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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hayes ValleyTue. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wed-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Wed-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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Went back a third time, again, really liked the menu, but the issue of flavor depth was much more pronounced. The dishes all looked and sounded good, but were either missing 'pop' or were missing flavor (and in a few cases, even just salt). Also, had a caramel pot de creme that had good flavor, but hadn't set properly and probably should not have been served. Aside from that last note, everything was again cooked very well, but with a dearth of flavor, especially layered flavor.
I still like the place, have just lowered my expectations.
Interesting and constantly changing seasonal menu. Everything we ordered was cooked extremely… Read more »
Rewinding about eight months:
Lots of hype. Probably too much. Eagerly wanting to try what everyone was raving about, we came for brunch. I clearly remember the feeling of disappointment. A too small pancake for too much money. Very underwhelming and I left not impressed. A two star meal.
Fast forwarding about eights months (present day):
A much better dinner experience. Almost the entire table ordered the grilled sea bass, and for two of us, our friendly waiter delivered on our request to swap sides with another dish (out: potatoes, carrots, butter sauce. in: chickpeas, cabbage, squash, radish salsa). Definitely appreciated that. The fish portion was large, the entire dish very flavorful, and we all felt full on leaving. The experience wasn't perfect - too much time passed between sitting and ordering, and I couldn't help but feel the prices were just a notch too high. But to support locally sourced, sustainable food, I realize there is a premium to be paid. A four star meal.
Decor was simple and warm, lots of candles, lots of chatter. Wait wasn't too bad. We arrived at 7:45 and were seated just after 8.
Brunch might have improved, but I can't recommend it. Do go for dinner.
I declare this place a bit of a disappointment...
NOTE: This is a brunch review... dinner is likely a different experience.
Food: Not so great
Service: Friendly
Ambiance: Nice
We were actually walking to Stacks when we happened upon the much-talked-about Bar Jules. I've never been to Stacks, either... we were in the mood for something new, and Bar Jules was just about to open, making us one of the first people there!
The restaurant opened about 8 minutes after 11:00AM. We were promptly seated, and the servers were very attentive and nice.
I ordered the Fried Eggs with Chickpeas , Avocado and Salsa Verde, and my wife ordered the Corn-Griddle Cakes with Maple Syrup.
Unfortunately, my dish was just not very good at all. The biggest problem was the amount of butter included in this dish. It felt like there was a half stick of butter just pooled at the bottom. The texture of the chickpeas doesn't complement the fried eggs, and the leeks were very stringy and hard to chew with all that excess butter.
The salsa verde was okay, but not very flavorful. In fact, the dish suffered from blandness.
My wife's griddle cakes were "good, but not great" as she said.
The waitress was incredibly nice and helpful. And the coffee was was very good.
Unfortunately, however, I don't think I would go back.
I was pleasantly surprised to arrive at 7:30ish on a Saturday night and only have to wait about 15 minutes for a table for 3. I think the thing I like most about this restaurant is that it's small and cozy and it is a comfortable place to have a relatively quiet night out in San Francisco. This was key since my Dad was visiting SF and he was meeting my girlfriend for the first time over this dinner. Compared to Suppenkuche next door (which is great in its own right), Bar Jules is very intimate. I say comfortable, however, our table was in the window and I sat on the bench which was very uncomfortable after about 30 minutes.
I thought the food was excellent and I like that it changes frequently. It wasn't anything super fancy but it was well cooked and tasted great. I think they could use one more entree option (there were only three the night we went) to round out the options a little but.
If I could, I'd give it 3.5 stars, but I think it's closer to 4 than to 3, so it gets the 4. I'll definitely go back at some point, though I have a lot of other restaurants to try in this city before I do.
I don't know WTF happened to this place BUT last time I went there with my BF, they lost our order and we ended up waiting for about 45 minutes. No problem as the waitress was sweet and gave us a scone and comped us the extra cavas. Thought it was just a blip. S*** happens, after all.
