Zaks Waterside Grill & Bar in Norwich

What's the point in during your reservation you ask where you want to be sat to then turn up and be offered the exact opposite of what you booked? Not only did I not book a high chair table due to a family member just having surgery we were then placed in the cold and complete lack of atmosphere conservatory. The server was rude and frosty towards us and quite frankly ruined my husband's birthday meal. I was looking forward to this but I cannot recommend this place any less now.

Firstly arrive and try to park in the tinniest car park ! We get seated and waited and waited and waited for a good 20 minutes for drinks order to be taken. Drinks came eventually and then totally ignored. Serving staff looked over then walked away and no order taken for an hour of us sitting there. Finally did come and take food order and when food arrived it was good. Can’t really complain about that but then trying to get a second round of drinks was hard work. No one seemed to want to serve! Seriously need to look at the service side of things. Won’t be hurrying back which is a shame as food was good

Took a while to get the bill but food was good as always.

A delightful family restaurant a classic America diner. Wings Wednesday is a personal favorite where it is all you can eat wings. Also a fabulous selection of drinks. Great desserts, great drinks, great food, great vibes and a great restaurant.

Loved it! Food was great and Amazing black cherry sundae dessert 🍨 would definitely go there again 😋

Love this place and the ribs are unreal 10/10

Just had another great meal at Zak’s. Well worth the visit!

2nd time I've visited and its just beautiful food, and nice to get a hood amount for the money. We will be coking back for our anniversary meal. There was a lovely staff member there too didn't catch her name but she was really sweet and friendly. Can't wait to return

Nice food, all hot and fresh but small portions for the price. If you order a burger & fries like my hubby though, it will fill you up for sure! But, I got about 5miniscule bite-size onion rings and 4chicken wings with sauce on the side and those two things cost me £14!!!! Then, the server wanted to rake my full cup of sauce away when it was still full! That alone cost me £2!! I was not leaving my Tennesee sauce behind. ~A bit ridiculous with the prices but we wanted to try them and now we know.

Loved this place. Waitress was such a lovely lady, so friendly and exceptional service. She even didn't mind our dog pestering her for treats!

Loved this place. Waitress was such a lovely lady, so friendly and exceptional service. She even didn't mind our dog pestering her for treats!

Some of the best wings I’ve had in the UK and the tater tots are addicting. All the portion sizes are large (you won’t go home hungry) and it’s all at a surprisingly low price. This has been a go to spot for a while now, highly recommend if you’re into simple, American style food!

Some of the best wings I’ve had in the UK and the tater tots are addicting. All the portion sizes are large (you won’t go home hungry) and it’s all at a surprisingly low price. This has been a go to spot for a while now, highly recommend if you’re into simple, American style food!

We had an amazing experience at the Riverside branch after being turned away from Poringland branch. The food was amazing and so was the staff. The atmosphere was very loud for my partner who wears hearing aids and I noticed there was a little baby on the other table who couldn’t settle down not sure why but I assumed the very loud music was disturbing. Overall it was amazing!!

Went to zaks for the first time. And I wasn't disappointed. The Atmosphere was great. The service was great. And the food was excellent. Very good portion sizes. I can't fault it in anyway. I would highly recommend people go and try it. I will definitely be going back again.

A pleasant breakfast experience overlooking the river.

Now you don't come here for the gourmet cuisine. but it hits the spot with me and the kids each time! Young and friendly staff means you get great service, try anything on the menu JUST HARD PASS on the milkshakes which are the weakest in Norwich (By this i mean they are thin and not thick shakes- if you like the best thick shakes you go to Five Guys!) Great burgers though- my favourite is the Maverick (mostly becusee I can make Top Gun gags through out the meal) definitely try with the fam-a-lam!

You can't beat Wings Wednesday, however - never have the Lime & Tequila sauce as its basically vinegar/acid!!!

Food is always good and staff are friendly

Myself and my wife love american diner which is the reason we came to zaks. Unfortunately we was somewhat rather disappointed with this experience as this was our 1st wedding anniversary. The food was not as good as we thought it would be and the customer service was not much better. Zaks diner should be greatful we was not mystery customers. Upon receiving our food a "check back" is normal practice. We did not get this. I would not recommend this place to come to zaks diner.

