Grace’s Table

Overpriced and we were underwhelmed, especially after reading the raves on CH and Unilocal.Do people seriously like eating in a place where the tables are sticky on top? Ugh. And there’s so many of them crammed in, trying to get to the rest room in the back of the DR is like squeezing through a BART car at rush hour. More ugh.
— Started with the cornbread w/​lavender honey, boldly featured on the menu. We are of the heretical school of sweet cornbread lovers. Although we have no great objection to savory cornbread, especially a cheesy kind like this, we weren’t impressed by the heavy, dense texture, like a bad cornbread pudding. The cheese and parched yellow corn added flavor, but the leaden, mushy interior was awful. The lavender honey was creamy and whipped, nice with the mild cheese flavor, but couldn’t bring this out of the doldrums.
— Quiche and soup of the day: bacon leek quiche with a cup of butternut squash soup. The soup was very good, savory with a drizzle of pesto oil. But the quiche… it was awful. It had that strange foamy texture that both A16 Rockridge and Communité Table inflict upon their mile-​high frittatas. The bacon was generous and salty, the leeks tasteless — I’m not sure if the many flecks of green were spinach or parsley, as they had no flavor either. If there was cheese, it, too, was insipid.
And the crust — oh dear, the crust. It was thin and somewhat flaky, which was good. But it either hadn’t been prebaked or this quiche was sitting around a good long while before being viciously reheated on a griddle. The inner crust was as wet and soggy as a sopping sponge, while the bottom of the crust was almost blackened to a crisp from being pan-​fried or griddled to reheat it.
— Kabocha squash gnocchi, in a Gorgonzola cream sauce with walnuts, pomegranate seeds, wilted arugula, and baby turnips. DH liked the gnocchi: sauce was fine, the arugula and turnips cutting the richness of the Gorgonzola nicely. But large chunks of toasted walnut and abundant pomegranate seeds were the type of superfluous additions made mandatory by food fads, not because they create a better dish. They could easily, and should have, been dispensed with.
Summing up:
If you’re looking for someplace inexpensive to eat, maybe Grace’s will fill your needs. We’d rather go to Tarla and get Turkish food that is much better in both concept and execution. It’s not that you can’t eat reasonably well at Grace’s Table; you can. But you have to pick and choose what’s good. So unless you’re lucky or have someone to guide you through that large-​sized menu, coming here could be a great bargain… or a complete waste of money.
The trouble is, even at its best, Grace’s isn’t on the same level as Tarla, Ca’Momi, or even Fumé Bistro. If you’re budget challenged, Oxbow’s food vendors can feed you better for the same amount we paid here. Or you could go to Browns Valley Market less than two miles away, and get a couple of fine deli sandwiches stuffed with Boars Head or Saag sliced meats, with enough left over for chips, potato salad, a couple of desserts, and a six-​pack of good beer to wash it down with — and you’d still probably have enough in your wallet to hit La Foret next door to Browns, for a few of those gourmet chocolates that are also served at The French Laundry.
Nope, we won’t be back. The more crowds that come here, the fewer will be at the places we prefer.

