I grew up a farmer's daughter, and they do a great job here. Fresh everything, large portions for the price, super friendly staff, and the wine tasting right across the driveway doesn't sit badly on their reputation at all, either! I was with two guys and they both housed full racks of ribs gleefully without a single complaint. I had the burger and, at the advice of my boyfriend and the waitress, chose to add the egg. I'm NOT a fan of sunnyside up eggs, but this was heaven--it melted into the burger and potato bun (which was thick, dense, and delicious), making for a gooey, awesome experience. I definitely should have taken some of the burger home with me but chose to soldier on to avoid warmed-up leftovers, but I am sure it would have been delicious the second time around as well. As a note, I've lived in food meccas (NYC for years, now SF), and this food lives up to good, down-home cooking with the best of them for the price.
Review Source:I have heard so many praises of this restaurant from so many people, that I was excited to visit last night. 4 of us locals had reservations at 6:45. The place was absolutely PACKED to the gills. Apparently, 2 wedding parties were in residence. We got inside and were seated after a brief wait....it's October and it's relatively cold outside. It wasn't much warmer in the restaurant. Strike one; I hate being cold inside and there's no excuse for it. The waitstaff being so busy and warmed up isn't a good reason to be uncomfortable through a relatively expensive meal.
The service was good; nothing special as far as that went, though. The main issue I have is that this has to be THE NOISIEST, loudest restaurant I've ever been in in my life. We could hardly hear each other at the table (and the tables aren't that big), and that just doesn't make a nice dining experience.
The caramelized beets with greens and goat cheese crema was excellent. At $13, it should be:/. Â I had the trout with fennel, almonds and a bacon vinaigrette. It was good; nothing outstanding here either. I also had started out with a glass of the house red b/c I'd heard it was really good. It wasn't. I switched later on to the house SB and it was much better.
I read the reply from someone who apparently works or worked at Farmstead regarding the reason there's no steak on the menu. I get that they want to use the entire cow, however....what's stopping them from making their beef chili, meatballs and steak tartare just b/c they sell more steaks? I don't see that as rationale (supposedly they want to utilize the ENTIRE cow before they bring in another one, and then offer steaks til they run out?) for a topnotch restaurant whose supposedly proud of their grass-fed beef not to have at LEAST one steak on their menu...it may be a different steak at different times, but seriously.....very disappointing. None of the desserts sounded appealing or tempting enough to partake of.
Overall, I was disappointed in Farmstead. I would go back possibly for lunch or happy hour, but I'll never go there for dinner again. There's a lot of other better and quieter restaurants to relax and enjoy an excellent meal in in the Valley.
The food is delicious, but  I felt really bad for the servers. None of them could remember the duck special dish for the night. If you're going to do a special, at least give your servers ample time to memorize it. Yeesh! The ambiance is nice and the food was cooked perfectly. The free cheese biscuits with Yelp check-in was a neat perk and everyone enjoyed them. Our server noticed I didn't enjoy my drink, so they comped the dessert. Overall, I was very impressed!
Review Source:5 stars for the scenery, design, and general atmosphere of Farmstead. 3 stars for food and service. Rounding up to 4 overall. More like 3.5 but whatever.
Have your handy dandy yelp app open, because as mentioned by others, the cheddar biscuits (free with check-in) are indeed divine. In fact, they were the only standout of the several things we tried. In order from favorite to meh, I liked the biscuits, padron peppers, meatballs, kale salad, pulled pork sandwich. To be fair, I'm a BBQ snob but really nothing special here.
Regardless, you can't find a much nicer spot to sit outdoors on a beautiful Napa day. Definitely worth a stop for an upscale lunch if you've got a few days in the area.
I love this place. The food is fresh, delicious, and as farm-to-table as it gets without having to eat at an actual farm. I got the cheeseburger with egg, which was by far the best burger I've ever tasted. The pulled pork and ribs were also big hits at our table. (We could smell the pulled pork cooking when we walked in the restaurant. Amazingly, it tasted even better than it smelled.) Given all this, plus the fact that this place is  one of the more reasonably priced restaurants in the Napa area... We'll definitely be back!
