Zebulon

Man, their burgers rocked! And so did the décor, exposed brick walls.
(shakes fist at the new Transbay Terminal)

Zebulon has been submitted to the Unilocal Obituaries.
Zebulon, a restaurant and bar located in the SOMA district, has been reported dead by a close source. The cause of death is eminent domain by the government.
Zebulon was a place known for it good ambiance and cool paintings on the wall. It had a cool den upstairs and plenty of seating for groups.
Happy hour was the most happening time at Zebulon. The bartenders made good drinks and were always very attentive to people at the bar.
As for food, Zebulon was known for its bomb ass sweet potato fries. Everyone would be begging for there to be one more fry in the bucket. Their cries still echo the halls of Zebulon «one more, one more sweet potato fry. Pleeassse.»
Zebulon is survived by its faithful patrons and lovely employees. Hopefully one day in the near future, Zebulon finds a new location and makes a triumphant return from the dead.

I hadn’t been back to Zebulon since late 2005 when I was a student of advertising at the Academy of Art. We used to stop into the place, at that time a bit of a hole in the wall with too few seats, and spend a few hours working over happy hour drinks.
Imagine my surprise when I walked into a comparatively cavernous space with a greatly expanded menu, plentiful seating, and so many FiDi lunchers that the line took as long as Chipotle’s to get through. Ok maybe not that long but it was still a good seven minute wait.
Ok quick question guys… what happened to the free Wi-​Fi? Zebulon was one of my favorite study-​lounges BECAUSE it had an internet connection.
The bar and happy hour still look otherwise solid with the addition of a new DJ booth upstairs which I seriously hope doesn’t mean it’s antisocially loud by 5pm. I mean, I used to DJ… and I know DJs love to hear their own volume the way an obnoxious guy at the end of the bar likes to hear his own voice.
But I digress.
Lunch was remarkably good and for the price it was absolutely fantastic. I enjoyed a Barron Davis, which is a chicken & avocado sandwich with melted cheddar on whole wheat bread that is due for a re-​naming and a bit messy to eat but otherwise very good. The Cobb salad across the table from me was a pretty large portion and seemed to be both fresh & tasty, though I was paying more attention to the conversation than I was a meal I didn’t intend to munch on.
Part of me misses the funky old Zebulon but I can’t complain about the improvements. It’s near enough to my place of work that I know I’ll be back.

This is a great place to grab a bite to eat during lunch time. While I have only tried their mexican hamburger (twice), everything my friends have ordered have looked great. The mexican hamburger is delicious. I’m not sure if it’s a regular item but if you see it, go for it.
The ambiance gets a little loud but I like the atmosphere and it is a good place to break the routine from work.

Zebulon is a good place for those week day lunches, after work happy hours and private get togethers and events. The place is situated as such that you can easily reserve a certain section or group of tables for your own group.
They have appetizers, burgers, salads, french fries (both regular and sweet potato) and a full bar. They have pints of different beers or specialty cocktails and offer discounts during happy hour.
I recently met a friend here for lunch, I had the Ahi Tuna Burger with Sweet Potato Fries. The Ahi was fresh, so I didn’t mind it seared a little and mostly raw inside. You can’t do that with a frozen ahi steak — not the same at all. The sweet potatoes were crispy and tasty, definitely enough for sharing.

Came here tonight for Happy Hour. It was great! We stayed long after the drink specials stopped, which was at 7pm. We arrived around 6pm and had to sit upstairs because the rest of the restaurant was full. Upstairs there were a few Ikea style coffee and side tables with ottomans. This is also where the DJ is set up. The DJ was GREAT! Every song was fantastic.
We opted for well drinks– $ 3 each.
Service was good. Atmosphere was great. Convenient location. Perfect for a date.

