Citrine New World Bistro

Modern and spacious ambiance, friendly staff, decent food and a pleasantly baby-​friendly environment, especially during the lunch hours. What more does a mom need for a casual luncheon?
The menu has something for everyone — burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, pizzas, you name it. And I can see their effort in trying to make it global or «worldly» as its name suggests.
So far, I’ve tried the Chinese chicken salad and a chicken sandwich, which I believe was the special-​of-​the-​day item. Both are fresh and tasty. Not superb, but good enough for me and my kid.
SUM: We’d go back for sure… maybe this time I will not be so healthy and get that burger in me.

Surprisingly tasty! Really fun flavor combinations, good variety of options. It sounds like classic take-​out /​café food: sandwiches, pizza, salads but with global flavor influence. Prices are reasonable for downtown RWC, and service is fast enough you can stop in an hour before your movie starts and still get a seat.

Edit: NOOOOO! They closed Citrine as of May 31. This was my go-​to place near the movie theatre :(
Who could have thought that Safeway opened up this place.
The menu is extensive, and it features world cuisine. The food is pretty good and even as a «pay then you find a seat and eat» place, the service is nice. It’s a good alternative for the normal pizza or sandwiches places because you can always find something interesting to eat here.
If you get take out, the paper bag has a thing for you to strap it in with a seatbelt!

I have been here once before and I remember the FireCracker burger being pretty tasty. I came back here again for a quick bite before a movie and I was not disappointed. I walked up to the register/​host/​person/​thingy, and ordered my food. She was very friendly and extremely pleasant. I cracked jokes with her and her enthusiasm was genuine.
After ordering, I sat down. I’d say 10 minutes later (if that) the food showed up. Piping hot, tender/​juicy burger with loads of flavor.
mmmm I like it. It’s not the best burger joint I’ve been too but it’s definitely a good place. Oh, and they don’t skimp on the guac on the guac burger.
Yes. I am definitely coming back.

The food wasn’t aweful or disgusting just forgettable.. I had the steak and it was bland, flavorless and tough. Definitely not worth the money, or worth going back.
Nice location, atmosphere and service.

We went to Citrine with a couple friends for dinner. The atmosphere was nice – very casual but clean and modern. The menu was pretty extensive, there were lots of good choices ranging from pizzas to sandwiches to tacos.
I went with the special, which was Korean style steak tacos. They were really tasty – I’d get them again. The corn tortillas broke pretty easily, making my last taco more of a knife-​and-​fork, but the overall quality was great. The margaritas, which are not made with tequila – but with some sort of «spirit» were also pretty amazing.
My only negative comment was the service. The staff was very friendly – but the food took a little long to come out. And, it was received in a very odd order. We got our appetizer and one meal together. Then, the other three people had to wait another ten minutes or so before food came out.
All in all, Citrine is a good place to go for moderately cheap food that has a hint of gourmet flair.

Not bad, not mind blowing. just okay.
the friends and i came here after another friend mentioned this restaurant as a «test kitchen» for safeway. I’m not exactly sure how they test their food. I was expecting some sort of survey or rating system to give feedback. but instead you just order your food, pay for it, then find a seat and wait for them to bring the food out and leave.
our party had:
–vegetable calzone: big portion, really cheesy, some felt there wasn’t enough stuff or taste
–korean tacos: 3 tacos with beef and kimchi and this weird gingery cream/​sauce. I think it would have been better without the sauce
–pepperlone and garlic pizzetta: thin crust pizza with basil, pepperoni and garlic. your normal pizza
guacamole burger and fries: they really liked it
grilled ahi tuna filet: they liked this too
side of buffalo style fries: think baked fries covered in buffalo powder/​sauce. ours felt a little cold but overall it was okay.
the bf pointed out that none of the food felt really cooked. but more like it was just microwaved (he wasn’t so much a fan). I think i liked it more than he did. i thought it was an interesting experience. at least we were full and it was affordable (less thatn $ 10 each for dinner!)

