Love this restaurant! They have delicious food and excellent service. I love sitting at the bar, dining and chatting with the friendly bartenders. It's the only restaurant in downtown Ptown with late night food service and live music almost every Friday and Saturday nights. There's even outdoor seating for those warm summer nights. If you haven't been already, give it a try...you're sure to love it too!
Review Source:Really enjoyed lunch here with my friend. Â She had the meatball sandwich, and I hate the steak. Â Wow- you get a lot of steak! Â This is one huge sandwich, Â Delicious fries, GREAT bread for starters, this place is a winner. Â We also had excellent service, and loved the decor. Â I can't wait to go back and try something else.
Review Source:So... My husband and I have been coming here often it was one of our favorite resturants. But the food quality varies and is never the same. Lately my husband has been ordering his usual, the lamb chops, he orders them medium rare. They bring them out and they are well done. We told our waiter, my husband hates complaining about food but I told him that If we are paying $30 a plate it has to be prepared the way he requested. So as I was eating my dish my husband had to wait for his to be prepared again. You would think they would offer him a glass of wine or something I mean this is not Applebee's. so he gets his plate back an the chops are raw inside. We gave up. The waiter could tell he was not happy but didn't stop to ask. I asked the waiter for the manager bc I was surprised no one came to check on us. The manager came over I told her and she knew all about it. Wow, then she acted like we were just trying to scam them and stated she would take $15 off. Whatever that's not the point. If I cared about the money obviously I would not be eating there instead I could have taken my family to McDonald's. anyways we decided to give them one last try and the server asked how my husband wanted his chops prepared and again he stated medium rare they came out well done. Why do you even ask? Apparently the chef does not know what medium rare is. We didn't say anything, just left it alone. At least our server Toni was nice. If you go here pls try to get one of the female servers they are so much nicer. SOME of the male servers act snotty it is disgusting... Wait u r serving me so why are you acting like a douche?
Review Source:The food is good, but a few things irked me about this place that make me dock it a few stars.
First off, came here for lunch, and there were only 4 or 5 tables with people (maybe a quarter of the restaurant?), so we figured the wait time wouldn't be too long, but we still waited about 30 minutes for our food. Â I get that some dishes take a little longer to prepare, and if you want quality you have to wait for it. Â That's fine, but during a lunch hour when we only have so much time before we have to get back to work, that does make a person wonder what's taking so long. Â I can't imagine how long the wait must be when the restaurant is actually full. Â
Second, it was weird that we weren't offered anything to drink. Â No wine list, no soda, nothing. Â After our waiter took our food order, he just bolted before I had to a chance to say, "I'm thirsty". Â A bus boy did bring out some bread and water, but like I mentioned in the first part of my review, it was 30 minutes before we saw our waiter again!
The last thing that bothered me was the portion size. Â I paid $16 for linguine and clams, and while the clams were fresh, they totally skimped on the linguine. Â I swear I finished the linguine portion in about 5 or 6 bites. Â I've had 99 cent frozen dinners that had more linguine than that.
I should say, my wife's steak sandwich was a nice size (and cheaper than my linguine with clams), so maybe clams are just super expensive and they were trying to cut costs on the pasta. Â Who knows.
Overall, the quality was good, and the place is clean and has a nice vibe to it, but I doubt I'll be coming back. Â All I could think about during lunch was that Quizno's I could see across the street, and what kind of sandwich I was gonna order after I was done here.
I have to say the wife and I love downtown old Pleasanton! Great little shops and awesome restaurants our kind of hang out spot! I finally have the chance to review this awesome place shoot we've only been coming here for 7 years! Was our favorite date spot and still is a feel good, brings back good memories kind of place for us. Â It had been a wile since we were around so Saturday night we decided we needed our awesome martini fixes so to Bacis' we went.
Try the pomegranate, lychee, rose water or actually any martini! They will not disappoint. To our surprise they had live music until midnight on Saturday we got there around 9 so the restaurant was still fairly busy, but we were sat right away. We love the ambiance very relaxing and the chandelier in the middle is beautiful. The live music creates a new vibe in the place, you feel like you want to sit back enjoy a glass of wine or sip on a cold martini total lounge feel.
