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    Zaranda

    4.5 (50 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Zaranda Photos

    ZARANDA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Zaranda

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    Reviews With Photos

    PICANHA - amazing
    Gina C.

    I had a fantastic time during a large work dinner at Zaranda. Upon hearing it was under the Hugo/Xochi umbrella, I came with very high expectations. On a rainy Tuesday evening, the place was so lively and bubbly with almost every table filled! We ordered a variety of starters including empanadas, ceviche, and guacamoles. All were fantastic. For mains, I ordered the picanha with a side of shrimp and carrots. The steak was absolutely phenomenal and I would also highly recommend the carrots. Our table ended with a variety of desserts and we had such a fun time admiring the beautiful presentations. The pastel de datiles (warm date cake with candied pecans) was my favorite while the solar de arena was served in such a creative way. Noting this was for a large 15 person table, the service was above and beyond. I'd really like to come again (with less people haha!) to experience more of the menu in an intimate setting.

    Tableside ENSALADA CAESAR
    Tom J.

    Hugo's newest concept did not disappoint! What a wonderful experience and a restaurant we will keep on our list to frequent. We were fortunate to dine on the night before the Houston freeze so the crowd was light and service was amazing. Their menu was fun, although a little overwhelming as I would have liked to have tried everything. The wine menu was not as deep as I had hoped and built around their Alta California/Mexico theme. Nonetheless, found a beautiful Mexican cab. Enjoyed the table side Caesar salad presentation and the flavors of our appetizers and entrees were amazing. Highly recommend

    Jason Z.

    Came for lunch service at a new Hugo spot. Located on the first floor of a building next to Discovery Green. Very modern and nicely decorated interior. The food ranges from average (beef taco) to great (octopus taco). Some of the flavor profiles were very creative and tasty. Good add to the downtown scene!

    Roasted oysters
    Libby H.

    The vibes?! 10/10. The architecture and inside of this restaurant is STUNNING! The service? Also 10/10! Super nice server and very attentive. The food?! 10/10 as well! Overall an amazing experience at zaranda. We had a group of 7 and all of us enjoyed the food. The roasted oysters were absolutely delicious. The steak was amazing with the fries being perfectly crispy outside but very fluffy inside. Great lemon aioli to dip! Delicious.

    Menu
    Michari L.

    I Visited Zaranda for a team lunch and overall, it was a really great experience. First things first--the interior. Absolutely stunning. It gave luxury beach club meets island resort vibes. The space was beautifully designed, and the attention to detail? Chef's kiss. You can tell intention went into every corner of the restaurant. For my entrée, I ordered the Pollo Rostizado. It was decent--I've definitely had better chicken before, but it was okay for what it was. I personally would've loved a bit more seasoning and moisture, as it leaned slightly on the dry side. As a group, we shared appetizers, including the Ensalada Caesar and the Empanadas de Borrego--and listen... if you've been following my reviews, you already know I'm a Caesar salad girl (honestly, salads in general). This Caesar, though not traditional, was one of the best I've had in a long time. Truly impressive. The empanadas were also delicious. Between the salad and the empanadas, I could've easily been full without even touching my entrée. For drinks, I had the School of Fish, which was super cute and perfectly on brand for the restaurant. It included chia seeds, blue curaçao, and tequila. I was a little skeptical about chia seeds in a cocktail, but it worked--and it was definitely strong in the best way. Overall, I highly recommend Zaranda. Whether you're local or visiting from anywhere in the world, this spot is absolutely worth experiencing. Beautiful atmosphere, solid food, and a vibe that makes you want to stay a little longer

    Hidden pretty good
    Gonzo G.

    While I was working in the area, lunch time snuck up on me. As with most Houston weather it was pouring and I noticed a restaurant directly next to where I was. Not wanting to drive in the rain, we decided to check this place out. I have driven by this restaurant so many times and if you blink you will miss it. When we walked in out of the monsoon I immediately noticed that this place seemed very upscale and unique. We were greeted as soon as we entered and were seated just as quickly. Our server came and greeted us as well and told us about the "Business Man's " lunch special. You can get an appetizer (soup or salad), an entree and dessert for 29 dollars from their select menu. I decided to go with the special. Our server recommended the Picanha steak and fries, so I got that with the soup. My co worker ordered the fish tacos. Now let me just say there was no sign outside that I noticed but man was there lots of flavor in the food that I did notice. The steak was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. I am glad for once for the nasty weather, because I wouldn't have found this place otherwise. I will definitely be back as you can tell from my review. Truly a Hidden Gem.

    TACO DE CANGREJO SUAVE
    Mark L.