But THIS time I went there with two GFs from Old Blighty and not only did they make us wait over half an hour for our food, when I inquired as to when it was coming, they said, "oh the poussin takes a long time" per the snotty manager - well, would have been Nice To Know...no apology, and definitely no eye contact when I tried to get another Cava. Oh and they didn't comp us anything or provide any nibbles for having to chew our arms off from having to wait so effin' long. I'm NEVER going there again (they'd prolly spit in my food anyway because I left an insulting tip because I was so incensed). The food isn't worth the wait or the bitchy attitude.
Went with my MoGa pal and we shared a lovely selection of fresh, well prepared delectable delights,… Read more »
I finally tried out Bar Jules last night after hearing many great things over the last couple years and it did not disappoint! We arrived on the late side - close to 9pm - so we were able to get a table quickly. I loved the atmosphere - great blue wall, hip, and casual.
Our server was quick to help us choose a bottle of wine and guide us through how much food to order. Perfect mix of chatty, yet professional and attentive. We ordered chanterelle mushrooms, tartines with white bean puree and sardines (amazing!), cauliflower gratin and 1 entree - the braised short rib. Everything was on the rich side and absolutely delicious. My friend insisted on ordering the chocolate cake for dessert and I'm so glad she did. It was intensely chocolaty without being too sweet, and served with enough fresh whipped cream to balance the chocolate to the last bite.
The menu is small and written on a chalk board so I assume it changes daily. Can't wait to go back and try some new things!
We were looking for a cool lunch spot to celebrate my husband's birthday and the Zagat's write up on Bar Jules looked great. They gave them a 24 on food and said it was a "poor man's Chez Panisse".
The décor is simple but fresh. The service was wonderful and the food was very good. The menu is short so I would say picky diners stay clear.
I am not much of a sandwich eater when dining out, but given the limited menu, we opted for an egg and arugula sandwich and a duck breast sandwich. Both were very tasty and alongside a glass of champagne it seemed more like we were eating out verses in my mom's kitchen (my mom is a great cook, no offense here).
For dessert, we couldn't decide between the Pink Lady Crumble or the Chocolate Nemesis. Our waiter suggested we go with the Pink Lady Crumble because it was a seasonal item and we could have the Chocolate Nemesis next time. We took his advice and asked if the Pink Lady Crumble had any nuts in it. The waiter went to check and said "yes, it has almonds". We said are you sure there are no other nuts in the dessert and he said "yes, I asked, just almonds".
We got our dessert and starting digging in, it looked amazing...only to find either a walnut or pecan in the dessert. At this point, you should know that my husband is very allergic to pecans and walnuts but not many other nuts such as almonds. We realize after two bites he is having an allergic reaction and we need to leave asap to find Benadryl and or his epipen.
I go find our waiter and explain the situation and tell him they really need to know that there are pecans and/or walnuts in the dessert so they can let others know that might also be ordering the crumble that day. He quickly went to talk with someone, assuming the manager, but have no idea and he came back to say that actually the person who made the crumble was not in and they thought they knew what nuts were in it but apparently were wrong.
He apologized and comped our meal. We left a tip and ran out in search of Benadryl.
So the nut thing was a pretty big snafu, but trust me this wasn't the first or the last time we inadvertently encountered a nut while dining out. Really it was handled quite well by the staff so all if forgiven and we will be back. Next time we will know to ask if the person who made the dish is in the house to verify it's ingredients.
Overall, I say it's a winner.
I wish I had gone with my first instinct when I was told there was a 50 min wait and gone elsewhere. My philosophy is no restaurant is worth waiting that long for and my experience supported that. Our ultimate wait was 90 min but this was mostly due to some supremely slow diners who didn't care that people were waiting. Hostess and staff were extremely nice but I think the lack of reservations made the wait times worse.
