Stark’s Steak & Seafood

Best steak I’ve ever had in my life! Don’t be scared, get the porterhouse! Hillary was our server and she was amazing!

Wanted to give it 5 stars but felt like staff was aloof. Manager touched every table but ours. Expect great food but if you don’t order heavy — meaning most expensive items, servers lose interest in you.

My Husband and I usually pop into this place for a Happy Hour/​afternoon date. We always get there by 4:00 pm because any late, the placed is slammed and you have to get on the wait list!
My husband loves food and I love variety, so Happy Hour allows us to have a couple of good drinks and a bunch of different kinds of food with prices, that are much nicer then the main restaurant there. We usually drop $ 60-​$ 80 on our Happy Hour Dates so a cheap date isn’t the focus. We just like yummy food, in good portions and fun variety.
I did want something a bit lighter with our food last time, so I ordered the Kale Salad off the regular menu. The Salad was yummy but for 1 ½ cups of Kale and some topping it was really, really overpriced at $ 9! Woowzers!(we grow Kale in our garden and I know how prolific and easy of a grower it is) If you are going to charge $ 9 for that… you better make it a very large salad.
The staff is nice but not overly charming in any way. They get your food and usually do so with speed and politeness. The Happy Hour area gets pretty loud, so not a great place for a first time date or something intimate of course.
We will continue to go for Happy Hour but we don’t feel like we get the same value and variety if we go for dinner in the main restaurant.

Stark’s is the place to go for an AWESOME steak. Both my wife and I had, what else, steaks! She had the New York and I had the Rib Eye, both were ordered medium rare and came out sizzling and perfect. Service was simple impeccable. For special occasions, Stark’s is our NEW favorite place to eat. And one last thing, I strongly recommend the Potato Skin Fondue, yummy!
–Sam

The customer service is wonderful here. Our waitress was awesome. Forgot her name unfortunately. The app we got was the Calamari and it was so yummy! I had the butter fish which was alright. Not a lot of flavor very light. Everyone else enjoyed their salmon, steak & the ahi! Great experience and we will definitely be coming back here!

We made an early dinner reservation at Stark’s for a family birthday. At around 5pm, the dining area was mostly empty, while the bar was busy with happy hour, but the space quickly filled up. Stark’s exudes classic steakhouse: dimly-​lit, wood furniture, very classy. Service could have been a little more attentive, but it was sufficient.
The first dish delivered to the table is the complimentary garlic bread. Each table gets at least one loaf of rich, brioche bread smothered in garlic and butter, served hot in a cast iron dish. That dish was so beautiful, it nearly brought a tear to my eye. We started dinner with the «Required» Caesar, which was a classic steakhouse salad. However, this Caesar was served with whole Romain leaves instead of chopped. For my entrée, I split the ribeye ($ 29), which is accompanied by a choice of sauce (we choose truffle aioli). The steak was tender and perfectly cooked, although not as flavorful as I had hoped. The sides definitely enhanced the meal: to share, we ordered the creamed spinach ($ 8), truffled French fries ($ 8), four cheese mac with Dijon ($ 12), and roasted Cremini mushrooms with miso vinaigrette ($ 9). All were very good, but for me, the standout was the mushrooms! The miso vinaigrette brought a unique umami flavor. The mac was also tasty, but the Dijon was a bit overwhelming.
Afterwards, the staff graciously gave us the choice of a birthday dessert on the house. We tried the pineapple upside down cake, which was topped with rum caramel and served with a side of honey ice cream. The ice cream had a subtle honey flavor, and wasn’t too sweet. Overall, we had a great visit to Stark’s, but I’ll probably only visit again for a special occasion.

Awesome steaks here! We got the feeling as we walked in that we shouldn’t be there. Maybe we were not dressed up enough, but we wanted steak! Price was good for the quality we got! Would go back again!

