I walked in last night and told the owner (he was the host) that I needed a table for two outside and that my friend was coming in just a minute. He mumbled something and proceeded to seat two other... More

I walked in last night and told the owner (he was the host) that I needed a table for two outside and that my friend was coming in just a minute. He mumbled something and proceeded to seat two other parties. Then I thought he must have misheard me because clearly there were tables available, so I asked politely, "Can you tell me how long the wait is for two people outside"? He glared at me like I was an idiot and said abruptly, "I will seat you when your other party gets here. You can go have a seat over there and wait." I turned around and walked out the door. I won't ever go back there. Pros: Food is good Cons: Rude
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I not go back to this restaurant. And go to other restaurants. At this restaurant,employees- management and waitresses,salespeople are continually rude to me and people I eat with. There are alot... More

I not go back to this restaurant. And go to other restaurants. At this restaurant,employees- management and waitresses,salespeople are continually rude to me and people I eat with. There are alot of other restaurants in the Raleigh area. I get better service and cleaner. This restaurant not always clean. The employees not clean it up. And see the dirty place.And the food is better also. Pros: none Cons: many
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I took my mom to what should have been a wonderful lunch outing yesterday. This restaurant had been recommend by a close friend. From the moment we walked into the cafe, the staff were rude and... More

I took my mom to what should have been a wonderful lunch outing yesterday. This restaurant had been recommend by a close friend. From the moment we walked into the cafe, the staff were rude and aloof. It was our first time there, so we weren't sure of how to be seated as there was no sign and no one was at the hostess stand. When the hostess appeared, she was rude. Our waitress was arrogant. The restaurant and store staff looked as if they were at a wake instead of there to provide customer service. They all looked tired and perhaps should retire. That being said, the food was very good. We each had a very nice salad. The store was very cute but the staff couldn't be bothered with providing any customer service. It's really a shame that such a lovely place is packed with bitter staff. Pros: good food, cute store Cons: rude staff
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some of the employees told me they are leaving.bad management. low wages and the owners are not a nice couple. not get many tips. the atmosphere is not nice.rather go somewhere else.not many... More

some of the employees told me they are leaving.bad management. low wages and the owners are not a nice couple. not get many tips. the atmosphere is not nice.rather go somewhere else.not many benefits.and the merchandise is expensive. rather go to another place to work.
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I eat lunch at Zest quite often and I always have enjoyable experiences there! The waitresses are just about as nice as they could be and, for the price, I don't think you can beat the food. The... More

I eat lunch at Zest quite often and I always have enjoyable experiences there! The waitresses are just about as nice as they could be and, for the price, I don't think you can beat the food. The brie sandwich is my favorite! Lunch can get pretty busy, but I never really have to wait more than about 15 mins or so (if I even end up having to wait- just get there early) and the store has such cute stuff that it's usually hard not to buy something while we wait. If I know that I'm not going to have much time to sit and eat I'll call in an order to go since I work in the office park right across the street. It is very convenient and I still feel like I'm eating healthy! Pros: being able to get food to go, friendly staff
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My husband and I are regulars at this wonderful cafe. The food is amazing and the chef comes up with the most tasty combinations! Dinner is special and you can dress casual. I love going at the... More

My husband and I are regulars at this wonderful cafe. The food is amazing and the chef comes up with the most tasty combinations! Dinner is special and you can dress casual. I love going at the end of the work day and having a glass of wine and terrific meal. Sunday brunch is great and we often go with our entire family as there is something for everyone on the menu. The wait staff is always friendly and courteous. If the cafe is busy, and it usually is, I never mind the wait because there is so much to see on the Home Art side of the establishment. There are wonderful gift items that you don't see anywhere else in Raleigh and the helpful staff giftwraps for you! Pros: food, service, shopping, parking Cons: sometimes you have to wait for a table
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I love this little cafe! The quality of the food is above and beyond even most higher end restaurants in the area. The service is great and the wait staff is very friendly. I had a wonderful... More

I love this little cafe! The quality of the food is above and beyond even most higher end restaurants in the area. The service is great and the wait staff is very friendly. I had a wonderful experience this holiday season when I decided to let Zest cater a small dinner party for me. The food was amazing and received great raves! The preparation was all done for me I just had to re-warm and serve. The owner helped me plan the meal and the chef did an outstanding job! It certainly took all the stress out of the evening for me. I highly recommend it!
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I had not eaten at Zest Cafe until today (although I work nearby). I met a friend there for lunch, and we did not have a good experience. The food is okay (nothing spectacular) and the lunch menu... More

I had not eaten at Zest Cafe until today (although I work nearby). I met a friend there for lunch, and we did not have a good experience. The food is okay (nothing spectacular) and the lunch menu is fairly expensive. My friend and I had not seen each other in a while, and so we spent a little over an hour there. However, at the hour mark different wait staff (and I think the owner) kept approaching our table individually and saying, "is there anything else?" and "is there anything else we can get you?" in a rude and impatient tone. They were obviously trying to get us to leave so they could make our table available to waiting diners. While I understand their motivation, the way they went about it was unfriendly and a clear-cut example of poor customer service. I will never eat there again, and I will warn other diners about the substandard customer service. The owner and employees clearly do not care enough about their customers, and I wish I had read the other customer reviews before I spent too much money for mediocre food and an atmosphere of impatience. Pros: Parking, vegetarian options Cons: Wait staff, ambience
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walked in with another person. the owner's wife /co owner only nice to people who buy. she rude to other guests.not buy.go elsewhere Pros: good parking Cons: employees

walked in with another person. the owner's wife /co owner only nice to people who buy. she rude to other guests.not buy.go elsewhere Pros: good parking Cons: employees
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This used to be my favorite place to take someone for a special occasion, until today. Today I took my mother there for her birthday. The owner asked how many in our party, which was 3 including my... More

This used to be my favorite place to take someone for a special occasion, until today. Today I took my mother there for her birthday. The owner asked how many in our party, which was 3 including my very well behaved daughter, we were told 15 min. We waited outside so my little one would not make anyone nervous as the cafe is next to the art shop which has lots of fragile items. After 15 min. we came back inside and noticed at least 2 new tables had been seated. We asked how long and were told, 15 minutes again. I said "30 minutes total now?", to which the owner responded loaded with sarcasm, " What can I say, it is what it is" and then abruptly walked away. Upon leaving to go to another more hospitable establishment, I checked with the cashiers to see if they take reservations, possibly explaining why others had been seated ahead of us. They do not take reservations. I'm guessing he didn't want to seat us because of my 3 yr. old, who is very well behaved, or maybe because we weren't all elderly women dripping in diamonds-no matter, we left. Although we were hoping for something a little more elegant, Milton's pizza is only a few steps away and there we were greeted with warm smiles and great food. It's seems crazy to think that the owner of a "cafe" would need to take customer service cues from a pizza place, but there it is. Our family seeks out and supports local business. We will not be supporting Zest Cafe. Our only consolation is that a packed Zest cafe means there are at least 50 fewer jerks where we are. Cons: horrible customer service
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