Zorbaz

Some of the best Mexican food we have ever had. Sitting on the back porch was so nice

We haven’t been to Zorbaz on Gull Lake for years and decided to try their pizza tonight! It was ready on time and tasted amazing with generous toppings! Well worth the money! Thanks for a fantastic supper! We’ll be back!!

When we got there, a football game was going and everyone was really enjoying themselves. We sat down ordered, and everything was out quickly. It was really yummy, and our girls loved their pizza.

Haven't been to this location in ages, but it's still great. Everyone working was so friendly and helpful. Order at the bar, and they get the food out quickly. I interacted with four different employees, and each one was exceptional. Made our ten month-old refried beans, and he loved them. Thank you so much for a great family lunch!

I am extremely disappointed and disturbed by what happened at Zorbaz on Gull Lake. The tall, blonde-haired bouncer was inappropriately touching and groping my friend. When we confronted him and told him to stop, he denied it, accused us of lying, and then proceeded to kick us out. There are many vulnerable young women who come here and rely on security to keep them safe, and they did the absolute opposite of that tonight. This kind of behavior is completely unacceptable, and I hope the management takes this seriously. No one should feel unsafe in an establishment like this. I strongly urge others to be cautious and for the business to take immediate action. I do not have the bouncers name, but attached the best photo I have of him.

You can never have bad pizza. Right? Well, I noticed the ratings for their pizza was very high but I felt it was average. Cool decor. Service was very fast and Staff was friendly for our large group of several hundred.

This place is great as a stop off the lake or if you are looking or a louder party/bar atmosphere, but not well done fast casual food. Really not a family place. We brought the family and that may color my impression a little strong. The food we had was a burrito, spaghetti, and a small pizza. The burrito was good, but not as good as other fast casual burritos, I am used to from the other chains. It was seasoned well, the meat was nothing exciting a little bland, but over all good. The spaghetti is a kind of pricey for what we got, a bit watery, but good enough. The pizza took way longer than the rest of the food, was still not fully cooked, the crust was not great, but okay. I would say if you are coming here for the fun atmosphere you have the place, but not a food destination. We happened to be there with live music, well done cover band! Gave it a fun up north on the lake atmosphere! A little loud, but I am not a music guy...

You go to the counter to order your food and drinks. They were quite busy so we had to wait for the burritos. Pizza came out quite quickly. Food was great, drinks were great... I'd really like to go back again..

My first Zorbaz visit - Gull Lake. I've heard so much about this restaurant and was expecting to be amazed! But honestly, I was a little disappointed that it was an order at the bar type experience. For the prices, I was hoping for better service. Restaurant FOH was dirty - made me nervous eating the food. The nachos were good! But the toppings needed to be spread out more evenly. It was a heap in the middle and many chips left naked. Pizzas were alright - overdone. The globs of guac and sour cream were unnecessary. Cheese wasn't gooey like I expect pizza to be. hammerschlagen available only on Friday & Saturday?! Lame. It was a rainy day - so I think the vibe might have been different with live music and the shades up. I might try it again, but won't go out of my way to visit.

We had a wonderful time here! The place was buzzing with fun energy and the bartenders/servers were super fun! We ordered several things. First we got the Macho Nachoz, which were really good. The jalapeños were super fresh and gave it a really nice kick! We got two pizzas to share--Zorba the Greek and Lowden Zpecial. We got the Greek one without olives and loved it! The pesto added a lot to the flavor. I've had the Lowden at several locations and it's never disappointed me and it was just as tasty as ever here!

Haven't been back here in 10 years and it's still SO GOOD! Family always gets the Mexican pizza.. and it's a must! The chicken and bean burritos are also out of this world. Make sure to stop by here for great beer and food!

What a great place! Came across this place while searching for dog friendly patios and this one came up. We almost ate some place else, but glad we decided to eat here. Ambiance is great- Indoor and outdoor. It reminds me of some place I would see in Austin, TX. Stage outside, places to eat outside and on the upper covered deck that protected us from the rain. Food ordered: Cheese quesadillas Spaghetti Dinner Pregnant beef burrito Reuben pizza and some drinks. We received a sweet bithday frozen drink that was very tasty! Very reasonably priced. Excellent service when they bring the food out. Ordering of food and drinks is all done at the bar and they bring the food to you. Great place to eat. Everyone in our party really liked that place. Highly recommnend!

Can be confusing if you have never been here. You order at the counter and most likely have to clean your own table but the food and drinks are great.

