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Cork Restaurant
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
4991 S Alma School RdSte 101
Chandler, AZ 85248
(480) 883-3773
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 4 pm - 10 pm
Sun 10 am - 2 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Trendy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
89 reviews for Cork Restaurant
Review Highlights
"...only thing we didn't dig was the Buttermilk Fried Chicken."
(in 6 reviews)
"...of his first suggestions was the Green Chili Pork Tostada."
(in 3 reviews)
"...Organic green salad that has spiced caramel popcorn on top."
(in 4 reviews)
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89 reviews in English
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Review from Andrew C.
Chandler, AZ
10/23/2011
I have nothing but great experiences at Cork, and today's brunch was no different. We held a birthday brunch with 21 guests this morning there. The service was wonderful, the food absolutely amazing. And I do have some very picky guests! They do not hesitate to tell when they have a less than stellar experience, yet every one of them loved the food and loved the restaurant. To the servers, chefs, and owners, my hat is off to every one of you for making it a perfect occasion. To all of you reading this, get in there and have what is in my opinion the best food in the Phoenix Metro!
I have eaten dinner here more than once as well, and the dinner is astounding. I had never had the brunch before, but the brunch was amazing, and a lot more food then I was actually expecting! -
Review from Joe B.
Chandler, AZ
12/24/2011
Used to be a big fan of Cork...but for some reason they have changed what made them interesting and have gone downhill.
The food is still interesting and pretty good. But definitely not as good as it used to be. In addition to food quality going down, the price has gone up..for everything!
$20 appetizers that are NOT meant for sharing. $30 plates that leave you wanting to head up the road to Grimaldis for a White pizza!
The the topper, the service has gotten very bad. In our recent visit with friends for a holiday dinner I was quite disappointed with the level of service. Our service was boring, ambivalent somewhat rude and clearly did not comprehend fine dining. The server did not offer any insight into the menu items, did not advise of specials until we asked and basically wanted to just be an order taker!
Over the course of dinner, He spilled both wine, cocktail and water on us and the table, he knocked over items on the table, he would often reach across people and basically throw items. When serving food he stuck someone else's food in my face while reaching over. He never bothered to refill our water or later our coffee. Honestly, I was really disturbed with the level of service.
I think I will pass on a full dinner from now on...I really hate to see this transpire and I hope they improve, but for now it is just not worth it. Will stick to happy hour and that is it! -
Review from Shirley C.
Chandler, AZ
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I heard a lot of praise for this place from my co-worker, so I decided to give it a try. Definitely a nice place but for the price I was expecting it to blow my mind. And I was not blown away. The ambiance was good, low lights with a very nice wine selection. The servers were all very knowledgeable with the menu, which was important since the restaurant changes its menu every season to ensure its ingredients are fresh.
When the sever was explaining the menu, he recommended us to each order 1 dish from the appetizer, one from the salad and one from the entrée. I found that to be excessive.
So with the server's recommendation I ordered a pan seared foie gras which came with braised short rib in a onion consommé. The foie gras was chilled and very creamy with a hint of sweetness, one of the best I had. The accompanied short rib and consommé was delicious and quite filling as well. For the entrée, I ordered the duck fat poached Wagyu strip loin. Wagyu is the American version of the Japanese Kobe. As expected the steak was very tender, however I was expecting a little more fat and flavor like the Kobe.
My date first ordered a beef tartare with seared scallops, the tartare was very soft and the fattiness of the beef made it very savory. Scallop was chilled after it was seared, which made it rubbery but I really like the blend of the innate saltiness from the sea water with the sweetness of the meat. The second dish is a Bouillabaisse, which was a combination of various seafood such as lobster, scallop, mussels, and crab stewed in a tomato broth. The content of the soup was superb, but everything was overpowered by the strong flavor of the tomato sauce. It was a little disappointing.
By the time we made it to the dessert, we were stuffed. The server's portion recommendation was completely off. But we had to satisfy our sweet tooth. According to the sever, they had the top 3 banana crème pie in the state. So of course we had to put that to the test. The pie was very good, the banana mouse filling was not too sweet and whipped to a smooth texture. However the pie was topped with a thick layer of melted marshmallows, which was extremely sweet. That almost ruined the dessert, but having a little bit with the dessert adds a nice sweetness to the overall flavor.
This place is probably worth a 3.5 stars only because it's I don't think it's worth the price for the food I received. But it's a restaurant worth trying. -
Review from Amanda H.
12/8/2011
So here's my beef with Cork:
A group of friends took me out to Cork for my birthday dinner. It was a Sunday night around 7:30pm. The restaurant was near empty (there was one other group of 6 next to us). The service was only okay, with so few people in the restaurant I would have expected top notch service. However, we would often have to flag down our waiter just to get more water or bread.
We were then told that Cork's protein portion tend to be small. Well, we found that the entire dish was extremely small, not just the protein. I will say that most of the dishes were innovative. We ordered six dishes to share amongst five people. We had the hanger steak, waygu strip loin, antelope, duck, lamb chop, and pork belly. I thought the first four were quite tasty, the lamb chop was nothing special, and the pork belly was lack luster. However my biggest issue was that for the price ($23-$30 each) the portions were extremely underwhelming, we really needed to order about three entrees each in order to be somewhat full.
The desserts were probably the best part. We ordered the banana cream pie, black and white cake and chocolate with espresso gelato. I'd order the banana cream pie again.
After scarfing down six plates of bread, six entrees, three desserts, many pitchers of water, and $300 later we were talking about the next restaurant to go to so we'd be full ( the dollar menu at McDonald's was thrown out a couple of times due to our wallets being empty after this meal).