The food was okay but not worth the wait. The mussels were largely undercooked and my fish was a bit too soft. I felt like the chef must have formally been a sushi chef it was all so partially cooked. Dessert was delicious - our table of five shared a strawberry almond tart and a chocolate pot de creme.
I had been looking forward to going here based on a recommendation from someone who enjoys food as much as I do and was sad that my experience didn't support my expectations.
I was looking for place with food and ambiance befitting of a fine Saturday morning with good company. Recommended to me by my fellow friend and colleague, who is a live walking yelp himself, this place really embodied all that I was looking for, and then some.
I really loved how it was a small, cozy place tucked toward the end of the Hayes Street shops with a different menu everyday. I don't remember the exact name of what I ordered, but I got some sort of a sea bass sandwich, while my friend ordered a brunch dish with scrambled eggs and feta cheese. I'm sorry, I know my descriptions of the food totally butchered your impressions of it, but believe me - the flavor of my dish was a beautiful blend of the fish, very light seasoning, and asparagus, with a tad bit of olive oil I think. My friend's eggs, though, were exquisite. Best eggs I've ever had. Great thing was, none of the flavors were overpowering and the food didn't feel heavy. We wanted a cozy, casual place with light, tasty food, and we got it here.
As a moderately faithful locavore, I enjoy the idea of Bar Jules. As a fully faithful gourmand, I enjoy their delicious execution of that idea.
Bar Jules presents an ever-shifting menu to accommodate the changing seasons of fresh local ingredients and then puts those ingredients together in culinarily interesting and delectable combinations. The wine list presents another good combo, placing some familiar favorites next to some lesser known regions and varietals.
The service was great. After we ordered a Basque wine of which I had never heard, our waiter seemed to reward our viticultural adventurousness by offering us a glass of a white wine, also of Euskera origin, that he said was like "grapefruit Tang," gratis. He brought it out while we were eating our butter lettuce salad (that actually tasted like butter), remarking that it is really the only conceivable pairing for such an oddly delicious wine.
It went perfectly, along with our whole Bar Jules experience.
Hidden along the Hayes Valley Streets, Bar Jules is an adorable place to eat. This cozy and intimate restaurant specializes in local, seasonal organic produce, and sustainable meat and fish. Bar Jules is a small space, tastefully decorated with comforting colors and trendy artwork. Their fresh menu is featured on the wall, updated daily on large black chalkboards. Menu items range from $9-16 and are served in perfect portion sizes. All starters and entrees are delicious and healthy dining choices (but if the daily menu happens to feature the Faro dish - go for it!).
Bar Jules is best for a casual date or late sunday Brunch. But don't be mistaken.... here reservations aren't taken. Go when you have the time to sit, eat, and unwind. The delightful food and atmosphere will have you smiling from ear to ear :)
More like 3.5 stars. Would rather go to Zuni or Foreign Cinema for brunch.
Nothing was spectacular (well, the Nemesis was close), and most dishes were very good, but my potatoes in my baked eggs were severely undercooked, which shouldn't happen in this type of restaurant.
I suppose I might go back if something on the menu caught my eye. Nonetheless, there are better high-end (and low-end - I kept thinking about how I'd rather be at Kate's Kitchen) brunches in the citiy.
Overrated. The burger was dry and had zilch condiments (0 stars), but the fried eggs were good (+2 stars)
The staff is very nice... another star for them.
The concept of this restaurant is a big win for me in two ways. Most importantly, the name is inspired by a floppy hound dog named Jules that keeps her eye on things from the backyard and can be spied from the bar. Also, an extremely dynamic menu is made up of what is fresh and local to make each experience extremely unique and memorable.
Asparagus & Salami:Takes charcuterie to a whole other level! Six simple slices of round salami that you can place on toasted breaded with amazing green beans. Not sure how they're prepared, but they taste roasted and slightly pickled similar to many Middle Eastern vegetables. Together with the thin salami: amazing combo.
