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Categories: Steakhouses, American (Traditional) [Edit]
716 Laurel Street
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My mother treated me to dinner for my 25th birthday at Town. The restaurant printed special keepsake menus with "Happy 25th Birthday, Jackie" at the top - it was a nice touch. We were seated outside and the extra strong heaters kept me super toasty all night long. It felt like I was enveloped in a sea of warmth and reminded me of tropical dining experiences from the summer :)
The atmosphere was above casual, the service was weaker than expected (considering the prices), but the food was absolutely delish!
Bread: No free bread! Is it just me that has this pet peeve? I like a little free starter before my dinner.
Appetizers: Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls & BBQ Chicken Spring Rolls: Pass on these. Not missing anything.
Entrees:
- Seared Hokkaido Scallops: Delish! Dish came with 5 scallops instead of usual 4 most restaurants give.
- Spit-Fire Roasted Fulton Valley Chicken: Tasty, but I wouldn't order it on a date as a whole half chicken comes out. It doesn't really set the mood when you're cutting joints (unless you're into that kind of stuff).
- Chicken & Ribs Combo: HUGE platter enough for three people. It must have been good because my brother ate every single thing off the plate, including the fries!
- Asparagus Risotto: Plain. Pass.
Dessert: Their bread pudding doesn't get any better! I was in food coma HEAVEENNN. Pudding texture on bottom with crusted bread pieces on top and covered in a delicious crème anglaise sauce.
I'm definitely ready to go back to try their Mac N Cheese and finish the meal off with some more bread pudding!
WOW
It's really those little things they do that make you appreciate the whole dining experience. I came here with a friend of mine and posted on the top of the menu it says "Happy Birthday Jason." I am tough to impress but they did eactly that, impressed me. I think the service made the food taste 10x better. The food is very similar to that of Houston's but it has a more elaborate wine list, wider selection of food(some japaenese rolls), A great list of martinis. Didn't drink because I just did a little too much of that during the week, but it looked great.
We started out with the shrimp cocktails. It was fantastic.
Then we I had the petrale sole and my friend had the salmon with jasmine rice, and chili and garlic string beans. I'm not sure what they did with the rice but it was phenominal. I'm thinking some kind of broth with some garlic infused oil. Wow!!! The smashed potatos were also very flavorful. The sole was a little dry but the accompaniments were actually the star of the dishes. Brocollini was great. Always like a restaurant that serves brocollinis. Loved it!!!
To end the night.........we probably had the best bread pudding I have ever had. It came out on a warm plate and it was still piping hot with that nice layer of crust on top. You can still see the smoke as you scoop it with the spoon. I loved every thing about this restaurant and I do highly recommend it.
Great Job Town!!! You made my birthday.
I've been venturing out of SF more often to try new restaurants. This time my adventures led me to Town. B always raved about how good this place was and wanted me to try it out. Luckily, he made reservations because it was packed on a Wednesday night!
I ordered a pomegranate martini, but ended up with a passionfruit martini( http://static.px.yelp.... ). It was pretty loud in the restaurant, so maybe the waitress heard me wrong. It was good, so I drank it anyway.
We started out with the buttermilk onion rings( http://static.px.yelp.... ). I ordered the woodfire grilled pork tenderloin( http://static.px.yelp.... ) and B ordered the chicken & ribs combo( http://static.px.yelp.... ). The chicken & ribs came with 2 sides, so B got the french fries( http://static.px.yelp.... ) and Down Town' Mac & Cheese( http://static.px.yelp.... ).
The food was excellent! The onion rings were piled high and were super crispy. These were perfect with ranch sauce. My pork tenderloin was nice and moist and full of flavor. The chipotle mashed potatoes had a nice spicy kick to it. The french fries were excellent! I could've eaten a whole plate of those on my own. And the mac & cheese....OMG....sooooooo good. It was cheesy with a nice crispy top.
Unfortunately, we were way too stuffed to try dessert. They had a huckleberry creme brulee on the menu and I didn't have any room left! I'll definitely be back to try that and the warm chocolate cake!
This restaurant is pretty good. I was introduced to Town when a friend invited me down for lunch. It's a neat trick how you go from the outside small-town feel of San Carlos, and once you step inside, you're transported to the kind of fancy restaurant you'd find in a big city with a full-sized bar serving steaks and chops.
