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Los Altos Grill
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants American (Traditional) American (New), American (Traditional) [Edit]
233 3rd StLos Altos, CA 94022
(650) 948-3524
- Hours:
Mon 4:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Tue-Sun 4:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
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$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Trendy, Upscale, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
604 reviews for Los Altos Grill
Review Highlights
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"And yes, the no corkage fee is awesome." In 96 reviews -
"For desert; the Oreo cookie ice cream - fabulous." In 17 reviews -
"I repeat, don't forget the corn bread." In 71 reviews
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604 reviews in English
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Review from Denise L.
We weren't sure where to eat Tuesday night, so headed on over to the grill since its close by. Its quite roomy, but if you have a large group, don't expect to be seated at one large table. The 10 of us split into 2 booths, which was cozy but wish the tables were a bit bigger. Started off with some rose, cornbread, and the dip duo.
The cornbread was definitley dense, not the best I've had as I like mine fluffier. The jalapenose were a nice touch though. The dip duo was guac and a queso dip with tortilla chips. The queso dip was different. It was like sour cream mixed with shredded cheese. I enjoyed it, despite it being new and unusual. They also brought us extra chips as we ran out quickly.
The whole table went with burgers, and it's nice that you have a variety choice of sides. I went with the grilled colorado lamb sirloin. It comes with mashed potatoes, but I opted for the shoestring fries. There's also spinach included as well. The lamb was divine! Absolutley delicious! Cooked perfectly, with a nice char. Shoestring fries were yummy as usual, and the side of spinach (or maybe swiss chard? had way too many roses by then) was a nice compliment to everything as well.
I got the oreo dessert, and it was good, but I didn't like the strong coffee sauce it was sitting in Friends got the ice cream sundae, and it was HUGE! and your own serving tin of chocolate syrup.
All in all, everyone left stuffed and happy. Our waitress was a little off though, but good prices and good food. Would definitley be back. -
Review from Brandy A.
5/22/2012
My friend recommended this place as he raved about their food but what drew me in was their no corkage fee policy. Whoo! I bought a bottle of bubbly to celebrate my sister's birthday. They chilled it at the bar until our table was ready, and it was served in the cutest flute-shaped glasses adorned with fireflies. I wanted to find out where they got these glasses, they were so adorable! Oh yes, I am supposed to be writing a restaurant review. Anyway...
I liked their rotisserie chicken. I know, when I hear rotisserie chicken I think of the 7.99 variety, I'm-too-lazy-to-cook-tonight so I'll grab something ready made at the market kind of chicken. This chicken was quite fancy, juicy, well flavored, and tender. It's two pieces of succulent breast meat. The Spanish rice accompanying it was overcooked and soggy, unfortunately. Solid portions.
My sister's Texas-style BBQ baby back ribs were quite yummy as well, but nothing out of the ordinary. Strong BBQ flavor. Accompanied by a good helping of mashed potatoes with colcannon and veggies. Like my order, the portions were generous.
Yes, the cornbread was delicious. It was also very fancy. It came in a pie form, crispy outside and sticking to the skillet, and moist, peppered with green beans and corn kernels, on the inside. I recommend.
The upside? The simple menu. The downside? The simple menu. It's all but one side of a laminated sheet and with fewer entree options I expected to be blown away. It was a delicious meal, but it didn't linger on my mind. They do have an extensive wine menu, I will say that.
Service was good, quick, friendly. I was a little confused about the ambiance. There were sports games broadcasted at the bar, with a lady playing a grand piano quite well. There were some dressed up people (count my sister and me in that crowd) and there were some casually dressed people. Not sure how to classify the ambiance...so I'll let you decide if you visit. -
Review from Adrienne H.
Palo Alto, CA
My fiance took me here for a birthday dinner on Tuesday. He picked it out all by himself, not knowing that I have actually had it bookmarked on Yelp for a long time, so it was a great choice. We really enjoyed our meal.
We started with the "cornbread in a skillet" ($6) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). I was skeptical of this because it has jalapenos in it, and I don't like very spicy food, but it was not at all spicy. I think I would prefer it without the jalapenos (they have a weird slimy texture) but it was still excellent. The bread was soft and buttery and the top was perfectly crispy and crunchy.
