Zampa

2.5 stars but rounding up. After a year away trying it again. Maybe I don’t dine here enough to figure the attraction. Lots of people visit, so it must be me.
Zampa burger isn’t awesome. 3 burgers on the menu so I’m thinking they should be killer! No one raved at our table. Mine are better. The drink special was delicious. The décor has always been… disconnected. A hodge podge vs. coherent theme. It seems to have improved somewhat from years past. The tables/​chairs are closer to sandwich shop vs. a $ 28 entrée restaurant where we sat in the rear dining area. Zampa sounds like a place with exotic décor… right?!! Just needs more oomph. Less cheap art. Hostess was lovely. Waiter made mistakes: who’s food, drink, check is who’s…but nice personality. (More training needed.) The expanded parking lot is a plus. Will update next year.

Went to this restaurant upon a recommendation from a friend. Was able to get a last-​minute reservation for two for 8 PM on a Saturday in May. Upon arrival the place was not busy.
The crispy chicken with mushrooms was exquisite. The green beans were fresh and snapped when you bit into them and the mashed potatoes were delicious.
The service was above average and the Columbian flourless tort was delicious.
Excellent meal.

We moved to Brentwood 2 years ago and had yet to try out Zampa. Seeing rave reviews, we decided to finally check it out with another couple. The service was friendly, a little slow but no biggie. My husband got the ceasar salad and the steak fritte. He said it was good. I got the fried cheese and the gnocchi. I know, heart attack central, but we don’t go out much! These were good too. In all, the food is a solid 4. There was no wait. They have a great wine list. And although I did not get the mussles we plan on going back to try them becauE they looked phenomenal!

This place has always been a semi-​funky joint with decent food. We hadn’t been there in awhile, so we thought we’d return. We had an appetizer, drinks, and two easy entrees. The cheese /​meat board was mainly ho-​hum deli goods, most of which seemed like it came from the local grocery. The salad was made with canned vegetables. The burger was good — I’ll give them that. The wine was far past its lifetime, essentially vinegar. To boot, a four-​star price for a 1-​star meal. I don’t think we’ll return.

I had heard good things about Zampa, so we thought we should give it a try.
Good — nice location, parking, decorations. Unfortunately that is all I’ve got!
Bad — Food and service were super slow. Restaurant was half empty. Cheese ball appetizer was cheesy, but had no flavoring or seasoning. Caesar salad was very bland as well. Could have used more dressing and an anchovy option. Mussels were ok, but in this thick almost cheese like sauce. I ended up putting the sauce on the pasta entrée to make it edible. Spaghetti and meatballs were awful. Under seasoned. Sauce tasted like Ragu. Even kids complained and they usually will eat anything with tomato sauce on it.
I had heard the burger is good there — should have ordered that, but won’t be returning sadly.

We’ve had mixed experiences with Zampa over the years. 4 – 5 years ago, they were outstanding, both in service and food quality. Then they seemed to go through a serious decline (in both areas). Went with friends in early November 2015, and most of the food was excellent. The meats were uniformly good. The fries are good — when served fresh. Most of the appetizers were good. The vegetables and sides are always interesting. On this occasion two people were very happy with them, two less so. But that was definitely a matter of taste, rather than a criticism of the quality of the food.
Zampa seems to be back on track.

What a cool little restaurant and it’s awesome to have a place like this close by.
Great ambiance, great service, the food is good, the wine list and beer list is unique and fresh.
Happy hour form 4 – 6 has some great drink specials.
The marinara they put on the meatballs and linguine is delicious… but the menu is much more than just Italian. Doesn’t really matter what kind of mood you are in, you’ll find something for your taste buds here.
Prices are a little elevated ($ 26 for Ravioli for example) but the experience is worth it.

