THE place to check out live music in the Boston area. If you enjoy good music and the company of an eclectic pierced & tattooed clientele, this is the place to come, eat, drink, and be merry. With the intimate upstairs concert room (it can fit maybe 150 people max?) and the larger, more accomodating downstairs, this venue has become a staple and highly sought-after location for bands to play. Not to mention the great, you guessed it, Middle Eastern food upstairs and live belly dancing shows at ZuZu! read more

ZuZu - Mediterranean Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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The bartenders kick ass! The music ain't bad either.

This is a review for ZuZu as a venu/bar. ZuZu is located between the Middle East upstairs and downstairs and serves as an additional performance space. The space is very open with mirrors along the wall opposing the bar which really creates an even opener atmosphere. Also, the lights that pulse along with the music in the mirror add to the fun vibe. The bar had a decent selection of beer for pretty typical prices ($6 harpoon IPA), Overall the space was a good place to see a small DJ show as the floor is open enough to dance but small enough to feel like the place is bumpin. The security was a little strict asking for back up IDs even though we are a few years past 21. I would definitely recommend ZuZu's for a fun night if you want to dance or listen to some tunes. read more

Last night was my second night going to ZuZu! for their Saturday night "Soul-le-lujah" dance party, and like the first time I wasn't that impressed. Pluses: - the crowd- diverse mix of people -the bar tenders were very attentive - only $5 cover Minuses: -sooooooo crowded- i could barely move around, let alone dance especially with a drink in my hand -music was meh, a lot of songs were hard to bust a move to -waiting in line outside... i hate lines! Overall, I wouldnt rush to come back. read more

After walking by a long list of tweens (waiting for a "Justin Bieber" like concert according to my waiter) I was happy to see that there was no line for brunch at Zuzu. It was Madonna Brunch (despite the fact that we were listening to non-Madonna songs as well) and both of us indulged in fancy eggs benedict. Meatloaf, poached eggs, bacon, arugala/spinach salad for me and pulled pork, bleu cheese, poached eggs, baguette, and homefries for him. The side of sweet potato latkes was also a win! Total damage, $20 a piece. Not the best brunch of my life but high points for creativity on the benedict and an unrushed atmosphere with friendly service. read more

This is a combination of two reviews: one for brunch, and one for Soulelujah. Brunch- The food is tasty, and the mimosas with fresh squeezed orange juice are great. The problem is the service. The server was a sweet, college- age kid. *sigh* For that, I really want to say that he was good at his job. Sadly, that is not the case. This man-child decided that he didn't need to write down our orders. There were only two of us so it didn't seem that strange. Then, he came back a minute later asking what we ordered. That was the first sign of trouble. Here comes #2- he still didn't get our order right once we got it. He left out my friend's soup. #3, 4, and 5- He asked if he could give us the check halfway through our meal, he cleared off our table without giving us the option to pack our food to go, and he never refilled our water glasses. Brunch gets 2 stars. womp womp womp Soulelujah- This is one of my favorite places to frequent on Saturday nights. $5 cover, cheap drinks, wonderful bartenders, and soul classics galore! If you have ever found yourself thinking that you are an old soul, this is the place for you. If you know who Martha and the Vandellas are (or any other Motown group for that matter), this is the place for you. If you know how to do the mashed potato, the twist, or the jerk, then, my friend, welcome to your playground! Soulelujah gets 5 stars! read more

ZuZu - Brunch - Mediterranean Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Every time I get food and drink here, it's grudgingly disappointing. The drink list price is not worth it though one can tell they make lots of money off of booze on show nights. The cocktails are pretty boring with at most one spirit, some low quality bitter, and juice/soda/syrup. Their wine list is weak. The food seems like it would be fabulous but then the table's dirty as well as the floor. It takes a good five minutes for someone to acknowledge that you may want to give them money in exchange for sustenance. Sometimes actually preparing a playlist when its slow is better than spending 10 minutes amongst coworkers to pick one song at a time while people at the bar are waiting for a drink recommendation. A couple of times, we've just left. I think their events might be fun but I've had much better dining and entertainment experiences and they already lost me with their lack of care for the treatment of patrons and quality of food and beverage. read more

I was having breakfast with my son before I headed back home after dropping him at college, on Sunday. It was a major disappointment, even three days later-prompting me to write this review. To start with, the coffee tasted three days old. I asked for a second cup, after asking for a new pot, and it was worse. I asked for a third cup, and this time it really was fresh, if weak. I ordered 2 eggs over easy. That's a freaking breakfast staple. One of the "over easy" yolks was completely broken and cooked. The hash browns had potato cubes that were only partially cooked. The service was excellent. Our waiter was great. But the food was really sub-par. read more

Newly designed bar!! Check it out!! Come by for a treat.Friendly staff. Eclectic! Entertainment nightly. Enjoy.

