Zucca Ristorante

Best restaurant on Castro street, and highest quality food and alcoholic bevs. If you haven’t tried for yourself you’re simply missing out.

1) It’s still open
2) Went there on a Thursday evening
3) If you have children, sitting outside is easy (ages ⁶⁄₃)
4) There was a short lady who was either a manager or owner or someone of that nature, and she was fantastic. She was checking on our order, and even when the kitchen/​order messed up on my sons burger (he wanted it plain), she went back and had them fix it without us even asking.
5) Our waiter was a tall man who needed to learn how to smile and maybe take a tip or two on customer service from the lady. We went and they had a promotion kids eat free and teenagers are half off. My little sister is 18, and last time I checked was a teenager. It didn’t say anything else. Well the waiter ignored us, laughed when we told him and brought me the check with her at regular price. I told him she was 18 and that’s why she got the steak. Well luckily the lady was there and took care of it immediately for us.
6) I’d for sure go back, but try and not have that guy be the waiter.
7) Only realistic negative thing would be that it can get cold sitting out in the patio if it’s not a hot/​warm night.

This place is still open y’all!
Had lunch here with the family over the wkend. We originally wanted to eat at Shabuway but we needed outdoor seating since we had our dog with us. So Zucca next door it is! I got the Chicago wrap (lamb & beef) which I thought was just so-​so. Nothing too spectacular and very lacking in… everything. We got the sampler for appetizer though and I thought it was really good. The tzatziki and humus was really really yummy! Pita bread that it came with was also soft and chewy. Love this dish the most. I could have skipped the wrap.
Service was friendly. The waiter was very accommodating. Picky Asians but he was super patient with us! =P Would rather check out other restaurants on Castro in the future though!

Update time!
This place is still the WORST PLACE EVER!!!
I was with my boss searching for a place to have our xmas team lunch and although my previous encounter with this run down BADDIE BADDIERSON, my boss still wanted to see their menu. so we persisted to go in.
One guy by the bar and some other man was walking around. of course no one gave a hoot that we are there… finally after a very long 30 seconds of waiting… someone finally acknowledged us. We told the gent that we would like to see a menu… (which a stack of them was on this counter thing) he pointed to the stack of paper menus. Both my boss and I took one and looked at it. was told that they were able to accommodate for our group lunch. then right after the guy left us.
So my boss and I left and looked else where.
Well. we didn’t get very far because the same guy ran after us and told us we couldn’t take their menus.
(…)
Can I make a note that it was the paper kinkos printed menus???
This place is DEAD TO ME!

Zucca Can Zucc It
We ended up at Zucca for the first time upon discovering there was an hour long wait at our intended dinner destination Xanh a few doors down. Simultaneously we found ourselves in the middle of a rainstorm. («Well we could look a few more blocks down Castro? Eh, screw it.»)
We started with the potato and mushroom croquette app. It was hot and mashed potato-​y inside, but (small quibble) I wish the harissa aioli had a stronger flavor. It was my favorite dish of the night. This $ 6.50 app came with a lot of dressed greens so I was happy I didn’t order a salad.
My entrée was the eggplant moussaka, which for $ 12.95 was the cheapest entrée on the menu (coincidence that I ordered it?). The husband’s chicken scallopine marsala was only $ 1.50 more. I felt like there should have been more of a difference in price between the veg and non-​veg entrees. My moussaka came with salad — again, glad I skipped getting a salad — this time with beets and shaved parm. The entrée was good but really needed something to elevate it. The chicken was pounded very thin and the sauce was good but not great. The husband’s favorite part was the spinach (it came with spinach and mashed potatoes). Again, the sides were not listed on the menu. Those are things that would be nice to know if you were say, going to order an app involving potatoes. (Not that one could be sick of potatoes, but still…)
We noticed that other tables had bread so we finally flagged down the manager and asked him about it. He apologized and said that the bread was just coming out of the oven now. However, when the bread arrived five minutes later it was suspiciously lukewarm.
Despite its temperature, the bread was good, and it’s touches like house-​made bread, shaved parm on the salad, and an abundance of pepper grinders that led my husband to remark that this is the type of restaurant that looks and is expensive, but the food isn’t really all that great. (Most entrees are around $ 17.)
The service was okay. The hostess came through the door when we stopped to look at the menu outside and awkwardly stood there while we considered our dining options. She also took our coats as we entered and returned them at the end of the meal.
We ended the meal with the banana baklava ($ 7.50). We recently had a non-​traditional baklava — baklava ice cream! — at Dish Dash and it was amazing. The Zucca version was more like a banana spring roll (made with phillo dough) but bland and without enough caramel sauce. The husband said his half had plenty of caramel and that I wouldn’t want any more because it tasted bitter. The accompanying pistachio ice cream was fine.
Food = 4 stars
But Prices Bring it Down to = 3 stars

