Ad Hoc

My husband and I decided to do a weekend trip to Napa earlier this month, so I decided to make a dinner reservation on Tock for the two of us. My friend was the one who recommended this restaurant and mentioned that they have a prix fixe menu that changes daily. I was super excited to just go in and not have to decide on what to eat.

We were seated next to the window in the back. Our server was friendly and gave us a run down of what was going to be served that night. It was $64 per person and an extra $55 for wine. We had: salad, short rib, semolina dumpling, burrata and ice cream sundae. Everything was very tasty, but my favorite was definitely the dumpling and sundae. They were both very simple but unique in its own way. The restaurant reminds me of a house that is very homey and cozy.

I would definitely come back again for its ambiance and their prix fixe menu. Everyone should get to experience a restaurant like Ad Hoc once in Yountville. Also, the price for what you're getting is reasonable.

Outstanding tasting kitchen concept that serves the best in American comfort foods, served on family style plates right from the kitchen.

The four course tasting menu changes daily, and the night we went was a Farro & Black Rice Salad, Grilled Skirt Streak, Gruyère Cheese & Bread, and Ice Cream Sundae with Chocolate, Butterscotch, and Strawberry sauces all brought to the table. Our server also suggested a fun locally brewed Chocolate Ale to enjoy along with the dessert.

Fortunate to be able to have Ad Hoc's famous Buttermilk Fried Chicken available as an addition that evening. Definitely left well fed and content, as any proper family meal should.

This review is for NY Eve's fixed menu only. It's a tough night for restaurants and I'm willing to believe Ad Hoc is better on other days.

We started off on the wrong foot. Having been to Ad Hoc before, we expected the corkage fee to be a reasonable $25 per bottle. Instead it had recently been increased to $55 per. Ouch. We considered buying their wine instead but wanted the bottles we brought.

To complicate things, they had trouble opening our bottle of red. Tip: take the wax seal off first.

But on to the food, all served family style...

Bread service: a brown bread and a sourdough. Tasty. We asked for more.

Salad: Wish it had more of the "fromage blanc" (soft white goat cheese). The lemon vinaigrette was excellent. I had seconds. Maybe thirds.

NY Striploin: we ordered medium rare, medium, and medium plus. All came cooked perfectly. The truffle sauce was solid, but a bit salty.

Whipped potatoes and roasted winter veggies as sides were fine but unremarkable.

Lobster dumplings: not much lobster and not much taste.

Cheese plate: good crackers and skimpy on the cheese (at least it was tasty)

Ice Cream Sundaes with chocolate, butterscotch, and strawberry sauces. I enjoyed this but for a NYE dinner I was expecting something more.

Service was good considering a packed house on NYE. All and all, a good experience that I wish was better.

Our friends and I came to visit Ad Hoc few weeks ago and we really enjoyed our food here! We booked a reservation for 12:30pm but since we finished our first wine tasting early, we decided to drive over to Ad Hoc to see if they can accommodate us earlier which they did! I've been Addendum few times but never got to try Ad Hoc so I was excited to finally try them. They have a small parking lot in the back but fear not, there's also street parking if you can't find parking in their lot.

We arrived, got seated and was provided with menus and water. Our hostess was super nice (forgot her name) but she explained everything very thoroughly.

We had the Caesar salad, pork chop with pasta, salmon, fried chicken and dessert! My husband and I got two different main to try each other. Everything was delicious! It definitely fills you up. The fried chicken also is their signature and it was crispy and delicious! Everything was delicious and we all enjoyed everything!

Been wanting to come to Ad Hoc for a number of years now. Made a reservation for 1, but I don't recommend coming solo. Their dishes are plated family style, so better for a pair of people. Their menu changes daily, but what I ate was probably some of the best food I've ever eaten. Cold soba noodle salad with mandarins, spatchcocked teriyaki chicken, and the most delicious caramel chocolate pudding I've ever had. Ambiance of the place is so cute, homey, nice. Great selection of wines (there was a table of contents) and hand-crafted cocktails. Staff was super nice and accommodating. Would come back with a few more people.