Very good Mediterranean. Very helpful in recommending entree, apps and drinks. Disappointed that wait staff moved us because DJ arrived early to 'setup'. The place quickly turned a into night club and we quickly made an exit. read more

Soul-le-lu-jah is good, but I'm just not into hanging with the college educated hipster types. I heard this spot used to be cool, but has since been invaded by these kids and they must cater to what pays. They offer a new, like a few years kind of new, patio/seating area for your enjoyment. read more

So, I don't remember what we ordered but it was delectable. It also made us smell the next day, but it really was delish. the drinks were good too. This was pre-show fare. Needless to say we went in a liquor store across the streetish to get vodka and pounded it in an alley. Sweet times. read more

I still am not sure which place I was actually in, this was the first place to come up with the check-in proximity evaluation device. So I asked the girls next to me, and they didnt know- all they said was there was an "upstairs", which was "back there" and a "downstairs" which was "out there" and also a "next door" which was "over there"... so Im still clueless, but they did inform me that the band on the rather regular def flatscreen above me was not the band playing the music becuase "we are from Weymouth and thats where they are from" - I still dont know whom they were referring to . p.s. I think I saw Aesop Rock here 6 or 7 years ago somewhere in this abashment. It was Loud. read more

I really wanted to like this place, but I can't (at least not for dinner). See the "Cons" section below. Pros: Funky Central Square decor and atmosphere, friendly service (I had two different bartenders), decent varieties of local beers, good place for a drink, Cons: The food I ordered was terrible. The bartender recommended I tried the Msaah (Mediterranean eggplant dish with rice and pita chips). The eggplant and red sauce portion reminded me of some sort of sloppy chili concoction and the rice had to have been the rice you buy at a supermarket... picture the rice packet with the corn and carrots already mixed in. It was kind of insulting that they serve this at a restaurant. Surely, I thought the pita chips would be good... I was very wrong. They tasted burnt and dry. Overall, I would never come back for food. They definitely make all their money at night when the DJ comes through. Stick to the night life for this spot. read more

I really wanted to love this place. It's cool colors, decor, and overall vibe are great. The service and food, however, were only okay. The hostess could not (or just would not) smile - maybe smiling's overrated? - and she forgot to give us menus. The waiter didn't know much about the beer options, led us to believe that the portions were smaller than they were (so we ordered too much - and we're not light eaters), and then actually gave us the wrong meal (we'd ordered the veggie & tofu tangine, not morrocan, but we got the latter - at least it was still vegetarian and the same price ;). Seems like the staff spent lots of time putting on hip clothes and makeup but forgot, or never learned, how to wait tables. So, I'd give it another try b/c again - it's a very cute space and they do at least offer some decent veggie food (better than some restaurants). Also, from what I hear/read - the music & dancing is fun late night and may be worth checking out. read more

I went here twice. After a mediocre experience the first time around I gave them a second chance as the food was ok. And since I had a gift card that made the meal 50% off. The food was good. Just good. Calimari and spicy pita bread with great tabouli. The second time around we got the pu pu platter which tasted like frozen appetizers from the supermarket. The only thing that made up for it was the waitress suggesting a great wine the first time around. Both times my gift cards were not accepted on alcohol even though in the fine print there was no mention of this. The manager was extremely rude to me until she found out which company I worked for and her tune changed. Instead of letting me use the gift card to pay for the one round of drinks she had, she brought over another round. We didn't want anymore beer, we wanted the first ones comped. She then invited us to the dance night later on for free, but I had no interest being in that building any longer. Especially since the bartender was extremely cold and rude as well. The rest of the building with The Middle East is great and I hate that these people ruin going there for me. I gave it two stars because the waiters and waitresses were great. Friendly and around when we needed anything. The pita, maybe generic but they brought out as much as we needed and the hummus and tabouli were great. read more