Review Source:Morgan was a fantastic waitress. I'm still at the Farmstead and I'm already yelping her. The service was great because she was very attentive and took care of our Porkchop when we were afraid it was perhaps a bit undercooked. She was delightful and I hope I have her again. Five stars! I wanted to tell the manager in person but he was on break so I hope this does the trick. She was excellent because she had a positive attitude seemed relaxed yet responsible and took care of us until the end. Alyssa also amazed me with her patients as we switched tables outside. Thanks Alyssa for your smile and sweet nature.
Review Source:It has been a long time since I have been so enchanted with my meal, that I didn't want eat it all because then it would be gone! OMG...I had the salmon with succotash and gypsy peppers...I wanted to lick my plate when it was gone! My husband had the pulled pork sandwich and potato salad, had to sample, it was excellent! The grounds are beautiful, our server was awesome...the hostess was a total snob and a half, but after the initial contact with her we didn't have to talk to her again!! So definitely stop by this gem of a place...seriously it will be worth a road trip for this to be our only, ultimate destination!!
Review Source:We first went to the tasting room, since we knew it'd close by 6. The room is located on the ground floor of a ranch house, and is half tasting room, half souvenir shop--so the space wasn't as open as other tasting rooms I've seen. But I absolutely enjoyed the feel of the place. It felt like we were just hanging out in someone's house (with a store in the back, hehe). The bar seats about 10.
Great service, and good company. We each had the $10 Essential Tasting Flight, featuring three wines and an olive oil. Their items are only sold out of this location. The 2012 Sauv Blanc was definitely a great-tasting summer wine, and I also enjoyed the Cab (93 pts on Wine Enthusiast, Dec. 2012) with its dark, rich flavor. Wasn't so much a fan of the house red, but the Napa Valley Select EVOO was really grassy and peppery!
After our short, but enjoyable, stint in the tasting room, we sat in a couple rocking chairs near the bar of the LMR restaurant's front patio. So relaxing. Plus, their cheddar biscuits (free with a yelp check in) and potato squares were DELECTABLE. The cheddar biscuits were soft and cheesy, and served with apple butter. The potatoes were crispy and served with a zesty aioli. Talk about carb fest, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Hopefully sooner rather than later ;)
Two Napa residents took me to Farmstead for lunch this afternoon and I'm so glad they chose this place. Â I was with Zero, a dog I've been watching for friends in San Francisco, and so they chose this place because it was dog friendly. Â They allow dogs in the outdoor seating areas.
I love how open and sunny the restaurant is. Â The outdoor area includes a full bar, tables, chairs, and even comfortable couches. Â There are long benches for the low tables that have very comfortable cushions to sit on. Â Most of the area is shaded from the hot Napa sun by awnings that create bright, soft light, great for pictures.
The food is very good. Â The cheese muffins are divine, especially with butter, which melts in, as they apparently serve them warm. Â An appetizer that surprised me was the pig spread, which is served with long thin crusty bread. Â The spread has a layer of pure pig fat over shreaded meat. Â Though it sounds like it may be just too much, don't be deterred. Â It is great over the bread. Â
I ordered a burger served with an egg sunny side up right on top of the patty, which they made to order rare. Â Arugula instead of lettuce was a fine touch. Â The crispy potatoes were perfectly done.
The service was friendly, quick, and beautiful. Â I felt like I was at a Sadie Hawkins festival, as the servers all wear plaid western like shirts and jeans. Â
I'd like to eat inside of the restaurant next time. Â I walked through the interior and saw that it was a very cool and elegant interior dining environment. Â
Overall, a fine, fun place to spend an afternoon in Napa!
A big fan of the yummy food, the free cheddar biscuits, and the model-like servers wearing hee haw outfits. Â I love the outdoor bar and the decor and the service was very good considering how busy it was.
We had breakfast here and the only issue I had was the eggs on the Benedict were sous vide and looked raw. Â After the explanation by the server that it wasn't raw and still couldn't love the idea, they were nice enough to fry an egg for me. Â Guess they are anti-poach in this establishment?