    I came here for a birthday dinner and overall had a really nice experience. The restaurant had only opened recently, and the inside is super elegant without feeling stuffy. The service was really good, and our food came out pretty quickly. We ordered a few items to share Taco de cangrejo suave (soft shell crab taco): Pretty good as a taco. Seeing the entire crab on top was shocking at first, but it tasted amazing. Taco de gobernador (shrimp taco): Unexpectedly spicy, but the flavors were really well done. Borrego tatemado (braised lamb shank): Just alright. The lamb itself was fine, but everything was kind of drowned in black beans, which overpowered it a bit. Zanahorias tatemadas (roasted carrots): Easily the best thing we ordered - cooked and seasoned beautifully. Tostada de langosta (lobster tostada): Really solid, and the garnishes complemented the lobster really well. Erizo del mar (chocolate "sea urchin" dessert): Super unique and surprisingly really good. A great new restaurant in downtown Houston, and I love the chef's vision with his food.

    Dragon in the Grass mocktail.
    Giorgi G.

    Great food, drinks and location. Have to try the Dragon in the Grass mocktail, it is amazing!

    Butterflied snapper. REPOLLO ASADO (roasted cabbage)
    Dolly O.

    Best meal I've had in a while. I tried multiple dishes, all were good. The 10/10 ones for me were the empanadas, tuna crudo tostada, lobster tostada, and the butterflied snapper. I can't wait to go back. Staff were super friendly, helpful in explaining menu and making suggestions. Our server Manuel was amazing! It's also very cute inside.

    Steak
    Lizzie H.

    This might be our new favorite restaurant by Hugo! The inside decor is absolutely gorgeous. Love the small couches. It is a very big restaurant. Service was exceptional although a little late to start. We went for the Valentines Menu which was a great deal and a good selection. The taco de para was very delicious. The pescado was amazing. Loved every bite. I loved their cocktails as well. I wish the steak came with a side dish but my hid was able to have some things that came with my fish. The dessert was one of the best we have had. Very unique and well conceived. We will return!

    Lobster tostada
    Desh M.

    Wow, this is a fantastic addition to the group that brought us Hugo's, Urbe, Xochi, and Caracol. We made reservations for a Friday night, but the restaurant was honestly pretty empty when we got there. Might just be because it is so new. It's located in the heart of downtown, so parking is not easy - they have a $11 valet, which is probably the easiest. Watch out if you come here when there are events going on at the Toyota Center (just a block or two away) - we left as a Rockets game ended, and it was pretty hectic leaving the area. The space itself is huge - lots of tables on the first floor, and it looked like it had a whole separate space on the second floor. They also have a decent number of tables on the patio. Service was friendly and quick. We got several plates to share and they were all fantastic! Tuna crudo taquitos - 5/5 so delicious! Asian style, ginger forward, good amount of spice to it as well. So yummy! Lamb empanadas - 5/5 - very yummy! They were soft and cheesy. Lamb was tasty. Pro-tip - if you're a fan of spice, ask for their habanero salsa - it was perfect with it! Lobster tostada - 4/5 - lobster was cooked really well, lots of interesting ingredients are combined and they all work pretty well together. Octopus - 5/5 - this is a huge portion of octopus! It's cooked so perfectly - cooked over fire, so it's nice and crispy. It's seasoned well, and comes with different types of salsa, tortilla, and a salad. "Sea urchin" chocolate dessert - 3/5 - this is the dessert they recommend, and it's gorgeous to look at! The chocolate shell is filled with so many different ingredients - maybe too many. Most prominent flavor is probably passion fruit. It was okay, but didn't all seem to work together. Overall, we're a huge fan of the restaurant! We definitely want to come back again for brunch, and try some of the other dinner items. Great addition to the downtown food scene!

    Dinner menu
    Eint P.

    Zaranda is such a beautiful new spot near Discovery Green! I parked at work and walked over, but noticed they even have valet which is super convenient since downtown parking typically can be difficult. The decor inside is absolutely stunning, modern yet warm, and you can tell a lot of thought went into the design. They're currently only open for dinner, but happy hour and lunch are coming soon so can't wait for that! There's a gorgeous upstairs area perfect for hosting big parties, plus a smaller private room that fits around 30 people for events. We sat at the bar and started with the Infamous and a G&T, both excellent. The staff were so welcoming and even brought us complimentary drinks for the second round, we tried the Coco Rosado and Holy Water (not even on the menu yet!) and both were fantastic. They also surprised us with a sample of their tuna crudo, and it was absolutely delicious. Everything about Zaranda, from the vibe to the drinks to the service, was top-notch. Can't wait to come back and explore the full dinner menu!

    Brussel sprouts
    Hussain L.