For my entree I had the rotisserie chicken with Spanish rice ($20) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). It was really good. Rotisserie chicken is a pretty standard thing, but they did it very well. The chicken was not too dry and the skin was very crispy and flavorful. The rice was ok, a little spicy for my tastes. My fiance had the prime rib french dip sandwich ($20) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) which he enjoyed. I was surprised that they did not ask how he wanted it cooked, and it came out bright pink (he likes steak more well done). I told him he should send it back, but he didn't and he still enjoyed it. The skinny fries that came with it were fantastic too.
For dessert we had the oreo cookie ice cream sandwich (I think it was around $9). My fiance ate it before I could get a picture but there are lots of pictures on Yelp. It was pretty good, but huge and we were unable to come close to finishing it. Unfortunately since it was ice cream, we could not take it home. The hot fudge sauce that came with it was phenomenal and was the best part of the dish. It was a true hot fudge sauce that tasted like liquid chocolate as opposed to just chocolate-y syrup.
I do think the food is a bit overpriced for such standard dishes and the ambiance is also a little less classy than you would expect given the prices (its pretty loud and my fiance said it kind of feels like an Applebee's inside). Still, the food was uniformly very, very good and I would go back. -
Review from Joe J.
Los Altos, CA
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Love the kitchen View.
And the late night availability. -
Review from Gracie V.
San Jose, CA
5/8/2012
Walking up the this place you could smell how good the food was going to be..... at the end the food here was amazing!! The service, food, drinks and enviroment was awesome!
They have a really great wine selection and a full service bar. I believe the drink menu was larger than the food menu but it was worth it. You definatly have to try the Grilled Jumbo Artichoke!!
Def a place worth comming back to.... great for a date night!! -
Review from Susan N.
Fremont, CA
5/4/2012
Yep. Pretty amazing. The quality of the food is very high and fresh. The beef ribs were a touch fatty but the flavor was incredible! I also got the grilled artichokes; the smokey flavor of the tender hearts is perfection. Last but not least, I am not a fan of bananas, but I ordered the banana cream pie knowing it would be fresh and delicious anyway. Best quality pie with a walnut crust and smooth cream filling that isn't hyper-flavored. You can see the vanilla bean specks in the filling. What can I say, sometimes you get what you pay for.
PS: Deviled eggs were awesome! -
Review from Sameya G.
Santa Clara, CA
4/30/2012
At first I was disappointed that they no longer serve dinner on the patio and the menus is changed. Still had 2 good glasses of wine and ordered dinner. Had a DELICIOUS salad with chicken, dates, goat cheese and a mess of other good stuff. Friend got the salmon. Dessert was only 3 choices (banana cream pie and 2 ice cream dishes). Disappointed they had no tart, basic chocolate cake, pie, etc as we would have bought dessert. Corn bread is AWESOME though. Comes in a cast iron skillet and is DELICIOUS!
Waiter, Dominicko, was TERRIFIC. He was super friendly, attentive to filling up water/made great suggestions/checked in on us and smiled and great serviced his way into a great tip (more that I usually leave).
Hope they will start serving dinner on the patio and expand their menu but Dominicko, GREAT food and excellent jazz band? I am coming back. -
Review from Cheri S.
Mountain View, CA
5/18/2012
Although I absolutely love the food here (my husband and I can't help but order the cheeseburgers because they are that good), what I love even more are the servers. They are so friendly, professional, and hard-working.
My husband and I have had a variety of servers, but one stand-out is Dominico. He is ridiculously friendly and best of all, he is sure to make you laugh at least once, but probably a lot more than that. He took our dining experience from a good one to a great one.
Another great feature of the Grill is that there is no corkage fee. Great ambiance, great servers, great food. Win, win, win. -
Review from robin l.
Los Altos, CA
Updated - 4/30/2012
Yikes! What happened?
Haven't been to the grill for awhile...went last weekend and the service has gone south. Way south. The bar staff were slow, inattentive...not even the usual friendly. Food still pretty good. Wont go out of my way to come back for a while.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/5/2011
Love this place! I live in Los Altos and this place feels very much like a neighborhood joint. I… Read more »
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Review from Rachel L.
