Cindy Pawlcyn’s Wood Grill & Wine Bar

Well… after eating at mustards and now CP wood grill, I’m not impressed at all. Pretty much the same esque menu at both places. First, the olives horrible! My wife had the Asian chicken salad with cubed chicken, and absolutely no flavor, especially not Asian! I had The nieman burger and not much to say, other than it was like a fast food burger. The food was nothing special and lacking in flavor and what was strange was most of the other patrons were dressed up like this was more of a formal dining experience. And other customers were complaining around us about their meals. I guess after eating at Bottega, I was expecting more from another napa legend but still has not delivered. «Napa comfort food» what is this anyway? There was nothing comfort about this place! The décor, music and ambiance clash! I wouldn’t recommend this place.

This was our last meal with the gang on this trip. It didn’t disappoint. Certainly worth a visit, especially if you are in a crunch and need to get in somewhere.
Pro’s:
Food was excellent. Try the pork belly for an app and the shortribs for an entrée.
Wine list is very diverse and you can get wines on tap. Nice twist.
Price point is lower than I expected for the quality of food. It won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Con’s:
Service was just ok. Food was timed well, but he interrupted our conversation at least 4 times for no reason at all. A 5 second glance would have shown that we were alright at that time and we would have let him know had we needed anything. He also told my friend that he shouldn’t get something after my friend ordered it when my friend had eaten that particular dish many times before.

I came to Cindy’s on a recent trip to the area because I was looking to get a last minute reservation for 8 on a Friday night. I felt like I must have scored, this place had pretty good reviews, and I figured the Napa region right before Thanksgiving must be busy. Well, we didn’t need to bother with a reservation, the place was empty the whole night.
That being said, the service was good, the wine list was as you would expect for the area, and the food for the most part was fine. Nothing was really remarkable (thus the short review), but nothing was horrible either. I had a fine time, but in an area with so many amazing restaurants, I probably won’t be back.

Excellent choice for a special luncheon… if you like Mustard’s, you won’t be disappointed. Varied menu, fabulous service, upscale but cozy unpretentious vibe. will be back again!

Finally had the chance to give CP Wood Grill a try! First off, it’s located right on Main st with lots of parking. The hostess was very gracious and nice and seated us promptly upon arrival. Julie was our server… she was EXCELLENT! She was very pleasant and professional, you can tell that she has lots of experience because she was right on point when it came to service… same with the bussers. Very attentive and efficient.
I started off with the burnt sunrise margarita. It was delicious and I loved how it had that bitter/​burnt taste. We also ordered the pork belly which was divine and perfectly cooked, loved the sweet and savory combination. It pretty much rocked my world. The Calamari and the mushroom flat bread were also very enjoyable. Also shared some biscuits with honey butter. I could kill a couple dozen of those for sure ;-) perfectly soft and a little bit flaky… had the eggplant fries which were scrumptious as well. We split the crab roll which was very good esp since im not the biggest fan of crab. It came with the most perfect chips. Right on point with the thickness and amount of crunch. Asian chicken salad was great with big slices of chicken and the dressing wasn’t too sweet like a lot of asian dressings. The Brussel sprouts were perfectly cooked and had little bits of pancetta goodness in them! For dessert we split the lemon pudding cake which was super moist and decadent.
We were all very satisfied and content with the service, food and ambiance of this restaurant and will be back soon!

Having heard good reports about this restaurant, so during a quick trip to pick up wines my best friend and I stopped by for lunch. We received professional, warm greetings and were impressed with stellar service. Lovely interior, comfortable seating set the tone for a memorable meal.
We enjoy sharing meals composed of an assortment of starters along with soup and/​or salads. It is a festive way of catching up on family news and noshing on new and familiar samplings. Enjoyed the first bite of the eggplant fries however as they cooled they became mushy and greasy. The calamari was overly spiced and cooked (rubbery) and the sauce did not enhance the flavor. The salads were overly dressed. My buddy did enjoy the soup of the day and the chips with blue cheese was a nice decadent treat.
Probably won’t return as there are so many tried and true restaurants in Napa County.

