AP Stump’s

3 Stars
If I rated just the dinner experience, it would be 4 – 5 stars, but unfortunately, I had come here for lunch also… that would’ve been a one star rating.
We’ll start w/​the bad… lunch
— 8 of us showed up for lunch, everybody’s meal was crap. I had pasta w/​chicken… and it was more like pasta w/​chicken ligaments. Never came back for lunch again
Now the good
— came here w/​my gf for dinner. service was great, drinks tasted good but were a lot stronger than I expected, so I was buzzing pretty hard before my meal even came out.
the steak was one of the best steaks I’ve had… this meal made up for the lunch experience… too bad they closed down.

Their Cowboy steak will surely be missed. Thank you A.P. Stumps for a delicious piece of meat.
(Wow. Those 2 sentences sounded oddly gay-​like.)

Jumping the gun a bit isn’t it Unilocal?
After 10+ years and countless revisions to the menu, it seems that A.P. Stump’s struggled with attempts to provide fine dining at competitive prices and fill in the cavernous square footage that was their dining area. When I went a couple of months ago the place was almost empty, patrons were easily double my age, and the menu was pricey for a lunch rendevous. But A.P. Stump’s was such an institutional fixture to the downtown S.J. scene, I thought they’d always be around.
Their last day is actually this Friday, 7÷10÷09.
Posted everywhere along the walls are their saddening last words:
«After much thought and deliberation, we have decided to close A.P. Stump’s Restaurant. We are very proud of the impact A.P. Stump’s has left on the San Jose dining scene over the past 11 years. We will try our best to find other employment for all of our dedicated staff. A heartfelt thank you to all our customers that made A.P. Stump’s San Jose’s premier downtown dining establishment.
Please join us for a celebration on our last day of business, Friday, July 10^th. Reservations recommended.
Sincerely,
The A.P. Stump’s Family»

Closing as of July 10, 2009

At the first time I came here I was worried about the big size of the restaurant, but been there a few times since and was always pleased. Last time I came with group of 10 to celebrate my friends’ B-​Day. Our server had to deal with table full with cheerful, but mean woman. He did it with so much grace, polite, and courage that he deserved a reward at the end of the meal. Exceptional service.
They take good care of big groups just like small ones, make sure to refill your drink, to ask you if you need another cocktail (the cocktails are good), to clear the table from empty plates, and to remove crumbs.
The level of service defiantly matches the elegance atmosphere they try to create. Waiting time for the food is not too long and is reasonable consider what you order. but I wish they’d make sure everybody around the table receive their food at the same time.
I like their Gnocchi, Rack of Lamb (Yummy), and the fillet minion.
Leave room for the Cream brule dessert.

We decided to dine here since it was w/​in walking distance to the Improv. It’d been awhile since I’d been back and the food is still as good as I remember!
We started w/​the watermelon salad — refreshing and light!
For the main entrée, I ordered the filet mignon which came out cooked to perfection! The meat was tender and seasoned nicely.
We both couldn’t resist indulging and each had the lobster tail as well. Yum-​o!
For dessert, we shared the crème brûlée. I haven’t had one this good since Vegas. A hint of grand marnier, not too bitter, not too sweet but juuustt rigghtt!
Our waiter was very helpful & nice as was the manager.
Definitely coming back for more soon. If you’re not a big fan of steak, I’d highly recommend the lamb!

I went to AP Stumps for their Sunday Prime Rib special this last Sunday and it was delicious. It was one of the best prime rib’s I’ve ever had.
My friend was able to get a well done end cut and I had a med-​rare center cut. Both were done to perfection. Their 19.95 Prime Rib special includes soup or salad, Garlic Mashed potatoes and cheesecake. We both had Ceasar salad. It was full size romaine leaves and lightly dressed with shaved parm… a generally good salad. The Prime Rib is served with Garlic mash and no veggies (but the size of the cut of meat is huge and takes up most of the plate… who needs veggies? The cheesecake was a round individual size cheesecake with fruit on top. It was pretty good, not spectacular.
Overall I’d say the 19.95 Sunday Prime Rib deal is an excellent value for a great restaurant with courteous service. It’s definitely about the meat, just perfect!

Another place I thought for sure I had already Unilocaled but apparently I have not. I just went there on Tuesday night so all the details are pretty fresh in my head. First off, it may look a bit stuffy from the outside but it certainly is not. The crowd is pretty laid back, mix of young and old, and definitely pretty casual. The wait staff is pretty young, chill, but knowledgeable. Our guy knew how to balance the fine line between the obnoxious sell and neglecting us.
The food is well just good. Like most people have already stated it won’t be the greatest anything you have tasted but it hits the spot. I mean how often do you eat the best ___________________(fill in the blank) you ever had anyway. I tried the tomato bisque and it was so creamy, rich, and tasty. It was probably my favorite part of the meal. I’ve ordered a Filet Mignon with Peppercorn sauce all three times that I’ve dined there and it is consistently a solid choice, and I always say if it ain’t broke then why fix it.
As for dessert we ordered the doughnut thingy since I saw a couple people mentioned it here and our waiter highly recommended it. After all the hype it left much to be desired, wasn’t too impressed but BF was loving it so maybe it just wasn’t my taste.
Anyway, for a nice din din out AP Stumps won’t disappoint. Don’t feel the need to get all fancy because like I said it is pretty casual so go for it!

