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Garre Vineyard & Winery
Category: Arts & Entertainment Wineries Food Wineries Wineries
7986 Tesla RdLivermore, CA 94550
(925) 371-8200
- Hours:
Fri-Sun 11:30 pm - 5 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
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$$
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
66 reviews for Garre Vineyard & Winery
66 reviews in English
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Review from kelli d.
Milpitas, CA
10/27/2011
I discovered this winery at a wedding this past summer at the Martinelli event center. The wedding served various Garre wine selections and I loved the Tres blend. I have never found a blend that tasted that good and this blend was memorable. Unsuccessful finding a bottle in any stores, we decided to visit the winery this past weekend.
The two men serving the tasters were very friendly and informative. I learned this winery doesn't sell to stores since they produce on a smaller level. $5 tasting fee and being able to taste 6 different wines is well worth it, especially to apply the money towards bottle purchases.
We had a good time learning new things during our tasting taste and bought the Tres Rouges bottle. The outdoor patio, bocce ball and café provided ample places to sit and relax or grab a bite to eat. The food listed sounded good but we only did the tasting. I will be visiting this boutique winery again in the near future. -
Review from Loli L.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2011
Tasting room review:
Small, pleasant, and inviting. They were very nice, accomodating, and couldn't have been lovlier. We even made fast friends on the bocce ball court. I would definitely return for another visit.
Wedding venue review:
Seriously.. what is up with that bathroom? I'm grateful to have had experience using cramped toilets in airplanes, RVs, and other countries. But this was most unexpected for an otherwise fancy party tent. Since it's smaller than a port-a-potty, it's best to leave Gone with the Wind-style dresses at home since they'll probably not fit.
The flusher is disguised as a pedal parking break along the toilet's outer rim and only operates if the water has not run out. The sink also only operates when water is available. The lights operate as long as there is still power in the batteries. I regret to say that by the end of the evening I had resorted to bringing my own water and tinkling by cell phone light. Not fun.
Besides the incredibly non-awesome loo visits, the grass area and the tent were a very beautiful scene for the fete. The wind had picked up outside so I was grateful for the tent walls and parking was plentiful. -
Review from Coreen M.
San Ramon, CA
9/20/2011
I absolutly LOVE this place. The food is great, I have been here at least 8 times for lunch and everthing tasted excellent! I enjoyed outside and Inside seating.
***Please bring back the crab sandwich ;) -
Review from AS M.
Seattle, WA
12/15/2011
Been here a ton for lunch. Food is OK. Outside seating is nice when the weather is good. Service is kinda spotty at time. But crap, can't complain much about eating in the suburban vineyards.
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Review from Sonia M.
6/2/2011
This is a nice winery with a casual feel. The tasting room was once used as a large chicken coop, which is kind of charming.
The staff was friendly and laid back, and the tasting menu offered around 10 wines of both white and red varieties. I would suggest really smelling some of the reds, as my boyfriend and I picked up several very curious notes- I'll leave it at that :)
Anyway, there is a bocce ball court and a restaurant on premise as well. -
Review from Joanne C.
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice, kick back tasting room and outdoor patio. They only sell their wines on the winery. $5 tasting fee included 1 white and 5 reds. Tasting fee is waved if you buy a bottle. Bathrooms are portopotties, so please bring your hand sanitizer with you.
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Review from Sheila P.
Tracy, CA
I came in for lunch today with my boss and a colleague from work.
Being that it was a sunny day we opted to sit outside. We didnt have reservations but were promptly seated and they brought out foccacia bread almost immediately.
The server then came by and took our orders and within 10 mins we all had our food. I ordered their Chicken salad from today's special menu - it was very flavorful and has a nice kick to it.
My boss ordered the seafood linguine which he loved and my colleagu ordered the orange chicken salad which she enjoyed too.
The food was good, the service a little non attentive but ok.. we had a good meal.Listed in: Livermore Valley Wineries
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/20/2010
Came here for lunch today with some colleagues from work... it was nice and sunny and we weren't… Read more »
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Review from Noel M.