This is our 2^nd visit to this restaurant. I loved the first time and the second time was even better. The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating and nice. No reservations, no problem — we went on a Thursday, were seated in the patio and our dog was welcomed. Other diners appeared happy — there was much conversation and laughter, which along with the jazz combo playing off to the side created a very nice atmosphere on an almost warm Fall evening.
I know it’s wine country, but I’m really good with only one glass of the fermented grape with my dinner. The menu has over 75 wines by the glass so that was perfect for me. Food was incredible — I won’t even attempt to toss out all the foodie adjectives to describe the meal, only to say that I ate it slowly so I could savor every bite. Our server even surprised us (or rather our dog) with biscuits baked by the Chef and included a to-​go box with more treats when we left. Two great experiences here and I would happily eat here again.

Hoping to find a nice, local, place for date nights, my wife and I were excited to check out the Happy Hour at Cindy Pawlcyn’s.
While the place looks great, and the eggplant fries are tasty, the rest of the meal and experience left us disappointed.
When we walked in, the host was on the phone taking a reservation and barely noticed us standing there for an uncomfortable amount of time. When she finally got off the phone, we asked if we could sit outside, she said she’d go see if there was a table available and disappeared. Another employee ended up seating us at a table that wasn’t set, but she got that taken care of.
Because it was happy hour, we decided to order off the happy hour menu. As I said, the eggplant fries were good, but the flatbread was mediocre, the pork belly was downright gross and the BLT biscuit was dry and the aioli had too much garlic.
Also, when I ordered a second glass of wine, it took so long to get there that I almost gave up.
We’ve always liked CIndy’s Backstreet Kitchen, but this new restaurant was a letdown.

Came here for lunch on Saturday inbetween wine tasting.
First off, I was surprised that this place wasn’t packed — but I’m not questioning it! I love getting service and not feeling like I am being rushed out the door or that I’m competing for the waitstaff’s attention.
We sat outside on the patio (lovely, definitely recommend sitting here!). We were a group of 8 and had reservations so we were seated immediately.
Our waiter (sorry, I never caught his name!) was perfect from the time we sat down until we left. We were there for a batchelorette party, and he was so great by always getting the bride-to-be’s order first and the maid of honor’s second. He paid special attention to the bride, which is exactly how it should be on her day!
We ordered several appetizers:
* Calamari –perfectly breaded and seasoned, and the chili sauce that came with the dish was ah-​maz-​ing
* Onion rings — definitely not your burger’s onion rings. These are very, very lightly (if even) breaded — they are like the shoestring version of onion rings. Again, delicious. And the ketchup/​mustard dipping sauce with the red wine in it was delicious.
* Chips & Guacamole — the Guacamole had HUGE chunks of guac in it (that’s a plus) and was nice and kind of spicy. Much better than the usual plain, bland guacamole that most restaurants serve
The table also got the pizza of the day (with figs). It was delicious! If you can’t be committed to ordering for yourself, share for the table!
A couple of people got burgers, and they were raving about those as well.
I got the chinese chicken salad (it was hot, okay?!). There was a lot of chicken in the dish, and I liked their salad — it was more of like a slaw mix. Everything in it was exceptionally fresh and distinct tasting. I got the dressing on the side, and it was delicious also.
We also got two desserts:
* The stonefruit pie (i know it wasn’t pie, but I forget what it was!) and peach ice cream. DELICIOUS! The crust was good, the fruit was super fresh, and the ice cream was amazing. Super creamy and refreshing.
* Baked Alaska — they brought us this for free in honor of the batchelorette. This dessert is huge and amazing and very well made. I would recommend getting this for the table. Every part of it was delicious.
All in all, I will DEFINITELY be back here. The vibe is really good; relaxed without being snooty or obnoxious, and the prices are certainly more fair than many places you see in this area.

One of our two «Cindy» stops during our visit (see review of Backstreet Kichen).
These experiences are similar in food style and quality, but very different in location and ambience. The Wood Grill is on the main drag in St. Helena and offers a large outdoor seating area, as well as ample classy indoor seating.
Service was once again helful, friendly and efficient and we were guided through some difficult decisions by our waiter.
He suggested that the EGGPLANT FRIES with thyme, sesame & spiced yoghurt ($ 6) made a recent retun to the menu and should not be missed. They were terrific, and we loved them with just a dash of sea salt as well.
We also shared a plate of fresh osyters (perfect) and some Spanish Albarino white to wash this down. Off to a great start!
I stuck with a seafood theme, moving on to SCRIMSHAW Pilsner Steamed PEI Mussels with shallots, brandy, crème fraîche and grilled bread — and another glass of chilled Albarino. The rest of the table headed into red wine foods, including the Braised Chile Chocolate Short Ribs with Fontina polenta & piquillo pepper-​herb salad (described as mind-​blowing) and a couple of classic Niman Ranch Burgers.
The outdoor seating are was so relaxing we were tempted to spend the rest of the day.
Another fantastic lunch spot, just a half-​notch below our Backstreet Grill experience. Would have given this 4 ½ stars if I could.

