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I was really impressed by the interior of this Bistro since it was much fancier than the one I was used to going to in Davis. It was a lot more chic and fancy, with dim lighting and clean-cut furnitures, however, I can definitely tell it's more for the bar scene. There were probably less than 10 tables and the center of this little restaurant had a gorgeous bar with high stools.
I met my girlfriend there for dinner pretty early around 5:45PM and they told us that it was happy hour- wow what a treat. We ordered 4 different "small plates" and shared and our bill only came to around $20 total instead of $40..we were shocked how cheap it was! Basically their small plates are 1/2 off during happy hour. They also have wine for about $3 during happy hour...what a deal!
This is a fun place to share foods but their small plates were all just ordinary fried appetizers like the calamari, fries, shrimp, etc. I like their specialty sauces though - they're very tasty. I also liked the dungeness crab dip with artichokes in it...very tasty.
All in all, a decent little place to share some stuff but don't expect fine-dining or anything =)
This is a great late night dining experience. I've been here for lunch and a regular dinner and got the Ahi tuna. It was really good but too small. This place is more of a late night, been five hours since dinner and I'm not ready to go home kind of place.
Get the doughnuts! Where else can you get little fancy doughnuts at 11pm with yummy toppings. And eat them with your cosmo?? Cosmos and doughnuts. Oh Bistro 33 I miss you. I have to find yummy doughnuts and cosmos in SF.
I love their Folsom location, always have. I like this location b/c its beautiful and more 'urban'. I really wanted to like our server - either he was super green, trying real hard OR just plain horrible. I am not going to call out a name BUT he was working this past Tues. evening.
Think we were only the third table around 5-ish hour so we ordered some happy hour items. He didn't seem to want to take our entire order, instead wanted to run back to find out what the soup of day was (?) least take a drink & HH app order AND than check the soup options! we have to insist on saving him a trip & least get our initial order going...
Ordered the crab dip which was not nearly as zesty lemony flavors as before. the crustinis were SUPER hard, overcooked and way too long. breaking in half to use pretty much killed the bread. why chefs think lemon wheels are pretty garnish - a wedge goes MUCH further to add to the dish vs. splashing all over my dining companion.
okay moved onto & got our entrees...my shrimp raviolis were a-okay the sauce wee bit too runny not much substance to it and the spinach was not all cooked through...too al dente for my dish. I'd order again & modify it if that is how its done normally. my friend got the tacos which for $10 only get 3 ?!? not much special about them than say baja fresh....
NOW my major pet peeve for Mr. Server "O" when he delivered our entrees both of our alcohol beverages were less than half full, almost 1/4 for my friend's beer. Didn't bother to see if we wanted another round...nope. But what pissed me off is before we finished our dinner, both are drinks were done. see our server direct view across the bar - server station yapping up w/another server. Me being in the biz not only caught his eye...ignored US. Seriously dude you just cost yourself another $15 in sales.....instead stopped talking & went to another table, never checked back for more alcohol and proceeded to take away out empty plates. At that point we had no desire to have anything else.
Only thing he was quick to do was get us a check and swipe it off the table when signed....NOW this is another peeve and every time I have been here the servers always removes the signed c.crd receipt as if to say okay beat it since I've been paid and you're wasting my table. just a little food for thought.... and BTW my companion that paid WAS too generous in his 18%, so I hope you didn't take that as positive feedback on job well done...no I would have sent a message and left may be 12%
After a day of shopping, we finally decided to grab a late lunch here. Since my friends are locals they suggested this place. I was craving a delicious salad. We started off with a Blood Mary which was very good. And a warm cheese of some sort with sundried tomatoes and bread which was surprisingly yummy. But it ws the salad that my friend raved about "Chop chop"... I think that's what it was called... it had turkey, salami, mix of the usual veggies / greens tost w/ creamy balsalmic vinaigrette... sounds good, huh? Well I thought it was mediocre at best. I had Mediterranean Chicken salad... which I really didn't care for at all, but ate half of it because I was starving, not because it was all that good.
What is cool about this place is that it is conveniently located next to an awesome boutique.
