Koo Zee Doo

Do you hear that sound? It’s me weeping.
It’s been a while since this place closed, and I still can’t get over the loss. Seriously. This place cannot just be gone. I am still in the first stage of grief: denial!
I am writing this in hopes that the chef at this restaurant hears my cries and opens a new place. At the very least, hook a girl up with the recipe for those damn chicken gizzards!

How did this place close? I actually mourn the loss of this gem. Even though it’s closed now, I just came here to look at pictures of all of the delicious food they served and reminisce on how amazing our experiences here were.

One of the most inventive menu’s I have seen in a long time. Everything was delicious, too. I would recommend getting something you have never tried before, as I’m sure you will love it. Chicken gizzards especially!
Great service, cozy interior (I think it’s a house?) with a completely open kitchen so you are entertained the entire time. Very clean bathrooms too.
The waitress told us at the end of the meal that the place was closing. I’m totally bummed if they don’t re-​open at another date. Or in another location. This place is truly one of a kind.

Sorry to be writing this review post-​closing, but I just made it in under the wire. I had always heard great things about Koo Zee Doo from my friends, but didn’t make it until I heard they were closing. After some issues nailing down a date, 3 of us ended up going with a bottle of wine on a Sunday night. We shared the spicy shrimp, the vegetarian dish and the steak. I thought everything was good, but unfortunately I wasn’t amazed. I wish I had gotten the chance to go back though. If they reopen somewhere else I’ll definitely go back.

You are currently my favorite restaurant in Philadelphia and I am sad to see you closing.
Our goodbye dinner last night was amazing from appetizers to entrees to dessert and the service throughout was on point.
I will follow you wherever you should land. If you put out a cookbook or have an event at Cook… Please keep us posted.

Found out about this place a few months ago and now have been here several times. Great food and very reasonably priced. Hoped to make this a regular place but now hear it’s closing — too slow during the weekdays.

Best BYO I have encountered in Northern Liberties.
Very professional and friendly waitstaff. A reservation is recommended [and a nice bottle of wine] but I came here with my girlfriend without one and we managed to get beautiful outdoor seating.
Service was professional and timely. Bathrooms were clean and tidy.
Food was absolutely delicious. I super highly recommend the octopus gravy (look closely to see if you can figure out its secret) which you can dip the soft and warm bread into. We got the steak for the main course which was also equally as delicious, just not as unique as the octopus gravy. Best of all, although the plates were relatively expensive (16 and 34 about), they were large family style plates so the end cost of around 50 for 2 people was extraordinary for such a plesant experience.
Highly Recommend!

ATTENTION WORLD: Koo Zee Doo is closing July 14^th. Get there ASAP.
Some people impulse online shop. I impulse make Opentable reservations after reading things like special menus/​closings on Foobooz. Best decision ever. KZD has been on my shortlist for a while and when I saw it was closing I had to go, immediately made a res, found friends (phew), and was looking forward to it all weekend. Expectations were met and exceeded.
Lovely exposed brick, cozy interior, great service, great food, and very reasonable price. We each paid $ 40, tax and tip included, and walked away full and with leftovers, questioning those $$$ on Unilocal.
I was devastated to hear that they were out of the steak (we had a later reservation-​8pm, so maybe go earlier to ensure maximum menuage), but everything we had was SO good, I can’t really complain. 4 of us split…
—Spicy Seafood Salad ($ 19-​probably our favorite-​they did not skimp on the seafood here-​huge shrimp, lobster, crab, and great fresh flavor; definitely recommend);
—Octopus Gravy ($ 18-don’t worry there’s octopus in the gravy, and yes, it’s amazing. Dip your bread in the leftover sauce. You’re welcome.)
—Potato and Cod Croquettes ($ 11-​came with 4, crispy on the outside and very good-​not mindblowing);
—Lamb Skewers ($ 37-​impressive presentation, perfectly tender, served with rice, beans, mushrooms, onions, and a delicious sweet dipping sauce);
—The Special, which was chicken and ribs with some fried potatoes ($?, Very tender chicken, flavorful, and great with the spicy piri piri sauce).
Sad to see this place go but glad I got to try it!
Remember: BYOB. CASH ONLY. PIRI PIRI SAUCE. DELICIOUS. GO. NOW.

