I had the shrimp carbonara, my wife had the beef wellington. Â My pasta was over cooked and the shrimp was mixed throughout with the tails still on. Â Maybe that's normal but it's not very efficient to have to remove tails as you work through pasta. Â The wellington was more of a stew in pastry, rather than a beef portion. Â I like the iPad menu concept, though it needs to be developed a little more. Â And the environment was nice. Â Music volume was good. Â I had a nice evening overall. Â I just wish the food was better. Â I'll try it again in six months to a year.
Review Source:It's been about 10 days since I emailed the restaurant manager with my issues regarding their Sunday Easter Brunch and I've yet to receive any kind of response. Â I'm not really even expecting one at this point, hence the review. Â So - I've edited the letter I sent to Ken and am posting it as a review instead. Â
Positive points: Â the arugula, asparagus and corn salad was tasty. Â The Israeli couscous salad was also good. Â Not spectacular, but light and fresh. Â The poached salmon was tender and cooked nicely. Â The lox tray offered everything I would want, capers included, and it was all delicious. Â My husband said the breakfast potatoes were quite good.
Negative points: Â The shrimp were mushy and not all were cleaned properly; the bloody Mary was anything but a bloody Mary. Â I don't know what the bartender was pouring that day, but it was foul and I sent it back. Â The beer was warm. Â The lighting in the buffet area was so dim I could not tell if the food was fresh. Â The warmers barely kept the food warm. Â The wet dessert cakes had no distinct flavors, save for the tiramisu, which was just ok. Â Some of the fruit was unripe, but some was very good too, and some was tainted w/ the flavor of the food from the adjacent lox tray. Â The men at the omelet and meat stations looked depressed and didn't smile once that I noticed. Â No alcoholic drinks were included in the exorbitant fee that was charged. Â Not even one mimosa made with cheap champagne.
The REALLY negative points: $171 for brunch for 3? Â Only 2 alcoholic beverages, one soda and one coffee were consumed. Â And then you want to automatically include the 20% tip?? Â
The one point in my letter that I wanted addressed most was this: "I would appreciate that you acknowledge this email, and offer some explanation as to why we received below-standard quality for the exorbitant price we paid. Â We feel grossly cheated out of what we really hoped would have been a much better experience."
My mother in law was so astounded after we told her our experience that she either called or went to the restaurant to discuss this in person w/ someone. Â We ate there w/ her a few years earlier on Easter Sunday and the cost was nowhere NEAR the $200 range, and there were twice as many of us. Â She was told that there were menus on every table indicating the cost and that tip would be included. Â Well, color me clueless, because we did not have such luck. Â Our waitress sat us, asked if we were having the brunch, and she proceeded to tell us where to get plates. Â We never saw a menu. Â Had we seen the menu, we would have left and found some other place to go. Â Ain't no brunch at Equus worth $50/head, withOUT booze. Â What a joke.
The food was good but the service was not - untrained waitress - we brought very nice Pinot and given thick lipped stemware - later noticed table across had proper Pinot stemware - she also served across us like a farm table and tried to hurry us before we finished entree and desert and there were plenty if tables and it was only just past 8 - will return to bar but not dining room
Review Source:Terribly disappointed with my latest visit to Equus. The service was deplorable. This was during a quiet Monday night, during Restaurant Week in Sonoma County. They should at least try to make a good show. The service was condescending, when it wasn't absent. The food was excessively salty - which didn't make up for it's poor preparation in the fist place. I had French Onion soup that was so salty I could only stomach two bites. Following that was a Filet Mignon that was tender, but overcooked, and had a bit of tang from age. The accompanying sides were not particularly warm, and the potato cake that came with it was a greasy, salty mess that tasted like it had been made days ago. As for the service, well, let's suffice it to say that it took 2.5 hours to get through dinner - entirely due to poor service. Oh, and the server we had, Claire, decided to write in her own tip on our credit card receipts. I guess that's why it took 30 minutes to get our check after we asked for it.
