Napa Flats Wood-Fired Kitchen

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  Good service, poor food. Sprouts were undercooked, pizza was over salted, steak was flavorless. For the price I won't be back anytime soon. But maybe I was just unlucky. We'll see how they do after the novelty of being the newest joint around wears off.

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  Posted on 07.19.13 Rudy M.

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  SECOND UPDATE: Tried lunch again Sunday. Place was mobbed, mostly with the after-church crowd. Did not expect great service, but wanted pizza. Service was fast, and the pizza was customized as I requested, and was not soggy like the last lunch experience. One star given back for great service and food during a mobbed lunch.
  
  UPDATE: Second lunch experience was also disappointing. While flavors were spot on, the flat sandwich I ordered was cold when it reached our table. Ditto for 2nd friend's flat sandwich. 3rd friend's pizza was not the signature crisp crust the ones at dinner have been. As dinners have been 100% excellent and lunches have been 100% disappointing, I will probably scratch this off my lunch options, and continue patronizing them for dinner. Will certainly return for lunch when I sense things have improved. I think they just get overwhelmed, and I hope they can move past that.
  
  Have to drop my review a bit after a disappointing lunch today. Ordered the veggie panini, and what arrived was, well, a disappointment. The sandwich was pretty small...and I generally am ok with modest portions. But there was basically little to almost no stuff between the bread...mostly bread in fact. That, and a pile of decent house made chips was not exactly what I was envisioning for lunch. Will definitely not be ordering this one again, as the one made at The Villlage in downtown Bryan is much much better.
  My friend ordered the lamb flat, and I realized I really screwed up badly. His was awesome, off the chain in fact...the lamb was seasoned perfectly, the bread was grilled nice, and it was stuffed with veggies and a great tzatski style sauce. A real winner, and the best gyros type sandwich I've had in town.
  Probably will ask for descriptions of the items next time before ordering.

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  Posted on 07.16.13 Alex P.

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  Service is new, but the food was generally good.  The pizza is about an average wood fired, but the Gyro type Lamb Flat was out of this world.  Since College Station has no decent Greek Food this is a wonderful dish.  Would recommend to anyone.

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  Posted on 07.10.13 Clark P.

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  Finally got a chance to check out Napa Flats by the same owners as Grub Burger.  The BBQ Chicken pizza was excellent and well as the strawberry cheesecake.  
  
  Two reasons I can't give me than 3 stars;
  1) Their website still says "Opening Soon" so there's no way to look up their hours (visited on a Sunday afternoon), nor their menu online.  You have to call for hours and when doing so I was told by a girl with a wee tiny squeaky voice almost impossible to understand, that "The manager has never got around to finishing the website".   Okay.
  
  2) Drink selection (non alcoholic) is about the same as Taco Bell from what I was able to tell.   Since Grub has some excellent fresh lemonades I asked for one only to find out it's Minute Maid artificially flavored (0% fruit juice) which tastes like floor cleaner.   Ice tea was just plain, and the tap water doesn't seem to have a filter, so it's nasty College Station municipal water with a sodium and chlorine taste.  
  
  For a place this pricey you would think they'd be able to tweak those simple expectations.   Service was nice and friendly and attentive by an Aggie student.

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  Posted on 07.10.13 Greg D.

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  I've only been here once, but the food was so good that I can't wait to get back.
  
  Ambiance:  Although the location in a strip mall leaves something to be desired, the interior has a trendy atmosphere (similar to the Grub aesthetic, as expected).  We sat on the mostly enclosed patio, which also features a nice fountain.  You almost forget that you are essentially dining in a parking lot - as long as you don't glance at the giant "Office Depot" sign across the one open wall.  The clientele was a super hip mixture of middle-aged suburbanites and underaged Aggies out on dates.  It made me snicker to see the kids "done up" (sorry, I'm a jerk...snort...).
  
  The music selections did make me glare disgustedly at the speaker from time to time - maybe just stick to non-offensive instrumental jazz or something, rather than a mixture of cheesy pop-country and 80's rock?
  
