Zen West Roadside Cantina

Solid 3 stars and nothing really to write home about. Service was ok. The grilled wings were pretty good. Although they were grilled they had a little spiciness to them as if they were undercover buffalo wings. They also a accommodated my request for all flat wings:)

My husband and I visit Zen West at least once a week because we love the food, the staff and the atmosphere. We haven’t had a bad meal there once in the four and a half years that we’ve been regular customers. We are big fans of the queso, chili, fajitas and burgers, but the real crowd pleaser is the wings. My husband is a wing connoisseur, and he will tell you that the Zen West wings are the best in town. He loves the seasoning and the fact that they’re grilled instead of fried. If you like tex-​mex food, a great beer selection, and fun friendly people, Zen West should be on your list!

Favorite local hangout. Wings are best I’ve had in a long time and grilled at that. Drinks are always good. Food is good and when I come I jus can’t get enuff if the chips and salsa. Nice place to go with friends or to enjoy a game. Definitely a favorite on my list

one of fav spots good mix of neighborhood folk!!!

First time here… Nicez place. Loved the reggae music playing between the games.
Did not have much on dark beers, but at least had one.
Since this was my first time, I tried a few of my favorites. The wings were AWESOME. The BBQ shredded pork sandwich was ok, too much salt in the sauce. I would have liked more slaw on top, but that’s a personal choice… I like it sloppy!

Thumbs up. This place has been located in the area where I live for years. I am sorry to say I never even tried it. But, when I did let me tell you… I went for happy hour and the margarita, sangarita, coronarita, wings, tacos and chips and salsa were simply delicious. I just can’t wait to return. Another place in walking distance. I am going to need to keep walking. The better food is really in my area. Go check them out. The service was great.

I’m a fan of this place. I’ve been twice and will definitely add it to my list of go to spots.
I love that this is a neighborhood place. The menu is extensive and not at all expensive.
I ordered the fish tacos this visit and shrimp fajitas the first visit. Both meals are good… just what I expected.
I recommend this place for a nice relaxed dinner with friends.

I have been here several times with friends. They go quite often because it is in their area, and it has decent food. But even they agree the service is terrible. I used to wait tables, and worked counter service and even at the busiest of times, I was probably more efficient than this places staff.
We arrived for an early dinner sound 5pm, and the restaurant was fairly empty. A handful of people at the bar, and maybe 3 other tables of people in the joint. We had to wait for refills of our drinks for over 10 minutes, and the bartender brought over my friends beer 15 minutes after he ordered it… Inexcusable .
The staff here seem to think customers are an inconvenience, and would rather watch tv, or finish a conversation they are having, before actually doing work. Like I said before, the food was decent, but nothing I couldn’t find at a Baja Fresh. If I wanted real authentic Mexican I will stick with Tijuana Tacos in Patterson Park.

Zen West is located across form Belvedere Square on York Road. We came in on a lazy Sunday while we were waiting for a movie at the Senator. They have a great draft beer selection, and apparently they have different draft and beer specials each day of the week. They also have Boh specials during O’s games, and one was going on while we were there but my wife was happy to find a Summer Shandy on draft so she stuck with that.
They serve Mexican food and also have a great breakfast menu. It was tempting to get a stack of Waffles or Juevos Rancheros, but we were worried it might be too much food. I was pleased to see that their tacos can be ordered with either soft or crispy tortillas, but we both ordered from the sandwich section. I ordered an Avacado and Cheese sandwich, which came on artisan bread and was the perfect amount of food for a light lunch. My wife ordered a Jalapeño Bacon BLT, and while the fried egg she asked to be included came scrambled, it did make it easy to eat and that spicy bacon was super hot and out of this world. The crispy fries that came with our sandwiches were perfect as well. I should note that the salsa they serve with the complimentary chips is also very spicy, something that can be tough to find in this area.
The place is decorated warmly with wood, pennants on streamers, license plates, and a wonderful display of old pinball games. It really does have a great vibe of a roadside cantina in a dusty western town. Between the beer, the food, and the atmosphere, I may have a new favorite spot.

The food was good. I love the warm chips and salsa. We did get a chip refill. However, this is a tequila bar and I went for the tequila. My drinks were sub par and I really did not get enough from 2 shots to even be buzzed.
I know my system and 2 shots of Casa Noble should have left me feeling pretty good. Instead I feel ripped off. Our first visit, I was thrilled to find my tequila somewhere other than Johnny Sanchez. However, what we received in May (a 2 oz shot) and what I received tonight were from different planets. My first drink on the rocks was about an ounce. My second drink was less than an ounce — again on the rocks. At $ 8 per shot, a little more is in order. I will go back and let my third visit determine if Zen West will remain on my list.

