I really want to like this place... I mean I REALLY do! Â I have now dined at this restaurant 3 times, and sadly, I don't think there'll be a 4th.
Being a lifetime Petaluman, I am charmed with the tribute to the long time resident of the building Tuttle's Drug Store with their cocktail list of Tuttle's Elixirs.
The space is beautifully decorated with a rustic country charm that fits well with historic downtown. Â The 4 sided bar in the center of the dining room is clearly successfully designed to be a focal point. Â The TV seems out of place, but as I'm not much of a sports fan, I understand I'm not their target audience with this. Â The music is "club" style music and ends up quite noisy because the bar and dining room is full of patrons attempting to talk over it. Â The menu is appealing with a good mix of local/seasonal options.
Visit #1: I had a groupon for dinner for 2. Â Bianca was our server and she was friendly, knowledgable, and efficient. Â I had the pork belly appetizer & the hanger steak which were good and the butterscotch pudding which was ok but Central Market does it better. Â All in all, I was happy and planned to come again.
#2: A group of 4 adults and 1 infant, for dinner on a weekend. Due to the baby and the heat we requested a table outside and were told we could sit there, but they didn't have service so we would have to order everything at the bar. Â A puzzling inconvenience, but we said ok. Â The bartender did his best to help us out and came outside to get our drink orders which was nice. Â Things went well until the food arrived, their "Social Plates" have 2 sizes, full or half orders. Â We ordered one of each size of gnocchi. Â When the plates arrived the portion size was identical. Â When asked, the bartender confirmed that it was indeed a full and a half order and offered to comp. us another half order to make up for it. Â Without a server it was a hassle but the food was good, and we left more or less happy. Â Again, I expected to return.
#3: Saturday, dinner for 2. Â Billy was our server. Â Things started off well, we ordered our drinks and the pork belly appetizer again because I enjoyed it previously and thought my husband would too. Â It wasn't as good as I had remembered, I found the skin to be crunchy instead of crispy and the inner layer of fat was just a little too rare. Â Not amazing, but ok, everyone has an off night. Â Shortly after the appetizer, I managed to drop my almost completely full cocktail into my lap drenching me and the table/floor all around me. Â Our server was standing about 10 feet away chatting with a coworker. Â The table next to us saw what happen and gave me their napkins to help contain the mess. Â Finally, once I had cleaned everything up and piled it on the end of the table he noticed and brought us new napkins and offered to get me a new drink. Â I thanked him and asked him if I could get it the same one made with rum instead of bourbon this time, which is my usual preference. Â His response was short and almost irritated sounding as he said they have a passion fruit mojito on the menu if I wanted rum. Â I politely responded telling him I had enjoyed the peach and would like the same drink, made with rum instead of bourbon. Â To which he responded "well fine, but I don't think it'll taste good that way" and walked away. Â I was a little annoyed by this exchange, because I didn't think it was that troublesome of a request, but I tried to put it behind me and enjoy the rest of my meal. Â I thought the second drink with rum was much tastier than the first with bourbon, although I still wish I hadn't had to wear my first one due to my own lack of grace. Â Unfortunately, when our entrees arrived things didn't get a whole lot better, my risotto was ok, but not as good as I had remembered and my husband's steak was bland and boring with overcooked vegetables as a side. Â All in all, it was a disappointing experience and we ended up skipping dessert. Â To their credit, they didn't charge me for the extra drink which I appreciated (and would not have grumbled at if they had since it was my own clumsiness), but the attitude of our server really soured me on the whole experience and to get food that didn't meet the standards from our previous visits was disappointing. Definitely not worth my $85, and I don't think I'll be giving them another try.
I think this restaurant has a lot of potential, but unfortunately they are traveling the wrong direction in their learning curve, and I can't help but think that other diners agree because at a peak time on Saturday night the place was more than 1/2 empty and many of the tables that did have patrons appeared to be only ordering drinks, not food. Â So far, it's a good bar - so long as you order something the staff "approves of" but as a restaurant, there are many better places for your money.
Update: Still terrible service and still really great food. Unfortunately, service doesn't make up for the grub.
Snooty greeting by hostess. Great.
Bartender came out and looked straight past us as he asked what we wanted. We ordered sangria and some beers to start. Â And, just like last time, he was obviously ignoring us when we spoke because he asked us all, twice, what we ordered. Dude, write it down or listen!
