I was expecting much more from Emberz based on reviews and seeing that it has been the restaurant of the month on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmymotherlode.com&s=193f4bcab389a8d79b4e8d7786fa32f0e9743364644c67c25836cf5df628e64c" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://mymotherlode.com</a>. I ordered the Calamari Frito with the lemon parsley aioli and decided it was way too much fat dipping something already fried into lemon flavored mayo. I asked if they had cocktail sauce and was told yes. So I waited, waited, and waited some more. When I requested cocktail sauce for the third time I was told that they threw it out because no one was ordering it so they had to make a fresh batch. When it finally arrived, my calamari was cold and not very appetizing. My roommate ordered the Pastrami Mommy and it was okay (average). I ordered a special which was a Cajun penne pasta with Andouille sausage with shrimp, onions, and peppers in a cream sauce. It was so-so. Would I ever order it again? No. While it was in the 70's outside, it must have been in the mid 80's in the restaurant. It was uncomfortably hot. It was a relief once we left the restaurant and felt the cooler air. I can't tell if we picked a bad night and I ordered the wrong thing, but I'm pretty sure I will not be returning. I really wanted to like this place but I feel it fell short of all the hoopla.
Review Source:We were on a Saturday pleasure drive and found ourselves in Sonora. (I love this little town.) Â We were hungry and saw a few options, but I knew my hubby would love a burger so we chose Emberz. (I also loved their sign that said they had Foodz.) Â We were greeted as soon as we entered. I used the restroom and when I came out, we had a table. We were then re-greeted by a bored, disengaged, rather-be-somewhere-anywhere-else waitress who took our orders.
I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't in a great mood but I am always kind and engaging with servers. This time was no exception. I ordered from the menu and checked to make sure there wasn't anything on the burger I ordered that wasn't on the menu. I ordered the burger that comes with a fried egg on it. Hubby got the one with Guinness Aioli. He ordered his medium as did I. They came to us medium rare (VERY pink inside still) and the egg on mine was a slimy beast. I sent it back to have them cook the egg...and the waitress had to come back and ask me how I wanted it cooked. I said, "just so the white isn't slimy anymore." Â So I got the burger back, new egg, still slimy, bun slimy (could have put that on the grill to cook the egg on it...and slime on the plate. No mention of lettuce, tomato and pickles on the menu and no mention of any special sauces...so I did ask for "no onions and no sauce" but I've since learned I need to say, "if it's not mentioned in the item description, I don't want it on the plate"
In the end, I took it all apart, ate some bacon, a few bits of the burger and was so upset by the lack of service and the whole slimy experience.
I really wanted to like this place, but the service was terrible as soon as we sat down. The birthday cake drink is okay, but again, I like it when the menu is CLEAR about what's included/excluded in the items so you can decide. No mention of whipped cream and sugar sprinkles, which I would have skipped.
NO ONE In this establishment cares about providing a product they are proud of and it shows. I won't be back.
We were just visiting town, so we decided to go to Emberz on Saturday night for dinner. The food was really good, so A+ there. The ambiance could use some work. Why are the lights so bright on a Saturday night that one could operate on top of the bar? Also, didn' tunderstand the out-of-place 50s music happening that didn't match the hipster vibe at all. My husband and I were very confused by the vibe and it didn't make us want to stay and hang out. The next day, Sunday, we decided to go in for lunch again before heading out of town. This time, the lights were at a normal level and there was more modern music on. This was so much better! Why isn't this the norm for Saturday nights? But again, the food was super good, so no complaints there.
Review Source:I think my wife and I would have liked this place, except for the service. Â Really not very friendly and our meal (just lunch) took over 30 minutes to get. Â Turns out the kitchen hadn't made any of the salsa yet. Â Our waitress didn't bother to tell us, nor did she really come by much at all. Â And the food was just average. Â We were there about a week ago and I can't even remember what we ordered. Â Boring food. Â Worse service. Â Sorry, because Sonora really does need a good restaurant or two. Â You can't go to the Diamondback all of the time.
Review Source:I not only worked at Emberz, but I love to eat here too! Cocktails are creative and amazing. We always haves delicious specialty cocktail so always ask your sever what's new! And the food is top quality and always fresh. Try the butchers block or fresh catch special. Always so tasty!!
