pleased with the veggie tagine but often end up ordering a couple of appetizers instead - the spinach dumplings are tasty and the calamari is delicious but packs a massive garlic punch. If you are feeling super brave, get the whipped garlic spread. Just be warned that you will not be kissing anyone after that. One bite and you're doomed (or in heaven, depending on your taste)! The best deal of all is to get the ZuZu pupu platter (I get the veggie one) and split it with a friend. It's way more food than the two of you can eat and ends up being a bargain. If you've already eaten, meeting up at ZuZu for a drink is a good Central Square choice. They've got a wide selection of "fancy drinks." Their mojito is my drink of choice for the summer. And I'm a sucker for a bar with swivel chairs/stools. Yes, it's the little things in life that count. Finally, ZuZu after 10 is a DJ spot - varying from soul on Saturdays to to 80s metal on Wednesdays to you name it and there's a DJ for it. It's crowded. It's a scene. Sometimes it's for me. A real treat though is when they occasionally have live music instead. To see someone like Mark Robinson in a tiny room like this was a great great night. Come early. Come late. Come often. read more

Not sure what my review can add to the 150 other reviews, but why not? Came here tonight with a friend when we were wandering around Central looking for somewhere new to try. We definitely hit the lull between dinner and dancing (arrived ~9:30, left ~11, just enough time for one drink and catching up.) Didn't order food. I got a mojito (delish!) and she got a beer. We got to crash on the couch (yay couches! definitely a plus) and drink our drinks. And apparently, we got in before they started charging a cover, which is always exciting. Not the most exciting night, but ZuZu definitely hit the spot for what we were looking for. Maybe I'll come back at a more happening time or for food. We'll see... read more

Literally I have no words to describe my experience dining at this place. To begin with it's a very very very very very dirty place. I doubt the quality of food. Had grape leaves and still don't know what to expect from this meal in a couple of hours. Btw, it's written that it goes with lamb and beef, but it's actually some ground meat that it is barely noticeable among rice( the ground meat is far from lamb for sure). And of course the music.. ok, it's fine for some time, but guys, playing almost same shit for entire evening is annoying. read more

(Totally edited as of 8/28/07) Every other Wednesday, Rock Candy. That was my jam all Summer and Fall of 2006. The music is eclectic, lots of 80s, early 90s, some indie-dance of today. Generally a good time. DJs Greggy Most and Danepants were the godfathers of Rock Candy. Matt Confusion has taken over the reigns for Mr. Most who is now in Brooklyn. I've only been once since the change up but it looks promising, with new electro jams. Drinks here are good, although not always super strong. I've never had the food but I'm not sure it differs very much from food at the Middle East, which I always found to be pretty tasty. I live down the street so I'll continue to go here when the mood strikes me. read more

Extraordinary knack for: - mixed drinks (holy mojito) - rad DJs (Ghostdad, Frank White, etc.) I've been here a handful of Sunday nights to dance, and it's always a good, good time. Not too big, not too little, and the vibe is cozy: eye-catching artwork lines the walls, and there's a couple of comfy couches by the bar. The only downside is, there aren't too many tables, but you should be on your feet anyway. read more

ZuZu is much better as a nightlife option than a top dining choice. I've lived in the area for many years, and have come to ZuZu for various indie/electro/soul dance nights and have had a great time in this tiny little venue, but never paid more than just the door or drinks. I just recently ate here with a $20 for $40 worth of food via Groupon (great deal!), and now I'm generally feeling okay that I normally don't come here for food. We were served by a waitress who seemed generally too old for a younger, hip venue like the rest of the patrons. She seemed like a matron or owner, perhaps, or maybe someone's wife that lost her job and was offered this one as perhaps a pity part time job, because I detected an air of resentment of being a waitress. For example, she messed up the standard "order drinks first, look at the dinner menu with your drinks" - in fact, she took our drink menu without asking us if we'd like to order drinks even - no apology for screwing it up either - at least we weren't carded when we had to re-requesting the drink menu back. The food? Okay. I'd rather seek out middle eastern or tapas elsewhere, though, if I'm just looking for dinner. read more

Stopped in on Wednesday for a drink around 6pm, the place was empty, and tried my friend and I shared the vegetarian poo poo platter, which was very good. Four stars because of the sheer variety offered in the platter. Hummus, grapeleaves, falafel, babaganouj, garlic dip, Harissa, olive tapenade, labne, sour cream, pico de gallo, soft pita, crispy, spicy pita chips, and some tortilla chips! I ordered a gin cocktail that was generously (too) strong, and my friend ordered the poo poo platter off the cuff and then paid the bill so I have no sense of what all of that cost, but I was happily surprised by the quality and variety. The babaganouj wasn't my favorite and the tortilla chips could have been fresher but overall this was an awesome appetizer and way too much food for two, even for what would become our whole dinner! read more

