Z Burger Tenleytown

Reviews 5

AU

Austin Grasty

I am and have been employed in Tenleytown for the past 3 years, and consider Z Burger to be one of the most viable lunch options in the are. In general, the food is tasty, fast, and filling. I am writing this review because of the unacceptable customer service I received the last time I visited and the no-reply over email from the owner, Peter, who received this complaint privately. Z Burger at the time was offering a free burger to Pokemon Go players, which was convenient since I happened to be one of the 100 million eligible candidates for this deal. Z Burgers marketing was extensive, in that they hired a kid to hold a sign outside, and employed their best in-house graphic designer who posted a handwritten sharpie-laden description of the offer on a sheet of paper and then taped it to the front door. I came to dine in for lunch with some colleagues and though we were meeting separately, I was the first to arrive. I was greeted by this locations most recognizable staff member, Josif. His greeting was non-chalant and ambivalent, which is fine -- I was looking for a hamburger, not a new primary care physician. In my most confident "Im an adult, but I still watch cartoons" voice, I started my order by asking to redeem the Pokemon Go offer. Josif responded by telling me "No", the offer was over and I had missed it. As rebuttal, I used my most convincing pointing gestures to draw his attention to the sign on the door, and their hired human signage outside. He responded by saying "thats old, its from yesterday". Im not exactly sure how that logic applies, considering I, for example, am from yesterday, and the many days that precede it, and yet there I was. There was a brief back and forth where Josif continued to deny and refuse to investigate the existence of the very obvious offer. I then backed down and placed an order at regular price. My colleague walked in at this moment. He would then be a few minutes behind me in ordering. Josif was noticeably bubblier towards him in the instant he first saw him, enough to attempt to engage him in conversation before he was even prepared to order. I grabbed a seat to wait. Shortly after, my second colleague came as well. Considering I had maybe misinterpreted the marketed offer, I asked if they had noticed any of the signage on their way in. They responded with a unanimous yes, and agreed with my assessment of it. They also suggested I inquire further about it. At this point I felt Josifs behavior was discriminatory, and decided to address it. After eating, I returned to Josifs register, and asked him for further clarification on the advertisement. His tone immediately changed, "yes, yes, the free burger! How would you like it?" I pressed him on why he refused to offer it to me earlier, but he continued to steer the conversation back to a transactional tone. Eventually he replied "my boss just called me and told me about it". What a uniquely specific and timely phone call! I accepted the complimentary burger out of principle, but certainly not out of hunger (5-star portions, yo). Now, up to this point, I would call this a "traditionally" frustrating experience. One in which confusion mars the customer experience, but someone acknowledges the mistake and respectfully finds an amenable resolution. I dont write complaints about those. What made this a non-traditional frustrating experience was that Josif made no attempt to relegate acceptance of his mistake, either on his own, or on behalf of the establishment. I recognize that apologies can come as second nature to some, so after he provided my receipt, I gave him the easy out and asked him directly if he felt he owed me an apology. He instead DOUBLED DOWN and said "No". I cocked my head so fast I almost broke my neck and died. As a rebuttal, he offered the following counter-arguments in succession: "Maybe if I did something wrong" "I didnt make a mistake" "My job is to convey the information I have." "I did nothing wrong" "I will not apologize" "Why would I do that?" I wont be returning.

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AN

Angry Sun

Not recommended. Prices are slightly more expensive than Five Guys, but the quality is worse in every way. The beef patties have most of the flavor grilled out of them and what remains isnt particularly satisfying. The burger buns have a plastic-like texture to them. I was served fries that were an odd mix of square cut and steak fries, making me wonder if the staff had scooped up some bags that fell off an Ore-Ida truck. Speaking of the staff, theyre the biggest disappointment. Theyre impatient at best, short-tempered at worst. I had to repeat my order twice the last time I went because the guy at the register was using his smart phone while I tried to tell him what I wanted. Naturally, he got annoyed with me about that. You also need to watch the counter like a hawk when orders are being filled, because they will only shout the order number once and theyre usually unintelligible. Not because they have bad English skills, mind you. They just dont care.

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MA

Marjan Stuckart

Z Burger is a lovely fast food restaurant that I enjoy on occasion. It is available through Uber eats if you are in the mood to stay home and the food is delicious. They have quite an assortment of wonderful milkshakes of which Oreo is my personal favorite. I also recommend vanilla and chocolate if you are into classics although they have plenty of adventurous and exciting combinations as well. The actual food itself is scrumptious as well, and my favorites are the burger and fries. I love that the burgers are customizable with plenty of topping options that cater to your needs. Z Burger is not that close to downtown and so may be missed by some tourists but it is a favorite among Washingtonians of the area. If youre looking for a fun place to grab a yummy bite I highly recommend here.

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BR

Bryan Woerner

Ive been going there since it opened. Juicy burgers, much better than Five Guys, and really thick shakes (personal favorite is Chocolate Peanut Butter). Plus there are a lot of free topping beyond LTO, pickles, and ketchup. Ive also had their hot dogs and cheesesteaks. Let me say this, the cheesesteak is good for two people. Its packed full of meat, toppings, and cheese and is delicious. The Sandwich side opened up about a year ago (lots of legal wrangling to work through as I understand). The sandwiches are great too and you can order a shake with one as well. Recently a Burger Tap & Shake opened up a few blocks up the street. Its OK, more expensive and the food was good. If I want a burger and a beer, I would go there. But if I want a burger and shake, Ill keep going to Z Burger.

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A

A Private User

I just moved to DC a few months ago and just out of pure luck rented a place directly between the two Z burger locations. This one at 4321 Wisconsin Ave is the better of the two, for the hand-battered onion rings and lots of seating! I still havent tried a tenth of the milkshake flavors because the ones that I have tried so far are so good that I have stuck with them. The single bacon cheeseburger is my favorite, and although a little bit salty at times, the crunch of the pickles and bacon combined with the juicy meat and melted cheese WITH sauteed onions and mushrooms free on every burger just cant be beat for less than five dollars, especially not in the district. Dont forget to try the seasoned fries in your half and half, or frankly, just get a whole order of onion rings!

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