I can’t wait to go back and 5 stars is not enough! The Chef/​Owner, Mauro, came out to say hello. He is really personable and asked us how our meal was. We asked about his cooking style, flavors and travels. He was kind enough to talk about his food, rotating menu, and locally grown organic produce. I loved that! The staff is also just a friendly, personable, and attentive. This is a true family owned restaurant where they care about your experience as a customer.
We looked for a restaurant close to the venue we were heading to, BottleRock in Napa. My husband found Grace’s Table on Unilocal and after checking out the menu, we decided to give it a try.
I didn’t read about the restaurant, like I usually do before heading out to a new place, I just looked at the menu. Everything sounded fresh and tasty. It wasn’t until we were seated, we sat at the bar, which was great, that we realized what a gem this place is. Grace’s table is great for families, friends, romantic outing, or eating alone.
The layout is very open, the bar area is also open with a window into the kitchen. We ordered Bellini’s to start, I will admit, I had two.
After looking at this amazing well thought out menu, we ordered a fruit plate, Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad, and Fish Tacos, a must try! The presentation of the food already had me, but the flavors were the perfect combination and nothing like I have ever tasted before, savory, flavorful and delicious; doesn’t even come close to explaining it. Thomas described the flavors as exciting.
Both dishes were light, but filling. The seasonings and dressings were perfect, and did not mask the flavor of the dish, just added to it. The Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad is seared tuna, crispy egg, potato, Haricot verts, Niçoise olives, Frisee and mâché lettuce, with a lemon vinaigrette. I think the lemon vinaigrette was perfect for this dish. You still have all the flavors with the vinaigrette to pull them all in together. The Fish Tacos was the grilled catch of the day (honestly I can’t remember the type of fish, Salmon I think), cheddar, black beans, house made tortillas, pico de gallo, slaw, with a buttermilk-​chili-​lime. The fish was cooked to perfection, I love fish tacos and this is my new favorite. The buttermilk-​chili-​lime sauce was the perfect amount and complemented the dish perfectly. The fruit was fresh and tastes exactly as it should, natural.

Had amazing food & service! We had the daily quiche and the shrimp fritters! We shared and wish we had each had our own. Staff was also amazing! So personable and great service! Definitely recommend!

Been here a couple times — food has always been great but the service is slooow.
Also, Unilocal shows an opening time of 8:30 Sat and Sun but it doesn’t open until 9 on weekends. We suggested to the waitress to update Unilocal,but she didn’t seem to care.
Anyway, waited 30 minutes to get in, then the last ones serviced of the initial set of tables. Almost 2 hours for breakfast — good thing we weren’t in a hurry.

Worth the wait. (About 20 minutes to be exact.) Had the cornbread w/​lavender-​infused honey butter: the cornbread was surprisingly soft and close to seared polenta. Husband did the eggs benedict: thin meat with perfectly poached eggs. I tried the chilaquiles: fatty greasy delicious mess that it is with bits of cheese on top and a very ripe avocado on the side.
Times visited: 1

Really cute spot, but the food was very average. The espresso based drinks are very strong!

So keep in mind that Two Stars = «I’ve experienced better» — which is totally fair in this case.
My meal here (on the recommendation of a local) wasn’t terrible… but you can easily experience better– even in your own kitchen.
For starters, we ordered crab cakes which were (seriously) about exactly the same size as a medium sand-​dollar. They tasted ok (because they contained crab and were fried) but at the thickness of a pancake, were overcooked almost to the point of blackness.
We also ordered empanadas which were better — but the filling was unidentifiable and unnervingly chewy– like tough cuts of meat run through a blender.
I ordered the fish tacos, expecting nuggets of crispy-​fried fish in small tortillas and maybe some pico de gallo and guacamole. What I got looked like something you’d get from a cook who had never actually eaten or seen a fish taco. Two lumps of poached fish glued to two flour tortillas in a goo of melted cheese (see pics in other reviews if you think I’m exaggerating). It was actually tasty, but came off like some weird deconstructed tuna-​melt.
I’d liken my meal here to stopping at a roadside eatery in some other country that’s operated by a cook out of their own home: Edible, low on presentation, not like anything you’d expect from most restaurants, and something you eat politely knowing you’ll never have to go back.

