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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Love Love Love this place! Been several times for lunch with coworkers and they were very accommodating of our large party (with a reservation). Also went once for dinner with my family. Service is fine- attentive & witty but it wasn't that busy.
Food is what makes this place great! Eggplant or pumpkin borani is so wonderful. I also love the mantoo (ground beef dumplings with yogurt sauce and red vegetable sauce), ground beef kabob, and shrimp kabob. The complimentary flatbread they bring tastes great dipped in the yogurt sauce. Portion size is average- I can eat most but usually not all of my meal. Big eaters can probably finish a plate. Average plate price is about $15- more for some fancier lamb/fish dishes. Overall, definitely worth the money!
People thought this was:
My sister and I went here just before closing last Saturday and had a wonderful experience! As soon as we walked in the door we were warmly greeted by EVERYONE we walked past, hostess, waiters, bartenders, etc. We settled in the lounge area on a comfy pair of chairs near a coffee table for drinks and appetizers.
The signature cocktails are a nice play on traditional fare, and the food selections seem to offer a variety. We settled on the pumpkin borani for or food choice and were quite pleased with our choice. The sweetness of the pumpkin was well matched to the tartness of the garlic yogurt sauce and the hit of spice was a nice finishing touch. Their pomegranate version of a long island iced tea was potent yet drinkable and refreshing. Their strawberry rum cocktail, forgot the name, had delicious hunks of fresh strawberry and both drinks were generous pours.
The service was cheerful, helpful, and attentive yet not intrusive. I would come back here in a heartbeat! (other than the cheesy pop music played on a sitar, think I Will Survive, etc it was great!)
I have lived in Pleasanton for over 13 years, this is such a great , choice for our diverse city. The service is very good, but the food is the reason I make it there a few times a month.
This is also a great place for a large group- to celebrate an event. We had dinner there with about 20 gals, had the side room (which is a great room) to ourselves.
They have a full bar, with a nice wine list.
Enjoy
I have been here a few times with friends. Some for dinner and some for lunch and each time has been very nice. Although this type of food is not my most favorite ever (my stomach revolts against anything Mediterranean)... the food is very good. Plus, if you tell them you are sensitive to spicy or certain things the wait staff is happy to recommend things to your liking. The atmosphere of the place is great... very low lighting and a cool looking bar right when you walk in. The place looks small on the outside but it was HUGE to my surprise on the inside. Plus, they have a patio that has this fence with these amazing rose bushes and when they are in bloom it is the most fantastic thing ever.
I would recommend this place to anyone who likes Mediterranean style food with a twist... also a cool spot for Happy Hour.
People thought this was:
My friends took me here on my birthday and all the dishes were delish. The setting is really laid back and intimate. Great for groups. Drinks had a great flavor and smelled great.
People thought this was:
If you are looking for a laid back lounge atmosphere, this is the spot to check out! What a great little gem for down town Pleasanton! The lounge has great ambiance, the appetizers are fantastic and they have a substantial wine list. We happened to hit it on a night when 4 Vine Winery was there doing free wine tasting...and who doesn't like free wine? What a nice little perk that was! We took a peak at the dinner menu and it looked delicious. I will definitely go back soon to try it out!
With the largest Afghani population outside of Kabul centered in the Fremont area, it is easy to get introduced to this Middle Eastern cuisine living in the East Bay. A recently discovered dish called Pumpkin Borani rated high on my as an exotic favorite. I was eager to see how this place excuted this popular dish. I am happy to say that Oasis Grille in Pleasanton does it the best. Another hit was the ground beef kabobs; the highly seasoned meat burst in your mouth with Zest. The chicken breast kabobs were tender and juicy. The restaurant is artfully renovated, quite large with several bar/lounge and dining areas including a patio. Worth a visit for lunch, happy hour, or dinner.
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I have watched this place pickup momentum since it opened.
I am happy for the owners and for P-town residents.
We have too many Italian, Mexican places nearby, we needed something unique and this place succeeds.
Sleepy Suburban Pleasanton needs "different"
What Oasis did with the space was INTELLIGENT. Its not just a place for food, go here for drinks and go here for the LOUNGE area which was great especially if you can make it for HAPPY HOUR. I advise people to not think of this as just a restaurant.
