Zaleski & Horvath MarketCafe

We love Z & H. We always have to stop when we are in the area. Their meats and cheeses are always incredibly fresh. The cous cous salad is amazing. They have a lot of sandwiches to choose from or you can create your own. Sam really knows what makes a great sandwhich!

I’ve been a regular here for the past four years and I love this place. Yes the sandwiches are a little expensive but they really are that delicious. The coffee is strong and the chai tea is flavorful. And when they messed up my boyfriend’s sandwich order they comped the one they made and prepared a new one, another time I ordered a jerk taco and it was quite bland and I had another one made. The cashiers know me by name and after stopping by after being away from a while, one of the staff members asked me what kept me away! This place is my Cheers.
Sandwiches to get: pig on a pretzel, lil smokey, old major and the Mae Wilson.

Great and friendly staff, perfect coffee shop ambiance, and great soups. Plus salads with actually fresh ingredients which can be rare in the Chicago winter.

If the signs posted around the place listing the rules is an indicator of the friendliness, it’s a mixed bag. Some of the signs are cute and funny (like no funny business on the Internet, or something to that effect), and others are a little less so. There’s an air of aloofness with some of the staff, while others are sweet and funny. I’ve never been impressed with the food. Today I got a basic egg sandwich which was pretty small. It was marked up $ 1.50 because it was just after 11am which is a reasonable, but unfriendly policy. The coffee, however, doesn’t disappoint. It’s a neighborhood fixture with diverse demographics, so it’s a perfect place for some coffee and people watching.

This is my boss’s favorite restaurant in Hyde Park and we often order big orders for our student programs at the University of Chicago. No more. Today Z&H got my phone order — a simple sandwich and salad — wrong, refused to correct it when I arrived to pick it up and turned me away. When I asked to speak to a manager I was told there wasn’t one on duty and was offered a refund. The message is clear — when they don’t feel like it, they don’t want your service or your money or your patronage. Well, they don’t have it, not any more. Who RUNS this place?

Takeout order. What did I ask for? The Kristen, a lightly dressed, chunk chicken sandwich with watercress and red onion. I requested the bread on the side. What did I find when a got home? A large box filled with romaine and topped with the heavy, almost minced chicken salad salad. There was no crunch to the chicken salad, so I’m pretty sure the recipe didn’t contain celery, carrots or onion. It didn’t even really taste like chicken because the shred was too fine. It really didn’t taste like anything and the texture was unbearable. Compared to the Kristen, this was more than an enormous disappointment, it was on the verge of disgusting.
The guy at the counter read me back my order and my receipt accurately reflected the same, and yet it ended up a miserable failure. The people that work here are pretty fantastic and it’s a locally owned establishment, which I’m all about supporting. They’ve got some really creative flavor combinations and overall some of the best soups and sandwiches in the neighborhood. In reading other reviews, orders have a tendency to get fuc$ed up from time to time. I will heed advice and check my order before I leave, but this lack of attention detracts from all of the things they do so well.

The last several years this was my favorite and regular place to grab coffee and breakfast. It’s been two months since I’ve been here, and today, I ordered a Daniel Tamayo and a cappuccino.
1. The espresso beverage was watered down.
2. The Daniel Tamayo used to be a chorizo-​seitan, tomato, cheese, and egg sandwich on rosemary focaccia – those days are gone. It’s now served between floppy underwhelming, tasteless slices of sourdough, and to make matters worse, the Daniel Tamayo doesn’t even contain tomato! No, it’s chorizo-​seitan, red peppers, an overwhelming onslaught of undercooked and wanting-​to-​be-​caramelized onions, an over fried egg, and cheese. It’s a different sandwich all together, and a pretty disappointing one. They should’ve changed its name, because it kinda sucks. Oh well. Yet another reminder that nothing gold can stay…