Ya know... I've always thought an important part of creating a "brand," like Zorbaz for example, was to provide customers with a certain level of consistency and expectation in products and services. It happens in dining options ranging from Capital Grille to McDonald's. From my experience, the idea has been a flop in the very limited geographic world of Zorbaz. For the record, I've eaten at various Zorbaz locations, usually begrudgingly: Battle Lake, McGregor, Cross Lake, Park Rapids, Gull Lake, Grand Rapids and a couple more. A couple of weeks ago I enjoyed great service (and Zorbas Chicken Bowl...#4 I think) in Grand Rapids. The experience was a huge step up from previous visits to the "brand;" fresh food that looked carefully put together and served at the correct temperature. Restrooms were clean and staff was attentive and smiling. A manager was visible and supportive of team members. My YELP review stated my new found optimism. I was actually looking forward to a future Zorbaz "vizit." Boy, was I wrong. A few days ago we visited the Gull Lake location and reality struck. Messy restrooms, two preoccupied bartenders who appeared overwhelmed with the four guests at the bar and my anticipated Zorbaz Bowl #4. It was cold, obviously slapped together and the chicken, which was generally tasteless, more closely resembled pulled beef. Even the Dr. Pepper was off flavored but the lemonade was fine. By the way, our visit was actually early in the evening as we were leaving when the entertainer was just starting to perform. Consider the experience if the restaurant was busy! There are better options where you'll find service, consistency and cleanliness.

A surprising find on a weekday afternoon that proved to be just what we needed. Something about the ambience was reminiscent of beach clubs by the sea in far away places, Thailand maybe? Anyhow, it was a great place to hang out on a particularly languid afternoon, delicious pizza and cold drinks before repairing to the outdoor pool at our cabin to cool off. Orders are placed at counter then delivered to your table. If you can stand the heat, I highly recommend the Mexican pizza. I wish I was in town long enough to see how it gets over the weekend.

Great stop for dinner after a full day of fishing on Gull and surrounding lakes. The vibe was good, the food was delicious and the service outstanding.

Definitely seems to be the type of place to enjoy for a late night drink, partying, and dancing (post-COVID). They're a bit well known for pizza, but outside of just having some unique mixtures, I can't say I was blown away. The Lowden Special was good, but definitely not a top tier pizza by any means. Was the first pizza I'd ever had with peanut butter though, and that's not a bad thing.

A great place for the whole family or friends get together. You can get here by car or boat. There is a dock outside the restaurant. For years, this place has been where my family go for food when we go to the cabin. You do need to place your order at the counter and you'll receive a number where they'll bring food to you. Outdoor has live music, volleyball, and bean bag toss. Dogs are welcomed. Indoor has an arcade and machine run pull tabs. The chips, salsa, and queso are bottomless. I had the zpaghetti dinner, which was delicious and filling. My husband had the hot hawg pizza, which was delicious.

The food was good, service was decent and our table was treated well. They were out of two of our favorites, hence the 4 stars.

Ok. Get their chips, queso and salsa. Yum. What a fun must-go bar! Right on Gull Lake, with boats pulling up all day and fun and food for the whole family. This drink was the "blue bobber" but I also enjoyed their blended piña colada! A great place to hang out and enjoy the people watching and comings and goings of all the boats. I didn't try any of their food except the chips and salsa, so I have to go back!

Spent a day on Gull Lake with friends and after a tour of most of the Lake stopped in for dinner. Zorbaz is a legend on the lake and has a festive atmosphere, has beach volleyball and ample outdoor dining. The restaurant is Mexican and Pizza fusion environment and they have a pretty eclectic menu. The Mexican food is distinctly Minnesotan Americana flavor which isn't too spicy and pretty standard items which suits the clientele. The pizza tasted good but again it wasn't a pizza you would remember.or tell others about. I'm not knocking it in any way you are paying for a killer environment drinks and chips and salsa and I'm always hunting for killer Mexican food that isn't what Z is about.

Food was excellent. We had personal size pizzas and the Colorado burrito. We also had 3 zkinny margaritaz. They were worse than terrible. We've had the zkinny margaritaz at the Zorbaz by Dorset before. They were excellent there, especially for a skinny Margarita. Not sure what the issue was, but they were almost undrinkable. One person in our party couldn't force it down.

You can never have bad pizza. Right? Well, I noticed the ratings for their pizza was very high but I felt it was average. Cool decor. Service was very fast and Staff was friendly for our large group of several hundred.