Whenever I go to Cambridge for brunch, I head straight for the usual spots and forget all about ZuZu. But, today I popped in with my husband, who is a very tough restaurant critic (almost to the point of annoyance) and we were greeted immediately and sat at the last empty table (the place is small.) I was really surprised to see they had so many vegan options! I was assuming I'd have to order a couple sides. They offer all of their egg dishes with an alternative of tofu or egg whites. I ordered tofu with tomatoes & spinach and fresh squeezed orange juice. My husband ordered steak and eggs. Rather than a scramble, the tofu was served as grilled little "planks" atop a flavorful medley of chopped tomatoes, onions and spinach. Not what I expected but it was delicious. The homefries are perfectly browned and not overseasoned. My super-picky husband really enjoyed his steak and eggs - actually cleaning his plate, which is a rarity in itself. The orange juice was definitely fresh squeezed and really yummy. Our waiter was very polite and friendly. It was an all-around excellent experience and I am definitely glad to now know there is someplace else I can find a good vegan breakfast in Cambridge! read more

This is a review for the dining experience. I went here with two friends for what we hoped would be a nice mid-priced dinner out on the town and were sorely disappointed. The spinach salad with gorgonzola, walnuts and beets ($8) consisted of beets from a can, mediocre cheese all swimming in a horrendous amount of straight balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette as it indicates in the menu). The two fish entrees (the salmon and the haddock) reminded us of OK diner food. the fish was over cooked and lying on a large mound of what tasted like Uncle Ben's box rice, and swimming in a sauce. This would have been alright if we were spending $10 at a diner, but they cost $23 and were advertised as "cuisine." The ZuZu PuPu platter ($23) was the only thing worth getting here, and even that's a stretch. As other yelpers have said, it is a lot of food, and some of the items are downright good (the spinach pies, the lamb skewers, the baba ghanoush) while other items are just meh or bad (the whipped garlic - they had no business making this look like a dip, the lentils), especially considering the price. They asked us what we thought of the food and we told them about the salad, they brought us complementary baklava. That was very nice of them, except that it was the worst baklava I've ever had and I literally spit out my piece. It's unfortunate that we heard many good reviews about this place, but I would never come here again for food. This is not "cuisine" by any stretch of the imagination, and misses the mark on all dishes. read more

In brief: if you like limited customer service, 45-minute waits for your food and mixed-up orders, go here. If not, please keep walking down Mass Ave. My husband and I saw this quaint little restaurant and thought it would be a great lunch spot. Upon walking in, we were told they were saving certain, well located tables for "groups of four." During our hour wait, the table was never filled. The menu was convoluted and lacked any of the imagination that is common in Central Square. We ordered the items the waiter informed us were favorites of both patrons and the staff. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. Supposedly their cooking staff also serves the restaurant next door. However, we ordered a sandwich and pancakes, hardly two items that should require an inordinate amount of time even with delays. They forgot that my husband ordered soup as an appetizer and then at the 30-minute mark informed him they didn't have any more. So we left without even receiving any food. But given the complaints we overheard from patrons who did receive their food, I'm not sure we missed anything. Quite a bummer as we do love finding hidden gems. read more

Zuzu is a great place to come for breakfast. I would come to Zuzu every day if i could. I highly recommend the pancakes with fruit. When i came i got them and i went home I had a full tummy it had bin a nice breakfast. A.M. Aged 7 read more

Swimming through in the swampy depths of my mojito and dancing on the waves of music blasting from the DJ's speaks is my context for ZuZu. The prices are reasonable and the drinks are average to marginal, don't expect the best mojito of your life, but the vibe in this place more than makes up for it. Paned window cabinets and sparse kitsch decorating walls and beer taps along with warm red paint make ZuZu cozy and personable. Staff is brisk and professional, cool, and subtly warm to regulars - all great things if you share my aversion to affectation. Its a great place to go dancing when the night is young, but the longer you stay off the dance floor the less space you'll have to get in groove. On Friday, if you get up and get down when the lights are dimmed for the first time around 10:30/11 you'll have maybe one to two hours of great dancing to enjoy. Remember, it ain't no sin to take off your skin and dance in your bones. Soulelujah on Saturdays has a great reputation. If you love love love Motown and don't mind listening to the same classic songs every weekend this is for you. Not for me, tho. read more

Gets the one star for the food because it was pretty good, but the rest of the experience was very sub par. We came for brunch on a Sunday and were served 3 very small coffees. The waitress came by holding a pot asking if we wanted refills, basically as she was pouring the coffee into our only half empty mugs. We were then charged for 6 coffees, which is insane. Number one, I don't know any restaurant that charges for basic coffee refills, especially if the server offers the pot in their hand. Number two, our coffees were only half finished when we agreed to a "refill", so we really shouldn't have been charged for two full coffees (which again, is absurd). To add insult to injury, the waitress informed us she could only split a check two ways. What? You can split a check between two cards but once that third card comes into play the machine breaks down? Again, food was okay but the rest of these things make this place somewhere to avoid. read more

The food here is good, but not spectacular. They have DJs or live bands at Zuzu at night sometimes too. The music can sometimes be very loud and hard to talk over, but the lounge feel and ambiance is awesome. I love going here with friends to kick back a couple drinks and people watch. I think a lot of the reviewers are confusing Zuzu with the Middle East restaurant or club. Zuzu is located between the two Middle East Upstairs and has very different decor. read more