Being a huge hummus, lamb, and olive fan, I feel like Mediterranean is always a safe choice… And this place definitely fulfills my craving for all three!
I have been here several times, all for very different reasons: casual drink, mothers day brunch, and dinner with a girlfriend. All of them were fantastic! The brunch they provide is delicious. I just ordered the Mediterranean Buffet Table, which was covered with hummus, breads, olives, tomato, cheese, you name it. The bottomless mimosas were a huge plus, although I would plan on staying for a while to take full advantage because I could only finish one. The waiter was great about refilling my glass with just champagne when it looked low though… that a boy…
Dinner was even better, if that’s possible. I ordered the lamb shank, while my friend had the lamb burger. The lamb shank was to die for… orgasmic if you will. Her lamb burger was also mouth-​watering, but I was quite happy with my choice! We both had dirty martinis, which was a first time for me so I didn’t know if I would like it… But eating my olive as I sipped was so yummy! I had to ask for one more olive to finish it off which was no problem.
I would recommend this place to everyone, except maybe not kids. It has a mature ambience to it, and not a ton of kid friendly food choices that I can remember. It’s great for dates, girls nights, or family dinners. I would always go back! mMmmmmMmmm!!!

Wow Zucca!
Is it possible to go from great to bad so quickly?
I came here for my birthday after having such a positive experience with you during my friend’s birthday.
It started off promising. We came early so there weren’t many people and we had a pick of seats. We chose the small table by the window. Well-​lighted and beautiful. Lovely banter.
But. why was the service so slow?
And why was the «special» grilled corn salad so measly and untasty (with large light leaves that in no way resemble the tight green leaves that the consumer is supposed to cut for caesar salad) … and why was the baked brie melted but hard and sliding around on the plate?
Is there a reason for why M’s rice was so salty under the fish special, and how come the zucca ravioli that i so loved last time was undercooked?
only B’s chicken skewers were good.
We didn’t want to stay for dessert. we were so disappointed. the service was bad, the food bad. nobody even asked how it was, and i’ve never had to deal with uncooked food before, and i didn’t want to make a fuss.
would it have been a hint that M and I both left half our food uneaten?
Blah. SO sad.

I’ve eaten at Zuccas 4 times for dinner. The fish is excellent, the staff sweet, but the managing staff is offensive.
Tonight, I ordered a great Ahi dinner for 19 dollars. I didn’t mind that the overly chatty waiter forgot to bring me bread & was slow with water. But, when I agreed to get a Ladies Night cocktail, at his suggestion, it annoyed me that I was charged more than double ($ 11 instead of $ 5). The assistant manager reprimanded me in front of other customers while I was still eating. He said, «next time, you should know that top-​shelf is not a special.» I explained that it was the waiter who had suggested this brand.
Ultimately, the difference in price didn’t bother me as much as the ordeal. Customers turned to look at me as I was trying to explain myself which would not have happened if the manager had walked over to me to discuss it closely, as opposed, to shouting accross the bar table over customers. The waiter apologized & removed the drink from my bill. But, it didn’t matter. I won’t return to Zuccas which is too bad b/​c the food isn’t bad but not worth the prices when one has to deal with the staff.
In the past, when I have dined with my husband, I have found the manager to be overbearing. He is constantly trying to oversell food which is ridiculous when one has already orderd appetizers, full entrees & cocktails.

Came here for lunch because all the other restaurant’s outdoor seating was too packed. We picked this «Italian place» because it was empty, even though we were warned with the mediocre reviews on Unilocal.
I can’t stand a restaurant where they don’t know what theme they are going for. We sat down thinking we were getting Italian, but the menu was a mixed with Greek cuisine. The waitress told us, they tried putting Iranian cuisine on the menu too, basically whatever that would sell or entice people to come.
Ok well, if you’re going to do Greek, make it good at least. These wasn’t even good Greek dishes. The chicken gyro was ok, but the salad it came with was literally leaves just sprinkled with salt.
I also absolutely love beets and I believe beet salad is essential to every good Greek place. Zucca failed my beet salad test. The beets tasted terrible, like it went bad. When the guy I went with, decided to say something at the end of the meal, the waitress didn’t even apologize or check if the beets did go bad. All she said was «oh, not everyone likes beets, that’s too bad».
I probably won’t be back after our bad lunch experience. Be forewarned, some places are empty for a reason.

— — FOR LUNCH ONLY — -
Pretty empty during lunch so there’s no wait. There’s a lot to choose from but I decided to go with the beet salad. It was hoards of argula with a good amount of beets in it. Not bad but not great. It’s pretty standard. However, there were plenty of other things on the menu that I think I’d go back to try.