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was the large white tents that originally attracted our attention, it doesn't take much to convince us to check out a winery! We only hit up the tasting room but the hostess, Zandi, paired with a game of bocce ball helped make it a memorable afternoon stop.
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Review from lisa b.
Livermore, CA
8/28/2011
Great date day with the hubby today. We really enjoyed the wine tasting and actually ended up joining the wine club. I like all the reds except one (profound red I think?). We'll totally be back.
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Review from Mr. and Mrs. G.
Oakland, CA
6/23/2010
Came here with my husband and one other couple for lunch today. We seemed like the forgotten party! Yes, we were initially seated promptly, but not given menus. Folks came in after us and were not only given menus, but got their orders taken before we even had our menus!
I would have forgiven being so forgotten, but my order sucked. Sorry, I had no creative word for it. I ordered a $14 Dungeness crab salad that was 90% romaine lettuce, 8% cucumber, 1% hard boiled egg, 0.9% tomato, and 0.1% crab meat. I lifted some of the lettuce to try and reveal more crab but to no avail.
One bite...seriously...just one bite of crab. I told the waiter that I was disappointed in the salad...he said he'd go get more crab. He came back and let out a sheepish grin and said the extra bite he supplied me was the best he could do,
Lord. Don't need to come back. I think Trader Joe's has a better crab salad...you know, the one that comes wrapped in a plastic container for much less than half the price. That's saying a lot! -
Review from Emily J.
5/14/2010 3 Check-ins Here
My first visit to Garre was almost five years ago when my best friend got married here. Although the day was a huge blur of excitement and fun, I do remember the space and wine being enjoyable.
I returned here with Jac C this past weekend. Both of our moms happened to be out of town for Mother's Day so we ventured down to Livermore for some wine tasting. Garre was offering a Mother's Day brunch in their large event tent.
While the Mother's Day brunch seemed to be very popular, their cozy tasting room was nearly empty. The women working there were warm, inviting and knowledgeable and seemed genuinely pleased with sharing their wine offerings with us.
Tasting here is free and they also have well kept bocce courts outside that are also free for tasting room visitors. On this particular day there were children chucking the balls around. (They did not have good bocce ball form at all.) For my own safety, I waited until they were done "playing" before exiting the tasting room.
I would like to return for a meal, another tasting and a game of bocce ball...just not on Mother's Day. I can understand that women with small children might need to partake in some wine tasting but why would you bring those small children with you? I am sure that there are varying opinions on this but I think that excursions that are alcohol centric should be limited to the 21 and up crowd.
[Stepping down from my child free soapbox.]Listed in: Wine Tasting in Livermore
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Review from April rose D.
Pleasanton, CA
Updated - 5/23/2011
Took my mom here for the Mother's Day brunch and the food was really good! They had an assortment of pastries, different salads, prime rib/turkey cutting station, smoked salmon, bacon, sausage, waffles. But the star was the creme brulee french toast..Sooo delish! Oh and unlimited champagne!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/14/2011
On a Friday during a work week, I invited my friend/co-worker to wine taste and pick up my wine… Read more »
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Review from Darren S.
5/14/2010 3 photos
Since I haven't had the pleasure of trying their wine, my review pertains to Garre as a wedding venue only. Their facilities are great for medium-sized weddings. Not that I'm experienced with wedding planning, but I'd say that a medium-sized wedding is bigger than your immediate family and BFFs and smaller than a Bollywood Monsoon Wedding affair. Maybe less than fifty guests on either side of the aisle?
The wedding ceremony that I was lucky enough to attend was held in the grassy area overlooking the vineyards and underneath the arbor. The lawn became more comfortable over time because there wasn't much shade cover and the falling sun became blocked by the building. While the center was lined with cloth, putting down some dance-flooring would've been more helpful for people with high heels to avoid divot'ing the lawn. The backdrop was of the Livermore Valley. The valley was looking a little dry. Perhaps something to consider when thinking about what season you want to have your vineyard wedding.
Once the ceremony was complete we were ushered into a social hour that occurred indoors and spilled onto the other side of the building on the entry plaza. The plaza could've been an even better spot to host the social time just because the weather was perfect, the night-time lighting was beautiful and the set up inside was a little cozy. The plaza also has a fountain and is framed on three sides with Spanish style architecture.Listed in: Wine and wineries
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Review from Janet E.