Will definitely be back!
This restaurant is located in St. Helena of Napa.
I made a reservation for four at 12:30. This restaurant was so crowded when we went to there.
(Rating: +++ is perfect)
Atmosphere++:
Inside of the restaurant was like a stylish Farm. I love the terrace seat which I can enjoy eating  around an apple trees under the Sun.
Service+++:
Pretty kind and friendly. Workers are so nice.
Value++:
Reasonable
_________________
Food
Caramelized Beets++++:
I have ordered this dish three times before. I love this salad which is in goat cheese, greens and sweet beets. The taste was a little sweet and delicious. When I start to eat it, I can't stop.
Grilled California Rainbow Trout+++:
This dish was  so unique that there were some kind of vegetables and nuts onto the trout.
For example, wild mushrooms, fennel, almonds. The Vinaigrette source was good balance.
Wood Grilled Heritage Pork Chop+++:
It's the first time to eat this dish. The Pork Chop was done to turn.
The apple jam was a good accent.
The Farmstead burger +++:
I think that this dish is the most famos in this restaurant. The meat was so juicy, fresh and big.
Sparkring
Schramsberg+++:
The color was clear gold, and the taste was a honey and a little tropical fruits. Â
Overtone was dry and elegant.
This is now one of my FAVORITE places to go in Napa!!! I went with a group in mid-August and we had the farm-to-table tasting in the white winery building. It was phenomenal. Next time I go back, I definitely want to try their restaurant, Farmstead, which is right next door.
Before our tasting, we had a tour of the gardens, where they grow tons of herbs and vegetables, raise chickens, etc. In fact, everything we were served came from their on-site garden, or their farms and vineyards out in the mountains. They also have a smoker in the back which was preparing food for a wedding that evening - it smelled delicious!! (Apparently they do a lot of weddings here, and I can see why. It's adorable.) They even had a small farmers market going on right on property!! We tried some of the heirloom tomatoes. YUM.
We were then brought inside to taste their olive oils, some of their different wines, and the delicious farm-to-table food! The highlight was their house-made burrata, and they were thankfully not stingy with portions.
This winery doesn't make the most stand-out wines I have ever had, but the overall experience is probably my favorite in California wine country. It's so cute and casual, the food is fantastic, they grow everything themselves, and their wine club includes olive oils!! I would give this place 6 stars if I could.
One of the most unbelievably delicious dining experiences I have ever had in my entire life.
I don't know who the chef is, but he is a god. Â Serious mouthgasms.
Of course it helps that the restaurant is located in gorgeous Napa and is peaceful with a rustic farm-house vibe, but the food speaks for itself.
Honestly, I don't know how to describe all that we experienced there, but all I can say is that the menu is brilliant- it reinvents the classics and does it so absolutely well and unexpectedly. Every bite is a surprise and an experience. The food is hearty and simply prepared. No crazy food sculptures and dabs and smears on the plate. Just delicious food prepared well.
We got the cheddar biscuits with honey butter and they were incredible. I, as a rule, am not a huge fan of cheddar, but these were so amazing and slightly crisp on the outside and melt in your mouth delicious on the inside especially when slathered (liberaallllyy) with that butter.
Salmon rillete with crostinis was indescribable. It was citrusy and fresh and so perfect with my wine. Â We ordered the vegetarian version of the gnocchi and it was incredible with a hint of basil. And loaded with yummy, fresh vegetables.
My favorite part of the meal was the beet arugula salad. I was expecting the usual chilled beet/ goat cheese combo,  but  these were actually hot and  had a bit of that "grilled" flavor and paired with this delicious flavored oil.
Afterward, we happily rolled ourselves to the wineries. When I go back to Napa, I will come back to Farmstead.
