I love the happy hour from 3pm to close everyday. The food is really good too and the prices as well.
3 stars because the service is so bad. I usually sit at the bar and get served pretty quickly, but after that is is impossible to get the attention on the servers. They are often at the end of the bar eating or chatting with each other. I think out of the 10 times I have been I have only been served promptly (re-order wise: ie, a new drink, more food) Â once or twice.
Best happy hour in town if you can get re-served after your first drink.
Location/Atmosphere: Located on University Ave in Palo Alto, CA. Close to the CVS. There's 2 parts to this place. There's an actual restaurant, and there's the bar which looks almost like its own separate establishment, save for the one doorway that is open so you can walk into the other side. The Bar seems to be going for a tiki lounge look. It's nothing special, think the decor isn't quite to where they're going for, for the look.
Service: was okay. They were able to flag down if needed. But I think they were a little on the slow side. And I'm not sure why, but whenever they brought us things, like plates, or glasses of water, it was always short. Kinda strange. We'd get 3 glasses of water for 5 people, or 4 plates for 5 people. I really wanted to like this place for happy hour for drinks but, as of now it just isn't on the top of my list. It's great their happy hour lasts so long. It's from about 3pm to closing in the bar, and the restaurant is 3-7pm. But we ordered shots for our group. First of all, they didn't know quite a few of the drinks we attempted to order, or what a chaser was. Then we finally just ordered some shots of vodka. One, it took quite a while to get the shots. Second.... they were really warm!! It was so hard to take. And watching the "bartender" do her thing, it just looked like she wasn't the bartender, that maybe the bartender wasn't at work, and she was just trying to figure things out to the best of her ability. So yeah, the staff are friendly, but the service was just lacking.
Food/drink: As mentioned above, warm vodka was just not a good thing. Food on the other hand. We ordered most of the tacos: the kalbi, honey pork, and fish. They were pretty awesome.
Return factor: Unlikely. But if I were to come back, it would only be to have more of those wonderful tacos.
Their happy hour is a good deal and their margaritas aren't bad. Â Considering there isn't really another place to get reliable margaritas on University Ave, why not go to the Vietnamese place, right?
Their food is pretty good, but their happy hour menu is kind of limited. Â But they do have nice vegetarian options.
I like the uncrowdedness of this place and the sort of weird tiki vibe. Â But you'd think since it's in Palo Alto, maybe you wouldn't have to go up to the bar to pay...maybe you could just give it to your server. Â Alas.
But hay, they take Amex and their bathroom is clean. So that and cheap decent drinks and veggie happy hour options...I'm a fan!
Found a hair in my drink. Â Yuck! Â And when I finally managed to flag down someone to point out the problem, they made a fresh one but still charged me for it. Â Waiter has a bad attitude and doesn't seem to give a crap. Â I wouldn't come back as there are so many better places to have a drink nearby where hopefully you don't find the bartender's (?) hair in your food or drink.
Review Source:Depends on your server... the Mai Tai is good... The Sangria is not. Â We went for happy hour and when we wanted to leave - both servers were eating and on break, we waited 20 minutes with empty glasses and then got the wrong check.
Can't comment on the food, but not thrilled with the service. Â I *might* give it another shot.
Happy hour from 3pm to closing!
First off, Madame Tam is split into two sections. The regular restaurant section and the bar area. You need to be in the bar area to get the happy hour goodies.
There's a nice variety of Asian Fusion goodies on the menu from kalbi tacos to spring rolls to samosas.
The tacos are probably the best deal at $3.99 per order. You get two tacos and you can choose from kalbi, chicken, pork and fish. The kalbi tacos are pretty tasty, but I think I prefer the ones from some other food trucks.
The butterfly shrimp were nice. Crunchy on the outside with a sweet chili dipping sauce. The samosas are a good filler, but strays from the traditional samosa flavors I crave. The fry basket is made of regular fries and sweet potatoes. You can skip this. Unless you're drunk and need to sober up. =P
If you want to get your drink on, they have margaritas by the pitcher. Nice!
The biggest turn off is the wait for the food. The waitresses took our order quickly, but it took a while for all of our food to come out. In fact, we were missing food that we ordered here and there. And when we asked where the rest of our food was, the waitresses seemed confused. They thought we were ordering more food rather than asking for food we already ordered. We ended up asking multiple times and our missing food only trickled out. I would be more understanding if the place were packed, but we were basically the only table in the bar area.
Not sure if I'll come back here for happy hour, but their pho looked tasty. I'll have to think about it.