If there were more than 5 stars this place would get it! The Chef/​Owner came out to say hello and he is super personable! And he is kind enough to talk about his food when asked! And is open to speak about how his food is constructed! Loved that! And the staff praises his food and flavors and everyone is so nice and attentive. You can tell they all care!
What a wonderful find for happy hour. We went around 4:30 for a snack and a little glass of wine and by the time we left around 6:30 they were full! The food is TRUE farm to table and as fresh as it gets! Their tortillas are homemade as well as their Cole slaw so a must try! Loved going at happy hour to try many different items! So this is what we had: the crispy fried poached egg (insane!), the hanger steak bruschetta (I don’t eat red meat and I almost had a bite the hubby said it was that good), the artichoke fritters (perfectly cooked and not greasy and the sauce was so delicate and flavorful), the grilled asparagus side order and it was perfect and finally two fish tacos. (That is where the homemade tortillas come into this equation… wow!)
Nothing was so seasoned that you did not taste the ingredients or the freshness of his produce. We will definitely try breakfast, lunch and dinner here again!
Ps it’s a small place so I would advise reservations!

Struggling between 3 stars and 4 stars…
We couldn’t have picked a better place to have brunch! The ambiance is refreshing, with seating indoor and outdoor. There’s a nice modern look to this place. Our server, Tandice, was awesome!
The food presentation was fabulous but I’ll have to admit the food was just okay… Everything was cooked to perfection but the flavor needed some help. I ordered the Steak and Eggs which looked beautiful! Got the steak medium and eggs sunny-​side up. Nice tender texture to the steak but it was a bit bland.
A few of the other gals ordered the fish tacos. I didn’t try it for myself but by the look of it, I was glad I hadn’t ordered it. Looked a bit plain. They said it was «just alright».
Best thing we ordered was the 6-​piece corn bread! Actual bits of corn served with a lavender butter. The corn bread was delicious but the lavender butter didn’t really suit my taste buds. It reminds me of lavender oil — which I apply on my forehead when I’m having a migraine.
We also had Peach and Strawberry Belinis. I tried both and they were both okay. Never had a Belini before so I’m not really sure how they’re supposed to taste but I was expecting it to be sweeter.
The place is a little over priced if you ask me. I’ll return but not as a regular. It’s cool for a once in a while thing.

Came here for breakfast all excited from the reviews and the picture but was not all as I expected. Maybe my expectations were a little but too high and trust me I support the local small businesses because they have their own unique touch to the food.
Ordered the French press and that was actually not bad. Not too bitter but just enough to give the coffee a kick. Got the two eggs any style with potato cakes and sausages. The sausages were burnt so I had to cut the sides out from the already tiny sausages… i got the eggs poached and it was ok. I was expecting a firmer texture the same way that I am used to from my usual breakfast back home but it was not… also got the corn bread with lavender honey and I was so looking forward to it but the cornbread was missing something… as I cut through the bread I saw corns kernels which made me feel like «oh this is going to be amazing»…the taste was blend and the texture was whatever. MAYBE the other dishes might be better… idk =T

Excellent food ! Excellent service. This is a quaint little spot that I would have overlooked but my friends brought me here for lunch. I loooove it ! I tried the pancakes. Brightest and most beautiful strawberries ! And they are the sweetest :-)
Love the southwest pulled pork tamales !

Pretty cute place in downtown Napa — come here for brunch to recover after a whole day of wine tasting the day before :).
We ordered the corn bread to share and it was pretty darn delicious! It has actual kernels of corn in it and comes with some type of honey lavender lard.
I got the Chilaquiles as my main dish, I would say it was a pretty good choice! Kinda like a breakfast nachos dish, with creamy scrambled eggs and crispy tortilla chips. On the side, there’s some avocado and fruits.
There’s some outdoor seating as well if you want to enjoy some sun!!!