We previously came to Koo Zee Doo in 2010. We have been talking about it since. We stopped in last night for a special, romantic meal; the restaurant was even better than we had remembered.
The prices seem high, but keep in mind that the food is family style: we split one appetizer, one main, and one dessert between the two of us and we left stuffed to the gills.
Appetizer: salt cod griddle cakes. Very cod-​heavy, which imbued them with excellent, chewy texture and solid (but not too fishy) essence. The remoulade on the side was a vampire’s nightmare, and complemented the cakes perfectly.
Main: seafood stew. A smörgåsbord of clams, shrimp, and baby cuttlefish. Yes, you heard that right — baby cuttlefish. The cuttlefish were amazing: great chewy texture on the top and delicate tenderness on the legs. They even outshone the razor clams, which are truly a delicacy, and which I had never had before this meal. The seafood was fresh, and sat in a spicy lobster broth — excellent for soaking up with the high-​quality bread.
Dessert: Hazelnut sandwich cookies filled with chocolate, served over passionfruit mousse. Need I say more? Yes: the term «cookies» doesn’t do them justice. Mini-​cakes is more like it.
Looks like we will be talking about Koo Zee Doo for three more years.

This is one of my favorite places in all of Philly. I have never been disappointed here. It is a winner for a homey, comfortable, family-​style meal, with actual family, with a group of 3 – 4 friends, or for a date night where it is generally possible to hear your company speak and hold a decent conversation.
I find the prices to be totally reasonable. For the quality of the food, the portions, and the fact that it is a BYOB, it is a great value. Portuguese food is comfort food, and those who will find it the most enjoyable will be people who do not have dietary restrictions and enjoy their BYOB wine in friendly company.
We seem to always insist on the moelas, the chicken gizzards, to start. Having these with the delicious oven-​warmed fresh breads, including the comforting broa de milho (a Portuguese bread made with cornmeal), that arrive at your table early in the meal is just incredible. Whatever your prejudices, you should overcome them and try this. They are wonderful paired with a nice glass of wine, white or red. In the past, we have also had the Portuguese steak, the octopus fricassee, the piri-​piri shrimp — amazing, all the way around, amazing!
I should add that I have been all around Portugal, to Lisbon, to Coimbra, to Porto, to Guimarães, and had some delicious meals at some down-​home places. Koo Zee Doo bests much of what I ate in Portugal. Their sardines are more intense. Their pork and clams are superior. The seafood tender and artfully prepared. The steak is so much more delicious than anything I had in Lisbon’s Chiado, Bairro Alto, or the Alfama.
The service and the staff are always welcoming, friendly, professional, and I have never had anything but awesome service here.
I am not a dessert person, and I do not find myself drawn to desserts normally, but I make an exception at Koo Zee Doo. Coconut is a food of the gods, and I know not everyone agrees, but I cannot resist it. Put it together on the same plate as a piece of salty chocolate, and I am powerless. The Tarte de Côco will DESTROY you, and the evening will end perfectly, and then you’ll want to come back to Koo Zee Doo again and again, just like me.

I went to Koo Zee Doo with a group of 5 and wow, it was delicious!
The first thing to know about Koo Zee Doo is that its family style. For me, that really means you have to go with at least 4 people to be able to try a bunch of stuff. There were 5 of us and we were plenty full off of 2 appetizers and 3 entrees.
For our appetizers, we tried the piri piri shrimp and the octopus gravy. The shrimp were good but I’m not sure I would order it again. I loved the piri piri sauce though. It was hot! The octopus gravy was heaven. The octopus was super tender. No chewiness at all and it was served in a creamy gravy with pancetta. YUM.
For the entrees, we tried the steak wrapped in prosciutto with fried potatoes and two sunny side up eggs, the baked duck rice and the monkfish in a lobster broth with pasta and veggies. All were packed with flavor and cooked perfectly! I honestly couldn’t tell you what was my favorite. I loved all of the dishes. I will say that the steak was heavy. I wouldn’t order this if you’re looking for something light. That being said, I loved it. I love anything topped with an egg really. What I really loved was having all these dishes on the plate together. It came together well that way.
To sum up, it was a great meal with great service and I can’t wait to get back with another big group to enjoy!

