As a business owner, I typically attempt to address any issue with a business with the business before writing a public review, in the hopes of encouraging a change rather than to post to inform the public of the poor service. In this instance, we spoke with the manager on duty that night about our experience, and his response was lacking any effort towards resolving our sub-par experience.
After speaking with him, I sent an email to the company in the hopes of explaining our experience. Another member of our party wrote a review of our experience on Google. The response from the restaurant was to have someone write 1 - star fabricated reviews about a member of our party's business on Google without ever using the business's services. Instead of acknowledging that the service lacked the luxury described on the website and Instagram, they decided to lie on a small business owner in Nashville. (Screenshots below). Not only was the service lackluster, but the business also lacks integrity.
My email to the management team describing our experience is below:
I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with the service my party and I received at ZuZu Nashville on November 9, 2025. As a Nashville business owner who advises clients on building their brands in markets like Nashville, I feel it is important for you to be aware of the experience my wife and I had while celebrating our friend's birthday at your restaurant. Nashville and your investors deserve a better customer experience and customer service if ZuZu Nashville is to succeed in Nashville's hospitality market. For the amount of money we spent, the atmosphere lacked the luxury described on your website and marketing materials that persuaded us to dine there.
We called to confirm on Friday that there would be entertainment in the upstairs area on Saturday, so we reserved that area for a party of 10. Upon our arrival, there was no entertainment. When we inquired during our dinner, we were told something different from what we were told on the phone. During our three hours at the restaurant, we had a very poor experience. A dining experience should not take three hours to receive appetizers, drinks, and a meal. We had to specifically ask to order drinks, as our waiter never offered them. All of our drinks were watered down, as we watched them sit on the bar for an extended period before being served. We only received one round of drinks the entire time.
After receiving our appetizers, our main courses were served an hour later. The staff never cleared the table of the appetizers. Additionally, a fire alarm went off during service, and while we understand this is an unforeseen circumstance, no one on your staff apologized for the inconvenience when we were instructed to leave our table and go outside. When we were told to go back inside, the fire alarm continued to go off for another 15 or 20 minutes before the building manager could silence the alarm with the fire department. The response from your manager was, "It happened last night, too," as if that was some sort of consolation for it happening two nights in a row.
Around 20 minutes after placing our orders, we were informed that two of the entrees (Oysters and Ribs) we ordered were not available in the kitchen. Furthermore, our meals were served cold. When we informed the staff, they simply took the food without offering any alternatives. My wife and I ordered the same meal - the table-side fried rice, yet our dishes were plated differently--one with proper presentation and warm, while the other was haphazardly thrown into the bowl and cold. This general lack of attention to detail permeated our entire experience.
This level of service is unacceptable and significantly impacted our dining experience. Some members of our party hired babysitters for this substandard experience, which left a poor impression. One guest even incurred additional babysitting fees because the dinner was significantly longer than expected. Although we did not ask for anything, we expected management to do more than a half-hearted apology after we brought our experience to their attention, especially after we had already paid for our meal. Our party was charged a minimum 20% gratuity due to the size of the group; however, the service we received did not warrant a 20% gratuity. I hope you will take this feedback seriously to improve your customer service in the future.
Thank you,
Marcus
Needless to say, we will not be returning to ZuZu. Their target audience is tourists who visit Nashville, and they don't care if customers return.
Prices are typical for a downtown Nashville restaurant - $14 for a shot, $20+ for an entree. Only worth it if the experience lives up to the hype and standards of hospitality in downtown Nashville. This experience was sorely lacking. read more