3/27/2010
We came here for lunch before starting our wine tasting. The menu was extensive and everything on the menu looked tasty. Three out of four of us decided to order the special, which was penne pasta with blue crab meat, jumbo shrimp, sausage, and salmon in a creamy tomato sauce. It was delicious!
There was a table of 30 seated next to us and ALL of their orders looked REALLY REALLY good. I dont think you can order anything bad here. The crab meat salad looked so fresh, delicious and healthy. If I come back here, I am ordering that!
Prices were extremely affordable and the service was fast and friendly. Even with a party of 30 there, we got our food after 15 minutes of ordering.
They offer outdoor and indoor seating. We sat outside and really enjoyed the sunshine.
They offer complimentary bread before the meal which is very yummie! You wont regret coming here! -
Review from Richard T.
Los Angeles, CA
5/22/2007
I came here for a wedding reception over the weekend and thought it was pretty nice, this place has a ton of potential to be better though.
First of all, cleanliness, the lights in the tent could seriously use a good dusting. They were covered in cobwebs, not very appealing. Also, there were bugs everywhere. These don't really bother me, and I fully understand that we were in a vineyard where there are bound to be a ton of bugs. But i killed like five creatures while sitting at our table. Actually i killed three. I trapped two with an empty wine glass.
I'm not sure if this is something that the venue/winery was responsible for, but one thing that bugged me was the Bride and Groom's table. The table cloth wasn't ironed! it had creases all over the thing! Sorry, these little details can make a big difference. I guess you can say it's the equivalent of the groom showing up in a heavily creased tux. It's just not right!
One thing I had no complaints about was the food. It was outstanding. The beef and chicken were cooked wonderfully. Nice refreshing salad and the veggies were delightful. The staff was also very nice.
Overall a pretty decent experience. The Livermore Wine Country is not as grand as Sonoma, but it's still quite nice. -
Review from Dawn D.
6/4/2009
::This review is for the Martinelli Event center:
I really really fell in love with this place. I wanted to have my wedding here. It had everything I wanted:
1. Winery wedding
2. Spanish Mediterranean Villa type
3. FREE Chiavari chairs
4. Reasonable rental fees ($3,000 for Sat, $1,600 for Sun - peak season)
5. Free heat lamps if needed
6. Capacity indoors is 200 with a dance floor
7. High Ceilings
8. Rectangular shaped Ballroom
I was ready to convince my dear fiance to trim our guest list to 200 and have it here..but man, the sales manager dropped the ball!!! It was two weeks ago yesterday when we toured the venue with Lindsay, Client Event Specialist, who told me the Sales Manager, Laura would call to follow up with me on Friday (May 22nd). That was 2 weeks ago tomorrow, I haven't heard a peep. Not an email or a phone call.
To think I already priced everything out and picked my menu, but talk about unprofessional. If they can't seem to call me just to follow up, imagine if I did book my wedding here?
Lindsay is the only reason why this review got 2 stars instead of 1. She was very responsive to my emails and questions. At first, she told us that the date we wanted to view the venue was booked up - all the available appts with the sales manager were taken. Instead of the sales manager, Lindsay squeezed us in and and took us on a tour herself. After the tour, I asked her for available dates in June and July. She gave me tons of available dates.........So I can't believe the sales manager is too busy to call me. Lindsay should get a promotion for being so proactive.
So, potential brides beware!!Listed in: Wedding Schmedding....
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Review from L.A. W.
Tracy, CA
12/13/2007
I'ved worked in the event tent as a DJ's assistant during receptions and parties.
First of all, the staff is wonderful. They are friendly, accomodating, and very helpful. When you are planning any event, those things mean a lot.
The food is always good. Considering the size of the room being served, the staff is excellent about bringing in hot, well prepared food.
There are a few drawbacks. In the summer, insects can be a bit of a nuisance. Nothing horrifying like roaches or mosquitos, but rather, just your garden variety light-attracted flying bugs that annoy and distract.