The drinks were quick and really good. The actual food and drink here is really tasty.
About a quarter of the way through our drinks, he came out and mumbled and pointed at our happy hour menus and said, "We're running low. I need these." And took them to a different table. Well, I guess no snacks or different drinks for us.
Like some other reviewers said, "If you aren't a single, young female, you might as well be some sort of infectious disease because that's how you are treated." Â
We had to flag down someone else to get a second round because god forbid the a-hole waiter come check on the table with the kids.
If this place had good service, it would get four or five stars from me, the food is bomb!
Too bad I won't go back.
My authentic review:
I arrived at 4:15pm. I arrived to a completely empty restaurant. I thought this was awesome because I met get some special attention and get to know the workers a bit. Uh, wrong assumption. Apparently because I was the only customer, I didn't matter.
I asked if they could change the TV's to some sort of something else they had Golf on the TV;s and seriously, how boring. The bartender/server didn't necessarily seem put off, mostly because he didn't answer me, acknowledge me, let me know that he heard me or anything. He just sort of walked away. And suddenly 5 minutes later the TV's changes to ESPN.
then I ordered the deviled eggs. They showed up and WOW they were good. Pretty amazing. Now there were a couple women on the other side of the bar that for some reason got TONS of notice. Not that they were models or anything. They were average 60+ year old kind fun women. But I kept thinking to myself, i wonder why they are getting so much attention. They don't seem to know the server/barender. Weird.
Then my second course showed up. He simply dropped it off and said "enjoy." Which I DID! The "Arancini with English Peas and Basil" were off the hook. But again. He never came back to refill my water, ask how they were or make sure I was okay. The bare area (I wasn't drinking, maybe that was the problem) is only like 22 feet by 16 feet and somehow, I felt voted off the island.
Maybe he, the bartender, was pre-occuipied with flirting with the other women and apparently "the regulars" after a while that i just decided to take off. Could have easily spent another 30 minutes there ordering more food to taste and catching up on emails.
Bottom line:
1. Food was great
2. Service was disappointing and I felt like I shouldn't have been there in the first place.
3. Background music was great.
My clients always ask me to meet them there so I thought I'd check it out. No go. Don't think I'm going to rush back! May even deflect.
Meh is the right description of this place. Â Edict? Manners? Â If you want to spend money eating, drinking, tipping, there is plenty of other great places in Petaluma to spend your money. Â I'm sure the people that work there hate their jobs or maybe lifes... sad but true. Â I'm a local and foodie. Â This place has/had potential before they created a bad local reputation for themselves. Â What I had of the food was pricey, but good, and it seems that the kitchen staff should be behind the bar and waiting tables because they put love into their food. and would probably care more about their customers. I Wish this place didn't just "miss the boat" and we could have added it to the list of "places to eat out". Â We're done trying this place even if the food has potential, why, because they're just strait up mean. Â I don't think they'll last long because the buzz of being a new place is over. I'd start over with the staff there.
Review Source:I came here with a friend to enjoy a celebratory drink to kick off my birthday weekend. It was so good, we ended up ordering more drinks, dinner, and dessert to boot! Honestly what I enjoyed the most was the atmosphere. It reminded me of a typical restaurant in Portland, Oregon, my hometown, except without all the dirty shifty hipsters...it was perfect! I had heard that this is the place that all the cougars in Petaluma go to...but it actually seemed to have a normal crowd here...much to my relief (nothing spoils a meal like a cougar picking up your dining companion...I'm just sayin').
Okay, back to the food...I started off with a delicious peach cocktail, befitting of a June birthday when peaches are in season. Most of the menu seemed seasonal and/or local which I like, since I'm somewhat of a locavore. I ended up getting a seasonally available rock cod filet which was served over a savory bed of veggies. Honestly, I had a bit to drink and I don't really remember what the veggies were, but I do remember them being perfectly savory and succulent whatever they were. Broccoli? String Beans? Cauliflower? I don't know...it was delicious and healthy: to compensate for the birthday drinks and dessert, of course. Speaking of dessert, I shared a flourless chocolate cake which was completely decadent, but not heavy like chocolate cake tends to be. I'll be back there I'm sure, especially if I feel nostalgic or homesick for the Pacific Northwest.