San Jose, CA
4/23/2012
I think the menu was one or maybe two pages long, but I only had eyes for the prime rib French dip. Here's why: the meat was piled high, and so incredibly tender; it was like eating a stick of butter, only much, MUCH less disgusting. Most of my tablemates were at least mildly jealous. "Oh well," I thought as I greedily stuffed my face. "I guess we'll just have to come back next weekend!"
One item of which to be aware: we made reservations and still had to wait 30 minutes to be seated. So, come hungry, but not too hungry. -
Review from Aimee M.
Palo Alto, CA
5/14/2012
Been here a handful of times. The food is awesome (but then again, I've only had the lamb every time I have been here, you will never go wrong with it). The staff is out-going, friendly, and knowledgeable about the food.
HUGE FAN OF THE NO CORK FEE! -
Review from Anna R.
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
There is a reason why the Los Altos Grill is always packed. Now, in my opinion there's no reason why they shouldn't take reservations, but then again their sister restaurant in Napa wine country, Rutherford Grill, has that same policy. So do yourself a favor and bring a bottle of bubbles or wine with you (or two or three) as there may be a small or quite large wait for a table. Trying to get a spot at the bar can turn into a competitive race of figuring out who is paying their tab next - if you get lucky, kudos to you!
I've never minded the wait here too much since they don't charge corkage, so I just start my night out with the liquid diet. The bartenders are great about bringing you an ice bucket for your bottle of champagne and refill your glasses steadily. Once I get seated in one of their cozy booths a feeling of "it was worth it" always overcomes me. As for the food, I have tried a lot of dishes here, but have certainly figured out my favorites by now.
The Prime Rib French Dip sandwich is sinfully delicious. Meat, bread and au jus sauce - sound so simple, doesn't it? Well, it tastes anything but simple! Tender slices of heaven between a crunchy fresh roll that soaks up the au jus perfectly. Roasted peanut cole slaw on the side provides some nice texture and freshness on the plate.
Another winner is the Sashimi Ahi Tuna served over mixed greens with mango and avocado. It is a nice light dish with some big chunks of perfectly seared tuna.
Dessert is difficult to pass up here when you hear the offerings. On my last visit we picked the banana "split" - sliced bananas, banana ice cream, crunchy chocolate bits, whipped cream and lots of other goodness meddled on that plate. After that you can comfortably roll out of the restaurant and back to your car. -
Review from Chers S.
4/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Love this place!!! Gets crowded by 630 on a daily basis so I'd suggest making a reservation.
Starter: you have to get the cornbread. It's prefect to share with 3-4 people. There's a slightly spicy jalapeno kick a sweet corn flavoring.
I ordered the seared ahi tuna for my entree which was delicious. I liked the salad with mango side as well.
Oh, and they don't charge a corkage fee. How amazing and rare is that??!
Can't wait to go back and try other items. -
Review from Saba S.
Updated - 4/7/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Went for my bday. We had reservations and were seated a few minutes late. I'm dinging this place a couple stars because I SENT MY RIBEYE BACK. I have never sent food back, but it just sucked...they came back with ribs which were better, but not to the ratio of food to cost. The avocado app was amazing, and the artichoke hearts are ehhhh. What I have learned about this place is always get the seafood plates. They are always the tastiest on the menu.
PS, watch out for the middle aged snobs.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/6/2010
Just by the sheer volume of cars on a Monday night, we knew that this location was going to be a… Read more »
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Review from Scott P.
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Phenomenal service and delicious food... they are known for their chicken and it was very succulent. I had the "Macho Salad" which I enjoyed... it is a satisfying combo of nuts, goat cheese and proteins. On a side note: I have been there two times on weekdays and they were very crowded, so prepare for a long wait... we usually soften the blow with a glass of wine, or two, at the bar or out on the patio.
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Review from Captain S.
Oakland, CA
4/1/2012
This review has been a long time coming. Since I work in and around Silicon Valley, I've eaten at Los Altos Grill something like 10 to the 3rd power times.
While it's always been consistently good, over the past 2 years or so, the quality of the food has diminished somewhat. Additionally, the menu, which once was diverse and extensive, now seems more limited.
It's still a great place for lunch or dinner, especially with business colleagues or an important client; but I probably would not eat here personally anymore. -
Review from Denise C.
