Zayda Buddy's Pizza

06/29/2008 Posted by jefftd

First things first, I grew up in the mid-west, so the pizza here is the style I grew up with. Having been consistently disappointed with the pizza this far west, I am always looking for new things. (I should probably mention that I lived in Chicago and like more than one pizza style.) Zayda's has been constantly improving since I first went in, and by no means have I exhausted the menu, though I have never had food I considered merely passable. Every restaurant has good and bad nights, and if you don't realize this you shouldn't dine out. This is a place I enjoy taking people to eat, though by no means would I say everything is perfect,

06/02/2008 Posted by luckyian

locally owned zayda buddy's brings Minnesota style pizza to the already eclectic neighborhood of ballard. fresh ingredients, sauce made daily, even the grenadine is made lovingly on site. during football season, you can find many relaxing in the bar drinking pints brought specially from the Midwest watching their favorite teams.

05/11/2008 Posted by cenote

beautiful ambience and very relaxed and comforatable atmosphere. awesome service. pizza is the best. i loved the ballard bridge. the cocktails were done with all fresh ingredients and damn does it show. the margaritas and the bloody mary are the best i've ever had. never had bratwurst and cheesecurds that are this good either, and i get to enjoy them with a leinenkugel's beer which my boyfriend tells me is the best beer from wisconsin.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/10/2008 Posted by ballardipolitan

This place is fine, it really is, but I don't know why they keep saying they are family friendly when they don't even have highchairs or booster seats. I guess they are family friendly for those with kids aged 8 and up??

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/04/2008 Posted by whynoteatout

The thing I like about Zayda Buddy's is the fried stuff and beer that reminds me of, well, the midwest! Now, obviously you can't eat it every night, but if you need something deeply fried, the cheese curds are the best (closest to the real Wisconsin kind I've had out here) and the tots are killer. If you're in the mood for a meal, the burgers are solid and the sloppy joe is outstanding. The drinks are super good (great bartenders). But don't expect "Seattle" fare. It's not that way and it doesn't pretend to be. It's definitely midwest, and not Chicago or even Minneapolis midwest, but small town midwest. I still think people may come in and not know this, so I felt I had to say it! I've never had a problem with the service, but then, I usually go late on the slow nights.

Pros: Cheese curds, Tots, Sloppy Joe, Fun beers

Cons: No mac and cheese yet!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

01/14/2008 Posted by joshrwa

love this place. the pizza was totally awesome and i love the bar. cool place to go just for the bar.

12/11/2007 Posted by eastsidemama

I came all the way from the eastside to try the "new pizza place" in Ballard with friends. It has swanky and fun atmosphere. The dark wood booths are cozy, and the overall atmosphere is sophisticated and stylish. Don't miss Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck in the ladies' restroom. We shared the cheese curds with a yummy dipping sauce, and two pizzas- tapenade and a traditional margerita. Both had thin, crispy crusts, which I love. We took the leftovers home, and they were great the next day too. I didn't try the cocktails, but saw lots of fun choices and great Minnesota beers. Next time, I'll have to try some of the fun cocktails and home-cookin' dishes on the menu. Despite what some other reviews said, our service was great. The place was busy, but not packed, so we were seated immediately. The waitress was quick to take our order, and refill our drinks (without our needing to ask). It's a cool place to hang out with friends or bring the family.

Pros: Stylish and Fun Atmosphere

12/09/2007 Posted by easterinseattle

I apparently moved out of Ballard just as all the new condos and restaurants started opening up! I headed back over to my old neighborhood this past weekend and saw that even Leary Way has some hip new places. Friends and I went into Zayda Buddy's and were happy to find a unique spot. Their menu is an original take on pizzas and sandwiches (though I'm not sure I'm going for the deep fried burger any time soon . . . . one of you guys can go for that). We tried the thin crust tapenade pizza which was really flavorful. The drink special was a funky margaritta which also went down well. They also had some guilty pleasures like tater tot casserole and cheese curds (a mid-west take on mott sticks) on the menu. The cheese curds were great comfort food in the rainy season. I'll have to go back for the 'tots. The atmosphere was funky and comfortable. Nice big booths and cool old picturess on the walls. It was a great place with a little attitude to get together for a casual dinner with friends.

Pros: great atmosphere and unique drinks, good comfort food

Cons: little lighter fare

11/22/2007 Posted by signin9

My friends and I were there on Sunday night. The place was very cozy, trendy, casual, and hip. The service was exceptional and pizza was very flavorful and delicately cooked. Salad was very classic. Try Minnesota Pop for a drink. It is very clean and fresh. The whole experience was very pleasant. You've got to check out this place.

11/05/2007 Posted by leslie4you

I started off the meal with the much hyped Northstar, and was not disappointed, very tasty indeed. Our party of 3 shared an order of chicken wings and a mixed green salad. The chicken wings were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Accompanying them was a creamy barbecue dipping sauce which helped to dampen the spice of the wings so that they made your mouth tingle, but not flame. The salad was a bit boring considering the price, but was plentiful and the vinaigrette was nummy. We finished with a large number 1, and while I think this pizza could be good, I think the trick is to not have too many toppings... This was too many toppings and so the middle of the pizza ended up like soggy cracker, not crispy. All in all, it was a nice experience, and I'm sure I'll be back to try other comfort fare.