Surprisingly Excellent!
I was looking for a restaurant in the area and it was last minute, 6:30p last night (Sat). I found the listing on Unilocal and was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. We pulled in and the parking lot was near capacity and figured our chances of being seated were slim, but were seated right away. The staff seamed shy but friendly and the atmosphere, noise level, ambiance were all pleasing. The menu was not too big and not too small but hard to classify so I asked the waitress although I got the standard response as expected, «everything is good». We decided to try the brussel sprout app, rocket and roast beet salad, shrimp and grits, and eggplant parm. The food was delicious, the roasted beats and arugula had the perfect seasoning and lightly dressed with a fresh dressing but allowed you to taste the earthy beet sweetness. The brussel sprouts were roasted and had gorgonzola drizzle and a little sriracha like zing but not overpowering and tasted great. The star of the show was definitely the shrimp and grits, absolutely delicious and very good size meal for larger appetites like mine. The eggplant was very tasty and also a larger size dish, ordered with the fresh pasta this too was a win. I would say the only thing that I did not care for was the marinara which lacked and flavor beyond tomato and felt it came up a bit short, but definitely not bad just not to my taste.
This place was a winner for me and the most difficult decision next time around is to stay with the delicious shrimp and grits or try for another winner. That being said, I travel all around and also frequently dine at top restaurants and this was one of those places that will keep me thinking about my last dish here until I return, and I WILL make a trip back just to come here.

This was a bit of a last-​minute choice of venue, but it worked out just fine. Although the car park seemed busy, we found a space and were soon seated in a little side annexe at the front of the restaurant.
Our server explained about the specials and mentioned that a couple of items were off, but as none of the four of us were interested in those items it wasn’t a problem.
I had the blackened salmon — as I don’t eat meat and have problems with dairy this was a no-​brainer for me although I was pleasantly surprised by the preparation and how perfectly cooked the salmon turned out.
Herself had the Mediterranean shrimp, which although looked very nice would have been too cheesy for my tastes.
As Italian eateries go, they have a different take on the menu that makes this place just that little bit special.

Tried Zampa for first time yesterday evening on the last night our friends from Glasgow were with us. Had anticipated there might be a bit of a wait with an almost full parking lot but got seated right away, in a cosy little annex room at the front of the restaurant. Service was prompt. Waitress was rather in the reserved side. Seemed in keeping with the atmosphere of the restaurant.
Food very good for us, though gentleman at the next table wasn’t happy with his filet mignon, said it had no taste. The waitress (not ours) suggested he put some salt on it! Eek!
They pride themselves on trying to use local suppliers as much as possible for everything from meat and produce to beverages. Farm-​to-​table philosophy.
Our waitress told us at the start that they were already out of two of the dishes on the main menu, but none of us were considering them so no backup plan was necessary. I opted for the lamb primavera special with in-​house made angel hair pasta, baby fiddle heads and asparagus tips. It was delicious. Though the lamb was broken up chunks of ground meat, not actual cut pieces. Big enough portion that some came home with me. Hubby had the fresh fettuccine with meatballs. He seemed to enjoy it and devoured it all, but felt the meatballs were a little too finely ground. He likes a bit of texture in his meatballs. That’s just personal preference.
Didn’t have dessert, so can’t comment. Next visit perhaps. :)

Went here a second time without reservations & we were still sitted quickly.
Appetizer I had the fried cheese (awesome) and Main dish was Duck which was cooked very good (hard to get a good Duck most times its overcooked).
But the best thing was the desserts; Orange/​Peach Crème Brulee and Pot de la Crème (husband said chocolate mousse was mmmmmmmmmmm :-))
So far 2 for 2 and will definitely be coming back. Hard to find a local place with upscale quality food. Liked the eclectic decorations too :-)

The service and atmosphere doesn’t equal the price you pay here. I would rate the service a 1 out of 10. If I’m going to pay North End prices, I want the service to equal. Would definitely NOT recommend based on atmosphere and service. The food is normally pretty good though…

Went here last night for the second time, last was back in 2010. So disappointing. I ordered the scalloppine and it tasted like a piece of completely unseasoned chicken breast rolled in panko and fried in vegetable oil and covered in lemon marmalade. It was served with an assortment of starchy vegetable and then potatoes too. My husband ordered the meatballs. To call them unseasoned is an understatement. Plenty of binding agent (breadcrumbs) no garlic, basil, onions — nothing. The sauce was watery, bland and tart. Our waitress was late on everything, inattentive and just not helpful. Overall really disappointing experience and completely different from our last. Bummer.

