Topwater Cafe

I never complain about food and this is the exception. The chicken was drier than jerky and inedible. the gluten free cheddar roll was flavorless and the fries, though tasty, were served cold. Good service, bad food.

We tried this through a Groupon.
There is no way to know what kind of food it has based on the name or outside signage but it appears to focus on cajun/​creole.
We decided to try the potato skin tapas and they were not skins but pretty much one potato cut in half and topped with cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce. They were okay but too filling for an appetizer so they might want to stick more with the «potato skin» thing.
I got the hot link dinner with tomato bisque soup and side salad with ranch. The soup really was amazing but way too spicy to finish. The hot links were kind of spicy but didn’t have any taste. The salad was okay, decent for a salad.
My mom got the pulled pork sandwich with the baked beans and she said the sandwich was pretty bad: it wasn’t traditional pulled pork but just bits of pork and the bread was dry and tasteless. The beans were okay I think.

Terrible… Absolutely terrible.
The corned beef was overcooked, rubbery, and mostly fat — this was disappointing not only because it was obviously cooked at too high of heat but also because I ordered the tri-​tip… The beans were cold. The sliders were awful. The candied bacon was burnt. The mashed potatoes had pieces of burnt skin in them. The potatoe skins were burnt to a crisp on the bottom. The catfish breading/​corn meal was like little rocks that could chip a tooth. The execution of simple cooking technique was so poor that I was embarrassed for them.
It’s shocking that this place is still open. Would not waste a nickel here again — what a disappointment.

Such a disappointment. As another Unilocaler said, if I could have given it a ZERO I would have. I had selected Top Water for my mother’s birthday lunch based on comments from friends who live in Lodi.
We went on a Saturday about 12:15pm. There were three couples so not real busy. I said we needed a table of eight and it took at least 10 minutes to move 1 table. There were only three staff: cook, waitress, and a do nothing bus boy.
The waitress was inexperienced, too chatty, and a bit unprofessional. It took forever for her to return to take our order, and when she did her banter doubled the time. Several of the items on the menu they were out of: the candied bacon, bourbon baked beans, and one type of roll.
I was unaware that ALL of the bread/​rolls are G-​free. My family of 4 all commented that our rolls were dense, heavy, and most of the 8 of us did not finish the rolls.
I ordered the Smoked Turkey Avocado Bacon Sandwich, with the Jalapeño Cheddar Roll. It was a mess. The roll had zero cheddar taste or heat. The turkey was sliced really thick, over ¼″ making it hard to eat as a sandwich. The turkey was also very dry. I tossed the roll and ate with a knife and fork. Little avocado, and the bacon was very thin. My fries looked great as in nice & crispy, but they were luke warm.
I was born in Lodi and grew up there until age 20. I am amazed that this restaurant is still open based on what we experienced yesterday. Without a doubt the worst meal I’ve had at a Downtown Lodi restaurant in many, many years.

I wish I could give a minus five stars. Me and my wife saw this is place on the news and look delicious. I ordered the jambalaya my wife had the chicken salad. First forty minutes later food came out cold an tasteless. The jambalaya had five shrimp an sausage over steamed rice the shrimp I had to peel and the portion was the tiniest I have ever seen for 20 dollars you would think at least peel shrimp. My wife food came out twice wrong and chicken was cold dirt no taste as well. We were sitting next to another couple and when there food came out it was cold and there bake potato was raw. Needless to say they just got up and left. Wow I had so much high expectations of this place and was so let down. I really hope they get their act together because the food I saw on the news had potential to be a gem.

My wife and I went to Top Water in December, 2014 for lunch. I ordered the BBQ chicken and she had the pork sandwich. Unfortunately, both our meals were less than satisfying. My chicken was so dry that it was almost the consistency of beef jerky. The red potatoes were under cooked and crunchy on the inside. The BBQ beans tasted like they were from a can. All of it was very salty. My wife said the pork in her sandwich was also tough.
When the waitress came to pick up our plates at the end of the meal, she could see that neither of us finished the food. She brought the check and apologized for the meal, saying that she could the that the chicken was quite dry. She was kind enough to adjust our bill.
I’m a bit confused by some of the positive reviews. Might be best to pass on this one. Sorry…

