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BIRD DOG Palo Alto Yelp Reviews
Latest Reviews On Yelp
46 Reviews
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I have been here before a long time ago and came again for
I have been here before a long time ago and came again for one of our friend's birthday. They accommodated party of 24 in a nice private dining with fire pits! We had prefix menu and every single dishes are very good, Especially loved the salmon & steak. I think they sous vide and char the surface so it was so tender with full of flavor! I also liked how all the food was either meat or veggies so it would have accommodated someone who is on keto or glute free. The service was also good. They sliced our birthday cake and served each of us in a plate with their desert which is really nice. If you have a big party and want to have nice dinner, I highly recommend!!
Be the first to ReplyHolly shi! I love Bird Dog.
Every single thing on the menu is novel and delicious. Have you ever had a baked avocado in a ponzu sauce with a side wasabi mousse? No, you haven't. And when you do, you'll wonder what you've been doing with your life. Ditto for the Maine scallop with delicate poufs of coconut creamy goodness. That stuff is crack. Maitake mushrooms with white chocolate and dried yogurt; STUPID good! As good as all those things are, the King Salmon takes the prize. It's smoky, buttery heaven. The decor is modern and pleasant, and you can see the genius at work in the open kitchen. Thankfully, the service is efficient without even a hint of pretense. Luv that. Sure, it isn't cheap, but well worth it. They can drain my entire account for all I care, as long as they keep me on a steady drip of their inventive goodness.
Be the first to ReplyWe knew very little about the restaurant when we booked it.
I have now been reading and appreciate what the chef is attempting to do here and I felt like all the dishes were very unique and memorable. But the staff was kind of lame, timid, not seasoned. Aside from recommending the tasting menu (which is $145 pp++) no one really explained the dining "concept" or described the menu, made recommendations or in any way helped us figure out how to order. Most of us ordered a starter and a main, we also got a few veggie sides, etc., which worked out fine. Except that the wait staff brought everything and made a big deal presenting each thing down the middle of the table (as though we were all sharing). Huh? What is this?! "That's how we do it!" Whatever. We then had to rearrange or "claim" our plates. An odd dining experience for sure. Not sure I would come back. Also, our bill, with a bottle of wine, some beers and gratuity ended up being about $125 pp, so not sure how they justify the high tasting menu price.
Be the first to ReplyDespite having tried various Michelin-starred restaurants
Despite having tried various Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide, the food and service did not meet my expectations, in my honest opinion.
Be the first to ReplyWe tried this place for the first time eventhough this
We tried this place for the first time eventhough this restaurant has been around since 2015, according to the waitress. The plate is small, more like tapas. The dish name seems to indicate that it's Japanese influenced but I think it's just Asian inspired. According to our waitress most guests usually ordered 3-4 plates per person. With appetizer pricing at around $20/plate and main dish from $40-60, it's easy to go over $100/person. Music is a bit too loud for my taste, luckily the ceiling is pretty high and the speakers are somewhere in the ceiling, so the conversation on table level is not too bad. Service is similar to that of high end places where they clear everything, plates and utensils, when they serve something else regardless if you use any of them. Staffs are friendly, chef is doing final plating before it gets to each table. Food taste great, some dishes are quite refreshing. I don't know if their dishes are seasonal, I don't mind coming back if they rotate menu.
Be the first to ReplyVery good food.
Some dishes with unique combinations of flavors, some more tried-and-true dishes. Very attentive serving staff.
Be the first to ReplyAs the author of Eater wrote "Bird Dog .
..strikes "a well balance between comfort and adventure", and thats exactly how I would describe them. Bird Dog (the cutest name btw), features California cuisine with Asian influences. I came here twice in a span of 3 months because I really wanted to bring my then-bf/now fiance' here after having a great experience with a friend. We basically ordered everything off the menu, but the dish that stood out to me the most & would consider this as their staple is the "wood-grilled avocado with yuzu ponzu sauce". The avocado in combo with the sauce had a burst of sweetness, umami, and charred flavor that is so unique, memorable & honestly indescribable. Other dishes that were delicious were: - Seabream: so refreshing and well balanced in sweet, sour, tart & the sea - Fried chicken thigh: perfectly tender and moist - Brussel sprouts: wild it was delicious, it wasn't anything mind blowing or different. You won't regret ordering it though. - Pork Belly: this dish played well with different texture to balance out the fat and hearty meat.