This place is a hidden gem in Palo Alto. The funniest thing is that while it shares the kitchen with Madame Tam Asian Bistro (the two are just door by door), the other one gets worse ratings.
Food: really good if you are on Tim Ferriss slow carb diet. Shaking beef, Chinese chicken salad, clay chicken pot, Â lemongrass pork chops are my favorites.
Bahn-mi is great., I like korean bbq bahn-mi most.
Drinks are more than very decent, with pretty tasty mojitos and pina coladas. Not a huge fan of margeritas there.
The best think about this place is that it serves food at least till around 10pm - unique in Palo Alto, where you would find most of the kitchens close at 9pm.
Liked the old waiters and bartenders more than the ones they have now... the girls are sweet and good with drinks and everything, but there is rarely a "human connection".
Came in for Happy hour. I had the chicken taco's they were pretty good and very filling for the $3.99 price. The beer was nicely price as well $2.99 for Sapporo. Will come again if I'm in the area with time to kill.
Stayed a little long then I thought waiting for my husband to get off work. So I tried the fish taco's. They were o.k. I liked the chicken better.
It was really cold because they had all the glass doors open in the front, so I decided to have some tequila hoping it would warm me up and it didn't. So then I decided to get some Pho it was really good, just a little to much meat for me. I prefer to have more juice. Next time I will order a large bowl maybe I'll get more juice.
more happy hour power on the university ave strip in downtown pa!
happy hour starts at 3pm and goes all the way until closing, which is great for both early birds and late night owls.
the taco special was 2 tacos for $3.99, so i ordered two fish tacos. Â tacos were average tasting but a hearty size for an appetizer portion.
i wasn't in the mood for alcohol, so i inquired about their juice selection and was surprised to hear that they only had orange juice and lemonade! Â i couldn't even order a cranberry juice, which is pretty standard at most bars. Â i settled on a good ole glass of ice h2o.
this is a good place if you like beer and tacos as the prices can't be beat, especially for downtown pa. Â but if your taste buds are calling for something else, then best to hit up another joint just down the block or around the corner.
I'm reviewing this spot solely based on their drinks! What a gem in downtown PA! My friend mentioned the name kind of sounds a bit inconspicious, but who cares!  I'd really recommend this place if you like good drinks with a small price tag with good service. For $15--- was it $15? I forgot, cause my date paid the tab, but I just remember that we were so shocked and flabbergasted by awesome prices and hour ranges for happy hour! A pitcher of Stella didn't cost us anymore than $20-- which is great! We also got some fruity tropical drinks, strawberry daiquiri  for me, the hurricane for him. It's also topped off with fresh fruit and a rad peacock topper. Service is great, you're well tended to here, and they are friendly. The place is not bad itself- it has the ambiance of a Caribbean tropical place with the whole bamboo wall fixings. Bathrooms are clean too, and they cleaned up our spill right away after my clumsiness spilled beer on the table.  Thanks Madam Tam, we were able to enjoy good cheap drinks in a nice spot in downtown Palo Alto. Btw-- Parking is good, you can easily find street parking or park in the parking lot. It sure does beat trying to find parking in San Francisco. They do have TV's so you can watch sports or the news, and from what I remember happy hour is from 3pm-closing. The great thing about their happy hour is that they stay opened till the crowd dies down (of course, they will close at 2am- cali law!) I have yet to try the food too, maybe we should eat next time we come here so we wouldn't have gotten so buzzed right away(teehee!).
Review Source:Bar by Madame Tam is a solid place for some low-key food when you don't want to spend your whole paycheck on University Avenue in Palo Alto. I've come here on several occasions for some beers or specialty cocktails and some snackers.
Their Original Banh Mi sandwich (ham, ham terrine, and pate with all the fixings on a toasted baguette) is only $3.99 and very solid for that price. This is a great late night snack after you've had too much booze. You can add extras (curry dip, fried egg, etc.) or order one of the specialty Banh Mis.
You can also order anything from their next door restaurant "Madame Tam" and they'll bring it to the separate bar establishment. I recently tried their Premium Noodle Pho with rare sliced steak (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bar-by-madame-tam-palo-alto?select=hIdZMZCIwx2-1fwNZoWMZg#hIdZMZCIwx2-1fwNZoWMZg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>). The broth was very rich and delicious and the noodles was a toothsome bite to them the way I like it (not a fan of an overcooked mushy noodle blob in my phos). The steak was a bit more on the tougher side and I wish they served green onions as a side condiment in addition to the fresh basil and soy sprouts. The large portion ($9.95) was gigantic and I could only eat half of my bowl.
