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Categories: American (New), Lounges [Edit]
Neighborhoods: North Oakland, Piedmont Ave
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My friends are the Park Street fans, I have been told they have great Bloody Mary's. I don't drink vodka, and the Mimosa's are good, but how do you screw up a Mimosa?
It is always hit or miss with the service. I find it strange that we often have to sit and wait for service, and our food, when it is a very empty restaurant.
I had the Chorizo scramble with eggs and black beans this trip, which I will say has more flavor than the Huevos Rancheros, which are just kinda bland. Hubby had the corned beef hash, hold the eggs, add a slab of ham?!! He seemed to enjoy it, I still thinking having meat with a side of meat is slightly gross.
My friend had a waffle, and was sad when it came back as a Belgium waffle with some form of pecan butter. He wanted a regular old waffle, with some nice plain butter.
We will come back, if only for the alcohol... I just hope the service becomes more consistent, and by that, I mean better!
OK, I have been to this place twice within the span of the last month.
First visit was on a Sunday evening for dinner after a Saturday of hard boozing wiht my friend. We both ordered the New York Steak sandwich. As I usually do, I ask to substitute mashed potatoes and gravy for french fries. The waiter said are garlic mashed potatoes ok, they're "hella bomb." What I got was a lukewarm lump of starch, with no gravy to boot, of which my server did not inform me up front. It was nasty.
Prior to this my friend ordered a diet coke, and the first words out of his mouth were "This tastes like dishsoap." I took a sip, and it did have this dishawater-like taste to it, in addition to being completely flat, no fizz whatsoever. Worst fountain soda I've ever tasted, no lie. He told the server and the guy said "well i can get you another one but it's gonna taste exactly the same." Way to solve the problem, bro.
The steak sandwich was just one mesely slice of beef smuched in between a grocery store bought bun and nasty cheese. I boxed half of it and left it at my buddy's house.
Second time went for pick up thinking it might be better. The calamari was str8 NASTY! Rubbery, and again lukewarm. The "aioli" I paid 50 extra sense for wasn't even that, it was just some mushy red isht, like Prego sauce mixed with Pace Picante. Disgusting.
The cheeseburger I ordered medium. It was pretty much completely pink on the inside, and I even was picking pieces of raw ground beef out of my teeth. Hopefully there is no "Cow flu" going around cuz if there is Park Ave probably gave it to me. The bun was dense and rubbery, like the texture of day old chewing gum. Fries were cold and hard plus they gave us no ketsup in the to go bag. Only thing they got right was the pickle spear on the side, probably out of a jar lol.
Forget what my buddy ordered the second time around, but he said "Why do I keep going there, it's nasty?" I you value your taste buds, stomach or general sense of well being, do not eat at Park Ave. You're better off slamming an entire package of Oscar Meyer hot dogs, 40 oz of Mickeys and calling it a night.
Bloody Mary was bomb.
I enjoyed my Nicoise salad.
Here's what happened that evening:
I HAPPEN to be sitting at a bar by myself, yes, because I wanted a salad and my escort was occupied. Since my Hajib was at the dry cleaners I guess that's what inspired this middle-aged drunk white business class MOTHERFUCKER (who is a regular by the way) to hit on me (oh yea I'm 23 but look hella younger). His girlfriend dumped him that day AWWEEE.
So I shot him down in a Hoity Toity voice with an attitude like I was his Momma-and-gunna-smack-his-ass-over-my-knee (I've been practicing this since I was fourteen). He goes back to his corner with his friends, and I continue sitting in the bar by myself, feeling their eyes glaze over me every now and then while chuckling to themselves... and I'm feeling significantly less comfortable but mostly PISSED.
So when I leave I make sure to yell nice and loud so everyone who saw him attempt to prey on me can hear: "GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BREAKUP".
At some point the bartender did apologize on his behalf and let's me know he bothers people sometimes. He should have told him to act right because now I know that Park Ave allows its REGULARS to act like this, so this must happen all the time!
Maybe I'll find somewhere else or maybe I should just stop going out without the fuckin Hajib/escort/pocket knife/unregistered gun.
Aparently, the cockroach on Ms. Julie B's plate isn't the only one they need to get ride of.
I was drawn to this place by the good live music blaring from the streets.
(After sitting in a few cafe's all day, this seemed like it could up the beat of the day!)
Plopped myself at a table outside enjoying the autumn night weather and the good music.
