Tri-Valley Bistro

So, we picked this place because we like Bono, «still haven’t found what we’re looking for». That would be an awesome neighborhood place we can call our own. So, our review looks like this;
1) The food– I tend to love places that have smallish offerings as they have time to perfect them. You can see on Unilocal things that are good and reliable but the special tonight, (The short ribs), which are normally small was large enough to share. The meat was perfect but the sauce that came with it was perfect. A very nice selection of wines to suit differing palates was nice.
2) Service– was more than attentive. Our server came back after every dish to ask, «was it good-​do you need anything»? Just top notch.
3) Havaa-​Ah!!! I was curious about her because of how many reviews kept referring to her. Yes, she is all those things; a real beauty but… the reviews didn’t get past that surface which is her true graciousness as a genuine «human» being. What makes her truly beautiful is her «Gratitude» for her being part of a successful family business what she has.
Very special and at the top of our nieghborhood places

I had high hopes walking into this place from all the good reviews, but my expectations fell short. C’mon Unilocal,this place in the top three in the area based on ratings!
Walking out of cellar door, my mood was simply. Euphoric. I walked into tri valley restaurant expecting a similar experience, but it failed miserably.
Sigh. I’m not looking to write a bad review but I’m just so disappointed in my experience. I was greeted by a nice pretty lady upon entering, but I could hardly hear a word she was saying. I ended up choosing a seat right next to the bar, so that I may enjoy a view of the bartender and the kitchen. Coming from cellar door, I wasn’t terribly hungry. With that said, I skipped appetizers and was anxious to try their famous scallops and risotto. The Johnny-​Bravo haired waiter swayed my initial choice and I ended up a pan seared halibut and vegetables with potatoes. I asked for a recommendation for a chardonnay to pair it with, and he recommended me the Sonoma something 2014. So I agreed. The halibut was presented wrapped in phyllo dough. The vegetables were ordinary and the potatoes. Ordinary. How do you make potatoes ordinary?! Add a dollop of butter, sour cream or some bacon and you can’t go wrong!
(I just suddenly realized that while I’m writing this review in the restaurant, anyone looking over my shoulder can easily see that I’m writing a bad review. Johnny bravo comes over and says he feels so bad and offers to buy my next glass of wine. I smile and tell him no, I just came from cellar door where I had a wine flight. He proceeds to ask me if I cared for dessert. After contemplating the dessert menu and whether I felt like coffee or a port wine, I decided I didn’t care to give the place a chance to redeem itself. Sigh.)
My tab comes out with a whopping total of $ 47! Mind you, my total for cellar wine was the same, but it was completely worth it and I was happy to salute the operation there. Whereas at tri valley, I felt robbed for the lack of quality and the unfilled appetite that I left with. I do feel bad for Johnny bravo. It’s not his fault and I appreciate his coming forth to offer some sort of compensation. Simply put, redemption cannot be resolved by a mere free drink or dessert. Perhaps sometime in the future I’d be willing to give this place a second try.

Great service and the food was delicious. I am very health conscious and they had many selections for me to chose.

The restaurant is really cute! When we walked in we were seated right away. We started with the calamari it was crunchy and delicious it came with two different sauces to dip it in. I ordered the rib eye medium rare with veggies and potatoes. Steak was a little on the well side. But it was juicy and tender. The waiter was very attentive and we didn’t have to ask for a re-​fill for water. I definitely recommend this spot for lunch or dinner before you head out shopping! Cute area with one of a kind shops!

We went on a Friday night, intending to just have a drink and an appetiser at the bar. But we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and we decided to stay and have dinner.
We weren’t disappointed, the quality of the main course was excellent — good choice and good service.
We’ll be back.

Service here is excellent. Not sure why it was so empty here on a Saturday for brunch. To share we had the Aranci fried risotto, cerviche, grilled cheese. I didn’t really like the risotto, it was too bland. The cerviche was good and so was the grilled cheese.

