Great atmosphere, the staff is nice and everything is very fresh. I do prefer their sushi over their entrees. However, I've never had anything disappointing. If you are a MD crab lover, you have to try the MD Sea Roll and the Bay Roll...YUMMY. If you like MD crab and tend to be fascinated (like me) by great plate presentation---you have to get the Kiss of Fire. The sushi roll comes out on a plate that has a flame surrounding the sushi. Nothing that will burn the house down and it only lasts for a couple minutes, but it is really neat. The roll itself is very good as well. If you want to try something interesting (and at your own risk), take a piece of the sushi and place it in the flame. It gives it a BBQ kind of accent to the flavor. This is NOT something the waiter suggested to do...I'm just geeky and adventurous and decided to give it a try on my own. However--plz note---your chopsticks are wooden...so don't get all crazy with the bootleg campfire BBQ action at your table...or at least make sure you have glass of water close by...IJS Good stuff here folks... read more

See all

A new sushi place in Burtonsville? When Zen first opened I was excited like a little kid because I love sushi. My first few times at Zen I ordered all my favorites and the sushi was great. Philly rolls, advocado rolls, spicy tuna rolls etc for lunch and dinner. Those were some dark sushi addict days. As time progressed I expanded from my normal sushi fix to try some of the other menu options. I tried some of the different chicken options (general tso, stir fry etc) as well as the weekend lunch special and that where I was a little let down. Nothing about the other options really impressed me. The General Tso's didn't have that nice crunch and had more of a chicken nugget texture. The chicken in general seems to have a consistency similar to the reconstituted chicken you find at Subway. The wonton soup was okay and the only thing that I've seen other than the sushi taste pretty good was the seaweed salad. Fast forward to the present and even the sushi that they serve seems average and is on the small side. The rice they use just seems to lack the flavor it had when they first opened. The customer service for me has always been good but the food quality just doesn't seem to stack up especially when it comes to the sushi. I raved about this place to friends who still come to Zen so it's not bad food, just not as high quality as it started out. The interior is decorated nicely and I've never seen the bathroom sloppy so they do take care of the restaurant in that respect. I'll probably stop back in at some point just to check on how the sushi is but that's probably it. It's also not a great sports bar as they only have a couple tv's but you might be able to watch the game and grab some sushi if you are a local sports fan. read more

Never been here before, went because of dinner issues, and turned into a double date, it was freaking amazing! Me&my dad love sushi. Converting my fiance, it's working! We got a thing called Cherry Blossom, and another chef special that my dad got. Both amazing! It was perfect, one of the BEST types of sushi I've had. As an app. we got lettuce wraps, throw me down&slap me silly, was amazing too. Entree's was teriyaki chicken, general tsoa's chicken, and mangolian beef. ALL fantastic. The GTC's sauce was perf on everything. Dessert? Not best. Most deff not a dessert place, but we just had the fried ice cream. Service? Amazing...until it came time to pay. Had NO clue if we give it to em, or pay upfront. Finally a server helped us out since our guy wandered off to have dinner. Ignorant much? But overall, amazing. It's more of a date place tho. read more

Zen - Left to right; Maryland Sea Kind, Ninja Roll. - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

I've been craving good Chinese food for awhile. After reading some of the reviews it was suggested to come during lunch since you get more bang for your buck and I must agree! The lunch special includes spring roll, soup, and entree which comes with vegetable fried rice and two pieces of broccoli (literally TWO lol). I decided on the chicken wonton soup and the sesame chicken for a total of (including tax) $7.70, saayyy whhaaattt! My life was fulfilled! The sesame chicken was not fried too hard and it was ::drum roll please:: all white chicken! I am sure the waiter became tired of me after asking 3x if it was the breast of the chicken. I absolutely hate the dark meat of the chicken! I wasn't too fond of the rice, but it wasn't anything that Sriracha and hot mustard couldn't fix! All in all it was a good experience and I was pleased with my meal. I would come back again! read more

