Bourbon & Beef

Had breakfast here a few months ago. I had the Benedict and wasnt impressed for the price. Wifey had some fried rice and pork belly dish that i wish i had ordered! Need to go back for actual bourbon and beef next time. The bourbon list was solid but we opted for some excellent bloody Mary’s as it was only 10am.
Not a bad option but i probably would not come again for breakfast. Will review again when we try dinner!

Wow I’m so behind on my reviews and forgot one of my favorites. My boyfriend and I love Bourbon and Beef. It is one of our favorite romantic dining restaurants, as it is small and not too formal and the food is delicious. I’m a fan of bourbon and use the opportunity to try new drinks each time. I usually make reservations through open table, even same day — drop in and you might have to wait a little.
Our first visit was for Valentine’s Day a few years ago, we score the sweet little window seat. We ordered cocktails, beer and a bourbon flight with our meal — we actually shared one meal which was perfect for two. We had the shrimp and grits, with bacon, chorizo and red peppers — I loved this. For our entrée we ordered the Land & Sea special which was served as two filets to accommodate the two of us. They were cooked perfectly medium, topped with sea scallops and hollandaise, served on top of a corn & wild rice cake.
We came back after purchasing a Groupon for two burgers, two beers and a dessert for $ 29 and let me tell you that they were come of the best burgers we have had. The burgers were cooked medium and flavorful, they are stacked high and had great buns! (That’s what she said) The dessert was fantastic as well, we hardly ever order a dessert so it was a real treat. I also had a Manhattan, because hurray for bourbon!
When we came back for dinner, we started with drinks and ordered the grilled octopus as an appetizer. For dinner, we decided to go with the huge cider brined pork 14 ounce Tomahawk along with a Maine lobster tail, along with a couple glasses of wine. It was so good and quite filling even through we split the meal.
And then on the last visit, we came for brunch. My guy indulged in the Bottomless Mimosas, while I ordered a Cilantro Jalapeño Bloody Mary. We ordered the Seafood omelet and crab benedict, both were fantastic. The crab benedict was so good, it was not crab cakes (which you always see, but lumped Dungeness crab with a poached egg on top, covered in delicious hollandaise.
Each experience at Bourbon & Beef has been a fantastic one. Great service by our wait staff and the chef came out to greet us and ask us about our meal. It will always be one of those places that I will just make up a special occasion to go to.

Love this place. The food is good portion for brunch. They have several booth so my son can be contained and not run around. We ordered the shrimp and grits, Duck confit and the Steak. They are all came out good.
The server is pretty good too.

Well crafted cocktails, excellent apps and mains keep me coming back whenever I’m near home! Happy hour menu is a great deal for the quality!
Staff and ambiance are nice. Always love the seafood Trio of Crudo; salmon, tuna and shrimp ceviche. Smoky sausage with mussels is great as well. Beef tartare and calimari (not breaded ;)) are great as well.
Worth a try if you’re in the Rockridge area…

Came for the beef, stayed for the mac & cheese.
Thanks to OpenTable’s 1000 point deals, the bf & I stopped in for dinner on a fairly quiet Sunday night. The décor is pretty cool, a mix between trendy and rustic, and the service is great. (The only downside of the place itself that another Unilocaler noted was that the table and some other things were oddly sticky??)
THE FOOD:
++ Bone Marrow: Complete with crab meat & crostinis — love it. Simple and delicious
++ Truffle Mac & Cheese: Probably the best mac & cheese I’ve had at a restaurant — it had just the right amount of truffle flavor and wasn’t too creamy or too dry. Worth every part of those $ 12, in my opinion
+ Pork Chop: Delicious pork chop with carmelized Granny Smith apples and great savory sauce, and in terms of value, it was 14oz of meat for less than an 8oz steak, which is why we opted for the pork, and I think it was a pretty good choice

