Zest

One of my favorite places to go for lunch or a quick bite. I've always been greeted with kindness and the food is wonderful. My favorite is the Lunch time bento box, dragon roll and ginger salad.

The food recommendations were spot on. The lobster tacos were absolutely amazing!! Allie, our bartender server, not only gave us the awesome food recommendations, her suggested cocktails were delicious!! Highly recommend Zest for great food, great atmosphere and recommend asking for Allie for great service!!

Zest is a long-time downtown Roswell staple and my husband and I dine here fairly often. Overall, I do recommend their food - the sushi is always really yummy and fresh. Most recently, I opted for the Asian chicken lettuce wraps and they were absolutely delightful- fresh, crisp and packed with flavor. I highly recommend trying if you want something a little lighter. In terms of sushi, I really enjoy the scorpion roll because it has a little heat and I also love the rainbow roll for its freshness. We always order the seaweed salad too which is great. In terms of the atmosphere, they have a spacious indoor dining and bar area that’s always well kept. The outdoor patio along canton street is the real gem though if you can snag a table. Service is a bit inconsistent for us - sometimes it’s really great and other times it seems they can be under staffed with servers having too many individual tables.

Zest Sushi and Small Plates is average at best, a far cry from high quality Japanese fare. From a strict culinary perspective, Zest deserves 2 stars, in my opinion. But when you factor in the affordable price tag and amiable service, 3 stars is more like it. Here is what we ate, in order of preference: Kiss of Death Roll (A-): Very flavorful, although not spicy at all Polynesian Pork Belly (B+): Nice seasoning, although we’ve had much better Mocktail – Mint Mule (B+): Very refreshing Butter Garlic Oysters (B): Decent Tempura Veggie (C+): Too soft, almost soggy Fish & Chips (C-): The fries were very good, but the fish was terrible (insipid, soggy) Tuna Nigiri (D+): I’ve had better grocery store nigiri Salmon Poke Crunch (D): Just bad poke. No flavor whatsoever Mocktail – Lychee Limeade (D-): Just no flavor, utterly forgettable Gyoza Dumplings (F): The worst gyozas ever. Limp and soggy On the positive side, we only spent $118 for a 3-person meal, before tipping (2 mocktails, water, 7 small plates, 1 larger entrée, no alcohol). We won’t be returning to Zest Sushi.

We finally made it to Zest and wish it didn’t take us so long to get here! Delicious Asian small plates and sushi partnered with an assortment of sake and STELLAR service from the bartenders Allie and Adam to the General Manager Anthony. We tried the Pork Belly, Veggie Tempura, Bonzai Brussels, Lettuce Wraps and Roswell Roll. All of which met or exceeded our expectations! We will definitely be back to try some of their other dishes and to check out their other daily specials :)

We go to Zest weekly and have for years. The food is great. The service is great. The restaurant looks really nice, especially after the renovation. However, the AC hasn’t worked for several weeks and that’s a problem. The poor staff are sweating as they are running around serving their customers. The restaurant was SO warm tonight it was almost cooler outside on a 90 degree day. I also wonder what this heat does to fish. There are many more than one heating and air companies in Atlanta and I see NO reason why this problem has gone on for SO long in an Atlanta summer. If management doesn’t understand this, come sit and have a nice toasty meal in your restaurant. Please solve this crazy situation ASAP before the word gets out and customers have a standoff and hopefully not the employees. Somebody step up and GET AC ASAP.

Allie was great I appreciate her focus as well as listening to a small complaint about the how things were served and this means the pork belly I’m used to having it in one solid piece they slice it up, but in many places it is served as a solid piece and the customer can cut it themselves…I’ve realized that that just dries it out but in this case, it was very good!!!

Our server, Mario, truly exceeded our expectations with his exceptional service. He was not only attentive to our needs but also provided insightful recommendations that enhanced our dining experience. His personable demeanor made us feel welcomed and valued throughout our meal. The food was outstanding—each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor, showcasing the chef's skill and creativity. The atmosphere of the restaurant was equally impressive, striking the perfect balance between lively and cozy, making it an ideal spot for both intimate dinners and celebratory gatherings. I left feeling completely satisfied and eager to return for another visit!