Z's Café is Round Lake's newest hidden gem for a delicious brunch
The front of strip-mall restaurant Z's Café and Gaming in Round Lake may look more like a casino than a restaurant, but don't let that deter you. Inside is a pleasant mix of delicious food, casual seating and real Italian coffee. You barely even notice the selection of slot machines hiding behind a wall of shelves. The rest of the restaurant is comfortable with a handful of tables, several lounge chairs and board games to play while you wait. Z's is a great example of the current trend of culinary excellence hiding among an almost boring exterior.
We went on a Saturday morning for brunch. The restaurant is a hybrid of counter and table service. You come in, choose your seat, order at the counter, and then everything else is table service with incredibly friendly waitstaff. The menu itself is smaller than the typical brunch spot but hits all the basics: waffles, pancakes, egg dishes, French toast, biscuits and gravy, burgers and sandwiches. Because Z's stays open until midnight for the slot machines, you're also able to get beer, wine and the perennial brunch mimosa. All the typical coffee shop drinks are available as well, and I definitely recommend getting some. The owner told us the coffee is imported from Filicori Zecchini, a 100-year-old roaster in Bologna, Italy.
We ordered a full spread for breakfast: the veggie skillet with over-medium eggs, a meat lover omelet, a Belgian waffle with strawberries, French toast with bananas, and ham, a biscuit and fruit on the side. The portion sizes were massive, so be prepared to take some food home; even the slices of toast were large.
My veggie skillet came with spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, two eggs, cheese and a mass of potatoes underneath. Right away, I noticed two things: the eggs were a perfect over-medium, exactly how I wanted them, and the broccoli wasn't just small chunks, it was entire pieces of broccoli. And it was fresh, crisp and filling. All of the vegetables were fresh and cooked al dente, which was a nice contrast to the potatoes underneath that had gone slightly mushy. Overall, I was thrilled with the dish - it's great for someone who loves vegetables at any time of day. I also had the side of fruit, and it was nice to see a different blend than the normal grapes, pineapples and melon. Z's fruit side had blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, bananas and oranges. It was a nice change from what everyone else is doing.
We were equally impressed with the three-extra-large-egg meat lover omelet, stuffed with an ample amount of ham, sausage, bacon, onions, green peppers and cheddar. Again, all of the vegetables were incredibly fresh. The omelet overflowed with meat and had a lot of cheese, which we enjoyed. It's definitely something we would order again.
Both the Belgian waffle and French toast were cooked really well. The waffle was crisp on the outside and soft inside with both fresh strawberries and strawberry syrup. The French toast was three thick and fluffy slices of brioche, cut in half and covered in powdered sugar and freshly sliced bananas. The batter is infused with vanilla, and that flavor came through really well. It was a better example of French toast than I've found elsewhere.
The ham and buttermilk biscuit sides were both quite good. For the ham, it was a large, thick slice, lightly fried to retain the moisture and amplify the flavor instead of destroying it. The biscuit was also griddled, cut in half and fried in butter so it was nicely crisp on the outside but soft and thick on the inside.
On the way out, we were stopped in our tracks by the next table over's food - an overflowing plate of biscuits and gravy, and what looked like one of the best burgers I've seen, tall with lots of toppings and a perfectly shiny pretzel bun. We were already planning on coming back at some point because the food was so good, but their plates convinced us to come back sooner rather than later.
Z's Café and Gaming
435 N. Wilson Road, Round Lake, (224) 338-0299, zs-cafe-and-gaming.business.site/
<b>Cuisine:</b> Brunch
<b>Setting:</b> Casual
<b>Entrees:</b> $7-$10
<b>Hours:</b> 7 a.m. to midnight daily
<i>Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.</i>