Review Source:We went to Emberz for our second time this past Saturday. Â Both of our visits were equally delicious. Â The service is great and the servers are very friendly. Â On our first visit my husband had the fish and chips. Â The fish was cooked perfect, fresh and the batter nit too heavy. Â I had the plank salmon salad which was cooked perfectly....this visit I had the shrimp sandwich special recommended by our server and it was fantastic, my husband had the turkey burger which he loved. Â We highly recommend this restaurant. Â There aren't many spots as good as this one In the area.
Review Source:Yummy! Fried pickles OMG!!
Food is great, service is friendly and the place is nice and clean with a edgy hipster kinda vibe. We tried the ruben with sweet potato fries, and the pulled pork with soup of the day (potato curry). Everything was delicious; the ruben was salty scruptiousness and the sweet potato fries were crispy outside/ soft inside perfection; the pulled pork is the best I've had in a long time, it's served with fresh CRISPY cole slaw and deep fried pickles on top! Yummiest!
They really should have a basket of the pickles on the menu, they are so darn good, I will be back just for those!!
A group of 7 of us were visiting bear valley  from Los Angeles. While wine tasting in Murphy's we randomly met the owner, Cindy, and she invited us to her restaurant in Sonora. We decided to stop on our way home to LA a few days later. What a great surprise!!! Our server, Natalie, was very knowledgeable and friendly. Cindy also greeted us warmly. We all enjoyed the Moscow Mule cocktails. I liked the sassy vibe of the menu. My friends ordered burgers, turkey burgers, and pear salads all with rave reviews! We all discussed this will now be a tradition on our way home to LA each year. Expect us MLK day in 2014! Thanks Cindy!
Review Source:Emberz does feel a bit out of place in this town but I guess it's nice to have something new. The menu was pretty creative, Guinness aioli, sriracha blue cheese! They have a good rotating local beer selection and my favorite, Moscow Mules! I thought the pizza section on the menu would be bigger since they have a fancy pizza oven. I got the Portobello burger and asked for fried pickles on the side instead of french fries and told the server she could charge me extra for it, I LOVE PICKLES. I didn't understand her reasoning but she basically said no, hm. I think they should have fried pickles as an appetizer on it's own! People love deep fried foods.
Love the orchids on the plates, they're edible! I was also impressed that the server memorized all 6 of our orders with out writing it down but I thought it strange how she counted the change back out loud in front of the entire table. The book signing thing is a cute idea but I didn't feel like it matched the decor of the restaurant but did anything really match? It's like a quarreling couple couldn't decide on the decor so they just compromised on half 50's retro print and half I drive a lifted truck with giant tires look.
Emberz was recommended to us by a local so we decided to check it out. Loved the vibe. Â Loved that the check comes in an old book which you can sign if you choose. Â Loved the simple and delicious menu. Why four stars? Service was SLOWWWW. They got everything right (food allergies and substitutions) but they took so long to get our order and to check on us at the table. I will go back, I'm sure it will be better and faster next time.
Review Source:We had a great dinner. Â 3 guys on our way to the casino and we stopped in based on some good reviews. Â Well, when our waitress told us that they had a new york steak special, we all put down our menus. Â The drinks were perfect and the steaks done just as we ordered. Â They were really good as were the veges and potatoes that came with the dinner. Â A really nice dinner. Â We wanted to go back on Thursday night to have dinner and watch the game but they have no TV in the bar. Â Too bad.
Review Source:We've been there a couple of of time, has been disappointing, salads are good and good beer on tap, the rest a let down. Â Their signature appetizer is a cheese fondu, but not brought to table over a flame...so guess what the cheeses cools, and liquids separate and becomes very unappealing. Â They need to go back to basics
Review Source:Had lunch at Emberz today with out of town guests. Â Our servers were very friendly and doing their best but the service was very slow. Â At the time we ordered the place was not very busy but it was over 45 minutes before we were served. Â Our order was not complex...just four sandwiches and two burgers. Â Food was decent but not really worth the long wait.
