THIS PLACE IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!!
The girl working at Purple Orchid recommended us this place and I'm glad we came for dinner instead of lunch! They close at 8 on Mondays though so come early! We sat outside (where most people opted to sit) and ordered a couple of tapas and two wine flights.
We ordered the cheese plate, tuna tartar, and salmon. The cheese plate was so good!!! The salmon was left almost untouched. The smoked salmon is more like the smoked salmon I bought packaged in Alaska rather than the almost raw consistency I'm usually used to so it was really dry and hard to eat.
We got the strawberry shortcake and I asked if they could put in a birthday candle for Aaron S.'s birthday and they had to light it a couple times to keep it lit! Super sweet!! The biscuit in the shortcake was awful though. It was basically rockhard and oddly salty but the strawberries were still good!!
A fly flew into one of his wine glasses and they happily replaced it for us.
Make sure to walk around afterwards!!!
So I had read the reviews and have seen the pictures of the outside patio and was excited to try this place out so me and my boyfriend decided to come through yesterday on a Sunday night.
We talked to a hostess who asked as if we had a reservation.. we didn't.. but she said she had just had a cancelation and could seat us on the patio right away!
I was very impressed with the outside area and when she seated us the table was a little dirty so she sent someone over right away to take care of it.
We ended up ordering a bottle of wine.. the "Concannon Vineyard, "Polo Field," Livermore Valley 2008". Now i'm not a wine drinker at all but I thought it was very tasty (yes, not a very good description haha). We ended up going with the whole bottle but the flutes that I saw coming out for other people had a good amount in them so maybe next time I'll get the flutes so I can try different kinds!
Food wise we started off with the ahi tuna tartare and I thought the combination of flavors was really good but the tuna wasn't the freshest I have had. Still good and the plate was definitely cleaned .
My boyfriend ordered the short ribs per request of our server. I didn't try the meat but my boyfriend said it was really good and it seemed like it was very tender. I tried the potato gratin that came with it and that was really good!
I then ordered the beet salad which I thought was good. plain and simple just how i like it. but I LOVE beets so I wasn't very hard to please there :)
I was going to order dessert I had my eye on, but our server brought out the check already and I didn't want to say anything. Will save dessert for next time!
Will be definitely coming back here to enjoy the food wine and patio seating. And I'm someone who loves small plates so this place was right up my alley.
Our server was very pleasant and our overall experience was a very soothing and positive one.
We came here about a year ago and absolutely loved it. The food was excellent and great prices for wine flights. When we arrived this time we were told there was a new chef...the menu was underwhelming. In fact my husband and I didn't find anything we would want for lunch, so we ordered wine flights and a cheese plate and figured we would go elsewhere for lunch. The cheese plate was pricey but we remembered from last time it was a good amount of food. New chef, new cheese plate. I've had better cheese at Whole Foods...and for less than $17.
Unfortunately, I don't think we will be coming back.
Menu prices seem pretty cheap looking at each thing alone, but when you add up all those little small plates plus all your flights of wine it can get pretty pricey. Overall the ambience inside gives off a very relaxed 'lounge-like' feeling. Great for a group of friends or couples night. I personally would prefer their outside seating because the scenery of the winery and picnic area is beyond amazingly gorgeous. I would definitely come back here for more small plates and wine tasting. It's a great birthday celebration idea!
Review Source:The menu changes rarely, but the small dishes are always divine. We go winetasting in Livermore every few months and each trip is an occassion to lunch at Underdog. A flight of wine, an amazing cheese platter... my fiance is addicted to the short ribs. We always end up going overboard and ordering 4 dishes to share, but we always clean the plates. Each meal leaves me sated and ready to hit a few more wineries, without feeling over-full
Service is typically a little slow and the seats are weird, but it's DIFFERENT. I love that. The dining room is open and pretty, and when the weather is nice the doors are left open to see the vineyard steps away!