This was my third dining experience at the Social Club - all three times were the same - good food and great service - maybe because I come with a good attitude and expectations...the beets are a great starter and short ribs or salmon are outstanding. Â The wine list is eclectic and interesting...the Social Club is a nice change from the Petaluma Blvd venues...give them a try...
Review Source:My wife and I came here recently for drinks and dessert. Â We sat at the bar and were given drink menues right away. Â Once we got our drinks and dessert, the bar tender never acknowledged us again until we asked for the check. Â The bartenders here seem a little stuck up and slow to serve if you are not a single female. Â I also thought the drinks were over priced. Â I paid $6 for a summer Soltice where I could get the same beer at TAPS for $4.50. Â This place just seems to cater to a certain type of person of which my wife and I do not fit the mold.
Review Source:I checked out Social Club for brunch on the way back home from wine country.
The service was a little slow, I think they were severely understaffed for how busy they were (there was also an antique fair going on in the town, so I am sure that brought them more business). The bloody mary was a little bland, so I added a lot of hot sauce and pepper.
The house-made butter-milk chive biscuits with whipped honey butter were amazing. I had to cut myself off from them because I could have easily eaten all of them (and I thought that chive with biscuits would be weird, I was so very wrong). For an entree I had the smoked gouda mac and cheese with applewood smoked bacon and herbed sourdough breadcrumbs. It was absolutely delicious. It came out steaming hot and if you got a bite of the crusty cheese, bacon and breadcrumbs, it was absolutely lovely.
I wouldn't visit for the drinks, at least not the bloody marys, and I wouldn't expect quick service, but I was satisfied with the food.
Sadly, the food was yummy but the service was lame. Hostess and waiter both acted like they were doing us a favor by even speaking to us! Waiter was cold and a bit too laid-back for a place where dinner for two is $80 with drinks. The food itself was delish! Great fried chicken, smoked salmon app, and chocolate torte...but this place needs to listen to all the yelp feedback and retrain their staff! Too many good dining establishments around here to return to a place that refuses to listen to customer feedback.
Review Source:I have tried this place several times...every time has been disappointing. Â The food is just ok, but the service is absolutely horrible!!! Â My boyfriend always wants to come here but tonight is the last time I will tolerate it! Every time we come here we sit at the bar and wait forever to be greeted and asked what we want to drink. Â Tonight we waited for almost 10 minutes (wasn't even busy) and ended up leaving. The bartender never greeted us or made any kind of eye contact whatsoever. Â What did us in was when he walked over to where we were and turned his back to us and just stood there. Â I think they need to change their bartenders or change their name cause its
not "social" at all.
The three stars is for the food, which is just okay. I'm primarily writing because there
are SO many negative comments about the bartenders and servers which I agree
with EXCEPT for Abe and Brooke.
Went there last week with my sisters and brother just for drinks and we were
served by Abe who went above and beyond for us. Just the nicest guy, he made
our visit there even better. We were all talking about the bad service reviews and
I felt compelled to write in defense of Abe ~ who couldn't have been more attentive.
Thank you Abe, if you read this.
Then there's Brooke who was serving while we were there and she was doing a
wonderful job. We spoke to her before we left, complimenting her because she
obviously cares and like Abe, shouldn't be lumped in with the rest. This restaurant
is lucky to have these two!
I had really looked forward to trying this one out and it was terrible. The service was bad beyond belief. The expensive food was mediocre at best. There were several bartenders standing around as well as wait staff when we arrived at an early time of 5 p.m. We still could not get any service or follow up. Then to make matters worse they opened the glass doors at the side of the place to allow the smokey odor from their barbecue pits to fill the restaurant. I have asthma and anyone with health issues would not be able to tolerate that. So after an 18 dollar burger I had to leave earlier than I planned. Not everyone can tolerate being around smoke pits and to allow that gassy smell to permeate the whole area was so unbelievable. I will not be back for any condition.