The Food: Again different enough to be able to say "wow" or "omg" The food is similar to Persian food and related to North Indian food. The similarity makes the food interestingly different for me, I suspect most people will like and appreciate the taste of the food. I spoken to many Afghans, and they say this place is serving Americanized Afghan food. I have to agree with this statement and think that this is not such a bad thing given the demographics of the clientele. Pleasantonians are not that exposed to overseas food as they would like you to think. Hence the slightly Americanized Afghan food is acceptable.
The delivery of the food from the kitchen to the table needs to be faster, my kebabs were warm, they needed to be hot. Peeping through the kitchen, it looks chaotic, a couple of Afghans and a few Hispanics helping back there. I don't think we are dealing with any graduate from the Culinary Institute here, its just you usual mom and pop place learning as they progress here. The Lamb Chop with rice tasted ok but came up short on seasoning. You could argue that the simplicity of throwing meat on a grill and presenting it on a plate is "natural" but I like depth of flavors and complex tastes.
All in all, I liked the food, room for improvement that I will demand on my next visit, but its a good start. I can get hummus at Trader Joes for $2, however I'm ok with paying them a premium since they aggregate 5 dipping sauces with warmed pita bread for $xxx dollars. Its their equivalent of bread at the table. I prefer this food to pasta's and burrito's.
Great job of decorating the place and having dim lighting. Good drinks menu, well thought out but a little poorly executed by wait staff. Quick mention regarding the Wine, we had Villa San Juliette from Paso Robles, great wine, really great.
The Service:
Disappointed, slow and immature wait staff. Almost like they hired a bunch of people from Labor Ready. With unemployment at an all time high, you could hire the local Hooters staff or even some MBA's are still not break a sweat. It needs to improve if this business intends to be here 5-10 years into the future. To be fair though, it was Friday Night, so it could have been a one time thing. If service improves on my next visit, I will amend this review. I did visit again and the service on my second trip was awesome. So please take it easy on wait staff.
Tried a few weeks later, the service was above average on 3rd visit. Its going to be hit and miss depending on the day, and which wait staff you come into contact with. The benefit of coming here often is that as they get to know you, service does appear to improve magically.
A separate note regarding the Happy Hour selection and pricing.
This is one of my favorite places to meet for happy hour.
Good selection of food and alcohol at reasonable prices.
Minus 1 star for food not being warm and also for lackluster service on this Friday night (Sept 4th, 2009 7:50PM)
Will revisit within 45 days.
People thought this was:
We walked in and I immediately liked the ambiance. It was dim and candle lit. Their cocktail list is great, so many options to choose from. I opted for a Pom Royale (champagne and pomegranate) Delish!
For our appetizer we shared a potato bolini. It was really large and we took half of it home. It was sooo good! So many appetizers looked amazing I can't wait to try others. I also liked the dipping sauce it came with.
We both ordered the chicken skewers. We should have shared because we both only ate one skewer each and it came with two. While I enjoyed the skewers and the different dipping sauces they were a bit salty for my taste but I don't use salt so it's probably just me. The mashed potatoes were really good though!
I definitely want to go back for the lounge and enjoy the appetizers and cocktails.
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Another great place in Pleasanton. Main Street has certainly a nice selection of great restaurants.
Very nice place with seating inside and out. We opted for a corner table. Very friendly greeter and the servers were just outstanding. Attended to our every need.
Lovely Afghan menu. The breads with the 5 dipping sauces are a must. The borani's are super. I had the strawberry fields salad and the filet kabob. Salad was fresh and tasty, and the kabob was out of this world. Accompanied by brown rice. Great tastes and very interesting spices.
Nice selection of beers and wine. I thought the prices were reasonable given the high quality taste of the food. Definitely on my list to repeat.
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This place is Pleasanton's best kept secret! We landed at the Oasis Saturday night to grab a drink. I had no idea this wine bar/restaurant was there...I thought it was a coffee place. We met the owner and he said they had been there for 5 years! Love, love, love the decor! Love the lounge area too! Definitely going back for dinner to check it out! They are on OpenTable too! Stay tuned for a dinner review....