Don't tell my man this, but this place is one of his favorite place to eat and I can't understand why. I mean there was not alot of food option and its pretty pricey for the portion they serve. I got $9 appetizer Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps and it was pretty good. he got this chicken sandwich thing that cost $12 and it was ok. I do have to say the mimosas were yummy! other than that I would not go back here as often as he does and if I were to live in SAC then we would def find other places to get good food with decent price. I'll work on that slowly..without him knowing it :)
Eh, this place is ok, probably a 2.5 rating. Eaten here couple times over the years. They're known for the kobe burgers which are pretty good. And also the criss cut fries.
That's pretty much it, everything else is not worth talking about. The portions are small and the food gets pretty greasy. I've had their lunch menu food too, which is even more greasier. They're open late, til 3am. But it doesn't really matter because alcohol stops at 2am, so I guess you can go there to sober up. The place is small and dark, but there is outside seating if you like.
When: Late night dinner before going out for drinks & dancing downtown.
Pros:
1. Despite their small size, they accommodated our large group with no problem & were patient with us as we split the bill amongst 10 credit cards.
2. Fancy sliders :) not just plain angus beef.
3. Friendly service
4. The prices are pretty reasonable. Approx. $9-13 per plate.
5. Reasonable portions considering the venue and pricing.
Cons:
1. In relation to pro #5, if you're looking for large portions, this is not the place to go.
2. Greasier or saltier than I realized. I didn't taste it at first, but after eating here, I was significantly thirsty and drank lot of water.
Overall, I enjoyed eating here. I ate the Kobe Burgers (sliders) - the gouda cheese & micro greens are a nice touch. Their Bistro Deluxe Burger looked quite tasty, as did the Puget Sound. And I enjoyed their fries. I'd eat here again - but will make sure to stay hydrated when I do so!
So I hadn't been here in a really long time. It's full of "power singles," as my sis calls them, and I don't really like being around a ton of suits after hours. Unless I can bill someone for it.
I sit down at the bar with one of my buds. The guy on the right side of me is texting. *ugh* My bud pulls out his iPhone and starts texting. *ugh* I'm like, "Are you guys facebooking each other?" Hilarious!! Both of them = major, major suits! Hee hee hee... I'm in the wrong line of business, for sure.
Even though everyone is a little overly-pretty, you can still have a good time. Stick to the bar. Don't make eye contact with anyone who has a tie on. Do not tie one on. Form a plan. Get out early.
I am HOOKED ON their Crisscut Fries with Gorgonzola Cream and Relish! It is sooo delicious! My gfs and I ordered the popcorn shrimp and the crisscut fries to start. The popcorn shrimp is a rip off! It was about $9 bucks and it comes in a little Chinese takeout box served on a plate. There's no cajun flavor whatsoever, and to make matters worse, HALF of the takeout box is filled with plain lettuce, and NOT shrimp! Totally deceiving. The shrimp itself wasn't that good either. But the crisscut fries with gorgonzola cream and relish is to die for! It is so yummy! I have never had fries that tasted like this before. We loved it!
Aside from the appetizers, I ordered the Carnitas Street Tacos. Pretty good, but then again, I would probably save the extra bucks and go to a taco truck for better and more authentic tacos. My friends got the Roasted Sirloin Dip and Kobe Sliders. I think they both said it was just ok. And for dessert, we ordered the chocolate hazelnut gelato and creme brulee. Nothing extraordinary. The gelato was good initially, but it started tasting grainy like you're eating some whey powder/protein bar after a few more bites.
Overall the food was decent, the outside patio seating is nice especially on a breezy night. The inside of the restaurant is a bit small and dim, and the music too loud, but we were happy sitting outside. I would come back again, probably just to get drinks and order the crisscut fries! I think they close at 2 or 3am, so I'll definitely come back here when I'm up for a late night snack after drinks!
I was pleasantly surprised when we ended up here
after sushi and a few bottles of sake nearby.
Slick and laid back, this spot could easily be transported
to our SOMA neighborhood back home in Sf.
This area of Midtown balances the perfect mix of young hip bars
and restaurants all within a stones' throw of each other.
I can't speak for the food as our group only had a few rounds of cocktails.
Service was on point, my mojito was perfectly executed each time.