  Service:  During the summertime, it is expected that they will have young, inexperienced waitstaff.  They mixed some things up and weren't perfect (forgetting silverware was a common theme across multiple tables), but they were very friendly and I'm sure they will learn to work out the kinks.  
  
  The waitress informed us that the restaurant makes everything fresh daily, including their dressings and cheeses.  Homemade cheeses??  Can someone confirm this?  Is there a secret artisanal cheesemaker hanging out in College Station?
  
  Drinks:  Meh.  The cocktails were alright, but very heavy on the mixers and light on the liquor.    I suppose this is what you'd expect from a strip mall restaurant, but I am just not a fan of overpaying for a weak, generic mixed drink.  Wine selection wasn't that great, either, but I'd probably stick with wine in the future.  This is primarily why I left off one star (yes, drinks are THAT important to me).
  
  Food:  Sooooooo tasty.
  
  Napa Dip: OMG soooo good.  Gooey cream cheese, sun-dried tomato, artichoke, and green onion mix.  Not many chunks, mostly just creamy.  Granted, you can probably make this at home with some cream cheese and mix-ins, but so far, my attempt to recreate this dip failed.
  
  Brussel Sprout and Spinach Pizza: This pizza was awesome.  Carmelized brussels sprout leaves and onions, ricotta, spinach leaves (not too many, so it wasn't soggy), sliced mushrooms - a great flavor combination.  Just the right amount of cheese and a great crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside crust.  Probably my favorite crust in town.
  I had noted one review said the pizza was more like 10 than 12", and they are correct - I didn't whip out a ruler or anything, don't worry.  But it was still plenty.  Even after I shared one piece, I had half the pizza to take home.  I dipped my crusts in the Napa Dip, because I am classy like that.
  
  Grilled Fish:  OK, I don't know what the real name of this entree is.  My dining companion ordered a grilled fish filet that came with salsa, avocado, and tomato slices, and thought it was excellent.  A big burly man might need an additional side to be full, though.  Just saying.  Sides cost extra, maybe $6-8.
  
  Gelato:  We got free samples of the strawberry gelato for dessert, which was good (does "bad" gelato exist?), but it wasn't so amazing that I wanted a whole serving of it.
  
  I can't wait to go back to try the poblano mac n cheese.

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  Posted on 07.08.13 N N.

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  We loved it and plan Togo back. The open kitchen is fun as you can watch the chefs hard at work. We got the shrimp appetizer which is awesome and wood fired BBQ chicken pizza. It was all very good. Our new fave place.

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  Posted on 07.07.13 C M.

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  Ate dinner last Saturday with a friend.  Had a short wait but nothing excessive considering that it was a Saturday, at a new restaurant.  The food was outstanding!!!! What a refreshing change from the normal fare in town.  Had the salmon and redfish main courses and the green beans and spinach/kale sides.  All were prepared to perfection.  The fish had a crispy outside but was moist and flaky.  The sides were tender crisp with just a hint of smoke.  The service was attentive without being annoying.  The pistachio gelato was amazing.  The owner was in the house visiting with customers, he stopped by our table to see if we were pleased.  I will definitely be back.  Can't wait to try lunch.

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  Posted on 07.06.13 Cynthia S.

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  Ok, first off -- you do not tell people you are going to have the friggin' 'cheese and fruit plate' (which is on your menu!!!) on monday and then never have it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  We tried this place on Friday (06-28-2013) and our server told us that the cheese plate listed on their menu was not available, but that it definitely would be available starting on Monday (07-01-2013).
  
  So we went back on 07-06-2013 and it still was "not available".  Pretty frustrating to get just blatantly lied to like that...
  
  When we went there the first time, the music and ambient noise was excessive...so much so that you could not have a conversation with someone at your own table at a comfortable level (it was just as loud when we went back the second time too).  The food was just ok.  Definitely not worth what we were charged for it...we had the BBQ pizza and Café Eccell's is far better, especially given the price.  The service was extremely slow.  They charge $5 for one scoop of gelato (which wasn't that great).  Not really sure why we went back...probably should have just not gone there, but I thought I would give them another chance and now I know for certain I will never, ever step foot in that establishment again, thanks to the extremely rude, insane way the owner treated us.  (Read below)
  
  Thank you so much for this wonderful dining experience.  We will not be back.  Ever.
  
