Cole's Chop House
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
65 reviews
Napa, CA
"What an amazing meal here. Most of the dishes felt like I was eating through a fresh garden. I had too many dishes to list them all here,…" read more »
39 Reviews for Cole's Chop House
had dinner here after a hot day of wine and champagne tasting.
it's a nice place. romantic.
the steak was PERFECT. they DO get it the way you want it. the boyfriend wanted to creamed spinach- yuck. but i tried it and it was delicious!!!!
brownie with caramel ice cream- prefer vanilla ice cream, but the brownie is no joke.
a perfect steak gets 5stars.
Dave says, "Best steak house in town". "Great selection of beer and wine, very good wait staff".
Everything is priced ala carte with family size portions. I shared one entre with a friend with two sides - save your money for the great wine selection.
Sherri says, "It's pricey but worth it. Best location to take that special someone".
On one instance I thought the wait staff was a little pretentious for no reason - cool it with 'tude'.
Im so not used to eating dinner at 9 pm, however I lagged on making a reservation and was met with a 5:45 or 9 option - I took the later....which as I discovered just gives you more time to booze beforehand.
The restaurant is very cool inside, great look! Giant stone walls and open ceiling - I really liked the place, I can't imagine having an intimate romantic dinner here tho - it's pretty noisy but, I like that vibe a lot.
So we were seated promptly in the center of all the action and right away I started to read the wine bible. Very good selections with a great price range. The sommelier came over and asked if he could help us out. (If you knew my past debacles with sommelier's you would understand the bitter taste in my mouth, usually they are soooo pretentious it drives me nuts) But our buddy here was great! We went right to the Zins and I could not make up my mind - a full bottle is a commitment to me - he kindly left me to ponder and I decided on a very light Zin - it was great. Honestly, he was fabulous - as was our waiter John. Everyone was so friendly, talkative and attentive - even the kid getting our dishes - Coles you have a great staff!
I ordered Oysters Rockafeller and the man got a wedge salad. Both were delicious and done just right. Cause boy, you can screw those up. I ordered the filet special - 7 oz Filet Mignon atop mashed potatoes with wild mushroom saute in a peppercorn sauce - fabulous. The meat was medium rare and had a delicious grilled flavor to it and the mushrooms were the bomb. Hubby got the rack of lamb - so funny and cavemanish to see a plate with just a charred rack of lamb on it.......but damn that lamb was good!
A great experience! Can't wait to visit again - just as soon as I get a raise :)
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MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE STEAK HOUSE!!!!!! (well, besides Harris' in SF)
The drinks are super loaded with alcohol...the Manhattan is screamin strong!!!!! YES...STRONG!!!! But if you're daring, definitely give it a try! If you get to the restaurant early, swing by the bar! They also have an excellent wine menu. As they should being in the Napa Valley. Lot's of locals who totally know the staff, along with the occasional visitors. All in all, friendly atmosphere no matter who you are.
Everything at Cole's is ala carte with huge portions perfect for sharing. The steaks are so AWESOME, cooked to perfection each and everytime! Never done wrong-I've NEVER had anything bad here. And I've dined at this steakhouse at least 5 times.
For appetizers I suggest the oyster rockefellers or the brie. Both are good. If you want a yummy salad, the house chop salad and the spinach salad are both good choices. They're actually quite huge so make sure you're hungry if you also decide to order a steak.
My absolute favorite is the 10oz. filet mignon. If you're like me and you enjoy a good steak, medium rare, that absolutely just melts in your mouth....you've got to give this baby a try! You will never ever find another succulent appetizing gem at any steakhouse!! SERIOUS! No joke! The Porterhouse, Rib Eye, and the New York are all exceptional cuts as well with rich intense flavors-and huge cuts to compliment! Always a plus for the price right? I prefer the filet....each bite has my mouth screamin' for more!!!! And I'm willin' to pay the extra price...as long as it's worth it!
The side dishes I'd recommend are the asparagus spears in hollandaise sauce, sauteed mushrooms, and the creamed spinach-all very GOOD! I love the creamed spinach but if I'm watching what I eat, I usually go for the baked potato. It's loaded, so I only eat half!!