I have been here a few times over the past 10 years. It’s pricey, but for the most part, it’s worth the price.
The steak is very good, but it won’t be the best steak you have ever had. The lobster is very good as well, but it won’t be the best lobster you have ever had. But you know what, it’s really, really freakin’ good and that’s all that matters.
At lunch, they have this gnocchi dish that has bacon and shrimp in it. It’s freakin’ amazing. Drool. I need to go back, even though it hovers near $ 20. As pricey as it is, It’s still the best $ 20 lunch ever.
As for the restaurant itself, it’s always immaculate. They feature a very relaxed atmosphere. And the service is exceptional. It’s some of the best service I have experienced in all of Santa Clara County.
Anyway, this a classy joint that does not require a reservation since it’s been around a while and has no hype. Walk on by, check out the menu outside, and then come in and enjoy a savory meal.

The economy is really taking a toll on some of the restaurants. We didn’t make a reservation so I was scared, however when we walked up there was no one in there (8 PM). I think maybe there was 4 tables full in the entire place. The service was nice but a little odd. I love gay men and definetely do not discriminate at all… but long nails on ANY man gay or strait is NOT ok. Long naIls on men just makes me want to vomit so I have to say it made me a little put off. But he was really nice so I feel bad to say anything bad but i speak the truth… and it was kinda gross for a «nice» restaurant.
On to the meal… I ordered a wedge salad. I LOVE me some wedge salad. It was really good, had blue cheese, bacon, eggs and tomatoe. YUM and it was huge, so we split it. For my main course I had an 8 oz. filet and my BF had the new york steak. Mine was really good and he said his was so/​so. One end of his was cooked really good and the other side was over done. SO lucky for him i couldnt eat all mine so i kicked it over to him. Each entrée came with creamy spinach and mashed potatoes, which was also ok. Nothing speical really.
Dinner was ok. Nothing crazy great but nothing bad either. I’d maybe give it another shot but I’m not dyin to go back anytime soon.

When i’m paying $ 50 for a steak, I expect to be blown away. I expect to unconsciously drool like Pavlov’s dogs when i think back on my experience. Unfortunately, that was not the case with AP Stumps, as I would rate my meal here as «just ok.»
We ordered 4 things: the seared foie gras, the johnny cakes with buttered poached lobster, the cowboy steak with a side of mushrooms, and their burger with fries. The foie gras was a huge disappointment. overcooked and lacked flavor. It was just too overcooked, and besides that I really have nothing else to say about it. The johnny cakes with lobster was delicious. The sweetness of the cakes along with the soft buttery lobster complimented each other perfectly.
Now onto the main courses. We ordered the cowboy steak medium rare, and it came out medium well. The burger was ordered medium and came out medium well. You’d think for a higher-​end chophouse, that they’d know how to cook steaks to how you ordered. I guess not. The porcini rub on the cowboy steak was very tasty, and the mushrooms were pretty good, but that didn’t really compensate for the plain-​ness of the food.
The service was attentive and good. Our waitress had a dry, witty sense of humor, which I liked. She was probably the most memorable part of the meal.
When our bill came there was an advertisement in it telling us about their 3-​course prime rib sunday dinners… for $ 19.95. Oh well played, AP Stumps… well played.

Would have given this 3.5 stars if that was an option. Rounded up b/​c of service. Thought the food was somewhere between good and very good overall, service excellent, but probably a bit overpriced for what you are getting. Not sure I would head there unless I was stuck in the area for a conference/​tradeshows.
Recos — oyster rockafeller, squid (was ok), filet was very good, and I would recommend either the chocalate bliss or the doughnut for dessert.
Would I rush back — probably after I checked out a couple of the other steak joints first.

Went here for a night out with some friends. Parking was easy, service was outstanding; not pushy, but attentive and really professional (our server named Matt, I think) and the waiters were not stingy with bread and water. The food was unbelievably good. My husband had the cowboy steak, med-​rare with squid apetizer. I had salad with herb-​encrusted trout and mash potatoes with wine.
It was amazing. Everybody loved their food. The bread was so soft and fresh too and they give you soft butter for it.
I was in the mood for dessert too, but wasn’t impressed with the dessert menu. (a donut with some crap on it? come on!)
Overall, I was pretty impressed.