Review Source:Food is just OK. Â I've had every single item on the menu. Â The only thing that's ever been excellent is one night they had a chicken thigh special that was AMAZING. Â That's it. Â The rest I may as well have made myself. Â Just average. Â As far as service- oh boy! Â These people think they're doing us a favor by serving us. Â Hostesses are nice, but servers and bartenders are completely hrroible, except for maybe 2 we've encountered. Â Worst example: Husband and I get a sitter to go out for a couple drinks after dinner. We get to the bar around 8:30, sit down. Male bartender brings menus. Â We look, decide. Â He comes back and takes ONLY my order and walks away. Â Doesn't ask what my husband wants. Â I ordered a mixed drink and instead of making it, goes to the other side of the bar and is pouring beers for some guys. Â We're confused. Â Then, female bartender (super! nice!) asks if we'd been helped and we said we weren't sure but since husband jsut wants a beer, she can get it. Â Male tender comes back and is so upset that we 'split the tab' which is completely 'unacceptable' that he is now refusing to make my drink. Â "She can just make your drink then," he says! Â So she brings back the beer and asks if I want a drink. Â I say no because by this time, I've had it with this place. We never get good service and we'll never eat/drink there again. Male tender then brings over my drink (it's now been 20 minutes since we first arrived) and proceeds to tell me that he was just being sarcastic before. Â It was crazy. Â Here we are trying to have a night with no kids, getting attitude from a bartender over who we ordered a drink from. Â Both bartenders serving the whole bar (not in sections) but we're supposed to feel loyalty to the one not helping us. Â This was the most tangilbe story I have on bad service, but it's indicative of how we have been treated every single time we've been. Â
I gave 2 stars because the atmosphere is really nice and parking is easy. Â I wish they'd hire nice people and a better chef.
Ambiance - 5
Food for the Price Ratio - 3.5
Service - 4
Docking a point for the Fact that they stopped serving Taco's
Its a fun, fresh restaurant in Petaluma, which currently your options are hoity toity, or divey. This is a nice option, for a plan you can go with nice fresh ambiance without breaking the bank or feeling like you need to get super dressed up.
Still pissed about the Taco's....
I must start off by saying this was my new favorite restaurant. We were eating there at least twice a month. I always ordered the salmon entree. It was the best I had ever had. It was amazing and I had become addicted to it, Â
Unfortunately there is a new chef now. Â I heard they let go of the most amazing chef and let the sous chef take over to save money. Â
                                             Â
Please message me if any one knows where the old chef went.
We liked the restaurant very much and thought the atmosphere was fun. Â We did not find it to be too noisy and did not find the TV's to be distracting like other reviewers. Â We thought it was well designed and unique. Â We enjoyed our dinners and I had the fish special which was delicious. Â Our server was very nice and likable as were the bussers and hostess. Â It was our first time at this new restaurant and we definitely will return soon.
Review Source:Excellent new restaurant in downtown Petaluma. It's so exciting to see our restaurant scene getting so fresh and interesting, and we've been waiting for a comfortable cocktail lounge for a while. I've eaten here many times and sat at the bar for a cocktail several others and always enjoy my experience. They have many great servers who go out of their way to make sure everyone is happy, and the menu features lots of local ingredients and interesting flavor combinations. Overall a great new spot!
Review Source:I don't get it. This place is pretty much packed every time I walk by. However, the service is pretty bad. Like chinese restaurant in the city bad. Do you know the sad trombone noise? Wha wha whaaaaaaaa. That's what I think of the service. The food is the only thing saving this place.
1. Wife and I sit at the bar. Looking quite parched. The bartenders proceed to polish glassware and generally ignore us. We hail them and THEN they give us menus. After that, the bartender was nice but it was quite a strange way to start our experience.
2. Hostess took our name and then we went to the bar (see #1). After a while she forgot about us (Hey, we're over here, waiting for menus at the bar! WTF!!!). I had to go remind her where we were. She seated us promptly, confirming that she forgot us.
3. Our server ignored us for a bit and then brought us menus. Deja vu? I ask him what his favorites are on the menu. He rattles off a bunch of stuff but doesn't really elaborate beyond "oh the steak is good, I like that". Can you describe the dishes please? I'd expect that for entrees priced in the mid $20s.
The food however, was quite delicious. Go figure.
This was pretty much right on the money about what I expected from my dining experience based on other reviews. Â It was not horrible, but also not the best meal I have ever had either. Â
The ambiance is fresh, hip, and a nice place to simmer down for a bit. Â This was one of the better points about the restaurant actually, it is inviting upon entry. Â It does get noisy as the night wears on.