So- when I wrote my previous review- i received a response from Jeremy apologizing for the service as well as my dislike of the tuna dish and he invited us to come back again to give the place another try. Â The fact that he even took the time to read the reviews that are posted and to respond was enough for me to give this place another try. Â
I am so glad I did!!! Â The service was phenomenal and the food that we ordered (the pork taco's and the smoked salmon) was amazing! Â I would still recommend the braised pork rib but if you are not a big meat fan- the salmon is paired with a cheese that really compliments the flavor. Â We decided to buy a bottle of wine and order dessert...the white chocolate and Raspberry gelato...aaammmmaaazzziiingg!
Plan ahead when coming here and get a patio seat :) Â The setting is beautiful and the seats are great for just relaxing and enjoying the experience...
Thank you Jeremy for inviting us back- I will be coming back again :)
Right around the corner of Concannon Vineyard, so convenient!
The California Cheeseboard ($17) came with 4 different cheeses and cut up baguettes. My favorite cheese was Cowgirl Creamery red hawk (brie) with pepper jelly. The salami aged provolone arugula flatbread ($10) was another good choice. The wine flights are super affordable. Check in on Foursquare to get 2 flights for the price of 1! I got the pinot noir flight, and enjoyed the "Save Me San Francisco" one.
The outdoor patio is nice and I brought my doggie to play in the lawn. :)
The review and the 1-star rating is for their poor customer satisfaction or unusual repartee experienced with a business like this one!
I honestly wanted to put a 30-people event here because I liked how grand everything seems to be in their website, menu and reviews. Gave my card details, booked for the date in their patio, all was fine until I was asked to talk further about the menu and arrangements with the management. I was inquisitive about everything as it is my money I was planning to spend on them and thus was emailing  and calling their management for my questions to be answered. In the meanwhile, I was looking into other vineyards for what deals/options or you may say packages they provide for Large Groups! So I ended up asking their Asst Manager, Gina about the same and with no offense to the owner of the Wine Bar or other people who seemed quite helpful over the phone, when I asked Gina if they provide complementary cheese platter and pairing for a group over some number as per their rules (most vineyards in the neighborhood provide such things) and all I got as a reply was (in direct speech) "I'm sorry but it is a charge. We have large groups such as yours every weekend so therefore we cannot give away free food as we would have to do that for all of them."
Again, I was never interested in anyone GIVING AWAY FREE FOOD when I was always willing to pay for even the minimal amount of stuff in your menu. I was also ready to pay $20, just because I had to get a Bday Cake from 'outside' for the Birthday boy!
Anyways, so I cancelled my plan here and booked another one near by with pleasing people and customer friendly approach for groups even on weekends with packages such as private wine tour, wine tasting, outside food allowed, music in the house and BBQ days in the weekends for the guests to enjoy.
Good luck to every one who wants to go ahead and put their event venue as Underdog Wine Bar!
We have been back several times since my last review...and loved it.
Last Thursday 3 of us wanted to celebrate an uber special birthday.....so we got a reservation. Â We did not need it, it was almost empty.
Our server informed us that today was the launch of a new *caterer*....this concerned me, because I thought chef would have been more appropriate.
The wine list is great...and we had some great selections, me a Viognier, and my buddy a Pinot Grigio. Â Guest of honor was not imbibing.
The sad part was the food...the only hit was the flat bread...but all else was some degree of fail...cold shrimp, asparagus and soup. Â
It has changed from a legitimate small plate restaurant to small cold snacks...at high prices. No chef to be seen.
Sadly, I would not return for a meal, but would have wine and small snack.
Stuck between 2 and 3 stars for this place, but will give them a bump for the nice outdoor setting.
We really wanted to like this place, wine flights, tapas, and a great patio area, how can you go wrong, right?! Unfortunately you can...We tried 3 different wine flights (chardonnay, zinfandels, and Concannon family heritage) and they were all just ok, nothing great. We ordered the cheese plate which was yummy, but of course didn't require any prep/cooking from the kitchen as all the cheeses were purchased (e.g. Cypress Grove, Cowgirl Creamery, etc.), and of course you never get enough bread, so we had to track down our waitress for more. We also tried the halibut ceviche which wasn't all that tasty, we expected it to be fresh and flavorful but instead got lackluster flavor and browned avocados, shame, we love a good ceviche. The last plate we ordered was the flatbread pizza, again, nothing great, just sort of tasted like cheesy flatbread, and the pork belly was nearly non existent, pretty sure there was just a few little pieces that you could barely taste. We were still a little hungry but didn't want to waste any more money, so decided to skip on the last plate...
