Sunol Ridge Restaurant & Bar

I’m sorry to say this was a really really bad dinner.
First they brought our appetizer yet left us with no plates or silverware to eat it with until we flagged down someone five minutes later. The glass of wine my fiancé ordered was obviously old and kept open too long. My martini with a twist was brought with olives instead. We ordered salmon medium well and it was completely rare and the braised beef I ordered was doused in sauce.
I still left the waitress with 20% tip and did not ask for any part of our meal credited, because I hate customers that expect a bad experience to be comped by the restaurant. Unfortunate that our date night dinner was a disaster but now we know not to go here.

I came here for a friend’s birthday party on a Sunday night. This place is trendy with lots of couples and family dining. They have a big bar and dining area and I really like their wood décor and tables.
For appetizers, we started with cheese and cold cut platter, mussels and fried Mac and Cheese. They are all good but my favorite will absolutely go to fried mac and cheese. For entrée, my hubby ordered the beef cheek and I opted for their Wedge Salad and a small mac and cheese for my son. Everything tasted very good! I really enjoyed my dishes.
Our bill ended up pretty steep but i think that is also because we got alcohol as well. Overall, this is a solid restaurant suitable for couples and family too. They don’t have Kids menu but my son was happy with mac and cheese off the menu.

This place was a huge disappointment. — the food, was terrible, the service, abysmal.
Our friends made reservations a few weeks back, as we were eager to try out a new place. We arrived a few moments before the other half of our party arrived and as we were being seated for our 6pm reservation, the hostess decided to inform us that the table had a 7:45pm reservation — she «just wanted to let us know».
Not sure why, as we can safely assume that numerous reservations are made for a single table during a Saturday evening. It was incredibly rude and unnecessary, and set a bad tone for the rest of the evening.
Now, for the food.
The only dish that I tried and liked was the Charcuterie Board, which to be fair, is very difficult to screw up. For my entrée, I ordered the worcestershire sauce beef cheeks, which were served on mashed potatoes and undercooked carrots. This plate was fairly terrible — I’ve had better airplane food.
My partner ordered the falafel dish with couscous, which we ultimately had to send back because the couscous wasn’t cooked. The returned dish was bland and lacked flavor. Our friend ordered the bacon encrusted salmon which in his words, lacked bacon. The last friend ordered another seafood dish, which she was satisfied with.
The service throughout the evening was subpar. When we ordered beignets to share for dessert, we weren’t given plates. During the meal we had to waive down the waiter to get the basics like water refills, coffee, etc.
Ultimately it cost $ 320, for four people (including alcoholic beverages), for this subpar dinning experience. Save your money and go somewhere else.

One star for our food when it finally arrived an hour half later. The service was probably the worst I have ever seen in Walnut Creek. Walked in at 8:15 on walked out at 11:15 pm and just ordered a sunol burger .
The burger was great and tasty. This was my second time back and probably won’t be coming back makes sense why restaurants in this corner don’t last.

The service was very poor for what we paid to eat here. We had a reservation for 7:00 PM. We were seated and waited AT LEAST 20 minutes before someone took our drink order, and we had to ask. Servers and the hostess kept walking by and ignoring us when we tried to make eye contact. I don’t know if there was a shift change going on or something, but it was ridiculous. When we finally got someone to pay attention to us, we ordered a couple of apps as well. The apps came about 10 minutes later, but still no drinks. Finally 10 more minutes passed and we received our drinks. No one apologized to us, and no one was particularly friendly. We may come back to go to the bar before or after dinner, but we’ll never attempt a full meal again. The food was decent, but there are other places in the area for the same price with better food and much better service.

