Roti8 Rotisserie & Bar

Don’t waste your time.
The lows:
* Dirty wine glass – neither bar tender nor server caught lipstick smears
* Out of Happy hour white selection-​no substitute offered
* Out of bread – whaaa? Early on a Friday night ordered with pasta dish and told they had no delivery that day… hmmm why is my chicken sandwich on a roll… day old or couldn’t server couldn’t offer to slice one of those for us?
* Seared tuna was cold – pre-​seared or from an earlier order sent back
* Fried calamari was soggy and greasy
* LOUD and not fun noisy just loud
The highs:
* Easy to get a table – not crowded
* Nice looking bar
* Pretty interior
They should pay more attention to the food quality
Very Disappointing.

Roti8 closed it’s doors Friday night 10−12−12.
Wow… it’s a shame no one can make it in that location.
I was looking forward to the Fall Menu.

************************CLOSED****************************
Roti8 closed permanently on Friday night 10/​12/​2012.

The pasta was over cooked. Hard and chewy. The sauce they used looked watery and soapy. Tasted really bad. Took a few bites, complained about it to the waitress. She must know it’s bad already, cuz they don’t care.
Pizza had no sauce and a strange cheese, def not motz, more bitter, maybe just old?
Burger was good, but how can you mess up on a burger? But have to pay extra for fries, and they were over cooked, like they forgot them in the frier. Tasted like burnt chips.
Lovely view of the lake (man made) and ducks.

Eh. Service was pleasant and attentive. Food was just OK.
The crab dip hardly had any crab in it. We found 2 tiny chunks. My garlic shrimp was way overdone the first go-​round. They were like little rubber balls. The second time they were better and very flavorful. The mac and cheese was also pretty good.
This space has been so many restaurants over the last several years it’s a shame someone can’t get it to the level we all need it to be. Great!
We won’t be back as my husband’s meal was cold and not that good :(Bummer.

Eh.
Nice looking place in a beautiful mall with a lot of eating choices competing for your dollar. The servers and other workers were quite nice, young and helpful.
Overall I think the rotisserie chicken from Safeway beats Roti’s flagship dish. I got the half chicken and it seemed like about a ¹⁄₃ chicken. The rest of the food was just OK and not memorable at all.
Price wise, everything was on the high side. This is Blackhawk so we understand that we were in a high rent district so to speak.
Next time at this mall we will most likely try another eatery.

If you are looking for lackluster food and service– Roti 8 is the place to be. Here is another Blackhawk Plaza restaurant that I am pretty sure won’t last long. The food is flavorless and the hostess is rude. One would think a hostess would be kind and inviting to give off a good first impression as you are representing the restaurant. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in the business to impress.
I gave two stars for the dessert, which was decent. But honestly, if I want dessert– I will drive 5+ more miles up the road for Esin.

I thought this would be a great place for my bosses to take me for administrative professional day! Shucks… the best part was the company I kept at my table. Everyone was a bit disappointed… and while the chicken does taste very good — the service leaves a lot to be desired. And one hint here… Do not ask for a variety of the sauces (3) — you’ll be advised there is an extra charge BUT AT $ 2.00 a piece… for a piece of chicken that wouldn’t stuff a toddler… oy!
This is a one hit wonder. You’ll see for yourself. Tips to the establishment… put a fire of enthusiasm under the servers… ask the hostesses (about 5) to smile and pick up the pace. The chicken taste great… but not enough for a comeback.

Never coming again! the only good thing was the appetizer (piquillos with shrimp were good) other than that a big disappointment.
We went on a Sunday afternoon, it wasn’t packed but the service couldn’t have been worse. I can only imagine when it’s full. We went with the kids, so we were four and they gave us a huge round table for 6 or more. They never picked up the dirty plates but kept bringing new ones. My raviolis were disgusting, seriously how can you mess up raviolis?
We went to Piattis the next week for dinner, had the best service, food was good as usual and we ended up paying the same as Roti 8. It is a shame Roti 8 is so bad because the place looks nice and it would be good to have a decent restaurant in Blackhawk.

Set in the beautiful BlackHawk Plaza this restaurant looks very appealing. The ambiance outside is great. Eat your dinner and drink your wine while watching swans swim by in the water and people walk by the adjacent walkways and bridges enjoying their evening shopping.
The food was good. Not great, not amazing, not lack-​luster but just good. We started off with the pizza that came out in literally 3 minutes. Makes you wonder when it was prepared. None-​the less, it tasted fine and the simplicity was a little underwhelming for a margarita style pizzetta. The side dishes looked great and I couldn’t make a decision so I asked the server for his recommendation and I trusted his choice. He came out with a bowl full of house-​chopped and seasoned potatoes. Although good, they deserved a bit of ketchup or some sort of flavor as the seasonings were a bit bland at best. Not to mention that I ordered the salmon which came on a bed of… you guessed it, potatoes. Having been a server myself I would never have recommended a side dish that was on my plate.
Best thing about this restaurant… easily the heat lamps outside.