And the boys just "HAD" to indulge in a few long islands.
(they were on the menu who could ignore that)
The booths were plush, and we mingled and watched
the crowd at the bar bathed in deep blue ambient lighting.
Zero-7 whispered softly in the background.
I've heard brunch is quite the scene as well.
Hopefully I will get to visit again. . .
My experience here seems to echo more of the lower starred reviews than the higher. Fries were basically exactly how Tom L described. Little tiny bits that looked like the left overs from the good batch. Hard and crunchy, not crispy. Probably would have tasted good if they weren't so damn hard. Chips were all burned.
But we weren't there for fries/chips. We were there for the Kobe sliders. Disappointing. Which is weird, considering the same company owns this place and Tre, which had FANTASTIC Kobe sliders.
I had the French dip, which was actually pretty good. Nice slices of meat, au jus sauce was flavorful.
I just remembered, we ordered house fries and the empanadas as appetizers. We ordered everything at once, fries, burgers, empanadas, french dip. Why didn't the waiter tell us that the burgers came with chips, and the french dip came with house fries? I had two crappy orders of fries! I'm changing from a 3 to 2 stars.
We won't be coming here again, I don't like inconsistency.
Ok honestly. Does this place think that it's a hot club? It was 3am, I was drunk and hungry... Two randoms at bars recommended this place because I'm from LA - so I figured what the heck. Must be good.
When we walk around the block, there's a damn line there with some... BOUNCER outside?! Haha...
Once we sat down, the food wasn't horrible.... Lamb sliders were awesome, and I got a pretty good salad at a decent price. My only gripe is the sweet potato chips that the sliders come with. They were stale (not crispy) and burnt at the same time. How is that possible? Empenadas sucked. My friend said split pea soup was awesome.
At the end of it all, food was good but maybe that's because I was trashed. Jack in the box tastes good then too...
3.5 Stars
I took my sister out for a belated Birthday dinner last weekend and was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance and food we enjoyed at Bistro 33.
http://www.yelp.com/us...
I originally chose Bistro 33 as it was around the corner from the lounge we were headed to after dinner. This place is by no means fancy or gourmet but we were pretty happy with our entree's but even more satisfied with our desert!
We started off with the cajun popcorn shrimp which arrived less than 10 minutes after putting our order in. Not bad! (Though the place was at about 50% capacity when we arrived at 8pm.) The only thing wrong with the popcorn shrimp was that there just wasn't enough!! It's served over a huge bed of shredded lettuce so it appears there's more than there actually is. It's fried to a perfect crisp, served with just the right amount of spiciness and zing, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked (not too chewy). The cocktail sauce it was served with was a solid A as it was fresh and zesty and perfect for dipping our delectable little shrimpy's in.
http://www.yelp.com/us...
I decided I needed a little greenery after that deliciously fried indulgence and opted for the Bistro Gardens Salad. The vinaigrette was as they said, very light and tasty without overbearing the salad. The toppings were a perfect marriage of sweet and salty with the cracked hazelnuts, currants and gorgonzola cheese. I'm a salad fanatic so trust me when I say this was a real winner!
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Shortly after practically licking my salad plate clean our entree's arrived. My carnita's taco's (3 perfectly in a row) were topped with a tantalizing vera cruz salsa. I enjoyed my taco's, though they weren't anything to write home about.
http://www.yelp.com/us...
My sister went for the Grilled Chicken club http://www.yelp.com/us... served with their house cut fries. http://www.yelp.com/us... She gave the sandwich a solid 3 stars and I would say the fries were well deserving of 4 stars. They were thin, crispy (i HATE a flimsy floppy fry) and fried with the perfect amount of salt.
The best part of the meal arrived about 15 minutes later after I gulped down my second dirty Goose martini. The Hot Bag O' Donuts were simply divine. They were hot, as stated, there was so much cinnamon and sugar that it consumed the entire plate and then some. Once you bit in to the middle you found yourself gushing over the mouthwatering gooey goodness. There were three sauces to dip your donut bite in to and I loved them all.
http://www.yelp.com/us...
The service was decent but no one went out of their way to make us feel welcomed or special. Our actual server was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu options but was boring and not very friendly (maybe he was just having a bad day?).
