Mankas Steakhouse

Wow this place is awesome. I have been a couple of times with a group and by myself and it never disappoints. The food is great the service is better. the people are nice and will talk to you. The wine is great. I especially like the Mankas cuvée. They have live music, especially on Tuesday nights. It is a great place to go on Tuesdays.

Loved every thing about it! It’s Valentine’s Day & we were able to enjoy our meal & cocktails at the bar. The service was great and the food exceptional!

First off, the service here for us was A + + +. The service was so good that I damn near had to say stop it you’re scaring me, because I am NOT accustomed to that good of service these days in America. We had the lobster bisque, bone marrow, New York steak special, and scallops meal. The lobster bisque was so damn good that it would compare to not having to pay taxes for a year. Bone marrow was good but way too fatty for me; could only do a few bites. If you are an individual that likes eating pure fat, no judgement, then this is perfect for you, but not for me. Steak was pretty damn good, but the scallops with cauliflower purée was off the fucking hook. All in all a damn good restaurant.

Absolutely love this place. It’s perfect for a date night or to take the parents out to lunch. My husband and I go for every special occasion.

This is a delightful fine dining experience. I love the food and courteous wait staff. It’s a gem in Fairfield. Outdoor dining and live music.

From the moment you step through the front door until you leave, a very relaxed dining experience with staff that is happy to be there. My favorite is the filet mignon, prepared to perfection paired with truffle infused potatoes. The scallops are delicious too. I have never had a bad meal or experience here, and have been a regular patron since they opened-​great place.

This place really aggravates me. I’ve held off on reviewing for 3 years now because I want so badly to like it because it’s just about the only «nice» restaurant around here. Unfortunately after the 5^th time I just can’t do it anymore. The staff here has a certain air about them. They think they are better than you and it’s a super uncomfortable vibe. The food is EXTREMELY hit and miss. The rotten lobster in my Mac n cheese tonight was my breaking point for the review. I had a paprika burger here over 2 years ago and got food poising from it also, so I’m not so sure they have the best food safety practices. The rancid lobster is un-​acceptable and the worst part is that they are SO stuck up here I didn’t feel as though I could even tell them about it! My mojito was 15 bucks with the house Bacardi in it and a Glenlivet on the rocks was 17 bucks!!! I can’t even believe that. Who do these people think they are?!! We’ve had brown lettuce before here in our salads too and by brown I mean BROWN. I also called in on a weekday night a month or so ago and the lady failed to mention the restaurant was closed for a private event that night so when we showed up we were pretty frustrated. I have had a few good dishes here however the inconsistency in service and quality is super frustrating. It’s like it has the potential to be a great spot but it just is NOT. Take the extra time and go to Coles or Rutherford grill if you are craving a steak! This place is a complete «want to be» with rude staff and mediocre food to say the least!

The service was good. The inside is small. We sat at the bar because their reservation book was full for the day that we went. About the food, nothing special for me and the be to go wow. I thought my salmon was just not good. My bf said the steak was alright.

Great date night with husband.
Meals were excellent cuisine was top notch.
Can’t believe it’s in Fairfield!!!

Made a last minute reservation here. Hadn’t been here in many, years. It was a very delightful dining experience. I really liked the patio area which had a fireplace going and heaters, but it was a cold night so we chose to sit inside. The staff was very friendly. The hostess who greeted was very pleasant. Our server was nice and very attentive to us. Our glasses were never empty. :-) The Food was great. The Pork Belly appetizer was heaven!!! I suggest you try it.
I ordered salmon, which was a special. It was paired with very tasteful blends of orange and pineapple and basil oil. And yUkons that were addictive. Very light and delicious. My husband had the ribs. They were huge!!! and the sauce was amazing Drinks are on the expensive side but on a positive note… they’re strong :-)
Great wines offered by the glass or bottle from nearby vineyards which I enjoyed. You may also bring your own bottle for a decent corkage fee.
I only gave 4 stars solely relative to the set up of the front dining room, I should have requested a booth or to sit some where else. It felt a little informal and compact at the two-​seat tables. I felt a bit claustrophobic as they were way too close to other parties.
Everything else was superb.
I would definitely recommend this place and will return again, next time I will have a steak and request a booth window.