I'd try happy hour but I think dinner won't be an option next time. -
Review from Tony R.
Chandler, AZ
2/9/2012
Love it! Bottomless mimosas? Yes please! Service was good and the food was too. You can't beat the price for brunch, endless drinks, and a great atmosphere.
-
Review from Frank H.
Tucson, AZ
1/1/2012
A great experience. Celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary last night it was great. Delicious food. Excellent service. Friendly staff. The fact that it was half price wine night was an added bonus. Considering it's a 2 Hour Dr. from our home in Tucson, we will still be back again.
-
Review from Mary M.
Tempe, AZ
9/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice happy hour and quite possibly the best dining experience I've ever had in a strip mall. Really impressed and surprised!
The location though. Like, seriously, we drove all the way out to bumblehump nowhere Chandler, half expecting that the GPS was leading us out into the desert to kill us and yet there was good food and fine dining to be found!? (This place is close to the termination of Alma School Road, where lands are untamed and we totally saw a pack of wild dogs after enjoying the happy hour at Cork, like... seriously!) Worth the drive and based on the first experience I hope to see a 5-star performance full dinner in the near future.
Better Burger. Is truly better. Cooked to order accurately, medium-rare.
Risotto. Not overcooked. Husband said that the sausage mixed in was awesome, but I wasn't going to fight him over scoring a taste from his small plate sized happy hour dish.
Duck fat fries. Mmmmmmmmmmmm... Our batch was well fried, good mix of crispy, crunchy and potatoey textures represented by different shaped fries.
Desserts were small, simple, well done. Not super impressive but totally able to stand in the same line-up as the selections we made from the rest of the happy hour menu.
Drinks. A+ Strong, prompt, generous pours, solid Manhattan, tasty blueberry pomegranate martini that was delish sweet-tart. Eurotrash sparkling water option is available, makes it A++.
The only lingering reminder that I was having such a wonderful dining experience in a Chandler strip mall was seeing tables with apathetic Baby Boomers in flipflops and cargo shorts getting seated (people leave the house to dine at a relatively high pricepoint like this??). At least there were no crying babies. -
Review from Arizona T.
Mesa, AZ
8/9/2011 1 photo
This is a really great place for happy hour. They definitely have a couple of major hits on their hands with the Wild boar meat loaf and Risotto.
They fell short with soggy duckfat fries which we had high hopes for. Not a crunchy one in the bunch. Also a medium hamburger that was definitely well done. Still yummy but too dry for our taste. They do a side aeoli sauce that was horrible and tasted like straight mustard.
Service was pretty fair although we did feel rushed. I guess that is a downside to going in very early an being the only ones in the restaurant. Sterile service it could be best described. Also it would have been nice if our server would SE asked us once during the meal HOW everything was. Which she did not.
We were there to celebrate a birthday. Most restaurants offer a free dessert to the birthday person. Not this one.
We will probably go back for the fair price on martinis and the meatloaf and will sit at the bar.
Skip the happy hour desserts btw. Dry carrot cake and creme brulee was way burnt and super tiny. -
Review from Sarah H.
5/23/2011
I really really dig this place.
I've only ever been for the Sunday brunch, on two occasions to be exact.
Both times I also got a bit drunk, because of the bottomless mimosas and bellinis.....
Both times I got the eggs benedict, and they were PERFECT
Loved the taste of the champagne hollandaise sauce.
So yeah, free booze, great food, seasonal menus, swank decor and super nice service = 5 stars! -
Review from Stephanie C.
Scottsdale, AZ
8/23/2011
My husband and his brother had been to Cork and absolutely loved it, so naturally for my brother-in-law's birthday, we took him there!
Ambience: relaxed, sophisticated, modern
Menu: definitely not traditional...they had a lot of items that you don't see at every restaurant. We had the "spontaneous chef's menu." Each person at the table has to order it if you are getting it. You get 5 courses each...and each person gets something different. We would all try ours' and pass our plates...we ended up trying 20 different foods that night! My favorite was a tie between the Elk and the Kobe Beef tenderloin...both were amazing!
Restrooms: Stylish and clean!
Wine: They had a great wine selection along with a full bar. -
Review from Monica J.
4/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My husband and I went here for brunch and so we may not have gotten the full experience. Though the decor was cool and modern looking, it was a bit more casual then I expected... people in shorts and kids running around. I could have just gone to The Good Egg for that.
However, the food was great. I had the Monte Cristo which was very tasty and my husband got the steak and eggs which he also enjoyed. They had bottomless mimosas which may have just been for Easter; not sure if this is part of the regular Sunday lineup or not. Either way, I may come here again in the future but I am not sure if it is worth the drive for breakfast. Judging from the clientele, this is more of a local destination for the families in the upscale golf communities of Ocotillo and the ladies who lunch set. We were definitely getting that north Scottsdale vibe. However, the servers were not snobby at all, they were very friendly and accommodating. There was some mix-up with our reservation but they quickly rectified the situation and apologized apropriately.
The dinner menu looks tasty but overpriced. I was surprised that their tasting menu is $75 which is the same price as Quiessence. But then I saw that they are also four diamond rated. I did not think it was a four diamond experience at all but again maybe that was just breakfast. Perhaps I will give it a try some time for dinner or I may try it for happy hour since the did have some reasonably priced wines. -
Review from Victoria H.
Tempe, AZ
10/25/2011
Loved this place! We made the reservation for my birthday dinner online, and they even printed menus with "Happy 26th Birthday Victoria" at the top!
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Review from Jessica B.