Ordered myself the Grilled Corned Beef Ruben Sandwich with home-made fries. The sandwich was oozing with melted cheese, grilled onions, and succulent corned beef. Good stuff! The fries on the other hand...didn't taste as fresh. Not very crunchy to my taste and a lil lukewarm imo. Cost $10ish.
Ordered my usual hefweinzen (which isn't nearly as good as Jupiter's..). Cost $5.
Followed by a Sierra Pale Ale and Amber Boot. The waiters here certainly do encourage drinking...
Anywho. Very friendly service! But...a bit slow. And it wasn't even that busy. I wasn't checked on very often (but when I was, they were very friendly!). Maybe this is because they thought I wanted to enjoy my meal/drinks in peace? I dunno. Nonetheless, I had to waive down someone several times to take my order and to get the paycheck.
All in all, pretty chills. But, Jupiter remains my #1 kick-back place of this type.
Why do I keep going here? I mean... I know the answer, its right down the street from my apartment.
The service is just very very poor. My last dinner there was not very good, and took way too long to get to my table from the kitchen.
The staff here is good at one thing and one thing only, hiding, and avoiding their customers that aren't sitting at the bar. My advice, its one thing to be visibly annoyed that someone has decided to patronize your restaurant, that doesn't bother me. We all have hard days, or hate our jobs, or whatever. The best way to get them in and out though is to be relatively efficient. Take their order, fill up their drinks (although I would suggest some soda machine maintenance), and get them out the door.
I would have been very happy to get out the door a few minutes earlier.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 4 or 5 times, and maybe I'll consider not coming back (stop being in such a convenient location darn it).
Still 3 stars but after another visit, service is threatening to bump it to a 2. Its kind of… Read more »
Great Bar - Food, meh?
We come here once every few months to see a movie or we're lazy and want quick food. The food really is lousy for the price - reminds me of Denny's quality. These guys need to meet with a restaurant expert and figure out how to get some good cooks in this place - I've been to dives with better tasting food. If what they served on their menu tasted good - this place would be packed because of its great location and menu choices or maybe they could buy better quality produce and meats by trimming down the menu? Someday I'd also like them to redecorate. They have started by showcasing local art on their walls - good show! Park Avenue still sort of looks like the formerly sucky Rolling Hills place that came before it - hmmm, maybe they hired their old kitchen staff, that would explain the bad food!
Where this venue shines is at its bar. The bar is well stocked and I am thinking that this place was purchased by bartenders, because all of their barstaff has the snappy banter and knows the lore of liquor like the backs of their hands. Pick your favorite not so easy to make drink and taste the pleasure of that cocktail being made perfectly. If this place were just a bar, it would get 5 stars from me.
Long story short, we now only come here for cocktails, because there are way too many better for the same money restaurants around this area. I hope they keep trying, because I want there to always be a great bar at this location.
When Park Avenue opened up we stopped in at the bar - we were impressed! Friendly people and the food looked wonderful. So we came back a couple days later - they have an outside area so we could bring our dog!! - what a great find - good food and we can incorporate it with a dog walk!! As the months passed we returned with friends and for a quick weeknight meal - always had a wonderful experience.
About a year into it - the food started being a little funky - over cooked - flavorless - but we stuck with a burger or a salad, who could mess those up?
Six months later - we stop and order a hummus appetizer plate - I didn't know that a dead roach was to be used as a garnish!! The wait staff swept the plate away without comment - like this was a common thing??? Our new motto - never eat at this place again - but the bar still makes a decent drink and there is draft beer.
So - after a movie at the Piedmont Theater - we stop in at the bar with our movie ticket coupons. The beer was old and the Irish coffee??!! I suspect the "coffee" was used to wash dishes before being served!!
To the owner(s) - fire your cook immediately - clean up your kitchen make it spotless! Start simple and revamp your menu. There are no other restaurants on the avenue that allow dogs - and in this dog obsessed neighborhood you could pack that patio every day! You have an extraordinary opportunity to do well and you have messed it up! Shame on you - clean it up or sell this place to someone who knows how to run a decent restaurant.
This is the kind of place you would like to have in your neighborhood.
A nice outside patio, good food, placid ambiance... trees in the patio... insects begging for crumbs... colorful panhandlers begging change...