Food was great, drinks were yummy but had to take two stars because the service was definitely lacking. The bartender did a great job with our cocktails but our server was subpar. We felt rushed, sadly we wanted to order dessert but the server seemed to be ready to close and go home (it was 9:30pm on a Friday night).

Mankas is everything. I have been to this restaurant twice now, both for classy work-​related dinners. Everything you put in your mouth at Mankas is delicious. Tuesday is «Ladies Night» and our party ordered bruschetta and wine off of that menu. Next, we got the calamari. The fresh lemon flavor is cooked right into the batter and infused in the aioli. Peperoncinis are sprinkled on top of the delectable squid, to ensure a succulently salivating experience from all that zesty flavor. The dry-​rubbed ribeye is the house specialty, and every one of my guests including myself ordered it as our entrée. The heavenly steak is spiced and prepared to perfection, a large cut accompanied by gruyère potatoes au gratin and the best gourmet peas you’ve ever had. For dessert we ordered all three decadent sweets on the menu, because sometimes you can’t all agree on just one or two and you just need to treat yo’self and your lovely guests. When you take a break from all that fine tucker, take a look around the restaurant. It is adorable! The space is elegant, warm, with a touch of high-​class countryside, and the patio is charming and lively with music on certain night year ’round.

I’ve been craving good bone marrow for a while, turns out Mankas Steakhouse has them.
Tried calling for reservations. started Wednesday, today I called 12pm on just rings.
We were seated. 17 minutes later our server comes, order tablet in hand — no water, no bread, no nothing. — seriously? and yes, I counted.
They have a decent wine list — split up by locals (suisun and green valley) ‘over the hill’ and masterpiece collection ($ 250 +)and larger formats. Everyone at the table is wine saavy, with winemaking experience 15+ yrs. Decided since highlight the local wine, give it a go — wait 2 Tempranillos on the Suisun Valley list. We lob one of the easiest questions at our server which one is the spiciest? specifically, black pepper, smoke. response? They are both fruit forward because they are young. No. like saying peaches when the question is about apples. You are boasting this ‘wine list’? Educate your servers. We picked (tenbrink) and there was some black pepper and spice, was it the spicier? we don’t know.
To reviewer complaining about fruit flies, we had them at our table too — not as bad, but there’s been a freeze. Suggest since they are still swarming — several landed in our wine, that restaurant address the problem.
We ordered to share, Calamari, Bone Marrow, Mac & Cheese with Bacon full rack of ribs.
Calamari — awesome, however, who serves calamari without lemon? One of our group was adamant about lemon — but couldn’t find server, so hopped up to GET IT HERSELF FROM THE BAR, suddenly our server because she came over wondering what the commotion was came back with a half of lemon, in her hand! jaggedly cut the wrong way. um? seriously? wrong way? no plate? this is a high end restaurant?
The mac and cheese no complaints.
bone marrow — slighty bland and the parsley wasn’t washed on top, you hsould get the dirt off before serving. but I would order again.
Ribs — over rubbed, salty, wasn’t the fatal part, mustard greens (?) oozing liquid with 4 small sad cherrie, still not the fatal part. Full rack of ribs so over cooked, over steamed if you started to pick up a rib it fell away and left a sad, empty bone with dried up meat in a clump on the plate. Don’t order the ribs, waste of $ 29 bucks.
Had to flag down busser for water, nothing was offered. Waited a solid 20 mins for server to order more wine. county line cuvee — opened it, plopped it down, walked away, no offer to pour it. rude.
Never offered dessert, coffee, check plopped down without a ‘can I get you anything else?‘
Final comments: Bone Marrows good, calamari good (bring your own lemon) wine list nice, but the staff has no idea what to do with it. We would have easily bought something off the masterpiece collection or a higher end bottle. You didn’t even TRY. Knew nothing about the menu except to mutter that there was duck and and (mumble — it was eggplant we learned later) Curry.
Beautiful location, lovely wine list, OK — except for the Ribs food. If you are going to hold yourself out to be fine dining, follow through with good service.
Food 3 stars — 4 if you don’t count the rib fail. Service 1 star = 2 stars over all

Who would have thought? At a golf tournament in Napa going home through Fairfield, I Unilocaled for a steak house and found this. Food was excellent, a little pricey, outdoor dining, wine list was extensive and expensive — don’t know if they have corkage but I would ask when you make reservations.
Penne pasta was delicious, bone marrow appetizer was a tasty surprise, ribs were incredibly tender.
Tucked away up Mankas Road, it doesn’t have a lot of lights around it but it’s worth looking for.