Be the first to ReplyBeautifully decorated, loved the open kitchen, and overall
Beautifully decorated, loved the open kitchen, and overall wonderful experience. We ordered nearly the whole menu and we were stuffed! Everything was delicious and beautifully plated. Amazing service and the chef greeted us on the way out! If you're thinking about coming here, I'd definitely recommend.
Be the first to ReplyWhile the service was pleasant, the food itself was rather
While the service was pleasant, the food itself was rather mediocre. It wasn't particularly good or bad, just average. Additionally, the prices were on the higher side. It's worth trying once for the experience. Dont think I will come back
Be the first to ReplyFantastic ambiance for many occasions.
The service is absolutely incredible and the open kitchen is gorgeous as well. They played an Anthony Bourdain recording in the bathroom which was also cool. I think this place can be 5 stars but will need to come back and explore the menu more. Scallops were incredible as well as the chicken, but the smoked mushroom stole the show. Avocado was also wonderful. The meringue was also very good and was a nice way to finish the meal, although next time I want to try to creamsicle. The potatoes were good, everything was perfect but we really wish they were friend potatoes, since they were boiled the dish felt a bit flat and was fresh rather than crispy. This was likely the intention and I'm sure others like it, but will try something else next time. Do try this place, do put it on your list, the cocktails were wonderful as well. I wish Yelp would allow me to do a 4.5, but I will come back and review again some other time this year.
Be the first to ReplyLast night.
.. food - tasteless and unimaginative. Any home cook would have done better. Service = very non engaging Ambiance- like many of today's restaurants... this is what they're really selling, a place to hangout, be cool and the food becomes a prop for that. Any SF neighborhood restaurant would run circles around this place, at half the price.
Be the first to ReplyIt saddens me to give this place a 3/5 but and I wish I
It saddens me to give this place a 3/5 but and I wish I could score a little higher but the dishes were very underwhelming. The place is beautifully decorated and I loved the design of the restaurant 5/5. The service was amazing, we were early for our reservation and they were able to seat us right away. The servers made sure we had our waters filled and would check up on us occasionally 5/5 The food definitely was lacking. Maitake Mushrooms, I did love it was creamy and very flavorful 5/5 Kanpachi had a very interesting flavor but not enough to make it a wow factor. The Kanpachi was very fresh 4/5 Ahi tuna was under seasoned to almost no taste. It wasn't fishy but it definitely had almost to no flavor. All I tasted was the Shiso 2/5 Lettuce had beautiful garnishes and was flavorful but again still underwhelming 4/5 Salmon was flavorless it tasted like chili powder was just dumped on top 1/5 Chicken was basically a bougie popcorn chicken with hints of ginger with loads of chili powder on top 3/5 Cauliflower had a creamy sauce which was not bad but was not great 3/5 Matcha dessert probably was the best part of the meal 5/5 Overall my top three dishes were the mushrooms, Kanpachi, and the matcha dessert but the rest was such a disappointment. For such a beautiful restaurant with such beautiful and unique dishes the flavors fell flat and it pains me to give this beautiful place a 3 star but for the price we paid (about $300 with tip for two) I would have gone elsewhere.
Be the first to ReplyI loved the modern clean design.
The open spotless kitchen and prompt service set high expectations regarding the food. While the menu felt limited it proved to be just right. Everything was made to perfection and each bite triggered a conversation. Don't miss the sashimi, salmon and avocado The Chef was super friendly and generous. We will be back.
Be the first to ReplyWe love this place.
Our go to for date nights. Our favorite dishes are the avocado, chicken, and challah bread, though you really can't go wrong with any of the others on the menu.
Be the first to ReplyCame here for an early birthday dinner w/ reservations.
I've heard of Bird Dog for awhile, and it's been on my list to try since moving to Palo Alto! This place is great for dates, intimate celebrations, and a treat yourself night. I love the open kitchen concept, and the ambiance of the place. Their menu is quite limited, and split into 3 sections. Cold starters, warm appetizers, and entrees. We opted for the chefs menu which allowed our party to try just about everything on the menu! They also portion it out to how many people are at the table. I felt the chefs menu was with the price compared to ordering ala carte. In fact, it was too much food at one point! Overall, would be back for a celebration. The salmon and dry aged scallop were amazing!