For you Wine Country first-​timers who have been told to go to Cindy’s more well-​known restaurant, Mustards, don’t! Keep driving on 29 and stop here instead. When I went to Mustards several years ago, I was let down, not because of the food, but the atmosphere. A somewhat small restaurant, tables practically on top of each other, and NOISY! Nothing ruins a meal more for me than constantly having to say «what?» to my friends and not being able to hear my own thoughts.
SO, it was with a bit of hesitation that I decided to try CP’s Wood Grill. It TOTALLY blew Mustards out of the water! Firstly, It’s a much, much larger space, which made navigating in a wheelchair very easy (Mustards can be a challenge). The space is light and open, and the noise level was just perfect.
As for the food, well, just take everyone’s advice and order the eggplant fries as an app. Light, crisp, not bitter, not greasy. Oh, and for folks who are in need of gluten free, these are made with rice flour, so have at them! Entrees are wonderful, and are well-​portioned. I had the short ribs in a chocolate chile sauce over polenta with arugula and red pepper salad. Deliciousness! The meat was super tender and flavorful (though lacking a bit of a kick I was hoping for), and I didn’t even need a knife.
Be sure to save room for dessert — it was an extremely hot day, and their offerings of adult milkshakes sounded too amazing to pass up. I had the chocolate bourbon shake, which was absolutely fantastic!
I also want to say that the service was also exceptional. Our server was really wonderful, offering great recommendations, answering questions, and very attentive (without being annoying).
This is a great space if you have a larger party, and they also have a nice outdoor patio space.
I will definitely be back.

Food was very delicious. We got there earlier then the dinner rush so it was nice to take in the restaurant without all the commotion that would soon start. There was a party of ladies there before us that seem to be doing the same thing. We also made it on Vinter’s night when a local producer walks around promoting their wine with a free tasting for patrons.
The only down side was that I found a bug in my salad. The waitress was very nice about it. She took it back and gave me a new salad, but how do you not take that off the bill as a courtesy? It’s a bug!
Would I try it again… yes. All the dishes we had great flavor and were well prepared, aside from the bug in the salad. So yes we would give it another try… to make sure it is consistent, the next time we are in the area.

My friends and I went for an early dinner after our wine tastings around 5 so there wasn’t too many people. We shared the fried calamari that was ok, the sauce was a little sweet and I wish the calamari had a little more flavor and spiciness. Entrees we had the hanger steak, the ribs, and I had the pork chops. We were pleased with our meals for the most part. The hanger steak was a little on the smaller side and it was a little burnt on the edges. The pork chop was cooked well, very moist, I wish there was a little more sauce to it. The garlic mashed potatoes didn’t have too much flavor either and the texture felt like instant mashed potatoes from a box. My asparagus was a little over cooked as well. My friends and I were really hungry so we didn’t really mind these issues.
Unfortunately problem did rise when we wanted to eat one of our baked goods from a nearby bakery. We didn’t see signs or anything that said we can’t bring outside food and the waitress even thought it was a birthday and offered us plates and candles. Little did we know that we were going to be charged a cake cutting fee for $ 7.50. Mind you that they only gave us plates and we did the cutting on our one piece of cake ourselves, there was no serving of any sort. When the bill came we asked why we weren’t informed of the fee before we asked for plates and we were told that it was standard for all restaurants to charge a fee for outside foods and we as customers should have asked about it. From my experience, restaurants inform me about the fee if they see us with outside food or they have it labeled somewhere. The manager eventually took out the fee for us and told us that most restaurants usually charge more for their service fee to compensate for losing money for the dessert we could have ordered from their restaurant. To clarify, we did want additional dessert along with the once piece of cake we brought, but there was no dessert on the menu. The menu was never brought to us when we asked for it.
So overall, the food was good. Service was still good. I would probably try other restaurants when I come back to Napa.

