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Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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My wife and I went there a few months ago for my birthday. Nice, quiet place; not too stuffy, however.
The foie gras appetizer was a little bland, but the highlight of my evening was the Kobe filet mignon/lobster dinner. It's not Japanese Kobe as I later learned, but rather Australian "Kobe-style" beef (it was actually very, very clearly written on the menu, I just failed to read it at the time). As a certified steak snob, this was a truly awesome steak. The steak was so fantastic, as a matter of fact, that the lobster paled in comparison to it.
Wait staff was fantastic. Not being a wine snob, I routinely ask the waiter to pick a glass or two that goes with beef - our waiter picked a wonderful wine for me.
All in all, this was a fantastic evening. Good restaurant. We're going back in a month as a matter of fact, and bringing friends.
Eh... 1 star for my filet mignon and 1 star for the kona coffee creme brulee.
For a $50 steak you would expect them to give you some kind of sides. Instead you have to buy the sides separately and they are super bland. My friends made me bring the sides home and it ended up going into the trash. It was over $300 for the 5 of us.
Oh, I guess another half star for their personalized menu which said "Happy Birthday ____" but then minus half a star for putting on items that weren't available that particular day.
The World According to Noelle
~Allergic Girl's Guide to Life~
I called and made dinner reservations for last Saturday on Friday of last week. Called Friday to cancel because I wanted to take my mom to Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro. Due to bad weather, I decided not to go to Napa. Called Forbes Mill on Saturday morning and was treated rudely by "Olga" who answered the phone. I asked politely if I could please make a reservation for four and have a specific booth (my favorite booth that I normally get while dining at FB). I told Olga this was for my mother's birthday celebration. Olga was unhelpful and downright rude.
Due to the poor customer service, I won't be dining at Forbes Mill anytime in the near future. My mother's early birthday celebration took place Saturday @ Grill on the Ally- which proved to be better in customer service and the overall dining experience.
Noelle's Notes
Skip It.
The World According to Noelle
~Allergic Girl's Guide to Life~
Issue Update
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To be honest, I had the best prawns of my life so far in Forbes Mill Steakhouse two days ago and want to go back for more. They were just so juicy and delicious I was thrilled.
They came with smooth and clearly home made mash potatoes and a 6oz fillet Mignon. Although the steak was wonderful as well, the prawns "scampi style" were awesome. Scampi style apparently is fried in butter, white wine and shallots. hmmm
Forbes Mill was once a great steak house. Sadly, that seems to no longer be the case. Herself and I ate there Saturday night, and while the service was friendly, the steak (a claimed Wagyu NY Strip) had gristle at one end. The sides, as others noted, were bland and seemed as though they had come off a steam table (potatoes au gratin with no crust, soft brussels sprouts). My first warning sign was the lack of a rib-eye on the "Wagyu" list; the second was the bargain prix-fixe menu.
I will give them credit for the excellent appetizers. We did the sampler with scallops, prawn cocktail, and seared ahi, and all were very good. The steaks were an unfortunate contrast. Dessert was a definite "meh"--uninspired gelato.
Fortunately there are many other excellent restaurants in Los Gatos, and many, many better places to get a steak.
A birthday dinner on a Friday evening - surprisingly we get there and they prepared a pre-printed pre-fixe menu with the birthday girls name on the menu - it was a great surprise and a nice touch. We brought our own wine and they were very gracious about decanting it - a 1999 Lafite. We also brought our own decadent birthday cake - and again, they were very gracious about serving it. The food was amazing. The fire was roaring in the fire place - the ambiance was spectacular. And our waiter Thomas was incredible, calling each of us by name. He was attentive yet not overly so. I would absolutely go back.
After a couple years of anticipation there was a certain amount of build up involved here. My husband and I have always talked about one day trying this place and finally I decided to treat him for a Christmas Eve dinner at the Mill. So, as you can already tell by the 3 star rating it did not live up to the expectation I had. The young teenage looking hostesses up front were aloof and lacked professionalism. For the amount of money I was about to spend, I expect a warm welcome ESPECIALLY on Christmas Eve. We made a reservation for 7pm but sat there waiting until 7:20. The staff seemed all flustered and were talking openly amongst each other about how backed up they were and that they wished certain people would just leave their tables already. Again, this was odd especially when customers are sitting within earshot.
So finally we get seated and I ordered a center cut filet, with baked potato, and Caesar salad. My husband ordered the huge porter house with scalloped potatoes and mushrooms. At best the meal overall was pretty good, but we certainly have had better. This place is just all show and not much go, I can't justify coming back and spending that much again for an "OK" meal. The waitress was fine, we have no complaints. The whole feel I got from the staff there was stressed out, rushed, and disconnected. I have had much better dining experiences for half the price. The good thing that came out of it was that we finally got to try Forbes Mill and it is out of our system. One of our favorite steak houses closed so we are still on the search for a new fav in the area.