    Brussel sprouts were excellent, delicious, sweet, and worth trying. The taco de gobernador was very unique with its banana pepper stuffed with shrimp in a cheese corn taco, but I did not particularly like the taste or the price of $12 per Taco. Taco. The service was very good, to-go order was ready within 10 minutes, staff were very kind and ambiance was intimate and upscale.

    CHILAQUILES

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    Ask the Community - Zaranda

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    Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition - Marinated Crab Fingers ($16)

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    4.4(301 reviews)
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    Chef Lucas McKinney and the team continue to deliver!…read more I have continued to enjoy visiting here with friends and family. The vibe is great, the decor is awesome, the food delivers consistently, and service rarely takes a day off -- it's just a solid place to go when you're up for some great southern comfort classics. Cocktails, delicious. The daily food specials make it refreshing. The oysters never disappoint. We've rarely had to wait long on any ordered items and servers are all top notch. My only minor complaint is some of the larger groups visiting can sometimes forget there are others in the restaurant. We don't need to hear your entire conversation about the latest office gossip.

    *this review is only for crawfish, not their regular menu (which is amazing) *…read more We went here during crawfish season because they've been advertising their $8/lb crawfish, and we trusted that it would be great given the quality of their regular menu. We went on a Saturday for lunch. Hopefully this was just a one-off, but if you're looking for good Cajun boiled crawfish, this is not it. We started off with 6 lbs (group of 4) of their regular crawfish. First off, they put the Cajun seasoning on outside/shell (!!), which is a cardinal sin for Cajuns. They also minimally seasoned the boil, so the meat was lacking salt and flavor. We ordered 3 more lbs with the "wet sauce" (garlic butter), thinking the lack of flavor may be attributed to this being the first-ish batch of the day. Nope, the second batch was even less seasoned than the first. The sauce was good, but it didn't make up for the unseasoned meat. The crawfish were a good size, at least... Come on guys, I expect more from a Gulf Coast seafood restaurant!

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    Yummy Seafood & Oyster Bar - Crawfish.

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    State of Grace - Texas Blue Crab Hushpuppies

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    Wow! I'm not sure what I expected when booking a resy for brunch on a Sunday at State of Grace, but…read moreit completely exceeded my expectations. Extremely kind service from the hosts through the entire team. The best balance of conversational and storytelling without being overbearing. We never felt rushed and they made the experience feel personal, and felt we truly got to know the restaurant and reasoning behind a few of the dishes just through their excitement. We ordered coffees along with the crab hush puppies, gumbo, avocado toast, and ended with their massive cinnamon roll. It was the perfect spread and everything was so flavorful! (My only critique was I wish the cinnamon roll was warmed up and served with a bit more icing). The interior was fabulous with an amazing aroma. I would highly recommend for anywhere from an intimate date to a group brunch! Beautiful bar as well, I cannot wait to come again another night for dinner. Upon exit, we were also departed with a complimentary cookie - super cute touch!

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    Traveler's Table

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    I've been to travelers cart several times. I've actually only visited traveler's table for…read morecocktails and to go food. I actually did an in person visit this time for dinner on Sunday. Just a note they close at 2:30 and reopen again at five for dinner service...some of the brunch items like the crab samosas and the oxtail empanadas are on both menus (dinner and brunch) The crab samosas are amazing. I wish I had more even at this moment. Everyone is always so welcoming and helpful here....Everyone but the rude ass valet drivers outside. I mentioned to my dining mate who arrived before me how rude the guys were. He told me that he got into it with them also and another person almost got into a fight with them Having a nasty attitude and expecting a tip for a free service is crazy to me. So it's wasn't just me they just have attitude. They also had attitude when I went before for drinks.

    My husband and I came here for a much-needed date night. We've been to their sister restaurant a…read morefew times before and is our first time here at their upscale one. We had a wonderful waiter and gave us a lot of recommendation. But the treatment kind of fell off towards the end when he was held up by a huge party for a good while to the point where we changed our mind about desserts and after dinner drinks and had to go. The cocktail "come and take it" was balance and flavorful. The crab samosa is a hit. It is crammed with crab stuffing. It is amazing and you get two different kind of dipping sauce with it, Tartar and butter. This was the first that any restaurant has ever done for us, but they actually split our soup in half for us so what's pictured is the half the soup. The duck pad Thai was amazing!!! I wish I had that instead. I had the Caribbean braised oxtail. I wasn't a big fan. I felt like I was tasting more of the sauce and carbs. I asked for the mango and spices on the side. The mango was a nice plate cleanser in between bites. The ambience was really nice , definitely upscale compared to their Travis's Carr location and something that you should dress up for. This is good for a nice formal celebration dinner or date dates. Or fancy Bestie night. There is complementary valet at the front. They have a sign that says do not park across the street.

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