Maybe that's what it is that puts me in a burger mood every time I'm here. It just seems like the right thing to order here. And at $10.75, my wallet, my wallet agrees. I don't really have to go that far in describing it to you, it's simply a good burger--no frills, better than a chain burger but not mindblowing, either.
Whether you've got a little reason to celebrate, want to impress somebody or simply have some time to kill for a longer lunch, Town is definitely a place I would recommend.
Town is now the best restaurant in San Carlos. As such, it's pretty crowded most of the time, so for same-day reservations you're normally looking at either 5pm or 8:30 or later.
Dinner-wise I recommend the surf and turf, prime rib, or their big steak. Pretty much all the steaks are good and better than anything you'll get within a 15 minute drive.
I have seen a few reviews complaining about the margaritas. Order the Los Altos Margarita. The correct ingredients in a margarita are:
100% Blue Agave Tequila (any brand is normally ok but I prefer Patron Silver)
Simple Syrup or Agave Nectar (either)
Lime Juice
Cointreau or Gran Marnier (both are optional)
That is it. So a plain margarita is just simple syrup, lime, and tequila. This is what you want, and the Los Altos is it.
Appetizers are all good, I like to get either the California Roll or Calamari with Fennel (deep fried fennel slices for the win).
To to sum it up, this is the best overall general purpose restaurant in San Carlos. Really the main negative is that it's very loud, but I really don't mind especially after 3-4 Los Altos Margaritas.
Wow... What a difference a year makes. Town is still crowded so forget about walking in and trying… Read more »
I went on Open Table to reserve a table for my friends birthday and in "special note" I typed, "It's Sara's Birthday". To our surprise they printed out special menus that said "Happy Birthday Sara" on top. That's sooo AWESOME! We had an amazing time, it's apparently a favorite for all because it's always packed. For dinner I ordered the Skirt Steak, it was to die for! I'm craving it right now. I don't recall what my friend ordered but I do remembering her loving the plate. Can't wait to return!
I haven't been here in awhile but my old roommate and I used to go here all the time. It was our… Read more »
I took a friend here for her birthday because I enjoyed it in the past but the noise level was so bad it was hard to hear each other. Food was okay but not as good as my previous visit.They did surprise my friend with a lovely bread pudding dessert but not sure if I want to spend so much money when you can't have a decent conversation. An option to that is that they do have seating and heaters outside. If I went back again that would be my preference. Great for groups.
I came here today for my farewell lunch. After 9 years I don't get a gold watch or a Bic pen, but I get free food... even better. I checked the Yelp reviews and trusted Dan V said to get the kurobuta pork chops or the risotto with scallops. Neither was on the lunch menu, just risotto with asparagus... it wasn't a vegetarian day for me. I was lost. Now what?
I decided on the "Power lunch" which is a choice of two items in two categories. But the waitress said the skirt steak was good so I changed my mind at the last instant. Thankfully. The soup was a cup... my tapeworm would still be hungry after that and a little entree. The skirt steak was nicely done, along with asparagus and mashed potatoes. So it was vegetarian, except for the meat :)
The lemonade was not very sweet. To me that's a good thing, but folks at the table were begging for sweetner. Agave nectar was generously used by most to sweeten the drinks... not me, I don't need an insulin rush.
All in all a good meal. The halibut looked good too and everyone who ordered it cleaned their plates like they ran out of dish soap. I'll have to come back and try other things, hopefully in less than 9 more years.
I had been here once before, but only had ordered a burger, however on our last visit, which was for a special occasion, I ordered the filet, my boyfriend had the kobe beef flat iron steak, and for a starter we tried the steak tacos, and the surf and turf roll.
First off, I know, tacos? But I am kind of a taco nut. So, I ordered two. They come on two small corn tortillas, with the best steak ever, marinated onions, and smashed avocado and a chimchuri sauce. They were to DIE FOR. So good. In fact, the next time I come here, I will order the tacos, and only the tacos.
The surf and turf roll was really good too. The steaks, well. My steak came out as ordered, medium. My boyfriend's however, well that was another story. Since he had ordered a flat iron steak, he ordered it medium rare. You expect dark pink almost throughout. Well this thing came out raw. My boyfriend is not the type to send food back, so naturally he ate around the outside, and was going to take it home and reheat it later for a sandwich or something. The waiter, upon noticing that he hadn't touched his steak asked us why, then proceeded to take it off our final bill as well as his moderately priced shot of scotch. All in all, his birthday dinner ended up being pretty darn cheap.