Saving grace for our lunch was the beautiful outdoor setting, comfy patio furniture surrounded by vines.
WOW hella sad.
Last time I went here it was so delicious, when my friend and I had our second adventure in Livermore Wine Country, we were craving the food we got last time at this place!
Menu was completely different and uninteresting, and overpriced for what they were serving... WTF happened? Found out the Executive Chef is a new guy, and changed the menu.
If the menu remains the same, I will NOT be returning... Left with a bill I was not happy to pay for, and left hungry.
We ordered takeout so we could enjoy a bottle of wine under the trees. Food was tasty but incredibly small. The menu says small plate, but I'd say small for an appetizer. My wife and I had citrus salad, Banh Mi vietnames sub, mini tacos and the pizza. All the food came out in small cardboard boxes. The citrus salad was even skimpy on the greens. Maybe a small handful. The pizza was the most disappointing. It was sliced and stacked up so all the toppings fell to the bottom of the box. It was basically flat bread with crumbles of toppings on the side.
The tacos were good and the Banh Mi sub was definitely the best and most filling. I don't mind paying for the experience, but $45 for 4 tiny items is a bit much. I'll bring a picnic lunch next time.
Went with a large party to underdog.  Sat inside.  Had not done that in a while.  The menu has definitely changed- I miss the panini.  And the salads were not as good as before.  I really miss the beet salad.  We had the citrus salad- it was ok, but only ok.  And the  flatbread was really a disappointment.  On the plus side, we found out that there is only a five dollar corkage fee when you bring your own concannon wine to the table- so we bought a bottle of petite sirrah and drank that.  And THAT was good.  We thought about getting the cheese plate, but it looked so skimpy we decided against it.  I don't know if underdog ran up against high food costs or what, but it isn't nearly as good as it was.  Maybe it's a victim of its own success.  I don't know.  I just know we miss the old days.
Review Source:Seating/location/ambiance- Outdoor seating area was very comfortable. There are several tables/chairs in a shaded area and there is also room for live music. Other small tables and chairs are also available on the lawn area.
Food- Tapas selection is limited but food is good.
Sangria- Got a pitcher of the red sangria and it was good. (I've had better-nothing special)
Service- Definitely needs work
My companion and I walked in at about 4:30 PM last Thurs afternoon. We walked in and were not greeted, although several employees walked by us. Since no one greeted us or gave us any direction as to where to sit, we just walked outside and took a seat. After another 5 or so minutes of being ignored, my partner went inside and inquired about service. We were told to go back in to be shown a table. ??? WTF. We were finally greeted and brought to the same table we just occupied. Once we were seated, service was good and food was good, but I am really put off by my treatment.
I am giving them 3 stars in hopes that they listen to Yelpers' constructive criticism to improve customers' dining experience.
***Adding a Star as the Manager is proactive and concerned about the customer experience. Â He contacted me to take responsibility for the lack of staffing at my last visit and advised that this was a one off situation. Â I will be returning this week so hoping I can bump up my review again. Â
I am writing this update to my review with some trepidation. Â I love Underdog. Â I have enjoyed so many good times here. Â But my last 2 visits there have been Underwhelming (no pun intended). Â Â The servers were slow to come to our table initially (both visits) and were not forthcoming with information on the wine list. Â
  This is what happened on my last visit.  One of my pals had never been to Underdog and we all headed to lunch, excited for her to try our local fave.  Our hostess gave us menus and water and then we waited for our server.  After 10 minutes, our server came over and apologized because she was so busy and another table had an issue with their bill.  We started to order and my pal asked a question about one of the Darcie Kent whites.  A manager walked by, and our server stopped mid order to have a conversation with her about how busy she was-and not a short conversation.   Finally she turned back to us and without apologizing said "Now what were you saying?" to my friend.  We were getting a tiny bit miffed but ordered on and hoped the pace would pick up for our meal. Â
 Our wine came out pretty quickly, as did our food which was wonderful!