Chandler, AZ
5/7/2011
We went here a couple months ago for dinner, and it wasn't bad. The owner was very nice and very attentive. Even though we didn't have a reservation they made room, and he came by to explain everything on the menu. Of course, this is where my first complaint comes in: he mentioned the lion's paw scallops. ScallopS. As in, multiple, big, tasty scallops on a plate. The menu listed them in the singular, but he kept saying how big and numerous they were - he made it sound like I'd be committing shellfish genocide if I ordered the dish!
So when there was uh, one scallop, on my dinner plate, I was a little underwhelmed. The crab cake it came with was good, but also pretty small; for $18 I figured maybe there'd be at least some more salad, but.. I guess not.
This place is trendy, and the food is tasty. The drinks are strong, but the portions are tiny for the price. Good for lunch or brunch, but for dinner? Not so much. -
Review from Marina R.
Gilbert, AZ
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food, good service, great wine by the bottle, not such great wine by the glass but ok and pricey. Their happy hour menu used to be better but it changes which is fun.
Nice neighborhood place. -
Review from Jessica s.
Mesa, AZ
Nice upscale restaurant. It is on the small side so you should probably make reservations on typical busy night..fri, sat etc. They are very attentive here though and service is very good.
Its not your normal restaurant or portion size when it comes to the food. The plates are small and they recommend 5 dishes to share between two people. (yes it is also expensive). The menu is also not that large either and they do not have the typical ingredients you might not be used too so it is def an experience you should try just once.
Everything was very good, ambiance was nice and romantic and the wine selection is phenomenal.
p.s try the dessert wine sampler! -
Review from Dottie R.
Tempe, AZ
9/26/2011
This was not the first time for us to dine at Cork and we all agreed that our dinners last Wednesday were some of the very best we have eaten. We knew the food would be very good, but we were surprised by the originality of the dishes as well as the taste of each.
Because we liked the looks of the Restaurant Week" menu, we decided to try it out.
I chose the tomato heirloom salad and was blown away by the Burrata Mozzarella that adorned the dish. It had the flavor of a mozzarella, but it was soft and had a velvety texture. The scallop dish that my son and husband ordered had large scallops that were cooked to perfection. I ordered the infamous short ribs that were served with risotto. They were fork tender and delicious paired with the risotto. My son ordered the black sea bass which proved to be his "favorite dish", which says a lot. We all had the creme brulee. After we finished it, we all agreed that it was the best creme brulee that we had eaten.
Now you can see why I titled this review Wow!. -
Review from Rita H.
Tempe, AZ
3/3/2011
My boyfriend and I came here for restaurant week this year hoping to try some of the fine dining in Arizona. This place is quite fancy! It has the dim lights, cloth napkins, the whole cute dinner date ambiance where you feel you can only speak in little more than a whisper. The waiter was very friendly, helpful, and service was excellent.
I can't exactly remember the food except for the fact that everything was very very salty! I'm a person that can handle my salt and even I thought it was too salty! I was so surprised because of the great reviews this place has gotten and the overall environment. Maybe it was a bad night or something but it was so salty I drank about 5 glasses of water! -
Review from Lori C.
6/2/2011 5 photos
You won't be expecting food this good hidden away in this location. The wine selection is not only fun, inspiring and delicious but also beautiful. As the name implies (cork as in wine bottle cork- and the decor) wine is a big deal here. Don't be misled though- the chef from Chicago will make you squeal with delight over what ever you order. I have been there several times. A few times for a romantic dinner with my dear husband and several times with a group. The room they set up for our friend's anniversary was so special.
Try the chef's choice dinner. It is worth the money and will make for one of the most memorable meals you will ever eat. -
Review from Christy T.
Tempe, AZ
1/28/2011
Cork, you are beautiful, your wait staff is delightful but you are getting third in this beauty pageant because you are empty-headed..Let me explain while I place the 5 star tiara on some other restaurant's review..
First, what is with the micro portions? If your prices were also micro, I would understand it but I should not be paying $25 for a 4oz cut of steak...sirloin in a bowl of duck broth over risotto.
This combination stank so the small portion is forgivable but what are you thinking putting a steak in a stew bowl, on top of a bowl of risotto and covering the whole thing with duck broth. First, the broth tastes nothing like duck but why would you add liquid to risotto after spending all that time getting the liquid to rice ratio just perfect? Or maybe it never was and this was your way of masking the problem? The risotto may be astounding but adding the broth turned it to glue. So, the meal as described v. the meal I received, I didn't care for. But, my meal was a delight after I tasted my friend's meal of mussels. The mussels were terrible and I thought had gone bad from the taste...So, not good for dinner.
Your brunch on the other hand was tasty but the portions were nuts. $11 for ala carte french toast and I get slivers of bread....seriously?! You are in Chandler not Beverly Hills and you are waiting on working class folks, not starlets so put some food on my plate!
Overall, Cork, you are beautiful, you know that but you really need to turn it up in the kitchen because I would recommend you for drinks but never for substance... -
Review from Diana L.
Gilbert, AZ
9/25/2011
Delicious food, great wine. If you like Rieslings, try their half bottle of Gunderloch.
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Review from Stephanie D.
Phoenix, AZ
7/27/2011
I had dinner at Cork recently to celebrate my birthday, and the experience had some real highs and some real lows. First, I will say that with one exception (explain later), the service was superb. I was greeted warmly by the young lady at the door and was really tickled that our menus had "Happy Birthday, Stephanie" printed at the top. Our waiter, whose names escapes me now (sorry!) was friendly and clearly enthusiastic about the kitchen.