The drinks are reasonably priced and the panhandlers are friendly so drink a lot... and the following will happen: An alcohol induced "peak experience" will occur when panhandlers (without social status) are given gratuities by magnanimous intoxicated euphoric persons ("integration of differences"). Such persons have transcended viewing panhandlers as annoyances and disreputable people. Instead they have become humanized and integrated with the euphorically intoxicated person. So panhandlers are given the gift of spare change. All this can happen at the Park Ave Bar & Grill-- so go hard & often and stay long.
Dear Park Avenue,
Thanks for letting us take over your patio last night. We had to say "goodbye" to a co-worker and you were so gracious.
My Review: We called the week before to tell them that we had about 20 people arriving around 5pm on a Friday and they said "sounds fun, come on over". When we arrived the following week, they helped us rearrange the tables and chairs out front and the servers were helpful with our drink and food orders. They have a pretty good Happy Hour menu but it wasn't Mon, Tues, Wed, or Thurs so we didn't get to take advantage of that. However, their fries, calamari, and nachos are tasty. Their specialty drinks are also refreshing. One of us tried the Cilantro Buzz and really enjoyed it.
Food is subjective, that's why those asshole judges on 'chopped' think everything is "inedible" and that putting a piece of meat back in the oven could feasibly be called "a crime of nature". Watch the show 'Check Please' and you RARELY have three people that can agree on whether a restaurant is total crap or culinary triumph. Even day to day the same restaurtant can differ widely based on the mood of patrons and servers, the weather, what time it is, which way the wind is blowing, etc.
But the planets must have been perfectly aligned on sat cuz my lunch at the Park Avenue was scrumdidlyumptious, service was amazing, prices were reasonable, and my steak sandwhich had a piece of steak on it that was SO thick, SO tender, and SO perfectly cooked that I would have easily paid twice as much for it.
D's rueben was also huge and the corned beef was flavorful and thick cut, not stringy. It had obviously been cooked seperately on the grill and had a nice sear on it too. My only gripe would be that it could have used a bit more kraut on it but I'm from Wisconsin and generally can't get enough of that stuff, so for some, it probably would have been the perfect amount.
Service was excellent, attentive without being pushy and the dude even asked us if we were on our way to a movie and needed to be out in a hurry. Although we didn't get into the booze, they had some really tasty sounding infused vodkas that I would totally give a try next time.
I will for sure be back. I even ate the rest of the steak later that night, cold, and it was still bomb.
It was very quiet here the night we had dinner. I was a Saturday night to be exact.
We just happened on this place. We saw the outdoor seating and found a parking spot up the street and moseyed on over there.
We sat inside where it was quieter than outside. I will keep in mind though the next time we want to take the wiener dog out we may come here.
I had the special of Linguine and Prawns with Tomato Basil. I expected more Italian tasting but I cant quite put my finger on the flavors in this dish. It was almost like Hispanic and Smokey BBQ flavor. Not a hint of Italian. It was good though, just not what I had expected. Very unique I would say.
My husband had a Cheese Burger that was very good. The bread the cheese the condiments were absolutely perfect.
The drinks were excellent. The best two drinks are the Citrus Mango Infusion Cocktail and the Pear and Star Anise Cocktail. The Pear Cocktail didn't even taste like it had booze in it.
They also have a Side Car Cocktail. The first sip was yucky but then after that the booze seemed to mix well and it tasted just fine. Overall high marks for my Side Car rating.
We enjoyed it here very much and will definitely be coming back.
This is what I do at the Park Avenue Bar and Grill: Sit at the bar and chat up whoever is around, meet a friend, order one of their specialty cocktails and a T-bone steak. Split the plate with the my paramour with a glass of Malbec. Have a wonderful time. The first time I was there, I asked the bartender what to order...he suggested the T-bone...he was right - you can't go wrong, especially if you let the chef decide how to cook the steak. This is a great neighborhood place, great steaks and drinks served in a casual "come as you are" vibe.
Drinks only. Reasonable, strong, clean. Walking distance to my place. Perfect. Movie theater across the way. What more can you ask for? Oh yeah, live six piece jazz on Thursdays and no cover! I heart Oakland.
Steak Sandwich
How I love you when the juices of the steak soak the soft sponge of the bread but doesn't penetrate the firm crust. When the steak is medium rare, the onions are grilled and do not over-power. Personally, I take mayonnaise, sometimes chipotle or the like.
And here, the steak sandwich was nearly perfect.