  Update:  Ok, so then our waitress on our second visit (who was VERY kind, BTW...as were the hostesses) told us they actually DO have the cheese -- their owner ("tom kinney") just does not want anyone to have it because, "...they don't have a person to come in to tell them which wines to pair it with..." ...because -- you know -- EVERYONE HAS TO HAVE WINE.  I do not drink wine, so I couldn't care less wtf wine it's 'supposed' to go with.
  
  Anyway, so I told the server I wasn't upset with her and thanked her for her help and then all the sudden, this jerk waddles up and just starts railing on me.  He said he's going to run his business his way, he doesn't care what me or anyone else thinks and to "GET OUT!!   NOW!!  THERE'S THE DOOR!!!  GO AWAY!!!".  I tried talking to this insane, enraged person, but he was so angry he did not want to listen -- he just continually kept interrupting, talking over me on his little tirade and causing a scene.  So I left our server a tip with the hostesses (so that I'd be certain she actually got it) and then we left.  I don't deserve to be treated like that by ANYONE in this town, much less this guy.  I have friends that have PTSD from deploying to Iraq that don't act as badly as this jerk did.
  
  Here's a hint for you, tommie -- there is absolutely ZERO SHORTAGE of places to eat in College Station.  I've lived here for over twenty years and I've seen DOZENS of restaurants go out of business whose owners' attitudes weren't even half as bad as yours (most of them were merely apathetic -- not psychotic).  You'd better get your attitude adjusted or you will also find yourself without a business to run into the ground.
  
  Update #2:  Just so all you other Yelpers know, I am now receiving obnoxious emails through Yelp from one of their shills...presumably a waitress or something.  In any case, be prepared to receive idiotic "compliments" from these people if your experience was as bad as mine was.  Oh, and for the record -- timmy (tommie...wtf his name is) was the one creating the scene on our visit -- not us.
  
  Update #3:  Looks like "tommie" paid off Yelp to get our LEGITIMATE reviews buried so that they don't show up in his rating.  You know what?  THAT'S FINE.  Their business is horrible.  Their food is disgusting (REALLY?  COFFEE GROUND IN BBQ SAUCE???  DISGUSTING!!!!!).  No one can get into their ridiculous clown booths.  "tommie" treats his customers (and apparently employees too) like ####.  He acts like a raving lunatic...people will stop going there soon enough.  Like I said -- he will very soon find himself without a business to run into the ground thanks to his ###### attitude.  "timmie" is a big, whiny, bratty baby and he's going to pull that stunt on the wrong person one day.  And I won't be stepping foot in THERE OR GRUB until/unless Jimmy finds some way to get rid of him.

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  Posted on 07.06.13 JM J.

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  My biggest issue is service, or lack therof.  My daughter and I ate lunch here on June 27.  The food was quite tasty,  but the waitress didn't pick up our menus, and she never came back to refill our tea.
  
  My husband and I decided to try dinner there, however, we never even made it to the table.  We specifically asked the waitress for a table outside, since it was a pleasant evening.  She looked flustered and then told us it would be a few minutes.  We waited, and then she grabbed two menus and said follow me.....to a table INSIDE!  When I questioned her, she said that the wait was too long for an outside table.  We felt like we were being treated like idiots because she didn't have the courtesy to tell us the wait would  longer and give us a choice of inside or out.  Also, it was extremely loud in the restaurant....not a good environment for a romantic evening.  My husband grabbed me and said, "Let's go."  At that point the hostess yelled after us, "Oh, I can sit you outside now."  We went to Veritas.

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  Posted on 07.03.13 SB F.

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  Loved the place! Always glad to see new restaurants in town, considering the limited options in College Station. Especially excited to see a "non-chain" going in somewhere besides on University Dr. To top it all off its owned by the same guys who started Grub? Sign me up.
  