The quality of the ingredients at Tri-​Valley Bistro deserve 4 stars, but we had an off night there in general. So I’d rate it more of a 3.5. The lady next to us was having a medical issue that required calling an ambulance, so maybe that had something to do with the weirdness… but when it comes down to it the flavors & service were both kind of awkward :(
First, the service. I know that this restaurant is kind of new, but the hostess & waiter sort of behaved like they weren’t very experienced with talking to other people. Not just to us, I watched the hostess interact strangely with other guests too. It was a little off-​putting. No one was rude, just very very awkward in a way that’s hard to write about concretely in a review…
So, onto the food. The best dish of the night was hands down the prawns & squid ink fettuccine. Wow, this is a FANTASTIC dish. Tons of acid from the sundried tomatoes, perfectly cooked pasta and nice sauce. The prawns were a bit overseasoned, but cooked perfectly. Lovely, well-​balanced dish.
The rest:
As a general note, the appetizers came out extremely quickly. Like maybe 5 minutes after we ordered, and all at the exact same time.
Bread: I see a lot of people raving about this bread, but it wasn’t special for us.
Ceviche: Well, the fish was fresh, and there was a pretty good amount of it. But for us, the included sauce just tasted like guacamole. It didn’t really taste like ceviche overall. Not bad, but kind of weird?
Arancini: Unmemorable, but not in a bad way. Just OK.
Brussels: Okay… these were definitely weird. I enjoyed them, but there was this odd flavor that I kept trying to place. Over and over, I kept thinking… what the hell is that taste?! Then it suddenly hit me. It has the same taste of chow fun noodles… yeah, I know that’s very weird, but I’m sure of it. Maybe they use the same oil to cook with? I didn’t find it unpleasant, but my mom couldn’t eat them at all.
I’m wondering if the entrees are the focal point here. And overall, the quality of the ingredients was undoubtedly good. I think the flavors could use some work, and I wouldn’t say no to eating at Tri-​Valley Bistro again, but I don’t think I would «try» it again on my own… heh.

My expectations were much higher for this place. After reading all good reviews, we decided to have lunch here recently. I am not sure about other entrees, but grilled salmon with vegetables was not good, mainly because of the sauce they added on top. Sauce had such a bad taste that ruined the entire meal even the veggie side. My husband had squash ravioli and did not like it at all. Salads were ok. We didn’t want to give any chances to desserts as the main dish was not satisfactory.
We didn’t find anything special about their menu, it is very limited.
Also, I understand that staff wants to be friendly, but my husband and I couldn’t have a conversation because of waitress’ interruption every 5 min. to ask how is everything. This was too much !
We probably won’t be back to try something else.

I came here for a late lunch with my mom and sister 15 minutes before they were about to close and they were kind enough to seat us. We quickly put in our order, I got the ceviche appetizer, my sister the spinach shrimp fettuccini, and my mom got a salmon sandwich with sweet potato fries. The ceviche was pretty good, a few pieces had that «fishy» taste but nothing horrible. It came with tortilla chips and some avocado on top. They definitely are very generous with their portions. After I ate all I could, my sister tried to help me and we couldn’t even finish it all! Food was great, service was great.

Honestly, I had no idea how great the food was until I tried it and I was extremely surprised. This is easily one of my top restaurants to go to now because the food was just so delicious.
We went on a Sunday around noon and about half of the restaurant was full, hence we didn’t have to wait for a table. By the time we left, there was about two parties waiting and the whole dining room was packed. The restaurant is not that big but there is outside seating available.
I ordered the risotto which was the perfect blend of flavors with a bite of sweetness (sweet potatoes?) every now and then. My friend had the winter squash ravioli which was equally delicious and flavorful.
Everything about this experience was just perfect!

Our group of 12 coworkers came here for our holiday lunch. We shared their calamari and ceviche. Both were fine. A few of us had wanted to try their Mega Burger, but they had just changed their lunch menu, and it was no longer there. The server said they would still make it for us. It was massive and tasty. I really liked that I could choose between regular fries, sweet potato fries, or a salad as a side.
I really want to commend the service, though. Our reservation was originally for 10, but 12 people ended up coming. The restaurant is relatively small, so there wasn’t really any way to move tables around. Our server kindly asked the two women next to us if they’d be willing to move. (A lot of places won’t do this, but he did, and we were able to sit together.) They also moved a table inside from their front patio so we would have a place to put our wrapped gifts. The server and hostess were extremely patient with all of our requests and accommodated us with great patience. 5 star service for sure.