Wow so I’ll be honest this is going to be a tough review for me to do. I am very biased when it comes to places that can offer me safe meals. This café is 100% gluten free the owner makes all the breads in house. Most of the items are dairy free as well so this really just works perfectly for me. I came here with my dad and grandparents for lunch. We got there right when they opened; well what we thought was there opening time. They just changed their hours to 11:30am opening so keep that in mind. Even though we got there at 11am they let us in.
Upon looking at the menu everyone was impressed with the options and couldn’t decide what to get. Everything looked so good, but I ended up with the baby back ribs, this came with two sides I got the seasonal vegetables, and the red roasted potatoes. My dad got a classic burger with a side of chili and my grandparents split what I believe was a Rueben sandwich on «rye» bread and then my grandpa got a bowl of chili and grandma a coup of their daily soup (potato).
Upon arrival of our food it looked pretty good, but we had a few problems we felt were very disappointing. For mine they put all this food on one tiny plate. Very difficult to deal with so I ended up asking for another plate. Then they didn’t cut up my ribs which I’ve never had happen before so this was difficult to deal with as well and a pain.
My dad’s classic burger said it came with cheese, but upon arrival of his burger he had no cheese. Then with the chili there were no beans in it, when on the menu it stated it came with beans. While my dad and grandpa loved the flavor it was lacking the promise of beans so it was pretty soupy. My grandma made the comment that her bread didn’t taste like rye, but it was gluten free so that could be understandable. My grandma’s soup was luke warm if that so she sent it back to get a new one. All the bread was burnt and my dad said it was not as good as some of the other gluten free breads he has had. (Keep in mind he has had a lot since I make a lot of dinners at home and he dines out with me a lot.) He said it was really doughy, now while a lot of gluten free bread ends up being doughy he said this was more than usual.
The service was great though and everyone working there was so helpful! That’s why I hate to only give it three stars, but I have no choice with how our food turned out. Very friendly to those with celiac disease and other food allergies. The owner came out and spoke to me prior to ordering to inform me of what I could have. I felt very comfortable there in regards to that.

Out to dinner with the wife, Food and service was top notch! Server was very attentive even went next door to check the football score for me! This is my 3^rd visit since they’ve opened. Very impressed. If you’ve never been here for dinner you need to come try! !! You will come back! Thanks again for a perfect meal!

I really enjoyed it here. The Sunday brunch and happy hour is awesome! Great beer on tap. Gluten free doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious and I really enjoyed the corned beef brisket. The ingredients are farm fresh and local, so it’s awesome to eat at a place that is locally conscious. The staff is fantastic, super helpful and can put you on the right path. It’s really everything you would want from a fresh restaurant in a farm area.

I would have given 0 stars but it wasn’t a choice. All the food and potatoes had a weird flavor (think liquid smoke not real smoked bbq). I am a huge foodie, love variety and have come twice. The service is awful even though the place is empty. The bread is more like rocks and everything needed salt and some seasoning more than the fake liquid smoke. The steak my husband had was overpriced and more like a food 4 less buy than the dry aged ribeye that it claimed to be on the menu. The salad had no dressing– couldn’t find any on any of the leaves. Good concept, no execution and bad service. We will not make the mistake of coming a third time. And bonus points for giving us whoppers at the end of the meal not sure what other gluten items they are serving without understanding what gluten is apparently.

I was driving through town so I decided yo stop in and try their candied bacon. They were featured on Good Day Sacramento and I have been wanting to give them a try.
The candied bacon was very good, the have fresh brewed iced tea, and the staff was very friendly.
Next time when I’m in town I’ll try more of the menu.

Very disappointed, had been looking forward to trying this spot. I ordered meatloaf, it was so hard my fork couldn’t penetrate it. When I used the knife, it flexed, but couldn’t cut. Set my plate to the side where it sat for at least as long as it sat in the microwave. Service was slow, 5 patrons. I won’t be back.