Zen - Sesame chicken - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

No no no! What is going on?! The food here is awful. We ordered 4 dishes total including 1 special sushi roll. It does not taste Asian whatsoever. Very very "Americanized" and they make their own version of what a typical dish would taste like. We ordered the chicken pad Thai and it tasted like sweet and sour noodles. Gross! First, of all the noodle sauce was red in color?!! Usually Pad Thai is NOT red IN COLOR nor did it have any peanuts or sprouts like a traditional pad Thai dish. So so awful and disappointing. I feel like the cook had no idea what they were making. Also ordered the Singapore noodles and it was a bit dry and flavorless. I give them at least a star for the service we had. Our server was good and attentive, but then again there were only 2 tables of customers. If, you want Asian food go to a specialized Asian restaurant for the traditional dishes. Sorry, I gave this a try. read more

Im wo glad that had a chance to stop in on this gem that I usually pass by. And from now on this will be my favorite sushi restaurant the decoration and orchid was simply beautiful the beautiful waterfall is the first thing you will see coming in the front door I wish that was in my house so peaceful. I order the special tempura & Philly Roll it was so delicious and fresh it was my first time having the special tempura roll and let me say it's now one of my favorite it had salmon, tuna, white fish & cream cheese inside, fried in a light tempura batter. Yummy yes i highly recommend this restaurant to my friends and family i can't wait to go back zen you have a regular customer read more

For me and my family, Zen has been the go-to place to eat for lunch and dinner for any occasion for several years. Their food is made in good time and is consistently delicious. My family and I are there so often, we are pretty much on first name basis. The staff is very nice and helpful. The restaurant has a very clean, modern, and welcoming atmosphere. Okay, stuff to eat! - Appetizers Miso Soup or Egg Drop Soup: Pretty straightforward. Very good, and a lovely way to start out the meal. Fried Eggplant: Sometimes they serve this entree (I always order it as an appetizer for the table) but it's not on the menu, you have to ask for it. It's thinly sliced tempura battered egg plant and it's served with General Tzo's sauce and it makes your mouth water. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Entrees Szechuan Green Beans: Very flavorful. My mom gets it every time she goes to Zen. General Tzo's Chicken: I have had both the vegan and vegetarian General Tzo's chicken and they are delicious. They use the best and most accurate vegetarian meat I've ever had. Honey Crispy Beef or Chicken: If I were to pick between the two, I'd get the beef, but they both manage to make a savory protein into a mouth watering candy-like entree. Orange Chicken: Very citrusy, but oddly enough, not too sweet! It's a very fresh flavor. I've tried other entrees, and nothing has sucked yet. It's safe to say you could close your eyes and just stick your finger somewhere on the menu, open your eyes, and order it. You'll more than likely not be disappointed. Lately I've been getting sushi dinners. Usually I get any combination of: Special Tempura Roll Crazy Girl Roll Sweet Potato Roll Avocado Roll Salmon Roll 1 order of Sake Sashimi (and a side of Sriracha) Their sushi bar is comparable to any ritzy place I've ever been to in DC. The boys behind the bar making the sushi are very flexible and accommodating and will make any adjustments you need to your sushi order. Most vegetarian people who have told me they didn't like vegetarian sushi ate their words when I introduced them to the sweet potato roll. Great sushi place, if sushi is your thing. Dessert Green Tea or Red Bean Mochi Ice Cream: Get it. Just get it. It's so much fun to eat. I love Zen, and I recommend anyone to go for any occasion! read more

See all

I've been a regular if this establishment since they opened. It's my go to neighborhood restaurant. They have the best sushi around, but all of their entrees are fantastic. Try the Phoenix roll, fire roll, basil chicken and shrimp pad Thai read more

I can't believe people still eat at this place....or should I say, I can't believe it hasn't been shut down by the health department yet. I was driving through on my way home and decided to get some sushi and miso soup, simple. Didn't check my order until I got home 15 minutes later, but the fish was OLD and badly discolored. I called to let them know and the girl who took my order said, please come back in. I really didn't want to drive all the way back there, but I did. She had a FRESH order for me, but by then, I definitely wasn't going to risk eating it. I told her that and asked for a refund. She proceeded to tell me she couldn't do that. I said, YES, you will. Long story short. I got my money back, minus my lunch, but probably avoided a nasty case of food poisoning! Word of warning, they serve old food, especially raw fish...check your shit before you eat it. read more

I wish I had of taken a picture of the front entrance. It's a display tranquility as soon as you step in. Outstanding service, delicious reasonably price food and tasty libations definitely warrant this place 5 stars. This is the only Asian restaurant that I've been to that has combination egg foo young.....shrimp, chicken and pork....O Yeah. The cakes are freaking huge!!!! And that gravy.....what???? Gravytastic!!!! read more

