Powered By OpenTable: Restaurant Reservations. Right this way.
Restaurant Reservations - Free • Instant • Confirmed

  • Zeal

  • Online Reservations

Reserve at Zeal

Date

mm/dd/yyyy

Time
Party Size
Zeal
Zeal

Zeal Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.Zealforfood.com
  • Phone: (847) 995-0188
  • Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday 11 am-12am
    Saturday 4pm - 1:00 am
    Closed Sunday
    Live Music Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday Evenings
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian, Prime Rib, Steak
  • Executive Chef: Chef Vince Pecora
  • Dress Code: Business Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Catering: ZEAL can cater your event from 10 to 10,000. Weddings, Private parties, Corporate events. Call for 847-995-0188 for details.
  • Entertainment: The bar/lounge hosts live entertainment on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Music ranges from easy listening to pop, and there is a cozy little dance floor for those who want to dance the night away.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Higgins Road and Mall Drive
  • Public Transit: There are multiple bus stops in the area. ZEAL is located just south of Woodfield Mall, down the street from Lord and Taylor.
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Parking Details: ZEAL has its own private lot providing ample space for guests.
A word from Zeal
Zeal is a new restaurant in the Woodfield-Schaumburg area that serves great mix of Italian, Steaks, Chops, Tapas, and Seafood. Everything is Homemade, all from the finest and freshest ingredients. Experience Chef Vince and his unique take on food. Chef Vince Pecora has been serving great food… since 1990. Weddings, Private parties, Corporate events, and even the President of the United States and Air Force One. The bar/lounge area serves fantastic drinks including specialty martinis and hosts live entertainment several nights a week. There is also a cozy dance floor for those who want to dance the night away. The personal touch of a family-owned restaurant and over 50 years of experience in the restaurant business is what makes Zeal unique to the area. Continued
Foodspotting photos
See all photos >
Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerItalian
  • Diners' Choice WinnerFit for Foodies
  • Diners' Choice WinnerVibrant Bar Scene
Diner Reviews
  • "Every blue hair in the western suburbs must have been there. ..no one under 50. No cocktail menu. About 7 wines on the wine list. 4 beer taps. Service was deathly slow and the waitress was obviously overwhelmed by her job. Food was better than expected, especially considering the tacky decor. Overpriced for what you get. I think all of the excellent reviews must be a reflection of the clientele's low expectations and not the actual restaurant."
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "Liked it so much, I brought my family the next day, and they all LOVED it. Not an easy crowd to please, and we'll be back!"
    Dined on 7/25/2014
  • "We have loved the last few times we visited Zeal and it is now one of our favorite restaurants. The one distraction was the Colossal Pretzel which was not fresh but the cheese sauce was good if you like cheese fondue. That is how I considered the dish was a cheese fondue. I will be back to try their outside seating and different appetizers."
    Dined on 7/24/2014
  • "We went to Zeal on a recommendation from a client. Heard great things about the service and food. We were not disappointed! The service was great the food was outstanding. But then we got to dessert and we were blown away by the Choc Chip Gelato with Carmel Corn and Salted Carmel. Chef Vince came to our table an the onset and pointed out the most wonderful things. Downside it was hard to choose what to try we wanted it all."
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "The staff is very friendly, the food was good, but I wish I'd tried something other than the Braciole, which was not pounded as thinly as I'm used to. The lobster options were intriguing; next time. It seems as though they're still in the throes of remodeling; it would be very good if they figure out a way to put some sound-dampening on the walls."
    Dined on 7/15/2014
  • "Once you get over an overly crowded dining room, and slow service, the food is terrific. The tables were very close to each other, even the servers had a hard time getting from table to table, thus leading to slow service. Saving grace was that Chef Vince walked the dining room and was genuinely concerned with everyone's dining experience. His recommendations were spot on, and his favorite dessert was simply decadent!! If they could find a way to reduce the noise level at dinner, this would be a must stop among all the restaurant choices in Schaumburg. As it is, we would not hesitate to recommend Zeal to everyone."
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "We've been twice and have brought 4 other couples all together. Everyone has enjoyed the food (and Linda's service) and plan to return. Chef-owned local places are our favorites. Welcome to the neighborhood!"
    Dined on 7/12/2014
  • "This is a solid restaurant overall. The ambiance is a little nicer than a sports bar, the service is fast and friendly for the most part and the food is well-prepared. The new light-up menus are cool and are much easier to read."
    Dined on 7/3/2014
  • "Salted Carmel gelato was AWESOME! Everything else was pretty mediocre."
    Dined on 7/2/2014
  • "Food was not good, I had stuffed meatballs that were so tough it was hard to cut them with a knife. My daughter had baked pasta and was up all night with a stomach ache. Also, when we arrived the hostess asked if we were celebrating an occasion, my husband said yes, it was my birthday. As we were walking to the table the hostess told the waitress it was my birthday. Yet, no acknowledgement of it at all. Why ask? The waitress was very put out when I asked her about the specials, since we couldn't see the board where they were listed, and made a big point of how busy she was (there was another table right next to us with 5 people)."