What can I say about Zebulon? Good food (for bar appetizers) — awful service. I came here a few weeks ago with a group of old coworkers. We were really excited to meet up with each other and looking forward to catching up. Unfortunately, the majority of the night was spent tracking down our waiter (and anyone else who could bother themselves to stop by our table).
From the beginning, I had asked him if he know of any dishes that may have been gluten free — His response: So… vegetarian?
Me: Um… well, no. Anything that doesn’t contain or come in contact with Wheat, Rye, Barley, or normal oats — no soy sauce or marinades that might contain it either… etc.
So, he gave me a look — sorry to inconvenience you… Like a have a choice that I have celiac disease!!! Then I went so far as to ask if he could ask the chef for what would be safe to eat. I already knew that the soybeans and plain rice were fine, but I wanted to know what else I could have. No such luck.
He never bothered to ask the chef what I could eat, he forgot several drinks and appetizers. When the drinks did arrive, the order was wrong and several of the drinks were completely watered down because they had been sitting for quite a while. When the food eventually arrived it was cold too.
Needless to say, I won’t be recommending this place to anyone anytime soon… unless you’re fine with bad service.

Walked into this place with no expectations and with a party of 8. After leaving Dada, a few blocks away, we headed over to Zebulon. All of us were starving hungry and after having a few drinks on an empty stomach, it was time to munch and get something in our bellies before getting the party started.
We walked in and sat down right away. It was a thursday night, so it was a bit empty. The place is pretty nice. It almost had a tropical vibe to it but that might be the pre drinks talking. So we went ahead and ordered a few more drinks. (Yes, we were in a drinking binge) The mojitos were great. Not too strong, not too sugary, perfect blend of rum and mint. I would recommend it.
We got smart and finally ordered some food. The calamari is a must try! and the Tuna Tartar, and Sweet Potato fries were really tasty. As far as Happy Hour, I will come back and find out! They were advertising $ 5 dollar Award Winning Caipirihnas, so I will come back from them!
*Note: Service was good. The waiter was nice and friendly but he did forget my buddy’s drink :(

I’m assuming the owner (s) is/​are Filipino (s) based on the fact they have Chicken Adobo Sliders and most of the waiters are Filipinos. Does anyone know if this is true?
I’ve been here twice for lunch and once for happy hour. First time, I had the Adobo Sliders and the second time, I had the Adobo Sliders. Yes, I like the Adobo Sliders that much to pass up everything else on the menu. lol. I’ll try something different the next time I go back. Maybe I’ll try their Pork Bulgogi like the others say on here.
Anyways, a good, laid back spot to come to for lunch or HH. Nice, young guys working here and they reasonably priced too.

Zebu-​BLAH
I’ve been coming to Zebulon on/​off for the past 4 years. Along with John Colins, it was a staple HH place after work. Last night was the first time I came for dinner.
Nicole S. and I arrived at 5:45 PM and were seated promptly.
FOOD:
*Sweet Potato Fries: The SWP were fried to a perfect crisp and were nice and soft in the center; however, it was heavily salted which masked the sweetness from the sweet potato. The chili aioli was creamy and added a nice fiery kick to the fries.
*Lumpia: Errr, 2 pieces of lumpia for $ 9??? The lumpia was basically pork and mushroom «egg rolls»; I guess I was expecting lumpia shanghai?. Upon arrival, the wrapper was already crumbling off and the filling was dry, so I really had to utilize that sweet and sour sauce.
*Garlic Noodles: Blah! Maybe I was expecting PPQish garlic noodles; al-​dente noodles tossed in garlicky butter? The noodles were a bit mushy and was combined with bell peppers, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, and broccoli which I thought was odd. It was really lacking that garlicky taste and with all the other ingredients, it tasted more like veggie stir-​fry chow mein.
*Pork Bulgogi: YUM! This was my fav dish out of all the dishes we had. The pork was well-​seasoned and has a slight sweet after taste, and the char marks added a great smoky flavor to it. The accompanying garlic vinegar sauce complemented the pork well and gave it a nice zing.
SERVICE:
Slow and inattentive. Although our waiter was friendly, he was nowhere to be found when we needed extra napkins and serving utensils, so we had to flag someone else down. It took over 15 minutes to get my second drink when NO one was waiting at the bar. And the reasoning? They ran out of Effen and had to buy more? Err ok…
PRICES:
Zebulon’s pricing makes NO sense whatsoever. All apps are $ 9-​$ 10 and all entrees are $ 15. One would think you would charge less for starches and veggies and more for seafood and meat…
$ 9 for fries served in a cone while the poke and tuna tartar is $ 10??? But, I suppose when you’re drunk and craving something fried, all sensible reasoning goes out the door?
The garlic noodles were $ 15 as well as the pork bulgogi which again makes NO sense.
AMBIANCE/​DECOR:
The set-​up reminds me of the old John Colins esp with the red brick walls and cool paintings. Just like the old JC there’s a main area for lounging/​drinking (minus the couches and ottomans) and then a stairway to go upstairs to the DJ area. However, Zebulon does have the extra section to the right where private events are normally held.
When it gets packed esp on Thurs/​Fri nights, it gets LOUD and it’s very difficult to hold any type of conversation w/​o having to yell in the person’s ears next to you. So, you may want to tote a megaphone in your bag if you want to be heard.
CROWD:
Nearby FIDI/​SOMA professionals from Mon-​Fri. However, on the Fri nights that I’ve been to Zebulon the crowd tends to be predominately Asians.
PARKING:
Street parking. There’s also a lot directly across from Zebulon which is a $ 10 flat rate.
Overall Zebulon is a great place to chill and unwind after a stressful day of work for DRINKS ONLY. For food, go elsewhere…

