A solid 4.5 stars! This review is for the wedding reception that I just had here last week! Dottia, Allie, and the team at Tarragon did a GREAT job! I had a wonderful time, and my guests really enjoyed themselves! Things we got compliments on: - Food. The tri-tip and tiramisu got the most compliments, but everything overall was DELICIOUS. -Flexibility. They let us bring in our own candy bar with cake pops, popcorn, rice crispy treats, pretzels, and candies. How cool is that?! - Friendliness of staff. Dottia and Allie were a joy to work with. They were receptive to our ideas, easy to talk to, and dealt with all our changes in planning so graciously. Dottia even signed our guestbook (so sweet)! And both her and Allie were there the day of to make sure everything went right. The bartenders also complimented us on our choice of music, which was very nice of them to do so. - Space. The venue was SO SPACIOUS for our wedding of 80 people or so. Tons of room to wander around, a beautiful patio space to cool off at, and a huge bar and dance floor. What more could you want? I would highly recommend this venue for any bride looking to have a chill, memorable and fun wedding reception! =)
(4)
Kimberly C.
Tarragon is a perfectly nice place to get a solid well-crafted meal. It will certainly not disappoint you. However, it feels a bit lackluster and probably won't excite you either. The interior design needs a bit of a facelift; it's not that dated looking, but you can tell they haven't changed it in awhile. The menu is a collection of pretty typical dishes and could use a revamp as well. While my filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes, spinach, mushrooms and a blue cheese sauce was quite good, it seemed slightly under seasoned and could use a little more flavor all around. My husband's ahi quickly left his plate, so I'm assuming that was a hit with him. We all had peanut butter bombas for dessert. Share! It's very rich and delicious. The service was outstanding, I might add.
(3)
Jean N.
It was very good. Food, service, and ambiance were all fine. We were able to get a reservation at the last minute on a very busy Saturday night. We have been there before and will be back again.
(4)
Jess B.
We came here on a Monday night at about 6pm. There were only a few tables filled and a couple of people at the bar. I love the location on S Murphy St. The ambiance is really nice inside, and much bigger than it looks from the outside. The service was great-- not surprising since it was pretty slow in there! But the real star was the food. I got the vegetable paella, and it was fantastic. It was a really large portion, enough for leftovers for the next day and sharing. Others I was with got the artichoke ravioli, the rib tower, and the filet mignon-- all were deemed very good. There were lots of other things on the menu that I'd also like to try, or even just get the paella again next time we're back! Definitely a place to put in the current rotation.
(5)
Elizabeth S.
We come here pretty regularly, as a family with kids to eat, or myself for drinks with friends. For a meal, the food is very good. Vegetarian options include some very nice salads (just ask them to hold the bacon). They have no written kids menu, but will tell you that they have chicken strips with fries (plus 3 other items I forget). My boys love those chicken strips. Kids will only do fine here if they are pretty quiet; remember that it's also a romantic restaurant so no loud kids. We have had excellent lasagna, meat dishes, and appetizers as well. Meal service is very good. The bar section has spottier service, you may have to wait some time, but they will eventually come and are always friendly when they do. There's TV in the bar areas visible from most of the restaurant; that can be good or bad depending on what you're looking for... we don't like tv's at meal times. Overall, I really enjoy this place.
(4)
Ron D.
My wife and I like to try on restaurants to see how they fit us. We like comfortable but elegant surroundings, soft lighting and an overall warmth that makes us feel welcome. The first time we visited Tarragon we knew it suited us well. I'm not saying food is secondary, but without the ambiance we would never return. What a delight to discover a rich and tasty menu of many favorites,along with friendly bartenders and wait staff. Prices are reasonable and if you're a bargain hunter, you'll want to try their daily Happy Hour with half price drinks and appetizers -- there's even an early bird special. We most often work too late to take advantage of that, but the wine list is varied with many reasonably priced bottles. We've been back 5 or 6 times and are never disappointed.
(5)
Katsumi N.
First of all, they had good service and cozy restaurant. It also provided nice private setting that worked well with business dinner. The list of dinner entry was small and it was more like Italian restaurant than American. But they served good food. I had Cioppino and it was delicious. Perfect tomato sauce with little spiciness to it. Good balance of seafood variety. Recommended. I wish they had larger selection of draft beer, they had only 4 choices. They had a lot of bottled beers but I'm not a fan. Overall, it's nice cozy place with good food. Check it out!
(4)
Kate Y.
I had my wedding banquet in the restaurant. I had a hard time finding a restaurant that meets all my requirements regarding food quality, price and location. Tarragon was perfect in all categories. My guests enjoyed the food there and Dottia, the event coordinator, at Tarragon accommodated many of my requests (seating arrangement, using the banquet for decoration preparations, video/audio test, and more!) Everything worked out really well at my wedding reception at Tarragon, and I'd recommend Tarragon for any special events.
(5)
Helena L.
We had meant to try out their happy hour special, but got their on the late side because it was that kind of day. My date was having a hypoglycemic melt down. Our server was very respectful and helped by bringing out our starters quickly. He provided some of the best service I can remember having, (keeping in mind that I frequent cafe style places more often). Among other things his timing was very good. When your date is having a meltdown, I can't tell you how nice that is. Parking was a problem. Normally I don't care about having to walk a couple blocks. Right now I'm gimpy, of the just starting to walk after 8 weeks of being laid up variety. As someone who is lactose intolerant and off gluten, this place could have been very difficult to navigate. Our server (again!) knew what dishes to avoid and provided lovely substitutions. All I could ask for really. The ambiance is to my liking, not too bright and very cushy. There was a large chatty dinner party right next to us at the beginning of the meal, but we didn't have to shout at each other. So the acoustics are very good, and the layout is appealing too.
(4)
Carisa Y.
Tarragon is one my go-to restaurants in downtown Sunnyvale. They have terrific happy hour in the bar/lounge area with 1/2 all wine (bottles and glasses!)/beer/cocktails and a great variety of appetizers. They have several tables and booths in the lounge area too so if you decide to stay for dinner, that's easily done. Lunch during the week at Tarragon is also great. They have a great variety of sandwiches, salads and hearty, classic entrees. My all-time favorite is the french dip sandwich-- which is made with prime rib on a great french bread. It might be the best french dip I've ever had. It's also a complete steal for lunch since it comes with fries or a salad. You can do a quick business lunch, but if you have the time, a nice leisurely lunch outside with a glass of wine is a pretty nice way to spend a summer afternoon. Dinner is good too, but I generally prefer their lighter lunch options or just to have an couple appetizers at the bar.
(5)
J P.
We had dinner at Tarragon again on Wednesday night. There were four vegetarian entrees on the early bird menu which is fantastic for us as we are both vegetarian. Once again, the food was outstanding and the service was impeccable. The waitress was always there when we needed her and each course came out quickly. The host is also wonderful and he greets us warmly every time we go there. I am very particular about food as I am a good cook myself. We have thoroughly enjoyed every meal here. I cannot judge the meat dishes but the vegetarian dishes are excellent.
(5)
Dusan P.
I had to wait for a long time before someone came to take my order. For second time nobody came for 15 minutes so we just left. Horrible service! ; (
This review is long overdue but after having our anniversary dinner there a year later, I am reminded of how awesome this place is. Dottia, Pablo, Joshua, all the staff, and Dan the chef are ALL awesome! A year later after having our wedding reception there, they still remember us. :) BANQUET/WEDDING RECEPTION SITE: brides who need and want a reception place that is accommodating to what you are looking for and giving you room to choose your vendors (DJ, cake, come in earlier for set up and placing of DIY stuff around the room). She even let us bring in a roasted pig (lechon) as it's a must to have at big Filipino gatherings/parties. [HUGE plus for dad!] A lot of the planning and explaining of what I wanted was done through email as it was not always easy for me to talk and express what I wanted during work (menu, table cloth/linens, seating arrangements, meal options, bar packaging, etc.) It wasn't until we got closer to the wedding that phone calls/ meetings and tastings were made with Dottia who always made sure that we were covering all aspects. I felt so bad for having to make last minute changes (adding more people and changing seating arrangements all the time) but she always reassured me that EVERYTHING will work out fine. I feel like having another party/anniversary just to experience it all over again. RESTAURANT and DINING: Dinner was sooooooo good!! We came in a little earlier to have some drinks and started off with appetizers. They have half off drinks (but you'll have to close your tab out of the bar before you get seated if you stay for dinner to make sure you get the "happy hour" prices). 2 glasses of wine and a razzi lemon drop and I'm getting a little buzzed :) Dinner and the service we received was EXCELLENT!!! Our glasses were always full, never had to wave someone down for a refill and we were checked on from time to time to make sure we were happy with everything. The bread they served was warm and yummy (we actually kept asking for more and loved it with the clam chowder). We dinned in for the Early Bird 3 course meal: Baby green salad, soup of the day (clam chowder), Cioppino (lots of seafood!), grilled Salmon (grilled to perfection), tiramisu, and the chocolate brownie, I can't believe we ate it ALL! AWESOME value for great tasting quality food! Thanks Tarragon and Dottia, you guys are so awesome!!!
(5)
J S.
This is my 7th time coming to Tarragon, which is usually great...however tonight the food was majorly disappointing. I've been here with girl friends, double dates, and my husband on numerous occasions plus about 15 years ago, his start up company had their banquet party upstairs so I know how long this restaurant has been here. And I've tried many dishes such as the calamari, ahi appetizer, mussels app, rack of lamb, tri tip, filet, rib eye, paella, and desserts. My favorite entree is the peppercorn NY steak, which I usually order medium rare. Tonight I ordered that and my hub ordered the paella, no appetizer since every time we order one we can't finish our entrees. Our waitress's service wasn't nearly as great as the guy who served us before, I think his name was Dante? First, after we finished our bread, she just took it away instead of asking us if we wanted more. Now onto the food, the moment I took a bite of my steak, it was just wrong, wrong, wrong! First, it was cold. We asked the waitress if the food was sitting on the counter a long time? And she said no. I told her my steak is cold, and she replied that she could have them put it back on the grill. Then she came back with a plate to get my steak, afterwards I took a bite of my mashed potatoes which I subbed instead of red potatoes and that was cold too! The worst thing is cold potatoes. I look into the open kitchen and noticed that the main chef wasn't there. My steak came back not much better, lukewarm this time and no taste of peppercorn at all. I've had this entree at least 4 times, and I was NOT happy with it tonight. Took a couple of bites, and lost my appetite altogether. As you can see from my pictures, the steak was not cooked evenly and was still mooing. Probably that's why it was cold, it was barely cooked. Next was my husbands paella, again we've had this before so we know what it should be like. It was bland, and halfway through the dish, the rice started becoming a soggy mess. Paella should not have a bunch of liquid at the bottom! Rice should be dry, but moist, and if they do it correctly the bottom should even be toasted rice, but never watery! Maybe my microwave can do a better job with my leftovers. I'm giving it 3 stars from previous great experiences otherwise it would be 1 star. Our waitress only came to ask us once if the steak was alright, but otherwise didn't come around.
(3)
Jeanette P.
This is a long over due review.... As well as up to date. Last summer I took a GF of mine here for a birthday dinner. We got there timely enough for Happy Hour, where they serve generous pours of good vine, and had (no more, hope they will get it again) the most wonderful Carpaccio. We then had there special Early Bird dinner.... That is soup (fantastic, had the Parsnip) or wonderful green mix salad. Then a huge selection of main course, and again a great many choices for dessert. And all for $20. This is a steal....... The last two weeks, I have gone there for lunch twice. The service is just top notch and friendly. Let me get back to that. The first time I ordered their special "Game Burger" it was truly good, however, due to the lean meat, I found it a bit on the dry side, even medium rare. That is not the restaurant, but really just how it is, and I forgot. Everything else was super. 6 days later I walk back in, for another lunch meeting. The host smiles and says: "Ahh, you are here again, welcome back so happy to see you ones more". Then when I sit down, the waitress come over and says, hello again, and not only that, when I am ready to order, she recalls what I had last time. (When you work in a restaurant you see hundreds of people every day, that is just amazing). So I ask this gem of a waitress Sarah, if it is at all possible to get the Lamb Burger, with the fixings for the Flat Iron Steak Burger, plus no mint in the lamb. They were not to busy (please keep this in mind) and I got the absolute best burger I have had in my life.... Really... It was out of this world! This place is just wonderful, they have outdoor seating (and the host will come and adjust the umbrella so you sit comfortably in shade) or the most beautiful inside decorated and inviting restaurant. If you want to go out, a date, business or just to have a lovely time, this is a great choice. I will be back many times in the future. OCTOBER 6th, 2014 Ones again a wonderful experience at Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale. Went there for lunch today, and the service and food is consistently excellent, along with the service. Their prices are amazing, fresh food and generous portions. I had the : Mesquite Grilled Steak (try it with the blue cheese instead of Swiss, just incredible) And it comes with a nice fresh Garden salad, if you don't want fries. Flat Iron steak with roasted peppers, caramelized onions, swiss cheese, arugula, mayonnaise on a ciabatta bun......................10.99 My friend had: Mesquite Grilled Salmon - Spinach Salad ( she got Blue cheese as well, no problem) poached pears, goat cheese, toasted almonds, bell peppers, red onions with balsamic dressing...... 12.99 We asked if they had Gluten free deserts, our wonderful waitress Sarah wasn't sure, and with a smile she was of to the kitchen to find out. As it turns out, they did not have anything (beside Sorbet) that fit the request. My friend told them about a delicious flourless chocolate cake (that is available at another restaurant) and Sarah wrote it down. Now, get this..... We left 20 minutes later, and as we did our farewell to the nice staff, we were told that the chocolate cake was ordered, and available in a few days! That is customer service beyond belief, and a willingness to listen and know how many people care about what they eat. I am so impressed with this place, had there been another star, they would have gotten it. Just love this place, it is a gem.
(5)
Adrienne M.
This place was recommended to us by friends so we came to check it out on a day when we had other errands to run in the South Bay. We shared the baked brie in puff pastry appetizer ($9) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… ). To my disappointment, the brie was actually wrapped in filo dough not puff pastry. Despite this, it was a great appetizer. The brie was warm and slightly melty and was served over a fruit (maybe peach?) compote. Instead of boring crackers, we got excellent little crostinis topped with olive oil and vinegar. Even without the buttery puff pastry, it was a very rich app. My only complaint was that the wedge of brie was awfully small, especially for $9. Still, it was tasty and started the meal on a good note. Unfortunately, our entrees were both very poor. Continuing the brie theme, I had the chicken & brie penne pasta ($15.50) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… ). I couldn't taste any brie in the sauce and although there were a lot of ingredients (chicken, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, green beans) it lacked flavor and just tasted very bland. The pasta tasted like it was Barilla. Overall, it wasn't BAD but it seemed like the kid of dish you would have at Applebee's, just very tasteless and boring. My husband had cheese ravioli ($15) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… ). He said it was ok. I tried a bite and it was too garlicky for me, and there didn't seem to be any flavor other than garlic. I have a feeling that we ordered wrong and that non-pasta dishes were probably better. I usually try not to order pasta except in Italian restaurants, but it caught my eye on the menu and I think it was a mistake. I doubt we would return even if we lived near by, and its certainly not worth making a trip to Sunnyvale for.
(3)
Jenny K.
Great food, atmosphere and prices! I got the fish tacos with an arnold palmer and shared some tarragon fries. The tacos came with seasoned black beans and lemon dill rice. The lemon dill rice was delicious but had a very strong dill smell. The taco toppings were excellent: avocado-sour cream and pineapple-chili sauce to name two. The fries were to die for! And very shareable. Came with feta, parsley and garlic. Medium cut, greasy and very satisfying! Service was prompt and friendly and I look forward to coming back, perhaps for happy hour.
(4)
g. s.
Good quality food, but the manager has lacked customer service skills both times I have been there. Honestly, it felt like if I were a 60 year old rich man I would be treated with respect and some decency but I'm not soooo.....So sad to say, but it's true.
(2)
Carmina B.
Ambiance /decor is great, but food is another story. I ordered a pork tenderloin with supposedly a side of mashed potatoes. They should've named it mashed potatoes with a side of 5 skinny pork tenderloin pieces. The pork is nothing out the ordinary as well. My husband's steak is only a okay and on a tiny side. And the price? Yup, not really worth of what we ate.
(2)
Barbara B.
A party of 5 of us went to an outdoor dinner/entertainment show in Sunnyvale Towne Square, where Tarragon is locate. Having dined there before, we sat at their outdoor tables and the men went in to order cocktails while we waited for the tables being set up in the street. The bartender told the guys they could not take the drinks outside as he feared they might be stolen. We were dressed nicely and all of us are over 65. The manager or owner, came and reiterated that they could not be taken outside because we weren't dining there. They were the most rude two men I have ever encountered! I can't imagine how we would be treated if we complained about a meal. Thus, none of the 5 of us will EVER step into this restaurant again. Too bad, because they have wonderful chefs.
(1)
Joe W.
We have enjoyed the great selection of food for a long time. We especially are very impressed with the happy hour menu and the early bird special.
(4)
Janet O.
Been planning to drop by to check this place out. We were pleasantly surprised to read outside their door that they have a **$22/person for a Three Course Meal. Sounds cool. No reservation at 6pm and we were told it was ok. We chose a booth. We were led all the way back in to the corner. A very cozy spot. Ideal for a romantic date. First Course: I chose the Soup of the day" Vegetarian Asparagus. It was surprisingly very tasty. Second Course: I opted for the Rack of Lamb. It was slightly seared on the sides just the way I like and melt like butter. The sauce was fantastic. Third Course: My choice was a New York style Cheese Cake. Creamy deliciousness sitting atop an orange caramelized peel. Awesome! The staff was very efficient, warm and available. A bar to the right as you walk in. Very inviting. It filled up pretty quickly around 6:30. ** IF you're interested in the Early bird special $22/person Three course meal you have to be there before 6.
(5)
Lolz F.
This is a review for their happy hours which is the best in town. All the drinks including premium drinks like Black Label Johnny Walker and very nicely curated wine bottles are HALF price. They also have a great selection of happy hour appetizers. The bar area is a little bit small and the place can get pretty crowded but the staff always keep us happy.
(4)
Ciara M.
The early bird special is such a good deal! 20 dollars for three full courses if you order before 6 pm. I've tried the cioppino and pot roast, both delicious, highly recommend! Cioppino comes loaded with tons of seafood, and the pot roast was very tender.
(4)
Victoria H.
Wednesday night a last minute reservation for 10 went exceptionally well! Our waiter was quick, witty and attentive. I have to say he was excellent! The Wine was delicious, (Pinot) and the food was cooked perfectly! The owner was welcoming, charming and gracious. I haven't been here before last night in years but I hope to return very soon!!
(5)
Alan D.
Stopped by here for a going away party for a director at my company, and for my friend's dad (same guy!). Anyways, I found this to be a very tidy restaurant that served great appetizers (I didn't have any main dishes since I was there for a going-away party) and really had a great atmosphere.
(4)
phatjat m.
Tonight was my first visit to this restaurant and left very disappointed as the food is not great (not even ok). We started off with single malt with kabobs which were ok (bit cold). We ordered Cioppino and Lasagna Bolognese for our main entrees per the recommendation from the waitress. Cioppino was salty, and my friend only had few bites of lasagna which had no taste to it. This restaurant is definitely off our list on Murphy Avenue (will not return even if offered complimentary food). The owner needs to get a clue from all the recent reviews and take some immediate corrective action vs acknowledging the reviews.
(1)
F S.
We went to Tarragon Restaurant for Mothers day. we did had reservations and still had to wait 45 minutes. The restaurant is beautifully decorated. It is a bit tight for a Buffet. but it did work. ( the only thing offered for Mothers day) the food was okay. not quite worth the price. all the chicken dishes were over cooked and tough. The Pot Stickers were yummy. there were no prices on anything. and as I learned if you had to ask you cant afford it. since the buffet was 30.00 PP. we assumed that the drinks were included. they offered drinks and mimosa's but never advised and nothing about that they cost more. we were abit shocked when we received the bill and it was almost $200.00 for 4 people. the ice teas, coffee and mimosas all were extra. the best part of the experience was the waitress. she was hands down the only reason why we even stayed. this was the second time we came to Tarragon. both times we had to wait with reservations. and the only saving grace was the waitperson.
(3)
Jen B.
Pros: -Can seat large groups -Plenty of free parking near the Macy's down the street -Conserves water (aka you ask to have water so none is wasted) -Attentive staff -Salad (produce) was fresh Cons: -Paella lacked the signature "crust" and was more like overcooked Spanish rice -Colleague had 3 bean salad and it was unusually heavy on the basil -The host was not welcoming (couldn't discern if it was rude or aloof) Overall the experience was just average for the price. I loved the quaintness of the location and the fact they were able to accommodate a large group. The server and wait staff were friendly and attentive (aside from the host).
(3)
Vicky T.
I felt like our server needed a hug yesterday. Maybe he was just having an off day. I know that large groups of 10-15 can be a pain (and sometimes loud) but our group is relatively easy going. The happy hour is a good deal... Not so hot items: Fries ("garlic" and sweet potato) I would pass on Wings- would also pass on those Favorite items: Brie plate --- that was my favorites it was perfect. Flatbreads-- mushroom and onion was awesome. Salmon Appetizer Bruschetta Sliders Great bar/ wine list for folks Will be back eventually.
(3)
Esther Y.
Came here for a work lunch once, and ordered the jambalaya. The flavors were really good. The restaurant is very spacious as well, and customer service is great.
(4)
Lina A.
Happy Hour! Yes it's that time and this is the spot to be for great wine bottles at half price during happy hour. The appetizers are really good too. We had the Tarragon Fries (nom nom) Hummus with fresh flat bread also great. It complimented the 2 bottles of wine my girlfriends and I had. The staff is super friendly and attentive!
(5)
Bob F.
Took a group of 11 folks here for a work lunch on a Friday. Nice atmosphere. Varied menu. Everyone who came remarked that they enjoyed the food. I had the roasted chicken sandwich and would definitely have this again. I would definitely use this place again for a work lunch.
We like everything about Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale. The atmosphere is inviting; no loud music, just soft jazz, so you are actually able to have a conversation without shouting. The service is excellent, and the food is wonderful. And to top it off, the prices are reasonable! We have eaten there several times and have always been extremely satisfied.
(4)
Screebes D.
I recently ate at this place. The food was pretty good with a few issues here and there. First, the price. The pricing was a little on the upper end with around $20+ a plate. For that price, everything should be on point. I thought the chef was a bit heavy handed with the salt on my vegetables. My pork tenderloin was cooked perfectly however. My husband had the steak. He rated it okay. He had a side of spinach which was so salty it was terrible. The service and atmosphere were nice.
(3)
Tanner L.
Great Value! Nice decor! Nothing fancy, but good food and good service. We like it and will be back! Good job!
(5)
PiggyIzme L.
Friendly and attentive service. Nice ambience with classy decors. Good selection of wines and most importantly.. Great tasting foods! I love the Cioppino dish here, but all the other dishes look great too. Will come back for more! :)
(4)
Amado R.
I went here for Valentine's Day. Well, actually the Saturday before Valentine's Day. They had a set menu for the weekend like most restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. It was very warm an inviting. It was too noisy or crowded when I arrived with my date. We started promptly at 7:00pm. I enjoyed the food. I felt that it was honest and simple and fresh. The portions where well sized. I enjoyed oysters an an appetizer, had lobster bisque, then an asparagus salad, leading to my main course. My only concern for the evening was my server. Having been a server in my life, I always try to cut people some slack. I think if he would have been trained a little bit more, the evening would have gone on without a hitch. The dinner was wonderful, I just wish I had the service to go along with it.
(3)
Magaly T.
I recently had my wedding reception hosted here at Tarragon's banquet facility upstairs on February 2, 2013 and must say that everything turned out incredible!! The food, the set up, the staff..everything was absolutely fantastic!! Dottia Bilic and Allie Zipp where a true joy to work with! I knew right from the beginning, when we first met that i could trust them and that everything would turn out great. Dottia and Allie are extremely professional and made this planning be one hundred percent-stress free. Whenever i had a question they would reach back and answer them with no hesitation. All my guests said the food was spectacular!!! Not one person complained about anything! Having a bar upstairs was also very convenient and everyone enjoyed it! Everything was set up and on time ready for when our guests arrived! Tarragon was absolutely fantastic!! We are so honored to have had our wedding reception here! Tarragon and all the staff where just a joy to work with! We will definitely be back and will always be faithful customers!! We are at a loss of words of how satisfied we are with how things went!! Thank you so much Dottia and Allie!!!
(5)
Dollie F.
We had the special (between 5 and 5:45pm). My husband had the pot roast and I had the pork. $3 for drinks, three course meal for $20. The atmosphere was amazing. The food was delicious and the service was very, very good. I would highly recommend. Dessert? Few things make me smile wider than Tiramisu. It wasn't the best I have ever had but it was good. BUT, my husband had a cheese cake in a sauce (apricot, I think?) that rocked. Highly recommend the cheesecake.
(4)
PennDesi I.
We went here on Friday night and were expecting long wait but the restaurant was almost empty. However, no one noticed us at door, we waited for 5 min and were about to leave but then the old guy (owner ?) saw us and seated us. Our server that day was friendly and pointed out vegetarian options from the menu. We had lasagna and some rice dish. everything tasted great. The portions were HUGE. Overall, we had good time.
(4)
R P.
OK this is the worst review of a Restaurant I've ever given. I've waited a few weeks to do this vs writing my review right after I got back from a very bad dining experience. 1. Waiter - didn't remember the specials and started mumbling something about fruit salad - that was the last time we saw him until I complained to the manager about the service 2. Nobody picked up then appetizer plates from our table 3. Had a a fillet and they never gave me a steak knife. I needed it because while it might of been medium when it came off the grill by the time it was server it was DONE. 4. They never offered if we wanted another drink (remember the waiter never came back to our table after ordering) I had to flag down the bus boy. We watched the order being placed - but no drink ever showed up. 5. The waiter managed to get back to ever table around us but never ours. We tried to flag him down without any luck. He did manage to show up after we complained mumbling something about 'being too busy' We did watch him spend a ton of time chit-chatting with the bar tender during our meal vs attending to his customers 6. Food - average at best. For what they were charging - sub par. With SO many options on Murphy I don't know why ANYONE would ever patronize this place. I could of into excruciating detail about how bad the experience was but I'd just get too angry in the process.
(1)
Cindy B.
This place is a little underrated, probably because the inconsistency in service and food. First time going with a couple friends on a Tue night, there were only a waiter and a bartender for about 4 tables and 2-3 ppl at the bar. It took a few minutes after the waiter saw us to get seated. However, on the subsequent visits, the waiters and bus people were all very attentive. One does have to choose the food wisely. Of all the things we have tried there, some were definitely better than others: Appetizers: The crab cake had more binding agents (egg and bread crumbs) than I'd like and the avocado mousse it sat on had partially turned brown. Couple of the salads we tried were decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, considering other comparable dining establishment charge $8 for a salad, they were quite reasonable. The baked Brie was lovely, so was the artichoke if a bit small. Entrees: The paella was very blah. The rice was mushy, and flavours were definitely lacking. Both the lamb and filet mignon were always cooked to the medium rare I asked for. The sides complimented the meat nicely. I still wonders if they put truffle oil in the mushrooms as I can't imagine the fungi alone produced such fragrance. Desserts: Only had the lava cake, very rich and moist but there wasn't enough molten chocolate.
(4)
Mark R.
It had been years since we'd been to Tarragon, partly because downtown Sunnyvale has been a mess for over a year, but now that Murphy Street has reopened, we gave it another try, and we're glad we did! I read that they had a new chef and a new menu, and both are terrific. My wife & I had the paella and the pork tenderloin. Each had a terrific presentation, and both were quite tasty. The service was also very good, despite the fact that we chose to sit outdoors for the Sunnyvale Summer Concert series. If you haven't been to Tarragon for awhile, give 'em another try!
(4)
Amy F.
This review is kind of a mixed bag, but ultimately everything worked out. FIrst, let me say the food was good, and while most of the issues were not the staff's fault, we were put through the mill a little on a very important night. Ok, we booked this restaurant for my in-laws 43rd wedding anniversary.-The reservation was for 9 of us. Kind of a big deal right? The evening of the anniversary dinner arrives, and 2 hours before our reservation, we get a call saying that their grill isnt working. They say they're getting someone to work on it, but no promises, and they'll call me back in 45 minutes with an update. So, I swing into back-up mode. I start calling all the others in our group, and trying to figure out where we can go on a Saturday night that would be worthy of such an occasion. I start calling all over the place. However, true to their word, they do call back in 45 minutes, and said that the grill was still out, but we could still have their early bird menu. I explained my situation and asked if we could be compensated somehow because of our situation, and the fact that this was such a special night. They said yes, they would give us a complimentary champagne toast. Great! By this time I was tired, hadnt even had time to get dressed, put on makeup, etc - I had been calling all over God's creation, and had not able to get our large party booked in any other place at such a late date, I went online, looked at the EB menu, and decided it looked good. I called everyone back in our party, and we decided to keep the reservation, and forge ahead. So, once we arrive, & were seated for a bit, I asked the waiter about the champagne- I was hoping they would do this without me having to ask, but whatever. Anyway, he has no clue what I'm talking about. My sister in law is also pissed because they got there ahead of us, and the lemonade she ordered tastes like water with a bit of lemon in it. Sometime later, the champagne does show up. Good, finally we can start to loosen up and celebrate.... Now they tell us that the grill is working again, and wouldn't we prefer to order from the regular menu? Good, glad things are working! So they hand them out and quickly walk away. HOWEVER, i immediately notice that the EB menu and the regular menu have many of the same items, but the EB menu is CONSIDERABLY cheaper. So, I have to chase her down, and say that we would prefer the EB menu after all. She seems unsure because the EB hours are over, but after I again explain this was originally promised, and our 3 week reservation was almost cancelled, she decides to give in. All went well beyond this point. Our food was delicious. Portion sizes were great. Again some stress due to the non-working grill....not really their fault, but I felt they could have prepared our waiter to be ready with the champagne, so I wouldnt have the embarrassment of having to ask in front of my in-laws on their special night. I also would have appreciated it had they given us the option of both menus instead of obviously trying to push the full price menu after everything else that happened.
(4)
Christine K.
Oye...My friend and I sat at the bar while we waited for another friend to arrive for dinner. The older bartender stared at us and loudly said, "Make sure you card them" to the younger bartender. In my opinion, that is kind of tacky. I know I look young, but either just trust that the other bartender will use her judgment to card me or say it in a lower tone so I can't hear it. Strike 1. I ordered paella for dinner and specifically asked for no clams or mussels. The paella came out without them, but also without shrimp! Shrimp is my favorite seafood. I sifted through the dish to confirm my suspicion (lack of shrimp) and alerted the waiter. He said "oh, no shrimp?" and proceeded to walk away! Strike 2. I finished the entire dish and later mentioned to him again that there was no shrimp. He asks me if I had wanted shrimp in the dish and I replied in the affirmative. I didn't want mussels or clams. He tells me to hold on and goes to the cook. He comes back a few minutes later with 3 pieces of shrimp. Mind you, I had finished the entire meal already. Strike 3. Isn't that odd ...who brings 3 pieces of shrimp at the end of the meal? Next time, maybe just apologize or comp us a dessert or something.
(3)
Veronica S.
Tarragon has a very nice setting and it is a beautiful restaurant, but unfortunately the food's quality did not match the ambiance ... The fried calamari was pretty good as an appetizer, in addition to calamari there were also artichoke hearts and lemon slices which was kind of refreshing I ordered the "Lobster Louie" which is basically a giant salad of spinach lettuce, tomatoes, egg and lobster. The lobster kind of tasted like 2 day old shrimp to me, and the salad was nothing special, just ok. If anything, the dressing was really boring tasting! I don't know if I'd come here again, but if I will I will definitely order something different... Good location and good service, but the food is not up there, it's very average. ..which is too bad since this restaurant is truly quite nice inside. Prices are decent/average/normal, expect to pay $8-10 for lunch appetizers/dessert and $10-$15 for lunch main courses.
(3)
AJ D.
My cousins had their wedding reception here and I must say, I was VERY impressed. The venue was great, the food was amazing, and the staff were all quite pleasant. Filipino parties aren't very quiet either so it was great that the staff didn't seem irritated at all. LOL. I plan on hitting this place up next time I'm in the Bay area again...
(4)
Paulette L.
Having just moved to Sunnyvale, we got a coupon for this place, so decided to give it a try. The ambiance is really nice and classy looking. We went early on a Saturday night, so missed the crowd. Contrary to the other reviews, our server was pretty nice. She even hung up my jacket when it fell on the floor behind me. Though they did booboo on our order. A skirt steak was brought out instead of the tri-tip we ordered (they don't even sound the same!). Rather than waiting for another 20 mins (our food came out pretty quick) my bf decided to keep it. Good thing too, cause it was pretty good! It was really tasty and cooked perfectly. I ordered the beef tornadoes - again, cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes were very BLAH, but their fries were pretty good. Overall - not bad. They lost a star because of the order screw up, but otherwise I'd definitely go back.
(4)
Erik P.
From the street.. it looks very promising.. great looking restaurant and the menu reads well. We got seated right away... but as we ordering, we were listening to an older couple next to us complaining ... supposedly they waited well over an hour for their meals. Apparently their order got lost or something... my wife and I got worried.. we hoped it was an isolated incident. Order taken quickly... asked for water twice.. finally got it 10 minutes. Salads were fine and quick... dinner entres... tick tick tick... very slow. Hey where is the bread and refills... where did all the waiters go. Oh, they are all hovering by the kitchen or talking to each other. It seemed that they didnt know what they should be doing... Meanwhile, the old folks next to us.. complaining again. Cold dinner. Tea water luke warm... the manager came back with their food warmed, and really didn't seem very polite or apologetic. She seemed more annoyed. Who knows.. maybe the old folks were being picky. Dishes delivered. So I had tri tip.. the meat was good good.. my only complaint.. was the food was overflavored. Kinds like all the sauces at PF Changs... too strong and too much sauce. The sauce was a bit salty or over seasoned.. but i cleaned the plate. I would give it a B rating. My wife got the crab cake... she loves crab cakes... one bite and she was ready to leave. Tasted like cat food and was cold in th middle. Hrmmm. They took off the bill and we got out of there pretty quick.. didnt want to give dessert a try. Too bad.. nice looking place.. but it seemed poorly managed. Staff was not efficient.. hostess was only at her front spot 50% of the time.. and the waiter was all over the place except paying close attention to his tables. The food is priced reasonably.. but maybe they should charge more and get slightly better food quality and better staff. Won't come back again.. if you are in downtown sunnyvale.. jus thead down the street to DishDash... they are decent.
(2)
Shawn F.
The bad service outweighed the good food. My two friends and I entered the restaurant and waited at the podium for a couple minutes while waiters and hostesses made eye contact with us, but didn't greet us or even tell us they'd be right with us. When we were finally seated, the hostess informed us that they ran out of all dishes with seafood. We were appalled because it seemed like half of the menu was either a seafood dish or contained seafood! The waiter indicated that the promotion they ran ($45 Groupon purchased for only $20) caused a huge increase in diners over the last couple days. Huge surprise! You run a promotion to increase the number of diners, right? Shouldn't you increase the quantities of food accordingly? (Especially since we came on Friday night, when some people usually DON'T eat meat during this Lent time of the year). if you put out a coupon, make sure to up your quantities! The drinks and appetizers (I recommend the Baked Brie appetizer) came out quickly, but then we waited a long time for our food. The waiter only realized that we were still waiting when our friend got up and asked the waiter about our entrees. I had the pecan and provolone stuffed chicken breast, which was good. If you don't mind bad service and enjoy stuffed chicken, the pecan provolone chicken is the way to go.
(2)
Kimberly R.
Terragon does a great job every time I am there. The service is wonderful. The food is great and presented well. The decor and atmosphere is sophisticated and comfortable. They have a great wine list and I would recommend it to my friends and family. What a nice place to take someone special.
(5)
Monica L.
Ick! Our experience here tonight was not what we had expected. We heard so many wonderful things about this place and unfortunately they did not ring true for us. We came here tonight with our Restaurant.com coupon that gave us $25 off an order of $35 or more. Not a bad deal we thought so we headed here for dinner. This place is nice....I did enjoy the decor and our service was great.. But the food....not so much. We started out with the Heirloom tomato salad which came with summer melon, arugula, balsamic dressing and basil. Who ever came up with the concept that melon belonged in this salad was wrong....it did not go well together. We picked the melon out of the salad and we generally are not picky eaters. My husband ordered the sea bass that came with heirloom gazpacho, avocado, summer squash and fingerling potatoes. His dish came out cold. The sea bass was delicious but the combo of everything else was off. The summer squash did not taste good in this combination of foods. I ordered the petite fillet which came with garlic mashed potatoes, spinach,mushrooms and a lobster cream sauce. Any great piece of meat should not be smothered and "hidden" in a cream sauce which had me worried when it arrived. Although the meat was good, the lobster sauce that topped it was not. I completely disliked the flavors of this lobster sauce that sort of ruined my meat because it was poured on top of it. The mushrooms were bitter and so was the spinach! Huge disappointment. Mashed potatoes were great.....how could you mess those up. Completely unsatisfied with my meal tonight. We were so turned off that we turned down dessert. We paid our bill (and thank God it was $25 off!) and happily left. Although a nice place and our server was wonderful....I would not be back for the food here.
(2)
Del S.
We didn't know what to expect of Tarragon based on the mixed Yelp reviews. Perhaps because of our reasonable expectation, we had a wonderful experience at Tarragon! The interior/decor of Tarragon is very classy, elegant and spacious. It definitely has that expensive high-end restaurant look. To our surprise, every item on their menu was actually very reasonable priced. Here are the dishes we had: Spinach salad: Fresh, crisp and subtle without letting the dressing take over the taste. The pear was sweet and the goat cheese was just at perfect amount which serves as a nice little creamy touch to the salad. Eggplant: It was cooked very well and the texture was perfect. The taste was just right without being too salty or cheesy. The zucchini was a nice additional touch which added a refreshing taste to the dish. Even though the dish wasn't unique, but it was as good as it can get as what you expect from a common dish like Eggplant Parmesan. The Salmon Special: Impressive and unforgettable! Fresh salmon covered in the little sweet tomato/yellow bell pepper/pumpkin seed sauce. It was unique and outstanding. Everything went perfectly well together. We didn't have any dessert because the dessert menu looked very ordinary. The service was friendly and attentive, even the chef came to say hi. We were surprised that the place wasn't busy at all at a Friday night. The Sunnyvale downtown is currently being renovated which could stop people from coming to the area. That won't stop us visiting Tarragon again soon though.
(4)
Anne Y.
Stayed in Mt View over-night for a business trip with colleagues and we were looking for a place to eat We found Tarragon on Yelp as a choice for dinner. First of all we were pleasantly surprised with the location in the nice restored downtown area. The restaurant has a great feel as soon as you walk in. Nice bar, and nicely spaced private tables. The staff was friendly; greeted and seated us right away. Everyone from the hostess to the waiter were attentive and helpful. They have a great menu. Lots of choices, interesting main courses and thoughtful sides. It's not over-priced - but appropriate for the venue and quality (you get what you pay for). I had a nice fillet mignon (prepared medium rare as requested) with mashed potatoes and sauteed greens. Others in the group enjoyed the chicken marsala and pasta. Everyone was happy with their meal. There's a good wine list. We enjoyed a Russian River Pinot Noir. We were tempted by the dessert menu but were all too full to give it a try. If I were to be back in the area, I'd definitely return to Tarragon. Might even make a special trip.
(4)
Victoria Y.
Okay, seriously who knew such a nice restaurant existed in Sunnyvale? I've never been down this block of restaurants and bars but I'm glad I came here for my birthday. My parents surprised me with dinner here and I was very happy with the food. Since my dad made reservations, we got a nice big booth in the front. Food came out quickly and everything was delicious. The best part of the meal was probably the fresh oysters and the paella.
(5)
Tina F.
I used my friend's Groupon to treat my parents out for a supposedly "nice" dinner. I ordered the Artichoke appetizer, and told the waiter that I wanted this to come out first, I also ordered the Spinach side. My mom ordered the Salmon, my dad got the MahiMahi and Cream of Mushroom soup. The Artichoke appetizer came out a while later, also with the spinach side. Not quite sure why, but probably miscommunication about why the spinach came out really early. The Artichoke had very little meat on it, and was quite small, not worth the $7.50. Sadly, the spinach was just sitting there, getting cold...my family wanted to eat that with the meal. Then the Cream of "Mushroom" soup came out, it looked more like Cream of Tomato and I couldn't taste the mushrooms...maybe it was really small pieces? It was pretty watery consistency too, not the cream like soup consistency I'm used to. My mom's salmon was okay, according to her. My dad's mahimahi was not that tasty to me. The service was pretty bad, the waiter came to check if everything was okay, so my dad had asked for more bread. The waiter just said "They'll get you more when it comes out." Well DUH! It's the waiter's job to check up on that though! And then the food came out pretty slow, and we still had to ask for bread again when the food arrived. Then the waiter never checked back again until we had to ask for a box, and then he gave us the check too. What if we wanted desserts? Sadly, we were definitely not impressed, and left knowing we would never come back.
(2)
Shayne S.
Easy access, nice place and great food. An under-rated gem in Sunnyvale. I don't believe the $$ is an accurate rating and their food is much more representative of $$$ or $$$$. I had the carpacio, fillet and a bottle of wine and enjoyed it all.
(4)
Lacey H.
After a very long work day, my husband and I decided to head to downtown Sunnyvale for a late night dinner. I was so pleased that Tarragon was able to accommodate us! Despite the late hour, there were still a few tables of diners seated throughout the restaurant, and our server remained upbeat and attentive throughout the service. What we ordered: - Baked brie: To start, we shared the baked brie. What a surprise! The brie was baked in phyllo dough, and served with a baked head of garlic, crostini and drizzled with aged balsamic. So delicious! And compared to other appetizers I've had in the area, it was huge - they obviously put a lot of thought into their dishes. My only wish is that I had, had five more minutes with this plate (I'm a slow eater), but my entree arrived, and we ran out of room on our table. - (Me) Vegetable Tagliatelle: DELICIOUS! The vegetables were cooked perfectly. Still a bit of crunch of color, but cooked enough so the pasta could soak in all the yummy flavors. Portion size was great too. - (Hubby) Filet Mignon: He ordered it rare, and to his delight, it was cooked exactly as he had requested. He noted how well all the flavors on the plate went together (mashed potatoes, spinach, bleu cheese and the glaze) and would have offered me a bite, but before he knew it, he had joined the ranks of the "clean plate club." - Chocolate Crisp Cake: One of my favorite things to do after a long and satisfying meal, is order dessert to go, and finish the meal at home. I was being indecisive, so our server recommended the Chocolate Crisp Cake, and I'm so glad he did. It was delectable - a beautiful combination of textures, colors and flavors. Overall, one of the best dining experiences my husband and I have had in a long time. Will definitely be back.
(4)
Rosquete B.
"Great Early Bird Specials, Great Hostess" It is very gratifying to be greeted by a vivacious, friendly, and smiling hostess (Katie) who sets the proper tone for the wonderful American cuisine Nice wines by the glass; full bar Three course Early Bird specials for $20 Delicious salads e.g., spinach w/pears, cheeses, almonds Fantastic pot roast & veggie entrees e.g., Portobello Save room for the chocolate ice cream over chocolate chip cookie Good food service by Mauricio & his assistant Private banquet room
(4)
Mary S.
We brought the family of 4 for the early bird special and it was fabulous. It was nice to have high quality food, with kids, without disturbing 7pm diners, who don't really want to have kids around. Delicious food and a great bar, who knows how to make a perfect Manhattan! One of the few restaurants in the Sunnyvale/Cupertino area that actually turns out high quality fare. Ambiance is great with exposed brick!
(5)
Kris I.
My parents and I went here for Thanksgiving dinner and this place was amazing! I love restaurants that have special Thanksgiving specials. The menu for the night had soup, your choice of a salad, entree, and dessert for a flat fee. The service was impeccable--for example, the waiter noticed that my dad was missing a fork before we did and quickly returned with a fork. The space was beautiful! So impressed!
(5)
Yasemin S.
The food and service here are really fantastic, and then to top it all off, its a great deal. The early bird is like $20 for 3 things (appetizer, entree and dessert) I like the vibe in this restaurant, its really nice, but it doesn't feel stuffy.
(5)
Brian T.
Food: The food here is okay, nothing special. I came here with high expectations and left with some disappointment. I had a variety of dishes because we all shared everything. Everything was so-so. Nothing stood out for me.
(3)
Jenny R.
We went there on a Friday night at around 7:30 without reservations, and there was no wait. Food was decent, but I was not impressed with the service. We ordered: Appetizer: spinach salad, which was tasty with peach, chevre and candied walnuts. Entree: Rigatoni - very meaty and hearty and a sizable portion. It was really good comfort food. Both of my companions ordered the sea bass, which they liked. Desserts: peach cobbler and chocolate lava cake. Both were okay, but nothing spectacular. The annoying thing about this restaurant was that the service was less than stellar. The restaurant was not busy - I saw maybe 6-10 tables filled. The ratio of wait staff to open tables seemed quite high. Despite this, there was an extended period of waiting between finishing the meal and getting the dessert menu when it was really obvious that we were done with the entrees. Efforts to catch the server's eye were fruitless. Also, at several points throughout the meal, my water glass was empty, and it took the wait staff a really long time to refill it. Bottom line: it was just okay.
(3)
penny s.
I went here because I had a $45 Groupon. It's very nice inside and the average patron is not dressed up in any way. Many with shorts and jeans on. I started with a whiskey cocktail. It was nice, but not much whiskey in it. I also got 1/2 a dozen Oysters Rockefeller. Tasty but with many shell bits in the oysters. Lastly, I got the Filet Mignon with mashed potatoes, spinach and blue cheese sauce. The sides were tasty but I've had better Filets. It was not that tender, but passable. However, my waiter was attentive and wonderful. Also, Tarragon has a wonderful early bird menu that practically has the entire entree menu included where you can get 2 apps, 2 entrees and 2 desserts for $20 pp. That's a great deal!
(3)
Donald G.
We discovered this place while on a wine tour thru Sunnyvale businesses. The food is incredible, we have tried various dishes and are amazed at how every one has been fantastic. The staff is professional and efficient. We usually ask for a booth and rarely fail to get one. They have an upstairs area that can be reserved for large parties and an outside balcony that would be perfect for summer.
(5)
Rich W.
There just aren't many nice little restaurants like this in the Bay Area. The atmosphere is quiet and light, the service is always excellent, the wine list is reasonable and dependable, and the chef doesn't miss a beat. The menu offers a wide selection of great steaks, fish, pasta, salads, something for everybody. The small bar is a popular gathering place for local business people. Parking is rarely any problem. Tarragon is our favorite because we have to drive quite a distance or pay a lot more to do significantly better. Finally, many folks are not aware that they have very popular banquet facilities upstairs that serve up to about 150 I think. Also there is a happy hour AND a discount prix-fixe menu early in the evening.
(5)
Monica S.
PROS - Location - downtown Sunnyvale - near Caltrain. Clean, modern decor. Large, open bar area and restaurant space. Early-bird dinner special - 3 Courses for $20. CONS - Dinners lack creativity. Would rather have less offerings that are better than more that are only OK. Wine/Beer options during Happy Hour and by the glass. Service was OK.
(3)
Angela W.
I decided to book a reservation here (HA!) not knowing what to expect for a Monday evening. You know it's a bad sign when 1. you and your date ask each other "is this place even open?" and 2. the staff address you as The Reservation when you arrive. We were slightly put off by how empty it was but the menu looked yummy online and lived up to our expectations with a few minor glitches along the way. I was surprised when the waitress/hostess/bartender sort of rushed us for our drink order. I was thinking, so much for the reviews of this place being slow... until it came time for anything else and then I definitely felt the lag. We decided on the calamari for an appetizer and were overall pleased, although they could have warned us that there'd be pieces of fried LEMON hidden in with the squid! Hello tangy surprise! I really liked the drizzle of sauce they put on top, too, (although they were a little light handed with it and a small side of it would have been nice for dipping). The main courses were good. I had the penne with chicken in a white wine cream sauce and B had an Italian chicken dish with buttery spinach. I'm a huge fan of spinach, so this was by far my favorite item. We finished with the Strawberry cheesecake that looked like it could have been taken out of the freezer section at Lucky. I think the chefs were kind of over it by this point and just wanted to go home. There was a messy splattering of Strawberry over the top of the half-frozen cheesecake round. Def didn't have a high-end look to it but we chowed down anyways! I really don't have any major complaints. Nice atmosphere, friendly (enough) staff, tasty food... I don't really get why it's so dead.... But I'll be back!
(3)
Cindy Z.
I came here for a company dinner outing and the experience was fabolous. I ordered the ribeye steak served with sweet potatos fries and mix vegetables.mmmm yum. It was very delicious.:)I was very pleased with what I order. We also had calamari for appitzer and that was very tasty too. Overall great service.great food.and romantic ambiance. Eventhough I was there for buisness.but I thought this would be a good place for dates,intimate dinner,and company parties.I would definitly come back again.:)
(4)
Sujeet B.