Oh, and what is with the LED flood lights? The cheapo LED lights they have used in the dining room DESTROY the ambiance. They are neither bright, nor dim, and cast a terrible and unappetizing light on the already challenged food. Penny wise and POUND FOOLISH I say. It certainly didn't add anything to the atmosphere - unless "annoying" is the latest trend in fancy circles.
I guess we should have felt lucky to be there in the first place, as we tried calling for reservations and received no answer after 20+ rings, on two calls. Finally, on the third call we got through. That should have been our first sign that we should have gone someplace else.
Again, this restaurant poses as if it offers fine dining, but I'd say if you are going out for a nice meal, definately go someplace else, and save Equus for their loud and obnoxious Happy Hour. That way you won't get your expectations set too high - and it's probably fine if you are a cheap drunk.
This is a dining establishment that is clearly subsidized by the accompanying hotel, because it doesn't have the merits to stand on its own.
Food: 2/5
Service: 1/5
Atmosphere: 2/5
Value: Go someplace else. I would have been happier with a $2 hamburger - at least I wouldn't have expected something decent.
We stayed at the hotel and weren't sure about the restaurant since it only had 3 stars on Yelp.
We had the breakfast and it was really great. Â The buffet had a nice variety of good food that the family liked. Â I had the California omlet which was one of the best I've had in a while! Â I spent as much as I would have at a popular dinner but got much more value in terms of taste, quality of food and atmosphere.
Had a delicious salad here with some really good champagne. Â Armond was our bar tender and he was so friendly and nice. Â He makes everyone feel like family. Â He made us laugh all night. Â The other customers who were all there are also extremely sweet and we kind of made a lil party at the bar. Â It was such a fun evening.
Review Source:We had a Groupon coupon - $30 for $60 worth of food.
PROS
THE CRAB CAKE APPETIZERS WERE VERY GOOD. We ordered osso buco pork and the lobster pappadrelle. Pork was good, lobster good enough would have benefitted by less garlic and more brightening, maybe some lemon? Â Lobster dish had lots of lobster though. Herbed butter and sour dough bread very good. Arrived 15 minutes early for a 6 pm reservation and were seated. Â It was not crowded.
CONS
Our "waitress" appeared after 20 minutes and asked if we had had time to review the menu! Â We had to ask what the specials were. She duly recited the specials - no sign of charm or personality or intelligence. Â She asked about wine... we showed her the bottle we had already
selected on the ipad.  She returned eventually with the wine-- pouring over half the bottle at once into our 2 glasses.  This is the only thing she ever did for us.  Meals served by busboys. She never checked on anything.  We had to get another waitress to bring us a desert menu - nothing appealing there.  A busboy brought the 2 checks without an explanation.  Then she showed up with her "valley girl" voice & attitude  and said, I heard you had questions.  This waitress should be fired an replaced with someone who actually wants to work for a living.  Stay clear of this attractive, long haired creature unless you have a fetish for bad service!
Valentines dinner reservation at 8:00 PM. Didn't get seated til 8:45 PM. Then the Staff Never mentioned anything about a $75 per person for a set menu. Â The options were terrible. Food was equivalent to an Applebee's not "top shelf" quality by any means. Â Bad, bad experience. After drinks and dinner, I could have spent $200 better at 15 other locations just off the top of my head. Â I would never go back again.
Review Source:I have worked as a waiter at Mark West, Los Robles, and Flamingo Hotel. I ate there for their Valentine Dinner and enjoyed John our waiter; the food, the willingness to help me with a little surprise I did with my wife, and we were never rushed to have to leave. It was worth the amount we paid for including desert. Nice touch. Thank you.... It was a two minute walk to the Hotel which the staff and stay was also excellent.
Review Source:I had a  horrible experience at Equus and will never return. I went there for a special date night and ordered the Braised Niman Ranch Pork Osso Bucco over creamy polenta and my partner had the Lobster Bologenese.