We tried a couple of different items from the menu.  Starting with the crispy pork belly and fried brussel sprouts.  The pork belly was good, it was a little fatty, but overall a  nice dish and very rich.  Best to share this with the table for sure!  The brussel sprouts were a bit of a turn off for me. I LOVE well cooked brussel sprouts and theses were fried to a crisp (I must have misread the menu because I don't remember it described this way).  My fellow dinner companions like them just fine, but I am a sucker for a nicely sauteed brussel sprout over a fried, burnt version. Â
I had the short ribs (corned beef). Â I am not a short rib expert, but this was not how I have ever had them before. Â The dish was ok, the potatoes gratin were the shining star on the dish. Â The spuds tasted like a twice baked potato. Â The texture of the short ribs was exactly like corned beef and the sauce mimicked ketchup a bit too much for me. Â I wanted them to fall apart nicely and be more velvety than the execution allowed. Â It wasn't horrible, but I also wouldn't order it again.
Service was fine, nothing special. Â Friendly enough, but the server sort of disappeared by the end of the meal. Â
Overall, despite my grumblings I want to try again because there was enough merrit to go back. Â However, I think I would have a more editing eye on my order next time around.
Fantastic ambience and great service. Â Top three things on the menu:
1) pork belly
2) aged Gouda Mac n cheese
3) Swiss chard agnolotti
Most items come in 2 sizes so you can share or keep all to yourself. Â Nice, affordable wine list and a terrific selection of beers. Â This is a great Petaluma destination!
Hello Yelp world! I word first like to thank the Social Club for one of the worst dining experiences of my entire life. Why am I so thankful for this experience you might be asking...Well, because eating at your restaurant made me want to create a Yelp account...and I think this is going to be fun!
I really don't want to relive the experience as I type it out so I am going to keep it short and not sweet.
I've eaten at restaurants all of the Bay Area and around the world. Believe me when I tell you that this place has the worst service I can remember. These people literally do not want your business. They show it. Everyone from the bartender to the manager.
If you want to overpay for average food that comes out cold, cold service and a cold atmosphere...go to the Social Club.. I promise that you won't be disappointed.
Food: OK
Service: Meh
This was my last meal in town while visiting for the holidays. I wish I had opted for something familiar and delicious instead, ala Old Chicago or Risibisi. The mac 'n' cheese was good, but it was smothered in bread crumbs that were only OK (for my mom they were intolerable, she had to scrape them off). The gnocchi was fine, but nothing exciting. The server showed just about zero interest in our table, returning only once during the meal. Furthermore, when he gave us back too much $$ in change and we alerted him to the fact, he said nothing! Not a thank you or even a gesture of ... any sort! He took the money, came back with the correct change, and walked away. Considering that the majority of people probably wouldn't have said anything, he could have at least said thank you. Given the quality of service, we should have taken our extra change and zipped our lips!
The setting: Girls Night Out.
The Venue: The Social Club.
The Expectations: High.
The Outcome: FAIL.
So of course the first thing we do is look at the drink menu. Not super impressed, in fact, it looked a tad contrived, like a mustache on a hipster. Yes, almost cool, and you want to like it, but a tad trying too hard. Both my girlfriends order tequila drinks. Knowing exactly what I needed for the night (to forget all my woes and confess my past sins) I order an old faithful, a Long Island Ice-Tea.
Radio silence followed by a nose tilting up. Dismissive disgust followed by an ineloquent explanation. "Um, we don't serve *those* here. Because, you know, we don't want people to drink them."
"Why not? If I order a drink you should make it." I was still hopeful, smiling even.
Nose higher. "Have you heard of Santa Rosa?" I nod, maybe beginning to feel like this was a trap. "Well, they don't make them either. They attract the wrong type of people."
WHAT? Not only have you refused to make me the drink that I want you imply that I am the type of person that you don't want in your restaurant. AND, guess what music was playing while you said this? SUBLIME.
Now, I love Sublime. Clearly I do, because I am the type of riffraff that would order a Long Island Ice Tea. I'm in Petaluma for heaven's sake, not Flatbush (do you know where Flatbush is, you little meanie?)
RULE # 123 for good service: Don't refuse someone a drink, insult them, and play "quit drinking I got so drunk" music all at the same time.
All that said, it was reported by my friend, we'll call her Greasy Fingers, that the fried chicken was still good at three in the morning. Thus the three stars.
Im teetering towards 4.5 stars.