We highly recommend the place. Saturday we just had drinks and appetizers, calamari and salad you really can't really go wrong with those two but highly recommend the various dinner options through the years we've had almost everything, steak, salmon, and some pasta dishes, and they've all been great! Avalon (manager) and her staff do an amazing job! Check them out! Have a glass of wine, unwind and enjoy a nice dinner in the heart of downtown! I know we will be back!
The food here is good which is why it gets four stars. My friend had been wanting to try this for awhile so we went here on a whim. It's definitely a place for special occasions and dates and not somewhere I'd go to on a regular basis.
That said, our server was good - she checked in on us constantly and kept us updated that we would get our food but it was really busy.
I ended up getting a pear salad and a butternut squash soup. Both were flavourful and filling. My friends ended up getting a pasta dish and a crab infused mushroom. They had so much food, they ended up taking it home.
The atmosphere is yuppie and a little fancier than I'd like which makes sense - it is Downtown Pleasanton after all so I felt a little underdressed coming here. Next time, I'll bring out the nice clothes.
Overall, I did enjoy my experience here. I just would only go back here once in a great while.
Don't live in this area but I was here for an event.  I usually like to try samples of other people's choices but that wasn't really cool at this event so I only tried my own food.  I ordered the Penne Alfredo and had them add bacon.  It was perfectly passable, but nothing to rave about.  However, since it was an event, several desserts were ordered for the table and I have to say - WOW!  Every dessert was exceptional!  Seriously, stop by here for desert and you won't be disappointed.  There was a chocloate dome, a lemonchello thing in a martini glass (with booze!) and a sorbet.  I honelsty couldn't even tell  you which I liked better, they were all that good.  If the meal had been this good, I would be giving this place 5 stars!!  The service was also good, but since it was an event, I can't really speak to how the service is in general.  But if I was in the area again, I would skip the meal and go straight to dessert!!
Review Source:I am here to review there reservation system and customer service.
I made a reservation for a party of 6 a week in advance and thank goodness I confirmed...or tried to. I left a message on their voice mail and they never called me back. Red flag. So, I called again later that evening and they couldn't seem to find my reservation. Eventually, after a long wait he found it. Thank goodness.
I was confused by their new "other" location in Danville that is new, and I guess it was just too much. The "host" was extremely impatient and couldn't be bothered...said he didn't know the address and cut me off. Really? Our conversation took all of 30 seconds.
Second guessing as to whether or not I actually want to go here. Hmmm....
Sorry guys...I'm just trying to spend money. Those darned customers...always getting the way!
UPDATE: the restaurant finally called me back and confirmed. Darryl was professional and polite.
Met my friends and had a decent lunch...nothing to write home about but decent.
Service was sub par. It took forever to get our beverages (ice tea) and after a 15 minute wait I gently reminded the waiter. His response was defensive saying they were short handed. We looked around and more than half the restaurant was empty. His attitude for the entire meal was on the sarcastic side. We just rose above it, focusing on each others company. That would have been easier if we didn't have to yell over the music they were playing.
Bottom line: OK, but there are lots of other choices in town. Had the attitude of the waiter been better we might have come back, but now I seriously doubt it.
Why would we?
Great Service. We ordered the Crab Cakes for the appetizer and the Chicken Milano for the main course. Both the Dishes were great. We shared the Chicken Milano between the two of us, since their portions are huge. For dessert we ordered the Chocolate Fondant Cake , which was just amazing! The cake was served with Ice cream and it tasted delicious.
The place has a romantic setting is very cozy and has live music on Friday nights after 10. Great place for a date. Great food and drinks.
This restaurant makes me feel like I am in some sort of cute Christmas Movie, dining with the man of my dreams, eating a fantastic meal.
Baci is small and intimate. During the holidays they have really fun and classic Holiday decor that makes you feel like you are at an old friends home, eating some home style food.
I love the Chicken Penne Pasta, and I know this may seem odd, but their water is really good! It is filled with sliced fruit and so good!
Service is always fast and they have a really great Pre-Fix Dinner for two meal before 6pm. Great date spot right downtown, close to Meadowlark Dairy too which is easily my favorite.
