Let me begin by saying, I don’t consider myself to be a cheap person. That said, I came across a place this weekend that left me with an overpriced sense of disappointment.
Zak’s in Ballard appears to be a neighborhood burger joint, much in the spirit of A&W, except created in the visions of someone’s 14 year old son and mid-western aunt. In the window hangs a “Sorry, we’re open” sign while inside licenses plates from across the states are splattered all over the walls. (Whoever is responsible for starting this obnoxious decorating trend needs to die a torturous and aesthetically displeasing death.) And was I supposed to be observing a surfing/beach theme? But to be honest, I didn’t really care about the décor as it was so cliché it’s almost not worth mentioning- and I would be eating outside.
(Photo diclaimer: not an actual Zak’s burger.)
My friend and I ordered our food and our bill came to 25 dollars. 25 dollars! Our lunch included the following: one bacon cheeseburger with fries and a shake, and one salmon burger with fries and a pop. It was by no means horrible. In the same breath, it was by no means incredible. My salmon tasted slightly like beef, which I understood considering it was the primary attraction, (but I wondered if/how they managed to please a vegan crowd with beef-tainted Boca.) They only do one thing, but I didn’t see any real effort to hone in on that specialty. I certainly didn’t see their food backing up their prices.
Perhaps I’m deluding myself with “back in my day” notions of how things were and should continue to be. The problem is, I’m only 23 and fairly certain I have much time left before I’ve completely lost touch. I remember this café in Chicago that made the best grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. It was as expensive as the heftier sandwiches on the menu, but worth its price as this was the most perfect grilled cheese and tomato sandwich I’ve experienced to this day. Chicago is better place because of the Pick Me Up Café.
When deciding where to find standard American fare in Ballard, there seem to be plenty of cozy cafes that will grill the board shorts off Zak’s and leave more than bus fare in your pocket.