Went here with my girlfriends… the other night for the first time ever, got amazing service! Granted it was a Monday– but we snapped our fingers (literally, we were joking) and the waitstaff was there at our table. Now, I’m not from Blackhawk or even the East Bay, so I’m not really coming in with all the presumptions or expectations of any of these restaurants out in this area.
When we walked in the ceilings of the restaurant were vaulted– it felt like we could be walking into an enormous restaurant with tons of seating everywhere by the height of the ceiling, but then once you look around, there aren’t many tables. Some two seater booths, and several big wooden round top tables. I like the way this place is very spacious, clean and newly decorated with a modern spanish/​french style influence.
The wine, beer and drink menu was creative, and fairly extensive, but not too overwhelming. Their menu options were based mainly around tapas or ordering a meat dish like half chicken or whole chicken, lamb, beef and then sides. Their meat also comes with their vegetable salad (with is actually the vegetable of the day like broccoli (or whatever it may be) mixed with homemade foccacia bread and balsalmic vinaigrette. It honestly looked kind of strange, I didn’t try it, nobody at the table seemed to even like it out of all four of us.
I ordered the Ahi Nicoise Salad– I wasn’t very good, because the Tuna wasn’t fresh or something wasn’t right, it just didn’t have any flavor to it. so luckily my girlfriends and I all shared our dishes–
Butternut Squash Ravioli– The dish is tasty and not too sweet or too heavy
Roasted Cauliflower & Carrots– side dish that you’ve got to order!
I didn’t try the chicken– because I typically don’t eat it, but it did look very appetizing. I almost broke down. My girlfriends said it was amazing – It was the only thing they took to go.
Overall– I would give this place 3 ½ stars. They just opened up, they’re probably still getting all their ducks in a row, but the service was amazing, we were catered to like princesses and most of the food was good. There do have some room for improvement– I wish they had more vegetarian friendly items on their menu– and a better nicoise salad! ;-)

The best dish of the night was the banana bread pudding-​absolutely delicious!
Apparently the recipe was created by a 16 year old who wants to be a chef, and if this dish is any indication he has a very bright future! Other than this dessert though everything else was just OK. We had ribs (more like stew), poached pear salad (dressing wasn’t that good), chicken (didn’t try), and also the brownie sundae (ice cream was delicious, but brownie was very dry). The flat bread was also dry. I would suggest the restaurant give a fruit salad with their kid’s menu dishes rather than a mixed green salad. I did want to say the service was very good and our server was friendly, helpful and prompt. Unfortunately with so many excellent restaurants in Danville I doubt I will be coming back.

BUST!!!
How come restaurants in the Blackhawk Plaza just can’t get it right? (One exception: Blackhawk Grille.)
Food is just plain weird!
Décor is nice, but the food… YUK!
I’ll give the place 6 months.

I have been to Laurus… and they are salty, right down to the weird butter.
The chicken is not salty but flavorful and… I think the best prime rib I’ve ever had. Everything we had (which was alot) was delicious. To name a few: buffalo chicken poppers, oysters, pommes frites with goat cheese ranch, anchovies with manchego cheese and pear, whole fish, vanilla crème brullee, and profiteroles with hazelnut ice cream.
Our server Nick was really good. Loved that it was really really kid friendly.

I loved Laurus and had such high hopes for Roti8 because I «heart» Sasa, but after coming here a couple weeks ago… I guess the jury is out.
I made a reservation on Open Table for Roti8 the second I knew it had finally opened. My friend Diana S and I got there and I was pleased because my favorite server from Laurus was there as well as my favorite bartender (knowing there would be quality service by getting those guys to work at this new restaurant had me smiling)…but not for long. As the hostess brought us out of the bar to our table we quickly realized that we had the worst table in the restaurant (tiny, right by the bathroom, and in a dark space where tables go to die). We politely asked for another table and in the end were told we could have another table but we would have to exit the table within the hour for another reservation… uh we had a reservation too?
So not a great start of the evening for someone that had hoped to want to be the mayor of this restaurant. We sat at the bar, which was unplanned and a little disappointing, but was fine, and service was great. Food was just okay. We had the signature rotisserie chicken which was dry but came with this warm sauce that made it better but not awesome and the brown butter brussel sprouts (say that 5 times fast) were delicious. We also had dessert which was not memorable.
All and all, experience was just okay. Granted I had a bad taste in my mouth from the seating debacle, but the food did not push the experience over the top (rather down), but leaving this at 3 stars because they are new and the service (sans seating thing) was excellent.