Which brings me to the food. Although I was sorely tempted to order the sweetbreads as a starter, I went with the roasted baby beet salad for two reasons: 1. I love both roasted beets and morbier and 2. I can usually tell right away based on the salad course whether or not I'll be back for another meal. So, how was it? Well, the individual components were all good on their own, except for the confit (I've had far, far better). What the dish lacked was cohesion. A bit of this, a bit of that, a really teeny bit of horseradish (seriously, like two thin slivers). It was confusing: why choose the ingredients so carefully but do nothing to make them more than the sum of their parts? So out of 10, I'd give it a 6.
Oh, did I mention that I love wine? And I really love white wine (if you don't know how fantastic white wine can be, you need to branch out a little from your red fixation). I was please, therefor, when our server told me that they offer both a Viognier and a Grüner Veltliner by the glass. I would hope that a restaurant named "Cork" would have some great whites! Alas, neither were much to write home about. Predictably, the list of whites by the bottles wasn't very inspired, either. *sigh*
But back to the food. My husband's starter was, if I remember correctly, a Caesar salad. It was crispy, dressed properly. A fine salad. In the meantime, my daughter was pigging out on the bread, which was delicious.
Then the mains. Okay, I chose this restaurant because I had read a year ago or so Howard Seftel's review of Cork in which he deemed their fried chicken a hit. I'm from the South and crazy for fried chicken, although I actually rarely eat fried anything (because, you know, it's bad for you). But I wanted fried chicken for my birthday, darn it, and that's what I ordered. It was, in a word, *horrible*. I knew the minute our waiter presented the dish that the chicken was seriously, seriously overcooked. The panko breadcrumbs were practically blackened. I hoped against hope that I was mistaken. Nope. The breading tasted like scorched oil and the chicken was so dry I could barely chew it. Also on the plate were Yukon Gold mashed potatoes with gravy and haricots verts (which was misspelled on the menu, yikes). The sides looked promising; the potatoes had a nice texture, and the green beans were clearly not overcooked, thank goodness. However, none of it tasted like it had been seasoned. Flat gravy, flat potatoes and, from what I could tell, nothing had been done to the green beans, either. It was pretty depressing to see a potentially great meal gone so terribly wrong.
Across the table, my husband was having an all together different experience. His dish of steak with pork belly was fantastic. I had a bite or two and was seriously jealous. My daughter was chowing down on her homemade chicken strips and fries. So it seemed I was the only one who struck out.
Remember earlier when I said that our service was great, save one thing? My sole complaint is that I *know* our waiter could tell my dish was overcooked when he presented it, and yet he said nothing. And since I had someplace to be immediately after, I didn't really have time to send it back to the kitchen and wait for something else. When he cleared our dinner dishes, it was obvious that I'd eaten very little. When the waiter asked how everything had been, I lied and said, "Fine." It was my birthday and I didn't want to be a bitch.
Since I still had room, I gave Cork one more shot and ordered a dessert. (would've ordered a glass of port, too, but I wasn't impressed with the choices). My daughter went with the Black and White (a flourless chocolate cake topped with a white chocolate Bavarian and raspberry coulis) and my husband and I ordered the cheesecake to share.
The servings were odd. The flourless cake slice was really generous and the cheesecake was a very small round, maybe four bites. After I tasted each, I had to laugh. The cake would have been utterly forgettable if not for the bizarre Bavarian with no taste and too much gelatin--it was almost foam rubber in texture. My daughter scraped the Bavarian to the side, and then just ate a few bites of the cake. The cheesecake, however, was fantastic. Seriously. We left not a crumb on the plate.
As I said, it was a meal of real highs and lows. Cork may very well be one of those places where you *have* to know what to order and stick to those dishes. That would be a shame. -
Review from Brevemike C.
Chandler, AZ
12/19/2010
First - The service was prompt and polite. Kudos to the wait staff.
The brunch menu looks amazing. The reality was not.
The Promise: Corned Buffalo hash w/ poached eggs, 4 slices of thick cut bacon, and a biscuit with gravy.
The Reality:
The corned buffalo hash wasn't a hash at all. A hash would indicate the meat and potatoes are in some way mixed. About 4oz of the corned "meat" - I say "meat" because it was so generic it could have been nearly anything - was apparently pulled from the stew pot (still quite soupy) and laid atop 5 halves of fingerling potatoes (yes 5, I'm not sure why the odd number). Even more sad, half of the meat was a lump of fat. Not just some connective tissue, an impenetrable squishy blob of fat.
The poached eggs were ok.
The bacon was awesome tasting, although too tough to cut with a fork and requiring some serious chewing to really enjoy.
The biscuit and gravy was fairly good. Not traditional as it has a very sweet taste. The biscuit required a knife and fork to get trough the crust, but still not bad tasting.
The Aftermath:
At a cost of $32 for one plate of less than inspring food - I'll only be back if someone else is dragging me and paying. -
Review from Doug H.
Mesa, AZ
9/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
What's the definition of "swank", anyway? Well I'm here to tell you that next to the definition of swank in the dictionary should be a picture of this place. Actually, the Urban Dictionary says it best: "It's what happens when you combine Swagger and Lank. Swank!" And while The Cork Restaurant doesn't have so much "lank", it does have plenty of swagger, great style and tons of confidence.
This is what I found out when me and my wife had brunch at The Cork for the first time this past weekend. The waiter knew this menu well and proceeded to make recommendations on our request. One of his first suggestions was the Green Chili Pork Tostada. I told him that I love Mexican food, it just doesn't love me back. (Get it?) He then told me about the Sweet Potato and Chicken Sausage Hash. I was a little concerned about it but gave it a try anyway and boy was I happy I did. The dish is a taste sensation of multiple flavors that blend oh-so perfectly together. My wife ordered the Crepes Suzette and loved that too. She gave me a taste and I had to agree. I'm not much for such a sweet breakfast but this was the most amazing Crepes Suzette I've ever had. I forgot to mention it but the waiter brought us a complimentary small sugar donut with a side dish of honey. I tasted it and it was excellent. My wife then let me know that it's called a Sopa Piaz (Mexican donut). The waiter had tricked me into trying something Mexican and I'm glad he did.