In the winter, it's chilly. They do heat the tent, but the ceilings are very high, and even with a lot of bodies it's difficult to get the temperature at a comfortable level. This is not so good for winter Holiday parties as many female guests wear evening attire, which is lovely, but goes unseen as they have to wear jackets or wraps. In the summer, however, the temperature is almost ideal, even on the hottest of days, and their wedding site is lovely, especially in spring when the hills are at their greenest.
The biggest drawback: the restrooms for the tent facility are very very tiny and the lighting is tempermental. I've been to 3 events here in various months and the bathrooms are literally the size of a small airplane bathroom. They are trailers added on to the tent. They are battery operated, so if the batteries are low, the lights flicker or are so dim, you're lucky if you can see the T.P. roll inches from your face. And I do mean inches. If you are a woman in formal attire, shifting around in a bathroom that small is difficult, messy and frustrating. You could traipse the 50 or so yards to the restaurant, if you are of a larger size or claustrophobic.
Because of local regulations, party noise has to be quieted by a certain time. Make sure you discuss this with the planner if you decide to have an event at this venue.
In all, I believe it's a good value for the price.Listed in: Wedding & Event Locations
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Review from Eileen H.
San Jose, CA
11/12/2010
Nice place to have lunch outside. The food was good but not outstanding.
Service was pleasant but a little slow once seated. I would guess that either they do not hire enough servers for the lunch rush or that the kitchen is really small.
We also went wine tasting here. The wines are good but the person running the tasting room had no personality. I don't expect much but at least a few interesting comments about the wines would be helpful.
Would only recommend lunch if you are able to eat outside and skip the wine tasting altogether and go someplace cooler and friendlier like El Sol winery. -
Review from Meg T.
4/18/2008 3 photos
The most annoying thing about growing up, is going to parties where someone once knew you when you were in diapers. They like to get into the stories and then everyone around the table is laughing uproariously at the fact you lost your pacifier in the woods when you were one.
My father's best friend's daughter threw him a beautiful birthday party here at Garre Winery to celebrate his getting old. The dotty part came about ten years ago so that wasn't news.
I had the very filling Caesar salad with chicken. After the second pink lemonade order I asked the waitress if the apple cider was any good. She convinced me to try it and I ended up finding out the hard way it was awful. It tasted overwhelmingly like liquor and cinnamon and she seemed annoyed when I sent it back.
The appetizers were good and except for that one experience the service was wonderful. I would adore having a party here. The place is gorgeous. -
Review from Maurice R.
Alameda, CA
7/23/2007
I shot a wedding here and the lighting, food, and the atmosphere, were really good. I do lots of weddings in all outdoor venues and this one is up there with many of the higher-end places. It's simple and small but it's unpretentious and clean (though the parking lot kicks up some dust when people drive too fast). The setting is conducive for some nice rustic images.
Some here on Yelp mentioned that the tent needs help but I didn't see that at all. However the couple decorated the tent with Chinese lanterns which gave everything a nice glow.
Here's my blogged slideshow with photos from one wedding that I shot in the Garre tent:
http://www.mauricerami... -
Review from Kimberly D.
Los Angeles, CA
6/18/2009 1 photo
This review is for the Oak Tree and Pavilion area.
We just had our wedding here, and everything went beautifully!
When we first booked, the person dealing with us was not clear with some things and there turned out to be a lot of confusion with our contract. Then after we learned she would no longer be working there, we were switched to Jacqueline. She was a godsend! She and Garre worked with us with every step and also personalized everything to us. They were very adamant about making us happy which was perfect for an already stressful planning bride. I can not say enough good about Jackie. We were so, so happy to end up with Jackie and highly recommend her. She emailed us consistently, she fixed any problem that started to come up, and she took down pages of notes for herself to make sure the set up was perfect. She even went out and bought us sparking cider for our guests who don't drink - free of charge!
The service during the wedding was amazing. Before the ceremony we were served food in the adorable cottage/dressing room. After the ceremony, my bridal party and I were immediately found and served delicious hor devours while we were waiting to take photos. And during the reception, it seemed like the moment I thought of something, a server would immediately appear and ask if I would like anything - without me having to ask. They were really on it and my husband and I truly appreciated it. We heard really great things from our guests as well about them.