Thank goodness we started with the tacos and the roll.
I'll go back for sure. But I'll probably just order off the starter menu, and get a salad or something. Those tacos, I'm still thinking about them 4 days later.
Good wine.Good food. Fun place to go with a couple friends for a night out on the town. Not your romantic dinner setting, but i like it for that reason. The service is fantastic as well
Very disappointing overall experience, after I'd heard positive reviews from friends and read positive reviews on Yelp.
The cocktails at the bar were good.
The food, however, was just okay, nothing special. I recommend against the potatoes with blue cheese, because the blue cheese flavor is overpowering.
And the service was just terrible the night we were there. Our waiter was inattentive. We would request drink refills, for example, and could see the waiter chatting it up with other wait staff rather than actually deliver our drinks. Service was slow, both to clear finished plates and serve new ones. Our waiter just sucked this night, and we gave him a 5% tip because of it.
This is great place in the Peninsula to have drinks/dinner with friends. It's a scene, people are decked out, lively atmosphere.
Went for dinner and ordered ribs, prawns, mac and cheese, onion rings, skirt steak, calamari, and the halibut. They were all okay, nothing that would make me go, "Dang, I want me some of that from Town tonight!" Pretty expensive, kinda made me feel like I was paying more for the surroundings than the actual food. I'd go back with friends for a night out in the Peninsula though.
My birthday lunch with my co-workers was held here. What a nice place to have a meal. It was a wonderful experience.
They have indoor/outdoor seating and large open windows. They are open for lunch and dinner. The lunch specials seem to be the best deal unless you want soup and salad.
I ordered a demi of their tomato bisque soup, it was a flavored well and I could see myself having a cup of that on a cool day. I also ordered the pistachio crusted halibut. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach with a blood orange sauce. The sauce can be a bit much as it's a strong flavor, but cuts the richness of the potatoes and fish quite well.
For dessert the four of us shared a bread pudding. It was huge! We were happy we only ordered one. It was one of the best bread puddings I've had. The bread melted in my mouth and the caramel buttery sauce that accompanied it was dreamy.
I cant wait to try something different next time!
Matt P. raved about it. When I told my other coworker however, she retorted, "There is no good food in San Carlos." I was desperate to prove her so wrong with Town, but alas, she won the battle here.
Was offered a belated bday din and after hearing Matt suggest it once, I was like THIS is where I want to go. I asked him ahead of time what he had ordered so that it would be on par with what I like to eat. Our selections were a match. So happily I drove up to San Carlos to get my meat on.
The scene was popping for a Thursday night, everyone was chatting it up at the bar and it was already 8 which is normally beyond happy hour. I started with the LOVELY surprise of having a special customized menu with my name printed on it and Happy Birthday wishes in this awesome font.
For din I had the bone in ribeye, which is normally my favorite cut because it just has this great texture, bone for extra flavor, and some tender parts around it. This one at Town was more fatty that I like it. I mean it was good, but the fat was throughout and I spent a lot of time cutting it out. The creamed spinach was good, but I like the one at House of Prime rib better, and the Mac & Cheese was decent as well, but I liked the one at Alexander's better.
The piece de la resistance in terms of food was... the bread pudding. It was delightful and completely justified this meal. Sweet soft and amazing. Matt was right on this point completely.
So 3 stars for the impeccable service as well as the bread pudding, which was gratis because it was my birthday. Those are the special things about my Town experience.
the food is very similar to los altos grill.
the roasted artichoke heart along with the remoulade is almost identical to the one served at los altos grill.
the prime rib dip wasn't bad but the meat was in little bits which kept falling off into the au jus.
the sashimi grade ahi tuna was wonderful and perfectly seared.
the place is always happening and like los altos grill, it's a watering hole for cougars.
This place has THE most awesome watermelon martinis, EVER!!!! DEE-LISH!!! I had one and was SO tempted to order another; I can't wait to come back here for more!! The taste of watermelon puree and champagne -- heaven! Definitely order this when you're here.
For dinner, we ordered:
Surf & Turf Roll -- This wasn't anything spectacular and reminded me of grocery store sushi, blegh. Definitely save room in your stomach for something better!
Petrale Sole -- One of the healthier dishes on the menu. The fish tasted excellent. The rustic potatoes are HEAVENLY - I had to refrain myself from devouring the entire portion! My boyfriend's dinner came with chipotle mashed potatoes, which have an awesome kick to it!