Delta boaters and Lodi wine explorers, don’t miss Topwater café, especially if you are gluten free. House made gluten free breads, smoked meats, especially the bacon wrapped grass fed angus smoked meatloaf.
All wonderful and filled flavor. Especially MeMaws favorite the house made graham cracker and ice cream with Carmel sauce. Heaven. Don’t miss Topwater, come early and meet Chef Matt and his wife Kate. Wonderful hosts! Great bar and wind list too!

We did a search for gluten free restaurants in Lodi and found this absolute GEM! The food is wonderful, the owners are friendly, and the menu selections are fantastic!!! Matt is the chef and he is VERY knowledgable about food allergies. I’d give it six stars if I could :-)

OMG! Called in a to-​go order and they even delivered it… For Free!!!
The server who helped me out was amazing! I am sitting here stuffing my face with the Pulled Pork sandwich as I type this!!! We also ordered the Veggie Steak Sandwich and the Turkey Club! All I can hear throughout the office is… Yuuuuuuummm and OMG! ORDER THE CHIPOTLE SWEET POTATO FRIES. Heaven on Earth!!! Amazing!
Highly recommend this place!

First of all, high five for being gluten free. Most people think it’s just a trendy diet fad, but for those of us who swell up like a balloon, it’s sooooo nice to have options.
This place is great, it’s got an amazing small town feel to it. Do not go into this restaurant expecting a 5 star, formal restaurant with black tie waiters. It’s very low key and the staff is very friendly. If it’s busy, you may have to wait a little bit longer in between courses and water refills, but if you can be understanding of that, it’s well worth the wait.
The food is delicious. I tend to lean toward the burgers, but i love the pizzas! The dough is amazing, almost a flat-​bread/​thick pita quality to it. The desserts are out of this world amazing. The blackberry sauce for the beignets is to die for! The bread is amazing, its thick and hearty, just as a good loaf should be. I love that you can buy a loaf of the bread to take home.
All around, a fabulous small town gem.

let me start by saying my wife and I have had lunch here only on several occasions. I am a big burger fan and they usually have a daily burger special. My wife cannot have Gluten. They make their own gluten free bread so this is one of few places where my wife can enjoy having a sandwich. They also utilize local in season produce. I love their sweet potatoe french fries. Friendly and attentive servers. i haven’t had dinner here yet so I can’t address dinners, but I whole heartily suggest you try them out for lunch.

We stopped by topwater on a farmers market night. We wanted a nice sit down dinner. We checked out the menu, and there was a few items that we wanted to try.
But most of the items on the menu are WEIRD combos.
I had the pulled pork sandwich and mashed taters. The taters were good, the pork was good but needed more sauce. Now lets talk about the BREAD, Holy Hockey Puck. It was dry, dense and flavorless. Then our waiter told us, every bread they make there is Gluten Free.
Granted I think its great to offer a Gluten Free option, but dont base your business moto on only Gluten Free. Most people can have normal bread. Which I am one of those people.
I dont see myself going back anytime soon, unless the menu changes

My husband and I love this new restaurant. Lunch is healthy, flavorful and satisfying. Dinner specials were great. The halibut was fresh and delicious. The steak was perfect.
Wine selection is limited but quality. The Tempranillo, I believe is what I had, and it was very good.
The owner/​chef heard that it was our anniversary so he made us a dessert tart and brought it out himself. This was very sweet :) and it was delicious.
We sat outside and the ambiance was very nice.
We had a perfect romantic evening.
We would go back.

My husband and I have been dining here 1 – 2 times per week since their opening and we really love this great addition to our downtown Lodi! When we walk in we are immediately greeted by a friendly face (even the girl cleaning tables will come over and help you). I love that! Fresh floral arrangements on the tables and light country music plays in the background for some southern ambience which makes my heart sing!
We have ordered the shrimp and grits appetizer and it is awesome! I have ordered the pulled pork because I love the homemade bread (it’s almost half bread, half biscuit?) Very, very good and addicting!
The burger specials… Not too many places that you can go to that have hand made patties grilled to order. The chef has a different special every time we go and my favorite so far was the one with their thick house cured bacon. The fries are the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever had, and always crisp. And at dinner time they serve some up some very yummy vegetables with all of their dishes.
As for desserts my husband turns into a fat kid over the tart! I indulge in a few a bites, but my heart is anticipating their promise of chocolate on the menu soon…