If you manage to make it thru appetizers, salad, main course and sides, you've got to absolutely try the banana fosters....OMG!!!! It's to DIE FOR!!!!! If all else fails, take your food home and save room for dessert. They bring this out to your table flamin, and sometimes, they'll even put it together at your table....a good show to watch!
Cole's is YUMMY! You'll never forget your dining experience at this place. The ambiance, food, staff, and food, and food, and GERAT food...will always keep you coming back time and time again. This is what a steakhouse is supposed to be! Especially when you order ala carte....totally blows RuthChris out of the water!!!!!!
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Late night brownie delight! Yes, you'll have amazing culinary food swirling around you, but we all know that desert is the most important piece of a meal. Simple, delicious, large and in charge... perfect to share... save room for desert (The Brownie).
My friends and I came here after Zagat rated it the best steakhouse in the Bay Area. While the service was stellar, the food was just average. Definitely not worthy of the best steakhouse in the Bay Area title.
I had the caesar salad which tasted just like a regular ole caesar salad from just a regular ole restaurant. it came with anchovies but they tasted like they were fresh out of the can.
For the dinner, I had the steak and lobster. The lobster was insanely good. Probably the best lobster I've had in my short life. Although that is drawing from a very small sample size. The steak was so so. Nothing to write home about.
All in all, it was a fun place to go, moreso for the service than for the food. Although I wouldn't pass up a chance to go back, I wouldn't go out of my way to do so.
It's been a while since I've been to Cole's but I look forward to dining there again soon. It's a chop house so order a main course and sides orders which are large and are to be shared family style. The steaks are dry-aged which makes them tender, nutty tasting and delicious. The oysters rockefeller and lobster and shrimp bisque in puff pastry appetizers are very good.
Have a classic cocktail or two while you wait for your meal. If I'm not too full, I like to finish things off with the vanilla bean creme brulee desert and and nice single malt scotch served neat, or just the scotch. ;-)
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Terrific service and the steak was out of this world! I had the aged Filet topped with crap meat along with a side of sauteed mushrooms...best I've ever had!
My girlfriend had the aged filet with a side of hashbrowns which were also awesome.
For desert we had creme brulee. Not the best, but very good. The ambiance is also very nice. It's not very big, which is nice.
The location was great, parking in the rear. Very pricey, but well worth it!
PROS: Delicious food and I stress the word "delicious", excellent interior, great location (public parking lot across the street), very professional staff.
CONS: Price - expect to spend big money - but definitely worthwhile.
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The meal was delicious, the ambiance cool and the martinis fabulous. You might say it was a dinner Frank Sinatra would have put his seal of approval on. The place has been busy since the day it opened so make reservations and fast before you go because this place will fill you UP!
The food was awesome, the service was great (our waiter had heard that I was feeling sick from all the wine tasting...he brought me some funky tasting drink that was supposed to help....I think it did)! :)
It was very busy, busier than the other places we visited on our NYE trip to Napa (even Celadon, their sister restaurant which I'd recommend as well). We had reservations, which I'd recommend. Were promptly seated, ordered the Salmon and some $50 steak that my boyfriend was so proud to order (first time spurging on a $50 steak I guess).
We didn't leave disappointed. Portions were huge. The steak was 16 oz. My salmon was very good although a bit undercooked for my taste. We got some side dish of mushrooms that was delicious.
Didn't get to have any of the dessert as we were too full but the prices were also reasonable.
Highly recommended. Just make sure you go hungry.
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While the food was good it wasn't memorable and the menu was limited. My boyfriend and I were really surprised by this.
This place is awesome I can an only try to describe how delicous my meal was. We made reservations and actually had to wait almost fifteen minutes for the table but hey I got to get a delicious martini while I waited.
Our server was really casual but still refined enough for the place. We split a wedge and got some good red wine about $12 -14 a glass. Fiance got the rib in steak and I got one of the specials of beef wellington with mushroom ragout and foie grois. If I spelled that right, I never had the foie grois and felt like being adventurous so they put it on the side, it was delicious. Totally pigged out and got dessert, bananas foster and cheesecake. The food all came out relatively fast and my filet beef wellington was so good I am going back next time I am in town.