Overall, great place to hang out with groups of friends, as the restaurant is pretty loud from all the folks at the bar. Defiintely skip this place if you're looking for a more intimate and romantic date spot, or else you may end up sitting next to the grill and smelling like bbq.
ORDER THE WATERMELON MARTINI!! :)
The place was noisy and good for groups.They have a big bar in the middle,and great wine selection. I started with the shrimp cocktail it was ok ...but the skirt steak was very yummmmiiii.The wait staff is very friendly.
Great food perfectly presented, beautiful decor, you can sit by the grille and watch them cook it all up, yes, as someone said - it's a "cougar den" at the u-shaped bar, beautiful (mostly female) waitresses and a long wait for a table unless you call ahead.
Suggestion: the "fall-off-the-bone" BBQ ribs are way better than any BBQ place I've been to in the Bay Area.
Nits: (1) No IPA. Great wine though. (2) The staff that seat you are dealing with a hord of people waiting for tables that obviously are NOT used to waiting for a table, and the staff handle it successfully, but a little more grace and sense of humor in that corner would be welcome. (3) Pricey enough that it's not for every day, or maybe even every week?
This place is a very elegant feeling sports bar. There's a small outdoor seating area for people to sit and chat. It's heated, and can get a little intense. However, the plus was that we got to bring our poochie here and she enjoyed herself... and whatever remnants were on the floor.
The service here was excellent. I had their steak tacos, which I did not have until the next morning because I had a few too many mimosas earlier. It was still pretty good, if not, tiny. I also had their cheese bread and that was tasty too. Next time I come though I will definitely be gorging down.
With the prices that they have, their food is not up to par.
The bartender suggested that their Margaritas were the best. Hmm, no, I had better. I also think that the citrus juice needs to be refrigerated because the margarita had an after taste of lemon juice that have been left out for too long.
I had an appetizer, Calamari. Let's just say there were more fried veggies than the calamari. So this means, fried veggies with a side of calamari rather than the other way around. That was a waste of my $10.
The margarita was $9?? I would rather go to another place at happy hour...say, Chevy's or El Balazo in Pleasanton. $4 margarita and $2 Bud/Bud Lite/Coors Lite.
Although if you like to have a nice and trendy ambiance, they do deliver.
I'm sad to write negative reviews about a restaurant with such delicious bubbling mac & cheese and yummy blood orange martinis. However- service always weighs heavily on my experience. We were doing ok- the waiter was a little creepy, but nice at first. He brought the check and we paid cash- we didn't have change, so we simply asked for 5 bucks back (we're in a recession man, I'm not trying to overtip here). He brought the 5 dollars back, but seemed annoyed with us. He then proceeded to come by about THREE times checking the check (although, he had already taken the cash). We ended up leaving him the extra 5 dollars- seeing as he seemed to think he was undertipped. I'm sorry if you can't count money correctly! If there's a misunderstanding, I'll fix it- but don't act weird.
When we walked out he just looked at us in disdain. I was SO uncomfortable that I won't return.
I want Town to open up in my town.
If you find yourself in the charming city of San Carlos, please make your way to Laurel Street. It is on this pretty little street that you will discover a wonderful restaurant called Town.
Town is as lovely and charming as the town where it's located.
A girlfriend and I decided to take our toddlers there for dinner one night. Hey, just because we're mamas doesn't mean we are relegated to eat at Islands or IHOP. A mama still has to eat and this mama likes to eat (and drink) well!
Town is actually quite kid-friendly and the next generation of foodies might actually enjoy this place as much as their parents. First of all, it's dark and loud which is a good thing. Our kids, who are used to eating out often, were well-behaved that night. However, we appreciated that it was a bit noisy just in case they decided to act their age.
Even the pickiest eater will find something on the menu. Kids start out with a carrot and celery plate with a side of ranch dressing. For entrees, the kids menu has items from skirt steak, bbq ribs, and penne pasta to chicken tenders and mac & cheese. For dessert, they can make their own sundae. Our kids had the chicken tenders and penne pasta, which were both delicious.
The adult food was just as outstanding. My friend and I shared a couple of dishes: the NY steak tacos, the slider trio, the ahi tuna tataki, and the creamy cheesy garlic bread. The steak prepared in the steak tacos was cooked perfectly and the flavor was delicious. The slider trio - Kobe slopppy joe, filet mignon, and BBQ slow roasted pulled pork were mouthfuls of yum. The Kobe sloppy joe was my least favorite, but it was still very tasty. The other two sliders were some of the best sliders I've ever tasted. The tuna tataki was also very good but not quite as memorable as the other dishes.
