Addendum

I was rather disappointed with my experience at Addendum — I really wanted to like this place! It came highly recommended by a few fellow friends in the area but when my husband and I tried it out, we were rather underwhelmed by the food.
First off, the food is rather expensive (like many places in Napa) but good food doesn’t have to be pricey (see my review on Clemente). For 16.50, we shared an order of the fried chicken lunch combo which came with two sides of the day (you do not get to pick). There were 3 pieces of fried chicken and the skin was indeed very crispy but still not overly flavored and was not very hot either. It also came with one corn bread which was good. The two sides were cole slaw and quinoa salad — both of which I wouldn’t have picked if I had a choice. So for $ 16.50, I only enjoyed three chicken pieces and the corn bread.
I ordered online but when I go there, I still had to wait another 10 – 15 minutes for someone to attend to me at the window and give me food. A small tiny diet soda was like $ 3.50. And although the picnic style eating area was nice with lots of shade to keep cool, I would not recommend Addendum.

Fried Chicken with tasty meat and was mostly tender and the skin was crispy. Cornbread was the best Cornbread I’ve eaten in a very long time. I would just come back for that.
The two daily sides weren’t too fattening and rounded out the meal quite well. It’s easy to have something like baked beans and Mac and cheese and just feel very full afterwards. Not with the light aides they provide.
For $ 16.50 and a picnic style of eating (they do bring out your food once you order at the counter), price is about right on par in Yountville. However, I am still not sure if you I would pay a full $ 52 per person at Ad Hoc for the same exact thing, their other entrees I don’t have a problem with. It’s fried chicken after all and I have a hard time convincing that it’s more then what it is. There are also Ribs and Pulled Pork sandwiches on the menu. You can also get a bigger bucket of chicken if you have lots of people. Overall it’s a good way to get the food of Ad Hoc without the price, you don’t get the full experience, but you get the food, and that’s the most important part.

Simply put, probably the best fried chicken you’ll ever eat! Not remotely greasy, the meat is flavorful, and the skin is crispy/​flaky deliciousness. I tore thru it so fast, I forgot to analyze how they might have done it (oops, I’ll just have to go back again… or just look at the recipe in his cookbook… duh). Basically, there would be only one fried chicken joint in America if Keller decided to open a chain. Ah, but there’s the rub, he probably uses really expensive chickens that are read bed time stories… so it can’t scale up.
I got the ribs too, but unlike the fried chicken they were merely good… not great. They have a good smoke to them, but they’re a little lean (not very moist). The sauce is just ok. But this is nit-​picking, I’d order them again in a heartbeat.
The sides, er, side was decent. Unfortunately, they lost their Keller-​esque attention to detail and gave me 4 sides… all the same (I didn’t see until I got home). So I was slightly pissed, although the couscous was tasty. Also, my «three» chocolate chip cookies were so thin and soft that they basically got mushed into 1 cookie… kinda lame… but still tasty. The cornbread muffin was also good.
Two things. First, don’t listen to the clowns in here complaining about the price. GOOD THINGS COST MONEY! (Everything in Yountville/​Napa costs more). If you want cheap go to KFC, and leave this place for those that know the difference. Second, this is supposed to be refined home cooking, so don’t listen to the goofs who nit-​pick everything like the place was the French Laundry just because Keller’s name is attached. Enjoy it for what it IS!

This is probably some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. Only open for lunch 11a-​2p. Great little picnic area behind ad-​hoc. Lots of shade for those hot days. I don’t eat pork so didn’t try the other 2 items on the menu. Cookie are small but good. I thought the lemonade was just ok.

I wish I liked Addendum more. There is no doubt that the buttermilk fried chicken was good, easily worth the price of admission. But you don’t get much bang for your buck and other items outside of the fried chicken do not live up to the price tag. It’s a small spot with limited and mostly overpriced items. If you’re hankering for great fried chicken, however, it’s a good spot to go.