    Dined on 7/1/2014
  • "Pleasantly surprised at the menu choices and quantity of food served. I can't say enough about the food, we dined on the Meatball Salad, Chix Parm and Gnocchi Suprema which was excellent!!! I can't wait to go back and try the other items that I had a hard time choosing from. Chef Vince was very approachable and staff friendly. Ended meal with Hazelnut Gelato and a cannoli which also was great! Pricing was very reasonable and I would definitely recommend Zeal."
    Dined on 6/28/2014
  • "Good from start to finish. Great Cosmo, dipping oil and bread were great, food was excellent, portions were huge and our waitress, Andrea, was efficient and fun. Would definitely go again."
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "We had a very nice meal with very good service. The menu provides a very good selection and is nicely priced."
    Dined on 6/26/2014
  • "At last the Schaumburg area has a restaurant that I would definitely recommend to family and friends. Have been there twice and the food and service have been excellent. Their chopped salad is delicious! The braciole and chicken suprema were excellent and the portions huge that can be shared by two people."
    Dined on 6/24/2014
  • "First time there and brought friends. The dipping oil is incredible. I'm guessing they use a cream of balsamic in the oil - very smooth and sweet. Everyone ordered a different entrees. We were all very happy. Prices were surprisingly reasonable. We shared and loved the monster chocolate cake. The only downside to some of the desserts, the chocolate cake and carrot cake - is that they're for sharing or taking home. We don't take home dessert. If we're not with others, we wouldn't order anything else - if they're out of cannoli, again."
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "My wife and I have eaten there on two occasions for dinner and were very pleased with the friendly staff and great food. Love the grouper francese. Extremely tender and tasty."
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "The food was good. Menu selections was were just ok. The lamb chops was really good. The eggplant parm had way to much cheese only two pieces of eggplant. It was very tasty tho. Not many grilled choices for weight conscious people. Crowd was much older than I expected however the lounge music was for an older crowd. I was with my young adult children and I dont think they would go back with their significant others."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "Great local upscale restaurant. Love the decor and food was good and priced great. Love the fact that the owner is also the chef. Our waitress was friendly. Was a bit noisy, but all the tables were filled. My lamb was good, but one was thicker than others so one was cooked medium like I asked others more well done. Will try again for sure."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "Fourth time here , food, service fantastic...love the unique menus, will bring friends back to experience the excellence"
    Dined on 6/18/2014
  • "The food was very good with one exception, the calamari steak, which had no real flavor and was a little tough. The Sea Bass was delicious so was the beef and the pasta. The portions are very large so we were very happy that we did not get a salad or an appetizer to start. The desserts were also delicious with the exception of the tiramisu, which did not have much taste. That was very disappointing. However, the carrot cake was amazing--huge portion but really delicious. We also really liked the fruit sorbets."
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • " When we first walked up the awning says "family owned and operated" which I thought was cool (i hate chain restaurants). We checked in with the hostess, which i am fairly sure was Chef Zeal's mom. We were served warm table bread and a delicious olive oil/balsamic dipping plate which had garlic, red pepper and basil mixed in. the presentation was really nice. For dinner, I ordered the Chilean sea bass with confetti rice and asparagus and it was AMAZING! the best sea bass i have had! My husband ordered the chicken Parmesan which he also liked. For dessert we ordered a slice of the homemade chocolate cake; had i known it was $14 for a slice of cake i probably would not have ordered it, but it was also very good!"
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "This is the place to go if you are craving upscale Italian food. Outstanding service both in the bar and in the dining room. Chef Vince has creative, delicious dishes to appeal to everyone. Started with the lobster roll, had the Chicken Suprema and my dining companion had the marinated skirt steak. Both of these were expertly prepared and flavorful. Don't miss the salted caramel gelato with caramel corn for dessert. Enough to share. The bar had live music, which was great. What a nice place to visit in the burbs!"
    Dined on 6/11/2014
  • "This recently opened restaurant is improving every time we visit. Keep up the good work."
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "We had a reservation for 4 at 5:45. Two of us arrived 10 minutes early, they seated us right away. Like that unlike a lot places won't seat you until the whole party was there. Very friendly staff! Waitress was very nice and atintive but not so much it felt like she was standing over us. The menus are back lit kinda cool and adds to the fun. 3 of us ordered tapas and the other a fish dinner. Everything was excellent, fresh, and plated well. I would recommend the Asian pork tapas. Best thing we have tried. There is a very large bar that had an entertainer didn't go in but the people at the bar seemed to be enjoying it. The only complant I have is the beer selection ... add more craft beers on tap and bottles and this place would be perfect."
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "I've Been here several times and have never been disappointed. The Chilian SeaBass was amazing. "