Okay so this is perhaps one of the better restaurants that you can go to in the downtown parts of San Jose. There’s a bunch of places like it and I think you’ll find it to be very comfortable. They do their best to make the place well worth the extra pennies.
I went with my coworkers and I had a great time. We had a night of drinks and dinner. The servers were very attentive and they put up with a lot of our bull crap. Anyway I really liked this place, perhaps someday I’ll be lucky enough to return.

Yummy… I had their Cowboy Steak and it was cooked perfectly. I had spinach and mashed potatoes and the honestly, the mashed potatoes reminded me of that powered stuff.
We had the oysters and the foie gras for appetizers. I am not a fan of oysters and this was really good. The foie gras left something to be desired.
The dessert menu was ok but nothing out of the ordinary. Most restaurants, have a chocolate cake, some kind of sorbet, a crème brule and other very typical types of desserts you find in most restaurants.

Happy hour only review (Tues-​Thurs 5−8pm sharp):
Great $ 4 cocktails and $ ²⁄₃ beer choices. They mix and match the menu. Calamari, kobe sliders, oyster shooters, onion and mango quesadillas, etc. All very high quality and made with much care. Great place for happy hour Thursdays with friends. I highly recommend it. Though they close off happy hour at 8pm sharp and they only allow you to get one drink at a time (no double fisting).

5-​star service!
5-​star bar (tender)!
Food? *3-​star crickets*
stumps: (v), synonymous with confuse, perplex, confound.
«I was stumped. For all its hoo-​rah and repute, I wasn’t that enticed»
— — — — — — — — —
The Dining review…
The establishment can feel either romantic or aristocratic in atmosphere and design. Dimly lit sconces and ceiling lights throughout the restaurant set an intimate mood, where either sweet-​nothings OR savvy business deals can be exchanged under the cover of dark. The booths are spacious settings of plush high-​backs and draped white tablecloths; oddly, I felt like the booths were so big, they kept (two) friends too far apart, yet feel too empty when dates/​couples are cozy’d up close. The majority of the dining room’s décor, in crafted fine wood and hues of sienna and mahogany, safely achieves a typical «classy» feel without any real standout style or character or panache. Blah.
Where the scenery only elicits a token «hmph, fancy» response, the service absolutely shines! Our server, Leslie (sp?), was amazingly courteous and attentive. She was thoroughly knowledgeable and well-​expressed in regards to the menu and what she personally liked; her delectable description of the swordfish ALMOST drew me away from the 14 oz. New York I’d set my mind to. (I almost suspect that the vague menu descriptions are by design, so that the very personal touch of someone describing the dishes to you cements your decisions and whets your appetite.) In any regard, she was perfectly attentive from beginning to end, through every course. The service staff here run a well-​oiled machine; water and drinks rarely left unfilled, courses served perfectly in time as the previous ends, dishes cleared quickly and silverware changed…
Alas. The food itself. *sigh* Sort of a mixed bag. I was fond of the appetizers, salads, and dessert, but sadly, found the entrée unexceptional.
+ Dinner began with a warm sourdough, the moist crumb delicately tart on the tongue, the crust crispy and chewy.
+ For the salad course, I opted for the A.P. Stump’s Heirloom Beet salad; a nice avant-​garde offering in taste and aesthetics, if a tad underwhelming in portion.
+ Our appetizer; a teasing plate of calamari and shrimp, garnished with jalapenos, served with a tasty miso chili aioli.
+ For dessert, though the molten chocolate cake seems to be their flagship item, we opted for the cinnamon-​sugar doughnut with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate (yes, a «beignet» anywhere else…). It’s well crafted, IMO, and perfectly suited for sharing (if just a taste is all you need).
— The entrée. For a «chop house» with glowing (non* Unilocal) editorials and reviews, I was broadly unimpressed. The 14oz. New York I had was indeed a great CUT and GRAIN. And it was cooked (uncooked?) just the way I like it; cool and rare inside, encased in a caramelized sear. But aside from its cut and texture, the flavor was bland. As was the cream of spinach; bland, despite having bits of smoked bacon in it, bland. The mashed potatoes, whipped with a touch of butter, was good, but by no means did I come here for mashed potatoes.
— — — — — — — — —
The Bar review…
The bar section of the restaurant is spectacular. Where the dining room’s lights mask everything in faint glow and shadow, the bar is sparkling; lights glimmering/​refracting from polished/​varnished furniture and racks of drink-​ware and stemware. And radiance? The bartender (s) here are STELLAR in their craft, personality, and helpfulness!
As we vacillated amongst a fairly wide selection of wines, the bartender exuberantly poured tasting glasses for us to sample. After coming to decisions (V went with a dessert wine, I went with a Red flight of three), the bartenders attention and occasional inquiries of our taste is a great personal touch.
—
All in all, A.P. Stumps provides a «pleasant» dining experience, at best, staying clear of culinary adventure. Some of the pre– and post– entrée courses are bright and remarkable, but its just a shame that the mainstay (steak, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes?) came off lackluster.
If anything, I would and will be back for another chance, partly to try the swordfish, but especially for the service and bar experience.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
Saw a lot of couples here… I’m not sure I would take a date here. I’m not sure I could GET a date. Nevermind, the point is moot. Let’s move on, shall we?