  I had a great time. The atmosphere is perfect for any occasion and they have a great bar to catch a game.  
  
  The food left nothing to be desired. It was simple, delicious, and I saw lots of things I wanted to try, so I'll be back. I had the tomatoes caprese and pork chop milanese. Both were incredible and I recommend them to anyone.
  
  The only reason this isn't a 5-star review is because of our service. We sat in a section where our waitress had one other table (that we could tell anyways). She seemed to be preoccupied with other things, not concentrated on her tables at all and disappeared for a LONG time (to the tune of 20-30 minutes) with our card when we went to pay. It made me nervous. Especially considering when there was no explanation from her at all when she returned. Another waiter and the manager came by to say there was a "computer issue". Come to find out I'd been charged twice. I'm 100% sure it was a mistake, and it has no impact on my feeling for the restaurant. I just think the situation could have been handled better by the staff instead of having the manager step in for her.
  
  Like I said, I'm looking forward to my next visit!

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  Posted on 07.02.13 Andrew T.

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  A little left to be desired here.  I had the pepperoni pizza as nothing else on the menu really struck my fancy.  It was on the salty side.  My lunch partner had the chicken pita thing.  He said it was good, but there was only chicken on half of it. Lunchtime has a VERY limited menu.  Service and cost was perfectly reasonable.  I'd go back if someone else wanted to go, but it's not going to be a "destination" place for me.

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  Posted on 07.01.13 Mary A.

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  I'm a big fan of Tom and Jimmy... They understand service and they know how to treat customers.  Food was amazing, our waitress Emily was very nice and helpful.  Jake the manager is a rising star in the restaurant business.
  Food:
  Started with a great cream cheese dip with sour dough toast (don't recall the name, my wife ordered)
  I had the 7 oz filet with the mashed potatoes and green beans.  I would order my steak medium+, the medium is closer to medium rare.  The flavor was amazing.
  My wife had the red fish.... AMAZING. I am not a fish guy at all, and I loved it.  Fish was awesome, mixed with the pico/guacamole sauce... DELICIOUS!
  We shared a red Napa Valley Cab... Very good
  We finished with the apple desert, if you are health conscience it seems to be a good choice, as it taste Locke apple cobbler without the crust.
  
  We're big fans and will return soon.  Great Value

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  Posted on 07.01.13 TJ M.

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  No complaints about food other than some of the menu items are not yet available. We felt a little embarrassed when we asked for something only be told it wasn't available yet, but our waitress was kind and prompt.
  
  When we arrived we had to wait which is to be expected for a saturday night. We sat down to wait and 5 mins later some friends of  the hostess walked in. They (4) waited less than a minute and were seated before us (2) and two other couples (2 each). Once we were sat, we were sat right next to the friends at a 4 top (same as the other two couples, we all sat at 4 tops so this had nothing to do with table size availability) and to also mention not all in their party had even arrived when she sat them. A little irked that favoritism was given in an obvious manner.
  
  We will visit again for sure, just wanted to share this in hopes anyone going will know ahead of time to expect it.

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  Posted on 06.29.13 Amie J.

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  My husband and I went here on Saturday night.  We were seated right away.  We ordered the calamari, caesar salads, and a margherita pizza.  Let me say, the for was overall very good.  The calamari was a bit too crispy and over-fried.  The only other issue we had with the food was that our pizza was certainly not a 12 inch pizza.  Luckily, we had ordered enough food that it wasn't a problem, but it was definitely a 10 inch pizza.  When you are paying the prices that Napa Flats has, I want the extra 2 inches of my pizza!
  
  We were seated right next to the nook where the servers put in orders and cash out.  I believe there must have only been ONE machine, because multiple times throughout our dinner there was a line of 5+ servers waiting to get on the machine.  I definitely would advise they remove that table because it was crowded, and the unexperienced waitstaff chose that area to chat and talk about other tables.  Very, very unprofessional and I heard some things I don't think the other patrons would have liked to hear.  I think the restaurant should invest in more machines and move that table away from the machines.  
  
