Zov’s Irvine

TL;DR: Mediocre. There are other places with nice ambiance that have better service and quality food.
When my family and I entered it seemed nice. Nice ambiance but pretty empty on a Sunday night. Our server was friendly enough and we ordered drinks. Although she was friendly, service was sub-​par. Had to wait pretty long for drinks and ordering even though there were not many people at all. Not only this, a couple mistakes were made such as:
— No straws for soft drinks and waters
— No chicken when a chicken angel hair was ordered (which was an extra cost)
The food was okay at best. We had the angel hair, meatloaf, rotisserie chicken, and the two kebabs. Taste wise, it was mediocre. Not bad, but nothing to say good things about either. Tasted like a high class Denny’s honestly. For the price we paid, definitely not worth it.
Would not recommend going here.

Brunch with bottomless mimosas was very good. We all had delicious omelettes. Service was great too, she was very attentive to our needs.

For the longest time, I thought Zov’s was a Jewish deli. Not sure why, but it seemed to sound right. Then I noticed them in such interesting spaces (Tustin, Irvine, Anaheim) to make me think, hmm maybe not. I’ve been to this location twice as it’s the closest to my home.
I have been on a Monday and a Friday, and both were the same week! Make a reservation if you are trying it on the weekend; we sure were glad we did as it was packed but we got right in. On Monday, we didn’t need the ressy.
It’s a warm, hug type environment. There is a small bar near the entrance and parking is a breeze (The plaza is a bit dead). I’ve had amazing service here both times. I also have had the same meal both times. I chose the brussel sprouts with bacon and pinot noir reduction as a starter. It is pretty tasty. The pinot noir is quite nice with it. And it’s a large portion to share so no worries about only getting one or two sprouts.
For my meal, I have had the lamb burger both times with the salt and pepper matchstick fries. The lamb burger is also quite hearty so you will be full afterwards. The bun used has a little sweetness to it, which is really nice. The fries are not my favorite, hence the 4 stars, as i don’t really care for matchstick fries. Friends have had the chicken bowl (needed flavor), chicken nachos, and the burger.
I’ve saved room for dessert. I had the chocolate sundae and the warm vanilla hug. I prefer the chocolate sundae as I’m partial to that but also it’s really rich but not ridiculously rich. The warm vanilla hug left me disappointed as it was a poundcake with vanilla ice cream.
The wine list is really good too but I love the tropical iced tea.
I say try it. All the Zov’s are different, and you might like one more than the other. They also have a seasonal menu that is nice if you want something different.

Wow-​ee! Few years ago we checked into a nearby hotel and asked for a restaurant recommendation. The concierge recommended Zov’s and we come here now whenever we’re in the area.
Today was different. We visited for the first time the Zov’s in Irvine. I had the chicken balsamic sandwich. Now, what I am about to write here may seem like an exaggeration but I Assure it is nothing of the sort. The chicken balsamic sandwich I had today was the very best chicken sandwich i have ever eaten. I admit to being a picky eater; I usually remove the greens and even sometimes the tomato (I’m bad). But not today; one bite of this sandwich and I couldn’t stop. I ate EVERYTHING in that sandwich. Oh, it was so-​oh good. I took a photo but it only shows half the sandwich; there wasn’t time to photograph the whole sandwich!

This place is fantastic! I love the variety of the menu and that you can have the choice of eating something fancy or something basic and that both will be equally well executed. The Ben Bear and I went to an upscale burger joint recently and I saw that they had a ribeye on the menu, and I was actually in the mood for a steak so I contemplated ordering it. But then I was like, «HOLD UP — am I really about to order a steak from a BURGER place? Let’s pump the brakes.» I didn’t end up ordering the steak because I was too paranoid that the quality would be subpar and wasn’t willing to roll the dice. Luckily I don’t have to worry about that at Zov’s because the Ben Bear can order a burger and I can order the sea bass and they will both be fantastic. I wish more restaurants were like this!

Yum, yum, yum! Obsessed with Zov’s. I don’t get to this location as often as some of the others, but a friend lives down the street and we dined here together. The mezze platter is amazing. Can’t beat Zov’s Tabbouleh.
Service was stellar. A+

Zov’s is like a hit and miss place. More like 1 hit and 10 misses. Has the potential but usually fails on many levels. Given so many chances and yet again, disappoints.
I never write Unilocal reviews, but I am now for the first time, because it was THAT unsatisfactory:
1. Too expensive for what you get.
2. All the meat dishes were over cooked. Asked for medium rare and got char black.
3. Got a dish and asked for extra veggies instead of pasta and got zero vegetables. Couldn’t even complain bc it was to go and saw it when I got home.
4. Servers were nice, but so slow. And the restaurant was almost empty.
Not going back there again. :(

Nothing to add to 5 stars that I gave to this place. Waiters are friendly, food is delicious, atmosphere makes you feel that you are somewhere in Europe.
Comparing to all the breakfast restaurants around here, Zov’s is probably the best one.