Yum yum yum delicioso. I had the bacon crusted halibut amazingly moist and full of flavor. My friend had the beefcheeks omg… Just melted in your mouth. Drinks were good as well. Wish they were bigger. Great space friendly helpful staff and service. I’ll be back

Very pleasantly surprised at how much we liked it here! Sunday afternoon, 2pm, the gals and I hiked a Mt. Diablo half marathon (no really, that’s a thing… try it yourself… sign up for a half-​marathon trail run and hike it!), we needed beer and food and we needed it STAT. We got right into a nice big booth and we were given the bar foods menu and the happy hour menu. And what I mean is that the 4 of us were given ONE bar foods menu and ONE happy hour menu. Oh that was just an hour of endless bewilderment and chuckledom. Of course I retrieved more menus after 5 minutes… our brains could not retain the information and then pass it down and then look at the other and then pass it down and then oh yeah what did I want? Etc. But frankly that was the only hiccup in the experience.
The bar menu, and specifically the beer menu was terrific. My pals could get a watermelon IPA or some such stupid thing (don’t read this, ladies) and I could get a Campfire Stout (they had Old Rasputin, too). There were lovely flight choices, including a dark flight that I almost chose, AND Sunday happy hour begins at 2 so our beers were $ 2 off. Hallelujah!
We ordered from both of the menus (I think the happy hour menu may have also been included on the bar foods menu but as I said… exhaustion prevented me from knowing for sure) and got a nice assortment of items. The Sunol Ridge Fries kind of looked like a poutine and everyone loved them. The Tuna Poke was good — not stellar, but certainly good. The Shrimp Louie Lettuce Cups were apparently also good. I know someone ordered the sliders (actually I think she got them to bring one slider… not sure if that’s how it comes but she enjoyed it). The black bean and pumpkin quesadilla was also good… a bit too rich for what I was wanting at the moment, but very flavorful.
It was a very warm day and nice and cool inside… a good number of people were there so it felt lively even at that weird hour. I’d certainly come back… and especially for the beer selection.

Nice restaurant and good service. Bar menu food? Meh. I’ve had good bar food before and this is NOT it. Best thing? Oysters and drinks.
Tuna poke: decent. Cheeseburger sliders: extremely dry thick dinner rolls sliced in half. And secret sauce? What secret sauce? Calamari: thick calamari pieces with little crisp and no tentacles. It also came with a lot of fried onions, a slice of fried lemon and I believe slivers of red bell peppers. Pointless: didn’t look good and didn’t taste good.

Fancy! I love restaurants with a great ambience and this is definitely one of them! They have a large bar, beers on tap, huge wine selection and cocktails specialties. Food is good as well. This is a great place to hang out with friends and date nights. Don’t forget to hang out at the fire pit, first come first serve :/
Will come back again!

Cool layout with different areas to sit, the bar, high seat communal table, low seat bench/​couch area, outside patio, booths, and regular table tops. The clean and modern feel of the restaurant is also very appealing to me as well. I’ve come here many times already. The first time we came here two years ago and were sat with our party of twenty in the back room. Service was great and everyone enjoyed their food. My most recent time coming here was last Friday, my husband, my bff Jess, and myself came in for drinks. It’s a great place to go cause we were also looking to catch the Warriors game and they have a good amount of televisions around the bar area. They also have a TV in the back room but I was not sure if it was on. We were lucky enough to catch a seat because it got pretty busy. They have a small variety on their specialty cocktail list but from the ones I tried I enjoyed. They have many beers on tap as well as a good variety of spirits! This is definitely one of my first choices of places to go for a drink in the Walnut Creek area.
Restrooms: Separate restrooms for men and women. Two stalls marked with a W and two stalls marked with a M, in a communal area with sinks. Clean and stocked with the prettiest paper towels.

Went here on a date and the atmosphere was nice. It is a nice restaurant for a date and they have great alcohol options. However, I was sadly disappointed by the food. While the food was good, it was way over priced. I got «The Burger» and was told it was very large and tasty. It was just ok, and at 15 dollars it was extremely overpriced. For that price I want a juicy, large burger, with egg, bacon and a pretzel bun at the least. This was just sad looking too. You can see it in the images here on Unilocal.The shepherd’s pie looked yummy and my date enjoyed it but 30 dollars for shepherd’s pie, is a bit much. Don’t get me wrong, I am willing to pay money good food, 30 dollars for a meal is not a huge amount, but I expect it to be better then getting one at the Cheesecake factory and it wasn’t.
I would be willing to go back and try the place again, or just get some drinks as their drink menu was amazing. But food wise, I probably would go somewhere else. If I am going to spend 50 dollars per a person, I would rather go to a good Steak House or a really nice fancy restaurant. So be forewarned, great atmosphere, nice restaurant great drinks, subpar food for the price. Honestly if the food was half the price it would have been worth it.