This is unfortunate that I have to give this place a 1 out of 5 stars. I had previously rated them a 3 out of 5 but for some reason my rating was removed.
To make a long story short– Everything was great, drinks, burger, mac-​n-​cheese was delicious etc. The ribeye I got was anything but. It was cooked correctly but I think it was just a bad cut of meat because it had a lot of tough sinew type fat through out it. I gave it a benefit of the doubt and tried several pieces thinking it might get better but after about ¹⁄₃ of the way through I wasn’t going to continue. I ended up sending the meat back and in return I received a slice of chocolate cake. I was never offered a new cut of meat and I was charged the full price. The full frustration didn’t set in until I got home. I paid for a $ 44 ribeye that I didn’t enjoy and the restaurant didn’t feel the need to do anything further than give us a slice of cake.
This is where opinions can go out the wayside and facts can play the part:
I emailed Bourbon and Beef and when I received a reply on April 17^th I was offered a $ 50 gift card and an apology for what had happened. I expressed my preference of a refund for the ribeye alone but if company policy is a gift card I would accept it. I didn’t get a reply on whether or not a refund was an option and didn’t hear anything so on May 2^nd I sent another email letting them know I haven’t received a gift card or refund. I got no response so I followed up again on May 8^th and expressed my frustration with the customer service and I requested a full refund instead of the giftcard. Below is the response I received from one of the Managing Partners:
«Frankly we would not want you back as well. Your emails are rude and you were treated well and your meal was redone for you and you ate it all and the chef gave you dessert as well. Frankly you are the kind of customer that I don’t wish on my worst enemy. And you will not receive a refund for anything. Have a good life.
Abraham Masarweh «
I would like to point out that my meal was not redone (therefore I couldn’t have eaten it all). I don’t really need to say any more than that. Pretty rude customer service for someone whom I think was pretty patient (3 weeks is plenty of time for a gift card or even a response of «Hey sorry for the wait, I’ll be sending it out this week.») Hope this helps someone.
Doug
5÷9÷2016

Always great food, always great service!
The Dino Kale Salad, Lobster Eggs Benedict, and bottomless Mimosas were Fabulous!!!

This is the kind of place that is fine to stop into if you happen to be passing by. But if you go to the trouble of making a reservation and make a special trip there, you are going to be disappointed. Why?
Because for every good thing they do, there is a counterbalancing bad thing. For example, the tartare/​ceviche trio appetizer was excellent. But then you get an order of fries and they are dripping in grease. Now, a beef restaurant should have fry frying down. Turn the heat up on your fryer, don’t let the fries sit around at room temperature for too long before they go in, and make sure they stay in long enough. Otherwise… well, you get the undercooked, greasy mess that was delivered to us.
The burger. Nice brioche bun. Burger — good quality, tasty beef. But two ¾″ slices of completely unripe tomato make the concoction impossible to fit in your mouth. Who wants to eat a burger with a knife and fork? I don’t. Especially when most of it is plastic-​tasting tomato. Yuck. My plate looked like a satanic ritual afterparty when I was through.
Specialty cocktails were really inventive and yummy. But, is it too much to ask for even a single refill on water? Had we glimpsed our server even once during the course of the meal, we could have asked her, but it was not to be.
So, some good things, some bad things… on average, it’s average. If you’re in the neighborhood and hungry, stop in. But don’t go out of your way.

Love this place!!! Their brunch menu is amazing. We’ve came here 3 times already and and definitely coming back for more. My favorite is the Bourbon Burger, medium cooked. It’s gigantic, juicy, flavorful… sinfully delicious with the melting cheese on the thick hot patty and generous amount of mayo.
They used to have a variety of burger selection, and I loved the soft shell crab one (It’s off from the menu now). I also preferred sweet potato fries, which they don’t serve anymore. The down side is that the fries are now very very dry and salty. Price is pretty expensive too.
Favorites:
Bourbon Burger ($ 18) — Sierra Nevada white cheddar goat cheese, grilled vidalia onions, artisan lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, roasted garlic aioli, hand cut kennebec fries
Other orders:
Dino Kale ($ 12) — pickled strawberries, avocado, edamame, watermelon radish, pine nuts, golden balsamic vinaigrette

Came here for dinner. Nice space and ambience. I ordered the pork chop and it was delicious. The pork chop was juicy inside and crispy around the edges. My bf ordered the hanger steak, it was nicely cooked and flavored. The sauce was nice but will taste salty after a while. I also had a Bloody Mary, not the best, very peppery and not spicy. For the price you’re paying, it’s a pretty big helping of meat but still pricey imo.
I will definitely come back again to try out their brunch menu.

I can see why this place has average ratings…
Had a party of 5 and we were seated in a booth while two people, TWO WHOLE PEOPLE, took the area by the window. I don’t see why we couldn’t be Sat there as well. I was squished in the corner to the pt that I was turned diagonally to eat my dinner. I’m sure 5 small people could fit in a booth, but not my party.
Got the burger ($ 18), and although it was cooked exactly as requested, it fell apart.
Truffle Mac and Cheese ($ 12) was delish and a good portion to split with someone getting the burger.
I’ve come once before and the pork chop was delish.

Bourbon and beef took away my foie gras virginity. I finally took the plunge, set any moral doubts aside, and tasted a piece of that controversial fattened duck liver. It was incredible! What ethics? It was rich & melt-​in-​your-​mouth good. As it’s my first time having foie gras, I don’t really have a point of comparison as far as how it is served. Bourbon & Beef seared it perfectly from the outside while retaining all the delectable fatty deliciousness inside. The brie underneath was an interesting additional flavor.
I also had the black cod with pork belly which was a special for that night. It may seem like a weird combination, but trust me, it worked!
Dessert was chocolate cheesecake with raspberry syrup, which I pretty much dominated as well.
I am a very light eater who always has leftovers to bring home. This time, there were no survivors. Aside from the fact that everything was delicious, the portions were a bit smaller but reasonably sized.
However, things were sticky. The table was sticky and the wine glass stem was also oddly sticky. Good thing I had wipeys.