The dishes came out and I immediately knew something was wrong. The polenta, instead of being creamy, was chunky like oatmeal. I took one bite of the polenta and it was clear that it was not fully cooked (I actually had to chew it) so I sent it back for the quickest option which was the lobster bologenese. This was also a grave mistake. Since my dish was sent back they took back my partners dish too claiming that they would remake it so neither of us tasted it. When the dishes came out there was something "off" with them too. The lobster looked dry and overcooked, which was confirmed with one bite. We were starving so we ended up pushing the lobster aside and eating the pasta which was sub-par as well.
It is very sad that such an expensive restaurant is unable to get simple dishes correct. I also have a hard time believing that an actual chef works at this Establishment. Either way they should be ashamed at wasting my money and my time. The server was nice enough but she kept complaining about the bar tender and didn't offer to comp the bill. Needless to say NEVER NEVER AGAIN.
We stayed at the Fountain Grove Inn and dined at their restaurant several times. Â Our stay included breakfast each day, which was definitely a nice treat. Â It included bacon, sausage, French toast, eggs, potatoes, fresh fruit, bagels, oatmeal, and pastries. Â Nothing special, but much nicer than the usual free hotel breakfast.
We also came for a few drinks during happy hour. Â Their Lagunitas IPAs were only $2 from 4:30 - 6:30! Â We also tried their pork belly sliders which were pretty tasty, but pretty small. Â But for $4 they were a great snack.
Our favorite meal was dinner.  We had a discount here, so we might have been a little biased...  But both our entrees were fantastic!  I ordered the Pork Osso Bucco which was a huge, but very tender piece of meat.  It was served with a creamy polenta, roasted beets, carrots, and onions.  My fiancé ordered the Sea Bass, which had a crispy skin and awesome seasoning. Â
Overall, the entrees were a little pricey (about $25 -$35), but if you're staying at the hotel ask the front desk if they're offering a discount!
I love the quiet atmosphere of this restaurant. The booths are the best seats in the house, although at sunset, a seat by the window is nice as well.
I ordered Lobster Pappardelle, which was delicious. The house salad was lovely, although when two people share a dish it's always nice when the restaurant divides it rather than just plopping down two plates and the salad.
All three dinners ordered by our party were good. I love the iPad wine list, but the menu, although well-designed, is far too physically big. It shouldn't be a challenge to read the menu while trying not to knock over your water glass.
Equus is worth a visit!
** Great Happy Hour - Lower priced gourmet appetizers like pork belly sliders, kobe beef, taco's, they have a wide selection. Then great prices on cocktails, wine du jour, and beer selection.
** Great Bartender - "Arman" - very personable, takes care of everyone! no customer left behind. This guy is fun to watch and fun to talk too. He makes a great cocktail, knows his wine, beer, and booze selection to make excellent recommendations.
Then check out the wine selection - wide variety by the glass and some excellent buys on the bottle list. I purchased a Burgess Merlot for under 30 that was lush w/ ripe cherry and blackberry, smooth tannins - went perfect with my big thick cut Veal Chop and my friend's Prawns and Carbonara type of pasta dish.
I always have a great time here with the people that go there - the regulars, and staff, and the food is top quality.
First time here. Â Nice bar and hostess staff and sassy/swanky environment. Â Our waitress seemed unenthused and possibly depressed. Â The house salad was wonderful and refreshing. Â The lobster pasta was blah as was the S'more dessert. Â My friend's sea bass was tiny and looked dry. Â Not worth the prices. Â Not sure I'd go back.
Review Source:It was ok..the bbq wasn't that great..a bit disappointed..the brisket was tough..the sauce was mediocre...the ribs weren't falling off the bone..but i have to say the corn bread was yummy..coleslaw was bland..
i ordered the chopped salad..the walnuts were way too sweet..hardly any chicken..the dressing was eh..overall..over priced salad..
the seabass ont he other hand was pretty good..but wasn't crazy over the sea beans..the spinach was a bit drenched in butter TOO much..
luckily all that only cost about $35 with the discount from living social..
Dinner was great. Prawns and pasta, strong drinks and nice deserts. Service was pretty good.