We started with the cheeseboard and had the Pt Reyes blue, the Mt Tam and the Truffled white. Â They were wonderful (especially the truffled cheese with the Nottingham Viognier!) but it's unfortunate that the serving is only for 2 people...and it only came with a small basket of bread, none of the breadsticks and crackers that they used to have. Â Our food was up shortly after. Â I had the Ahi Tuna, my friend had the smoked salmon and my other friend had the short rib. Â YUM! Â Liking the new menu alot!
 It's obvious that the day shift is not used to being very busy, nor did they want to be.  They (the server and bartender) spent alot of time talking at the bar about how busy they were and complaining about not having more staff. .  When it was time to go, we waited and waited for our server to pick up our check.  When I took it to the register and told her we needed to go, she said she was sorry, she was so busy and had a computer issue
I am hopeful that somehow, if I write an honest review about the service, a manager might read it and hopefully realize the need for additional training or staffing. Â For an appetizer, one entree and one glass of wine each, our check was about $36 a piece. Â For this kind of $ for lunch, I expected better service.
I LOVE their outside patio. Perfect place to unwind and drink some wine at the end of the day during the spring/summertime. They don't serve full meals but only appetizers and yet even with just the appetizers I would be satisfied. I can't wait to visit again soon!! Its best you make a reservation and take the outside patio seating.
Review Source:The venue for  29th Birthday Event: Wine Tasting for the WIne Lovers and the Not! Beautiful! I have been here before and decided to celebrate my birthday here with friends 'cuz I loved it the last time I was here!
The wine flights are cheap! Less than $15 dollars and their wines are really good! The best part? It's just in Livermore! We started the party inside, we had a reservation so we got accommodated in a nice table even if there were 10 of us!
The food is tapas style, OMG get the short ribs! It's good and yes, almost like an entree!
I highly recommend this place and we wouldn't mind hosting another event here!
It was my second visit to Underdog Winery in Livermore.
The first time I visited this venue, I was dressed up in twenties garb. I thought I was attending a Yelp Event with a costume theme. Too bad only a few of us dressed up and I was the only one that went all out in regards to the costume; I looked completely out of place. Thank goodness, I do not embarrass easily.
From what I recall back then, the venue was beautiful and the service was impeccable. Coming back for Lora M.'s birthday, not much has changed. The service was spectacular and the venue was still as gorgeous as ever (just like the birthday gal!).
There was ample parking when we arrived. The layout of the entrance was a bit confusing but luckily, we found the reception table and asked to be seated under Lora's reservation. They didn't mind that we came in staggered groups. The server was helpful for the most part; she helped us choose our cheeses for our cheese platter and made some recommendations for beverages. The Moscato they had was delicious. I have never liked an alcoholic beverage as much as I liked that glass of Moscato, it was simply sweet and smooth. They also happily remade my friend Vi's drink when she was not truly enthralled with the white wine sangria.
We had to leave early and unfortunately, the rest of the group was not leaving anytime soon. We had to close the tab and our waitress cordially asked us what we ordered and placed it on our own check. No hassle or fuss; while I felt guilty for putting her through the extra effort, she comforted me that it was no trouble at all.
Afterwards, we took pictures of the gorgeous Livermore landscapes and orchards. The day could not have been more beautiful. I had a wonderful day in a remarkable setting with my remarkable friends. Happy birthday Lora M.! I am glad Yelp provided me an avenue to meet wonderful people such as you!
WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS PLACE ???????????????????
My boyfriend and I loved coming here to get away from our busy lives to relax and enjoy the great food and wine. NOT ANYMORE. We went into the winery a few days ago to get away and have a great night with each other.
 As soon as we got there we had to wait for what seemed like an eternity to even get seated. I could have understood if it was busy but it was not. it was quiet inside. So we finally get seated and were given menus. We found out that they have changed up the menu so we decided to give it a try. My boyfriend and I ordered the the ceviche as an appetizer. It was so FLAVORLESS and BLAND. If you are going to make ceviche do it RIGHT not half ***. I am a Hispanic woman and I know what ceviche is. So we didn't finish that. Gross.