The meal was actually quite affordable for the two of us plus 3 cocktails. Though nothing really stood out about this place, except the desert, we had decent meal without breaking the bank. Plus it's right around the corner from MIX lounge and De Vere's Irish Pub.
I was a bit disappointed with a late night visit to this restaurant. For a Monday night it was the only place that had a late bite, got the hamburger and it was nothing special - fries was generic too. The gin and tonic, a basic drink, was pathetic! The place looks very fancy and hip - I may give this place another try.
Consistently inconsistent.
This was my late night eats spot in Sac when I lived here before. (Hello! is there anything open past 1 am on a weekday in Sactown?) No. Except for fast food joints.
I always order the Kobe Mini sliders whenever I'm here. For $12.95 you get two sliders with micro greens, fried onions and Gouda goat cheese on a toasted bun. These are yummy every time I get em. (this time it came with housemade potato chips, some of which were burnt. Not good!) The last time I ordered these, they came with house fries, which were thick but tasteless.
The waffle-cut fries with Gorgonzola cheese sauce is usually a good bet -- it's fried to perfect crispness, but the sauce was a little bit off and way too greasy. (A couple of months ago when I came here, it wasn't even on the menu. The waiter said that they were in the process of revising their food offerings)
If bargain drinks are what you're after, it's only $3.50 for beer, wine and well-drinks from 5pm-7pm. But you better get here fast or they may change their bar menu and/or drink prices.
Yet again.
Not quite a 3 but higher than a 2.5.... 2.83058483938583829245 carry the 4
I had just flown into good ole Sactown, and while I wasn't starving, I definitely was down for a bite to eat. My friend took me to Ink, but once I realized we had been there before, he suggested this place.
The décor tries too hard to be like a chic nightclub or lounge though the place had no adequate space for an attempt at a dancefloor. The purple spot lights didn't help make me feel less like we were in a lounge. There is a 360 degree bar with tables all along the walls.
The view is nice. Being right on the corner, the outdoor patio makes for a nice meal and ideal spot to people watch.
We sat down and a server came by with menus and told us about the daily special, a t-bone steak for $10, as well as take our drink order. He warned us the kitchen was closing soon so we knew not to take our time. We both decide on the steak.
The steaks came out in good time and looking at it, it was just a simple t-bone, kind of thin with mashed potatoes and a mushroom gravy. For $10 you can't really complain.
The steak was just alright, the mashed poatatoes were pretty good and the gravy was salty but had good flavor. The sourdough roll that came with the steak (not before???) was a little burnt on the top... Meh
Service was pleasant so again, for $10 you can really complain. Their regular menu seemed to have some interesting choices, so maybe I might consider coming back for a 2nd chance.
Peace out *chest thump, flashes peace sign*
I agree with Janice C. This was my first time here but from what I heard from my guests, inconsistent.
I will start and preface that maybe it's because its Memorial Day. Okay. The menu for dinner looks like a lunch menu. Basically sandwiches and burgers. Okay fine.
I had the Sirloin Dip ($10.95). My gf the seafood melt ($10.95). Others ordered the Kobe Slider ($12.95) and Club sandwich. Most of the sandwiches come with Sweet Potato chips. We wanted to sub fries instead.
Here comes the dishes. I wish I took a photo of my Sirloin Dip. I think somewhere in the back is an Arby's wrapper minus the cheesy fake cheese. Actually I could use an Arby's roast beef instead. The sirloin literally looked like some roast beef lunch meet stacked on a french roll. There was absolutely no flavor. I had to triple dip it in the au-jus sauce and smother it with Grey Poupon and the Manchego Mayo to even get some flavor.
As for the fries. Yeah the waiter didn't tell us it costs $2 to sub instead of the chips. Which isn't bad if they actually taste good! Think about those skinny fries you get at In-N-Out. Picture those small remnants that you pick at in the end all tough, crispy and dry. A normal fry should be crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. These daggers of death practically cracked as you bit into it.
As for the burger you get 2 sliders for that price. The club sandwich had a bun that looked like a piece of Wonder bread and the seafood melt was covered with so much cheese that they could have put a wad of dirt in the middle and no one would know.