Breakfast the next morning...service was HORRIBLE!!! The food was delicious-buffet style, but the waitress-older woman with dark hair pretty much stayed in the back the entire time. When she came out she barely acknowledged us. We seriously could have come in, served ourselves breakfast, and left without her even knowing. The woman who refilled our water was very nice and attentive,however.
I bought the Groupon for Equus, and was excited to eat here, considering that the only time I'd been was 22 years ago.
My review is based on three different experiences, only one of which was an actual dining experience. Â
The first time, I called to make reservations for four. My daughter and son-in-law were in town, and I bought them a Groupon also, so that they could have a nice dinner out while they were here. Â Unfortunately, the last night of their visit came and we'd planned to eat out as a family, but they needed to use the Groupon before they left. Â When I called to make reservations and let them know that we each had a Groupon, they refused to allow us to use both Groupons on one dining experience for four. It was not explained to me why a party of four cannot use two Groupons, but two separate tables of two can each use a Groupon.
We went to Ca Bianca instead, which was delicious as always. Â
The second time, my date and I made reservations, but when we arrived, the noise from the bar was so loud that we knew we weren't going to be able to enjoy what we expected would be a nice, romantic dinner. Â We asked for a table as far from the bar as possible, but the noise was still absurd. Â We chose to stay anyway, but when no one came to greet us within 15 minutes, we left. Â Fifteen minutes, people. Â
The third time, I just gave up expecting quiet ambiance and good service, and figured I'd better just use the Groupon before it expired. Â
Ironically, last night we received great service (I wish I could remember our server's name, she was blonde and very professional but in a nice, friendly, casual way), and the restaurant was surprisingly quiet. Â We brought a bottle of our own wine, but out of courtesy, we each still ordered a glass off their wine list. Incidentally, the wine list is confusing, because they have 5oz and 8oz pours, but when you ask for a glass of XXX, they don't ask if you'd like the 5 or 8 ounce pour. Even though a 5 oz pour is industry standard, it looked like they just gave us the larger one (and of course, we paid for it).
The salads (I had the beet salad, my date had the chop salad) were fine, but we should have stopped there. The veal porterhouse that my date and I both ordered was so tough that we shook the table just trying to saw through the meat with our giant steak knives. For being the 2nd most expensive entree on the menu, it was completely unimpressive and impossible to eat. Â We felt like we were chewing on a Laffy Taffy.
The cheesecake that my date ordered was so dry that it was inedible, but by this point, there was just nothing to do but laugh and vow never, ever to return. Â
Our bill, with 2 salads, 2 glasses of wine, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts came to $158. In my opinion, this place is extraordinarily overpriced, the food is mediocre, and beware of the obnoxious, drunk patrons in the bar.
Had a subpar dining experience here. My wife and I arrived a bit early for our 7:15pm reservation. First impression of this place was pretty favorable, dim lighting, cool decor, and fluorescent lighting strung about. We were seated at a booth and given the menu and wine list. Both were not very extensive, which didn't bother me because I was expecting a quality product to overshadow all that. Our server Claire explained the specials and we both opted on the smoked prime rib. We also both split the crab cake appetizer. To complement our meal we both got a glass of Shiraz.
We immediately detected something indifferent and off putting from our server. She wasn't at all welcoming and was real deliberate in taking our orders. No smiles or charm whatsoever. Dumbfounded we sought to see if we were the only ones receiving this same treatment. Much to our chagrin, we noticed that she would be much more hospitable and chatty with her patrons at other tables. We couldn't pinpoint the reason for our mediocre service. We were by far the youngest people in there and the only minorities it seemed like. We jabbed at the idea that maybe that's why we weren't being taken more seriously. Who knows?
With service aside, the food itself wasn't anything to toot your horn about either. The crab cake appetizer was tiny. The crab cakes looked like three small scallops more so than actual crab cakes. Although I did enjoy their taste, it didn't seem to warrant the $13 price tag. As for the prime rib, I didn't really care for the "smoked" flavor of the prime rib. I now fervently believe that prime rib has to be slow roasted for optimal flavor. My wife's prime rib was overcooked and portion much larger than mine. All in all it was a very underwhelming dining experience considering the subpar service and hefty price tag for mediocre food.
