Reviews for Zocalo in Charlottesville, VA
Each menu item including the cocktails were perfectly flavorful, creative and passionate towards Spanish and Latin cuisine. The... atmosphere was relaxing and intriguing, utilizing dim lighting and a modern design. The appetizer was a seasonal beet salad withboth golden and red beets plus arugula. Main was the scallops with fried plantains, each bite just as rewarding as the first. Ifyou can handle spicy I say skip the mojito and go straight for the mezcal old fashioned because it had the perfect bite andbalance of flavor from smoky, spicy, sweet, and tart. Read more
Such a wonderful dining experience! The staff was outstanding, the atmosphere is perfect for a fantastic night out, and the... chef's food is the definition of excellence. The food is absolutely on the level of a Michelin starred meal. Truly anunforgettable evening provided by an exceptional team! Read more
Rolled up on a work trip, Thursday evening, sat at the bar, John was outstanding. Had after dinner drinks and dessert. Key... Lime Pie (cocktail), Night cafe (cocktail), and chocolate bread pudding were amazing. Sampled Orange Cavalier and Blue Wahoo -great frozen options. Previewed Summer Breeze - 5 stars. Great atmosphere; friendly, prompt service; and solid menu options. Read more
Atmosphere - 5 Service - 5 Food - 3 Value - 4 Really great take on Latin food, though it is very clear they are erring too far... on the side of caution in terms of spicy level. I needed more heat, it needed more heat. For $30 on the special entrée, Iexpect less ?mass market appeal? practices. As for the seasonal bourbon spiced apple cider cocktail, it was very good BUT itabsolutely should have been served hot. For these reasons, the food doesn?t get top marks and the value follows suit. Otherwise,a great place for an upscale dinner with excellent service and beverage options. Subsequent visits: The duck is repeatedly (onmore than one occasion) seared on the outside and completely raw on the inside. Unbearable to chew, possibly not sanitary. Besure to ask them to do it well done, they will default to something they call medium rare but that is misleading. Read more
First time we came here, we got the duck breast. It was in the middle of the first pandemic winter when they served their food... with plastic utensils and plates. The duck breast was so hard to chew and I really didn?t enjoy that. Two years later we cameback and ordered the same duck breast dish with normal butter knifes?they are still as hard to chew. I have no problem withmedium rare duck but what we were served was rare. Had to ask our server?who was really nice and attentive ?to send the meatback in the oven for a couple more minutes. It came out better. Do not recommend. The watermelon salad was great?light andrefreshing. The salmon entree would?ve also been great?if the portion size was 1/3 of what it was. This isn?t to say that theirportion size is unreasonably big, but the fact that grilled salmon + cheese + cream was just so greasy that I had a hard timestomach it in the end. There was so much oil that was left running on my plate afterwards. We are not likely to come backagain. Read more
The food was amazing! However, I was uncomfortable seeing female servers dressed in very skimpy clothes; the ambience felt more... like that of a Hooters or a strip club. I would have expected more professional attire from a high end restaurant like thisinstead of the clear objectification of young women happening at this restaurant. Read more
My second time here. Fantastic again! Excellent salmon. Excellent scallops. The crispy brussel sprouts with chorizo was... outstanding. Very attentive staff. I highly recommend Zocalo when in C'ville and you want to elevate your dining experience. Read more
It was not a pleasant experience. I was with a group of friends, and I asked the waitress if they had michelada, and she said... ?oh, I don?t have enchiladas?. If it?s a ?Mexican restaurant,? at least they should know the difference. I also ordered atequila, but she didn?t mention the price, so when the check came in, I was surprised that she gave me the most expensivetequila ($32 per drink, versus any other drink on their menu which are $8 on average). Ultimately, the food was good, but Iwouldn?t go back. Read more