Marqs In Menlo

I have discovered an absolute gem right here in Menlo Park. How many places can you go for delicious food, reasonably priced, with live music every night of the week. It is a charming, cozy friendly atmosphere.
The chef has created some great variations on some old favorites, like the lobster mac and cheese (served with an excellent fillet), an
Asian marinated «Steak Frites», or abondigas soup, as well as some new ones.
My favorite night is Thursday with pianist Kelly Park. His charming and innovative style brings new life to all my favorite jazz standards. His playing is wonderfully accentuated by the talented base player, Bootsa. There is also an open mike which has produced some surprisingly talented singers.
So if you love good jazz and good food, be sure to drop by Marq’s. You’ll be glad you did.
Unfortunately Marq’s closed a few years ago, a great loss to Menlo Park because it is very hard to find live jazz.

Wow, that was fast. This place was barely open and it’s already closed? Guess they moved their action over to Oak City bar and Grill. Damn them! they took over what was easily my favorite Thai place and now they’re gone under too. Well I have to say the food and service was only ok but the fact that they were open late (in Menlo Park at that) was a plus. Music was also only ok, but it’s the fact that you can still get booze in an area that closes mostly around 10pm was the plus. 3.5 stars.

this place got what it deserved. quality is a ‘top-​down’ attribute… enough said. Everyone knew this wouldn’t work. You can only try to convince people to over-​spend on poor quality once, or maybe twice. after that, people along the Peninsula are too savvy, and they move on quickly.
Be wary is a good rule.

3.5 Stars
With my ‘Groupon’ in tow, the BF and I headed out to Menlo Park for some jazzy piano tunes and gourmet eats.
I really dug the ambience of the place. Its a hybrid of gastro-​pub meets piano bar on a more sophisticated level. Can you say «Bone Daddy?»
I am not sure what was going on in the kitchen that late Friday night. It took over 35 minutes for our entrees to arrive. The waitress only apologized for the wait when she brought us our plates. My pasta dish with chicken and capers was of average fare. My BF’s blue filet mignon was highly memorable. The beef welington apppetizer was a fried egg roll of rubbery meat within. Wouldn’t order it again.
All in all, the wine selection was decent and I might consider coming back.

Went to Marqs after my bf secured a Groupon discount– and couldn’t have been happier with the experience.
The menu is at first a little dismaying– it seems like standard, mediocre dining fare, but the execution of the seemingly simple dishes was excellent. The bruschetta was fresh and well seasoned. I had the Sweet and Sour Spinach salad, which had a tangy dressing, laced with pancetta– not your ordinary boring spinach salad. My boyfriend’s Chicken & Artichoke pasta dish was dotted with sundried tomatoes and capers– delicious!
Our chocolate lava cake was yummy, too, with the added perk that the jazz trio had started playing by then. It created an awesome, laid back vibe, and they played standards as well as more avant garde solos.
A perk for me was the wait-​staff. Friendly, accommodating and approachable, the owners (and waiters) seem truly intent on making their customers happy. We left full and happy– not too shabby for a Saturday night! Thank goodness there’s a new place for live music and great food on the Peninsula.

The individuals who poorly rated this place were clearly looking for something else. If you’re looking for a hip happening bar with 20 old somethings puking over the stench of week old beer and greasy bar food, GO DOWN THE STREET!
Marqs is a laid back rendevous spot – a place where it is easy to enjoy some decent food and a drink, and listen to local artists perform.
I’ve been to Marqs several times and each time I’ve been there, I’ve been welcomed by jovial staff. I’m shocked to hear some people say that the staff is overbearing or overly attentive. I think it’s FABULOUS that their wait staff takes notice of you when you need water, let alone food or drink. Being a waitress through university, I have come to appreciate wait staff that is sharp and attentive. –that’s what a server is supposed to do! I would hate a restaurant where I have to stand on the chair and wave my arms!
I haven’t had everything on the menu, but I’ve had a number of them –the lobster Mac and cheese, the coconut salad, the cheese plate, the sliders… ALL were quite tasty and well prepared.
This place is definitely NOT a greasy slimy beer bar. It definitely has a touch of class and I really don’t mind paying an extra dollar for a drink or two, especially when I don’t have to clam over a crowd to get to the bar. It’s truly what Menlo Park has needed!