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goood food would always go back!!!
So I recently discovered this place which I've got to say, I never expected to find in downtown Pleasanton.. If, for some odd reason you find yourself in downtown Ptown, I'd recommend this place if anything.. Happy Hour is 7 days a week from 2PM - 6PM.. You gotta try their Pumpkin Borani, & their warm flatbread with dipping sauces.. Off the hook! Their appetizers are half off, $5 cocktails & house wines & $3 all beers..
The ambiance makes for a romantic evening if you're looking for a place to bring a date, & they've got a lounge area with comfy lounge couches.
If you're the type to experiment with new & different cuisine, fusion Afghan is actually one to try..
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If you want a relaxed an unrushed environment to have some excellent appetizers and a bottle of wine, this place is it!
My girlfriend took me here and we had their flat bread/dip appetizers and we brought our own bottle of wine. (They have a nice wine selection, but the corkage here is only $20 so we brought our own).
The lounge area has a very nice feel to it with couches and coffee tables... Almost reminds you of home. While lounging comfortably and enjoying the wine, the waiter/waitress will periodically stop by to see to any needs you might have.
The food is really good, and the atmosphere itself provides for a very romantic evening. We had a few different appetizers as we went, and all of them were delicious and fresh. I would recommend going on a weekday evening as it is usually a more relaxed.
We plan on coming back again and again, especially on those days where work seems to drag on. This is an excellent place to unwind.
Yummy. Food was excellent. We had the eggplant covered w/ yogurt dish, tri tip, filet mignon, & ground beef kabob. The ground beef kabob was my least favorite of the 3 but still good and spicy. The seasoned rice with carrots and raisins was tasty. The rice was a little soft though. The yogurt garlic dipping sauce for the kabobs was nice. The red pepper spicy sauce was good too. It had some kick to it. They charge $1 extra if you want to try an additional dipping sauce.
I like that they bring complimentary warm flat bread in the beginning.
My red raspberry bellini wasn't quite what I was expecting. I probably will pass on that next time. The champagne glass it came in was kinda small.
We sat out on the patio which was nice. Weather was great. Service was very friendly. Liked this place alot. Will come again. The dinner price range is about $15-$18 for most dishes.
People thought this was:
Excellent happy hour location! I was very happy to find something out of the ordinary on Main St. in Pleasanton. We came here around close to 6pm on a Wednesday night. Happy hour lasts only until 6pm - we did not feel rushed at all to meet the deadline for ordering from the happy hour menu and we were able to do so even after being indecisive for several minutes about our choices.
For drinks, I had the Blonde Mojito, which was flavored with muddled pineapple. It tasted mild and refreshing and was the perfect amount of alcohol to give a good buzz without going overboard on a weekday evening. My bf had a coconut-flavored drink that I don't remember the name of made with Malibu rum.
We had the pumpkin borani, which was decadent and divine. It is composed of generously sliced pumpkin slices covered with a perfectly spiced yogurt sauce. It came out piping hot and melted in my mouth. There should be enough in this appetizer to go around for about 3 people.
We also had the lamb lollipops, which were seared to perfection. Four juicy, tender pieces of meat on the bone cooked medium was perfect for us. However, the $18 price was a bit steep.
Great place, a gem in downtown Pleasanton!
This place is awesome!! The atmosphere is great, the food is tasty, and the service is wonderful.
My family and I meet here for dinner or lunch a lot because it is the half way mark for us. So we have reserved tables at the Oasis for birthdays, mother's day, father's day, and I also had my engagement party here!!!
The staff is very accommodating and does everything they can to get you what you want!
As for food, I recommend the brown rice with chicken kabob. My husband loves their lamb kabob. The green chutney goes great with any dish because it adds a little spice.
The desserts are to die for...last time we had this chocolate cake with oozing chocolate syrup served warm with a scoop of ice cream...my mouth is watering just thinking about it!!!
Great food, nice restaurant, cute location - the Tri-Valley area needs more places like this. EVERYTHING we had - chicken kabobs, filet mignon/beef kabobs (even though I don't eat red meat, everyone else really enjoyed these), eggplant w/ yogurt, and even the flatbread/dipping sauces - tasted delicious.