Fried Squid w/ Chickpeas: A hearty crust deep fried in olive oil. The presence of non-fried chickpeas added in offer a perfect texture and flavor contrast. Feels much lighter than full plates of calamari that have excess breading.
Zucchini & Eggplant: I appreciated the simplicity of grilled zucchini, grilled eggplant, fresh mint and fresh feta. However, I must say, the zucchini was a tad boring. Thank goodness I like feta cheese so much!
Bacon Cheeseburger: Great burger. Set above the rest by being brined in honey to add a caramelized finish and by being cooked above a wood-driven grill. The brioche bun, gruyère and crispy bacon were par for course in the realm of nice burgers. Call me old fashioned, but I would have enjoyed a side of fried tubers instead of rabbit food.
Chocolate Nemesis: Like a warm brownie, except not warm and perpetually gooey. The freshly whipped heavy cream with vanilla was a star accompaniment. With all the freshly prepared savory foods, it would have been nice to see desserts made to order as well.
Sit at the bar I say- get your brunch on from start to finish as you watch it cook on ze grill.. Which is how i first determined the meal shall be chicken, since from the moment they went on pink, one could see woodstove smoke flavoring the meat lovingly. He had eggs w/ chantrelles, which a sample demonstrated to be delicious, and the heirloom tomato accompany was a light-flavor highlight. I might suggest an offering of morning grain, like steel cut outs and nuts, for those moments when I'm saving room for dessert chocolate down the street at Elbow, but surely not their game to leave a hole in one's tummy. French press coffee and Rose tisane lent elegance to a sunday morn over the Times.. and the neighborhood feel of the thing (we sat next to two young kids there with mom and precociously reading their novels as they waited over fresh squeezed juice for food) felt right and well.
My sister and I stopped in for lunch even though it was Oktoberfest time (Suppenkuche would have been perfect but my sister is a little picky about what German food she likes). Bar Jules looked like the perfect little spot for lunch.
We ordered the butter lettuce salad with cherry tomatoes. I was a little shocked by how oily the salad looked so be forewarned that you might want to ask for less dressing or for it on the side. The cherry tomatoes looked sad, but surprisingly, they were the highlight of the salad!
I ordered the Marin Sun Farms burger which was excellent, but in the future, I would order it a little more well-done than I normally would. (mine was a bit too rare). Side note, the small salad that came with the burger was the butter salad just minus the cherry tomatoes.
Even though they were not terribly busy, service was infrequent. Midway through the meal, we needed more water, but that went unnoticed for a *long* time.
Still though, tasty food and great ambiance.
Oh Bar Jules. I love your fresh ingredients, your ever changing menu and your general decor. What I dont love? Your sub-par service and snotty waitstaff.
For the second time in a row its taken a waiter over 10 minutes to come to my table to bring a drink menu, they were totally unhelpful with the menu and generally just seemed troubled to be at work.
There are enough places to go in SF with fresh and local ingredients and good food -- without the bad attitude. Skip Bar Jules until their wait staff has improved.
Fresh, in-season, and well-executed food (I had the poussin with fig salad). Friendly service and a unique wine list.
It's all good at Bar Jules, but everything pales in comparison to the simply devine "chocolate nemesis" flourless cake with fresh whipped cream--I'd go back if only to eat that again!
Don't break my heart.
Went there this weekend for about the third time. I'm a fan but seems like the prices have gone up and the portion sizes have come down.
Sat at the bar which I always like. Tried to order wine but had a hard time finding anything we liked. We tried 3 before we felt bad for being fussy and settled on a bottle of Pinot Noir, which was ok but not super. 10 clams for 15 bucks, lamb was good but a bit fatty, green beans and strawberry scone which they gave us for free. Service was great!
I'll be back but it's seems to be getting a bit expensive relative to the portions.
Have you ever been to a restaurant and wished they would give you more food? I have. Ironically, I had the opposite problem with Bar Jules.