I would have given this place ONE star if it was not for ONE person: Kevin (manager)
Hubby and I went in excited to try this place out. We ordered my sons food first, a few cocktails and our meals.
Long story short: Sons food came out quick. Our drinks took 10 minutes. We were told the bartender was doing side work. Drinks came out the same time as our meals. We sent our food back saying we wanted to enjoy our drinks before our food. We wanted the food remade in 10 – 15 minutes. Since its an open kitchen when it was time to bring out food back out, I SAW them take the SAME food and give it back to us?!
On top of all that I saw the bartender and cooks EATING while working and NOT washing their hands.
Now to why we will come back. Kevin. I asked to speak to the manager and he came. I informed him all of the above to which he immediately apologized. He quickly took our meals back and I saw him talking to the entire staff. He also took care of our meals and came back multiple times to make sure everything was perfect.
Too many times when you tell a manager of a problem you run into arguments. Kevin showed us exactly what customer service should be and needs to be.
On a side note the food was amazing!
Thanks again Kevin for caring about our experience. We will be back with our business and smiling faces.

My fiancé and I visited roti8 for lunch. I ordered the rotisserie chicken and he ordered the chicken sandwich. We also ordered three sides, including the mac and cheese, spicy broccoli, and brussel sprouts. I was excited to have a new option in Danville for restaurants.
Our server was attentive but I didn’t think the food was spectacular. It is an ok place to go for the ambiance and service, and a nice getaway from chain restaurants, but not a first choice when I’m looking for lunch in the area.
The best part of the meal was the banana fosters bread pudding. I would’ve offered another star if that is all I ate that day. The couple next to us ordered the cookie jar and got to take the cookies home with them in the jar.

I would like to preface this review by saying that I wanted Roti8 to be a great restaurant. The Blackhawk Plaza desperately needs an accessible, moderately-​priced restaurant to replace Laurus and attract shoppers to the area. However, I’m not convinced Roti8 is able to fill this role.
On the good side of things, the service and aesthetics were wonderful. The waiter was informative, friendly, and did his job well.
On the bad side of things, the menu doesn’t seem to know what it wants to do with itself – various small seafood dishes, salads, and an odd mish-​mash of flavors. The waiter offered for us to dine a la carte «family style», but I can’t imagine you could assemble a cohesive meal out of Roti8’s small and disjointed selection. That being said, Roti8 sells itself as Rotisserie joint, so a half-​chicken was ordered for my group, along with two Salmon plates and the daily special, leg of lamb. Additionally, meatballs were ordered as an appetizer.
I almost laughed out loud when the $ 8 meatballs arrived: Five sad meatballs that looked like they rolled out of a can of Spaghetti-o’s – with the forgettable flavor to match. The salmon dishes weren’t much better. They were presented on a bare plate with only a few potato wedges tucked underneath, almost as an afterthought. It’s not hyperbole when I say I’ve tasted better, more imaginative seafood dishes at an Applebee’s. The waiter sheepishly admitted that many of the meals don’t come with anything else, be it a few slices of vegetables, a starch, or even garnish. Roti8 considers «sides» a by-​request luxury, apparently.
Throw in a couple of overpriced mixed drinks – including an $ 11 shot of Dewar’s – and our table got a $ 107 bill for an underwhelming, talentless meal that left us hungry. The price might have been justified if the flavors were there, but I can’t see myself returning to Roti8. We went elsewhere for dessert.