My friend and I also imbibed a bit on a few passionfruit martinis, which were scrumptious. And, speaking of delicious-sweet-goodness, the bread pudding dessert was unbelievable. I don't even usually like bread pudding, mostly because of the texture, but Town's version is wonderfully rich, sweet, and not soggy at all.
As for the service, it was impeccable. Our waiter was attentive, friendly, and the timing of everything was perfect. Overall, I could not have asked for a better dining experience, and I think my toddler would agree.
Cougar Den! Yes, it is a mecca for older women who act as if they are not past their prime but it is also the home of the most amazing food I have ever experienced. I've never had a meal at Town that I didn't absolutely LOVE and I have been there at least 100 times. Their steak is amazing and always perfectly cooked. The tuna and sushi are to die for with delicious sides to accent the flavor. The wine list is both reasonable and respectable, with vintages and bottles that meet every price range.
My most recent favorite: the chocolate sundae dessert. They serve three scoops of vanilla bean ice cream with pecans and a tableside serving of hot fudge sauce. Amazing. But wait, there's more: as you scoop to the bottom of the dish you find fudge covered pecans that have been marinating for you while you munch on the ice cream. I can't make this stuff up.
Had a girls night out here on a Friday night. Fun, upbeat crowd. Great food. We left happy and ready for more fun. :)
I love the meat here. The fillet Mignon is excellent. You can choose 2 side dishes to go with the entree, and every side dish is good, especially the 5 cheese baked macaroni & cheese, with imported cheeses. Just had lunch 2 days ago. I sat at the counter and watched the chef's cook. It is fun watching the executive chef in action. Very entertaining, if you're alone. You can see everything coming out, and your mouth is watering. Attentive service every time. The bar is fun to eat at as well. Get there early, if you want to get a seat. It is a Happy Hour or two. Lovely ambiance.
Unless you like the hip, loud, "happening" scene, I recommend getting here early (and making reservations).
The large and delicious selection of appetizers, salads, and desserts really trumps getting a "meal" here.
The appetizer menu's "piece de resistance" is definitely the BBQ Prawns. Ahi Tuna Tataki is another winner to pair with the prawns.
The salads are original, heavily dressed, and very filling.
Note that the "warm chocolate cake with berries" is really a fondant au chocolat- the one with the gooey inside with a pot of strawberries on the side. They should really call it this on the menu as it is a much more accurate represenation.
Good place to come early and stake out a booth- order up some cocktails and appetizers and have a thoroughly enjoyable san carlos experience!
We had a huge group for lunch, and had to cram into a table for lunch...that's ok, it's our bad for only reserving a table for 10 instead of 11.
They serve Devil's Canyon beer, so if you like it, it's a plus. I never had it before and I quite like the ale. My raspberry mojito was overly sweet (excessive raspberry syrup) and not really minty or limey. Do yourself a favour and get the California Pizza Kitchen or Cheesecake Factory ones -- even those are better than the one I got here. I am definitely sticking to the beer here next time.
We had the philly cheesesteak spring rolls for appetizer -- it's ok. Since it's deep fried, it kind of masked the taste of the cheesesteak and I truly did not know what I was eating. The sauces were pretty good though.
I had the prime rib dip. The meat and the au jus were ok -- the au jus tasted like it was from a concentrated mix, a bit heavy on the taste. However, the butter bread was awesome. I heart that bread! It's buttery, crispy, and not hard like what some people serve french dip sandwiches with.
Food-wise, I think everybody enjoyed their food at least a bit. It definitely isn't the most spectacular, but it isn't bad either. There are some interesting choices on the menu.
Only thing is...they don't seem to know how to serve a big group very well. They're slow on the ordering, which means we got our entrees really late...Not sure if we have anybody to blame there, but I just hope the service was a bit more prompt.
Expensive for lunch though, phew!
I decided to come here on someone's recommendation. They didn't open until 11:30 which disappointed me because I got there at 10:30. I walked around and came back when they opened. It seemed that they aren't really on their game when you come at opening. I took a seat and I was not attended for at least 10 mins. But the waitress who took my order was really nice.