Review Source:Amazing place!! Â Went there with some friends on Saturday and not only was the autmosphere great, so was the food, drinks and service! Â So hard to find a place with all of this these days! Â
My husband had the smokin' burger, and even though I dont eat red meat I HAD to try a bite.... OMG I was in heaven! Â Why the hell dont I eat beef again? Â I had the ahi tacos and they were so tasty as well and cooked to perfection. Â The "Quickie" is such a fun drink and they have some really good beers on tap too. Â This is definitely my new "Go To" spot in Sonora. Â Highly reccommend EMBERZ! Â TRY IT, you will not be disappointed!
PS. The staff is top notch and so sweet. ;)
A loud and trendy place that seems out of place in Sonora some how. Â The decor is World Market Chic with overt brushed aluminum tones.
As for the food, the pizza I got was good except for being clearly burnt on about 1/3 of the pizza. Â Edible, but I was honestly surprised they served it to me. Â I guess it was authentically from the wood fired oven. Â I was also surprised that they only had three pizza items, none of which offered many vegetable toppings. Â On the whole, I was a little "Meh" about the menu. Â The drinks looked good, but I was driving. Seemed like a good beer selection.
Over all, a good place to get drinks with some girlfriends.
First, order up Jazzmin! Â She's an awesome server with a personality so warm and welcoming you can't help but feel she's been waiting just for you and your guests!
We started with the Baked Emberz, and it's a must have, especially if you would enjoy the flavorful mixture of two wonderful cheeses made into a gooey concoction served toasted french bread that tastes like the finest even Napa could offer!
I had the Chicken Milanese topped with seared capers and substituted fingerling potatoes over sweat variety on every other menu across the USA. They were accompanied by roasted asparagus that added a slightly pungent but flavor to the meal.
My buddy ordered the Smokin Burger and if burgers are your pleasure, you cannot go wrong there either! It's huge, tasty and filling!
My first experience was great! Â Out with the girls - food wonderful! Â The second time it was just me and my husband and I have to say it wasn't fabulous. Â It's a little loud and hasn't been open too long. Â I'm sure they'll get things ironed out a bit and, yes, I'll probably be going there again!
Review Source:I'm pleased to report that the overcharging issue related to bottles of wine seems to have been fixed since we were there last, so all is copacetic now. We had the garlic shrimp followed by salads (beef and salmon) this time, and all the dishes were excellent. The salads in particular are quite creative and flavorful. Service is still good. So, we will be back.
Review Source:My boyfriend and I went to Emerbz for the first time this last weekend. For a Saturday evening, the place was not packed and we had no problems getting a table. They had a decent selection of beer and the waitress seemed quite knowledgeable about them. We ordered the Baked Emberz appetizer which was described as baked cheese drizzled with garlic oil, sounded yummy. It came to the table and was a glop of melted cheese drowning in oil...not so appetizing. For the main course we ordered a pizza that had red pepper flakes on it, it was really good, however our waitress did not bother to ask if we wanted refills on our beer or water and the pizza got spicy quick and we had nothing to drink.
The atmosphere was good, they did a great job redecorating. The hostess station is in the back of the restaurant, if you enter from Washington Street. We were seated in the front and watched two groups of people walk in, stand around for a minute, not be engaged by any of the staff, then turn around a walk out. The table next to us was a family and the little boy, I would guess around 7, read the menu out loud asking his mom what the 'BullShit Burger' was. Yes, their menu actually says that, not exactly family friendly. Our waitress was nice enough, when she was around. I was a bit disappointed because the food is really good, the beer list is adequate, but the service is lacking.
My family and I ate at Emberz for the first time while visiting Sonora last night. We all got something different and I tried a variety of tasty food. The Iceberg Wedge Salad is amazing, with a dressing made in-house that has a "kick" which goes incredibly with the real chunks of bleu cheese and thick cut bacon. The Jerk Chicken is yummy and tender, with an outstanding citrus flavor. The Mushroom Risotto is the best "comfort" food I've had in a while... creamy with just enough flavor to not over power the fresh mushrooms. And the Italian Stallion Pizza with homemade crust, sausage, olives and fresh tomato, baked in the wood burning stove (hence the name "Emberz") is delicious. I topped everything off with a delightfully sweet cocktail, a Raspberry Lemon Drop. That was the perfect dessert for me, with a sugared rim on my glass. The decor is charming, the staff very attentive, and the chef and owners obviously put love in what they do. You can taste it in the food!