Soullelujah! This spot is a gem. I have been here twice for the Saturday night dancing scene and loved it and had a total ball both times. The music is clutch and so is the dancing! You can go on or off the stage at your leisure and dance like a total weirdo without being judged (very rare for the greater Boston area!) because everyone is right there with you doing their own thing. It is one of the more eclectic places I have been to and, especially for that reason, I will keep coming back! It is so refreshing to visit a place where people truly do "just want to dance" and you don't have to worry about creeps hitting on you. This place is for everyone! My only complaint was that there was some confusion when we left to get a drink and went back in and were asked to pay a $7 cover.. the guys working the door seemed confused and I definitely didn't have to pay a cover last time but it was still worth it! read more

By far my favorite Saturday night dance spot in the city. Maybe favorite dance spot in the world, no no...universe. Spock and Kirk can take their other worldly dance club and jog on. Yes, the line can be long, yes the joint can be crowded, and yes, pretty hair-do's will not last long on the dance floor, but I've never been disappointed. The crowd is always fun and friendly, rarely if ever have I been groped by strange men and the music is incredibly danceable, even for an awkward tall gal like myself. To avoid the line I always show up right around 10 to make sure I get a full night of booty shakin'. Anytime after 11 in the winter and 10:30 in the summer, expect a wait for yourself. My best ZuZu night was when a dancing tunnel magically formed on the dance floor for people to get down in, it made all of my Sandra Dee dreams come true. And I unabashedly admit a straight-girl-crush on the bartender. She's adorable and always has the funkiest, coolest outfit on. It might not be the best reason to spend Saturday night at ZuZu! but it's certainly one of mine. read more

Good God. Harold Camping, you were right. I experienced Rapture on May 21st, and it was Zuzu's Soulelujah dance night. I haven't had that much fun on a Saturday night in a long time. This in some ways might be an incomplete review since I only got one beer and did little else but cut a rug. All I can say is that it was crowded in a good way, the energy was extremely positive, the music was GREAT, and I left drenched in sweat with a smile on my face. I don't know how I went four years of college without having been there before. I'm graduating tomorrow, and i can happily say that I could not have found a better way to end my college career in Boston than by gettin down tat 474 Mass Ave. Zuzu, I will return to you next Saturday to reclaim my soul, which I proudly left on your dance floor. read more

Love the soul night. Eclectic mix of people eccentrically dressed and unpresumptuous. People come to get down. I feel unity on soul nights. Also love the queerish-whatever goes nights. Fruitcake is the bomb. Where has it been? The other Tuesday nights are just as Rad. Just last week one of the front door/bouncer/do it all ladies helped my friends out. Some semi drunk dude came dancing up behind one of my friends. She was sort of unaware. However i was not because she is my ex and I am protective. Super Bouncer lets call her interjected in a casual way and pulled him aside to check his ID. I later on thanked her. She then later on stopped by and whispered that he was probably on his way out as he was increasingly annoying other around him and was a bit too drunk. She said to just let her know if he was a problem and he would get the boot. It was very nice of her. I've been ah missing manray ever since it closed years back. This place brings back a little of the fun I used to have there. Plus duuuurty Central (which is cleaning up btw) is just so fun and random. p..to the s..the decor is chill and relaxing. While waiting for my friends to arrive I picked up a Pheonix and a draaank and cozied up on the couch under red lights that make you feel warm and want to stick your tongue out at passersby outside cause your all cozy..and there all not (in the winter atleast) PaDoW! read more

Fun place to come on a Friday or Saturday night! In the back of the restaurant, there is a dance space and bar. Cover is $8 and drinks are reasonably priced. The music is refreshingly not EDM and creates more of a happy vibrant dance mood. There's a stage and a main floor with lots of people dancing on the stage. The bar is off to the side, and there's standing room with great people watching space. It can get quite crowded - we got there around 11PM. The interior feels a bit old, and the bathroom is only 1 stall which tends to create a line (i.e. don't wait until the last minute). There's no where to put your coat, so don't bring anything nice. I just stashed mine under a chair on the ground. Right off the Central T stop so very easy to get to. read more

I liked the DJ and the dance floor was reasonably sized... never got too crowded, but there were enough people dancing to make it fun. $3 cover was very reasonable. read more

Zuzu's is the bit of a conundrum of the Middle East venue network. A higher end middle eastern restaurant? A music venue? A bar? Well it's kinda all three in one. The food is by far superior to both of the middle easts upstairs and downstairs (although that's really not saying much), but this comes at quite a big price jump, which bites you in the ass when you're looking around at the relatively low budget surroundings and party atmosphere. Nevertheless, the food is pretty good, even if I'm not the biggest fan of middle eastern food (I think all the mediocrity I've always had has given my stomach a bad rap sheet to judge it). Decent wine listing from what I can tell, but I know about as much about wine as I know about heating and air conditioning routing. As a party central, it can be either hit or miss depending on who's spinning, or who's actually in the club. Expect to pay a cover often. Usually they'll be playing less "dance" music and more rock and rolly or jazzy music than say Enormous Room or Middlesex, and it can make a nice break. It'll be decently crowded, but the service keeps up with it pretty well, and they take plastic which is good. read more