Our first trip to Zorba's for carry out this year. To be kind the pizza was very disappointing. And for two bad pizzas the cost was excessive. In fact even if the pizzas had been good, it was way too expensive. Zorbas was my "go to" for many years but I'll be looking elsewhere now.

We had a special weekend and treated ourselves to dinner out. I don't mind paying $12 a meal; however, it should be worth it there was just a tiny bit of cheese in my grandson's quesadilla and I had no cheese anywhere near my burrito full of taco meat. Weird piece of lettuce came with. This is Mexican. No. Please improve. I'm begging you.

Went here on our annual family vacation to the Brainerd area! Not your standard restaurant where you sit at a table and are served by a waitress as you go up to the bar and order your food. Some may not like this, however it plays into the relaxed and casual atmosphere and feels kind of like a hangout or club with awesome drinks and food. The pizza was incredible and was fast! Definitely recommend as a fun casual date spot or a place to bring kids!

This place has multiple perzonalitiezzz. A Tuesday lunch experience is very different from a Friday night experience. If you want a packed loud party bar, visit on a weekend night. If you want a quick and easy casual lunch with the fam, weekdays might be your ticket. Our group of 9 swung in for a pizza lunch at the picnic tables outside. There is no traditional restaurant service. You order everything yourself at the bar, grab your own plates, napkins, and tableware, and a number for your food to eventually be delivered. We tried a few different pizzas for our group and everyone was happy - traditional pepperoni plus the PETA, Thai, and Cubano. The pies came out relatively quickly, extremely hot, and we had leftovers which you can box up yourself, of course. Oh, and everything on the menu and every sign in the place replaces each "s" with a "z" just to be cute or whatever. I spared continuing that tradition for this review, you're welcome.

Visited here while in the area on vacation. Great spot for an easy dinner. Definite divey bar feel along with live music and outdoor area. The pizzas and drinks were great - just what we were looking for in an easy weeknight outing. The Zorbaritas were perfectly mixed. We made our own pizza and it maybe took about 15 mins from when we ordered it to when it arrived at the table. The staff are lively and helpful, adding to the colourful atmosphere of the restaurant. If you're looking for a decent pizza while you're around the lakes, check this place out!

Disgusting dirty and the food was terrible! Never ever again! Even our children say it was disgusting and our kids eat EVERYTHING!

Fun atmosphere. Great location on Upper Gull Lake. Good beer selection. Decent drinks. Adequate food.

We love going to Zorbaz when going up north. The Macho Nachos are always a treat! Great place to take the kids or group of friends.

We stopped here with a pontoon rental. Friendly staff and great food for the value. The chicken quesadilla was delicious and not too heavy on the cheese. The white queso with chips was tasty and gone in about 2 minutes. The wings were the best I've had; we ordered the hot with buffalo sauce on the side. They were large and super juicy/moist.

The counter service was great. But...that's all you get. The staff wears masks but the clientele does not and nobody respects your space when you are inside grabbing water, refills, using the bathroom, etc. I'm not docking their stars for customer's behavior. All I'm saying is there isn't any service beyond a fast food joint and the food is drab. You have a view of water if you are on the deck but it's not picturesque. The Mexican pizza was soggy but our other pizza was decent. Apparently the spaghetti is good but I never think of that as summer lake food. This place will always be busy and prosper based on reputation and location. I just don't think it's gonna be my jam.

This review is based on two experiences we've had with Zorbaz; one we ate in, the other we ordered takeout. Food: For dine-in, it's great. I really enjoyed the food and they had a wide variety of options. I ordered an asian pizza and it was great. For takeout, I felt like the pizza didn't travel as well as it should? Kind of strange, but I won't complain since I know what they can do. Service: In the restaurant, it was a little bit slower, but that place gets busy. The servers were as attentive as they could be and I was appreciative of that. Atmosphere: The live music was so fun! Loved the outdoor patio seating, but even indoors I think we would've been pretty content. It's certainly worth stopping by on your trip to the area! Itz the bezt!

It's been a very very long time since I've been to Zorbaz. Their pizza, wow, it was tasty. Love the vibe, drinks, and pizza!!!

Always a busy place in the summer. I visited in October after cabin season was over and this place was quiet. Mexican food is good and plentiful. We enjoyed the taco salad with a crisp shell and we tried the platter with a hard shell, cheeserito and a huge burrito. The salsa is soooo good I could drink that stuff. The pizza is also good with fresh veggies and meat with a thin crust. The music is usually country except weekend music is more like pop or dance music. The place was packed for their Halloween party. A lot of people were dressed up including the bartenders.

