Zio's

04/08/08

Great TO GO

by loooveeating

I work at EVMS in the Norfolk General Hospital as a nurse. Lunchtime is always short and I hate fast food. I always go to Zio?s for lunch. The food is excellent and it comes out super fast. Sometimes I call ahead and order to go food and it is always ready with in ten minutes. Numerous times we came in during lunch- time without reservations with more than ten people and we were always promptly seated and taken care of. I think Zio?s is not only a great sit down and dine restaurant, but also a great place to pop in, in between or before work. I highly recommend this restaurant if you have a daytime job!

• Pros: fast food, fast service
• Cons: none

04/08/08

Great Eveything

by foodsnob8

I recently became acquainted with this restaurant on Colley Ave called Zio?s. From the second I walked in the door, the hostess greeted my husband and I with a smile and a pleasant attitude. I was very interested in trying their Fried Baby Artichoke appetizer, however they were temporarily out. At first I was disappointed, but sharing the Roasted Garlic appetizer with my husband more than made up for it. The waitress assured me that they would have it there next time I return. My husband had the Chicken Zio and I had the Stuffed Eggplant. The dishes were huge and the food was delicious! Both dishes were unlike anything I?ve ever had. The service was also great. The waitress allowed us to try a few wines before we selected a bottle. She was also very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I would recommend Zio?s to everyone. The atmosphere is very romantic and enjoyable, the food and service are excellent, and everything is more than reasonably priced!

• Pros: great food, great service
• Cons: got a little loud for a minute

02/21/08

Not fit for an adult pallete or patience

by 08substance08

I love supporting local businesses. Especially restaurants. So it especially pains me to right this review about an awful local restaurant. I hate Zio's. I also hate Olive Garden. I hate the Olive Garden for being a corporate chain and providing good service and consistent food at a moderate price. I hate Zio's for not even being as good as the Olive Garden. The service is some of the most miserable i have ever experienced. The wait staff has no concern for the customers or even each other for that mater. I watched one "weeded" waitress be ignored by her idle co-workers to the detriment of her and her customers. I kept thinking " is there a manager even here?". As for my personal experience, my party waited 8 min. before someone even came over to the table to offer us a drink. This was after i got up at the 5 min mark and reminded the hostess that she had seated us and we would be requiring a server. 3 excruciating min later and infant showed up at my table fumbling and apologizing. This would be entertaining if i were watching a Saved By the Bell episode. We finally order, i start with a ceaser. This un-tossed monstrosity wasn't even as good as a Wendy's ceaser side. My main course was much better. ( i was scared to order any more than the spaghetti and Italian sausage). The noodles were perfectly cooked and it was an overall good dish. Yet it was tainted...by the memory of the terrible service. Service so bad, I had feeling that it had nothing to do with my particular server. That any service i would receive from Zio's would be sub-standard. Which is why I nor anyone I know will ever return there for any reason. Nor should anyone who wishes fond memories of their dining experience.

• Pros: The cute waitresses are easy to ogle since they barely move and are oblivious to almost everything.
• Cons: please.

11/11/07

My Italian Grandmother Would Have Cried

by val611

As I entered the restaurant it reminded me of the nightclubs of the 1980?s with the neon purple lights highlighting the entrance; as I recall purple was not a traditional color of Italy. With its mahogany wooden tables and booths and the cloth mahogany colored napkins so neatly folded that I was ready for an authentic Italian meal, but I received was far from my Italian background. She never introduced herself and walked away with our beverage order. Upon her return with the beverages she also brought the iced cold Italian bread that was barely cooked. She appeared annoyed that I requested cooked Italian bread, but she took it back to the kitchen and returned with another loaf that was somewhat warm; the waitress claimed that is how the restaurant always serves the bread. I ordered the Shrimp Fra Diablo and my friend ordered the Veal Marsala. When the plates where put in front of us they looked appealing but the unfortunate thing was that the plates themselves were cold causing our dishes to get cold quicker. By the time I started to taste the linguine it was cold and for my friend not only was his Veal Marsala cold but there was no wine in the sauce but rather a large amount of olive oil. Needless to say we were very unhappy but did not say anything to the waitress because in our opinion it would have gone on deaf eyes and she might have said all dishes are cold. The waitress was more interested in eating her meal with the manager than waiting on us. She claimed no dessert menu but in the same breathe states the restaurant has cannoli, tiramisu and homemade cheesecake. The restaurant could have potential if the staff was more personable with it s patrons and have knowledge of Italian cuisine. As a native New York and being of Italian descent I was very disappointed with my overall experience at Zio?s Restaurant and would not return.

• Pros: television near the bar
• Cons: service

10/08/07

Worst Service Ever

by slapointe

The service was horrible. The manager was abrasively rude and irresponsible and none of the waitstaff seemed to care about the treatment of their customers. The power apparently goes out frequently and eating your meal in pitch black and having to run to an atm to pay for a $100+ meal is what they define as adequate service, without any repercussions for their lack of manners and responsibility to their customers. The food itself was nothing to write home about.