We were seated around 9pm, after a 30 minute wait, and they no longer had two of the 4 appetizers originally offered for the night-- the two I wanted. So, I had to settle, but thankfully the food was very tasty. When i got y entre, chicken, there was SO MUCH FOOD! It was great, but the arrangement was so nice I honestly felt overwhelmed by that much poultry. Bar Jules: don't spoil the visual appeal of your food by dumping endless supply on the plate.
Anyway, Bar Jules was good. Could be a good date restaurant, but I don't think this place lives up to the hype... at least night at 9pm on a Thrusday. If I go back, I'll go early... when they have everything on the menu. Then I'll pray that the rule of quality over quantity applies.
Maybe I had high expectations since I read that Bar Jules is one of the top new restaurants in the nation.
I went there for brunch and ordered their griddle cakes with strawberries and walnuts. It was a simple dish, no frills. I also ordered their French Press coffee by Blue Bottle Coffee. Sadly, the coffee was probably the best part of my meal.
I hope that dinner is better...perhaps I'll stop by and see if this is what everyone is raving about.
::Sigh.::
Let's start with the house-made ginger beer. I love ginger-anything; it is hard to displease here.
Not quite there.
We waited at length to be seated, then shared:
Butter lettuce salad with heirloom tomatoes, chives, and goat cheese.
Polenta with roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, green beans.
Salmon with farro, cherry tomatoes, and buttermilk dressing.
Underimpressed.
The salad dressing was over-oily and didn't have any other distinctive flavor. Oil or no, I expected that a dish with amazing heirloom tomatoes would always be excellent. The tomatoes were a disappointment, however (I was spoiled last week at Mission Beach). Butter lettuce is always perfect, but the salad dressing ruined it.
The salmon and polenta were made well; farro in buttermilk dressing had a great flavor. The roasted vegetables were decent, but nothing to write home about.
Then the bill came. Just over $50 each once we factored in the tip. I'm okay with paying that much for good food, but this just wasn't worth it.
Finally, I agree with Lily. With all this 'fresh produce from local farmers,' conjuring up a vegan option or two shouldn't be that difficult.
Then again, it probably wouldn't be worth whatever you'd have to pay for it anyway.
I was here for dinner a long time ago and had remembered Bar Jules as being pretty good. In fact, I even recommended it to some people. Then came the recognition from Bon Appetit as one of the top 10 new restaurants of the nation, and I wanted to go back more than ever. So I did, for lunch last week.
The restaurant was as I had remembered: nice decor, friendly staff, and fresh daily menu. The food, on the other hand, was not the Bar Jules meal I had returned for. We ordered:
-Preserved tuna salad with green beans, heirloom tomatoes, and olive vinaigrette
-Chicken breast sandwich with pepperonata and wild arugula
-Grilled sardines with chickpea salad and chimichurri
The size of the tuna salad was equivalent to a side salad order from a fast food restaurant: 4 bites and it's gone...or at least that's what it felt like. At the price of $14 a serving, I was pretty disappointed. The tuna is canned (or at least that's what it looked and tasted like), and the overall taste was decent but nothing worth ordering a second time.
The grilled sardines was also a smaller portion. Sardines, by the way, are very fishy and not much meat..so don't order unless you can eat it. The chickpea salad was good, but again, not something i'd be rushing to order twice.
The most filling meal was the chicken sandwich. For $15 though, I would have expected a LOT more in terms of it being one of the best chicken sandwiches in the city. It was a step above the whole foods $6.99 sandwich, but it did not warrant the price tag of $15.
The pricey items and the small, not so must-have dishes made me feel pretty underwhelmed here. Maybe this place is somewhere to stay away for lunch and return for dinner, but I don't know if I'd be willing to shell out another $$$ to find out.
Wine: Skip with tempranillo, pick the pinot noir.
Food: They ran out of chickpea soup and then tried to pawn off a faux potato-leek soup as a replacement.
Staff: Great service!
This Hayes Valley restaurant doesn't take reservations, so expect to wait about thirty minutes for a table on prime nights. At least you can order drinks while you wait.