My mind conjured up visions of sauces simmered with secret spice combinations when I heard the name. Tarragon's a popular herb with the culinary artiste set, spanning a wide demographic in its fan base. En route to the place, I expected some exotic twists on the "herbed meat" genre, a few basil-heavy dishes, and some with Bearnaise sauce. Lest you think otherwise - I'm a complete culinary neophyte when it comes to the innards of the meal. (The Bearnaise sauce reference comes straight from the Wikipedia.) Well, t'was Easter Sunday and we hit a spot of good luck with the parking spot. Ditto the rest of our crew. Perhaps we got there a tad earlier than the brunch rush. Perhaps t'was the Easter Bunny granting us a wish. Anyway, we were there for the prix fixe Easter Brunch. The Tarragon website was kind enough to have the menu up on their website ( dinetarragon.com/special… ) for a look-see ahead of time, and the Chocolate Mousse Tower seemed particularly interesting. They got one star right there. The recommended attire for this place is "business casual". Translated into Silicon Valley chic, especially on a festival Sunday, I figured that would be - "Not your PJs, please". Interestingly enough, everyone there was in the aforementioned "business casual". Perhaps t'was everyone trickling in after spending the better part of Sunday morning in Easter service at church. Perhaps t'was something else. Nonetheless, it certainly upped the overall ambience a few notches. The lighting's good. Dark, but not too dark. The tables are spaced well, and our waiter had the high chair ready - just like the notes on our reservations said. That's another star. Caveat emptor: Its hard to give a restaurant's fare a fair and thorough assessment based on a prix fixe meal. I don't quite know if they put out their best work on such menus, or if they give the menu a bias towards the theme of the 'special event' (I was quite surprised to see that they didn't have any egg-derivative dishes on the menu for Easter Brunch, for example..), or if they just set up these prix fixe meals periodically towards unloading what their pantry's got too much of. The first course was an asparagus soup, and I'm not an asparagus fan. We did try to humor my prejudice by asking our waiter if substitutions were possible on a prix fixe menu, and that didn't fly. Fortunately, their asparagus soup was one of the best I'd ever had. I don't know if its on their regular menu, but I'd recommend it if you go. The entres' list drew the most mixed reactions from around the table. The tuna didn't get any votes, while the lamb and the ham were average. Seemed kinda under-cooked to me. I have a fairly uncomplex line of thought for such assessments. It goes - "I resist eating anything that offers resistance to a steak knife". Translated, if it takes more than a couple of seconds for the knife to slice through, I'm sorta second-guessing getting it onto my fork. I also don't have the fondest appetite for sushi. Ergo, if anything shows up uncooked on my plate (barring vegetables, of course), I start looking for alternatives. Translated, the entres didn't exactly win a star. Desserts were quite impressive. T'was Tiramisu and the tower of chocolate mousse all around the table. The "tower" was quite a let-down from a size perspective, but then again - I understand most towers can do ditto. And that's the last star. All in all, a good restaurant that didn't get our vote for their entres, but did swing the rating into a solid three stars for the rest. I'd say this would be a great date place and/or a fine selection for business meals.
(3)
Robert B.
good sea bass and great wine selection. Especially good if you want a more traditional or European-style place (relative to other Murphy st selections anyway...) If I tried a couple of other dinners and they were equally good, I could even go five stars. Service very professional, and a refreshing change from the typical student server.
(4)
Marsha S.
Old style elegance, casual to dressy on Murphy Street. I'd take my parents here for succulent pork loin with a wonderful raisin sauce (not too sweet) , grilled shrimp with lobster sauce or a tender fillet mignon. Vegetables in season were done to perfection. The menu had paella and cioppino too. We brought our own birthday cake ($10 cake charge to plate and they added candles) and could have brought our favorite champagne ($15 corkage) but we had the house chardonnay which was just OK. That Saturday night was a little quieter said our waitress than during the week. Parking wasn't a problem at 6 PM. We made reservations and they gave us a great table inside looking out on Murphy. Beautiful old bar. There is seating outside to people watch and eat.
(4)
Mansi A.
We dined here for a business dinner, because half of the table had previously been here and had raved about the food! Unfortunately, nothing after the appetizer course was memorable, and even the repeat diners were letdown by the lackluster flavor of the same dishes they previously had ordered. The memorable appetizer? Brie and crackers! But then again, it is difficult to go wrong with baked brie. That's obvi. I opted for the paella pollo and andouille, expecting a flavorful, well-spiced dish. What I got was bland. And the artichokes topping the dish? Definitely straight from a bottle. Ugh. For a nearly $20 dish, I definitely expected more. This is one of the more upscale restaurants in downtown Sunnyvale, thus catering to a lot of business clientele. It's sorely disappointing to see that the food doesn't quite measure up. Meh.
(2)
Neal M.
This place is sooooooo weird. It feels like an old school fancy restaurant that hasn't been fixed up in quite some time. The food though? Boy oh boy, it was GOOD. The bread basket they started with was a nice variety too. I had the vegetable parmesan and dang! It was soo good I was having DREAMS about eating it again. For lunch the place was totally empty too. Solid choice.
(5)
Michael R.
We get this delivered for lunches via DoorDash. My new favorite. I especially like the seared ahi tuna sandwich and the grilled salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. Everything is fresh and healthy.
(5)
Tammy P.
I do not tolerate rude service. It's HAPPY hour, hence the HAPPY in HAPPY hour. The man behind the bar was completely rude. FYI (so you know who to look for): he is around 5'7", brown hair, fair skin, and wears black glasses. Here's the tip you're getting bud, $2. Take that $2 and go invest in a how to be positive class. I came here on a Wednesday
(1)
Chris L.
We came here for dessert and service was great. The peanut butter chocolate dessert is the best. Peanut butter gelato was SO YUMMY. I'd come back for just that.
(5)
TJ J.
Sit at the bar if you can as its a nice horseshoe like shaped bar with brass railing and round somewhat comfortable high bar stools. They even thought of hooks for purses which seem to be for every 2 stools there's a hook. Half off on selected wines drinks until 6pm. Selection of appetizers include 6 flatbreads with no tomato sauce, natural sliders, chicken skewers, lamb skewers and let's not forget a favorite of mine - sweet potato fries with honey mustard sauce! Craig at the bar seemed friendly and attentive along with another young fellow. Food is more geek oriented. This could be a hidden little gem in Sunnyvale on Murphy Avenue.....
Yo- Mrs Myke and I have eaten here about ten times since we moved here 4 years ago. Each time the food has been good to exceptional. Tonight we had the "Early Dinner" - Mrs Myke having the rack of lamb and me having the flat iron steak. both were very good and I can again recommend the "Early Dinner" to those that can eat dinner early - you will not be disappointed. This coming Friday night we have reservations so we can try the Prime Rib that is only served on Fridays. I will let you know how that goes.
(4)
Kris K.
The place looks ok, but is a KID UNFRIENDLY place. The old man at the reception was not courteous, WAS always watching what my kid was doing. The food is AVERAGE THOUGH. I did not have a good experience at that place. It is mostly filled with grown ups and old people. Not for a family with kids.
(2)
Tina T.
Came here today randomly for a lunch meeting with a new hire and ordered a cobb salad and a cheeseburger with fries. The food was pretty good (complimentary bread!) but let's be honest... you really can't mess up a salad and burger to the point of being inedible. I didn't ask for anything fancy shmancy so I can't tell you what the rest of the food is like. However, I did ask for my burger to be medium rare and it came out very well done so that was kind of sad. I hadn't eaten all day though and was absentmindedly spouting off work stuff so I stuffed it into my mouth anyways. They did just get a new cook as I was told when we were seated so I will chop it up to them not being used to their kitchen space and materials. Or just that mistakes happen :) Service was really nice and I greatly appreciated the host and our waitress assisting us even though I was unintentionally zoned out conducting our meeting and may have come off flippant. I remember our waitress looked concerned and was about to come over to ask if my food was ok before I finally reached for my food since I hadn't in 10 minutes. Was too busy talking - didn't even realize I hadn't checked in and found out after a check-in at lunch gets a free dessert! :( But anyways the fact is, I did see that she was actually looking out and concerned for our customer experience so although I don't remember too much about our time spent, it definitely gives me the impression that they have good people staffed. Overall I will definitely come back again whether it be for lunch or to bring my boyfriend out for a cute dinner :) And I will try something other than a cheeseburger haha. I'm glad that we came upon this restaurant for lunch and I will definitely be referring co-workers/friends there for the future as well.
(4)
Patty D.
EeK! Me thinks not fits our experience here. Is been around for ever and maybe food has changed but did not taste good the day we were there. I did not feel service was good either at bar or table..
(1)
Cathy J.
I can't beilieve I've never written a review of Tarragon's. It is our favorite restaurant! My wife and I work down the block and come here frequently for dinner. The ambience is lovely and the food is terrific. My fave is the filet mignon. My wife loves the salmon. They have lots of vegetarian choices, too - and I can't remember ordering something I didn't like. Stuffed mushrooms, arugula beet salad, rack of lamb, stuffed chicken breast, chicken and brie penne pasta - it's all good. And they recently had a meatloaf special that was to die for. The staff is super friendly! The maitre'd is charming. The wait staff is friendly, attentive, and funny. The busguys are also very nice. you can tell it's a good atmosphere to work, which makes it a good atmosphere for a meal. I think they got a new chef recently so if you had written it off in the past I would go back for another visit.
(5)
Samantha C.
I've came here a couple times for lunch, and both times, the place was surprisingly empty. Food is pretty good, and service is extremely friendly and attentive. The waitress refilled my water 5x at lightning speed (once my glass was just a tad not full, she would come on by), offered to send back my friend's food when my friend questioned about it, and was just overall really friendly and helpful! The complimentary bread is probably one of the BEST complimentary breads I've had. They were cut into small slices, so the crust:center ratio was perfect. I love crispy crusts!! I really liked the Salad Niccoise. I LOVED the seared ahi tuna (SO SO glad they did not use canned tuna!!). It had a crisp and flavorful coating and a rare center. Very rich in flavor. The presentation was a bit odd, because all the ingredients were laid out in rows rather than tossed together. The salad overall was very satisfying and the olive oil&lemon dressing was a good touch without making it too heavy. Would definitely order again! The Grilled Prawns Salad was okay. The prawns (only four prawns) were delicious and grilled perfectly. However, the rest of the salad felt a bit underwhelming. The menu listed citrus foods as part of the dish, but there were many only two or three slices of grapefruit. Would probably not order again simply because I don't think it was worth the price. They also have an extensive selection of dessert/chocolate-y drinks. YUMM. Overall a good place for larger parties, lunch meetings, or just a quieter restaurant of choice compared to the others in DT Sunnyvale!
(4)
Jennie N.
They have a large banquet hall upstairs for events where there are tables, a bar, and open patio. My company held our holiday party here and reserved enough tables for about 30 people upstairs. The cheese platter, grilled chicken satays with peanut sauce, and bruschetta were great starters. We had chicken, grilled salmon, pasta and a couple sides for entrees. The chicken was a little dry and could have used a little more seasoning. I definitely recommend their salmon and pasta though! I believe for dessert it was the chocolate crisp cake which was quite delicious. Overall, the catered event had fantastic service and it looked like everyone was having a nice time.
(4)
Sophie W.
The eight of us wanted to sit outside, so we ended up split into two groups with a giant pole dividing us. Not the most ideal seating arrangements, but it definitely beat sitting in the dimly lit interior. Tarragon was an okay place. I really enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms, and the waitress was very attentive. Overall, it's just your average American restaurant with above average prices. I had the jambalaya, which was pretty good. I especially loved the sausage and the extra spicy kick that it gave the dish. My coworker got the lamb burger, which he proclaimed delicious. They also have this great free dessert deal if you check in with Yelp, so I got the tiramisu for takeout (unfortunately couldn't take out the creme brulee, sigh). Not bad, but the company I had was what made it great.
(3)
Maribel G.
I first came here because my old job hosted a dining out for life event and I was one of the ambassadors. Dottia was the manager and she was very nice and attentive. I came here about 4 times after that on a date night with my hub. It's a nice and quite small restaurant. Food is great. I love the paella and the fillet mignon here. So yummy. Took one star away because my last experience here was a bit slow on the costumer service side. Although the restaurant was not packed our waiter seemed to be taking his sweet time to get to us. Not very professional. I was thinking of having my next date night here so hopefully we won't have that issue again. Overall great food. Highly recommend it
(4)
Veronica S.
First of all the restaurant was not busy this Saturday evening can someone tell me why it took 15 minutes for the waitress to even acknowledge us! Or why our waitress Amalya disappeared for a long period of time and when she finally came back out to the front patio to take our order. We mentioned to her "we were waiting for you to take our order" and instead of appologizing she said "oh okay I can take your order now!" Food finally came out and it was actually pretty good I had the Garlic Prawns and my boyfriend had the salmon! But you guys really need to evaluate your staff!! The two bus boys help waitress our table more than our own waitress they brought us our drinks, food and even helped track down our waitress! I personally thanked them before I left the restaurant because if it wasn't for them we would of been waiting a longer perid of time and probably would of never got our food and drinks! Also my boyfriend had to hunt her down inside the restaurant to pay the bill! Overall good restaurant but 1 bad staff member!
(3)
Kristiana S.
This is a good date night place, full bar and good wine list. Would recommend the baby green salad - love the dressing. The Salmon was yummy too, it was cooked perfectly with a good grill on the outside, great lemon & herb sauce. I don't love mashed potatoes but they were good.
(4)
Natalia H.
My friends had their wedding reception dinner at Tarragon (in the private room/ banquet area with full bar, full kitchen, and dance floor upstairs). You can read her review on having her wedding reception at Tarragon here: yelp.com/biz/tarragon-re… But I'm reviewing the food. Because the food was delicious! I got the steak entree and it was really good and cooked perfectly- not well done/ overcooked as in most wedding reception dinners. Tarragon's was just right with some pink just the way I like it! Dessert was butterscotch banana cheesecake. It was also delicious! (Yes, Wendy, you did miss out! hahah) I almost wanted seconds but didn't want to look like a fatass haha It wasn't too sweet and I like how there is only a tiny taste of banana. Crust was fantastic. I thought service was OK. We did have to wait a little bit after our salad/ before our entree, but we didn't mind it since we were with friends having a good time. Some people (ahem) definitely took advantage of the open bar and there were just a lot of activities going on so we didn't mind the "wait". For the most part, I thought the service was above average. Dance floor was pretty good size. And I liked how they had a balcony so we can "cool off" haha. All in all, it was a good night celebrating the special day of two good friends! =)
(4)
Krissy P.
Oh, Tarragon, we have this love-hate relationship going on... It's been 4 years now and I still don't know whether it's worth it or not. While I love your food, I dislike the long wait from the kitchen. I love the look and feel of the restaurant but get so frustrated at the wait staff. While you get me seated quickly with great drinks coming from the bar, you make me play where's waldo with my waiter... Sigh, we shall return, maybe.
(3)
Bethany K.
This is an EVENT review! We came here for a wedding reception that was held in the upstairs area. The facility's really nice. There's tons of parking in the general area because of the mall/Target (freeee!) and you get to walk around some of the "downtown" Sunnyvale area on your way in. Service was pretty good -- waiters were helpful, brought things out quickly, etc. The only hiccup was that there was a longer than expected lull between when they announced dinner and when it was served, but I'm not entirely sure we can blame it on the restaurant. Avoided meat for the most part (trying to apply this in general to my diet, not b/c of the particular restaurant) , but thankfully there were a few things I could try ----- appetizers included a YUMMY bruschetta (yum yum yum) and main entree had a good pasta, lots of yummy fresh vegetables, and a GOOD salad. May or may not come back (based on the other reviews) but thought it was a great option for the wedding :)
(4)
Kim S.
I took two clients to lunch here, and it was a perfect location, with great food, comfortable semi private booths with a great atmosphere for a business luncheon. They generally have some very interesting specials, at lunch as well as their usual menu, which has something for everyone's palet. I have been here on several occassions and never disappointed. The service is excellent, and we were well attended to for all our needs, without asking. The grilled chicken sandwich for lunch was amazing! Just the right about of seasonings, and toppings so it enhanced every flavor without disquising it. My assoicate had the portebello sandwich, and was equally delighted with the flavor, while my other assoicate choose the salmon entree. Good fresh ingredients. Good presentation, on time, with a very attentive server. I would recommend this place especially for a business luncheon. It's a calming dining experience where you can hear each other speak without all the hustling and distractions of other customers, and servers running by your table.
(4)
Kevin R.
Our Waiter, Joshua, was very knowledgeable and as good as they get. Good meny. All of our food for the six of us was good absent the swordfish. The swordfish was very fishy. Awesome dessert selection.
(4)
Jos P.
I went after work with colleagues for a dinner meeting. My citrus salad with salmon on top was excellent!!! I didn't even put much dressing on it. It was so yummy that it looked like I licked my plate clean!!! Service was very attentive. We were in the corner booth/table so the noise level was ok. The restaurant is located on cute Murphy st.
(5)
Hagana K.
If was I was judging solely on the restaurant, decor, atmosphere, etc, it'd be four stars easy. I had a wonderful time here, it was casually upscale, not too crowded on a Thursday night. Unfortunately the food was a disappointment. The calamari appetizer was really bready and kind of reminded me of burger kings chicken fries. The aioli sauce it came with was good, but really, what aioli isnt good. Pot roast was tender enough I guess, but pretty salty. Mashed potatoes were excellent, but everything else smothered in the gravy was very salty. My date had the pork loin with polenta, and both of those were pretty good. Really nice place, I just don't think it's a place that really cares about their food. That or it was for a saltier palette than mine.
(2)
Pauline D.
Last night we ventured into Sunnyvale to have dinner at Tarragon. Sadly they are letting the Murphy street go, it just doesn't have the clean classy feel it did years ago, but the Jazz music was a nice touch. We stepped into Tarragon and found it was mostly empty. We stood at the hostess desk for no less than 10 minutes while staff walked past us in every direction and no one even acknowledged us. Not even a word. Finally a man came up from the back and said "thank you for waiting" he showed us to a table outside that was dirty, then to another, that was dirty, and he said he would have someone come and clean it for us. Another 10 minutes they show up with a dirty rag to wipe the crud un the ground, and we were given menus. Then we waited another long time before we saw a waitress - ordered our wine. When I was getting out of my chair to go see if they needed help getting the wine somehow, since it was taking so long, she showed up with the wine. At this time I told her that since it had already been 30 minutes and we were just getting our wine we are now very strapped for time and will just be ordering appetizers and a salad and would need them quickly. We ordered, and the calamari was out in five minutes! Impressive, but it was a frozen type variety and not good. Too bad. But the Salmon flatbread was ok and the salads alright too. The bread came in a very dirty ( yes, dirty! ) napkin. The busboy noticed while putting it down and took it back quickly to get us a new one. Dinner costs me about $100 and all I really enjoyed was the wine - by the time we were seated it was 6:05 so we had missed the early bird dinner we headed there for....when I asked he said "no, you are too late" but the waitress did do her best trying to make up for the downfalls of the restaurant and our original disappointments in the timing of everything. Though I had gone here many times years before and had been quite happy, it has definitely gone downhill. Cleanliness and service are two very important things to me when I go out - as well as the food - and they have failed in both those categories.
(2)
Viv C.
Came here with the boyfriend for date night after deciding the wait for DishDash was too long. Very pleased with our decision to try Tarragon. We were immediately seated in a nice booth with a friendly waiter. We started with a glass of wine and a Lemon Drop and shared 2 appetizers: calamari and the grilled artichoke. The calamari was excellent, we enjoyed the onions and peppers in the dish. I wasn't really a fan of the aioli sauce served with the grilled artichoke. The entrees - I had the grilled salmon and the BF had the 9 oz. filet mignon. Both were delicious. We will definitely come here again. The place is beautiful decorated, has excellent service, and is very attentive to their tables. I would like to try their happy hour sometime, it seems like a great venue. 3 drinks + 2 appetizers + 2 entrees: $115 + $25 tip
(5)
Samantha C.
Came back and tried the Jumbo shrimp skewer Citrus Arugula salad and it was just ok. The dressing was decent. Also tried the black bean soup and that was pretty good. Good service.
(3)
Susan H.
This place is huge in the inside. Nice bar with tvs and the one I adore the most was the constellation lamp they have on the wall very eye catching. As for food - starters was baked brie yummy so good with grilled baguette slices. Entrees were prawns & filet mignon both amazing. Desert tiramisu - thumbs up to my ending experience overall.
Really really enjoyed this place! We had the steamed clams and mussels, filet mignon, and rack of lamb. The steamed clams and mussels were perfect in the white wine sauce and more than reasonably priced. Service was fast and attentive; the ambiance was nice -- can't ask for more, really! Another bonus was fast seating... Nothing beats a fast track to the dining table at such a great restaurant!
(5)
Mike J.
We've been coming here for years: The food is great; it's consistent; service is fabulous, and the ownership is so involved that it's a great experience every time---highly recommended.
(5)
Bill M.
Have a "passport" membership so I decided to try Tarragon again. I miss ordered a filet rather than the prime-rib, but it was fine. Wife had cioppino, sons had lamb and chicken. Was overall ok, but nothing special.
(3)
Annie D.
Came to try out this place and was a good experience. Calamari -Monterey bay calamari, Anaheim peppers, onions, chipotle aioli- batter was decent, crispy. Cioppino - mussels, clams, shrimp, white fish, crab meat, potatoes, spicy tomato-saffron sauce, garlic bread- not your average cioppino, it was not like a stew, but tasted good. Service was good, food was good. I'll be back to try their other items.
(3)
Dawn L.
I came here last night with my sister and her best friend for my sister's low-key bachelorette evening and it was a great experience. My sister had been here before and loved it so this was her pick for her special evening. We started with an order of the Tarragon French Fries (french fries tossed with tarragon, garlic and feta cheese) which were delicious and a perfect start to dinner. I ordered the Stuffed Chicken (chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and procutto, garlic mashed potatos and grilled zucchini) and my dish was perfect and extremely delicious. My sister ordered the same, but opted to switch her potatoes out for the lemon-dill rice which she had previously and had no problem and loved her dish as well. Her best friend ordered the Paella which she also like quite a bit. Service was fast, friendly, promt and my water glass never got less than half full before someone was refilling it with a smile. I would definitely come here again!
(5)
Adrian G.
Tuna Burger is really good, but no longer on the happy hour menu. Half off cocktails and select appetizers Mon-Sat 4-6PM. The baked brie and fries were good. I have yet to try this place for dinner, but some friends said the dinner items were average. The Pom Bomb (vodka, bourbon and pomegranate juice) was an interesting drink... lots of antioxidants! Manhattans and martinis are strong here.
(4)
Mona W.
Picked up a half off Groupon at this restaurant and tried it for the very first time last week. I saw the 3.5 stars reviews on yelp and I thought to myself this is probably just another one of those pretentious new restaurants. Our dinner started with half a dozen of Oysters on Half Shell, followed by Pork Tenderloin and Cioppino. Dessert was Creme Brulee. The food was decent. 3.5 stars is a fair rating for the food. I liked everything I had although nothing really strike me. The ambiance is very romantic. The classy decor actually rivals some of the more upscale restaurants. They also have a lot of comfortable booths. It is a pretty perfect spot for a romantic intimate dinner on a lower budget. (If only downtown Sunnyvale doesn't look this ghetto with all the constructions going on.) I think the pricing is fair for the service and setting. With the Groupon our dinner came up to $7 before tips. The Groupon itself is $25 I believe. Pretty darn good deal if you ask me.
(3)
P P.
No complaints. This is a "go to" restaurant when you want a basic good tasting, American meal. The large space, bar, and large windows makes for a laid back atmosphere. The service was friendly and the complimentary warm bread really hit the spot. I wouldn't mind going back.
(4)
Jarrod M.
Went there for Mother's Day brunch. The meal was nice, they had a omelette station with a lot of toppings and good roast beef. When I went to pay however they lost my credit card. After looking for a few minutes they weren't able to find it. They said they were sorry but apparently somewhere between the credit card machine after they ran my card and the table they lost the card. So now I have to call the bank and change the auto charge on every merchant I deal with. Thanks tarragon but I won't be back.
(1)
Jessica L.
The ambiance of this restaurant is pretty nice compared to others in a small town like Sunnyvale. We did the early bird special. EVERYTHING we got was WAY too salty. I'm talking, unbearably mouth cringing SALTY. Even the side potatoes tasted as if they were stuffed with pure salt. I honestly thought my blood pressure was shooting up as I took bites of my food. It was basically inedible. I ordered the rack of lamb for my entree, medium rare, it came as medium well. Everyone was quite disappointed at the food, and thought that maybe Tarragon would redeem itself with dessert. Skip the tiramisu. It's frozen, icy, and the cake part is extremely runny. Makes you feel like you're eating cotton. There's also no coffee liquor in the tiramisu. I think it says something when you order 6 slices of tiramisu, and when the plates are taken away, only 2 were eaten. Service here is okay. The waiter/waitresses try to seem like they care, but it got quite uncomfortable and they definitely made us feel rushed although there was plenty of seating. Overall, my experience here was not a good one, and I will not be coming back. The reason why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 is because the feel and atmosphere of the restaurant is nice, and the portions of their food are generous.
(2)
Sydney M.
We had Easter brunch here. Great experience. Great variety (see pics) for the price ($28/person) and bottomless mimosa's for $12. Really good bargain, b/c just one was $7. Outstanding: -cocktail sauce for the shrimp. heavy on the garlic, which doesn't hurt me, and just the right amount of spice of the horseradish. -Maple glazed ham -Cesar salad, very fresh and lots of cheese, perfectly dressed -desert/bread table, tons of things to choose from, great brownies -omelet station; omelet was nice and fluffy, lots of add in choices, and they bring to your table -mash, so nice and fluffy -baked salmon, flavorful sauce -potatoes O'Brien, just well done, not hard, well cooked Just OK: -scrabbled eggs. not tough exactly, but sort of like pebbles in consistency. they needed some hot sauce or salsa or cheese to add on -asparagus, roasted and served ice cold, which was good, but some of them were a bit hard. not roasted quite enough. -french toast casserole, nothing to write home about. there was some syrup to add, but wifey didn't finish hers -lamb was good, but not great, and some of the pieces had some gristle. didn't try: bacon and sausage (we can make that at home), pancakes, smoked salmon thingies, rice, pasta - whatever i didn't mention above we didn't try, so can't comment. More +++ Our dirty dishes were promptly bussed, our water glasses promptly refilled, our mimosa's kept coming, we were greeted as soon as we entered and seated promptly, and we never felt rushed. weird: Wifey was finished with round one of deserts, and set the dish and fork to the side to be bussed. For whatever reason, the busser left the dirty fork, I mean, he even took it off the plate and set it down on the table...weird...were they running that low on clean ones? lol Overall great variety for the price and we will probably come back next year. Now if they'd just add some eggs bene at the omelet station, I would be really happy!
(4)
Carolyn T.
We have been to Tarragon many a time, it was where we got engaged and thought it was fitting to celebrate selling our home of 9 years there also. We have not been there to eat in a while but the food was just as good, if not better, than I remembered! I got the payaya which was chock full of fish and sausage and perfectly crispy on the bottom. Hubby got the short ribs which were also equally tender and scrumptious - if perhaps just a bit sweet for my taste. They have 1/2 off all wine bottles right now so we splurged on some bubble, it was a celebration remember! I had shared with the waitress (also my service at the bar while I waited for my +1) that we were celebrating so a delightful piece of tiramisu came out complements of the chef to put a perfect end to our celebration. We sadly won't be living close enough to make Tarragon a regular spot any longer, but we will always have fond memories of our wonderful meals and service here.
(4)
Michelle O.
Tarragon is one of my favorite destinations in Sunnyvale. When I tried it for the first time, I was not too excited about it but I decided to give a try because I had a coupon and surprisingly my grilled chicken satay with peanut sauce was flavorful. Since that day I have been back many times and so far I have never left unhappy. One of the owners is a lady who takes great care of regulars and always makes them feel welcomed. Go Tarragon!
(4)
James W.
Ate here last week for a business luncheon. Located in Downtown Sunnyvale, this place has a really nice ambiance and even better, a really nice menu, with great prices. Folks were friendly and I would like to try dinner here sometime.
Went with a group from work & found out why it was mostly empty. Very average, would avoid. Had pepper crusted steak in red wine sauce ... got ave meat in some fruity sauce with little pepper .. not even close to description. Shriveled potatoes that were hours old, so did not eat. Ate all the bread & the green beans. All did not care for Tarragon Restaurant ... others did not like the paella & others said the chicken was dry. Appetizers were also very amateur hour & pricey. I could throw something together in 30 min in lazy fashion that would put this cooking to shame. Too bad, so sad!! Why can't places just cook great classic food?? ... mystery to me? I think these fools try to make "chefy chit" & then get lazy & cook it ahead of time .... see this kind of cooking all over the place, weird ingredients & sat too long. Service was good. Dessert was good.
(2)
rebecca s.
We just had our company holiday party here...service and food was great (the food did come out 20+ mins late). Overall it was so nice that my boyfriend and I had a dinner date her last weekend and lm glad I did. Comfortable and low lit lighting, its loud enough here that you can unwind and converse without wondering if the person behind you is listening to your conversation. We had RackofLamb and RibeyeSteak, both were excellent and flavorful. You must try the stuffed mushrooms :)
(5)
Karen C.
I've been coming here on a regular basis for over a year now and I love this place. The food is great, the wine list is excellent and the bartender Denise makes some mean cocktails! They have a happy hour and it's always a great place to hang out during the music in downtown during the summer! They just started a lunch service that I need to check out but I'm sure it will be fantastic as well!
(4)
Erik N.
Had an excellent lunch. I like the ambience and service was good, but not great. Would like to see more variety on the menu and maybe a special or two.
(4)
Vicki G.
Best Happy Hour in the area! The entire wine and cocktail lists are half off. Coupled with some great appetizers, also half off, it makes for a perfect place to meet friends. I was there last night and enjoyed some delicious stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta (with a balsamic vinegar drizzle), and Brie with roasted garlic and apricots. I've tried a lot of places for Happy Hour, and Tarragon is the best! Comfortable, quiet, great food and wine. What else could one want!
(5)
Kerie D.
One of our favorite places to have a nice dinner close to home with good wine. They have been very accommodating for large work parties as well. Great wine list and consistently good food. We'll be back!
(4)
Kellee C.
Good food, but we went there for prom and had a party of larger than 8 so we couldn't split the checks. This resulted in us having a 50 dollar tip.
(2)
Mary S.
Went here a couple of weeks ago with some gals from work. It's on Murphy St. in Sunnyvale and there are so many options for places to eat here. I have been to Tumeric and the Thai place but never Tarragon. First off I have to say the service was excellent. We were greeted immediately. Our food came in a timely manner and water was continously topped off. They ordered the Tarragon Fries as an appetizer and let me tell you it was hard to abstain because they looked delicious. Covered in tarragon and feta cheese all hot and crunchy. But I was good! The other ladies all ordered sandwiches and coleslaw. But when I saw the Ahi Tuna Niciose salad I knew I had to have it. It did not disappoint. Served on a bed of greens was a very generous piece of just seared ahi surrounded by warm baby red potatoes, sliced kalamata olvies, a hard boiled egg, tomato, haricort vert and a lovely dressing. I left smiling.
(4)
Tara S.
3 Stars?! Really, Yelpers?? Maybe it was just me, but I LOVED this place. Apple Salad: AMAZING! Omg, julienned apples make up the bulk of this salad with just a sprinkling of arugela and whatever dressing they put on it was SO good! Pork porterhouse: Sounded interesting, tasted superb...very tender and juicy...red cabbage isn't usually my fav side dish, but it was very good! Ribs: Whoa...they're the dry rub kind, so no drippy sauce. They melted in your mouth and the flavor was just succulent. I got creme brulee for dessert...it was PERFECT. A strong cup of decaf and the creamy dessert were the perfect end to a fantastic meal! Our waiter was was a kind of smarmy young guy with a Russian? accent. I really liked him...he REALLY knows his stuff...wine especially. I guess some people might find him aloof or something, but he just had kind of a dry, quick wit. Great dining experience...no reservation needed.
(5)
John T.
We showed up without reservations and our wait was minimal with four of us. Just long enough to get a drink and we were off to our table. We did not score a booth, but the table was ok. We started with baked Brie and it was really good. We each tried something different. I had the souvlaki and i was perfect, D had the stuffed chicken and loved it, Chris made up his own dish (they were very accomodating) of steak salad and he was really happy too. We will defintely be back, but this time we'll make reservatons so that we get a comfortable booth.
(4)
Beth G.
Hands down, the best wedding reception venue in the bay area for a bride on a budget. Where to start? I LOVED my wedding at Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale. My husband and I got married in early May 2012. We waited until relatively late to select our venue and looked at so many places that I despaired finding an elegant place with fantastic food on a budget. But then we found Tarragon, practically in our own backyard! We started working with the event coordinator, Dottia, back in February. We requested price quotes and over the ensuing weeks made many changes to the banquet menu to suit our tastes. Dottia was very flexible. Our initial meeting was a little awkward, until we got more accustomed to working with her, but now we absolutely love Dottia. Dottia met with us repeatedly to view the venue, taste the food, choose the wine menu and select custom linens. Since the space is so large and our wedding was only 35 people, we chose to partition off the back half of the room upstairs. This gave a really intimate feel but we still had plenty of room for tables, our DJ and a large dance floor. On the wedding day, the room was gorgeous. Dottia was on-site to supervise during the whole event. The two servers were incredibly professional. There was warm bread and butter for the guests. Food came quickly - table by table so no one was without food when those around them were eating. Portions were large. Water and wine glasses were quickly filled and plates whisked away as soon as people were done with each course. For a salad, we chose a citrus salad with mixed greens, orange, grapefruit, sunflower seeds and avocado. It was amazing and available on their downstairs menu. Our entrees were the Tri-Tip, Chicken Marsala and Eggplant Parmesan. The Tri-Tip was superb, the Chicken Marsala tasty (slightly dry) and the Eggplant Parmesan was excellent. In lieu of a dessert course, Tarragon waived the cake cutting fee and cut our cake for us. The dance floor was great. Our DJ (Kimbrough Salas) really got the crowd moving and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. The evening went so smoothly for us, it seemed over in minutes. I highly recommend Tarragon, Dottia and the staff. This is a gem of a find in Sunnyvale. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions about my experience here.
(5)
Kent H.
Not much to say, average food. I had the salmon and it is what it is. I think the honey mustard was a little too much, impacting the flavor of the salmon in a negative way. Otherwise it was a cooked salmon dish.
(3)
Kurt L.
Nice atmosphere. Nice service. Nice food. Ordered bone-in ribeye steak and it was delicious. The soup of the day (Manhattan style clam chowder) was okay. The salad was nice as well, the ranch and vinaigrette dressing was surprisingly tasty.
(4)
Trynh N.
I came here for lunch with my girlfriend once. The food was pretty good and we sat outside. Pretty cool scene and different since it's in Sunnyvale it's more chill. The service was great!
(4)
Mansi S.
I love this restaurant n have been here on a few occasions. In fact, this restaurant is special for me since my first dinner date with my boyfriend ( now fiancee) was here in 2008:)) I have always had the perfect pasta n chikn marsala here but this time when we dined i found out some changes in the menu n my fav Chicken Marsala was no longr on the menu *sad face*. The food was gud but not as gud as previous times when i dined here.. I wish they include more chicken entrees in their menu n most importantly the chikn marsala... Yum yum The desserts arent grt at al so wont recommend, avoid the chocolate cake... Service is gud n the staff very friendly..
(4)
Colin M.
A wonderful meal that delighted and surprised my wife and I. We had just learned about Murphy Ave recently and decided to go back to that area for dinner last night. I had chosen the last restaurant (which was kind of 'meh'), so last night my wife chose Tarragon. I was really surprised on how excellent everything was. We started out with a Beef Carpaccio Crostini that smelled amazing and tasted even better. For dinner my wife had a chicken special they were running which was quite tasty and had a really nice and delicate potato pancake; rather than the usual overly greasy ones. I had the Prime Tri-Tip and after the first bite I was impressed. It was some of the best beef I've had since I moved to the bay area a year ago. The Gratin Potatoes that came with it were lightly herbed and delicious, and the veggies were awesome. Since we checkedin with FourSquare we got a free dessert to share and decided on the Butterscotch Banana Rum Cake which was so against my diet but so worth it. It was nice to have something delicious and sweet at the end without it making us feel heavy and bloated. The service was quite good and our waiter was attentive without being annoying. He even apologized for serving me before my wife because one of the plates was too hot for him to do it the other way. I thought that was quite lovely. I rarely write reviews about restaurants as most are just basic and not worth the time of writing one. Tarragon impressed me enough that I think others should try it for dinner when in the area.
(5)
Jackie S.
My family and I went on Thursday 5/28/09 to try the Early Bird Special. The special was to dine in between 5-6pm, and you get an appetizer, main entree, and dessert for $20. It is a great deal! I can't believe people didn't take advantage of this deal since the restaurant was empty when we arrived at 5:30pm. The best part about eating with family was that I got to try a little bit of everyone's dish! Free ciabatta type bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. First Course: Baby Greens- The salad was pretty good. It had mandarin oranges, fennel, goat cheese, and a raspberry vinaigrette. Soup of the day- Barley Mushroom Soup- The soup was a bit heavier than what I expected. I didn't taste a strong mushroom flavor. I preferred the salad more. Second Course: Ciopinno- My dad ordered this dish. The spicy tomato sauce was rich and flavorful. The seafood was coated wonderfully in this sauce. Since we had extra slices of bread, we dipped it in the sauce. Yum! Paella- My mom and sister ordered this dish. The paella was different that what I've had before. There was shrimp, artichoke, shrimp, fish, andouille sausage, and the rice. The rice gave the dish some heartiness. The seasoning fell flat in this dish. Moroccan spiced shrimp- I had this dish, and it was very pretty. The shrimp had a good flavor. The couscous and the sauteed veggies weren't bad. I didn't really taste the citrus in the couscous. It was a healthy dish. Petite filet- My fiance had this dish. He didn't like it at all. The meat was overcooked even though we asked for medium. The bernaise sauce was good. However, everything else in this dish was bad. He said that the potatoes and veggies tasted like "cardboard." Third Course: Tiramisu- Oh boy. This dessert was really heavy. The coffee was pretty strong. However, I liked it. Strawberry Shortcake- The biscuit was fresh and it was interesting to see the vanilla ice cream in the middle of the biscuit. You couldn't really tell which part was ice cream and which was whipped cream. The strawberry sauce was okay. Service was good. Our water was refilled and we got quite a few refills of bread. The restaurant isn't bad for the quality and you can't beat the price! I was satisfied after eating the dessert. I would come back to try other seafood dishes, and maybe the lamb dish.
(4)
Brian L.
The waitstaff was overworked. It took over 15 mins for the waiter to notice that we were seated. The atmosphere was that of an upscale diner, but the food was very good. The quality of the food is about 4 stars, the waitstaff and atmosphere was 2 stars, which warrants the overall 3 star rating. The Murphy Ave area is a pretty cool little pocket in Sunnyvale. Lots of bars and restaurants is walking distance.
(3)
John D.
Delicious food and friendly service. The wines were pretty good too...Another nice spot to drop in to if you're in the vicinity of Murphy Street.
(4)
James K.
I've been to most of the eateries in downtown Sunnyvale since I live 5 minutes away but hadn't gone to this place so it was time to give it a try especially since the reviews seemed favorable. FYI, they offer an early bird 3 course dinner between the times of 5 pm and 545 pm. I made a reservation for 545 so my fiancee and I were "game". I decided to get the early bird dinner (20 bucks a pop). I opted for the green salad as an appetizer, cioppino as the main course and a brownie with ice-cream on top for dessert. My fiancee chose the prime rib off the regular menu. My salad was pretty good. It had some tomatoes and candied walnuts which were tasty. I've had cioppino before and this was really good. It consisted of a nice tomato based sauce, mussels, clams, fish and some potatoes as well as a piece of garlic bread on the side. It was exquisite. My fiancee's prime rib was okay. I had a few bites from it since she was getting full. I think the problem with the prime rib is that they slathered this almost A-1 looking tangy sauce over the meat. It wasn't terrible but it was far from an Au Jus sauce. I felt the sauce took away from the natural flavor of the meat. I rarely eat dessert but the brownie with ice-cream was good so no complaints there. Overall, this place was pretty nice. The decor and bar gave this place a nice feel along with the abundance of track lighting. I would say the only small complaints was that the food took a little long despite it being pretty empty.
(4)
Vinny G.
I tried the fish tacos today, and they are definitely holding true to the 5 star rating I have given them. I tell you, I've been SEARCHING for some great fish tacos ever since Fireh**** ruined theirs. Tarragon's fish tacos are freakin awesome. There's a lot of stuff packed in there, but everything goes so well with everything else. The fish is perfectly cooked and light and flakey inside some nice fresh corn tortillas, and that red sauce with the pineapple in it makes them amazing. That and I love black beans and cilantro and think those two things together often make any meal amazing. Fish Tacos, highly recommended!!! Get the spicy black bean soup to go with it if they have it that day as well. It's a perfect combo as both have black beans in them, but are very different flavors. Soooo happy with my lunch choice today!!! Jennifer is always very nice and friendly as well. She is a great server, with a great attitude, who very obviously enjoys her job and the food that the restaurant she works at makes. That to me is the sign of a great place, when the servers who after looking at the food all day, WANT to eat that food as well. Tarragon, keep up the good work!
(5)
Mary-Anne M.
Hi Dottia - I'm very glad to hear from you and I wish more owners are like you - read yelp reviews from customers/ and tries to improve service. I have only been at your restaurant twice, but I'm pretty sure that I will be back for more dinners with friends. For the early bird, I had the green salad, filet mignonette, and tiramisu. I loved it!!! The servers were great and atmosphere. The price is not bad as well. We love deals. You earn my respect for demonstrating excellence to listen and improve. It speaks great volumes. Thank you very much and I will be back at your restaurant and will continue to give feedback.
(4)
Aubrey C.
3.5 stars I came to Tarragon with a friend for lunch recently, and its food is almost 4-star/very good quality, but there are just enough flaws that it can't quite get there. First, the interior and decor of Tarragon looks like it came out of a cruise ship. There's a lot of curvy decorations and a dim sort of lighting. Second, the service also leaves something to be desired. The waitress didn't always take away menus and plates that we were finished with. On to the food -- we ordered a calamari appetizer to share, which was good, although I'm not a fan of throwing in fried vegetables along with the calamari. If I order calamari, I expect it to just be squid. I ordered the lamb chops, which were tender and tasty enough. They were very good. However, my friend's pasta was a bit subpar. The linguine did NOT look like linguine at all -- it looked like a much thicker noodle. The consistency and texture of both her shrimp and asparagus was off. Dessert was a chocolate crisp cake, which was nice and rich. But, again, Tarragon doesn't quite pull it off. The chocolate was too sweet, and didn't have the nice balance of chocolate, ganache, and other flavors that you would expect from a dessert that's priced for several dollars. Generally, Tarragon is an above-average place to eat in downtown Sunnyvale, but with a couple of tweaks here and there, it could be a fantastic place.
(3)
Anthony W.
We have eaten here several times and have been pleased. The food is very good and the ambiance is decent. While it gets a 4 star rating, I do not think it is close to 5 stars. Parking is a bit of a problem.
(4)
Sue B.
One of my favorite restaurants in Sunnyvale. I highly recommend their holiday meals which vary depending on the holiday and the food is amazingly good!!! Well worth the moderate cost as everything I've ever eaten here has been delicious - and I've been going for the past 10 years.
(5)
Tess S.
Where do I begin? As soon as we walked in, we were greeted warmly, the atmosphere is warm and the restaurant is beautiful. We were seated immediately (by what I can only assume was the owner) and our server (Christopher) came over promptly to greet us. I ordered the linguine with scampi prawn and my mom ordered the chicken kabob. My mom loved her food and my pasta was incredible. Everything was fresh and delicious! Our server was attentive and not overly so. After we finished eating, I ordered the cannoli and my mom ordered the yogurt parfait. Both of which were incredible! We loved the food and the service. Everything was great about our experience at this restaurant. Without a doubt, I would come back. It was a little on the pricey side, but definitely affordable when it comes to the quality of the food. For two people, you definitely won't break the bank for dinner. I will probably come here for special occasions. But I will definitely be coming back!
(5)
Jennifer M.
The food was o.k. I had the Filet Mignon and it was cooked perfectly. However, whoever prepared my meal was a little heavy handed with the seasoning. My steak was slightly over seasoned. The spinach was WAY over seasoned and oddly the sauteed mushrooms were bland. The garlic mashed potatoes were o.k... a little runny for my taste. The service was good. Our server was very attentive as well as the rest of the staff. I have no complaints about the service. Atmosphere? Eh.... just o.k. It was a Monday night so it was very quiet which I am fine with. The decor needs some work. However, that is just a nit-picky thing. Overall, it was just o.k. Nothing to get excited about.
(3)
Margo G.
I don't know how I let this review wait so long. I seriously thought I wrote one ages ago. Better late than never right? I had my wedding reception at Tarragon on November 8, 2009 in their upstairs banquet area and people are still complementing me about my wedding. Let me preface this by saying that I was not a picky bride nor a bridezilla nor had I dreamed of my wedding since I was 5 years old. I just wanted good food and drinks, a place to dance, enough seating for my 120 guests and simple but elegant decor. I got it all at Tarragon. Dottia was great to work with. She was able to work with us in designing a menu that fit both our taste buds and our budget. We were able to go in and sample the proposed menu and signature drink and signed the contract with no reservations. We trusted that our day would be wonderful. The day of, Dottia and her staff were great! The tables were well decorated with glassware and linens and they even added colored napkins to go with our colors. The food was delicious and people got up for seconds and thirds. I made sure I ate and I was totally satisfied with everything we picked. The bartenders kept the drinks flowing and the signature drink was a hit. My guest had a great time and most importantly, it was a day that I'll never forget. We've also dined here and couple of times and the food is always good. The happy hour is a pretty good deal and the outside seating is perfect when the weather is nice outside. This reminds me that I need to go again real soon.
(5)
Marit D.
My first time ordering swordfish and it was delectable! So flaky and such a delicate flavor! My husband loved his rib-eye and our daughter was impressed with the ahi tuna. A truly wonderful dining experience!!
(4)
Elizabeth S.
This place has nice ambient and accent lighting over dark blue interiors. The bar is fairly large with a couple large LCD's to watch your favorite games. The service here is also very attentive and at its best. They have an extensive wine list by the bottle. The raw oysters were pretty good, but nothing spectacular in terms of the two dipping sauces. I had the paella which was okay. I expected more flavor burst in my saffron rice, but added Tapatio and Sriracha to spice it up. The fish was a bit dry, but the rest of the seafood was good. I'd come here again. Maybe, the paella isn't their best, but the ambience, service and blueberry, strawberry custard dessert will bring me back.
(3)
Dann B.
I want to start out by saying that my past experiences with Tarragon have been great - excellent food, great service. We went to last year's New Years Eve event and had a great time. In anticipation of another great evening we invited another couple to this Year's New Year's Eve dinner. We had reservations for 9:30 but weren't seated until 10:30 and we were the last table seated. That began the disaster. The menu was a five course dinner at $69 per person and we ordered to bottles of fairly expensive wine for a dinner that was a little over $500 for four people. It took thirty minutes for the wait staff to take our order which meant we weren't served dessert until after mid-night. It took another fifteen minutes to get a bread basket.. The second course consisted of a choice of salads. Two of ordered the avocado salad and two of ordered the mixed green with pear. They ran out of the avocado salad so we ended up all getting the pear salad -- minus the pears! The next course was lobster bisque -- we were probably served from the bottom of the pot because the bisque was cold and we only received half a cup. The main course was fine but again, it appeared that our portions were smaller than the tables around us (who had been served much earlier). The final straw was dessert. We ordered two creme brulees and two lemoncello torts. They ran out of creme brulee and apparently the torts. We were given (without asking) chocolate cake and lemoncello ice cream. Now I realize that going out to dinner on New Year's Eve is always a crap shoot but when paying over $100 a person I expect to be given what I ordered -- or at least to be forewarned before I order.
(2)
nina m.
Tarragon had improved a lot by menu as well customer service. I really love the atmosphere at Tarragon. If you get between 5p- 5:45 they have early bird dinner for 20$ 3 course meal and it is worth it!
(4)
David B.
Loved the lamb skewers and chicken skewers - great deals, aespecially at happy hour prices. Sandro and Bobby were working the bar and they're both pros. I really appreciate the great customer service, and highly recommend the premium Sunnytown Margarita, which they both mix to perfection.
(5)
Jamie K.
Most amazing happy hour around! Everything on the happy hour menu is 1/2 off. The drinks and food are good, I recommend the burger. Igor is a great server too! Outside of happy hour, this place is ok and I choose to eat elsewhere.