First time was great though happy hour was over a 2 hours wait.
2^nd return was horrible! Came back for happy hour. Our waitress sucked! Non attentive. Every time our drinks were empty she pretended like she didn’t see them empty. So we waited for like almost 10 mins for another drink and to order more food. We had stacked dishes on our table and she didn’t even bothered taking a few away from us. The buss boy did more work than she did. She didn’t even thank us for coming she handed us the check and said bye. And it wasn’t even BUSY it was a slow happy hour.

We had the pleasure of dining here on Valentine’s Day and the service couldn’t have been more welcoming and friendly. The atmosphere was very romantic.
We started off with the calamari. My friends and I still talk about wanting to go back and just order calamari. It was very fresh and light, definitely worth ordering again. For our main course we ordered the ribeye and the New York steak. My steak was slightly a little too undercooked for my liking, but other than that our food was impeccable! Starks defiantly is the perfect spot for a romantic date!

This place had the best food in Santa Rosa. The Starks know what they’re doing when it comes to restaurants. My wife and I walked in the bar area and it was hopping. Looked like people coming in to relax from work or catch up with friends at the local watering hole. We kept going until we got the the restaurant in a separate section. The hostess was great and seated us quickly. The waitresses made sure our glasses were never empty and even told us about the free corkage for two bottles of wine!
You know how most steak places come out with bread? These guys one up that. A whole fresh baked loaf, covered in a garlic sauce. Amazing garlic bread! Moist, garlicky, with warm butter in a cast iron skillet. The presentation makes your mouth water, then the bread itself goes beyond description. We then ordered the truffle Mac and cheese and a filet with asparagus. The truffle Mac and cheese was so good. The crunchy bread crumbs add to the flavor, the cheese ratio was perfect and the truffle oil made everything blend like a fine wineThe filet was great. Get it bacon wrapped! Tender on the inside and seared on the outside The asparagus made for a great side. Dip in the hollandaise sauce. If you’re looking for a great meal, definitely stop by.

My wife and I ate dinner there last night and… WOW! It was busy but you wouldn’t have known it. We had a table by the fire place and great service. The restaurant is nicely decorated ad cozy.
The bone in ribeye was was simply one best steaks I have ever had… PERIOD! It’s Ala cart meals so you pay for sides but they were good too. I had a very good Cesar salad and creamy mashed potates.
The key lime pie was good also but a bit small for the price.
The only real knock was the neighbor is a bit dicey.
Very good date night or special occasion place.

Great eats and drinks here. It really does live up to the hype. I had three drinks and two food items off the happy hour menu…27 $! Service is prompt and friendly and the atmosphere is laidback but inviting. Stark’s for the win.

Delicious food. My friend ordered the steak and it was delicious. Cooked perfectly. I ordered the butter fish which was very tasty but not as good as the steak. The ambience in this restaurant is adult so do not recommend taking your children. A nice plus is that they have free corkage on the first two bottles. Next time I will bring my own bottle and save myself a bit of money on the bill. Speaking of which this place is not cheap everything is a la cart so plan on spending 70 dollars per Person.

I came to Stark’s on 4−24−16 I did not have a reservation at the time but I was able to be seated at the bar.
I started with the Baby Beet & Blood Orange Salad, with Goat Cheese and a Mint Mojito. For the main course, I had a Filet Mignon with the Truffle Aioli sauce and a side of the Roasted Cremini Mushrooms with Miso Vinaigrette. This whole meal was incredible!
I don’t have a bad thing to say about this place and would give more then 5 stars if I could. My Filet was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth.
The staff here was friendly and was quick to refill my water when It was low. If you are looking to treat yourself or a friend to a nice meal this is the place. Just keep in mind that it is on the $$$ side but well worth the money.