Always great food and great service!
Ashley was very attentive and very kind.
We enjoyed the kebabs and the meatloaf stack, which were both delicious. The meats were all very tender and seasoned nicely.
I really liked the fresh cucumber, tomato, and onion salad that comes with the kebabs. It adds a nice crunch and freshness to the dish. The portion is perfect and very filling. *Don’t forget to squeeze the grilled lemon on the meats.
We asked for the meatloaf stack to be disassembled (so the we can pour on the gravy etc). The mushroom gravy is outstanding! Secondly, the olive oil mashed potatoes were so creamy and light, very tasty.
Lastly, we had the chocolate bomb. Hands down the best dessert here. Sadly, we heard they are discontinuing this. It’s a ZOVs staple, hopefully it makes a comeback!

As a long ago former employee, I have truly loved the food here for many years! I am happy to see they haven’t changed it too much, as that seems to be to the detriment of many restaurants these days. Aside from the staple chicken kabob with pilaf (mouth is watering) and infamous chocolate bomb for desert, I keep coming back for the chicken paillard salad which I crave constantly. The seasoning on the chicken breast is what makes the dish, and they crisp the outside to perfection, toss it with goat cheese and candied walnuts and voilà! Keep it up Zov, your food is still delicious!

I have to say at best three stars. The price they charge for some of their plates just can’t be justified.
I’ve been here for both breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is very meh for me and I would not come back for that again. Nothing stood out except that it was twice what I would pay at any other breakfast place.
Dinner is better. We started with the chicken nachos, these were delicious! Perfectly crispy crunchy pita chips topped with marinated tomato and cheese and chicken. I have to say this is the best dish of the night. I got the lamb burger as entrée and this was quite juicy and flavorful as well and it comes with seasoned skinny fries. Second favorite. Unfortunately some of the other diners’ dishes weren’t as good. The Angel hair pasta dish was super bland. It tasted like just boiled pasta. The whole table sampled it and agreed. The sausage and pasta dish was better, you’d have to like goat cheese because that’s what they top it with and it’s a strong flavor. Their skirt steak was very tender and juicy, a little pricey for the portion you get though.
If you have time, swing by Costco first and get the Zov gift cards to save 20%. This could be a 4 star place if they fixed their breakfast menu and overall pricing.

I hate rating this place a 2 star because the staff was perfect, could not have asked for more. My ice tea was never empty and the staff was prompt with food and beverage delivery.
The food is where my grandeur disappeared. If you read up on Zov’s they are kind of known for their calamari as it is a light refreshing take on calamari done in a white wine, garlic sauce. and while the sauce was nice, the toasted bruschetta was perfect but the calamari was completely overcooked the calamari itself was very rubbery and unfortunately drastically changed the desired experience when enjoying it.
For Entrees we ordered 3 different dishes, First is the Angel hair pasta with shrimp, it was on point, cooked wonderfully and full of flavor, seasoned just right, pasta cooked to perfect al dente.
the next was the Skirt Steak, unfortunately this arrived to the table cold, I was also greatly looking forward to their «salt and pepper fries», in reality it should have just been called «fries», while they were cooked very well and had a nice snap to them, the fries themselves had no hint of salt or pepper, not unsavory, but just not as the menu describes, the Arugula and vinaigrette was very good. Just wish the item would how arrived warm and been more to the standards of how the menu described it.
the final entrée was the Meatloaf stack, the potatoes were done wonderfully! the two «meatloaf paddies» where seasoned well and had a great taste to them, the gravy that covered the dish was phenomenal, I cannot say enough about this order and it truly saved the evening.
if I return it will be to try a salad, it seems people like those more.

The environment is fancy and nice but price is very expensive for what it is. I got the combination breakfast and it was nearly $ 15. It was good but a bit overpriced. Also, the server was polite but it was a bit slow.

