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    Cafe Zola

    3.2 (1k reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Cafe Zola Photos

    Business Info

    CAFE ZOLA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Zola

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    Turkish Brunch
    Raymond P.

    Had the chance to check out cafe Zola for brunch. Came on a weekday, no wait and fast seating. Coffee selection was great, had a cafe au lait and espresso. Turkish brunch was amazing with a great selection of bread and a sampling platter. Hediyes breakfast was fantastic, a delicious breakfast sandwich on a bagel with egg and vegetables. Olives were delicious on both plates. Quiet casual atmosphere.

    Saranya D.

    Went to Cafe Zola with friends for dinner, and it was a great experience overall. We had a reservation and were seated promptly at our reserved time, which was a nice start to the evening. The menu is limited, but what they offer is well-executed. The absolute standout dish was the Sambar Grilled Chicken Skewers--the sauce was the real star, adding a bold kick that made the dish unforgettable. The flavors still linger, making it a must-try! Though listed as a starter, the portion was generous enough to be a main course. The sauce and chicken complemented each other perfectly, making it a standout dish. We also tried: * Shrimp Tacos - Fresh and flavorful * Brussels Sprouts - Nicely done * Bread Board - A good starter to share * Tofu with Ginger Tahini Sauce - Light yet packed with flavor * Cavalo Nero (Kale pesto & spring pea shoots) - A unique and tasty combination * Tajarin ai Limone with Chicken (customized with added chicken) - So good! The chicken was cooked to perfection. * Faroe Island Salmon Fillet - Well-prepared and delicious The staff was friendly and attentive, ensuring we had a great experience. They also offer outdoor seating for summer, which is something I'd love to try next time. They offer vegetarian and gluten-free options, and the staff is accommodating if you need modifications. It's best to check with them for specific dietary needs For parking, we got lucky since it wasn't too busy, but during peak hours, finding a spot can be tricky as it's located downtown. However, a private paid parking lot is just a few steps away, making it convenient. The restaurant falls on the expensive side, and the portions are small, but the flavors make up for it. Next time, I'm definitely trying their crepes and truffle fries! Overall, Great Food, Cozy Ambiance, and Friendly Service. A great spot for a nice meal with friends--just don't expect a huge menu!

    Creamy Hummus with Muhammara appetizer
    Cat C.

    Our time in Ann Arbor is sadly ending next year. This is one of the restaurants we want to try for a while. Located in downtown we were able to find street parking since it wasn't peak times. We ordered the hummus appetizer and three entrées. The hummus was excellent and generous so you can ask for more crostini to finish it up. The tofu entrée was flavorful. My husband devoured the Montecristo sandwich really liked her waffle dish. Service is friendly and leisurely. It is an inviting space. Will definitely be back!

    Jira W.

    I think it's me. I always have a beef with upscale Italian restaurants. I'm very disappointed with the food. I ordered TAGLIARINI al LIMONE and it was lack of seasoning. The peas and asparagus tasted like grass... I had to aggressively shaking the salt and pepper bottles half of the time I was there. My friend ordered CAVOLO NERO WITH KALE PESTO AND SPRING PEA SHOOTS - nothing stood out. It tasted very healthy. Nothing could save this plate period. I am very generous with the rating due to the nice ambience and kind service. The patio was full and the table was neatly put together.

    French Toast with Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote
    Hunter M.

    I ordered two specials: the french toast with rhubarb compote and a honey lavender latte. Yum!! Usually sweet breakfast foods tend to be too sweet and a bit heavy, but not this! The french toast was very fresh and airy- highly recommend. The latte was pretty good. The service was very quick as well, and our waitress was friendly. Overall, I'd give it a 4.5, minus 0.5 as the seating was a little bit cramped.

    Molly T.

    I feel like all of my reviews are pointing to a smoked salmon dependency Zola's food was delicious! I ordered the smoked salmon platter (honestly a DIY lox bagel, but I enjoyed it:/). My friends got the babka french toast and southwest omelette. Their sides of bacon were a bit of a letdown. The french toast was sooo good though! The drinks we ordered were also great! Hot coffees were sweet and delicious, and the smoothies were a big hit at the table. Food took a LONG TIME to receive, but it was an insane morning, so pretty understandable. Servers were helpful even on a very chaotic morning. Nice space! Overall, 3.5

    Smoked Salmon Platter, side of fruit

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    2 months ago

    Best food in southeast Michigan. Worth the money spent can't wait until I can visit again

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    4 months ago

    Phenomenal food and staff! Family tradition to go here every New Year's Eve for brunch and I need to go more often!

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    6 months ago

    Loved the ambiance, food, and the waiter was super nice and accommodating to our food restrictions.

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    Ask the Community - Cafe Zola

    Do they take reservstions?