See all

After being disappointed so many times at different Chinese eateries, I am so happy that Zen has delivered on so many levels. Sushi is amazing and the entrees are just as great. Good variety of Wine and drinks. Clean, modern decor and nice customer service. Have been here for lunch and dinner on many occasions and have yet to be disappointed. Must tries: Sushi- MD sea king roll, special tempura roll, ninja roll, hot hot roll Entrees- General Tsao chicken, Orange chicken, seafood fried rice, spicy kung pao. read more

Zen - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

I took my almost13 year old grandson out to dinner. This restaurant was his choice and we've mostly had good experiences with it. My lower review is mainly due to the very poor service we experienced. He wanted beef so ordered the Mongolian beef dish and also asked for Hot and Sour soup. I ordered a combo meal. We also ordered calamari for an appetizer. The calamari was not something I will ever order again. It looked and tasted like something that was frozen and reheated. Definitely not made in-house. The appetizer that came with my combo order include 3 of the smallest shrimp I've ever seen. My entree was General Tso's chicken. The chunks of chicken were so large I needed a knife in order to eat them. There lies the problem with the service. The server never came back to the table to check on us or refill our waters. He only returned to provide a box for my leftovers and leave the check. He didn't even bring the traditional fortune cookies with the check. I wanted to talk to a manager about the poor service but my grandson wanted to leave and asked me not to do that. The food has been consistently good at this restaurant. We supported them by getting carryout during the Pandemic and will probably continue to do so. But I doubt we'll eat in the restaurant again. read more

I always come here with my boyfriend's family since they live in the area. Everyone is always happy with the dishes that they get. Some key items include: Shrimp with lobster sauce, general tso's chicken, sashimi platter, and basil chicken. They aren't the cheapest but if you're looking for a place that is on par with something like PF Changs I would recommend hitting this local spot. I'd say the one thing they have up is their sushi. One time I did get sushi here I was disappointed so I try to stray away from that ever since. I might try it next time since its been awhile. read more

Note: this review is based primarily on the vegan menu. I've eaten here a number of times now over the past couple years since I used to work right nearby. After having met a colleague there for dinner today, I thought I'd share the quick review. First, vegan menu - great that they have one! You gotta ask for it. Its got maybe a dozen dishes on it - mostly chinese, which is just as well because when I ordered the drunken noodle this Friday, it was a total disappointment if you're expecting anything actually resembling a thai dish. It was basically rice noodles cooked in brown sauce, but didn't even have basil, etc. The meat substitute differs depending on the dish and you can choose whether you want the fake chickn, beef or shrimp for most of the dishes. The shrimp is has a fun shrimpy texture. What I usually order is the orange chick*n and the general tso's chick*n from the vegan menu a number of times. The flavor is great and the meat substitute on those is nice and substantial. However, the broccoli on the side is rather hard and plain, and I would prefer it cooked just a bit more. Another drawback is only white rice is available. So even though the general tso's chick*n is super yummy, the rest of the food being white rice and hard, nearly raw broccoli leaves something to be desired. Overall, I'd rate my experience with Zen Grill as a 3.7-ish. Usually, the service is pretty prompt and attentive, and the food is generally good and flavorful, but in my books nothing to get terribly excited about. read more

Come in for the service; stay for the sushi! When Zen first opened, I was intrigued. I'm always on the prowl for new Asian lunch spots, especially if they boast a decent sushi bar. The fact that it's basically across the street from me is just a happy coincidence. That being said, I was both thrilled, disappointed, but satisfied all at once when I started trying the offerings there. Let me explain... Thrilled: I love their sushi. The fish is always very fresh and flavorful. They have a great lunch special which includes two rolls (6 pieces each) with soup for only $9.50. You save some coin, and it's quality to boot! Disappointed: I have never really fallen in love with their traditional Chinese-American dishes. By that, I mean things you would probably never find in China, such as General Tso's chicken, or Beef with Broccoli. Don't get me wrong, the food is very fresh, and somewhat tasty, but it wasn't anything new or particularly earth-shattering, either in flavor or quantity. Satisfied: The consistency of the sushi, along with other wonderful lunch specials (teriyaki lunch special bento box!) keep me coming back, though. Beyond that, the service has always been great. Not Disney-great, but really good. Let me put it another way: it's NEVER been BAD. I will definitely keep coming back. so long as they don't change the Japanese-American offerings. If they change up the Chinese-American items, I would definitely try them again. I'm usually heading here when I have a desire for sushi anyway. A "yen for Zen," as it were. read more

