Ztejas

The place is now closed in SLC… Good thing as I would have lots to complain about.

Closing on Saturday August 2, 2014… very sad.

Good service, food and drinks. Sad that they are closing permanently next week. It was very good of them to give all of the employees at least 2 weeks notice. Peace.

Awesome drinks but horrible food. Really. It would probably be good if the food was properly cooked but it wasn’t. Then, when I sent it back it came out like a soggy mess. My advice, don’t take the chance that you will waste your money on sub-​par cooking. Here’s to hoping there’s no food borne illness from not properly heating their food.

I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting much going to a Mexican food restaurant in a mall. However, I was pleasantly surprised! I had not heard of the is small chain before and it was quite good. The food was fresh, hot and tasty. We had the chips & salsa on the Unilocal deal and came with some awesome sauces! There ended up being so much food that I was so stuffed I couldn’t eat dessert.
Staff was great — attentive, friendly, competent.
Very good dining experiance. I would definately go here again!

Average food, delicious delicious drinks! Strong, perfect blend of flavors. The garden mojito and pineapple margarita were the tables’ favorites! The peppercorn steak with mashed potatoes was actually pretty impressive but other than that we weren’t fans of their pasta nor their enchiladas, too weak on flavor profiles

Definitely went in here expecting the quality of food you would from any chain, (Applebee’s, Chilies, Texas Roadhouse, etc…) but was surprised at how much better it was. The cornbread that they bring out before your meal was warm and amazing and the 3 different kinda of salsa they brought out with our chips were very good as well. I had the seafood platter which was good, but definitely not comparable to some of the seafood I’ve had. Definitely a bit pricey for the quality of food you get. The food was decent but the reason I am giving three stars is because of the FANTASTIC cocktails. Definitely some of the best I’ve ever had. I recommend any of the Mojitos, I tried the mango, garden fresh, and one other I do not remember and they were all sooooooo good! If I were to go back here, it would be to just get some appetizers and Mojitos!

I went here recently with a group of friends and we all ordered something different and shared with the table. We all felt that the food was bland and overpriced.
We had chicken fajitas, enchiladas, chicken burritos, and the mac n cheese. I think the smothered burrito was probably the best out of the four.
The fajitas were basically just grilled chicken and peppers with almost no seasoning. It only came with a 3 tiny tortillas, and it cost $ 1 for one more.
The service was decent, but the waitress took my drink without asking before I was finished and it didn’t come with refills.
This place is definitely not worth the price.

The food was OK. It didn’t wow me, but the fresh cornbread was definitely a nice touch. On the food alone I’d give it 3 stars.
The service was by far one of the worst I’ve ever had. Where do I start… sat with an empty glass of water for over 10 minutes. The waiter comes over to ask is there anything he can get us while we wait for the food; astonishingly, he is completely oblivious to the fact that I have no water. Needless to say, I have to ask to get a refill.
The order comes out, and then the waiter doesn’t come by and check on the food for about another 10 minutes after. If he would have came sooner, I could have told him he forgot part of my order. At that point, I just asked for it to be removed from the check.
After we finish eating, we have numerous plates covering most of the table space. Clearly, we are finished with everything as our napkins are thrown into the plates. The waiter brings the checks and still doesn’t remove any plates. I have to stack plates on top of each other just to sign my bill. The saddest part is, the guy had only one other table.
The cornbread saves this place from getting 1 star. I don’t think I need to say if I’ll be coming back.

No complaints this restaurant is very clean with super nice staff ! The food is awesome it’s so good everything was perfect I will return !

I hadn’t been here in a long time. I ordered there Chicken/​4 Cheese Mac and Cheese and it was yummy. Service was a little slow but it won’t keep me away. The waitress was nice.
You get some corn bread as a starter dish and it was nice that it was pipin hot!!!
I’ll go back again.

Loved the diablo pasta and cornbread, though the burger was very meh. Very friendly and quick service. I’ll definitely be returning.