I've been 5 times now since they opened and I'm settling in here as its quickly becoming one of my new favorites. The mixed drinks are good some inventive and some classics. The have some great bourbons here as well which is a huge bonus for me, nothing too fancy, just some 1792 Ridgemont Reserve and the right price point. N o inflation going on here you truly get what you pay for and that is one of the principles of why I appreciate The Social Club.
The vibe is trendy hipster-ish, seems like it should be in the city kinda place, so naturally I love the atmosphere. The seating is all comfortable and the decor accentend with natural woods and some old school tiling around the bar. Being the trendy spot that it is there is usually a crowd and with that there is obviously sometimes noise too and as the square bar is the focial point and centerpiece of this eatery.
I've  eaten a number of items now and here is my synopsis so far. The starters are all quite tasty, truly. The mussles are a go to of mine along with the Pork Belly and the Wild Arugula Salad. I absolutely love their mac and cheese. Its fantastic, its creamy, its gooey, its cheesy and flavorful. It's a dont miss grab a bowl to start and share with the whole table. The entrees are killer too, the pork chop is my staple but I also enjoy the salmon.
The service has always been attentive and curteous. Each time we are greeted with smiles and all the experiences I've have had with the bar tenders have been gracious and prompt. We've been after opening, on Fridays, Saturdays, NYE with and without reservations and never had an issue with the table not being ready or having to wait say more than 5 minutes.The have a great beer and wine selection as well to complement the locally inspired menu.
Thanks for coming to town and I look forward to your future offerings.
We had been really excited to try this restaurant as a new brunch spot in the neighborhood. We arrived this morning at 10am feeling great, nice music playing, only a few other tables, good Sunday morning vibe.....until suddenly the music stopped, the TV went on and commercials started BLARING.
After requesting that they turn down the volume a bit twice (to no avail) we asked to speak to the manager (Damian). He was incredibly rude and dismissive saying "it's only football" and "other tables requested the game be turned on". Actually, it was only the manager and ONE other table watching the game, the rest of us were trying to socialize (isn't that the whole point of a social club?). I love football, but if I wanted a sports bar I would've gone to one.
Apparently, the management here feels that standing behind the bar watching loud TV is more important than repeat business.
Husband and I were out on NYE for a nice date night. We have been wanting to go to the Social Club since it opened. Looked like a nice atmosphere to enjoy some wine and good conversation.
When we walked in we were greeted by 3 hostess that had no idea where to seat us amongst all the open tables in the restaurant. Yes, it was NYE however, we were there at 5:00pm in the evening and the big NYE rush of people were obviously not out yet. They said they could seat us at a high table, but we had to be out before 9pm. Ok no problem.
We sat down, and while reviewing the menu the busser dropped off a carafe of water. We had decided what we were going to order and put our menus down on the table. After 10 mins of sitting there with NO ONE stopping by to even acknowledge us at the table. We decided to leave. Based on past visits to various restaurants, experiencing the same thing and receiving horrible service throughout our meal...we decided to follow our gut. If someone can even acknowledge you to let you know they will be right with you within 1 min of sitting down. Then it probably won't be a great experience.
So we got up, and as we were walking out the door the hostess' said "thank you have a good night" haha...um...we weren't even there for a full 20 minutes. As we walked passed the window we saw a server PROMPTLY clearing the water glasses from the table we were sitting at.
Bottom line, if you have the urgency you had to clean our table with serving us...we would have stayed. However, the servers all standing around were more concerned about a table in "their" section that we did not have a great experience at all.
Do NOT recommend. Bad service, couldn't tell you anything about the food because we didn't order any.
If they keep up this type of service they won't last long.
General consensus of the table averages out to four stars. We came here for brunch on a Sunday morning and I ordered the buttermilk-chive biscuits and the smoked salmon with a horseradish creme fraiche and caper berries. Boyfriend ordered the short rib braised hash, which he loved, and my cousin/her husband also loved their order of the veggie scramble and the sausage scramble. The service was nice, they were accommodating without being overly present, and the space itself reminds me of San Francisco (which is a compliment). Oh yeah, and their brunch cocktails sounded AMAZING. It's really a shame I had to drink so much the night before, which totally ruined my ability to order something this morning.
My original review was going to have less stars, but was talked out of it because they are a) new and b) they need to be given the chance to change things. Since so many people like to list problems without solutions, let me help you.