NEED to come back for the 4 hour-happy hour...hmmmm
We've been coming to this place in Downtown Pleasanton for a while. Initially, I was a bit skeptical about "fusion" Afghan cuisine, but it ended up being one of our favorite places.
You don't necessarily need a reservation, even on the weekends. The place is well filled but not overly so. There's also a nice patio and a room on the side if you have a private party.
The food is reasonably priced (most if not all things under $20), and many moderately priced bottles of wine are available. Lots of smaller plates are great for sharing, and there are a couple of good vegetarian options as well. For vegetarians, I recommend the ashtuk (leek dumpling) substituted with a tomato sauce or eggplant bolani. The warm flatbread to start is soft and a bit chewy, and it's great with the sampler of dipping sauces (hummus, cilantro, garlic yogurt, spicy serrano, and red pepper chutney). We usually also share the bolani, which is like a potato stuffed crisped pancake - crisp on the outside, almost like Chinese scallion pancake, but smooth and savory on the inside with the potato.
I really like the salads with grilled chicken or shrimp. Their meats are always grilled well - moist and flavorful, juicy without being fatty or greasy. You can either have it with the seasoned rice or mashed potatoes, or you can order it over one of their salads like the strawberry mixed greens or classic Mediterranean. Other meats like lamb shank are also usually cooked tenderly without being overdone.
Seasonings are strong, and there are many Mediterranean flavors blended with the Afghan ones. It's nice because you don't smell like the spices when you walk out of there despite the bold flavors of the food.
The service is pretty attentive, and even the runners who just bring the plates our are knowledgeable about the dishes you order, and they usually explain what it is on your plate. Water and wine are also refilled regularly.
The dessert selection isn't huge, but it has some standard choices. The rice pudding is a bit more interesting, but we're usually stuffed by the end of the night.
It's a cute place to visit for a date or with family - spacious yet warm. I like that it's not in the most crowded section of downtown Pleasanton. It remains one of my favorites in Pleasanton.
People thought this was:
Great food (pumpkin borani, eggplant, cucumbers with hummus, cheese plate...), great cocktails, wonderful ambiance, the happy hour pricing was just right. I am looking forward to going back again in the near future.
I've only been here once, but I had a really nice experience.
I went with a group of 7 and we got to sit in a round room off to the side, which was nice. It was noisy, so that made the experience much more enjoyable. I shared a plate of salmon over mashed potatoes with capers and a lemon butter sauce with my girlfriend. It was really nice, not too heavy, and the capers added a nice salty flavor. The portion was good for one person, but I split it because I wasn't that hungry. I do remember that everyone enjoyed their food and drinks. I would defiantly go back.
I did not pay for the dinner, though I had planned on paying. I can't give much of a review on price as a result. I do remember that the dishes weren't outrageous, but weren't dirt cheap either.
I was pleasantly surprised to find something so different in this area. Although they say the food is afghan fusion, I thought it more Mediterranean. Interestingly, on Open Table, where we made our reservation, it is also listed as Mediterranean cuisine.
My friend and I split the appetizer platter. Our favorite item by far was the pumpkin pieces with yogurt dipping sauce. It also came with flatbread and a shrimp and pesto topping as well as a tomato topping. For dinner we split a dish of delicious dumplings filled with meat and onions and covered with a tasty sauce. Athough the dish said it came with steamed vegetables, it was actually just some small pieces of veggies, like the kind you'd get in the supermarket freezer section, sprinkled on top. We also had the minced beef kabobs with the seasoned rice and cilantro sauce. THe flavor on the meat was good, but the rice was nothing special, and tasted a lot like Spanish rice. We finished off the meal with 2 bubbly drinks: champagne with pomegrante juice and champagne with strawberry pieces and mint. Both were decent, and $6 a piece. Overall, the food was pretty good, and a good way to try something a little different, but be confident that it's not going to be a huge mistake. A solid 4 stars.
The service was excellent. They were friendly and very attentive, and they let us girls linger over dinner in order to just talk and catch up. I always appreciate it when places don't rush you out. It wasn't very busy, so maybe it picks up during their happy hour. It was a little dark inside, but that might be nice if you're looking for a date spot. I would love to come back for their happy hour!