Sunol Ridge. Classy alternative to a dive bar. They have some great beers and lots of TVs to watch sporting events. Every time I come here I meet married men… bummer. If you sit near the front window you can usually do some people watching at the trashy bar across the street.

C and I were looking for a place to have a glass of wine and a light lunch before seeing the new Star Wars movie last Saturday. We chose Sunol Ridge.
Bartender greeted us as soon as we sat at the bar. We ordered our wines by the glass, and the bartender even poured me tastes of two wines between which I was trying to decide.
We each had a toasted cheese sandwich. Very good!
Sunol Ridge is a really good place to go. The interior is contemporary and is in a great central location in downtown Walnut Creek. C and I will be back to try out their dinner menu.

We have been here for dinner once and for happy hour 3 times now. I give it 4 stars for dinner and 5 stars for happy hour. The difference being portion and price. The dinner portions are a bit small and a little pricey. They are dang good but a little much for what they are in my humble opinion.
The happy hour on the other hand is the cats pajamas!!! The best $ 5 Jack Daniels in town. This is a quality long pour glass of Jack for $ 5 and it keeps me coming back for more. The small plates are great including some off the hook fried green tomatoes that are a must. It’s a beautiful bar with a very friendly staff. We walked by a million times and thought we should try it. If your doing the same thing you are right you should now stop saying it and do it.

Ah Walnut Creek… The center for all local well-​off suburbians with a craving to spend a night out shopping brand names or bar-​hopping! After spending many moments here with old high school friends, I finally walked into Sunol Ridge… The place with the beautifully-​it and open-​window display with an attractive fountain table and bar area, couches and furniture, big screen TVs and an outdoor patio in the back complete with a fire. It’s cozy and intimate with the looks of a very upscale wine bar. And that’s just what this place attracts: wealthier businessmen and women looking for post-​work drinks to chat and unwind. Nothing too crazy.
I came here to catch up with a dear friend of mine over some red wine and (her) celebratory wine. We reunited after my moving back home after college and the wine did the trick. But, it was a bit on the pricier end… Nice, generic red wine, simple selection, spent a good $ 25 or so for two glasses.
Nice atmosphere and beautiful décor. Very classy and a place I would drink wine with my pinky-​up. But if I’m looking for something more casual, friendly to my wallet or cozy? I’d try somewhere else… Though it is in a prime location!

This is my go to place on the weekends. Mostly because i get overwhelmed by large menus, and I’m all about ambiance!
Ambiance here is modern and cozy. If you stay inside there are cool lounge areas, booths, and a bar top with a waterfall that runs through it!
Menu… Its small but everything i have had is top notch! I love their french fries… i DrEAM OF THEIR FRIES! They are bomb and come with garlic aioli. Their burger is juicy and yummy! I almost always get the ahi poke– so good but definitely needs to be served with more winton chips!
Service is solid. My FAVE thing about this place is the fire pit!!! They have a cool fire pit with big wooden rocking chairs around it. I cant tell you how many people i have had interesting convos with around that fire while enjoying my cocktail and meal.
Its deff a bit pricey which is expected for the locating. The crowd is young professionals and middle age rich people who want to get away from their kids. Maybe a divorce on a
date lol.
This place is know for their beers but i always get their cocktails… Promises promises is my go to!!!

After a perfect dinner here for my honey’s birthday, a review update is in order. We arrived on a Thursday around 6:30 pm and were seated in the back of the restaurant. I liked our location because it separated us nicely from the noisiness of the bar area that was being heavily enjoyed.
To drink, we started with Sunol Collins cocktails, vodka for me and gin for him. This is a great, refreshing warm weather cocktail. To accompany our main course, we got wine flights — light whites for me, cab for him.
To eat, we kicked our meal off with the Tuna Poke — fresh and flavorful tuna topped with crab meat, avocado and crispy wonton chips. It was amazing. As far as our entrees went, my honey’s steak (medium rare) and my salmon were both cooked perfectly. The salmon was served over a huge portion of snow peas, snap peas, asparagus, potatoes and a delicious sauce.
We ended our meal with the crème brûlée and beignets. (I’m not one to say no to either, and this was a special occasion!) The disappointment about the brûlée’s orange flavor (not my favorite) was quickly nixed by the incredible beignets, as well as the complimentary brownie, caramel and fresh whipped cream dessert that our server also brought us, complete with a little birthday candle.
We’ll definitely be back for lunch, dinner and/​or drinks and bites in the bar.