Like the other yelper, I was also at Forbes Mill on Christmas Eve, and it was hands down my worst experience there. I grew up in Saratoga, and my parents are Forbes Mill regulars, and I've been there atleast 40 times since they opened, and have had a pretty excellent experience every time.
Except Christmas Eve and our last stop in a few days before that....
We also had reservations and had to wait 20+ minutes, noticed the same scantily clad teenage girl hostesses frazzled and pissed off, and the place was WAY overbooked. Our party of 5 was seated at a table shoved between two regular tables, with half fold-out vinyl and metal 70's chairs and half restaurant chairs. We felt WAY shoved in, and like a total afterthought. A number of different waiters serviced our table, and we never really knew who our server was? Never saw the sommelier.... it just wasn't good service or ambience.
And even the food suffered on their way overpacked night -- my brussel sprouts with pancetta were undercooked -- REALLY undercooked, like not really very edible, undercooked, and my salad had some gnarly leafy greens in it that had that damp/falling apart/dark colored rotting thing that baby greens do sometimes -- not tasty. Our bread basket had 3 rolls in it, for a party of 5? They offered to bring more, but never really got around to it.
But as always, my steak was fantastic. Beyond fantastic, as was the cabernet demiglace which I love. Mashed potatoes always hit the mark, though the gratin was a bit watery on one of my two holiday visits.
It seemed like they WAY overbooked over the holidays, and it showed very very clearly in the quality, care, and overall ambience. But Forbes Mill is a steakhouse, and everybody's steak was perfect at our table. Overall, all the entrees were up to the usual standard.
I can't bear to give such a beloved restaurant any less than 3 stars, but the holiday experiences we had there were certainly a 2 or less (eek...). I'd really kindof recommend the management has their hostesses dress a little more... professional? I'm only 25 myself, so I'm not ancient or super prude, but it was a little awkward... those girls are gorgeous, yes, but it's the holidays, in a restaurant packed with families... and there was some serious skin, and bondage heels, on girls who didn't even look of age....
added a sketchy element I don't normally get in Los Gatos.
Overall, I'd recommend Forbes Mill to anyone, and it has an excellent track record, until recently, when it really made some critical mistakes. I'm not an ass, but when you're prepared to drop well over $500 on a small family dinner, there are certain elements of ambience, service, and consistency that you expect, and to some extent deserve, for the money spent -- especially in this economy. Forbes Mill almost always meets or exceeds these expectations, but not on holidays or extremely busy nights, and that's a big downfall, for a restaurant most people save for those exact occasions.
I didn't have high expectations of this restaurant, assuming it to be an old-people hang out, the type of place that might have been cool in the 70s, and those people still being most of the customers. This is partially true I think, what with being Los Gatos and all. Not exactly the epicenter of fun.
Our waitress was extremely helpful, friendly, and not at all overbearing or annoying. She was engaging and knowledgeable without overstaying her welcome by the table and leaving us to inhale our meat in peace.
The surf and turf was delicious, the sides were pretty good too. The party I was with was in that little private room off of the waiting area, that shared the fireplace with the main dining room. It was nice to not have to eat in the mess hall with the peons, loud drunk older men in "business casual." The problem with that little room was that it got really warm in there with a large party, and drinks, and a fire going. A few of our party had to step outside for a moment of fresh air before passing out at the table from overheating.
I would love to return sometime to this place as long as I wasn't paying the bill. The ahi tartare something somethings were a yummy appetizer. Also oysters.
My boyfriend (now fiance) took me for our 5 year anniversary in 2007 (long before I yelped).
We had the surf and turf - the filet mignon (tasty & cooked to a nice juicy red) and lobster (with yummy butter sauce). We also had the mashed potatoes. Good as well.
The happy anniversary dessert was nice. Our waiter, Jeffrey, gave us great service! And the "Happy 5th Anniversary" on the printed menu makes our special occasion memorable! :)
I was fairly disappointed in Forbes Mill. I've eaten at my fair share of higher end steakhouses, and this was a poor imitation.
I had the bone in ribeye and a side of mushrooms. Both were very mediocre; the meat was not any better than you'd get at your local supermarket, quite a bit of gristle for a $50 steak (not to mention it was quite a bit smaller than the 23oz advertised price). The mushrooms were also underwhelming, lots of butter sauce and garlic to try and cover up that they were pretty cheap fare.
All that being said, if it was half the price it wouldn't have been as bad of an experience. If I'm going to pay $65 for the above mentioned food and a glass of wine I expect something pretty decent for my money. Sadly, the best part of dinner was the bread they brought out.
I am going to say a few negative things in this review, but I hope you will try this restaurant anyway. I want to believe that my problem areas were not typical.