Review Source:We heard service could be a problem, but lunch on Wednesday was fine. Â Prompt friendly service, good food and drinks. Â Coffee served in a small press, cocktail good sized and fairly priced. Â Unique menu, lots of good-sounding choices. Â We had salmon salad, ahi (rare) fish tacos, fish and chips, and some kind of sandwich - pulled pork, I think. Â No complaints that I can think of.
The layout of this restaurant is not ideal - a front and back room - not a big deal, I guess, as long as the food and service are good.
So we went to Emberz today to try it out. After reading some of the Yelp reviews we were not sure what to expect. However what we received was excellent service from our server Courtney and delicious food.We started off the Baked Emberz appetizer. Oh my gosh it was mouth watering. The chopped olive relish was amazing with the bread and melted gooey cheese.For my entree I got the Cuban Sandwich (no pickles) and I couldn't stop eating it, seriously it was addicting. My husband got the Fish and Chips. When our server put the plate in front of him we couldn't believe the  generous portions, he couldn't finish it. What I really liked about the place was I ordered hot tea. I was expecting the Lipton teabag and small pot of hot water, what I usually get in a restaurant. I was very surprised to have a tray with a real teacup, lumps of sugar, lemon and a teapot with loose leaf tea. I got the Mango Tango and I was one happy camper. We are looking forward to returning and will definitely recommend Emberz to anyone and everyone.
Review Source:I went when they first opened. I got my appetizer after my pizza, I got the Calamari it was dry and definately frozen. The pizza was watery in the middle but the flavor was okay. I was very unhappy with the name of one of the burgers on the menu, it was named the Bull&%#! Burger. Use your imagination. I had my young daughter with me and when she read that she was shocked as was I. Â The server was nice enough but wouldn't fill our drinks all the way to the top?? She wanted to talk more then I was comfortable with, when the whole time I'm thinking "Go get my Calamari"! Anyway I haven't been back yet but I will try it again... Hopefully they can work out the bugs and taste there own food before serving it or it's gonna be too late to fix.
Review Source:I REALLY wanted this place to succeed and MAYBE if they make some changes it will but I will never go back to eat again.
Our first experience here was right after it had opened in November. My husband and I had drinks and shared a pizza as an appetizer. I have been enjoying Cupcake Wines for a while and was happy to see this as their house wine. My husband found a new old-fashion cocktail that has since become his favorite, the Moscow Mule. And we truly enjoyed the pizza. Service was a little slow but what we expected since they had just opened. We were also not informed until our bill came that their credit card machine had not been installed yet and cash or check were the only form of payment being accepted. We left very happy and could not wait to return again with friends.
Our second experience here we could wait to meet friends for drinks and dinner. We called ahead on a Friday evening for reservations for 5 at 7:30. We arrive about 5-10 minutes before our reservations expecting a little bit of a wait. After 25-30 minutes past our reservation time we still had not been sat at a table so we all finally left and went to Christopher's.
And our last experience here from this Saturday night was the worst. We tried to call ahead for reservations again but they now were not taking any reservations for groups smaller than six. So we arrived early again and were sat at a table after about a 25 minute wait. The table configuration was horrible and we had to interrupt people at near by tables to squeeze past them to maneuver into the booth. Once seated the service was again slow when it came to getting our drink order and after about 15-20 minutes of already reviewing the menus the waitress comes over to inform us of the specials when we all had already decided on our food order. The food took almost 45-50 minutes to finally arrive and that was after asking where our food was. We had ordered 2 salads, a turkey burger and a Philly cheese steak sandwich. My salad was the salmon topped salad which was not good - the salmon was burnt, the salad was suppose to have artichoke hearts in it I think there were 2 and the dressing was watery, runny and flavorless. Everyone was in amazement as I had to add salt multiple times to the salad to get any flavor. My husbands skirt steak salad was OK but I have made better at home and his salad had little to no dressing. The other couple with us said both their turkey burger and cheese steak were very dry and they were given a minimal amount of fries. With such a small menu you would think that the cook would excel at making those items but that unfortunately is not the case.
Again I REALLY wished the place was better but it's not. If I ever go back it would only be for a drink and maybe the pizza but that is only if I have no where to be as the service seems to be getting slower with each visit. It is really to bad because we are in such need of a great downtown restaurant with a bar.