Pacifica, CA
3/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is more popular than I would've thought, given its relatively normal food selection and less than stellar offerings. My boyfriend and I came here once for a nice dinner, which was good, but not spectacular, considering the cost of the food. The atmosphere is very cosy. The booths are large and everything is pretty dark inside except for the center where the kitchen is. They have a hearth area where they do all their impressive cooking (think food that involves large flames, etc.) out in the open for their patrons to see.
If there's one good thing here, it's definitely gotta be the cornbread. It's one of their specialties, and I have to agree with the other Yelpers. It's downright amazing; one of the best cornbread I have ever had... anywhere. The cornbread is baked in a cast iron skillet and has a crunch crust (drizzled with honey) and has a slight kick to it from the jalapeños. So good, I wish I had their recipe to make it myself!
Our entrees were okay. My boyfriend has had better experiences here, but this was not one of them. We ordered the prime rib and their sashimi ahi tuna dish (I forget what it's called, but it wasn't memorable). The prime rib was good, but I've definitely had better. The ahi tuna was definitely on the meh side... Wouldn't recommend it at all.
Dessert was very good though. We had the Oreo ice cream dessert which was super tasty. Besides the cornbread and dessert, nothing really stood out.
Their only saving grace was the staff. Our waitress was either new or super busy, but she kept forgetting things/orders (she royally screwed up the order of the group near us). Despite all of this, she made it up to us by being really attentive and apologetic. When we were almost done With our meal, she scooped up the remainder of our cornbread (about a quarter left) before my boyfriend could get a word in and scurried away (we were saving it for later). She ended up tossing it... but when we mentioned we wanted it boxed up, she apologized profusely and came back with a much larger portion of cornbread in a takeout box. That's pretty much the only reason this place gets four stars...
I might come back for the cornbread and maybe the dessert, but the food is definitely not as good as I thought it would be. :/ -
Review from Catherine T.
Sunnyvale, CA
2/27/2012
Where to start?
My husband and I have tried going here once after calling the hostess and finding out that they were not taking any more reservations, but always accept walk-ins. Before I hung up, I asked how long the walk in wait was and was told about 20 minutes. When we got there, we were stunned to find people crowding the bar, the hostess station, and outside. The hostess then let us know the walk in wait was between 1.5 and 2 hours. Ridiculous!
My husband made a reservation and we went last night. It was still super crowded, but we had a table far from the front door.
I ordered: Lemon drop martini, the grilled salmon, cornbread for the table, and dessert. Food was pretty good. Not great, and definitely NOT worth the dinner entree prices.
What I didn't order was FOOD POISONING. .
About 1 hour after returning home I began to feel really weird--my stomach was grumbling, but I also felt really pukey. Long story short, I was in the bathroom off and on between 8pm and 2am.
Not sure if you have ever had food poisoning before (I don't remember ever having it) but it is so gross. In fact, they owe me a pair of underwear if you get where I'm going with this.
Not a delightful experience. -
Review from Melissa S.
Cupertino, CA
3/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
After looking up this place on Yelp and saw their menu, I thought to myself "hmm..their menu looks familiar..." That's when I realized that it's the same company (Hillsdale) that owns Rutherford Grill in Napa Valley. Coming here, I knew I was in for something good.
First of all, cheers for NO CORKAGE FEE!
Their menu is very similar to the one in Napa, minus the fish and chips.
Came here for a friend's birthday - party of 9. Seating wasn't too great despite the fact that we actually made reservations. They made us squeeze into a round table more suitable for a party of at the most 6 people. But thank goodness us 4 girls are skinny enough to only count as 2 people haha
Atmosphere: they have a few guys playing some live music, the restaurant was full at 7:30pm and stayed full for a good few hours.
Moving on to the food..
A bunch of us ordered their Roasted Prime Rib (recommended).
I got the Sashimi Ahi Tuna Salad (recommended) - love the combo of avocado, mango and vinaigrette dressing. This is good if you're not feeling too hungry - make sure the others order the steak so you get to nibble some from them.
One of my friends got the Prime Rib French Dip - I highly recommend this. It's not your usual burger, but kinda sorta similar and better.
Based on one of the Yelp reviews, we also got the Corn Bread - this was more like a dessert to me. It's sweet, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside - delightful. One order can feed up to 6 people.
Price is affordable and good for a place like this.
We all went home happy, full and just tipsy enough to go for a second round of drinks. -
Review from Nhung H.