My portion of the bill for the 2 sandwiches tax and tip $30.... common'. I wonder how many Arby's Beef and Cheddar's I could get instead.
In all fairness, the ambience was nice and clean. Inside bench can only seat 6 but its tight. They had a couple of nice HD plasma's showing the Lakers-Denver game.
Nah. Better luck elsewhere.....
I went here for some drinks with friends. The service was horrible, we had to find a seat because they were so busy, it took sooo long for them to come to our table, lets just say throughout our whole experience in this place it was horrible we basically spent most of the time waiting and it was around 12 am in the morning.
Solid lunch... Good service... Nice interior..
We stopped in for a quick lunch.. Ordered a couple of sandwiches and had an order of french fries..
They have a small happy hour available...
We will go back...
I came here the other night for birthday cocktails and appetizers. We got there close to 10 and were told to wait 30 minutes for a table that would fit a group of my size (we have like 12 people). Anyhow, we waited and when the table cleared, the hostess came back to tell us that there was actually a reservation and we'd just have to split up amongst 3 separate tables. Whatever, honest mistake but we'd let it go. Then we just ordered tons of drinks at the bar since it was a BDAY celebration, except one of the bartenders had a total attitude that was completely uncalled for and made my drink horribly. What a jerk!
Anyway, we all got seated and ordered. The food was great and we ended up just ordering drinks from the other bartender who was super nice and knew how to make a cocktail! The server was really nice as well and was able to handle our large group in a very calm manner. So they get actually would get 4 stars for the food/drinks (if prepared by the right person) and only 2 stars for the bad service from some of their other employees. So all over I'll give them 3 stars! I would go back here again but it wouldn't be my first option.
In a word... creepy.
Went on a weeknight to have a drink at the bar with a girlfriend and the two of us were aggressively hit on no less that three times in the first 30 min we were in the place. The bartender though friendly was mute despite clearly noticing one douchebag perform the supreme smooth pick up move... rubbing your ass on a woman and pretending you don't notice she's there. Oh I didn't see you sitting there. Yeah right, the're only 7 people sitting at the bar dude and you got up and moved over to put your ass on my friend. We decided to get up and move and then he of course accused us of being stuck up. What girl doesn't like having a strange man rub his ass on her?
Prior to this the guy who hit on me right after we sat down got angry when I wouldn't flirt with him and loudly proclaimed upon leaving that he and his friend were gonna go looking for a girl who didn't have husband. Good luck.
Really, you can't blame a bar for having a few knuckledraggers in it but a bartender who stops serving someone who's slurring his words and behaving inappropriately would be nice.
This place felt so meat-markety it was cartoonish. I've had the breakfast here which was okay but not something I would seek out over anywhere else. I suppose between not being interested in the food and definitely NOT ever wanting to go back for a drink in the evening it looks like I shant be going back.
I would have given 4 stars, but the price is a little high for a burger.
Nice atmosphere, good location, and A-OK food.
ORDER:
Burger - medium well
Fries
Very small portions for being almost $10
Wait, am I really in Sacramento? The same boring, style-less Sacramento I remember from my youth years ago? One trip to Bistro 33, and I almost forgot I was back in the Valley.
By Sacramento standards, this place is great. Nice atmosphere, nice interior, delish drinks, and desserts that are TDF. And, word on the street is they're open til 3am on the weekends. I thought Sacramento died a quiet death after midnight?? Amazing.
I'm withholding the 5th star, as I didn't try the food here and because yes, the service is on the absent-minded side. All in all, though, Bistro 33 is a sure thing for a night out, especially if you're trying to forget what city you're in. GO.
I really didn't want to like bistro 33, it's a bit too 'pretty' for me. what, with all the bros & dolls from around sac, looking to meet the partner of their dreams, or at least for that night; why would have any reservations?
Luckily, it wasn't witching hour, so my girlfriend & I settled in a nice booth by the window for a late night dinner. One thing that was interesting/annoying was all the menus we had in front of us. I guess they serve everything on those menus at any time, despite the hours listed. It was a bit confusing but our waiter assured us that we could order anything! This was great because I spotted the French onion soup on one of the menus & I wanted that real bad!
