Mia Za’s Italian Cafe
515 State St, Madison, WI, 53703
Mia Za’s Italian Cafe Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Madison for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
515 State St
Madison, WI, 53703 - Phone
- Website https://www.miazas.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Kathleen W.
This place met my expectations. Loved the build your own concept as I'm a pretty picky eater, so this way I get the food I like. The food was fast, sandwiches were hot, and we both agreed that it was delicious. However... we could not find a clean table to sit at. Management needs to work with employees on this. There was a guy that removed some dirty plates from the stand but a little spray and wipe on the tables would have been nice. And one of the water cups had a hole in the bottom, we threw it away for you. It just would have been nice to see someone paying attention to customer service after they leave the counter. It's part of the restaurant.
(3)Meg M.
2.5 really I know that State St. businesses calm down in the summer but this place was EMPTY when I came in. Not even an employee standing at the counter. I used to come here in college for quick, basics--pizza, pasta, paninis and salads. They allow you to "make your own" with a list of ingredients, or choose from a menu of popular combos. The food was not bad. And it was cheap. And usually there is outdoor seating and plenty of space if you wanted to stay and study. But the portions were small and maybe I ate here in college so often because it's the kind of food you cooked FOR YOURSELF in college. boiled noodles with a can of red sauce dumped over the top. It's very much like a dorm cafeteria. Basic. Limited ingredients. Not too flavorful or unique. It's place that you can cheaply ingest nutrients but not much more. Their dessert selection is a fraction of what it used to be. Only two or three options cheesecake or tiramisu. The glasses smell like the Hobart they were washed in--college cafeteria style.
(2)Nora K.
I have been a few times to get lunch/dinner with friends. I always thought it was overpriced and subpar version panera. As a college student I don't have the time, money, or patience for restaurants like Mia Za's.
(2)Sidharth M.
They make really good paninis. Pretty healthy as well if made without cheese. And prices are very reasonable too.
(5)Alexandra N.
I know there have been a couple negative reviews here but I think these people need to realize that Mia Za's isn't trying to be "fine dining." It's a place for college students to get quick and cheap food. And the selection is pretty good especially when compared to what the selection in the cafeteria is. My only complaint is that the staff is generally negligent of the costumers and doesn't really care. I've had to wait more than five minutes simply to be waited on when there was nobody else in there. Overall, I think it's great for what it is. I actually normally come here instead of the chipotle down the street simply because there are more/healthier options.
(3)Sarah K.
It's like fast food Italian! Reasonable prices, food is pretty good and comes out pretty fast. They have a large variety on the menu and lots of combination options. Good for a quick meal. Try the goat cheese salad and the goat cheese flat bread pizza!
(3)Megan D.
My most recent visit to Za's was pretty depressing. I used to go here pretty regularly in college, so I understand this not haute cuisine, it's broke college kid food. However, unless my memory of this place has really misled me, it seems like the quality has really gone down here. I got pasta and a salad and they were the kind of food creation that says "I really don't give a fuck." My pasta was basically over-cooked pasta with some raw vegetables on top with a blob of marinara sauce on top of that. Fast, cheap, not the best. A panini is definitely a safer bet here--or State Street has a ton of other great places to eat at.
(2)Jenni B.
My absolute favorite fast casual option on State Street. Zas is the perfect lunch spot for a group because everything comes as a build your own option, so everyone can get what they want. They can make just about anything as long as the base is a pasta, pizza, salad or sandwich (so pretty much everything) and you get four ingredients before any up charges to customize your meal. I also love that they have a lot of healthy options and even have little pictures on the menu to help you pick out the good stuff. If you do go healthy though, don't skimp on the garlic bread. It's too good to be true. My one complaint about Zas is that the menu is laid out in an undeniably confusing manner. The staff, however, think it's terribly obvious and will remind you of what a poor job you did filling out your circles.
(4)Cassi B.
You couldn't even pay me to eat here again. I've given it 2 chances in which both times my food was overpriced and gross. It's like $10 for a "steak" salad... In which they open up a bag of lettuce and throw it in a bowl then throw a piece of roast beef that smells like BO on top. Even after picking off the rancid meat, I still couldn't eat the salad without gagging. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE
(1)Steve B.
Come here once or twice a week for lunch. Not much for salads generally but these guys tend to nail them. Good mix of veggies and not over-dressinged. Very fresh and never brown. When friends join me they tend to prefer the sammich and pizza selection and never seem disappointed. Also, even though they are sort of a fast food place, they use actual dishes instead of plastic and paper. Nicer to eat out of and nice to know they're reducing waste!
(5)Rebecca H.
I take back my tip. I'm not sure it's worth it. If you're in a rush maybe but I'd go to Noodles and Company over this place any day. They're too fast for any kind of quality food. I had the Asian pasta with tofu. It was WAY overlooked and chewy.