Linda got a lovely salad with bacon and egg that smelled like a million bucks. The menu looked good all-around, and it took me just about five minutes to choose from the selection, which is odd as I'm the kind of guy who usually has his mind quick.
The cheesecake was only OK, but the Black Betty was delicious!
I really enjoyed the brunch on Sunday morning too. I really shoul dmake it back there more often!
I really love to give it up for great spots, Park Avenue works for me, great food with a diverse menu, however it makes Sports Bar Heaven because the layout is nice, super spot to watch games, plus while playoffs are going on, you can get great space, big screens and a very attentive, helpful and cool staff that knows you love your sports, i.e. they gave me some volume to watch the playoffs since I always head to the back screen to watch games
This is a regular spot for me, easy, simple and yet great food. Menu is just great for everything! Location is cool because movie theater right next door allows you to checkout a cool indie film.
Great service as well....
If could give this place negative stars, I would. MY HUSBAND FOUND A PUBIC HAIR IN HIS RUBEN. This is not a joke. We thought about bringing it in to show the management, but we'd rather just let you all know. I advise strongly not to eat here.
Worst Brunch I have ever had:
Dishes: Corned Beef Hash w/ Poached Eggs; Eggs Florentine.
There's a reason there wasn't a wait.
They get 1 star for no wait, and another for a decent mimosa, but they lose all their stars for the TERRIBLE food and the less-than-mediocre service.
The poached eggs on both dishes were WAY overcooked. We can't tell if they didn't know what poached eggs were or if they accidently overcooked all of them, but either way, it was bad; the hash was essentially two hard-boiled eggs atop undercooked, overly oiled (not nearly roasted) potatoes and improperly cut, undercooked, tasteless corned beef.
It was also WAY overpriced.
As a fan of the burger/sandwhich/soup/salad fresh pub food option for dinner (especially before a movie), and as someone thoroughly sick of Barney's, I found myself satisfied with Park Ave Bar and Grill. The food was just about as good as Barney's but with a little more variety (at the expense of having an expanse of burger options) and at a slightly better price (unless you count the pasta, which at $15 a plate will never entice me). Drink specials seemed creative, and again I appreciated the variety as compared to a restaurant like Barney's.
I ordered a salmon burger ($9.95) which was HUGE and came with a ceasar salad. The bun was dotted with rosemary, just slightly buttered so as to be crisp around the perimiter, chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. Details like good bread impress me. The ginger relish was less of a show-stopper than the menu would have me believe - that was easily remedied by some ketchup and, ahem, Grey Poupon.
For a bar, the atmosphere was quiet and clean. The layout was open and simple, slightly sophisticated but nothing like a Coco500 in the city or anything fancy like that. If you're only looking for a drink or 4, this might be a nice place to have a night cap, but wouldn't make much of a fun evening destination.
Uncomplicated, but better than I'd expected. Businesses in this particular location seem to have a hard time making it, but I hope this one does.
Have been here a couple of times and have had very similar experiences both times. Food is ok, appetizers are prob the best bet, nice and simple choices that can be good. Wings, average...Waiter service..very poor...the waitress forgot my girlfriends salad and instead gave her fries..when she came back to the table we pointed that out to her and she was like, "I know, i'm sorry, I'll get the salad for you."...When she walked away we both were like WTF, she knows but didn't think about saying or doing anything about prior to us bringing it up..Also, she gave every customer around us water, and when she walked around with water pitcher filling glasses, she glanced at our table, not sure if she noticed we didn't have glasses, but it looked as though she had a major brain fart...or her brain was working in overload....neways, if I go to a movie across the street I may stop by for a drink, but would not make this a destination spot if you want a good meal with good service.
It has taken me so long to review Park Ave. because we are here most of the time. This is our neighborhood spot, we come here for drinks and a snack while we do laundry, we come on a Saturday for lunch, we are there for drinks on a Sunday. Basically you can always find us at the bar eating and or drinking. Chris is AWESOME! He is a really cool guy and a great owner. When he is there everything is on point. The burger is not to be missed.
The man and I love hanging out and listening in on the goings on of the bar. Believe me there are some funny people that come in here. We like it, it's like home.
Park Avenue Bar & Grill on Piedmont Ave sure saved the day for us on Saturday. I was with a friend and her two sons, we were starving and headed to Barney's (an appropriate option for this crew). I was reluctant to go back to Barney's again as my past two visits there led me to leave scathing reviews about them. The line and wait at Barney's was similar to the horrific experience of which I am still trying to forget. No way, we're heading next door to Park Ave on Piedmont Ave.