Came here for drinks with my boyfriend and our friends one night after dinner cause where else to hang in the East Bay than Downtown Walnut Creek?!
My boyfriend and I always drive past this place and we’ve always said «we should go check that place out». We FINALLY got a chance to and were not disappointed!
It’s pretty popping here at night and it gets busy!
PARKING: Street parking all over Downtown, free at 6pm. There are also parking structures scattered around Downtown too. Dinner time gets busy, but if you’re here for drinks after 9pm — you’ll score on parking.
AMBIANCE: Awesome and chic! Right when you walk in, the bar area is nicely lit and there is a cool water element flowing in between the table right by the front windows. At first, it looks like there is limited seating and we were pretty bummed we couldn’t find a seat… UNTIL WE WENT TO THE BACK! Wow. Talk about a hidden gem. There’s a fire pit in the back and wooden rocking chairs by the fire pit. There are also plenty of tables in the back patio (with heaters all over so it’s not cold).
DRINKS: Lots to select from — cocktails, beers, wine, you name it. Drinks are pretty cheap too! The watermelon beer was definitely different.
Didn’t get a chance to try the food here yet, so definitely next time!

Had a pleasantly relaxing and delicious lunch here recently.
Sunol had been on my list of places to check out for sometime now; so while enjoying a nice relaxing, «Don’t want to do anything» kind of day, I decided to stroll on down to the W. C hood, to check out this somewhat anticipated spot.
The place was scarce this afternoon, with only a handful of other patrons leisurely dining in; which was perfect for me, because I certainly was not in the mood to be in a crowded restaurant.
I got a nice table halfway between the bar and the back of the restaurant-​it was perfect. I was then handed the menu and asked for my concoction of choice. After a quick glimpse of the freshly appealing cocktail menu, I decided upon the Sunol Collins-​consisting of: Bombay Sapphire gin or Grey Goose vodka, fresh lemon, grapefruit & cucumber, house-​made syrup, sparkling water. This drink not only arrived invigoratingly attractive; but absolutely fresh and tasteful it was-​certainly a great refreshment to accommodate the growing hot weather.
Now for their lunch menu, I wasn’t completely impressed with the options provided, however, I did end up deciding upon the burger, which comes with whole grain mustard aioli, fries, and pickled ketchup. I ordered it protein style and opted out on the mustard and pickled ketchup. You have your choice of cheese to choose from. They provide a decent selection and I ended up going with the Gruyère cheese. I also requested the burger to be cooked medium rare. And being I didn’t want the frys, I substituted it for the butter lettuce salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
Burger presentation was on point, as well as the salad;and the burger turned out to be succulently juicy and well flavored. I also was impressed with the salad, it was light and small, though delicate in flavor and taste.
Service from both the bartender and manager, were extremely friendly and accommodating; not to mention attentive. Little pricey as expected, but not bad.
On my next splurge day, I’m definitely going to try their delicious sounding Mac n Cheese :) Until next time!

After frequenting downtown WC for the past 4 months, I have to say that I am a fan of Sunol Ridge when it comes to restaurants.
It reminds me a lot of Los Altos Grill in Los Altos. Lots of wood décor, good mix of late 20’s to 50’s, a comfy bar with tv’s to watch games on tho it never feels like a sports bar. The front area by the bar has a comfortable lounge feel to it.
After coming here on two dates about a 3 months apart, I can say that consistency is a plus. Both times we received good service and were sat promptly at our reservation time.
Pros: Comfortable fun venue, good wine selection/​flights, delicious food and small bites.
Cons: Hard to find parking on Fri/​Sat nights but that goes for all of downtown WC.