Zeek’s Pieshake Parlour a dive into something delicious
The Zeek's Boyga burger served with fresh-cut fries at Zeek's Pieshake Parlour. The Boyga is served with bacon, BBQ sauce, onions, mushrooms and guacamole.
The Hugh Jackman burger and battered fries at Zeek's Pieshake Parlour in Provo. The Hugh Jackman is made with egg, ham, grilled onions, pineapple and fry sauce.
The Hugh Jackman burger and battered fries at Zeek's Pieshake Parlour on Tuesday. The Hugh Jackman is made with egg, ham, grilled onions, pineapple and fry sauce.
Carly Davis and Toni Shipp sit at Zeek's Pieshake Parlour in Provo on Tuesday.
Zeek's Pieshake Parlour's peach cobbler and chocolate cream Oreo shakes.
Zeek's Pie Shake Parlour's Hugh Jackman burger and battered fries photographed in Provo on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. The Hugh Jackman is made with egg, ham, grilled onions, pineapple and fry sauce. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald
The outside view of Zeek's Pieshake Parlour in downtown Provo.
The battered fries at Zeek's.
Tori Shipp rings customers up at Zeek's Pieshake Parlour in Provo on Tuesday.
Zeek's Pieshake Parlour's Hugh Jackman burger and battered fries with chocolate cream Oreo shake.
The Zeek's Boyga burger served with fresh-cut fries at Zeek's Pieshake Parlour. The Boyga is served with bacon, BBQ sauce, onions, mushrooms and guacamole.
The Hugh Jackman burger and battered fries at Zeek's Pieshake Parlour in Provo. The burger is made with egg, ham, grilled onions, pineapple and fry sauce.
Formerly Sammy's, which was famous for its pie shakes, Zeek's Pieshake Parlour still serves them up, including the peach cobbler, left, and chocolate cream Oreo shakes.
I’ve heard the phrase “size matters” applied to a plethora of things, but never have I found a circumstance where that attitude applies less than when I walked through the front door of Zeek’s Pieshake Parlour in downtown Provo.
Don’t let its size fool you. Though Zeek’s may not boast a big storefront or spacious interior, the flavors packed into the food and shakes bring all the bigness you need.
Hyped on the business’ Facebook page as “the perfect place to bring a honey or a homie,” Zeek’s is all about a big food experience in a cozy, hip environment catered to conversation and the inevitable sharing of food and flavors.
Zeek’s was born out of the ashes of Sammy’s, under the careful management of former Sammy’s store manager Isaac “Zeek” Ames and his brother, who bought the store and transformed it into a downtown hotspot for top-notch burgers and shakes. With an improved menu, wide range of burger styles and utterly delectable pie shakes (that’s right, literally made with fantastic slices of actual pie), the update was one that was truly needed and has brought the store a more loyal fan base than ever.
My crew took to Zeek’s on a Friday evening and all of us were pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere we were greeted with. Walking through the front door, Zeek’s gives off the feel of something that could be featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” — it’s a quaint little dive with some pretty fantastic meal options guaranteed to put it on the map. Though the indoor seating is pretty limited (a few stylish red bar stools lining the main counter and side wall), Zeek’s spreads its atmosphere to the outdoors with a few picnic seating options as well.
It’s not just the bar stools and outdoor seating that create the atmosphere for Zeek’s, though. The tighter space allows for some delicious smells, the chance to watch your shakes being prepared and easy access to the great serving staff. Adding to the feel of the restaurant are some fun, modern wall art pieces and a chalk board spanning the side wall of the building where restaurant patrons can share their own art and messages while they wait for their food to be prepared.
Moving on from environment to the food itself, after a few minutes of deliberation, we were ready to dig in to some great burgers and shakes. The menu can be found on the business’ Facebook page if you want to think about your options in advance, or you can snag it from a friendly (and helpful) staffer the moment you walk in. After ordering at the front of the restaurant, you can find a seat and enjoy the company and atmosphere while you wait.
It only took a few minutes for our shakes to arrive, and honestly, they blew us away! Though the meal itself was good, the ultimate highlight was the freshness of Zeek’s Famous Real Pie Shakes and Cupcake Shakes. We sampled the Apple Cobbler shake, the Strawberry Fresh Fruit Cheesecake shake and the Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake shake while we were visiting, but we’ll be going back, guaranteed, to sample some more of these tasty treats.
Though the invention of the pie shake is not something I’m familiar with, whoever invented this hybrid struck gold. It was a novelty to watch the pies go into our shakes, and the texture and flavor were unbeatable. If you only get one thing when you go to Zeek’s, make sure it’s one of the shakes.
That being said, we were about halfway through our shakes when the rest of our meal arrived. Zeek’s boasts a pretty impressive list of burgers and had everything needed to suit our entire company.
For the vegetarian in the group, we got the “Today I’m Vegan” black bean burger, complete with fresh toppings such as avocado, tomato and lettuce on a buttery, fluffy and utterly delicious bun. Of course I had to steal a taste and, being a hardy burger and meat-eater myself, was surprised by just how much I loved the black bean burger. It wasn’t too spicy and had a great texture to it that was complemented by some signature sweet potato fries.
We also sampled “Chelsea’s Sammich,” a grilled chicken breast topped with provolone cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and ranch, and sandwiched between a delectable bun. I was surprised at how juicy and delicious the chicken was, and it was definitely a highlight of the night, especially accompanied with Zeek’s fresh-cut fries.
For the burger-lover in the group, we ordered a “Rod’s Rad Burger” from Zeek’s burger line-up, a tasty 1/3-pound burger topped with cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, mushrooms, avocado, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo. Though it was great, I think I was even more impressed by just how many options there were. A whopping 16 items line the Zeek’s Eats menu on the left with countless others just waiting to be discovered with the Create Your Own list on the right.
All in all, Zeek’s proved to be not just a great burger joint with a little something for everyone in the gang, but also my new top choice for a great, thick shake. Combine the fun atmosphere and the great food, and you’ve got the perfect night out for friends, family or sharing a shake with that special someone.
ZEEK’S PIESHAKE PARLOUR
Where: 27 N. 100 West in Provo
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday through Saturday
Prices: Drinks $1.50-$4.49, entrees $3.99-$11, shakes $2.99-$4.99
Info: (801) 805-9208, facebook.com/ZeeksProvo