The place was classy, the service was excellent, and the food superb. -
Review from Travis T.
Tempe, AZ
1/15/2011
The most under recognized happy hour in the state, hands down.
I've been to Cork for a full dinner and wine, and it was one of the best meals I've eaten. The food was delicious, beautiful and the wine was amazing. The only reason I hadn't been back, well, I'm a college student. My wallet cannot afford such splurges on a regular basis.
However, happy hour is the place to be. A friend and I stopped by on a Friday afternoon to see what we could find to nibble on and sip. Almost all of their happy hour menu items are $8 (some are $5), and they are full size plates. Their champagne cocktails are $3, while their other cocktails and glasses of wine are $4.
Libations:
Red Stag Bourbon Manhattan: I have a weak spot for bourbon, I don't know why, but I really enjoy its complexity. Their version of the Manhattan was pretty good, maybe a little sweet for me though. I prefer mine to have a little bit of a bite, and enjoy the flavor of the bourbon.
Grapefruit Basil Martini and the Pomegranate Blueberry Martini were also both pretty good. Though they would have been better with a cool garnish of a basil leaf and pomegranate seeds, respectively.
The Floral: This champagne cocktail had a splash of St. Germaine Elderflower. Very refreshing and a little bit sweet. It was a great flavor combination.
The Modern Classic: This is another champagne cocktail but with blood orange bitters. Being a man who enjoys bourbon and bitters, I was curious to try a champagne and bitters. This was awesome. The bitters gave it a little bit of a bite, but the blood orange flavor was brought out with the champagne. A very good drink.
Snacks:
Daily Charcuterie Plate ($8): I imagine this changes daily, or weekly, but wow, what a plate for only $8! This plate had a few slices of thinly sliced meat, a great house-made pesto, a sausage and mustard, and even some luxardo cherries. It was a perfectly sized plate for two people to share and nibble on while talking and enjoying a drink. I would have easily paid $15 for what I got.
Duck Fat French Fries ($5): These were to die for. Rich and amazing, topped with Gruyere cheese and sea salt. There was a whole grain mustard aioli to dip. I could have eaten those all day.
Fork & Knife Hotdog ($8): This open faced hotdog had chorizo, Asadero cheese, caramelized onions, tapatio. Living up to its name, I had to eat it with a fork and knife. It could have easily been a meal in itself.
Wild Boar Meatloaf ($8): Meatloaf with a house-made ketchup on a grilled slice of Ciabatta bread was great. The meatloaf was very moist had great flavor, complimented by the house-made ketchup. The ketchup was good, but I think it was a tad thick and seemed to stick to your tongue as you ate.
I would probably have to be taken out back and shot if I didn't give these guys 5 stars because how can you not?! Great drinks, especially the champagne cocktails, and amazing small plates that max out at $8! Happy hour is how this college student can afford to enjoy the delicious, fresh cuisine that is found at Cork. If I have a Tuesday-Friday off of class or work I can definitely see myself taking my sweet girlfriend here for a light dinner via happy hour. -
Review from Alexandra Z.
Gilbert, AZ
This review is well overdue. I live in San Diego, and was visiting in Arizona for the weekend, and wanted to find a nice place to have brunch with my boyfriend. Hopped onto the Yelp! app, and based on location and Yelp! reviews, Cork had all the makings of a fabulous brunch. Made reservations through OpenTable app, and off we went on a blazing hot Sunday morning in the suburban glory of Chandler, AZ.
If you're looking for urban hipster patio people watching scene, a la Scottsdale, you will not find it at Cork. Cork is in the middle of a strip mall in suburbia (which means, ample and free parking). AND as a constantly traveling foodie, it is well worth a trip to the PHX metro burbs.
Upon walking in, we were impressed from start to finish - the décor, the reception from the host and wait staff, bottomless bellinis, and of course, the food.
I favor savory over sweet, and we decided on trying the green chili pork tostada and the big biscuit. The tostada is a layered concoction of green chili pork, refried beans, salsa, and cheese between fried corn tortillas, topped with scrambled eggs and drizzled with more salsa. The buttermilk cheddar biscuit is topped with scrambled eggs, bacon, and grilled black forest ham, with a hearty smothering of gravy. We both agreed that while the biscuit tasted good, it was a bit lacking. The tostada was by far one of the best breakfasts I've ever had in my life, period.
The portions are very big, which had us lingering there for a pretty long time. But we never felt hurried or rushed by the wait staff. In the end, we were defeated by the entrees, and just couldn't finish either of them.
Cork was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for brunch, and hope to make a visit for dinner there soon. -
Review from Alice Y.
Diamond Bar, CA
11/17/2011
We came here for happy hour before. Great drinks and small sides. Everything was very tasty and petite. Just perfect for a snack! Nice ambiance and our waiter provided excellent service - always checking up on us and seeing if we needed anything at all. The location is a little hard to find but nothing satellite view from Google maps can't solve. :) I'm not sure if it's worth the drive from Glendale but definitely worth a try if you are in the area!
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Review from Aileen B.