THAT MUSIC IS FUCKING TERRIBLE.
I use the word "fucking" to emphasize just how badly my experience slowly degenerated into because of it. Matt I. is right - worst top 40 crap from the 90's and early 2000's - plus country, which always ruins everything. Like I want to have a nice brunch and listen to a bunch of people sing about their dogs dying and their wife leaving them for a tractor, get real. My solution is "Downtempo Chill," (which is a real CD) or like a light jazz in the morning. Every time I'd be enjoying my dish, I'd hear the music and just want to gag. What totally baffles me is why the music selection bothers me so much - seriously, that is not a big deal. It wasn't playing that loudly, but it was playing, and that totally ruined breakfast. A place like that has everything going for it, then decides to fuck itself by playing that music.
The whole place is great - except for the music. For the love of all that is holy, change your music. If I come back and it's still playing, I'm not coming back. You get a second chance. Petaluma needs more places like you, but you're going to stop getting regulars if they have to put up with Pandora's "Worst Radio Station Ever" in the background.
Each time I have walked by the Social Club, I have to admit I thought it was a secret hide a way for Marin refugees. The thought of dining here gave me a some amount of recitence for fear of being included in the Marin refugee/yuppie camp. After some prodding by friends I conceed to go.
I found a new favorite spot. Call me a yuppie, call me a marin refugee.. Go ahead. the food was more than servicable it was mainly delicious. Two of us out of four are in the culinary industry and we delighted in the salt cod fritters, the pork belly, the chacuterie plate (the liver pate was so good we all sort pretended not to want the last knife full) and the Gnocchi was busting with flavor and pillowy soft as they should be. My entree the hanger steak ,was cooked to perfection at a nice Med Rare, with a perfectly flavored green peppercorn sauce (could have used a hint of acid) . Others dined on the salmon and the short ribs and were similarly happy.
I have to say I was suprised after reading the reviews but pleasantly as there are few options for tasty food in Petaluma. If they can remain consistent then we got a good thing going for us here ...Now that I am a "marin refugee" I expect my beamer and capaccino machine delivered by tomorrow. Thanks
It was bizarre being asked if we had reservations but there were several open tables, but no worries. Â
The drinks were interesting--Flapper and Hot Apple Pie.
The mac and cheese was DELICIOUS!!
The fried chicken and potatoes were DELICIOUS! Â I could have swam in the gravy!
My only complaint about dinner was that I got full and couldn't eat any more of it.
Should change the name to Anti-social club due to the bartenders. Why ya gotta be so prickish??? Or maybe it's prickesk..? Is making drinks so hard to do that they can't come with a smile? I mean, whatev, it's your tip your screwing, not me.
Cliff Clavin would tell these people to get bent.
Dinner sucked as much as the bar staff.
Sorry Social Club, the Marin county mindset won't cut it in Chicken Town.
So I went back for dinner on a Saturday night, in hopes things had gotten better, and I am so glad to be able to update my last review with a good one! It's as if everything I wrote had been addressed and now they are great, granted I have only been back once since my first few bad experiences, but I am definitely going to go back soon.
We were promptly greeted by the hostess and a server, and planned to sit at the bar for drinks, then a table for dinner. But ended up enjoying the bar so much that we ate dinner there too. Many others were doing the same. The service at the bar was great! The girl with the long brown hair and bangs and the guy working with her were funny and attentive!
We shared some of the small plates for dinner :
~French Onion Soup - AMAZING! It was so full of flavor and sweet, with 2 crostinis hidden in the melted cheese on top.
~Cod Fritters - Also wonderful, came with a garlic aioli below each one (4 to a serving) and a red pepper sauce on top, which was so good, just the right amount of spice.
~Caesar Salad - I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe the best Caesar Salad I have ever had! Tons of croutons too!
~Pork Belly - with a celery apple slaw, it was the perfect amount of sweetness, and the pork was so tender. I didn't eat the fatty part, just the shredded pork, but my husband said that part was great too. Put that on top of a caesar salad, and it's dreamy!
The clientele looked more like what I initially expected to see. People dressed up a little to go there, although it is not fancy, you could go casual as well. Mostly young professionals and older, great for groups or couples, music selection was great, and you can't go wrong with their space. It is so well done! We ended up staying for many hours, having drinks, then food, then after dinner drinks, it was really a great full evening, they made us want to stay for more.