I took my wife to the Los Gatos location for her birthday and everything started wonderfully. The location is good, the atmosphere inviting and elegant. We were seated immediately. We received menus that had a customized greeting for my wife. The waiter was excellent. The French Onion soup was excellent. The ceasar salad was, you guessed it, excellent. The waiter assured us that they served the best cuts of meat you could get anywhere. Here lies the rub. Everything was wonderful, except the meat! I had a prime rib that had a nice flavor, but was stringy and had an almost uncuttable ribbon of gristle through it. I had to spit out a half-dozen unchewable bites. My wife had the trio sampler which had small servings of venison, buffalo, and filet mignon. The venison was a little stringy, but tasty in the medium-rare places, and tasing of liver in the medium-well ends. The buffalo was dry and tasted like the cheap pan-fried steaks mom used to make, but the filet was good... not the best I've had, but no complaints. The potatoes were creamy and fantastic.The spinach was sauteed with onions and was a bit strong for my taste, but it was fresh, and a nice, healthy serving that was more than enough for two. So, we were happy to try some new things, but a bit disappointed in 3 of the 4 cuts of meat we had. The dessert that came with our meals almost made up for it. It was the best chocolate torte and kona coffee creme brulee you could imagine. And the chocolate and raspberry mousse cake was almost as exquisite. If they still have them, their $29 Sunday (prime rib) and Monday (filet) night three-course specials are a good deal for this class of restaurant, as the normal menu is rather pricey... typically in the mid-thirties for a nice cut of meat, with most sides being extra. I will definitely give them one more chance since everything else was so good, but I will avoid the trio and prime rib and stick to the traditional cuts of grilled beef.
Every time I come to Forbes Mill, things just keep getting better!
This time the service really stepped it up, our waiter was fun and very helpful. We started off with the oysters rockefeller, which had just the right about of cheese not to overtake the sublime taste of the oyster. Then the special appetizer of the day, which was ahi grade tuna folded to resemble a tomato. Inside was a blanket of fresh lump crab meat, avocado, spicy sauce, and a tiny hint of wasabi. This really was all I could hope for- a sushi-style experience at a steakhouse.
Then of course, I had to order the 8oz. Kobe Fillet, which was impeccable served medium rare. The great thing here is that the sides that come with the steak aren't just thrown on the plate for nothing. Both the scalloped potatoes and the sauteed baby mushrooms really compliment the steak.
We finished with the dessert sampler, which includes the AMAZING kona coffee creme brulee, the chocolate torte, the cheesecake with fresh tropical fruit, and the apple crisp. It was all to die for!
The first time I came I thought I didn't need the Kobe steak.
I was wrong.
I came here for a second…
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I just got back from Forbes Mill where my husband took me for my birthday. Everything was really good. We made reservations online through opentable, so no hassle as far at that went. The food was really good. Shrimp bisque, waygu kobe filet mignon, surf and turf, and chocolate lava cake were consumed. Everything was really good. The servers were very nice and attentive. We had a really good time. I am so very full, but could hardly stop myself from eating everything in front of me. I truly had a good experience here and would be happy to go back.
This is the best steakhouse in the south bay/San Jose area. Good wine list and great cuts. I hold several "board dinners" here every year and they are always great.
The food is real good, presentation is very nice. I enjoyed my Forbes Starter Platter with Filet Tips, Ahi Tuna, and Calamari. The Filet Tips were a bit too rare, though, but I still liked it. For the rare phobic folks, you may want to make sure it is cooked to your liking. My Prime Porterhouse Ribeye was quite tasty cooked at medium. Juicy and tender filled with the right amount of flavor. The dessert Sampler was good as well since I wanted to have a little bit of everything at a small portion, so I can spoil my ever overwhelmingly greedy palette.
I would recommend the place for people with lots of money or for only nice occassions for the poor. :)
I took my BF here for his birthday. I called in the day before to make reservations and when we came, they had printed us customized menu's that read "Happy Birthday Josh", which I thought was really nice of them! For starter, we had french onion soup, roasted beet salad, and foie gras! I'd never had foie gras before, so it was... interesting. The foie gras had like celery root and huckleberry sauce on it so the tastes complimented each other well. For our entrees, we had prime filet mignon, australian "kobe style" filet (note kobe style- not the actually kobe beef), and maine lobster tail. These items were... okay. I think my expectations for the place was a bit high going in since eating at Alexander's Steakhouse. The entrees at Forbes Mill was good but did not knock my socks off, especially for the price. I don't think it was worth the money paid. For dessert, we had a bittersweet chocolate & creme de menthe mousse cake, which was BEAUTIFULLY decorated with the words Happy Birthday. It was really cute and pretty!
The service here was great. The atmosphere was nice and romantic. The restaurant itself is small with about only 20 tables? So I highly recommend making reservations, and try to ask for a booth.
Dinner with my lovelies...
I'm back in town and thought to take out some of my lovelies for some good meat. I love me some great meat. As my luck would have it, there was some Silicon Valley Restaurant Week event going on and my group and I enjoyed their exquisite 3 course menu. The venue itself is wonderfully dark and inviting. The only quirk I could perceive was the corner that we were sitting in was located where the ceiling was closer and I could hear everything... not quite pleasant but at the same time not a deal breaker.
