Zelko Bistro

Doesn't Recommend

maethridge

Joined 5 years ago

Terrible, never go back. Food was cold... we didn't send it back but several people around us did. We witnessed the cook rubbing his nose and touching the food. He picked at someones burger to remove the bacon that she didn't want and then took a bunch of fries from the same plate and stuffed them in his mouth. It is discusting. Manager seemed to care when the table complained but then when he turned his back he called the man a bad name. (you can hear everything in a small place like that). It was really a very very bad experience. I would never recommend going here.

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neeko

Joined 5 years ago

Exciting menu, great potential. We ate at Zelko Bistro the second week it was open (pre-Air Conditioning issues) and loved it. The Bruscetta with fresh hummus and feta is a basic Italian staple that is given a Mediterranean twist. The Shrimp and Grits was filling, with the creamy polenta (due to the white cheddar) and large, sauteed gulf shrimp. The Corned Beef and Cabbage was cooked properly. I was able to cut the cured brisket with a fork and cabbage still had a little bit of crunch to it. Unfortunately, we didn't try the great looking desserts.

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Bolby

Joined 4 years ago

Something new and Really Good!!. I am always on the look out for new exciting places to dine in Houston. Many of the suggestions come from close friends who have had good experiences, and some are picked from a rank list from CitySearch or other websites. Zelko Bistro was one that was referred to us by close friends, and in addition, received high marks on customer satisfaction on CitySearch. I was eager to try.

I called Zelko to make a reservation for two, and was told that they operated on the first come-first serve basis, which was good enough with me. The woman answering the phone was very friendly and also gave me times which she thought the wait time would be less. She told us to come after 8pm, but we ended up going earlier, around 7pm (which she said was peak time for dinner on a Friday). The restaurant is tucked away in the Heights, and is located in a refurbished small home. The place is small! But that is what gives it character, and one of the things that drove me to try it out.

We arrived around 7pm and, due to some road construction, had to park our car down the street. The place was crowded with some customers sitting on the small front porch, I assumed waiting for a table. We were seated immediately. The seating arrangement is a little different, and if you are a two-some you will get squeezed in a perimeter, booth like setting, next to another table. Almost too close. But like I said, the place is small, and it was also packed. The close quarters also made it very easy to greet your neighbor and compare food and wine; last night it worked out that we sat next to a friendly two-some that we chatted with most of the hour.

I had read on CitySearch about the fish tacos and meatloaf. We decided to start out with some fried pickles and some sort of horseradish sauce. The pickles came out hot, and were not heavily battered. They were also very good, and the portion was large for two people. We had some house Pinot Noir which was good, but really nothing special. Our entree was meatloaf and fish tacos, of which we split. The fish tacos were fresh, and full of lettuce, corn, and some fresh fruit ( pineapple ), and other herbs. They almost tasted like a fresh spring roll. They were done in flour tortillas, not corn, and were very good. The only thing I could have asked for would have been to have more fish in the taco. Most of the flavor was over powered by the pineapple and it was hard to pull out the fish. But, it was very good, and seemed light rather than heavy. Now the meatloaf was another story. This came with mashed potatoes that were phenomenal. The meatloaf was perfectly cooked and seasoned to perfection; with some roasted tomatoes on top that accented the flavor perfectly. The meatloaf was awesome, and that will be something I order for myself next time I return.

The food was great, despite some of my nit-picking comments. I thought the waiter was good, but he was super busy with a packed house. The cleaning crew was good, making sure not to leave dirty plat

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Texascwgrl30

Joined 3 years ago

Thank you all...see you at the bistro!!. :)

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houston girl

Joined 3 years ago

Fresh Food at a Quintessential Heights Restaurant. Zelko Bistro could not be more neighborhood-centric if they tried. Local chefs? Check. Refurbished 1920s bungalow (with plans to incorporate the antiquated gas station next door as part of the restaurant in the future, which I can’t wait to see)? Check. Reasonably-priced seasonal menu and wine list? Check. Hiring mostly Heights-area residents as staff? Check. They seem to have everything covered... oh, except the parking, and the broken AC (but I expect they will get that fixed). Our party of 6 expected a wait as we strolled in at 7:30 on a Saturday night, and it was almost an hour before we were seated. The hour went quickly, as we sat the bar with the very knowledgeable bartender, who suggested wines and beers for our diverse group. Everyone was apologetic about the A/C issues, but we noticed as the sun went down, the place cooled off quite a bit. We ordered the fried pickles (spears) with in-house-made ranch as an appetizer, and as soon as they came out (and all 6 of us were agreeing their homemade pickles “awesome”), another order came out - apparently the chef decided the first batch wasn’t up to his high standards, and sent out the second ones complementary. Yum.

I ordered the Market Catch of the day (Halibut) with tomato-and-pineapple salsa, white asparagus, and arugula salad. While tasty, I did find the fish and salad a bit too salty (the asparagus, however, needed salt - odd.). My friends loved the grilled shrimp and grits, and the ribs. The burgers were ranked “good,” but were a little overcooked. The skinny-cut fries with parmesan and truffle oil were different and delicious. As time for dessert rolled around, it was getting late and they were out of our first pick - the chocolate pecan cake. They did have a couple off-the-menu selections, and we ordered a chocolate Oreo cake with butter cream frosting. It was a lot less rich than it sounds, and the Oreos blended in with the cake in a very sophisticated way. Our 2 friends that don’t usually like chocolate even liked it!

Overall, the menu and food reminded us of a more down-home Shade (fitting, as one of the partners is a former Shade chef). The service was outstanding and the food left us all wanting to try more.

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SonRose

Joined 5 years ago

Pretty Good. We went to Zelko's last week after hearing rave reviews. First of all the food is fantastic! I really enjoyed my meal and the prices were very reasonable for the quality! The Sangria needs a little tweaking though. The AC happend to be broken so it was painstakingly hot in the retaurant and I was disappointed that they were limited on what beer they had in stock. Our waiter was very nice but it seemed that he was either very busy or very slow. The decor is relaxing and very quaint... I would give Zelko's another try...maybe it was just an off night when we went.

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Nikki Metzgar

Joined 4 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. After earning accolades during her stint at Lancaster Bistro, Chef Jamie Zelko settled a cozy white bungalow in the Heights for her eponymous personal project with partner and former Shade chef Jeb Stuart. Forty five tables fit snugly into the neo-vintage dining room, which manages to make visitors feel as if they were merely invited to a dinner party. That’s largely the point: The gentrified comfort food from fried pickles with housemade Ranch to the tender root beer short ribs is priced for the neighborhood, paired with an equally affordable wine list and served unpretentiously. The garden out back and locally sourced ingredients make this chef driven restaurant that much homier.