Took about an hour to seat us... and only happened after I complained that they had sat three groups that arrived after us, first.
The food took almost just as long and was so mediocre I was not willing to spend the overpriced amount they were charging, esp when they over cooked my steak. Â I was not willing to wait any longer and give them a second chance... I paid for my drink, a Racer IPA which was the only good thing from this restaurant.
We only returned the next morning because we had vouchers for free breakfast buffet. Â It was ok, good quality ingredients, just poorly prepared. Â SERVICE WAS ONCE AGAIN HORRIBLE.
WOW- Not only is the food AMAZING, beautiful presentation and taste just oh my god so good w every bite, but the SERVICE is over the top exceptional. 1st off- the bartender, Arman? -I believe thats it- he is so great. He remebers my boyfriend and I everytime we come in and what we like to drink too! He is personable, funny and on top of it. Really makes us feel at home. Being in the club industry, my boyfriend and I have seen alot of bartenders and Arman is one of the best we have ever seen.
The servers last night, and everytime we come in, but especially last night, were right on point. My Dad met my bf last night for the first time and we were all conversating alot. The servers could have easily interupted and made things awkward but they waited until the perfect time to come and ask us what we wanted, if we needed anything else and for water/drink refils etc. Â They let us stay past closing, without even mentioning they were closed. They just let us be. They helped make a very important meeting go just perfectly smooth. THANK YOU!!
We went during lunch so it was pretty dead, but boy did we get great service!
The food was really good and different. I got a panini that was to die for! I also tried the carrot ginger soup, which may have been the best soup I've ever tasted.
I love the elegance of the place, too. I feel so calm when I enter this place.
Great place for a business lunch or dinner, like we had. I can't comment on the pricing because I didn't pay.
Service: 2 stars Food: 3.5 stars
Equus is proof that not all places on Open Table are worth the points. We had a group of 4 and decided on staying closer rather than going into Sonoma and coming off of a great dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen the night before we had a high standard. We were prompt seated and then....
Took a good 15-20 minutes to get our drinks. 3/4 were good. One had to be sent back it was so not even close to what they ordered. The waiter was confused and mostly clueless. But the food was the saving grace!
The shrimp scampi was in a delicate buttery sauce that was perfectly balanced between citrus and butter. Seared ahi had a truffle soy something on top and it was delicious, delicate and flavorful. The crab cakes though, no. Full of filler and tasted only like bell peppers. Came with what I was told was a tomato chutney, tasted like cold marinara.
The Kobe beef spare ribs were melt in your mouth tender and not over powered by any sauce or seasoning.
To add to the disappointment the wine list was abbreviated and lacked local wines, in the WINE country?! and many in the under $40 range.
I'm surprise that this restaurant only has a 3 star overall rating on Yelp!
My bf and I came to Sonoma to go wine tasting and we stayed at the Fountain Grove Inn. Decided to eat close by since we were both pretty buzz and hungry from all the wine we had earlier on during the day, so we walked across the Inn and ate at Equus restaurant.
They were having restaurant week there so they had a fix prix menu. Their kobe beef was YUMMY, but the portion was of course smaller. Clam chowder was ok (i'm not into clam chowder that has bacon bits in it.). Dessert was also very good. The chocolate cake was very rich and the raspberry syrup complimented it very well.
Overall I had a good experience here. Prices are decent and the place is nice.
We dined here since we stayed overnight at the Fountain Grove Inn. I like this place! The food is good...not the best, but definitely up there. I'm giving this place 5 stars not just for the food, but for the overall experience I had here.