(2)Rebecca G.
Better than expected. We went here to meet some friends. It is definitely fast food dressed up, but the pizza was good. Salads were nicely sized as well. The outdoor seating was right in the middle of the State St sidewalk and had great views of everything, which was nice.
(3)Nelly M.
To have a brunch, I only came here twice. One time I had a portion of chicken alfredo, which was good. Second time was to have rotini with shrimp, which was okay. I didn't really like the marinara sauce. Not a big fan of the marinara on my rotini. I'm not an expert of Italian food, but I know something was not right. However, I always come here for their CAKES. They have delectable tiramisu, red velvet and coconut cake. I heard they got the cakes from Cheesecake Factory, a place that I've missed so much. So, yeah, I come here to fix my sweet tooth.
(3)Danielle S.
I really wasn't impressed with this place. You have to fill out your order on a paper menu (which could be confusing), I'm not really understanding why you can't just order verbally. There was a decent variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches to choose from. The sandwich wasn't all that bad, but the salad was disappointing. It was mostly iceberg lettuce with a few other toppings. I didn't even eat all of it. It's really cheap, so I suppose you get what you pay for. But I wouldn't really recommend it, I would rather pay a few dollars more and go to Panera and get a better meal.
(2)Nadhia F.
I like this place. It's one of my go to places on state street. It's not perfect, but my meals are always good. I typically get their classic BBQ chicken pizza with pineapples, with a side order of broccoli cheddar. I have no complaints about it. It's not the most amazing thing in the world, but it's good!
(3)Justin B.
Our food was ready fast and tasted great. Not to mention the serving size is very generous for the price. Has a classy restaurant feel. This is definitely somewhere ill be visiting more often.
(5)A K.
I will not be returning again. Back in April I went and had my first ever bad experience, but thought I'd give them another shot before swearing them off forever. Well, I just went again today. I definitely won't be going back. You could pick up to 3 toppings to include in your pasta (used to be 4). Some of the ingredients used to just count as 2 of your choices, now the "premium" ingredients cost $1.50 extra no matter how many of the 3 included topping you choose. Also, the sauce is lacking again, I asked for pepperoni and green peppers but there are no green peppers in it, but there are remnants of carrots and mushrooms in it :/ So long Mia Za's!
(1)Araceli V.
I've eaten here twice and the food was good. Nothing special, but still pretty decent. I had pizza and a salad each time. The pizza was good, but the salad was a little too plain for my taste. It's a nice place, but the food doesn't really stand out.
(3)Veena T.
Decent food. A casual place to go grab a lunch/quick dinner with friends. Prices are appropriate for food quality. I recommend the pizza or the salads. Sandwiches are just a bunch of veggies/meat on a single slice of bread. Not a bad place overall- don't get it twisted.
(3)Garrett G.
I've heard great things about Mia Za's, and I know many friends who enjoy their menu, but I haven't had anything that was worth the price as of yet. The menu allows for customizing your pasta, sauce, and ingredients, but as someone with little cooking experience I've ordered too many meals with disastrous combinations. This problem can mostly be attributed to myself, but I've also had many dishes from the main menu and found all of them to be bland and unappetizing. One would think that with the amount of times I've eaten here I would have found one dish I liked, but it hasn't happened. Therefore I wouldn't recommend this joint to anyone passing through State Street: skip it for something better!
(1)Andromeda F.
It's alright for cheap Italian, and the portions are large. But whats lacking is flavor. The food is so-so no matter what you get. The smoothies, however, are quite good and make it somewhat worth it.
(3)S M.
Za's deserves a solid 3 stars. Let's just say you get what you pay for. The nice thing about Za's is that the food is incredibly cheap and fast (I paid $14 for a two-course dinner for 2 last time). The trade-off is that the food is incredibly average. It isn't terrible, but it's not memorable either. Za's is basic "Italian fast food," kind of like Fazolli's or Sbarro. They have panini, individual-sized flatbread pizzas, pasta, soup, and salad. You can customize the panini, pasta, and flatbread with a fun little system where you fill in a sheet with all the meat and vegetables you want. Everything comes with about 4 free toppings, while certain things like meat and special sauces are worth a bit extra. Regardless, your meal is always cheap. You can go overboard and order anything you want. So, as for the food itself, not much can be said. If you want real Italian food, this is not the place to be. If you're hungry, poor, and need some semblance of it, Za's isn't a bad choice. Honestly, Tutto Pasta down the street is charging three times as much for Italian of a similar quality.
(3)Terra O.
Nasty Nasty nasty. All I can say is the garlic bread is good. The spagetti I had tasted better straight from a can! Don't forget to bus your table when leaving and leave a tip? Why? It's sad, but on yelp the two categories that get my attention to yelp are the worst and the best. This by far falls in the worst category.