The setting was gorgeous (which our guests loved). The food was delicious. The service was superb. They set out bocci for our guests (and groomsmen) to play. They turned on the heat when it got chilly. They worked with our time-line to the 't' and even gave us leeway when things were running behind. Everything felt custom to us. They really came through and we are so happy with the end result. -
Review from Priscilla L.
San Francisco, CA
7/7/2007
Another great date night deal!!!!
Really hot!!
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday night's event at Cafe Garre's "Vineyard Nights" Summer Music and Dinner Series (from 6:00 until 9:00 pm). The Powell St. John Trio was playing, and the show was exceptional.
For the price of dining (an entree at $16-$22), we had the pleasure of enjoying a great show by The Powell St. John Trio. Imagine being able to listen to music--in an intimate setting outdoors--by the songwriter for Janis Joplin, the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, and Boz Scaggs/ former member of the band Mother Earth and the Waller Creek Boys with Janis Joplin.
The trio played for two solid hours and their three (!!!) full 40 minute sets included:
* Bye, Bye Baby (song he wrote that Janis made famous - they went to college together... he mentioned that during one of the sets)
* Kingdom of Heaven (song he wrote covered by 13th Floor Elevators)
* Slide Machine (song he wrote covered by 13th Floor Elevators)
* You Don't Know (song he wrote covered by 13th Floor Elevators)
* Right Track Now (song he wrote covered by 13th Floor Elevators)
* I'm On My Way to Houston to Buy a Chicken Pie (great protest song)
* Living on Monkey Island
* Ballad of the Silver Surfer
* I Love the Way She Played the Piccolo (what a great song!!!)
* City Hall
* Topless Wanda
* I the Fly
* Living with the Animals
* You Don't Know
The weather was perfect (warm and hot, but comfortable) for outdoor dining. The food was great: my husband and I had the prime rib of pork (and a big piece of pork on the bone it was), mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables. At an additional charge, I also ordered a great sampler of Garre's small lot wines (3 glasses which are more than just a taste) -- I got 1 white, 1 Rose, and 1 sparkling. Next time, I'm ordering the Braised Lamb Shank and getting "A Very Good Year" which gives you four of their new wine releases.
The wait staff was readily available and accessible to help you with anything. The bathroom was clean!
It was such a friendly environment that even a wild cottontail rabbit enjoyed itself, hopping around in the grassy area of the courtyard while the event went on.
I am definitely going to more of these summer events. There are a lot of events listed on http://www.garrewinery... for July.
I also went to http://www.powellstjoh.../ and found out that the Powell St. John Trio is playing at the winery again.
+ Friday, August 10 - 6:00 pm
+ Friday, September 28 - 6:00 pm
He is such a great lyricist (listen to I the Fly and Silver Surfer) and one of the finest harmonica players up there with Charlie Musslewhite. Powell St. John can really wail and get down there when he wants to.
"May your dreams be free of helicopters."
-- from Ballad of the Silver Surfer -
Review from Gabi M.
Dublin, CA
4/27/2008
We had lunch at the cafe, very nice outdoor & indoor seating, great food, very fresh, and good flavors.
The service was not great, maybe our server was not feeling good, but we still enjoyed it. -
Review from Sharon Q.
Livermore, CA
Updated - 2/26/2011
I went here with a girlfriend for lunch and had a great experience. We were seated as soon as we walked through the door and even though it seemed pretty busy for lunch the service was fast and friendly. I ordered the Brushy Peak, a sandwich made up of turkey pepper bacon and avocado on sour dough. I was so good! My friend ordered the smoke salmon alfredo and penne. It was really good too. They give a very generous amount of fish which I was happy to see since most places tend to skimp on it. It isn't took pricey but I would have to say that Garre is on the nicer side of lunch places. I totally recommend Garre. I will dine here again, possibly for dinner next time. I can imagine this place being a lot of fun in the summer since they have an out door patio, a tasting room across from the cafe and bacci ball.