Be the first to ReplyWas hesitant to try given the recent negative reviews but
Was hesitant to try given the recent negative reviews but we should've listened. Portions are tiny! Probably one scallop cut to look like 3 pieces and taste did not leave impression. Mushroom was good but served on a broken plate. We thought it was the design of the plate lol. It was a special occasion that they acknowledged twice but zero complimentary dessert, bread, or champagne. Would not recommend as there are many better places for the price nearby.
Be the first to Reply5 stars for our friendly and professional server lady.
3 stars for taste. The menu changes depending on the season and availability. I was expecting more from the highly anticipated restaurant but in terms of taste and value it let me down. The kampachi fish was a bit fishy, and the big eye tuna was good. The scallop was also kind of fishy. The salad was a letdown. The portion was very small but the presentation was nice. My favorite was the trout and the steak. The dessert was great too.
Be the first to ReplyWe came here for birthday celebration, and we ordered the
We came here for birthday celebration, and we ordered the chef's menu. In general, this is an upscale restaurant that focuses on Japanese-california fusion. The flavor is on the light and refreshing side and used less common ingredients, which was a great experience for you if you are looking for a more unique dining experience. The chef's menu was a four course meal, with three dishes for each course. The appetizer included dry-aged scallops, kanpachi, and big eye tuna. Next came the togarashi challah and maitake mushroom. The third course included wagyu, fingerling potatoes, and black cod. The restaurant ambience was very nice, dimly lit, which was comfortable yet romantic.
Be the first to ReplyThis was the most disappointing meal and experience.
Food was subpar. Literally not one of the 10 dishes we ordered was interesting. This place is trying too hard and not meeting expectations. Trying to live off an image and reputation without actually delivering a high quality product. Even the service was not very good. Wait staff doesn't really know anything about the food and just seems fairly inexperienced - not what you'd expect from a restaurant of this supposed caliber.
Be the first to ReplyI've given them 2 weeks to respond to their email asking
I've given them 2 weeks to respond to their email asking how my meal was and have not heard back. So, I am posting on yelp. We had what was supposed to be a celebratory birthday meal but we walked out deflated. The food was very uneven and experience unpleasant. As we were seated in front of the kitchen, we were immediately assaulted with a smoke that was unappetizing. We were hoping that it was fleeting and that their vents would kick in. Then, we noticed a cold breeze passing by us which was unusual. Upon going to the bathroom, we could see they had to prop open the back door to compensate for their lack of venting. It was a bit creepy because it felt like anyone from a back alley could greet you in the bathroom. This remained open for the whole night.We were looking forward to the food because we had heard good things from people who had dined there before though quite a few years ago. Many dishes lacked the umami (chawanmushi) that is expected with Japanese inspired cuisine. Some were just not tasty (avocado, black cod, and fingerling potato). Oh, and I must mention that the avocado looked like it was rotten (ugh) because it was covered in leek ash which served no purpose in flavor. The standout dish was the maitake mushrooms.The service was the one positive aspect of our night. I must mention that our server, Mariah, was exceptional. So much so that we couldn't bare to complain to her and risk changing her sunny disposition.I would not be so critical if this restaurant were in a lower price range. But with prices this high, I expect a complete package. Service, atmosphere, and food must be top notch. They only got one right. That is not acceptable and having to air out my sweater for three days afterwards isn't either. There are too many restaurants in the Bay Area that can get this all right so don't waste your time and money here.
Be the first to ReplyThe restaurant is well named.