(4)
Ted H.
I came to Tarragon 2 times. The first time I did not remember what I ordered, but the 2nd time, in July 2013, I got the nice paella. So depending upon the menu, you can be very happy.They have the decent wines. I recommend for the business dinner as well.
(3)
Callie S.
Nice ambience, but they don't seem to care much about their food. Had the calamari appetizer, wasn't impressed. It wasn't crispy, probably because they overbreaded it. Had the pork tendorloin with polenta and stewed apples. Polenta was yummy, but the pork was dry and pretty bland. Service was nice, not pretentious.
(2)
R M.
3.5 for Lunch. Where is my f'in food~? My stomach was full by water and drink. They grill everything on some kind of special grill (i forgot) so it tastes pretty good, but by the time food was served my stomach was filled with water. For some reason everybody knows that this place is NOT for lunch. The place was deserted, but it took forever to get our orders. At least our server was energetic and cheerful, but the restaurant did not meet the usual time-sensitive expectation for lunch. People swear this place is great for dinner. But I'm only around for lunch.
(3)
Karina A.
Place has great interior and atmosphere and is good for large groups (birthdays, weddings, etc). However, the food is not very good. We have been here before for a birthday and the food was better the first time around. When we came here couple of days ago again, it was not what we expected. For appetizers we got calamari and stuffed mushrooms. The mushrooms were good, but the calamari was pretty typical. As for main dishes, the swordfish had a fishy smell to it, the lamb/rack of ribs was burned, even though we asked for it to be made medium-rare. The ahi tuna did not taste fresh at all. The dessert was okay.
(2)
Graydon M.
I was invited here for a going away party the other night and while the friendship was great this place didn't impress me. The service was off and the food that I tasted wasn't very good. The fried food was soggy and tasteless and the non-fried food looked better than it tasted. There are so many good places on Murphy Street that I don't think I'll be coming back.
(2)
Linda P.
Fancy type sit down restaurant where presentation is there and Service was good. Waiter was prompt to our requests for ranch then tomato dipping sauce. We ordered calamari to start and it came with fried onions and green pepper mixed in, onions? Dunno why onions. Then we ordered from the early bird special menu which now I regret looking at, not because it's bad, but because I had a groupon and at the end of the meal read the fine print after it was way too late. Tip: If you have a groupon let the waiter know in advance they can alert you to what you can order. I told the hostess when making the reservation but forgot to tell the waiter. Order: New york steak, mashed potatoes, spinach. New york steak was cooked medium well when ordered medium and very salty. Rack of Lamb (one leg - because it was part of early bird special so a little smaller) small potatoes, spinach,and onions. Lamb cooked medium came out brown not very pink. Presentation is well, taste okay, but wish I was able to use my groupon since I was spending more on a meal than I normally would. Next time I'll order from the regular menu and hopefully can try the braised short ribs which was not on the menu this since the supplier didn't bring the meat on time for the 5 hr cooking time to occur to be on the menu.
(3)
Sandy E.
Let me start by saying I really WANT to love this place. Its close to my house and I love their menu however every time I go, I leave disappointed. This time will probably be my last attempt. Today I had lunch with a friend there. We picked it because the menu sounded great and they had a sunny table for two out front. We sat down at 11:55am and were promptly served our drinks. My soda was pretty flat. Not a great start. The waiter came out rather quickly but we weren't quite ready yet. He left and we didn't see him again for 15-20 mins. I finally got up agitated and walked inside. Bread came. Delish. Warm. Wonderful. The sun was shining and I was relaxed so I didn't really notice when 30 mins had gone by and still no sign our our food. We ordered two appetizers and a salad to share for a light lunch. It just doesn't take that long to whip those up. Started to walk inside again, but our waiter came out right away to apologize for the wait and explain that a large party had put their table order in right before ours. uh. well. how is that my fault? Great waiters no how to get around that sort of thing if you ask me. Another 10 mins go by and finally at 12:42 our lunch comes out. Looks yummy! I'm starving and thinking well I'm sure the wait will be worth it since they must have just made our plates after the large party. But alas, everything was luke warm and had the slightly dried out look of sitting under the heat lamps for too long. Except the ice berg lettuce salad. That was excellent. Totally wish this place would step up their front of the house to match the excellent menu and kitchen. Maybe I'll try it again in a year.
(2)
Elise F.
I give this place 4 stars for quality and taste of food and one extra star for great service. My boyfriend and I came here on a rainy Monday night because we were too lazy to cook and we had a gift certificate. The host was great and seated us right away. I liked the decor and ambiance... low lighting and an open kitchen. Even though the place was half full, it felt cozy. Our calamari appetizer came hot, tender and crispy. I like that they added fried onions and my boyfriend appreciated the jalapenos. Main courses were 50/50. I absolutely loved my paella. It was the type of dish that warms you from the inside out. Everything was cooked perfectly and I had no empty shells. Minus one star for my boyfriend's pot roast which was over-saturated with a too salty sauce. But, the manager was great and gave us a free drink on the house! We'd definitely come back here again.
(4)
mike h.
Fine maitre and waiters are excellent However Beware of Noise when there is a n event upstairs in the banquet room On a Friday night we sat in the booths and Could not hear our friends chat Between the band upstairs and the clomping of the dancing it was ridiculous I tested the noise level by putting music on my iPhone . I could not hear it.
(2)
Mochi M.
Came here with the party of 20. My friend and I ordered a lot of appetizers because I would rather try more of their unique dishes rather than sticking with an appetizer and an entree. Our server ontay or ante, don't know how to spell it, was a really nice and attentive server. Did a great job! The food wasn't to die for, I've had a lot better. I enjoy their five star though. I believe we have 10 free house wines? haha. So, five star did a great job doing there job. We'd be back for sure to get our free wines, but other than that i wouldn't really come back. Beef carpaccio- not so great, my opinion, ate a quarter, left the rest stuffed mushrrom- it was good, i'd get it again fries and garlic bread- normal sides and other stuff, don't remember
(3)
Steve B.
I've been here a few times now and really like it, even to the point where I've brought out-of-town friends here. I've never been disappointed by the food, although it is a little on the pricey side. Happy hour is a great compromise...half off a good selection of meals and appetizers, & half off all drinks. I really like their calamari and mushroom caps, and their burgers look amazing.
(5)
Sheila B.
My daughter and I wandered in here after a long day of traveling and doctors appointments at Stanford Hospital. We were greeted warmly by the host, who told us we looked lovely. Overtired from the long day we were not hungry for a large meal but instead grazed on fresh bread, an appetizer and salads. We sampled the brie in puff pastry which was served with a roasted garlic half and this amazing homemade apricot jam! It was to die for! my daughter had the citrus salad and I had the wedge salad, both were tasty and well balanced with their dressings. The wine list was extensive, yet reasonably priced. The dessert list was appetizing but we didn't have room. The service was friendly and timely. I highly recommend this restaurant and look forward to trying more of the menu items.
(5)
JASMIN O.
WEDDING RECEPTION/EVENT SITE REVIEW (thought that might grab some attention!) My husband and I held our wedding reception here May 2011, and the overall service was excellent. I would recommend this as a venue for.. - Parties of 100 or less - Those looking for an economical option - DIY brides that want to put their own flare on a space - If you want FLEXIBILITY. I was tired of venues that told me what djs to use, whose beverage or food menus were set in stone, or where minimums were excessive for a small-ish wedding. The only requirement I felt I HAD to meet was that I use their food. If you look at my other yelp reviews, I like GOOD food, and Tarragon didn't disappoint me or my guests. Dottia the event planner was a joy to work with over the span of 6 months. Depending on the other events she had going on, she responded to emails anywhere from 1-3 business days (but phone calls were the best way to reach her for a quick answer). She offered tons of insight and suggestions, was flexible with our menu and changes, and drew up a "day of" schedule. One thing I will suggest is that brides hire a day of coordinator, because Dottia's job is to BOOK the event, not see it through the day of. Any questions/concerns I had during our reception was handled by the head server(?) who was very helpful, friendly, and courteous to our guests. The only reason the last star isn't earned is because the area is transitioning from its Old Sunnyvale roots and there isn't enough parking in close proximity. We advised our guests to carpool or bring comfortable shoes for the short walk.
(4)
Bunny L.
4.9 Great food, great staff, great service and great location. I go to Tarragon with a girlfriend. We started going because of the convenient location. Now it's hands down the only place we go to downtown Sunnyvale. We always order apps and cocktails. We always finish our apps and cocktails...I wouldn't say we're regulars, but we are recognized when we do go, which is nice. I go to Tarragon with my boyfriend. We go because it is a nice setting with good clientele and really good food. We always order dinner and cocktails. We always finish our dinner and cocktails.
(4)
Rachelle F.
This is one of our favorites in downtown Sunnyvale. Great date place. Food is delicious and if u go during the week they have a great early bird special for $25. Great drinks too!
(4)
Kimberly R.
We have been holding our Mastery for Women Successful Thinkers meetings in the upstairs banquet room. WOW! It is gorgeous. The servers are wonderful. The buffet that is served at our meetings does not only meet, but exceeds our expectations every time! It is a lovely open room with beatiful touches. We appreciate everything that they do for our group! I highly recommend using them for your special occasion!
(5)
Winifred X.
I had a restaurant.com coupon, also made reservation with opentable.com ... =) - this time we ordered the fried calamari ($12?) avg, the batter could be a bit thinner.. - short ribs is incredibly good - paella ($16) -- I have been having a hard time find a good paella place in the US... I tried restaurants from the east to the west coast.. nothing compared to what I had in Spain.. so I am no longer expecting really great seafood paella... it's just not there.. this one is alright, not worth a revisit though.
(3)
Ron S.
Made the mistake of going here for Thanksgiving dinner. Their T-day fixed menu looked really good. Took fifteen minutes to get a drink order, the soup while tasty was obviously watered down, when my dinner arrived it looked like it had been slopped on the plate and it was cold. Sent it back and the second time around was worse that the first. The folks at the next table over also got cold food, but when their's came back it must have been edible. Even worse the taste I did get was very good, perhaps I will give the a second chance when they are really slow. Thanks Tarragon for ruining my first Thanksgiving in the Bay Area.
(1)
Kim B.
This is an addendum to my review from my July 12, 2014 wedding reception held at Tarragon. We had a very poor experience with the owner, Dottia, and many things went wrong at our reception. I gave Tarragon one star for our reception. Dottia responded to my review, and, as you can read, she stated that she wanted to make things right for us. On the day that she wrote that, I contacted her to let her know that, if she was really interested in making things right, my husband and I wanted to set up a meeting with her. It is now three days later, and she has not only not responded, but not even confirmed receipt of my email to her. Obviously, her response to my negative yelp review was just lip-service, and she has no intention of making things right for us. If you are planning an event, i.e. a reception, party, etc... please look elsewhere. You will have a great event with a lot less stress an aggravation.
(1)
Glenn G.
Elegant dinning room, good for fine dinning at an affordable price. Some friends and I ate dinner here one Saturday in May. We had the Organic Greens salad and it was very good. Rack of Lamp was cooked just right, tender and juicy. Portion was small, there were only two chops instead of the usual four chops served at other restaurants. Filet mignon was very tender and cooked per order. New York steak was also cooked per order, very tasty. They ran out of the Dark Chocolate Cake by the time we had dessert. We got the substitute chocolate lava cake. It taste like frozen cake and there was no lava in the middle. Tiramisu was very good. Service was friendly and attentive. All in all, the restaurant was quite serviceable.
(4)
Shayne T.
Ok food, nothing outstanding. Pretty good food. Came here on Valentine's Day with my girl...
(3)
Bryan L.
We eat lunch here usually 2-3 times a week. Try the tarragon burger topped with a baked brie and apricots it's amazing. Service is always great
(5)
Grant L.
Came here for my bday and got a huge table for 20. The place was very accommodating for a party my size and was able to wait on us with very much attention that a smaller table would get. I got the rib eye steak and man it was so tender and melts with each bite I hardly had to even chew.
(4)
Betty Y.
Another restaurant we wanted to try was absolutely full and so we thought we give this one a chance. Well, I'm a fan! The mussels and clams appetizer was absolutely delicious. I had the prime rib and YUM! It was all so yummy. Service was fantastic and friendly. I really enjoyed this restaurant. I would have given it 5 stars but there was a lot of noise coming from floor above. It sounded as if someone was playing ball up there. I never checked to see what business was up there but it was really annoying.
(4)
Richard R.
This review is for Tarragon on Mothers Day 2013. Preface: I've been to Tarragon on other occasions rate them a solid 3.5 stars for a sit down meal where you are being waited on. So I call on Saturday to make reservations for my small party. I specifically request a TABLE, not a booth, because on Mothers day it is a brunch. It's not easy to come and go to a buffet when you are trapped in a booth. We get to the restaurant and what do they have ready? Yep, a booth. We are eventaully moved. I look around to see what is going on and there is one group there that is HUGE! I estimate 40 people in their party. So that is where all the tables have gone. Buffet food - Pretty good selection of items to choose from. Carving station is great. However - rubber like scrambled eggs and dried up french toast. Conclusion: Not the ideal place for a buffet. I should have selected a large hotel with plenty of seating and more attentive staff for this occasion.
(2)
Joe C.
Got a day of RSVP here for NYE..woot woot! Place was decorated nice, not pretentious, yet classy. Since it was NYE, we only got to choose from the Price fix menu which had a variety of choices which made me happy. Service was a little frantic as they seemed to be a little understaffed for the night. However, our server was pleasant the time he did arrive at our table. Quality of food was good as well as portion size. The only thing that was a negative was the "Apple Fritter" dessert that looked like someone through a lump of crap in a pool of liquid. I looked around and it was the same for everyone...so I guess thats the look they wanted? =P I would come back and try their regular menu!
(4)
Beau S.
One amazing stuffed chicken breast. Really need to just order it to understand. Trust me....Service is solid too.
Pepper herb butter. A person outside my circle of friends would be shocked at what I love to eat: pepper, butter, olive oil and bread. I had the New York steak and my boyfriend had chicken saltimbocca. Very nice ambiance, decent food favorably priced. Nice wait staff. I was not impressed with the chicken, the steak was good, but not cooked perfectly. But everything had enough pepper and butter to have me happily bouncing in my seat.
(4)
Mr. R.
We dined at Tarragon this weekend, and had an enjoyable experience. My wife and I had: 1) Apple Salad and the Asparagus and Portabello Salad. Both were non lettuce salads, and pretty darn good. The apple salad was an enormous helping of shaved apples (green) with a interesting dressing. 2) Cioppino and Tri Tip. Both were good, nothing remarkable, but good. But I have to say I was definitely left wanting on the portion size for the Tri Tip. Another member of our party ordered the NY Strip Steak, and I was instantly envious. Very generous portion, very thick cut. Nice looking sauce on it. 3) We ordered the Bomba (Peanut Butter Dessert), but they were out so we got the bread pudding, which was OK, I was a little disappointed there. So in summary, (1) Appetizer Salads, well portioned, and very good. (2) Mains were fine, nothing remarkable, and order the NY Steak if in doubt, and (3) Try the Bomba, it sounded pretty good.
(3)
Dennis O.
Parking in downtown Sunnyvale is just a little difficult during Happy Hour. Reason? Lack of signs and spaces. No parking structures. I had my eye on this place for a long time and I really jumped when I found that Groupon had a deal for this place. So far the restaurant really came through. I didn't go for the early bird menu, I was there to spoil myself with a good glass of wine, roasted meat and good company. The place wasn't crowded for a friday night which is good. Now how I spoil myself this evening? Big spaces, lots of tables, just about perfect ambiance. Check. Good company. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm check. A chilled glass of chardonnay - cant remember what it was, house wine. Just had to get one since it was hot all day. Calamari starters - ahh this is excellent calamari. The spices were perfect. Not too big or small. Not too oily or spicy. New York Steak - 9oz , they had a 12oz but this was a lot already even when sharing.. Includes Potato gratin, small brocolli and some kind of butter. a glass of Monterey Pinot Noir - perfect for lamb or steak. Not too overpowering which is what I like when complimenting good food. Rack of Lamb for my companion - also excellent. Both Rack of Lamb and my dining companion. - Potatoes, zucchini ( my favorite veggie!) , lemon thyme aioli. Heavenly... Its been a month or so since I ate here but this is definitely my kind of a place where you can forget your troubles and consume a fair amount of wine and roasted meat :D
(4)
Devo S.
Very nice place on Murphy St...great Happy Hour deals. My $5 peppermint martini was great. I would come back!
(4)
Alexia N.
Puff Pastry Baked Brie is delicious. It is a perfect balance of creamy cheese, sweet apricot and roasted garlic. Cioppino is so salty that I can only eat the mussels and clams. Its tomato broth doesn't taste like they use fresh tomato but canned tomato. Garlic bread is decent, crunchy. However, if they use butter instead of cheese, it might be better. Stuffed Bell Pepper is delicious. Garlic Mashed Potatoes is lame. It tastes like it is instant mashed potatoes instead of fresh potatoes. I cannot taste any garlic. Also, it is dried, not creamy at all. Apple Salad tastes like cough medicine. It is terrible. Service is very good. I hope that they improve the Cioppino because it is one of my favorite dishes. Also, I do want to come back to Tarragon to try other dishes because I like its location, ambiance and service.
(3)
Amanda G.
I've been meaning to update my review for awhile, and seeing the recent negative reviews has pushed me to finally do it. My husband and I were married here a little over a month ago, and were THRILLED with everything. There was a new chef hired after we had signed on, and as much as we previously liked the food, it's even better now. We especially love the fact that the new chef is using local, sustainable, seasonal, and organic ingredients. That's how we cook at home, and were so pleased to be able to share that with our guests. As for the service....From start, (almost a year ago) to finish, we couldn't have been more pleased. The owner is phenomenal. She was available when I needed to talk to her, and incredibly easy and fun to work with.She took care of all the little details, (some things I hadn't even thought of.) I cannot express enough what a great experience we had with her, and the restaurant. The waitstaff and bartender were also really attentive and helpful. She really made us feel taken care of.We truly had no worries at all the day of our wedding. Several of our guests remarked on how impressed with the food and service they were, as well as how beautiful the upstairs room is. We had such a great experience here, I really hope more people give them a try.
We came here for a birthday. Not a very busy night, but service was a bit slow. We still felt welcome though, which is more important. They didn't do anything special because of the birthday, but dinner was still pretty good. Our company thought the stuffed chicken was a bit on the dry side, but not bad. The lamb and tuna were quite good. Nice ambiance, not too dark like some restaurants. We'll consider this place again.
(3)
Carmen M.
Went on a dinner date and this was the place we chose. I have never eaten here before and checked the reviews on Yelp before we left. Since I am a vegetarian I had to see what dishes they had. They seemed to offer a few so I was willing to try. The reviews were mixed and that is fine with me. When we walked inside it was noisy and full of energy. I liked that and we were seated right away. I checked the menu and decided to order Eggplant Parmigiana and my date ordered Lentil soup and the Swordfish. While waiting we tried to have a conversation but it was too noisy. We were informed that there were a few company parties there so that is why it was busy. Our dishes were served in a timely manner and I was ready to eat. My Eggplant was delicious and I didn't want to put my fork down. The marinara and bechanel sauces were sooo good. My date didn't like his Swordfish and said the sauce over powered the fish. The Lentl soup was good. I had a great eating experience and I will return again.
(4)
John F.
We were here for dinner. The plating was appealing, but the food wasn't impressive. The service was a little slow.
Tarragon has exceptional ambience and outstanding food. I highly recommend it. Context: I came in for lunch with a few of my coworkers. The hostess was warm and friendly and let us relax at a table of our choosing--admittedly they weren't overly busy. The ambience and decor was great, with just the right balance of noise and quiet. Then came my delicious pesto chicken sandwich. Hands-down the best lunch item I have had on Murphy Street. Its flavor was complex and nuanced, the texture was moist and crispy, and most importantly, it was served alongside sweet potato fries! Thanks Tarragon for making my lunch so pleasant.
(5)
Linda M.
We went here for a pre-Christmas dinner with family (since we will be out of town on Christmas). We decided to pick someplace new this year rather than our old-favorite, and that was a huge mistake. Tarragon dissapointed across the board. We started with the bread basket, which was amazing. The bread was hot and had a perfect crust and a little bit of sourdough taste to it. The waiter explained that they didn't make the bread - it was shipped over from LeBoulanger. Should have been a clue that the best part of the meal wasn't made by their chefs. We had a filet mignon, medium-rare, and a rack of lamb, rare. The side dishes served with the meals were lovely. The spinach, mashed potato, eggplant & tomato, mushrooms, were all flavorful and well-prepared. However, the focus of the dish - the meats- all fell way short of expectations, as did the service. The filet was unevenly cooked. It was rare in the middle but had a sizeable brown over-done ring all the way around. So effectively the outer inch was well-done and the inner-inch was rare. Perhaps the theory was if you eat them all together in one bite it was supposed to equal out to medium-rare? The filet also didn't have much flavor to it unless you doused it with the sauce. The lamb was inedible. There were two big chops on the plate. We ordered it rare, but one was blue inside (cold and barely cooked at all), and the other was medium-well. One was close to tender so we could eat it, but the other we couldn't even cut, let alone eat. How does one dish come out with two disparately cooked pieces on it? The waiter was no where to be found for about 30 minutes after our food was served, but when he finally did come over we pointed out the lamb discrepancy. His instant response was "Well, that's what happens when you order rare meat; it can be tough to chew. They have a preparation for steak called 'blue' and I tasted it here last week and it took me over a minute to chew it". Then he promptly walked away - no apology for the kitchen misstep, no offering to re-fire or bring us something else. Just chastised us for ordering it rare and left. We were all dumbfounded, wondering if that really just happened?! First off, if you are serving quality meat then ordering it with a rare preparation should be no problem. Besides, we got one blue chop and one well-done chop, not what we ordered. Is telling me that you tasted a steak here last week and could barely chew it a good sales pitch for the restaurant, or just further evidence that perhaps the inedible nature of the lamb was not, as you pointed out, my fault? Against my better judgment we decided againt pursuing the issue or getting the manager involved, simply because it was already a ruined pre-Christmas dinner, no need to make a further spectacle. But the kitchen staff and wait staff definitely need refinement. I would not recommend Tarragon, nor would I go back. Epic Failure.
(1)
Don P.
We celebrated Thanksgiving dinner at Tarragon this year. Two of our party ordered turkey, while the third had pork tenderloin with apricot sauce. We all enjoyed squash soup as a starter. Delicious! The turkey was tasty, and the stuffing almost like Grandma would make. I found the pork moist and well seasoned. We ordered the triple chocolate mousse, pumpkin pie, and the cheesecake for desert so we could all sample each. Very good. The service was excellent, and the young men who waited on us were personable, solicitous without being obsequious, polite and energetic, especially Sandor. All in all, an enjoyable experience. We'll be back!
(4)
Brian B.
It is ironic that Sunnyvale did everything it could to stomp out the old downtown and now that their headlong leap into failed suburbia resulted in a fabulous faceplant, they want us to embrace the 'old' downton SV. They can bite me. I've watched them make every wrong move for 30 years and I feel they need to pay the price for their 'get rich quick' scheme that started in the late-70s. Hmmm, the heart of Silicon Valley in the late-70s? A monkey and a dartboard would have been a better urban planning methodology. White people crack me up sometimes. OK, so here we are...2008. Tarragon. It's like every other quasi-upscale yuppified watering hole. The food was good. The winelist was uninspired but acceptable. One of my favorite obscure Bob Dylan songs is "Brownsville Girl". It's really a monologue rather than a song. In it, he says, "If there's an original idea out there, I could use it right now." So could Tarragon. But they're not bad at rehashing the yuppie dream that died so hard in the late-90s.
(3)
Liz L.
So I mistakenly bought a Groupon for Tarragon when I thought it was for Turmeric. Two restaurants that are named after an herb/spice that starts with a T across the street from each other. I was bound to get confused! But I was pleasantly surprised. The food was pretty good, although the service was close to non-existent. We asked to move to a bigger table because we had more people coming, but we got stuffed into a booth that was ... actually smaller. Furthermore, some of our entrees took so long to come that we ended up canceling them. I'd go back again, maybe with a smaller group so that we don't "confuse" them. I really enjoyed the baked brie appetizer, and the rack of lamb.
(3)
Craig R.
Once per quarter I've been organizing a mid week business lunch for 8 - 12 clients at Tarragon. The most recent visit was disappointing. The location is ideal for our group, the food is always good and we were seated right away, but the waitress took way too long to get our order, and by the time the entrees arrived our meeting time was almost over.
(3)
Scott C.
The food here is actually very good. Both times I had the sea bass. The first time it was perfect.. Moist and almost melted in your mouth. The second time it was a little dry but still good. Service both times was excellent. The waiter actually remembered us from two weeks ago. This is a nice restaurant with a warm ambiance. Would be a great place to take your significant other to.
(4)
Leida A.
Long wait for food, service was horrible, and food was mediocre. Enough said!
(1)
Lilia H.
This place is great! Made a reservation for 10 for boyfriend's birthday dinner, no problems. Even though it was pretty full, we could still talk to each other without having to yell. The food was delicious..recommend the ahi tuna. I might try their ribs next time, they looked good. We didn't ask for the free birthday dessert thing restaurants usually do, but after we sang to the bf, our waiter dropped by with a little cake anyway.
(5)
Mo C.
First time here and the service was great, the waiter was great, and most importantly the food and dessert was great. My guests and I were happy all around the table.
(5)
Kevin S.
This review is focused on the banquet side of the house, as we had our wedding reception at Tarragon. We actually found Tarragon somewhat by chance when searching for reception venues in the South Bay on Google. What we found attractive about the place when we visited is that Dottia was very laid back and wasn't ultra-pushy. We were also impressed with the value for the money - you can offer up to 4 entrees for the same price on their plated menus, which was unheard of at places charging 3x the price. In addition, their minimums are somewhat flexible - this was key because we were on a budget and were inviting under 100 guests. When it came time to execute, the staff killed it. The food was excellent and got rave reviews from the guests. The waitstaff was prompt and professional. The bartender did a great job and poured great drinks all night. An overall awesome job. Definitely add them to your list of places to check out when cruising for reception spots.
(5)
Sara L.
This is where I found the bar tender who hated money. There's nothing better than going to happy hour when you know there's a 4 day weekend to follow. Wooohoooo! So we came to Terragon with a bunch of coworkers age ranging from 24 to 64+ (no joke, he's a party animal too =)). It started out great! which is why they salvaged two stars. We noticed the bar tender seemed a little grumpy, which is odd since we were just trying to order and there were literally only two other people at the bar. Fine, we got the first round of dirty vodka martinis; but the second round of the exact same drinks, tasted completely different. It tasted like he accidentally used flavor vodka, maybe raspberry. It was gross. He denied it even though the difference was so obvious and he did not want to replace it for us! All the while we've been tipping him 20%. Finally one of the older gentlemen from our group talked to him and he reluctantly replaced the drinks for us. If he was grumpy before, now he's raging and glaring at us. I've never seen someone so unpleasant in a service related position. 6:55 rolls around and of course we're gonna want one last round before the end of happy hour at 7. Well, surprise! he said no, happy hour is over. Not wanting to risk him spitting in our drinks, I turned back. But my friends weren't backing down so easily. Everyone was waving their phones with the time on it. I walked back at the bar and he says "what can I get you?" Seriously, you work for tips, we tip you, you be happy. It's your damn job! How can you be mad that you have to serve drinks? how else are you gonna make money? I know they pay you crap hourly. And when you made a mistake, you fix it. We aren't just trying to mess with you, or cheat you since we barely touched that nasty drink. You aren't the owner, it's not even your bottom line.
(2)
D N.
Some friends and I had a lovely early-bird dinner here. We all left happy and full. It is a 3-course meal for $20. (be careful if you have more then 8 dining during the early bird times because you won't be able to order from the early bird menu) The food was extremely tasty and the waiter was the BEST! He always had a smile, and served our meals perfectly. Took care of refilling our water, bringing our checks, and all without asking! What a concept... :) Happy dining! I would highly recommend this place. Next time I would like to take a peek at their regular menu as well, just to see other selections. Though, there was an abundant amount of selections on the early bird dinners....
(4)
Julie W.
This review is on the early bird 3 course dinner for $22.00, an excellent value. 5 of us went for dinner yesterday, we had reservation at 5:30 but some of us didn't get there until almost 6. The waitress was completely cool about it , very friendly, good sense of humor a delightful young woman. The basket of bread was hot and fresh, one needs strong willpower to present from overeating. Salad was decent, fresh spring mix with some candid walnuts, dressing was light and refreshing. There were quite a few goof choices for the main course; range from $16 - $22 on the regular menu. I had the cioppino, good flavor and fresh ingredients, others had salmon and pot roast (more like a beef stew), the portions were generous, everyone enjoyed the food. All the deserts were huge, we tried cheese cake, tiramisu and ice brownie (Ice cream), they were mostly OK or good, no one can finish though. I've been here many times in the past, always ordering from regular menu, it's been pretty decent (3-3.5 stars) will definitely try to make it early to take advantage of the great deal.
(4)
Vijay D.
Very good ambiance, quiet, good choice of cocktails and good food.
(4)
Naruto G.
the food was ok, nothing special. After we ate, we asked the waiter, what kind of food is this place? He said it's a steak house, but there are strong flavor on the food. Overall was ok, we went there for tasting with corporate pass.
(3)
Sam N.
Nice restaurant and decent prices. Good for business meeting, date, or team lunch.
(4)
Edgar N.
After an evening of knocking back Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, working on my filet mignon and doing plenty of people-watching, I have determined Tarragon is the finest restaurant in Sunnyvale that's not called P.F. Chang's.
(3)
May B.
Nice newly decorated/updated restaurant with a nice looking bar. I came here on a Friday night dinner and it seemed "dead." Food was just OK (I ordered the tuna tartare). The rice was soggy and it lacked the right flavor. Just felt whoever made me meal was kind of amateur. Service was ok. Hubby liked his steak although a tad overcooked. I have been here one time before for lunch and my experience with lunch was better than what I experienced for dinner. Not sure I would bother going back though.
(2)
Phoebe A.
For the price, our dining experience here was exceptional. We went because I got a groupon coupon and thought it would be fun to try a new restaurant. Everything we had was really good. The flavors were all delicately balanced and everything was really fresh. I had the spinach salad and the eggplant parmesan. My husband had the mixed greens and the prime rib. One kid had the ravioli and the other kid had the short ribs. Everyone was really happy. I noticed on one review that the service was bad. Someone must have taken note of that review because service was impeccable in every way. We had two $45 groupon coupons for four of us and dinner ended up being $7 after the coupons were applied, so even if we had no coupons, I think that $97 is very reasonable for the quality of dinner that we had. We will be back!
(5)
K H.
Very nice ambiance, an elegant restaurant but not pretentious, service was very good as was the food. We had the early bird special on a Friday evening but would be happy to try to regular menu. Nice place!
(4)
Gene A.
This place was ok. I sat in the bar area and my server, Kristine, was attentive and very friendly. The food, however, was somewhat disappointing. I ordered a half order of oysters in the half shell. Sure, the horseradish was a nice touch, but the oysters themselves seriously lacked in flavor. No salty/briny flavor. For the entree, I ordered the rotisserie chicken, which came with mashed potatoes and carrots. The chicken was super, super bland. Even the skin lacked in flavor. I guess they've hired a new Executive Chef and his cooks are half-assing things, so I'll come back and give it another go when the Chef has his footing.
(3)
Fraulein C.
My cousin had her wedding reception held here and she wishes that she could go back and do it all over again. She coordinated with their great staff to all her needs starting off with their wine and dessert menu all the way down to the bottom of picking and choosing their dinner selection and appetizers. The wedding coordinator had advised that they wanted the reception to run smoothly...which they did a perfectly great job! Their place is decorative and presentable, their service was cordial and attentive, and they were able to accommodate a large reception of 200 guests! She was gleefully happy with how everything went. My cousin had ordered off their banquet menu (three choices of either family style, sit-down or buffet...but she chose sit-down instead) and included an open bar! Their food was great! There was platters of their appetizers of cheeses, cold cut meats, seafood skewers, and fruits, etc. So I wasn't surprised that guests were devouring them like crazy after our entourage had arrived from the church and amountful of pictures with the photographer. Entrees all looked perfectly done either chicken, beef or fish. I chose their chicken entree which tasted invitingly delectable and I was much impressed. I didn't come close to tasting their cake because I was too busy having a glass of white wine and dancing the rest of the night away! Would I question myself if I want to come here and try out their food...why of course! This is a great place for an intimate dinner date with someone special. HAPPY HOUR INFO: **BAR and LOUNGE AREA ONLY When: Mondays-Fridays, 4pm-7pm Drinks: $5 by the glass wine -Featured daily white -Featured daily red -Zonin prosecco -Sangria $5 well cocktails -margaritas -screwdriver -vodka or gin martini -manhattan $5 pinnacle vodka specials -blueberry lemon drop -berry bay breeze -kiwi strawberry cosmo -appletini -pomegranate sex on the beach -cherry life saver -grape vodka cape cod Pinnacle dirty vodka martini
(4)
Pauline P.
The price is reasonable, the portion is big enough. good environment, not crowded. If I can chose, I'll give 3.5 ~ 3.8 stars (coz not a fan yet ) we ordered calamari + chicken masala + pork chop + mushroom. All are good! Try it if you want to find a place with good deco, ambience to catch up with families, friends, or even for a date!
(4)
Sbh H.
Enjoyed the early bird dinner last evening! The selection was vast - pork tenderloin was superb, mesquite grilled steak was well prepared. The sauces were complimentary - great addition to the entree. All veggie sides were tasty! Also enjoyed a well mixed margarita. We enjoyed this meal - service, food and environment was terrific.
(4)
Amber J.
The food here is on the better side, but not fantastic. The service and ambiance is great. Decent location for a client meeting, or even a first date. My favorite dish (when they carry it) is the Saffron tempura asparagus.
(3)
Shannon H.
FANTASTIC Food. I highly reccomend the calamari, salmon, or the filet mignon (which is paired beautifully by the bernaise sauce). I really love the presentation of the food also, with a nice open upscale atmosphere. I will say the prices here are extremely very well priced for what you get. Big Ups to the new chef Ryan.
(5)
Keri B.
I wasn't sure when we walked in - and we got the first night of their new menu (which meant some of the things had changed!) I was in the apps and salad for dinner mode, so had the baked brie (which had apricot that was too sweet but also came with a full large bulb of roasted garlic on the side that was amazing!) -very good and their spinach salad- the dressing was really interesting (good interesting, not pretend someone is saying something incredibly pseudo-intellectual IN-teresting....more amusing than mangoes--extra points if you get the obscure musical theatre lyric quote) and lots of walnuts and goat cheese, which I truly appreciated. Interesting (again, more amusing than mangoes) wine list too with prosecco (which I wish I had had rather than the rose I had-which was dry and light, but wouldn't have made my first choice at Safeway). My friend had the porcini penne and I tried a bite- I will visit again for that and the prosecco!! (well- and to split the brie.....but it's kind of hard to ruin baked brie....) - the penne was a definite highlight. Good service, nice atmosphere, and the bathrooms were clean, well decorated and smelled nice (not like mangoes, but fruity). Like the spacious booths- it wasn't crowded, and I always wonder what the noise level would be if it were- good for smaller groups of friends or date night. Little expensive -but worth a few extra dollars for the quality of our food and experience. (even without mangoes).
(4)
Michael A.
An outstanding dinner. At first I was really apprehensive about going to this place. The menu looked kinda odd (online menu), and the pictures of their dishes appeared to be more artwork than food. I was expecting all flair and no substance... I was happy to find out how wrong I was. Everything I had tasted absolutly wonderful. We started off with calamri and mussels that were outstanding. The calamari tasted great on their own, and the mussels were in a butter and white wine sauce that tasted great. For my entree I had their swordfish special which came with swordfish in a tasty buttery sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and spinach that was cooked just right. I cleaned off my plate. Evertyhing tasted wonderful. Those that I were with really enjoyed their meals too, and we were suprised how empty the place was (Friday night at 7:00pm - we guessed that it was slow due to a combination of the economy and the rain, but who knows). We all had desserts that were so tasty, we ended up passing them around. After dessert I enjoyed a nice cup of coffee. I really enjoyed the quality of food that was served here, and the professionalism of the staff. I'm not in Sunnyvale often, but next time I am, I plan to return to try another dish. FIVE STARS!
(5)
Bill C.
I only recently got turned on to Tarragon. Wow, this place has a nice bar area. The bartenders know how to mix a proper martini. It's a bonus that they have a great selection of other premium drinks. If you plan an evening out, this is a great place to start the evening. For food, I can't say anything about the entrees, but the appetizers are awesome. The goat cheese and prosciutto are out of this world. I've heard the salads and crab cakes are good too. They would have gotten 5 stars but the bar area is pretty small and it's not unusual to have to stand around a bit. Will I be back? You bet I will.
(4)
Amy R.
Why did it take me so long to dine here? Apparently it was a sign from the culinary gods, as the day I finally came, their fridge/freezers were down, so we could only order from the Early Bird 3-course menu (Very reasonable and worthwhile at $22/plate). The decor is beautiful, rich without being pompous and intimate without being crammed. Plenty of room between tables, and how nice is it to have round tables large enough to accommodate six people? At Tarragon, your group can actually have a conversation, instead of being forced to shout down the table, and have the whole restaurant hear about which My Little Pony is your favorite. The food was quite good, smart combinations, with an emphasis on seasonality. The pork tenderloin with apricots was delicious, though overcooked (but I believe this was due to my plate getting switched with another party member who ordered hers well done). Many points for allowing me to specify my pork to order. Drinks were made with care, and the wait staff was informative and very friendly. The hostess seemed a little moony, but this is the case in most restaurants these days, where they hire for looks over skill. Overall, I would happily come back here time and time again.
(5)
Samantha S.
Unfortunately Tarragon is headed in the wrong direction. I came here a while back with some girlfriends and then again with my boyfriend the food was exceptional - I was SO excited to go back. But since a lot has changed. I came in with my boyfriend for date night, and what a disappointment. The menu doesn't match what they have online, apparently because they have a new chef. What a huge let down. The service was all over the place- in a bad way. My pork was over cooked, the polenta was mushy, my salad was swimming in dressing. My boyfriends paella tasted old, not much seafood, and again mushy. I won't be returning to Tarragon again in the near future. I'm sorry to say I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.
(1)
Jay B.
Made reservations for Valentine's Day dinner a few weeks ago for 6:30pm. Arrived on-time to find a long line, approx 10 couples ahead of us, and the 6pm reservations were just being seated. Ordered a drink at the bar while we waited and received a severely watered down gin and lots of tonic. Seated around 7:10pm and waited another 20 minutes for waitress to acknowledge our presence. Our cold food started arriving close to 8pm. I'll admit it had wonderful, complex taste, but it would have been great if it was at least warm, preferably hot. Clearly, they overbooked the reservations by advertising a tantalizing prie fixe menu in the paper and could have pulled it off if they limited the reservations or staffed up.
(2)
Lil Z.
This place is OVERRATED. There is a new chef and the quality/taste is not living up to the price you paid. I had the shrimp linguine and it was too thick and dense. The shrimp they used were ancient frozen shrimps lacking of shrimp flavor. The Yellow Tail was better last time but nothing special. I do admit that this place is ROMANTIC. You will wait for at least ONE hour before your entree is served, so don't be starving Marvin when you get here! Food: So So. Service: Good but slow for the food served. Price: Expensive! Return: NO but only for the atmosphere.
(2)
Cindy K.
This was my first time dining at Tarragon and I was thoroughly impressed by the atmosphere and the quality of the food, martini's and service. Let's begin with the ambiance. The owners really put the time and effort in on making this place really romantic and modern. The lighting on the walls, the large mirror, the raised seating area, and the bar are beautiful. The scene is romantic. We came to eat here on a weeknight, and the corporate folks were in full... drinking at the bar, and then going to their large table. There was a good, mellow, professional and fun vibe flowing throughout the restaurant. I had the Cucumber Martini. It was the best martini i have ever had. It was like going to a day spa and being offered cucumber water... but in the gin-format and it was so refreshing and had that hint of ginger and mint. Tarragon's martini's were about $10 each... which, in my opinion, were well worth it. They have about 5 beers on tap along with a lot more bottled beer. Extensive wine list too. They have 1/2 bottles, which is always a plus in my book. Moving onto the food, the Calamari was excellent for our taste buds, but i can see how others may not like the way it was prepared. It had a good spice to it and was fried with some thin lemon slices and artichoke hearts. It was a good change to the usual calamari fritti. I had the rack of lamb, and my dinner partner had the sea bass. Presentation was wonderful and the portion of food for the rack was abundant. The Seabass portion was smaller, it actually looked real small compared to my rack of lamb, but don't let the size fool you. The flavor of both dishes were delicious. The seabass was more of a lightly pan-seared dish with light, fresh sauces and my rack of lamb was just that... LAMB! The cherry sauce it was served with was not too tart and it complemented the dish well. I was impressed by the drinks, food and service that i could not just stop there. Even though i was full, i wanted to try the dessert. As i'm reading the dessert menu, i'm thinking to myself how am i going to articulate all this in my yelp review! Well, dessert was the trio of creme brulee and the flour-less chocolate cake. I am not a fan of chocolate cake but it tasted like a rich, thick, chocolate mousse... but the dinner partner said it was just okay. The creme brulee's were creamy and just the right size to actually share if you don't want something too big. I really enjoyed Tarragon. Although it is a fairly long drive just for dinner, I definitely want to dine here more often. I know they changed the Executive Chef a few months ago, and from what it appears, things are definitely going in the right direction for this place.
(5)
Victoria B.
I have been to Tarragon twice and both times, we went on a Saturday night at around 6pm (normal dinner time) and by the time we left, it was still empty. It's kind of awkward and uncomfortable to be the ONLY customers in the entire restaurant throughout the entire meal. However, I do give it props for being a rather nice restaurant with nice decor. The menu was reasonably priced. It was affordable and not expensive. We started out with the calamari (about $11) for the appetizer and it was very tasty. It was seasoned well and had the perfect crispiness to it! I really liked the sauce that they put on top. It had a little bit of a kick to it and it was really good! For the entrees, I had the chicken saltimbocca ($17.50),my mom had the paella, and my dad at the chicken rotisserie ($18). My mom tried my saltimbocca and couldn't even finish the bite because she said it tasted like really strong alcohol. I can see why she would say that, but I was used to it. It wasn't too bad, but I don't think I would order that again. My dad liked his rotisserie, and my mom liked her paella. I tried the paella and thought it would use a lot more seasoning and flavor, but it was cooked well. The service was good (well it would have to be considering they're only serving one table!) and our server was really nice and accommodating. Overall, the food was OK, but nothing too memorable. I doubt I would want to go back unless I was in the area.
(3)
Dena D.
If I could, I would actually give this restaurant a 2 1/2. There were some parts about my experience that were quite good. The ambience was nice, and the restaurant was a good place to catch up and chat with an old friend. I liked the booths, the lighting, and the unhurried attitude. On the downside, I was not impressed overly with the food or the service. I did have one thing that was VERY good, but the rest was just so-so for the price. The food went through the motions of being fancy food without actually being fancy. The cheese plate had cheese that seemed like it had been cut several days before.I like hard cheeses, but not all of these were meant to be hard. And the ones that were meant to be hard were cut too thickly. It seems strange to complain about getting too much cheese, but I definitely felt this plate was a little heavy. The one saving grace was the goat cheese which was pretty tasty and had some kind of herb-thing going on. My dining companion had the paella. It came jam-packed with mussels, clams, and scallops. Which is strange, since none of these things were listed as ingredients on the menu. I happily took over eating them, but they didn't have much flavor. The paella, for all the numerous ingredients was actually pretty bland. The one point of deliciousness was the bernaise sauce over some fingerling potatoes and onions (as part of their "nicoise" treatment for several dishes.) The potatoes and onions were perfectly cooked and the sauce was quite yummy. If you are drawn in by the quiet dining room, and just want something a little yummy with wine, I recommend getting something with these potatoes.
(2)
David B.
Tarragon is deceiving. The interior design - from the floor plan to the fixtures to the lighting - is handsome. I've been here several times, and I presume that's because the ambiance is what sticks in my memory. Although typically I come for a few drinks and maybe a bite to eat, on the most recent occasion I came specifically for dinner. Seated at the bar, I started with the signature Manhattan ($10) which is a blend of Amaretto and bourbon. Largely as expected, it wasn't successful, with more Amaretto than bourbon. I thought they'd just replace the vermouth with Amaretto... guess not. Oh, and it comes in an 8 oz. glass. 8 oz. martini glasses should be illegal. As a main course, I ordered the spinach ravioli ($15), as did a dining companion, with the other dining companion ordering the salmon ($18.50). After what seemed like a long wait given the number of patrons (perhaps 10 in total, in addition to my party of three), our dishes arrived. The first thing I noticed was the dry appearance and some browned edges to some of my ravioli, obviously the result of having sat under the heat lamp too long. (The other ravioli dish seemed to be fine; apparently mine was the first dish to come out of the kitchen, but that's no excuse for drying/burning the food.) The portion was not stingy, but it wasn't generous either, as I wound up foraging in the fridge later that evening. The flavor of the dish was... odd. The ravioli themselves were extremely mild - almost bland - which was a surprise. The only sauce was the browned butter, and that was in short supply. The two stand-outs in terms of flavors were the pecans and the andouille sausage, both of which were tasty but struck me as bizarre in a ravioli dish, especially something that was supposed to be seasoned with sage. The mix of flavors - such as they were - and textures didn't work. Dining companion #2 didn't say much about the salmon, but I could see that it was paper-thin, which struck me as lame. In hindsight, although they obviously put some effort into their wares, I'm consistently underwhelmed with Tarragon. So I think I'll have to say my goodbyes - and not let myself be drawn in by the ambiance next time.
(2)
Lindsay N.
Both times I've been here the dining room has been pretty empty - perhaps because of the lower reviews??. But I'm not sure why. Both times everyone at my table had very good food, with a pretty good range on the menu and the service was excellent, friendly and quick. Its also a fairly reasonably priced. I'm a pretty tough critic (some of my friends refuse to choose restaurants for me since I'm always critical), though happy to celebrate good finds. Between me and my friends we've had the chicken marsala, the cowboy cut pork chop, the chicken saltimbocca and it was all good. I think their menu on the website it not updated. I found it to be a very pleasant evening for about $30pp with a drink, tax and tip. That's a good deal down in these parts. I highly recommend giving this place a try for a casual night out with friends.
(4)
Jennifer M.
I've been using Yelp for some time but have never before posted a review. Unfortunately my experience at Tarragon inspired me to do so. A group of us went there for a farewell lunch for a colleague on a Monday. The place was pretty much empty yet we still had terrible service. The waitstaff was inattentive and it took us forever to get our food. Once we did, it came out for one or two people at a time (think, 10 minute wait before the next person was served) and when it was served it was barely warm. Lastly, the food was just not good. The hangar steak sandwich was chewy, greasy and cold. And I've had better fries at McDonald's! All in all, a poor eating experience. I will not go back.
(1)
cindy s.
This review is for a wedding reception event. We had our wedding reception at the banquet facility last month at Tarragon. We met with Dottia, the reception coordinator, several months before the wedding day to set up the buffet menu. Dottia was friendly and flexible to work with initially as she was able to change a few items on the banquet menu as well as negotiate prices for our drinks. Months following the initial meeting, she was difficult to get in touch with over email and my fiance had to initiate contact with her several times even when it was regarding payments. Fast forward to a month before the wedding, Allie, the assistant reception coordinator, became our main point of contact as Dottia was out of the country. Upon meeting Allie, we found her to be friendly, however, we thought that she would agree too quickly and prematurely to our requests (she kept saying such and such was possible without hesitation). I also gave her copies of the table arrangements which she assured me she would pass on to the set up crew. My fiance also arranged to drop off some things a day before the wedding with Allie, but she never showed up and he was only able to get in because there were delivery guys there that morning. On the day of our wedding, I found out: the table set up was completely changed from the original plan (we had tables squeezed in the corners and no gift table!), there was a cocktail hour that we were not informed about (our guests were getting hungry!), and that the music could only be controlled from downstairs (which meant someone had to be downstairs to play the songs -esp. for the wedding party entrance- while trying to coordinate with someone upstairs). My wedding coordinator spoke with the restaurant staff to ask about these changes but no one came to apologize to us afterwards. Although the food was pretty good (most people liked the pasta and tiramisu), I am deducting 2 stars for the lack of professionalism displayed by Allie. i'm not sure if she's just new to the job or that she doesn't understand all the details that need to be in place to set up a wedding reception.
(2)
Starleigh H.
I'm going to keep this review short and sweet... This place serves GREAT FOOD for a CHEAP price! The very first time I dined here, I was very surprised at how afforable the prices were for what they serve! This is also good place to bring a person on a date. Very intimate and romantic setting (for it being Downtown Sunnyvale). The service, however, is on the slow side - otherwise I would give it 5 stars! Happy eating! This place gets a thumbs up in my book! =)
(4)
debbie h.