San Jose, CA
So, based on the ratings and the reviews I decided to take my valentine date here and what a DISAPOINTMENT! The food that we ordered was horrible. My bf ordered the steak and mash (bland and no flavor). The mash had no gravy and was also bland. My bf is not a picky eater and most of the time he will say that the food is good and I am always the pickier one, BUT this was an exception, even he said it was not good at all.
I ordered the fish sandwich and again no flavor. The appetizers were the only good thing we had. The smoked salmon was AMAZING! The sauce that came with it was also amazing! 5 stars for that....Oh and the mac and cheese was flavorless (do not order).
Dessert was nasty, we got the oreo something something and the ice cream was hard as a rock.
and 5 stars to the atmosphere, they had live jazz music that night and the environment was very romantic. -
Review from C L.
Los Gatos, CA
3/29/2012
Los Altos Grill is one of my favorite places to eat from all of the bay area. The food is top quality, as good as it gets! Do NOT MISS the corn bread, the artichoke and any cut of meat, but the prime rib is one the best I have ever had. They are very consistent in the quality and the whole dinning experience.
It's quite pricey but it's worth it. Also keep in mind that if you go there without a reservation you will probably have to wait for at least 60-90 minutes... I have gone there without reserving first, but the food is so good that we are always willing to wait!
Hands down a great place, solid food and great ambiance! -
Review from Linnea E.
Updated - 4/19/2012
Menu changed... went from pretty great to meh. Hacked chicken salad is gone. Ribs were ok, but not great. Portions on some things seem to have decreased as well. Even the cocktail was only so-so. I left not as impressed as I've been in the past.
Listed in: Top Restaurants, The Places I Go Out
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/3/2010
Yum! I LOVE the bar here!!! The bartenders have great personality, work quickly and efficiently to… Read more »
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Review from Evan S.
Sunnyvale, CA
5/1/2012
Hands down one of my favorite places! Their steak and enchilada plate is flat out amazing! Their service is very good, professional, and knows what they are talking about.
At first I was surprised to find out the long island iced teas were $12! But once you drink it you realize it was well worth it. It is pretty much like getting two drinks in one glass.
Go to this place! -
Review from Maria M.
San Jose, CA
4/29/2012
I usually love this place but make sure you come before 7:00. We had a 7:30 rsvp and didn't get seated until 8:00. The air conditioning where we were sitting was blasting and we were freezing! Asked a couple times and 2 separate people said they would adjust it. My husband ordered a snapper special that came w/spinach and blue crab on top of the fish. Later we realized that his fish never got the blue crab on top of it but we were still charged the special price. It's almost hard to relax and enjoy your dinner because it is sooo crazy busy & bustling & stressed in there!
Overall our food was good and our server was the only thing that made it somewhat a great night. It was my 40th bday and hoping for something not as crazy. Will probably go back...but only right when it opens....and will pay closer attention to the special descriptions. -
Review from Sina O.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
They use Safeway meat for the burgers, I saw it with my own eyes as the kitchen which is often in plain view on the way to the bathroom disposed of their safeway packaging for the grinder.
Also, before I discovered this one time I ordered a burger medium well take out. I got home, took a few bites, and it was blood rare. I called to tell them this, the girl put me on hold to ask her supervisor what they should do (!?!?!) Finally after 10 minutes on hold got back on the phone to tell me they will remove the charge for the burger. However only for the burger..the charge for the soda i had while i waited would be left on (seriously?). This was also not the first time they messed up my order for takeout.
Not only was I left to rummage through my pantry starving because by this point everything in Los Altos was closed, but that rare burger was a health hazard especially when it is from safeway, it was completely blood rare inside. Steaks near rare may be ok but not ground beef.
Downgraded to 1 star for manager trying to find a loophole to get my review removed. -
Review from Glenn G.
Engrossed in a totally pleasant chain of memory association, I found myself thinking about eating at the Los Altos Grill when I was writing about Godfather's Burger lounge, because the former is an old favorite, and the latter is a new one. I decided to write an update to the review of The Grill I did back when I was a Yelpling of some two weeks tenure.
A tried and true old favorite, The Los Altos Grill never disappoints - I've eaten there dozens of times in the past few years, and I've never had anything less than a great meal. My only major complaint (that they don't take reservations) apparently was rectified quite a while back, and I simply didn't notice until 2012!