Pros:
This place was pretty good! Gourmet, non-​greasy fried chicken with a perfect crisp skin. We ordered a small bucket which primarily came with thighs and legs, all of which were flavorful and moist inside. Service is also exceptionally friendly, and the seating area is cute and picturesque.
Cons:
The only complaints I have is that their sauce game needs work — they only offer tabasco, ketchup, and their house hot sauce as accompaniments to the chicken. Honey would also be a great addition. They also could probably have a wider selection of sides.
Also, this chicken is NOT cheap. Between two people, we got two sodas and a small bucket of fried chicken, all of which came to nearly $ 50. Steep.
Overall though, thumbs way up for this place — Thomas Keller quality food minus all the fuss and hassle of getting reservations. If you go early, there’s no line!

Today was Thomas Keller Day in Yountville.
Well, I made it Thomas Keller Day in Yountville not only because of the delicious BFC I lunched on, but also because I’m still dreaming of an opportunity to dine at French Laundry. But until then, I’ll take anything Thomas Keller. That’s where Addendum comes in.
Most of you already know the drill. This is a picnic box lunch area in the back yard of Ad Hoc. Their main dish is the BFC — buttermilk fried chicken. Yes, I do believe it does live up to the hype. Why? Because unlike other fried chicken where the flavors are concentrated on the skin, Addendum’s BFC flavor is concentrated in the chicken meat itself. Their special brining process results in chicken meat that is moist and flavorful. That moisture is locked in during the deep frying process and you end up with a wonderfully balanced, not boring and the complete-​opposite-​of-​dry chicken.
It’s like eating a rotisserie chicken with a crunchy, fried shell.
Today’s sides were cold pea salad (creamy and unique) and macaroni salad (a bit eggy but good). The cornbread was interesting. It had a nice subtle honey taste to it, although I missed the corn grit texture.
Service was smooth, seating was abundant, and the line was short because we arrived right at opening time. I had also taken advantage of their online ordering to purchase a small bucket of chicken to bring home with me afterwards. The servers brought that out after my lunch arrived.
Because I registered and ordered online, I can take advantage of future line-​skipping orders of BFC any time. Going to keep that in my back pocket the next time I have a hankering to celebrate another Thomas Keller Day in Yountville.

I’ve been here twice now and can say that the friend chicken is pretty delicious. The chicken is moist, breading is crisp and flavorful. Overall, a great place to stop on your way to wine tasting in Napa.
The small bucket of fried chicken is $ 28, a bit pricy if you ask me but worth it if not for the experience and cute outdoor seating area they have.

Addendum is a a newer, boxed lunch addition to the Thomas Keller franchise (The French Laundry, Bouchon, Per Se, etc).
Tucked behind Ad Hoc in a lovely grove of trees is a saltbox sized outlet where for four hours a day, three days a week (Thurs-​Sat) for about $ 20 you can dine al fresco (or take to-​go) some high brow fried chicken and two sides.
I was floored by Addendum’s chicken. The thick buttermilk crust was seasoned with sea salt and fresh rosemary for a delightful, savory crunch. The three piece serving was extremely generous, and the buttery corn muffin was flavored with honey. In particular I enjoyed the cole slaw, which had more of a vinegar sauce– not overly mayonnaised.
Altogether, Addendum has the making for a fantastic «pinkies-​out» high brow fried chicken picnic the next time you’re in Napa. AND you can say you ate at a Thomas Keller establishment without mortgaging your house.

I always wanted to go Ad Hoc and try the fried chicken that everyone raves about. I’ve heard people swear that it’s hands down the best fried chicken out so I finally come out to see what the fuss is about. So my family and I head out here for lunch on a beautiful sunny day, first impression is the scenery reminds you of a picnic. The have a cute chalkboard with their menu and we proceed to order.
Well… We decided to order everything!
*Fried Chicken — Huge disappointment here. The night before I was dreaming of this chicken changing my life like everyone says. I mean I thought that there was a reason for a 3 piece fried chicken meal to cost 16.50. The best thing I can say about the chicken is that it was cooked properly. All 3 pieces were moist but lacked in flavor. But for charging that much for fried chicken that’s the least you can do. Can’t give you a pat on the back for that. Difference between Popeyes and The chicken here, it’s not drenched in grease.
*BBQ Pork Ribs — We’ll continue with the theme, ribs lacked flavor and they were bland. The meat didn’t fall of the bone and the BBQ sauce was nonexistent. It was definitely more on the dry side.
*Pulled Pork Sandwich — Again, bland. I think the worst out of the three. :(
*Each one came with the same sides. Cole slaw and macaroni salad need some work.
So after trying everything, I’m doubt I’ll ever come back, or even try Ad Hoc. Poor execution on food, left my family and I disappointed. If you guys are trying to decide wether to give this place a try you should just pass. This food stand is overpriced for very underwhelming food. Nowhere near the best fried chicken.
P. S. If you do decide you want to still give it a try and ignore my warning… Just lower your expectation, maybe down to a 1.