(1)Tamara C.
Be ready to order when you walk up to the counter, otherwise, check out the board on the walk and then fill out the sheets. Mia Za's tries to keep the produce and meat local. They're trying to be as green as possible. Great atmosphere to boot!
(4)Shelly V.
Za's is a "create your own" pasta & pizza place with as many options as your pasta needs. It was not busy when I arrived and my pasta came out fast & hot. Step up from Fazolli's but not Olive Garden. They try to be healthy, there are options for whole grain pasta, Mariana sauce, veggie, etc. I expected my order to be brought out to me after I ordered but nope, you order, they call out your name and you have to make it back to sort it out. At least it was on a real plate. I can see this being a real problem when it is busy. Good option if you want cheap, fresh pasta.
(3)Ashlee V.
You know that feeling you get when you're willing to settle for mediocrity in all aspects just to get something in your stomach? That feeling that even though you know it's not going to be good, but you're curious and feeling benevolent and wanting to be adventurous? But it doesn't work out and what you get instead is just a bunch of crappy faux Italian food (which isn't necessarily bad, it's just bad food in this case that happens to be faux Italian) that's microwaved within 5 minutes? Yeah, then you know that feeling is really just Za's on a given day. I internally groan every time someone mentions this place as a good place to get food. It's good for three things only: 1. The cheesecake factory desserts (read: not their own) 2. The seating space is wide and makes for a good spot for conversation 3. Overwhelmingly crappy food I'm being harsh, but I've had enough meals here to know that it doesn't really get much better than microwaved pasta, half-assed pizza, or the practically green-mush-watery salads. Ugh.
(1)Qi Chee S.
The food tastes really good, especially the caramel cheese cake and pizza. Careful with the calories though : P
(3)Janet K.
Yeah, it's average Italian food. I really liked it in there though. Fill out your form and enjoy conversation with your friends with random 90's radio playing in the background. The tables could have been a little cleaner but, if you're in good company, maybe you won't mind. Meal per person averages around $8.
(3)Sarah W.
Za's = Zaverage. We always seem to end up here, but there's nothing really special about the food. It's nice that you can write out your order between pizza, salads, pasta, and paninis and know that you'll end up with your food in minutes. Portion size is good and the cheesecake should not be passed up! It's Noodles for Italian food. It's not bad, its just average.
(3)E. L.
This is based on only one visit, but I couldn't bring myself to go back. I ordered the create your own pasta dish. The food was cold when it came out, which is minus about 2 stars right away. The service is sub par as well. The not very friendly guy working there warmed my food up, likely in the microwave. It was still pretty unappetizing and I didn't finish it. One star for decent prices?
(1)Nancy F.
Um you do not know how excited I was to see Za's in Madison! After graduating from U of I, one of the things that I have missed is the convenience of having a za's so close by. They need to open one up in Chicago! You can make your own pasta, salad, sandwich and/or pizza or get one of their specialities! Everything is made fresh and quick. The portion sizes are great, you are STUFFED if you try to finish something by yourself. And everything is so reasonably priced! I ate here 2x in my 1.5 day trip in Madison....how I have missed za's.
(4)Matt R.
I found the ordering process to be a little confusing for first timers. The food tasted great but portions were skimpy.
(3)Corey C.
I've been waiting for a restaurant like this on State St for quite awhile. Tasty meals that you can design yourself, fair prices, goodly portions and a surprisingly classy atmosphere. The concept behind Za's is incredibly simple: they serve pasta, sandwiches, pizza, salads and smoothies. When you walk in, there's a ledge along the wall on your left covered in bowling pencils and little menu forms. You grab a form for the type of meal you want, then mark checkboxes next to the options you want. (The back has popular meals like spaghetti & meatballs to choose from if you don't want to create your own, but what's the fun in that?) For example, if you're in the mood for pasta, you'll grab a Pasta menu, mark the box next to the type of noodle you want (they have spaghetti, rotini, tortellini and I think fettucini), pick a sauce (they have nearly a dozen), then pick 4 ingredients (meats count as 2, except pepperoni). My first time, I chose rotini, chicken and italian sausage in a creamy marinara sauce. Very tasty. I ordered it to go, and it came in a sturdy plastic tupperware-style container (which I kept for later use). My fiancee put together some kind of lemon cream broccoli chicken concoction that I thought was pretty foul, but she certainly enjoyed it. And that's what's great about Za's -- No matter how foul your perfect sandwich, pizza or pasta sounds to anyone else, they can make it for you. I also ordered a smoothie, which was tart but tasty. My fiancee wanted to get one as well, but was unable to because she's allergic to mango and they use the same scoops for all the different fruit. Be careful ordering smoothies here if you have any fruit or berry allergies. On our second visit, we sampled their pizzas. They're individual-sized and served on a very thin, crispy crust. I'm not a fan of thin crust pizza, personally, but aside from that I thought it was quite good. We finished the meal off by splitting a slice of Boston Cream Cheesecake, which was so good that you probably shouldn't be allowed to eat it in public.