The food was a bit pricey. I ordered a beef stroganoff and a mac&cheese. The beef stroganoff was really good and the beef pieces was good grade. The only problem I had was that the sauce was way too watery. The sauce didn't really stick. The mac&cheese was baked and they used different cheeses. I kind of wish they added some cheese or something inside and not all near the top. The crispy cheese made it so good.
Definitely a place to come and try. But it won't be cheap.
I walked into this place, thinking "I just walked onto the set of San Carlos Housewives." Loud cougars drinking martinis, noise level at its highest peak, and the place was filled with professional after work patrons.
The skirt steak and tuna appetizers were pretty on spot. Though, the bone in rib eye was a little dry when ordered medium rare. I think they could have left the garlic rub off and I would have enjoyed it much more.
The waitress was on our heels, never letting us out of her sight and she did it with a smile. These days, that kind of service is a great touch when frowns are oh so common.
I'm coming back
Bread Pudding!
Bread Pudding!
I am screaming for Break Pudding!
It was the best bread pudding I've ever had. The bread in the pudding was as soft as the pudding that I couldn't notice it was bread pudding. It blend together so well! I love every bite of it as I ate. The sauce was mouthwatering sweeee-eeeeeet! For $7, we got a really big piece!
Beside the bread pudding that I found delicious, the Ahi Tuna ($12) and Dungeness Crab Cakes ($16) were two great appetizers. Both very light and refreshing, not to mention the sauces blend in so well with the seafood.
For the entree, my boyfriend and I shared a 32 oz. Porterhouse that came with 2 sides for $49 which is a very great deal. We picked the mushroom and garlic mashed potatoes. I still preferred mushroom with onion to go with my steak. We were so full from the steak even we shared it. It was a GIGANTIC piece of steak! I thought it was a little too well done. I should had asked for medium instead of medium well...a little overcooked. That was the only down of the dinner.
I would come back again and again whenever I crave for bread pudding! You can sit at the bar to hangout and enjoy the best warm bread pudding that you can get in Town!
I really like Laurel Street - it's cute and there's free street parking. My brother's graduation lunch was at Town, and the family ordered a lot of food. For appetizer I tried the surf n turf roll - which was surprisingly good, and ordered for entree, the seared ahi tuna. While the tuna was good, the bed of vegetables underneath I found to be a lil salty. So salty in fact, I spent the rest of teh afternoon drinking water. I actually preferred my mom's halibut to my ahi tuna (her mashed potatoes were better than my heavily salted vegetables).
We ordered a variety of desserts that were sweet and filling (creme brulee, bread pudding were the notable ones).
I tried bites of the NY steak and strogonoff, and everything tasted fine.
Because it was lunchtime, the place was a bit empty ... but even so, service was terrific.
This place definitely surpassed my expectations. The food was good, the ambience was nice and the price was surprisingly cheaper than expected (or maybe I've just been scarred from SF prices).
I'm not a huge steak gal, so I ordered the kobe sloppy joe - yum! The wedge salad was simply drenched in blue cheese dressing - not totally my style, but it was still good. Their infamous bread pudding was good, but definitely share with multiple people unless you can handle the richness. For four people (two salads, four entrees, two drinks and one dessert), the bill was $153.
Overall, def a good place for a nice Peninsula dinner. I'm a fan!
The only time I make it down to the pennisula is to hang out with my friend A. She lives in Mt. View and I work in S. San Francisco, so we picked Town simply because it was midway between us. Great atmosphere, excellent wine menu (according to A.), an interesting set of signature cocktails and some VERY good bar food. We ate TWO orders of the onion rings (DEFINITELY not typically on the diet)!
Staff was helpful and the service was good. The only reason I can't give this place 5 stars is that we didn't eat dinner here.
If you're in the area and want a more upscale meal, this is a stop for you!
I've only eaten here six or seven times, but I really like Town.
The food is quite good, the service is excellent and the drinks are made to order (in my case, strong). The atmosphere is not bad at all; I feel at home here. Even when it gets loud later in the day, it's no different than say, a Santana Row restaurant!
I will definitely keep returning for my three-martini lunches.
One disappointing experience after several very good visits. TOWN was one of my favorite peninsula restaurants. I used to do business lunches there and have always had great meals.