I am amazed that I haven’t rated this place yet. We’ve been going here for years, ever since it opened, and have almost always found it wonderful.
The ambience of the place itself is excellent, nice classy, somewhat dark, old-​school fancy American décor with nice touches and a great bar. It uses a neat old building that was for decades an Italian restaurant before Stark’s took over about 2008 and they have nicely remodeled it while keeping the core of the original charm.
The steaks here are the real focus and they are consistently excellent, especially the house-​aged beef — tender and exceedingly flavourful. The range of toppings such as salt sampler, pepper sauce, bechamel sauce, etc., are excellent and provide great flexibility, especially if two or more people each order steak so each can order a different topping and share. With meat like this, one needs little or nothing on it.
The obligatory bread for the table is a nice touch — hot mini loaves of locally made (i.e. at Franco American a block away) bread in garlic butter.
Caesar salad with steak and onion rings is phenomenal, a wonderful balance and blend of true caesar with their excellent steak and crispy onion rings.
Steak tartare is very nice, very flavourful, although I would prefer to have it less seasoned to taste the raw beef more and it is no longer made table side.
Potato skin fondue is a fun twist on that standard.
Cauliflower gratin is delicious although it could use more cauliflower for the amount of cheese sauce.
Cocktails are usually excellent, especially for those more serious ones like manhattans, etc., however, some of the less serious ones on ice have been a bit underwhelming and skimpy.
Main disappointments that have been fine but nothing great are chicken and fish dishes, but we rarely get these since we typically want steak when we come here.
Service is typically excellent.

This is a review for the Happy Hour. I did have raised expectations, because it was a send off for our son heading to Afghanistan the next day and I let management know in advance.
So, I would like to give 3.5 stars, only because we had a hassle with accommodating our large group.
One of the managers came out to say he would take care of our table needs as our group showed up.
He disappeared and was replaced by someone who
Gave the table I was sitting at away/!less than a minute before our group came pouring in.
It was chaos .
The server did a great job handling our big group .
Now– the food and drink specials
are really good.
Our favorites :
a $ 2.50 Beef Easters Martini
Moscow Mule (on the Happy hour menu, but they skip that special certain days and its $ 11!
Calamari — best I’ve ever had
Fondue with chunks of potato to dunk in the cheese and bacon fondue.
The slider look delicious .
All in all I definitely recommend the happy hour.
The neighborhood is not a safe place to hang out .
Tweakers

Heard so many good things about Stark’s and it definitely lives up to the hype. Everything from the cocktails to the apps and the entrees are delicious, and everything is pretty well priced.
They start off every table with an order of the garlic bread which is unlike anything I’ve tasted before. It’s a warm almost brioche like loaf smothered in delicious garlic sauce. Definitely hard not to fill up on it!
We decided to split our meal so we could have room to try multiple dishes. We ordered the Queen cut of the prime rib, medium rare. It was cooked just the way I like it and was definitely bug enough for at least two to share. We also ordered a side of the mashed potatoes, truffle fries, and the mac and cheese with broccoli. I usually wouldn’t go for a ‘healthier’ mac and cheese option, but it was pretty decent. I think next time I’ll stick with one of the more indulgent options like the truffle or crab!
Also notable are the drinks. We all tried different ones, and even the standard Moscow Mule was delicious! I’ve hear their happy hour has some amazing food and drink deals, and I’ll be sure to be back to try it next time I’m in the area.

Stopping reading reviews and thinking about coming. Make your no-​brainer decision right now!
I came here with a friend a few weeks ago on a Wednesday. My normal meeting was cut a little shorter (thanks to good bosses) and we headed up to try this place out. I was lucky enough to get more than Unilocalers input, some friends raved about the happy hour food, cocktails, and prices. Starks did not disappoint.
We were able to be seated right away and next to the fireplace (nice touch on a rainy day). We ordered our drinks and checked out the happy hour menu for food.
The drinks were off the hook! I started with the Beefeater martini and my partner in crime went for the Lucy. Both were wonderful tasting and crafted perfectly. I later ordered the Rufus… try the Rufus, do it, it’s exceptional. If you enjoy an expertly made quality cocktail, you will enjoy the beverages offered here. The bartenders are class all the way.
For the bites we kicked off with the calamari. It’s s good choice, light, battered perfectly, tasty for «bar» calamari. Not greasy or chewy. We then moved to something a little heartier, the potato skin fondue. Holy smokes I fell in love with this fondue, it was good folks so give it a whirl. It’s a little rich but good to share. We decided on one last food item which was the not-​so-​small burger. It had good flavor, fresh ingredients, and cooked just right. This was more than enough for 2 of us to share.
The service was good. We were able to order as we went with no pressure to order all at once and shove off like a lot of places. It was a relaxed environment, almost like a café or coffee shop in the bar area. Comfy chairs here and there with small round tables and some larger party seating available. Some day I will make it into the dining room and tell you all about that experience!
How much you spend on happy hour depends on what you eat and drink but you’re not getting cheap skated on flavor or booze no matter what you order.
Cheers!