For our entrees I got the tuna two ways and my boyfriend got the conchinita pibil taco sliders. So let me start on what is supposed to be great tuna two ways. This tuna SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS has no taste no flavor and I am pretty sure it comes in a frozen block. I used to work at a place that had this frozen tuna product and it tastes just like that. What chef in their right mind would put nasty brown rice under frozen tuna tar tar. what happened to the delicious wonton chips and great quality fresh tuna that they used to have. Listen to me people, and do NOT order this tuna two ways EVER.
Now lets talk about these tacos. The presentation is so tacky for a place of this caliber. but they not onlylooked bad, Â they tasted even worse. How much seasoning did they dump into that pork? Â It tasted like I was eating mcCormicks taco seasoning straight from the little packet. My boyfriend had to wash down every bite with a huge gulp of wine. If you want a real conchinita pibil taco, come to my house. My five year old makes a better one.
The only good thing about this place is there wine and our favorite bartender nick, who wasn't  working that day :(
We paid and got the heck out of there and went to alehouse to eat. I am never coming back here NEVER EVER.
I was talking to my friend the next day about how we lost our favorite place to get away. She then told me there is a different company that works in their kitchen. Why? There is a famous saying IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT. This on the vine catering is what its called.... Taste a lot like the food I once got off a Cabana Dave's truck at Concannon. Â Hmmm... Changing your name doesn't improve the quality of your food. Â my message to you on the vine catering or cabana dave, or whatever you want to call yourself, Â is simple..... Hire a chef that knows how to run a kitchen and knows what good food should look and taste like. And you should do it before you lose anymore loyal customers. Â Oh yeah, Â and change that lame taco slider presentation. Â It looks cheap as hell.
I WILL MISS THIS PLACE :(
This place serves such taste-less tuna tar tar and tuna seared that my dog wouldn't even eat it!!!
In addition to the terrible tuna, we also had terrible service. Servers were not attentive at all! I had to wait at least 15 minutes before any waiter approached my table and no one checked in on us. We has to walk over to the bar to order our drinks, have them add it on to our bill, then, walk over to the bar asking him to tell someone to bring our bill to us. And...we had to bring our bill back will the credit card in! How's that for lousy service???
First off, if you think this place serves a good tuna tar tar, clearly, you have not dined, in any, of the many well-established  restaurants in SF known for its tar tar. For almost $20, I really do not understand why there's a filler-brown rice.
Second, pork belly sounds delicious for any of us bacon lovers right? So, I ordered  the pizza. What a disappointment! It was a slice of f dry flat toasted bread, with barley any cheese and burnt pork of some sort. This was worst than the tuna.
The only decent thing they had was the board selection of cheeses and  cheesy artichoke dip. I do not think i need to remind anyone that they can't mess up on cheese, they don't make it there; it's your local cowgirl creamy, Point Reyes, and etc. brands.
All that for about $70... (with 2 drinks at $6 each) Not worth it at all! Never coming back! I was a little buzzed and the dishes still tasted terrible, what does that tell you?
I'm fine with paying for over priced food...but it has to be good!
Atmosphere great. Â New staffing great (old grumpy staff gone or retrained). Â New food...........not so great. Â I am giving 4 stars as the place is awesome, and we are just hoping they improve the food the new chef is making and eliminate or improve the on the menu. Â Also, bring back some items from the old menu. Â You can't just eliminate everything from a menu. Â Pork sliders and some other items created a loyal following. Â The adobo on the new menu, awesome!
Oh and the tacos.........what were they thinking putting this item on the menu?
But all in all, this place is awesome and they will get the food right or new chef.
I remember visiting the old Concannon Winery Tasting Room - rustic appearance, weathered wood and the rich, deep smell that only a working winery can produce. You still get that same feeling when you first walk in today, but step up to the hostess stand and ask for seating in the Underdog Wine Bar.
You'll be taken down a short hallway past the Member's Tasting Room on the left - but keep your eyes right and feast upon the vintage photos and memorabilia chronicling the history of Concannon from the 1880's to the present. I'm talking about President's and Pope's!