    Yes they do, at least 24 hour notice. Not sure if they have a party minimum.

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    El Harissa Market Cafe - Apricot Peach Cardamom + Spiced Hazelnut Fig Gelato ($5 for small)

    El Harissa Market Cafe

    4.7(186 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    I've been getting excellent food from here for a few years now. We come into Ann Arbor to visit…read morefamily and friends... this place is one of the highlights of coming to town. I recommend picking up a variety of different things and sharing!

    Shoutout to my friend and fellow foodie Tiffany for always being down to try a new spot together!…read moreWe did a double date at El Harissa recently and it's my favorite kind of spot - welcoming and warm, with delicious food, and kind, patient employees. The cafe is a few tables inside of the market/deli, with a lot of takeout happening but I love that they offer dining in as they heat everything up for you and it's all presented very nicely. We ordered a ton of things: harissa dip, hummus, pita, spice roasted cauliflower, tabbouleh, lasagne verde, chicken tagine, and gelato. I loved that the menu indicates which menu items have a smaller carbon footprint - and we happened to be dining there on Earth Day! The food was all flavorful and the perfect temperature, which I appreciated. My favorites were the harissa dip, tabbouleh, and the lasagne verde. The chicken tagine was very good, and we enjoyed the leftovers the next day. The spice roasted cauliflower left us wanting it to be a bit more crispy, but it was a nice side. The gelato is delicious - it's made by Palazzolo's but El Harissa provides them with the unique ingredients for their specialty flavors. They were out of some but we got to sample several. We ended up with the roasted pistachio gelato and the apricot peach cardamom. The texture of the gelato was perfectly creamy and the flavors were strong. The market has lots of great items to buy: chips, tunisian olive wood pieces, spices, etc. I'm so glad we sought out this spot and can't wait to get more of their food!

    Photos
    El Harissa Market Cafe - Dining area

    Dining area

    El Harissa Market Cafe - Apricot Peach Cardamom + Lavender Honey Gelato ($5 for small) - good, I really like the flavors

    Apricot Peach Cardamom + Lavender Honey Gelato ($5 for small) - good, I really like the flavors

    El Harissa Market Cafe - Tunisian olive wood items

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    Tunisian olive wood items

    Palm Palace - House Salad

    Palm Palace

    4.0(696 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    First time going to Palm Palace. My colleagues rave about it, so I wanted to try it. Let me say,…read morethe food is *exceptional.* But, I went right around 5pm with my young son. We are black. We stood in the lobby for some time before three other groups showed up: a white couple, a white woman with her toddler, and a white couple with a baby. Eventually, the hostess appeared, and looking only toward the white patrons, asked how many were in each party. Never asked me. I volunteered that there were two of us. She said it wld be 10 min. When she returned, she motioned to the white woman and toddler, and proceeded to seat them. When she returned, she told the white couple with the baby to follow her. I said, "actually, we were ahead of them, " which she ignored. Her behavior was so offensive that even the white couple volunteered, "she was ahead of us." Reluctantly, she told all of us to follow. She seated all of us at our tables. I asked if they had crayons or paper for kids. She rolled her eyes and pretended not to understand English. Note that she addressed us in English in the lobby. I'll think twice about going back. Without a doubt, the food is amazing. But I don't want to subject my kid to that kind of abuse.

    I have put off trying this place for a few years but i'm SO glad i tried it and sad that i didn't…read moretry it sooner :( The staff is so friendly and helpful with suggestions & the restaurant was beautifully decorated. The chicken shawarma plate had sooo much flavor! I used the bread + garlic sauce to make a sandwich out of it and it was amazing. The rice was so light and cooked perfectly & the salad paired very well with the meal. Try this place!! you will not be disappointed!

    Photos
    Palm Palace - Part of the dining area

    Part of the dining area

    Palm Palace - Lamb chops

    Lamb chops

    Palm Palace - Inside

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    Inside

    Spiedo - Rip Smash Flatbread Sandwich ($15) + Chili Sauce ($1) - roasted spicy pork, Calabrian kimchi, Turkish oregano

    Spiedo

    4.7(93 reviews)
    0.2 miDowntown Ann Arbor

    I've walked by this place a bunch and was always intrigued, so I finally went the other day…read more Came around 5:30 and ended up timing it perfectly. We got seated right before a waitlist started building. The QR code ordering wasn't working for us, but you can just order at the counter and the staff were helpful, so it wasn't a big deal. I got the Juicy Sean wrap, the pkhali side plate, and the chocolate tahini shake. The walleye in the wrap was really good, super fresh and light. I think next time I'd get extra sauce though because it leaned a little dry for me. The pkhali side plate was great. I've heard it's seasonal, which makes me want to come back and see what else they rotate in. The flatbread paired really well with it. The chocolate tahini shake was good. I'd heard a lot about it. It just didn't stand out as much as I expected personally. Overall I really liked it and I'd come back, especially to try more of the seasonal stuff.