I have been coming here literally every year for the past three years for my birthday for one simple reason: the Zuzu Platter. You want to fill up eight to ten hungry girls for not too much moolah? Get two of those with some cocktails, and you are good to go.. So, once you wait a bit (and last year, I do remember waiting a hugely long time, thus the one-star deduction), here is the best bite you will ever place in your mouth: take a piece of their spicy crunchy pita, smear on (in this order) hummus, whipped garlic, olive paste, then dab on a teensy bit of the fiery harissa, and then prepare to make completely inappropriate faces. I'm going for my birthday dinner tonight actually, and my mouth is totally watering. Nom nom nom. For realizies though, I look forward to my birthday dinner here every year, and Lisa, the flame-haired grand poobah, has never been anything less than amazing. Go, experience, and if you eat dinner here, then you get to avoid all of those damn hipsters with their skinny jeans and ironic glasses. read more

Went on a saturday night for the DJ and beers with friends. They don't open till 11 PM which is fine, but there was 40 people inside BEFORE they opened at 10:45? Weird. Ok, get in, the place is WALL TO WALL by 11:30 so its impossible to get to the bar, go outside to smoke or use the bathroom. It cleared out a bit by 1 AM but by then I had enough of the the numerous "dancers" who rage against the social machine and decide Deoderant is some kind of evil invention that destroys mother earth. The bartender (yes 1) tries to keep up but its impossible. I waited 25 minutes while she had 15 martini's to get my High Life bottle. Maybe with a little less crowding (Like 50 less, under the fire code?) and an extra bartender it would be good. I still liked it, I'm just not a fan of overcrowding. . read more

Its Friday or saturday night in Cambridge-Boston. Maybe you're hang-over, depressed, broke or simply sick of bad hip-hop, second-hand club mixes or the summer top songs.. The thing is, you need a boost, but really don't want to have to dress up or spend a lot of money. All you want is to dance in a place where music is king. That place is ZuZu. Soul, Funk, an occasional pop-rock song, the music is the most consistent I've seen in the Great Boston area! It's fresh and simple, and people super friendly too! The place isn't super big, quite on the contrary, so try to be there before 11h30 or you might have to wait over 30minutes! $5 at the door! An absolute favorite. read more

Came here for dinner tonight with my friend. The place is adorable. The service was awesome. We were warmly greeted upon our arrival. Our server was attentive & friendly, with out being overbearing. We were quickly served warm pita bread & pita chips with freshly made hummus. Very tasty. I got the fried chicken ... which was delicious, as were the vegetables & mashed potatoes. My friend got the duck confit ... which was not the best. The server quickly noticed my friend had not eaten much of her food and asked if everything was ok. They let me friend order something else (she also got the fried chicken). They also asked specifically what was wrong with the duck ... so hopefully they will improve upon the dish. They have a ton of options on the menu (way more then what is on yelp) and a decent drink menu (though drinks seemed a bit weak - but were tasty). I would definitely recommend & would go back. read more

This is a drinks-only review. The drinks are very good. Not WOW!!! But very good. Also, they are generous with the alcohol. The staff is attractive and nice, but not extremely friendly. It's a small bar, so go early to get a seat! read more

Great for brunch! Relatively inexpensive, delicious mimosas, and awesome waitstaff. I will definitely be back! GET THE SWEET POTATO LATKAS!! read more

Disclaimer: This review is ONLY for breakfast/brunch. Went here with my mom for mother's day brunch. I must confess, I was very pleased. They had live music which was nice, light, and charming, the waitress was attentive, and the food was excellent. I had the smokey bones, which was a wonderful concoction of eggs Benedict, roast tomato, smoked salmon, and sweet potato latke, and I couldn't get over how good it was. My mom had the crepes, which were equally delightful. I would absolutely come back here for brunch for the smokey bones alone. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area. read more

I have been to Sunday Brunch at ZuZu four times now and each time it has been fantastic. They have a fairly large menu and a rotating selection of specials. On my first visit, I had the Bananas Foster French Toast. OMG! Being a lover of French Toast, this was absolutely to die for. Coffee is solid and the orange juice is great. The service is casual, friendly and attentive. The room is warm, cozy and very inviting with a mix of music playing softly in the background. I will be returning frequently read more