When you first see the Wine Bar you'll be reminded of the chic look of LA and the smart crispness of NY - all rolled into a lovely and engaging spot - right here in the Tri-Valley. Nothing I have seen around the Bay area can compete with the look and decor. But that's only the half of it.
Resplendent in all of its glory, to the left against the whole wall of the bar is "THE WALL OF WINE!" This automated chiller - dispenser - display of more than fifty wines taunt the observer with the phrase - "come over here and try me ... all of me." Your choice is either to belly up to the bar or be seated at one of the comfortable chairs, banquettes or settee in the middle of the room. When climate permits, you can also lounge on the outside veranda taking in all of the views of the Livermore Wine Country.
Oh - have I mentioned the food? The menu offering consists of a variety of small plates including appetizers, an array of entrees and desserts all designed to accompany the enormous wine selection. The kitchen is operated by On the Vine Catering, a local business that has developed unique and exciting food items that embody the local, fresh and flavorful nuances this area brings to the table. Try It - You'll Like It!
What more can be said - Good food, great service combined in a unique atmosphere is what describes the Underdog Wine Bar experience.
I came here for a pre-wine tasting meal and really enjoyed my meal! Â
For drinks I got one of the wine flights - which I thought was a really cool concept. Â My friend and I shared a few small plates, including the homemade chips with garlic aioli (my favorite!), sliders, tuna tartare, and flat bread with bacon and cheese. Â The flat bread tasted a bit stale but everything else was delicious! Â This place is a little on the pricey side but definitely worth the stop.
The owner, Jeremy, reached out to me to apologize for the service we received. He was in fact the person who I thought was a manager and helped us in the end. I appreciate his message and would like to give them a second chance. I hope to be back and will update my review then.
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I insisted to my out of town family that we try this place. I actually convinced them to walk out of another restaurant to come here because I wanted them to try something new. Boy do I regret that.
I ordered a wine flight and we all got something different from their menu to share. The prices we paid for the portions we got didn't seem very reasonable. We were in a pretty empty restaurant, with only a few people seated at their bar area. So why was our server MIA from the time she took our order (which took much longer than it should have) up until she came out with our bill that included a 20% for our party of 6? Our plates took a ridiculously long time to come out and they came out at different times. Mine was the last to come out and one of them was a cheese plate. Um, pretty sure they weren't making the cheese in the kitchen, so not sure what in the world took so long. Our server walked by and eyed us, and I tried to call her over to refill our waters and take another order. I waited with an empty glass for who knows how long, until I flagged down a manager to fill it and put in an order for another dish.
My family was pretty irritated because the service was just bad. We couldn't even believe that we were expected to pay a 20% tip for slow and practically non-existent service, so my aunt called over our server (who was totally available to us at that point) and asked her about it. My aunt, as nicely as she could b/c she was mad, said that she was dissatisfied with her service and didn't feel it was fair to pay that amount. The server just said, well that's just policy, and walked away. Didn't bother to apologize or at least try to tell us that they were busy or something. So we walked over to the manager and told him that we didn't want to pay that because she didn't deserve it. We offered to pay a tip still, but he actually apologized and asked what he could do to show his apologies and get us to come back. He reimbursed us the tip, which we appreciated, and apologized again to us.
I can't recommend a place where I've experienced bad service. I was already embarrassed enough that I brought my family here whereas we should have just stayed at the first place they wanted to go to.
This was stop #3 for my Birthday wine tour on 11/17/12. Â Instead of doing a traditional wine tasting, I opted to have our group unwind and relax at the Underdog Wine Bar. Â Gina Stiriti, the assistant manager, was VERY helpful with setting up the reservation and accomodating us so that we could sit indoors instead of out on the patio. Â It rained off and on that day so this was very much appreciated! Â Because of our large group I ended up pre-ordering several items from the menu. Â Things came out promptly and our 2 servers did a wonderful job. Â We ordered bottles of wine to share and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Â
Aside from this trip I also brought my boyfriend here for his Birthday earlier this year in June. Â We first tasted wine and ended up buying a bottle which we opened at Underdog along with a delicious slice of cheesecake for dessert! Â
Definitely a fan!
