Zambrero, Douglas Village

Short Answer

The food's good and the staff are sound, but the value just isn't there. Especially with Boojum in town doing it much cheaper. I'd score it 6.9 out of 10.

I called into Zambrero in Douglas Village Shopping Centre today to try it out, and here's the honest rundown.

The Setup

The branch is in the food court, handy enough if you're already in the centre. The quality of the ingredients was genuinely good. No complaints there. And the staff were friendly, which always counts for a lot.

The Price Problem

The problem is the price. A large chipotle chicken bowl is €15.60 with no extras and no drink. I went for the small bowl at around €12 and it didn't fill me. The bowl wasn't full at the counter, so the server offered me more rice. I asked for more chicken instead and was told that wasn't allowed, so I topped it with hot sauce, cheese and sour cream and left it at that.

It tasted good, to be fair. But here's where it falls down for me. Compared to Boojum, where I get a large and a Coke for €12, there's just no comparison. In Zambrero the beef costs extra, so a burrito and a drink would run you around €18 or €19. That's too much for what it is.

The Verdict

Decent food, friendly staff, good ingredients. But you're paying a premium that the experience doesn't quite justify when there's better value a short walk away.

Cork Xtra Scorecard

• Location: 7/10
• Staff: 7.5/10
• Food: 7/10
• Value: 5.5/10
• Overall: 6.9/10