First of all, we got a pretty good deal after booking our room through <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravelzoo.com&s=1d53c8d4824c81f8f72f8aa9c8b359cf19193d94e9f33d0ac87d0567a7c036e1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://travelzoo.com</a>. Along with that came a 15% discount off our meal, a free appetizer with purchase of an entree, and free breakfast for 2. So, most of our dining experience while in Sonoma was at this restaurant. Not to mention, there aren't many restaurants in the Russian River Valley where we were planning on going wine tasting. The concierge said that the county had certain restrictions on full-fledged restaurants in the area. Most places were just delis. But back to Equus...for dinner, we ordered-
Crab Cake Appetizer: Out came 3 1.5-inch diameter circles of crab; lightly breaded. I liked them but of course my fatty boyfriend ate 2 of them, leaving me with 1 and so I felt a little unsatisfied.
Prime Rib Prix Fixe: It's cheaper if you order this from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and after 6:30 the price goes up to $30, which still isn't bad. They sell it until they run out of prime rib but i ordered it at 9:00 p.m. and they still had some left. The prix fixe comes with salad, prime rib (duh), and a dessert (see soufle below). The prime rib was a good size and I really liked their creamy horse radish sauce. Â The mashed potatoes were typical and the squash was sweet yet suitable for a side dish to the prime rib. No complaints about the prime rib.
Kobe Beef Short Rib: My bf had this. I tried a piece and it was so soft that it melts in your mouth; good flavors, too. My boyfriend had no complaints though he rarely complains anyway. It comes with polenta and by the time I was halfway done with my prime rib, my bf's plate was sparkling white again. He finished the whole thing...even the garnishes?
Chocolate Soufle: The best soufle I've tasted! Note that this is only my second time having soufle. The last time I had it was at Sante and I definitely like the one at Equus better. It actually tasted like chocolate and the texture was perfect. Also, it was just at the perfect temperature when we got it. After I told our server that I liked it better than the one we had at Sante (nother nice restaurant in Sonoma, slightly more expensive, too), my bf could hear her telling the chef in the kitchen.
So we go for our free breakfast the next day, which actually starts really early: 6:30 a.m. We had the choice of a country breakfast (cooked to order), continental buffet, or full buffet. Easy choice there...full buffet, please! It was a typical breakfast buffet: scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, french toast, fruit, oatmeal, toast, bagels, etc. Our coupon included tax and gratuity so it really was free! We still left a tip for our server, though.
All in all, I would definitely come here again and I enjoyed spending my birthday meals here. I think if we didn't get the discounts/coupons by booking our stay with <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravelzoo.com&s=1d53c8d4824c81f8f72f8aa9c8b359cf19193d94e9f33d0ac87d0567a7c036e1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://travelzoo.com</a>, I would have leaned more towards 4 stars...maybe 4 and a half. Gotta love a great deal!
I go to Equus on a regular basis for dinner, happy hour, or just to have a cocktail at the end of a long day at work. Â The $2 Tuesdays & Thursdays are very popular and you are sure to run into someone you know there. Â
Some of my favorite dishes to order are the seared ahi tuna, tempura green beans, whatever the fish of the day is, roasted beet salad, the duck confit, and shrimp scampi. Â There is an extensive wine list with many Sonoma and Napa wines at very reasonable prices. Â
The service is attentive and the staff is always there to take your order for a new drink, clear the plates, or to see if there is anything else you need. Â I love going to Equus because of the friendly vibe, great service, good food and wine.
So I have like five clients in Santa Rosa. They only earn a visit once a year or so (unless I want to go to Napa for some reason), so I only eat in Santa Rosa once or so annually.
Funny thing is, I always wind up eating with the same client, as they spend the most money. Money = free lunch. See, there isn't such a thing.
I am pretty sure my client doesn't realize it, but we are three for three on Equus. I tried to steer her toward Syrah this last time, but to no avail. I guess I am just stuck with Equus.
Stuck isn't the right word though. I only eat here at lunch, so that should be mentioned as this review doesn't reflect happy hour or dinner dining. I probably won't ever get the opportunity to experience these wonderful views of Equus.
As far as the food goes, solid, higher end, well presented, decent space though I will agree it can be loud due to poor acoustics. Wine list looks good (snif - no tasty for me) and every meal I have had has been tasty, delivered by a courteous (if gypsy-babushka looking) server, and averages about $25 per person with non-alcoholic drinks.