I have a few thoughts. This was our second time here, the first time we came with friends who had been here before and the second time we sat at the bar. I wish we had just stopped at the first time because we had an amazing meal with superb service. (Get the lobster bisque and the cheese board. Seriously, just do it.)
The second time however, has left me a little… annoyed, I guess you could say. We just ordered 3 appetizers and had drinks/​wine. While we weren’t treated poorly necessarily, it was pretty clear that we were regarded as «lesser than» the usual clientele. To be fair, we came here straight after my fiancée was off work, so he was in work clothes and I was wearing shorts. He’s a lineman and makes great money, but I guess since we don’t dress to the nines to meet for apps and wine we must not fit the part to dine here.
I am giving this 4 stars for the food, but taking one away for the snootiness. Don’t judge books by their covers, people.

Stopped in for a Thursday night dinner, it was just down the street from our airbnb stay.
Very friendly staff, attentive waiter. I was disappointed that the lamb that was on their website menu was not offered.
I started with the wedge salad. The smoked apple bacon hit my nose before I even dug in. Avocado dressing didn’t disappoint.
Baby Girl had the lobster bisque. Smartly, it wasn’t served piping hot on this 90 degree night. Delicious.
I settled for the half chicken. Cooked perfectly, crispy skin. Served as two quarters, the deboned thigh and airline cut breast were a nice touch. Very under-​seasoned. Good thing they had salt and pepper on the table. Bed of small potatoes, carrots, and onions were safe and enjoyable.
Baby Girl had the penne, very rich and thick. It was almost over-​seasoned, especially in contrast to the chicken.
For me it was safe and convenient, but I’m pretty sure that’s what they are going for.
Good wine list showcasing local vineyards as well as Napa and beyond. Very approachable and reasonably priced. You won’t get gouged.

Had the pleasure of dining here last night. Three things really stood out to me:
1) When we were being seated, the hostess attempted to sit us outside closest to the street. But before she could do that, she quickly called an audible and sat us away from the street in the shade (Thank you!)
2) Our server was Rafael. He was fantastic! You could tell that he liked his job, and was happy to explain each dish. It also helped that he really knew the menu
3) The Mac and Cheese with bacon… I like to fancy myself as a Mac and Cheese Aficionado. This mac and cheese was some of the best I have ever had. The bacon was smokey and crisp. In fact, it wasn’t really bacon, rather it was more like smoked pork belly.
We also had the bone marrow, which was incredible!
I had the lamb with roasted corn, it was ok, not the best I’ve ever had, but still really good. The meat was really tender and moist, it just lacked a little bit of seasoning for my taste
Overall, I would definitely be back. I think Mankas Steakhouse is the best, nicest place in Solano county to have a fine dining experience.

So today I ordered their Ahi Tuna Tartare and one of their daily specials…
I walked in today expecting to get the french dip but ended up ordering the pastrami Reuben. Now I do have to say that I never get a Reuben with the Russian dressing as I hold the opinion that it’s gross– I end up asking for Dijon or regular mustard instead. I have to say it was not my favorite… BUT the tartare was phenomenal… I was completely unladylike as I inhaled it down… every flavor they added to the tuna paired perfectly… toasted sesame oil, citrus, avocado… it was amazing.
I will be back because I still need to order the french dip…