Delicious!!! I was told this was good and it was. I’m visiting and am close to Gateway so I walked over from the Hyatt hotel.
I had the Watermelon Jalapeño pepper margarita, the Smoked Chicken layered enchiladas with a side of their fresh made guacamole and their complimentary chips with 3 salsas, and home made skillet cornbread with honey butter. Yummmm!!!
Not only was it great, I’m stuffed. Great service too. Very pleased.

I’ve been going to Z’Tejas for a few years. It’s changed over those years, not necessarily for the good, but I still like it. Z’Tejas has always been good value for money for me but the food options used to be better.
We visited today and had bottomless chips and 3 salsas (free thanks to the Unilocal chrck in). The medium salsa is really good, the hot is not so hot or that flavorful either. I had the cast iron scallops and she had chicken enchilladas. The scallops were good, the mixed veggies were really heavy on squash which didn’t quite fit the dish or my tastes. She didn’t like the chicken enchilladas too much, said they were just ‘okay’.
We finished with the fruit cobler which I have a hard time not getting everytime I go. I need to remember to ask for an extra scoop of ice cream because the dish is served so hot.
We’re out the door for around $ 50 which always seems like a good deal for the level of dining experience here.
Z’Tejas used to have more authentic Southwestern options, I used to look at the menu and have 10 things jump off the page at me so that I was already planning my next trip back. The options aren’t as authentic or exciting anymore so I visit less frequently but I do always enjoy it when I go.

We used to love this place a few years back. The food has gone down hill.
This last visit the food came out really fast, almost too fast. Maybe two out of six shrimp on our Shrimp & Guacamole Tostada Bites were only a little bit grilled, which we discovered (the shrimp being grilled) makes this dish. My Mushroom Enchiladas seemed rushed (corn tortilla not cooked, crunchy rice), the Macaroni and Cheese was incredibly bland, and my husband’s Chile Relleno was rushed. I got sick that evening. We were there around 7pm on a weeknight and it wasn’t very busy, not sure why the food was rushed. It’s been this way for the past year, so this will probably be our last visit after going here for years. Positives: Service was nice, cornbread was really good, and my Mango Mint drink was good.

Walked in one night, Z’Tejas was moderately busy and we got a table right away. Our waiter, who I am sure is a very nice person, but he didn’t seem to have a lot of knowledge about the menu or general sense that he was at work. I would have guessed he possessed a medical marijuana card.
I ordered the Chili Relleno stuffed with Smoked Chicken, which I really liked, but it arrived slightly warmed and the rice was crunchy. This meal could have been so much better. I am sure our entrees were ready at very different times or the waiter just missed that our food was done. The food looked great too but that isn’t enough to get me back to spend my hard earned $.

I used to go to Z’Tejas here and there and it was decent back in the day. I enjoy the corn bread and honey butter that comes to the table and I used to really like the smothered burrito.
Fast forward a few years and I have gone back to Z’Tejas a couple of times recently. Never really my choice but if others want to go, I’ll go. Perhaps my taste has refined over the years but I find the food just okay. Some dishes have been downright meh to me.
People have raved about the mac and cheese there so I thought I’d give it a shot since I’m a big cheese fan. It was very underwhelming. I don’t generally need to salt things but it needed some serious salt and seasoning.
In fact, most of the things I’ve tasted there recently have needed salt. That seems unacceptable to me. Underwhelming is how I’d describe most of the things I’ve had there. And for the price they’re asking, I expect more than «meh.» On the upside, some of their cocktails are pretty good and they’ve got a lot of options for vegetarians.
The food gets two stars. The extra star is for the service. The staff is almost always pleasant and good about checking in. Last night we had a blonde gal name Katie that was perfect. Happy hour was ending within minutes and she was quick to get our app in so that we could get the happy hour price. We were with a decent sized group and we were in a hurry to catch a movie but she was great about splitting up checks and getting everything to us in a very timely manner. All with a smile on her face. I couldn’t have asked for a better server.