Came back here to try things on the regular menu. It’s no different than the Valentine’s menu. My friend had the salmon and she loved it. I had to have my ravioli de zucca once again and it was great!
The service was great this time. Our waitress was nice and attentive. We took our time eating, drinking and talking. No one made us feel like we had to rush.

Oh, I meant to give ½ star but since there wasn’t an option for that, I’d give it a ONE star.
Horrible horrible dining experience – in fact, I have not had such UNimpressive food in a long long time (check all my reviews and I’d only given one 1-​star rating in the past).
My friend suggested going to Downtown Mountain View for dinner after shopping at Valley Fair. The usual restaurant that we like so much, Varo Azzurro, is completely packed and full. So we decided to «venture out» and tried something new and so we gave «Zucca» a try.
We weren’t greeted properly when we sat down, server wasn’t friendly, and we waited a while before we got bread (which is cold) and ice water. My brother and friend ordered the lamb shank and I had the hanger steak. We also ordered the spicy shrimp appetizer, which cost $ 12, but the portion was small and the dish came out luke warm. My bro and friend said they’ve had one of the worst lamb shanks, and my wine marinated hanger’s «wine sauce» is way way too sour. Nothing is right at this place. I ordered «medium» and it actually came out rare. At one point, I could no longer take the sourness and had to spit out the food, which I have almost never done before. I couldn’t finish my steak in the end. All three of us were simultaneously complaining about the horrible food. After dinner, we actually had to stop by the tapioca place for some passionfruit tea and fried cuttlefish ball.
If somebody gave Zucca Ristorante a 4 or 5 star, I’d be curious to find out what food he/​she ordered and what factors contributed to such a high rating. The one star rating that I gave was 100% for the outdoor dining experience on a pleasant Saturday night. FOOD, SERVICE, and everything else is bad. I’m surprised this place is still around with all the competitors nearby, as Shabu Way is just right next door and Varo Azzurro is down the block.
I honestly would NOT suggest this place to anyone, unless somebody wants to throw away money or feels generous. This restaurant is a total waste of time and money altogether. Simply put, I will NEVER come back. Good luck Zucca!

Date of Visit: 11÷18÷10
Reason of visit: get together lunch with my fellow co-​workers. I’ve never had Mediterranean food before so it was good for a first.
What did I order? Roast Chicken wrap… it includes Chicken with Dijon mustard aioli, brie cheese, sliced tomato & cabbage slaw
Did I like it? Yes, but they killed it by putting way too much red onion. If it wasn’t for that I think the wrap would’ve been perfect. The salad that comes with the wrap is a plus especially with the delicious venaigrette sauce.
Service? Waiters were prompt with our orders. Our food was served at a reasonable time. They were also nice to split our tab 6 different ways, which most place would never allow.
Kudos for this ristorante. If you want pretty good Mediterranean food. Come here.

Had reservations for 11:30 lunch but no other guests were there.
Complimentary bread with butter
Food: flat bread pizzas were skimpy on toppings
Sausage & mushroom– decent
Margarita– standard
Drink– $ 7.50 for bottomless mimosas. This was the highlight.
Service– slow even though we were the first table customer. Only one waiter during lunchtime, but there was only two other tables taken later on. Our waiter was both the bartender and server so he was kept busy.
I would come back to try their lunch buffet of different Mediterranean foods/​tapas.

What a nightmare… (Friday, 6PM).First, I asked for the TGIF special, Sangria. Waiter left and came back 5 minutes later to tell me they didn’t have any Sangria (don’t you think the waiter should have already been briefed?). Then, someone ordered Sea Bass. Again, the waiter left and came back 5 – 6 minutes later stating «Sorry, we don’t have any Sea Bass», «May I suggest Halibut». Again, the waiter should have known this ahead of time. I ordered the Souvlaki. They delivered about 4 dried up pieces of pork. No tsaziki sauce. I asked where the sauce was, and the waiter said, «sorry, no Tsaziki sauce tonight». If I had known that, I may have ordered something else. He brought me some hummus instead. Poor substitute for Tsaziki. Then, we ordered dessert. The warm chocolate cake (which is excellent, by the way), however the ice cream was almost completely melted. Again, we were told the freezer wasn’t working properly. but only after the desert was delivered.
They did comp us the desert and a glass of wine… but still…
Again…what a nightmare… and very embarrassing for me, as I was trying to impress some clients…