First of all, the service was fine. Our guy was nice and on the ball. The problem was the food.
1. The ceviche app was fine. Not the best I’ve ever had, not the worst. After you squeeze the lime on it it tastes like lime juice. There is also a bit of a kick but I wouldn’t describe it as «spicy.»
2. The beet salad was disappointing. I can roast beets at home, pinch a few leaves of arugula on top and sprinkle on tiny chunks of feta. Oddly the menu description included cherry tomatoes, which didn’t appear on our salads– probably because tomatoes and beets are in opposite seasons.
3. The fettuccine with shrimp was super salty. And it had nothing to do with the fact that it contained capers. I like capers. It’s just that when you cook with capers (or say, sardines) you need to scale back the salt in everything else to compensate. They didn’t.
4. The winter squash ravioli should be listed under the dessert menu. It had some sort of balsamic reduction sauce that was super sweet.

Husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner. After asking some locals on Main Street about the best restaurants in downtown Pleasanton, they recommended this place for the type of food we were looking for (American or Italian)
They have a nice cozy patio with heat lamps so We chose to eat outside. it seemed very slow with a lot of empty tables inside, we went on a Thursday.
The bread and butter was sooooo good. Very tasty, soft, warm bread. We ordered calamari and fries artichoke hearts for appetizers. The artichoke hearts have a ton of flavor and my husband said the calamari was «average».
For the main entrée, we ordered the lemon chicken and the ribeye steak. Overall the food was good, but nothing special. I felt like I could make the chicken dish at home easily. The sides were what seemed like steamed vegetables (green beans, asparagus, & carrots). They had no flavor… Was not a fan of sides.
For dessert we ordered crème brûlée and gelato. The dessert was by far the highlight of the night, so glad we got dessert. So tasty and finished our meal off just right.
I wouldn’t go there again except for the dessert. The main courses were just not that good. 4 stars for service, dessert, atmosphere, and location.

This review is more like a 3.5 stars rounded to a 4 star.
We came here for business dinner and the food was decent. The restaurant is gorgeous on the inside and has a good ambience. I can see it as a good place for a date. It was really slow on a Thursday night. Most of the tables were empty.
The food tastes good but that’s just it– good but not special. There is nothing there that would make me want to have the urge to come back. The portion is just right for me, which means that it is probably too small for most diners. We had the calamari and ceviche. Both are good, especially the ceviche. I had the scallop dish for my entrée. While it was really tasty, the entire dish had 3 scallops only. I was definitely disappointed to see that. The menu had many choices of burgers and sandwiches, so maybe those are the options for more filling meals.
The service was very friendly but slow… Everyone working there are extremely happy. The food took forever however. At one point I really thought they forgot about our entrée. The table next to us had their food served when we ordered our appetizers, and got their food packed in doggy bag already while we were still waiting on our appetizers to be brought out.
Overall, good ambience, good but slow service, decent food but small portions. So it’s perfect for a date, business dinner, or girls night out. If you’re very hungry, however, perhaps consider somewhere else.