Order the pomegranite martini before going to your table; not sweet + refreshing. Instead of giving friends B-Day presents I prefer to take them to dinner or plan an activity. I chose Tarragon to take 2 B-day ladies last night. I heard a Croatian family owned the place and wanted to see if their food compared to my Mama's. From the start the service was stellar. Cocktails at the bar were great and they had a DJ (for the first time). It was my first time being in Sunnyvale after 6pm, and must say it was a refreshing change from the Santana Row wannabe scene. Diners ranged from bar-goers, to business patrons, to families, to dates and friend like us. The space is large and didn't feel full. We developed a lil crush on our cute and amusing waiter. Fortunately I was sober and did not say anything regrettable or memorable, although I can't say the same for my mates. My Faves: #1: Phyllo wrapped brie w/preserved figs #2: Eggplant entree #3: Fuji blue salad Dessert is not their strongest point yet, but our waiter mentioned that they just hired a new pastry chef who is revamping the offerings. They do have a delicious-sounding after dinner drink menu that sounded divine, but I was driving.
(4)
Alexander L.
I was brought here for my birthday by a great friend, but I was not as impressed as I was hoping I would be. I mean, the atmosphere is nice and the server was funny. He even laughed at my joke about the lamb I had ordered. "What kind of sauce is the lamb in?" my friend asked. "It's a mint sauce." the server replied. "Maybe it's cause the lamb had baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad breath." I said. There was a short pause and then a chuckle or two. Overall I'd go back and give this place another shot but it's not something that I'm going to go out of my way to do.
(3)
Kathy S.
We have been going to Tarragon for years and have never been disappointed. I brought a Friend for her birthday lunch and we had an excellent meal. The portions were large and the food was perfect. Even the house wine was good. I recommend it often for friends looking for a new dinner spot. I love the early bird special. It is very affordable and you always get a full portion. We will continue to share this Restaurant with all our friends!
(5)
Beverly F.
We've been to Tarragon many times and are always happy with the food and service. The menu is varied and interesting and the food always delicious. And the service is excellent. They frequently have a three course special before 6pm and it's a great deal. The only difficult part is choosing what we want to order!
(5)
Vijay P.
Good selection of wine. The entrees were okay, but the service could have been better. We went during a weekday evening, and there were less than 8 tables occupied. The waiter was too busy taking care of a table of 10 than us.
(2)
Juli H.
Another awesome evening at Tarragon...this time for an anniversary dinner. Josh was our server...great attention to detail, and he treated our special bottle of wine like it was priceless....very impressed. As always, prices are more than reasonable, and the people and atmosphere can't be beat. Skip all of your other possible choices in and around Sunnyvale...Tarragon will meet and surpass every expectation.
(5)
H T.
I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time and recently went on a Friday night with my foodie extraordinaire and found the food to be lackluster which probably explains why their huge, beautiful, restaurant was empty on a Friday night. Weighing the pros and cons on whether Tarragon is worth giving another shot. Pros: *Great atmosphere - it's a huge restaurant with seating for large groups and nice decor *Yummy bread, mmm *Baked Brie appetizer ($9) - this was the highlight of the evening! I've had baked brie before but this was unique in that it was baked inside a puff pastry and had apricot compote, crostini, and roasted garlic (which I obviously didn't care for). This appetizer is a must have here *Service was decent for my pace since I like to eat my meals slow and don't want to be bothered unless it's for my fourth water refill but I certainly wouldn't recommend this place if you're in a hurry Cons: *Spinach Salad ($6.50) the first item in the description of this salad is "poached pears" (accompanied with goat cheese, toasted almonds, and warm bacon balsamic (I had a vinaigrette instead) - guess what my salad was missing? Yup, no pears, not even a slice. wtf. So what I had was a huge plate of spinach, awful GARLIC vinaigrette, a few toasted almonds, and a little bit of goat cheese. So disappointing. *Dessert - since they completely lost it on the salad front so I was hoping they'd redeem themselves on the dessert (since I only eat dinner so I can get to the dessert anyway ;) but sadly they didn't - we ordered the lava chocolate cake and of course, the lava chocolate cake was missing the lava! It was just a small circle of chocolate cake. wtf. what is it with Tarragon and leaving out key (and advertised) ingredients in their food? *Parking can be challenging *Small menu (read: not many vegetarian options) Tips: *If you do come here, when you're ordering, don't get attached to having any ingredient in particular in your dish because most probably, they'll leave something out and it may have been your favorite thing about the dish in the first place! Bottom line, Tarragon is like a supermodel (except Gisele), pretty from the outside, but once you take a closer look, it's completely lacking any substance on the inside.
(3)
Michaela L.
I really like the atmosphere at Tarragon -- just the right balance of noise vs. intimacy, with a nicely-designed lighting scheme that keeps it dark yet cozy inside, even though the space is pretty deep and multi-tiered. The food is..pretty good, but not outstanding. Or maybe I haven't found the one outstanding dish yet. We've been there twice; the smoked chicken & tortellini I had the first time was way better than the green pea ravioli I had the next time. This dish, green pea ravioli in sweet corn cream with leeks, tasted like...peas and corn and leeks. It really wanted a savory component to offset the vegetable-ness, but I think this is their vegetarian pasta alternative, so alas, no bacon. But when it comes to bacon, the bacon and scallion mashed potatoes cover the bacon end of the spectrum nicely. Mmm...bacon. One little thing at Tarragon makes me very happy -- when you order a Sprite, the bartender squeezes a segment of lime into it. Sprite is the only caffeine-free soda in most restaurants, which makes it my only option and so I'm kind of sick of it, but Sprite with fresh lime flavor is actually worth having on purpose. So, I'd go again -- comfortable food, comfortable setting. Not the best food I've ever had in my life, but it's a nice place to go and be comfortable.
(3)
Phil N.
I will NOT be back. I don't mind paying for good food and service, but this place is a total rip. Service was prompt and courteous, but that's all. Most restaurants at least serve bread and butter, herbed olive oil, or something like that when you sit down. Nope. No bread comes with your meal, no matter how much you pay. Speaking of the meal, dinner dishes range from about $10 to about $26 -- no salad, bread or soup, just a la carte. We ordered the seafood pasta and fish of the day; the bill (with tax & tip) came to $51 for those two dishes alone. We only had water. I rarely feel completely ripped off by a restaurant, but this was so bad that I signed up here to write this review and warn everyone. I will never go back. No wonder we were nearly the only ones there.
(1)
Cee V.
quality of food was mediocre. chocholate lava cake did not have lava. overpriced. waiter was a dumbass. host wanted to sit us by the entrance when there were plenty of other, better tables inside. no one was there on a saturday night! it was pathetic. everyone else was eating at dish dash only a few doors down. my suggestion: wait it out to eat at dish dash! their food is amazing and the deserts there rock.
(3)
Christine E.
No complaints here! My brother took me, my mom and a cousin visiting from London for a Friday lunch here. It was great! I was very satisfied with my dish. I ordered the chicken and brie saltimbocca...which was the BOMB! I am a huge fan of caramelized onions, which of course this dish had. I loved the sauce, although the meat was kinda soaking in it. But, I enjoyed my meal. It was nice and quiet for a Friday, so ideal location for great conversation and just a break from holiday shopping. The interior reminds me of one of my fave lunch spots in Washingotn, DC...Jimmy's on K Street steakhouse. The bar also looks fully stocked here, so I'll have to come here for dinner and order a drink! The restaurant is conveniently located to a bunch of bars on Murphy Ave., so this could be a nice spot to have dinner with a date or with family beforehand.
(5)
Bill C.
Attracted by a full-page ad in the Thurs. SJ MERCURY 'Eye' supplement, Dr. Ginny & I popped over to Sunnyvale's restaurant row (the low numbers of S. Murphy Ave, downtown) for their Early Bird Special ($20 from 5-5:45pm thru 31 JULY 10) We both had Eggplant Parmiggiana in a tart tomato-fennell marinara sauce with balsamic vinegar. Portion: small; flavor: piquant. Soup: cream of broccoli w/white cheddar, delicious, but slightly salty. I liked the key-lime pie w/toasted-cocoanut sauce; Dr. Ginny liked her chocolate ice cream with chocolate brownie. Service: constantly attentive. Her overall conclusion: "OK , but I wouldn't hurry back. "(me) "Better than Everett/Braintree MA, long ago."
(3)
Harry S.
My wife and I went on a Tuesday night to get the early-bird special, our first time there. Our first impression was that it was a bit noisy, considering how few people were present. Noise seemed to carry from all over the restaurant: the kitchen, the bar, the busing station, the tables. However, we turned our attention to the early-bird menu and quickly became engrossed in a bigger problem, namely what to order from the huge list of enticing entrees. There must have been six items that I really wanted to try, and after much internal debating decided on the rack of lamb. My wife quickly homed in on the cioppino. We both started with salads that were cool, crisp and perfectly dressed. The entrees were beautifully presented, cooked to order, and tasted wonderful. The desserts (chocolate brownie sundae and key lime pie with guava sauce) were on a par with the rest of the meal -- in other words, superb! The pacing was impeccable, neither slow nor rushed, and the service was quite good. We had a marvelous dining experience, and all thoughts of the noise disappeared once the food started arriving. We definitely will be coming back here to work our way through that extensive menu.
(4)
Emily W.
I will start by saying that I havent been in about 6 months, but before that my dad and I went several times and always really enjoyed it. The first time we went was unplanned: my dad is allergic to garlic, and the restaurant we had hoped to go to couldnt make him anything but a veggie platter because all the meat was pre-marinated! We walked into Tarragon with a "what the hell, might as well try it" attitude and were pleasantly surprised. Once she understood our slight complication, the waitress brought the chef over to our table, and he created a custom entree for my dad that was just as elegant and well-thought out as anything already on the menu! After that we were pretty much sold, but it didnt hurt that the food was delicious and the restaurant is nicely decorated without being stuffy.
(5)
Denise C.
I really wanted to LOVE this place. After all the decor is quite lovely, the menu "looked" impressive BUT it clearly does not match up to the food quality. I seriously thought it must have been Chef's night off. I could not see anyone working in the the kitchen. There were only four tables occupied at 7:30pm. I suppose it was the first sign we should have backed up and walked out. But we waited... and waited... and waited to be seated. No one was manning the host station and it appeared that the other staff working that evening felt it was their job to welcome us and say the host will be with us shortly. Once seated in a very nice booth I must say, our server arrived and was quite friendly. So I thought alright, this will be okay, just a little shaking beginning but the rest of the evening will be fine. And then we ordered....duh duh daunt dah, dah...... The food went from just okay to the point of just plain bad. We even had to send an entree back - and I never do that. We started with the calamari appetizer (again it sounded impressive-fried with thin slices of lemon and artichoke hearts), but it was served overcooked and cold (how do you do that?) I kept thinking it must have been someones leftovers that was sent back and then re-fired and sent out again - it was that overcooked. The main courses weren't much better, the short-rib which seemed heavily recommended by other Yelpers, was just too fatty (and cold). The potatoes and onions were pretty bland as well. The halibut, also fell short, again over cooked (to the point ya just might want to call it "fish sticks" was also lacking taste. It should be a crime to do that to Halibut! Oh, and did I mention it as also cold? Burned and cold...again, how the !@#$ do you do that?! The shrimp pasta was the best item of the evening, but was only average. The only saving grace was the service. He was very friendly and tried to make up for the shortcomings taking place in the kitchen. But he too, was a little slow at points, leaving me to ponder if it was him or the kitchen that was so slow, since again, there were only four tables being served that evening. Again, I really wanted to love this place but seriously with the quality of food being served (and at those prices), I really felt ripped off. Hopefully the Chef can recover.
(2)
Lana P.
We just had work lunch there with 19 people. Food was very good and service is awesome! Best place to take for the large group.
Bar and bar service is very good. Food is usually very good. I recommend the stuffed chicken or the beef short rib tower. I don't recommend the Chicken Marsala. The portion I had was very small and the chicken was overcooked. Nice atmosphere and friendly well trained staff. The way to do it here is show up before 6 for 1/2 off appetizers and drinks.
(3)
Marsha K.
We arranged a large family party of 35 + 7 children for Tarragon's private room upstairs on short notice (1 week in advance for a Saturday night). We were favorably impressed with the attentive service and the menu choices. We were able to ask at the time of booking for a change to the menu plan and our changes were accommodated. Fish and chicken dishes were good. Vegetables and salad were especially well made - not over cooked, which we really appreciated. Children loved the mac and cheese especially for them. Special thanks to Zoran who assisted us with this arrangement.
This place is a good place to have a special event , the food is good , the environment is great !
(5)
An B.
This is an okay place. Didn't think it was that good or bad. Prices weren't outrageous. Nothing really stood out.
(3)
Christopher H.
As of the time of this review the current rating for this spot is 3.5 stars. I think that's about right. I settled in at the bar and was greeted by a very friendly bartender. I ordered my Nollet's martini (yum!) and perused the menu. Citrus salad and paella? Sold! I love me some paella. The salad was a salad, granted, but still had a very nice refreshing flavor. The paella was, unfortunately, a bit of a disappointment. it wasn't a classic paella. When I think paella I'm thinking a dish that doesn't have broth. This has a broth, which gave the entire thing an extremely dense soup consistency. The flavor was good, but not great. It just underwhelmed me. And I really wanted to like it. I'd love to give this spot another shot. There was quite a bit that looked good on the menu and maybe I just got unlucky in choosing the one dish that wasn't quite up to par. But for now, and based on my experience, I think three stars is where I'm going to leave this.
(3)
Michelle J.
The wait staff seemed.. defeated?.. and the food and drink selection was a little strange. We intended to stay for lunch, so we ordered two drinks as we pondered the food selection. The drinks that might have normally come in a rocks glass came in milkshake-sized glasses and.. tasted like floor cleaner. We began to discuss what our next move should be, given how the drinks tasted and how unappetizing the food seemed, when the waitress came to address the fact that we'd not been drinking enough and asked if something was wrong. We felt awful, because it wasn't her fault, but we were as considerately honest as we could be. In the end, they changed our drinks for glasses of wine, after the waitress left and came back to say that her manager would be mad at her if she didn't charge us for something, and we ended up at the little German place nearby called Hardy's Bavaria. We were happy with the change.
(2)
Sanda P.
Beautiful restaurant, great atmosphere and amazing food and service. I recommend to everybody who likes quality restaurants, where you can normally talk, have quality food, wines and cocktails and enjoy your time in beautiful historical Murphy Ave in Sunnyvale.
not for the ghetto lol ...cause its a really nice place! came here for Easter Sunday Brunch and it was very impressive for a buffet. Eastern-European cuisine, bottomless mimosas, meat station ...nice spread! lots of dining space, awesome wait staff ...FULL BAR! banquet room upstairs u will dig it!
(4)
Mage L.
We got the chicken satay for an appetizer, I had the baked brie, and my husband got the pork loin. They recommended the Sean Minor Chardonnay as it's the more buttery of the two they offer by the glass. The chicken satay was pretty good, but it wasn't very spicy and the coconut made it feel like a sweeter dish than I'm normally used to. The baked brie was absolutely divine, and the apricots complimented it perfectly. I thought the Sean Minor ended up being a good choice, as it was just as buttery as they said it would be. I tried a bit of my husband's pork loin and it was so soft and tender, and the cabbage, apples and polenta went really well with it. I though the apples were a bit bland, but I guess that's fine if it's only meant to bring out the best of the pork. Overall I thought the service was great, the atmosphere was nice, and I really loved the food. We parked in back so I didn't realize until afterwards they had outdoor seating so you could enjoy the live music out there. Next time we come back we'll have to try the outdoor seating.
(5)
Robert C.
My wife had this Friday off, so as soon as I got home at 445pm, we decided to go to the early bird special at Tarragon. Tarragon is located on Murphy street in the heart of old downtown Sunnyvale. The place has a half price appetizer and drinks special during happy hour, and also an early bird special before 545pm Monday-Saturday -the place is closed Sunday. We walk through the glass front door, and are immediately struck by the elegance of the surroundings: indirect lighting on the lavishly shape patterned white and gold ceiling, with a raised area of lounges and wooden tables, surrounded by plush seating and exotic lighting, over a beautiful carpeted floor. The front facade is all glass windows overlooking Murphy street. An attractive green and off white colored curving pathway separates the dinner eating area from the bar stools and overhead TVs surrounding the bar area. Each of the gleaming wooden tables is neatly setup with glassware, silverware, and cloth napkins. In the background is a fireplace blazing with wood afire, on this bitterly cold evening. We are among the very first arrivals for dinner at 5pm, although the bar area is rapidly filled with earlier arrivals for the half price appetizers and drinks. We get the best seats in the house -one of the five semicircular lounges in the raised area overlooking the rest of the restaurant. There are at least a dozen choices for the early bird menu, including pork tenderloin, butternut squash ravioli, grilled jerk prawns, cioppinio, pot roast, rack of lamb, salmon, and flat iron steak. The main dishes come with a soup or salad, and a dessert, all for $20 per entree. I've tried the pork tenderloin with apricot sauce before, and it is tender and delicious. The serving size is about 6 ounces. I've also had the grilled jerk prawns which consist of four large prawns, and is very tasty, but someone too small a portion to satisfy me. Same is true with the cioppinio, which is mussels, crab, potatoes, and shrimp. Very tasty and high quality, but also somewhat of a small portion. Tonight we both order the flat iron steak. My wife orders the salad, and I the New England claim chowder. The salad is mixed greens with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, topped with a vinagrette dressing. Again, the dish is good, but a relatively small portion compared to what I've had at other restaurants, such as Black Angus. The New England claim chowder is at best average, with very little cream -it tastes somewhat like chicken noodle soup -maybe a chicken broth, with carrots, celery, potatoes, and a good portion of clams. I can even see some grease on the top of the soup. The flat iron steaks are to die for -very tender and juicy in a red wine based sauce, with virtually no fat. The portion size is about six ounces, and the meat arrives cut up in about six slices and looks like a sliced up chicken from afar. The sides are mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables: broccoli, cauliflour, brussel sprouts, onions, green peas. The visual appearance is immaculate on a very large white plate, which contrasts with the color of the meal, and is visually pleasing. Now if only my wife could learn to cook brussel sprouts, my favorite! Dessert arrives. I order New York cheesecake, and my wife orders Tiramatsu. The white cheesecake comes with a yellow mango sauce to give it some sweetness. It is delicious, and my wife's favorite. The Tiramatsu is a layer cake, with moca coffee flavor mixed in with white cake, and custard cake, covered with a chocolate sprinkles. I like both of them, but my wife likes the cheesecake more, and confiscates my dessert, leaving me with the Tiramatsu. The dessert is so good that I am tempted to copy our cat and lick the plate! Total bill is $44 before tax and tip, with each entree $20, including salad/soup and dessert, and $4 for the house wine for my wife. I don't drink so we save a little there. No leftovers for me, but my wife has a few slices of the flat iron steak for a meal next Monday.
(4)
Chad J.
Well, first the good news. The citrus salad and the chocolate crisp cake were wonderful. Now comes the bad news: 1. My friends Prime Rib, which she seemed to enjoy, was so fatty and greasy it was disgusting. 2. My grilled artichoke was so oily it almost slipped out of my hands. 3. The "sauteed" mushrooms where actually cheese-stuffed, aioli laden affair. I asked for regular sauteed mushroom - they weren't any good. 4. The "roasted" tarragon potatoes were basically big, tasteless french fries. 5. Last good note - Sour Dough Bread - of which I ate 10 slices - was superb. NOT a good place for Vegan or Vegetarian. Doubtful place for a meat-eater. Yuck. I asked if they could whip up a Portabello Sandwich for dinner - they said no - only for lunches. PS Service was superb. Waitress was nice - think she felt a little helpless. They should have a sign, "Vegans not welcome."
(1)
Preety K.
Had a great meal here! We had the filet mignon and rack of lamb, both extremely flavorful and cooked exactly to our specifications. 4 stars only because of environment. Not a very lively place even on the Friday night that we went, but would definitely go back for the two dishes we had.
(4)
Maylene D.
We met at this restaurant for the early bird dinner special with a good friend. The service was excellent. The food was delicious and came quickly at the right temperature. The desserts were also delicious. You can't beat the quality of food, the outstanding service and the great price!
(5)
Anu M.
After making dinner reservations, we came to Tarragon on a Saturday. The restaurant was not crowded and we were promptly seated. The ambience is dim-lit, decor is neat, offers a peaceful and romantic dining experience. Here is what we ordered for dinner: Appetizers: Stuffed Mushrooms.. Was blah... yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… Entree: Filet Mignon - Pretty good; I loved the sauces yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… Dessert: Chocolate Crisp Cake - Good Overall, a nice dining experience with good food.
(4)
Peter B.
Good place for a casual business dinner.
(3)
Rosa K.
The food here is very good. love the pizza here! Visited here alone to see other family in California.
(5)
Golda R.
It's probably only best to come here for their early bird dinner specials or maybe even lunch if you're the least bit interested in this place, since dinner prices are quite a reach for OK food. My husband and I came here yesterday because we wanted to stay close to home, after having had a very long workweek, and really to try and redeem our thoughts about downtown Sunnyvale. The host was fairly nice and seated us warmly, but honestly after that, our dining experience was pretty much dismal. We had at least 3 waiters pass by us and not even give us a second look after we were seated. At least the bus boy was kind enough to bring out water and bread to snack on. I had a long day so thankfully he saved my belly from the long wait for our waiter to take our order. It was insanely ridiculous. Not only did it take long waiting for our waiter, our meal took long coming out (which I don't mind as much). Not once did anyone pass by to ask us how we were doing or if we wanted desert, but the diners next to us were getting awesome service. I have no idea what that was all about, but you will not find me back here ever again. I was excited when the food came out and I was ready to excuse such crap service, but my Linguine and Prawns dish was disappointingly bland for $15. It was not worth the price and pissed me off even more that such a place can charge high dinner fees for subpar food all because of the ambiance (I'll admit the interior is nice and romantic). Again if you don't come here for the early bird specials, you will find yourself in the same predicament as me paying overly inflated prices for subpar food. And possibly you could get profiled as we did and get really crappy service.
(2)
Jessica P.
This is a nice restaurant for a casual American style dinner. It has better ambiance than many other places on Murphy avenue. The lamb kebabs were pretty good with both the yogurt and red pepper aioli. The bread was hot and fresh. When we ordered our citrus salad and main course meal, the grilled salmon, we requested that it be split as we were not that hungry. the waitress should have told us that they would be split charges. Even though this was nominal, it's a put off when you see the final break down. I think this should be told upfront when the customer orders. The overall service was just terrible. There were 2 waiters serving the entire corner and running from one corner to another. They could definitely hire better staff to complement the kitchen food better.
(3)
Irene C.
average nothing special mother's day buffet.
(3)
Nicki J.
The old bread was much better. We are regulars here and have been coming for years. The food is fantastic but lately, the new bread is horrible. It constantly tastes stale and not worth eating. I wish you would bring the old french bread back with the crunchy outside and soft inside, much better. The new stuff is not worth putting on the table. The ravioli is to die for though! The early bird menu is wonderful.
(5)
Mark M.
My wife and i really love Tarragon. The food is consistently great and the service is awesome. We always come for the $20 Prix Fixe Dinner. The house wine is decent but they have a very nice wine list as well as a full bar with a really great bartender.
(5)
Wendy W.
CONTINUED from previous review... FOOD: The steak had rave reviews from most of our guests. I got to try it.. and I thought it was cooked perfectly. I had the Sea Bass.. but it fell short. :( It was overcooked and dry... not much flavor... so I didn't really end up eating too much of it.. but then again.. I didn't eat much the entire night.... I didn't really get a chance to try the appetizers, but I believe they served the perfect amount, not leaving much to waste. I also didn't get to try the cheesecake dessert from the restaurant (that we served to our guests)... but from what I hear.. I TOTALLY missed out.. because it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely try to come back for dinner one night and try it! :) One thing that I noticed was that food service was slow... there was a long wait between the salad and the entrees... so people got up and moved around and whatnot... And apparently they only served entrees to people who were seated... but that was okay... because I do believe everyone did get to eat! :) However, I do want to note that at one table, everyone got their entrees except for one.. who got it when everyone was already almost done with their meal... :( But it might be because he was up and about throughout the night. OVERALL, not bad.. but I had did expect more... I felt as though their organization was flawed and they need to find a better system.... After I had let go out everything, the night turned out great.. I do want to thank Tarragon for having us and helping us where they could.
(3)
George R.
The food is excellent, and always consistent. We have eaten here many times, and always bring friends, who like the food selections. Service is also very good, and wait staff is friendly and courteous. We just had a banquet for our daughter's 50th birthday, for 60+ people. There is a large room upstairs. Everything was as good as expected. they have a PA system, a large screen for videos, and a bar. The food and service could not be any better. We highly recommend this restaurant, for just dinner, lunch, and for parties.
(5)
Jo L.
We walked into the restaurant and clearly looks like there were many tables available. The took us to a table, and we asked if we could have another one but was flatly turned down saying that it was reserved. Note : 2 hours later that same table was still not taken and there were obviously more empty tables towards the back half of the room. Strike one. We ordered today's special. Crab cakes was probably the best dish for us. My vongole was a major disappointment. Pasta was way too so dente (undercooked) and there were barely 10 clams in the dish. Strike 2. My husband prime rib was alright and the tiramisu was another disappointment. Strike 3. Don't think we are coming back here anytime soon.
(1)
Melissa Y.
Came here with two friends for dinner on a Saturday after finding out the wait for Dish Dash was an hour long. We had halfway finished our meal here by the time we got the text back from Dish Dash saying they had a table for us! My friends are vegetarian so it was nice that there was a separate section for vegetarian selections on the menu. We shared the baked brie as an appetizer and it was delicious -- the baked brie was served with apricot preserves, roasted garlic, and toasted bread. I ordered the salmon and my friends had the vegetarian paella, both of which were pretty good. I would probably come back for happy hour and the baked brie.
(4)
Dave S.
Tuesday night quiet dinner. Very Friendly staff and high end atmosphere. Even with all the construction out front a really good meal waiting inside. We sat at a nice both and ordered some killer wine. I ate the Salmon and it came smoking hot! Great flaky skin and tender as a mofo. Im not too into presentation and high price but it was a company dinner so I went big.....Table census was excellent meals all around. Waiter was very professional but knew when to crack an appropriate joke without butting in. Awesome service. Glad I didnt pay if you know what im saying.....
(4)
Synthia W.
It's been awhile since I'e eaten at an all-around awesome restaurant. Great innovative food, atmosphere, and service!
(5)
Darren S.
I typically come to this restaraunt at lunch so I can't comment on the dinner scene but I'm sure it's equally as good. I really like this place because the atmosphere is great and the prices are fair. Some good appetizers are calamari(of course) and steamed mussels or clams. The ahi tuna is really good and presented very well. The best I've had so far are the short ribs. I just can't get enough of those. Great place you should check it out at least once if you're in the area.
(5)
Charlene K.
We went to Tarragon for Mother's Day brunch. We made reservations on open table for the first seating. When we arrived, we were greeted promptly and shown to a table that accomodated our baby. There was a wide variety of food for brunch, including lots of meats. I only had the standard breakfast fare (eggs, pancakes, sausage) so I can't comment on the other stuff. The breakfast food tasted better than average. Service was excellent! I'd ding them half a star because they charged us for coffee (which I think should be included in the price of brunch).
(4)
Chuck k.
We brought a group of 10 here for my Fiancee's birthday. With one exception out of the group of 8 we all really loved the food. My steak was perfectly prepared and reasonably priced at 22 bucks. Two people got the seared Ahi entree and it was also very very good and reasonable at 19 dollars. Even our vegetarian friend was impressed with his pasta dish. The one bad spot was the smoked salmon risotto. My buddy just didn't care for it. Not that it as bad, he just didn't realize it was smoked salmon and not fresh. he didn't want to make a fuss because it was on the menu as smoked, but the server came over (without being told about it) and asked him if he'd rather have something else. My friend declined and the server removed it off the bill without asking. Also the manager comped us a bottle of sparkling wine because it was my fiancee's birthday and we had just signed to do our wedding there. The cocktails are very nice there too. Oscar our server was wonderful, so if you can sit in his section, do so! They seem to have a new chef hired (not sure if he or she has started yet) but as of now Tarragon serves good, but not fancy, reasonably priced dishes.
(5)
F. L.
A friend recommended this place and I'm so glad I tried it out. The food was really wonderful. My husband and I decided to try their early bird special and was impressed with the food and price. We had delicious cioppino and rack of lamb. Everything was cooked to perfectly! We are looking forward to returning again.
(5)
Julia M.
Went to Tarragon last night and found a pleasant surprise. A new menu. I had a wonderful glass of Chardonnay and a spinach salad. Excellent. I ate at the bar and service was excellent. I just read several of the less than stellar reviews and would suggest you make the decision to try Tarragon yourself. It truly is a classy place.
(5)
E K.
Just came back from a department lunch at Tarragon. 1. the restaurant is way too dark - can't even see my way around let alone look people eye to eye. 2. there were residue of stuff in two glasses of our water 3. wait-staff was non-existant - refills were slow - well .. just slow overall .. Took 50mins to recieve our table's orders .. mine came last, 10mins later which was awkward since everyone's food was getting cold as they were waiting for mine. Other tables around us inquired about their food as well since it was just SO slow .. everyone was munching on the bread, which was warm 'n good .. probably the best part of the meal. This place would be way too slow for any quick business/dept meetings .. our lunch ended up being almost 3 hours long. 4. Food was mediocre - Macaroni Grill tasted better - I ordered the Capellini with Prawns - good portion of prawns but the dish overall was way too watery/saucy .. and btw, there were CLUMPS of capellini stuck together. - Coworker ordered the Smoked Salmon Risotto looked bland and didn't have enough sauce (she said) - Another coworker got Kobe Beef Boneless Shortribs .. that looked good. - 2 coworkers go the Chicken Parmesan .. looked a bit over-cooked Honestly, by that point .. I'm sure all our entrees tasted somewhat good/decent since we were STARVING! And not to be snobby but, I don't believe a restaurant can call themselves "fine dining" if their lemonade is from Minute Maid. We didn't even order dessert after the experience with our main course .. and nothing looked truly appetizing anyway.
(1)
Paul K.
Must have been chef's night off. Food was just ok. The Heirloom Tomato Salad could be described as lazy. Large tomato, sliced into 6 wedges, with a piece of fried mozzarella that wasn't visible to the naked eye. Dressing was in need of seasoning. Extremely bland. There were a couple of figs on the plate that just did not go with the salad. My main course was the short-rib which seemed heavily recommended by other yelpers. It was a little too fatty, and also unseasoned. The potatoes and onions served with the rib were pretty bland as well. My dining partner had the halibut, and she also felt it was lacking taste. She also had a green salad with some pomegranate vinaigrette which seemed to be void of any resemblance of pomegranate. For dessert, I had the micro pear tarts which didn't have any pears visible to the diner. Maybe it was a pear puree. And, as was the case with the pomegranate, try as I may, I couldn't taste any pear either. Put it this way. For about half the price you could stop by Whole Foods on your way home and pick up a very nice treat to have upon returning from your night out which would more than likely be more satisfying. Service was strange. At times we felt unwelcome, other times we felt stalked.
(2)
Jon D.
Setting: Very pretty. Darkly lit for those romantic dates. Upstairs is a big room for parties, which is where we were for a wedding reception. It has a nice outside patio, and if the weather is nice, would be a very cool hang out place. It's kinda weirdly shaped tho for a reception area. It's like a big long hallway. So it is difficult for people on one side of the room to see the other side, which makes any kind of slide-show kind of thing a bad deal. Plus, the acoustics of the room wasn't that good, which is very unfortunate for a wedding party. Food: It was OK. Then again, this was just for a wedding reception...I didn't get to dive into their normal menu. I had chicken, and it was rather dry. The sauce was good which saved the meal. My gf had beef, which was pretty tender, but the sauce wasn't that good. If it's not one it's the other right? :) Service: Being that it was a wedding reception, service was good. Waiters were all over the place serving and helping out. The bar tenders were very cool.
(3)
Racquel E.
I've dined here twice with coworkers and customers. I really like the ambiance. It's a nice and classy restaurant to take business clients, celebrate a special occasion or just dinner for two or more. The restaurant is busy, so you need to make reservations in advance. I've tried a couple of their cocktails - the raz lemon drop and pom cosmo, and they are very good. They have tasty appetizers from coconut shrimp, ahi tuna poke, to stuffed mushrooms and calamari. On the first visit, I had the salmon marinated in lemons and herbs served with rice pilaf, honey mustard sauce and veggies. The salmon was cooked perfectly and delicious. On the second visit, I had the cioppino with mussels, clams, shrimps, white fish, crab meat, potatoes, spicy tomato-saffron sauce and garlic bread. The cioppino was a tasty well-cooked shellfish/seafood stew. I really enjoyed it. Their creme brulee cheesecake for dessert was yummy. The host and waiters were very friendly, helpful and attentive.
(4)
Nancy T.
I was very pleasantly surprised! I came here with my husband and in-laws and everyone seemed to like what they ordered. My husband and I shared a shrimp cocktail appetizer. There were about six shrimps and they were a good size. I've had cocktail sauce before, but the cocktail sauce here was especially tasty with very bold flavors. Next, I had the Filet Mignon which was cooked perfectly and presented very nicely. My husband had the Rack of Lamb, a choice he truly enjoyed. I had a bite of his lamb and it was very tender and juicy. We're definitely coming back!
(4)
Eric C.
Tarragon features great ambiance, live music and a fantastic menu but the quality of food disappoints. Our chicken saltimboca was dead sea salty. By the end of the meal we were spitting rock salt . Their proscuito and goat cheese pizza sounded delectable, imagine our surprise when our pizza arrived topped with cold cuts. Mmmm. Word of advice to Tarragon, apply some heat to the meat, we ordered pizza, not cantelope. The only truly decent thing about our meal was the over-priced wine. On that note, Tarragon would be a great place for drinks and only drinks. The live Jazz was especially nice. Nice place on the surface but takes itself too seriously for what it can deliver.
(2)
Penny V.
Since Yelp won't let me give this place zero stars I have to give them one, but they definitely do not deserve it. I booked their banquet room for my engagement party. We called and booked in June and the engagement party is going to be January 30, 2010. Anyway, we had everything in agreement, we even asked if they wanted a deposit and the owner said we didn't need one and that the date was ours. Friday we get a phone call and they actually had they audacity to book another event on the same day as ours and kick our party out! I am completely livid with this establishment and I refuse to ever go back there again, not even for dinner. I mean I already have my invitations ready to go, and now I have to throw away $200 worth of invitations because these people do not know how to book events!!!
(1)
Jaa L.
I had dinner at this place 3 month's ago and I had the Tri Tip Food was a bit over cooked and over priced for the portion they serve it but was delicious the vegetable was over cooked as well I did order finger appetizers but my appetizers and my food came to my table the same time because my it was so busy and I only seen my server once just to take my order, really a bad service
(1)
Kevin K.
I went recently for the early-bird dinner special that is $20 per person for a 5 course meal. I enjoyed the selection and ambiance of the restaurant and was happy about choosing what to eat for each course. I chose the petite filet mignon and my fiancee picked the beef short ribs. Both of them were delicious and we were very satisfied; however, we got there around 6:00p and didn't get our food until about 8:00p. The restaurant wasn't that busy, so I didn't understand what was taking so long. However, the quality of the food more than made up for wait time.
(4)
Ashvin V.
I would actually give this a 3.5 but restricted here. Starting off with the ambience, this place is definitely a good change from the Irish bars and Asian restaurants that line Murphy St. Would definitely work for a date place. The service was great and were served on time. I have to admit we were amongst the few people there and definitely were treated like valued customers. We started off with a Brie with Apricot Compote. It was a great combination of sweet and savory along with yummy yummy cheese. My girlfriend thought it tasted a little woody though. I ordered the Petite Filet medium-well. The portions were good but i thought the fillet was too well done. The sundried tomatoes, artichokes and olives with my steak was a perfect complement to the dish. It was definitely not amongst the best fillets that i've had. I would rate the filet a 3 out of 5. My girlfriend ordered the Pork Chops and was a more satisfied customer. It was cooked perfect and had a yummy bacon filling. The sauce was lip smacking to say the least. She rated it a 4 on 5. We will definitely go back to try the fish next time around.
(3)
Yuan W.
I think this place has been around for some time now but I have never tried it. So when he suggested that we come here for dinner, I agreed. This restaurant is HUGE. Probably big enough for a corporate event. We were seated quickly at a corner table and the server came by to take our drink orders right away. The level of service was just right. Attentive but not overbearing. He gave us plenty of time to talk and go through the menu. We shared a steamed mussels appetizer which was excellent. The mussels were cooked in a garlic / tomato / basil broth and were yummy. For the main. I had the fresh fish of the day which was petrale sole and he had the filet. He said the filet was good; my petral sole was just okay - nothing to write home about. For dessert. we shared the molton chocolate cake with rasberry sauce. It was good but again, nothing spectacular. Service - good Ambiance - good Food - good For the two of us. the bill came out to be about $105 (without tips - OK I peeked at the bill) which includes what I described above and a martini and two glasses of wine for him. Reasonable price for a nice dinner.
(3)
C G.
We went to Tarragon for a special occasion. It happened to be one of those summer Wednesday nights where there's a concert and huge crowds on Murphy. We came in later in the evening, when most of the revelers had dispersed. There were only a couple of groups in the whole restaurant, including a boisterous bunch at the bar, with one guy ranting loudly about something. The restaurant (remember, it's an elegant, sit-down place) just turned up the music instead of addressing the issue for the comfort of their other patrons. -1 star. We were seated in a booth in the corner. And then we sat...and sat. We waited there for almost a half hour, completely ignored by the servers. We weren't even sure which one was ours because he never came by. We got very close to getting up and leaving, but finally flagged down the hostess, who seemed surprised. -2 stars. The menu is creative; the food was good, but nothing earth-shaking. The bottom line: Tarragon is not on my list of places to consider for fancy dinners because if they ignore you on the empty nights, what do they do on the busy ones? Not sure I want to find out.
(2)
Ceanothus O.
Whyfor are there not more people dining at this restaurant?? Okay, I'll give you that its nightclub appearance is a bit off-putting from the outside, and it is a mighty dark, cavernous interior with which to contend once you cross the threshold...but the food! Oh! The prices are on par with most other lunch spots along the street, but the quality is just phenomenal! I feasted upon a pasta dish featuring tomatoes marinated in a sweet balsamic vinegar, capers, two kinds of olives, basil, olive oil, and that rarest of American ingredients: perfectly al dente pasta. I felt like I was in Italy! My coworker had the roasted vegetable sandwich, of which he generously offered a sample. It, too, was just wonderful! It seems that we were lucky regarding service, as our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. The only reason I'm not shelling out a fifth star is because of the ambience: it is just a tad too dark in there for lunchtime dining. The restaurant may want to consider upping the wattage around the tables for midday, then resorting to the hush-hush dim surroundings after sundown.
(4)
Patricia S.
tried it again with a group of 8 everyone liked and enjoyed there meals very much But I got the lamb and it had about two bites of meat on it tasty but sparse would go back for the paella
(4)
Corey S.
SHORT & SWEET: Having eaten at the unpolished and eclectic restaurants along Murphy St. for years, when I walked into Tarragon I was taken aback. The owners of this place must have looted Fort Knox to finance the lush interiors, expansive bar and open kitchen. One wonders if the investment translates into a good meal, reading some of the other reviews here. I say yes indeed! If I've had better calamari, I can't remember. The elegantly-layered Eggplant entree is outstanding and it looks like the ratatouille dish from the same animated feature. With fresh, hot bread, great service and a really good/reasonable wine list, Tarragon is a real winner.
(4)
Jason T.
Great atmosphere with a live jazz band playing on a thursday night. For the romantics, the music may be a little too loud for a comfortable conversation, unless you sat in the back of the restaurant, the look of Tarragon is fantastic and great for a couples night out. My friend and I ordered crabcakes ($8) and goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto for appetizers ($8). The goat cheese was a bit of a strong flavor, but not too stifling. The crabcakes were a little dry and did not hit my taste buds with anything special as I would've liked. As per the reviews I've read here, I ordered the 14 oz. rib eye steak ($18)which was a great choice, it was tender and matched very well with the side mash potatos. My friend ordered the Braised beef ($17) which appeared much smaller compared to my steak, and tasted ok but nothing spectacular. For dessert, we shared the apple cobbler ($6) with vanilla ice cream as recommended by our waiter..which was a wee bit too sweet for me. Service was fine, our dishes came fairly promptly. I would have given it 5 stars, yet nothing really stood out to me as being spectacular, but an all around good restaurant. I would like to come back and try their fish dishes and perhaps a different dessert. Great location: After dinner locations are very close by, ranging from bars, dance clubs, and a hookah bar in a minute's walk. Note: There was also a bar inside but I didn't get a chance to grab a drink
(4)
Chris W.
Took a friend out to dinner here on Friday as an appreciation for all of her support, and it turned out to be the perfect location for the event. The food itself is very simple (they basically juggle four side dishes w/ all of the entrees), but they were presented well. There are also plenty of options for people to choose from. Despite that, I agree w/ previous listings about the salt factor though - definitely a little too salty on the chicken saltimbocca and the salmon. I was most impressed with the atmosphere of the restaurant. It is clear they put a lot of time into the decor, and I'm a big fan of brick in design work (call it an east coast bias). The bar itself looked incredible, and the seating was very comfortable. Definitely a place I could check out again.
(4)
T M.
Oysters Rockerfeller so salty as to be inedible. I might give them one more try - the menu looked ok and the prices seemed reasonable.
(2)
Arlene E.
It was OK. I went there on a Friday night. Not crowded at all at 7 pm. I had the Penne with chicken. I was pretty good but nothing spectacular,
(3)
Shinny L.
A solid 4 stars for this one. A nice Italian place in downtown Sunnyvale, and my first trek for an "off-campus" lunch with my co-workers. We ended up here because all the other restuarants were full. There was plenty of space, and the food and service were decent. There was a slight fishy smell in the air, but I ordered the salmon anyway and was pleasantly surprised. The fish was fresh and grilled to a flaky perfection, and paired with nicely seasoned summer squash and a good sauce that was creamy but not too heavy. Great prices - most of the fare was around $10 for something that goes for $5-10 more at a comparable place in the city.
(4)
Ken V.
Decent, business lunch type of place. This is a good spot to eat in Sunnyvale if someone else is picking up the tab. One thing you'll notice is that, unlike many other restaurants on Murphy Street, there's never a wait at this place. That should tell you something. Interior is very classy with large booths lining one wall, and the bar area lining the other. Dark woods and colors make it a nice, subdued setting. The menu changes with the seasons, but overall, it's decent and predictable, but far from outstanding. Sort of typical, hotel restaurant quality. Prices for lunch are in the $8-12 range, so, like I said, it's a good spot if a rep is taking you out. Service has been good when I've been here, always fast and reliable. -----UPDATE----- My entire department from work went here for lunch today. My experience was definitely a one star, if that. I ordered a romaine salad and chicken saltimboca. I was expecting the romaine salad to look something like this: images.jupiterimages.com… What I got looked like little squares of iceberg lettuce smothered in dressing. And it was definitely the smallest salad I've ever had. The chicken saltimboca was worse. The chicken was so overdone that the texture reminded me of shoe leather. I stopped eating it after 3 or 4 bites and stuck with the mashed potatoes and vegetables. Really, for me not to finish my entree, it really has to be bad. Like I said in my original review, this place is never full, even at the height of the lunch hour on busy Murphy Street. I guess word's gotten out about this place.
(1)
SugarSHER B.
Went here with the hubby for Valentines Day dinner. I love downtown Sunnyvale, its just so quaint and pretty. Tarragon is a nice restaurant with a good atmosophere. It was a mixed crowd, yound and old, some people dressed up and a lot of people didn't. The wine is divine! It was so good. Had the tempura asparagus for starters but they only give you TWO asparagus! It was so good I wanted to ask for more! My salmon was good, hubby's chicken was a little dry and then I had the mango creme brulee for dessert and that was OK. Our waiter was nice but didn't like that he kept calling me sweetie or honey. Sorry, I'm an independent lady and should be addressed as Ms or Madame. Honey and sweetie is what the hubby calls me! Also didn't like the fact that the hostess didn't ask to take my coat. So -2 stars for the service!
(3)
jamie c.
They attempt to disguise the food's mediocrity with fancy table sheets and candlelight.
(3)
Tessa S.
Loved it! Conveniently located for a work event. Dinner was amazing! Had the raw oysters to start (the vinegar was a great touch), heirloom tomato salad (I adored the sweet compliment of the melon, especially with the salty finish) and the saltimbucco (huge portion, cheesey, just enough tomato). Fantastic service. My companions and I had a wonderful experience and all agreed it was a place we will frequent.
(4)
Mark F.
Food is usually good here but service is hit or miss. I took clients here for lunch and it was a big miss. Waiter took our order and it took 25 mins to get starter salads and than another 30 to get our food. When the food arrived it was luke warm and not worth the wait. If you can afford to take a 2 hour lunch and like luke warm food this is the place for you.
(2)
Heidi C.
I had not been to Tarragon in years, I will likely not go back. The food took forever to come out. My friend order lamb medium rare and it arrived well done (they graciously took it off the bill). My chicken skewers were just not good. Overall the food was just not good. The manager was great and tried to make it right.
(2)
Luxuriouskin L.
1st course, we had cream of mushroom soup which came out all diluted and they put in a bunch of salt to give it some flavoring, salad was ok. 2nd course cioppino was so salty, the jerk shrimp was too sweet. 3rd course tiramisu had no rum taste, cheesecake was all lumpy. Food was more acceptable when we went last a few months ago.
(3)
Seaweed U.
If you've got some dough to burn and are in a pinch, you might consider trying Tarragon...otherwise not worth your time! Went for dinner last night (Friday) and was welcomed with live jazz music (yey). My friend and I were offered a tight two-top off to the side of the main walkway when we requested a roomier/less trafficy four-top on the other side. We were reseated quickly (yey), but were met with rolling eyes (boo). Oh, and if you're expecting quality service, I'm sorry to say that you probably won't get it, especially if you get the same server we had! He was in an awful rush, couldn't recite the specials, and was awkward and loud when clearing the table. Timing is something he didn't have either...we weren't even halfway done with our apps (roasted mussels--yum...great sauce to dip bread in & goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto--ok, could be smaller, over-grilled too) when he dove in and piled our utensils/plates into a single heap and left it on the other side of the table. The entrees were ok, nothing spectacular and the portions are HUMONGOUS (beware). I had the chicken saltimbocca which has some good flavors going, but it was 1) over-sauced, 2) way too big and 3) presented in one massive mound which made one sloppy looking plate. My friend had the sirloin steak, cooked to order (yey), but was bland nonetheless (boo). On to dessert (my fave part). So Tarragon offers you several choices from creme brulee to tiramisu. I had the apple tart tatine, expecting a simple dish of caramelized apple slices on top of a nice puff pastry crust....what I got was a thick layer of apple jelly over a shortbread cookie crust. It was served a la mode (yey) but not even the ice-cream could help this lackluster composition (boo). My friend had the chocolate mousse cake which was uber sweet (not nec in a bad way), but the outer layer of cake was way day-old (ie dry as my skin during a northeastern winter). So, if you don't have anywhere better to go, go; otherwise I recommend you spend your $ elsewhere. Oh and the owner seemed to do a great job making rounds and talking to all the tables, except ours (double boo).
(2)
Matt B.
I really only go here for the atmosphere not the food. The bar area is one of the nicer in downtown Sunnyvale. The MiniBurgers and some of the appetizers are good.
(3)
Zeke S.
Poor tarragon gets reviewed right after I read some article on how user reviews tend to go with 1 star or 4.... So I am out to prove them wrong, 3 stars... 3 stars... I will be different, 3 stars.... Seriously, like so many places I feel like 3.5 stars is the right answer. Typically I bump that to 4, but I am gonna hold at 3 this time. 3 is not an insult, 3 is good food. Note that I have never eaten diner here, so my review is purely for lunch... Its an upscale lunch at reasonable prices for the kind of menu they offer. Lamb chops in a wine reduction, seared mahi mahi, braised kobe beef shanks... It's the "type" of food you expect at a premier place not grab a bite to eat with the work buddies place. Along these lines, the dcor is white table clothes and dim lighting. Not bad for a 10 dollar entre place. The food itself is better in concept then in delivery. So while you might see some things on the menu you would expect at a top notch place, it will not quite deliver the same way. It's a bit like minor league baseball, its still baseball, but everything is a bit slower. But... baseball is baseball and tarragon is good food. The lamb was a bit overdone for medium rare, but the sauce had flavor without just salt. Last time I was there the braised kobe beef was super tender and high on flavor. The garlic mashed potatoes are creamy and tasty. In terms of the price, I am not quite sure where the expensive idea comes in. If this were real good food of the type they are delivering I would expect to walk out at close to 30 dollars rather then 15. So if your looking for something a little different, a little fancy but without breaking the bank tarragon is a great choice.