When we first walked in everybody was really welcoming. Unfortunately, our server Kenny, wasn't as pleasant. He didn't take the time to explain our menu and rushed us throughout our entire meal. Then he brought our check before even asking us if we wanted dessert which we actually wanted. As for the sushi I had the spicy tuna roll and the special tempura roll with brown rice. The addition of brown rice was a dollar which is pretty high compared to other places I've gone. The spicy tuna roll was just ok..pretty warm and nothing exciting. My favorite roll was the special tempura roll. The inside was filled with Kani, whiting, and cream cheese and the outside was dipped in fried tempura and eel sauce. Very delicious. I had the fried ice cream for dessert which was subpar also. I honestly don't know how you can mess up fried ice cream but they did! Will I return to this location? Probably not! read more

Zen - Spicy tuna roll and special tempura roll - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

When I visit my Nona this is my go-to for my sushi hunger. The sushi is always so fresh and amazingly good. I recently went to visit my grandmother. They are taking great responsibility of staying safe and clean during this pandemic! Cheers to them for the safety of others. read more

Over all the food is bland and just okay. I Ordered take out. I got pad Thai which was okay, didn't have much of a taste. Dynamite roll was disgusting I couldn't even eat it, maybe it was because I didn't realize the entire roll was cooked that the spicy mayo on top was like hardened. Hot and sour soup was bland and didn't have any kick to it and tasted a little funny. Beef and broccoli was okay. Had a good texture but again not really any taste to it. Veggie Lo mein was okay. It's hard to find actual good lo mein these days so wasn't expecting much. I payed $53 for everything and honestly I don't see myself coming back here for a while... read more

See all

Ordered 2 vegan meals and I paid $45 plus tip and drove home to Baltimore which is like an hour and I opened my meals and they were completely wrong. I left the next day for a camping trip so when I got back I went in to see if they could remake it correctly or give me a gift card or something and I've never been treated so rudely she told me nope and to get out. I love this place and was really hoping that they would do something to make it right. Will probably never come here again and will never recommend this place read more

In the last 3 weeks, they catered several meals for our organization. They were amazing, especially David. The food is superb! Great vegetarian options... Will continue to order from them. read more

We looked very hard to find a "good" sushi place and then we found this "GREAT" sushi place. Friendly and attentive staff! Awesome and beautiful sushi and sashimi. And the general TSO chicken comes out in huge and delicious - portion size could feed 2 of my kids- all white meat, on our plate at least! Mia Tia and plum wine. Then Mochi ice cream... Ooooohhhh yah!! Ambient atmosphere and clean. Safe area and well-lit. In the Giant and Roy Rogers shopping plaza. We can't wait to go back!!! Our new fave read more

So we came back for another try & the picky eater just couldn't over look the blandness of the popular Asian entree. Thinking that he might have better luck, sent order 1 back for order 2, but still bland. There was a bright spot. The sushi and the soup were good. No "to be continued". The end! read more

We had Miso Soup. Seaweed Salad....Baja Shrimp and three rolls...Shrimp Tempora...Philly...Yellow Tail...everything was great. Service is very nice and helpful as I changed from a table to a booth with no complaints. I will be back! I even had a second bowl of Miso. read more

See all

I tried this place after seeing it several times while driving through the shopping center. I was thoroughly impressed with my meal. It was spicy, well portioned, and balanced. The staff was great and informed about the food. I will definitely be returning. read more

Came in with my pals to grab a lunch special. Late for the lunch special. In a failed attempt to find a sushi roll I was feeling, I went with orange chicken. My anxiety was at an all time high.. But I quickly found sweet relief. Massive, delicious pieces of chicken in a quality sauce. This place is above your run of the mill Chinese. Friendly staff. Prices a tad swanky but it's honestly worth it. read more

Zen - Lunch ended twelve minutes ago. - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

OMG, this is my 1st time eating real Sushi, and this place did not disappoint!! The lunch crowd was a dream for a Friday, not crowded. The spicy salmon was so tasty, I forgot it was raw. Every ingredient complemented the salmon perfectly. The staff was really helpful, and provided great service. read more