If i could give this place 3.5*, i would.
Great space (big and interesting), good food
I came here for lunch with a co-​worker for the first time today. I’m not usually a fan of sandwiches, but they have paninis for $ 5– YUM.
— Palermo Panini: Mozarella, Chicken, Bacon, Tomato on a foccacia grilled to perfection. The sandwich is Not huge, but big enough for me.
— Sweet Potato Fries: $ 3. SO yummy. Probably the best sweet potato fries i’ve ever had
Would love for them to have more panini choices; 3 is a little lacking, esp when 2 of them are pretty much the same… with just substitutes of Pesto Sauce with Bacon.
Would love to come back here again

Sweet potato fries!
I’ll be honest — that’s what drew me in…
Three out-​of-​towners looking for a spot to have lunch, and I suggest Zebulon based on the fact that I saw sweet potato fries on the menu…
Centrally located, this fast casual, welcoming restaurant was a-​ok in my book albeit a tad bit on the slow side during lunch. Once we finally ordered and sat down, it was all good — it just took a long while to do that!
Our group shared an order of the sweet potato fries and 2 of us (including me) had the grilled shrimp salad while the other went for the «not your classic caesar.» I had a tad bit of order envy looking at that… note to self: go with the «not your classic caesar» next time.
While my experience at Zebulon wasn’t amazing, it is perfect for what it is… a consistent lunch spot with fresh salads and sandwiches and sweet potato fries! I’d be happy to return again next visit to San Fran. One request — how about some unsweetened iced tea on the menu? I hear unsweet tea goes really well with… you guessed it: sweet potato fries!

Happy Hour Friday with Karen Y~
Sometimes, I use my sliding system to rate a place. Start out with 3 stars (neutral), then move up or down depending on each situation.
REAAAADY? START!
(+) seated right away by the bar. 4
(+) live DJ spinning. very awesome. 5
(-) super crowded. huge parties with only 3 servers total. 4
(-) waited at least 10 minutes for someone to come around. no server. no menu. 3
(-) asked bartender whether we can order from him, who rudely said no. 2
(+) finally the busboy got a server for us. 3
(+) server was apologetic for the wait. 4
(-) hh nachos were not very good tasting. small plate. flimsy chips. boo! 3
(-) another unsuccessful attempt to get a server. 2
(+) got the busboy to put in an order for us. 3
(+) hh garlic fries were yummy. crunchy. garlicky. very tasty. 4
(-) tired of waiting, we had to look for a server for our check. 3
(-) then because ppl were waiting for our table, we got up and left to hunt down our server for our change. 2
Definitely had ‘experienced better’. I’ll stick to Zebulon for lunch.

