I discovered Zanzibar Soul Fusion via Google Maps after searching "Southern food Cleveland" for…read moreSouthern food restaurants with vegetarian options. I was pleased to find that it was listed on Uber Eats, which is my preferred ordering platform. Its 4.1-star rating (out of 2,000+ reviews) gave me the assurance I needed that I would have a quality experience, along with an endorsement from Mallory S., a Cleveland Yelper I follow. There was another Zanzibar closer to me--which was the one I originally found--but this location was the only one accepting orders at the time and it had a higher rating.
Looking through the menu at Zanzibar, I just could not order from this restaurant without getting the soul rolls. After a thorough search of the menu, I discovered that the standard soul rolls contained chicken, which led me to choose the veggie option--only to find out they were unavailable. Something I could not take my eyes off of was the walleye cakes entrée. It is served with a side of house cajun corn plus a choice of an additional side. The thought of ordering baked macaroni & cheese put a smirk on my face, so I swapped out the cajun corn for it, and then chose collard greens as my additional side. I ordered all of that along with a cornbread muffin! Hey now, I cannot order from a Southern food restaurant and not get cornbread! Whether using Grubhub or, in this case, Uber Eats, I love ordering online because it is so convenient. Much praise to my Uber Eats delivery driver, Julian, for arriving at a reasonable time and meeting me in front of the hotel. Julian also made sure to confirm my identity before handing over the food, which I cannot thank him enough for.
Oh, the wonderful smell of Southern food! I could not help but smell my order while riding the elevator up to my hotel room. I was very satisfied with the presentation of it, which had generous portions for the price I paid. The walleye cakes had a flavor my taste buds absolutely loved; they had a slight kick, but nothing unbearable. The addition of red bell pepper and green herbs complemented the dish perfectly. I would definitely order it again if I saw it on a restaurant menu. It honestly had me dancing in between bites! The macaroni and cheese had my mouth watering for more. It was a perfect blend of cheesy, buttery goodness, and it was clearly baked! My mouth watered at the first bite of the collard greens, which thankfully did not have chunks of meat inside. That was something I worried about prior to ordering, based on a past experience at another Southern food restaurant. They were so good--perfectly smoky, savory, and a little bit tangy. Mmm...Need I say anything about the cornbread muffins? They were the icing on the cake to top off this satisfying meal and the last thing I ate. It was the best cornbread muffin I have had in a while, and that is no exaggeration. If you are undecided on what to order at Zanzibar, I highly recommend this meal because it will surely leave you satisfied and possibly dancing. Alright now, Zanzibar! You have won over this Midwest traveler from Chicago.
Because I had a great ordering experience, I would surely order from Zanzibar Soul Fusion again--whether via Uber Eats delivery or takeout--whenever I visit Cleveland.
Service: 5 | Ambiance: N/A | Food: 5 | Overall Rating: 5
~Escape the ordinary. ~
Thomas G