Zaks never disappoints, always our go to for a great burger

As always, a visit to Zaks is a pleasure! Never visited this one before as we've always gone to Mousehold; this was more convenient for us to walk back into the city. Amazing food and drink as always and fab service.

Burger was awful, it's like someone had stuck a syringe in to the meat & sucked the life out of it, that's how dry it was, & no flavour either, the only thing that made it slightly edible, was the mayo, & the chargrilled edges certainly didn't compliment it.

Staff very helpful and friendly food was great

I had The American breakfast with Pancakes 🥞 😋

Wife and I fancied a Sunday morning breakfast and having heard great things about Zak's decided to give it a go. We arrived around 11:00 and parked in the small car park with no issues. There was a beautiful classic American car parked outside. On entering, we were greeted warmly and asked whether we wanted to sit inside or outside? We chose outside despite the inside of the restaurant having some very cool looking American/Rock and Roll Memorabilia. This turned out to be a great move as the view from the outside terrace is amazing. A very friendly waitress took our order (1 large American and 1 small American breakfast ). And shortly after brought us two cups of tea (You get bottomless teas or coffees with the breakfasts a nice touch). We sat back and enjoyed the views and the conversations form other guests, a couple of who were obviously in a rock & roll band that had played last night. It was a great, friendly, and chilled vibe. When the food arrived, it was great, the sausage patties tasted like they had been charcoal grilled and were worth the price of entry on their own, the rest of the meal didn't disappoint in either quality or quantity, we paid the bill which came to a remarkably reasonable £19 (we added a 22% tip as the service was excellent). We will be going back. A high thank you to all the staff at Zak's, they run a remarkably great restaurant and do it well.

Found a hair underneath my fries half way through eating my food. The lovely server Tiegan was super helpful and swapped my burger for some wings but they were absolutely disgusting, really dry and the sauce was really sweet. It was such a shame I felt so bad sending both dishes back but it was a bit annoying as it was my birthday. Definitely seems like the issue is quantity over quality. The tables were sticky and the toilet had what looked like sauce smeared on the sink and no soap. Definitely debating on ever going to eat at Zak’s again.

Great food went to wings it Wednesday and tried many different flavours. Great food and great staff. Thank you so much 😁

Just had a unlimited wings Wednesday And got to say they were full of meat and tasted delicious! Highly recommend and I’m definitely going again A1

Went to Zaks on Saturday for lunch with my partner and as per usual the staff were excellent. Super friendly and always smiling as usual, food came out quick and piping hot. Atmosphere on the patio in the sun by the river is always great! Burger was cooked perfectly to how i asked. However, i orderd my usual hogfather and it tasted completely different, i was then informed that the bbq sauce has changed and the burgers are now frozen which had me really dissapointed and to be fair i could tell whilst eating it. It didnt have that same juicy delicous taste like it used too. I wish i had been told this prior to my order but thats nobodys fault to be fair. For the price of the burger i would expect it to be fresh. I would recommend zaks to friends and family.

Great food , the portions where big .

Amazing venue by the river. The food is excellent an the staff r very friendly. If u in Norwich it's a place u must visit 4 the best burgers in town. Wi definitely be back.

Went for breakfast on a Sunday morning. It was nice, not a huge menu but nice.

Great American Dinner meals (burgers, hot dogs, etc.) Served quickly by super friendly staff in a classic styled dinner. Great views of the river Yare, with Cow Tower on the opposite bank.

Lovely little place..staff very welcoming, and food is awesome!

Went and had breakfast for Father's Day. Really busy but the staff were all over it. Food was delicious and as per there was tonnes of it.

A great little diner, great food and friendly staff. Portion sizes good and good was served hot. Good quality ingredients.

Had a lovely yea there tonight the staff were all amazing the food was delicious will definitely call again

Great food a drinks, the shakes are to die for

I always go on a Wednesday to get 'Wing it wednesday', all you can eat wings for £12 what a bargin! To my suprise the price has now gone up! It's not like the menu isn't expensive enough.. now the only (what was a) great deal is just as expensive. I can't see myself going back to Zaks again unless the prices decrease.. which is a shame as it was one of my favourites. (I ended up walking back out after seeing the changed price on the wall) 😑

Can't beat a Zaks, been to all of them a few times now and never disappointed, if you love proper fill ups you'll love this place! Personal favourite is the Meltdown Burger 😋😋😋 perfect for families too! My wife and 2 kids love it!