I was very pleased upon entry to find that there was no wait and several available tables for us to help ourselves to. The service was good, though a little awkward. I only say this because all the servers tend to all the tables. So, though it wasn't clear who our actual waitress was, though I don't think it really mattered.
I was very pleased as the menu had a great selection of brunch and lunch options. The kids menu was a nice addition as well. There's a full bar here with a nice assortment of draft beer. Of course the up sell of my $9 Bloody Mary contributing to a $24 tab for half the veggie burger I actually ate was brilliant!! Normally I might say the prices are reasonable, but this visit proved otherwise.
I really like Park Ave Bar & Grill on Piedmont Ave. I need to keep this place in mind more often when we're looking for a good selection of basic fare and drinks nearby.
The whole point of me going to the Park Ave Bar & Grill was the fabulous thick sliced mushrooms on the fantastic veggie burger, and the artichoke with the tasty sauce. Twice I returned for this, to no avail, but I refused to give up, after all, I had raved about it so somehow it had to return to it's glory in my eyes.
Not to be. The first time, the waitress was quite rude and there was no veggie burger available, nor was the artichoke available, pretty discouraging, but I went for a breakfast menu as they allowed breakfast late on Sundays. I thought the service was just off that day so decided to just try again, with hopes of the veggie burger.
Weeks later, service not so great, but not as rude as the previous time, and they indeed did have "a" veggie burger available. They didn't mention that they completely retooled it, making it themselves or were using a new method. This is actually a very soft, veggie "pattie" made of just that, veggies that looked pretty fresh, mushed together. It felt like eating a casserole portion that was sandwiched between buns. Not cool.
The veggie burger was perfect!! Bread was big and fluffy, the mushrooms were thick cut and cooked… Read more »
1 star for no wait. 1 star for full bar and menu with variety of choices. where they lose are:
-OVERPRICED
-my wings tasted just like the frozen kind you get and reheat in the microwave
-grilled cheese tasted like they toasted the bread in the toaster and slapped on some american cheese
we're better off going to kato's or fenton's
Original review: 3 Star. Update: 2 Star.
Service is more often off than on, but we always walked into this place saying "food is always reliable". *sigh* The kitchen must be horribly under staffed and unskilled. 3 out of 5 times, the wait staff mess up our orders. Our orders were messed up again, and as usual, they were very kind and nice about fixing the order. If the food was decent, we would have been fine. but . . . The beef chili was all salt and not much of other flavor. Costing $24, the rib eye steak with brandy peppercorn mushroom sauce was all cream and flavorless. Where is the salt? The french onion soup tasted like the chef put sugar instead of salt by mistake. Yuck. We can still say that we can rely on this place not to have a long wait, but with food and service being the way they are, we will need to be pretty desperate to come here again.
Original review October 2008:
Food is always reliable. Never spectacular but never horrendous either. It is our neighborhood standard. The kitchen can be slow during brunch time. We have waited close to 40 min. for a couple of burgers and salad. It is not uncommon for them to mess up orders, but the service is always friendly. They will fix the order for you quickly, so I don't mind it too much. I am very curious about the Thai Chili Bloody Mary. I've been saying I am going to try it for the past couple of years now? I will next time.
Overpriced.
Last night we wanted a light late dinner after an event at the City Club. We got two onion soups, two salads (one of which was a side salad) and one cocktail. The bill with tip was $49. Fifty bucks for soup and salad (and an average cocktail)?!? 20 hours later I still feel vaguely ripped off, particularly since the soup was too sweet (ick), the beets in the salad were bland and rubbery (my boyfriend is convinced they came from a can), and the salad dressing was, in a word, uninspired.
I've been there once and can't see going back. Honestly, I'd rather go to Nation's-- where I know I'm going to enjoy my food and spend under $20.
Went here because Geta was closed. The place is really dimly lit. The food is a little pricey, but there is some good stuff. I had the spaghetti and meatballs, that wasn't that good. But the chicken picatta was not too bad. They have tv's around and a bar. Bar apparently has some infused vodkas, but we did not try any of them. There is only 1 washroom per gender so you can take a seat while you wait. Other food didn't look that great either.
Anyway, price was not too bad, but could have been a bit better.