(3)
Marlo E.
I've been here for lunch twice now and it's been great both times. Can't say much about dinner obviously, but this is a great lunch spot if you want to impress a chick or just have fine dining during the day. Affordable lunch prices and an impressive menu make for a great outing. I definitely recommend their meat dishes. Very tasty and they really excel on food presentation. Bunch of wine and other spirits to choose from too if that's your thing.
(4)
Kim N.
One of the few "nice" restaurants in Sunnyvale. A huge group co-workers and I ate here for a farewell dinner. Murphy street is a weird place at night since it is no longer the tech worker crush that it is during weekday lunch. I suppose from the other reviews your mileage may vary. Fortunately I've had a good experience and the rack of lamb I had was pretty darn good. Not sure why I didn't get the NY that night but I guess I'll have to return to give it a shot. They're also open for lunch now so that's probably a to do also. The service is somewhat formal and the prices are high for Sunnyvale but as I said, there's a lack of "fine dining" there.
(4)
Dave L.
Ever go to a place that is almost empty at 7 PM, yet it has wonderful decor, service is good -- you're wondering why there isn't a line around the block to get in -- and then they REALLY drop the ball on one thing and you have your answer. I really want to LOVE Tarragon. We've been there a few times over the years and always remember the food was WONDERFUL, but for some reason we go years between visits. We went back again tonight for the first time in several years. It is still beautifully decorated with a theme that is both very cool and cozy at the same time. But I had to deduct one star right off the bat for the (lack of a) greeting we received at the door. Let me have a general rant for a minute, then I'll get back to Tarragon. I've worked in many restaurants in my younger days. I've been to many restaurants. All of the places I've worked, most of the places I've been to, have a host or hostess who greets you with something like "Hi! Welcome to (name of restaurant). How many in your party tonight? or Dinner for two this evening?" Why is it that nearly every restaurant I go into these days seems to have lost this art? Now the hosts and hostesses all just say "Hello", if anything, and stand there and stare at you waiting for you to make the next move. I don't know why, but this REALLY gets under my skin. I mean one of the most important parts of their job is to make a new guest feel welcome and find out how many they have in their party. And they just stand there with a stupid grin on their face waiting for you to do their job for them. It all comes down to "who's buying and who's selling?". The one doing the selling is supposed to do the work and go to the extra mile. It's their job to ask first, not my job to tell first. OK, I feel better. I've been wanting to get that one off my chest for a long time. So we walk into this gorgeous, cool, white table cloth restaurant and we are greeted with "Hello" and a blank stare. I said "Hello" and gave him a blank stare back. He stood there with a confused look on his face, but I wasn't going to break. I stood there with the blank stare on my face. Finally he said "Two for dinner?". (Minus 1 star) After that the service was very good. Appropriately attentive without being intrusive. They do have a very creative menu. I started with beef carpaccio and my wife had an heirloom tomato salad. Both were prepared with a special presentation and with creative differences from the ordinary. For instance, my carpaccio had a boiled quails egg and anchovies on it, which went very well. But there was on BIG problem. The carpaccio was frozen. I mean FROZEN. Solid. As I tried to delicately roll the first thin slice onto my fork, half of the meat came up in a solid disc. The other half was very cold, but not frozen, so I started there. I decided not to send it back because it would warm up on my table more gently than having them do something in the kitchen. It did, but oddly enough it never had that freshly carved taste that I love in carpaccio. After that, everything went very well. My entree, the pork chop, was amazingly good. The flavor was incredible, the creative side dish of lentins, bacon pieces and mushrooms went perfectly with it. My wife reported that her halibut was delicious and creatively flavorful. A word about the wine list. They have a decent number of selections, tending toward very nice wines at the high end. We had a La Crema Pinot ($70, a fair price at a place like this). We didn't have dessert, but I was impressed with the "liquid" dessert list. They have an entire page of "Dessert Cocktails" which are just that. Cocktails made with a variety of high end chocolate liqueurs and such. All in all, it is a delightful space, most of the food is outstanding, and most of the service is very good. They are so close to nailing it, and then drop the ball so badly by serving frozen food that is supposed to be prepared fresh.
(3)
Lydia V.
I've eaten here twice, and based on the first visit, it would've gotten a 4-5 stars, but I just went again tonight, and the service was CRAPPY! 4 adults and my 15 month old went, and I don't know if it's because we had a kid (who the bartender/manager said acted very good...not some brat) or because my hubby is brown, but we were seated next to the kitchen between 2 big parties! The server even asked us if they could "move our table over a bit" to make room for another table for a large party. Now, mind you...there is a whole side of the restaurant free and we had already sat down and began on the bread (which took forever to come to the table) The food was really good... except for the baked brie which was literally a circle of Trader Joe's Brie baked for a minute or 2 with served along side crusty bread. The inside wasn't even melted, and had no outer crust or breading of any kind. I had never seen it like that before. $10 for that. Back to the service... The waiter also came over to take our order and just as I was about to spout out my dinner fare, he peered above me, spotted fresh plates of food, and excused himself so he could "take the other party their food while it was hot"!!! OK, I'm a realist and could understand if I was one of those folks still looking at the menu reading it aloud, but I wasn't! I knew what I wanted. He didn't give me an option, just up and left! Sign of things to come. So, great food, crappy service, ok prices for the portion and quality. I just expected more. :(
(4)
Coco L.
Average food...I think it's a little overrated..
(3)
Katie L.
The lighting is perfect for a date and the seating is comfortable. I came with a date on a Thursday night at 6pm. We were talking and did not look at the menu yet and the young male waiter came over and we werent ready yet. So then i knew what i wanted but my dated didient know yet and the waiter asked again and we said we need one more minute. SO the third time the waiter came over with attitude and told my date he dident have anymore chances to stall. We ordered: calamari, spinach salad and something that looked like crusted chicken. The calamari was straight up gross. Tasted freezer burned and was not crispy on the outside. The spinach salad was drowning in some mayonnaise dressing and the chicken dish my date ordered was very dry and a very small portion. The place was not busy at all so i was stuck on the waiters inpatients with us. A woman came over to our table and asked if the food was alright because it was a new menu. We were polite but we were lying. I came here 2 years ago and it was good but this time it wasent even close to what i remembered. I think they should consult Gordon Ramsey
(2)
Aline B.
Glad to say that our experience was not repeated - we went to Thanksgiving the next two years and the food was delicious, the service was good, and we will continue to make this our Thanksgiving tradition.
(4)
Kaytie H.
I highly recommend Tarragon if you enjoy food and high quality restaurants. Every time I've eaten at Tarragon, we've had the nicest, most helpful waiters. They are always very outgoing and wonderful. The food is exquisite as well. The menu is very varied and always has something fun to try. Love it!
(4)
Mike C.
For the ambiance and quality of food, I think this place is very reasonably priced. The restaurant.com option makes the experience even more appealing. I only have one slight caveat, which involved the management refusing to allow the gift certificate to be used concurrently with their early-bird special promotion. I found this frustrating given the fact that I called in advance to confirm that using it would be acceptable. In the end the manager allowed a "one time only" exception for me, and applied $20 of the $25 coupon. I didn't want to further ruin the dining experience by haggling over $5, so I let it go. Other than that, in my 4 times dining at Tarragon, both the food and the service were consistently above average.
(4)
Bonnie W.
I debated between a 2 & a 3. Nicely greeted for early bird special. We asked to be moved to a quieter place as they set up for a party of 10 right next to us. Hostess told us we would have to have a different server - when I asked if server could switch a table " No, it's not her station," we were told. We moved to another booth and sat there for well over 5 minutes before someone came over. It was our server - way too long wondering, being ignored as waitpersons passed us by. Service was lacking. We had to ask for bread and butter plates. My friend was very happy with her salmon. The flavor of the my pasta dish was good but the pasta was overdone & cut into small pieces -that was weird. I thought the dessert I ordered was a chocolate layer cake - in fact it was a small layer of cake with a layer of chocolate and white chocolate mousse + choc. sauce. Disappointing. When I brought it up the server told me it was described on the menu. We were not asked if we wanted coffee or any beverage with our desserts. The person who cleared the table didn't seem able to communicate - don't know if it was a language barrier or what but he mumbled. I took my leftovers but decided to toss it when we got outside. Not going back there.
(2)
Tracy R.
I've eaten at Tarragon once for dinner and twice for lunch, and I've had a good experience each time. The last time I was there for lunch, I ordered the grilled swordfish special and it was wonderful. I'll admit the saltimbocca I had for dinner was OK but not outstanding - I found it a little dry; I ended up coveting my husband's NY Steak Au Poivre, which was well-prepared and delicious. Unlike other reviewers, I've had no problems with Tarragon's service; in fact, I've found the wait staff to be friendly and attentive each time. When we were there for dinner last fall, the owner came by our table right as we were finishing up to introduce herself and make sure we were having a good evening. I haven't spent time on the bar side, though, so I can't attest to how things run over there. The decor is lovely and upscale - definitely a cut above most of what you'll find in Sunnyvale.
(4)
Richard S.
To be fair I went here for a group work dinner (about 30) with a fixed menu. Still, the service was excellent; fast, efficient, not loud. The food was good. I had the steak. They set us up in the banquet room above the dinning room. It has a separate bar. Not a bad space. Parking isn't bad. There's a public parking lot at the end of the block.
(3)
Yvette H.
after spending tons of time trying to pick a place for my mom's birthday, i chose tarragon... and was not disappointed. i didn't realize what a challenge it was going to be to find a decent restaurant in the south bay that had some atmosphere, a full bar, and a appetizing menu. but tarragon worked out perfectly! the food was solid, especially for the price, and i really liked the fact that their menu had a lot of options. they were several steaks, some pastas, chicken, lamb and a couple vegetarian options-- basically there was something for everyone. and many items sounded really good-- which was reflected by the fact that everyone in our party of 7 ordered something different. we had the ahi and the mussels as appetizers... both were raved about. also we shared a few of the salads. all were yummy with my family particularly impressed with the wedge. portions were generous. for entrees, a lot of people ordered steak, including me. i had the filet mignon. it was pretty awesome. everyone seemed real happy with what they ordered... service was really good too so all in all, i would totally recommend.
(4)
Kirbologix J.
I can't think of anything good to say. We ordered a glass of rose wine, a beer, a spinach salad, chicken with bacon and potatoes, and an eggplant entree. First to arrive were 2 spinach salads. We ordered 1. But neither came with the carmelized nuts, so what we were left with was 2 plates of wilted spinach with feta cheese. Yum. The busser apologizes, and takes 1 salad back with him, saying he'll fix it. Then a glass of merlot and a beer arrive. So far the only thing that's correct, then, is the beer. The waiter appears, apologizes, and takes the second salad and the wine away. Now all we have is a glass of beer. He returns with 1 salad, still with no nuts, and the correct glass of wine. He apologizes again and says he'll come back with nuts and to make up for it that he'll give us free dessert. We wait. And wait. And wait. Meanwhile we see the waiter multiple times and make eye contact but he never comes over. Finally we eat our salad. The nuts never arrived. Then entrees arrived. Mine was the chicken with bacon, boiled greens, and potatoes. None of the flavors went together. The chicken was undercooked and cold. The eggplant entree had no flavor. It just tasted like boiled vegetables. Again, the waiter never comes by. Finally, once the bussers have cleared our entrees, the waiter returns and asks if we're interested in dessert...with no mention that he offered it to us free earlier. Besides, we're not really dessert eaters...we really wanted a good salad...not a $10 plate of spinach. I will never go there again. Save your $60 and go to Chavez Supermarket and buy a dozen burritos.
(1)
Christian T.
The girlfriend and I decided to go to this place last minute. The decor seems really nice. The service was so so and the food was above average. Nothing too special. I know some coworkers go here for lunch but I'd have to say that it might be a little too expensive for lunch. The only downside to this place would have been the service since it took so long to get our meals. Other than that I would go back from time to time.
(4)
William H.
The first sign that this might not be a memorable Saturday night was that the dining room was almost empty. It felt like we were arriving at 5:30 not 7:30. And while nothing was terrible, it is hard to imagine this would be a place you would ever eat at a second time. The calamari was pub quality -- okay, but nothing to talk about. Our salad, while sounding creative and interesting was a huge disappointment. It must have been soaking in the dressing for a day- it was almost inedible. And the main courses, while all edible was pretty boring, with dull flavors and so-so presentation. The sweets were clearly in the fridge and reheated for us, leaving the outside dried out, the inside still cool. This is the most blatant example of a failed attempt to upscale a restaurant before the chef is really ready to take it there. In a competitive market I think they may have a lot of quiet evenings ahead of them at this rate.
(2)
nenette d.
Noise level 2/5 (5 loudest) Not worth going back to. The ambiance was very good though , if not for the loud woman seated next to our table. It's not the restaurant's fault that a customer was tacky and obnoxious. She was literally yelling from where she was seated to the other 6 people in her dining group. More annoying than her non stop, raspy monologue was the showy thong that appears on and off every time she leans over to make a point to her unfortunate, captive audience. It was not a pretty sight either, by anybody's standards. Everything else was the restaurant's fault. Except, for my escolar which was very flavorful , flaky and very moist. That was the best part of the meal. I wish it had not been sitting on top of green beans scattered on top of a huge mound of old mashed potato.. It gave me the feeling that there was a long assembly line in the kitchen who put this together. It was apparent that very minimal care was put into this dish. Our waiter looked scruffy , poorly groomed and very crude. It seemed like the guy was told he had to wait on tables after he'd been working in the machine shop all day. He did not match the ambiance and the nice, professional host that greeted us. His vocabulary was limited; aside from asking " what would you want?" in a bored, detached tone ( he might as well could have asked "quickly, what do you want to order?!!"), he mumbled a lot, grunted and made other vocal sounds...If I manage a restaurant I would have a quick once over with everybody before opening time: "your perfume is too strong, you didn't shave, you have dried food on your shirt, practice being polite and welcoming, pull your pants up, for god's sake!." The rest of the food was mediocre at best. Part of their thanksgiving menu was a selection of desserts. After the poorly done meal , I ordered what I thought was the safest dessert which was the chocolate mousse. Big mistake. It tasted like one of those that comes out of a dispenser from Fresh Choice. I thought Fresh Choice' was better. My friend's bread pudding seemed carved out of a hardened block of bread. It was very dense. Good thing it was mini sized; I haven't seen such a small serving of bread pudding! Are we lining for old bread now? Has depression snuck up on us from behind?
(1)
katy g.
We've eaten at Tarragon a number of times over the last 5 years. Each time the menu has changed, and dishes that we liked were gone, replaced by others that were less successful. The service is usually horrible, with not much attention to the patron, rushed and/or rude servers, or, more frequently, absent. We got stuck in a cycle of having a nice dinner there, then the next time it was awful, then waited months and tried it again, this time the food was good, then the next time awful, etc. The bartenders are usually aloof and the drinks are tiny and poorly made. Why we gave it so many chances can't be explained, other than it has a nice atmosphere and an "adult" bar. But we won't be back again. Dish Dash has superior food,and a friendly and efficient wait staff who remember you. Tarragon has lost our business permanently.
(1)
Stefano M.
The first impression I got from Tarragon once my girlfriend and I were inside is that it has a romantic mood which me and my girI liked. We sat in a booth facing the bar. We order the fried calamari and thought it was ok, not bad but I have tried better. My entree was Hefeweizen braised Short Ribs. The flavor was really good and the portion was just fine for me if there was a let down is that there was way too much fat on the ribs. My girlffriend got the Grilled Salmon and the she liked it. The server was very attentive and friendly. I would say that this is a very good option if you live or are close to the in the Sunnyvale area but you will find better restaurants in downtown Palo Alto.
(3)
Esther A.
i just got back from lunch here.... the interior was STUNNING. went kinda late, but still tables full of people. their service is HORRIBLE. walked in. had 3 people walk by us until i finally asked if they were still seating for lunch. FINALLY someone seated us. given menus, waited a good 5 minutes before our server introduced himself, but also said that he was off soon and that someone else would be taking over for him. mumbled name and never pointed the guy out. about 10 minutes later our order was taken. having been our first time there, little did we know that you have to request the bread if you wanted it. HOLY MOLY.... it took 30-35 minutes to get our food. so 45 minutes AFTER we walk in, we finally had our food. i ordered the chicken and brie saltimbocca and he had the short ribs with a pear soy ginger glaze. mine was a little salty, but other than that, it was really good... the short ribs were HEAVILY marinated and drowning in sauce.... both dishes were good, but i'd rather say, "more sauce to go with my meat, please." not, "more meat to go with the soup on my plate".... an hour and 45 minutes later, i am back at work.... willing to give the restaurant another try, but only if they hire new servers or hire more.... service was waaaaaaaaaaay too slow.
(3)
Greg D.
We used to take visitors to the office here for dinner because it's supposed to be one of the fancier places in SV. Until I convinced the people who decide on these things to stop doing that. The ambiance is great. The drinks are great. The appetizers are decent. The entrees are uninspired, and I've had them be cold on multiple occasions. The service has been way below the price point every time I've been there, probably because they only seem to have one waiter working on weeknights. If you want to get some appetizers and good wine or drinks, it's a good bet. If not, save your money and go down the street to Il Postale.
(1)
Bobbie F.
Went there with friends on a Friday night. The food was excellent and the setting quite pleasant, except that we were at a table with bad lighting, though this was only a problem when I needed to read the menu. The waiter supplied us with a little mini-flashlight, which I thought was funny. I had the halibut and was quite pleased, it was done just right. Everyone else was happy with their food too. But when it was time for dessert things the service was very slow, though they were aware of it and we got an apology. Desserts were good too, I had the bread pudding and will say yummy yummy on that too. Only the slow service keeps me from giving this five stars, otherwise it was a very satisfactory evening.
(4)
Brian J.
I have lived in Sunnyvale for 3 years and just discovered this place recently. I have to say that downtown Sunnyvale is very underrated. We sat at the bar and watched monday night football. Cowboys!!!.They were very slow so it was great to be able to pick the seat we wanted but not good for them. The Bartender was nice and gave great service. I really enjoyed the baked brie and the prosciutto pizza. I will be going back very soon and will make Tarragon a regular place to eat at. Thank You.
(4)
Any H.
i had a good experience the first time i went there iwth some friends so i decided to go back with my husband and my cousin who was in town from Asia... the atmosphere was okay, no one was there to help us get seated really.. the food was not impressive at all...the paella was more of a rice cooked in soup, seafood was not fresh in the paella nor in the cioppino (if you dont have freshseafood then why bother putting cioppino on your menu??) the special of the day was a canadian cod over pasta which tasted bland and the pasta seemed like it was left over from the previous day ... the waiter rarely came over, every single time we had to try hard to catch him to ask for more water or anything else we needed.. will never go back again...
(1)
Julie G.
good food, good service, and reasonable prices. went on a weeknight for dinner. I had the pork tenderlion over polenta with some cranberry-apple topping. Pork was cooked well- not dry at all. Great flavors and a huge portion. I was starving and ate most of it, but I was stuffed at the end of it. My friend had the braised short ribs. It was also very good - a large portion and very tasty. short ribs can also get dry, but these were really good. prices were very reasonable - both entrees were under $20. the service was also good - the bread was warm and we always had water. ambience inside is a little dark and murphy st outside the restaurant is being redone so the overall ambience and feel of the place was slightly lacking but definitely not a huge deal.
(4)
Deb D.
Our first time to Tarragon last night for a special dinner. Excellent! The wait staff was attentive, the food was delicious. Very impressed! The tomato/basil soup was outstanding. My trip tip was perfectly rare, with garlic mashies (not too garlicky) and sauteed spinach. The food portions were just right. Will be back!
(5)
Angel A.
Tarragon has a warm atmosphere, good food and a nice wine list, but the slow and impersonal service leaves me feeling a little underwhelmed. Also the menu is a bit pricey for what you get. I expected more flavor and higher quality preparation. My short ribs (which until recently was listed on the menu as pot roast) had a lot of gristle, and the dish didn't taste much different from what you'd get from a crock pot. That said, at 6pm on a Saturday night we were able to easily get a table for four even though the place had plenty of customers and a nice live jazz band. But unless I'm stuck again trying to get into a place on a weekend night, I won't be back.
(3)
Renee L.
My 15 year old son, husband and I went to Tarragon for the first time. We had a reservation, but it wasn't necessary (that should've been a clue, but the streets are torn up, so I put it off to the construction). When we sat down, the host introduced himself and told us he would be our waiter. We reviewed the wine list, and another person came and took our wine order. The host came back and asked us if we'd like something to drink - huh? We told him we'd already ordered our wine. I made a joke saying, "maybe you two need to rochambeau for our table". He was visibly upset, and said, "it doesn't work that way". He marched off and the two waiters had words. The second waiter must've won the heated debate, because he came and took our order and was our waiter for the rest of the evening. We waited at least 10 minutes after that before we were served our wine - even though I could see it sitting on the bar with my son's Sprite. I can understand this delay if they are crowded and busy - but it was practically empty. I think we realistically waited at least 15 minutes for our wine after ordering it. I ordered the spinach salad and asked for the dressing on the side (based on reviews below that state they put too much dressing). The salad was served with too much dressing - not on the side - so I sent it back - you could tell the waiter was miffed, but that's how I wanted it and asked for it originally. I also had the pork tenderloin with polenta and a chutney. It was very good. My son ordered a Caesar salad and the Cioppino. He said both were good. My husband had the grilled artichoke - which came just as my son finished his salad, so he was sitting there without food quite a while, and he had the paella. He said both were mediocre. The wait staff set a negative tone from the start that unfortunately never turned around for us. We won't be back.
(2)
Jennifer M.
Our waiter told us Tarragon has a NEW HEAD CHEF as of 09/2007. Is the result better than before? I don't know (having not gone before), but we were all satisfied with our food. Not wowed, maybe, but definitely satisfied. The brie appetizer was tasty, but oddly arranged. It comes with a roasted garlic bulb which was placed directly on top. Why? You're not going to cut through it. You just have to eventually take it with one hand to scoop out the roasted garlic bits. I got the pork chop which was excellent, cooked perfectly, very moist. My friends ordered the salmon and ahi (tuna) which were good but not great. Stick with mammals, and you've got a good meal.
(4)
mark p.
this place is awesome u should try the new fall menu thats out chef ryan and sous chef markus formerly of paragon have nailed it here american cuisine with lots of seasonal freshness and pop
(5)
buttercup r.
Pretty decor, good lighting, large. Nice waiter, really good food (had the mushroom risotto), live jazz. Pricey, though.
(3)
Sneha J.
We went to this restaurant for a quite Tuesday night dinner. Arrived at 8 PM and were promptly seated. Service was average. We were not served any bread, dont know why? Although, the food was pretty good. I would go back here. I ordered the Salmon with lemon butter sauce and wild rice pilaf, it was Yummy..My friend ordered the chicken penne dish and it was average. My husband ordered the Blackened MahiMahi and he really liked it..Although, the desert was the highlight, we all left this restaurant wanting a little more of this desert. We ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake (No lava in it), but its not overly sweet and its a warm, may be flourless, chocolate cake that just melts in your mouth and it comes in a small pool of chocolate icecream and whipped cream. it was delicious..would definetely go back again, even if just for the desert. Definetely worth trying.
(4)
Rose S.
Excellent service and a luxurious atmosphere. I personally enjoyed the crab cakes and pomegranate glazed pork. The live jazz music combined with the romantic ambiance make for an enjoyable and elegant meal!
(5)
Ken R.
We had a terrific evening here for our anniversary, my second full meal experience and third overall. The crab cake was exceptional--almost all crab--with a terrific spicy relish topping, the spinach salad with poached pears was wonderful and gently out-of-the-ordinary, and the rack of lamb was substantial, tender, and cooked perfectly. My partner's radicchio salad with balsamic glaze was really great and his petit filet was a great cut done perfectly. Service was attentive but not obtrusive, so we invited the waiter to join us for a glass of our 2005 Foxen Sea Smoke Vineyard Pinot Noir. Great decor too.
(4)
Phil T.
Don't fall for the old-"Bait and Switch Menu!" I just had dinner at Tarragon on Friday, 10/17/08. The menu looked delicious. When we got to the restaurant, which is NOT air-conditioned! Our first look at the menu was completely foreign. On Tarragon's web site the dining experience looked great. I was hard pressed to find one or two items offered on the "real" menu compared to what was published on-line. Needless to say the experience went down hill from there! The pasta wasn't thoroughly cooked, the prawns were over cooked and the waitress got our bill mixed-up with another diner. I don't think I'll be back!
(2)
clarisse n.
the food was okay. the fries were good though. terrible service. my company (we were a party of 12) went there for lunch. it took them over an hour to get our food served to us. there were also several other large parties that were there that got there after us and were served before us. the food was not worth the wait.
(3)
Julia W.
Fresh Mediterranean food. Fun bar hang out more than a restaurant. Great place to have a fun night with friends over good food and drinks. Not the best setting for an intimate, romantic dinner as the acoustics get rolling with the busy crowd. Must admit that the service was not up to par - hopefully this improves.
(3)
Verissa S.
This place has a great atmosphere, especially on Friday and Saturday night, since they have a jazz band playing from 7pm-11pm. A couple of friends and I thought to try it out for that very reason. We wanted something pretty light, so we just ordered a few appetizers and wine. We started off with the Crab Cakes, which had surprisingly great flavor coming from the roasted red bell pepper and the pesto sauce. Then we had the Baked Brie with roasted garlic and apricot sauce. Brie is brie, but the disappointment is that it only came with four thin bread crisps and we had the whole entire circle of cheese. We ended up having a whole lot of cheese left and nothing to eat it with, as they didn't serve us any dinner bread. Finally, to kill time we finished off with the garlic prawns with basil and lemon butter. Again, it had great flavor, but the prawns were shrimp and a lot of sauce we couldn't sop up with bread. I ate this with a half bottle of Kenwood 2005 Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and Delish.
(3)
P C.
Reflecting previous reviews, Tarragon is a work in progress, but I'm rooting for it to succeed! Similar places in busier locales are too hard to get into. We arrived about 7:30 on a Saturday, and the place was bustling, but not full. My cosmo was so-so, and I rate bars by their cosmos! Dinner - I had Seared Ahi that was cooked perfectly, hubby had a great-looking chop. He said it was perfect. Drawback - bland mashed potatoes, which are a splurge for me, so I need them to be outstanding. Plus - quality jazz combo playing great dinner/bar music, and outstanding atmosphere/decor. I will go back, but improve the mashers!
(3)
Julie K.
Good food and reasonable lunch prices but not enough servers to meet lunch time demand.
(3)
Travis M.
Walking in the door we were greeted with a warm and wonderful smell. The interior is comfortable and lit perfectly for a cozy evening meal. The rack of lamb had a great flavor and was prepared to order. Our party commented several times how the atmosphere of the restaurant really impressed them. We were at the back of the dining room and were plagued by a very cold draft that chilled our feet. This unfortunate factor did make it difficult to fully enjoy the meal. This issue would not keep me from returning. If you are in the neighborhood, Tarragon is a great option for a slightly upscale experience and good food.
(3)
Vivien W.
Billed as Sunnyvale's only fine-dining restaurant, Tarragon has looks and ambience that read upscale, and fairly good food (and corresponding higher prices) but mediocre service. The bartender on several nights was unfriendly, borderline rude and made BAD cocktails. However, the live music on some evenings can also be pleasant. A mixed bag altogether.
(3)
Samson W.
Good food, but the two stars is for the terrible service. Definitely a restaurant to avoid, especially if you are in a hurry or want to eat for just an hour.
(2)
Janet G.
Wow.....I haven't had bad service at a restaurant in a very very long time, I guess I was due. My husband and I walk into Tarragon and take a seat at the bar, we are literally not approached for 10 minutes, the bar has only a handful of people in it. Then we look around and notice that our bartender is out serving drinks to the tables as well as running the bar. I thought at that point, that is too much work for 1 person, but hello, at least acknowledge me. She finally comes up to us and says what do you want to drink I said can i have a drink menu? she puts one down in front of us and walks away, she didnt even bother apologizing for the long wait or anything!!!! Then someone sits next to us orders a drink and gets their drink, RIGHT NEXT TO US and she still doesn't take our order, after about 20 mins. of sitting and waiting my husdand and I left. The bartender was cold and didn't bother apologizing for the long wait...it was horrible!
(1)
Smarty Pants P.
Okay, I have mix feelings about this place. I heard they have a new chef, so we decided to try it. I checked the menu on-line, however their menu on their web is totally different than their current menu. We started with an Artichoke, and their soup of the day. Clam Chowder. They were bot delicious!!! OK , so far so good.... Then our main dishes came out, and guess what? They were all COLD!!! Are you kidding me? Not to be a total bitch, but isn't it cooking 101 that your food should arrive your table warm/hot? So we sent them back... So then few minutes later, our food arrived... OK, let's try this again. NY Steak with Gnocchi - Steak was perfect! Gnocchi just okay. Penne w/ bolognese sauce, with goat cheese - It was good, but I had better. A side of macaroni and cheese, with black truffle oil. - Wow, I had such high expectation about this... However, it sounds so much better than it taste. I don't recommend this at all... No flavor, just cooked pasta, with some cheese on top... Biggest disappointment for the night. Okay, on a good note.. Their portion was very good. We did ordered a bottle of Cab from Owen Roe and it was fantastic. Our waiter was bit air headed, but he was charming enough... I'm not sure if I'll go back to this place... I mean for the money you pay, it's totally overrated...
(3)
Alex L.
Interesting... this place is definitely a work in progress. I had been here a few times when it first opened (many years ago) and it was outstanding, but each trip was less impressive. Then, I started hearing horror stories about this place. Needing a place in Sunnyvale for a business lunch I decided to give Tarragon another shot. The service could use some work. The host and our server had a thick accent and didn't seem to understand our orders well. However, water goblets were kept full and everything arrived correct. The food was surprisingly good; borderline outstanding. Prices were very fair with lunch for two under $25. I had lowered expectations, but it was very good! Worthy of another shot.
(4)
Carolyn P.
We had a reservation and were seated a few min late, not a big deal. However a half hour came and went before we even got waters. More time passed before we could order and we had a 10:30 reservation at the comedy club and an 8:00 dinner reservation. We barely made it to the club on time with such horrid slow service. They kept taking things off our tab as they kept screwing up! They offered us complimentary coffee but then had it sitting at the bar so long we ended up getting up ourselves to bring it to the table. This was the worst dining experience, so bad it was almost funny as we thought we must be on a hidden camera for a show about horrid restaurants. Never going back! Never!
(1)
Carmen M.
Food was a little bit pricey but the decor was nice considering the outside wasn't so great looking. Service staff was warm friendly and accomodating. The rack of lamb with red wine and risotto was cooked to perfection, juciy, and succulent. And tiramisu to top it all off was yummy, smooth, and delicious.
(4)
Mia M.
If you give an honest review of this restaurant you will get very rude messages from people connected to this restaurant.I know many long time yelpers who are shocked when I forward the messages I received to them They have not experienced such RUDE behavior in response to honest reviews. whether positive or negative.Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
(1)
Cary W.
This place tries to be upscale, but the food and service are no where near the quality level of similar price-range places in SF.
(2)
Jameson L.
I came here with my family for the Early Bird Special. Sure, you have to dine between 5 and 6 pm, but it's worth it - soup or salad, entree, and dessert for $20! The really nice part is the selection for the entree - just about the entire menu is available to choose from. I got the rack of lamb and it was just fantastic - nice and tender and flavorful! It's definitely one of the best that I've ever had. It also came with a side of roasted potatoes and spinach, which was delicious. The tiramisu for dessert was quite good as well. The salad was decent, although nothing to get excited about. Overall I guess the portions are adequate. It's enough for the average person, but for someone like me who eats a lot, I could've used a little more (although that may have just been a craving for more of the lamb). It's a nice atmosphere to dine in for a birthday or family dinner. I will definitely eat here again for the early bird special.
(4)
Simon B.
Arrived at 4:50 P.M. for the Early Bird Special which was dominantly posted in the window. We were on a tight time constraint and mentioned this when we sat down. Josh our waiter did everything right. He kept the pace we needed to leave within an hour. The menu is extensive and the choice difficult, but we had NY steak (generous 12 oz.) and halibut. Started with one of each of the appetizers, the mushroom barley soup was quite good, the baby greens salad as expected wherever the "European" greens are offered. The steak was cooked as ordered and the halibut was moist and delicious on a bed of barley. The desserts were 50/50. The tiramisu was tasteless, although the presentation was delightful and had enhanced our expectations. The chocolate cake was to die for. Bread with balsamic/oil mixture was presented upon ordering, but not refilled although we had eaten it all before our main entrees arrived. All in all for the price, unbeatable for quality.
(4)
Sandeep T.
This is an interesting restaurant. The prices are reasonable and the food was very good. The overall experience was good. But for some reason I do not feel a pull or desire to go frequently.
(3)
Edwyn A.
Supposedly a wanna-be trendy italian restaurant in downtown sunnyvale. This restaurant is sub-par. I went here for lunch with co-workers since the nearby middle eastern restraurant had quite a wait. So we thought why not try Tarragon down the street. It was a big mistake. While it the decor and ambiance appeared upscale - the service was unfortunately horrible. Food was delivered in a haphazard order as the waitstaff was unsure how to accomodate 3 or 4 tables - yes - it wasn't that busy - so i don't understand the confusion. As for attentiveness of the staff - there wasn't any. We waited for our bill to arrive... and the waitstaff seemed confused. So we decided to head for the door - funny they noticed us... but again the staff asked if we wanted a table - didn't they just seat us an hour ago. Anyways... we left no tip but mysteriously the staff will add a tip - i checked my amex and noticed they gave themselves 10% - very illegal and i don't care if you pay your staff min wage + tips! I suggest you avoid this place at all costs.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Evonne L.
A solid 4.5 stars! This review is for the wedding reception that I just had here last week! Dottia, Allie, and the team at Tarragon did a GREAT job! I had a wonderful time, and my guests really enjoyed themselves! Things we got compliments on: - Food. The tri-tip and tiramisu got the most compliments, but everything overall was DELICIOUS. -Flexibility. They let us bring in our own candy bar with cake pops, popcorn, rice crispy treats, pretzels, and candies. How cool is that?! - Friendliness of staff. Dottia and Allie were a joy to work with. They were receptive to our ideas, easy to talk to, and dealt with all our changes in planning so graciously. Dottia even signed our guestbook (so sweet)! And both her and Allie were there the day of to make sure everything went right. The bartenders also complimented us on our choice of music, which was very nice of them to do so. - Space. The venue was SO SPACIOUS for our wedding of 80 people or so. Tons of room to wander around, a beautiful patio space to cool off at, and a huge bar and dance floor. What more could you want? I would highly recommend this venue for any bride looking to have a chill, memorable and fun wedding reception! =)
(4)Kimberly C.
Tarragon is a perfectly nice place to get a solid well-crafted meal. It will certainly not disappoint you. However, it feels a bit lackluster and probably won't excite you either. The interior design needs a bit of a facelift; it's not that dated looking, but you can tell they haven't changed it in awhile. The menu is a collection of pretty typical dishes and could use a revamp as well. While my filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes, spinach, mushrooms and a blue cheese sauce was quite good, it seemed slightly under seasoned and could use a little more flavor all around. My husband's ahi quickly left his plate, so I'm assuming that was a hit with him. We all had peanut butter bombas for dessert. Share! It's very rich and delicious. The service was outstanding, I might add.
(3)Jean N.
It was very good. Food, service, and ambiance were all fine. We were able to get a reservation at the last minute on a very busy Saturday night. We have been there before and will be back again.
(4)Jess B.
We came here on a Monday night at about 6pm. There were only a few tables filled and a couple of people at the bar. I love the location on S Murphy St. The ambiance is really nice inside, and much bigger than it looks from the outside. The service was great-- not surprising since it was pretty slow in there! But the real star was the food. I got the vegetable paella, and it was fantastic. It was a really large portion, enough for leftovers for the next day and sharing. Others I was with got the artichoke ravioli, the rib tower, and the filet mignon-- all were deemed very good. There were lots of other things on the menu that I'd also like to try, or even just get the paella again next time we're back! Definitely a place to put in the current rotation.
(5)Elizabeth S.
We come here pretty regularly, as a family with kids to eat, or myself for drinks with friends. For a meal, the food is very good. Vegetarian options include some very nice salads (just ask them to hold the bacon). They have no written kids menu, but will tell you that they have chicken strips with fries (plus 3 other items I forget). My boys love those chicken strips. Kids will only do fine here if they are pretty quiet; remember that it's also a romantic restaurant so no loud kids. We have had excellent lasagna, meat dishes, and appetizers as well. Meal service is very good. The bar section has spottier service, you may have to wait some time, but they will eventually come and are always friendly when they do. There's TV in the bar areas visible from most of the restaurant; that can be good or bad depending on what you're looking for... we don't like tv's at meal times. Overall, I really enjoy this place.
(4)Ron D.
My wife and I like to try on restaurants to see how they fit us. We like comfortable but elegant surroundings, soft lighting and an overall warmth that makes us feel welcome. The first time we visited Tarragon we knew it suited us well. I'm not saying food is secondary, but without the ambiance we would never return. What a delight to discover a rich and tasty menu of many favorites,along with friendly bartenders and wait staff. Prices are reasonable and if you're a bargain hunter, you'll want to try their daily Happy Hour with half price drinks and appetizers -- there's even an early bird special. We most often work too late to take advantage of that, but the wine list is varied with many reasonably priced bottles. We've been back 5 or 6 times and are never disappointed.
(5)Katsumi N.
First of all, they had good service and cozy restaurant. It also provided nice private setting that worked well with business dinner. The list of dinner entry was small and it was more like Italian restaurant than American. But they served good food. I had Cioppino and it was delicious. Perfect tomato sauce with little spiciness to it. Good balance of seafood variety. Recommended. I wish they had larger selection of draft beer, they had only 4 choices. They had a lot of bottled beers but I'm not a fan. Overall, it's nice cozy place with good food. Check it out!
(4)Kate Y.
I had my wedding banquet in the restaurant. I had a hard time finding a restaurant that meets all my requirements regarding food quality, price and location. Tarragon was perfect in all categories. My guests enjoyed the food there and Dottia, the event coordinator, at Tarragon accommodated many of my requests (seating arrangement, using the banquet for decoration preparations, video/audio test, and more!) Everything worked out really well at my wedding reception at Tarragon, and I'd recommend Tarragon for any special events.
(5)Helena L.
We had meant to try out their happy hour special, but got their on the late side because it was that kind of day. My date was having a hypoglycemic melt down. Our server was very respectful and helped by bringing out our starters quickly. He provided some of the best service I can remember having, (keeping in mind that I frequent cafe style places more often). Among other things his timing was very good. When your date is having a meltdown, I can't tell you how nice that is. Parking was a problem. Normally I don't care about having to walk a couple blocks. Right now I'm gimpy, of the just starting to walk after 8 weeks of being laid up variety. As someone who is lactose intolerant and off gluten, this place could have been very difficult to navigate. Our server (again!) knew what dishes to avoid and provided lovely substitutions. All I could ask for really. The ambiance is to my liking, not too bright and very cushy. There was a large chatty dinner party right next to us at the beginning of the meal, but we didn't have to shout at each other. So the acoustics are very good, and the layout is appealing too.
(4)Carisa Y.
Tarragon is one my go-to restaurants in downtown Sunnyvale. They have terrific happy hour in the bar/lounge area with 1/2 all wine (bottles and glasses!)/beer/cocktails and a great variety of appetizers. They have several tables and booths in the lounge area too so if you decide to stay for dinner, that's easily done. Lunch during the week at Tarragon is also great. They have a great variety of sandwiches, salads and hearty, classic entrees. My all-time favorite is the french dip sandwich-- which is made with prime rib on a great french bread. It might be the best french dip I've ever had. It's also a complete steal for lunch since it comes with fries or a salad. You can do a quick business lunch, but if you have the time, a nice leisurely lunch outside with a glass of wine is a pretty nice way to spend a summer afternoon. Dinner is good too, but I generally prefer their lighter lunch options or just to have an couple appetizers at the bar.
(5)J P.
We had dinner at Tarragon again on Wednesday night. There were four vegetarian entrees on the early bird menu which is fantastic for us as we are both vegetarian. Once again, the food was outstanding and the service was impeccable. The waitress was always there when we needed her and each course came out quickly. The host is also wonderful and he greets us warmly every time we go there. I am very particular about food as I am a good cook myself. We have thoroughly enjoyed every meal here. I cannot judge the meat dishes but the vegetarian dishes are excellent.
(5)Dusan P.
I had to wait for a long time before someone came to take my order. For second time nobody came for 15 minutes so we just left. Horrible service! ; (
(1)Greg H.
I was in the area on business and to catch up with my best friend over a good meal. Neither of us had been to this establishment, took a walk down Murphy Street with no plan or reservation...and what a great find this was! The manager gave us a warm greeting and we opted for a bar table. The bartender came out from behind the bar (with a smile) to get us started with cocktails. A good beer and liquor selection at a nice-looking bar. At this point, I'm already impressed because they're spot on with one of my pet peeves...great glassware. The glasses (lowball, highball and wine) have great weight and design. Kudos. They brought bread (not my thing, so no comment). We started our meal with the puff pastry baked brie with apricot compote. Nicely done. But the real deal was the filet mignon, wrapped in bacon and drizzled with a blue cheese sauce. Complimented with garlic mash potatoes and sautéed spinach. Oh, magnifique! When I return to to Sunnyvale, I'll be back to Tarragon. On a side note, I'm perplexed by Murphy Street (Sunnyvale) and Castro (Mountain View). On weekdays, it's like everyone goes out for the senior discount and they roll up the sidewalks at 10 PM. Very strange. I guess the techies need to get home to their Xbox and late night app development. They certainly don't drink like men in these parts.
(5)Mellanie D.
This review is long overdue but after having our anniversary dinner there a year later, I am reminded of how awesome this place is. Dottia, Pablo, Joshua, all the staff, and Dan the chef are ALL awesome! A year later after having our wedding reception there, they still remember us. :) BANQUET/WEDDING RECEPTION SITE: brides who need and want a reception place that is accommodating to what you are looking for and giving you room to choose your vendors (DJ, cake, come in earlier for set up and placing of DIY stuff around the room). She even let us bring in a roasted pig (lechon) as it's a must to have at big Filipino gatherings/parties. [HUGE plus for dad!] A lot of the planning and explaining of what I wanted was done through email as it was not always easy for me to talk and express what I wanted during work (menu, table cloth/linens, seating arrangements, meal options, bar packaging, etc.) It wasn't until we got closer to the wedding that phone calls/ meetings and tastings were made with Dottia who always made sure that we were covering all aspects. I felt so bad for having to make last minute changes (adding more people and changing seating arrangements all the time) but she always reassured me that EVERYTHING will work out fine. I feel like having another party/anniversary just to experience it all over again. RESTAURANT and DINING: Dinner was sooooooo good!! We came in a little earlier to have some drinks and started off with appetizers. They have half off drinks (but you'll have to close your tab out of the bar before you get seated if you stay for dinner to make sure you get the "happy hour" prices). 2 glasses of wine and a razzi lemon drop and I'm getting a little buzzed :) Dinner and the service we received was EXCELLENT!!! Our glasses were always full, never had to wave someone down for a refill and we were checked on from time to time to make sure we were happy with everything. The bread they served was warm and yummy (we actually kept asking for more and loved it with the clam chowder). We dinned in for the Early Bird 3 course meal: Baby green salad, soup of the day (clam chowder), Cioppino (lots of seafood!), grilled Salmon (grilled to perfection), tiramisu, and the chocolate brownie, I can't believe we ate it ALL! AWESOME value for great tasting quality food! Thanks Tarragon and Dottia, you guys are so awesome!!!
(5)J S.
This is my 7th time coming to Tarragon, which is usually great...however tonight the food was majorly disappointing. I've been here with girl friends, double dates, and my husband on numerous occasions plus about 15 years ago, his start up company had their banquet party upstairs so I know how long this restaurant has been here. And I've tried many dishes such as the calamari, ahi appetizer, mussels app, rack of lamb, tri tip, filet, rib eye, paella, and desserts. My favorite entree is the peppercorn NY steak, which I usually order medium rare. Tonight I ordered that and my hub ordered the paella, no appetizer since every time we order one we can't finish our entrees. Our waitress's service wasn't nearly as great as the guy who served us before, I think his name was Dante? First, after we finished our bread, she just took it away instead of asking us if we wanted more. Now onto the food, the moment I took a bite of my steak, it was just wrong, wrong, wrong! First, it was cold. We asked the waitress if the food was sitting on the counter a long time? And she said no. I told her my steak is cold, and she replied that she could have them put it back on the grill. Then she came back with a plate to get my steak, afterwards I took a bite of my mashed potatoes which I subbed instead of red potatoes and that was cold too! The worst thing is cold potatoes. I look into the open kitchen and noticed that the main chef wasn't there. My steak came back not much better, lukewarm this time and no taste of peppercorn at all. I've had this entree at least 4 times, and I was NOT happy with it tonight. Took a couple of bites, and lost my appetite altogether. As you can see from my pictures, the steak was not cooked evenly and was still mooing. Probably that's why it was cold, it was barely cooked. Next was my husbands paella, again we've had this before so we know what it should be like. It was bland, and halfway through the dish, the rice started becoming a soggy mess. Paella should not have a bunch of liquid at the bottom! Rice should be dry, but moist, and if they do it correctly the bottom should even be toasted rice, but never watery! Maybe my microwave can do a better job with my leftovers. I'm giving it 3 stars from previous great experiences otherwise it would be 1 star. Our waitress only came to ask us once if the steak was alright, but otherwise didn't come around.
(3)Jeanette P.
This is a long over due review.... As well as up to date. Last summer I took a GF of mine here for a birthday dinner. We got there timely enough for Happy Hour, where they serve generous pours of good vine, and had (no more, hope they will get it again) the most wonderful Carpaccio. We then had there special Early Bird dinner.... That is soup (fantastic, had the Parsnip) or wonderful green mix salad. Then a huge selection of main course, and again a great many choices for dessert. And all for $20. This is a steal....... The last two weeks, I have gone there for lunch twice. The service is just top notch and friendly. Let me get back to that. The first time I ordered their special "Game Burger" it was truly good, however, due to the lean meat, I found it a bit on the dry side, even medium rare. That is not the restaurant, but really just how it is, and I forgot. Everything else was super. 6 days later I walk back in, for another lunch meeting. The host smiles and says: "Ahh, you are here again, welcome back so happy to see you ones more". Then when I sit down, the waitress come over and says, hello again, and not only that, when I am ready to order, she recalls what I had last time. (When you work in a restaurant you see hundreds of people every day, that is just amazing). So I ask this gem of a waitress Sarah, if it is at all possible to get the Lamb Burger, with the fixings for the Flat Iron Steak Burger, plus no mint in the lamb. They were not to busy (please keep this in mind) and I got the absolute best burger I have had in my life.... Really... It was out of this world! This place is just wonderful, they have outdoor seating (and the host will come and adjust the umbrella so you sit comfortably in shade) or the most beautiful inside decorated and inviting restaurant. If you want to go out, a date, business or just to have a lovely time, this is a great choice. I will be back many times in the future. OCTOBER 6th, 2014 Ones again a wonderful experience at Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale. Went there for lunch today, and the service and food is consistently excellent, along with the service. Their prices are amazing, fresh food and generous portions. I had the : Mesquite Grilled Steak (try it with the blue cheese instead of Swiss, just incredible) And it comes with a nice fresh Garden salad, if you don't want fries. Flat Iron steak with roasted peppers, caramelized onions, swiss cheese, arugula, mayonnaise on a ciabatta bun......................10.99 My friend had: Mesquite Grilled Salmon - Spinach Salad ( she got Blue cheese as well, no problem) poached pears, goat cheese, toasted almonds, bell peppers, red onions with balsamic dressing...... 12.99 We asked if they had Gluten free deserts, our wonderful waitress Sarah wasn't sure, and with a smile she was of to the kitchen to find out. As it turns out, they did not have anything (beside Sorbet) that fit the request. My friend told them about a delicious flourless chocolate cake (that is available at another restaurant) and Sarah wrote it down. Now, get this..... We left 20 minutes later, and as we did our farewell to the nice staff, we were told that the chocolate cake was ordered, and available in a few days! That is customer service beyond belief, and a willingness to listen and know how many people care about what they eat. I am so impressed with this place, had there been another star, they would have gotten it. Just love this place, it is a gem.
(5)Adrienne M.