The owner was accommodating and very personable. Our wait was normal for a good restaurant, and the host was attentive throughout. It was a bit loud (which may have simply been the guy next to me going through midlife-crisis), but the food was superb and the staff kind and prompt. Worth the trip.
Review Source:Meh.  I mean that's really the best I can say about Baci.  I used to really love this place but that was a while ago.  I mean, first off, their prices are outrageous, they have a lunch salad that is $19!  Seriously?  It does have  some fish, but still, that's ridiculous. I get that it's downtown Pleasanton, and everything is super pricey but I didn't think anything we ordered was that fantastic.  I found their menu to be pretty boring and uninventive, they have a lot of salads, but really nothing that was any different from the 20 other Italian restaurants on Main st.  Service is ok, location is good.  I just would rather go somewhere amazing if I'm going to spend a lot of money on food.
Review Source:They are staying open late on weekends, now.
They must not want me to drink there, though, because the bartender ignored me for five minutes when I got there.
Then ignored me again to chat with the manager about nothing when my drink was empty.
I got two drinks, I would have had five. Â
When she finally talked to me, I had to teach her how to make a Manhattan. Â You wouldn't shake a baby, why would you shake a Manhattan?
Decent food. TERRIBLE service. The greeter hardly spoke a word to us and just sat us down. The waitress was SLOOOOOW. We didn't even get water for 15 minutes.
My father in law ordered a meal that included and app and desert. We didn't get his app for 30 minutes and our food took an HOUR to get.
Desert was probably the best part of the meal...but we didn't even get to choose it!!
This place is a joke. I'll never come back.
Food - 5 stars
Service - 4 stars
The only reason why I'm giving this place 3 stars instead of 4/5 is due to the lack of sincerity from either the waiter or manager. Â We started off with the Alaskan Halibut Tartar which was excellent, however half way through my mom spit out a broken rubber band. Â We immediately informed a waiter (not our main waiter) and he apologized once and told us he would tell "them" about it.
Through out the meal we were waiting for at least the manager to come by and apologize but the entrees came, then desert, then the bill and still no apology. Â We even walked past the manager on the way out and she didn't say a word. Â We don't know if the waiter didn't tell anybody, or if the manager just didn't care...either way it was unacceptable.
Even though it wasn't THAT big a deal to us, we were expecting a better apology than the one we received. Â They acted as if nothing had happened, it was very disappointing especially after having a delicious meal (the lobster ravioli and parmesan crusted sea bass were exquiste).
I thought the food here was excellent. We started with the Mango Ahi Tuna Tartar, which was great. The mangoes play really well with the tuna. Then I tried the butternut squash soup, which was extremely good. I recommended to try it and it didn't disappoint. My friend's BLT looked fabulous (the bacon looked perfect) and my shrimp scampi was excellent, with three giant prawns. They were a little hard to get off the skewer, so one of them flew onto the table. Be careful.
I also really liked their waters which had fruit in it. Always good to have fruity water - more restaurants should do this!
I think this is a great place to have lunch, especially with gourmet sandwiches or tasty pastas to choose from. I think I was skewed because the ratings were lower, but I couldn't knock it for anything. Would do it again!
First time ever here tonight for dinner with the fiance`, and our spoiled puppy Snowsong. We chose this restaurant mainly, because they are pet friendly with the outdoor seating. It was a little windy out tonight, however, their heater took care of that. Â The second thing that made me decide to try this place is that they serve Ribeye, and I always like to know where I can come back for it again. Thirdly, <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> has a deal with Baci for a $3.99 gift certificate that is worth $25.00 which we used this evening. We basically had appetizer, with the main course, and sodas plus gratuity for $39 with the $25 GC deducted.
Ambience:
Loved their music!
Appetizer:
Had the fried Calamari. This is where I took the star off, just because I was not a fan of their grilled lemon that I squeezed over the calamari. Next, the onion rings with the calamari was not as delightful as I had thought. The calamari itself was a bit rubbery. Might try something else next time...
Main Course:
Chicken Piccata - Loved it! It was very flavorful, and the mushrooms mixed with the capers were very good, though I would have preferred they didn't over do the capers, and I like the Piccata sauce to be creamier. The portion was just right, but definitely less on the capers. Probably won't order it again though I was satisfied. (I happen to not be in a Ribeye mood). Well seasoned.