People thought this was:
Oasis has just been bumped up to 5 stars in my book. My brother and I took our mom here last night to celebrate her birthday and everything went perfectly.
Thanks to all the hype for it on Yelp, we started off with the Pumpkin Borani. Oh my goodness, this is the best appetizer I've had in a long time. I couldn't believe how delicious it was! They actually used winter squash because pumpkin wasn't in season, and the flavors of the squash, garlic and yogurt sauce were an amazing combination.
For my entree I ordered the Mantoo which are dumplings filled with beef and topped with yogurt sauce, tomato sauce and veggies. This was really good and different from the norm. My mom really liked her chicken dish and my brother enjoyed his top sirloin kebabs but wished they were a bit more tender.
For dessert we shared a lemon cheesecake which was a great way to end our meal.
Our server, Brandon, was perfectly attentive and kind.
The bill, minus my $25 http://restaurant.com gift certificate, and plus tax and tip, came out to $70. Not bad for a nice dinner out for three!
People thought this was:
Please frequent this restaurant! It is often on the empty side but undeservedly so! The food is so… Read more »
My wife and I went here for a Valentine's dinner the day before Valentine's day (we have two kids and this was the only time we could get a sitter). We were running a few minutes late, so I called and they were more than accommodating. We arrived and were promptly seated and greeted by our server.
We ordered the Pumpkin Borani (as suggested by Yelpers and our server) and were more than pleased. It was delicious (and probably the highlight of the meal). I would have never thought pumpkin could be this good. Really, it's that good.
My wife ordered the Combination Kababs and I ordered the Chicken Curry. Both were very tasty, but the filet mignon on my wife's kabab was a little tough (I didn't taste the other one because she ate it all).
All in all a very good dining experience, good service, good food, and a good price. We will definitely be heading back in the future. If you were like us telling yourself, "you know, we should try that place one of these days", do yourself a favor and give it a try.
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This place is the find! The food was outstanding, the service was excellent and the ambiance was great. If you're thinking "will I like Afghan food?" relax. They've nailed the spectrum in a way that will delight the Pashtun foodie and initiate the uninitiated. My mother-in-law thinks that anything beyond fish sticks is exotic and she loved it! I had Kabuli with chicken but everything that came to the table was five star. A sure thing!
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I went here last night for dinner. The food was pretty good, but the service sucked. I ordered a Blue Moon and my wife ordered a glass of wine. The lady forgot the order for about 15minutes and then when she remembered they were out of Blue Moon. Then I ordered a Hef and it seemed really bitter and the timing of the drinks was off. The lady server was really really weird to the point I started feeling akward. Other than that the food was okay, I have had better. The food took a very very long time to get also. I probably won't go here again.
People thought this was:
My sister had been raving about this place for quite some time so she brought me and a friend to try it out for lunch. The place has a cute, semi-romantic feel to it, but it's also good for parties. My sister and friend shared an egg plant appetizer that was served with garlic-yogurt sauce on top. I'm not a fan of eggplant so I did not take part in eating it, but I did try a small bite. I liked the garlic yogurt sauce but I just can't take the bitter taste of eggplant. Try it out if you're a fan though!
I ordered the shrimp curry with rice and it was really good. For some reason I expected the presentation to impress me more than it did, but it was still good. I also tried a bite of one of the wraps (something with beef) which was also yummy. The service was also good - she was glad to give us her recommendations.
We went to Oasis Grille and Bar for dinner and a Friday night around 6:00 p. m. We picked it from the Open Table listings and decided to give it a try based on the other reviews, which were favorable for the most part.
We had not eaten in a Mediterranean restaurant in some time and were very impressed with the food, service and ambiance. The food was very fresh and tasty, the service was polite and attentive and setting was warm and friendly.
As way of saving money and controlling portion size, we always split meals and generally order from the appetizers.
This time we ordered the flat bread with the five sauces (hummus, yogurt, pesto and two sauces: green (hot) and red (mild). We also ordered the baked pumpkin with roasted peppers drizzled with yogurt and sprinkled with paprika from the appetizers. From the entrees we split a rice and chicken dish, which also came with roasted eggplant.