Tucked away behind Ad Hoc, Addendum is a small stand in a beautiful garden opened for lunch and serving up amazing fried chicken.
The menu is simple with Buttermilk Fried Chicken, BBQ Ribs, and Pulled Pork Sandwiches as the main dishes, Honey Cornbread, and rotating sides like coleslaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad.
There were three of us, so we opted for the Small BFC Bucket ($ 28) that comes with 6 – 8 pieces of their famous Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Also, three pieces of Honey Cornbread ($ 3/​each), and one round of sides (2 for $ 9). The sides available that day were Macaroni Salad and Coleslaw.
The chicken is amazing and so flavorful. The breading is phenomenally crispy tossed with coarse salt and rosemary. The meat is ridiculously juicy. Buttermilk fried chicken perfection!
The cornbread was tasty as well, but the sides were just okay. But that’s all right, the chicken is worth the visit. Oh, the Ad Hoc Chocolate Chip Cookies ($ 3) are a must!
The beverage selection is great with specialty bottled sodas and an exclusive Brooklyn Brewery Blue Apron Ale (only sold at Addendum!).

Lunch cost $ 50 for two people.
Chicken — skin is extra crispy and meat is tender. I’ve had better else where
Coleslaw and macaroni sides — I was starving so it was the first dishes for me to eat. Coleslaw tasted commercial and the macaroni had no taste at all.
Ice tea — too much sugar
Bottled water — is bottled water and they don’t offer tap.
Cookies — not bad for $ 3
Not exactly worth $ 50 for two.
Nice patio seating, shared tables, and plenty of shade.

If Thomas Keller ran a food truck, I’d imagine it would be like Addendum. Located right behind Ad Hoc in Yountville, its basically a little food stand where you order food. They have a separate line for pickup for online orders. Its surrounded by a huge veggie and herb garden, and has plenty of picnic tables.
The food specialties are fried chicken, BBQ ribs, and pulled pork sandwiches. They also have sides like slaw and mac salad that comes with the meals.
The buttermilk fried chicken (BFC) meal was three large pieces for $ 16. Incredibly crispy breading — seasoned well with salt and thyme I believe. The meat was juicy — obviously marinated in buttermilk like they do in the South. Probably one of the best fried chickens we’ve had — its fried crispy but surprisingly not oily nor greasy!
The ribs meal came 6 per order, and they were meaty with a small bit of sauce already. We really liked these as well — barely any fat, yet meat was tender and the sauce was mild in sweetness.
For drinks, I also recommend their bottled ginger ale — a two ingredient masterpiece of ginger and cane sugar. Goes well with Q!

I finally got the chance to enjoy lunch here. My wife and I arrived a bit before 11am and people were already waiting in line. It was a nice day in Napa, as the sun was just coming-​out, so it wasn’t very warm out.
Ordered the buttermilk chicken and the BBQ pork ribs. Today’s sides were baked beans and macaroni salad. And of course, each meal included the cornbread muffin.
The buttermilk chicken was as good as advertised. It was moist and crispy and delish. It wasn’t oily or greasy and tasted very light. Even the white meat was moist. The BBQ pork ribs were also fall-​off the bone good. They had a nice smokey flavor and just the right amount of BBQ sauce on them. The baked beans had a nice tang to them and the macaroni salad was good too.
Enjoyed sitting on the picnic benches too. When we finished eating, the line was long and most of the seating was taken.