This place was recommended to us by friends so we came to check it out on a day when we had other errands to run in the South Bay. We shared the baked brie in puff pastry appetizer ($9) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… ). To my disappointment, the brie was actually wrapped in filo dough not puff pastry. Despite this, it was a great appetizer. The brie was warm and slightly melty and was served over a fruit (maybe peach?) compote. Instead of boring crackers, we got excellent little crostinis topped with olive oil and vinegar. Even without the buttery puff pastry, it was a very rich app. My only complaint was that the wedge of brie was awfully small, especially for $9. Still, it was tasty and started the meal on a good note. Unfortunately, our entrees were both very poor. Continuing the brie theme, I had the chicken & brie penne pasta ($15.50) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… ). I couldn't taste any brie in the sauce and although there were a lot of ingredients (chicken, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, green beans) it lacked flavor and just tasted very bland. The pasta tasted like it was Barilla. Overall, it wasn't BAD but it seemed like the kid of dish you would have at Applebee's, just very tasteless and boring. My husband had cheese ravioli ($15) ( yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… ). He said it was ok. I tried a bite and it was too garlicky for me, and there didn't seem to be any flavor other than garlic. I have a feeling that we ordered wrong and that non-pasta dishes were probably better. I usually try not to order pasta except in Italian restaurants, but it caught my eye on the menu and I think it was a mistake. I doubt we would return even if we lived near by, and its certainly not worth making a trip to Sunnyvale for.
(3)Jenny K.
Great food, atmosphere and prices! I got the fish tacos with an arnold palmer and shared some tarragon fries. The tacos came with seasoned black beans and lemon dill rice. The lemon dill rice was delicious but had a very strong dill smell. The taco toppings were excellent: avocado-sour cream and pineapple-chili sauce to name two. The fries were to die for! And very shareable. Came with feta, parsley and garlic. Medium cut, greasy and very satisfying! Service was prompt and friendly and I look forward to coming back, perhaps for happy hour.
(4)g. s.
Good quality food, but the manager has lacked customer service skills both times I have been there. Honestly, it felt like if I were a 60 year old rich man I would be treated with respect and some decency but I'm not soooo.....So sad to say, but it's true.
(2)Carmina B.
Ambiance /decor is great, but food is another story. I ordered a pork tenderloin with supposedly a side of mashed potatoes. They should've named it mashed potatoes with a side of 5 skinny pork tenderloin pieces. The pork is nothing out the ordinary as well. My husband's steak is only a okay and on a tiny side. And the price? Yup, not really worth of what we ate.
(2)Barbara B.
A party of 5 of us went to an outdoor dinner/entertainment show in Sunnyvale Towne Square, where Tarragon is locate. Having dined there before, we sat at their outdoor tables and the men went in to order cocktails while we waited for the tables being set up in the street. The bartender told the guys they could not take the drinks outside as he feared they might be stolen. We were dressed nicely and all of us are over 65. The manager or owner, came and reiterated that they could not be taken outside because we weren't dining there. They were the most rude two men I have ever encountered! I can't imagine how we would be treated if we complained about a meal. Thus, none of the 5 of us will EVER step into this restaurant again. Too bad, because they have wonderful chefs.
(1)Joe W.
We have enjoyed the great selection of food for a long time. We especially are very impressed with the happy hour menu and the early bird special.
(4)Janet O.
Been planning to drop by to check this place out. We were pleasantly surprised to read outside their door that they have a **$22/person for a Three Course Meal. Sounds cool. No reservation at 6pm and we were told it was ok. We chose a booth. We were led all the way back in to the corner. A very cozy spot. Ideal for a romantic date. First Course: I chose the Soup of the day" Vegetarian Asparagus. It was surprisingly very tasty. Second Course: I opted for the Rack of Lamb. It was slightly seared on the sides just the way I like and melt like butter. The sauce was fantastic. Third Course: My choice was a New York style Cheese Cake. Creamy deliciousness sitting atop an orange caramelized peel. Awesome! The staff was very efficient, warm and available. A bar to the right as you walk in. Very inviting. It filled up pretty quickly around 6:30. ** IF you're interested in the Early bird special $22/person Three course meal you have to be there before 6.
(5)Lolz F.
This is a review for their happy hours which is the best in town. All the drinks including premium drinks like Black Label Johnny Walker and very nicely curated wine bottles are HALF price. They also have a great selection of happy hour appetizers. The bar area is a little bit small and the place can get pretty crowded but the staff always keep us happy.
(4)Ciara M.
The early bird special is such a good deal! 20 dollars for three full courses if you order before 6 pm. I've tried the cioppino and pot roast, both delicious, highly recommend! Cioppino comes loaded with tons of seafood, and the pot roast was very tender.
(4)Victoria H.
Wednesday night a last minute reservation for 10 went exceptionally well! Our waiter was quick, witty and attentive. I have to say he was excellent! The Wine was delicious, (Pinot) and the food was cooked perfectly! The owner was welcoming, charming and gracious. I haven't been here before last night in years but I hope to return very soon!!
(5)Alan D.
Stopped by here for a going away party for a director at my company, and for my friend's dad (same guy!). Anyways, I found this to be a very tidy restaurant that served great appetizers (I didn't have any main dishes since I was there for a going-away party) and really had a great atmosphere.
(4)phatjat m.
Tonight was my first visit to this restaurant and left very disappointed as the food is not great (not even ok). We started off with single malt with kabobs which were ok (bit cold). We ordered Cioppino and Lasagna Bolognese for our main entrees per the recommendation from the waitress. Cioppino was salty, and my friend only had few bites of lasagna which had no taste to it. This restaurant is definitely off our list on Murphy Avenue (will not return even if offered complimentary food). The owner needs to get a clue from all the recent reviews and take some immediate corrective action vs acknowledging the reviews.
(1)F S.
We went to Tarragon Restaurant for Mothers day. we did had reservations and still had to wait 45 minutes. The restaurant is beautifully decorated. It is a bit tight for a Buffet. but it did work. ( the only thing offered for Mothers day) the food was okay. not quite worth the price. all the chicken dishes were over cooked and tough. The Pot Stickers were yummy. there were no prices on anything. and as I learned if you had to ask you cant afford it. since the buffet was 30.00 PP. we assumed that the drinks were included. they offered drinks and mimosa's but never advised and nothing about that they cost more. we were abit shocked when we received the bill and it was almost $200.00 for 4 people. the ice teas, coffee and mimosas all were extra. the best part of the experience was the waitress. she was hands down the only reason why we even stayed. this was the second time we came to Tarragon. both times we had to wait with reservations. and the only saving grace was the waitperson.
(3)Jen B.
Pros: -Can seat large groups -Plenty of free parking near the Macy's down the street -Conserves water (aka you ask to have water so none is wasted) -Attentive staff -Salad (produce) was fresh Cons: -Paella lacked the signature "crust" and was more like overcooked Spanish rice -Colleague had 3 bean salad and it was unusually heavy on the basil -The host was not welcoming (couldn't discern if it was rude or aloof) Overall the experience was just average for the price. I loved the quaintness of the location and the fact they were able to accommodate a large group. The server and wait staff were friendly and attentive (aside from the host).
(3)Vicky T.
I felt like our server needed a hug yesterday. Maybe he was just having an off day. I know that large groups of 10-15 can be a pain (and sometimes loud) but our group is relatively easy going. The happy hour is a good deal... Not so hot items: Fries ("garlic" and sweet potato) I would pass on Wings- would also pass on those Favorite items: Brie plate --- that was my favorites it was perfect. Flatbreads-- mushroom and onion was awesome. Salmon Appetizer Bruschetta Sliders Great bar/ wine list for folks Will be back eventually.
(3)Esther Y.
Came here for a work lunch once, and ordered the jambalaya. The flavors were really good. The restaurant is very spacious as well, and customer service is great.
(4)Lina A.
Happy Hour! Yes it's that time and this is the spot to be for great wine bottles at half price during happy hour. The appetizers are really good too. We had the Tarragon Fries (nom nom) Hummus with fresh flat bread also great. It complimented the 2 bottles of wine my girlfriends and I had. The staff is super friendly and attentive!
(5)Bob F.
Took a group of 11 folks here for a work lunch on a Friday. Nice atmosphere. Varied menu. Everyone who came remarked that they enjoyed the food. I had the roasted chicken sandwich and would definitely have this again. I would definitely use this place again for a work lunch.
(4)Drew C.
Went here for date night with my fiancé! When we first walked in I was very impressed with the overall atmosphere, very nice place, we were met by a very nice guy and he took us to our seat, we started with the Brie appetizer, it was delicious, my fiancé wanted a glass of wine and our server was very informative when helping her decide. Then on to dinner, I had the braised short rib, it was delicious! She had the Pork Tenderloin, It was grilled to perfection, we will definitely be back!!
(5)Jayne W.
We like everything about Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale. The atmosphere is inviting; no loud music, just soft jazz, so you are actually able to have a conversation without shouting. The service is excellent, and the food is wonderful. And to top it off, the prices are reasonable! We have eaten there several times and have always been extremely satisfied.
(4)Screebes D.
I recently ate at this place. The food was pretty good with a few issues here and there. First, the price. The pricing was a little on the upper end with around $20+ a plate. For that price, everything should be on point. I thought the chef was a bit heavy handed with the salt on my vegetables. My pork tenderloin was cooked perfectly however. My husband had the steak. He rated it okay. He had a side of spinach which was so salty it was terrible. The service and atmosphere were nice.
(3)Tanner L.
Great Value! Nice decor! Nothing fancy, but good food and good service. We like it and will be back! Good job!
(5)PiggyIzme L.
Friendly and attentive service. Nice ambience with classy decors. Good selection of wines and most importantly.. Great tasting foods! I love the Cioppino dish here, but all the other dishes look great too. Will come back for more! :)
(4)Amado R.
I went here for Valentine's Day. Well, actually the Saturday before Valentine's Day. They had a set menu for the weekend like most restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. It was very warm an inviting. It was too noisy or crowded when I arrived with my date. We started promptly at 7:00pm. I enjoyed the food. I felt that it was honest and simple and fresh. The portions where well sized. I enjoyed oysters an an appetizer, had lobster bisque, then an asparagus salad, leading to my main course. My only concern for the evening was my server. Having been a server in my life, I always try to cut people some slack. I think if he would have been trained a little bit more, the evening would have gone on without a hitch. The dinner was wonderful, I just wish I had the service to go along with it.
(3)Magaly T.
I recently had my wedding reception hosted here at Tarragon's banquet facility upstairs on February 2, 2013 and must say that everything turned out incredible!! The food, the set up, the staff..everything was absolutely fantastic!! Dottia Bilic and Allie Zipp where a true joy to work with! I knew right from the beginning, when we first met that i could trust them and that everything would turn out great. Dottia and Allie are extremely professional and made this planning be one hundred percent-stress free. Whenever i had a question they would reach back and answer them with no hesitation. All my guests said the food was spectacular!!! Not one person complained about anything! Having a bar upstairs was also very convenient and everyone enjoyed it! Everything was set up and on time ready for when our guests arrived! Tarragon was absolutely fantastic!! We are so honored to have had our wedding reception here! Tarragon and all the staff where just a joy to work with! We will definitely be back and will always be faithful customers!! We are at a loss of words of how satisfied we are with how things went!! Thank you so much Dottia and Allie!!!
(5)Dollie F.
We had the special (between 5 and 5:45pm). My husband had the pot roast and I had the pork. $3 for drinks, three course meal for $20. The atmosphere was amazing. The food was delicious and the service was very, very good. I would highly recommend. Dessert? Few things make me smile wider than Tiramisu. It wasn't the best I have ever had but it was good. BUT, my husband had a cheese cake in a sauce (apricot, I think?) that rocked. Highly recommend the cheesecake.
(4)PennDesi I.
We went here on Friday night and were expecting long wait but the restaurant was almost empty. However, no one noticed us at door, we waited for 5 min and were about to leave but then the old guy (owner ?) saw us and seated us. Our server that day was friendly and pointed out vegetarian options from the menu. We had lasagna and some rice dish. everything tasted great. The portions were HUGE. Overall, we had good time.
(4)R P.
OK this is the worst review of a Restaurant I've ever given. I've waited a few weeks to do this vs writing my review right after I got back from a very bad dining experience. 1. Waiter - didn't remember the specials and started mumbling something about fruit salad - that was the last time we saw him until I complained to the manager about the service 2. Nobody picked up then appetizer plates from our table 3. Had a a fillet and they never gave me a steak knife. I needed it because while it might of been medium when it came off the grill by the time it was server it was DONE. 4. They never offered if we wanted another drink (remember the waiter never came back to our table after ordering) I had to flag down the bus boy. We watched the order being placed - but no drink ever showed up. 5. The waiter managed to get back to ever table around us but never ours. We tried to flag him down without any luck. He did manage to show up after we complained mumbling something about 'being too busy' We did watch him spend a ton of time chit-chatting with the bar tender during our meal vs attending to his customers 6. Food - average at best. For what they were charging - sub par. With SO many options on Murphy I don't know why ANYONE would ever patronize this place. I could of into excruciating detail about how bad the experience was but I'd just get too angry in the process.
(1)Cindy B.
This place is a little underrated, probably because the inconsistency in service and food. First time going with a couple friends on a Tue night, there were only a waiter and a bartender for about 4 tables and 2-3 ppl at the bar. It took a few minutes after the waiter saw us to get seated. However, on the subsequent visits, the waiters and bus people were all very attentive. One does have to choose the food wisely. Of all the things we have tried there, some were definitely better than others: Appetizers: The crab cake had more binding agents (egg and bread crumbs) than I'd like and the avocado mousse it sat on had partially turned brown. Couple of the salads we tried were decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, considering other comparable dining establishment charge $8 for a salad, they were quite reasonable. The baked Brie was lovely, so was the artichoke if a bit small. Entrees: The paella was very blah. The rice was mushy, and flavours were definitely lacking. Both the lamb and filet mignon were always cooked to the medium rare I asked for. The sides complimented the meat nicely. I still wonders if they put truffle oil in the mushrooms as I can't imagine the fungi alone produced such fragrance. Desserts: Only had the lava cake, very rich and moist but there wasn't enough molten chocolate.
(4)Mark R.
It had been years since we'd been to Tarragon, partly because downtown Sunnyvale has been a mess for over a year, but now that Murphy Street has reopened, we gave it another try, and we're glad we did! I read that they had a new chef and a new menu, and both are terrific. My wife & I had the paella and the pork tenderloin. Each had a terrific presentation, and both were quite tasty. The service was also very good, despite the fact that we chose to sit outdoors for the Sunnyvale Summer Concert series. If you haven't been to Tarragon for awhile, give 'em another try!
(4)Amy F.
This review is kind of a mixed bag, but ultimately everything worked out. FIrst, let me say the food was good, and while most of the issues were not the staff's fault, we were put through the mill a little on a very important night. Ok, we booked this restaurant for my in-laws 43rd wedding anniversary.-The reservation was for 9 of us. Kind of a big deal right? The evening of the anniversary dinner arrives, and 2 hours before our reservation, we get a call saying that their grill isnt working. They say they're getting someone to work on it, but no promises, and they'll call me back in 45 minutes with an update. So, I swing into back-up mode. I start calling all the others in our group, and trying to figure out where we can go on a Saturday night that would be worthy of such an occasion. I start calling all over the place. However, true to their word, they do call back in 45 minutes, and said that the grill was still out, but we could still have their early bird menu. I explained my situation and asked if we could be compensated somehow because of our situation, and the fact that this was such a special night. They said yes, they would give us a complimentary champagne toast. Great! By this time I was tired, hadnt even had time to get dressed, put on makeup, etc - I had been calling all over God's creation, and had not able to get our large party booked in any other place at such a late date, I went online, looked at the EB menu, and decided it looked good. I called everyone back in our party, and we decided to keep the reservation, and forge ahead. So, once we arrive, & were seated for a bit, I asked the waiter about the champagne- I was hoping they would do this without me having to ask, but whatever. Anyway, he has no clue what I'm talking about. My sister in law is also pissed because they got there ahead of us, and the lemonade she ordered tastes like water with a bit of lemon in it. Sometime later, the champagne does show up. Good, finally we can start to loosen up and celebrate.... Now they tell us that the grill is working again, and wouldn't we prefer to order from the regular menu? Good, glad things are working! So they hand them out and quickly walk away. HOWEVER, i immediately notice that the EB menu and the regular menu have many of the same items, but the EB menu is CONSIDERABLY cheaper. So, I have to chase her down, and say that we would prefer the EB menu after all. She seems unsure because the EB hours are over, but after I again explain this was originally promised, and our 3 week reservation was almost cancelled, she decides to give in. All went well beyond this point. Our food was delicious. Portion sizes were great. Again some stress due to the non-working grill....not really their fault, but I felt they could have prepared our waiter to be ready with the champagne, so I wouldnt have the embarrassment of having to ask in front of my in-laws on their special night. I also would have appreciated it had they given us the option of both menus instead of obviously trying to push the full price menu after everything else that happened.
(4)Christine K.
Oye...My friend and I sat at the bar while we waited for another friend to arrive for dinner. The older bartender stared at us and loudly said, "Make sure you card them" to the younger bartender. In my opinion, that is kind of tacky. I know I look young, but either just trust that the other bartender will use her judgment to card me or say it in a lower tone so I can't hear it. Strike 1. I ordered paella for dinner and specifically asked for no clams or mussels. The paella came out without them, but also without shrimp! Shrimp is my favorite seafood. I sifted through the dish to confirm my suspicion (lack of shrimp) and alerted the waiter. He said "oh, no shrimp?" and proceeded to walk away! Strike 2. I finished the entire dish and later mentioned to him again that there was no shrimp. He asks me if I had wanted shrimp in the dish and I replied in the affirmative. I didn't want mussels or clams. He tells me to hold on and goes to the cook. He comes back a few minutes later with 3 pieces of shrimp. Mind you, I had finished the entire meal already. Strike 3. Isn't that odd ...who brings 3 pieces of shrimp at the end of the meal? Next time, maybe just apologize or comp us a dessert or something.
(3)Veronica S.
Tarragon has a very nice setting and it is a beautiful restaurant, but unfortunately the food's quality did not match the ambiance ... The fried calamari was pretty good as an appetizer, in addition to calamari there were also artichoke hearts and lemon slices which was kind of refreshing I ordered the "Lobster Louie" which is basically a giant salad of spinach lettuce, tomatoes, egg and lobster. The lobster kind of tasted like 2 day old shrimp to me, and the salad was nothing special, just ok. If anything, the dressing was really boring tasting! I don't know if I'd come here again, but if I will I will definitely order something different... Good location and good service, but the food is not up there, it's very average. ..which is too bad since this restaurant is truly quite nice inside. Prices are decent/average/normal, expect to pay $8-10 for lunch appetizers/dessert and $10-$15 for lunch main courses.
(3)AJ D.
My cousins had their wedding reception here and I must say, I was VERY impressed. The venue was great, the food was amazing, and the staff were all quite pleasant. Filipino parties aren't very quiet either so it was great that the staff didn't seem irritated at all. LOL. I plan on hitting this place up next time I'm in the Bay area again...
(4)Paulette L.
Having just moved to Sunnyvale, we got a coupon for this place, so decided to give it a try. The ambiance is really nice and classy looking. We went early on a Saturday night, so missed the crowd. Contrary to the other reviews, our server was pretty nice. She even hung up my jacket when it fell on the floor behind me. Though they did booboo on our order. A skirt steak was brought out instead of the tri-tip we ordered (they don't even sound the same!). Rather than waiting for another 20 mins (our food came out pretty quick) my bf decided to keep it. Good thing too, cause it was pretty good! It was really tasty and cooked perfectly. I ordered the beef tornadoes - again, cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes were very BLAH, but their fries were pretty good. Overall - not bad. They lost a star because of the order screw up, but otherwise I'd definitely go back.
(4)Erik P.
From the street.. it looks very promising.. great looking restaurant and the menu reads well. We got seated right away... but as we ordering, we were listening to an older couple next to us complaining ... supposedly they waited well over an hour for their meals. Apparently their order got lost or something... my wife and I got worried.. we hoped it was an isolated incident. Order taken quickly... asked for water twice.. finally got it 10 minutes. Salads were fine and quick... dinner entres... tick tick tick... very slow. Hey where is the bread and refills... where did all the waiters go. Oh, they are all hovering by the kitchen or talking to each other. It seemed that they didnt know what they should be doing... Meanwhile, the old folks next to us.. complaining again. Cold dinner. Tea water luke warm... the manager came back with their food warmed, and really didn't seem very polite or apologetic. She seemed more annoyed. Who knows.. maybe the old folks were being picky. Dishes delivered. So I had tri tip.. the meat was good good.. my only complaint.. was the food was overflavored. Kinds like all the sauces at PF Changs... too strong and too much sauce. The sauce was a bit salty or over seasoned.. but i cleaned the plate. I would give it a B rating. My wife got the crab cake... she loves crab cakes... one bite and she was ready to leave. Tasted like cat food and was cold in th middle. Hrmmm. They took off the bill and we got out of there pretty quick.. didnt want to give dessert a try. Too bad.. nice looking place.. but it seemed poorly managed. Staff was not efficient.. hostess was only at her front spot 50% of the time.. and the waiter was all over the place except paying close attention to his tables. The food is priced reasonably.. but maybe they should charge more and get slightly better food quality and better staff. Won't come back again.. if you are in downtown sunnyvale.. jus thead down the street to DishDash... they are decent.
(2)Shawn F.
The bad service outweighed the good food. My two friends and I entered the restaurant and waited at the podium for a couple minutes while waiters and hostesses made eye contact with us, but didn't greet us or even tell us they'd be right with us. When we were finally seated, the hostess informed us that they ran out of all dishes with seafood. We were appalled because it seemed like half of the menu was either a seafood dish or contained seafood! The waiter indicated that the promotion they ran ($45 Groupon purchased for only $20) caused a huge increase in diners over the last couple days. Huge surprise! You run a promotion to increase the number of diners, right? Shouldn't you increase the quantities of food accordingly? (Especially since we came on Friday night, when some people usually DON'T eat meat during this Lent time of the year). if you put out a coupon, make sure to up your quantities! The drinks and appetizers (I recommend the Baked Brie appetizer) came out quickly, but then we waited a long time for our food. The waiter only realized that we were still waiting when our friend got up and asked the waiter about our entrees. I had the pecan and provolone stuffed chicken breast, which was good. If you don't mind bad service and enjoy stuffed chicken, the pecan provolone chicken is the way to go.
(2)Kimberly R.
Terragon does a great job every time I am there. The service is wonderful. The food is great and presented well. The decor and atmosphere is sophisticated and comfortable. They have a great wine list and I would recommend it to my friends and family. What a nice place to take someone special.
(5)Monica L.
Ick! Our experience here tonight was not what we had expected. We heard so many wonderful things about this place and unfortunately they did not ring true for us. We came here tonight with our Restaurant.com coupon that gave us $25 off an order of $35 or more. Not a bad deal we thought so we headed here for dinner. This place is nice....I did enjoy the decor and our service was great.. But the food....not so much. We started out with the Heirloom tomato salad which came with summer melon, arugula, balsamic dressing and basil. Who ever came up with the concept that melon belonged in this salad was wrong....it did not go well together. We picked the melon out of the salad and we generally are not picky eaters. My husband ordered the sea bass that came with heirloom gazpacho, avocado, summer squash and fingerling potatoes. His dish came out cold. The sea bass was delicious but the combo of everything else was off. The summer squash did not taste good in this combination of foods. I ordered the petite fillet which came with garlic mashed potatoes, spinach,mushrooms and a lobster cream sauce. Any great piece of meat should not be smothered and "hidden" in a cream sauce which had me worried when it arrived. Although the meat was good, the lobster sauce that topped it was not. I completely disliked the flavors of this lobster sauce that sort of ruined my meat because it was poured on top of it. The mushrooms were bitter and so was the spinach! Huge disappointment. Mashed potatoes were great.....how could you mess those up. Completely unsatisfied with my meal tonight. We were so turned off that we turned down dessert. We paid our bill (and thank God it was $25 off!) and happily left. Although a nice place and our server was wonderful....I would not be back for the food here.
(2)Del S.
We didn't know what to expect of Tarragon based on the mixed Yelp reviews. Perhaps because of our reasonable expectation, we had a wonderful experience at Tarragon! The interior/decor of Tarragon is very classy, elegant and spacious. It definitely has that expensive high-end restaurant look. To our surprise, every item on their menu was actually very reasonable priced. Here are the dishes we had: Spinach salad: Fresh, crisp and subtle without letting the dressing take over the taste. The pear was sweet and the goat cheese was just at perfect amount which serves as a nice little creamy touch to the salad. Eggplant: It was cooked very well and the texture was perfect. The taste was just right without being too salty or cheesy. The zucchini was a nice additional touch which added a refreshing taste to the dish. Even though the dish wasn't unique, but it was as good as it can get as what you expect from a common dish like Eggplant Parmesan. The Salmon Special: Impressive and unforgettable! Fresh salmon covered in the little sweet tomato/yellow bell pepper/pumpkin seed sauce. It was unique and outstanding. Everything went perfectly well together. We didn't have any dessert because the dessert menu looked very ordinary. The service was friendly and attentive, even the chef came to say hi. We were surprised that the place wasn't busy at all at a Friday night. The Sunnyvale downtown is currently being renovated which could stop people from coming to the area. That won't stop us visiting Tarragon again soon though.
(4)Anne Y.
Stayed in Mt View over-night for a business trip with colleagues and we were looking for a place to eat We found Tarragon on Yelp as a choice for dinner. First of all we were pleasantly surprised with the location in the nice restored downtown area. The restaurant has a great feel as soon as you walk in. Nice bar, and nicely spaced private tables. The staff was friendly; greeted and seated us right away. Everyone from the hostess to the waiter were attentive and helpful. They have a great menu. Lots of choices, interesting main courses and thoughtful sides. It's not over-priced - but appropriate for the venue and quality (you get what you pay for). I had a nice fillet mignon (prepared medium rare as requested) with mashed potatoes and sauteed greens. Others in the group enjoyed the chicken marsala and pasta. Everyone was happy with their meal. There's a good wine list. We enjoyed a Russian River Pinot Noir. We were tempted by the dessert menu but were all too full to give it a try. If I were to be back in the area, I'd definitely return to Tarragon. Might even make a special trip.
(4)Victoria Y.
Okay, seriously who knew such a nice restaurant existed in Sunnyvale? I've never been down this block of restaurants and bars but I'm glad I came here for my birthday. My parents surprised me with dinner here and I was very happy with the food. Since my dad made reservations, we got a nice big booth in the front. Food came out quickly and everything was delicious. The best part of the meal was probably the fresh oysters and the paella.
(5)Tina F.
I used my friend's Groupon to treat my parents out for a supposedly "nice" dinner. I ordered the Artichoke appetizer, and told the waiter that I wanted this to come out first, I also ordered the Spinach side. My mom ordered the Salmon, my dad got the MahiMahi and Cream of Mushroom soup. The Artichoke appetizer came out a while later, also with the spinach side. Not quite sure why, but probably miscommunication about why the spinach came out really early. The Artichoke had very little meat on it, and was quite small, not worth the $7.50. Sadly, the spinach was just sitting there, getting cold...my family wanted to eat that with the meal. Then the Cream of "Mushroom" soup came out, it looked more like Cream of Tomato and I couldn't taste the mushrooms...maybe it was really small pieces? It was pretty watery consistency too, not the cream like soup consistency I'm used to. My mom's salmon was okay, according to her. My dad's mahimahi was not that tasty to me. The service was pretty bad, the waiter came to check if everything was okay, so my dad had asked for more bread. The waiter just said "They'll get you more when it comes out." Well DUH! It's the waiter's job to check up on that though! And then the food came out pretty slow, and we still had to ask for bread again when the food arrived. Then the waiter never checked back again until we had to ask for a box, and then he gave us the check too. What if we wanted desserts? Sadly, we were definitely not impressed, and left knowing we would never come back.
(2)Shayne S.
Easy access, nice place and great food. An under-rated gem in Sunnyvale. I don't believe the $$ is an accurate rating and their food is much more representative of $$$ or $$$$. I had the carpacio, fillet and a bottle of wine and enjoyed it all.
(4)Lacey H.
After a very long work day, my husband and I decided to head to downtown Sunnyvale for a late night dinner. I was so pleased that Tarragon was able to accommodate us! Despite the late hour, there were still a few tables of diners seated throughout the restaurant, and our server remained upbeat and attentive throughout the service. What we ordered: - Baked brie: To start, we shared the baked brie. What a surprise! The brie was baked in phyllo dough, and served with a baked head of garlic, crostini and drizzled with aged balsamic. So delicious! And compared to other appetizers I've had in the area, it was huge - they obviously put a lot of thought into their dishes. My only wish is that I had, had five more minutes with this plate (I'm a slow eater), but my entree arrived, and we ran out of room on our table. - (Me) Vegetable Tagliatelle: DELICIOUS! The vegetables were cooked perfectly. Still a bit of crunch of color, but cooked enough so the pasta could soak in all the yummy flavors. Portion size was great too. - (Hubby) Filet Mignon: He ordered it rare, and to his delight, it was cooked exactly as he had requested. He noted how well all the flavors on the plate went together (mashed potatoes, spinach, bleu cheese and the glaze) and would have offered me a bite, but before he knew it, he had joined the ranks of the "clean plate club." - Chocolate Crisp Cake: One of my favorite things to do after a long and satisfying meal, is order dessert to go, and finish the meal at home. I was being indecisive, so our server recommended the Chocolate Crisp Cake, and I'm so glad he did. It was delectable - a beautiful combination of textures, colors and flavors. Overall, one of the best dining experiences my husband and I have had in a long time. Will definitely be back.
(4)Rosquete B.
"Great Early Bird Specials, Great Hostess" It is very gratifying to be greeted by a vivacious, friendly, and smiling hostess (Katie) who sets the proper tone for the wonderful American cuisine Nice wines by the glass; full bar Three course Early Bird specials for $20 Delicious salads e.g., spinach w/pears, cheeses, almonds Fantastic pot roast & veggie entrees e.g., Portobello Save room for the chocolate ice cream over chocolate chip cookie Good food service by Mauricio & his assistant Private banquet room
(4)Mary S.
We brought the family of 4 for the early bird special and it was fabulous. It was nice to have high quality food, with kids, without disturbing 7pm diners, who don't really want to have kids around. Delicious food and a great bar, who knows how to make a perfect Manhattan! One of the few restaurants in the Sunnyvale/Cupertino area that actually turns out high quality fare. Ambiance is great with exposed brick!
(5)Kris I.
My parents and I went here for Thanksgiving dinner and this place was amazing! I love restaurants that have special Thanksgiving specials. The menu for the night had soup, your choice of a salad, entree, and dessert for a flat fee. The service was impeccable--for example, the waiter noticed that my dad was missing a fork before we did and quickly returned with a fork. The space was beautiful! So impressed!
(5)Yasemin S.
The food and service here are really fantastic, and then to top it all off, its a great deal. The early bird is like $20 for 3 things (appetizer, entree and dessert) I like the vibe in this restaurant, its really nice, but it doesn't feel stuffy.
(5)Brian T.
Food: The food here is okay, nothing special. I came here with high expectations and left with some disappointment. I had a variety of dishes because we all shared everything. Everything was so-so. Nothing stood out for me.
(3)Jenny R.
We went there on a Friday night at around 7:30 without reservations, and there was no wait. Food was decent, but I was not impressed with the service. We ordered: Appetizer: spinach salad, which was tasty with peach, chevre and candied walnuts. Entree: Rigatoni - very meaty and hearty and a sizable portion. It was really good comfort food. Both of my companions ordered the sea bass, which they liked. Desserts: peach cobbler and chocolate lava cake. Both were okay, but nothing spectacular. The annoying thing about this restaurant was that the service was less than stellar. The restaurant was not busy - I saw maybe 6-10 tables filled. The ratio of wait staff to open tables seemed quite high. Despite this, there was an extended period of waiting between finishing the meal and getting the dessert menu when it was really obvious that we were done with the entrees. Efforts to catch the server's eye were fruitless. Also, at several points throughout the meal, my water glass was empty, and it took the wait staff a really long time to refill it. Bottom line: it was just okay.
(3)penny s.
I went here because I had a $45 Groupon. It's very nice inside and the average patron is not dressed up in any way. Many with shorts and jeans on. I started with a whiskey cocktail. It was nice, but not much whiskey in it. I also got 1/2 a dozen Oysters Rockefeller. Tasty but with many shell bits in the oysters. Lastly, I got the Filet Mignon with mashed potatoes, spinach and blue cheese sauce. The sides were tasty but I've had better Filets. It was not that tender, but passable. However, my waiter was attentive and wonderful. Also, Tarragon has a wonderful early bird menu that practically has the entire entree menu included where you can get 2 apps, 2 entrees and 2 desserts for $20 pp. That's a great deal!
(3)Donald G.
We discovered this place while on a wine tour thru Sunnyvale businesses. The food is incredible, we have tried various dishes and are amazed at how every one has been fantastic. The staff is professional and efficient. We usually ask for a booth and rarely fail to get one. They have an upstairs area that can be reserved for large parties and an outside balcony that would be perfect for summer.
(5)Rich W.
There just aren't many nice little restaurants like this in the Bay Area. The atmosphere is quiet and light, the service is always excellent, the wine list is reasonable and dependable, and the chef doesn't miss a beat. The menu offers a wide selection of great steaks, fish, pasta, salads, something for everybody. The small bar is a popular gathering place for local business people. Parking is rarely any problem. Tarragon is our favorite because we have to drive quite a distance or pay a lot more to do significantly better. Finally, many folks are not aware that they have very popular banquet facilities upstairs that serve up to about 150 I think. Also there is a happy hour AND a discount prix-fixe menu early in the evening.
(5)Monica S.
PROS - Location - downtown Sunnyvale - near Caltrain. Clean, modern decor. Large, open bar area and restaurant space. Early-bird dinner special - 3 Courses for $20. CONS - Dinners lack creativity. Would rather have less offerings that are better than more that are only OK. Wine/Beer options during Happy Hour and by the glass. Service was OK.
(3)Angela W.
I decided to book a reservation here (HA!) not knowing what to expect for a Monday evening. You know it's a bad sign when 1. you and your date ask each other "is this place even open?" and 2. the staff address you as The Reservation when you arrive. We were slightly put off by how empty it was but the menu looked yummy online and lived up to our expectations with a few minor glitches along the way. I was surprised when the waitress/hostess/bartender sort of rushed us for our drink order. I was thinking, so much for the reviews of this place being slow... until it came time for anything else and then I definitely felt the lag. We decided on the calamari for an appetizer and were overall pleased, although they could have warned us that there'd be pieces of fried LEMON hidden in with the squid! Hello tangy surprise! I really liked the drizzle of sauce they put on top, too, (although they were a little light handed with it and a small side of it would have been nice for dipping). The main courses were good. I had the penne with chicken in a white wine cream sauce and B had an Italian chicken dish with buttery spinach. I'm a huge fan of spinach, so this was by far my favorite item. We finished with the Strawberry cheesecake that looked like it could have been taken out of the freezer section at Lucky. I think the chefs were kind of over it by this point and just wanted to go home. There was a messy splattering of Strawberry over the top of the half-frozen cheesecake round. Def didn't have a high-end look to it but we chowed down anyways! I really don't have any major complaints. Nice atmosphere, friendly (enough) staff, tasty food... I don't really get why it's so dead.... But I'll be back!
(3)Cindy Z.
I came here for a company dinner outing and the experience was fabolous. I ordered the ribeye steak served with sweet potatos fries and mix vegetables.mmmm yum. It was very delicious.:)I was very pleased with what I order. We also had calamari for appitzer and that was very tasty too. Overall great service.great food.and romantic ambiance. Eventhough I was there for buisness.but I thought this would be a good place for dates,intimate dinner,and company parties.I would definitly come back again.:)
(4)Sujeet B.
My mind conjured up visions of sauces simmered with secret spice combinations when I heard the name. Tarragon's a popular herb with the culinary artiste set, spanning a wide demographic in its fan base. En route to the place, I expected some exotic twists on the "herbed meat" genre, a few basil-heavy dishes, and some with Bearnaise sauce. Lest you think otherwise - I'm a complete culinary neophyte when it comes to the innards of the meal. (The Bearnaise sauce reference comes straight from the Wikipedia.) Well, t'was Easter Sunday and we hit a spot of good luck with the parking spot. Ditto the rest of our crew. Perhaps we got there a tad earlier than the brunch rush. Perhaps t'was the Easter Bunny granting us a wish. Anyway, we were there for the prix fixe Easter Brunch. The Tarragon website was kind enough to have the menu up on their website ( dinetarragon.com/special… ) for a look-see ahead of time, and the Chocolate Mousse Tower seemed particularly interesting. They got one star right there. The recommended attire for this place is "business casual". Translated into Silicon Valley chic, especially on a festival Sunday, I figured that would be - "Not your PJs, please". Interestingly enough, everyone there was in the aforementioned "business casual". Perhaps t'was everyone trickling in after spending the better part of Sunday morning in Easter service at church. Perhaps t'was something else. Nonetheless, it certainly upped the overall ambience a few notches. The lighting's good. Dark, but not too dark. The tables are spaced well, and our waiter had the high chair ready - just like the notes on our reservations said. That's another star. Caveat emptor: Its hard to give a restaurant's fare a fair and thorough assessment based on a prix fixe meal. I don't quite know if they put out their best work on such menus, or if they give the menu a bias towards the theme of the 'special event' (I was quite surprised to see that they didn't have any egg-derivative dishes on the menu for Easter Brunch, for example..), or if they just set up these prix fixe meals periodically towards unloading what their pantry's got too much of. The first course was an asparagus soup, and I'm not an asparagus fan. We did try to humor my prejudice by asking our waiter if substitutions were possible on a prix fixe menu, and that didn't fly. Fortunately, their asparagus soup was one of the best I'd ever had. I don't know if its on their regular menu, but I'd recommend it if you go. The entres' list drew the most mixed reactions from around the table. The tuna didn't get any votes, while the lamb and the ham were average. Seemed kinda under-cooked to me. I have a fairly uncomplex line of thought for such assessments. It goes - "I resist eating anything that offers resistance to a steak knife". Translated, if it takes more than a couple of seconds for the knife to slice through, I'm sorta second-guessing getting it onto my fork. I also don't have the fondest appetite for sushi. Ergo, if anything shows up uncooked on my plate (barring vegetables, of course), I start looking for alternatives. Translated, the entres didn't exactly win a star. Desserts were quite impressive. T'was Tiramisu and the tower of chocolate mousse all around the table. The "tower" was quite a let-down from a size perspective, but then again - I understand most towers can do ditto. And that's the last star. All in all, a good restaurant that didn't get our vote for their entres, but did swing the rating into a solid three stars for the rest. I'd say this would be a great date place and/or a fine selection for business meals.
(3)Robert B.
good sea bass and great wine selection. Especially good if you want a more traditional or European-style place (relative to other Murphy st selections anyway...) If I tried a couple of other dinners and they were equally good, I could even go five stars. Service very professional, and a refreshing change from the typical student server.
(4)Marsha S.
Old style elegance, casual to dressy on Murphy Street. I'd take my parents here for succulent pork loin with a wonderful raisin sauce (not too sweet) , grilled shrimp with lobster sauce or a tender fillet mignon. Vegetables in season were done to perfection. The menu had paella and cioppino too. We brought our own birthday cake ($10 cake charge to plate and they added candles) and could have brought our favorite champagne ($15 corkage) but we had the house chardonnay which was just OK. That Saturday night was a little quieter said our waitress than during the week. Parking wasn't a problem at 6 PM. We made reservations and they gave us a great table inside looking out on Murphy. Beautiful old bar. There is seating outside to people watch and eat.
(4)Mansi A.
We dined here for a business dinner, because half of the table had previously been here and had raved about the food! Unfortunately, nothing after the appetizer course was memorable, and even the repeat diners were letdown by the lackluster flavor of the same dishes they previously had ordered. The memorable appetizer? Brie and crackers! But then again, it is difficult to go wrong with baked brie. That's obvi. I opted for the paella pollo and andouille, expecting a flavorful, well-spiced dish. What I got was bland. And the artichokes topping the dish? Definitely straight from a bottle. Ugh. For a nearly $20 dish, I definitely expected more. This is one of the more upscale restaurants in downtown Sunnyvale, thus catering to a lot of business clientele. It's sorely disappointing to see that the food doesn't quite measure up. Meh.
(2)Neal M.
This place is sooooooo weird. It feels like an old school fancy restaurant that hasn't been fixed up in quite some time. The food though? Boy oh boy, it was GOOD. The bread basket they started with was a nice variety too. I had the vegetable parmesan and dang! It was soo good I was having DREAMS about eating it again. For lunch the place was totally empty too. Solid choice.
(5)Michael R.
We get this delivered for lunches via DoorDash. My new favorite. I especially like the seared ahi tuna sandwich and the grilled salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. Everything is fresh and healthy.
(5)Tammy P.
I do not tolerate rude service. It's HAPPY hour, hence the HAPPY in HAPPY hour. The man behind the bar was completely rude. FYI (so you know who to look for): he is around 5'7", brown hair, fair skin, and wears black glasses. Here's the tip you're getting bud, $2. Take that $2 and go invest in a how to be positive class. I came here on a Wednesday
(1)Chris L.
We came here for dessert and service was great. The peanut butter chocolate dessert is the best. Peanut butter gelato was SO YUMMY. I'd come back for just that.
(5)TJ J.
Sit at the bar if you can as its a nice horseshoe like shaped bar with brass railing and round somewhat comfortable high bar stools. They even thought of hooks for purses which seem to be for every 2 stools there's a hook. Half off on selected wines drinks until 6pm. Selection of appetizers include 6 flatbreads with no tomato sauce, natural sliders, chicken skewers, lamb skewers and let's not forget a favorite of mine - sweet potato fries with honey mustard sauce! Craig at the bar seemed friendly and attentive along with another young fellow. Food is more geek oriented. This could be a hidden little gem in Sunnyvale on Murphy Avenue.....
(3)Lisa Y.
This was the second time I have dined here and my fiancés fourth time. My first experience was really good. We both ordered the NY Steak and it was hot and delicious! We decided to bring my parents here for a celebration. We made a reservation for 6:00pm and we were seated immediately. The order was taken with in the first 10 mins since we were seated and they brought out bread for the 4 of us. About 15 mins of waiting the waiter said the food would be right out. We really did not see the waiter for the rest of the night, no one came to check on us, the bread bowl was empty and our waters were low. The food finally came out 40 mins or so later. We all ordered the NY Steaks since it tasted so good last time but this time it was really disappointing... The meat was not as hot, it seemed like it sat there under the warmers. The potato wedges were stale and cold (not fresh) My fiancé and I ordered the meat to be Medium Well and his came out well done. The waiter never really checked on us to see how the food came out we had to wave him down for A1 sauce for my mom and the bottle was basically empty. It was too much of a hassle to have him switch it out. Over all, a bit disappointing with the service and food. They truly came by to take our order, bring food to the table and the check.
(3)Michael T.
Yo- Mrs Myke and I have eaten here about ten times since we moved here 4 years ago. Each time the food has been good to exceptional. Tonight we had the "Early Dinner" - Mrs Myke having the rack of lamb and me having the flat iron steak. both were very good and I can again recommend the "Early Dinner" to those that can eat dinner early - you will not be disappointed. This coming Friday night we have reservations so we can try the Prime Rib that is only served on Fridays. I will let you know how that goes.
(4)Kris K.
The place looks ok, but is a KID UNFRIENDLY place. The old man at the reception was not courteous, WAS always watching what my kid was doing. The food is AVERAGE THOUGH. I did not have a good experience at that place. It is mostly filled with grown ups and old people. Not for a family with kids.
(2)Tina T.
Came here today randomly for a lunch meeting with a new hire and ordered a cobb salad and a cheeseburger with fries. The food was pretty good (complimentary bread!) but let's be honest... you really can't mess up a salad and burger to the point of being inedible. I didn't ask for anything fancy shmancy so I can't tell you what the rest of the food is like. However, I did ask for my burger to be medium rare and it came out very well done so that was kind of sad. I hadn't eaten all day though and was absentmindedly spouting off work stuff so I stuffed it into my mouth anyways. They did just get a new cook as I was told when we were seated so I will chop it up to them not being used to their kitchen space and materials. Or just that mistakes happen :) Service was really nice and I greatly appreciated the host and our waitress assisting us even though I was unintentionally zoned out conducting our meeting and may have come off flippant. I remember our waitress looked concerned and was about to come over to ask if my food was ok before I finally reached for my food since I hadn't in 10 minutes. Was too busy talking - didn't even realize I hadn't checked in and found out after a check-in at lunch gets a free dessert! :( But anyways the fact is, I did see that she was actually looking out and concerned for our customer experience so although I don't remember too much about our time spent, it definitely gives me the impression that they have good people staffed. Overall I will definitely come back again whether it be for lunch or to bring my boyfriend out for a cute dinner :) And I will try something other than a cheeseburger haha. I'm glad that we came upon this restaurant for lunch and I will definitely be referring co-workers/friends there for the future as well.
(4)Patty D.
EeK! Me thinks not fits our experience here. Is been around for ever and maybe food has changed but did not taste good the day we were there. I did not feel service was good either at bar or table..
(1)Cathy J.
I can't beilieve I've never written a review of Tarragon's. It is our favorite restaurant! My wife and I work down the block and come here frequently for dinner. The ambience is lovely and the food is terrific. My fave is the filet mignon. My wife loves the salmon. They have lots of vegetarian choices, too - and I can't remember ordering something I didn't like. Stuffed mushrooms, arugula beet salad, rack of lamb, stuffed chicken breast, chicken and brie penne pasta - it's all good. And they recently had a meatloaf special that was to die for. The staff is super friendly! The maitre'd is charming. The wait staff is friendly, attentive, and funny. The busguys are also very nice. you can tell it's a good atmosphere to work, which makes it a good atmosphere for a meal. I think they got a new chef recently so if you had written it off in the past I would go back for another visit.
(5)Samantha C.
I've came here a couple times for lunch, and both times, the place was surprisingly empty. Food is pretty good, and service is extremely friendly and attentive. The waitress refilled my water 5x at lightning speed (once my glass was just a tad not full, she would come on by), offered to send back my friend's food when my friend questioned about it, and was just overall really friendly and helpful! The complimentary bread is probably one of the BEST complimentary breads I've had. They were cut into small slices, so the crust:center ratio was perfect. I love crispy crusts!! I really liked the Salad Niccoise. I LOVED the seared ahi tuna (SO SO glad they did not use canned tuna!!). It had a crisp and flavorful coating and a rare center. Very rich in flavor. The presentation was a bit odd, because all the ingredients were laid out in rows rather than tossed together. The salad overall was very satisfying and the olive oil&lemon dressing was a good touch without making it too heavy. Would definitely order again! The Grilled Prawns Salad was okay. The prawns (only four prawns) were delicious and grilled perfectly. However, the rest of the salad felt a bit underwhelming. The menu listed citrus foods as part of the dish, but there were many only two or three slices of grapefruit. Would probably not order again simply because I don't think it was worth the price. They also have an extensive selection of dessert/chocolate-y drinks. YUMM. Overall a good place for larger parties, lunch meetings, or just a quieter restaurant of choice compared to the others in DT Sunnyvale!
(4)Jennie N.
They have a large banquet hall upstairs for events where there are tables, a bar, and open patio. My company held our holiday party here and reserved enough tables for about 30 people upstairs. The cheese platter, grilled chicken satays with peanut sauce, and bruschetta were great starters. We had chicken, grilled salmon, pasta and a couple sides for entrees. The chicken was a little dry and could have used a little more seasoning. I definitely recommend their salmon and pasta though! I believe for dessert it was the chocolate crisp cake which was quite delicious. Overall, the catered event had fantastic service and it looked like everyone was having a nice time.
(4)Sophie W.
The eight of us wanted to sit outside, so we ended up split into two groups with a giant pole dividing us. Not the most ideal seating arrangements, but it definitely beat sitting in the dimly lit interior. Tarragon was an okay place. I really enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms, and the waitress was very attentive. Overall, it's just your average American restaurant with above average prices. I had the jambalaya, which was pretty good. I especially loved the sausage and the extra spicy kick that it gave the dish. My coworker got the lamb burger, which he proclaimed delicious. They also have this great free dessert deal if you check in with Yelp, so I got the tiramisu for takeout (unfortunately couldn't take out the creme brulee, sigh). Not bad, but the company I had was what made it great.
(3)Maribel G.
I first came here because my old job hosted a dining out for life event and I was one of the ambassadors. Dottia was the manager and she was very nice and attentive. I came here about 4 times after that on a date night with my hub. It's a nice and quite small restaurant. Food is great. I love the paella and the fillet mignon here. So yummy. Took one star away because my last experience here was a bit slow on the costumer service side. Although the restaurant was not packed our waiter seemed to be taking his sweet time to get to us. Not very professional. I was thinking of having my next date night here so hopefully we won't have that issue again. Overall great food. Highly recommend it
(4)Veronica S.
First of all the restaurant was not busy this Saturday evening can someone tell me why it took 15 minutes for the waitress to even acknowledge us! Or why our waitress Amalya disappeared for a long period of time and when she finally came back out to the front patio to take our order. We mentioned to her "we were waiting for you to take our order" and instead of appologizing she said "oh okay I can take your order now!" Food finally came out and it was actually pretty good I had the Garlic Prawns and my boyfriend had the salmon! But you guys really need to evaluate your staff!! The two bus boys help waitress our table more than our own waitress they brought us our drinks, food and even helped track down our waitress! I personally thanked them before I left the restaurant because if it wasn't for them we would of been waiting a longer perid of time and probably would of never got our food and drinks! Also my boyfriend had to hunt her down inside the restaurant to pay the bill! Overall good restaurant but 1 bad staff member!