There are many more food selections that sounded great, so we'll definitely be back soon. They have good beers and wines, in addition to their mixed drinks. So after my last experience there, I humbly retract my previous review for now!
Great food, awesome space!
We started out with cocktails  -  Breeze, Flapper Fizz & a tequila gimlet....note they do not have your typical tequila (patron for example is not on the list) nevertheless the liquor selection if great.
The for the main course: Â the three of us ladies shared this & there was leftovers!
~Smoked Gouda Mac  & Cheese w/ BACON!!! Simply to die for.
~Pork Chop w/ braised red cabbage & fingerling potatoes - Pork Chop was cooked perfectly & the red cabbage...well there wasn't any leftover.
~Fried Chicken w/ mashed potatoes & jalapeno cabbage slaw - fried chicken breast was juicy & crisp..crust had great cornmeal flavor ...it's hard to eat the leg in public so we took that home... coleslaw was eaten up & the jalapeno added a new flavor that I will attempt to duplicate at this weekend 49ers tailgate!
I will be back next time I'm in town!
Came here for dinner on a Thursday night w/ no reservations, we had a party of 5. Â We were greeted by what 3 hostess's (2 of them could have been servers) we were promptly seated and drink orders taken quickly. Â Our waitress seemed fairly new but she was very nice and helpful. Â She admitted she didn't know much about wine we told her no problem just keep pouring. Â We all tried each others dishes (which were served quickly) Roasted Beet Salad (Excellent) Butternut Squash Soup (Very Good) Mac n Cheese w/ bacon (Rich and Wonderful) Butternut Squash Risotto (Very Good)
The best part of the meal....dessert! Â We had the Butterscotch Pot de Creme and it was amazing! Â Very rich and served with whipped cream and snicker doodles. Â All and ill it was a very good experience. Â I remember when this location was Tuttle's and then of course Pazzo, so this is a very welcome addition to Petaluma. Â Some people may be turned off by the noise level or that it may seem "hipster" but we all enjoyed it very much.
IMHO...drop the attempt at being a hip SF restaurant, and focus on being yet another teen bop bar/meat market in Petaluma.
Stopped by last week to check it out and have dinner.
2 snotty tweezers at the hostess station who couldn't be bothered to pretend they were  happy to see you....then they're joined by a tall sour puss dressed all in black who honestly looked like she'd be just as happy smacking someone as seating them at a table.....
Seriously thiswas our first impression. If I want to be on the receiving end of some bored brats looking down their nose at me I'd ask my kids to move home
(no offense kids, you're all great, Mom's making a point) .
Inexperienced staff have no idea what potential new customers could possibly bring to a new business in the way of repeat customers/business, building a good rep in town, etc etc.........
First impressions girls, try to remember, smile, be nice, accommodating informative i.e. at least act like you want to be helpful and enjoy your job!
Looked at the hubby and yelled (yes yelled noise level out of control) lets go!.....not getting that good ol "welcome to our new place, we want your business" feelin....
Hubby wants to at least take a quick look at the menu...(took a total of 6 seconds to scan it) seriously..... no prices, 5 entrees total, couple of salads. Umm, good luck with that.
Biggest turn off; besides the "greeting" the noise level was off the charts insane! How could anyone be "social" in that environment.
We go out to dinner at least once a week there are plenty of good restaurants in town that focus on being good restaurants. They have done their homework, know their market, and have the chops to hire seasoned friendly staff.
Just be a bar, you'll do fine.
Review since first opening; still a fun place to get drinks, appetizers and deserts. Food is much better!!! but the service is 50/50. Either u get a rockstar that is on it or u get ignored and forgotten about in the corner :( but I've been here lots of times for happy hour and its great, so I have to go by average and give this place 3/5
Review when they 1st opened: Really great place to have some drinks and dessert with friends but lacking on food. This place just opened and I'm hoping that they are just having growing pains. But several of my friends have had bad experiences with the food. My friends & mine experience: friend 1: the burger was over done (waitress didn't acknowledge when brought up and fully charged for the 3/4 eaten burger), the fries tasted like they were frost bit, my jalapeños mashed potatoes tasted like instant potatoes, my fried chix was good and friend 2: fish was barely warm.
I'm looking forward to coming back in a month and hopefully being able to update this review... That's done now :)
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