On a recent first visit here I was thoroughly impressed with the menu as well as the recommendations offered by our waitress.
Eggplant Fries were incredible. ⁴⁄₅
Started off with these, which were back by popular demand and recommended by our waitress. Really impressed with these guys. The batter was light, airy and very crispy. Eggplant usually absorbs a lot of oil and tends to get soggy, but these fries were delicious!
I ordered the Braised Short Ribs, while my mother ordered the Rosemary Chicken.
Both dishes were really good.
Short Ribs fell a little short for me. 3.5÷5
The meat was tender and flavorful. The portion was a fair size. The caramelized onions, carrots, and garlic mash were great compliments to the dish. It just wasn’t something that I would normally order, but maybe my expectations were just too high. Again, nothing wrong with the dish, just fell a little short with my expectations.
If I were to state the downfall of this dish it would be the texture. Everything is a little too mashy.
Rosemary Chicken was pretty amazing! 4.5÷5
Half chicken butterflied and pan seared skin side down till golden brown and crispy.
Need I say more? Yes, the sauce made from what I presume to be the drippings with butter, thyme, shallots, lemon zest and maybe Cindy will fill in the blanks? Ha! And just to tie everything together the Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Fingerling potatoes finish it off.
There really wasn’t anything displeasing about this dish. The chicken may have been a little dry for my liking, but only marginally. The bitterness of the sprouts in combination with the salty, oily bacon is great! I’d say this was a complete entrée. Good Protein to starch ratio. Great textures. There was a creamy, salty, sweet, acidic element to the dish.
Overall I was very satisfied with CP’s wood grill. Will return again soon~!

During my first-​ever trip to Napa, I was overwhelmed by the culinary choices. Would we have a fabulous high-​end lunch in Yountville? Would we wind up covered in delicious grease at Kott’s Roadside? Or would we (somehow) make it all the way back to our Union Square hotel, soaked in Chardonnay, Cabernet, and an unnatural desire for Jack-​in-​the-​Box?
These questions quickly dissolved upon the first whiff of the woodfire grill. Suddenly, no other options existed in the world. And, two wine club sign-​ups into the afternoon, this may have been the smartest choice I made all day.
Cindy Pawlcyn’s looks and feels high-​end from the parking lot, but once you’re seated comfortably in one of the banquette booths with their impressive wine list and menu, you’ll feel better than you have in a Napa hour. Our server was funny, friendly, and not forcing it, something I appreciate from staff at a crossover restaurant that can flex up into fancy and flex down into casual depending on the clientele, time of day, and mood of the moment. He took great care to make sure we not only had everything we needed, but knew where we were going next and what «not to be missed» spots we should consider on our way home.
Our table enjoyed a wide array of homegrown, hand-​crafted entrees, including a duck pasta dish, a wine-​infused steakburger, and a massive flatbread pizza with locally grown produce. To say our lunch was remarkable would be an understatement. It was a work of art.
Thanks to Cindy Pawlcyn and her team for making our Napa day trip memorable. We’ll definitely be back on our next voyage into wine country!

Mustard’s reeled us in. CP’s Wood Grill and Wine Bar solidified our love for Cindy.
I’ve been a diner at Mustard’s since 2000, and this time, we were looking for something quintessential Napa/​Sonoma and ended up here at noon. The restaurant was nicely buzzing, not too busy and whilst we were waiting for our table, CP stopped in to her restaurant.
Nice to see the staff and service doing well. Server, runners and even the attending manager stopped by to see that everything was going as well as expected.
We ENJOYED our wine, our food, our service… EVERYTHING. It was so good that we stayed about 2 hours into our meal, canceling some winery visits because we were having such a nice time.
Food standouts:
Eggplant Fries — everything you want in deep-​fried eggplant and a special, cooling dip
Little Gem Lettuces — the simple things in life will «wow» you. This is one of them
Grilled Ribeye Steak — the epitome of American steak. Cooked to order and with so much flavour
One last thing: We were about to skip dessert until my uncle, who was in America for the first time in 12 years, said, «I am not going to leave without an American dessert.» We ordered the Chocolate Layer Cake. Now, I’m not a big fan of sweet dessert or chocolate for that matter, but WOW. this chocolate cake could convert even the most extreme. I had one bite. Then two. Then I wanted to order another one for myself.
Service, food and ambiance perfection.