Today (Labor Day), I brought a large group there. All started normal but then after about 25 minutes of waiting for food, the waitstaff started to ignore us. After 45 minutes, we asked about the food and the waitstaff white-lied saying it was being plated. After 55 minutes (!), the food finally arrived. A guy who turned out to be the manager brought some of our entrees out and I matter of factly asked if they were short staffed given the ridiculously long wait. The manager's response was very surprising. He told me to "TAKE IT EASY." "Take it easy" never comes out sounding nice. It's condescending and void of accountability.
They later apologized and tried to make up for the long wait (and presumably the manager's rudeness) with free desserts. Nevertheless, the encounter with the manager left a bad taste in our mouths and I will not be bringing my clients nor my friends/family here again. A real shame because the space is nice and the food is good.
Sometimes you just want to sit in a booth with a friendly waiter and a choice of 8 million things on a menu. It's impossible to decide what to eat here, but everything I've had is so good.
The grilled salad is excellent. Lots of stuff in it, so if you're a salad minimalist you should avoid it at all costs. The shrimp cocktail was a little disappointing. The prime rib, though...oh my. So good.
I recommend splitting a steak and getting some apps and sides...the steaks are huge.
Had another great evening at Town! We love all the appetizers here so we decided to just pick a bunch and have that as our dinner (4 people). Here's what we ordered: KOBE SLOPPY JOE SLIDER, PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SPRING ROLLS (2 orders), FRESH DUNGENESS CRAB CAKES, NEW ORLEANS BBQ PRAWNS, a side of asparagus (because we felt guilty) and the special, heir loom and fresh mozzerella salad. All the apps were sensational. My favorite was the sliders, amazing! The only slight disappointment was the heirloom tomatoes, they were slightly hard and didn't have much flavor. Seems as if they were picked before they truly ripened. Other than that, we brought our own wine and polished off two bottles. They charged $15 ea for the corking fee...not bad.
As if our meal couldn't get any better, we indulged in the WARM CHOCOLATE CAKE and BANANA POUND CAKE. WOW! The chocolate was warm and gooey inside, just the right size. It was paired with strawberry ice cream. Such a nice break from vanilla! Then the banana pound cake..what can I say. AMAZING! You'll be dreaming of this dessert. One person in our party ordering it just for herself. We had to order another one to share between the 3 of us it's that good. We each paid $42, really not bad at all for everything we ate.
The previous comments about the noise are true. We sat by the bar and didn't seem to mind. It was fun and lively. You do need a reservation. We got there at 7 on a Tues night and there wasn't a single booth empty. When we left at almost 10, it was still pretty crowded. Town is a great local restaurant and I will keep coming back.
Chose this restaurant based on the 4-star yelp review. Also picked the bread pudding - this is TO DIE FOR!! The best bread pudding I have ever had. It was warm and buttery and my date and I shared one order. It was very sexy!
The New York stake and the seared tuna salad are both good too. Especially like the sprouts & zucchini that came with the tuna. The large artichoke salad is good too as I love artichoke heart. Only I wish it was not as buttery.
Overall good experience; the service was good too. Will definitely come back to try other dishes!
Blah! Overpriced, overcrowded, wants to be trendy but can't, service average with above average prices, my martini sucked at a 12 dollar loss...... oh sundance steakhouse why can't you be in San Carlos? Go to piaceres across the street but don't mind the hostesses the wait staff makes up for those air heads.
Our second visit to Town and our food did not disappoint again. BBQ prawns and onion rings for appetizers...I thought it was strange that Town 'did not offer bread service' but do offer cracker and cheese??? All we wanted were some edible 'sponges' to soak up the fantastic sauce that came with the prawns. If our server didn't sneak back to the kitchen for bread, I would have gone to the bar to grab little cocktail straws for the sauce.
Prime Rib looked great, Filet (baseball cut) looked wonderful, although birthday girl had to send her overdone steak back for a medium with pink. Not a problem, but took longer that it should have in my opinion, they did bring out a small shot glass of the soup 'o' the day - corn chowder.
Busy for a holiday weekend and service was very good, not great but no major complaints.
On a nice evening you can sit outside along the sidewalk OR I would highly recommend sitting at the counter and watching all the kitchen action - the guys are very good and you can have a martini or two before deciding what to order based on what's being tossed and plated in front of you.
Enjoy if you go.
San Carlos, CA
Category: American (New)
San Carlos, CA
Category: Wine Bars
San Carlos, CA
Category: Italian
San Carlos, CA
Category: Italian
San Carlos, CA
Category: Steakhouses
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