We've been coming here for years. As a 20- something I loved the night life and now that I'm older with kids we enjoy the outdoor seating along the lake. My biggest complaint is their lack of a kids menu as even their options that would work as kids meals aren't the most kid-friendly. The closest would be their kids pizza or spaghetti but if your kid isn't into either of those the options go down to practically nothing from there. Their pizza is awesome and SO filling. I've never had one that wasn't this way ha! It can get very busy on the nicest days of the summer so expect a wait then otherwise we typically find a table pretty quickly.

Fun place to eat. Live entertainment and friendly wait staff. Right on the waterway so you can pull up with the boat and dock if desired. Good selection of pizzas to choose from with a lot of toppings. Highly recommend!

After stopping in a few times on vacation I can say that I will be back. Out of the experiences I have had here most of them have been positive. I am a fan of the atmosphere in this place. It's fun and lake themed and overall just a good time. The vast majority of the staff I have been helped by have been very kind and helpful. I enjoy the ordering system. When you are ready to have food or a drink you go to the bar and order it. It really lets you determine the pace of your own meal which is awesome! The food is pretty good. Certainly better than the food at most themed bars like this. It's pretty refreshing to see that you aren't just paying to eat bad food in a cool atmosphere. I usually go for the pizza and my friends always get the burritos. I was really impressed with the nachos last time I was there. Absolutely HUGE! The last time I stopped in I was really disappointed with the service. Our bartender at the outdoor bar was extremely rude to my group and the other groups we saw him take care of for what seemed like no reason. With that said I will be back hoping for another amazing experience like all of my other visits!

This definitely would be your basic bar food! always a fun and a bit crazy at night atmosphere lol but they do have a bus that if you sign up for can take you back to your house so you dont have to drive back at night if you have been drinking and you can go back in the morning to pick your car up which I think overall is a pretty good idea especially up here with all the lakes! Its not too expensive and in the long run much more worth it then getting pulled over! You can never go wrong here ordering a pizza I love the taco one or really anything with Italian sausage my aunt loves the pad Thai pizza from here, I also would recommend their nachos! I wouldnt have too high expectations of cleansingness here but its fun and a great place to play games (they have pool and arcade activities) sit out by the lake or deck and sometimes even listen to live entertainment.

I have been to Nisswa/Brainerd something like 10-15 times over the years but have never taken the time to get to this local mainstay. Last week while there I had occasion to experience Zorbaz twice. One night the entire extended family went over for dinner and for me, that was a pretty lackluster outing - the food was decent but it's a "place your own order and they drop it off place" like Jason's Deli, so there isn't any service to speak of. Their kitschy menu with every single S replaced with a Z made my brain hurt and the entire "party" vibe inside had a very Lake of the Ozarks feel which is just not my thing. That being said, we also hosted a race this weekend at BIR nearby and Zorbaz did a FANTASTIC job catering for us, the food was a massive hit (tacos usually are!), the employees (particularly Shaun!) who loaded up my car for me were prompt, helpful, took the time to make sure I had everything I needed to feed 100 people, etc. So I would absolutely use them again for that!

Good sausage pizza and the Minnesota margarita is tasty. The outside deck is a great atmosphere for a meal and cocktails.

I got pizza and cheese bread to go. The staff was very friendly and service was quick. The cheese bread was great but I've had better pizza from under a heat lamp at a gas station. I will be looking elsewhere if I'm ever in this area again

Zorbaz is a Minnesota lakes country institution. Its quirky, fun, food is good (you will overeat). I've been to most of the Zorbaz locations, but this one is one of the highest energy ones. Drive-up docks for boats, beach volleyball, live music, lots of outdoor seating right on the lake.

Zorbaz is a must visit in the lakes area. Eat outside along the lake and watch the boats go by while listening to live music. Doesn't get much better than that. Excellent beer selection and the food is good. Great for families as well!

I'm from out of town so didn't know this place is a dive. We just wanted Mexican food and this was close by. Yikes. This food was not good. Beans were very dry. Rice was very dry. Enchiladas were bland and mushy. We ordered three different meals yet they all looked like the same sloppy mess. Not good. Don't recommend. I had to pick this food up and I wore a mask inside. Most people were not wearing masks or social distancing but it was nice to see staff wearing masks. Thank you.