Came out for brunch with a friend on super bowl Sunday to check this place out.
All of the wait staff are extremely friendly and relatable. We did notice that there were quite a few staff working, but we were happy to have such great service, so that’s not something to complain about.
The ambiance is also very lively. There are hot pink lights behind the bar and there’s a rustic theme, mixed with bold red that makes you feel energized.
We were very excited by the super bowl special menu, which included pork belly sliders, ($ 8) complete with spicy ketchup and kimchee! We both got them and they were a perfect size since neither of us were very hungry. The dish came with 2 scrumptious sliders. The pork belly is a considerable size and its topped with a good amount of crunchy and spicy kimchee, which added another dimension of texture to the chewy pork belly and soft bun. I was extremely satisfied by the flavor, texture, size, and price of the sliders!
We also decided to get a side of fries to snack on. These fries were overall very surprising. First of all, we were expecting a small side, but they came out overflowing on a large plate! Once we were done eating, we were very satisfied by the meal portion we had just consumed. We looked at the check and figured it was decent, but then I remembered that we had only ordered the 2 orders of sliders and the fries, which came out to $ 24.
The side of fries costed $ 8!!! I was in utter shock! Although the serving was relatively generous, I would have expected it to cost $ 5 at most. Normally you pay $ 8 for a chili cheese fries appetizer with green onions. Our fries just had ketchup.
It would have made more sense, cost-​wise, for us to have ordered a regular burger, which comes with fries, and just one order of sliders. It would have cost less and we would have gotten more food.
Overall, the service and food were delicious, but I felt cheated by the $ 8 side order of fries. I’ll certainly be back ($ 20 bottomless mimosas!), but I will order something that already comes with its own side of fries.

Came in and used a groupon deal for the 2 burgers, 2 beers and 1 dessert. Since it was a groupon deal we came in after 8PM since it is not valid from 6−8PM.
Luckily I made reservations for 8PM on a week night and we got right in and seated. The place was busy.
We let our server know about the groupon. I placed a drink order and and ordered a side Mac n cheese. That isn’t included in the deal.
Our burgers came out about 20 – 25 minutes later. Our mac n cheese side never came nor were we billed for it. I guess it was never entered?
I ordered medium and mine was almost well done, barely any pink. Hubs ordered medium well and his was very pink. We didn’t notice until a few bites in. Most likely our burgers were switched, oh well. The meat was good. The toppings were great, pickle, grilled onions and melted cheese. The bun SUCKED! We got a cheap white bun that fell apart. I had to use a fork and knife to eat. That’s alright, it still taste the same.
Bun rant: We noticed 2 other tables that had burgers. Their buns were the nice brioche type. Well, if you let them know you are using a groupon before hand I think you get the crappy white bun like we did. Both tables showed their groupon app after they got the check. Tisk-​Tisk if they do change the bun depending on if it’s a groupon. So, don’t say you are using a groupon in the beginning.
The ocean view old fashioned ($ 12) cocktail I ordered was good.
And the warm apple galette was one of the best I have ever had. It was the perfect amount of sweetness with vanilla ice cream.
Service was average. Our server took our order twice, she apologized for asking again. Then we never got the Mac n cheese but oh well. She checked on us and kept our waters filled.
I like the décor and vibe. It’s quiet and dimly light. A nice bar. Not a lot of seating. I recommend making reservations.

So they must have a new chef or something because the brunch was WAY better this time around.
Ordered shrimp and grits — I know what you’re thinking but wait! It was actually very tasty! Large prawns which were cooked perfectly with a tasty gravy. The only complaint on this — this dish is a little skimpy on the grits.
Also had crab Benedict with roasted gold potatoes. I am very biased towards anything that has Dungeness crab — especially when there is enough crab in the dish to visibly confirm it’s actually in the dish! Good portion of crab — yay! Flavors were good, however the Benedict portion of my meal was not hot — maybe sat around until the potatoes were cooked? Potatoes were hot and well cooked and seasoned.
Limited seating so make a reservation.