How cool is this: Not only did my bartender at Park Ave read my review -- he responded. He remembered my group visiting over a month ago, and recommended their live Jazz every 2nd and 4th Thursday. Here is what he had to say about the price of my drinks that night:
"I was bar tending that night, and as I recall, you and your friends had the 'Awesome Cosmo' made with Hanger One [top shelf] citrus vodka... Our regular Cosmo costs $7.50 to $7.75."
Here is my original review, with an added star for following-up with me.
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Not a bad place. It was like an oasis in the desert when we walked out of the theater.
Here is what it sounded like:
"Where or where shall we drink our post Sex and the City cosmos? Oh, my, look over there... is that? It can't be. Yes, yes, ladies... there it is -- a bar! Within walking distance in these heels. Let's do it."
The bartender was cool, but he was short staffed and couldn't give us the service I would have preferred. He was still good though. I admit the price was a wee bit high. Each Cosmo was $10.75, and even with my dollar off I was spending 10 bucks on a single drink. Typically, I would pay $7 for the same thing. (see above about prices)
Other than that -- it was cool. Bought food, and we even got a veggie item for my non-meat-eating movie partner.
Good place to walk out of the theater and discover. They also have a movie ratings board. You can rate your films on their chalk board for a dollar off. I dig that.
There's a sign in the window for "Notice of Application for Change of Ownership" with the new owner being the more geographically accurate Piedmont Avenue Bar & Grill, Inc. Looks like a Name change coming up?
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I got the Reuben and my friend got the Turkey Burger and we both were happy with our choices.
He thought the turkey had a nice blend of spices and wasn't as bland as he was expecting (he popped his T-burger cherry here today) and I thought the Reuben, although not bursting with corned beef, had a great "thousand island" sauce which was a deep orange color and had a slight kick to it. It was unlike any Reuben sauce I've had before.
The "balsamic" vinaigrette for our side salads was sorely lacking in balsamic vinegar, but tasty nonetheless. I think the waiter must have mis-spoke. He said it several times while taking our orders. Who's going to go back and let him know there's no balsamic in the vinaigrette?
3.5 stars. I'm rounding down today.
I want to give it more stars but I did not fully partake of what could be a great place so I'm giving it three for now with the intention of going back and giving it more.
We only went for beers and burgers after tennis, so we weren't quite prepared for the other tasty things it appears to be possible to have. However, my burger was great, they have a lot on tap and the service was great so...no complaints.
I plan to try the infused vodkas in various drinks...well, I'll make the b-f have them and keep having beers myself, actually. But, nonetheless, I wish to experience more.
So, three stars, with potential.
Chris is a nice guy and a grand "mixologist". I had a mai tai that sent me out the door needing app. 0 more for the night!
Yummy hummus and baked pita chips, and a lovely salad. Will go in for more very soon!
I hear they have live jazz on Thursdays.... maybe then!
Local feel, creative cuisine, and friendly people. After being disappointed with Little Shin Shin in the same area, I was yearning for something simple and tasty, no fluff, and Park Av definitely met my requirement. My turkey burger with pesto was honestly the best I've ever had, and gives me reason to come back, have a drink , and try something else!
I love the ambiance in this bar. So open and warm. The bartenders are great; very attentive and the drinks are strong. Their specialty mixed drinks are refreshing and new. There food is always good. The hummus is some of the best Ive had anywhere.
We try to go in at least once every couple of weeks.
I ordered a double espresso. I got a double espresso.
Now, I understand that the depth and flavor is best enjoyed straight-up, but of the few things I like sweet, I like my double espresso's to be a tad sweet... with brown sugar. There was no brown sugar on the table. I asked our waiter for brown sugar. I waited and waited and finally brown sugar... and Equal and Sweet N Low and white sugar packets. Is he fucking with me? Ask for something, get a whole lot of other stuff, too.
He walked away, neglecting to notice that I DIDN'T HAVE A SPOON! What, am I supposed to stir this with my tongue? I waved him down and asked for a spoon. He returned with a serving spoon.
ARGH!!
I had the soup and salad combination. The salad was exactly how I like it: green leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, beets and blue cheese. I dabbed my forkful of salad into the side o' dressing- hmm, keep it on the side. The soup tasted canned- really salty and the noodles were too soggy. Our waiter asked if I wanted some crackers to go with my soup. I told him that that would be nice. He never returned. The plate itself was beautifully presented, it's just too bad about the soup.