I can finally cross Koo Zee Doo off of the «to try» list and add it to the «must come back» list. The restaurant small, romantic and cozy, the lights in the window add a nice touch to the ambience. This was the perfect place for my fiancé and I to enjoy a quiet Valentine’s meal.
Warm bread and lupini beans were brought over to us as we perused the menu. Although our server recommended sharing two appetizers and an entrée, the menu sounded so intriguing that we ended up ordering two appetizers and two entrees. (Clearly our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.) (I wish I could remember exactly what the appetizers were, but I know that we enjoyed them.) For entrees, we had the baked duck rice, and the special of the evening which consisted of seafood and mushrooms in a huge clay dish. Everything was just so flavorful and indulgent. We barely finished half of dinner before ordering a coconut dessert.
Service was a little slow that night, but our server was friendly enough and did check in on us every so often.

Grabbed takeout form Koo Zee Doo earlier, so I can’t speak for the service, although they seemed friendly and helpful from what little interaction we had. At any rate, the food is phenomenal! Portuguese food appears to be a rarity around these here parts, so despite being a bit pricy, the uniqueness, quality, and attention to detail of the dishes is justified, in my opinion.
As a seafood lover, I feel like they especially shined when it came to the fish dishes. The spicy seafood salad is fruity, vinegary, and actually has a bit of kick! The monkfish was tender and flaky, and its accompanying macaroni absorbed the lobster sauce well. The grilled shrimp appetizer came with generously large shrimp and a delicious hot sauce that reminded me of Thai red curry. The dishes are served family style, and complementary fresh bread was provided. The takeout held up well for a ~20 minute ride home. Can’t complain at all.
The atmosphere seemed pleasant, and all of the customers we saw took advantage of the BYOB aspect of the place. Protip: There’s The Foodery for beer down 2^nd street and a Fine Wine and Spirits at the complex at 2^nd and Girard.
A few small caveats:
— They’ve gone cash only! The staff was quick to point out that there is an ATM at the Blind Pig and another one at the Palm Tree Market, both a short walk down the street.
— The menu on their website isn’t completely up to date. Specifically, we wanted to order the grilled quail, but it wasn’t available because it was only a temporary special. Ah, what a shame.

This is my first Unilocal review. I went to koo zee doo for a Valentine’s dinner. I was a little skeptical but this place overachieved all my expectations!
Food was AMAZING! We got octopus gravy, spicy seafood salad and a special of the day rabbit leg for an entrée. Spicy seafood salad was really spicy I mean I was breathing with fire but still it was delicious. Octopus gravy was by far the best gravy you can think of. I was ready to lick the plate. Well, our rabbit was very expensive!!! An unpleasant surprise worth $ 65! But again it was delicious!
Service was good, nothing special really. Server was very knowledgable and friendly enough.
Ambiance. Romantic and unpretentious.
It was a great experience, will definitely come back.

We had the tasting menu here for New Year’s Eve and the food was quite heavy.
— My fave was the Rissois de cogumelos, a pickled mushroom salad and creamy fried mushroom turnover. The flavours in the salad were refreshing and tasty.
— Smoked pork consommé was fine, but unexciting.
— Raw salt cod was all right.
— Tuna salad was so-​so; the tuna seemed overdone & I’d avoid this in future.
— Vanilla poached lobster was fine.
— Fried rice duck drummettes were very heavy & duck was overcooked — I expect duck to be succulent. This was not very appetizing.
— Octopus gravy was tasty.
— Quail stuffed with sausage was perfectly cooked, succulent and tasty with pickled grapes.
In general, I was disappointed after all the great things I’d heard about Koo Zee Doo — the food was fine but I expected it to be better & more enjoyable.

