Bourbon & Beef

Beef and Bourbon... Bourbon and Beef?! However you decide to say it... JUST make sure that you get that truffle mac and cheese! You HAVE to get it! It will change your life! I'm getting a craving from the mere thought of it now!

It was one of those nights when I was itching for a happy hour fix. I had a not-so-great day at work and I was ready to take it all out on some alcohol and good food. I had been eyeing this place for months and decided that today would be the day that I walked inside. I drove around for a few minutes trying to find parking. Ugh... as much I love College Ave, I absolutely despise the parking situation! I was finally able to find a spot next to Cactus which wasn't too far away.

I walked inside and was instantly enamored by the setup! This place is so stinking CUTE! It's filled with adorable red leather booths and high swivel chairs! The bar is gorgeous! Very modern and new age with a beautiful red backlit display of their alcohol selections and a nice sized TV set on the wall! It has a very mellow and welcoming vibe that is felt as soon as you step in the door. Luckily, there were a few empty seats at the end of the bar. I took a seat and was acknowledged by the bartender. She seemed to be really busy, but she did stop to greet me and to give me a menu.

I was in the mood for a cocktail and lucky for me, their signature cocktails are half off during happy hour! Score! I ordered the Fill Collins which consisted of gin, rosemary, syrup, lime juice, cucumber, basil, and club soda. The combination of flavors tasted wonderful together. It wasn't too sweet but it was just sweet enough to where the taste of alcohol didn't take precedent. While I glanced over the food menu, I struck up a conversation with a really nice gentleman sitting next to me. He told me that Bourbon & Beef was one of his go to spots for great food and drinks.

It did take the bartender quite sometime to get back to me when I was ready to order food. To her defense, the place had filled up rather quickly after we arrived. Although the they offered $5 off select appetizers, the truffle mac and cheese caught my eye. I decided to give it a go. While I waited, I started chatting with a beautiful young woman around my age (she was a friend of the gentleman that I met). These people were so friendly and talkative, I felt like I had known them for years! So crazy! They also ordered a truffle mac and cheese, jumbo prawns, and grilled asparagus.

The food arrived and damn... that truffle mac was one hell of an entree! First of all, no need to complain about portion sizes here... oh yeah, they've got you COVERED! Next, the presentation was beautiful! It looked like this food could have been catered at an event. It was very pleasing to the eye. Everything also smelled amazing! It had a strong enticing aroma, especially the jumbo prawns. The lady and the gentleman were nice enough to share their food with me!

The jumbo prawns tasted AMAZING! There was so much flavor packed in that dish! The mixture of lemon, basil, and garlic were very apparent and contributed to the wonderful taste and aroma. The asparagus was perfectly cooked; not too tough but not soggy either. It wasn't overly seasoned but seasoned just enough to allow it's natural flavor to shine through. But honey this truffle mac and cheese... now THAT was the real MVP! This was probably the most cheesiest mac and cheese that I have ever had! Even after sitting there for over an hour, that cheese was still warm and melty. The flavor was just out of this world... a mixture of 5 different cheeses compounded with a hint of garlic and truffle oil and topped with panko bread crumbs. Yes, I almost died but it was "to die for!" You like that pun right there, don't cha? ;)

In closing, you have to try that truffle mac! Some of the best mac I've ever had... waaaay better than Homeroom by a landslide! I will note that it took a long time to get our checks after we ate. If I had to nitpick about anything, I would probably say that the service could have been a bit better. Other than that, I'm am now a dedicated Bourbon and Beefer!

We had reservations and arrived about 1/2 an hour early. They were happy to seat us.

I ordered a Bloody Mary to start. It was fine, but nondescript - not a lot of effort to make it special. Mark had the B&B Signature, which was tasty.

We arrived at @11:00. They had been open an hour. They were out of Crab Benedict. Big sad emoticon!

I ordered the Duck Confit with Waffles. It was very good. The duck was tender, easily falling off the bone. I used the honey butter sparingly on the waffles. I tried to get bites of duck, waffle and egg, dipped every so lightly into the maple syrup making for the perfect bite. I was pleased with my choice.

Mark settled for the regular Eggs Benedict and said it was good. Our friend ordered the Steak & Eggs. The Steak came from the butcher across the street in Rockridge Market Hall - Marin Sun Farms Butcher. He said the steak was amazing.