Bourbon & Beef just gets better and better, especially if you are lucky enough to snag the Groupon ($ 60. for $ 30.). The specialty cocktails are dynamite, we had the B & B Signature and the Oceanview Old Fashioned, both unique and tasty. The Chef Specials offered were out of this world which made it difficult to choose but we landed on the Surf & Turf. The lobster tail was cooked to perfection and served with a vanilla butter sauce that was a little different but of so yummy. The steak was a little piece of heaven, expertly seared on the outside and perfectly medium rare on the inside; sitting in a pool of sauce you want to lick off the plate. On the side was a beautiful celery root purée with tiny root vegetables. To top things off we tried the Panna Cotta which sat in a pool of papaya syrup and the Warm Apple Galette with its ice cream slowly melting on its cinnamon crispy crust.
Great way to start 2016!

Nice find for a Sunday brunch. Bottomless mimosas, check. The regular brunch fare was good, standard. I got the pork belly fried rice, which was surprisingly good! Fried rice at non-​Asian places can be risky, but this was good. And the best part is that they fried the rice long enough that it was crispy! The best kind!
Nice ambiance. Walking distance to BART. Solid spot. I’ll be back. :)

Food: Amazing restaurant. It was my first time coming in for brunch today and the shrimp and grits were exceptional. Im a big foodie, and not many things come close to homemade, but this was like eating out of my own kitchen. I’ll definitely be back to try more.
Service: great service from the time i walked in to the time I left. Seated before the door could close and brought water before I could take my scarf off; i love how prompt everything was. Also, food was out and fresh very quickly for everyone. Overall, I highly recommend and the executive chef being out and greeting people was very nice to see.

With a title of a restaurant called «Bourbon & Beef», you would think this would be more of a dark, intimate atmosphere focusing on premium well drinks with lots of meat. Well, what I saw was a limited amount of liquored concoctions and only a fair amount of beef. However, I was hungry and craving a hearty brunch meal with an adult beverage so this place was definitely on my radar.
Located in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, «Bourbon & Beef» is a nice addition in this part of the East Bay. It is surrounded by other popular restaurants in the area as well as coffee shops, boutiques, and clothing stores. Parking out here can be very tricky (especially during the peak dining hours) but you can usually find a spot within a few minutes.
Since my fiancée and I had come here on a whim, I made this mistake of not making reservations. As we had arrived around 11:00am, the hostess said it would be close to a 2-​hour wait! And the surprising thing is that there were several vacant tables throughout the restaurant. However, when I told her that we had come from Sacramento (about a 90-​minute drive), she was able to expedite our waiting time and had us seated within 15 minutes! I guess it pays off if you’re saying you’re from out of town.
The entire of this place has a very modern look while not being too trendy. There was a nice faux-​wood panel trim throughout that flowed well with the glossy wooden tables and posh maroon seats. There is also bigger tables that work out well for the larger parties that wish to dine here. The bar also has an impressive seating area and the windows provide a lot of natural ambient lighting throughout.
Once seated, I had already narrowed down what I wanted. Since I am a huge Eggs Benedict fan, I went ahead and ordered the «Crab Benedict» with a side of home-​fried potatoes (for $ 18.00). This Benedict consists of fresh Dungeness crab, farm-​fresh poached eggs, avocados, Brandy Wine tomatoes, Béarnaise sauce, and Yukon Gold potatoes. My fiancée ordered their «Brioche French Toast» with mixed berries on the side (for $ 12.00). I decided to try their «Morning Margarita» while she orders a mimosa.
As busy as it was here being a Sunday morning, both of our brunch entrees arrive in a very timely manner. The portions here are decent and very run-​of-​the-​mill of what you would find at many other modern restaurants. The crab cakes tasted fresh (not frozen) while the Béarnaise sauce had a decent amount of consistency. It wasn’t a standout but the quality and freshness of the ingredients were on point. One gripe that I have was that the $ 18.00 price tag on this Benedict was a bit on the higher side. And when you pair that up with the $ 11.00 «Morning Margarita», its definitely not a cheap breakfast!
Fortunately, we took full advantage of the Groupon deal; in this case they were offering $ 40.00 worth of brunch food (and drinks) for only $ 20.00. Had it not been for «Bourbon & Beef» promoting this special, I would probably not dine here. Overall, the atmosphere is lively and electric while most of the employees and staff are in an upbeat mood. But keep in mind that it does get noisy here and reservations are highly recommended!

I came here to celebrate a friends birthday. I ordered:
— Heirloon Tomatoes and Burrata: This wasn’t bad… But it definitely wasn’t worth the price. ²⁄₅
— Potato Gnocchi: The potato gnocchi was good! It’s probably the only thing I would order again. Even I’ve had better though; definitely a 3.5÷5.
— Short Ribs: The short ribs didn’t have much flavor and had WAY too much fat for the amount of meat given. Not a fan at all.
(all shown in photos)
The service was subpar though… The server was a bit scary and a bit aggressive, not sure why.
All in all, wouldn’t come back again. Experience wasn’t good, food wasn’t good, so no reason for my return!