I ordered my soup, my friend ordered the croque madame & we split some deliciously evil gorgonzola & garlic sauce fries (YUM!) Everything, was fantastic! I guess it's not hard to mess up French onion soup, but the fries could have gone wrong. The soup was not only tasty, but the bowl it was served in was beautiful & so fitting for FOS. My friend enjoyed her sandy but took off a heaping pile of manchengo cheese (I guess they really did put a mountain of it on) before eating it. The fries? Now those were AWESOME! crispy & warm with gorgonzola in almost every bite with hints of the garlic sauce. Oh man, they were good! All this was a bit of an indulgence but was so D-lish that you couldn't go wrong!
Overall dining experience? 8 outta 10. It was minus 2 points because as we left, some 'bros' out front (smoking in the rain), yell out; 'Hey ladies, where ya going?'
Love going here when I am in Sacramento...This is a very modern dinner spot that has great beverages and wonderful salads..a hot buffalo wing chicken salad with blue cheese dressing..THE BOMB..they get three stars cause for some unknown reason they tried to sit my party of 3 fine ass sistah's at the bar by the kitchen when there was plenty of seating in the dining area....Not a good call which technically dropped off a star but I have been there plenty of other times when they didn't piss off the sistah girls so they are still okay with me.
Went here with friends for dinner on a Friday night. we didn't have reservations, but were lucky enough to get a table almost immediately. seems kinda swanky-ish which i don't like but i tried to keep an open mind.
the menu is really, really small. there were not a lot of choices, especially healthy ones. the prices seemed reasonable though so that was comforting.
service was a little slow, but i could tell our server was busy and trying his hardest which is all i can ask for.
so the food comes out and i'm shocked by the portion sizes. what seemed to be reasonable prices are now shockingly high considering how little food you get. the quality was mediocre, especially compared to 33rd street.
also, there is only one toilet in the women's restroom which is pretty retarded. and the music was reminiscent of a bad dance club that you would see tweekers stumble into at 4 am on a random tuesday.
meh.
I've eaten here a couple of times and enjoyed the food just fine, but you're not here for the food. You're here to people watch. It's perfect for that and hey have long islands on the menu. You've got to love that.
I've had dinner and a few late night/early morning meals here a few times.The Oregon Bleu Cheese Salad is to die for. The spicy buffalo chicken in the salad gives it an extra kick. Another thing I tried was the Carnitas Street Tacos- they were exquisite. They make a great cosmo too!
The restaurant itself is pretty popular, especially after hours. I think that's why I like it the most. It's very "club" like, so if you're looking for a quite environment-this is not the place.
It's a pretty fun place to go. The food was good as are the desserts, like the sorbet and the gelato. Most of the seating is outside while the rest of it is in the bar. We sat in the bar which was fine but the only thing was that the noise levels were unpredictable. There was one large and rowdy party sitting next to us but when they left, it was quiet but they were quickly followed by another loud party that sat in the bar. Overall, the food was good as was the atmosphere. Probably best to try it out on a lowkey weeknight, instead of a Friday or Saturday night, which is what we did.
Bad service and HAIR in food! Luckily it wasn't a short and curly.
Nuff said.
Ok, here's the deal with this place...I've been reading previous reviews and takin' notes! And, combined with my inaugural experience there this evening, I think i get it, so here goes....
1. Pretty much everyone (or at least 90% of reviewers) agree it's a welcome alternative to the dive/pub/lounge. What you get here is a well apportioned kinda swanky lounge that has a comfortable mix of bar seating, attractive vinyl booths, and high banquette-esque tables for medium-size groups. The lighting COULD be slightly lower, tho.
2. The Music--techno/trance--well, it's all personal preference, but IMHO, it's a bit too generic/conventional/try-hardy, and could use a bit more diversity (how about some soul/funk/afrobeat/jazz/rock/alterna hip-hop/electronica/lo-fi etc...?)
3. The Food--UNEVEN. While the Kobe Burgers are addictive indeed, that cold 'paella salad' sucked the big one. I'm a seafoodoholic and please don't offer this crap anymore, yank it off the menu per favore! and cold paella? who was cracked out when they dreamed up that one?