We hoped to order the Grilled Octopus, but it was not available for brunch. We could only get items on the brunch menu, except we couldn't have the Crab Benedict. Hmmph.

We came here for Yelp's Beat & Eats. I love this part of Oakland aka Rockridge, who doesn't? Our friend Hazel C. made a reservation, this place was pretty packed on Sunday Funday. I didn't even bother watching the 9ers.

We had a great time chatting, eating, sharing, laughing, etc. The bottomless mimosas were generous pours of more sparkling wine than OJ (wink, wink). Our nice waitress came by with carafes and a friendly "smile" to refill our empty glasses, now that's stellar service! The portions were big and filling. I really enjoyed my eggs benedict, but I'm getting the humongous burger next time. Complimentary Chef's gift included a chocolate chip cookie or a shot of Bourbon, guess which one was more popular - cheers!

Overall, a fabulous place to have brunch, close proximity to Bart and ample street parking. Can't wait to come back for the pork belly fried rice (drool).

'Til next time ~ see you on Yelp!

Wow I'm so behind on my reviews and forgot one of my favorites. My boyfriend and I love Bourbon and Beef. It is one of our favorite romantic dining restaurants, as it is small and not too formal and the food is delicious. I'm a fan of bourbon and use the opportunity to try new drinks each time. I usually make reservations through open table, even same day - drop in and you might have to wait a little.

Our first visit was for Valentine's Day a few years ago, we score the sweet little window seat. We ordered cocktails, beer and a bourbon flight with our meal - we actually shared one meal which was perfect for two. We had the shrimp and grits, with bacon, chorizo and red peppers - I loved this. For our entrée we ordered the Land & Sea special which was served as two filets to accommodate the two of us. They were cooked perfectly medium, topped with sea scallops and hollandaise, served on top of a corn & wild rice cake.

We came back after purchasing a Groupon for two burgers, two beers and a dessert for $29 and let me tell you that they were come of the best burgers we have had. The burgers were cooked medium and flavorful, they are stacked high and had great buns! (That's what she said) The dessert was fantastic as well, we hardly ever order a dessert so it was a real treat. I also had a Manhattan, because hurray for bourbon!!

When we came back for dinner, we started with drinks and ordered the grilled octopus as an appetizer. For dinner, we decided to go with the huge cider brined pork 14 ounce Tomahawk along with a Maine lobster tail, along with a couple glasses of wine. It was so good and quite filling even through we split the meal.

And then on the last visit, we came for brunch. My guy indulged in the Bottomless Mimosas, while I ordered a Cilantro Jalapeno Bloody Mary. We ordered the Seafood omelet and crab benedict, both were fantastic.The crab benedict was so good, it was not crab cakes (which you always see, but lumped Dungeness crab with a poached egg on top, covered in delicious hollandaise.

Each experience at Bourbon & Beef has been a fantastic one. Great service by our wait staff and the chef came out to greet us and ask us about our meal. It will always be one of those places that I will just make up a special occasion to go to.

Nice find for a Sunday brunch. Bottomless mimosas, check. The regular brunch fare was good, standard. I got the pork belly fried rice, which was surprisingly good! Fried rice at non-Asian places can be risky, but this was good. And the best part is that they fried the rice long enough that it was crispy! The best kind!!

Nice ambiance. Walking distance to BART. Solid spot. I'll be back. :)

With a title of a restaurant called "Bourbon & Beef", you would think this would be more of a dark, intimate atmosphere focusing on premium well drinks with lots of meat. Well, what I saw was a limited amount of liquored concoctions and only a fair amount of beef. However, I was hungry and craving a hearty brunch meal with an adult beverage so this place was definitely on my radar.

Located in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, "Bourbon & Beef" is a nice addition in this part of the East Bay. It is surrounded by other popular restaurants in the area as well as coffee shops, boutiques, and clothing stores. Parking out here can be very tricky (especially during the peak dining hours) but you can usually find a spot within a few minutes.

Since my fiancée and I had come here on a whim, I made this mistake of not making reservations. As we had arrived around 11:00am, the hostess said it would be close to a 2-hour wait! And the surprising thing is that there were several vacant tables throughout the restaurant. However, when I told her that we had come from Sacramento (about a 90-minute drive), she was able to expedite our waiting time and had us seated within 15 minutes! I guess it pays off if you're saying you're from out of town.