«Bookmark Saturday» night was replaced by «Lets Use This Gift Card We Have Had For Years» night. A couple of years ago we bought (2) $ 50.00 gift card at Costco because my better half wanted me to try the Zov’s Bistro in Tustin. Years later, we still had the second gift card.
We arrived here after having to replace the booster assembly for the brakes on our Edge for the second time since owning the vehicle. When the booster assembly fails, it becomes difficult to near impossible to apply the brakes.
Rohlinism: It isn’t fun traveling the road of life with no brakes.
Zov’s is located (
) in a newer looking strip mall on Portola near Culver in Irvine. The patio area outside (
) looked comfortable, but we opted for inside seating because the temperature was still on the higher side. Upon entering, we were immediately taken to a half booth table, given menus and drink orders were taken.
When our server returned with the drinks, we were ready to order. We decided to start with the Mezze Platter (
) and Laina selected the Chicken Paillard Salad (
) as her entrée. I went with the Grilled Lamb Sandwich (
) with a side Greek salad.
The standout for the platter was the lebni. Creamy texture with a perfect amount of mint and olive oil mixed in. The better half and I agreed this was the best variation of the dish either of us had sampled. The hummus was good, but the only thing that really stood out was the nice crunch from the fried (or baked) garbanzo beans on top. I really liked the crunch of those beans and wish more had been incorporated into the dish. The kalamata olives decent, but the sauce on top was nondescript. It was kind of runny and honestly it added nothing to the olives themselves. We were also brought out some excellent artisan rolls which were served nice and warm and had you could taste the yeast without it being overpowering. I was so impressed with the bread, Laina asked for an extra roll to take home.
Laina really liked the crusted chicken, but the menu says the dressing is a balsamic vinaigrette, and the dressing served was sweet and the consistency was spread-​like. This fact also explained why the dressing was in the bottom of the salad and not properly tossed. I also don’t think the dressing complimented the chicken, more like they stood in contrast to each other. The other note worthy ingredient was the goat cheese. I think Laina really enjoyed the creaminess of this cheese and the rest of the ingredients seemed to be of good quality and sufficient quantity.
The lamb sandwich was very good, but lacking (
) in the lamb department for a $ 19 sandwich. I really enjoyed the aioli, but it was a garlic aioli and not peppercorn. I know this I have garlic on my breath even as I am writing this review. I did enjoy the aioli, I am a garlic fiend, but this was another inaccuracy found on the menu. The bread was the same quality as the rolls served at the beginning of the meal. For a side salad, this Greek was really good. It had the balsamic dressing (would have went well with Laina’s salad) and there was a good amount of fresh veggies and a few small slices of the roll mixed in.
We were tempted by our server into looking at the dessert menu and Laina found a Milk Chocolate Bomb (
) she found enticing. I felt the cookie only served as a base and didn’t add anything to the dessert. The crème brulee center was awesome and was an excellent accompaniment to the chocolate mousse-​like interior and the ganache shell. The chocolate shavings and fresh berries did a fantastic job rounding out this dessert.
As others mentioned, service was kind of hit and miss. My better half had to remind the staff twice she needed extra dressing for her salad. Laina made at least one comment where she saw bus boys standing around talking, when they should have been working tables. Drinks were kept filled and at least our server had the excuse of being a trainee. After the snafu with the dressing, service did seem to pick up.
The bill was $ 83.00 (including tip) and I am not sure the food measured up to the price tag, so a return visit this location is unlikely.

+ Great tasting food
+ Classy atmosphere
+ Friendly wait staff
+ Outside seating
— Seems a little too classy for the shopping plaza
— $ 12 – 14 for a simple omelette seems a bit much
I came here on a whim with my dad as I drove by. We were looking for a place to eat and decided to try Zov’s. It resides in a nice shopping plaza, but not so nice that I would expect something like Zov’s. When I walked in, it looked like a high end dining establishment. Very dark, waiters/​waitresses were dressed up, etc.
Uh oh, I expected an inexpensive lunch. Oh well, I’ll give it a shot. We sat outside which was nice on a Saturday morning. They had a breakfast and lunch menu and we decided on the breakfast one.
Prices were definitely on the high end. Omelettes were $ 12 – 14, which my dad ordered. I expected a fancy dish, but it looked like something I could whip up at home in a few minutes. If you’re going to charge $ 13 for it, at least make it look like $ 13. I got the Bagel and Gravlox which was pretty good. Typical of the pricing I would expect.
I’m not sure I would come here again for a quick lunch although I would give it a chance for some evening dining if I were in the area.

Came here for breakfast one Sunday after working out. Lovely atmosphere and great food but the service was horrible. Our server took forever to come by to our table to get our order, deliver drinks, food, etc. She never really stopped by to check up on us and we had to get another server in order to get our check. Mind you, this place wasn’t even that busy.
As for food, it was great but they need more variety on their breakfast menu. I had the bacon and eggs with a side of pancakes while the hubby had the salmon lox bagel. Good food but for the price you are paying you should be getting better service!