I know I'm in the minority here, but I was disappointed. Maybe I caught them on an off-night.
Steak--average. First glass of wine I was given was bad. I don't need my server to fall all over me with apologies, but a simple apology might be nice.
I thought the decor was nice, but I just didn't find anything too special about the place.
Great food, really cool building/atmosphere, friendly staff. I often have the halibut, which is tasty. If you're a meat eater, don't miss the filet mignon, which is excellent. And being from Texas, I'm a big Pecan Pie fan, and theirs is every bit as good as any I've had. The bananas foster is tasty but tends to be a bit gooey/runny. Reservations are a must. Dressy casual but we've been here in casual clothes. In the warm weather, consider eating outside on the patio.
Very nice - high price.
I ordered the lamb chops with the sesame butter lettuce salad and a side of mashed potatoes.
it was all quite excellent.
I've never had lamb before - but the cook was great and the meat wasn't terribly gamey, and I did quite enjoy it.
The salad was a creamy heaven.
and the potatoes reminded me of my mom's - they even had lumps (that's a good thing)
Overall it was very good. The ambiance was nice, and the service was attentive. The price was a bit up there, but that's the kind of place it was...
My parents took boyfriend and me to Cole's for an early birthday dinner. It was my first time there, and I'd only heard good things. I wasn't disappointed. Because it was my birthday, I went all out and ordered the special... Steak AND lobster. Yeah. I ate every bite too. The lobster was excellent. Boyfriend (who HATES lobster) even tried a bite and admitted that it was really good. The fillet minion was absolutely perfect. For once, I said medium and it came to me medium. That never happens. Dad gave me a bite of his lobster bisque in a puff pastry... I'm definitely ordering that next time.
The five stars, however, were earned by our server, who was probably the cheeriest person I've ever seen... but somehow it wasn't annoying. She was awesome. Every time she came to the table, I just wanted to smile, and perhaps break out into a musical number with her, complete with choreographed dance moves.
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Awesome restaurant and excellent service. The porter house entree was perfectly marinated and cooked to our desire. They also have a great wine list. Our server was just the best server there is...forget his name though. The entrees are somewhat large and could be shared along with some yummy sides.
this place is great! my boyfriend and i came here for a nice dinner, it was a saturday night and we were coming from the east bay, traffic was terrible and we still had to check into our hotel to get ready, so i called to change our reservation, they were very accomodating!! when we got there we had to wait about 15 minutes, which was fine because i did change the reservation on them! we got drinks and waited by the bar. the hostess offered to check my coat and once we were seated she made sure i got a black napkin to match my dress (avoid lint from a white one) dinner was fantastic we loved everything , our waiter was super nice, the entire staff was very attentive even though the place was pretty busy. all in all we had a wonderful time and we will visit coles again.
This is Joe Cole's attempt at a Ruth's Chris-type establishment: big meat, big sides, big check. As a red meat lover, I'd love to love this place, but I can't. It's a quantity-over-quality sort of situation, and with all the other competition in the area for steak, they should be better...but they aren't. And the fact of the matter is, the human body should NOT be able to consume this much food. For steak, walk down Main street to Cole's other establishment Celadon, or its next door neighbor Angele. Bottom line: decent steaks, swanky bar, big attitude.
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This place would have got a better review if not for two things: the pricey fillet was very fatty and the manager made a terrible attempt to convince me that my meat was, indeed, medium rare. "It was simply the lighting".
I totally agree with a few of the previous reviews. It was quantity, not quality.
Everything else was beautiful and fantastic. Service: A+ (except for silly manager). The side dishes were wonderful and the desserts were perfect. The wine list was YUMMY!
We sat outside and were lucky to get a table without reservations. It was picture perfect!
Oh.... one more "except". We were swarmed by bee's. Not joking!
I have never been in this place and had anything less than a great time. Steaks? Fantastic. Drinks? Amazing. Service? Every time you get up from the table, someone appears out of nowhere, folds your napkin and puts it back on the table. If they pay attention to that kind of meaningless stuff, imagine what they do with the important stuff. Wine list? Astoundingly expensive, but by the time I'm eating supper at Cole's, I've already had plenty of wine today, thanks.