Horrible! 10 minutes we were waiting for beers. Just opening the bottle!!! Food - disaster: overcooked chicken, rubber steak read more

ZuZu - Mediterranean Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I went to ZuZu for Saturday brunch. The food was incredible! Definitely going back. I highly recommend the veggie sausage, cheesy grits and sweet potato latkes. The food was so good, and they had plenty of options for a vegetarian (like myself). The service was also wonderful, which was a nice surprise. The food arrived quickly and the staff was friendly. My waitress (I believe her name was Sarah) was attentive, outgoing and just overall a really good waitress. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Dancing at Zuzu- a time-honored Cambridge tradition. I'll concede that the line is annoyingly long on Friday and Saturday nights, and moves with the fluidity of molasses. I admit that they pack out their dance space to the point of virtually zero range of personal motion. But you know what? So. worth. it. For a measly five spot, I can shake it like I do when no one is looking to some universally-appealing tunes with a wide mix of anyone and everyone from every major social scene in Boston. Hippies and hipsters and ravers and indies and woo-girls come together for a merry buffet of all things dancey. The DJs totally know how to work the crowd. Coat check? Nah. Everyone just tosses their gear on the couches in a massive mountain of goose down, wool, and Gortex. The drinks are stiff, the tunes are good, and the crowd is friendly. And no one is going to look twice at your purple pumas (except maybe with justifiable admiration)! Leave the expensive Blahniks at home, but you can pretty much rock whatever you want. And I'll say it again-- FOR FIVE BUCKS. A guaranteed good time, every time. read more

The Falafel is good! The people/ servce are great...I loved it! Get the egg plant its fresh and Mmm yummy! read more

Zuzu's - you rock my world! I like your tiny little cushy alcove of a room best of all of the Middle East venues. I LOVE your raspberry gimlet martinis, and your baklava is explosive!! My only complaint is that you won't let me have a table on the weekend if I'm just drinking. Hello, one martini costs the same as a meal! And the less food I eat, the faster I drink.... You always seem to attract an eclectic and, may I say, darnright cute crowd, too. read more

Look, even if your waitress isn't sick, if she can barely converse with patrons as a result of how hoarse her voice is, you should probably send her home. It is really a pity that everything else about ZuZu lets down its food. Our waitress was rather nice, voice be damned, but pretty much everything else fell apart. The layout of the restaurant is bohemian to a fault, to the point where tables are seemingly randomly placed. There was nobody at the door so patrons grabbed tables as a first-to-grab-it-wins sort of deal. And in spite of how nice our waitress was, service was pathetically slow. We couldn't get anybody's attention for either ordering or the check without actively flagging someone down. The food though, was quite good and really its only saving grace. I ordered the chicken and waffles and it was really delicious. It's really a pity then. If ZuZu fixed its haphazardly thrown together layout and improved its service, I'd be happy to reassess. As an addendum, my friends have reported that ZuZu offers the most pathetic orange juice at $4.50 ever, but I haven't bothered to verify. Be warned. read more

A few years ago, for about a year, ZuZu was like my second home. I spent a lot of time there, playing small shows, attending shows, eating, drinking, dancing, etc. But then my life just gravitated away from it...until I had dinner there again for the first time in ages this weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect. The menu change of a couple years ago toward a more fine dining experience was a little disappointing, because some of my favorite menu items disappeared. But - I was very pleasantly surprised. My starving band and I devoured two ZuZu pupu (heehee) platters here before our show at the adjoining Middle East, and were very satisfied. All the middle eastern fried bits and dips and pitas and whatnot were the perfect pre-show nosh for us hungry kids...with fabulous margaritas to wash it all down. My one complaint was that the food, though it didn't appear so, was on the heavy side...or maybe I just ate too much. I also had the worst garlic breath of my life! Beware the whipped garlic dip...it is equal parts delicious and dangerous! Thanks for dinner Zuzu...perhaps we'll meet again. read more

I love Zu Zu for several reasons: 1. Location: Central square; Love the decor 2. Food - Falafal is great and the shared platter is always a good choice. 3. Saturdays - Soul-le-lu-jah dance party is a rockin' good time - cool crowd - everyone's there to just dance 4. Strong drinks read more