My boyfriend had the Madame Tam's Noodle Soup (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bar-by-madame-tam-palo-alto?select=hIdZMZCIwx2-1fwNZoWMZg#iKpJLSjTv4Y3hbdCPE356g">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>) served with shitake tomato sauce on a bed of prawns, chicken, and fresh greens. A bowl of broth is served separately and then you can mix it together as you like. The prawns were delicious, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the taste of the broth once the tomato sauce was mixed in it.
They also have a daily Happy Hour from 3-7pm which I've only tried once, but will definitely be back for more.
Service is always very friendly, but sometimes it can take a while to get your server's attention when you are seated at one of the tables rather than at the bar counter.
Overall it's a 3.5 stars for me in regards to food quality and service, rounded up to 4 since I've always left content and full.
Came here to watch the game with a few friends over the weekend since my friend had recommended it. I was glad I did because Happy Hour starts at 3pm-closing! I was met by prompt service by our waitress and continued to ordered a Philly cheese steak (spicy) and a pitcher of Lagunitas IPA (my fave!). The cheese steak was absolutely delicious! Cooked to perfection with the addition of sauteed Spanish onions, sauteed/diced jalapenos, and a hefty serving of paper-thin sliced rib-eye steak. I gotta say, I like the feel of the bar. Its a lot more inviting than the other bars in the surrounding area. It feels more cozy, welcoming, and unpretentious. With good service, welcoming feel, and a good selection of food/alcohol, The Bar by Madame Tam is a true winner in my book!
I shall return.
This place is a secret on University Ave. The drinks are cheap and great and happy hour lasts till close. Unheard of.
Service has always been great, and on a number of occasions even allowed us to stay much later than close in order to finish our pitchers
I like their Margarita and Sangria pitchers.
I made a huge error when I ordered a sandwich here for lunch. For some reason I ordered an "American" bahn mi. It was basically a cheeseburger in a baguette. For the life of me, I'm not sure why I didn't get a regular bahn mi. What I got was OK, but nothing spectacular. I hope to go back and get the right thing and enjoy it more. Oh, and the sandwiches are also CHEAP.
Review Source:I feel like this place is under-rated for a few reasons:
1) Delicious banh mi's (that are also cheap)
2) Fast and efficient service, particularly with drinks
3) Spread out tables, great place to talk with friends
I've always had a great experience at The Bar - hard to complain with quick and cheap beer, good service, and significantly above-average bar food (particularly the banh mi's)!
Love this place! Went there several times, and I believe this is the place to go for an inexpensive delicious meal on University Avenue. Sandwiches for 3.99 to 5.99 and very yummy noodle pho for 9$. The staff is also very nice. The decor is bleah , and it is quite cold inside, but the food is great!
Review Source:I'm always a little suspicious of a place that can't seem to pick a genre of food, but my friends and I ate here last night and it was surpisingly decent. Â You sit down to something like five different menu pages, so it's a bit overwhelming, but you can get anything from Vietnamese to Thai to standard American fare like filet mignon and french fries smothered in stuff. Â And happy hour in the bar side lasts from 4pm until close, so drinks are pretty cheap, and they have a pretty good selection to choose from.
For food, I got the roast duck with sticky buns. Â The duck was pretty good, and a lot of it! Â Though, it was cooler in temperature than I'd have liked. Â The sticky buns, on the other hand, were exceptionally hot. Â One friend got the shaking beef which was very tasty; the only fault there was one bite that was full of gristle, but otherwise was quite excellent. Â The third in our party is vegetarian, so ordered something off the "Vegeratian and Vegetables" section of the menu. Â I still find it odd to be vegetarian and ordering a dish with a meat-like-product in it, but she got the vegetarian orange chicken. Â The soy chicken was a reasonable imitation of chicken, and my friend seemed to like it pretty well.
The service was pretty friendly, and they were prompt whenever we needed something. Â So, the place is definitely not as fancy as many of the alternatives on University, but this is a pretty good place for a decent and inexpensive meal, especially if you also want to have some drinks with dinner.
One of my favorite Happy Hour places in Palo Alto. Not only is the Banh Mi sandwich $3.99, but it is delicious. Solid lunch food.
Diane is pretty rad. She attentive, sweet, and always looks busy. I like looking at the staff and if they are standing around, then I know what kind of place it is. (Lazy!)