4. The Crowd--of course there's gonna be posers/fakers/all-purpose douchy peeps everywhere, and this place is no exception. BUT, i think it's a bit elitist to even judge (tho i did notice a few douchy posers), and in fact i met some really friendly and down to earth peeps. Good conversaton=thumbs up.
5. Service--the service was nothing but attentive and friendly. bartenders down to earth. Maybe others complained b/c they came on fri/sat nite? i was here on a 'school nite,' yes tuesday. And it was pretty darn crowded, not SRO, but bustling. And service was not hampered at all.
6. Price--could be a bit cheaper, but if you really want bare bones, then hit the dives/pubs/lounges and you'll save. Hopefully you'll luck out and find a good one.
So, Bistro 33, you are not perfect. A bit try-hardy and self-consciously
wanna be hip, when in fact--not so much. Yet postiive energy still flows and glows, undeniably.
My final verdict--3.75 stars.
Does it matter that i'm rating in fractions?
Not in the least--until The Wizard of Yelp sanctions a fractional rating system. But in quarters? Shut up and round up, JT!
I walked in on 2nd Saturday with flip flops not expecting to see a tiny, upscale lounge with long white curtains, leather stools, and fancy lighting; it's literally 10 by 3 tables large. I also thought I was eating at 33rd street bistro but got mixed up, so imagine my disappointment when I saw they didn't have the flatbread pizza I planned on ordering. I thought the food was rather unimpressive, especially my $35 Tuna and Fried Rice, but I digress...
This review is here purely to make mention of the BOMB lava cake.
B
O
M
B
People tell me it is designed for sharing, and too rich to eat, but it is perfectly decadent. Warm, gooey, rich and generously portioned for only about $7!
WOW! we were in Sacramento for the day and stopped at this hot looking spot for a bite. The drinks were strong AND delicious. The staff was more courteous and polite than the staff I have encountered at the top restaurants in SF. The food portions were great, and when they made an error bringing our entree's out early, they comped our appetizer, CLASSY!
if you live in sac, are visiting sac, or just need a drive, stop here for service, food, drink, and a well designed sheik interior!
HORRIBLE noon time experience.
My friend and I were greeted by a way too perky server, whose first question was "Where would WE like to sit today?" WE chose to sit inside...as it was pretty warm and noisy on the patio.
Crab cakes...ah....I ordered the crab cake benedict. Server said it did not come on English muffin but a biscuit type bread, but that it was "Really good". I asked for fruit in lieu of potatoes, and then wondered in my head why I also got my choice of toast (???)
Crab cake benedict...NOT! Two crab cakes, over seasoned with sage and pimiento...cooked til they were a "delicious dark brown..." WAY overdone. No crab flavor or chunks whatsoever. NO biscuit, English muffin or anything other than 3 slices toast on the side, no butter.
Fruit, RANCID. I asked the server to let the chef know so no other patron would get it. She "checked with the chef" and then came back saying he said it came in fresh that day, and couldn't possibly be rancid. "But don't worry, we didn't charge you." I explained that was not the issue, I did eat the crab and the toast...she said, oh no that was their policy. Big tip headed her way..UNTIL I did see that I was charged 14.95 (Full price) and the server said, "No, I mean we didn't charge you for the substitution!" At this point, it became quite humorous...and my girlfriend said, for that you should at least get the potatoes in lieu of the subsituted rotten fruit!
Next contact with server...I asked to get my potatoes to go, since I didn't get them to begin with. She then "had to check", came back, and said the chef said he could only substitute once, and he had aready substituted fruit...(Huh?)
Well, I did eventually get the potatoes, which I was afraid to eat, for fear of the saliva or ??? that was probably used for seasoning.
The SERVICE?
Fine, if you like nutri-sweet perkiness, terms such as "We", "Perfect" and "Awesome" (even when mentioning rancidity)...
The refusal to acknowledge the morning's delivery might NOT have been as fresh as they had hoped....
The refusal to replace the rotten food with what was on the menu to begin with....
AND to mention there was no charge...meaning no charge for the unmentioned charge that should have been applied (Got it ???)