I particularly enjoyed the 6 oz. fillet Mignon, french onion soup, and apple crisp. The dessert with vanilla gelato and beautifully sculpted ball of crosshatched sugar drizzle was both eye catching and mouth watering. The 6 oz was just the right size and a perfect medium rare. My thinking is if it's not pink that it stinks. *blushes*
Jezzabelle
XOXO
;D
My husband and I went her last year for Valentines Day with 3 other couple and the food was excellent. We all had the Kobe Steak with lobster and everyone polished off there plate completely. The desserts were just as great especially the creme brule, its to die for. Perfect atmosphere for a romantic date.
I decided to dine at this restaurant because of the Silicon Valley Restaurant Week promotion. Filet Mignon are hard to resist for a devoted steak lover like me.
I had the french onion soup, 6oz filet mignon and the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake. Also tried the prime rib and warm apple torte my friends ordered.
The onion soup had way too much cheese and overwhelmed the already flavorful beef broth. I almost couldn't finish it.
Filet mignon was very disappointing. The cognac peppercorn sauce was plain. Filet is not a particularly flavorful cut and I would really prefer to pair it with a stronger sauce. The piece of filet I had definitely did not melt in my mouth. What happened to the tender texture?
Pumpkin cheesecake was weak. I could hardly taste anything that even remotely resemble pumpkin spice.
Apple torte was nice for the first couple bites but left a strange floury aftertaste.
In fact, most of my dinner tasted so bland I thought my taste buds died on me that night.
Until I tried the prime rib.... That was the only thing that's worth mentioning. That piece of prime rib was even more tender than my filet mignon. Not the best prime rib I have had but at least it didn't disappoint.
Maybe I didn't order the right stuff. Perhaps I will change my mind if I try some other dishes next time. Until then..... this is only going to be 3 stars on my book.
Went here last night because I was really craving some good steak and the pictures looked yummy.
For an appetizer, we got the hot foie gras. Hmm I liked the mashed potato and spinach that came with it more than the actual liver .. I'm used to a hot crunchy outside and a salty buttery inside. I added the salt myself, and my girlfriend didn't really like it either.
I ordered myself a Long Island, but I asked my server "what's a really good cocktail here" he just replied with a "everything is at the bar or in the book." UGH rude much? You could have came home with a nice tip, and because of that, my girlfriend did not order a drink. ANYWAYS
next we went with the forbes miller prime rib, which she describes as "it's okay, it wasn't as juicy or tender as I thought it would be" Well we ate it this morning with eggs and after reseasoning it, it tasted a bit better.
I went with the surf & turf. The lobster was good but the meat tasted too meat-y. Have you ever had that? Well thats the conclusion I came too and my gf agreed with me so we ate half of mine and left the rest on the plate.
Oh gosh I forgot the $7 Mac n' Cheese. It was very unforgettable. No flavor, not any interesting cheese taste. I asked one of the guys if it had truffle oil and he just looked at me confused (he didn't really speak English) Yeah, there was no truffle oil, just BLAND boxed mac n' cheese. There was one bite with an almost nice crust, but I'll just recook it at home with some bread crumbs and parmesan on top.
Gf says: some parts of my vegetables were really salty while the others were bland
The dessert sampler was pretty good. The cheesecake was just average to me since I make a meeeean cheesecake. The creme brulee had a nice crust but it just tasted like a mexican flan to me. The Chocolate cake was delicious and not sweet and just filled my mouth with ooey goodness. The presentation for the apple pie was nice, but I just didn't like it, too much crust not enough apples
By the way, after I ordered my long island I looked at thier cocktail menu and realized they use stuff like Smirnoff, Skyy and Grey Goose? I couldnt find my waiter to tell him that I'm allergic to the cheap stuff.
Lets sum that up for 135 it was not a meal to remember and I totally wish I had chosen Alexander's
My food - 3 . my favorite was the chocolate cake and the mashed potato
Her food 3.5
Service 2 - snooty and rude , thanks for never refilling my water
Setting - 4
= 3.12
I'd rather go to Ruth Chris's next time, thanks
Went here for dinner for Silicon Valley Restaurant Week as I've been wanting to try their steaks here. Made OpenTable reservations for 6:30 on a Saturday and was shocked to find the dining room completely full. I liked the modern look and decor. Typical dimmed room as in other steakhouses.
Our server was pretty busy so another server came to take our order. It seemed like most of the guests were ordering from the prix fixe menu. I was happy to see that their wine glass list included one of my favorites: Ceja Pinot/Syrah blend.
For appetizer, I had their house salad, which ended up being big lettuce leaves that I had to continuously cut in several bite-size pieces, which was a little annoying. My husband had the soup of the day which was lobster bisque, but boy, did it taste nothing like lobster bisque! I thought my husband makes better tasting ones than that.