My hubby and I came here after watching a movie, since it’s right next door. I was craving something sweet.
When you walk in, it’s not like a regular sit and order restaurant. You go to the front and order your item and get a number. We ordered the Tiramisu. I saw a lot of other yummy fusion-​like dishes, so I def want to come check this place out before a movie. Their tiramisu was very good. It had the perfect amount of espresso and whip cream. It wasn’t too big or too small. I would def come back for their tiramisu.

I came here few years ago and wasn’t impressed at all. However, this time I am pretty happy with the experience. I think their service and quality have improved a lot.
Citrine is a great (and safe) spot for a quick lunch or a quick dinner.
The place is simple, clean and modern looking. Most menu items are right around $ 10. Nothing super unique about their dishes but the food quality is fresh and the portion is impressive.
I love their hearty salads and the sandwiches are huge. The ahi tuna sandwich was plenty tasty and the size of the tuna was very impressive. My favorite salad is the chicken couscous salad. I never thought about putting couscous in mix green salads, but it certainly works well here.
I might come here again next time I am in the RWC downtown area catching a movie.

:(We stumbled across this place by accident, and I was excited when I saw their menu… only to be disappointed when our food arrived. My, did I have high hopes for the menu… everything sounded so fresh and delicious! Plenty of healthy looking choices with some fun, more filling food as well. It was like café food but with more options and more zest!
However, after my guacamole burger arrived, I found that the seasoned fries were incredibly stale and cold. I didn’t want to bother asking for a replacement because we were on a schedule to catch a movie afterward. The place wasn’t very busy — there only seemed to be a couple of other tables there while we dined… how did my fries come out so bad?
We also spent $ 25 on a pitcher of sangria that tasted like juice (I know that sangria tastes like juice in general and I’ve had plenty of different kinds, but this one seemed to completely lack any trace of alcohol in the «wine» that was used… we were so sad/​disappointed). I do feel a bit bad for giving this place a low rating… I feel like they deserve another chance, but we’ll see if I ever come back again.

Citrine is pretty good; I just ate there tonight. I had the pork sandwich. I liked it. You can’t really go wrong with pulled pork and bbq sauce. :) The best part of my meal, though, was probably the sangria! There was so much fruit in it, I couldn’t even eat it all!
If I hadn’t read the Unilocal reviews, I would have never guessed this was a Safeway test kitchen. And I agree with the other reviewers, it seemed a lot like the Ikea cafeteria! :)
Anyways, I would consider going back if I’m in the area! The food was good and reasonably priced.

Citrine is Safeway’s «test kitchen» which is basically a place for them to test recipes. I’m not sure what becomes of these recipes, whether they get served at Safeway’s hot food section, or if they move on to bigger and better things.
There are two parts to this place: Dine and Dash… and Dine. For the Dine and Dash, you can just go up to the counter and buy some of the pre-​made sandwiches or salads and take it to go. For Dine, you order at the same counter but take your placard to a table and sit down. The décor is pretty café chic with high booths that give some level of privacy. Food comes out in about 5 minutes or so.
I ordered one of the specials which was the Horseradish Steak Sandwich ($ 7) and then I shared the Fish Tacos with my coworker. The steak sandwich was better than expected! The meat was very flavorful (although I’m sure it was pre-​marinated and nuked) and the horseradish sauce had a kick. The tacos come with a side of corn and a big scoop of guacamole. The contents were salmon and pineapples which were once again, decent for café food. The salmon wasn’t as dry as normal.
For what it is, it’s not half bad. Oh! And I must mention that service is really good — they come by often to see how you’re doing.

Citrine is a squeaky clean cafeteria in the middle of booming downtown Redwood City that serves world inspired dishes using ingredients from Safeway, the grocery giant.
The few times I have been here, I have come away impressed by the quality of the food — fresh and tasty. However, given the concept of the place, each succeeding visit feeds a growing sense that the place is just a little too antiseptic — from the Ikea-​inspired furniture and water dispensers, to the static menu (has it ever changed since day one?) and the sameness of the dishes — with each piece of meat and leaf of lettuce seemingly just so.
The last time I was here I watched one of the chefs sit down for his lunch break. He had in front of him a plate of the Chinese entrée which he quickly doused with twenty squirts of hot sauce he brought from home. Guess even a perfectly made Safeway inspired fried rice can use a little spice to make it seem exciting.