The burgers and sweet potato fries are to die for. Zebulon is great for lunch (although the line does get long). It’s defintiely the type of place you’d miss if you didn’t know it was there.
actually has gift certificates for this place that can really save you money.

ok

Zebulon is partitioned into two rooms, the one with the bar is for coed happy coworkers while the other looked like it was for serious all female venting sessions.
The chicken satay sticks are perfect if you’re a group of 4, because you get one each. If you’re a party of 5, ordering this may cause some serious hurt feelings. If you’re a party of 3, Darwin’s theory proves correct all the time.

«Hot Mess: (noun) Term used to describe somebody that has NO REASON to look the way that they are looking at the time. Also describes somebody who is looking like a DAMN FOOL.»
Zebulon, to begin, this is the first restaurant that I’ve been to in San Francisco that serves some type of Filipino fusion food and yet it seems like I’m one of the only Filipinos in the room. If you think of any type of restaurant the serves anything remotely Filipino, the majority of their clientele are always Filipino families from Daly City. Random observation, I know.
Anywho, I am a huge fan of their drinks. Joe?, the bartender, knows how to make them to perfection. 2 cosmos, 2 glasses of champagne, and a shot of I forgot later, I was the epitome of a hot mess. For one, never hit on a guy that came with his boyfriend. That was pretty embarrassing, thankfully I cannot recall the incident. As far as the food, I am a HUGE fan of their sweet potato fries and the sauce for their calamari was the best, way better than dipping it with soy sauce and vinegar.
+4 for now because I have yet to try the adobo sliders. Once that happens, I’ll probably update review.

What better way to warm up on a cold, rainy day than with a drink or two at Happy Hour!
We started off with a lychee martini (
), the tuna poke (
), and fried calamari (
)…nom nom nom!!! After more people arrived, the drinks were flowing and I had to order the sweet potato fries (
) to absorb more alcohol. The fires are always yummy… hot and crispy!
Service was great! Our server, Ruby, remembered what everyone ordered and would just come by and say…“want another?” Drinking with boys is dangerous because they always say, «bring another round.» EEEK.
Great Happy Hour, but now its time to detox!

Zebulon, my dear Zebulon! I hold a very special place in my heart for Zebulon because it was the location for my big 30^th birthday bash (which now seems so long ago!) I was stoked to find out that it’s owned by Filipinos and that some of the menu items reflected the native cuisine. SWEET!!! Anywhooters, the whole place was mine for that infamous evening. We had the food (some catered by Zeb) in the room where the kitchen is, and the other side with the bar is where we had the lounging and dancing. Must haves at Zeb are the sweet potato fries (perfect seasoning), lumpia, chicken adobo, and garlic fried rice. There are more options if you have a private party, like veggie dip, chips and salsa, etc., The staff there is awesome, and at the time of my big partaay, I think there was 1 bartender and 1 bouncer.
Anyway, everyone that attended my party had a great time. They thought it was an awesome spot, with ample parking and easy to find. The restaurant layout was cool for those who wanted to chill and eat inside or outside (for the smokers), and for others who wanted to be barside and party like rock stars. Even my cousins, who are the biggest partiers I know, had a blast! Shewt, my parents had the best time (and by golly, I saw my mom drinking!!). Special shout out to my gal, Jeannette, who helped plan the big event (and took care of me later that eve). Hey, my motto was ‘go big or go home!’ and boy, did I go big! Hee hee, oh the memories!
I’ve been to Zeb a number of times, (for Happy Hour or dinner) after my big partaay, and have flashbacks of the fun event every time I’m there. Food and service are good (but can be slow if über crowded during the Happy Hour, but tapers off after 8pmish).

Having recently been forced and coerced into stopping in here for happy hour, I was reminded why this place is just lame. I still think lunch during the work week isn’t that bad, but man, somehow if you had to take every dot com employee who flat-​out sucked (personality, style, life, the whole shebang), and put them in one area, Zebulon would be their ground zero.
It’s not that the beers they pour are bad, but again, perhaps because of forces unknown to man, there is an utter hum drumness that pervades.
As a proud citizen of bar culture in San Francisco, I simply cannot advocate going here. If you must go, leave soon, and I guess go to Varnish, even John Colins across the street is a step up, and that’s saying something.