I have eaten here a few times and have always been happy with the service and food. It is small so I recommend making reservations.
It is pricey for Epping, but also had the best food in town.

We went with no reservations and hostess sat us at a table as long as we thought we’d be out in 1 ¾ hours. Plenty of time ! I Had the swordfish listed on the specials menu. along with scalloped potatoes
Pricy $ 30 for the entrée but I think worth it. If your looking for a great gourmet meal you’ll be happy with zampas. On of my favorite local restaurants

Zampa is a very nice restaurant and bar located in Epping. I’ve been to Zampa twice within two weeks, both times making dinner reservations over the phone.
On the first visit, I brought my buddy with me to Zampa just to try the place out and do a dry run to see if this place was «bring a date to dinner» worthy. Upon check in with the hostess, we were promptly seated in the cozy front dining section and given menus with specials. We started out with 2 Sangrias ($ 7 each), which was a great refreshing summertime drink. We also munched on crunchy breadsticks with cheese dip.
For starters, we enjoyed Arugula Beet Salad ($ 8/​roasted beet carpaccio, fresh greens, garbanzo beans, shaved parmesan, citrus vinaigrette), Chorizo Calamari ($ 8/​tender rings/​tentacles, sauteed with spicy Chorizo sausage, plum tomatoes, fresh basil, orange butter balsamic drizzle, grilled rosemary foccacia toast points), and Tuna Tartare ($ 10/​raw sushi grade tuna tossed with capers, shallots, garden tomatoes, lemon, spices, EVOO, served with crispy house made pita chips).
For dinner entrees, we both decided to go seafood on this visit. The Panko & Almond Encrusted Trout ($ 24-today’s catch) was hot, juicy and nicely seasoned with good flavors and a soft texture topped with citrus & arugula salad, served with fresh vegetables and hand cut pomme frites. The Herbed Salmon ($ 24), herbed seared Atlantic salmon, topped with roasted garlic, green garbanzo bean coulis, served with fresh vegetables and hand cut pomme frites. Both entrees were very good and fresh.
The desserts here sounded very good. which are all made in house. For dessert, I decided on a slice of Key Lime Pie ($ 7) which was creamy, slightly sweet and very tart in a graham cracker crust, topped with whipped cream & lime. This pie was excellent and I’d order it again.
Overall, the dinner here was very good and the service here was courteous, attentive, and the food arrived to our table in staged courses. This place passed the test for being «bring a date to dinner» worthy.
I brought a date (I met online) here on my next visit to Zampa two weeks later and we both enjoyed a fantastic dinner over good food, drinks, and conversation.

Pros– excellent chorizo calamari appetizer, dirty martini with Gorgonzola stuffed olives, and key lime pie.
Cons– shrimp Caesar salad was beyond bland, truffle frites were too greasy and salty. Overall, wasn’t wowed.

Great stuff — highly recommended. My Mom lives in Raymond so I’m up a few times a year and I recently ate here for the first time. The food was fantastic and the overall experience was very enjoyable. Good for parties of 2 – 6!

Have been dining here and enjoying it for years, and while the atmosphere and service continue to be comfortable and friendly, the quality of the food has slipped quite a bit. We keep hoping it is just a bad day, but the last few times have been disappointing, especially breakfast and brunch. The food hasn’t been hot for some strange reason, and the home fries are hard and so over-​salted they burn your tongue. Veggies should be tender-​crisp and still bright green, but they have been mushy. I am hoping it is just breakfast/​brunch so we will stick to dinner for now and hope the food improves.

ZAMPA!
We took in dinner here last Sunday. Zampa is a tiny, eclectic restaurant with a pretty unique menu. From their website: Is there a dress code? Yes — whatever you’re wearing. I was a little unsure what to expect — menu looked a little more classy, but it’s Epping, so would expect something more casual. I’d say it’s certainly more on the latter side.
I had the mussels for dinner, which were served in a creamy, coconut based broth which was very tasty. It’s on the app list, but you get a big bowl that can suffice for an entrée. You should get the hand cut fries with these — very high quality.
I am not much on the sweets, but what put this over the top for me was the key lime pie. Unbelievable. I may go back just for a plate of this. Tangy, a little bite, offset by the real whipped cream. Definitely give this a try!