The wife and I had a chance to eat here after a recent movie. Interesting place.
You order your food before you sit down (similar to Taxi’s). The wife ordered a Santa Fe Chicken Panini, I ordered the bacon cheeseburger (because I’m watching my health, of course). We then went and found a seat.
About 10 minutes later, a waiter brings over the panini, and assures me that my meal is right behind it. The panini was actually quite good — quality chicken, ortega chiles, nicely prepped. My wife enjoyed it immensely.
I did NOT enjoy watching her eat her entire meal while waiting (and waiting, and waiting, and waiting) for my meal. it FINALLY showed up, a good five minutes after she was done (and she’s a slow eater).
Good bacon, quality cheese. VERY well done patty (not being asked how you like your meat will ALWAYS cost a star), but good quality. The bun was huge. It could be half the thickness, and still be huge.
The fries were not cooked well — methinks the fryer is on too low of a temp. Another star down the drain.
So overall, the bizarre wait between us being served really impacted our opinion of this place. We liked the food and the ambiance, and would go again, but only after we checked out the MANY other options outside the theater.

Went here for lunch last week. Décor is sort of nice, layout is similar to a Panera but furnished with Ikea-​esque type colors and furniture. As mentioned in other reviews, it’s a Safeway «culinary» lab focused on serving up «healthy» foods.
The cashier was a trip, initially we tried to order the Asian shrimp pizzetta. Conversation went like this:
Us: Can we have the Asian shrimp pizza please.
Cashier: Oh we are out of shrimp. But the pizza is topped with chopped shrimp, asian pesto, provolone cheese and red onions drizzled with hoisin sauce. It’s very good.
Us: Oh so we can order the pizza without shrimp?
Cashier: No, it’s not available.
Us: Erm ok…
Quick questions popped into my head… first, why would you describe the pizza if it’s not available. Second, most places would let you substitute chicken. Third, why are you such a doof?
After looking over the menu quickly we proceded to order the tomato bisque ($ 3.99), Baja California fish tacos ($ 10.49), and Tennessee smokehouse pork sandwich ($ 7.99)
The pork sandwich was ok, it reminded me of regular carnitas smothered with tangy BBQ sauce. It also seemed like ½ a sandwich as the focaccia was small. Included with the sandwich was lettuce, pickles, and onions to be used as toppings. There was a also a small cole slaw that was bland. (
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The fish tacos were good, the fish consisted of cubes of salmon that were lightly seasoned and grilled. They were plated on a flour tortilla, layer of cabbage, carrots and pieces of orange topped with chili-​lime sauce. On the side was guacamole, rice and roasted sweet corn. (
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The tomato bisque was good but reminded me of the Trader Joe’s tomotato and roasted red pepper soup. It was garnished with croutons and parsley.
For the month of May, they also have 10% off with gym club ID. I had forgetten to show my Golds Gym card when I placed our order so I went back up (mind you not even a minute later) and asked the same cashier if I could get 10% off. He promptly said, «NO, the order is final, you have to show the gym id before your order». For a split-​second I thought about arguing and asking to see the manager but decided not to, didn’t want this doof to put me in a bad mood over a few dollars.
Overall the food was ok and seemed a bit on the pricey side considering the portion and quality you get. Most likely will not go back considering far better lunch options in the area.

Came here with a coworker one day for lunch. Not bad. I like the multiple cuisine offerings, you can always keep it new. That’s good for a grazer like me.
This place loses a star for price, though. On my piddly salary and with this economy I won’t be coming here for lunch very often.