The entire of this place has a very modern look while not being too trendy. There was a nice faux-wood panel trim throughout that flowed well with the glossy wooden tables and posh maroon seats. There is also bigger tables that work out well for the larger parties that wish to dine here. The bar also has an impressive seating area and the windows provide a lot of natural ambient lighting throughout.

Once seated, I had already narrowed down what I wanted. Since I am a huge Eggs Benedict fan, I went ahead and ordered the "Crab Benedict" with a side of home-fried potatoes (for $18.00). This Benedict consists of fresh Dungeness crab, farm-fresh poached eggs, avocados, Brandy Wine tomatoes, Béarnaise sauce, and Yukon Gold potatoes. My fiancée ordered their "Brioche French Toast" with mixed berries on the side (for $12.00). I decided to try their "Morning Margarita" while she orders a mimosa.

As busy as it was here being a Sunday morning, both of our brunch entrees arrive in a very timely manner. The portions here are decent and very run-of-the-mill of what you would find at many other modern restaurants. The crab cakes tasted fresh (not frozen) while the Béarnaise sauce had a decent amount of consistency. It wasn't a standout but the quality and freshness of the ingredients were on point. One gripe that I have was that the $18.00 price tag on this Benedict was a bit on the higher side. And when you pair that up with the $11.00 "Morning Margarita", its definitely not a cheap breakfast!

Fortunately, we took full advantage of the Groupon deal; in this case they were offering $40.00 worth of brunch food (and drinks) for only $20.00. Had it not been for "Bourbon & Beef" promoting this special, I would probably not dine here. Overall, the atmosphere is lively and electric while most of the employees and staff are in an upbeat mood. But keep in mind that it does get noisy here and reservations are highly recommended!

Came here a few months ago for Sunday Brunch with bottomless mimosas. It started off rocky. There was only one waitress who was also the bartender and hostess. It took awhile for her to get to our table, which was frustrating because they stop serving the mimosas at a specific time. We got there an hour before they stop serving and it took 30 minutes for us to get our first glass. They also ran out of the popular dishes like the fried chicken so that was another bummer.

Things got better though after we got our first drink. The waitress, although stressed was nice and gave us large glasses at a way to compensate for the lack of staff. They also extended the bottomless mimosa time limit which was great for us. I got the their steak which was really good. I had my heart set on the fried chicken but the steak was a good alternative. The mimosas were good too...she kept the drinks flowing which made the experience turn around.

All in all this experience had its ups and downs. I'd come back, but I hope they hire more people

Food: Amazing restaurant. It was my first time coming in for brunch today and the shrimp and grits were exceptional. Im a big foodie, and not many things come close to homemade, but this was like eating out of my own kitchen. I'll definitely be back to try more.

Service: great service from the time i walked in to the time I left. Seated before the door could close and brought water before I could take my scarf off; i love how prompt everything was. Also, food was out and fresh very quickly for everyone. Overall, I highly recommend and the executive chef being out and greeting people was very nice to see.

Bourbon & Beef just gets better and better, especially if you are lucky enough to snag the Groupon ($60. for $30.). The specialty cocktails are dynamite, we had the B & B Signature and the Oceanview Old Fashioned, both unique and tasty. The Chef Specials offered were out of this world which made it difficult to choose but we landed on the Surf & Turf. The lobster tail was cooked to perfection and served with a vanilla butter sauce that was a little different but of so yummy. The steak was a little piece of heaven, expertly seared on the outside and perfectly medium rare on the inside; sitting in a pool of sauce you want to lick off the plate. On the side was a beautiful celery root puree with tiny root vegetables. To top things off we tried the Panna Cotta which sat in a pool of papaya syrup and the Warm Apple Galette with its ice cream slowly melting on its cinnamon crispy crust.

Great way to start 2016!

I don't know why this place has $$. It should be $$$. Basic entrees start at $21. But i was here for steak, Of course I ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, the $43 25 oz boneless rib eye - luckily my friend was there to help. Add in the french onion soup, and some sides, we had a feast!

The place is a little snug/intimate, and at times, it did get a little loud, but my friend and I had a great time drinking and eating.

I also like that it was happy hour until 630, not 6, like their website says. I'm not sure what happy hour really entails though. But I'd come back whether it was happy hour or not. I do see myself coming back for drinks during happy hour at the bar too.

Parking was pretty easy. I found a spot right out front, but Bart parking (which is usually pretty empty in the afternoon) is right around the corner too.