Just as importantly, the experience is uniform. I've been here dozens of times, and it has never been bad. Including the time I showed up without reservations, got seated at the bar and proceeded to drink myself into oblivion. The bartender took great care of me, and (judging by the bill) was very.....selectively forgetful.
This is probably the best dinner restaurant out there in Napa if you plan to have a nice evening with your significant other (or mistress). The food is excellent. I ordered a Ribeye Steak and oysters rockefeller with a glass of Shiraz and ended the night with a banana fosters (a MUST have). The waiter was friendly too and made us feel comfortable just being there. All in all, a great place to spend your dinnertime when you are in Napa.
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This riverfront restaurant is hands down a great place to have a great steak. Any side-dish you choose will be spot-on. The wine list has breadth and depth. Greg Cole knows how to run both the front and back of a chop house. When we're not at Press, you'll find us here, enjoying the relaxed and tasty atmosphere.
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We had Valentine's Day here and most of our special dinners are here as well. Love them, Greg Cole Rocks. If you want a reservation...call AHEAD.
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I agree with most people so far: Cole's was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. It was also a damn good steakhouse.
My girlfriend and I spent a day in Napa, popping open a wonderful bottle of Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon with dinner at Cole's. The rib-eye was tremendous. Crusted just right from the grilling, and oh so flavorful. The food was all fantastic, including the dessert that we barely had room for. Probably the second-best steakhouse I've been to (Gibson's in Chicago), and I've been to quite a few.
However, what set it apart from other steakhouses was the rest of hte experience. The restaurant is set in an idyllic downtown Napa setting and follows it up with a very comfortably elegant-casual interior (does that make any sense at all?). The service was really great and very friendly. I wouldn't hesitate to go here again. Top 10 EATING experiences ever.
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OH MY....ohh....myyyy...GOD...OH...wow...Oh Yes...Mmmmm....
That is exactly what I said when I took the first bite of my steak at Cole's...Nuff Said!!!
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I have dined here several times and each time I am more and more impressed. This has to be one of the best steaks I have ever had. It easily rivals, if not surpasses a Ruth Chris or Morton's steak, and at a comparable price. I have never been disappointed with ANYTHING I have ordered from here. Their veggies are always generous adn fresh with all sides. The lobster bisque is to die for. And of course they have an extensive wine and cocktail menu. I recommend the peach and raspberry cosmo!
Aside from the great food the serivice here is impecable. We were 45 minutes late for a last minute revervation due to traffic leaving the city and they still heald our reservation.
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We started the evening with a Cosmo for my girl and a mixed drink for me. We teased ourselves by browsing the menu and remarking how good this or that would taste. She "settled" on the steak and lobster and I, the New York medium rare. Of course, we had to add sides of hash browns, broccoli, and mushroom caps. When you add a bottle of champagne you not only have a sizable bill, you just might have one of the best Valentine's meals we've ever experienced. The food has always been excellent and the service exceptional. We have a favorite waiter he is is the best! The best part is it's only 2 miles from our home. How lucky can we be?
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It was a HOT Saturday night and my boyfriend and I didn't have dinner reservations. We thought it would be fun walking around "downtown" and explore, but in 102 degrees of heat, NOT fun. Luckily, we walked right up to Cole's and I remembered how Liz S. loved this place. Knowing her good tasted in food, we walked right in.
The hostess warned us that the wait would be an hour, but with the AC going, I didn't hesitate at all to say ok. We sat down at the bar and cooled down with a glass of strawberry vodka lemonade. YUM! Perfect refreshing cocktail for a hot day in Napa.
We started dinner with the crab cocktail. It was served in a mini pot of cold cocktail sauce and piled high with crab meat! Delicious. Next we had the pear and walnut salad with bacon vignerette. Both were wonderful. For dinner, I had the 12oz pork chop. It was thick, moist and juicy. We shared a side of sauteed baby buttoned mushrooms. I was very pleased.
Dessert was divine! I had my favorite, bourbon bread pudding. Perfectly warm and crisp with sweet sauce. My boyfriend's pecan pie with ice cream was delicious too!
