Signature Dish: Zack’s Lounge’s Absolute Unit

The name itself stemmed from a popular Reddit forum of the same name, which Orpe and other staff at the restaurant are fans of.

One look at their already popular fried chicken and another look at r/AbsoluteUnits sparked the idea for a monster chicken sandwich and the burger was born.

“The response has been so overwhelming to this one dish,” Orpe said. “Anytime we order a supply of fried chicken, we always run out so it’s good and now people know certain times in the week to make sure they get it.”

Coming under new management in April 2020, Zack’s Lounge aims to do simple food in a new way, while also hitting many of the comfort and familiarity notes many people want in a dining experience.

“If you’re trying to do too much, people are not interested anymore,” Orpe said. “They just want what they like, they just want a good version of it so we try to keep it simple.”

Zack’s will also pull a lot of their menu inspiration from local providers and offer up specials, some of which have stuck on the main menu, based on what’s available.

Even through the pandemic, Orpe said their relationship with local farms and food producers remained strong.

“We live in this region where we have so many local ingredients, the list is endless. It’s a priviledge cooking here, you get a lot of fresh ingredients and the suppliers have been amazing through the two years, it’s been hard time for everyone but the supply of product has been good from the local producers and farms.”

While the Absolute Unit has flown out of the kitchen, it’s hardly the only show stopper on the Zack’s menu.

The Lounge’s beef dip is touted by many on social media as one of the best on the Island, while Orpe is particularly proud of a brussel sprout dish served with a local truffle aioli.

They also produce a beef brisket, cooked for 16 hours and used in a variety of dishes, along with a spicy pulled pork tostadas which pairs nicely with a wide array of local and regional alcohol.

Cole Battie, who runs Zack’s front of house, said he wanted to bring a slice of big city nightlife to small town Ladysmith.

“To bring a little piece of what I’ve learned in other cities back to my hometown feels really good. Just because we’re in a small town doesn’t mean you can’t have the nice food, the nice cocktails and that’s something I feel proud about.”

Battie grew up in Ladysmith and since returned after 10 years in Victoria.

Taking over a restaurant at the onset of the pandemic was challenging but the group made it work, first by offering take out after their April 2020 re-launch then an outdoor patio on 1st Ave. in August.

The patio is now a fixture for the restaurant, courtesy support from the Town of Ladysmith.

“We’ve had our people, the locals that were a little hesitant about the lack of parking spots when the patio goes up but that blew over real quick and it was very minor and now people love the patio to come sit at somewhere new.”

Battie is also an energetic presence behind the bar, serving up a wide array of cocktails and drinks in a bid to keep customers coming back.

Their fully stocked bar and taps, mainly from local or Island breweries and distilleries, is designed to pair well with the food coming out of the kitchen.

Zack’s Lounge is an adults-only dining and drinking experience and is open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at 530 1st Ave., a few doors down the hill from Old Town Bakery.

More information on Zack’s, including their menu, is available on their website.

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by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Signature Dish: Zack’s Lounge’s Absolute Unit

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