Listed in: Livermore Lovin', My Neighborhood, Getting Married in the Valley
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/24/2008
I went to a wedding here and had a great time. The grounds are beautiful. The wine (Garre) was great… Read more »
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Review from Taj A.
Alameda, CA
8/10/2009
This place is cool......I guess. Went here for a wedding last Sunday. I would say the outside setting trumps the inside buiding. They really need to fix the porta potty situation though. It;s like a neat little setup, and after you are drinking, you realize there is no flusher. Panic did not set in, only confusion. After finding the lever below the toilet, I tried to get out, to no avail. The weird latch was giving me problems. Let me out of this weird porta potty inside a airplane type vibe small room. Also, there is a great dirt area to drink with your friends, when the hillbillies get to be too much.
The staff was pretty good though, efficient, aim to please, polite. I'd attend a wedding here again, maybe. -
Review from decoux m.
Alameda, CA
1/23/2009
Friends of ours showed us around LIvermore in search of wedding venues. They took us here for lunch, but did not, I repeat, did not recommend this place as a venue for weddings.
This is a review for their weekend lunch. It was delicious. I ordered the open face crab sandwich and Billy went for the Italian sandwich. Everything was delicious. The dining area and service couldn't have been better (except that the service kept coming by and asking if they could take away my friends salad and she was like, "no... no... no.... no..." Com'on guys, communicate! Other than that, no problems here! If we end up having our wedding in Livermore, I will recommend this as a local place for good eats. Not bad at all! -
Review from Martin C.
San Francisco, CA
8/7/2009
This review is for the site, the winery and the cafe.
The site is very charming. The wine tasting is in a small building off of a pair of bocce ball courts and the cafe is in another cute building nearby. There's also a covered building across the way which apparently is the "event" center used for weddings and other things. The site gets 4 stars.
The wine was pleasant, if unremarkable. It's only sold at the winery. I don't remember the entire tasting selection but liked the sweet 2007 Sauv Blanc and the 2005? Profound Secret (a bordeaux blend) the best. Most of the wines had an odd grassy aroma which I found inconsistent and unappealing. The 07 Sauv Blan had that aroma, but tasted slightly sweet and fruity. The bordeaux did not have the grassy aroma and the light and fruity red was better for it. The tasting is free. So, you can't miss giving the wines a try.
Since we were running late, we decided to stay to to eat at the cafe. We got a nice table on the patio with a view of a small lawn and fountain and some vines nearby. The setting was very nice, but cars traveling on the graveled road next to the cafe was sometimes distracting.
The food and service was good. My GF had some pan fried petrale sole w/rice and I had a green salad with a smoked salmon sandwich (one of the specials) which included a small pasta salad along with a glass of local nonvintage sparking wine (Woodbridge) which was very good.
This may be the only place to eat on Tesla Road, so this place is definitely a find. There were several other very charming wineries located nearby on Greenville Road. So, a stop here for lunch and wine tasting at a few wineries made for a very enjoyable afternoon. -
Review from Keith L.
Pleasanton, CA
8/1/2008
A bunch of us from work were going to Poppy Ridge for lunch and found out they closed the restaurant for an event that day, so we went to Garre for lunch and lucked out.
We have been back there many times for lunch and I find the food very good and sitting in the dining room or out on the patio is very relaxing and a great place to get away in the middle of a hectic day. Quiet and among the vineyards.
As for the food, I have had their Jambalaya and their Tri-tip sandwich, but were tasty and filling. However, for the sandwiches I don't really care for their hard sourdough bread. The Jambalaya was not spicy at all and had small shrimps, chicken pieces, small sausages and for some reason very little risotto. I would have loved to have more risotto because I'm a starch-a-holic (rice, noodles, pasta, bread, you name it). I would recommend they use larger sausages and shrimp for this dish but otherwise it was very good, not New Orleans good but good.
Prices are around $8 to $14 for lunch entrees.
Didn't try the wine at lunch but have tried their Merlots before and found them a bit more tannic than I would like. However, they will let you taste Merlots from different years so you can taste the weather (el nino year vs dry year) on the same grape vines. Kinda cool.