A unique, near flawless dining experience. We went for an earlyish dinner on Friday and found the place busy, though not overly so. The location, nestled back in the Concannon Vineyard, was just about perfect for date night: perfect weather on the patio overlooking the vineyard and some excellent live music to boot!
While not extensive, the wine menu provides decent variety at an incredibly reasonable price point. The 2oz pour option for the flights is particularly nice if you want to try a wide range of wines. Best of the night came via our waiter's recommendation: 2003 Concannon Reserve.
I'm baffled by the numerous complaints about portion size -- the menu is clear that these a small plates, not entrees, and a selection of five (chips, tuna, steak, sliders, and flatbread) was more than enough for the two of us. We ignored the recommended pairings, but the whole meal worked, with the exception of the flatbread, which was a tad on the greasy side.
Service was attentive but not intrusive. I wouldn't have minded a bit more detail in the recommendations, but everything was so good it's hard to complain.
This place is nice, although their wines are just ok, the night time lounge is pretty awesome and this secluded little spot is perfect for a weekend night date. The atmosphere is pleasant, on weekends apparently there's live music by the way of a singing guitarist and the wines and food here are decently priced.
This place IS hard to find at night though because basically there aren't any lights in this area, since most people don't come here at night, so I actually find it to be quite dangerous if you're driving around at night with no lights, but it is only about 2 miles away from downtown Livermore so it's not too bad to find something to do after this place closes at 10pm.
The food is actually better than it sounds, for the most part, but definitely resembles greasy bar-ish kind of food because much of the stuff here is grease drenched. I wasn't the biggest fan of most of their flights, but their cab flights and cab wines were quite alright! After a few glasses, you can get used to!
Recommended for the ambiance.
The patio perfection! Also, I love the fact that they offer a handful of beers. Â It is a great spot to relax and sip. Â
The food is an issue for me. Â I need a MEAL not a snack but I knew this going in. Â I had accepted leaving hungry but I didn't like eating snacks that were just ok. I also find it annoying when the price and taste don't match up. Â Good thing it's pretty out there.
I was underwhelmed by the Cheeseboard, handmade flat bread, and mini cheeseburger things.
We happened upon this place a couple years ago right after it opened and really liked the space, the food and the wine. So when we went back out recently we decided to see if it was still as good.
It was.
I really like the fact that their wine flights are not exclusive to the winery. They are very reasonably priced and the presentation cards with the explanation and names of the wines was nice. The pours are decent for a flight and you can easily share sips with table mates.
If I based this only on the food it would be 3 stars. But the service and the ambiance ups it to 4.
Don't waste your money on:
The California Cheeseboard - Pt. Reyes Blue, Humboldt Fog, Fiscalini wrapped Cheddar, Belwether Carmody, homemade cracker bread, crostini, grissini and seasonal accoutrements. It's 4 small pieces of average cheese and some dried figs.
Slider trio (see below)
The home made potato chips are tasty but nothing to write home about. They really don't add anything to the experience.
Do spend some money on:
Ahi Tuna Tartar Tower- cucumber, avocado, radish, cilantro, wasabi aioli & coriander oil served with wonton chips. Yum! The tuna was fresh, flavorful and enough to share. The waitress brought extra chips and they came in handy as we shared.
Sautéed Crab Cakes - red pepper jam over organic mixed greens and champagne vinaigrette. They were a bit overcooked but the inside crab was light and flakey. Just tell your server you don't want them fried to death.
Day Cured Smoked Salmon with olive oil braised leeks, frisee, caper berries, and lemon vinaigrette. It was deliciously fresh and enough to share. I'd never had leeks cooked so well and having the full caper berry was a treat.
Pulled Pork Sliders with chipotle slaw. (You can get this on the Slider Trio but don't waste your money on the trio. Just buy the pulled pork slider. The bite sized cheeseburger is a frozen food joke.)
We've never had bad service there and never been told there is a 2 hour limit (I read this in another review here). Maybe it's because we come on off days in the afternoons.
I wish they offered the wine tasting in the winery for free when you spend $120 on a few small plates in their restaurant...but they haven't figured out that customer pleaser yet.