(3)Kristiana S.
This is a good date night place, full bar and good wine list. Would recommend the baby green salad - love the dressing. The Salmon was yummy too, it was cooked perfectly with a good grill on the outside, great lemon & herb sauce. I don't love mashed potatoes but they were good.
(4)Natalia H.
My friends had their wedding reception dinner at Tarragon (in the private room/ banquet area with full bar, full kitchen, and dance floor upstairs). You can read her review on having her wedding reception at Tarragon here: yelp.com/biz/tarragon-re… But I'm reviewing the food. Because the food was delicious! I got the steak entree and it was really good and cooked perfectly- not well done/ overcooked as in most wedding reception dinners. Tarragon's was just right with some pink just the way I like it! Dessert was butterscotch banana cheesecake. It was also delicious! (Yes, Wendy, you did miss out! hahah) I almost wanted seconds but didn't want to look like a fatass haha It wasn't too sweet and I like how there is only a tiny taste of banana. Crust was fantastic. I thought service was OK. We did have to wait a little bit after our salad/ before our entree, but we didn't mind it since we were with friends having a good time. Some people (ahem) definitely took advantage of the open bar and there were just a lot of activities going on so we didn't mind the "wait". For the most part, I thought the service was above average. Dance floor was pretty good size. And I liked how they had a balcony so we can "cool off" haha. All in all, it was a good night celebrating the special day of two good friends! =)
(4)Krissy P.
Oh, Tarragon, we have this love-hate relationship going on... It's been 4 years now and I still don't know whether it's worth it or not. While I love your food, I dislike the long wait from the kitchen. I love the look and feel of the restaurant but get so frustrated at the wait staff. While you get me seated quickly with great drinks coming from the bar, you make me play where's waldo with my waiter... Sigh, we shall return, maybe.
(3)Bethany K.
This is an EVENT review! We came here for a wedding reception that was held in the upstairs area. The facility's really nice. There's tons of parking in the general area because of the mall/Target (freeee!) and you get to walk around some of the "downtown" Sunnyvale area on your way in. Service was pretty good -- waiters were helpful, brought things out quickly, etc. The only hiccup was that there was a longer than expected lull between when they announced dinner and when it was served, but I'm not entirely sure we can blame it on the restaurant. Avoided meat for the most part (trying to apply this in general to my diet, not b/c of the particular restaurant) , but thankfully there were a few things I could try ----- appetizers included a YUMMY bruschetta (yum yum yum) and main entree had a good pasta, lots of yummy fresh vegetables, and a GOOD salad. May or may not come back (based on the other reviews) but thought it was a great option for the wedding :)
(4)Kim S.
I took two clients to lunch here, and it was a perfect location, with great food, comfortable semi private booths with a great atmosphere for a business luncheon. They generally have some very interesting specials, at lunch as well as their usual menu, which has something for everyone's palet. I have been here on several occassions and never disappointed. The service is excellent, and we were well attended to for all our needs, without asking. The grilled chicken sandwich for lunch was amazing! Just the right about of seasonings, and toppings so it enhanced every flavor without disquising it. My assoicate had the portebello sandwich, and was equally delighted with the flavor, while my other assoicate choose the salmon entree. Good fresh ingredients. Good presentation, on time, with a very attentive server. I would recommend this place especially for a business luncheon. It's a calming dining experience where you can hear each other speak without all the hustling and distractions of other customers, and servers running by your table.
(4)Kevin R.
Our Waiter, Joshua, was very knowledgeable and as good as they get. Good meny. All of our food for the six of us was good absent the swordfish. The swordfish was very fishy. Awesome dessert selection.
(4)Jos P.
I went after work with colleagues for a dinner meeting. My citrus salad with salmon on top was excellent!!! I didn't even put much dressing on it. It was so yummy that it looked like I licked my plate clean!!! Service was very attentive. We were in the corner booth/table so the noise level was ok. The restaurant is located on cute Murphy st.
(5)Hagana K.
If was I was judging solely on the restaurant, decor, atmosphere, etc, it'd be four stars easy. I had a wonderful time here, it was casually upscale, not too crowded on a Thursday night. Unfortunately the food was a disappointment. The calamari appetizer was really bready and kind of reminded me of burger kings chicken fries. The aioli sauce it came with was good, but really, what aioli isnt good. Pot roast was tender enough I guess, but pretty salty. Mashed potatoes were excellent, but everything else smothered in the gravy was very salty. My date had the pork loin with polenta, and both of those were pretty good. Really nice place, I just don't think it's a place that really cares about their food. That or it was for a saltier palette than mine.
(2)Pauline D.
Last night we ventured into Sunnyvale to have dinner at Tarragon. Sadly they are letting the Murphy street go, it just doesn't have the clean classy feel it did years ago, but the Jazz music was a nice touch. We stepped into Tarragon and found it was mostly empty. We stood at the hostess desk for no less than 10 minutes while staff walked past us in every direction and no one even acknowledged us. Not even a word. Finally a man came up from the back and said "thank you for waiting" he showed us to a table outside that was dirty, then to another, that was dirty, and he said he would have someone come and clean it for us. Another 10 minutes they show up with a dirty rag to wipe the crud un the ground, and we were given menus. Then we waited another long time before we saw a waitress - ordered our wine. When I was getting out of my chair to go see if they needed help getting the wine somehow, since it was taking so long, she showed up with the wine. At this time I told her that since it had already been 30 minutes and we were just getting our wine we are now very strapped for time and will just be ordering appetizers and a salad and would need them quickly. We ordered, and the calamari was out in five minutes! Impressive, but it was a frozen type variety and not good. Too bad. But the Salmon flatbread was ok and the salads alright too. The bread came in a very dirty ( yes, dirty! ) napkin. The busboy noticed while putting it down and took it back quickly to get us a new one. Dinner costs me about $100 and all I really enjoyed was the wine - by the time we were seated it was 6:05 so we had missed the early bird dinner we headed there for....when I asked he said "no, you are too late" but the waitress did do her best trying to make up for the downfalls of the restaurant and our original disappointments in the timing of everything. Though I had gone here many times years before and had been quite happy, it has definitely gone downhill. Cleanliness and service are two very important things to me when I go out - as well as the food - and they have failed in both those categories.
(2)Viv C.
Came here with the boyfriend for date night after deciding the wait for DishDash was too long. Very pleased with our decision to try Tarragon. We were immediately seated in a nice booth with a friendly waiter. We started with a glass of wine and a Lemon Drop and shared 2 appetizers: calamari and the grilled artichoke. The calamari was excellent, we enjoyed the onions and peppers in the dish. I wasn't really a fan of the aioli sauce served with the grilled artichoke. The entrees - I had the grilled salmon and the BF had the 9 oz. filet mignon. Both were delicious. We will definitely come here again. The place is beautiful decorated, has excellent service, and is very attentive to their tables. I would like to try their happy hour sometime, it seems like a great venue. 3 drinks + 2 appetizers + 2 entrees: $115 + $25 tip
(5)Samantha C.
Came back and tried the Jumbo shrimp skewer Citrus Arugula salad and it was just ok. The dressing was decent. Also tried the black bean soup and that was pretty good. Good service.
(3)Susan H.
This place is huge in the inside. Nice bar with tvs and the one I adore the most was the constellation lamp they have on the wall very eye catching. As for food - starters was baked brie yummy so good with grilled baguette slices. Entrees were prawns & filet mignon both amazing. Desert tiramisu - thumbs up to my ending experience overall.
(4)Malisa D.
Went here on a Friday night... For it being a Friday night and only having roughly 20ppl incld. ppl in the bar it was pretty dead, in fact probably the deadest restaurant on Murphy. But that's ok, I was with my Grandma and Dad. Sourdough bread. Hot fresh and yum in my tum. I could've just ate this all night. Food we ordered: Cioppino for me: It was ok. It looked like a lot of random pieces of seafood mixed with red mush... I didn't really know what I was putting in my mouth, but I guess that's how cioppino is suppose to look. The taste was mediocre, nothing that gave it that bedazzlement. Roasted vegetable lasagna for my Dad and slow braised pot roast for my Grandma Rita. I didn't try the lasagna (my Dad eats his whole plate with not a crumb left to try by the time I wash my first bite with some water), but my grandma's dish would be the only reason I'd come back. It was very flavorful and TENDER MEAT MMmmness. Overall since I wasn't too impressed with my cioppino I can only give this place 3 stars. Prices of entrees ranging from $14-$29 isn't entirely that bad... If you truly go home satisfied that is. Our plates came out cold too which I thought odd for an upscale atmosphere type of restaurant. The server didn't really kick that extra umfff to make me want to come back again. But hey if u check-in here, and spend $50... You get a FREE DESSERT (one of those show them on your phone deals)! We got the creme brûlée cheesecake. Tasted like plain cheesecake with strawberries. It was free, cool, but I probably would've been much happier if I'd pass on this one and saved the calories for a soda.
(3)Alice W.
Really really enjoyed this place! We had the steamed clams and mussels, filet mignon, and rack of lamb. The steamed clams and mussels were perfect in the white wine sauce and more than reasonably priced. Service was fast and attentive; the ambiance was nice -- can't ask for more, really! Another bonus was fast seating... Nothing beats a fast track to the dining table at such a great restaurant!
(5)Mike J.
We've been coming here for years: The food is great; it's consistent; service is fabulous, and the ownership is so involved that it's a great experience every time---highly recommended.
(5)Bill M.
Have a "passport" membership so I decided to try Tarragon again. I miss ordered a filet rather than the prime-rib, but it was fine. Wife had cioppino, sons had lamb and chicken. Was overall ok, but nothing special.
(3)Annie D.
Came to try out this place and was a good experience. Calamari -Monterey bay calamari, Anaheim peppers, onions, chipotle aioli- batter was decent, crispy. Cioppino - mussels, clams, shrimp, white fish, crab meat, potatoes, spicy tomato-saffron sauce, garlic bread- not your average cioppino, it was not like a stew, but tasted good. Service was good, food was good. I'll be back to try their other items.
(3)Dawn L.
I came here last night with my sister and her best friend for my sister's low-key bachelorette evening and it was a great experience. My sister had been here before and loved it so this was her pick for her special evening. We started with an order of the Tarragon French Fries (french fries tossed with tarragon, garlic and feta cheese) which were delicious and a perfect start to dinner. I ordered the Stuffed Chicken (chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella and procutto, garlic mashed potatos and grilled zucchini) and my dish was perfect and extremely delicious. My sister ordered the same, but opted to switch her potatoes out for the lemon-dill rice which she had previously and had no problem and loved her dish as well. Her best friend ordered the Paella which she also like quite a bit. Service was fast, friendly, promt and my water glass never got less than half full before someone was refilling it with a smile. I would definitely come here again!
(5)Adrian G.
Tuna Burger is really good, but no longer on the happy hour menu. Half off cocktails and select appetizers Mon-Sat 4-6PM. The baked brie and fries were good. I have yet to try this place for dinner, but some friends said the dinner items were average. The Pom Bomb (vodka, bourbon and pomegranate juice) was an interesting drink... lots of antioxidants! Manhattans and martinis are strong here.
(4)Mona W.
Picked up a half off Groupon at this restaurant and tried it for the very first time last week. I saw the 3.5 stars reviews on yelp and I thought to myself this is probably just another one of those pretentious new restaurants. Our dinner started with half a dozen of Oysters on Half Shell, followed by Pork Tenderloin and Cioppino. Dessert was Creme Brulee. The food was decent. 3.5 stars is a fair rating for the food. I liked everything I had although nothing really strike me. The ambiance is very romantic. The classy decor actually rivals some of the more upscale restaurants. They also have a lot of comfortable booths. It is a pretty perfect spot for a romantic intimate dinner on a lower budget. (If only downtown Sunnyvale doesn't look this ghetto with all the constructions going on.) I think the pricing is fair for the service and setting. With the Groupon our dinner came up to $7 before tips. The Groupon itself is $25 I believe. Pretty darn good deal if you ask me.
(3)P P.
No complaints. This is a "go to" restaurant when you want a basic good tasting, American meal. The large space, bar, and large windows makes for a laid back atmosphere. The service was friendly and the complimentary warm bread really hit the spot. I wouldn't mind going back.
(4)Jarrod M.
Went there for Mother's Day brunch. The meal was nice, they had a omelette station with a lot of toppings and good roast beef. When I went to pay however they lost my credit card. After looking for a few minutes they weren't able to find it. They said they were sorry but apparently somewhere between the credit card machine after they ran my card and the table they lost the card. So now I have to call the bank and change the auto charge on every merchant I deal with. Thanks tarragon but I won't be back.
(1)Jessica L.
The ambiance of this restaurant is pretty nice compared to others in a small town like Sunnyvale. We did the early bird special. EVERYTHING we got was WAY too salty. I'm talking, unbearably mouth cringing SALTY. Even the side potatoes tasted as if they were stuffed with pure salt. I honestly thought my blood pressure was shooting up as I took bites of my food. It was basically inedible. I ordered the rack of lamb for my entree, medium rare, it came as medium well. Everyone was quite disappointed at the food, and thought that maybe Tarragon would redeem itself with dessert. Skip the tiramisu. It's frozen, icy, and the cake part is extremely runny. Makes you feel like you're eating cotton. There's also no coffee liquor in the tiramisu. I think it says something when you order 6 slices of tiramisu, and when the plates are taken away, only 2 were eaten. Service here is okay. The waiter/waitresses try to seem like they care, but it got quite uncomfortable and they definitely made us feel rushed although there was plenty of seating. Overall, my experience here was not a good one, and I will not be coming back. The reason why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 is because the feel and atmosphere of the restaurant is nice, and the portions of their food are generous.
(2)Sydney M.
We had Easter brunch here. Great experience. Great variety (see pics) for the price ($28/person) and bottomless mimosa's for $12. Really good bargain, b/c just one was $7. Outstanding: -cocktail sauce for the shrimp. heavy on the garlic, which doesn't hurt me, and just the right amount of spice of the horseradish. -Maple glazed ham -Cesar salad, very fresh and lots of cheese, perfectly dressed -desert/bread table, tons of things to choose from, great brownies -omelet station; omelet was nice and fluffy, lots of add in choices, and they bring to your table -mash, so nice and fluffy -baked salmon, flavorful sauce -potatoes O'Brien, just well done, not hard, well cooked Just OK: -scrabbled eggs. not tough exactly, but sort of like pebbles in consistency. they needed some hot sauce or salsa or cheese to add on -asparagus, roasted and served ice cold, which was good, but some of them were a bit hard. not roasted quite enough. -french toast casserole, nothing to write home about. there was some syrup to add, but wifey didn't finish hers -lamb was good, but not great, and some of the pieces had some gristle. didn't try: bacon and sausage (we can make that at home), pancakes, smoked salmon thingies, rice, pasta - whatever i didn't mention above we didn't try, so can't comment. More +++ Our dirty dishes were promptly bussed, our water glasses promptly refilled, our mimosa's kept coming, we were greeted as soon as we entered and seated promptly, and we never felt rushed. weird: Wifey was finished with round one of deserts, and set the dish and fork to the side to be bussed. For whatever reason, the busser left the dirty fork, I mean, he even took it off the plate and set it down on the table...weird...were they running that low on clean ones? lol Overall great variety for the price and we will probably come back next year. Now if they'd just add some eggs bene at the omelet station, I would be really happy!
(4)Carolyn T.
We have been to Tarragon many a time, it was where we got engaged and thought it was fitting to celebrate selling our home of 9 years there also. We have not been there to eat in a while but the food was just as good, if not better, than I remembered! I got the payaya which was chock full of fish and sausage and perfectly crispy on the bottom. Hubby got the short ribs which were also equally tender and scrumptious - if perhaps just a bit sweet for my taste. They have 1/2 off all wine bottles right now so we splurged on some bubble, it was a celebration remember! I had shared with the waitress (also my service at the bar while I waited for my +1) that we were celebrating so a delightful piece of tiramisu came out complements of the chef to put a perfect end to our celebration. We sadly won't be living close enough to make Tarragon a regular spot any longer, but we will always have fond memories of our wonderful meals and service here.
(4)Michelle O.
Tarragon is one of my favorite destinations in Sunnyvale. When I tried it for the first time, I was not too excited about it but I decided to give a try because I had a coupon and surprisingly my grilled chicken satay with peanut sauce was flavorful. Since that day I have been back many times and so far I have never left unhappy. One of the owners is a lady who takes great care of regulars and always makes them feel welcomed. Go Tarragon!
(4)James W.
Ate here last week for a business luncheon. Located in Downtown Sunnyvale, this place has a really nice ambiance and even better, a really nice menu, with great prices. Folks were friendly and I would like to try dinner here sometime.
(5)Juli C.
I ate here on a Saturday night and it seemed a bit understaffed. We waited quite awhile before learning that our waiter was too busy to take our food orders so someone else got our orders in for us. I ordered the butternut squash ravioli, which I thought would be a butternut squash filling, but instead it was cheese ravioli with some sautéed butternut squash on top along with pecans and dried cranberries. The ravioli itself was good (clearly not made on premises though!), with a light and fluffy cheese and the butternut squash topping was interesting, but the dried cranberries were sautéed too, which doesn't work out. You can't cook already dried cranberries because they come out tough, ultra chewy, and inedible. Aside from that the pasta was decent. The dessert I ordered afterwards (the chocolate tower) was tasty if a bit large in size, though I didn't understand the point of the flavorless blue-green mousse that was served with it. My husband had the bread pudding and I wasn't a fan - very plain tasting.
(3)Justin M.
Went with a group from work & found out why it was mostly empty. Very average, would avoid. Had pepper crusted steak in red wine sauce ... got ave meat in some fruity sauce with little pepper .. not even close to description. Shriveled potatoes that were hours old, so did not eat. Ate all the bread & the green beans. All did not care for Tarragon Restaurant ... others did not like the paella & others said the chicken was dry. Appetizers were also very amateur hour & pricey. I could throw something together in 30 min in lazy fashion that would put this cooking to shame. Too bad, so sad!! Why can't places just cook great classic food?? ... mystery to me? I think these fools try to make "chefy chit" & then get lazy & cook it ahead of time .... see this kind of cooking all over the place, weird ingredients & sat too long. Service was good. Dessert was good.
(2)rebecca s.
We just had our company holiday party here...service and food was great (the food did come out 20+ mins late). Overall it was so nice that my boyfriend and I had a dinner date her last weekend and lm glad I did. Comfortable and low lit lighting, its loud enough here that you can unwind and converse without wondering if the person behind you is listening to your conversation. We had RackofLamb and RibeyeSteak, both were excellent and flavorful. You must try the stuffed mushrooms :)
(5)Karen C.
I've been coming here on a regular basis for over a year now and I love this place. The food is great, the wine list is excellent and the bartender Denise makes some mean cocktails! They have a happy hour and it's always a great place to hang out during the music in downtown during the summer! They just started a lunch service that I need to check out but I'm sure it will be fantastic as well!
(4)Erik N.
Had an excellent lunch. I like the ambience and service was good, but not great. Would like to see more variety on the menu and maybe a special or two.
(4)Vicki G.
Best Happy Hour in the area! The entire wine and cocktail lists are half off. Coupled with some great appetizers, also half off, it makes for a perfect place to meet friends. I was there last night and enjoyed some delicious stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta (with a balsamic vinegar drizzle), and Brie with roasted garlic and apricots. I've tried a lot of places for Happy Hour, and Tarragon is the best! Comfortable, quiet, great food and wine. What else could one want!
(5)Kerie D.
One of our favorite places to have a nice dinner close to home with good wine. They have been very accommodating for large work parties as well. Great wine list and consistently good food. We'll be back!
(4)Kellee C.
Good food, but we went there for prom and had a party of larger than 8 so we couldn't split the checks. This resulted in us having a 50 dollar tip.
(2)Mary S.
Went here a couple of weeks ago with some gals from work. It's on Murphy St. in Sunnyvale and there are so many options for places to eat here. I have been to Tumeric and the Thai place but never Tarragon. First off I have to say the service was excellent. We were greeted immediately. Our food came in a timely manner and water was continously topped off. They ordered the Tarragon Fries as an appetizer and let me tell you it was hard to abstain because they looked delicious. Covered in tarragon and feta cheese all hot and crunchy. But I was good! The other ladies all ordered sandwiches and coleslaw. But when I saw the Ahi Tuna Niciose salad I knew I had to have it. It did not disappoint. Served on a bed of greens was a very generous piece of just seared ahi surrounded by warm baby red potatoes, sliced kalamata olvies, a hard boiled egg, tomato, haricort vert and a lovely dressing. I left smiling.
(4)Tara S.
3 Stars?! Really, Yelpers?? Maybe it was just me, but I LOVED this place. Apple Salad: AMAZING! Omg, julienned apples make up the bulk of this salad with just a sprinkling of arugela and whatever dressing they put on it was SO good! Pork porterhouse: Sounded interesting, tasted superb...very tender and juicy...red cabbage isn't usually my fav side dish, but it was very good! Ribs: Whoa...they're the dry rub kind, so no drippy sauce. They melted in your mouth and the flavor was just succulent. I got creme brulee for dessert...it was PERFECT. A strong cup of decaf and the creamy dessert were the perfect end to a fantastic meal! Our waiter was was a kind of smarmy young guy with a Russian? accent. I really liked him...he REALLY knows his stuff...wine especially. I guess some people might find him aloof or something, but he just had kind of a dry, quick wit. Great dining experience...no reservation needed.
(5)John T.
We showed up without reservations and our wait was minimal with four of us. Just long enough to get a drink and we were off to our table. We did not score a booth, but the table was ok. We started with baked Brie and it was really good. We each tried something different. I had the souvlaki and i was perfect, D had the stuffed chicken and loved it, Chris made up his own dish (they were very accomodating) of steak salad and he was really happy too. We will defintely be back, but this time we'll make reservatons so that we get a comfortable booth.
(4)Beth G.
Hands down, the best wedding reception venue in the bay area for a bride on a budget. Where to start? I LOVED my wedding at Tarragon Restaurant in Sunnyvale. My husband and I got married in early May 2012. We waited until relatively late to select our venue and looked at so many places that I despaired finding an elegant place with fantastic food on a budget. But then we found Tarragon, practically in our own backyard! We started working with the event coordinator, Dottia, back in February. We requested price quotes and over the ensuing weeks made many changes to the banquet menu to suit our tastes. Dottia was very flexible. Our initial meeting was a little awkward, until we got more accustomed to working with her, but now we absolutely love Dottia. Dottia met with us repeatedly to view the venue, taste the food, choose the wine menu and select custom linens. Since the space is so large and our wedding was only 35 people, we chose to partition off the back half of the room upstairs. This gave a really intimate feel but we still had plenty of room for tables, our DJ and a large dance floor. On the wedding day, the room was gorgeous. Dottia was on-site to supervise during the whole event. The two servers were incredibly professional. There was warm bread and butter for the guests. Food came quickly - table by table so no one was without food when those around them were eating. Portions were large. Water and wine glasses were quickly filled and plates whisked away as soon as people were done with each course. For a salad, we chose a citrus salad with mixed greens, orange, grapefruit, sunflower seeds and avocado. It was amazing and available on their downstairs menu. Our entrees were the Tri-Tip, Chicken Marsala and Eggplant Parmesan. The Tri-Tip was superb, the Chicken Marsala tasty (slightly dry) and the Eggplant Parmesan was excellent. In lieu of a dessert course, Tarragon waived the cake cutting fee and cut our cake for us. The dance floor was great. Our DJ (Kimbrough Salas) really got the crowd moving and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. The evening went so smoothly for us, it seemed over in minutes. I highly recommend Tarragon, Dottia and the staff. This is a gem of a find in Sunnyvale. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions about my experience here.
(5)Kent H.
Not much to say, average food. I had the salmon and it is what it is. I think the honey mustard was a little too much, impacting the flavor of the salmon in a negative way. Otherwise it was a cooked salmon dish.
(3)Kurt L.
Nice atmosphere. Nice service. Nice food. Ordered bone-in ribeye steak and it was delicious. The soup of the day (Manhattan style clam chowder) was okay. The salad was nice as well, the ranch and vinaigrette dressing was surprisingly tasty.
(4)Trynh N.
I came here for lunch with my girlfriend once. The food was pretty good and we sat outside. Pretty cool scene and different since it's in Sunnyvale it's more chill. The service was great!
(4)Mansi S.
I love this restaurant n have been here on a few occasions. In fact, this restaurant is special for me since my first dinner date with my boyfriend ( now fiancee) was here in 2008:)) I have always had the perfect pasta n chikn marsala here but this time when we dined i found out some changes in the menu n my fav Chicken Marsala was no longr on the menu *sad face*. The food was gud but not as gud as previous times when i dined here.. I wish they include more chicken entrees in their menu n most importantly the chikn marsala... Yum yum The desserts arent grt at al so wont recommend, avoid the chocolate cake... Service is gud n the staff very friendly..
(4)Colin M.
A wonderful meal that delighted and surprised my wife and I. We had just learned about Murphy Ave recently and decided to go back to that area for dinner last night. I had chosen the last restaurant (which was kind of 'meh'), so last night my wife chose Tarragon. I was really surprised on how excellent everything was. We started out with a Beef Carpaccio Crostini that smelled amazing and tasted even better. For dinner my wife had a chicken special they were running which was quite tasty and had a really nice and delicate potato pancake; rather than the usual overly greasy ones. I had the Prime Tri-Tip and after the first bite I was impressed. It was some of the best beef I've had since I moved to the bay area a year ago. The Gratin Potatoes that came with it were lightly herbed and delicious, and the veggies were awesome. Since we checkedin with FourSquare we got a free dessert to share and decided on the Butterscotch Banana Rum Cake which was so against my diet but so worth it. It was nice to have something delicious and sweet at the end without it making us feel heavy and bloated. The service was quite good and our waiter was attentive without being annoying. He even apologized for serving me before my wife because one of the plates was too hot for him to do it the other way. I thought that was quite lovely. I rarely write reviews about restaurants as most are just basic and not worth the time of writing one. Tarragon impressed me enough that I think others should try it for dinner when in the area.
(5)Jackie S.
My family and I went on Thursday 5/28/09 to try the Early Bird Special. The special was to dine in between 5-6pm, and you get an appetizer, main entree, and dessert for $20. It is a great deal! I can't believe people didn't take advantage of this deal since the restaurant was empty when we arrived at 5:30pm. The best part about eating with family was that I got to try a little bit of everyone's dish! Free ciabatta type bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. First Course: Baby Greens- The salad was pretty good. It had mandarin oranges, fennel, goat cheese, and a raspberry vinaigrette. Soup of the day- Barley Mushroom Soup- The soup was a bit heavier than what I expected. I didn't taste a strong mushroom flavor. I preferred the salad more. Second Course: Ciopinno- My dad ordered this dish. The spicy tomato sauce was rich and flavorful. The seafood was coated wonderfully in this sauce. Since we had extra slices of bread, we dipped it in the sauce. Yum! Paella- My mom and sister ordered this dish. The paella was different that what I've had before. There was shrimp, artichoke, shrimp, fish, andouille sausage, and the rice. The rice gave the dish some heartiness. The seasoning fell flat in this dish. Moroccan spiced shrimp- I had this dish, and it was very pretty. The shrimp had a good flavor. The couscous and the sauteed veggies weren't bad. I didn't really taste the citrus in the couscous. It was a healthy dish. Petite filet- My fiance had this dish. He didn't like it at all. The meat was overcooked even though we asked for medium. The bernaise sauce was good. However, everything else in this dish was bad. He said that the potatoes and veggies tasted like "cardboard." Third Course: Tiramisu- Oh boy. This dessert was really heavy. The coffee was pretty strong. However, I liked it. Strawberry Shortcake- The biscuit was fresh and it was interesting to see the vanilla ice cream in the middle of the biscuit. You couldn't really tell which part was ice cream and which was whipped cream. The strawberry sauce was okay. Service was good. Our water was refilled and we got quite a few refills of bread. The restaurant isn't bad for the quality and you can't beat the price! I was satisfied after eating the dessert. I would come back to try other seafood dishes, and maybe the lamb dish.
(4)Brian L.
The waitstaff was overworked. It took over 15 mins for the waiter to notice that we were seated. The atmosphere was that of an upscale diner, but the food was very good. The quality of the food is about 4 stars, the waitstaff and atmosphere was 2 stars, which warrants the overall 3 star rating. The Murphy Ave area is a pretty cool little pocket in Sunnyvale. Lots of bars and restaurants is walking distance.
(3)John D.
Delicious food and friendly service. The wines were pretty good too...Another nice spot to drop in to if you're in the vicinity of Murphy Street.
(4)James K.
I've been to most of the eateries in downtown Sunnyvale since I live 5 minutes away but hadn't gone to this place so it was time to give it a try especially since the reviews seemed favorable. FYI, they offer an early bird 3 course dinner between the times of 5 pm and 545 pm. I made a reservation for 545 so my fiancee and I were "game". I decided to get the early bird dinner (20 bucks a pop). I opted for the green salad as an appetizer, cioppino as the main course and a brownie with ice-cream on top for dessert. My fiancee chose the prime rib off the regular menu. My salad was pretty good. It had some tomatoes and candied walnuts which were tasty. I've had cioppino before and this was really good. It consisted of a nice tomato based sauce, mussels, clams, fish and some potatoes as well as a piece of garlic bread on the side. It was exquisite. My fiancee's prime rib was okay. I had a few bites from it since she was getting full. I think the problem with the prime rib is that they slathered this almost A-1 looking tangy sauce over the meat. It wasn't terrible but it was far from an Au Jus sauce. I felt the sauce took away from the natural flavor of the meat. I rarely eat dessert but the brownie with ice-cream was good so no complaints there. Overall, this place was pretty nice. The decor and bar gave this place a nice feel along with the abundance of track lighting. I would say the only small complaints was that the food took a little long despite it being pretty empty.
(4)Vinny G.
I tried the fish tacos today, and they are definitely holding true to the 5 star rating I have given them. I tell you, I've been SEARCHING for some great fish tacos ever since Fireh**** ruined theirs. Tarragon's fish tacos are freakin awesome. There's a lot of stuff packed in there, but everything goes so well with everything else. The fish is perfectly cooked and light and flakey inside some nice fresh corn tortillas, and that red sauce with the pineapple in it makes them amazing. That and I love black beans and cilantro and think those two things together often make any meal amazing. Fish Tacos, highly recommended!!! Get the spicy black bean soup to go with it if they have it that day as well. It's a perfect combo as both have black beans in them, but are very different flavors. Soooo happy with my lunch choice today!!! Jennifer is always very nice and friendly as well. She is a great server, with a great attitude, who very obviously enjoys her job and the food that the restaurant she works at makes. That to me is the sign of a great place, when the servers who after looking at the food all day, WANT to eat that food as well. Tarragon, keep up the good work!
(5)Mary-Anne M.
Hi Dottia - I'm very glad to hear from you and I wish more owners are like you - read yelp reviews from customers/ and tries to improve service. I have only been at your restaurant twice, but I'm pretty sure that I will be back for more dinners with friends. For the early bird, I had the green salad, filet mignonette, and tiramisu. I loved it!!! The servers were great and atmosphere. The price is not bad as well. We love deals. You earn my respect for demonstrating excellence to listen and improve. It speaks great volumes. Thank you very much and I will be back at your restaurant and will continue to give feedback.
(4)Aubrey C.
3.5 stars I came to Tarragon with a friend for lunch recently, and its food is almost 4-star/very good quality, but there are just enough flaws that it can't quite get there. First, the interior and decor of Tarragon looks like it came out of a cruise ship. There's a lot of curvy decorations and a dim sort of lighting. Second, the service also leaves something to be desired. The waitress didn't always take away menus and plates that we were finished with. On to the food -- we ordered a calamari appetizer to share, which was good, although I'm not a fan of throwing in fried vegetables along with the calamari. If I order calamari, I expect it to just be squid. I ordered the lamb chops, which were tender and tasty enough. They were very good. However, my friend's pasta was a bit subpar. The linguine did NOT look like linguine at all -- it looked like a much thicker noodle. The consistency and texture of both her shrimp and asparagus was off. Dessert was a chocolate crisp cake, which was nice and rich. But, again, Tarragon doesn't quite pull it off. The chocolate was too sweet, and didn't have the nice balance of chocolate, ganache, and other flavors that you would expect from a dessert that's priced for several dollars. Generally, Tarragon is an above-average place to eat in downtown Sunnyvale, but with a couple of tweaks here and there, it could be a fantastic place.
(3)Anthony W.
We have eaten here several times and have been pleased. The food is very good and the ambiance is decent. While it gets a 4 star rating, I do not think it is close to 5 stars. Parking is a bit of a problem.
(4)Sue B.
One of my favorite restaurants in Sunnyvale. I highly recommend their holiday meals which vary depending on the holiday and the food is amazingly good!!! Well worth the moderate cost as everything I've ever eaten here has been delicious - and I've been going for the past 10 years.
(5)Tess S.
Where do I begin? As soon as we walked in, we were greeted warmly, the atmosphere is warm and the restaurant is beautiful. We were seated immediately (by what I can only assume was the owner) and our server (Christopher) came over promptly to greet us. I ordered the linguine with scampi prawn and my mom ordered the chicken kabob. My mom loved her food and my pasta was incredible. Everything was fresh and delicious! Our server was attentive and not overly so. After we finished eating, I ordered the cannoli and my mom ordered the yogurt parfait. Both of which were incredible! We loved the food and the service. Everything was great about our experience at this restaurant. Without a doubt, I would come back. It was a little on the pricey side, but definitely affordable when it comes to the quality of the food. For two people, you definitely won't break the bank for dinner. I will probably come here for special occasions. But I will definitely be coming back!
(5)Jennifer M.
The food was o.k. I had the Filet Mignon and it was cooked perfectly. However, whoever prepared my meal was a little heavy handed with the seasoning. My steak was slightly over seasoned. The spinach was WAY over seasoned and oddly the sauteed mushrooms were bland. The garlic mashed potatoes were o.k... a little runny for my taste. The service was good. Our server was very attentive as well as the rest of the staff. I have no complaints about the service. Atmosphere? Eh.... just o.k. It was a Monday night so it was very quiet which I am fine with. The decor needs some work. However, that is just a nit-picky thing. Overall, it was just o.k. Nothing to get excited about.
(3)Margo G.
I don't know how I let this review wait so long. I seriously thought I wrote one ages ago. Better late than never right? I had my wedding reception at Tarragon on November 8, 2009 in their upstairs banquet area and people are still complementing me about my wedding. Let me preface this by saying that I was not a picky bride nor a bridezilla nor had I dreamed of my wedding since I was 5 years old. I just wanted good food and drinks, a place to dance, enough seating for my 120 guests and simple but elegant decor. I got it all at Tarragon. Dottia was great to work with. She was able to work with us in designing a menu that fit both our taste buds and our budget. We were able to go in and sample the proposed menu and signature drink and signed the contract with no reservations. We trusted that our day would be wonderful. The day of, Dottia and her staff were great! The tables were well decorated with glassware and linens and they even added colored napkins to go with our colors. The food was delicious and people got up for seconds and thirds. I made sure I ate and I was totally satisfied with everything we picked. The bartenders kept the drinks flowing and the signature drink was a hit. My guest had a great time and most importantly, it was a day that I'll never forget. We've also dined here and couple of times and the food is always good. The happy hour is a pretty good deal and the outside seating is perfect when the weather is nice outside. This reminds me that I need to go again real soon.
(5)Marit D.
My first time ordering swordfish and it was delectable! So flaky and such a delicate flavor! My husband loved his rib-eye and our daughter was impressed with the ahi tuna. A truly wonderful dining experience!!
(4)Elizabeth S.
This place has nice ambient and accent lighting over dark blue interiors. The bar is fairly large with a couple large LCD's to watch your favorite games. The service here is also very attentive and at its best. They have an extensive wine list by the bottle. The raw oysters were pretty good, but nothing spectacular in terms of the two dipping sauces. I had the paella which was okay. I expected more flavor burst in my saffron rice, but added Tapatio and Sriracha to spice it up. The fish was a bit dry, but the rest of the seafood was good. I'd come here again. Maybe, the paella isn't their best, but the ambience, service and blueberry, strawberry custard dessert will bring me back.
(3)Dann B.
I want to start out by saying that my past experiences with Tarragon have been great - excellent food, great service. We went to last year's New Years Eve event and had a great time. In anticipation of another great evening we invited another couple to this Year's New Year's Eve dinner. We had reservations for 9:30 but weren't seated until 10:30 and we were the last table seated. That began the disaster. The menu was a five course dinner at $69 per person and we ordered to bottles of fairly expensive wine for a dinner that was a little over $500 for four people. It took thirty minutes for the wait staff to take our order which meant we weren't served dessert until after mid-night. It took another fifteen minutes to get a bread basket.. The second course consisted of a choice of salads. Two of ordered the avocado salad and two of ordered the mixed green with pear. They ran out of the avocado salad so we ended up all getting the pear salad -- minus the pears! The next course was lobster bisque -- we were probably served from the bottom of the pot because the bisque was cold and we only received half a cup. The main course was fine but again, it appeared that our portions were smaller than the tables around us (who had been served much earlier). The final straw was dessert. We ordered two creme brulees and two lemoncello torts. They ran out of creme brulee and apparently the torts. We were given (without asking) chocolate cake and lemoncello ice cream. Now I realize that going out to dinner on New Year's Eve is always a crap shoot but when paying over $100 a person I expect to be given what I ordered -- or at least to be forewarned before I order.
(2)nina m.
Tarragon had improved a lot by menu as well customer service. I really love the atmosphere at Tarragon. If you get between 5p- 5:45 they have early bird dinner for 20$ 3 course meal and it is worth it!
(4)David B.
Loved the lamb skewers and chicken skewers - great deals, aespecially at happy hour prices. Sandro and Bobby were working the bar and they're both pros. I really appreciate the great customer service, and highly recommend the premium Sunnytown Margarita, which they both mix to perfection.
(5)Jamie K.
Most amazing happy hour around! Everything on the happy hour menu is 1/2 off. The drinks and food are good, I recommend the burger. Igor is a great server too! Outside of happy hour, this place is ok and I choose to eat elsewhere.
(4)Ted H.
I came to Tarragon 2 times. The first time I did not remember what I ordered, but the 2nd time, in July 2013, I got the nice paella. So depending upon the menu, you can be very happy.They have the decent wines. I recommend for the business dinner as well.
(3)Callie S.
Nice ambience, but they don't seem to care much about their food. Had the calamari appetizer, wasn't impressed. It wasn't crispy, probably because they overbreaded it. Had the pork tendorloin with polenta and stewed apples. Polenta was yummy, but the pork was dry and pretty bland. Service was nice, not pretentious.
(2)R M.
3.5 for Lunch. Where is my f'in food~? My stomach was full by water and drink. They grill everything on some kind of special grill (i forgot) so it tastes pretty good, but by the time food was served my stomach was filled with water. For some reason everybody knows that this place is NOT for lunch. The place was deserted, but it took forever to get our orders. At least our server was energetic and cheerful, but the restaurant did not meet the usual time-sensitive expectation for lunch. People swear this place is great for dinner. But I'm only around for lunch.
(3)Karina A.
Place has great interior and atmosphere and is good for large groups (birthdays, weddings, etc). However, the food is not very good. We have been here before for a birthday and the food was better the first time around. When we came here couple of days ago again, it was not what we expected. For appetizers we got calamari and stuffed mushrooms. The mushrooms were good, but the calamari was pretty typical. As for main dishes, the swordfish had a fishy smell to it, the lamb/rack of ribs was burned, even though we asked for it to be made medium-rare. The ahi tuna did not taste fresh at all. The dessert was okay.
(2)Graydon M.
I was invited here for a going away party the other night and while the friendship was great this place didn't impress me. The service was off and the food that I tasted wasn't very good. The fried food was soggy and tasteless and the non-fried food looked better than it tasted. There are so many good places on Murphy Street that I don't think I'll be coming back.
(2)Linda P.
Fancy type sit down restaurant where presentation is there and Service was good. Waiter was prompt to our requests for ranch then tomato dipping sauce. We ordered calamari to start and it came with fried onions and green pepper mixed in, onions? Dunno why onions. Then we ordered from the early bird special menu which now I regret looking at, not because it's bad, but because I had a groupon and at the end of the meal read the fine print after it was way too late. Tip: If you have a groupon let the waiter know in advance they can alert you to what you can order. I told the hostess when making the reservation but forgot to tell the waiter. Order: New york steak, mashed potatoes, spinach. New york steak was cooked medium well when ordered medium and very salty. Rack of Lamb (one leg - because it was part of early bird special so a little smaller) small potatoes, spinach,and onions. Lamb cooked medium came out brown not very pink. Presentation is well, taste okay, but wish I was able to use my groupon since I was spending more on a meal than I normally would. Next time I'll order from the regular menu and hopefully can try the braised short ribs which was not on the menu this since the supplier didn't bring the meat on time for the 5 hr cooking time to occur to be on the menu.
(3)Sandy E.
Let me start by saying I really WANT to love this place. Its close to my house and I love their menu however every time I go, I leave disappointed. This time will probably be my last attempt. Today I had lunch with a friend there. We picked it because the menu sounded great and they had a sunny table for two out front. We sat down at 11:55am and were promptly served our drinks. My soda was pretty flat. Not a great start. The waiter came out rather quickly but we weren't quite ready yet. He left and we didn't see him again for 15-20 mins. I finally got up agitated and walked inside. Bread came. Delish. Warm. Wonderful. The sun was shining and I was relaxed so I didn't really notice when 30 mins had gone by and still no sign our our food. We ordered two appetizers and a salad to share for a light lunch. It just doesn't take that long to whip those up. Started to walk inside again, but our waiter came out right away to apologize for the wait and explain that a large party had put their table order in right before ours. uh. well. how is that my fault? Great waiters no how to get around that sort of thing if you ask me. Another 10 mins go by and finally at 12:42 our lunch comes out. Looks yummy! I'm starving and thinking well I'm sure the wait will be worth it since they must have just made our plates after the large party. But alas, everything was luke warm and had the slightly dried out look of sitting under the heat lamps for too long. Except the ice berg lettuce salad. That was excellent. Totally wish this place would step up their front of the house to match the excellent menu and kitchen. Maybe I'll try it again in a year.
(2)Elise F.
I give this place 4 stars for quality and taste of food and one extra star for great service. My boyfriend and I came here on a rainy Monday night because we were too lazy to cook and we had a gift certificate. The host was great and seated us right away. I liked the decor and ambiance... low lighting and an open kitchen. Even though the place was half full, it felt cozy. Our calamari appetizer came hot, tender and crispy. I like that they added fried onions and my boyfriend appreciated the jalapenos. Main courses were 50/50. I absolutely loved my paella. It was the type of dish that warms you from the inside out. Everything was cooked perfectly and I had no empty shells. Minus one star for my boyfriend's pot roast which was over-saturated with a too salty sauce. But, the manager was great and gave us a free drink on the house! We'd definitely come back here again.
(4)mike h.
Fine maitre and waiters are excellent However Beware of Noise when there is a n event upstairs in the banquet room On a Friday night we sat in the booths and Could not hear our friends chat Between the band upstairs and the clomping of the dancing it was ridiculous I tested the noise level by putting music on my iPhone . I could not hear it.
(2)Mochi M.
Came here with the party of 20. My friend and I ordered a lot of appetizers because I would rather try more of their unique dishes rather than sticking with an appetizer and an entree. Our server ontay or ante, don't know how to spell it, was a really nice and attentive server. Did a great job! The food wasn't to die for, I've had a lot better. I enjoy their five star though. I believe we have 10 free house wines? haha. So, five star did a great job doing there job. We'd be back for sure to get our free wines, but other than that i wouldn't really come back. Beef carpaccio- not so great, my opinion, ate a quarter, left the rest stuffed mushrrom- it was good, i'd get it again fries and garlic bread- normal sides and other stuff, don't remember
(3)Steve B.
I've been here a few times now and really like it, even to the point where I've brought out-of-town friends here. I've never been disappointed by the food, although it is a little on the pricey side. Happy hour is a great compromise...half off a good selection of meals and appetizers, & half off all drinks. I really like their calamari and mushroom caps, and their burgers look amazing.
(5)Sheila B.
My daughter and I wandered in here after a long day of traveling and doctors appointments at Stanford Hospital. We were greeted warmly by the host, who told us we looked lovely. Overtired from the long day we were not hungry for a large meal but instead grazed on fresh bread, an appetizer and salads. We sampled the brie in puff pastry which was served with a roasted garlic half and this amazing homemade apricot jam! It was to die for! my daughter had the citrus salad and I had the wedge salad, both were tasty and well balanced with their dressings. The wine list was extensive, yet reasonably priced. The dessert list was appetizing but we didn't have room. The service was friendly and timely. I highly recommend this restaurant and look forward to trying more of the menu items.
(5)JASMIN O.
WEDDING RECEPTION/EVENT SITE REVIEW (thought that might grab some attention!) My husband and I held our wedding reception here May 2011, and the overall service was excellent. I would recommend this as a venue for.. - Parties of 100 or less - Those looking for an economical option - DIY brides that want to put their own flare on a space - If you want FLEXIBILITY. I was tired of venues that told me what djs to use, whose beverage or food menus were set in stone, or where minimums were excessive for a small-ish wedding. The only requirement I felt I HAD to meet was that I use their food. If you look at my other yelp reviews, I like GOOD food, and Tarragon didn't disappoint me or my guests. Dottia the event planner was a joy to work with over the span of 6 months. Depending on the other events she had going on, she responded to emails anywhere from 1-3 business days (but phone calls were the best way to reach her for a quick answer). She offered tons of insight and suggestions, was flexible with our menu and changes, and drew up a "day of" schedule. One thing I will suggest is that brides hire a day of coordinator, because Dottia's job is to BOOK the event, not see it through the day of. Any questions/concerns I had during our reception was handled by the head server(?) who was very helpful, friendly, and courteous to our guests. The only reason the last star isn't earned is because the area is transitioning from its Old Sunnyvale roots and there isn't enough parking in close proximity. We advised our guests to carpool or bring comfortable shoes for the short walk.
(4)Bunny L.
4.9 Great food, great staff, great service and great location. I go to Tarragon with a girlfriend. We started going because of the convenient location. Now it's hands down the only place we go to downtown Sunnyvale. We always order apps and cocktails. We always finish our apps and cocktails...I wouldn't say we're regulars, but we are recognized when we do go, which is nice. I go to Tarragon with my boyfriend. We go because it is a nice setting with good clientele and really good food. We always order dinner and cocktails. We always finish our dinner and cocktails.
(4)Rachelle F.
This is one of our favorites in downtown Sunnyvale. Great date place. Food is delicious and if u go during the week they have a great early bird special for $25. Great drinks too!
(4)Kimberly R.
We have been holding our Mastery for Women Successful Thinkers meetings in the upstairs banquet room. WOW! It is gorgeous. The servers are wonderful. The buffet that is served at our meetings does not only meet, but exceeds our expectations every time! It is a lovely open room with beatiful touches. We appreciate everything that they do for our group! I highly recommend using them for your special occasion!
(5)Winifred X.
I had a restaurant.com coupon, also made reservation with opentable.com ... =) - this time we ordered the fried calamari ($12?) avg, the batter could be a bit thinner.. - short ribs is incredibly good - paella ($16) -- I have been having a hard time find a good paella place in the US... I tried restaurants from the east to the west coast.. nothing compared to what I had in Spain.. so I am no longer expecting really great seafood paella... it's just not there.. this one is alright, not worth a revisit though.
(3)Ron S.
Made the mistake of going here for Thanksgiving dinner. Their T-day fixed menu looked really good. Took fifteen minutes to get a drink order, the soup while tasty was obviously watered down, when my dinner arrived it looked like it had been slopped on the plate and it was cold. Sent it back and the second time around was worse that the first. The folks at the next table over also got cold food, but when their's came back it must have been edible. Even worse the taste I did get was very good, perhaps I will give the a second chance when they are really slow. Thanks Tarragon for ruining my first Thanksgiving in the Bay Area.
(1)Kim B.
This is an addendum to my review from my July 12, 2014 wedding reception held at Tarragon. We had a very poor experience with the owner, Dottia, and many things went wrong at our reception. I gave Tarragon one star for our reception. Dottia responded to my review, and, as you can read, she stated that she wanted to make things right for us. On the day that she wrote that, I contacted her to let her know that, if she was really interested in making things right, my husband and I wanted to set up a meeting with her. It is now three days later, and she has not only not responded, but not even confirmed receipt of my email to her. Obviously, her response to my negative yelp review was just lip-service, and she has no intention of making things right for us. If you are planning an event, i.e. a reception, party, etc... please look elsewhere. You will have a great event with a lot less stress an aggravation.
(1)Glenn G.