Brought family here for an early Christmas celebration on the weekend before Christmas. I had made reservations weeks in advance to ensure we would get seated. The interior of the restaurant is comfortable but elevated which matches their family style food servings.

The menu changes daily and ours consisted of the infamous buttermilk chicken (!) served with mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, peas, carrots and mushrooms. We started off with the fresh bread and butter, then the wedge salad which was impressive due to the balance of different textures and flavors. The chicken was juicy, tender and I loved the touch of fried rosemary. We added the short rib lasagna for $30 which also came with a side of garlic bread. It was really good but a bit too rich which makes it understandable why they serve it in such a small portion. We finished with a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream.

By the end of the meal, we were definitely stuffed which is not something I expected. They were pretty generous with the portion sizes which I really liked. The service was impeccable and they even had accommodations for someone in our group that is lactose intolerant. I really enjoyed our dining experience, but for the price point, I'm going to only give it four stars. It's definitely a place I would recommend everyone try once, but I wasn't blown away by anything and the chicken wasn't as amazing as I hoped.

wow...i can't believe that my last review of this place was in 2014! I have been here many times since. It is my favorite place to eat in Napa.
Every once in a while you will see Mr Keller himself dining here. I have seen Jim Parsons dining here!

I have been here for Easter dinner, I have been here for Brunch, I have been here for birthday celebrations and this time we had Thanksgiving dinner here. Absolutely amazing and so happy I got this reservation.
Husband, daughter and I had our meal together.
dinner was $75 each
wine pairing $55 or $65 (we got one of each)
$38 for lobster mac n cheese addition.

course #1: butternut squash soup ...literally the BEST i've ever had. I wanted to lick the bowl...instead I just kept scraping the bowl to get every last bit i could.
Main course: pan filled with the dinner...turkey (both dark and white meat), stuffing, mashed potatoes, brussels. Tray of rolls on the side.
ad on: lobster mac n cheese
desert: pumpkin pie & pecan pie.

perfect amount of food
amazing quality!
the pups were in tow and they also enjoyed the turkey.

Until next time Ad Hoc....i will be dreaming of you

WHEN: Sat @11am

PARKING: They have their parking lot, but if it's full, there's free street parking across the way.

Managed to get a reservation just 2 days before and perhaps its because they only serve bunch on Sundays. The earliest is 11am and they really don't allow anyone in until then.

You actually don't know what they will serve until the day of. It's a set menu that each person will have to order (no sharing) that includes an appetizer, main course, and dessert for $54. There are add-ones you can pay more for. But what we DO know they will serve as an add-on is the Buttermilk Fried Chicken, which is an additional $30. Everything is served family style so it comes out in one platter instead of us getting our own.

Service was much better than last time and decent, and we sat outside where it's as fully covered in shade and great weather out for Fall.

So for Nov 4, 2023, the $54 set menu for lunch (no brunch on Sat)is:

BREAD & BUTTER - Complimentary
Oh nice we get slices of both sourdough and wheat served in a basket with butter!

ICEBERG WEDGE SALAD - Included
TFL cucumbers, shaved radishes, brown butter crumble blue cheese, buttermilk herb dressing.
Wow this was a great start, I really enjoyed everything about this salad.

TOUR DE MARZE BRIE - $10 Addition
Tour de Marze Brie marshall's farm honey, baguette croutons.
This all sounded too good to pass up. It's pretty much 3 pieces of tiny toast, a thin wedge cut of Brie, and locally sourced honey. All good but wishing for more. Tip: Save the honey for the fried chicken!

ROASTED CHICKEN - Included
Roasted Chicken buttermilk whipped potatoes roasted winter vegetables
sage chicken gravy.
Darn, we hit a day where the main dish is chicken. But you know what, it was really good. You get 3 large pieces and lasted for dinners the next few days. Flavor was good and the whipped potatoes was like a nice sauce that went with it. The vegetables were squash, carrots, and spinach--all good.