I haven’t been back for awhile but I heard good things about their salads and sandwiches, so I thought I would give Citrine another try. I had the Asian chicken salad ($ 8.49). The salad looked great with mixed greens, chopped scallions, shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, grilled chicken strips and sesame seeds. However, the peanut-​ginger dressing was too salty. The last time I ate here, the food was also too salty. The portion size was on the small side given the price (again).
They seem to spend a lot on the wrong things — packaging, signature bags, stickers for holding the utensils in paper napkins, etc. I don’t need a microwave safe container for my salad. I’d rather have it in a cardboard box with a roll/​piece of bread instead.
I do appreciate the free refills on drinks though the plastic cup is small. They do have good a/​c though and free wi-​fi and the food is much better than Le Boulanger (the other free wi-​fi spot in town).

This is an interesting new place I tried with my main squeeze, last week.
You order and pay up front and then seat yourself and swipe your card in a funky locater doohicky on the table so they know which table ordered what — and there’s free wifi. Neat. It feels kind of like corporate cafeteria meets Ikea, but a little less stark. It’s definitely different. Prices aren’t what I’d consider cheap, but it’s reasonable (I think our lunch was $ 32?) and most food on the menu is organic. They break selections up by region which makes ordering a little easier and we found the staff to be pretty helpful.
We tried a parmesan herb flatbread, tostada pizzetta and the flame-​broiled flank steak (with chimichuri sauce substituted). The flatbread was a bit messy but not bad. The pizzetta was also messy but better than expected and the steak was decent — although the chimichuri sauce (which normally comes on their steak salad) was pretty blah. It was more like an italian dressing and beared no resemblance to the real deal. Oh well. We also tried their white peach tea and fresh citrine italian soda. Both were pretty tasty.
Overall, it was a good lunch. Fast service, minimal pestering from wait staff due to the ordering style and decent food. The lame chimichuri sauce and fact that we didn’t walk out raving (it was more of a «hmm, that wasn’t bad» consensus) will keep it at 4 stars for now. If we go back and like a few other items on the menu, I’ll bump it up.

What a fantastic idea!
The menu is big but it is smartly broken up into regions which makes the menu more manageable and corrals the distinct flavors.
I was looking for something different for our group dinner and what a find. Organic food and a great variety.
Never having even tried the food; I took a Unilocal of faith.
I called regarding their catering menu which was just sandwiches but Patricia and Marnie were happy to setup the regular menu meals buffet style for me.
I ordered the following:
pork platter — delicious fall apart juicy and flavorful… i LOVE pork.
chipotle chicken — nicely cut up for a buffet but dry. people ate this to eat the sauce.
organic salad — Good and simple
date salad — YUM, everyone loved this. the dates, blue cheese, simple and fresh
grilled veggies — FABULOUS, nicely charred tender and juicy, everyone loved the portobellos and asparagus
rustic rigatoni — nice and hearty and again the portobellos were fantastic; sausage not so much — too dense, over processed kibble; they should use real sausage
international cookie platter — the chocolate chewy is chewy, I liked the chocolate chip the best, sesame the least.
Patricia did a super job on packing up my meal. All the sauces were packed separately and labeled, utensils and wiki sticks included.
Our group was very impressed by the freshness and flavors and I liked the simplicity and flexibility of the menu and people. I wanna open one of these.
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I did come here the night before to eat in as well and the service was very attentive and the pork and date salad were delicious.
I want to come back and try a different region.

It took me awhile to desire to go here once I found out that it was a Safeway marketing gimmick, but my friend Sally wanted to come here for lunch after a quick shopping trip to Cost Plus around the corner.
I was less than impressed. I ordered an Ahi steak sandwich with sauce on the side. Not only did it come a good 15 minutes after my friends meal (ordered at the same time), but it came with a good slathering of sauce on the bread. I sent it back. I got another sandwich about 5 minutes later. Slathered with sauce. Granted on the third try the words «No Sauce» finally sunk in, but in my opinion it was 3 tries too long. They did give me a $ 5 gift card for my troubles, but I also noticed that several other people in my direct vicinity did too.
Food was OK, not great, but the service has to improve to get me to go back.