Food: 5 stars. The menu changes daily and is written on blackboards displayed on both sides of the dining room. There were a lot of interesting dishes to choose from, but my friends and I all pretty much went for the same things. For starters, we had the wood grilled scallops with summer squash and tomato preserved lemon butter. The scallops were well cooked and nicely complemented by the squash. For the main course, we had the braised duck legs with gypsy peppers, polenta and herb salad. This was a beautiful dish - the duck was tender and well seasoned, the polenta was creamy and delicious, and the gypsy peppers were perfect. I wouldn't have changed a thing. For dessert, we ordered both the fig and raspberry tart and the River Cafe chocolate nemesis. I liked both alot, but had to eat the tart fast because it was disappearing in everyone else's mouths so fast.
Service: 4 stars. The hostess rocks. She's warm, personable, and accommodating. Our server was pretty good as well - he recommended a better wine than our original choice (and was right) and gave us good "intel" on the menu options. The only hiccup was not getting served any bread until our starters were served - we were so hungry by then.
Atmosphere: 4 stars. This is probably not a good place for a date, because the noise levels are too high. Otherwise, it's a great place to go with a small group of friends or a casual romantic outing. The room is bright and accented by an L-shaped bar with views of the open kitchen. The patrons are smartly dressed and generally attractive, but some people should think twice about bringing their baby that would cry everytime anyone looked at it.
Hits: Braised duck leg, fig and raspberry tart.
Misses: No reservations policy (for parties less than 6), noisy crowd.
If You Like This Place, You'd Probably Like: Cafe La Haye, Canteen, Picco, Rivoli.
I'm sorry, Bar Jules. I really wanted to love you!
Best parts: The Burger, the beets in the butter lettuce salad and the cool tree in the middle of the restaurant.
Unfortunately, the waiter's poopy-face mood combined with a menu heavily weighted towards small plates with only 3 $25+ entrees, left us all heading for the closest taqueria afterwards.
We weren't sure what to do, order all the small plates and share, or each order two small plates to fill us, but then why not order the $26 duck confit... We settled on a few starters to share and then the boys got the burgers and the girls opted for the mussels. Man, were the girls envious.
For $45 each, could definitely do better.
On probably one of worst days of my life, I was brought to Bar Jules for lunch by a colleague. My mind was not engaged and all I could think about is what might have been. Then i received my food. I wasn't even hungry when I walked in. I had the most sublime halibut sandwich, served on toasted bread with heirloom tomatoes. For a few mnutes I was brought back to reality. Can tragedy be mollified by food? Bar Jules did a damn good job. Nice people and fantastic food. How could you not love this place?
Went here for a business meeting/lunch today. Not only was it a beautiful day to walk thru the… Read more »
Extraordinarily disappointing!
I live in the neighborhood and I've been wanting to go since it opened. Finally my wife, my father, and I decided to celebrate some good news with a trip to Bar Jules.
Things started off poorly with the wine. Bar Jules has what would appear to be a very interesting wine list including a Basque wine and several other obscure selections. As we waited for our table we got two wines and a beer. Beer is hard to screw up, but both of the wines were not very good. Both sour and lacking any sort of complexity.
Then we were seated and I ordered another wine and a plate of the mussels. When the second wine came it was so bad it was completely undrinkable and I had to send it back... I haven't sent back a dish of anything at any restaurant in at least 4 years.
Up until then I figured this was bad luck and things must get better... then the mussels came. They were clearly past their expiration. Pungently fishy and somewhat overpowering. After I ate 3 mussels I determined that they all must have been off, and so I left the rest. While the sauce that they were prepared in was tasty and I was able make a light supper out of bread soaked in sauce and generous donations of (admittedly terrific) steak from my wife's plate, I felt quite badly treated by the chef.