    Dined on 6/6/2014
  • "Went to this restaurant a few months ago and it was great. Went back this week with friends and ordered the same exact items, and not a good experience. The waitress had a hard time describing anything on the menu. Very forgetful. This is the same waitress we had last time, but at that time she said she had just started. We asked for bread twice, and she came back with a burnt loaf of bread and seemed surprised we commented on the blackened bread. The salad had absolutely no flavor. I ordered arrabiata sauce, and it tasted exactly the same as the salad - no taste. My husband had the chicken parmesan and it also had no flavor and was dry. Very embarrassed because we had told our friends that the food was good. "
    Dined on 6/2/2014
  • "The outstanding variety of menu choices make it very hard to make a selection. Go light with a couple of creative appetizers? Go sensible with outstanding half plate choices? Or go big and get full with the entrees! Whatever you select you will not be disappointed! Vince and his staff are very creative and you will never go wrong with any selection that you make!"
    Dined on 5/31/2014
  • "The first thing you'll notice when you sit down is the thick menu booklet. Open it and you'll be looking at pages that light up. It's really convenient to read when it's dark. I ordered the Jambalaya entrée and was shocked to see it come in a bowl big enough to hold a watermelon. You'll likely be full on the half size dishes. The atmosphere at Zeal was calm yet lively. Service was great and I would recommend going there for special occasions. "
    Dined on 5/31/2014
  • "We chose Zeal because of the gluten free menu for my daughter. The chef was extremely attentive to her needs. The food was good The gluten free pasta was a little chewy.The staff is incredibly friendly and personable; however, our waitress, although friendly, was scarce after our food was ordered. The noise level is much too high. The music is so loud that the guests at the table next to us were shouting, which made it impossible for us to hear each other. We also don't understand the need for TVs in the dining room...very distracting. While leaving, we passed the bar. We thought that the restaurant was loud, but the music in the bar was blasting with an odd older woman dancing while singing karaoke. She was the performer! Weird!! "
    Dined on 5/31/2014
  • "Try the meatball salad, it was great. Also, the carrot cake and chocolate cake were homemade and delicious."
    Dined on 5/29/2014
  • "We love this restaurant, but the TV's are not a good idea in the dining room. Very distracting to visiting and being together for a nice dinner. "
    Dined on 5/29/2014
  • "I, as many others, had seen Vince of WGN's lunchbreak. So glad I did. I ordered his Bootie pizza, my wife and friend each ordered scallops, other friend ordered sea bass. All were excellent. Wonderful preparation and presentation. Appetizers and desserts equally excellent. We will be back. "
    Dined on 5/24/2014
  • "We were there with a group of 10, the chef introduced himself and was very personable and made recommendations. We followed his suggestions and one dish was better than the next. Individual ambiance not a chain feel, nice decor, good buzz to the dining room, the menus lite up for easy reading even though the room was pleasant, and I cant wait to go back again for the food and live entertainment soon!"
    Dined on 5/22/2014
  • "I really enjoyed our dinner here. Food was great, reasonably priced. I loved it. It was a bit too loud, but maybe that's because everyone was having a good time!! Definitely recommend. "
    Dined on 5/22/2014
  • "I took my boyfriend to celebrate his birthday because I had been to Zeal twice before and knew it would not disappoint. There were a total of four birthdays being celebrated that night -- a Wednesday -- but it felt like a Saturday with the band in the lounge and people dancing. We feasted on the best gnocci ever, Melrose peppers and the Italian beef stuffed egg rolls -- then split the shrimp diavalo after enjoying great cocktails. We were stuffed but couldn't resist the cannoli cake when a waiter with an operatic voice sang happy birthday. The food is awesome and it is extra special when Chef Vince and his gorgeous wife Denise come around to chat and make sure everything is awesome. It is! Thank you!"
    Dined on 5/21/2014
  • "This was the the first time at this restaurant and the food was great with large portions. The meatball salad was wonderful and the deserts are homemade and the best. "
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "The food lacked flavor. I had a chopped salad that's dressing was overly sweet. My husband had a fried lobster tail that only tasted of oil. Must have needed to be changed. Entrees were lacking flavor. The osso bucco was cooked well but lacked flavor. The pasta special was a bit dry and the kalamata olives overwhelmed the flavor profile. We had tiramisu which was a big potion but was overly mushy. I am not sure when it was made. Overall not worth the 180 for two! "
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "I've been to Zeals several times. This was Joyce's first visit. She loved it as much as I do. Our server Linda was great. The food was plentiful and delicious. "
    Dined on 5/15/2014
  • "First time dining at Zeal and it was ok. The food was good but not great. It seemed to be very kid friendly. The desert is definitely for sharing. The chocolate cake and carrot cake was first rate!"
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "Plenty of good food, but unfortunately slow in service. Nice decor. I was told there will be an outdoor seating area in the near future. Too bad about the service.....don't know if we should try it again."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
More reviews ›
Larger map ›
Smaller map ›
Diners' Choice Awards
  • Northwest Suburbs Winners
  • Italian
  • Fit for Foodies
  • Vibrant Bar Scene
Learn more ›