The restaurant itself is nice. I love the height of the ceiling and the flowers on the tables - except ours, we got a cactus.
Overpriced. Beware the seared "ahi." Mediocre service and terrible food. We were really looking to forward to checking out this restaurant, it being right near the Piedmont theatre-- what a disappointment! Might as well have gone to Fenton's for a better price and the same service!
Last year, a date and I came here for lunch. The waiter kept looking at her boobs while he flirted shamelessly with her. She did have some big ones!
The food wasn't memorable. The bewbies were!
edit: I'll definitely go back again...maybe sans date.
We had an enjoyable time at Park Avenue last night. We didn't have to wait to sit down which was great but it was pretty busy. The ambiance was nice though we sat pretty close to the guys next to us which I don't really like. He was chewing really loud with his mouth open--do I sound crazy?
The waiter was prompt and gave good suggestions. I had a peach cosmo to start but it took a very long time to arrive. It's OK though because the waiter was really nice. I didn't care for the cold, sesame seed bread in the basket but the french onion soup was tasty. My boyfriend had pork medallions and I had veggie pasta. Both were very good but not great. For dessert-apple betty that was quite tasty. All in all everything was fairly decent and I would definitely go back. 3 stars for now and possible more after our next visit....
What a burger, what a burger, what a mighty good burger! In my previous life -- before I decided to try to eat healthier -- I was a bit of a burger connoisseur. That said, the thought of eating a burger at just any old place is repugnant to me. Yet, when I stopped in the Park Ave Grill and this adorable man (have no idea of his role) suggested we try the burger, I capitulated...calories be damned. The meat was well seasoned, and the chipotle aioli was a nice touch. I thought the service as excellent...attentive waiters who were patient and comfortable making recommendations, re: wine v. beer, etc.
Overall, a very nice experience...definitely worth a return trip sometime...if nothing else, to see the "adorable man", again...smile
My glass of beer had dirt in it (stuck to the glass, not from the trees outside) and the food made me sick [not food poisoning, likely the combination of food ingested], but otherwise it wasn't too bad! The atmosphere inside & out is warm & relaxed, they've a nice beer & wine selection (full bar) and a killer hummus appetizer.
Otherwise the food is a fairly mediocre attempt at fine dining; everything is 'okay' but no great shakes and you figure you could've done better with your money on Piedmont.
After reading some reviews of places near my spot right before the family dinner I randomly chose Pizzaoli. You know how you always swear by others reviews one day, then the next youre thinking "what do these people know???". Well to me it was that 'next day' and I was certain that I didnt need a reservation. Wrong!! They were extremely rude in the way they told us even after we noticed the place was half dead...still a 30 minute wait. On a Wednesday? Whatever.
So off to Dopo, or not. The younger brother was driving us in his new Dodge Charger and couldnt let off the gas long enough for us to see what was where. Finally irritated I told him just park!! As we walk to Piedmont we turn the corner and here is Park Ave Bar and Grill, hmmm...Bars always win for me!!
It looked closed, kinda dead, or was it the people in there? I almost turned around but everyone was feelin it so whatever. The decor, lets say it looks like an old peoples home...wood panneling and...its not even worth describing. The menu is somewhat eclectic, dont know if thats good or bad...but kinda not too cheap I can tell you that!! The drinks were good! We got a free round which might make me go back in the future. As for the food, it wasnt that great but better than expected.
If you need to get away from it all, maybe had a death in the family, are feeling depressed or totally hung over visit this place...it'll make you feel better! Even if youre planning a death in the family...pretty low key...
I recently went here for brunch....it was yummy goodness! There's indoor and outdoor seating. We sat inside to avoid a kid who was having a meltdown. We didn't sample the bloody mary's, but I FINALLY found a place that serves booze in the am,and serves brunch everyday UNTIL 5PM!!!! Wooo-Hoooo!!!!
They also have a special number for calling in to go orders.....510-985-0990.
Now the nitty gritty - the bacon...it was nicely done, had a little wiggle in it, but wasn't raw and it wasn't charcoal. The waffle was done PERFECTLY, nice and golden. The latte was served in a fun glass, and the attentive servers offered to top it off with coffee when it got low. The polenta was creamy, yummy goodness. I had a side of eggs which were a little greasy, but that was the only low point of the food.
I know I'll be back, it's just a matter of when....
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: French
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Ethiopian
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