Wow, what an amazing place! We arrived early and grabbed a seat outside on the patio while waiting for our table inside. We grabbed a few glasses of wine and shared some appetizers of cheese biscuits and salmon rillette. When we moved inside to our table, we shared the Kale salad, the meatballs, the wood roasted peppers and the potato gnocchi with beef ragu. Other than the peppers, everything was delicious. The peppers were suggested by our waiter. I tried one and must a hit a hot one because my mouth was on fire! My boyfriend ate a handful before hitting a hot one as well. We were too scared to keep going after that. Our waiter noticed that we didn't touch the peppers so kindly removed them from our bill after a manager checked in on us. Very attentive on their part!!
Service was spot on. Food and drinks were amazing. I will come back for more!
There was a yelp deal we took adv of by scoring a free order of cheese biscuits which was a great start to a fantastic meal. We also ordered oysters, arugula salad and the pork chops with jalapeño grits which were all marvelously prepared.
The outdoor patio is cozy where two people or a small group can enjoy some great wine and some good eats. Definitely recommend coming.
**************************** REVIEW 908 Â ********************************
       I love this ranch, the garden, the olive oils, the wines, and the restaurant, also the the farmer market on Sunday!
       Walking in, we saw pomegranate trees, apple trees, herbs, then we got to see the garden, so beautiful, peaceful, and loved. I love the garden and how spacious this place is.
       We got to try executive chef Stephen Barber food at SF Chefs food event in San Francisco AUG 2013, then we decided to stop by for some yummy food and olive oil tasting. Little that we know, we had quite a tasty meal here.
- Cheddar biscuits with honey butter - this was freshly baked, and you got it for FREE when you check in with Yelp. Arr, thank you for this!
- Salad of lacinato kale with chile pequin, lemon dressing and toasted parmesan - this was a very generous order. The kale was perfect thinly sliced, tasty dressing, so fresh, we loved it.
- The heirloom tomato with burrata - it was delicious, and all tomatoes are from the Long Meadow Ranch garden, fresh, organic and lots of love.
- Steak tartare - with arugula, fresh egg from the garden, the steak is from the ranch, how fresh egg can you get?
- Grilled california rainbow trout with wild mushrooms, fennel, almonds and bacon vinaigrette - this was so good, we finished it up in a heart beat.
       Later, we got to meet the chickens that lay the fresh eggs for us to eat. Wow, I was in love with Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead restaurant.  This is California, this is how lucky we are to have the freshest produces and ingredients. I grown a garden myself. I got all citrus tress, tomatoes, opo, herbs in my backyard. I appreciate this kind of freshness food and responsible farming here.
     Our server was attentive and nice. We also got to talk to chef again and he told us about the ranch, the garden, and all the love he puts in the kitchen. It surely shows through his dishes.
     We can't wait to come back again soon. 1 of my FAVORITE restos in Napa Valley now, as of Summer 2013!
This review is specifically for Farmstead Restaurant, which is part of the Long Meadow Ranch. Â For some background, Long Meadow Ranch produce and purvey wines and food from three locations in the Napa Valley: a 650-acre home ranch called the Mayacamas Estate; a 90-acre Rutherford Estate in the heart of the Rutherford AVA, which includes vineyards and production vegetable gardens; and a 3-acre destination location in St. Helena known as Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead, which includes their restaurant, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch.
With that background, most, if not all, the ingredients used are sourced from the ranch. Â
1. Started with the steak tartare, with egg, capers, cornichons, tobasco and toast.
2. Caramelized beet with sky hill goat cheese crema, greens and chimichurri.
3. Wood grilled heritage pork chop with broccolin, jalepeno grits, and peaches.
4. St. Louis ribs
Everything was really good, with the exception of the pork chop, which was just OK. Â I was extremely disappointed no steak was on the menu, considering the meat is sourced from the ranch as noted above. Â Was visiting Napa Valley from Los Angeles, and was really looking forward to eating a grass fed steak, which I had tried on my previous visit. Â I was dining with a St. Helena resident, and she was even surprised that no steak was on the menu.
When our engaged friends announced that this was going to be their wedding location, I was super excited. I mean...I was really happy for them but thrilled that we would be returning to enjoy another meal at Farmstead.
The ceremony space is "in the round" which, while very pretty, is near the main road so there was some distracting noise, including loud cars/motorcycles. The reception space is set farther back and especially beautiful at night with the strings of white lights.