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN - $30 addition
This addition comes with 5 pieces, so not so bad in pricing. So wonderfully flavorful, crispy skins, tender and juicy throughout, the fried chicken here is solid. I wish we can just come here and order just that. Okay, we should come back on a Sunday next time. Add some of that honey from the appetizer addition and it was a great choice!


PEANUT BUTTER PARFAIT - Included
Graham cracker crumble, chocolate sauce.
They also top it with peanuts.
So I had wondered what the alternative would be for those with peanut allergies. I did overhear the next table ask and it would be a Melon Sorbet, which sounds like. The PB Parfait was although delicious, it was quite rich. I was hoping it would be a PB&J take just so there is fruit in it. But since its PB and Chocolate, it was hard to finish--especially after such a big meal.

We were both so full we had most of the chicken packed to go. SO much yummy chicken! How nice that they packed it for us.

Because I told them it was an anniversary, they added candles to both our desserts and it was really cute!

11/11/23

My GF took me out for a girls birthday outing in Napa and made dinner reservations at ad hoc. I didn't hesitate as I've had this spot bookmarked thanks to the Yelp community fam recommendations (Cherylynn/Dean/David/Christine and so many countless contributors).

We arrived and seated before our reservation time (yay).
I was bummed I didn't see the buttermilk fried chicken on the menu. Apparently a staple on the lunch menu and not avail for the dinner menu. :(

We made the best of it and still dined with the daily specials of course. I love the minimalist modern farmhouse decor with pig statue touches certain restaurant angles. It's cute!

Service was great! Food was overall ok for me.

Slices of House bread - yum. This Napa place and bread making is just a must. Crusty crust with soft carbs inside. Yum.

Our mixed green salad was bomb. Light, refreshing and crisp while evenly dressed.

We had cider braised pork roast. While others may appreciate the sweet/savory play, I didn't care for this dish. Described as buttermilk mashed potatoes, carmelized apples + brussel sprouts topped with whole grain mustard cream sauce. It was an overwhelming heavy dish. The cream sauce on top tasted like sour cream mustard sauce and I didn't welcome it.

We added the lobster risotto for $38 more and it was extremely salty :( there was yummy parmesan crisp with) but with an already salty risotto, the natural parmesan crisp added made it saltier.

Point Reyes Gouda with banquette croutons was yum! The piquillo pepper marmalade was ok, not spicy just a different taste. Together with the Gouda and croutons worked somehow. Good Job team!

We finished with cheesecake bars w/raspberry creme. Yes I killed this.

My friends MOCKTAIL was ok. My seasonal mule was good.

I'll be back to try the infamous fried chicken soon! That's a must for me! Until next time!

We come to visit Napa and went to winery and have a great time. We were looking forward to end the day here at ad hoc and a little disappointed. The service was friendly and attentive. They checked up on us all the time with the water and food.

The restaurant open at 4.30 pm and that was our reservation time. We were the first to arrive and got seat right the way by the window. It seem like many big party and family comes here a lot. Because we can hear kids and many people chatted across the room.

We come hear without knowing what kind of food and menu. All I heard about was the fried chicken here is really good.

So the server came and give us a menu , which was a set menu , sharing style at 64$ per person. And let me tell you that it's not worth it. We were just thinking that we are already here and might as well try it.

We start off with a big plate of salad and bread ( we were the first table and I was thinking that at least bread should be warm but it was cold ) small think that they should consider. The salad was fresh , there is a lot of components in the plate. They would not serve you the next dish until you finished the salad first. But our server was nice enough to put on small plate for us.

We ordered supplement , which is fried chicken for 30$ I would say this probably the best dish today with the house made hot sauce. Because the tri tip bbq that we got was undercooked and and I couldn't even use a knife to sliced it, how could I chew through it. But they change the beef for us and cooked a new one then boxed to take home.

And there's a cheese course before dessert which we didn't care much about

The dessert was churros 4 pcs with chocolate sauce and sweet condensed milk sauce . It was good but totally the experience wasn't there. I only enjoyed the chicken and the service. I guess I was expecting more from youthville and Thomas Keller.

Probably would not come back here and not recommend to anyone except the fried chicken is great.