Wow! We talked little during the meal because we really enjoyed the food. The martini was clean, cold and shaken not stirred, of course.
Our waiter had a big sincere smile, as did the service people. All were right there to make sure we had an enjoyable dinner. And we did.
J and B
I came here for appetizers and everything that was ordered was pretty good. I was told that the restaurant expanded and we were seated in the perfect happy hour spot. Near the window was a cozy set-up, 2 love seats facing each other and 2 stools stumps beside it, all surrounding the coffee table. It was nice to have a humorous waiter as he continued to make our evening that much better.
I would like to return here for dinner :)
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Oh my goodness gracious great balls of fire... yay! I love finding a new place that has that awesome atmosphere, yummy food and good service. What a great place to go to for dinner with friends.
My in-laws, hubby and I had dinner here this past Saturday. I love how spacious, yet cozy this place is. The service was great, and the host was super friendly. Almost so friendly it made me laugh a little. They have a decent wine selection, my husband and I shared a half bottle of the Pinot Noir... they also have some fun flight options (3 glasses for ~$15). I'm pretty sure they rotate through their flight menus, so you are sure to have new options whenever you go. They have a impressive list of fruity cocktails... all I can remember are the ingredients of champange and strawberries... yum! The food is delicious. I have the ground sirloin and shrimp kebob dish. You get to choose from one of six sauces. I had the cucumber salata sauce. It was perfect especially for the sirloin. My lovely MIL had had the Pumpkin app the last time she was there and said it was delicious and huge... enough to take home leftovers. We all weren't that hungry, so we skipped it, but I definitely plan on trying it on my next visit.
Besides this being a fun place to go with friends, I plan on making it a destination for a work dinner as well... ;)
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I had high hopes, but they were dashed!
The place looks great and kind of swanky from the outside, but once you get inside you realize that is doesn't conntect with the outer appearance. Nothing bad per say, it just felt kind of unfinished.
For a wine bar we found their selection to be unimpressive as well. I also found it a bit odd that the first thing our waiter did was bring a slection of bottles to our table and tell us these were their "under $20/bottle special wines". It's almost like they expected us to select based on label design and price...okay I admit to having bought wines before just cause the label was cool!
I didn't have any of the apps, which did look good, but my husband and I shared their grill special for two. (highly recommended by our waiter) Not bad, but not good either....just kind of there. I did however like the dipping sauces the meat was served with!
I would consider going back again, but would stil outside and try the some of the Afgani options
People thought this was:
this place is really good, ive only tried a few of their dishes, the grilled salmon is really good, so is their kabob if you havent been there u should try it some time, if your in the area.
People thought this was:
I recently tried this place because of all the good reviews on here and I was not disappointed. Thanks Yelpers! I hadn't been here since it was a coffee house, but I knew it was a really nice building with a charming little patio. They've really updated the interior since I was last here - it's very warm and much more modern. The food was very good and I have to agree with so many of the other reviews - the pumpkin borani was out of this world! It's an "appetizer", but was so huge that my mother and I could barely finish it, even though we hadn't eaten anything else. It's insanely good though. Service was great too. I can't wait to come here when the weather is nicer and sit out on the patio with a glass of wine and pumpkin borani (I'm HOOKED!). I'm also anxious to try some more menu items. If you haven't tried this place yet, you won't be disappointed.
People thought this was:
The place has recently opened up a lounge area. It is nicely decorated and the staff is very nice.
My only issue is that they close at 10pm on Sat nights. I know it is Pleasanton, but please stay open until midnight. Close the restaurant but keep the bar open. I am pretty sure my friends will do our best to make it worth your efforts.
Also, note that there are ZERO Places that stay open "later" in ptown that do not turn into some disaster of a club for the 22 year olds.
:)
I have tried this place twice and both times, I never like the food.
I tried the Pumpkin Borani and it taste like vomit to me. I tried the chicken koobideh and it was ok, I had tried better ones than they have. The restaurant looks nice though but the food is not that great.