We had an extraordinary meal/​experience at Grace’s Table. Thank you!
Our appetizer was fantastic! I apologize… it must not have been on the menu so I can’t tell you exactly what it was. But I can say it was two types of sausage with crusty break and a few pickled veggies. It was SO good. You can see the picture. If they have it when you go (and you NEED to go!), get it.
We ordered a bottle of wine. It was very good.
Mark ordered the Kabocha Squash Gnocchi. He said it was very good, but I must say it didn’t look like a lot of food.
I ordered the Cassoulet because everyone on Unilocal raves about it. Well… add me to the list!
Oh my goodness, it was SO freaking delicious! The duck was tender, the sausage was delicious, the beans were so tasty. What a delight. We could have easily split it; it was a TON of food! Would I get it again? You betcha!
And I was shocked, but they had a porter float as an option for dessert. The first porter float I had (and still the best) was at Saturn in Berkeley. Grace’s porter float… not so great. It keeps this review from being a five star review. It needed more ice cream and it was served with a Stout. Now I’m not a beer snob and I don’t know if a Stout and a Porter are the same thing, but they have different names so I’m thinking they are two different types of beer. Anyway, it would have been great with the Stout if only there had been more ice cream. Please sir, I’d like some more.
Still and all… what a great meal. When we come back to Napa, we will come back to Grace’s Table, for sure.

Ugh, so sad since I now realize that they served us the wrong dish while we were there for brunch a few weeks ago. We had ordered the cornbread and chilaquiles. I had no clue what a «chilaquiles» was, so little did I know when they gave us scrambled eggs with a peperonata potato cake instead. It tasted only fine which makes total sense now since I was left wondering what all the rave around this dish was… and now I’ll likely never find out :(
The cornbread with lavender honey butter makes up for it though. A very delicious and interesting twist on cornbread and reminded me of eating cornbread infused with essential oils.

Went for a lunch
Cornbread with lavander butter is a must
The empanada are amazing
I got the risotto and my sis got the chicken and those were amazing
A must when you’re in NAPA

Absolutely one of the finest hamburgers I have ever eaten in my 63 years, and unfortunately, I’ve eaten more than my share…
I ordered it with crisp bacon and cheddar cheese, where as I normally have lettuce, tomato, mustard, pickles etc. on my burgers; this one arrived with just flavorful meat, cheddar cheese, crisp bacon and obviously a homemade fresh bun.
It was beyond delicious. I also paired it with some homemade onion rings that were of equal quality and flavor.
This is one of those rare finds that you stumble upon when you’re visiting your son who lives up in Napa, I wish we had one of these in Newport Beach California.
The only Burger of this quality in Southern California that I’ve eaten was at 3-​Thirty-​3 Waterfront in Newport.
In addition, and if that were not enough, the service happened to be spectacular as well, nice attentive staff… It’s kind of frustrating knowing that the next burger I have will not be as good as the one I just ate, for sure.

Boyfriend and I had a double date here with another couple for brunch on a Saturday. We were told there was at least a 30 minute wait, that’s okay– we explored some of the shops around the area a bit.
I was fairly disappointed with our food. We got the corn bread with honey lavender butter, but it was really dry/​brittle and I normally love putting butter on everything.
I was really looking forward to my hanger steak, but it was a huge disappointment. It was all cut up already (that’s neutral– I don’t care too much, but others might be miffed). What really bothered me was that the juices/​sauce from the steak leaked everywhere on the plate, it got into my eggs, my potato cake AND my fresh fruit! Who likes savory fresh fruit? Eek. I couldn’t taste the potato cake on its own, so I don’t know how that was supposed to be. And the steak was pretty terrible. It was really chewy/​tough. I really enjoy eating my runny eggs with bread, so I ordered the toasted baguette with jam and butter. Wow, it came out so stale and so hard, and not even WARM. I was so disappointed, chewing on that was a work out for my jaw. My friend noticed my sadness, and eventually told the waitress. We were offered more bread, but I was done trying to eat here, so the waitress graciously offered to remove it from our bill. It was left untouched.
Final conclusion: Long wait, not so great brunch food, super slow service.