Reservations not withstanding, walk-ins on almost any night after 5:30pm are tricky, but don't even think about it on the weekends - it's always packed!
Last time I visited The Grill, my very special Lady and I walked in on a brisk Winter weeknight evening into the warm, invitingly romantic, dimly lit restaurant with its dark woods, cozy booths, and omnipresent buzz. An almost palpable energy resonates from the long oval shaped bar at the heart of The Grill. I've recently developed a renewed appreciation for cocktails, so as I'm writing this, I'm making a mental note to check out their mixologists handiwork another time.
We were seated in a booth just off the bar toward the front of the restaurant. The Grill is a very romantic place - just perfect for an intimate dinner for two. The constant buzz from the bar and the surrounding restaurant gives all the tables an almost magical feeling of privacy in an otherwise very public place.
Despite the restaurant camera compulsion that seemed to come along with my new Yelp Elite status a few months ago, I found myself so fascinated with my lovely companion, our warmly close and relaxed conversation, and her especially beautiful eyes that I took no pictures that night. In fact, it took me quite a while to even remember what I ordered for dinner, and I'm still totally clueless about what she had...
As an appetizer, we shared an ordered of Dip Duo with Warm Tortilla Chips. The chips were fresh and deliciously salty, and the two dips were spicy and flavorful. Our servers kept the chips coming as our hunger helped us demolish them quickly.
For my entrée, I had the petite fillet mignon, with French fries substituted for their standard mashed potato side. Nothing wrong with the mashed potatoes - I'm just a sucker for French fries. These were thin, very salty (just the way I like 'em!) and the perfect companion to my steak, as well as the Devils Canyon Amber Ale on tap. All the meat at The Grill is excellent, but the filet is my personal favorite. I ordered mine medium, and when it came my beautiful lady friend commented that it was a bit on the rare side, but I was hungry enough to wrestle a Grizzly Bear (well, at least Yogi Bear) for scraps, so I didn't even THINK about sending it back, I just devoured it.
I stand by what I said last time out - their Oreo Cookie Dessert will still knock your socks off! Your meal at Los Altos Grill is not complete without it.Listed in: Bring The Vino!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/5/2011
Here's why I like The Los Altos Grill (in random order):
1. No corkage fee!
2. Dip Duo with Warm… Read more »
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Review from Linda M.
Santa Clara, CA
1/9/2012
I've been eating here since opened as Bandera's. Little has changed since then except the name and some of the dishes.
I'm a huge fan of the ribs. They are beef and the meat just falls off the bone - literally. Put that with the peanut coleslaw and mash potatoes and you have a great meal. I've eaten a variety of their dishes over time and have been very satisfied every time. If they still have the cornbread (may not be on the menu) you should try it - so good.
Great selection of wine, no corkage fee, and a fun environment. It can get a bit noisy in there, but it really fits in with the atmosphere.
Go early. The waiting list gets very long after 6pm. -
Review from Amanda G.
Updated - 1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
My brother-in-law had a gig here last week, so it was a good opportunity to give their food another try.
We made a reservation, but did have to wait a bit for our table. No biggie, we sat at the bar and had a drink while we waited.
I ordered the fish special, (which was a fish similar to red snapper.) I was brought out the salmon instead. The server offered to bring me the fish I ordered, but i wasn't going to eat two fish entrees. The salmon was cooked really nicely, (it's almost always overcooked when i order it in a restaurant.) I liked the rice that came with it as well.
Our drinks were kept refilled, and the food came quickly.
Our server ended up comping my meal, (which i repeatedly told her she didn't have to do) and she gave us a free dessert. I was pretty surprised and impressed by that.
I do think that the prices here are a little high for the area. Cocktails are $12. That's more like the price in an upscale SF restaurant. Since this place is always slammed, I guess other people don't think they're overcharging.
If i was in the area, and someone wanted to eat here, I would happily return. Although, on our own, we probably won't be back.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/2/2007
Went here with a couple friends on Sat. night. They had all been here before, and really liked their… Read more »
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Review from Scott A.
Millbrae, CA
3/12/2012
Just the best menu in the south bay area or mid peninsula. Plus the bar is a U shaped bar and it allows you to see everyone at the bar, pretty cool.
Big Plus No Corkage fee - you bring it they open you drink it...awesome.
plus great bartenders. -
Review from Catie W.