I’ve felt lukewarm about this place for a while. The prices are quite high for the quality of food, in my personal (poor student) opinion. Often a simple sandwich will run you upwards of $ 8 and I’ve had mediocre soups and salads here.
The coffee here is solid. I’m also fond of the bagels.
But the main reason I’ve bumped my review down to 3 stars is: even though the atmosphere looks cute and hip, it’s a terrible place to get work done. I hate to sound like a curmudgeon, but I typically come to coffee shops for a change of study scenery. But at Z&H the staff yells across the seating area to each other — it’s a hectic (er, lively?) environment that’s not conducive to working, even with headphones and white noise.
Between the high price and hectic atmosphere, I wouldn’t recommend — unless you’re grabbing a bite with friends, in which case noise isn’t an issue.
BUT:
At this very moment, an employee gave me a free chai, just to be nice. And it’s delicious. So now I feel like a jerk. Still not a great place to get work done, but I upped my review from 3 stars to 4 because of that random kindness-​chai :)

I went to Z&H almost once a week from freshmen to senior year of college. So, needless to say, I like it. I like it A LOT. They have friendly staff, an amazing atmosphere, excellent little groceries, and the greatest sandwich menu at any café you’ll ever go to. I’ve been lucky enough to try many of the sandwiches and salads on the menu…
Part 1: sandwiches
The Godfather — I like to get this on wheat instead of on French bread, because the balsamic/​tomato soak into the bread and make it nice and soggy in a delicious way! This sandwich is deliciousness. The roasted tomato is so flavor-​packed, it goes perfectly with the exceptionally fresh mozzarella and basil. I love to get this sandwich, especially on hotter days, because it’s so refreshing and delicious!
The Kristen — notttt in love with this one. The chicken salad was watery and the chunks of chicken were too large for the flimsy whole wheat bread. It fell apart as soon as I took a bite and the taste wasn’t super enjoyable.
Lil’ smoky & o’Malley — a delicious part of the Z&H menu, I love the tasty, unusual flavors and how they combine in this sandwich. The turkey meat is flaky and juicy. The Brie mixes with it perfectly and the tomato chutney is a creative addition.
The Marty — I’m a big fan of this vegetarian-​friendly, comfort-​food sandwich. The eggplant is great — juicy, not too greasy (it’s hard to cook eggplant without making it watery or greasy!). Muhammara is the greatest topping in the world and I would never have thought to pair it with eggplant, but it goes perfectly. Soft, sweet muenster cheese goes perfectly.
A Little Pecorino — this is arguably Z&H’s number one sandwich and almost definitely the most popular one sold there. I can’t say much other than that the flavor of this sandwich is exceptional, and if you can only go to Z&H once, this is the thing to try.
Pig on a Pretzel — the smoky ham, Swiss, pickle, and mustard go SO well together, tied together perfectly with a pretzel roll, aka the greatest kind of sandwich bread that exists.
Old major — an old standby. Is there anything bad about goat cheese? No. Is there any way to improve it? I didn’t think so until I tried it with tomato, Muhammara, and curried mayo. God yes.
90 miles to mosak — pulled pork and slaw are one of the greatest food combos in existence, and Z&H manages to do its usual incredible/​creative magic with sandwiches and improve that combo with a slew of fun ingredients.
The Daley Dip — thick, crusty French bread + delicious jus. Chicago winter food at its finest.
Part 2: salads
Fishy — I tend to sub the lemon dressing for balsamic vinegar, but otherwise this is a great salad. Smoked salmon and salad? Perfect
Ducky — the goat cheese/​grapes/​duck breast combo is PHENOMENAL. I would never have put duck on a salad. Turns out it’s the perfect protein for a salad.
Left at Laos — I’m a big fan of peanut dressing usually, but this salad is a little boring tbh. Nothing special.
Part 3: specialty nights
Taco night — Fridays and Saturdays Z&H throws down late for a delicious taco night. Weirdly enough, the best one is absolutely the sweet potato and seitan taco. Also a big fan of the beef one, but pulled pork is just eh. I seriously love getting the kale bowl with sweet potato and seitan, but I wish they’d put the dressing on the side because they tend to seriously overdress
Grilled cheese night — beyond delicious. The creamiest grilled cheese you will ever consume.
…
The service itself is okay. The people who work at Z&H are the BEST. They will become your friends, they will recognize you, they will make you happy. But also sometimes your tacos will take 40 minutes to come or you’ll get a sandwich with only bread and pesto and mayo on it (missing the turkey and veggies) because they forgot. Things can take a while. Things can get messed up. But the people you meet and the food you eat are 100% worth your while.