Already a frequent place for me to go when I want good food and drinks. Â Have the Moscow Muel drink. It's pretty much an amazing ginger laden vodka cocktail made with muddled mint, homemade ginger syrup, vodka and ginger beer. Ahi tacos are great. Burgers cooked to perfection. My only complaint would be that they need to change the bun on the fried egg burger they have. It's too thin and literally sticks to the plate and falls apart if you try to pick it up. Maybe a ciabatta bun would be better. But other than that, very tasty and they know how to cook a burger rare as opposed to the Diamondback. Try the Emberz appetizer with melted cheese, olive tapenade and bread. Very good. I hope this place stays because no one seems to be able to survive in that space.
Review Source:Im excited to see a new restaurant in town, thats sort of funky and fresh. Its great to have somewhere for people to hang out and get drinks. My good friends and I went lastnight and ordered drinks, appetizers, and dinner. The service was slow going, however our waitress was tending to a table of about 20 right next to us so it was predictable. Â We all ordered a round of drinks, I ordered the Sonora Sunset, and my girl ordered the lemon drop. Both drinks were fabulous, but rather small. Â Mine looked as if someone had had a few sips out of it before it made it to the table. They seemed slighlty smaller than the standard cocktail. Our second round was the Birthday Cake cocktail, delishous, tasted just like a peice of vanilla cake and pheww was it strong. No complaints, strong drinks means more for your money right?
Next we ordered a round of appetizers, no complaints there at all. the calamari was fresh and tasty, and the baked emberz was about the most delishous cheesey dip ive had in a while, and you could tell they used good quality cheeses.
As for dinner, it was pretty average. Not bad, but not fantastic. I ordered the Irish Burger, which has some irish cheddar and a slice of ham. It was descent, i felt the hamburger meat was lacking some flavor. I did enjoy the ham on top and the bun was tasty. 2 of my friends got the Ahi Tacos and said that they were fabulous, they actually bring you an entire ahi steak that you divide into your own tacos. I thought that was great. Â The other friend ordered the pulled pork sandwhich, which he said wasnt bad, but was lacking in flavor. More sauce he suggested.
All in all we had a good time, and I would probably try this restaurant again. They havent been open long, so they are still probably getting on their feet. One thing I will suggest is laying off of the cucumbers, or at least telling the customers what they put it in. Â The cucumbers were in the water, in their ranch dressing, and on the hamburger. I am not a cucumber fan, but would of liked being warned. Â I wish this restaurant the best, I will be back to try maybe a different item on their menu.
Five of us ate dinner at the new Emberz last night. We fortunately, got there at 5pm. They got slammed by 5:45!They have a full bar and we had some great drinks. There were 5 of us and we tried two apps and each had a different dinner so we could try a little of everything. Even tried one of there wood-fired pizzas. Â The apps were nothin' special, but good. They weren't very exciting. One person had a beautiful hand formed burger, cooked to perfection and what looked to be hand cut fries. They weren't crispy, but tastey. I had a great salmon salad, with a really tastey tzitzaki (sp?) dressing and the salmon was cooked perfectly. another person had a pear salad with a lovely vinegarette and it was really refreshing. Another had the ahi tacos that were awesome, with a yummy pico de gallo and a rice and black bean accompaniment...supper tastey. And the last one was an iceberg salad with a great bleu cheese dressing with bacon and tomato and something else (can't remember). The pizza was pretty good, but seemed a little undercooked. It was hard to cut appart...kind doughey. But it was tastey. In general, all things had some great flavors going on and we were excited at the thought of trying more stuff at another date. No one was dis-pleased. The service should have been a little better. We all thought that they should have known that people would slam into the place to check it out and the service should have been EXTRA covered. Our waitress had to look on the menu to see what we were ordering and she later admitted that she was one of the bartenders. Â so we thought that was a bit of a slip. But we cut them a little slack. And we were a bunch of extra critical folks. So we all admitted that it was a place to return to and that we were very hopeful. We LOVED what they have done to the place. Colors, vibe, lighting...all really cool and lively, with a grill kind of feel. They pumped out a lot of food from a really small kitchen.
We wish them the best. The place hasn't looked this good in years! The menu looks like something for everyone, the availability of hard liquor and some good wine, all is a good thing. We all said we would be back for more.
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