Updated - 6/21/2010 10 photos
4/10/10
Took my cousin from out-of-town (NJ) here for happy hour! Yes, we had drinks (a hibiscus margarita for me, and I think she had a champagne cocktail), and yes, we shared a grilled cheese sandwich- so fool-proof, it's guaranteed I'll enjoy myself there. FYI, so did she! We also tried the Jalapeno-Crusted Ahi Tuna, which usually comes on fry bread, and sits on a bed of almond hummus and garnished w/ raita. Our version, w/out my requesting, came w/ pesto instead of the hummus. We loved it! My cousin enjoyed her light meal here. I just wished we had more time to have a larger meal, but other engagements that day had us moving on. Next time I visit, I'll have to skip on the grilled cheese and try something off the dinner menu. (Just had a look, and there are so many calling my name!)Listed in: "If you are what you eat, in…, Cocktails!, Happy, Happy, Joyful Hours!
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/26/2010
12/18/09
How I LOVE this place! The grilled cheese gets me everytime! I'll even get cheesy (pun… Read more »
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Review from Ana C.
1/18/2011
I will be coming back here again and again. It is rare that I have so much trouble ordering because everything tempts my palate but here, that was the case with Cork (I wanted to try everything on the menu!)
Firstly, this is a classic small plates restaurant (3 oz of your proteins). Those of you who enjoy Olive Garden endless pasta bowls need not apply. However, for an amazing journey of flavors spread over several small courses and an amazing wine list, come on in!
The place is not huge so I would recommend reservations during peak hours. We came in for a late dinner with a reservation and were seated at a nice sized booth. Winston is great as a server so ask for him if he's working; his knowledge of the menu and wines was very good.
We had a hot and cold starter: the Lion's Paw scallop is wonderful and the sweet potato puree it's served on was a perfect compliment. I was worried how the pork confit would go with it but it was a very nice touch. Our cold starter was a special that night: a beef roulade stuffed with lobster and red peppers and topped with caviar. It was very good but the scallop stole the show in this course.
Salads: We ordered the baby spinach and the organic field greens. The field greens with its interesting combination of the spiced caramel popcorn and blue cheese was very good but the baby spinah salad was phenomenal. I would come back just for this dish! A bed of perfect baby spinach topped with shallots and a warm sherry vinaigrette with large pieces of smoky bacon all topped with a perfectly poached egg and served with a crostini spread with pesto! So. Good. The salads were big enough for two to share one, I think.
As a main course, I enjoyed the elk loin which was perfectly cooked at medium rare-rare and the boar risotto was nice. I enjoyed the brussel sprouts but thought my husbands celery root hash was better. He enjoyed the beef short rib which was amazing with its two generously sized poached crab legs. We did not leave overly stuffed but were very satisfied.
This is a pricey place at dinner and best for a special night but the food is so good! We will definitely be back! -
Review from R T.
Chandler, AZ
6/1/2011
The decor is nice. Makes me feel like I'm in a modern HGTV bathroom - but in a nice and restaurant-appropriate way. They have an outdoor patio with fireplace that looks like a fine place to enjoy a cocktail, although I didn't do that.
The ambiance is surprisingly low on snotty, given their abuse of the trendiest foodie terms on their menu.
I was excited to read through the menu, but disappointed at the flavors - the dishes didn't stand up to all the high falootin' foodie terms used to describe them. The organic salad tasted very, um, organic - had "earthy" dirt-like flavor which I found unappealing. I let the husband finish the salad off. For the main course, I had the buttermilk fried chicken, paired with gently steamed veggies and potatoes/gravy. The gravy was delicious and smooth; the chicken was moist and not greasy at all. My husband had the risotto, which left something to be desired. The risotto was well cooked, but the flavors of the dish had a stinky-foot quality I didn't appreciate. Neither did my husband - so he gratefully finished my chicken dish.
On another night, we decided to give it another try with visiting family. The salad was once again infused with an earthy flavor that nobody liked, but everyone noticed. The main dishes were well prepared (meats cooked to perfection, veggies still had crisp, sauces doled out in perfect amounts) - you can tell there is some excellent technique going on in that kitchen, but the flavors left something to be desired. Nothing tickled my palate in the same way the presentation pleased my eyes, or the menu description made my mouth water. I've had better tasting fine food, and will probably choose to spend my fine dining dollars elsewhere in the future. I may give it a few years and, if still there, return to see if the chef has improved the flavors with time and experience. -
Review from Maia M.
Chandler, AZ
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wonderful seasonal menus that are expertly prepared. Due to allergies, I can sometimes get stuck with only one option to eat. It is on the pricier end, but the atmosphere is wonderful
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Review from Patrick N.
Scottsdale, AZ
1/19/2011
I can see why this place inspires adulation in all the reviewers. I don't go out in Chandler that often, but given how great this place was, I might be tempted to go out in Chandler again.
Well, on second thought...
but this place is great. -
Review from Mandy M.
Phoenix, AZ
12/8/2010
Review is overdue, but this place is awesome for BRUNCH. The food is ok, but the bottomless mimosas are a nice touch. Nice for an intimate yet friendly setting for a good price.
Favorite dish: Breakfast Tostada
Although I've heard.... not so good reviews about their dinner menu. Apparently the value goes way down for the $$ -
Review from Lorenzo L.