Overall this is a great lunch place and free wine tasting, 3 stars for food and 1 extra star for the atmosphere. -
Review from esmeralda E.
Livermore, CA
9/8/2009
A few Fridays ago my husband and I went to the Music on the Patio at Garre.The food was fantastic, and the music was great. If you haven't tried their wines do so. I was very impressed with their Chardonnay.
I heard they are extending music on the patio through Sept. -
Review from Laura B.
San Jose, CA
4/21/2008
I went to a wedding here this weekend and it was very nice. The outdoor area had a good setup for a wedding and the white tent for receptions was good to decorate however you want since it was so plain in itself. All the decorations really stood out, unlike when you have it at a room at a hotel or someplace that already has its own decor. Food was also very good (not sure if they provided the catering or not) and the '03 Cabernet Sauvignon that was provided with dinner was nice as well.
If you're looking to get married here, make sure you plan it for a warmish time of year because it was so cold and windy that day (even though it was sunny) and everyone was freezing even inside the tent. See if they'll let you have heat lamps inside there if you think it might be chilly. People were wearing their coats the whole time. -
Review from Alured P.
San Francisco, CA
5/31/2009
Combination review for the winery and the adjacent restaurant. Winery wines were decent to good including a sweet Sav. Blanc that was really interesting, reasonably priced. Staff very helpful. Not sure that I would taste there again soon, but that is just because there are so many places in the area I have yet to try.
Restaurant was nice... ate on the patio which was great for a 75 degree day [would have wanted to be inside if it had been warmed]. Solid Italian food... good Clam Chowder [not really Italian but it was good], nice pasta and a large portion, and the special smoked tri-tip sandwich was amazing. Plus, the staff was great at refilling water which is important in the middle of a day of wine tasting. A nice place to take a break from tasting in the area. -
Review from Deb R.
Livermore, CA
7/28/2011
We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary here with 30 friends and family members. The staff was very professional and everything was set up as we wished. The food and wine were delightful. Everyone had smiles when they left at the end of the evening. The small cafe is a wonderful venue for intimate gatherings.
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Review from Kate N.
Philadelphia, PA
11/6/2008
I just got married here and I have to say overall I was really happy with the venue since the cost was pretty reasonable and the day was beautiful.
-location: the landscape and the pictures you will get are amazing and gorgeous and the weather was perfect (but due check Farmer's almanac ahead of time, since it drastically changed weeks later in October--ie much colder and extremely windy)
-the food--we had filet mignon, cornish hen and stuffed zucchini and it was amazing, everyone commented how great it was. I wanted MORE!
-the wine--if you expect Napa quality wines, forget it! Garre suffers from trying to make too many varietals and so quality suffers on some if not most of the types they make. After many many trips to their tasting room, we settled on an '04 Cab and an '07 Pinot Grigio--if you do plan to marry there, they dont tell you this, but def buy all of the wine you think you will need WELL in advance, not only do they have case discounts and sales but they sold out of almost all of their whites before we got married
I was very surprised that they don't keep cases off to the sides for their weddings but they are a very small producer, so if you like it, buy it! And don't waste your money doing their drink package--to make it worthwhile guests would have to drink more than 4 bottles PER person!
-the tent for the reception...was less than ideal, its pretty dirty and not maintained, same goes for their sad excuse for portable bathrooms on the side of the tent (almost the size of airplane bathrooms) but if you turn all of the lights off and forget to look down at the stained poured concrete floor you'll be ok (fyi they have super low wattage to begin with + old wiring so our lights/fuse blew out mid-reception)
-ceremony site is the large oak tree--is amazing on its own and really didnt need much in the sense of flowers and other decor
-event planning staff was horrifically bad---we had to get switched to another planner halfway through since our first planner was completely incompetent and disorganized
if you want professionals who will respond to your questions/emails within 10 business days or if you want a straight answer on simple questions and they don't change the answer 6 months into planning it--go somewhere else. For ex. we were told we could use a specific beverage distributor to provide hard alcohol and then were told 5 months later that hard alcohol cannot be served on the premises? There was a lot of verbal things told to us that were not honored or were complete lies and that was the most frustrating.