Great chop house in Wine Country!
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They're clever at Cole's. They seem to jack up the prices of their food by $10 because they stay open 1 hour later than most restaurants in the area (10pm) and when potential patrons discover this, they will pay the extra $10 to have a good sit-down meal.
I can't complain about much else. I'd never had more juicy Salmon than at Cole's. Their Montana Rib-Eye was delectable. Cream of Spinach a bit too saucy. Not runny ... but the spinach was drowning. (D'oh ... another complaint) Warm Spinach salad = excellent.
It's delicious, but eat earlier and pay less elsewhere.
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Really looking forward to this place after a day of heavy wine drinking, Read M.Bauers review as well as many others to get a critical consensus of this restaurant. Menu is old school steakhouse style- being that they serve prime meats accompanied with basic family style sides and big winelist to boot. Dining room gives the feel of an old ranch house with white table clothes. Service though, doesn't hit price point of what you get. Food was very solid. Best steak around-no. Good?-yes. Service seemed weak accross the board. First off any highend steakhouse should have team service. Not the case here. In fact our server was afraid to have an opinion of anything. Moved our evening to the bar after dinner which made things interesting with the drinking locals. Met interesting people there. Plus bartender was a character and kept on bringing Makers Mark till I got pissy. Yeah I will go back- but I will share my steak in the bar area.
A Napa favorite of mine. I've spoiled every other dinning experience with this place. The wines are phenomenal and the surf and turf a thing not to be missed. The patio dinning (like much of Napa patio dinning) is dusty on metal chairs set on a leveled dirt setting. No so chic or nice for sandals. The interior is small and can get unbearably loud but the food.... oh the food, it worth every inconvenience.
My recommendation - stop in for lunch. Eat at the bar and enjoy.
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This is another great place to dine in Napa Valley, Great atmosphere and location, the steak is the best and the service is superb. This has become a memorable dining experience for me to celebrate my big 40th birthday.
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If it looks like a chop house, smells like a chop house, and is called a chop house -- you guessed it, don't bother if you don't eat meat. Yum, yum, yum. Succulent steaks and good fish dishes, too. A really neat, open two floor spot -- feels as little '40's. I love this place.
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Who needs women when you have Coles. Perfect filet mignon and a huge amount of liquid gold - bearnaise. I dont need anything else. Instant erection and orgasm, at once.
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This is another Napa restaurant that doesn't live up to its reputation. I am very into high end organic grass fed beef. After eating this type of meat at home, I couldn't finish my $42 steak because it tasted like a Safeway piece of rotting flesh. Maybe it was just that we were seated next to the toilets on a dead Tuesday night and I couldn't tell the difference between bad beef and shit fumes. The service was lame and sparse and the wines were soooo overpriced. In my 4 experiences here, the only one that didn't completely suck was the time I went there after dinner hours after seeing "The Pirates of Penzance" and having dessert. The bar was a meat market scene, but I ignored the sloppy drunks in favor of hot fudge cake brownie thing and sparkling wine. If you want good meat, go to the Rutherford Grill. It is worth the drive, it is cheaper and the service is nice.
A little pricey, but well worth it. This was hands down the best Fillet Mignon I have ever had! The service was great, the decor was nice, but I didn't even care at that point because I was so absorbed in my steak!
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I had one of my best dinning experiences ever here. The service was impeccable. After introducing himself the waiter explained that we shouldn't all order our own entrees (which I thought unique for a chop house) and that basically the portions were all so huge that it would be best to pass plates. The Manhattans were by far the best, they marinate Bing cherries on their own and forgo the normal sugar soaked cocktail cherries and use all these things that I would never think to put in a Manhattan (Campari - but not so much that you can taste gross Campari-ness). When the waiter came over and saw that someone spilled a little bit of their filled to the brim martini glass he brought them a new gratis. He also made a mistake with side dishes and brought us 1 or 2 extras for free, not that we needed it. It is a fabulous, warm place, not uptight at all like I was expecting and I can't wait to go back (if only for the Manhattans, though my filet mignon also melted in my mouth - I barely needed to chew). Delicious!
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