Had I not sent back the wine already, I would have sent back the mussels too, but I was too embarrassed so I just let them sit. When the waitress cleared the table and saw the virtually untouched plate of mussels, she didn't even ask if there was something wrong. Never again will I set foot in that place!
Generally, I was shocked that the food and wine were so terribly bad! Truly the most disappointing restaurant experience I've had since moving to San Francisco 3 years ago.
All these Panisse offspring restos are making me ill. Make something inventive, for God's sake.
Bar Jules? It's Hayes Valley, not Perigord. That's goes for you do, Boulange de ad Nauseum.
It ain't writing, it's typewriting.
Ils sont des seconds.
My bf and I came here last week on a Friday- word to the wise, come before 7 if you don't want to wait. We arrived at 7 and waited about 30 minutes, not bad with drinks and the nice weather outside. The hostess said you can call ahead and get on the list also.
The menu is posted on the chalkboard and on brown paper in the window, so we were able to decide what we wanted ahead of time. We were seated at the bar, a perfect view of the kitchen and 2 woman show that is Bar Jules. The decor on the inside is great- lots of candles gave it a warm, cozy feel. I loved how they used baskets of veggies on the bar for decoration- the tomatoes looked so inviting you could take a bite out of one. The bathroom is too cute also, and the soap makes your hands smell good!
For appetizer we ordered the steak tartare with toast points and the sea bass with greens. The tartare was delish, with capers and onions, perfectly seasoned. The bass was very good too, however every once in a while I would get a bite that had a very large salt flake or something in it so it was overwhelmingly salty. The other bites were soooo good that I willingly overlooked look this.
For the main dish we split the roasted suckling pig with fresh shell beans, roasted tomatoes and roasted piquante peppers. DELICIOUS!!! Our waitress split it onto two plates even though we hadn't requested it. The beans were firm, the tomatoes sweet and flavorful, and the pork so tender and juicy. The dish was pretty outstanding, and the perfect size to split.
For desert we ordered the almond ricotta cake and Blue Bottle Coffee cappuccino- YUM. My favorite coffee from now on. Our total bill came to ~$90 with 2 glasses of wine, I hope they participate in Dine around Town or have a prix fix menu sometime in the future so I can go back again and again. Definitely lived up to it's Best New Restaurant review!
Bar Jules woke up from my Yelp hibernation.
Here's how it goes:
Dinner (food and ambiance) so amazing we were contemplating going back every night since we went last Friday.
Brunch so phenomenal on Saturday that the only reason we didn't go back for dinner was to avoid embarrassment if the same people were there later in the day.
This is one of those classic SF restaurants and so much more. Yeah, the menu is limited...so what? How many times do you go back to a place again and again and order your same favorite dishes? I don't mind if Pizzeria Delfina has only 2 pizzas, because they're that good. That's what BJ is like.
For me, I'd be happy if they only ever served the following:
**whatever entree is on the menu for that day
**the fried egg/oxtail brunch plate
**the chocolate nemesis
AND
yes, AND
they have just about the nicest bathroom in the city. Go see for yourself.
PS
you know it's a great little spot when the all-knowing Japanese hipster chicks show up with their guidebook/top 10 list and slide into a table with grins on their face. Let the less informed touristos get stuck at Stacks down the street.
Really Really overrated! We sat outside for lunch and they completely forgot about us. Our food took a really long time and it came out cold. On a positive note they realized their mistake and gave us dessert for free.
i was curious about this place because someone told me they had the best brunch in the city. i'd still like to try it, but i have to cool off a bit from the expensive dinner i had there last night.
i ordered the mussels, which i suppose were tasty but nothing special. i was more envious of the juicy burgers being eaten at our table although they were a bit small.
i didn't like the menu that was written on the wall, nor did i like the waitress' attitude, nor the wine list that was not too easy to read.
at $45 each per person for 4 people, i could think of many more delicious finds in the city. sorry bar jules.
The Striped Bass and Oxtails were to die for!