I’m a very hard man to please. I’m especially hard to please when it comes to steak. I feel steak itself is a platform that just needs elevating. Not much room for error but a lot of room for enhancing. In this valley there really isn’t much for good eats, let alone a decent steak. Texas Roadhouse is here but that’s Texas Roadhouse. Mankas is an enigma of sorts. It’s in the boonies and you really can’t tell what it is looking in from outside. One can’t help but second guess if it is a destination to be explored or not. Needless to say, this trip to Mankas was long overdue and boy was it worth the wait.
So let me start with a couple negatives. 1) there isn’t very much parking. You can park down the side of the highway but it’s sketchy as these are narrow lanes. I was reluctant to park here because you’re against the brush on the side of the road and I really don’t know if it is legal. There is limited parking in the front and across the street. We came here for dinner and the shops across were closed but I imagine this to be even more of a struggle during the day when the shops and wineries are open 2) it’s too warm for comfort inside the restaurant. I don’t know if it was because it was a really hot day or if they just have problems with their AC but this was a little bothersome.
But now the fun… I am going to say this has been my best meal in a long time. I know that’s a bold statement but they knocked my tastebuds off. I do think it was because the combination of what we ordered made a perfect meal but they hit on all cylinders for everything that was delivered to our table.
As far as ambiance and décor, they are a surprise. Mankas is a white linen restaurant with the Napa/​Sonoma feel. The waitress told me it has been many things in the past from a trading post to a general store before it evolved into a fine dining establishment. When you enter there is a main room, there is also outdoor seating, and a lower level where we were seated. The place was packed and while we made reservations they do take walk ins. It’s a good place for wining and dining that special person or taking out your parents. Service was outstanding and they offered an All Day Menu for those wanting something light on the belly or the wallet.
We started off with bone marrow and pork belly with Apple fennel salad. The bone marrow was seasoned perfectly and they gave us bones that offered a generous amount of marrow for spreading. The crustinis were perfect little crisps and made this a delectable appetizer. The pork belly didn’t disappointment either. They left enough bite on the pork to pair it well with freshness of the salad. This was delicious. Then the lobster bisque… Oh my! This was rich, decadent, creamy, and full of lobster taste. This was artfully done with chunks of real lobster at the bottom of the bowl and as the bisque was poured in by our waitress over the chunks of lobster, we just about succumbed to the anticipation and could not wait to drop in the first spoonful. This was sinfully delicious.
As this was a steakhouse, I went with a dry aged ribeye as my entrée. Insert expletives here, holy sh-​it, etc, etc. This was seasoned perfectly and was as medium as medium could be. Every bite was to be savored. This was served with creamed peas and a parsnip rose and I scraped the plate. In comparison to every other steakhouse I’ve been too, Ruth’s Chris, Harris, 5A5, this was by far the most surprising and best tasting. We had a bottle of Pinot Grigio with our meal, which was a local vintage. It paired well with everything considering how warm it was. It was light, airy, refreshing with hints of apples.
We didn’t make it to dessert as we just had no more room. But I felt like I had what would have been a $ 500 San Francisco meal for only a fraction of the cost. This was such a win. Mankas is flanked by a couple local wineries too so this would be a perfect end destination. They will also pop open your bottle for a corkage fee. I’m impressed Mankas. I’ll be looking for many more excuses to come here.
I will be here for many returns. The pics here will not do this meal enough Justice. Like many other posts I do recommend the Lobster Bisque and the ribeye. Next time I’ll have the filet.

If it weren’t for the internet, im not sure how id find some of these places. Mankas does sit off the beaten path a bit and even though it’s 4 miles outside of town proper, it seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere. I was explained that it used to be a saloon and brothel in the days when people pulled their horses up. That’s awesome. the main space and bar is cozy, with warm tones and semi rustic elements. There’s a huge dining room adjacent to the left of the main space where the restrooms are. You can peer into the kitchen window behind the bar and from the side doors if you’re coming from the other dining area.
the menu reads like a lot of greatest hits and there were so many things we wanted. Half rack ribs with sweet potato fries, lobster bisque, duck confit, pork belly and cobia were the spread of tasting we did. Also opted for ginger soda and lemonade with thyme though their wine and beer list are also intriguing; filled with some local wineries. They’ve got a book on Tenbrink down the way which produces some of The Scolium Project., one of my all time faves.
The chef understands the interplay of salt, fat, and acid really well and everything seemed well balance. However I think the star was the bisque. Id come here for that alone. Rich flavor extracted from the lobster shells, silky mouth feel, and ultimately delicious. Service is super friendly and professional. Definitely worth a trip out here if you’re passing through and are a lover of food. 4.5 stars