Underdog Wine Bar is directly located on Concannon grounds. There is a 2 hour limit when seated but I never felt rushed. The patio area has a really nice ambiance, almost romantic. Here are things we ordered.
-Glass of Sangria $4 or $6: Sweet, VERY refreshing. Next time I come back, I'm getting a pitcher.
-Slider Trio with Wine Flight $20: I've never seen sliders this tiny, ever. If you put your index finger and thumb together to make a circle, that's pretty much the size of the slider. Crab/Cheeseburger/pulled pork- I liked the Cheeseburger slider most- but all three were cooked perfectly. Taste made up for size.
-Gourmet Chex Mix $5: Pretty much Chex Mix cooked with some type of seasoning and nuts/sunflower seeds added. Great to munch on while drinking.
-Truffle Popcorn $4: My FAVORITE of everything we ordered. It was simply delicious and I even considered ordering a second serving. If only they served this in the movie theaters... MUST GET!
All in all- as others had mentioned already, don't come here hungry. When they say small plates, they mean it.
Will come back for sure and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a day get-away.
I can't believe it's taken me as long as it has to get over to Underdog but finally, now I know why friends have gone repeatedly.
I give 5 stars for ambiance (sat outside), service and good wine- all were great. I'd probably just give 4 stars for food. My company and I tried the seared Ahi Tuna, Crab Cakes and the Veal short ribs. Â The tuna and crab cake were good but the Veal short ribs were absolutely delic!
It's most definitely my fav. and convenient spot now for an afterwork drink and chill time.
This place is located inside Concannon property.
They serve appetizers and of course wine. The waiters are always very attentive.
If you love your bubbly like I do...You have to try their three combo wines
If you love chocolate like I do...YOU MUST have dessert ~Valrhona Extra Noir Chocolate Tart...sinful.
Great place to go and catch up with friends.
Warning: If you are hungry, it's really not a place to go..like I said appetizers only.
Oh, the environment is sexy...yes sexy.
I was looking for a cool place to hang with my friend on a Thursday evening thanks to all the positive feedback from you fellow yelpers - find it we did! Â So glad I listened to the positive reviews because this one is not to be missed!
1st the Atmosphere: Â Stunning scenery inside and out. Â The outdoor patio had a cool dude playing low key guitar but because it was steaming hot, we thought we'd sit at the "cooler" bar area away from the bugs. Â
Onto the Service: Â Our super cute and jovial bartender made the night fun. Â He gave us just the right amount of attention and was always there with a smile and with great service. Â Â
After we ordered the sliders (which were super tasty mind you) the cook/chef delivered a special tasting-treat to us (a portion of the Tuna) which was super fresh, melted in my mouth and was just a nice surprise.
Overall the experience was made superb by all the friendly staff and the cool atmosphere!
I'll be back for sure.
Oh: Â one thing - pretty please install purse hooks for us chicks?
I went here for lunch this weekend. First a large group of us went to do the wine tasting at Concannon. It was great. The server was really nice and he did a really good job. We asked the hostess for Underdog if they had a table for 7. She said they had one table for 7 and someone had just asked about it. She told us that she would come and get us if they didn't want it. About 15 minutes later she found us in the wine tasting room and we were seated. They have appetizer and tapas style food there so we decided to order for the table. We got the burger sliders, the pulled pork sliders, salad, crab cakes, short rib, and dessert plates. To drink we got their white sangria, which was really good. All of it was delicious and we ate all of that up.
Would definitely recommend for a nice day of wine tasting.
It is awesome that this wine bar is next door to Concannon. After wine tasting at Concannon, we decided to try Underdog's $5 for 5 tastings, but the time already passed when people could get that deal so we decided to order flights and a platter of cheese.
Really cheap prices wines! My bubbly flight and my date's chardonnay flight was $9 each. The cheeseboard was a little expensive for $16 and that was good, but wished there was more cheese variety. I really liked the JP Chenet bubbly so i ordered another one for only $6! What a deal! Together I paid $43.50 for the bill.
Nice classy looking place. I think you can sit outside too.
Our waiter was attentive and everything arrived really fast.
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