Address: | 444 S Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, PA 19034, USA |
Phone: | +1 215-654-7600 |
Site: | zakescafe.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 7:30AM–3:30PM 7:30AM–3:30PM 7:30AM–9PM 7:30AM–9PM 7:30AM–10PM 7:30AM–10PM 8AM–3PM |
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Dave Liao
Zakes Cakes and Cafe opened as an outpost in the suburbs to serve "light fare" and continues to satisfy the communitys collective sweet tooth today. Located in Fort Washington, Zakes (sometimes listed with an apostrophe) resides on the lower floor of a house at the bottom of a hill. To quote directly from another review: "Zakes salads, sandwiches and soups are all outstanding, but save room for dessert! Many delicious specials to choose from, in addition to a great menu. The only problem here is making a decision. Be prepared to wait for a table around lunchtime..." Unless you arrive early, youll have to wait at least 15 minutes to get a table. After noon, the place fills up! Youll get to wait on the patios couch (!) and appreciate the garden outside at least. The main room can seat a reasonably large party. Look around and youll see regulars from the surrounding area: residents of Ambler and Fort Washington and droves of worker bees from the nearby industrial parks. On a sunny day the place is cheery and well-lit. On cloudy days, the ceiling lighting is well-arranged and doesnt overwhelm. The walls are decorated with framed photographs thrown about. I cant remember any music playing in the background. The menu has Italian, Vietnamese, French, Chinese, and English highlights. Daily specials are available at Zakes. I had a bowl of Mediterranean tomato soup with orzo. It was lightly flavored with tomato and herbs and had a light, pleasing taste. Chunky bits of orzo added substance to the dish. The portabello sandwich tasted like pizza and had the consistency of a tomato pie. It was topped with brussel sprouts... I looked forward to taking another bite as soon as I took the first! Zakes is a comfortable place to go for lunch and a cup of coffee. Next time I go I think Ill get the Saigon salad, summer rolls (with chicken, shrimp) or the bourbon glazed salmon... so many choices...
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Laura Demkovitz
This is one of my very favorite local restaurants! Ive been here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the past 19 years and its all incredibly delicious for a fabulous price. I especially enjoy their freshly baked breads, their wide variety of salads, the carrot ginger soup, and honey lemon pancakes—no syrup needed whatsoever! Of course, you can never leave Zakes without dessert! They always have an AMAZING selection of cakes, pies, tarts, etc., so a good part of my visit is spent deciding which treats well take home with us. (With this awesome food, we dont usually have room after the meal to fit in the sweets, so we save them for later.) Our best strategy is for each person to order a different item and then we can all sample. Zakes presentations are extraordinary; their staff is friendly and accommodating; they serve gluten- and dairy-free dishes; a prix fixe menu is offered two nights a week; and the place is BYOB!!! What more do you need from a great meal out?
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Keith Doyle
Took the family (wife and two boys, 3 and 5 years old) on a Sunday morning. Not crowded at all and were seated quickly. Super kid friendly with crayons and paper covering the whole table made for an easy wait for the food (which wasnt too long at all). I got the House Benedict that comes with smoked salmon instead of canadian bacon. I couldnt eat enough of the red bliss potatoes that came with it, perfectly seasoned. The hollandaise was very smooth and silky and the eggs poached perfectly. The boys shared a full stack of the honey lemon pancakes with caramel sauce and polished them off with ease which was impressive and also a side order of bacon. They loved them so much I didnt even get a chance to try them. Will definitely be going back again.
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Alison Gaskin
I love their gluten free pancakes! But...The service was a little sketchy the last two times I was there with my husband. Last week, a greeter threw our menus down on the table after we asked to sit on the porch (originally seated in a corner in the nearly empty front dining area). The next customers after us were immediately seated on the porch, and had their drink order taken before us. Needless to say, we felt uncomfortable...Our server, however, was pleasant and attentive even as the restaurant began to fill up. He definitely made up for the shaky start. Not withstanding, the gf pancakes and the chicken apple sausages were great as usual.
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Stacey Trabacca
Crazy crowded. Maybe it would have been a better experience if it wasnt so crowded. The staff was working hard to please the overcrowded, tight space. It seemed like everyone was scrambling to accomodate customers but no one was really pleased. We ordered juice and water 3 times before it was brought to us. We had to keep asking for things the entire meal because they were forgotten. The menu was nice - there are some different items on it. A little pricey for the portions. I think that if it wasnt so busy, we would have had a much better experience. I dont know if I would try it again. Maybe if the parking lot is empty?!?!
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Bill Perschon
We had dinner at Zakes on New Years eve 12/31/2016. They had a fixed menu. The service and appetizers were good. The choices of entrees were limited. My wife had a filet mignon, and I had the roasted duck. Both dishes tasted like institutional prepared food. I called the sales manager to politely let her know as my wife and I are regular customers. Never did she ask for my name or apologize ... what she did do is hang-up on me! These are not good business people, and the "word of mouth will travel!" It will be a long time until we consider going back.
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Jama Lily
Has been one of the best places to eat for the entire time they have been open. I am guessing 30+ years. For almost 4 years I had lunch there every Saturday. Today i had a crab cake with salad and my friend had a Cobb salad substituting duck for chicken. Both dishes were wonderful. We declined dessert as I had gained 2 lbs just looking at the desserts in the case. But I know from experience that they are amongst the best in the area.
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Thomas Sew
I give this place 5 stars based solely on their cakes. I went in and got 4 slices: Black and White Summer Cake Cappuccino Cheesecake And another chocolate-based cake with a cream filling that I forgot the name to. The cakes here are not sweet like the usual American cakes. Sweetness is on the light side but the taste, components and texture are phenomenal! I will definitely go to this place for cakes from now on!
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Jennifer W
One of the best restaurants I have been to in the Ambler area. Small, cozy atmosphere with delicious quality courses. We always come for Restaurant Week, but the tasting menu is regularly offered and our go to. I have never been disappointed. The beet salad is always delish. The lamb is absolutely divine! The desserts are very tasty. Get reservations. Dont forget it is a BYOB, which makes it even more appealing.
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Regina Schnabel
Sympathisches Restaurant mit freundlichem Ambiente...Hilfsbereites aufmerksames Personal...und - das Wichtigste zuletzt - wirklich hervorragende Küche . Und das alles zu durchaus moderaten Preisen
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Donald Scott
Truly phenomenal food, and BYOB to boot! The owner is extremely careful about allergies and the kitchen puts out some of the best duck I have ever tasted. Everyone in my party LOVED their salad, entree, and dessert. While it isnt necessarily inexpensive, the quality meet and exceeded my expectations. You really cannot go here and leave unhappy about the food.