An end of the year work party brought me to Koo Zee Doo in a group of ten, and sharing plates with a large group here was a great way to try a bit of everything.
This small unassuming place is warm and charming with blue and white curtains and a bar/​exposed cooking area right in the main room. The menu is divided into starters (entradas) and mains, and the server suggested that a party of two might do two starters and one entrée since the larger plates are meant to share. They start you out with very dense rolls and butter, and sine this is a BYOB so they furnish you with wine glasses and a bucket with ice for your whites. Nice touch.
We started with the whole grilled sardines (not my favorite but huge and nicely presented), the salada de cores (my least favorite thing of the night by far), potato and salt cod croquettes (fried and fishy), braised chicken gizzards, and short ribs on special that night (a delicious standout). Our mains were the baked duck rice (fabulous, with rare, tender duck), monkfish with spicy lobster broth (surprisingly tasty, but don’t google what this bad boy looks like alive!), picanha steak with egg and potatoes (very well-​prepared, but I wonder if the fried potatoes were authentically Portuguese?), and braised squid over mashed potatoes (everything in this dish was delicious and topped with a very tasty sauce).
Overall I am glad I tried this place and Portuguese cuisine in general, but the takeaway for me is that Portuguese might not be my thing. The steak, short ribs, duck, and monkfish dishes were all delicious, but nothing completely wowed me in a way that I would expect from an unbeatable dining experience. That being said, this place is doing their dishes right with great ingredients and presenting themselves extremely well, but for the price and the tastes of the cuisine it’s not a place where I have to rush back.
Tip: cash only!

I have decided that when I retire I will move to Portugal and eat Portugeuse food everyday until I die thanks too KOO ZEE DOO.
Koo Zee Doo was my choice for my birthday dinner and I was not disappointed. There were 7 of us for dinner on a Friday night. Koo Zee Doo serves up family style Portuguese Food so come here ready to eat… ALOT
As a group we shared pretty much everything and started with —
Shrimp with hot sauce
Grilled Veggie salad
Steamed Clams
and Fritters.
The head on shrimp came 4 to an order and were simmering in a spicy sauce. it was a little too hot for me the shrimp were cooked perfectly and i would order this app again. The fritters came out golden brown moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. We got two orders of the fritters (its a good thing we did they were a hit) The steamed clams were abundantly overflowing in the serving bowl. The cooking broth was very flavorful and garlic-​y. The salad was my least favorite app I mean it wasn’t bad it just wasn’t as good as the others. Various root veggies dressed in a vinaigrette.
For entrees the meat eaters of the crew chowed down on the steak and eggs, and the lamb skewers. I can’t comment on those but the table seemed to enjoy everything very much, you can also see photos. Every day of the week Koo Zee Doo offers a food special on Fridays its Fish. Fried whiting, skate wing and cod all came out golden brown and served along side a tater like dipping sauce. There was more than enough food to go around and even some leftovers. We didn’t opt for dessert since there were cupcakes courtesy of KP.
I would come back here every week if i could afford it (and the extra calories)