Good food and drinks, and a friendly staff, but 1 star until they add changing tables to the huge bathrooms. Either get rid of the high chairs and stop inviting families, or get some changing tables. No excuses, Zen.

Flavorful but not the best.
I LOVE Mexican food — it’s my favorite cuisine. I also understand there are a few varieties — Mexican-​American, Authentic, etc. This place definitely falls into the Tex-​Mex category.
We went during lunch during the week and it wasn’t crowded. I loved the ambiance — a few windows were open, they had fun stuff on the walls, I felt like I was on vacation (or maybe that’s because it was a beautiful spring day before a long weekend!!!)
The chips and salsa were free (though you only get one complimentary). The salsa had a kick to it and tasted fresh.
They had a TON of options — tacos, burritos (and bowls), flautas, enchiladas, fajitas, sandwiches, and staple Tex-​Mex entrees. I went with the carne asada. It’s typically served with mashed potatoes but I’m trying to avoid carbs so I went without them. The food came out… Well, we waited a little while. For it not being busy I was surprised it took as long as it did. The steak had a lot of flavor, but it wasn’t the best quality. The broccoli was plain — which I appreciated. The squash was what set this meal off. It was grilled in big pieces and had some sort of light spicy sauce on it. It was delicious. I didn’t realize that fried green beans came with the meal and was irritated that I saw them on my plate because I knew I would eat them… Which I did. And they were delicious!
Overall it was a good meal. I’d definitely go back if I was feeling Tex-​Mex but I’d like to try something different. Worth stopping by.

omg… their grilled wings are to die for. Everything else is typical tex mex but their wings are just so out of this world that it doesn’t matter about anything else.

Great staff around the board from Hostess, Waiters/​Waitresses, Bartenders, and Management! Highly recommended if you like great Tex-​Mex food plus new draft beers on tap and great selection of tequila too! Perfect for big parties and small to large families!

If you are into loud bars full of drunk frat boys… then, this is your spot. This is just not my crowd.
The food was only mediocre, and the service was lacking. I won’t be returning.

Their brunch is always a good start to your Sunday. Big fan of the bottomless mimosa, that went great with the breakfast burrito I had. The service was great and friendly.

Wings are awesome. Nachos are very good too. Great daily happy hour specials. The service is always excellent when I come here, so i am surprised about the complaints. There are plenty of TVs that always have the orioles on. Come here, order the wings and get a margarita and you’ll be happy guaranteed.

The food here is not good. They didn’t want to bring us a refill on the salsa either, which is my favorite part of faux Mexican eatings.
The service here is alright. I do like the atmosphere of this place, I just wish they had better food.

This place would get 5 stars (food and price)
If the service was not HORRIBLE!!! We keep coming back because the chicken burritos are so freakin yummy.
Also, Tuesday there is a cheap Yuengling deal 2.50 a pint all night.
If you come here be prepared to wait. But the food is good.
Also, a good place for brunch if some people want breakfast and other people want Mexican food! (We have done this)
Also, good place to watch the O’s game!

The food was good, overall.
My girlfriend ordered the avocado and cheese sandwich, which she found fantastic.
I got the chicken sandwich, which I found pretty good. The chicken itself seemed like a frozen patty, as it was very much pressed chicken. The cheese, bacon, toppings and roll were A+, though.
For an appetizer, we got the empanadas, which were fantastic! They were crispy, hot (literally steaming when bitten into — I’m posting a photo of it!), and served with two delicious sauces.
The free chips and salsa were also good — though the salsa might be a bit spicy for some. Definitely wait to eat some until you get a drink.
Now, as for actual issues:
1. We never got silverware and napkins and had to get it ourselves from a bucket behind us after we were eating the empanadas and getting stuff all over our fingers.
2. We paid our $ 28 check with a $ 20 and a $ 10 and our server just kept the change without asking and without us telling her to keep it. We waited five minutes while she cleared other tables and waited on a new table and finally she came over and asked us, «Oh, sorry, did you want your change back?» Well, yes, yes we did… And you screwed yourself out of an actual decent tip with your assumption because that was now your tip instead of that plus the rest of the $ 1s we had on us, which would’ve been closer an $ 7 or $ 8 tip.