Have been here a number of times, and ALWAYS a pleasant experience.
Everything from drinks with some appetizers at the bar, to my Grandparents 65^th wedding anniversary — great nights.
Pretty confident I have tried every appetizer on the menu, and have never been anything short of thrilled. Awesome Kobe sliders, and equally good Filets!
Really fun place, friendly staff, and Mark will most likely make it over once or twice with a friendly greeting. Only thing I can see being a negative for some is the music — not that largest place, and the live music is a bit loud sometimes… but I like this. Shouldnt be an issue unless youre going out with your Grandparents who have hearing problems!

This is my first 1 star review because, quite frankly, this place is disturbingly bad.
Not only were the air ducts over my table covered with dust, my «chicken pot pie» was just a soup with a tiny biscuit in it. $ 13 for that? Seriously? To top it off, service was horrible, the food took forever to come out, and our water never once got refilled. Right when I thought things couldn’t get worse, the waitress made a «mistake» on our bill and that took another 15 minutes for her to figure out.
And what about gratuity? That was a hell-​hole. The waitress told us that gratuity was included by no where did it reflect how much was charged. We asked about it and never got a clear answer from her. Look lady. I’m fine with paying you gratuity. At least let me know how much I’m paying.
I’m never coming back. One of my worse experiences ever.

The food was overly salty! salty enough where it didnt taste good. The lobster/​crab bisque I didnt finish for this reason, ended up costing me $ 15. I also ordered the special pasta of the day, with chicken, artichokes, sundried tomatoes and capers. Now it may just be that many of those pickled iingredients are salty… but i couldnt eat the dish and sent it back. I chose to get the $ 14 chicken pot pie that was surprising when it was brought out in a bowl like a stew with a crispy biscuit type thing on top. The waitress did not mention this was not a typical pot pie.
The piano/​lounge atmosphere is nice, but the food was disappointing.

Had reservations for 15 people, got there and the OWNER had «accidentally» put in 4… HELLLLO, how can you make a mistake like that? So we had to wait and finally got a table for 7 and another table SEVERAL feet away for 4. Very disappointed. The owner Mark didn’t even apologize or give us a complementary drink for that matter.
Music was pretty good but too loud for us. My throat was killing me from having to scream while trying to carry a conversation. Can say that me, my husband and 2 single girlfriends will not be going back EVER.

Wow! Great food and live music 6 nights a week! Really friendly staff and on the night we came by, a guitarist from Counting Crows had dropped in to play with a blues trio. Really great music.
Good drinks and the appetizer I had — beef wellington rolll — was yummy.
Will definitely be back! Great local date night place.

Came here on a weekday for prix-​fixe dinner. Meh. The food was only average. Not a lot of young people were there… mostly people in their 40’s and older. Music was pretty good, though… but if you sit too close to the band, you have to yell to be heard by the person sitting next to you.