I’ve been hearing great things about Koo Zee Doo ever since moving to Philly a couple of years ago, so I don’t know why it took that long for the 7 of us to finally visit, but I’m glad we did.
[Accompanying music:
]
KZD’s odd name comes from the phonetic pronunciation of COZIDO, meaning «cooked» in Portuguese. And although I’ve never been to Portugal, from other who have, some (but not all) of their dishes are authentic versions of the rustic, peasant-​style cooking found in the old country. But whether all of KZD’s dishes are authentic or not (and I generally find the search for «authenticity» to be one of the sillier things foodies do – if it TASTES GOOD, it IS GOOD), this was definitely GOOD EATS (if this is a copyright violation Alton, I’ll be happy to take you to dinner there).
KZD is a cozy little BYOB in the NoLibs, with easy parking a block or so up 2^nd Street (in those odd, angled parking spaces you are required to reverse into). The attractive interior looks like what I imagine a small café in a Portuguese seaside village might look like. On a recent Thursday evening, the restaurant was at best a third full, and sitting in the rear room was a quiet and relaxing experience.
KZD’s menu is fairly short (there are also rotating daily specials), and importantly, intended to be served family style. In fact, the appetizers are so large, one could easily make a meal for two from just 2 or 3 apps. Therefore, KZD is best appreciated in a larger group, so that a wide variety of different dishes can be sampled.
[Since the passed plates were sometimes rather decimated by my hungry dining companions before reaching me, I’ve only posted photos of a few of the dishes that we enjoyed.]
Note: although we had intended to go with the $ 50 5-​course tasting menu that appears on both the menu and website, disappointingly this is no longer offered. However, with a group of 7 ordering, it probably didn’t make any difference. We enjoyed:
TABLE SNACK: pickled ivory tremoços beans (photo) – crispy, salty and refreshing, these could be addicting
BREAD: a dense, crispy-​on-​the-​outside cornbread muffin – great for dipping in the octopus and Piri Piri sauces to come
ENTRADAS (appetizers, served one or two at a time):
Fricassé de Polvo (Octopus gravy) – and odd name, this was really octopus IN gravy, and oh my, what a gravy it was! For many, this was the dish of the night.
Moelas (braised chicken gizzards) – if you are imagining tough, chewy gizzards, think again, the braising left these chopped morsels melt-​in-​you-​mouth.
Camarão com Piri Piri (shrimp with hot sauce) – fantastic, this was one of the best dishes of the night, although the spicy Piri Piri destroyed our Argyle ET Brut. Take my advice and eat the head and all!
Sardinhas na Brasa (whole grilled sardines, roasted peppers; photo) – Sardines being a classic Portuguese specialty… don’t forget to eat the heads!
SALADAS (salads):
Meia Desfeita (raw salt cod, chickpeas, hard boiled egg, rabe, olives; photo) – In my mind, not one of the stronger dishes, although I still enjoyed it and some liked it more than I did… it could have used more salt cod.
PEIXE E MARISCO (fish and seafood entrees):
Caldeirada (soft shell crabs, stewed peppers, onion, potatoes) – fresh soft shells, of course they were great!
Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (salt cod, caramelized onions, potato, egg, olives) – a delicious dish, but very rich and heavy compared to the others.
CARNE (meats):
Coelho Panado (fried rabbit, the Thursday rotating special; photo) – this knocked my socks off, crispy, lightly breaded exterior, succulent interior, and my dish of the night.
Arroz de Pato (duck rice) – apparently one of their specialties, it didn’t excite me, but others raved about it.
SOBREMESAS (desserts):
Tarte de Côco (Coconut tart with chocolate whipped cream) – I remember it being tasty, but not something that sticks out in my mind.
WINES (BYOB, no corkage):
~N.V. Churchill Porto Dry White Port
~1997 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut – normally a great wine, but destroyed by that Piri Piri
~2005 Reguengo de Melgaço Alvarinho Moncão
~2000 Bodegas y Viñedos Alión Ribera del Duero – modern, but complex
~1994 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Janus Reserva Pesquera – started off with drying tannins that distracted, but evolved into the WOTN
~2008 Churchill/​Graham Douro Churchill Estates Touriga Nacional Special Release
~2003 Quinta Do Infantado Douro Reserva
2007 Barboursville Vineyards Octagon – My first ever wine from Virginia! Surprisingly drinkable Bordeaux-​style blend.
~ 1988 Sandeman Porto Vintage Vau – the original vintage before Vau was bastardized, this was a pleasant, perfectly aged, off-​year port
An excellent meal, service was great and we all left stuffed, so at only $ 65 (counting the generous tip), I think KZD qualifies as a place you should «Run, Don’t Walk» to as soon as possible. Bring a crowd!
Sláinte!