For dinner, we both had the 6 oz. filet mignon. We asked the server if there were any sides with it and she informed that there wasn't so we ordered a side of mashed potatoes. When we got our dish, it was garnished with some green beans and a baby carrot. Supposed to come with nothing, eh? Well, the mashed potato was really good so I'm not complaining. The meat was cooked medium rare to my preference. The meat seemed of quality, but taste-wise, I didn't find it worth loving.
For dessert, I had the chocolate torte. It was a little too rich for me that I ended up not finishing it. The warm apple crisp was good. Coffee was good though. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the food. I think I'd prefer my other steakhouse choices instead.
I recommend making reservation if you plan on dining here, it gets crowded as it is a local haunt. When I feel the need to eat a good quality piece of steak this is a great spot to go. Originally we wanted to try Alexander's steakhouse in Cupertino but we opted for Forbe's Mill because we had heard such good things about it. Everything we heard was true. I came for the Kobe beef and it did not let me down. Succulent buttery Kobe beef steak Broccolini and Au gratin Potatoes. Everything was delicious and the Kobe steak was cooked to perfection, not overdone or underdone a bit.
The staff was friendly and courteous and the surroundings are classy and romantic. Highly recommend the Kobe Beef.
This steakhouse is amazzzzing. I've never heard bad things from anyone whose gone there. Recently went with my boyfriend to treat ourselves to a nice dinner and was so happy with our meal (and twice as happy I had leftover to re-experience the whole thing later).
We had:
Oysters on the Half Shell (his indulgence)
Surf and Turf Lobster and Steak special
Prime Filet and Shrimp (my weakness, so buttery and good)
a side of the macaroni and cheese (so creamy, with breadcrumbs)
andddd the desert sampler (cappuccino creme brulee, apple crumble, chocolate tort, and tropical cheesecake. really good split for 2 and $14 and you get a little of everything. definitely recommend).
The atmosphere was also awesome, very relaxing with warm dark wood and caramel-colored walls, fireplace, etc. The meal ended up being pretty pricey but if you're looking to spend the money and get some quality steak and/or seafood this place won't disappoint.
So I came here thinking I was going to get a $35 Silicon valley Restaurant Week meal but then it didn't take long to realize it wasn't that great a deal after all. You can actually get similar items on the Monday/Sunday specials. Little did I know that IT was about to happen.
Our party of 6 got seated in the private room which was plus many points already since the dinning area was extremely noisy. After asking the server about their Kobe beef I was intrigued and just closed my eyes and went for it!
I had the Kobe beef new york steak which during my first bite, my vision blurred as my brain switched to taste buds only mode. The world around me literally melted away as I wondered how?!?!? HOW GOD?!?!?! Is it really all that Mozart listening, beer feeding, and massage for the cows that did this???
Needless to say I ate every last super marbled 12 oz beef there was. Oh... the au gratin was REALLY good with lots of cheesy creamy taste to it. The veggie? I don't care about them but they're good too.
I came here during the Silicon Valley's version of Dine-About-Town. So I decided to have the pre-fixe selection.
PROS:
Great appetizers (the scallops-to die for!)
Great Wine list
Service-they're very personable
CONS:
The braised short ribs I had great flavor but the meat was dry.
We brought a couple of bottles of wine and there's a corkage fee :(
I wish my apple crisp had more ice cream ;)
Overall it was a good experience but I don't think i'll be back.
I love celebrating birthdays at Forbes Mill. The service is impeccable and they take the time for the little touches that make the evening specials (personalized menu, dessert with "Happy Birthday" on the plate).
I am always happy with my food and usually opt for the filet mignon with the side dish sampler that allows you to get a smaller portion of two side dishes inside of one larger plate. Dessert is great too!
Stop 5 on the Los Gatos Bar Crawl (#LosCrawl on Twitter)
It takes a lot for me to give 5 stars to a restaurant when I havn't eaten anything at all - after all, a bar crawl and a hastily grabbed drink is hardly enough opportunity to reach a conclusion to award 5 stars, is it?
Not this time!
I'd seen enough. From the moment we walked in (Michael L., Michael C. and I) I knew this was a classy establishment - beautiful people dressed to the nines, a large bar separate from the dining area for people to mingle while they waited to be seated - and affording a lot of privacy and quiet to the diners!!! Looking into the dining area, it looked like the kind of place I'd want to bring someone special to - dim lighting, cozy seating, quiet enough for a nice conversation - very nice, very romantic atmosphere.
But, we were here to grab a drink and go. And after our previous experience at nearby Pedro's, we were in heaven!!! I ordered my usual Ketel One and tonic - very generous pour and it was great :) - we found a quiet corner and toasted the succes (so far... it would go downhill rather quickly after this) of the #LosCrawl.