I like having that "Cheers" feeling and For me, The Bar is that place where everybody knows my name. Â
Go there for lunch, go there for Happy Hour and enjoy the special $20 White Sangria pitcher. Ask for Diane, and enjoy yourself. I know I do!
One of the few places open late with a quietish atmosphere. Didn't want the crowded spots, so stopped in here.
They had a some food specials, so we tried their vietnamese sandwich. They had a pretty good beer happy hour special, really good.
Overall, came for a drink and tried their sandwich which wasn't bad. I'll probably stop by for the drink specials.
I ducked in here on a rainy night with a good friend, and we were happy with our choice. Â The shaking beef was delicious, I mean delicious, as was the shrimp I stole from my friend. Â The drinks were solid too--we had some margaritas and a couple of their hurricanes, which are smallish (I understand real hurricanes are huge) but packed a punch. Â The servers were friendly, and when some of our drinks took a little while, they apologized and explained. Â After how good the food was, I am looking forward to trying more things. Â Oh, and the happy hour that lasts until closing means you can get some really reasonable prices on drinks and appetizers. Â Fun atmosphere, although it wasn't that crowded.
Review Source:It's hard to figure out where to start with this place. The summary is awful service and incompetence. Sounds harsh I know but our experience was nearly comical it was so bad.
It was a packed night on the streets of University yet there were only 2 people in this establishment. Perhaps we should have taken it as a sign but we decided to go in as we weren't into crowds and waiting forever for a drink.
I went there with my guy, my mother and a friend. We sat outside. There were only 2 other people in the bar. We all ordered either wine or beer. It took 15 minutes for any drink to come out and they weren't even served at the same time.
I ordered a red wine. One taste and in my opinion, the wine had turned bad. My friend had the same experience. We waited for so long and started to marvel at the fact that there were 2 servers and 2 parties in total and it still was unbelievable that we weren't getting any attention. I decided to get up and go to the bar inside and exchange the wines for a white. I politely explained that I believed that the wine was bad and asked to exchange. They said yes to their credit. I said, I'll wait and take them to the table to make it easier. She said that she'd rather bring them to the table and I said ok. Then we sat for another 10 minutes and I honestly started to wonder if they were having trouble opening the bottle!
The atmosphere in the bar is tiki like and is sort of fun. I really believe it could be hopping if they dramatically improved the service.
I've been here a couple time with coworkers for some drinks and happy hour stuff....pretty decent stuff at a reasonable price.
The last time I was there I had the nachos with beef...it was alright, definitely not the best nachos I've had...just alright.
The staff is really friendly, and know us pretty well by now.
I'll definitely be back here for some more happy hour specials!
I can truly say I have never sat in a restaurant before and knew from the moment that I ordered my drinks and appetizers that it was not going to be a good meal. Â We ordered the Mojito and Bloody Mary; which took approximately ten minutes to get to our table. Â The Mojito came to the table and was very watered down and did not taste like any Mojito I have ever had. Â The Bloody Mary was ok but we had to ask for the side of olives because it did not come with anything. Â We ordered two appetizers - the wings and salmon spring rolls. Â We asked the server a question about the wings and it did not seem that she could speak well enough English to understand us. Â So, we went ahead and just ordered them anyway and thanked her for trying. Â When we got the wings they were raw and bloody inside. Â We each had a piece of one and did not eat the rest. Â The salmon spring rolls were a little better. Â We decided to get our check and walk across the street and order dinner somewhere else. Â It took us approximately 30 minutes to get our appetizers and once we had kindly piled our plates another 15 minutes before we got our check. Â It was just an awful experience with the food overall. Â They did seem to have great happy hour prices on beer - maybe next time we will stick just to the bar.
Review Source:So, I'm not 100% sure this should be a separate Yelp entry, but the bar seems to be a unique entity. It's got its own address, that I know -- and seemed to have its own kitchen, though I could be wrong. Anyhow, I thought it would be useful to review the bar separately, since I didn't visit the restaurant.
I stopped in because I saw an ad for Bahn Mi sandwiches for $3.99. I got one for pickup, and I have to say, it was pretty solid. Not the best sandwich I've ever had, but for $3.99 (cheap in palo alto!), I got a very hefty ~9" sandwich with ham, cucumbers, peppers and some other stuff. Pretty tasty. The bread seemed fresh too. I'll definitely be back for more sandwiches.
The bar had two very big TVs for sports, though the decor was a little "fake Hawaii" (-1 star). But it was still a good spot and the food was solid.
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