For Christmas last year, my thoughtful boyfriend gave me four bottles of wine, each with a tag that listed the restaurant for which the bottle was selected. We decided to split them into seasons to enjoy throughout the year. On Friday, we went to Koo Zee Doo with the third bottle.
Our server told us right away that the portions would be large, and he recommended ordering a couple starters and sharing an entrée. While Art lobbied for the special of the day, suckling pig, I had my heart set on the Portuguese steak. I reasoned that the red wine would go along perfectly. That steak ended up being absolutely incredible, with fried potatoes and a delicious brown gravy.
Prior to that we enjoyed the smoked sausage, which was easily the best appetizer as it was bursting with rich flavor. The braised kale alongside was incredible. Pureed potato soup with chorizo discs was very nice, and a chopped vegetable salad provided enough hearty veggies to satisfy a week’s worth of requirements. Think broccoli, brussels, carrots, radishes and beets.
We ordered a chocolate bread pudding for dessert which turned out to be the only letdown. The dessert was more like a chocolate lava cake, and the strong, surprising taste of cloves completely overpowered. I did enjoy my coffee, which I had never heard of before my visit (Peregrine).
I have a feeling it won’t be long before I’m craving that steak again.

When I saw Koo Zee Doo receive several nominations from the James Beard Foundation, I knew I had to visit this spot before it completely blew up. On a personal note, I hate the name because I have a hard time remembering what it actually is, and it seems like infantile tri-​syllabic mumbling. That effectively ends the negative things I have to say about this establishment. I’m afraid as I’m writing this I’m going to run out of different ways to say how much I liked my meal.
Quinn and I met on Friday night for dinner. We only made our reservations a day in advance, so there weren’t any tables available. Instead, we reserved seating at the counter, right in front of the two cooks who were making all the food for the entire restaurant. It was quite a show, and I actually recommend sitting here if you have the chance. Along with the cozy, pleasant décor, everything makes for a great dining atmosphere. Our server was friendly and attentive, and the service overall is high quality. Our server was even paying attention to our wine glasses and kept them filled for us throughout the meal, which doesn’t always happen at a BYO.
Currently, Koo Zee Doo is running a five course tasting menu. Our server told us it was an excellent representation of their kitchen, and gives several unique, strong tastes of Portuguese food. After deliberation, we ordered the recommended menu and chicken gizzards to round out the meal. The gizzards came out first, and they were awesome. They were perfectly cooked and extremely tender, tossed in a delicious marinade that I couldn’t quite figure out what it was made of. Served alongside the gizzards were salt cod and potato croquettes. These were perfectly seasoned and crispy, and both dishes were some of the best appetizers I’ve had in a long time.
We next had soup with snails and mushrooms. This dish was pretty good, but the broth was too thick and oily. The snails and mushrooms, however, were great and complimented each other well. I didn’t love the soup. Our next dish was deep fried rabbit with spicy aioli. This dish blew me away. The fried skin was perfectly crisp, and as I bit into the rabbit I tasted the fantastically tender, delicious rabbit meat. I can’t put into words how good this dish was; you are going to have to try it for yourself. Our last dish was roasted lamb and potatoes, and it wasn’t anything special, especially in juxtaposition to the last treat. Unlike all of our other dishes, the lamb was lacking and didn’t seem to have a strong enough flavor to carry the dish. It was topped with mandarin orange slices, which was a nice touch to the otherwise lacking dish.
Dessert was a caramelized almond tart, and this was a great way to finish our meal. It hones in on the restaurant’s best skill: combining flavors that are not most commonly not mixed. For dessert, it was the almonds, chocolate, sorbet, and the bready crust of the tart. It’s not unheard of, but exotic enough to make it really interesting. That statement basically sums up the whole dining experience here.
Bottom Line: Koo Zee Doo is exceptional. It borders on fancy, and dining here is and should be a special occasion. Sharing is the best way to eat here, so visit with someone who has similar culinary tendencies. It is certainly making a name for itself and I hope it’s the beginning of a restaurant revolution in Northern Liberties. I won’t eat here often, but I already look forward to my next visit.