Dinner At Zaks Mousehold Diner, Mousehold Heath, Norfolk
Published On Wednesday 12 Mar 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Whenever we’re away from home, His Nibs and I like to eat out where possible and, over the years, it’s taken us to some pretty cool places; none quite as crazy as Zak’s Authentic American Diner at Mousehold though! I kid you not; it was just like the house from the ‘Mouse Hunt’ film! OK, the neon lights [that you can see clearly from the road] weren’t in the film but, the bumpy dirt track driveway (and higgledy-piggledy parking) and the house itself could’ve literally been shipped in from the film-set.
The entrance is located to the side of the house (go in the ground floor door, not up the outside stairs!) and, as soon as you step inside, you could be in ‘Murica; there’s car license plates from various states on the walls as well as vintage concert posters and whirring ceiling fans. Lighting comes via those quirky deco-esque, coloured glass light pendants, and a cosy atmosphere is created for diners to relax in. Upstairs is more of a bar area and overflow seating at high tables to chow at, but downstairs is kitted out with no-nonsense wood tables and chairs, with cutlery and napkins housed in metal cans. Upbeat 80’s music was playing at a nice level, making it ideal for families or date nights as you could still converse at your normal volume. I loved seeing the groups of multi-generation families; half-term was allowing get-togethers and treats, and there was a lot of laughter in the room.
Our lovely server took our drinks orders: two authentically American Milkshakes (£6), what else?! I had Chocolate and added Peanut Butter, His Nibs had White Chocolate. If you fancy a tipple, then why not go for the ‘adult’ option (£8); you still get a diner milkshake, but with a bit of an alcohol pop. We had a look at the menu whilst waiting for our ‘shakes and started drooling just at the starters! As well as Chicken Wings, Nachos, and Loaded Potato Skins, there were Frickles (fried pickles), Corn Dogs and Cheesy Churros. We’ve never had savoury Churros before, let alone ones with a Manchego cheese centre, so we decided that they deffo needed trying (£7).
It wasn’t long before the [small but mighty] Churros were being placed before us in a Cornishware style dish complete with Zak’s branded waxed paper and a pot of the tangy Tomato and Chilli dip. Biting in to the golden, piped ‘doughnut’, we were rewarded with soft centres that had creamy, warm Manchego at the centre. Not a complicated dish in the least, but a jolly tasty one that was a perfect size to share.
I had one of Zak’s house specials for my main course: the Sizzling Skillet (£18), opting to have the Shrimp version, although you could also choose from spicy seasoned Chicken or Halloumi. The skillets come with your choice of any two sides and any glaze or sauce you fancy; I ordered Corn on the Cob and Zak’s Mac-n-Cheese as my sides and the Jalapeno Cheese Sauce (the Lime and Tequila one had run out). When it was brought out, it was clear why they call it ‘sizzling’ – there were plumes of steam billowing from the metal skillet and the sound turned folks’ heads!
Stir-fried Onion and Peppers formed a nice bed on which the trio of Shrimp skewers lay, and each skewer had 5 juicy prawns/shrimp on. I liked the fact that the Peppers still had a bit of crunch to them, otherwise it would’ve been too soft of a dish. I smothered the prawns with the gooey Cheese sauce and tucked in, allowing the flavours to run riot in my mouth. The Mac-n-Cheese had an impossibly thick crust on it and I couldn’t help but grin like a loon as the long strings formed when I lifted the fork out of the dish.
Macaroni tubes were bathing in a thick, white roux-based sauce that was pimped nicely with Cheese and I was soon feeling rather full. Thankfully, the pair of mini Corn cobs were nice and light to eat; I deliberately hadn’t used the pats of butter that came with them, opting instead to have them ‘naked’. A scattering of fresh Parsley contrasted nicely with the Sweetcorn’s natural sunny tone and a pair of wooden toothpicks provided the ideal means with which to hold them whilst I nibbled at the kernels like a mouse. Afterwards, the picks came in handy to remove the skin from my teeth – why can I never eat Sweetcorn without some getting stuck?!
The Man Bird ordered one of Zak’s famous Char-grilled Burgers; no mean feat to choose one, as there are 20 to pick from! I thought the Chilli Burger or Western would be his preferred options but, no, he went for the J.D one (£15.50): Tennessee Whiskey glaze, Monterey Jack Cheese and Crispy Red Onions. When he ordered, our server asked if he was OK with the Beef patty being pink in the middle or if he’d prefer it cooked through – daft question, we all know that a burger should be pink at its heart, no? The burgers at Zak’s have your choice of ‘taters as partners, so His Nibs chose the Zak’a Spuds (Wedges).
Zak’s serve their burgers a bit like an open sandwich; on one half of the toasted bun was crisp Lettuce, Gherkin, slice of Tomato and ring of Red Onion, on the other half was the burger and its crispy onion topping. Taking a hefty first bite (minus the Gherkin, which had come over to me quicker than Lando winning a race!), The Man smiled happily as the juicy, rich flavour of the British Beef hit his palate. At 6oz, you certainly know you’re eating this protein-heavy meal, though if you fancy a bit more, you can add another patty for £3.
The Zak’a Spuds were basically a sizeable spud cut into quarters, seasoned and baked – they were huge! Bloomin’ tasty they were, too, and any committed spudaphile would be delighted with these beauties; His Nibs certainly was.
We were sorely tempted by desserts, especially when we spied ones being taken to adjacent tables, but we simply didn’t have space for anything else! What we had had, we absolutely loved though, so Hot Wings happily given to this Norwich venue. There is a city centre Zak’s, located at Barrack Street, as well as one at Poringland, and the one we visited at Mousehold Heath.
Type ‘Zak’s Authentic American Diner’ into Google to find details for the one you want to visit; each location is clearly seen, along with the ‘call’ icon for if you want to book a table. You can also visit the website www.zaks.uk.com to find out more.
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