Chicken Parmigiana - Your typical parmigiana dish, but I must say, the sauce is perfectly seasoned and so is the chicken. Probably one of the best I've ever tasted in this area.
Service:
Our server Martin was just lovely! He was very attentive, and friendly. Definitely a good asset to their restaurant to have servers like him. He kept it coming with the refills with the fruit infused water and out sodas without us having to ask. He always offered more bread, and such. Even if the gratuity was tacked to the gift certificate, he didn't give anything less. I can't wait to return!
Sooo..... 1 stars for food Atmosphere ONLY! checked in on foursquare and didn't see food for 56 mins.!!! After apps we only had to wait another 45 minutes to hear "your food is on the way out".
All in all very unpleasant experience for the price you have to pay. Will write a letter to the general manager to inform of the situation.
One stars: GOOD food and portioned well.
Negative 3 stars: Idiot waitress, poor customer service, burnt bread
I went here literally yesterday. I am still wreathing in frustration about the waitress. Â I guess where she comes from there is no such thing as good service or interaction with the guests. Â I came in got sat down with my girlfriend and waited for our server. Â This poor girl, had she known what review I would've wrote for her, she may have attempted to cater to us a little better. Â
I, at first, ordered the Dill Salmon with linguine plate. Â Was told okay great. My girlfriend ordered the Chicken Picata with linguine. Â We didn't even get any bread or water yet. Â Wait till you get a load of this. Â
The waitress came back and told me they ran out of salmon. Â I asked why. She tells me briefly, big parties ate all the salmon and maybe I should try something else. Â The place looks dead, where on Earth was the party that ate the salmon? It's null at this point, I ordered the lemon clam in herb butter sauce with linguine plate. Â We FINALLY got our burnt overdone bread and tap water.
Awesome. Paid $30 total for mediocre bread. Â Thank the Lord the food was good. Â The clams were not overdone and chewy like many places do it. Â Normally though you're supposed to be offered freshly cracked pepper over your dish. Never got that. Strike one. Â Never received another word after we got our food. Â Bottom of the 5th, another swing and a miss. Strike two.
My girlfriend and I finished our food and the waitress comes around the dining hall and does her side work. Funny how the world works right? Side work before her main work (catering to the customer). While she sets other tables, I put my card out to pay and she finally comes over. Â Fastball down the center STRIKE THREE!!! Â Guess this chick only communicates through money. Â Guess we should extend the same courtesy and tip her nothing as we got nothing out of her.
IF you want to have terrible service, come to Baci Cafe. I'm tired of reliving this experience so I will write no further.
BIG SIDE NOTE: THIS PLACE IS NOT A FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT TO HAVE THE TYPE OF IGNORING SERVICE EXPERIENCED BY MOST PEOPLE. Â
Fine dining it's acceptable for a server to come back between courses to check up on you, but the restaurant is a far cry from that.
A group of us from work went here for a business dinner earlier this week and I have to be honest - the food here was just "OK". We ordered pretty much every appetizer on the menu and those were the most flavorful of our meals. The caprese salad ingredients were fresh and the balsamic glaze they drizzled on top was fantastic. The fried calamari and crab cakes were very crispy and flavorful. The Steamed muscles were great but I think it needed a little kick to them - maybe crushed pepper in their white wine sauce and it would've been perfect.
I ended up ordering their halibut over a bed of risotto which was a bed of mush...blah. Risotto is tricky but if you can't do it right, don't put it on the menu. The fish had no flavor which was pretty disappointing. I would not recommend that if it's on their menu when you go there. My co-worker ordered the Chicken Parmagiano which apparently is her favorite dish in the world but that night, she barely touched the dish. Hmmmmm - perhaps not anymore?
The service at this place, however, is great. The ambiance was perfect and we were very comfortable during our visit. I would recommend this place for salad, appetizers and drinks since that seemed to be where they delivered. In my opinion, their main dinner items were overpriced and not prepared correctly and lacked in taste.
I'm all for given places a second chance so hopefully it was just an off night for them in the kitchen. I'll post an update if I ever return.
Not bad.
