Cafe Zen

Cafe Zen
38 E. Belvedere Ave. (at York)
Belvedere Square, Baltimore
410-532-0022
Chinese
www.cafezen.com
Cost: $$
Reservations: Not Needed
Date of meal: various
National Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It
Baltimore Price-Quality Frontier: On It


I've eaten at Cafe Zen once and had take-out from there three or four times. As far as I can tell, this is the best Chinese place in Baltimore. This is really sad; while Cafe Zen is solid, it isn't amazing. I've also heard you have to go to the suburbs of DC to get edible dim sum. It's too bad we don't have more authentic options.

Decor is one step up from the usual Chinatown look, or maybe it's one step down. It is clean and simple but very far from elegant or even nice. Service is fine but unexceptional. The menu is totally standard generic American Chinese fare: mu shu pork, General Tzo's chicken, etc. Execution is better than average, but nothing special.

Cafe Zen is owned by the same folks as Zen West and is next door.