I did hit up the bathroom and it is one of the nicest bathrooms I have seen outside of a five star hotel - extra points for this - I almost expected to see an attendant - that was the only thing missing - they did have a basket with some amenities and mints etc... very classy :)
I have to go back here to try the food. The problem is, I need someone special to go with me to make it a memorable evening - I shall wait!
~ 5 stars overall for a wonderful experience - a virtual feast for the senses - and I didn't even taste the food - it is really promising indeed!!!
# 133
Hear ye! Hear ye! FANTABULOUS YUMS!
**WARNING** A vegetarian giving a steak house a 5 star review?! For chrissakes and the love of animals, no effing way! With that said, I managed to eat no animal muscle.
Had to do some mommy dearest and defiant daughter bonding, she wanted to go to "Satan Row" I said, F*ck NO! So, without hesitation I recommended this fine dining experience in the quaint uppity yuppie town of Los Gatos.
Me: Let's go to Forbes Mill Steakhouse.
Mommy dearest: But, we are vegetarians.
Me: Since when did you become a vegetarian?
Mommy dearest: Last week.
Me: OMG Pfffff, let's see about that!
We had a lovely 4 course meal. Being vegetable killers, the menu was obviously extremely selective. But to my surprise we had abundance of food on our table. We basically copied each other since my mother claims to be a vegetable killer.
Service was top notch! Our Server Jennifer was phenomenal! I must say she is probably one of the best servers I have ever had at a fine dining establishment. Request her if available! We tipped her over 30% of the hefty bill.
Drinks: Pomegranate Italian soda and I had the Pear ginger ale (Refreshingly amazing)
Salad: Heirloom Tomato and mozzarella . LOVED IT! OMFG what?!? http://www.yelp.com/to...
Soup: Cream of corn. I normally don't like cream on my food but I had to give it a try. Yes, it doesn't sound fancy, but the way they made it, it was divine!
Entrees: I had the Portobello mushroom raviolis and it was fantabolous! We also ordered 3 sides of steam broccoli, sauteed spinach, and fresh asparagus (YUMS) And of course, my mommy dearest could not resist... she had the filet mignon and prawns (she was blown away). Yeah, she sure is a vegetarian.
Dessert: A perfect sweet ending to clean our palettes. Two orders of mango and blackberry cabernet sorbetto with two organic herbal teas.
Overall, I'm a FAN! I would definitely come back with my mommy dearest or anyone who is willing to fork it up. Because I'm poor and my mommy is rich. Worth the SPLURE and my INSANITY!
I am having a horrible time trying to decide whether I should give them a 3 or 4 star. The food was a definite 5, but the service really hurt the rating.
We had made reservations but we still have to wait which is definitely understandable. As a former hostess I critique this part too - it is a pretty important job because you make sure the people with reservations get the best tables in the house and you are the one that has to make sure that the table turnover is efficient.
The food here was AMAZING. The meat was cooked to perfection. We had the portobello mushroom ravioli to start, which were pretty amazing. My bf ordered the 24 oz. porterhouse and I ordered the mixed grill (a cut of the New York strip, Filet Mignon and Lamb). We also ordered sides of mushrooms and sauteed spinach.
The meats were so tender and juicy. There was no additional sauces needed to be added to the meal. The side of mushroom and sauteed spinach gave us different flavors which complimented the meat. I'm glad we ordered the sides though we didn't get more than half way with the sides dishes. Sometimes when you have too much meat at once, something different needs to re-stimulate or change up the tastes in your mouth. I LOVED every bite. The meat was perfect - medium rare was in fact medium rare!! There are so many places where medium-rare is actually well done which makes it way too chewy. I am looking forward to coming back here.
We ordered dessert but it took the waitress FOREVER to come back and take our order. The waitress also did not really check on us neither. We had to ask other waiters/waitresses to help bring us what we needed. She probably checked on us twice throughout the meal.
Overall the experience here was great. The food is just simply amazing! The experience with the wait staff was not bad to the point where I do not want to ever come back.
They have a little parking lot near the front, and then a medium parking lot in the back, so parking was not bad. Had a reservation so we didn't have to wait much. The hostess was really nice and polite.
All staff, even the bus boys are courteous, so the level of service match with the price of your meal, and also the type of restaurant they are. Kobe on the menu, and we were reading a little more into it, and looks like they have higher Kobe than other places.
Pricing is fair, you pretty much get what you pay for. I had the Prix-Fixe menu, had a the Prosciutto Wrapped Peach salad, then the Forbes Mill Trio that came with 4oz Filet Mignon, Alaskan Red King Crab Legs, and Lamb Porterhouse. Dessert was a Vanilla Bean panna cotta, which was delish along with the rest of my dinner. Portions are a bit small, but you're paying for quality, and I was pretty stuffed by the time I got out of there because we also ordered an appetizer to share (4 people total).
I'll definitely pay them a visit again! Next time we'll try the Kobe.