Had breakfast here on Valentine’s Day. They do not take breakfast reservations on the weekend so come early! Hubby and I walked over from our hotel in Napa and arrived 15 minutes before opening. We were the first to arrive but soon enough a line began to form! Right at 9 am, the doors were opened and parties quickly filled up the restaurant. All the tables were packed 10 minutes after opening! The seats at the bar were taken about 30 minutes after opening. (On a side note, despite there being a mess of people outside the door before opening, and no sign in, everyone still allowed the others to enter as they showed up, pretty cool)
The menu was a good size, with lots of options for those craving breakfast or lunch type meals. Since we did our research, we knew what we wanted right away, so the waiter promptly took our order. FYI, in California, we noticed that at all restaurants you need to ask for water now because of the drought. For starters, we got an order of the corn bread with honey lavender butter (because of the other reviews), and it did not disappoint. The cornbread was very flavorful and warm, with pieces of corn in it, and the butter was… amazing (we usually skip butter). We also tried the donut, since we heard it sells out. We thought it was missing something. It was fresh, but basically a large cake donut with some powdered sugar on top. Not bad but nothing special.
For our meals, I opted for the pumpkin buttermilk pancakes. The pancakes were large, and came in a triple stack. The pumpkin flavor was not super strong (I couldn’t taste it but Hubby tasted hints). But they were still very moist and warm, with a generous cup of maple syrup to drizzle on as needed.
Hubby ordered the quiche, which is something different for him. It was very large, and came with a nice bed of mixed greens. He enjoyed the quiche as it reminded him of something that an awesome grandmother would cook. Very comforting food.
The service was good, water never seemed to go empty and the food and check came quickly. The only strange thing, was that the sun rising in the east window seemed to cause people fits. We were one of the lucky tables to sit along that window, and despite it being mid February, once that sun hit the skies, it got HOT. There were some curtains that we and a few other tables had to attempt to close, but far from a logical design for something that would seem to happen daily. This was the only time we really didn’t see any help from the staff (it was not easy to close the curtains as they were 13ft tall). Maybe some tint, or realigning the tables so that half the table isnt facing the sun directly might help? Despite this, the meal was still very enjoyable.

Four friends and I got to visit Grace’s Table on a Sunday morning, and I’m SO glad we did! It was a small place and packed with people, but we got to sit down after just twenty minutes.
The service was decent — we got lots of coffee refills and our food pretty fast.
And the food was amazing! We got the cornbread starter with lavender butter. The butter was tasty and felt really light and fluffy, unlike a lot of butter that feels really heavy or greasy. I could’ve practically ate it by itself.
Then I got the fish tacos, which were really good. They were filled up pretty high with fish, and came with beans, cheese, and pico de gallo and coleslaw on the side.
I didn’t get the chance to try their drinks, but the Bloody Mary’s looked great!
Next time I’m in Napa I’ll definitely be coming back.

The best part of our dining experience was the friendly server. We dropped by for an early dinner so the restaurant was only a quarter full. We started with the skillet cornbread with lavender honey butter. It didn’t arrive in a skillet which was fine except the cornbread was tepid, and a long hair was stuck to the bottom of one of the pieces of corn bread. The server exchanged the cornbread for us, and the next one was nice and hot. I liked the lavender butter too.
Next I paid $ 3 extra to add a crispy fried poached egg to the top of the arugula fig prosciutto salad. The salad was good, but the egg yolk was fully cooked. I was expecting a runny yolk. Also, we didn’t like the red beer (ipa mixed with tomato chili soju).

No entiendo porque este restaurante tiene reviews de 5 estrellas, la comida no es buena no sé cómo se atreven a hacer chilaquiles sino tienen idea de cómo se hacen. Desafortunadamente el servicio es terrible la meseta que nos toco era de mí mismo país México y nos trató muy mal. Simplemente no lo recomiendo y jamás vuelvo a venir.
I don’t understand how this restaurant is rated 5 starts, food is terrible, how they dare to make chilaquiles if they don’t even have the idea how to cook them properly. Unfortunately our server was terrible as well and it’s so sad that she was from Mexico as me as she treat us so bad. Honestly I don’t recommend it and I will never come back again.