    Would highly recommend going on a day date to the downtown library and stopping by Spiedo for…read morelunch. We loved the dip starter and absolutely want to come back for more of their smaller plates. The rice bowls were good, though I felt like the bowl was 75% rice and could've used more add-ins. I would opt for a sandwich next time. We ended the meal with one of my new FAVE desserts in Ann Arbor, their chocolate tahini shake. Service was efficient and friendly too! We will absolutely be back.

    Photos
    Spiedo - Indoor second room

    Indoor second room

    Spiedo - Tofu Mafia

    Tofu Mafia

    Spiedo - Griddle Potatoes ($8) - green chermoula, pecorino romano. Very cheesy.

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    Griddle Potatoes ($8) - green chermoula, pecorino romano. Very cheesy.

    Pita Way - Ann Arbor

    Pita Way - Ann Arbor

    4.7(11 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    This place is located just to the West of main campus on Williams St. there are only a few reviews…read morebut I agree this place is great. We wanted some Greek food while visiting the campus. People very friendly and helpful. You get to see them make it right in front of you and put the wraps in the grill. We got the Detroit Gyro, Detroit Chicken Shawarma, and the Super Dearborn. We also ordered a bunch of sides (see photo) including hummus, pickles, and peppers. The food was great especially with the additional toppings. I'm sure anything you get it will be great here. Next time I plan to sign up for the rewards program which another reviewer mentioned which I did not know about and try the Mini Combo Family Pack. I cannot wait to go back there.

    Ordered delivery from here and it was almost perfect--except they forgot my fries which was…read morehonestly the reason I ordered so I was disappointed! But everything else I had was great! If I had gotten my full order it probably would have been a 5 star meal. I had the Dearborn sandwich which was basically a chicken shawarma, dark chicken meat with garlic paste and pickles. It was GREAT. I added extra protein so it was stacked. Their garlic paste (toum) was also awesome. My husband was away at a conference so I could get freaky with the garlic and ordered an extra side of it to dip my fries in it, too. Alas, no fries so I dipped my sandwich right into it instead. It was POTENT and delicious! Just how I like it. I also ordered a small hummus and pita chips. It was a pretty generous serving for small and was excellent. Nice and smooth and the pita chips were so good! I ran out of pita chips so I'd add an extra side of those next time. So yes, there will be a next time, because it was really good, but I'll be sure to ask my delivery person to double check that everything is in the bag next time.

    Photos
    Pita Way - Ann Arbor
    Pita Way - Ann Arbor
    Pita Way - Ann Arbor

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    Jerusalem Garden - 1/2 Chicken Shawarma Sandwich and 1/2 Kafta Kabob Sandwich

    Jerusalem Garden

    4.1(334 reviews)
    0.2 miDowntown Ann Arbor
    $$

    Fast, friendly, and filling! Came in here for dinner on a busy Friday evening, after striking out…read moreat several other locations nearby. Don't sleep on this spot; it's an Ann Arbor classic! Huge portions with the non-sandwich options. Would recommend a sandwich and a side if you're not feeling like a ton of food. Everything I've tried here has been tasty though!

    Jerusalem Garden is my sister's favorite restaurant and today is the birthday my mom gave her when…read morewe adopted her because her actual birthday is 12/24 and my mom didn't want her to feel cheated by having everything rolled up into Christmas. Our mom is long gone but I promised I would celebrate today as long as I'm on this earth! Having said that I have also had takeout from there several times during my visits to Michigan. It was always delicious and there was always plenty of food. As my sister is opening the delivery order and she advised that everything is very well packaged. Gotta love that because sauces and such tend to make everything messy when you have a to go order. I had occasion to talk with GrubHub a couple of times today as well as Andrea at Jerusalem Garden. Both were very helpful with getting this delivery correct and accomplished. I must say that Andrea was very professional and extremely helpful when I spoke with her. She made sure that the order was exactly what I wanted it to be. I sent all the favorites!!! Some Lentil Soup, Chicken Shawarma Sandwiches, Hummus Veggie Plate Baklava= 2/Walnut 2/Pistachio Fresh Squeezed Lemonade w/Mint x2 Small Tabbouli 1 Small Baba Ghanoug 1 Side of Individual Pita x2 My mouth is watering as I write. If you ever get the opportunity to eat their food don't pass it up. I'll post some pictures in a bit.

    Photos
    Jerusalem Garden - Entrance

    Entrance

    Jerusalem Garden - Beef Shawarma Sandwich

    Beef Shawarma Sandwich

    Jerusalem Garden - Exterior

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    Exterior

    Cafe Zola - french - Updated May 2026

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