See all

Food is always good. Customer service is debatable on any day but the food is good enough to pass that and keep coming back read more

Salmon Sashimi - 5/5 - fresh, tasty Green Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing - 3/5 - almost all iceberg. Dressing on the watery side. Kiss of Fire Roll - 5/5 - real crab meat and avocado inside. Torched white fish still kept the fish fairly raw. Comes in an aluminum foil boat because it's served on a low temporary flame. Does not cook your sushi, mostly for aesthetics. Singapore Noodles - 4/5 - dry dish with thin noodles. Heavy curry flavor. The shrimp and pork were cooked very nicely and tasted good. Chicken normal. Lots of egg! And the vegetables were al dente. Decent amount of pepper and onions. Service - 5/5 - new waiter, gave right amount of attention on us. Who I think was the owner went around to the tables and checked everything was ok. read more

I used to love this place. Service is slow and it wasn't even busy. Came in early to avoid the "rush". Took over 20 mins for a waitress to come and acknowledge us. Two groups of people were sat after us and was served and left way before us. Took over an hour for food. Wanted food to go and called it in, it was ready in less than 8 minutes. Do not go here! I will not be returning, sadly. read more

The Singapore rice noodles is worth dying for! Classy neat service makes this a diamond in the rough! read more

Zen - ..and they have goid beer! - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

Used to be very good with fresh and hot food, but the last few times the food was not very good and the service poor. Food was not hot and not that good tasting. My daughter who always orders the orange chicken and said the chicken was hard to chew and not as good as a usual.the time before this visit the chicken was under cooked. My wife ordered hot tea and the waiter brought a pot of tea and 1 cup. I ask for another cup and when the bill came it had 2 charges for tea? They only gave me an extra cup... not more tea. I think the problem with the food quality is that they prepare so much of the food ahead of time and throw it together so fast that it is not as fresh and hot when it comes out. I ordered eggdrop soup which was luke-warm and my fried rice was dry and not warm or hot either. Will be looking for another Asian restaurant. . read more

I asked for Teriyaki tofu and they put 4 big tofu blocks about 2 inches long in there and then I took it back asking them to remake my soggy giant tofu so then they remade it the same texture and only a little smaller. It was $15 but definitely not worth it and had NO FLAVOR. just stick to Sushi if you go here !! Lol read more

Zen - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

The good is good but definitely not plentiful and also overpriced. It's disappointing overall.

Your average at best local Asian restaurant. I'm calling it Asian because they're all over the place, with sushi, Chinese food, Thai, and non of it is authentic. The food is average but a bit pricy for the quality. The food didn't seem to fresh esp the sushi which was my issue. Decor wasn't shabby, and can accommodate larger parties but I'd question the type of service you get. This place is quite a hit or miss. I personally probably won't come back. read more

BLARGH! If I only ate here once, based on my first experience, I too would give them five stars. I've been here many times and the best I can do is two stars. Service is lacking and they could care less about takeout orders. Especially when it comes to sushi. They ALWAYS forget something, give me the wrong order, or whatever. I've yet to be pleased with a takeout order. The one time I was ok with this place was the one time they didn't screw things up when I was dining in the restaurant. Overall: Avoid takeout. Prepare yourself for poor service if you eat at the restaurant. Sushi is either awesome or just wrong. Nothing in between. Wonton soup is actually very good. Haven't been impressed with entrees. read more

Update: food quality and service is just not there anymore. I only go here if I am craving sushi and want to pick it up after If you don't order something standard, forget about it being correct. A lot of their dishes are way to greasy...so stick to the sushi rolls and even with those, I would avoid anything fried. I'm not sure what they're frying in or how old and used it is, but anything I've had fried there is awful and way heavier than it should be...and I'm a fan on anything fried usually. read more

Zen - Singapore rice noodles - Chinese Near Me - Burtonsville, Maryland

See all

Great Asian food for a great price. One of or favorites. I highly recommend their value combo- you can get a soup, appetizer, and meal for under $14. Nothing not to love. read more

I bought General Tsos. There was no flavor and not enough sauce. Will not be dining here anymore.

I absolutely love this place, for years .. still my favorite hot and sour soup and crispy beef no matter where I go no one beats Zen!

I only get sushi from here because my other sushi spot went out of business. But I was happy that I found and tried Zen! I Love their speciality sushi! The white fish taste great! read more