The food was really good! The energy from the workers is really great and it’s just a phenomenal place in general. :)

Z&H is great to have for a lunch meeting. You can have them deliver, or get a subordinate (undergrad student over whom you have power) to get it for you. We got 6 sandwiches and 2 soups for under $ 60, very hard to do when getting things delivered to UChicago campus. Our admins are happy about the low price.
On to the food, very flavorful as always. I had the Lil’ Smoky & O’Malley, somewhat similar to the Old Major. The curried mayo is the dominant flavor, and it pairs well with the subdued turkey flavor. The brie cheese also shoes up while you are chewing. I can’t say I tasted the tomato chutney. The wheat bread was also fresh, and grilled nicely. I’m liking the lunch selections at Z&H more and more. Also it was a Monday and so the soup was Chicken Cilantro Lime. Unfortunately this was too much flavor, or rather too much lime flavor. Hopefully it was just that specific batch, but strong lime flavor and extremely salty.
Also ordered were the Pig on a Pretzel, the Godfather, The Marty, the Butcher’s Wife, and the Mae Wilson. There was very little talking and lots of eating. And a friend had the following to say about the Mae Wilson: «Best sandwich in the world! Well maybe not THE best, but one of the best»

Normally hate sandwiches, especially cold ones, as they seem to lack any kind of taste and feels sterile. Z&H sandwiches though, I could eat ²⁴⁄₇.
All of their sandwiches are rich in flavor, with fresh bread and quality ingredients. They have both hot and cold sandwiches, all of which I have tried and am a fan of. One of my personal favorite is Durand Durand made of ostrich pâté, which you will love if you are into more flavorful meats like lamb. Also really like the Marty which is a vegetarian option made of eggplant. Kind of tastes like a lasagna in sandwich form.
Little confused as to why more people seem to go to Medici’s, which is next door, for sandwiches. I like Medici desserts/​pizza/​burgers, but as far as sandwiches go, Z&H seems to be the clear winner.

I just went to this place and I ordered their soup (chorizo) and a sandwich (the Mae Wilson). Both were delicious! I absolutely loved the chipotle mayo on the Mae Wilson. It added a nice spice to the sandwich. I was hesitant about the soup but I was pleasantly surprised. The chorizo was awesome and the soup wasn’t too thin or too thick. The restaurant itself is very nice and open. I love the option of sitting outdoors. The service was pretty quick and the staff was nice. The only slightly negative thing I can say is that it is a bit expensive, but I don’t mind if the food is good (and it was).
I will definitely be back to try their banana and Nutella on challah!

Z&H is one of my favorite restaurants in Hyde Park. They particularly excel at breakfast sandwiches, which they sell all day. I highly recommend the Daniel Tamayo and the Tenzing Norgay.
The lunch sandwiches are a tad expensive, but I’ve never been disappointed. I particularly recommend the Mae Wilson. Here’s the thing though, Z&H sandwiches don’t tend to be overloaded with meat (which I personally appreciate), so don’t order one expecting to get pound of turkey with a smattering of veg, because it is typically the reverse though just as filling and more delicious. I think this is the reason for the low reviews, but they aren’t loading your sandwich up with wilted lettuce and sad flavorless tomatoes — they use a ton of basil, flavorful sauces, interesting cheeses, etc.
The coffee is also good and the baristas are well trained though still casual and friendly.
Just one word of warning, stay away from the chocolate peanut butter brownies. (If word gets out about how good they are, i might never get the chance to eat one again)

The thing about Z&H is that it’s essentially a sandwich and coffee shop in the middle of sandwich and coffee shops. They make excellent food but it’s never lifechanging. I never find myself craving Z&H. I usually just get a sensation that I haven’t been there in a while and I might as well go again.
The best part of this place is their back patio. You have to go down the alley to find it but it’s a secret little space made cute with funky tables and greenery. When you want to have a long conversation with someone, it’s a great place to go because you can just sip your drink, munch on your meal and converse for however long you please.
Being that it is a decent restaurant, I will admit their sandwiches are great and full of flavor. Today I had the Daniel Tamayo breakfast sandwich. It came recommended by the staff and the chorizo-​egg combination was satisfying.
What brings me back here is the hot chai latte. It quenches my thirst for chai and the perfect drink to sip over brunch.