I have yet to sit down at Forbes Mill to eat, but it's on my to-do list! My bf was feeling really down one day and I wanted to do something special to cheer him up. Prime rib is one of his favorite foods, so my mind was going through lists of restaurants trying to figure out where I could find the best place to order it from. Cue in Forbes Mill Steakhouse.
As they are a rather nice establishment and it was a Friday night, I wasn't sure if they would take a to-go order over the phone. So I gave them a call just to check and I was surprised at how friendly the hostess was despite how busy they sounded in the background.
I admit that I can be a little fussy and indecisive, and they were really patient with me as I asked them what their menu was. They read me their menu and answered all the questions I had about their appetizers, etc. Also I had asked for the food to be ready by 7, but I called and asked them if it was possible to push it down to 7:30. They had already started cooking it but said they would keep it under a heat lamp so it would be warm when I went to pick it up.
So I made my way to downtown Los Gatos and shopped for about half an hour before picking up the food and felt quite scrubby while I was hanging out at the bar in my ripped jeans, band t-shirt, and shoes with holes in the soles while women made up in their little black dresses and high heels drank from large wine glasses and flirted with older business men. They were all so tall too, so they continued looking over my head and ignoring me until they bumped into poor old me standing in their way. Yes sir, I am a classy broad, yes I am.
Well I get the food and I'm a little concerned because the styrofoam and plastic look a bit warped from being under the heat lamp for half an hour, but I take it home anyways. About 40 minutes later, we start eating and the food is delicious. I'm pretty impressed that it kept so well after being cooked since most food doesn't travel too well and doesn't taste as good an hour and 10 minutes after being made.
I'm still impressed and I can't wait until I make it back here to eat in the restaurant. Yummy yummy yummy in my tummy tummy tummy!
Since my parents love steakhouses, we decided to take them here for their wedding anniversary....and I'm glad we did. Upon entering, my parents were impressed with the dim, "romantic" setting. I was just excited that our choice of restaurant was appropriate for the occasion and different than usual.
I've had high expectations of the food here and FMS delivered.
The bread was not warm....they were hot!
Calamari had a nice crunch, but pretty average.
Their soup of the day, potato & leek bisque, was to die for!
All cuts of beef we ordered were cooked to perfection (at specs).
Filet Mignon was very tender and lean for a thick cut, and the taste was extraordinary. Their blackened rib-eye was succulent and more on the fatty side....just the way I like it! I think I could have just about anything with the cabernet demi-glace sauce in this entrée. We also enjoyed the gingery and sweet flavor of their braised short ribs.
The warm apple crisp with vanilla gelato came with our dinner. It was just okay, nothing special.
Service at first was friendly and quick, and then it became a little slow towards the end of our dinner. Overall, my parents loved the atmosphere and were pleased with the food; we had a great time...and that's the bottom line!
I took my parents here for thier anniversary, the service was great. Our waiter was very helpful and knowledgeble. We started out with the appitizer sampler the steak tips were great. I had the bone in ribeye very juicy and tender cooked just the way I like it (seared and still twitching). My parents also enjoyed thier dinner. It was also nice that they personalized a menu for this special occasion and also brought a complimentary dessert for my parents that read "Happy anniversary" in chocolate on the plate. All in all a very nice experience.
HIRE NEW HOSTESSES!!!
My husband and family are steak fans so we decided on Forbes to celebrate my husband's birthday. When we first arrived, we noticed right off how unwelcoming the hostesses were. They looked as if they have never seen Mexican/ Asian ppl before but, we didn't let that bother us much...unless they were just having a bad night BUT WHATEVER; no excuses to be rude.
Per our reservation, one of the hostesses walked us to our table located in a nice, secluded area to the left, which we were quite happy about. Shortly after, the waiter came into our area, introduced himself and explained the menu choices and specials. The waiter was cute, and also funny and hospitable. We ordered the following and were quite impressed overall:
Portobello Mushroom Ravioli 4 out of 4 stars
Jumbo Prawns 3 out of 4 stars
French Onion soup 4 out of 4 stars
Seafood Risotto 2 out of 4 stars
Ahi Tuna 4 out of 4 stars
Sea Bass 4 out of 4 stars
Prime Filet Mignon 3 out of 4 stars
Prime Grilled Ribeye 3 out of 4 stars
Prime Bone-in Ribeye 3 out of 4 stars
Braised Short Ribs 3 out of 4 stars
Everyone went home pretty pleased with the food and service. However, the steak eaters did declared that Alexander's Steakhouse had the better taste in steak though... Will we go back? Maybe for the seafood entrees, in spite of the impolite hostesses. I mean the Sea Bass and Ahi Tuna were remarkable! The best we've ever had.
Overrated and average at best- my summary of my experience at Forbes Mill.
The bf and I came here for our 6 year anniversary and after reading all the reviews I thought I was going to experience something that was going to blow me away and compete with Alexanders, unfortunately they didn't even come close.