Good (not great) food, painful service — 3.5 stars
We were here early on a Thursday evening and the place was almost deserted. Perhaps that’s why the bartender/​waiter was so intrusive. I am not exaggerating when I say that he absolutely could NOT take a hint when to leave, and interrupted us no less than 10 times. We were having a serious conversation with a family member that he made more difficult. It would have been comical had the subject of our discussion not been so serious.
The food was good. I had the rib eye, which was cooked just right and very flavorful. It came with red-​wine shallot butter, Maytag blue cheese and thin-​cut fries (frites). The Rosemary chicken came with mashed potatoes a roasted tomato and (over) grilled corn on the cob. The lamb mixed grill had an interesting variety of cuts, with tasty spices. The quality of the ingredients was excellent, and the prices are in line with Napa Valley (pricey).
The restaurant’s modern décor is marred by a television at the bar. The patio looks nice, but was closed for a video shoot when we arrived.
Overall, the food was good, but expensive. But the service was so painfully intrusive that I’d think twice before going back.

I really enjoyed dining here. It is one of those all-​occasion type places where you can go to celebrate and dress up or just have a more casual dinner. The ambience is very nice, quite, dim, comfortable, rustic.
The started us with a little amuse bouche, not sure if that is standard or they did it just for us. Not that it was fantastic but it was a nice touch to the experience. We also ordered chips and guacamole which was very good, surprising to have guacamole there but if you love it then you should get it. The chips are a tiny bit spicy as they add red pepper flakes, just the right amount and easy to brush off if you don’t want them.
After ordering cocktails, which were fabulous, we had our main courses. The risotto of the day — tasty with lots of vegetables, and was cooked well — something many restaurants are not good at. We ordered the polenta to share along with two other dishes — fish of the day, which was salmon. A little overcooked but still good and seasoned well. The other dish was the roasted chicken with veggies, cooked to perfection and great taste. I would certainly order it again.
We were so stuffed by the end that we couldn’t fathom having dessert although the selections looked amazing.
The only downside was slightly slow service but I have found that to be the case in all of my experiences at Cindy’s restaurants. It’s nice to enjoy your time but when you’re hungry, you don’t always feel like waiting forever, and it took awhile to get our check. Other than that, good all around and we will certainly go back.

Meh. Two of us went last weekend for a very late lunch after a tasting. Service was… less than enthusiastic. It took forever for the waiter to arrive at our table (and there were only a handful of customers at the time), forever for our drinks to come — they were refreshing, some sort of cucumber vodka concoction. I asked the waiter if I could have cheese on the burger and he replied «Cindy’s from cheese country, you don’t even need to ask!» Well alrighty then. After the lackluster baby lettuce salad course, he brought out our entrees. My burger was not exactly sizzling hot, and guess what? no cheese. My friend had a soup and sandwich combo that he was pleased with. Overall, it wasn’t horrible, but we wouldn’t go back or recommend.
Ms. Pawlcyn, whom I’ve always liked and admired, was in the house, so it’s not like she’s not overseeing quality and service.

I was completely non-​impressed with Cindy Pawlcyn’s Wood Grill. My wife and I ate lunch here yesterday with my sister-​in-​law and her husband. We walked in at about 1 PM and, despite the dining room being pretty empty, were asked to wait about 15 minutes since we wanted to eat inside. We used the opportunity to grab a drink at the bar where the bartender did a great job suggesting a wine we might all enjoy drinking. We went with the Frank Family Vineyard Chardonnay which was indeed a great choice.
We decided to share a few appetizers to start: onion rings, squash blossoms and shrimp. All three appetizers were very nice. For main course, I opted for the mixed lamb grill. My wife and her sister shared a salad and a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. That dish, actually, was the highlight for me. I thought my lamb course, at nearly $ 30, was a total joke. While the merguez sausage was nice, the 2 other pieces of lamb were ridiculously small. Worse, the plate came with a large side of grilled zucchini to give the appearance, I assume, of a large generous portion. The amount of zucchini only served to amplify the smallness of the lamb. I assure you, I’m not a hardcore meat eater, but I even found the meat to be lacking.
We went to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen a couple of years back and we loved it. Our experience at the Wood Grill, however, certainly doesn’t inspire me to come back anytime soon.