03/11/09

Avoid this place like the plague

by jamesallenfinch

I work in publicity and eat out alot. This has to be one of the worst meals I have ever had. Ordered the mussels and half the shells were broken or did not open. Every cook knows that a closed shell is the first sign that either it isn't cooked or it's dead. Serving this mess was very telling. Warm martini's and a "I'm actually an actor" mentality from the staff left me wondering why I flew to SF! I get the same crappy service and bad food in LA but with valet parking. Eat anywhere but here.

• Pros: There are none.
• Cons: Noisy Room and BAD FOOD

02/22/09

Style Over Service

by foodie000

We visited the day after Valentine's Day to celebrate. Although we arrived early and asked for one of the empty booths (where they had sat other parties of two), the hostess insisted that a small table was our only option.

My husband ordered a glass of wine but the sommelier brought a bottle. I ordered a non-alcoholic drink but our server forgot about it completely. We were not offered bread until 30 minutes into our seating. Refills on our water glasses had to be requested by flagging down the single runner.

Our conclusion was that the waitstaff was stretched way too thin. Meanwhile, there were at least three men in suits hovering around the kitchen and host stand with no apparent purpose. Assuming one is the general manager, the others kept him company. Needless to say, it was style over service that night. The unfortunate part is that the food is actually decent. If you have 4 hours to spare and the patience of a saint, give Bacar a try.

• Pros: Decent food
• Cons: Poor service

07/26/08

Terrible

by FoodLovernSF

This restaurant was very disappointing. I should have known when the greeter was rude, and took more than 15 minutes to locate our reservation. We finally sat-down, and the goth-inspired waiter mumbled something about a few specials. We ordered and the food was so disappointing. What a waste -- uninspired fish in a terrible sauce and meat terribly over-cooked. And salty, oh so salty. I guess the goal is to serve you poor food, so you order more wine. What a shame. San Francisco offers many wonderful restaurants. Bacar is NOT one of them.

• Pros: Wine list
• Cons: Staff, food. Staff, food. Staff. food. There are many better choices in SF.

04/25/08

Hidden policies will cost you

by bizplanner

We planned a corporate dinner and signed a contract. The headcount started falling and we communicated with the restaurant planner that we would drink more expensive wine to make sure we reached out $3,000 minimum. She agreed. But lo and behold during the dinner we learned that we would be charged for the dinners based on the confirmed headcount, not based on how many dinners we ordered. This was NOWHERE on the contract nor was it communicated via emails during the planning phase. If you think it's a cool place to have a corporate function, think again. And they really skimped on the salad, which they served on bread plates. It's salad - it's cheap. Why skimp?

03/10/08

Will Go Back ASAP!!!

by William415

I can't say how much I love this restaurant! I am a regular of bacar and every time I go it gets better and better! We always get our same table (if you request it, they normally can give it to you). We started with the soup (Cream of Parsnip) and the Pork Belly which is one of their signature dishes and too die for. So bad for you but oh so good. We then had the RibeEye which was perfectly cooked and delicious. My partner also had the Sole off the entree menu and although I only had one bite, it made me want to switch plates with him for a bit and visa versa. Our server was adorable and very knowledgeable especially of the mind blowing wine list they have. I think they something like 70 wines by the glass. Very impressed with everything once again. Thanks bacar.

• Pros: Hot Service Staff, Great Happy Hour, Groups a Must, close to clubs
• Cons: Too much to choose from!

02/29/08

This Restaurant is SO overrated!!!

by jaycidorio

I have sat at the bar in Bacar many times and have always enjoyed it. However, I decided to dine here the day after Valentine's day, hoping to escape high prices and poor service, and I received just that! We ordered appetizers and they were great, however we waited an entire hour for our entrees. When they finally arrived, they were the orders of the previous table. So we waited longer, yet when our actual entrees arrived, they were horrible! Overall, we were there fot two and a half hours. Not by choice. I would never go back. This is way too upscale of a restaurant to make such poor mistakes! Our appetizers were comped, but I think our entrees should have been instead. Way too crowded and not worth the wait!

10/21/07

Customer service, not so.

by carly07

A wonderful meal, until...having shared two delicious appetizers, did not leave enough room to complete our meal of halibut and rib eye steak. Prepared to have our remaining food packaged up, the waiter knocked my glass of ( $100 bottle ) of wine over, breaking the glass and wine pouring over the table. As a former waitress, this happens, I know. However, I never expected him to literally run from the table with less than an apology...other than offering a cup of club soda for my boyfriend's ruined jeans. Needless to say, the bill finally came after we had to flag this man down. The check did not reflect any difference, and we did not get our ( wine soaked) unfinished meal. Very disappointing. Mentioned this to the manager, who had the same sincerity as a used car salesman, "here is may card. please send me the dry cleaning bill". The food may be great, but the experience ruined it.

08/27/07

beautiful restaurant, great service, great wine list, average food

by lyss61

this is an amazing space! it's a new york style restaurant in san francisco. the service is fantastic, the people are all great, and they have a bible for a wine list. check out their website for discounted wine nights, they have great deals. the food was only average to me though. it had a lot of potential and was presented very well, but the chef needs to take it easy with the salt. he's fairly new, so i'm willing to give bacar another try and hope he's worked out some of the kinks.

• Pros: service, building, wine list, oysters
• Cons: salty food

08/26/07

Deeply Satisfying Evening!

by peterhaan

Bacar can be one of the finest dining evenings a person could have anywhere. Some of these prior reviews are hard to believe. All restaurants can have rough patches or nights; patrons can also be horrendous. Chefs do change guard.

I have been perhaps six times now. Recently I enjoyed an unbelievable evening there with an old friend mid-week. Choosing to order their ?tasting meal? to allow them complete freedom and to enjoy as much of their talent as possible, we just couldn?t describe how interesting and satisfying the lengthy results were. Noise level was not unacceptable in the booth area, main floor. The service staff was basically fabulous, lacking nothing to be desired. The sommelier was also completely up to speed and very engaging.

Putting all this together, I have to say that this particular night amounted to one of the five best dining experiences I have had in my life. I was raised in Berkeley?s gourmet district, have eaten at Chez Panisse perhaps 70 times since their opening, and all over Western Europe too; I truly believe in the importance of Haut Cuisine and do recommend Bacar highly.

• Pros: Really important SF restaurant
• Cons: Can get noisy and very busy like most SF places

08/24/07

Most creative food in SF!

by mplotts

Service was good but the food was AMAZING! Chef Robbie Lewis's food was not only creative and beautiful but unique and creative. Cheers to him and his kitchen staff! You guys & gals are awesome! Keep up the unbelievable work!