Santa Clara, CA
4/17/2012
One of my favorite go to places for a yummy dinner! Roast chicken is so tasty, and their corn bread is to die for!! Wait for a table can be long & painful, but you just to prep yourself for it.
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Review from alan r.
Cupertino, CA
Updated - 4/12/2012
Food good wine is good like going with a group bring some wine too just getting seated and respected and how they seat is tough at time. I have to have time to wait when I attend.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/24/2012
I dig the no corkage fee certainly make a group soiree fun. Few menu items I dig and yes it is a LOs… Read more »
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Review from Angeline K.
Cupertino, CA
Came back here to celebrate my husband's birthday, and we had another enjoyable meal. I've been to Los Altos Grill a number of times, but this time was better than the rest. I wish I had learned the name of our server, because he was so polite and beyond attentive. He was on top of the wine we brought that evening, always noticed when it was time to open another, and poured secondary glasses for all even when we were still working on the first bottle. Gotta love the no corkage fee!
Once again, cornbread was amazing. Came out piping hot with the perfect crunchy top. And the rib eye, unsurprisingly, was incredible! Cooked perfectly medium rare, juicy, and flavorful. The rib eye here is on the top of my list as far as steakhouses go.
I love the ambiance of this restaurant. It's classy, but not pretentious. Fancy, yet relaxed. The live music is a plus as is the nice, sizable bar in the middle of the restaurant.
One of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/5/2011
What a difference 2 years makes! Yes, we still had to wait an hour to get a table (for our party of… Read more »
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Review from Brenda B.
Los Altos, CA
Updated - 1/26/2012 24 Check-ins Here
I have to update my previous review about the wait with reservations. I Love that reservations are available through Urbanspoon now! Even better is that we were seated right on time!
Of course the food was as good as always and Christine is the best server at The Grill! I also love that you can bring your own wine and there is NEVER a corkage charge.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/26/2011
Wow! Reservations AND still we have to wait for our table! Are they really that disorganized!? Read more »
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Review from Sam L.
1/17/2012
Hillstone, you have done it again! What is it about your restaurants that makes for the most amazing dining experiences ever? I'm a huuuge fan of Houston's in Pasadena, so needless to say I was ecstatic to try the Los Altos Grill, another member of the Hillstone family of restaurants.
My friend and I stopped in here on a whim on a busy Sunday night. The manager could tell that we were both starving, so she sat us promptly at a cute little booth for two-- amazing service which we will not soon forget.
We ordered the Dip Duo ($10) to start, and when the chips came to the table, warm and fresh, ready for dipping, we eagerly got started. The guacamole was delicious, but we found it needed a little extra salt and lemon (both provided). The chedder-jalapeno dip was the unique one; chunkier than most queso dips, this one still packed quite the punch. The dips complemented each other nicely, and our waitress brought us more piping hot chips when we devoured the first bunch.
For dinner, I ordered the Bandera Style Roasted Chicken ($18), but subbed fries for the Spanish rice. (They serve the same amazingly delicious fries as Houston's, and I couldn't pass those up!) The rotisserie chicken was out-of-this-world; the meat was so juicy, the skin so crispy, the sauce so delectable. And the portion was so generous I had to take half of it home! YUM. A must-try!
My friend chose the Macho Salad ($16), which includes mixed greens, roasted chicken, avocado, corn, tomato, almonds, dates, cornbread croutons, and goat cheese drizzled in a creamy vinaigrette dressing. Phew! That's a lot of stuff! Surprisingly, there were still lots of greens in there, and the salad was very well balanced. All of the flavors played off each other well. Light and refreshing, yet savory and salty as well -- a superb salad.
We were both so stuffed by the end of the meal that we had to skip out on dessert.
The atmosphere is warm and inviting (very wood-and-leathery), and would make a great spot for a date, a bite to eat with a friend, or even a business meeting. There is also a huge bar in the middle of the restaurant (and two TVs), which looked like the happening place to be! Overall, service was amazing (both the manager who chose our table as well as our waitress), the food was exquisite, and the ambience was terrific.
I will definitely come back! -
Review from Nicolas M.
San Francisco, CA
4/11/2012
The prime rib sandwich + grilled artichoke appetizer = perfect night. Friendly service and great atmosphere. The place is always crowded and always fun
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Review from Aubrey C.