Stopped by on a number of nights for food, drinks, and music. The staff is very friendly – Marq in particular is a sweetheart («hey kids, come on in»). Even though I’m in my thirties, I rather appreciated this invitation as there was a somewhat more mature crowd.
They have a solid wine and now liquor bar. Their prices on wine strike me as being a little high; then again, entertainment is included so perhaps that’s fair. I’d almost rather have a separate entry though on the tab to tip the performer, and have seen a few places that do this.
Services is generally good. The waitstaff again are very welcoming. Food can, however, take time – when they are packed, it seems that the kitchen can’t keep up. At all other times they are on top of their game.
The quality of the food is good, but not excellent. I’m super picky about my meals, but it seems that in spite of having a named chef the offeirngs aren’t as strong as they should be. This is an area they can probably improve over time. They are solid now, but could really take this place to the next level with a little attention here.
What really makes this place, however, is that they pull in some seriously high quality musicians. Get a seat up front and prepare to be impressed. I wouldn’t have expected this in sleepy Menlo Park, but the quality of performances is truly excellent, and there’s nothing like this anywhere nearby. And (price of wine aside), its included.
A few people have noted that Monday’s they are doing a local competition. It’s mixed. One the one hand, they have too schwarmy guys up front that are honestly a little too much – good singers, but too much banter for my personal likings. Some of the local performers are pretty bad (entertaining in itself), and some are pretty good (there is one silver haired gentlemen who sang «when I fall in love (again)» and who was pretty impressive and charming in his own right. They also had one woman, Ashley, who is probably the next Norah Jones. Seriously – she is *that* good.

I decided to try this place one more time, just to see if my first experience was an anomaly. It was not.
Oh, well. But I’m sure Darwinism will prevail, especially since there are so many other places in the area which offer a great consumer experience.

Went for the first time last night.
Pros:
Great ambiance, good jazz. There are some interesting entertainment items lined up (ie, monday vocal contest and blues jams).
Cons:
Expensive for what you get.
The Halibut was not tasty nor not fresh. Ended up with a stomach «reaction» later that night. It was overcooked as well so there was little flavor.
Neutral:
Service was ok. We arrived when about 5 other tables came in, so it was on the slightly slower side.
Clientel is on the older side of the sprectrum. The patrons remind me of Carpaccio across the street.

Marq’s has transformed this space into a very elegant wine bar. The food was great and the servings were well proportioned. We ate light fare with French Onion soup and the spinach salad. Both were prepared about as well as you could imagine. The rest of the menu is very interesting. The owner paired our selection with a nice wine.
In order to keep the raised platform at the front of the restaurant so diners could see the piano player at the back (a holdover from the previous restaurant), they decided to keep the ramp entryway. This has the initial effect of not being very inviting from the outside, but as soon as you go in, the elegant design of the restaurant comes through.
Marq’s is still building their clientele so the restaurant was not full, but there were several tables and seats at the bar occupied. Traffic continued to filter in while we ate. The pianist was very good and played a wide range of selections.
The wait staff was very attentive and they paced the delivery of food, wine and after dinner drink very nicely.
Marq’s is both a great place to have dinner or to come for a drink after eating somewhere else. Either way, it is an excellent addition to the food and entertainment scene in Menlo Park (which continues to improve every year).

Menlo Park NEEDS this place.
Cool vibe with the piano, but not so loud you can’t have a conversation. Nice long bar and plenty of tables. Come support this new restaurant. Great for the young and not so young.

Marqs was a total surprise. We had heard it was opened by the former bartender at Oak City, which is a good bar. We headed in and what to our wondering eyes should appear but Kobe Slider’s Duet ($ 12)? This was so unexpected that I had not brought my notebook or camera. Fortunately, Pat had her camera and the photo attached resulted.
Marq’s sliders were excellent. Hot, juicy, petite. The accompanying fresh cut fries were enticingly thin, hot and salty. The lobster spring rolls ($ 9) and wild mushrooms on toasted brioche ($ 10) were equally enjoyable.
HoosierBurgerBoy

My wife and I live in Menlo and there are not enough places for a good dinner with some atmosphere (no shortage of nail salons and furniture stores though).
The service was a bit slow but they just opened and are getting the kinks worked out. I had the Petaluma chicken and it was outstanding. My wife loved her fish. Dessert was excellent as well.
They had a piano player and lively atmosphere, both Mark and his wife made the rounds at tables and stopped by to chat with us and get feedback. Menlo Park needs a place like this and think it will do well — the food was great and we plan to go back.

I cannot believe that this is the same space that used to housed an awful Thai restaurant. The food is good, the faces recognizable, and the atmosphere fresh. I am excited to spend some serious time hanging out here – Menlo Park now has options.