All of the staff were attentive and accommodating. The server assigned to our table checked in with us often and happily brought us extra rolls and potatoes, which were two clear favorites at our table.
The only appetizer that I tried was a crostini with ricotta and a peach bruschetta and it was incredible. Each table was served family-style arugula salad (with strawberries, feta and almonds), potato rolls (delightfully pretzel-y and, again, one of our table's favorites), pulled pork, brick chicken, and potatoes (table favorite #2). All the food was delicious, not just the rolls and potatoes.
Oh, and they have full on camp fires for s'mores. Good times.
Two words: Chocolate pie.
My boyfriend and I came here for our one year anniversary a month ago and it was delicious. I ordered an arugula, strawberry, almond salad that was so fresh and light. The strawberries were practically candy. My boyfriend got a deconstructed peach and speck salad thing and it was so different, but great as well. We also did the "check in" and got a free order of cheese and honey biscuits which were to die for.
As main courses I ordered the gnocchi with beef and it was perfecto. The gnocchi tasted like real potato gnocchi, and not gummy like most more doughy gnocchis. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth good. My boyfriend ordered the trout with bacon vinaigrette, which I didn't care for since I'm not much of a fish eater, but he raved about it (and still does).
As a dessert, we shared the chocolate pie, and let me start by saying it was probably the best dessert I've ever had. The crust was so buttery and sweet and the chocolate was perfectly balanced between being light and like pudding; the whipped cream on top was the perfect amount of creaminess to go with this slice of heaven. I still fantasize about it.
My boyfriend also ordered a drink, but I don't remember what it was... But whatever it was, it was really excellent as well.
I love that everything is farm grown and local. Made the food taste way better than other restaurants. I can't wait to come back.
I will definitely return here to try more dishes. Standouts were the kale salad (who knew kale was so tasty?) and the burger. Next time I'd like to try the pork chop.
The grounds are beautiful, and you can also do a wine tasting there at their lovely shop. If you eat there, they give you a 2 for 1 tasting.
This is my favorite eatery in the Napa Valley. Being the type that doesn't eat at the same place very often, this is a different story. I have been here at least 50 times in the past three years, sometimes even going a few times in one week.
I often order the same things: grilled potatoes, cheesy biscuits, either of their slider options, a Tank 7 beer and their AMAZING burger. The burger is simple but of such quality that adding much to it would just ruin it. Get the spicy mayo! Their desserts are also some of the best I have had.
Also, go here for brunch. YUM!!!
Why I love them: $2 corkage, patio seating, farm-to-table, friendly staff, GREAT FOOD.
My only complaint is that there doesn't seem to be enough staff some times, which makes service run slow, and on occasion, maddenly slow!
This is such a beautiful setting and it was a fabulous repast after a long drive from Los Angeles. Â It is located right on route 29, which can be extremely busy on the weekends. Â But we arrived mid-afternoon on a Wednesday which was perfect and the large post-modern barn like structure where the restaurant is located was half-full. Â There is an outdoor patio with limited shade, which is where we chose to eat. Â If you want to have a drink outside with your dog, you can do that at the separate outdoor lounge area, with couches and a nice fireplace to warm you on those cool napa valley nights.
Very foo-foo lunch fare if that's what you are into. Â You should check the menu online to see if it's got what you'd like. Â But it's all grown locally and the best part is there is locally bred, slaughtered, and processed beef available on the menu - that sounded kind of gross the way I wrote it, but it is wonderful to know there is a local food source for your meat, if you desire it and can afford it. Â My party of three was unimpressed. Â My foo-foo sister would have loved it. Â
 The server was really nice.  She presumed one of our party to be vegetarian and recommended something that was promptly rejected after one bite.  The waitress took it back, no questions asked.  My salad was amazing.  My husband had pulled pork, it was pretty good, too.
What is really great about this place, aside from the very sweet server, was the garden. Â If you take the time to tour it, you will love it. Â Lots of tomatoes to sample, I pulled an apple from the tree and it was delicious. Â We weren't allowed to taste any wine or olive oil that day - I guess we looked dangerous.