The night club is sometimes fun, sometimes not, but I do love zuzu for dinner. I almost always get the vegetarian pupu platter (which they will happily make vegan). The pupu platter comes with pita and all the fixins, dolmas, hummus, baba ganoush, and other cool stuff like plantains. My favorite is the whipped garlic! Oh my god, I don't know how the do it. So good! I love to go on warm nights, sit out side, share the pupu platter with friends, and enjoy a cocktail. read more

Seriously the best times I had in Boston were here. Always packed, always dancing, always fun. Some of the DJ's on the good nights were kinda rude - but everyone else is super friendly. Great nice hardworking bartenders who dance too! AHHH so fun I want to go now. seriosuly if you like dancing your ass off come here. read more

ZUZU is awesome! good different music every night of the week. Cheap, fun, yum! read more

Best brunch wait staff in Cambridge. My boyfriend and I go here every weekend for their delicious benedicts and the best bloody Mary's around! Shrimp, Bacon and Markers Mark! The bartender Natasha is always creative with the drinks and wonderfully accommodating. I highly recommended this place. read more

I'm writing about Soulelujah on Saturdays. KICK. ASS. A couple of things to keep in mind when you go: 1) They only let in a certain amount of people, so get there about half an hour or 20 minutes early. 2) $5 cover. 3) Everybody gets let in at 11, and the bar gets jammed. There's generally ONE bartender, who can be very hard to get ahold of. Best to drink before you get there, then wait about 45 minutes to order a drink. The music is amazing, and there's a good mix of people. Even though I'm a terrible and embarassing dancer, I'm not ashamed to try to groove here. I can wear what I want and look as silly as I want when dancing--nobody's judging here. This is the place to get sweaty and let loose. I can't believe I've lived in Central for almost two years and JUST went to Soulelujah. Can't wait to go back again. read more

BEST DARK AND STORMIES, EVER. The food is just so so here (they share a kitchen with the Middle East), but this is a great place for conversation and an after dinner drink, or two or three -- especially if they are dark and stormies! But it's all in the timing here -- on weekend nights, you can only get seated if you have dinner (except at the bar) until about 9pm, based on the how the night's going, when the place goes into bar mode. By about 11/ 11.30, music gets louder, and a dancing scene opens up. And the dancing here! It's funky, "alternative," and very different from what you're going to see at your typical club -- a great destination for when you want to go out dancing but don't quite feel like the groping and grinding. read more

I went here on a Tuesday night with a fellow Yelper on her non-Yelp evening (honestly, when isn't it a great time to yelp?) I have been on a mission to find scrumptious middle eastern food since my escapades in Michigan & ozzie kabobs. My friend recommended this place and I am so happy she did. The Zuzu (poo-poo platter) appetizer including center flame was very delicious and best for those who cannot settle on filling valuable stomach space with only one entree. Perfect for a couple because all the tidbits are in pairs. There were the spinach/feta in puff pastry, several hummus, garlicy aioli spread, meat kebob skewers, minced meat in a tiny fried pouch, smokey eggplant hummus, rice stuffed in grapevine leaves. The assortment is perfect for assembling into a pita triangle sandwich. The salmon with rice pilaf entree was piled high and savory rice, garlicy green beans and moist fish. The yogurt sauce was slightly bland, but I suppose that is the intent. We had great service with the manager and waitress regularly keeping an eye on our water glasses and asking how everything tastes. The nightlife started rolling in as I left. An eclectic, relaxed, original crowd showing up. I will be back! read more

Love this place! Haven't been to the Middle East in years, not since my club days back in the roaring twenties, but we came here for dinner and to check out DJ Beat Train. Talked for a while with Lisa, the manager, who is the kickassest chick in the place. She definitely has Thursday nights nailed to the floor, with Beat Train spinning retro urban lounge and a really great feel to the whole place as a result. The food was great, the pork loin was a little over done, but the sauce in which it bathed was superb, and the bed of collard greens and bacon would have made Julia Child tremble with glee. We're definitely coming back for drinks on Thursdays, and you should meet us there. It'll be fun. We can talk about how we're so old and haven't been part of a "scene" since Sisters of Mercy played Manray. read more