Chandler, AZ
11/13/2011
Came here to start off our date night. I must say that after reading all of the positive reviews, this place did not disappoint. The Powder Keg Petite Sirah was amazing. We tried two salads; Baby Arugula Salad/Figs, Ricotta, Candied Pecans, Golden Raisins, Pear, Champagne Fig Vinaigrette - and the Heirloom Tomato Salad/Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil Nage, Watercress, 25 Year Old Balsamic Vinegar. Both were delicious. We shared two entrees. Striped Bass resting on top of Dungeness crab and Spaghetti squash. The other dish was Wagyu Strip Sirloin with veggies. The beef was poached in Duck Fat. I have to say that both had excellent flavor. If I had to choose only one, I'd go with the Striped bass as the taste was very good and was slightly more filling. Dessert was a must. We had the brown sugar cheesecake which came with a pecan peanut brittle - yum! And the creme brûlée accompanied with fresh raspberries. The entire meal was pricey, but worth every penny. Service was excellent. We plan to come back and try the brunch and happy hour offerings very soon.
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Review from Leonard K.
Chandler, AZ
11/10/2011
We walked into a nice atmosphere. The hostess was nice, and our waitress was great. The food was not good, and not worth the money they are charging. The appetizers made no sense with the offerings on each plate. We have eaten at some of the best restaurants on the east coast, California, and New Orleans (Commander's Palace for example). Cork's offerings are way over-priced. The duck was so salty I couldn't eat it, and they took the entree off the bill. My wife also complained about her entree being too salty, but they did not take her plate off the bill. Sex discrimination? Maybe. One thing is for sure. We won't be going back, and we won't be referring any friends here.
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Review from Rahul R.
5/11/2010
Believe it or not, the strip mall factor ADDS to the charm of this place! Imagine a fine dining experience without the pretense and superficial vibe associated with most establishments. This is a great place to try fine dining in a very relaxed atmosphere with excellent service and affordable pricing. Yes..yes...I know, fine dining and affordable typically don't go hand in hand...and usually the only places that market themselves in this manner are places like the Olive Garden.
Seriously, this is wonderful food. Everything from the ostrich to the seared ahi to the southern fried chicken to the duck was outstanding. None of their more exotic meat like their ostrich or boar was gamy. The flavor combinations were wonderful. We really enjoyed the duck with the sopapilla and seared ahi with the pesto relish. We also had a wonderful mac n cheese with pork.
We ordered 5 dishes that my wife and I shared along with a bottle of wine and two deserts. We felt this was a lot of food. These portions are not the size of tapas; they are larger than tapas but smaller than most single meal portions. All of this was $144 dollars. Each dish is basically a tasting plate in which each meat portion is only 3 oz. Therefore, you can taste a lot of dishes without overstuffing yourself. Each dish is reasonably priced at $14-20. This type of meal would have easily cost $300 in New York or San Francisco.
One note, the seared ahi tuna was perfect. I read a review criticize its texture and flavor, they must be eating at Long John Silvers because that criticism was inaccurate.
I know some of you might think "This is place is Chandler, how good can it be?" We were pleasantly suprised. As someone who worked in both the Bay and New York area, this is on par with many fine dining establishments there.
Lastly, I have to give a shout out to our server Winston. He was cordial, attentive and very relaxed. He was not pushy with the wine selections nor did he recommend the most expensive wine as most fine dining waiters will try to do. In addition, he brought out the plates and paced them well. We were not rushed and you got the feeling this restaurant really takes care of their patrons. We will certainly come back.
There are not many restaurants in the Chandler area that I would recommend people driving all the way down from the far reaches of the Valley but this is one that is well worth an hour drive if necessary. -
Review from Erik T.
Tempe, AZ
4/22/2009 ROTD 11/21/2009
Cork is an enigma.
What makes it enigmatic is how damn good it is... Too good for Chandler and maybe too good for the valley.
The portions are just right, and anybody that tells you otherwise is a fat ass or a glutton (I'm 6'3, 200lbs. and I was satisfied). If you want large portions though, go to their lunch/brunches. I've been there twice and had The Lamb Chop, which was amazing on all levels, and I've had some serious lamb in rural Bosnia, which has been labeled the best in their country... sure enough cork's stood up blow for blow. The other entrée I experienced was the buttermilk fried chicken. I was so amazed by the lamb the first time, that I had to try something more "simple" in order to qualify their food in regards to regular places. Let's just say the chicken was not regular, it was outstanding. The appetizers are crazy good... can anyone say king crab legs?
The wine selection is top notch. the booze selection is killin, and they even make this amazing Italian lemon stuff that's like 90% alcohol. make sure you have a designated driver, because this place will inspire winos and boozers to indulge to their fullest.
Go to Cork, because it's that damn good! -
Review from Mrs. A.
Phoenix, AZ
5/24/2010
My husband took me here for a special birthday dinner on 5/15 and I really wanted to like this place, but it just didn't work out that way :( . Maybe it's because we aren't "gourmet" foodies? I dunno.
We found it strange that this upscale restaurant is situated in a strip mall, but it IS a nice strip mall (lol) with a pretty water fountain and cute furniture/home goods shops nearby. The interior of Cork is small, yet really cool and modern with a chain mesh curtain running down the middle and suede seats in the booths. When we were seated, we were given menus that read "Happy Birthday, Rebecca!" at the top which I thought was very sweet.
All items are tapas style (essentially lots of small meals) which I enjoy because I love to sample several dishes. We started with salads. The Baby Arugula had fried goat cheese, pieces of watermelon and strawberries, cashews, and a blood orange poppy seed vinaigrette. The Organic Green Salad had blue cheese, spiced caramel popcorn, slices of pear, and a balsamic vinaigrette. Both were tasty, but I liked the Arugula the best. Next, we decided on Cork's Mac and Cheese which consisted of BBQ pork belly, smoked bacon, and cheddar (normally comes with mushrooms too, but my husband hates them). It was good, but nothing special. Especially in comparison to Fleming's drop-dead delicious mac 'n' cheese.