We enjoyed our afternoon there. Â I wouldn't return without a person who was really into food or wine, however, because people looking for a value meal ought to be eating across the street and not here. Â This place was about $65 for lunch three people without any beverage.
It's not for kids. Â Leave them at home. Â There's a kid menu but it's meh like everywhere else.
We were escaping the foggy and cold SF weather for some sun and wine and always like trying new places for lunch. Â In Wine Country good food is expected but not always easy to find and be impressed.
This place is open all day long, so if you're running late it's not a problem, huge property both inside and outdoor seating in a courtyard with apple trees. Â We sat outside to enjoy more sun and perfect weather. Â
We started with a tomato and burrata salad, yummy! Â The tomatoes are in season so they are so freaking sweet, the dressing was a bit of pesto which was both unexpected and really good, I ate what was left with a spoon, the burrata was great but not enough of it compared to the tomatoes, wish it was more balanced. Â
For the mains we got burger, short ribs, half portion was huge and corn bread. Â OK yes we were hungry and yes the food was excellent. Â The ribs were absolutely lean, no fat to speak of, falling off the bone, just amazing, the corn bread was yummy. Â The one thing I didn't care for was the blue cheese slaw, but I'm not a fan of blue cheese so I'm sure I'm not the best judge. Â I will say the slaw was refreshing and not overly dressed like some.
The burger was great, cooked just right, seasoned, juicy, my husband inhaled it. Â
The potatoes with it were forgettable and he didn't really eat them, I would have opted for fries or a salad as a pairing or even something more creative.
We had an excellent meal outside, relaxed and would come back again for dinner or lunch, loved the atmosphere, service was great and food hit the spot.
Really cool outside patio area. Nice atmosphere to have a drink and an appetizer.
I had some wine and the grilled artichoke there. The artichoke was really good. It had a great smokey flavor from the grill that was nicely offset by the sauce on top, a fresh shot of lemon. I would definitely head back.
My husband and I took our family here for dinner after an afternoon of wine tasting, and everyone agreed that the food was super fresh and tasty. I also love the vaulted ceilings and the homy yet casual-elegant feeling of the restaurant.
Apps:
Cheddar biscuits - Addicting, especially since they came warm to the table. Add on a bit of that apple butter, and it was a foregone conclusion that you would have trouble saving room for your meal.
Beef carpaccio - Soooo good. I would totally order this again.
Grilled artichokes - Good, but they weren't memorable.
Steak tartare - Good, but I wouldn't say this was memorable either. However, if you haven't had steak tartare before, it's a good place to try it.
Entrees:
Gnocchi with lamb ragu - Such comfort food. I could see myself being super happy with this on a cold winter's night.
Braised beef ribs - The ribs were cooked for a long time for them to be so tender. It was paired well with a corn bread pudding side and some veggies.
Fresh rainbow trout - This was really tasty! I love fish that is prepared well, and this is it.
I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to my friends as the food was stellar, and it doesn't break the bank.
The things I have beef with:
- I had checked in on Yelp to get free cheddar biscuits. We were still charged for them, even though they said it would be free.
- We had ordered a side dish of broccolini that never came. I'm not sure if it were on the bill or not (and sadly, when we walked away with the receipt, it wasn't itemized, so we couldn't check).
I recently hosted my wedding reception at Farmstead and I cannot say enough about the beautiful & incredible experience!! Â I always knew that table settings & food/wine were top priorities for me in the wedding planning process and I have to say that Farmstead over exceeded my expectations! Â I have worked both in the retail industry (as a table setting buyer) and restaurant industry so I am extremely picky in both of these categories and Farmstead hit it out of the park! Â
The atmosphere & scene they set for our guests was just breathtaking. Â I can't tell you how many compliments I got on not only the venue, food, layout, and the service. Â I couldn't believe how many people came up to tell me after dinner how incredible the food & service was. Â It's such a compliment to Farmstead's management and team to hire such great employees!!