Have eaten here 3 times now. Â Last night was dinner with 6 work colleagues. Â Restaurant mostly empty at 8:00 on a Thursday night (but bar seemed crowded). Â Decor/ambience is generally modern/upscale, but the chairs and booths are more toward the Denny's end of the range.
Service was friendly, and reasonably timely -- given what I have read in other reviews (and past experience), I attribute that only to the fact that they didn't have other customers to serve. Â The food was actually pretty good -- some had the halibut, some the "brick chicken", and I had the beef stroganoff. Â Everyone enjoyed the food. Â The pricing is higher than what you would expect for the "$$" rating in yelp. Â Entrees ranged from the high teens to over $30, so with salad and a drink, it would be hard to get out of there for less than $40 a head.
One nice thing is the wine selection and pricing. Â They have a nice selection of wines, with an emphasis on local (Sonoma / Napa) brands -- some small, some large -- and the mark-ups over retail are relatively low. Â I found the wines to be high quality at very fair prices.
Would I go back? Â When I work in the area, and particularly if staying at the Hilton, there aren't many other nice restaurants around, so the answer is "probably, under the right set of circumstances". Â I wouldn't be opposed to going back, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get there.
I tell people all the time that Equus is an unknown marvel if you're looking for a perfect piece of meat. I've probably eaten here 20 times and never been dissapointed with the result. Tender, juicy and flavorful steak every single time.
The service is always spot on, too. Attentive, knowledgeable and pleasant. This is a place where waiters don't even write things down, they listen and remember like a real restaurant with real servers should.
Its also nice to checkout Equus during their happy hour on Fridays. You get to enjoy a high class meal at a fraction of the cost with discounted drinks to boot.
I'm very surprised by the low rating considering my extensive enjoyment of this place. Â Don't believe the hype and get in there.
My parents were staying in the hotel attached to this restaurant, so I went up north to bring my Dad out for dinner on Fathers night. He chose this place, I guess because he knew he could stumble over to his room after the meal. I have to tell you about our experience.
The hostess looked like a deer caught in the headlights when we mentioned our reservation. Luckily the manager came to save her and seated us as she just stared blankly at what must have been a d**k growing out of my forehead. They were very busy, and not staffed accordingly. We had to wait for everything. Our waitress certainly tried but she had way too much to handle.
Luckily enough the manager came to our table to talk to us and let my father flirt with her (does anybody elses Dad do this? It's shameful!). I was eating the "Pasta Eloise" as she came by, and she told us the story of how it was named after her. It definitely lightened the mood at our table. My father laughed way to long and too hard and entrapped her into telling us stories of her homeland Ireland.(Sorry...) My dad had the Prime Rib prix fixe, which he said was delicious like a true meat eater. My Mom had their Swordfish special, which was overcooked.
We didn't see much from our waitress, except to drop the check. We were taken care of more by the manager who seemed to be doing the same to every other table around us. She made at least six tableside caesar salads, one after another as well as the waiters wine service, while helping the misguided hostess.
For such a high-end restaurant in the wine country wouldn't you want your waitstaff to give a shit? Also, their wine list is condensed so you'd think that the wine printed on the list  would be on sale to the customer reading the list. Wrong! We struck out on two attempts to get the bottle we wanted("offered" at 40% discount) so my Mom ordered the Equus Cab to put the waitress out of her misery. Â
If you're in the Wine Country go somewhere else.
Equus is always a great place to seat down and have a wonderful dinner or too go for a few drinks. The first time I went to Equus was for dinner with a group of people. We had amazing service and order many appetizers and courses. My favorite by far was the table side Caesar Salad. So authentic to prepare it right next to us and talk about the food. I left full and satisfied with only good things to say.