Finally, we ordered the Honey Glazed Duck Breast (mango sopapilla, duck confit, and cantaloupe gazpacho relish) and the Surf & Turf (tempura shrimp, honey lavender glazed ostrich, coconut milk, chorizo fried rice, and spicy mustard) These dishes were hugely disappointing to us. Let me mention that I've never had duck or ostrich so that could have been part of the problem. The ostrich tasted like cheap stew meat and the duck was just nasty. Our super nice server (forget his name, sorry!) was very thoughtful and did say he could bring us something else, but we were pretty much done by then. We shared the banana creme pie for dessert and that was incredibly creamy and luscious.
The 2 major reasons we will most likely never come back to Cork is:
Number 1) The food made my husband really crabby......he was seriously grumpy afterwards.
and (***WARNING: the following will be TMI for some of you***)
Number 2) Literally!!! About 15 minutes after eating here, I had the WORST squirts of my life. It was sooooo bad, UGH! -
Review from Sarah G.
5/5/2008 8 photos
My first trip was for lunch.
My waiter sold me on the Lunch Special (fried shrimp and crab cakes with pineapple salsa, (see pics)$ 15
But I Love quiche so I had to order that too (see pics) $10
Thank God I ordered both, these were smaller than appetizers, I was told that Lunch had full size portions? O well I guess~ at least it was really good.~ Although I did have a problem with the shrimp, it tasted like cleaner, they brought me a couple more crab-cakes instead.
side note*= tables have no salt, pepper or sweeteners, I ordered an ice tea and still was not offered any sugar.
Second trip Brunch= I had already made reservations for brunch prior to my first visit.
So here we are again no salt and pepper or sweeteners, there was 3 of us and only two table setting up until right before our food came out.
Ordered Ice tea and still had to ask for sweeteners.
What we ordered:
Ham and biscuits=Fresh Baked Biscuits, Virginia Ham, Poached Eggs, Champagne Hollandaise (see pics) $12
The "ham" was not ham but extremely cheap and salty prosciutto, I put it aside, the rest was quite good although rather tiny.
I informed the waiter , he comes back with the chefs apologies and some lame excuse saying "well its American prosciutto that's why we call it ham" WTH the menu says Virginia ham?
Virginia Ham Monte Cristo=Edwards and Sons Ham, Sourdough French Toast, Swiss Cheese (see pics) $11.
Very Good, probably the best thing between us all and it had the ham that it described.
Sunny Side Up Eggs=Organic Eggs, Smoked Bacon, Hash Browns (see pics) $9
This was not on the kids menu by the way and very sadly it was served with Denny's hash-browns, this is a fancier restaurant shouldn't those be taboo??
Buttermilk Pancakes=House-made Butter, Fig and Peach Syrup (see pics) $10
They tasted good but that does not make up for the fact that they were served with NO BUTTER and COLD SYRUP and a little burnt as you can see!!!
Let me sum it all up for you:
Ham and biscuits................. $12
Virginia Ham Monte Cristo.....$11
Sunny Side Up Eggs............$9
Buttermilk Pancakes...........$10
Having to go somewhere else for breakfast after brunch..........PRICELESS!!!
I really have mixed feelings about this place, because the food is quite good but really overpriced for the portion size. I mean I do go to a restaurant to EAT for God's Sake!
It might be cheaper to invest in a Lap Band Surgery than to try and go here and get full.
I have to go with 2.5 stars -
Review from Jeffrey K.
Phoenix, AZ
4/14/2009
I could have been happy with just the homemade cinnamon doughnuts, the cold Bellini's, and the table conversation but after looking at their special Easter brunch menu I knew there would be more to come.
Cork had a variety of classics to choose from that were seasonally inspired and well thought out. I'm grateful to have friends and family who are willing to share because if it weren't for their generosity I would have had to order several dishes.
There were plates of thick slices of pecan and raisin French toast with warm sautéed bananas and organic maple syrup passed around for everyone to try. Forks full of bourbon and honey glazed ham that, at least twice, made its way around the table. There were also spoons full of tangy and bright champagne hollandaise and perfectly poached eggs that everyone tried.
One of the many great attributes that Cork has going for them is their passion for the customers. Hands down some of the best service I've had in the valley. Just to give you an idea how good they are- we were greeted by the chef, it's nice to know people who know people, the server was more excited about the menu than I was, and the owner thanked us for sharing Easter with them. We liked them so much that we made reservations in a private room for the end of the month. If I weren't so far away from them I would probably ask them for a personal napkin. -
Review from Andrea K.
Updated - 10/30/2009 2 Check-ins Here
Again with the five stars...
I met up with Aileen, Violeta, and Brynn last night to experience their happy hour menu. Great prices, awesome food, and even better drinks! I had the Prime Better Burger...the burger was a little undercooked for medium, but I didn't mind it that much. (Yes I did put up a little fuss...but if anybody knows me - that's typical) and the short rib that was on top of the burger was perfection!!! I had two of their drinks (I can't for the life of me remember the first one that I had, but I thought the Floral champagne cocktail was the bomb!!! Made me extra happy.
If for anything else, the service is always top notch...and it was extra special nice of Robert the owner (who always makes me feel so welcome) sent over to our a table a glass for each of us of this dessert wine that he just got in. And he also took time out to explain the new Sunday night dinner with wine pairings that Cork is offering, plus the Sunday Brunch and his ideas for Thanksgiving.
I know that Cork is out of the way for most of you...but if you are ever out in the area, please stop by. It is so worth it.Listed in: I Am Such A Winer, YAY! I am actually out there…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/28/2008
It is extremely necessary that I update my review...
This is about the atmosphere and hospitality… Read more »
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