..Bird Dog - (verb) To engage in the relentless pursuit of an objective or goal, often involving the accomplishment of tasks through other, less expedient people.So we went to Bird Dog having NOT looked at any reviews and after our experience looked back and were surprised to see how prescient the reviews were. We had a 7:15 reservation. We arrived at 7:05 and were told, no surprise, that our seat was not ready and we could sit at the bar. What we didn't expect was that the host would hand us bar menus and point us to the bar. We carried our menus to the bar and it was about 3 minutes before the person behind the bar even acknowledged we were there. I know they were busy BUT at least say "Hi!" (Now I see why we were "voluntold" to carry our own drink menus over). We were the only ones at the bar...The specialty drinks were all very interesting but didn't grab me at first so I asked if they had any suggestions on what to do with my favorite vodka and the response was "well what do you usually drink?" I was surprised by the response but answered "what about a 'screwdriver'". The response "we don't have orange juice". She did offer to replace the vodka in one of the specialty drinks with my vodka. So we wait until a little after 7:30 to see what is going on with our table. Now we had thrown them a curve ball by asking for a table away from the door but 30 minutes before they said that wouldn't be a problem. The host walked away, came back, and said "oh your table is ready" and pointed to the table right next to the host stand which is, of course, right next to the door. So a few observations:1. Why did I have to "bird dog" them to remember I was waiting (that table had been vacant for some time). 2. Why did they not at least acknowledge that while this table was clearly not the right table it is what was available and would we want to take it anyway (trading off time for table)? Instead back to the bar (this time they didn't hand me a menu). The plot thickens when the assistant manager came back to the bar a few minutes later to inform us they had been holding that table for 10 minutes waiting for another table away from the door to open up. WAIT, so the table had been available for some time and they didn't tell us of the tradeoff then and I had to "bird-dog" the host to get the latest?Oh and by this time there was another couple waiting at the bar and they were not offered the seat we had now declined so they also were needlessly delayed 7:55 we are seated and this time the menus were brought to us. The menu sections were explained EXCEPT for the Chef's Tasting menu. I asked the server "oh and what's the chef's menu about?" (Rule #1 of selling - make sure the customer is aware of the product)She explained it but never mentioned dessert (more on that later)We ordered the chef's menu for 2 and while the food was very good the appetizer had a few things to note. Two of the sashimi appetizers had 4 pieces (2 per person) but in both cases only 3 had the advertised topping (horseradish and apple slices respectively). The third appetizer was 3 groupings of seafood and 3 slices of citrus which is not cleanly divisible by the 2 of us at the table. So remember that dessert was not mentioned after WE HAD TO ASK to have the chef's menu described to us? Well around the main course we wondered if dessert was part of the tasting menu but figured we would just wait to find out. So the server comes over and hands us the desset menu with prices and walks away. My wife and I turn to each other and say "well I guess dessert is not part of the chef's menu - a first"A few minutes later the server comes back and says "well we have the granita coming for you" and we respond "oh so dessert is part of the chef's menu?" (Would've been nice if someone told us but we had to ask about the chef's menu in the first place so why were we surprised?)So overall the food was very good (although they do still owe us some horseradish and an apple slice) but the service was surprisingly sloppy especially for a restaurant supposedly of this caliber. The other definition of a "bird dog" is a dog that goes off to find tonights dinner that fell into the forest during the chaos of the hunt. In this case that was us the diner as we had to find the drinks, food and table during the chaos of the hunt (AKA "engage in the relentless pursuit of an objective or goal, often involving the accomplishment of tasks through other, less expedient people)They did comp the drinks...
Be the first to ReplyJust, ok.
Service: we were seated 20 minutes or so past our reservation time which wasn't great but there was a comfortable bar area to pass the time and given the size of the restaurant it's understandable there may be a wait even with a reservation. However, once we did get seated our waitress appeared to lack any personality. She was barely audible, when asked what she would recommend she wasn't helpful in the least, and the few interactions we had with her she did not appear interested in us in the least so there was a lack of warmth and comfort to the experience.Food: recommend, highly, the wagyu and the avocado. Pass on the frisรฉe salad and kanpachi. Overall, it was fine but the service was truly very stale. I would recommend trying the chefs menu as at least that included bread and a prefixed meal.
Be the first to ReplyBased on the prices I anticipated a Michelin star
Based on the prices I anticipated a Michelin star restaurant but it wasn't quite there. We were looking for complex flavors and some innovation but I didn't receive it. The food was good but not a repeat place
Be the first to ReplyUsed to love this place.
The new pre fix menu left me longing for the a la carte menu.
Be the first to ReplyFood was okay, probably not worth the price.
Pros fixe $95. Best dishes were the beet and maybe pork. All other dishes needed more seasoning, esp salad, bread, shima aji and bass. Tequila and grapefruit cocktail was good. Desserts were ok, chocolate one was kinda weird like styrofoamy. Also found it strange that the kitchen was super quiet the whole night (but I guess that's normal for prix fixe?) just didn't feel like the food was made to order? All prepped beforehand then plated, curious? Food was not hot when served. The restaurant itself has a great ambience not a fan of the music
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