We were planning to go to Forbes Mill to celebrate the holidays with a Swedish friend, but he suggested AP Stump’s Chop House instead. Although not far from our home, we had never been here; for us, it had only ever had a reputation for being very expensive.
Upon entering the restaurant we were surprised by how elegant and truly nice the place was. I liked the dark wood, cool lighting, intimate seating and open kitchen.
Oyster shooters loaded with vodka, oysters on the half shell, and the Tower of Ahi Tartar, Hamachi and Dungeness Crab were excellent starters. Warm, fresh-​baked bread reflected the warmth of APS’ atmosphere. We had the salmon special of the day and filet mignon, and we were happy. So happy, in fact, that we went all out on dessert and ordered the chocolate truffle cake, the molten chocolate cake, and the «homemade cinnamon-​sugar doughnut» with vanilla ice cream (which also came with an espresso cup of Valrohna Cocoa hot chocolate). The desserts were good — but not spectacular. We definitely enjoyed the appetizers and entrees more.
There is a garden patio with a waterfall for outdoor dining when Spring arrives. And in case you are looking for a place to have your next company party or meeting, the historic Paul Masson champagne cellars have been converted into large private dining rooms just for such special events.

I love this place. I can’t speak for the other reviewers who’ve had less pleasurable experiences, but I frequent this place, and each time I’ve gone I’ve had excellent food and enjoyed the décor and pleasant atmosphere (both inside and outside).
Cowboy steak is EXCELLENT. It’s so good I would pay it the $ 45 again and again, as each time my steak has come out perfectly medium, seared on the outside, juicy and pink on the inside.
Service for me has always been great. Waters and sodas always topped off regularly, servers always come by to check in… and not in the annoying way either. I always make reservations and make sure to ask to sit with Michael. He is an awesome server and we always enjoy conversations with him while we’re there.
This isn’t the ideal place to bring kids, but I brought my daughter along as I wanted to celebrate my birthday with her, and steak, haha. I asked for an outside table so we wouldn’t bother other people and was accommodated quickly.
Five stars for excellent steak, drinks and service!

We have been here a couple times now. Drinks are very good and the bartender (at least, the one we’ve had. Zach) is great. Knows his stuff, makes good recommendations based on your likes and dislikes and is easygoing and friendly.
Thanks to him I was introduced to No. 209 Gin, a San Francisco gin that is a nice change from the usual likes of Sapphire and Tanqueray but not as botanical as another favorite, Sarticious, which I prefer in something other than a traditional martini. (btw they do carry Sarticious if you’ve been looking for it) Good stuff, and I get to support another local biz. Yay Zach! Also, the man knows how to make a nice Sidecar… better than Tanglewood I’d say… less sweet.
There are plenty of unique cocktails on the menu, all around $ 11, and a wide selection at the bar. The wine list is equally expansive. One personal recommendation, the Patricia Green pinot. Anything of hers is to die for.
We dined in the bar and split a bowl of clam chowder, which was incredibly creamy and delicious with tender clams and bits of potato. I thought I detected a salty smoky ham/​pancetta flavor too. Awfully rich for me… and a big bowl might be a bit much for one person overall… but the boyfriend loved it.
I loved the bread. I don’t know if it’s housemade or La Brea or something like that but it’s fabulous. Like a whole wheat sourdough. chewy… with a great crispy crust… very fresh. Butter was served at proper spreadable temperature too… thank you! I hate hard butter.
After that we split a dry aged NY Strip, which was really damn good. Tried the mustard tarragon sauce on the side which ended up being a demi-​glacé. I couldn’t taste much of either flavor in it so I’m not quite sure it was the right thing but it was good nonetheless. However, the steak was good without it so I put a little on my mashed potatoes but mostly I ended up skipping the rest of it. For the extra $ 2.50 charge I don’t think I would do that again. Also on the side was creamed spinach which wasn’t my favorite. It was tasty… I’m just not generally a fan.
Boyfriend has been there before without me and also raved about the foie and the Jonny Cakes appetizers.
We skipped dessert so I can’t comment on that.
Service in the bar was great, but the restaurant was surprisingly slow on a Friday night. It was the weekend after Labor Day though so with kids back in school and a recent vacation. people may have decided to just stay home. Hard to say.
There’s a lot of restaurants in the area that I’ve yet to try so I’m holding back on a higher rating for these guys, but still… I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.