The event coordinators Elizabeth & Rebecca were incredible. Â They listened to every minor detail no matter how silly it may have seemed and embraced it with enthusiasm and executed my wildest dreams. Â I cannot say enough about this incredible experience and I hope anyone that is thinking of hosting here, DO IT! Â You won't regret it! Â
The value for what you get is also unbelievable. Â Many venues try to take advantage of the "W" word (aka Wedding) and Farmstead does not. Â They give you a champagne experience on a beer budget (ok maybe a high quality beer, but nonetheless) ;). Â I wish I could go on and on, but I hope readers get the point that it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING from start to finish!
If you want downright comfort food, this is the spot for you. Ordered the ribs and the ribs at Rutherford grill put these to shame quite frankly, which I did not anticipate since they are all about their own cattle, farm to table concept, and the whole 9 yards at Long Meadow Ranch.
Regardless, a solid establishment and I would certainly come here again! I think next time I would get the juicy burger as Cherylynn describes. It looked a-mazing! Their cheesy biscuits are light and fluffy and a great addition.
Since they do their own wine they serve them in more generous portions as well.
Overall this is a fun place for groups for lunch or dinner. The outside area is more relaxed while the inside is more elegant but still warm and inviting. I'd probably come back for a fun meal.
3.5 STARS
After eating a wallet raping, vegetable garden dinner at Meadowood, I couldn't wait to get my mouth on a big, deliciously thick and succulently juicy...BURGER.
If your mind was elsewhere, shame on you. ;)
With such stellar reviews, Farmstead seemed like a promising choice. Farmstead is like a one-stop shop in wine country. It's a beautiful 3-acre estate, winery, a farmer's market, and a restaurant all rolled into one. They even hold summer concerts and have film festivals which is very cool.
With a farm-to-table concept, Farmstead uses top-notch ingredients sourced locally and they produce their own eggs, veggies, fruits, honey, and olive oil. Even their beef comes from their own ranch. I also adored Farmstead's modern rustic country ambiance with cute rocking chairs out in the patio and an open kitchen. Unfortunately, the food wasn't well-executed on the day we went. It wasn't bad but just more of a disappointment.
While most restaurants have a separate lunch and dinner menu, Farmstead's has the same items for both with the same prices to match (entrees averaged at $24-26). Lunch for two was about $60 so this is definitely not a budget friendly place for lunch. And even though the only thing I had on my mind was a burger, it would have been nice to see brunch items on the menu offered on Saturdays and not just on Sundays. Just my two cents.
Thanks to Yelp, we received the Cheddar Biscuits w/ Honey Butter ($6) for free when checking in on Yelp (the Chinesey in my rejoiced): <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F1a6cDh2&s=532b7c3bbc345ca5064f30b89569a68c3141a4556c1e801bc66bdeab183c1cef" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/1a6cDh2</a>. Think Red Lobster's infamous Cheddar Bay Biscuits without the hypertension. They however arrived lukewarm which sacrificed the texture and taste.
My LMR Cheeseburger w/ an egg ($15 +$3) satisfied my craving but was underwhelming for the price: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F12ght9G&s=b5b390ff90265c4b75f648c769a776249351f9ecf3a29ee3b989bf9e30bae8c8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/12ght9G</a>. Although the beef patty was perfectly cooked to a medium rare and was as juicy as it can be, the cheese wasn't melted and the bottom bun quickly became a wet sponge because the bun was not toasted enough: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F184cuxq&s=5c43c932657d8caa733782e13f08e46bec4328e1c6d67188e2778bf61a837fac" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/184cuxq</a>. Personally, one of my biggest qualifiers for a solid burger is a nicely toasted bun to hold everything together. Most disappointingly, the egg was overcooked so no yolk porn. Didn't care for the herbed fried potatoes as they also arrived lukewarm. For a mean burger, my pick goes to Boon Fly Café in Napa (see pic: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F16jxbi8&s=7644874a718d416e4b17839f69849da345126ca903260457d3f5d2aa4a4c179a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/16jxbi8</a>).