Where to begin…
CONS = ALMOST ALL THE FOOD
Bread — The bread itself is not bad, but I think they toast it first and It never comes to the table warm, so it ends up tasting stale. The table comes with three sauces/​dips for the bread. There’s one with caramelized onions/​olive oil which was good, but the other two (a dijon-​mustard-​like one and a habanero-​type one) just don’t go with the bread at all — a total mismatch.
Mussels — these were pretty horrible. We were expecting the mussels to be in some sort of sauce/​broth. They came out baked, with no flavor except strong fishy-​ness. You have to struggle to take the mussel out of the shell in order to dip in the sauce, which was like pure melted better — no seasoning or anything. So all that work for a bite with zero gratification.
Herb & garlic crusted leg of lamb — this is prob the WORST lamb i’ve ever had, period. First, we were expecting a LEG of lamb — a shank, bone-​in, something. Instead it was slices of overly tough, chewy, dark, unappetizing-​looking and –tasting meat. I hate to say it, but it was gross. Did not take another bite of the dish after the first. I would have expected they at least asked what temperature we wanted the meat, but it came extremely (overly) well-​done. And the polenta it came on was not soft at all; it coagulated to the shape of the bottom of the plate and looked and moved like rubber. Completely unappetizing.
Double Cut Pork Chop — this was ok. I’d give it 2.5−3 stars. Flavors were there, and the pork was cooked well, but the meat itself was a bit tough. You had to chew pretty hard to work through it. It’d be a great dish if the meat was more tender.
Brownie Sundae — nice plating, and was overall good, but the brownie tasted more like a cake. It wasn’t dense/​rich like you’d expect a brownie to be.
PROS = SERVICE, STAFF/​MANAGEMENT, ATMOSPHERE
The place is nice, and our waitress was really friendly, fast, and very proactive about getting our feedback. When we shared our discontent about the food, she let her staff/​manager know, who came and apologized for the food. They ended up offering comped dessert and gave us a $ 25 gift certificate to come back and give it another shot. Nice (smart) gesture, but I really would have rather the mussels and lamb been comped (since they were pretty much inedible), and not come back — just being completely honest. But since they gave us the credit, we will eventually use it, and if things turn around, this review has the chance to (hopefully) change.
Overall it was really disappointing since we were hoping to have a good, new neighborhood restaurant, but I do appreciate the staff caring so much about their guest experience. They just need a new chef!
Ultimately, the food gets 1 star, but since the service was good and the staff was so nice, I’ll give it 2.

What a MAJOR disappointment!
I have been waiting for Roti8 to open with pure excitement for two reasons. #1-​I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sasa in Walnut Creek and know these are the same owners. I thought they could do no wrong. #2-​We are in desperate need of a reasonably priced, casual restaurant in The Blackhawk Plaza… but I was let down on both counts.
I went with my husband and 4 year old for lunch. The décor is awesome. I love the painted ceiling and the tiny details are not lost on me. The faucets in the bathroom are really cool too. Our waitress was very polite and attentive as well…
but that’s about where the thumbs up stopped for me.
#1-​The food is SOOOOOOOOO oily. Like dripping in oil! I could literally pick up a broccoli floret and paint the plate with the oil. I was trying to eat healthy and ordered a quarter chicken of white meat and a side of broccoli. This cost me $ 13. Fine, but the side of broccoli was so small. Like maybe 5 florets… but that turned out to be ok because it was so oily, I didn’t even finish it. My husband ordered the brussels sprouts and it was the same. Just coated and soaked through with oil. It was disgusting. My daughter had the pasta with butter (which they got wrong at first but quickly brought out a buttered pasta dish) and it was in a pool of butter. A giant pool of butter.
#2-It’s overpriced, IMO (especially for how subpar the food was). Lunch for 2 adults and 1 kid with no appetizers or dessert cost us over $ 60. The kids meal is $ 7 and includes the main meal, a salad and «fruit». The fruit was two lemon wedges on the plate under the salad. They said it was orange slices but if it was an orange, it was a very out of season orange. You can not say you include fruit, when fruit includes two slices of out of season oranges…
The wine list mark up is out of control. There is nothing that pisses me off more than a ridiculously inflated wine list. It’s piggish and greedy and turns me off. The only positive is that their corkage fee is only $ 15, so if you know anything about wine and have a decent collection at home, you can bring your own bottle (s).
#3-​Lots of «kinks». Hopefully over time they will work these out but they first brought out our daughter’s pasta with sauce on it. Took it back because it was wrong. Then brought my chicken and side of broccoli. At least 3 – 4 minutes went by before they brought my husband’s meal (which was 3 piggies which he said was very good) and his side, then they brought back our daughters pool of butter and pasta.
They need to time the food better. It was odd to have them all come out at such different times.
They also overcharged for my husband’s dish by $ 5. They did take it off when we told them, but at this point it was one thing after the other and we were kind of over it.
I’m really bummed. I was really looking forward to a nice family restaurant to go to but this is not going to be it. It’s just another overpriced, mediocre restaurant in The Blackhawk Plaza.
Maybe I’ll give it another chance in a couple of months, but for now, I’ll just keep hitting up downtown Danville for a good meal.