This neighborhood restaurant should be snobby for the type of food it serves but they are friendly and casual. We came in at 6pm for dinner and within 30 minutes, the restaurant was full!
The menu of food and drinks are on 2 big chalk boards on the wall. The tables are very close together and you can hear just about everything people say at the table next to you. It can get noisy...
But who cares, I am still thinking about that Oxtail entree.... yum.
Okay Bar Jules, I've got 1 question for you.
No reservations? Really?! You are in Hayes Valley right? And you are the size of a closet with limited seating, no? I think you secretly want to make my life very difficult.
I guess seeing as how they don't take reservations, and the menu changes on a daily (or apparently even hourly) basis, you could say this is a restaurant that really takes everything one day at a time and doesn't really like to plan ahead.
Okay, that's cool. I like fresh, seasonal ingredients! But, if you're going to make me wait, or make me sit on a fairly uncomfortable stool at the bar (with no foot rest around the bar!), I would want those fresh, seasonal ingredients to be made into something a little more...creative.
Since Bar Jules made it onto the Best of the Bay list for this year, I figured it must be doing something right. Well, the food was good, but certainly nothing very impressive. It was as good as the ingredients, but there was nothing special about the preparation. In other words, this is food I could easily make at home. And I know I could easily make it at home, as the kitchen is open and if you sit at the bar you can watch every step the chefs make, which I must admit, is actually pretty cool. I tried the soup of the day, the prosciutto bruschetta, which is like a prosciutto bruschetta you can find anywhere, the quail, and the sand dabs. The sand dabs were fantastic, but were unfortunately the only thing that completely lived up to what I had hoped this restaurant would offer.
The space is cute, the service was friendly, and I'm sure if you don't consider yourself an all-star cuisinier or are tired of overly complicated dishes, then this place would suit you just fine. But I guess this complicated girl needs something a little more complex to satisfy her culinary cravings.
Imagine a farmer's market dating an upscale bistro.
The menu is hand-written on giant blackboards with a seasonal variety of meats, produce, and home-made desserts. I'm a fan of the open kitchen and the noisy sounds that emanate from it.
Two things I did not like...they ran out of a few things even before 9pm. I guess this comes with the territory of seasonal items. My date and I were not given small plates for the bread either. I guess it's for the "rustic" feel?
A little aside...the staff is all female. No men...just an observation.
Bar Jules is one of Gail's favorite restaurants in Hayes Valley and I definitely understand why given the décor, wine list, ever evolving menu and service. Over a bottle of wine, the halibut for me and an appetizer for her - we decided that if this is what getting older is like - we're looking forward to many years of laughs and good times.
I had a very nice evening with my friend but to rate the food for the price, I wasn't blown away. The chocolate nemesis dessert though was decadent and sinful and probably the primary reason I'd go back.
I went to Bar Jules a few weeks ago and LOVED it. I highly recommend this place- its a true foodie delight. http://www.barjules.com/
The restaurant is in Hayes Valley right next to Suppenkuche. Their menu changes daily and only has a small selection of items but this actually makes it a great place to visit over and over again becasue there is always something new to try. Of course they use only the best ingredients from local small farms which means everything is amazingly fresh. The downside is that they don't take reservations and only have about 10 tables and some bar seating. Went on a Tues or Wed night at got right in. A definite hipster hangout.
A zillion stars for how frickin' cute and well designed this place is.
Offset by a million demerits for how lackluster the touted vegetarian option was. Now, call me crazy, but you'd think a fancy schmancy place like this could come up with something a tad bit more creative than sauteed potatoes, carrots and string beans in some butter sauce. And to add insult to injury, said sauteed vegetables masquerading as an entree cost $17. Um, REALLY?
Oh and don't even think of coming here if you're vegan.
FAIL.
I like how they change up their menu everyday and cook with seasonal ingredients. I had an oxtail entree which was delicious.
However I do think the menu is a limited and a tad pricey.
Complimentary Bottle of House…
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$15 Dinner Special
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Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
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