12/23/2011
3.5 stars
Los Altos Grill is a very good place for steak.
Anything else may be a bit of a risk, but the steak is quite tasty. Their other meat selections seem to be pretty good; a friend had the English-style bangers and mash. The steak entrees are sizeable -- the prime rib is actually quite large. And the prices are reasonable for a good steakhouse (around $30).
Oddly, the menu doesn't have any "official" appetizers, but we ordered a couple of the side dishes -- the cornbread in a skillet and the mac n' cheese. The mac n' cheese was a little too salty and overflavored. The cornbread in a skillet was good, and possibly the best side to order.
The menu also has some interesting items such as the steak and enchilada platter, and a couple of fish entrees, but no real dessert. We were quoted 3 dessert items, all 3 of which were pretty ordinary -- a sundae, a banana cream pie, and an Oreo sandwich. Not anything special, which was a mild disappointment.
If you're in the area, and want a good place for steak, Los Altos Grill isn't a bad choice. Otherwise, for anything else, you can probably find a more well-rounded place. -
Review from Judy P.
12/23/2011
The Verdict: A nice place to grab a bite to eat if you can wait long enough.
This place always seems to be packed (at least during the evenings). The wait list usually takes up to 40 mins. I had tried to get into this place on a Friday night once and ended up leaving because it was too crowded and the suggested wait time was 1 hr to 1.5 hrs! The second time I came here was on a Tuesday for dinner and it was much more do-able. They seated us within 5 mins and our food came out with ease. The food was very tasty, healthy and gourmet style. I ordered a fish burger with peanut coleslaw on the side and my friend ordered the mahi mahi. We both enjoyed the food, but it is definitely on the pricey side (about $35/person - because we each had a glass of wine too).
Would I Recommend It? Once in a while and with reservations.Listed in: Top Restaurants, The Places I Go Out
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Review from Bob S.
Mountain View, CA
4/9/2012
Consistently good food, the Los Altos Grill has become one of my favorite restaurants in the South Bay/Peninsula. Great good, service, and atmosphere; have easily eaten there 100 times in the past 10 years and haven't ever had a bad meal. If you've ever eaten at Bandara or Houstons you'll recognize the decor and menu themes; operated by the same company, the Los Altos Grill (and it's sister the Rutherford Grill up in Napa Valley) are the slightly more upscale versions of those restaurants.
We've eaten most everything on the menu at one point or another. The menu has only seemed to have changed 1 (or maybe 2) times in the past 10 years -- and there aren't really any daily specials -- but the catch of the day does vary and provide some variety. Our favorites:
- Grilled artichoke appetizer
- Prime rib dinner
- Seared Ahi salad dinner
- Oreo Cookie Ice Cream dessert
The only downside is how popular it is -- without a reservation, expect to wait a looooong time if you come during typical dinner hours. More often than not, we end up finding seats at the bar and eating there (a fair amount of seats seem to turnover there every 45-60 minutes). -
Review from Janet O.
On a weeknight this place is pretty packed. I was immediately drawn to the long oval shaped bar. It's the heart of the place. Awesome energy radiates from the bar and having been sat close to it I feel drawn.
It just so happened that I'm in my usual hungry state after a short local hike. Started with their Dip Duo and their thin, crispy salty tortilla chips. Addicitng! They can keep those chips coming too.
I had the prime rib medium. It is such a simple preparation. No muss no fuss. It came with a side of awesome mashed potatoes. The ones that I like. With small chunks of potatoes as opposed to the really smooth generic ones.
Ohhh..the prime rib is sublime. So tasty on its own. Melt in your mouth juicy goodness. This might be my other choice of place for a carnivorous feed.
Washed it down with Devils Canyon Amber Ale on tap. Great company, good food and live music in the background.
Awesome staff. Polite, attentive and courteous.
One of those nights.:)Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Molly A.
Castro Valley, CA
2/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
One of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area hands down!! The food, the atmosphere, the consistency of the wait staff is all top notch. The BBQ beef ribs are slow cooked to perfection and they fall off the bone so easily. They are absolutely Delicious.
The best part is there is no corkage fee, so you can bring your own favorite wine to share without paying a hefty price.
Love this place and will remain a loyal customer!!