-Also ignore their setup photos because almost all of those photos are from brides who rented everything--they put nothing down on the table except glasses and napkins and silverware! -
Review from Tomomi S.
9/9/2009
*This review is for Cafe Garre*
I stopped here for lunch while my friend and I were enjoying wine tasting on Tesla Rd. Unfortunately we were not able to try their wine as it was a week day and tasting room was not open, but as far as I can tell from their food, wine must be pretty good as well.
My Crab and Shrimp Gruyere melt sandwich was stacked high with crab meat and shrimp. It was toasted perfectly to be on the crunchy side at the bottom and the warm gruyere cheese melted on the top.. Aww, it was very tasty. My friend's Duck Confit pasta with saffron cream sauce was pretty good as well. Pasta and some Entree dishes had suggested wine paring on the menu, if you want to enjoy their food and wine together.
It was a beautiful sunny day that was not too hot outside. We were able to sit outside and enjoy the vineyards and blue sky over our lunch. We truly enjoyed our lunch here at Garre. -
Review from Joel V.
8/9/2009
Recently went to Garre for a wedding, had never been before. The grounds were pretty cool, plenty of unpaved parking, with a large tent set up for the event.
The ceremony was on the lawn and couldn't be more beautiful. There was a little shade from the surrounding trees, and the setup was perfect. A small mic malfunction was quickly corrected.
The reception was in the large tent and was a cool spot. The dance floor was in the middle, the bar in the corner and the buffet in the rear. They served their own Garre wines, and two local brews on tap. One was a pale ale, the other was Snowshoe Weizen. I must have had about seven of the Snowshoe's. The wine was ok, nothing fantastic - but not panther piss either. The food was good, but there could have been more.
Only negative is the bathroom situation. Porta Potties? Really??? 3.5 stars. -
Review from Dianne M.
San Ramon, CA
4/5/2010
We stopped by Garre winery on Friday afternoon. We happened to be the only ones there but I suppose not many people had good Friday off. The server was friendly and talkative which I always like when wine tasting. There were a few red's we liked and we purchasing the 2006 Syrah. We like bold reds and this was bolder than the other Syrah they offered and the best of the bunch we tasted on that trip. Depending on our mood our next visit may reveal a new favorite. Tasting was free which is always nice. Definitely worth a stop.
We also tried the restaurant on property which was pretty good. We both tried the chowder which was full of goodies but not as thick as I like. I'm a Boston purest when it comes to chowder. I want it white, creamy, smokey and stand your spoon up thick. It was good just not how I like it. I also had the open faced crab and shrimp sandwich while my hubby had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich. I wasn't sure about my crab at first but it definitely grew on me. I will order something different next time but if I do order the crab again I will probably ask for the sauce on the side. The pork was good but a bit dry for my taste. Hubby liked it. The pasta salad that came with needs some work, not exciting. Overall impression however was good and it's a nice stop for lunch. -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2010
We came here for barrel tasting weekend 3/20-3/21/10.
Profound Secret was my favorite wine and it was a winner for the SF Chronicle. There is bocce ball playing outside. -
Review from Marla M.
Livermore, CA
4/21/2007
Ty, can be amasing, bold, or creative, Over-all it is good +, depending on what you like and order....
Chicken always comes with the skin on, in any dish. Salads are good. Some of the sandwiches and pastas are really good. If you like seafood, he does a few dishes with lots of seafood. The foccocia is to die for. Food at banquets is average to really good depending on what you get.
The setting is really beautiful, and great attention to detail at events. -
Review from Lori R.
Pleasanton, CA
3/14/2011
The wine was good, but nothing spectacular. The food was SOOOO yummy! and the bocce ball court is great! Its a fun stop to make on a wine tour for sure!
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Review from Shari S.
Livermore, CA
4/21/2008
Try the new release 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Rose. I did not like the previously released Rose, but this one is a little darker in color, a slight bit less dry, and is mildly chocolatey. I love it!!
Cafe favorites: wine country salad, duck confit, and any of the sandwiches. The free focaccia bread is also killer!