  I think this place has great potential, but they need some serious work on the layout and making sure they produce the food they actually advertise (!2 inch, not 10 inch pizzas.)

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  Posted on 06.18.13 Eva J.

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  We've been waiting for Napa Flats to open -- it's owned by the successful pair that opened Grub Burger Bar, which has been a huge addition to the B/CS food scene -- and we went on the first night. You know how sometimes, you're eager for something to open, and then, when it does, it's kind of a let-down? Not here. I had genuinely high expectations, and they were surpassed. This place rocks, plain and simple.
  
  I was in a group of four, and we were in the mood to try lots of things and share. Among the appetizers we shared: a somewhat spicy coated shrimp that was served over a bed of creamy cole slaw that cut the spice on the shrimp; mussels served in a tomato and garlic sauce that was so nice that there were dueling forks going after the last tastes; calamari that was lightly breaded and fried, not heavy and filling, with two different and fabulous dipping sauces; and a pizza with prosciutto and arugala that was not shy on the arugala. All of the appetizers got rave reviews at our table.
  
  The pizza will be a specialty of the restaurant, and a staple of my visits there. They have a wood-fired oven that generates serious heat, so they can make flavorful, thin crusts. It's instantly the best pizza in town, and there's nothing that comes close. I look forward to trying more.
  
  For our mains, we had a salad, a filet of beef, glazed salmon, and a breaded pork tenderloin. All three protein-based mains were cooked to perfection. There are smallish things that they can improve on (too much salt on the filet?), and which we passed along to the owners and their managing partner, who were all there, and eager for feedback. But everyone was pleased with flavor and presentation. Where these also score very highly is value. The salmon and the filet, if I remember right, were $14 or $15 each. That's just so affordable considering how high the quality is.
  
  Because the place had just opened, despite the fact that I usually don't eat dessert, we ordered a few to share. The made-in-house gelatos all pleased the table mightily.
  
  Is there room for improvement? Sure, some. The staff are very young, and they'll grow under the tutelage of these owners. (They have amazing staff at Grub Burger Bar, so we know they set the standards high.)
  
  The wine list needs improvement. There are no sparkling options, by the glass or the bottle. You just gotta have a prosecco or a cava, and, yes, by the glass. The by-the-glass options -- especially for the whites -- leaves something to be desired. It's just 2 pinot grigios and 2 chardonnays. You need some Sauvignon Blanc on the list, or how about an Albarino?
  
  I haven't tried the cocktails. I look forward to that. The beers-on-tap list is actually a step behind the list at Grub Burger Bar. There, if you want a Bud-Coors-Miller-Lite, you get a bottle, and the taps are reserved for higher-end beers. At Napa Flats, they dedicate three taps to the bad-beer troika. Hopefully the owners will see the wisdom of the Grub approach and relegate the other beers to the bottle cooler, and leave the taps for more interesting beers.
  
  But these things notwithstanding, Napa Flats is a Five Star experience. The physical layout is fabulous, the food is excellent from start to finish, and these owners' commitment to doing something new and innovative in this market will surely bring them success.

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  Posted on 06.17.13 Paul K.

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  Pretty damn good for the second day of opening. Some of the menu items are listed as "coming soon" in red letters - bummed me out cause I wanted to order all coming soon items, ha.
  
  The bf and I ordered the margherita pizza and the arugula/prosciutto pizza. Margherita was meh, but the arugula/prosciutto pizza was so yummy! I normally hate arugula, but they used some sort of lemony sauce on top that was really good.
  
  Aaaand the crust - I liked it! I'm part of the 1% of people who like thicker, bread-y crusts...I tend to stay away from the New York style thin crusts. I JUST LOVE BREAD, okay!? They go easy on the cheese, which I also liked!
  
  I will be eagerly waiting for the "coming soon" items to be available in the future :P Also can't wait for the weather to cool down so I can sit in the cute patio area!

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  Posted on 06.16.13 Stephanie K.

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  Yum!  Pepperoni pizza, palo alto appetizer, and great wine at fair prices. Will be back!

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  Posted on 06.14.13 Andrea H.

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