I mostly have mixed feelings about this Downtown Pleasanton restaurant. It was my parents anniversary a month back so they decided to hit up a local eatery. They were gracious enough to invite me along so I accepted.
Baci had a lively crowd that was mostly due to an obnoxious threesome at the bar. But oh well, I would be hypocritical if I get too upset since I am sure that  I have ruined my fare share of other peoples evenings with my antics. Â
Even though this place is going for a little more of an upscale atmosphere I noticed that a lot of people where in shorts. I was actually a little shocked by this. I know were not in San Francisco but come on people, this isn't Dublin. (I actually live in Dublin)
The food was was hit and miss. My salad was pretty tasty but the name of is escaping me. The steak was decent yet my potatoes were rock hard and lack any substantial flavor.
Well I don't think I will be coming back anytime soon unless the rents want to pick up the tab again.
Wow couldn't be more rude. Â Tried to go in and have desert. Was asked if we were sure and if we wanted to see the menu and we said we didnt need to see the menu. We were handed the menu anyways and the person walked away and then ignored us. Â Made us feel like we were not wanted. Â I will never be back after that kind of treatment.
I may not have been dressed up really fancy. But I don't think that should matter when I want to buy a 6.95 desert.
I went here yesterday with a VERY large work group. I think we had more than 10 people in our party. They took us all without a reservation.
It's a very cute and quaint inside.. with an Italian / Mediterranean flare. This place is so yummy. Their tomato basil soup is to-die-for!! I always get it every time I come. I've had the warm spinach salad before, and it comes with poached pears and feta or blue cheese (I forget) but again, it's delicious and it's a party of flavors in your mouth! =)
So for lunch I splurged on the carb-dish, and got the lobster ravioli. It was delicious. It was very rich, but light... so it was good for lunch and it'd be good for dinner too.
This is one of my favorite places to go in downtown Pleasanton. It has a great short-and-sweet menu, the staff it good (not excellent, but the food makes it worth it), a cute atmosphere with a wall of windows creating a light air in the small space.
I'm a fan, and this place will definitely get my vote if asked where to go in downtown Pleasanton.
Still on the hunt to explore the restaurants in Pleasanton, my work team and I stumbled across Baci Restaurant in downtown Pleasanton. Located on Main St - we managed to find street parking and downtown was pretty lively wtih folks walking around.
Baci has a nice interior - a small bar with Top Shelf Liquor, a few tables in the dining room - I'm a bit surprised how small is it. The staff was ok...friendly enough to pass, but definitely could have more enthusiasm.
I ordered the Dill Salmon - grilled salmon served atop pasta in creamy dill sauce. The salmon was delicious, but I didn't care too much for the pasta. A bit too rich for my palate...The highlight of the meal - the water that had oranges, apples, berries in it..YUM!
I don't know if I'd come here again - I'd probably order something different next time.
I found this place in my <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FDogFriendly.com&s=977fae8b2a23d75a4394a160d82448d2e6c043a467235d2f3e1a23be249b2717" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://DogFriendly.com</a> book. My husband and I always go out to eat on Sundays so we decided to bring the wiener along today. Â Plus it said they have a full bar.
I called ahead to reserve a table outside for 1:30 pm. We were a little early but the three tables outside were empty so they just sat us. We roasted our balls off in the sun. For being the first day of February it was pretty fricking hot today.
I was disappointed because they didn't have a mixed drink menu only a wine list. I had a Tanqueray and tonic and my husband had a bloody mary. Not so good he said. Mine was a Tanqueray and tonic you really cant mess that up.
The food was really good. I had the Clams Linguine and my husband had the Lobster Ravioli. Very home made tasting. The sauces were excellent and even better at the end when we sopped the excess up with pieces of bread. Delicious. The food made up for the lack of a custom drink menu.
The day we discovered Silver Palate was gone, we went to Baci for lunch.
They have done some remodeling...added a bar, paint, new chairs...all nice. I noticed on the receipt it said 500 Main...have  they changed their name??
Our lunch was good. I had the Shrimp Louie salad....fresh, lightly dressed, with a ton of nice bay shrimp. Hubby had the tuna sammie...he said it was very nice.