Today, I was excited to revisit this restaurant. I went for happy hour with a few friends and sat in the bar area. They have a really great selection of beers and foods all for $2. We seated ourself and our waitress Claire came up and asked us what we wanted. No hello or how are you doing just what do you want. I brushed it off because they refilled the keg before serving our beers. All the beers and food after that was just dropped off at the table without anything being said, even the other waiter who drop off plates and silverware. I couldn't understand why no one was talking or acknowledging us. The one time she asked if we were okay she walked away before even hearing what we had to say. In my opinion even if you are only spending $2 for beer and food you should still be treated with respect. It wasn't even busy??
Since I had such a good experience the first time. I will give this place another try, but I never want to sit in the bar section again.
Equus is beautiful inside. The chef is a great guy...and a great chef. They use to have jazz on weekends which was a big bonus for me too. The wine list is outstanding.
So what's bad...the service! OMG the workers that they have there should all be fired and they should get humans with personalities instead.
I use to play this spot about a year ago and everyone one of the people that came to see me all complained about the service. Orders were wrong, no waiters around when you need them, rude...yikes!! Too bad, this could be such a great spot if they ever get it together. Unfortunately, it just seems to be getting worse.
I've been here for lunch and for happy hour and had a really good time both times.
Lunch scene was definitely a little more slow, service decent but nothing special. We had a little bit of a hard time tracking down our waiter when we needed to leave. We had the burger, oriental chicken salad and quesadilla. Everyone really liked their food and was filled up by the hefty serving size.
Happy hour was surprisingly busy! On Tuesday nights they do $2 specials and the place was full, good thing my friend Sarah got their early to secure a table! The bar tender was nice and a little cute too! Food was decent though the salsa might as well have been pace..blehhh, I'd skip that the next time around. Fries were tasty!
I would go back, but it does help that I work just up the hill. It was up to par with what I expected. I think for fine dining you could probably find a better place to eat in Sonoma County but for drinks or lunch give it a shot.
FAIL!!
Funny thing is 20yrs ago this use to be good. Now look at it. They are just a joke. Go there for lunch and I can tell you when the check comes your waiter is gone. happens every time. They walk out at 1pm sharp. And you never see them again. It's funny. Food was nasty don't waste your time.
Holy sh*t. They serve "James Beard French Toast".
Okay, so when a diner at our table asks the waitress who James Beard is, she's dumbfounded. After a short pause, she said, "I think he was a horseman or something" (because the theme is horses).
Can you legally work in the food biz and not know about James Beard. Duh.
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Outdated.
Uncomfortable, awkward to sit at, round booths.
Does anyone work here?
Went for breakfast buffet, I watched the rest of my party eat.
This place stole my appetite right from under my nose.
We couldn't figure this place out - it appeared no one was working there when we walked in. 5-10 minutes later, after seating ourselves, the lone waitress appears, but her presence was lacking throughout. If you're staying at the hotel, you're likely better off driving into town.
Don't let the pretty horses sway your decision.
Why? Â Oooooh why? Â Tell me why? Â Do girls love horses? Â
(A la Adam Ant)
Did this question really need to be asked? Â The answer is so obvious. Â It's just nice to think about, I guess. Â Girls riding horses. Â Enjoying riding horses. Â So many happy thoughts. . .
This lovely song was running through my head all lunch for me the other day when I ate here with my Grandmother and her friend. Â (My brain loves to torment me by haunting me with the MOST inappropriate topic/thought/words whenever I'm trying to do something "normal" or "adult.")
Somehow I managed to remain part of the conversation and have an enjoyable lunch without bursting out with "Oooooh why?" and "Is it cause they're round?" and so forth.
We all had salads (another thing girls love), which were delicious and plenty substantial for lunch. Â I particularly loved the generous mound of warm goat cheese that was served on top of my spinach salad. Â Mmmmmm. . . Â The atmosphere was warm and pleasant - didn't feel rushed, tasteful horse artwork scattered about, and our server was good at her job. Â It felt like a nice restaurant for a lunch with coworkers you're trying to impress, or with Grandmas and their friends. Â Prices range from $8-$20 per person, depending on if you're having a big salad or a full-on fish/meat entree.
"Is it because they're on top?"
No, it's the clippety clop!!
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