Mr. NSS ordered the much raved about Wood Grilled Pork Chop w/ Jalapeno Grits & Apple Onion Jam ($26): <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F13G1sM5&s=12d65e7a886bfd38a79134d025a1d2813a0235377b9b19fb03e57cc2483fe80f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/13G1sM5</a>. A great mélange of savory sweet and spicy flavors, but the pork chop was a bit dry. I prefer pork cooked a medium-rare to a medium but this one was a medium-well to well-done.
Service definitely outshined the food. They were able to accommodate us for last minute lunch reservations (within 30 minutes of calling). The energetic staff was genuinely nice and attentive so I'm rounding up my rating. Food service was timely but again the food arrived lukewarm.
I'm hoping Farmstead was just having an off day because I would love to return for Sunday brunch and try their Smoked beef & pork hash or their Eggs benedict w/ house-smoked pork & tabasco hollandaise. Maybe by then they'll even have WHOOO HOOOO bottomless mimosas to liven things up there. On a second thought, the look on the other patrons' faces of sheer horror is probably why going bottomless is rare in wine country...
Really enjoyed the place. After multiple recommendations by my sister & brother-in-law, we finally got to try it and was impressed!
PROS
- The food portions are more than enough.
- Dishes definitely taste more natural and well-concocted.
- The overall feel of the place is very Napa style.
- Great place for a wedding receptions have been here.
- It has a covered fountain in the back and open area so kids can run around
- Functional garden in the back with pathways.
- The cheese/cheddar biscuits are AMAZING. Must-have.
CONS
- Chairs could be more comfortable but doesn't ding my rating for the place as it's a personal preference.
- The baby back ribs could've been softer.
Overall, I'm looking forward to trying it again for the second time and expecting to be more impressed.
This is my second time dining at Farmstead. Â It is still amazing compare to my first time . Â Definitely make a reservation. Â It gets busy. Â
Food was amazing. Â I had the pulled pork sandwich. Â The meat was tender. Â I would recommend the pork chop also. Â It is moist and tender. Â You won't go wrong with any choices on the menu.
Amazing place, and the food was the balls.
Granted we had a great weather day, but everything about our lunch was excellent.
From the delicious roast beef sandwich to the unique kale and fluffy biscuits I can't recommend Farmstead highly enough.
Oh, and $1 corkage. As if you needed a reason to drink more in Napa.
We initially came here for dinner, but made a brief detour to their tasting room. Between perusing the unique jewelry & the gourmet food items for sale & trying their yummy jammy 2008 Cabernet, this was definitely worthwhile.
The outside patio/bar area with fireplace made me wish it wasn't so balmy out. Â What a great place to cozy up and hang out! Â But our group was here for dinner, so we walked in and were happily seated near the half open kitchen.
Thanks to the Yelp app, the biscuits were free (with check-in) - and they started off a great meal:
Cheddar Biscuits - warm, crispy-edged, soft and bready in the middle, served with honey butter, these were SO GOOD!
Caramelized Beets - sweet beets, lightly blackened to caramelization and only lightly seasoned, topped with fresh and bitter arugula, over a smear of goat cheese crema. Â Simple and delicious!
Gnocchi - with pan-fried edges, these gnocchi were made vegetarian with mushrooms, onions, sage and parmesan. OMG SO GOOD!
Grilled Trout - whole, deboned, topped with wild mushrooms, fennel, and toasted almonds, and a bacon vinaigrette. Â Delicious!
Wild Salmon - served with fingerling potatoes and shaved asparagus. Â Another simply prepared yet delicious dish.
Pork Chop - a big, thick chop served with dark green broccolini and jalapeno grits. Â I didn't try this one but it looked juicy!
Lemon Poundcake - griddled til crispy on all sides, this warm cake was SO yummy caramelized with a citrus marmalade and vanilla ice cream!
Strawberry Shortcake - gorgeous fresh strawberries, macerated in a lemony sugary syrup, served over a dense pound cake and topped with fresh whipped cream. Â Omg SO GOOD!
This carb avoider thoroughly enjoyed every damn morsel of carbs in this meal. Â
And yes, I'd totally do it again.
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