Service was fine, but as usual we went early...arriving while they unpacked their new bar stools.
I would go back for soup and salad lunches.
I know the Bay Area is becoming overpopulated. Â WTF is happening when you go to 4...FOUR!!! restaurants at 7 effing 30 on a Tuesday and there's at least a 25 to 45 minute wait?!?!?! Â ON A FREAKING TUESDAY NIGHT?!?!? Â DOESN'T ANYONE (who isn't me) COOK AT HOME ANY EFFING MORE!!???
All my hubby and I wanted was a nice semi-romantic dinner. Â We work opposite shifts, and time spent with him during the week is rare because I have to be up at around 4:00 am. Â He usually gets home after I'm in bed. Â 7:30 for dinner is pushing it...I still had to drive back to Tracy to get to bed!
After calling and running around to 4 "chain" restaurants, we remembered Main Street. Â I saw the corner building and remembered we'd dined there before, early in our courtship. Â I honestly didn't remember the food, but I remember the atmosphere was good.
We were seated immediately. Â The restaurant was about 1/3 full, mostly of your standard uptight Pleasanton-ites, but they were a distance away. Â It was not quiet, but the conversation level made our conversation private as it would be difficult to overhear. Â The decor is elegant, and the low lighting and single taper candles definitely create a mellow and romantic mood.
There's only wine and beer -1 star, but the wine list is neither stingy nor pretentious. Â We ordered a mid-price Merlot that was pretty good.
The menu however seems a bit pretentious to me. Â There are about 20-30 entrees, most of which are seafood. Â Instead of giving information, it simply lists the name of the pasta and a few items in it, (i.e. Â Shrimps with linguine, broccoli, and tomatoes.) Is there a sauce? Are the shrimps sauteed or steamed or grilled? Â I felt like an ass asking the waitress what was in each dish, so I took forever to decide. -1 star
In the end I got the tomato basil soup as a starter. I would recommend it with no qualms as it was rich, tart and simple. Â I had chicken Marsala with broccoli and mushrooms as an entree. Â The pasta was perfectly cooked but rest of the food seemed bland and unimaginative. Â My husband got the rainbow trout which he said was nothing special. Â The 4 layer chocolate cake we ordered for dessert was very good, not too big, not too small, rich and moist. Â The coffee isn't bad either.
The service was excellent. Â The waitress was attentive but unobtrusive. Â She was patient and offered suggestions and remained friendly and helpful.
I'd recommend this place for wine and dessert because there are outside tables and a romantic atmosphere. The food seems a bit overpriced, but the service is wonderful.
Baci is under new management. The new owner personally came by my table while we were having dinner last night. Myself and a group of friends were in Pleasanton for a post bachelorette dinner. Â The manager owner gave me a glass of wine in celebration of my pending nuptials. I thought that was really nice and added the experience.
The dining area is small but very quaint. Each table has a candle and the waiter comes by to light it when dinner starts. The service was really good and I thought the atmosphere was nice. Its a great place for a date or a place to chat with a bunch of friends over a glass of wine and a plate of pasta.
The food is good. I had the Fettuccine Vongole. I would say my plate was mostly clams. I was amazed at how many clams were in there. It wasn't like most places where you have to dive into the noodles to search for your food.
Overall, I was happy with my food and the service. I'll come back to eat here when I'm in town again.
For the Pleasanton location, I like Baci Cafe.
It's a nice, dimly lit restaurant, full of windows to be able to look outside, with seating suitable for intimate parties of two to 10 people if you need it.
Food... again, for Pleasanton, it's good. Â We have had a variety of things here during our 10 or so visits over the last few years, and with the exception of one time when everything was rather "off" - it was all generally good. Â The food and soups are very rich, though - a little goes a long way.
Service leaves much to be desired, and given the ambience they try to play off - one would hope for more, but it's not the worst either. Â Good wine selection and while it is set for a more romantic dinner - - I've always had a good time taking a bigger group of friends here to eat good food, good wine, and talk about life.
If Baci Cafe were in the city (SF), I'd probably give it 2.5 stars. Â But again, given the availability (or lack thereof) of truly good food in Pleasanton - - Baci is a nice, safe bet when looking for dining options. Â Prices are reasonable, too.