Cute little coffehouse/​restaurant in the Hyde Park neighborhood. It was mostly students in the place, but since it’s U-​Chicago, they were all either networking, doing homework or hanging out with friends (aka they were quiet). It looks like the front of the house opens (garage door style) so you can get fresh air in the nicer months. I really liked that feature and will try to come back when it’s nicer to sit at an «outdoor» seat at the coffeebar.
Lunch was awesome. Sandwiches come with a pasta salad on the side (penne with a pesto sauce? who knows, it was tasty). I had the Butcher’s Wife (mortadella, hot coppa, finochetta, salami, provolone, romaine, red onion, tomato, and balsamic on french). Mine was a great choice if you like salami. My husband had the MAHATMA-​STRAMI (hot pastrami, havarti, caramelized onion, roasted tomatoes, and mustard aioli on french) which he woofed down in about 5 seconds.
One note, it’s hit or miss when you order a sandwich on a baguette. The baguette was very chewy which made the sandwich hard to eat. However, it was delicious. I guess I just had to work harder than I like to for food.
All in all, loved it. It reminded me of some of my favorite places back in Washington. It had a very neighborhood-​y feel, and I’m glad to see a place like this in Hyde Park. Actually, I’m surprised there aren’t MORE places like this in Hyde Park, seeing as we have a great population of students and people who love the neighborhood.

A fantastic sandwich shop, Z&H is almost a mini curated deli of sorts, in Hyde Park, right by the University. It isn’t a big shop, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that their selections are anything less than careful or their food less than excellent. The varied selection of sandwiches are balanced by the host of interesting, normal, and varied toppings, all of which are accompanied by house made kettle chips and a pickle.
In addition to the café portion, Z&H, as it’s colloquially known, has a deli section and a small curated grocery with imported and other specialty ingredients. These are set up in shelves towards the front of the shop, which are well worth some perusal while ordering or waiting for a table.

I’ve only had coffee here and can’t speak to the food.
I had a decaf Americano. Their espresso roast, which I think actually comes from Metropolis coffee, is too dark. It tasted burnt. And I asked for a soy topper, which to them meant pushing a carton of soy milk across the bar at me.
The inside is cute — communal tables and a bright atmosphere. Worth stopping in for a coffee drink, but maybe avoid decaf espresso beverages.

I’m officially a Z&H fan after having lunch here. I found this gem on Unilocal and after dining here, I couldn’t believe is right next door to Medici, a place I’ve frequented for the past year sadly unaware of a potentially superior place right under my nose. The prices are competitive and on point for Hyde Park/​being in such close proximity to UChicago.
I ordered a breakfast sandwich with tomato and mozzarella for ~$ 3.75. It came grilled to perfection with the right amount of oozing cheese. I looked over the menu more and decided I wanted (no, NEEDED) to try the Nutella and banana grilled breakfast panini on challah bread. It was the best thing I’ve tried in a long time and writing this review makes me want to head over and get one now! It came cut into fours (it’s almost as though the cool knew it was my second sandwich of my lunch-​oops), so I could share with my friend.
I only deducted a star because there isn’t enough seating (it’s clearly not a secret how great it is), the service isn’t the greatest (they’re business-​oriented and don’t serve with a smile, at least during the lunch rush), and it doesn’t seem like it’s as clean as it should be. Of course, none of these things are of great consequence to me because I am smitten with the prices and the food. I can’t wait to stop by here again to try more before work or during a break!

Get the coffee. Even if you don’t drink coffee. You are doing yourself a favor.
I LOVE Z&H! The staff is really really nice and a lot of fun.
The sandwiches can be a bit pricey but are so worth it. The ingredients are always really fresh and delicious.
For breakfast sandwiches: Tanzing Norgay or the Fleegle… on a croissant if you’re feeling fancy.
For hot sandwiches: Pollo del Mar, Little Pecorino (omg).
For sammis: The Godfather or the Mae Wilson (personal favorite)
Z&H is hands down my favorite restaurant in Hyde Park, and their sandwiches are probably the only thing that keeps me sane during finals.
Also, never tried the salads but I’ve heard good things. Not surprised!
OH and the back patio is AWESOME when the weather is nice enough! (About one week in the fall and one week in the spring if chicago’s feeling generous.)