«Never judge a book by its cover,» they say. After visiting the unassumingly named TriValley Bistro, I must add — «Never judge a restaurant by its name.» Because, my friends, the quality of dining in downtown Pleasanton has just gone up a notch with the addition of this establishment.
I was scheduled to have lunch this afternoon in downtown Pleasanton with a work colleague and a guest from out of town who was eager to try something new. A quick scan of Unilocal revealed that TriValley Bistro was the top rated spot, higher than other restaurants that sounded much more upscale. Nevertheless, in Unilocal I trust, so I made a noon reservation.
Parking was a breeze and we strolled in a few minutes early. They had our table ready inside, but it was such a perfect fall day that we asked if we could sit outside, and they graciously took care of us. After a little work-​related chit-​chat, we took a look at the menu — there were so many excellent-​sounding options that the three of us decided to order family style in order to try as many as we could.
I had been advised by a trusted Unilocaler (and fellow fish lover) to get the ceviche — so I ordered that without hesitation. My colleague ordered the fish tacos (he always orders fish tacos!) and our guest agonized over the several salad choices before letting the server steer her towards the asparagus salad. Knowing all this would probably not be enough, I added a couple of other items — the corn-​crusted calamari, and the fig, prosciutto and goat cheese appetizer. I also insisted they bring us a basket of bread, which I’d heard good things about (from the same Unilocal friend).
The bread came first, still warm from the oven and sweet to the taste. A little dab of butter and I was in foodie heaven, as was our guest who’d followed my lead.
Next came the appetizers. The ceviche was all it was hyped up to be, and then some — fresh orange roughy, perfectly seasoned with lime and chili to give it just the right amount of tang and bite. What took this dish over the top for me was the fresh-​baked chips it was served with (it was obvious they’d made these in-​house) — I savored each bite of ceviche-​laden chip, enjoying the diverse flavors as they exploded in my mouth!
The Black Mission Fig appetizer was another winner — with the classic combination of fig, prosciutto, and warm goat cheese executed to perfection. I also enjoyed the calamari — crisp cornmeal crust, not too chewy — served with a creamy caper-​sprinkled chipotle aioli.
After a lengthy gap in time (I almost thought they forgot the rest of our order) — the fish tacos and asparagus salad arrived. Orange roughy was once again the star ingredient on the fish tacos, and the asparagus was farm fresh and nicely seasoned, maintaining the high standard established by the earlier offerings. Too full for dessert, we settled up and made our way back to our car, all of us in a mellow mood after such a delicious meal.
According to Wikipedia, a bistro is a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting; bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. In that case, TriValley Bistro is aptly named. Happy dining!

Tri Valley Bistro isn’t fancy ala it’s generic name but their ambience is seductively elegant/​catchy,. (despite 2 flatscreens in corners showing football). dim lighting in dining room. only lighting-​flatscreens and the kitchen on the far right.
menu: almost typical american eats-​burgers, lamb dishes, salads?. fried seafood, tacos? not sure. ceviche. noticed lots of wines on shelf. not wishing to tempt dui, i passed.
eats: ceviche (15)
–passed on burgers, fried oysters cuz they’re fried, wasn’t in a mood for fried.
most burgers had bacon, a no no for me. classic burger (14) losts it’s appeal to
esoteric ceviche
–mostly whitefish (orange roughy), red onions, green onions, cilantro, with housemade über fresh fried tortilla chips
–housemade bread served first. fab. thought it was acme, surprised it was housemade, only 3 slices while other tables got 6. didn’t care. didn’t need the carbs. real butter too.
foodnotes:
–not much service, didn’t need it. waiter definitely professional
allowed me space to enjoy meal. answered every question i need
–was there when i needed him
–tip was more than he expected, he was all smiles
thought it over, definitely 5 stars as i told him.
*ceviche best ever, beats peruvian/​mex easily (usually use tilipia)
–food so fresh, most items made in house, quality ingredients. 5 stars easily, not
4.5 stars either.

Loved the reasonable priced wine list, yummy appetizers.
I had fish tacos which was very good. However, the Bison Burger was not up to par. It was a good looking burger but quite dry and flavorless. With that, it’s still a good place to eat and better than a lot of restaurants in tri-​valley area.

Stopped by for lunch today, first time here. Very nice atmosphere, terrific service and the food was great. Had the Farro salad, added grilled chicken.
A great experience start to finish.

I came here on a whim with my mom on a mother-​daughter date and was amazed by the quality of this restaurant. The atmosphere was elegant and classy, the service was fast and eloquently polite, and the décor was beautiful.
I had a hard time choosing what to eat because everything on the menu looked so yummy. We ordered the fish tacos and the grilled cheese and couldn’t get enough of the flavors!!! Everything was absolutely delicious!
I can’t wait to come back and try everything else on the menu. I recommend this restaurant to everyone and anyone.

The food here is really good. It just opened recently and I heard it’s owned by someone who also owns a Mediterranean place.
I ordered the apple salad and my friend and I split the arincinin balls. My friend ordered the polenta entrée. We both really enjoyed our food here. The prices are what you’d expect to pay in Downtown Pleasanton.
The service was friendly and they weren’t very busy when we stopped in on a Friday night. Overall, I’d probably stop in again.