People thought this was:
Great place to meet friends and have a great meal. Quiet enough to be able to hear everyone at the table. Beautifully decorated and the staff was very attentive.
People thought this was:
Say yes to nummy pumpkin goodness covered in garlic-y yogurt!
Say yes to garlic mashed potatoes!
Just say yes, and embrace the ambriosia that is pickle-y, purple onion garnish.
In the immortal words of Ice Cube, "Don't stop, get it get it!"
Lamb - Yes
Shrimp - Yes
Fillet Mignon - Yes
Doggie Bag - Yes
People thought this was:
Pumpkin borani appetizer was the BOMB!! The other pumpkin-like-kind I've ever had in my life is pumpkin pie... and i love me some of that too. They don't have that here, but you have to try the pumpkin borani. They top it with some yogurt deliciousness and all you want to do after the first taste is to smear gobs of it on that bread they give you when you sit down. My garlic chicken dinner with mashed potatoes wasn't spectacular....so I wished I ordered another PUMPKIN BORANI as my meal.
yummy pumpkin borani...
The food and atmosphere were top notch 5-stars - the service, not so much. I'm drooling just thinking about the meal I had last night.
A couple of the ladies had been here before and made FABULOUS recommendations for the appetizers. If you like eggplant, you MUST order the eggplant borani (sauteed eggplant topped with a garlic-yogurt sauce and fresh mint $8). It melts in your mouth and the flavors are heaven and just the right amount of sauce is poured on top.... I would have sat there and eaten eggplant borani all night if i had a stomach large enough to do so. We also ordered the "tour of the mediterranean" ($15) which is a dip trio of hummus, spinach-artichoke dip and the most refreshing and delicious cucumber salata (yogurt mixed with cucumbers and mint) that I have ever eaten. The flatbread they give to you is amazing as well. Something as simple as flatbread and it was delicious.
For my entree, I ordered the lamb shank with carrot and raisin basmati pilaf ($16.75). The lamb was so tender and flavorful and not gamey and falling off of the bone..... there was a generous amount of butter in the rice, which is probably why it tasted so darn good. . . . .
Other people enjoyed more eggplant borani, sabzi (amazingly delicious sauteed spinach with herbs, lemon zest and spices) and the koobideh (ground sirloin with garlic and seasonings ... delicious)
and other dishes. EVERYTHING looked and smelled delicious and everything I put in my mouth at that meal tasted heavenly.
I am definitely going back as soon as possible. It was an incredible meal - slightly adventurous, but comforting and familiar at the same time. Definitely fusion in a good way.
Oh and about the service. The lady was a bit snippy to our group of 7 ladies and when the new busboy clearly didn't understand English well, she chose to yell at him in front of us to make him understand what she was saying - how effective...
...because we all know that not understanding the language is the same thing as being deaf ....
If the food and atmosphere hadn't been so darn good, I would have knocked down the rating because of our server. Oh yeah, and not only did she yell at the busboy *BOXES!!!! BOXES!!! NO, DON'T DO THAT. THEY WANT IT TO GOOOOOOOOOO BOOOOXXXESSSSSSS NO!!!!! BOXES!!!!!!!!*, she's so busy yelling at the poor busboy, she accidentally swapped one of my friend's credit cards with another table and instead of a $25 charge, she got charged $95... it's a good thing my friend paid attention otherwise she would've walked off with someone else's credit card and had a larger charge on her own card!!! They straightened it out, but that still sucks.
Next time, lady, draw the poor guy a picture.
People thought this was:
I like this restaurant. It's located in Downtown Pleasanton, and we parked on the opposite end of Main Street and enjoyed a nice stroll to and from the restaurant.
We went early in the evening, and it was very slow, we were the first ones there. But, gradually, it did fill up. The food was amazing. I couldn't pronounce half of the dishes, but the waiter was very patient with me. The kabobs are phenomenal!
It looks like a super fancy place, but don't be dissuaded... we went in jeans and nice shirts.
People thought this was:
Pleasanton, CA
Category: Greek
Pleasanton, CA
Category: Thai
Pleasanton, CA
Category: Italian
Pleasanton, CA
Category: French
Pleasanton, CA
Category: Italian
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