FOOD?
Almost burned, ridiculously seasoned, and dry. As well as the fact I was told it was something different than what was served. And dare I mention the fruit again?
ATMOSHPHERE?
Probably fun at night, if you are drinking. Pretty quiet during the Friday noon hour, when every where else was bustling (hmmmm....wonder why...)
WILL I GO BACK?
Not unless I am dragged there against my will.
One of our random stops while bar hopping.
Bistro 33 was okay. I think we got here around 1230 after leaving R15. Hungry as fuck we ordered food as well as drinks. Everyone had a beer of some sort, I love hef though! We managed to squeeze 8 people into a booth and put a chair at the head of the table so we could fit all 9 of us.
Definitely a swanky spot, (like FATMAN's review, def a little 90210). Clam chowder, fries, tacos, and crab & artichoke dip. The portions were very pretentious for the prices...but when you're buzzed and hungry I guess it doesn't matter too much. None the less, the dip was delicious!
Open til 3am Thurs-Sat which I found interesting. Mixed crowd...I felt kinda out of place.
Great modern decor and bar design! Food was reasonable and I have to say 4.5 stars for the "Puget Sound" Panini because that was yummy! The home made sweet potato chips were alright, not too impressed with those. We did order an appetizer Red Pepper Hummus, but it was a bit grainy and you did not get much of the Pepper Eggplant, it was more of a dollop on the side.
need a bite of Heaven at 2 am?????
Kobe beef sliders with goat cheese.
However, beware, you might run into all the guys you were trying to avoid that night. Eat fast, and do not fall off your bar stool.
Recently came here to enjoy the Pink Drink Specials on a Thursday. A lot of people packed in a… Read more »
I came on Monday night for happy hour. We arrived around 5:30 pm, and had to sit outside (reminder: it was 100 degrees that day) on the plastic furniture. There were 6 of us, so we were all sprawled across the patio and couldn't talk to each other very well. The staff said they would try to get us a table inside, but it never happened (we were there until almost 8 pm). However, they made sure to keep our water glasses filled religiously, so they earn extra points for being attentive to this. They definitely made sure to check in with us frequently.
The prices for happy hour are good: $3 for a microbrew. They also have some artichoke and crab dip for around $4. It's not out-of-this-world great, but it tastes good with beer and keeps your belly filled. I wish they had more selection, and more meatless options for apps here, but the dip works.
We were celebrating a friend's birthday, and they brought her a decadent chocolate pate with a flower, powdered sugar, and a candle. It was beautifully displayed--a lovely treat for a birthday surprise! It tasted like a thick version of mousse: silky, creamy, melty, milk chocolate. It wasn't too sweet or rich--just right. Bonus for the free birthday dessert to share!
Bistro 33...what a night. The food: mediocre but tasty. The Service: Somewhat disinterested but competent. The Ambiance: Wannabe LA 5 years ago, when many thought loud house music, black lights and leather made a place "hip, sexy and chic". As with many establishments in Sac, a little behind the times.
Based on these observations I'd say 3 stars would be a just a review.
Ahh..but friends what a difference a beautiful and charming dining companion can make. As I stared into her almond brown eyes, our hands clutched beneath the table, I was magically transported to the French Laundry - which had of course been closed to the general public for the night. Here we were served by Chef Thomas Keller himself along with a cadre of servants. Suddenly our "kobe" mini-burgers were transformed into foie-gras stuffed quail...our diluted greyhounds became a 1987 Chateau Lafite. The bumping house music that had been drowning out the sweet music of her voice was replaced with a tableside performance by Boys II Men, who had reunited for the sole purpose of singing "I'll Make Love to You" while we dined.
As you can imagine friends, it was quite a memorable evening. I encourage you to try it...just make sure you bring a lovely lady along.
It started so good, and went so wrong!
It used to be a great place to meet the girls for happy hour. The food is overpriced and is getting greasier and greasier.
I'll only go on a weeknight.
Sacramento, CA
Category: American (New)
Sacramento, CA
Category: Mexican
Sacramento, CA
Category: Wine Bars
Sacramento, CA
Category: Restaurants
Sacramento, CA
Category: American (New)
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