Unlike cinematic love scenes, cuisine can be enjoyed in the company of parents without embarrassment. Dodge future moments of uneasiness with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of hearty, homestyle fare at Zoo-Kini's, valid at the Abilene location on South Clack Street.
Zoo-Kini's fills bottomless belly gorges with its fresh salads, savory grilled entrees, and stacked sandwiches. Harvest an endless culinary bumper crop with the Zoo Trip, an unlimited pilgrimage to the salad, soup, and potato bar ($9.49), or down fried catfish ($8.99) in the restaurant’s spacious dining room. Chicken fried steak or chicken ($9.99) dudes up savory meat morsels in a fancy batter tuxedo, and the black Angus rib eye showcases a hand-cut, lightly seasoned chop accompanied by garlic butter ($17.95–$19.95). Silence sweet teeth with a decadent dessert, such as Zoo-Orleans bread pudding ($4.99), or an installation of soundproof gums. Kids’ menus ($4.99) are also available to quell the ravenous appetites of pint-sized patrons.
Reviews
Dining Out in the Big Country mentioned Zoo-Kini's in its 2010 Best of the Taste of Abilene list. Fifty-nine percent of Urbanspooners like the business, and four Yelpers give it a 3.5-star average.
- Zookini's had the best of the best on this evening. – Dining Out in the Big Country
- The steak was seasoned and cooked to perfection! I didn't even need the steak sauce. It practically melted in my mouth! The salad bar is awesome, and the potato bar was good too. – Brandy P., Yelp, 7/2/10
Zookini's
Inventive combinations of locally sourced ingredients typify the fresh dishes that emerge from the kitchen at Zookini's. The cranberry burger brandishes ground beef mixed with dried cranberries and cream cheese, while the marinated margarita chicken rests on thick slices of ripe tomatoes. Pastas are all made in-house and serve as the foundation for the Zoo-preme carbonara and fettuccine alfredo. The eatery's eco-conscious, community-centered mentality carries over into the building itself, which is partially made from recycled materials, and the dining room walls bear the work of local artists.