Addendum was on my list long before hitting Napa for a week of wine tasting and foodie adventure. My party of eight rented a wine touring van, and I convinced everyone that Addendum would be a great spot to stop for lunch, and I’m glad I did. What a great spot for a picnic lunch, complete with soft grass areas, dg paths, raised garden planters, shade trees, communal picnic tables, and a dog friendly, happy atmosphere. Fortunately our driver suggested that we order ahead, so we wouldn’t have to wait long for our food. He was nice enough to make the call for us while we enjoyed one of our stops in a wine cave, and the food was ready when we arrived.

It’s all about the chicken. The fried chicken leaves nothing to be desired, but more chicken. For $ 16 you get a generous portion of three pieces, perfectly fried to a wonderful crisp, with meat that is so moist and flavorful everyone is just oohing and aahing, and salivating for another bite. I’ve had other great fried chicken, famously great fried chicken, and I would really have to eat that side by side with Keller’s to make a preference. Clearly the brining put this one over the top for me, and left me really impressed. Five stars for the chicken.
For sides we had the slaw and macaroni salad. The slaw had a slight mustard base, and was good. The macaroni was okay, and better than most picnic style macaroni salads, but I would just stick with the slaw next time. Everyone really liked the cornbread, which tasted of fresh corn, which I guess shouldn’t be a surprise, but it was, and it was moist and light. Three stars for the sides.
Pulled pork sandwich: My wife and I ordered both the chicken and the pulled pork sandwich, so we could try both. The pulled pork was of the mustard style and while very good, paled compared to the chicken. None of us were blown away by the sandwich, but all thought it was good. One note here worth mentioning is that I wouldn’t order the sandwich much ahead, as when we got there the chicken was fine, but the bottom bun from the sandwich was soggy from sitting. I’d order this again, but only if they were out of the chicken. 3.5 stars for the pulled pork.
Addendum is a great, fun place to eat in the middle of a day of wine tasting. I will definitely be making another visit next time I’m in the area.

Overrated, overhyped, and overpriced.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, HELL-​a no.
You see what I did there? This Angeleno is trying to become more NorCal-​ian/​Bay-​Arean since he relocated to the East Bay. Whatever.
Look, I am a fan of Thomas Keller, but that does not mean I am going to be like Helen Keller and blindly fucking follow him like half of freaking Unilocal.Seriously, how was this chicken life-​changing or the best fried chicken ever? Too much sipping the Thomas Keller Kool-​Aid in my opinion.
As I tasted the chicken I was like, no way in «hell-​a» is this meal worth $ 16.50, especially since I just came back from Hash Hash a Go Go in Las Vegas where they serve better fried chicken with Jurassic-​sized proportions for about the same price.
I mean, how were the sides of mundane cole slaw, monotonous pasta salad, and boring ass cornbread/​muffin bullshit even worth mentioning? The sides were so bad I wished I had just gone to the Colonel or Olive Oyl’s boyfriend’s joint and gotten a bucket family meal for the same price because at least that shit would have been tasty.
Yea, yea, yea, you are in Yountville in Napa County and you are going to overpay for shit… like wine tastings and pastries. I mean, I almost got suckered into buying a $ 30 bottled beer by the Addendum cashier until I snapped out of it and was like, wait, what the fuck did you say? I am sorry, but a drink should never cost more than the damn food.
The fact that the food comes out minutes after you order it means it was cooked in advance. The chicken tasted like it had no soul because it was probably conceptualized by Thomas Keller to make a quick buck off the people that did not have a reservation for Ad Hoc or could not afford the French Laundry.
At the end of the day, Addendum is all things a sell-​out celebrity chef would do. Akin to Skinner and frozen food in Ratatouille, which is ironic since Thomas Keller was a consultant for that movie.
Dare I say it? Thomas Keller is reaching Wolfgang Puck status? Meh.
So… let me throw you some «blunt-​ville». There needs to be a referendum for Addendum because it really isn’t all that. Add-​endum… more like Minus-​DUMB.
Thank goodness it is not open every day.