Always 10/10 service, incredible vegan menu, been going here for years and it they never disappoint!!

Had a wonderful time. Staff were polite and friendly, and food was good! Usually go to the one in Great Yarmouth but this was is just as good too.

We visited (2 adults, 2 children) for Saturday dinner. The selection of food available was really impressive and we all enjoyed what we had chosen very much! I am veggie and the Vegfather was delicious, as was the vegan chocolate desert. The children's portions were very decent and they even did mini junior portions of the deserts that had caught their eye. Big thumbs up, as they'd never had finished the adults portions! I am 8 months pregnant and we had originally been seated on high chairs in the conservatory area, but without asking, the lovely server moved us to a more comfortable low table once the former guests had settled their bill. Exceptional customer service, going above and beyond - thank you! Only downside to the visit was parking, we ended up having to park in a residential road 3 mins away (across pedestrian crossing from Nuffield Health) as Zac's car park was chocka block. Would not put us off from returning if we are in the area again though!

Awesome as always. Highly recommend the mega rump.

Beautiful location, great vegetarian and vegan menus! Staff were friendly too.

Average meal, not as good as it used to be. Table wasn't ready so we were sent to the bar - fine, but the person behind the bar was busy doing drinks for tables and didn't even acknowledge us! Waited for 10 mins then got sat down without a drink. Waited another 10 mins to actually order drinks then again, another wait to order food. Food was average. Not much for your money compared to what you used to get Waitresses unorganised - no management obvious to us. Disappointed and won't go back.

Lovely place, large portions and tasty

DONT GO HERE. Food is terrible, you could make this at home. Tasted bland, everything felt like it was shop bought. Ended up making me feel sick (I’m not sure if the meat was even cooked properly). Staff were constantly pestering. Nice look out onto the river but a shame the atmosphere wasn’t as lovely. Seats were uncomfortable. Food was overpriced.

Bland bland BLAND America theme rly cool how ever food was over priced and tasted rank, felt ill afterwards, waitress was aggressive

It was a lovely early dinner, we sat outside without booking a table. Food was lovely and service was great. Great value for money and portions were huge!

An amazing spot to enjoy the sun! The setting with the castle and the river is stunning. The staff are all so friendly, smiley and helpful! We love hot food but the chilli was way too spicy. Also recommend melting the cheese on the burgers and nachos. We appreciated the attention to detail on the vegan and vegetarian menus!! Thank you!

It seems to be a thing that the people of Norwich who love Zak’s have their own favourite one of the three. So, of the triumvirate, my heart is definitely with Zak’s Waterside. In spring and summer, I love sitting out by the river and watching the swans and paddle boarders go by, but even in the rain the conservatory has its own charm and shares the really special view of Cow Tower. The food is mostly burgers but with a lot of fun variations on that theme, and always generously portioned. I’m a vegetarian and the veggie versions always suit my taste and include the Moving Mountains option (although I can’t speak for the vegans). If you’re a meat eater, my friends swear by the ribs. I’m American and whilst I can’t offer a view on the authenticity of the place, I find the enthusiasm and love for all things American at all three Zak’s to be quite endearing. Thank you Zak’s for many happy visits.🇺🇸🍔🍟

I love Zaks, have dined at both waterside and Mousehold for decades, was proper excited for the new burgers, tried the Swiss Made with garlic mushrooms at mousehold, it did not match the image of melted Swiss cheese covered in garlic mushrooms, but a nearly warm burger with a solid square of cold cheese, not good, just had same at waterside, where I specifically asked for the cheese to be melted Nd extra mushrooms, again cold not melted cheese, my friend sent theirs back to get the cheese melted, waited 10 minutes for the same meal to be returned no different other than just cold, come on guys, you're better than this

Just caught the place out the corner of my eye… Glad I did. Amazing food, great service, probably the best burger I’ve ever had!