When I made the reservation, the hostess had asked if we were coming in for a special occasion, I told her yes, we were, our anniversary. Cool...after reading the reviews I thought they were going to do something special like the thing about the personalized menus or dessert, something...the end of the meal comes, nothing...I honestly have no idea why she asked, maybe it was for their own personal survey to keep stats of why people go into the restaurant?
Now on to the food. We ordered the tuna tartar appetizer and honestly that was probably one of the better things we ate that night. I ordered the pre-fixed menu with the wine flight and thought the food was ok, nothing spectacular, the part that weirded me out was the taste of the pork, I've eaten a lot of pork in my life but none that tasted like that and after much thought I don't think it was something I would ever order again. The other pieces of meat that came with my meal were salmon (could have used some kind of acid to balance it out) and fillet mignon (better than the other two). The bf ordered the surf and turf of lobster and fillet and luckily he was a lot happier with his food than mine. Th lobster, an australian lobster, was very sweet and delicious. The fillet, ordered medium, was overcooked. C'mon really, at a nice place like this you would expect they can cook steak correctly.
Lastly came dessert. I loved the kona coffee creme brulee and the bf loved the pumpkin cheesecake so that was a win for the both of us.
My biggest complaints would have to be service. For $100 a person, you would think you can get some decent service but instead we had to flag down our waiter all the time! He was the only one working the area where we were sitting (the back part facing the parking lot) and was all over the place unfortunately never at our table. We probably had more contact with the bus boy than our actual waiter! Another complain would definitely have to be the lack of explanation on the wine flight, he just set the wine on the table without explaining which one was which and what it was paired with.
Overall I was pretty dissapointed. I've been waiting to go here for a long time and finally when I had the chance to go and on such a special occasion, the restaurant totally lacked in all areas. Thank goodness I chose a different restaurant to host the BF's birthday.
Now for special occasions we will definitely be going back to Alexanders. At least there I know we can expect great service and great food.
I really wanted to give this place more than three stars. I read reviews before I made a reservation last night and it looked like people raved about their service and food. That sounded great! I booked a reservation and drove down to Los Gatos after picking up my gf from San Mateo. Parking wasn't too bad as we were able to find a space about two blocks away within five minutes.
When we first walked in, we were greeted and I told them I had a reservation. It took them a few minutes to grab us and lead us to a table that was away from the main dining room. I didn't mind the short wait but I would have preferred to sit in the actual dining room. Our waitress was nice and gave us plenty of time to choose what we wanted.
Problem was that she gave us too much time. I think we were checked on only once throughout our whole meal and then was greeted with dessert menus. After we decided on dessert, we had to wait quite a while to actually place the order. The check was presented to us while we were in the middle of eating our dessert and she still managed to take a while after we finished to charge my credit card.
I couldn't help but think that she had multiple tables in the dining room and we were just the extra one to the side that did not need to be tended to. Good thing the food really saved this place from getting a 1-2 star rating. We had the portobello mushroom ravioli to start, which were great. Then I ordered the 24 oz. porterhouse while the girlfriend ordered the mixed grill that included a cut each of New York strip, Filet Mignon and Lamb. We also ordered sides of mushrooms and sauteed spinach. Everything tasted so good and the textures were just right. We're not big fans of lamb so that wasn't the highlight but each cut of steak was practically perfect.
Even though the food was great, I'm not sure if I'd make the drive to give this place another try.
Friendly service. Had Duck Leg Confit (recommend) & Filet Mignon. Chocolate Bread Pudding to DIE FOR! However... somewhat costly $$$
Fine dining at it's best! Everything we ordered was great. I had the Braised Short Ribs which was sweet and tender, My parents had Fillet Mignon cooked a perfect Medium-well, and my brother had the Blackened Ribeye that was charred, fatty, and perfectly cooked medium. We shared our dishes just for taste and I must say...it was excellent. Note: their Potato-leek soup was very good! We also finished with some apple pie dish with a scoop of vanilla gelato which was just ok.
Service was good. They were very polite and attentive to us with only a few mistakes, but that's ok. I was still satisfied with our service as a whole.
Price? Don't even go there...Let me just say that It's nice to go fine dining ONCE in a while.
After finding Forbes Mill Steakhouse here on Yelp, I decided to try them out last night. I've been in the mood for a good steak to celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday, but didn't want to drive all the way up the San Francisco.
So, I took stock in what other yelpers said, and tried it out.
The short answer: Absolutely superb!
Our waiter Jeff took excellent care of us, and seemed to constantly anticipate anything we were needing. He also made some excellent menu suggestions.
I had the Filet, plus a lobster tail. Both came cooked perfectly. For sides, I took Jeff's suggestion and went half-and-half Potatoes au Gratin, and Mac & Cheese. Both were amazingly good!
The wine list had some very good selections, and was very comprehensive.
Desert was decadent without being overly sweet, and the perfect size.
I've stopped my search for the best steak house in the South Bay, Forbes Mill wins. Sorry Ruth's Chris, you've been outdone.
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