Best Fried Chicken EVER!!!
Absolutely the most moist, most flavorful, and most amazing fried chicken I have ever had in my life. The rosemary makes the chicken super fragrant, and while the skin is beautifully crisp the meat is still extremely moist and juicy. Absolutely worth the wait (but if you want to be smart about it, just call-​in and order your chicken to go).
The sides were also excellent, I really liked the potato salad and of course the cornbread, but don’t bother filling up on the sides, just stuff your face with this fantastic chicken!
Addendum is located behind Ad Hoc, seating is picnic style with a few tables an benches.

Best fried chicken I’ve had yet. The cheap alternative to Ad Hoc, Addendum serves a few options, but it’s the fried chicken that everyone raves about. Fried in buttermilk, the chicken is juicy and rich inside while lightly crisped on the outside. The inner part of the coating is a little soft, giving the whole thing great texture.
The breading is also lightly seasoned with some herb (I want to say rosemary? But I’m not entirely sure and not 100% confident with all my herbs) that brings out the flavor without overpowering the chicken. No dips or sauces needed! The sides were pretty mediocre, and mostly served to hold us over until the chicken arrived. The cornbread that came with the chicken, however, was fantastic. Lightly honeyed and again full of flavor.
It’s all outdoor seating, but the weather is usually beautiful anyway. A few benches for you and your friends, but try to find some in the shade! Definitely worth stopping at.

Arguably one of the best fried chickens around. It was well seasoned, sprinkled with rosemary, crispy, and juicy, cooked really well.
I didn’t know this place existed right behind Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc. It is basically an outdoor picnic area with picnic tables in a garden that is only available for lunch. It is best to make reservations a day before your visit ahead of time. While a line can form, it is not a problem.
The potatoes were new to me since I’ve never had black potatoes before. Served cold, it is a nice change from the expected. The corn succotash is also amazing. The melonade (melon lemonade) and sweet tea are worth a try.
It may run a bit in the pricey side, but if you are in the area, it is definitely worth trying out.

Literally probably some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in recent memory.
Came here around 1pm on a Saturday for lunch. I thought it was just going to be a random shack. false duh it’s Thomas Keller, I should have expected more. It’s a small cute shack in the middle of an absolutely lovely, darling (sorry I can’t think of a better word) garden. There are a ton of picnic benches with shade and no shade depending on your preferences. Just lovely outdoor picnic seating it was fantastic.
A couple of items on the menu when I went. You could get a meat base (Fried chicken, pulled pork, some other stuff) with the 2 daily sides or you could go for a small/​large BFC bucket. I came with in a group of 4 Asian girls and we went with the big bucket. which was a mistake because it was WAY too much food but really not that tragic because a girl can never have enough BFC ;) Depending on what your party wants, if everyone just wants fried chicken, the buckets are definitely much more economically beneficial ($ 48 for 12 huge chunks of chicken).
Apparently you can be pretty gung-​ho and order online. We talked to a guy sitting next to us and he said that he had to wait over an hour the last time he was here. I guess we got lucky because our giant bucket of happiness came out in less than fifteen minutes.
The fried chicken is HUGE. Oh my god it was so delicious though. Seriously the best fried chicken of my life. See everyone can do drumsticks well, but Addendum even does the chicken parts that are normally all dry and not delicious well. Somehow they fry that chicken in a way where no part or piece of meat is too dry to eat. It’s all just perfectly cooked, and so, so tender and juicy. The batter the fried chicken is fried in is also spectacular. There’s some nice rosemary (?, maybe, might have been some other green leaf thing) sprinkled on top — that’s classy af BFC for you. We got pretty full after about 2 pieces/​person so we should have gone for the small bucket (6 – 8 pieces). So good though. The batter was just amazing as was the chicken.
We also each got a cornbread that I really liked. The corn bread isn’t the gritty kind of corn bread where you can taste chunks of corn. It’s really smooth, lovely texture, tastes like moist bread that’s corn flavored. I swear the top was probably brushed with honey or something which gave the corn bread a really lovely taste. It was excellent to complement the chicken with.
I also tried the melonade which was pretty good. They have a few house drinks + bottled sodas and water (lol if you ask for water, you can only really get Voss water, classy).
tldr; all in all an amazing experience… great way to get your dose of Keller at an affordable rate. Definitely some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. Would highly recommend and will definitely return for lunch if I’m ever in the Napa Valley area