We always come here for a cheeky lunch out, but this afternoon was absolutely delicious! My husband had the hogfather Tennessee style and I had the new burger to the menu The Frenchy…… which I can say is by far the best burger I’ve had…. The two waitresses were and always are amazing Chelsea and Mandy, nothing is ever to much trouble for them to make sure your happy during your visit.

The food was banging and so was the waitress (i believe her name was Chelsea?) Seriously recommend this Zak’s restaurant for the service and the standards. Partner had the NEW ‘The Frenchy’ and it was absolutely amazing. I stuck with my usual hog father which was as tasty as ever.

Really good service, Served by Jayne and Theo, Food was fast and tasty, great selection and a lovely atmosphere 5/5

Wonderful quick service! Food was lovely as well as our server Jayne S sweet friendly lady brilliant waitress !

Great place to eat, especially for teenagers as the portions are generous.

Really nice food good price great staff

Food good, full vegan and veggie menu and really friendly staff 5 stars👍😃.

Food was absolutely delicious. Cooked to perfection. Staff and service excellent very friendly. Couldn’t of asked for better

Although it looks small there is plenty of room and the staff are very friendly. Food is excellent so we'll worth a visit.

This was one of the best places I have been to. The food was fantastic, filling, and very good. The waiters were very kind and sweet. The atmosphere with this diner was very eye-appealing and also clean. I would really recommend this place for family outings or simply hanging out with friends.

Went to the waterside on Saturday for some lunch with my girlfriend as we hadn't been for a while. We were seated quickly and given time to have a look at the menu. The waitress asked if we wanted some drinks first which was quick. We ordered our starters and mains and again didn't seem that long of a wait which was good. Food was nice..came out hot and the chicken which was nice and moist too. My girlfriend had the burger which she said was nice. The only thing that let the experience down was a large group of males on a table that were incredibly loud and some of the convo spoken wasn't really ideal esp if there had been kids present too. Overall a nice experience and would come again.

Had a lovely meal last night, service and food 1st class always a nice place to enjoy a evening meal 😋

enjoyed food as always when I visit here

Great all round, good plate of food, tastes good, fast service

I have recently made two family visits to Zaks Riverside. On both occasions the meals were of good quality as was the service. I will return and would recommend this restaurant.

Great eating house Apparently it used to be the local morgue Food great and staff well worth the visit

Staff very efficient and helpful.

Parking can be a problem at times apart from that it's great.

A great little diner with a burger for everyone! There's a lot of choice, but it's all very yummy and they have frickles! What's now to love?

Popped in early Sunday with no booking. We were shown to a table immediately, the waitress was very polite, she took our order within a couple of minutes and our food and drinks turned up in good time, the food was hot and very tasty, the atmosphere was very good and we were not rushed at all even though it had gotten very busy. First time having breakfast here, but won't be the last.

This place is nice with friendly helpful staff

I liked it. I could not say that it was 100% USA experience in terms of food, but it was good enough for me.

Absolutely love Zaks, never had a bad burger all the years we've been going. What made it even better was the 2-4-1 offer they had on.

Had a great time at Zaks. Food was excellent. The house French fries are some if the best ever, the burgers are cooked to order perfectly. I'd especially recommend the blue cheese burger but it was a difficult choice as they offer so many great sounding burger options. We tried the fried pickles (frickles) and cheese churros as well and both were very tasty. Staff are friendly and attentive. Atmosphere, music and decor are all perfect for an American Diner experience.

Great food and service at a very reasonable price 👍🏻 There's parking out the front and just enough spaces for the restaurant.

Great burger with tasty Gluten Free bun & plenty of GF options. Was disappointed the fry’s weren’t GF but they jacket potato was very tasty. Great BBQ sauce on the Rock House burger👌

I love coming to Zak’s, ever since I was a little girl each year for my birthday! The food is incredible. I love the burgers and chips. Everyone is always so welcoming. They do the best lemon and lime drink!

excellent burger and i love PB burger the most. staffs are nice but lack of knowledge re. Love Club. how do i know how many points in my card and how to use my points?

Third time this year, always brilliant service and great food. Very busy today but the food came out quicker. Very limited parking but never have had a problem with the on street parking.