I’ve been to Starks a couple of times for happy hour. The first time, it was a Wed or Thurs and we walked right in and got a table for 5. The second time, it was a Saturday and we waited in line outside at 2:45 and rushed to get a table for 2. Within seconds of the door opening, it was like musical chairs– all of the tables and bar seats were taken and they created a wait list. It’s definitely worth it, though!
Love the ahi tacos and truffle fries!
I’ve also worked with their catering crew for a couple of events and they are the friendliest, funniest group of people! They provided amazing service and DELICIOUS food for our events– I would HIGHLY recommend them!

After a long day of wine tasting, hubby and I decided to come here for dinner on a Sunday night; although, the Niners lost, our dinner was a WINNER!
We sat in the spacious bar lounge, which was open seating and quite romantic. We preferred the tables over booth seating. I love the lighting, the old phone booth is a nice touch, and the décor is warm & inviting. Well-​rounded bar with a nice selection of alcohol and friendly bartender. Our server Brooke was attentive and checked on us periodically. The house garlic bread is amazing; the smell alone leaves you wanting more!
I ordered the Queen cut prime rib, and hubby had the New York steak. I also had the fresh and tasty Caesar salad (yes, I eat salads). We ordered the creamed spinach, creamed corn, and baked potato. Everything was delightful and tasted marvelous, exactly what we expected of this place. Of course we had to have dessert and ordered the warm chocolate soufflé cake with butter pecan ice cream. Whenever hubby and I ask our server if certain desserts are shareable, they always say something to the effect of «sure there’s more than enough for two». To our amazement, the outcome is usually the opposite… it’s barely enough for one. We end up looking at each other and cracking up, then we order cappucino and coffee to wash down what tiny bit of dessert we devoured.
This restaurant is truly off the beaten path in Santa Rosa. It’s nothing obvious from the freeway, and one would have to know about this place, or have been recommended by fellow Unilocalers. Our date night was memorable; we’ll definitely return for more romantic dinners.

Impeccable service, fabulous flavorful food with just the right twists for interest, and steaks that cannot be beat. Whether you are coming to Starks for their spectacular and fun happy hour or to have a relaxed splurge of dinner this is a great spot. While it is definitely a ‘special occasion’ place due to the price (it’s a steak house, what are you expecting?) it is one that I will always suggest as it is well worth your time and money!
I have been to Starks three times (once for just happy hour, once for both happy hour and dinner, and once for dinner) and all three times have had a great experience. The steaks are incredible, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. The drinks I have tried have always been perfect and the bartenders are kind even when it is super busy. The happy hour bar is very comfortable and is a great deal if you want the Starks amazing food on a budget! I recommend the potato fondue, the garlic bread is incredible, and the drink specials are amazing (martninis for $ 2.50 are you kidding?)!
For dinner there is nothing better but it is definitely an indulgence. I tell friends to save their pennies, but it is worth every cent! The last time I went I indulged in the foie gras butter on top of my ribeye and I still have dreams about that decadent steak.
Come early for happy hour as they are always packed, but enjoy a cold martini while you wait. You will also want to make reservations ahead of time as they book up fast! This is a wonderful establishment in the heart of Santa Rosa that I hope to come to for special occasions (and the every now and than happy hour) for years to come!