(4)Mio S.
I'm a big fan of made-to-order salad for lunch. So thanks Za's for taking care of my needs. I was avoiding this place for a long time, because every time I passed Za's, it looked like the place was deserted. Well, part of the reason is that this place is pretty huge compare to other restaurants on State St. As far as the food quality and the convenience goes, there's no reason to avoid here. The ordering method is well described by Corey C's review ... so I'm not going to repeat here. The very first time I stopped by for a quick lunch to go, I ordered one of their special pastas. Grilled veggies with smooth marinara sauce on fettucini. The food came out within 5 min ... super.. for someone inpatient like me. I didn't know what to expect, but the dish was surprisingly good. Lots of veggies and near perfectly cooked pasta - it was not at all the soggy mess I was afraid of. The second time, I was craving for freshly made salad. So I ordered romain topped with chicken, almond, sprouts, artichoke hearts, cucumber and red onion. I appreciate the long list of toppings available. This too came out of the kitchen very quickly. I liked the fresh made aspect, but the quality wasn't too good. Instead of the rough romain or iceburg, I wish they had tender baby spinach or baby spring mixes. I wasn't so crazy about the raspberry vinegarret, either. But I'm still giving Za's the "Yay! I'm a fan" 4 stars for their ultra fast service and good price ($4-7 for good volume). I'll probably go back for more.
(4)Chrissy P.
Za's was okay, but it wasn't as great as I was expecting. It was nice that it was cheap and they had a lot of options, but the food was average. I would go back, but it wouldn't be my first choice for Italian. It was cheap, and easy, but not the greatest.
(3)Nora R.
aboslutely disgusting. the food is tasteless. I know the mid-west isn't known for Italian, but what they serve shouldn't even be considered food. Twice the entire place has stunk of rotten lettuce.
(1)Emily E.
OK. Let's just say you walk in and get really confused. I know, I know what you are going to say, "figure it out you idiot!", However, I don't have time to "figure" this place out. You walk in, the menu is on the wall above and their are pieces of paper in little holders, categorized by "pizza, salad, pasta etc...". The couple times I've been in (yes, I don't know why I came back) the papers are scattered all over the area and it's just messy, not to mention the place isn't the cleanest it could be. Actually, the last time I was there I just left. You could say it's a great place if you are really really really picky because there is probably a thousand ways you could eat your salad, but honestly should we be that picky, it's a restaurant, make what you think your customers will like and serve it for pete's sake! I've eaten there only twice, once I got a pizza, the second time I think I ordered a pasta with pesto...everything is so-so, definitely nothing spectacular, but it's cheap, very cheap, so I can see why it's still open.
(2)Nue L.
At the library 'studying' and can't ignore your grumbling anymore? And by grumbling I mean not just you because you have an exam tomorrow you haven't quite finished reading the text for. Or attended lecture for the last three weeks. I'm talking about your stomach! Well, take that well deserved break and walk yourself down State St. past but not quite past the Taco Bell and straight into Za's where you can quickly grab an order form and a pencil from the counter as you walk in. Start by putting your name on the top, (And feel free to use whatever's left of your brain cells that the beer didn't get and put down awesome names. Names like...Optimus Prime. This creativity will come into play later when they serve up your order by calling out your name which will echo, echo, echo throughout the entire cafe. You'll probably laugh to yourself because only you know that your name is not really Optimus Prime.) Next, fill in the bubble in front of whatever item you want or you may customize your own order by simply filling in more bubbles. This will be the easiest scantron you'll ever fill out in your college career. You can't fail this like your impending exam the next day. Although I've only ever had the Chicken Alfredo--that's not to say their pizza and pananis aren't as delectable. And for the record, I don't know how each time the alfredo turns out so perfect--it's never dry. I ponder this because the guys behind the bars sure don't look like chefs to me. They closely resemble those guys who look like they just barely crawled out of bed and tumbled into lecture wearing what they wore to sleep the night before. Wait...wait, a second--they are the very same guys! How is this?! Just, just how is this?! Oh, I can also attest to their great salads. Go Greek. Well, like Lamar Burton always said, "You don't have to take my word for it."
(4)Patrick D.
I think the pasta is fairly similar to what you will find at Noodles, but the cool thing is that you can customize a dish in any way that you would like. They have pizza and sandwiches as well although I have not sampled either of those items. It's fine if you are looking for something fast and easy.
(3)