The food here is so mediocre and the service was slow and subpar. For the price I would have been better off cooking breakfast myself.
COFFEE ($ 3.50) — The coffee comes with a side of creamer and the sugar packets were already available on the table. It would be nice if they actually came by to refill the coffee without us waiving them down for it.
BLOODY MARY ($ 9.25) — The only item that I somewhat enjoyed. The bloody mary itself was savory just with a kick of spice, but the size was definitely small. It needs a celery, two olives and some bacon to be optimal.
ZOV’s COMBINATION ($ 13.95) — My friend substituted the two pancakes for a bagel. It also came with 2 farm fresh eggs cooked to your liking, 2 chicken sausages and a crispy hashbrown cake. It was a lot of food, but nothing worth praising. Oh wait, it came with some fruit that was nice…
FRITTATA ($ 11.95) — This open faced omelet was on the bland side. Bell peppers, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella are usually some of my favorite ingredients but somehow they flavors just fails. I sprinkled much pepper onto this frittata to make it less bland. The hashbrown cake was okay… and the fruit was probably the tastiest thing on this dish as well.
APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON ($ 3.95 for a side order) — Three small pathetic looking pieces of salty disappoint bacon. I love bacon but wowwwwww… I should have just walked over to pavilions and buy myself a whole package of bacon.
So basically a 3-​star meal where they took forever to take my order, forever to bring me my check, forever to process my payment… and forever to bring it back… I actually think I’m being nice with this 2-​star assessment. Never coming back.

I was in the Orchard Hills Plaza on a Friday afternoon with intentions to go buy some items at the Pavilions grocery store, but instead the weather was great and I spotted quite a few people enjoying the outside seating at Zov’s that I got lured into sampling their happiest hour.
The ambience of the outdoor seating is nice, and prior to 6pm is happiest hour. But, I thought the prices were still expensive during this time. $ 5 drafts, and martinis ranging from $ 7-​$ 9. Nothing that felt like I was getting an amazing deal. I had the gin martini, I will applaud the strength of my drink. I was feeling happier after that one.
The food is Mediterranean. So some dishes with feta cheese, some kebabs, lamb, etc. I had the veggie bruschetta, I still prefer classic style over this. I didn’t have time to try anything else but based on this sampling, I felt it was a bit expensive and food wasn’t amazing.
We had good service outside. It looked like there were over 5 people taking care of the outside so there was always staff around.

Kinda pricey, but tastes okay.
Service was very nice. Outdoor seating and overhead heaters are very comfortable. Menu offers a good balance of items so there’s something for everyone and every mood.
Flat bread appetizer with sausages was okay. Messy and difficult to navigate, but tasted fine. Not worth the hassle of things constantly falling off though.
Lamb tacos were great. Decent spice. Not oily. Fresh cabbage.
Rotisserie half chicken was tender and moist. Mashed potatoes were soft. Spinach was cooked well. All a bit too salty.
Shrimp salad was very good. I’d order this again. Presentation was very poor but it’s okay. Lettuce was fresh. Cucumbers were crisp. Tomatoes were sweet. Shrimp were plump and cleanly veined.
Dessert was too sweet and too complicated. Ordered the Chocolate bomb. Didn’t like it. Too sweet on the inside. Strange styrofoam sort of nibs on the outside.
I think I’ll stick with Corner Bakery. (Cheap date)

Such a wonderful place to eat!
I have gone here for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they have never failed me. Of course not all on the same day: P
Breakfast:
When I want to splurge on calories I usually get:
— Zov’s Combination Breakfast it comes with pancakes, eggs, bacon or sausage and my favorite hash brown cake. Ugh, I love it so much!
I have also tried the Oatmeal Brulee. I feel like anything that says oatmeal is kinda healthy right? Well, this taste like a dessert. I absolutely love it!
Lunch:
— Balsamic Chicken Club
Yummy yummy in my tummy!!! Comes with avocado and bacon and anything with bacon on a sandwich tastes amazing to me.
Dinner:
We dined here last night. :)
— Seared Salmon
Very tasty and fish prepared very well
— Rosemary Turkey Dip
Probably my husband’s favorite sandwich here at Zov’s. It is so good he doesn’t even realize there is sauteed spinach in it!
— Slow Roasted Beef
I don’t believe this was on the menu, it was one of their specials and the server sold me. As he described it my mouth started watering. It came with carrots, mashed potatoes and mushrooms. The meat was sooooo tender and tasty.
Overall experience — service is always amazing. I have never had a problem here. Their servers are professional, friendly and on top of everything! I never had my glass half full here.