Disclaimer: Z’tejas was a crucial part of my college days in Arizona and my comfort «home away from home» food while living in Seattle so I’m a little bias.
This is the first Z’tejas I have been to that does not have a bar (Leave it to Utah) So this location is a little lame-​meaning more family oriented. Which isn’t bad, just not what I associate ZTejas with. Which is the best frozen MARGARITA’S and great food!
Their Margaritas are still good, a little on the weaker side than I’ve come accustom to from this place but still very good! The Chambord margarita is their winner every time. But they also have my fav liquor «X-​Rated» in their X-​rated margarita and then of course I’m partial to the Watermelon Rita (not because I’m black silly) because I love watermelon (um.maybe because I’m black lol) Aside from the ritas. My all time favs from this chain were still very good and lived up to my standards and I think you should try!
Iron Skillet Dumplings
Guacamole
Jerk Chicken Salad

I am updating this review because I’ve probably been here 20 times since my last review. Happy to report: still in love!
In those 20 visits, I’ve realized that Z’Tejas serves some of the BEST margaritas. Their margarita menu is extensive and they are willing to custom make you something not on the menu. For example, I happen to love peach margaritas (not on the menu) and they always accept my drink order, no questions asked!
I still only ever order the Southwestern Dumplings. They are the best option, really. However, my Z’Tejas partner in crime, Melissa F., has tried various menu items and seems to like all of them. In addition, we both agree that the unlimited cornbread is one of the highlights of our meal. It keeps us coming back (the margaritas make us stay.)
Another plus is the atmosphere. It has a large room for seating but thanks to the lighting, each table seems somewhat intimate for private conversation. It’s also very easy to get seated. I would say about 99% of the time, you’ll get seated right away. I only wish I lived in the condos above the mall so I could grab dumplings to-​go at my pleasure!

This visit represented my (roughly) 8^th or 9^th visit to Z-​Tejas at Gateway. For the most part, previous visits were stellar, food and service-​wise. Sadly, this visit was not as good. Disappointed, as I took two friends with me who had not yet tried Z-​Tejas; therefore, I spent days before our visit singing its praises. I left with a bit of huevo on my face.
Please note: I would have given this last visit two stars, but considering my previous experiences with Z-​Tejas, the benefit of the doubt was given with 3 stars.
We began with margaritas, and the Trio of Salsas and bottomless chips. As always, a fantastic way to start the meal. Very very tasty! You will pay decent, hard-​earned money for the margaritas here, but they offer a great variety and I’ve yet to slurp one down I didn’t love. Good bar services, overall.
We ordered the Smoked Chicken Chile Relleno, Blackened Catfish Tacos, and Smothered Chicken Burrito for entrees. The Relleno was an *interesting* flavor combo which encompasses a grilled poblano stuffed with chicken, pecans, apricots, raisins, spices and cheese over a bed of green chile and picante cream sauce (it sounded good on paper), with beans on the side which tasted like glue — the first two or three bites was an adventure. The rest… well, it sat on my plate like the initial few forkfulls sat in my stomach. Like a strange, fuzzy, cheesy stone. I eat and enjoy a variety of very adventurous flavors, but this was … not right.
My two dinnermates were gravely disappointed in their food — the catfish in the tacos was overcooked and dry, obviously ruining the rest of the taco experience. The burrito was described as «equal to the quality of Del Taco,» which I’m not necessarily suggesting is bad, just simply not worthy of the ten dollar price point.
The service was adequate. Our waitress was not in a chatty mood. Okay, fair enough. She took our orders, brought us what we asked for, etc. Nothing more, nothing less. (Again, I took some heat for this, because I had touted the great service I had previously experienced at Z.)
The bill came. For past visits, this part would cause me a very short hiccup as I reached for my card to pay. This time it was a long painful journey into my wallet to pay for a meal that was less than satisfying in a few different ways.
I’ll go back, if for no other reason than to make sure this visit wasn’t an isolated instance. But I’m afraid my two friends won’t, and I don’t blame them.