We've come to this place many time in the summer months and it's been pleasant. So I can recommend it during the summer months. It's January 2 and it's cold out and they don't heat the place. People in here wearing their winter coats and stocking hats and asking for the heat to be turned on. An older lady bartender when asked to heat the other part of the restaurant said we've already dealt with that today we're not going to heat it anymore. I bought a $30 pizza it came cold and got even colder because the inside of the room is cold. I've had the unfortunate experience of dealing with this bartender twice now and she seems so unable to be concerned about anything other than flirting with the guys at the bar. A group of six people just walked in sat down at a table said oh it's chilly in here they ask for the heat to be turned up. They also were informed that that had been dealt with today and wasn't going to be turned up. So I guess in the fall winter and spring months if you enjoy cold pizza rude bartenders this is the place for you. If not stay away until summer. The table of six has just walked out saying it's too cold. Our tab here today will be over $65.00 for two people and we won't be back until June if ever. The blonde bartender with the messy bun should just be replaced she lacks communication skills. Name (Em**Y

Great place to eat on the lake. Nachos and queso . Great drink menu with great. CRaft beer. Have to go inside if you don't want canned beer. FYI

My family and I came here over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We got to sit at the back table which was large and round so everyone got to catch and up and face each other while talking. We ordered pizza and nachos, which were just okay. Pizza better than the nachos. Probably won't order them again because they were under cooked, but it wasn't the worst. I would recommend drinking beer or shots here if you're trying to drink. I can't even count how many cocktails (mixed drinks) I had all night, and I wasn't feeling it as much as I should have, and I'm a light weight. They pour the normal amount of alcohol per drink, 1 shot per glass, and fill the glass to the top with ice... So I consumed 8 drinks and 3 shots and was still sober. Lol At least there was a good DJ, with a dance floor and my company was amazing. Also, the employers had great customer service and were super friendly! With the bad and the good, over all 3 stars.

The food was barely edible. You have to place your order at the bar and it gets brought out in bits and pieces. I'd rather get my whole order but I suppose the microwaves they use to cook the food cant accommodate an entire tables worth of food. But honestly doing it this way makes no one accountable for the real let down, which is the food. My husband and I each had the enchilada, it was a mushy tortilla and lukewarm pulled chicken. My daughter had a pizza. The pizza came out in about 3 minutes and was burnt on the bottom. We have a timeshare with 22 other people in our group within walking distance. Never again will we be drawn in to this establishment.

Good pizza. Staff has been super rude on multiple occasions (probably because they have to deal with super drunk people there every weekend, but that's not an excuse to treat the rest of us poorly)

Not sure what people see in this place. Ordered takeout pizza for a business meeting while at GVL. When we got there, they didn't have our order and had to resubmit. Turns out, they still charged my credit card for both, so now need to dispute with Amex. Pizzas were pretty bad. Crust was pasty and toppings were unremarkable. I have to say, others in my party, who have fond childhood memories of Zorbaz, loved it. I have memories of an Italian grandmother and east coast pizza. I will skip Zorbaz in the future.

I can't believe I forgot to give this place a review:)!!! This place rocks ! Mosquitos suck. We stayed at a local hockey camp for 2 weeks (July/Aug 2016), visited Zorbaz numerous times... Food was great, service was good... Local people are awesome!!!:) Been here on quiet nights, and then there were crazy off the hook nights! (during the crazy evenings I thought I was back on Hollywood or Sunset Blvd at a club). If you've got a boat or pontoon I do recommend coming here and then go back hoping on Gull Lake. Pizza is dank, unlimited popcorn, nachos are awesome ! Coming back to visit end of July 2017 :)!!! Zorbas, here we come :)

The pizza is ok at best (good for Minnesota pizza) but there service was terrible. The guy treated me like I was a felon ordering food because I have tattoos. He was rude and didn't make my drinks the right way. The guy that I paid with was also treating me the same way. The only person that had good service skills was the girl who got me a refill. I won't come back here. This was a perfect example of profiling, but I'm not a felon and have never been in trouble. I didn't tip for the bad service.

Everyone is always raving about the pizza. So we decided to give it a try. Meh, nothing that stood out to me. It wasn't bad, even though they did get my order wrong. Just nothing standoutish. So to me, not worth the price. One thing I have to say is it was dirty, I mean seriously don't look around. Which is why I gave it a low star rating. I really hope there kitchen is cleaner....

Heard all the hype of this place, visited with my daughter. Not impressed with the service, pizza was ok. The bartender was nice, she made a "fun" drink for my daughter. Probably wouldn't return unless someone else wanted to go there.

Yummy! That's all I can say! It was so good and different. I loved the live music. The people were very friendly. Nice fun place to hang out and great food.