I was very reluctant to try this place again after the last horrible experience. But, a friend of mine said they made great martinis and she was dying for one so we trotted down here on a Thursday evening.
So, on Thursdays they actually have a Ladies Night happy hour. A few set martinis at $ 3 and some appetizers. I had two of the special martinis. They were alright, but served in much smaller glasses than the regular ones which I think is a cop-​out. Next my friend insisted that we get the French Kiss martini which is on the regular menu. This drink was much better, and very tasty. Sort of like lemonade. But far over priced still.
Basically my 3 stars for this update is for the hummus. It was $ 3 during the happy hour and is by far the best I have ever had. Perfect texture and flavor. I would come back just for this hummus, and they make homemade pita bread as well.
However the service was still below par. This time our waiter seemed irritated that we didn’t want to order dinner at 5pm, after we specifically told him we were just there for drinks. *sigh*

Food was average, service was okay.
Tournedos of Beef ($ 25)
9oz Fillet Mignons, Sauce au Poivre, Potato Cake & Greens.
$ 25 is not worth it, I had better steak at Texas Roadhouse, cheaper too!
Also had the Halibut, not as «melt in your mouth» kinda goodness I was hoping when I eat Halibut.
The dessert was nicely decorated though, but I’m not here for dessert after all.

3.5 stars.
I love Italian. I love it so much I don’t normally like going to Italian restaurants because they’re going to be a let down. Plus, I haven’t found anything of quality in the south bay (they’re all worse than Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill). Imagine my surprise when I had good food at an Italian place. Shocking!
First, everyone is right, Italian and Greek, though geographically related, are not usually found at the same restaurant. Whatever. Just get the Ravioli Di Zucca and fugetaboutit (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). Let me say I haven’t always been a huge fan of sweet ravioli (until Wolfgang Puck made me a dish), so I can understand if you’re not super keen about getting ravioli with squash inside. Still, it’s damn good. The way they make it appealing is to oversalt the cream sauce. Individually the two items wouldn’t be very good, but together they’re fantastic. My friends had the Jordanian Chicken Wrap and Chicken Marsala, which they liked.
So, definitely try the Ravioli Di Zucca. The bread isn’t bad either. All in all, a good meal.

Came here for lunch on a weekday.
Food: ³⁄₅
Service:3/5
Ambiance: ³⁄₅
Ordered:
*Short rib and mushroom rigatoni
*Warm chocolate cake
*Flan
So, we were seated pretty quickly since we arrived at 1:30pm. Placed our orders, and they took a while to bring out hte comp bread. The bread was warm and delicious!
Well, i agree with many Unilocalers. the services is def slow and the food comes out slow too. I would say our food came out 25 minutes later, even though the restaurant wasn’t busy.
My food came out warm, yes WARM. I think there’s only one or two chef, trying to prepare our food (5 ppl), and they wanted to bring out all the dishes at the same time, and mine might have been the first dishes to be cooked. Althought it was warm, it was good — not horrible or great. good
Dessert was decent. The warm chocolate cake was really good – the waiter gave us a list of their dessert verbally, and we also ordered bread pudding, BUT 5 minutes after we placed our order for dessert, he came by and said they don’t have bread pudding… why 5 minutes later and why give it to us as an option… i don’t know…
We decided to go with the Flan as a second choice. It had tangerine and strawberries garnishes… the flan was eh. Not sweet at all. weird. i thought it was supposed to sit on a bed of carmelized sugary syrup?

As I sat down at my not well-​lit table, I Unilocaled this place in a hurry on my iphone and saw all the negative reviews about the service… CRAP why did i not research beforehand?
There was no light bulb in the light near us. the next table just left so we asked if we could move to a more litted place. I think it was the owner in the white apron but he surely was grumpy as hell. I don’t know if it was his definition of friendly but that already gave me a bad vibe of the type of service they are about to provide me. He kind of gave us a bad time about switching tables but we still switched. Afterwards, we sat down and found out our table top was wobbly… so we tried folding pieces of paper to balance it out because we didn’t want to disrupt the grumpy old man! He probably would of told us, «told you to not switch tables!» Our waiter, you can tell, was trying hard to be nice and friendly but we barely saw him throughout the night since he also had ten million other tables to cater to. It took forever for our food to come out throughout the night or just to even call the waiter for something we needed. I actually had to yell out to get a set of utensils to get what i wanted faster!!!
Ordered the Shrimp with penne alfredo.(pretty good actually but a bit too bland for me. I had 5 shrimps in my oversized plate pasta. overall not bad though.), 1 lb of french style mussels (the sauce was good but a bit too buttery! the size of the mussels were really small though, barely had anything in there! choose your mussel quality better for better comeback rates please!), scallops with pesto sauce (very light but still had the flavor to it! I like a more bold pesto sauce)
Afterwards, the owner was in a better joking mood. I guess something happened in between our meal that made him cheerier? He was joking around with my friend about diet. shrugs!
Overall, you guys need to pick up the pace with your service or re-​organize or else your customers will definitely not come back! It felt like every table was waiting for their food!