Great place to come for a burger, never dissapoints. 18 types of chargrilled burgers, amongst other grills and hotdogs ~ my favourite is the 'Meltdown burger' Got to have the curly fries.. Really nice restaurant inside, american themed, good music played in the background (jukebox classics 👍). Was lucky today ~ had two for one on the burgers 🍔 our go to if fancying something for a change 👍 Lovely friendly staff. Parking at Zaks grill and bar on barrack Street is a little small!! highly advise to book a table as its very popular here.

Have been a regular customer at Zaks over the years but unfortunately on my last visit we were not very impressed. The burger rolls had clearly been defrosted and then toasted but the top half my roll was almost frozen in the middle. Hope this was a one off. Did try to to write to management on facebook to explain the situation but didn't receive a reply.

Delicious meal at Zaks last week - Super quick service and very friendly and welcoming staff. Food was so tasty and fresh. Only downside is lack of parking but luckily I managed to get a space before it got too busy. I hadn't been to the Waterside one in years but I will be returning very soon :)

Best place for American-style food in Norwich. I went this evening with my partner, we didn't book and it was rammed but they managed to set us up with a table anyway. We were then informed that there is a Thursday night deal where you get two burgers or hot dogs for the price of one, which is incredibly good value for money. The food came and my partner and I had eaten and gone in 30 minutes, just to emphasise how speedy our service was. The food was phenomenal and at an extremely reasonable price compared to other restaurants, truly a classic.

I used to visit here as a kid, before i got sucked into to the logic of a foodie and by my own admission Zak’s was not a place I wanted to visit. This review is effectively a long overdue apology to Zak’s. Booked by my mother in law for my daughters birthday, we were warmly welcomed by the friendly and attentive staff, drinks orders taken and swiftly arrived (couldn’t resist trying my daughters mint chocolate shake, which was absolutely delicious) then the menu perusal, which offers loads of choice all along the American dining theme, burgers, hotdogs, wings etc. Orders taken and arrived, all cooked to order, piping hot and subsequently devoured, everything was superb. One thing Zak’s was noted for when I was a kid and in subsequent years through others, was there huge portion sizes and the sheer amount (of what must have been) a mountain of wasted food, but this seems to have been addressed, the portion sizes were perfect. We will definitely be back, genuinely quality food, very good value for money and friendly, attentive and efficient staff, really really enjoyed it.

Good food and the servers were very attentive.

Went with mother in wheelchair. Couldnt of been more helpful. Food and service was excellent as always

Really outstanding customer service I ordered two burgers with Fry's and I made the mistake of not realising which Zak's to collect it from. I have a dogey foot and for me to walk to the other Zak's would have meant a lot of pain. So I was fully expecting a refund and disappointment. No.....they had a staff member get into his car and collect it from one Zak's to the other where I was. THAT is brilliant customer service. I don't need to tell you the burger was delicious because they always are, but suffice to say this is just another reason to go and sample this great establishment. Go here.... because it's brilliant. Thank you Zak's See you again soon.

Do apologise, food was great, so much I couldn't finish mine, everyone with me loved it too. Food was smashing thanks Chefs' and the waiters were really nice, very sociable and pleasant. The music and atmosphere are fantastic as always. 11/10 Cheers for a great meal and time :)

Had breakfast and it was Fabulous

Amazing burgers. The PB was incredible. Really enjoyed our meal out and the interior was fun and authentic enough!

I love the everything about this place, retro, relaxing, tasty and a vibe. (devoured the hot dawg in the pic before I took it)

Lovely food, and some interesting decor, unfortunately though not at all busy, we we're made to feel rushed out of the establishment.

Breakfast is amazing, staff were lovely but didn't appreciate being sat down next to a large group of parents with screaming children, but hey ho, for £12 breakfast it was lovely!

Very nice and authentic American diner serving some great food. I love the food here and it is always super tasty, I particularly love the curly fries here, they are amazing. Service is always really friendly and attentive and the restaurant is decorated in a nice way to represent American diner culture. Recommended if you are a fan of burgers and other American dishes ! 🇺🇸

Great spot, nice food, not much parking on site thought