Elegant dinning room, good for fine dinning at an affordable price. Some friends and I ate dinner here one Saturday in May. We had the Organic Greens salad and it was very good. Rack of Lamp was cooked just right, tender and juicy. Portion was small, there were only two chops instead of the usual four chops served at other restaurants. Filet mignon was very tender and cooked per order. New York steak was also cooked per order, very tasty. They ran out of the Dark Chocolate Cake by the time we had dessert. We got the substitute chocolate lava cake. It taste like frozen cake and there was no lava in the middle. Tiramisu was very good. Service was friendly and attentive. All in all, the restaurant was quite serviceable.
(4)Shayne T.
Ok food, nothing outstanding. Pretty good food. Came here on Valentine's Day with my girl...
(3)Bryan L.
We eat lunch here usually 2-3 times a week. Try the tarragon burger topped with a baked brie and apricots it's amazing. Service is always great
(5)Grant L.
Came here for my bday and got a huge table for 20. The place was very accommodating for a party my size and was able to wait on us with very much attention that a smaller table would get. I got the rib eye steak and man it was so tender and melts with each bite I hardly had to even chew.
(4)Betty Y.
Another restaurant we wanted to try was absolutely full and so we thought we give this one a chance. Well, I'm a fan! The mussels and clams appetizer was absolutely delicious. I had the prime rib and YUM! It was all so yummy. Service was fantastic and friendly. I really enjoyed this restaurant. I would have given it 5 stars but there was a lot of noise coming from floor above. It sounded as if someone was playing ball up there. I never checked to see what business was up there but it was really annoying.
(4)Richard R.
This review is for Tarragon on Mothers Day 2013. Preface: I've been to Tarragon on other occasions rate them a solid 3.5 stars for a sit down meal where you are being waited on. So I call on Saturday to make reservations for my small party. I specifically request a TABLE, not a booth, because on Mothers day it is a brunch. It's not easy to come and go to a buffet when you are trapped in a booth. We get to the restaurant and what do they have ready? Yep, a booth. We are eventaully moved. I look around to see what is going on and there is one group there that is HUGE! I estimate 40 people in their party. So that is where all the tables have gone. Buffet food - Pretty good selection of items to choose from. Carving station is great. However - rubber like scrambled eggs and dried up french toast. Conclusion: Not the ideal place for a buffet. I should have selected a large hotel with plenty of seating and more attentive staff for this occasion.
(2)Joe C.
Got a day of RSVP here for NYE..woot woot! Place was decorated nice, not pretentious, yet classy. Since it was NYE, we only got to choose from the Price fix menu which had a variety of choices which made me happy. Service was a little frantic as they seemed to be a little understaffed for the night. However, our server was pleasant the time he did arrive at our table. Quality of food was good as well as portion size. The only thing that was a negative was the "Apple Fritter" dessert that looked like someone through a lump of crap in a pool of liquid. I looked around and it was the same for everyone...so I guess thats the look they wanted? =P I would come back and try their regular menu!
(4)Beau S.
One amazing stuffed chicken breast. Really need to just order it to understand. Trust me....Service is solid too.
(4)S K.
We came to this place during the Thanksgiving weekend. French fries and soup - both of which were average like any other place. Bread- Very soft with crunchy crust and it just melted in the mouth. Vegetarian Paella- A must-try if you visit here. The vegetables were correctly sautéed and not soggy like other places I have eaten. Spices in the Paella were added to perfection and it tasted EXOTIC. Pasta Primavera - Well made with lots of vegetables and perfectly seasoned with spices. The service was excellent and the house wines were very flavorful. It is an expensive place with the $$ of 25-30 / person.
(4)Candice T.
Pepper herb butter. A person outside my circle of friends would be shocked at what I love to eat: pepper, butter, olive oil and bread. I had the New York steak and my boyfriend had chicken saltimbocca. Very nice ambiance, decent food favorably priced. Nice wait staff. I was not impressed with the chicken, the steak was good, but not cooked perfectly. But everything had enough pepper and butter to have me happily bouncing in my seat.
(4)Mr. R.
We dined at Tarragon this weekend, and had an enjoyable experience. My wife and I had: 1) Apple Salad and the Asparagus and Portabello Salad. Both were non lettuce salads, and pretty darn good. The apple salad was an enormous helping of shaved apples (green) with a interesting dressing. 2) Cioppino and Tri Tip. Both were good, nothing remarkable, but good. But I have to say I was definitely left wanting on the portion size for the Tri Tip. Another member of our party ordered the NY Strip Steak, and I was instantly envious. Very generous portion, very thick cut. Nice looking sauce on it. 3) We ordered the Bomba (Peanut Butter Dessert), but they were out so we got the bread pudding, which was OK, I was a little disappointed there. So in summary, (1) Appetizer Salads, well portioned, and very good. (2) Mains were fine, nothing remarkable, and order the NY Steak if in doubt, and (3) Try the Bomba, it sounded pretty good.
(3)Dennis O.
Parking in downtown Sunnyvale is just a little difficult during Happy Hour. Reason? Lack of signs and spaces. No parking structures. I had my eye on this place for a long time and I really jumped when I found that Groupon had a deal for this place. So far the restaurant really came through. I didn't go for the early bird menu, I was there to spoil myself with a good glass of wine, roasted meat and good company. The place wasn't crowded for a friday night which is good. Now how I spoil myself this evening? Big spaces, lots of tables, just about perfect ambiance. Check. Good company. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm check. A chilled glass of chardonnay - cant remember what it was, house wine. Just had to get one since it was hot all day. Calamari starters - ahh this is excellent calamari. The spices were perfect. Not too big or small. Not too oily or spicy. New York Steak - 9oz , they had a 12oz but this was a lot already even when sharing.. Includes Potato gratin, small brocolli and some kind of butter. a glass of Monterey Pinot Noir - perfect for lamb or steak. Not too overpowering which is what I like when complimenting good food. Rack of Lamb for my companion - also excellent. Both Rack of Lamb and my dining companion. - Potatoes, zucchini ( my favorite veggie!) , lemon thyme aioli. Heavenly... Its been a month or so since I ate here but this is definitely my kind of a place where you can forget your troubles and consume a fair amount of wine and roasted meat :D
(4)Devo S.
Very nice place on Murphy St...great Happy Hour deals. My $5 peppermint martini was great. I would come back!
(4)Alexia N.
Puff Pastry Baked Brie is delicious. It is a perfect balance of creamy cheese, sweet apricot and roasted garlic. Cioppino is so salty that I can only eat the mussels and clams. Its tomato broth doesn't taste like they use fresh tomato but canned tomato. Garlic bread is decent, crunchy. However, if they use butter instead of cheese, it might be better. Stuffed Bell Pepper is delicious. Garlic Mashed Potatoes is lame. It tastes like it is instant mashed potatoes instead of fresh potatoes. I cannot taste any garlic. Also, it is dried, not creamy at all. Apple Salad tastes like cough medicine. It is terrible. Service is very good. I hope that they improve the Cioppino because it is one of my favorite dishes. Also, I do want to come back to Tarragon to try other dishes because I like its location, ambiance and service.
(3)Amanda G.
I've been meaning to update my review for awhile, and seeing the recent negative reviews has pushed me to finally do it. My husband and I were married here a little over a month ago, and were THRILLED with everything. There was a new chef hired after we had signed on, and as much as we previously liked the food, it's even better now. We especially love the fact that the new chef is using local, sustainable, seasonal, and organic ingredients. That's how we cook at home, and were so pleased to be able to share that with our guests. As for the service....From start, (almost a year ago) to finish, we couldn't have been more pleased. The owner is phenomenal. She was available when I needed to talk to her, and incredibly easy and fun to work with.She took care of all the little details, (some things I hadn't even thought of.) I cannot express enough what a great experience we had with her, and the restaurant. The waitstaff and bartender were also really attentive and helpful. She really made us feel taken care of.We truly had no worries at all the day of our wedding. Several of our guests remarked on how impressed with the food and service they were, as well as how beautiful the upstairs room is. We had such a great experience here, I really hope more people give them a try.
(5)Cherie S.
It's time to celebrate now that downtown Sunnyvale is back! Don't miss the incredible 3-course, Tarragon Early Bird Special for only $20 per person. Fine dining that doesn't break the bank. The special is from 5:00pm to 5:45pm (you must have ordered by 6pm) on Monday thru Saturday. During the Early Bird Special, you can buy house wine for $3 a glass. (You can also get four different draft beers for $3 each during Happy Hour.) (Note: You cannot use a coupon--or Groupon--for this deal. Also, your party must be fewer than 8 people.) The Early Bird Special is: First Course: an Organic Greens Salad or Chef's Soup of the Day. Second Course: a choice of: Fettuccini Alfredo, Tortellini, Eggplant Parmigiana, Grilled Prime Tri-Tip, Pork Tenderloin, Cioppino, Ale Braised Pot Roast, Grilled Creole Prawns, Roasted Rack of Lamb, Chicken Marsala or Grilled Salmon. Third Course: Espresso Tiramisu, New York Cheesecake, Chocolate Brownie and ice-cream or Double Espresso. I like the salad; it has candied walnuts and a roasted garlic dressing. I'm also a fan of the tri-tip and the best desert is the New York Cheesecake. The décor is upscale and impressive. Our service was great and the price was right! Tarragon--a perfect place if you have a big appetite and a thin wallet.
(4)Amanda A.
We came here for a birthday. Not a very busy night, but service was a bit slow. We still felt welcome though, which is more important. They didn't do anything special because of the birthday, but dinner was still pretty good. Our company thought the stuffed chicken was a bit on the dry side, but not bad. The lamb and tuna were quite good. Nice ambiance, not too dark like some restaurants. We'll consider this place again.
(3)Carmen M.
Went on a dinner date and this was the place we chose. I have never eaten here before and checked the reviews on Yelp before we left. Since I am a vegetarian I had to see what dishes they had. They seemed to offer a few so I was willing to try. The reviews were mixed and that is fine with me. When we walked inside it was noisy and full of energy. I liked that and we were seated right away. I checked the menu and decided to order Eggplant Parmigiana and my date ordered Lentil soup and the Swordfish. While waiting we tried to have a conversation but it was too noisy. We were informed that there were a few company parties there so that is why it was busy. Our dishes were served in a timely manner and I was ready to eat. My Eggplant was delicious and I didn't want to put my fork down. The marinara and bechanel sauces were sooo good. My date didn't like his Swordfish and said the sauce over powered the fish. The Lentl soup was good. I had a great eating experience and I will return again.
(4)John F.
We were here for dinner. The plating was appealing, but the food wasn't impressive. The service was a little slow.
(3)Mr. B.
I had lunch at Tarragon this week with my family. The restaurant has clean décor and very nice with comfortable seating. The place was packed, but OpenTable is always a handy tool to make reservations at this place. Parking was a major problem during lunch. It took about 20 minutes for the waiter Praveen to acknowledge our existence, but he was very friendly and professional. He was running around delivering food so I really think the restaurant manager need to consider hiring more service staff. Overall, it took us an hour and half to order and finish our lunch! They don't have kid friendly menu, but restaurant was able to make pasta and red sauce for the kids with few pieces of chicken on the side. Lamb Loin Chop was very good and Asian salad was also tasty. I think overall, the food is really good. I've dined here 2-3 times in the past and the food has been consistently good. Again, they were understaffed for lunch. Here are few things I wish they had at this place - For business people, offer white or black napkins. I was left with white lint from the white cloth napkin all over the front of my black pants - Offer children menu or couple of simple menu items that kid can order. Burger with regular sesame bun (not Ciabatta bun), chicken breast, etc. - More waiters and service staff during lunch rush hour
(3)M T.
Tarragon has exceptional ambience and outstanding food. I highly recommend it. Context: I came in for lunch with a few of my coworkers. The hostess was warm and friendly and let us relax at a table of our choosing--admittedly they weren't overly busy. The ambience and decor was great, with just the right balance of noise and quiet. Then came my delicious pesto chicken sandwich. Hands-down the best lunch item I have had on Murphy Street. Its flavor was complex and nuanced, the texture was moist and crispy, and most importantly, it was served alongside sweet potato fries! Thanks Tarragon for making my lunch so pleasant.
(5)Linda M.
We went here for a pre-Christmas dinner with family (since we will be out of town on Christmas). We decided to pick someplace new this year rather than our old-favorite, and that was a huge mistake. Tarragon dissapointed across the board. We started with the bread basket, which was amazing. The bread was hot and had a perfect crust and a little bit of sourdough taste to it. The waiter explained that they didn't make the bread - it was shipped over from LeBoulanger. Should have been a clue that the best part of the meal wasn't made by their chefs. We had a filet mignon, medium-rare, and a rack of lamb, rare. The side dishes served with the meals were lovely. The spinach, mashed potato, eggplant & tomato, mushrooms, were all flavorful and well-prepared. However, the focus of the dish - the meats- all fell way short of expectations, as did the service. The filet was unevenly cooked. It was rare in the middle but had a sizeable brown over-done ring all the way around. So effectively the outer inch was well-done and the inner-inch was rare. Perhaps the theory was if you eat them all together in one bite it was supposed to equal out to medium-rare? The filet also didn't have much flavor to it unless you doused it with the sauce. The lamb was inedible. There were two big chops on the plate. We ordered it rare, but one was blue inside (cold and barely cooked at all), and the other was medium-well. One was close to tender so we could eat it, but the other we couldn't even cut, let alone eat. How does one dish come out with two disparately cooked pieces on it? The waiter was no where to be found for about 30 minutes after our food was served, but when he finally did come over we pointed out the lamb discrepancy. His instant response was "Well, that's what happens when you order rare meat; it can be tough to chew. They have a preparation for steak called 'blue' and I tasted it here last week and it took me over a minute to chew it". Then he promptly walked away - no apology for the kitchen misstep, no offering to re-fire or bring us something else. Just chastised us for ordering it rare and left. We were all dumbfounded, wondering if that really just happened?! First off, if you are serving quality meat then ordering it with a rare preparation should be no problem. Besides, we got one blue chop and one well-done chop, not what we ordered. Is telling me that you tasted a steak here last week and could barely chew it a good sales pitch for the restaurant, or just further evidence that perhaps the inedible nature of the lamb was not, as you pointed out, my fault? Against my better judgment we decided againt pursuing the issue or getting the manager involved, simply because it was already a ruined pre-Christmas dinner, no need to make a further spectacle. But the kitchen staff and wait staff definitely need refinement. I would not recommend Tarragon, nor would I go back. Epic Failure.
(1)Don P.
We celebrated Thanksgiving dinner at Tarragon this year. Two of our party ordered turkey, while the third had pork tenderloin with apricot sauce. We all enjoyed squash soup as a starter. Delicious! The turkey was tasty, and the stuffing almost like Grandma would make. I found the pork moist and well seasoned. We ordered the triple chocolate mousse, pumpkin pie, and the cheesecake for desert so we could all sample each. Very good. The service was excellent, and the young men who waited on us were personable, solicitous without being obsequious, polite and energetic, especially Sandor. All in all, an enjoyable experience. We'll be back!
(4)Brian B.
It is ironic that Sunnyvale did everything it could to stomp out the old downtown and now that their headlong leap into failed suburbia resulted in a fabulous faceplant, they want us to embrace the 'old' downton SV. They can bite me. I've watched them make every wrong move for 30 years and I feel they need to pay the price for their 'get rich quick' scheme that started in the late-70s. Hmmm, the heart of Silicon Valley in the late-70s? A monkey and a dartboard would have been a better urban planning methodology. White people crack me up sometimes. OK, so here we are...2008. Tarragon. It's like every other quasi-upscale yuppified watering hole. The food was good. The winelist was uninspired but acceptable. One of my favorite obscure Bob Dylan songs is "Brownsville Girl". It's really a monologue rather than a song. In it, he says, "If there's an original idea out there, I could use it right now." So could Tarragon. But they're not bad at rehashing the yuppie dream that died so hard in the late-90s.
(3)Liz L.
So I mistakenly bought a Groupon for Tarragon when I thought it was for Turmeric. Two restaurants that are named after an herb/spice that starts with a T across the street from each other. I was bound to get confused! But I was pleasantly surprised. The food was pretty good, although the service was close to non-existent. We asked to move to a bigger table because we had more people coming, but we got stuffed into a booth that was ... actually smaller. Furthermore, some of our entrees took so long to come that we ended up canceling them. I'd go back again, maybe with a smaller group so that we don't "confuse" them. I really enjoyed the baked brie appetizer, and the rack of lamb.
(3)Craig R.
Once per quarter I've been organizing a mid week business lunch for 8 - 12 clients at Tarragon. The most recent visit was disappointing. The location is ideal for our group, the food is always good and we were seated right away, but the waitress took way too long to get our order, and by the time the entrees arrived our meeting time was almost over.
(3)Scott C.
The food here is actually very good. Both times I had the sea bass. The first time it was perfect.. Moist and almost melted in your mouth. The second time it was a little dry but still good. Service both times was excellent. The waiter actually remembered us from two weeks ago. This is a nice restaurant with a warm ambiance. Would be a great place to take your significant other to.
(4)Leida A.
Long wait for food, service was horrible, and food was mediocre. Enough said!
(1)Lilia H.
This place is great! Made a reservation for 10 for boyfriend's birthday dinner, no problems. Even though it was pretty full, we could still talk to each other without having to yell. The food was delicious..recommend the ahi tuna. I might try their ribs next time, they looked good. We didn't ask for the free birthday dessert thing restaurants usually do, but after we sang to the bf, our waiter dropped by with a little cake anyway.
(5)Mo C.
First time here and the service was great, the waiter was great, and most importantly the food and dessert was great. My guests and I were happy all around the table.
(5)Kevin S.
This review is focused on the banquet side of the house, as we had our wedding reception at Tarragon. We actually found Tarragon somewhat by chance when searching for reception venues in the South Bay on Google. What we found attractive about the place when we visited is that Dottia was very laid back and wasn't ultra-pushy. We were also impressed with the value for the money - you can offer up to 4 entrees for the same price on their plated menus, which was unheard of at places charging 3x the price. In addition, their minimums are somewhat flexible - this was key because we were on a budget and were inviting under 100 guests. When it came time to execute, the staff killed it. The food was excellent and got rave reviews from the guests. The waitstaff was prompt and professional. The bartender did a great job and poured great drinks all night. An overall awesome job. Definitely add them to your list of places to check out when cruising for reception spots.
(5)Sara L.
This is where I found the bar tender who hated money. There's nothing better than going to happy hour when you know there's a 4 day weekend to follow. Wooohoooo! So we came to Terragon with a bunch of coworkers age ranging from 24 to 64+ (no joke, he's a party animal too =)). It started out great! which is why they salvaged two stars. We noticed the bar tender seemed a little grumpy, which is odd since we were just trying to order and there were literally only two other people at the bar. Fine, we got the first round of dirty vodka martinis; but the second round of the exact same drinks, tasted completely different. It tasted like he accidentally used flavor vodka, maybe raspberry. It was gross. He denied it even though the difference was so obvious and he did not want to replace it for us! All the while we've been tipping him 20%. Finally one of the older gentlemen from our group talked to him and he reluctantly replaced the drinks for us. If he was grumpy before, now he's raging and glaring at us. I've never seen someone so unpleasant in a service related position. 6:55 rolls around and of course we're gonna want one last round before the end of happy hour at 7. Well, surprise! he said no, happy hour is over. Not wanting to risk him spitting in our drinks, I turned back. But my friends weren't backing down so easily. Everyone was waving their phones with the time on it. I walked back at the bar and he says "what can I get you?" Seriously, you work for tips, we tip you, you be happy. It's your damn job! How can you be mad that you have to serve drinks? how else are you gonna make money? I know they pay you crap hourly. And when you made a mistake, you fix it. We aren't just trying to mess with you, or cheat you since we barely touched that nasty drink. You aren't the owner, it's not even your bottom line.
(2)D N.
Some friends and I had a lovely early-bird dinner here. We all left happy and full. It is a 3-course meal for $20. (be careful if you have more then 8 dining during the early bird times because you won't be able to order from the early bird menu) The food was extremely tasty and the waiter was the BEST! He always had a smile, and served our meals perfectly. Took care of refilling our water, bringing our checks, and all without asking! What a concept... :) Happy dining! I would highly recommend this place. Next time I would like to take a peek at their regular menu as well, just to see other selections. Though, there was an abundant amount of selections on the early bird dinners....
(4)Julie W.
This review is on the early bird 3 course dinner for $22.00, an excellent value. 5 of us went for dinner yesterday, we had reservation at 5:30 but some of us didn't get there until almost 6. The waitress was completely cool about it , very friendly, good sense of humor a delightful young woman. The basket of bread was hot and fresh, one needs strong willpower to present from overeating. Salad was decent, fresh spring mix with some candid walnuts, dressing was light and refreshing. There were quite a few goof choices for the main course; range from $16 - $22 on the regular menu. I had the cioppino, good flavor and fresh ingredients, others had salmon and pot roast (more like a beef stew), the portions were generous, everyone enjoyed the food. All the deserts were huge, we tried cheese cake, tiramisu and ice brownie (Ice cream), they were mostly OK or good, no one can finish though. I've been here many times in the past, always ordering from regular menu, it's been pretty decent (3-3.5 stars) will definitely try to make it early to take advantage of the great deal.
(4)Vijay D.
Very good ambiance, quiet, good choice of cocktails and good food.
(4)Naruto G.
the food was ok, nothing special. After we ate, we asked the waiter, what kind of food is this place? He said it's a steak house, but there are strong flavor on the food. Overall was ok, we went there for tasting with corporate pass.
(3)Sam N.
Nice restaurant and decent prices. Good for business meeting, date, or team lunch.
(4)Edgar N.
After an evening of knocking back Jack Daniel's Single Barrel, working on my filet mignon and doing plenty of people-watching, I have determined Tarragon is the finest restaurant in Sunnyvale that's not called P.F. Chang's.
(3)May B.
Nice newly decorated/updated restaurant with a nice looking bar. I came here on a Friday night dinner and it seemed "dead." Food was just OK (I ordered the tuna tartare). The rice was soggy and it lacked the right flavor. Just felt whoever made me meal was kind of amateur. Service was ok. Hubby liked his steak although a tad overcooked. I have been here one time before for lunch and my experience with lunch was better than what I experienced for dinner. Not sure I would bother going back though.
(2)Phoebe A.
For the price, our dining experience here was exceptional. We went because I got a groupon coupon and thought it would be fun to try a new restaurant. Everything we had was really good. The flavors were all delicately balanced and everything was really fresh. I had the spinach salad and the eggplant parmesan. My husband had the mixed greens and the prime rib. One kid had the ravioli and the other kid had the short ribs. Everyone was really happy. I noticed on one review that the service was bad. Someone must have taken note of that review because service was impeccable in every way. We had two $45 groupon coupons for four of us and dinner ended up being $7 after the coupons were applied, so even if we had no coupons, I think that $97 is very reasonable for the quality of dinner that we had. We will be back!
(5)K H.
Very nice ambiance, an elegant restaurant but not pretentious, service was very good as was the food. We had the early bird special on a Friday evening but would be happy to try to regular menu. Nice place!
(4)Gene A.
This place was ok. I sat in the bar area and my server, Kristine, was attentive and very friendly. The food, however, was somewhat disappointing. I ordered a half order of oysters in the half shell. Sure, the horseradish was a nice touch, but the oysters themselves seriously lacked in flavor. No salty/briny flavor. For the entree, I ordered the rotisserie chicken, which came with mashed potatoes and carrots. The chicken was super, super bland. Even the skin lacked in flavor. I guess they've hired a new Executive Chef and his cooks are half-assing things, so I'll come back and give it another go when the Chef has his footing.
(3)Fraulein C.
My cousin had her wedding reception held here and she wishes that she could go back and do it all over again. She coordinated with their great staff to all her needs starting off with their wine and dessert menu all the way down to the bottom of picking and choosing their dinner selection and appetizers. The wedding coordinator had advised that they wanted the reception to run smoothly...which they did a perfectly great job! Their place is decorative and presentable, their service was cordial and attentive, and they were able to accommodate a large reception of 200 guests! She was gleefully happy with how everything went. My cousin had ordered off their banquet menu (three choices of either family style, sit-down or buffet...but she chose sit-down instead) and included an open bar! Their food was great! There was platters of their appetizers of cheeses, cold cut meats, seafood skewers, and fruits, etc. So I wasn't surprised that guests were devouring them like crazy after our entourage had arrived from the church and amountful of pictures with the photographer. Entrees all looked perfectly done either chicken, beef or fish. I chose their chicken entree which tasted invitingly delectable and I was much impressed. I didn't come close to tasting their cake because I was too busy having a glass of white wine and dancing the rest of the night away! Would I question myself if I want to come here and try out their food...why of course! This is a great place for an intimate dinner date with someone special. HAPPY HOUR INFO: **BAR and LOUNGE AREA ONLY When: Mondays-Fridays, 4pm-7pm Drinks: $5 by the glass wine -Featured daily white -Featured daily red -Zonin prosecco -Sangria $5 well cocktails -margaritas -screwdriver -vodka or gin martini -manhattan $5 pinnacle vodka specials -blueberry lemon drop -berry bay breeze -kiwi strawberry cosmo -appletini -pomegranate sex on the beach -cherry life saver -grape vodka cape cod Pinnacle dirty vodka martini
(4)Pauline P.
The price is reasonable, the portion is big enough. good environment, not crowded. If I can chose, I'll give 3.5 ~ 3.8 stars (coz not a fan yet ) we ordered calamari + chicken masala + pork chop + mushroom. All are good! Try it if you want to find a place with good deco, ambience to catch up with families, friends, or even for a date!
(4)Sbh H.
Enjoyed the early bird dinner last evening! The selection was vast - pork tenderloin was superb, mesquite grilled steak was well prepared. The sauces were complimentary - great addition to the entree. All veggie sides were tasty! Also enjoyed a well mixed margarita. We enjoyed this meal - service, food and environment was terrific.
(4)Amber J.
The food here is on the better side, but not fantastic. The service and ambiance is great. Decent location for a client meeting, or even a first date. My favorite dish (when they carry it) is the Saffron tempura asparagus.
(3)Shannon H.
FANTASTIC Food. I highly reccomend the calamari, salmon, or the filet mignon (which is paired beautifully by the bernaise sauce). I really love the presentation of the food also, with a nice open upscale atmosphere. I will say the prices here are extremely very well priced for what you get. Big Ups to the new chef Ryan.
(5)Keri B.
I wasn't sure when we walked in - and we got the first night of their new menu (which meant some of the things had changed!) I was in the apps and salad for dinner mode, so had the baked brie (which had apricot that was too sweet but also came with a full large bulb of roasted garlic on the side that was amazing!) -very good and their spinach salad- the dressing was really interesting (good interesting, not pretend someone is saying something incredibly pseudo-intellectual IN-teresting....more amusing than mangoes--extra points if you get the obscure musical theatre lyric quote) and lots of walnuts and goat cheese, which I truly appreciated. Interesting (again, more amusing than mangoes) wine list too with prosecco (which I wish I had had rather than the rose I had-which was dry and light, but wouldn't have made my first choice at Safeway). My friend had the porcini penne and I tried a bite- I will visit again for that and the prosecco!! (well- and to split the brie.....but it's kind of hard to ruin baked brie....) - the penne was a definite highlight. Good service, nice atmosphere, and the bathrooms were clean, well decorated and smelled nice (not like mangoes, but fruity). Like the spacious booths- it wasn't crowded, and I always wonder what the noise level would be if it were- good for smaller groups of friends or date night. Little expensive -but worth a few extra dollars for the quality of our food and experience. (even without mangoes).
(4)Michael A.
An outstanding dinner. At first I was really apprehensive about going to this place. The menu looked kinda odd (online menu), and the pictures of their dishes appeared to be more artwork than food. I was expecting all flair and no substance... I was happy to find out how wrong I was. Everything I had tasted absolutly wonderful. We started off with calamri and mussels that were outstanding. The calamari tasted great on their own, and the mussels were in a butter and white wine sauce that tasted great. For my entree I had their swordfish special which came with swordfish in a tasty buttery sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and spinach that was cooked just right. I cleaned off my plate. Evertyhing tasted wonderful. Those that I were with really enjoyed their meals too, and we were suprised how empty the place was (Friday night at 7:00pm - we guessed that it was slow due to a combination of the economy and the rain, but who knows). We all had desserts that were so tasty, we ended up passing them around. After dessert I enjoyed a nice cup of coffee. I really enjoyed the quality of food that was served here, and the professionalism of the staff. I'm not in Sunnyvale often, but next time I am, I plan to return to try another dish. FIVE STARS!
(5)Bill C.
I only recently got turned on to Tarragon. Wow, this place has a nice bar area. The bartenders know how to mix a proper martini. It's a bonus that they have a great selection of other premium drinks. If you plan an evening out, this is a great place to start the evening. For food, I can't say anything about the entrees, but the appetizers are awesome. The goat cheese and prosciutto are out of this world. I've heard the salads and crab cakes are good too. They would have gotten 5 stars but the bar area is pretty small and it's not unusual to have to stand around a bit. Will I be back? You bet I will.
(4)Amy R.
Why did it take me so long to dine here? Apparently it was a sign from the culinary gods, as the day I finally came, their fridge/freezers were down, so we could only order from the Early Bird 3-course menu (Very reasonable and worthwhile at $22/plate). The decor is beautiful, rich without being pompous and intimate without being crammed. Plenty of room between tables, and how nice is it to have round tables large enough to accommodate six people? At Tarragon, your group can actually have a conversation, instead of being forced to shout down the table, and have the whole restaurant hear about which My Little Pony is your favorite. The food was quite good, smart combinations, with an emphasis on seasonality. The pork tenderloin with apricots was delicious, though overcooked (but I believe this was due to my plate getting switched with another party member who ordered hers well done). Many points for allowing me to specify my pork to order. Drinks were made with care, and the wait staff was informative and very friendly. The hostess seemed a little moony, but this is the case in most restaurants these days, where they hire for looks over skill. Overall, I would happily come back here time and time again.
(5)Samantha S.
Unfortunately Tarragon is headed in the wrong direction. I came here a while back with some girlfriends and then again with my boyfriend the food was exceptional - I was SO excited to go back. But since a lot has changed. I came in with my boyfriend for date night, and what a disappointment. The menu doesn't match what they have online, apparently because they have a new chef. What a huge let down. The service was all over the place- in a bad way. My pork was over cooked, the polenta was mushy, my salad was swimming in dressing. My boyfriends paella tasted old, not much seafood, and again mushy. I won't be returning to Tarragon again in the near future. I'm sorry to say I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.
(1)Jay B.
Made reservations for Valentine's Day dinner a few weeks ago for 6:30pm. Arrived on-time to find a long line, approx 10 couples ahead of us, and the 6pm reservations were just being seated. Ordered a drink at the bar while we waited and received a severely watered down gin and lots of tonic. Seated around 7:10pm and waited another 20 minutes for waitress to acknowledge our presence. Our cold food started arriving close to 8pm. I'll admit it had wonderful, complex taste, but it would have been great if it was at least warm, preferably hot. Clearly, they overbooked the reservations by advertising a tantalizing prie fixe menu in the paper and could have pulled it off if they limited the reservations or staffed up.
(2)Lil Z.
This place is OVERRATED. There is a new chef and the quality/taste is not living up to the price you paid. I had the shrimp linguine and it was too thick and dense. The shrimp they used were ancient frozen shrimps lacking of shrimp flavor. The Yellow Tail was better last time but nothing special. I do admit that this place is ROMANTIC. You will wait for at least ONE hour before your entree is served, so don't be starving Marvin when you get here! Food: So So. Service: Good but slow for the food served. Price: Expensive! Return: NO but only for the atmosphere.
(2)Cindy K.
This was my first time dining at Tarragon and I was thoroughly impressed by the atmosphere and the quality of the food, martini's and service. Let's begin with the ambiance. The owners really put the time and effort in on making this place really romantic and modern. The lighting on the walls, the large mirror, the raised seating area, and the bar are beautiful. The scene is romantic. We came to eat here on a weeknight, and the corporate folks were in full... drinking at the bar, and then going to their large table. There was a good, mellow, professional and fun vibe flowing throughout the restaurant. I had the Cucumber Martini. It was the best martini i have ever had. It was like going to a day spa and being offered cucumber water... but in the gin-format and it was so refreshing and had that hint of ginger and mint. Tarragon's martini's were about $10 each... which, in my opinion, were well worth it. They have about 5 beers on tap along with a lot more bottled beer. Extensive wine list too. They have 1/2 bottles, which is always a plus in my book. Moving onto the food, the Calamari was excellent for our taste buds, but i can see how others may not like the way it was prepared. It had a good spice to it and was fried with some thin lemon slices and artichoke hearts. It was a good change to the usual calamari fritti. I had the rack of lamb, and my dinner partner had the sea bass. Presentation was wonderful and the portion of food for the rack was abundant. The Seabass portion was smaller, it actually looked real small compared to my rack of lamb, but don't let the size fool you. The flavor of both dishes were delicious. The seabass was more of a lightly pan-seared dish with light, fresh sauces and my rack of lamb was just that... LAMB! The cherry sauce it was served with was not too tart and it complemented the dish well. I was impressed by the drinks, food and service that i could not just stop there. Even though i was full, i wanted to try the dessert. As i'm reading the dessert menu, i'm thinking to myself how am i going to articulate all this in my yelp review! Well, dessert was the trio of creme brulee and the flour-less chocolate cake. I am not a fan of chocolate cake but it tasted like a rich, thick, chocolate mousse... but the dinner partner said it was just okay. The creme brulee's were creamy and just the right size to actually share if you don't want something too big. I really enjoyed Tarragon. Although it is a fairly long drive just for dinner, I definitely want to dine here more often. I know they changed the Executive Chef a few months ago, and from what it appears, things are definitely going in the right direction for this place.
(5)Victoria B.
I have been to Tarragon twice and both times, we went on a Saturday night at around 6pm (normal dinner time) and by the time we left, it was still empty. It's kind of awkward and uncomfortable to be the ONLY customers in the entire restaurant throughout the entire meal. However, I do give it props for being a rather nice restaurant with nice decor. The menu was reasonably priced. It was affordable and not expensive. We started out with the calamari (about $11) for the appetizer and it was very tasty. It was seasoned well and had the perfect crispiness to it! I really liked the sauce that they put on top. It had a little bit of a kick to it and it was really good! For the entrees, I had the chicken saltimbocca ($17.50),my mom had the paella, and my dad at the chicken rotisserie ($18). My mom tried my saltimbocca and couldn't even finish the bite because she said it tasted like really strong alcohol. I can see why she would say that, but I was used to it. It wasn't too bad, but I don't think I would order that again. My dad liked his rotisserie, and my mom liked her paella. I tried the paella and thought it would use a lot more seasoning and flavor, but it was cooked well. The service was good (well it would have to be considering they're only serving one table!) and our server was really nice and accommodating. Overall, the food was OK, but nothing too memorable. I doubt I would want to go back unless I was in the area.
(3)Dena D.
If I could, I would actually give this restaurant a 2 1/2. There were some parts about my experience that were quite good. The ambience was nice, and the restaurant was a good place to catch up and chat with an old friend. I liked the booths, the lighting, and the unhurried attitude. On the downside, I was not impressed overly with the food or the service. I did have one thing that was VERY good, but the rest was just so-so for the price. The food went through the motions of being fancy food without actually being fancy. The cheese plate had cheese that seemed like it had been cut several days before.I like hard cheeses, but not all of these were meant to be hard. And the ones that were meant to be hard were cut too thickly. It seems strange to complain about getting too much cheese, but I definitely felt this plate was a little heavy. The one saving grace was the goat cheese which was pretty tasty and had some kind of herb-thing going on. My dining companion had the paella. It came jam-packed with mussels, clams, and scallops. Which is strange, since none of these things were listed as ingredients on the menu. I happily took over eating them, but they didn't have much flavor. The paella, for all the numerous ingredients was actually pretty bland. The one point of deliciousness was the bernaise sauce over some fingerling potatoes and onions (as part of their "nicoise" treatment for several dishes.) The potatoes and onions were perfectly cooked and the sauce was quite yummy. If you are drawn in by the quiet dining room, and just want something a little yummy with wine, I recommend getting something with these potatoes.
(2)David B.
Tarragon is deceiving. The interior design - from the floor plan to the fixtures to the lighting - is handsome. I've been here several times, and I presume that's because the ambiance is what sticks in my memory. Although typically I come for a few drinks and maybe a bite to eat, on the most recent occasion I came specifically for dinner. Seated at the bar, I started with the signature Manhattan ($10) which is a blend of Amaretto and bourbon. Largely as expected, it wasn't successful, with more Amaretto than bourbon. I thought they'd just replace the vermouth with Amaretto... guess not. Oh, and it comes in an 8 oz. glass. 8 oz. martini glasses should be illegal. As a main course, I ordered the spinach ravioli ($15), as did a dining companion, with the other dining companion ordering the salmon ($18.50). After what seemed like a long wait given the number of patrons (perhaps 10 in total, in addition to my party of three), our dishes arrived. The first thing I noticed was the dry appearance and some browned edges to some of my ravioli, obviously the result of having sat under the heat lamp too long. (The other ravioli dish seemed to be fine; apparently mine was the first dish to come out of the kitchen, but that's no excuse for drying/burning the food.) The portion was not stingy, but it wasn't generous either, as I wound up foraging in the fridge later that evening. The flavor of the dish was... odd. The ravioli themselves were extremely mild - almost bland - which was a surprise. The only sauce was the browned butter, and that was in short supply. The two stand-outs in terms of flavors were the pecans and the andouille sausage, both of which were tasty but struck me as bizarre in a ravioli dish, especially something that was supposed to be seasoned with sage. The mix of flavors - such as they were - and textures didn't work. Dining companion #2 didn't say much about the salmon, but I could see that it was paper-thin, which struck me as lame. In hindsight, although they obviously put some effort into their wares, I'm consistently underwhelmed with Tarragon. So I think I'll have to say my goodbyes - and not let myself be drawn in by the ambiance next time.
(2)Lindsay N.
Both times I've been here the dining room has been pretty empty - perhaps because of the lower reviews??. But I'm not sure why. Both times everyone at my table had very good food, with a pretty good range on the menu and the service was excellent, friendly and quick. Its also a fairly reasonably priced. I'm a pretty tough critic (some of my friends refuse to choose restaurants for me since I'm always critical), though happy to celebrate good finds. Between me and my friends we've had the chicken marsala, the cowboy cut pork chop, the chicken saltimbocca and it was all good. I think their menu on the website it not updated. I found it to be a very pleasant evening for about $30pp with a drink, tax and tip. That's a good deal down in these parts. I highly recommend giving this place a try for a casual night out with friends.
(4)Jennifer M.
I've been using Yelp for some time but have never before posted a review. Unfortunately my experience at Tarragon inspired me to do so. A group of us went there for a farewell lunch for a colleague on a Monday. The place was pretty much empty yet we still had terrible service. The waitstaff was inattentive and it took us forever to get our food. Once we did, it came out for one or two people at a time (think, 10 minute wait before the next person was served) and when it was served it was barely warm. Lastly, the food was just not good. The hangar steak sandwich was chewy, greasy and cold. And I've had better fries at McDonald's! All in all, a poor eating experience. I will not go back.
(1)cindy s.
This review is for a wedding reception event. We had our wedding reception at the banquet facility last month at Tarragon. We met with Dottia, the reception coordinator, several months before the wedding day to set up the buffet menu. Dottia was friendly and flexible to work with initially as she was able to change a few items on the banquet menu as well as negotiate prices for our drinks. Months following the initial meeting, she was difficult to get in touch with over email and my fiance had to initiate contact with her several times even when it was regarding payments. Fast forward to a month before the wedding, Allie, the assistant reception coordinator, became our main point of contact as Dottia was out of the country. Upon meeting Allie, we found her to be friendly, however, we thought that she would agree too quickly and prematurely to our requests (she kept saying such and such was possible without hesitation). I also gave her copies of the table arrangements which she assured me she would pass on to the set up crew. My fiance also arranged to drop off some things a day before the wedding with Allie, but she never showed up and he was only able to get in because there were delivery guys there that morning. On the day of our wedding, I found out: the table set up was completely changed from the original plan (we had tables squeezed in the corners and no gift table!), there was a cocktail hour that we were not informed about (our guests were getting hungry!), and that the music could only be controlled from downstairs (which meant someone had to be downstairs to play the songs -esp. for the wedding party entrance- while trying to coordinate with someone upstairs). My wedding coordinator spoke with the restaurant staff to ask about these changes but no one came to apologize to us afterwards. Although the food was pretty good (most people liked the pasta and tiramisu), I am deducting 2 stars for the lack of professionalism displayed by Allie. i'm not sure if she's just new to the job or that she doesn't understand all the details that need to be in place to set up a wedding reception.
(2)Starleigh H.
I'm going to keep this review short and sweet... This place serves GREAT FOOD for a CHEAP price! The very first time I dined here, I was very surprised at how afforable the prices were for what they serve! This is also good place to bring a person on a date. Very intimate and romantic setting (for it being Downtown Sunnyvale). The service, however, is on the slow side - otherwise I would give it 5 stars! Happy eating! This place gets a thumbs up in my book! =)
(4)debbie h.
Order the pomegranite martini before going to your table; not sweet + refreshing. Instead of giving friends B-Day presents I prefer to take them to dinner or plan an activity. I chose Tarragon to take 2 B-day ladies last night. I heard a Croatian family owned the place and wanted to see if their food compared to my Mama's. From the start the service was stellar. Cocktails at the bar were great and they had a DJ (for the first time). It was my first time being in Sunnyvale after 6pm, and must say it was a refreshing change from the Santana Row wannabe scene. Diners ranged from bar-goers, to business patrons, to families, to dates and friend like us. The space is large and didn't feel full. We developed a lil crush on our cute and amusing waiter. Fortunately I was sober and did not say anything regrettable or memorable, although I can't say the same for my mates. My Faves: #1: Phyllo wrapped brie w/preserved figs #2: Eggplant entree #3: Fuji blue salad Dessert is not their strongest point yet, but our waiter mentioned that they just hired a new pastry chef who is revamping the offerings. They do have a delicious-sounding after dinner drink menu that sounded divine, but I was driving.
(4)Alexander L.
I was brought here for my birthday by a great friend, but I was not as impressed as I was hoping I would be. I mean, the atmosphere is nice and the server was funny. He even laughed at my joke about the lamb I had ordered. "What kind of sauce is the lamb in?" my friend asked. "It's a mint sauce." the server replied. "Maybe it's cause the lamb had baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad breath." I said. There was a short pause and then a chuckle or two. Overall I'd go back and give this place another shot but it's not something that I'm going to go out of my way to do.
(3)Kathy S.
We have been going to Tarragon for years and have never been disappointed. I brought a Friend for her birthday lunch and we had an excellent meal. The portions were large and the food was perfect. Even the house wine was good. I recommend it often for friends looking for a new dinner spot. I love the early bird special. It is very affordable and you always get a full portion. We will continue to share this Restaurant with all our friends!
(5)Beverly F.
We've been to Tarragon many times and are always happy with the food and service. The menu is varied and interesting and the food always delicious. And the service is excellent. They frequently have a three course special before 6pm and it's a great deal. The only difficult part is choosing what we want to order!
(5)Vijay P.
Good selection of wine. The entrees were okay, but the service could have been better. We went during a weekday evening, and there were less than 8 tables occupied. The waiter was too busy taking care of a table of 10 than us.
(2)Juli H.
Another awesome evening at Tarragon...this time for an anniversary dinner. Josh was our server...great attention to detail, and he treated our special bottle of wine like it was priceless....very impressed. As always, prices are more than reasonable, and the people and atmosphere can't be beat. Skip all of your other possible choices in and around Sunnyvale...Tarragon will meet and surpass every expectation.
(5)H T.
I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time and recently went on a Friday night with my foodie extraordinaire and found the food to be lackluster which probably explains why their huge, beautiful, restaurant was empty on a Friday night. Weighing the pros and cons on whether Tarragon is worth giving another shot. Pros: *Great atmosphere - it's a huge restaurant with seating for large groups and nice decor *Yummy bread, mmm *Baked Brie appetizer ($9) - this was the highlight of the evening! I've had baked brie before but this was unique in that it was baked inside a puff pastry and had apricot compote, crostini, and roasted garlic (which I obviously didn't care for). This appetizer is a must have here *Service was decent for my pace since I like to eat my meals slow and don't want to be bothered unless it's for my fourth water refill but I certainly wouldn't recommend this place if you're in a hurry Cons: *Spinach Salad ($6.50) the first item in the description of this salad is "poached pears" (accompanied with goat cheese, toasted almonds, and warm bacon balsamic (I had a vinaigrette instead) - guess what my salad was missing? Yup, no pears, not even a slice. wtf. So what I had was a huge plate of spinach, awful GARLIC vinaigrette, a few toasted almonds, and a little bit of goat cheese. So disappointing. *Dessert - since they completely lost it on the salad front so I was hoping they'd redeem themselves on the dessert (since I only eat dinner so I can get to the dessert anyway ;) but sadly they didn't - we ordered the lava chocolate cake and of course, the lava chocolate cake was missing the lava! It was just a small circle of chocolate cake. wtf. what is it with Tarragon and leaving out key (and advertised) ingredients in their food? *Parking can be challenging *Small menu (read: not many vegetarian options) Tips: *If you do come here, when you're ordering, don't get attached to having any ingredient in particular in your dish because most probably, they'll leave something out and it may have been your favorite thing about the dish in the first place! Bottom line, Tarragon is like a supermodel (except Gisele), pretty from the outside, but once you take a closer look, it's completely lacking any substance on the inside.
(3)Michaela L.
I really like the atmosphere at Tarragon -- just the right balance of noise vs. intimacy, with a nicely-designed lighting scheme that keeps it dark yet cozy inside, even though the space is pretty deep and multi-tiered. The food is..pretty good, but not outstanding. Or maybe I haven't found the one outstanding dish yet. We've been there twice; the smoked chicken & tortellini I had the first time was way better than the green pea ravioli I had the next time. This dish, green pea ravioli in sweet corn cream with leeks, tasted like...peas and corn and leeks. It really wanted a savory component to offset the vegetable-ness, but I think this is their vegetarian pasta alternative, so alas, no bacon. But when it comes to bacon, the bacon and scallion mashed potatoes cover the bacon end of the spectrum nicely. Mmm...bacon. One little thing at Tarragon makes me very happy -- when you order a Sprite, the bartender squeezes a segment of lime into it. Sprite is the only caffeine-free soda in most restaurants, which makes it my only option and so I'm kind of sick of it, but Sprite with fresh lime flavor is actually worth having on purpose. So, I'd go again -- comfortable food, comfortable setting. Not the best food I've ever had in my life, but it's a nice place to go and be comfortable.
(3)Phil N.
I will NOT be back. I don't mind paying for good food and service, but this place is a total rip. Service was prompt and courteous, but that's all. Most restaurants at least serve bread and butter, herbed olive oil, or something like that when you sit down. Nope. No bread comes with your meal, no matter how much you pay. Speaking of the meal, dinner dishes range from about $10 to about $26 -- no salad, bread or soup, just a la carte. We ordered the seafood pasta and fish of the day; the bill (with tax & tip) came to $51 for those two dishes alone. We only had water. I rarely feel completely ripped off by a restaurant, but this was so bad that I signed up here to write this review and warn everyone. I will never go back. No wonder we were nearly the only ones there.
(1)Cee V.
quality of food was mediocre. chocholate lava cake did not have lava. overpriced. waiter was a dumbass. host wanted to sit us by the entrance when there were plenty of other, better tables inside. no one was there on a saturday night! it was pathetic. everyone else was eating at dish dash only a few doors down. my suggestion: wait it out to eat at dish dash! their food is amazing and the deserts there rock.
(3)Christine E.
No complaints here! My brother took me, my mom and a cousin visiting from London for a Friday lunch here. It was great! I was very satisfied with my dish. I ordered the chicken and brie saltimbocca...which was the BOMB! I am a huge fan of caramelized onions, which of course this dish had. I loved the sauce, although the meat was kinda soaking in it. But, I enjoyed my meal. It was nice and quiet for a Friday, so ideal location for great conversation and just a break from holiday shopping. The interior reminds me of one of my fave lunch spots in Washingotn, DC...Jimmy's on K Street steakhouse. The bar also looks fully stocked here, so I'll have to come here for dinner and order a drink! The restaurant is conveniently located to a bunch of bars on Murphy Ave., so this could be a nice spot to have dinner with a date or with family beforehand.
(5)Bill C.
Attracted by a full-page ad in the Thurs. SJ MERCURY 'Eye' supplement, Dr. Ginny & I popped over to Sunnyvale's restaurant row (the low numbers of S. Murphy Ave, downtown) for their Early Bird Special ($20 from 5-5:45pm thru 31 JULY 10) We both had Eggplant Parmiggiana in a tart tomato-fennell marinara sauce with balsamic vinegar. Portion: small; flavor: piquant. Soup: cream of broccoli w/white cheddar, delicious, but slightly salty. I liked the key-lime pie w/toasted-cocoanut sauce; Dr. Ginny liked her chocolate ice cream with chocolate brownie. Service: constantly attentive. Her overall conclusion: "OK , but I wouldn't hurry back. "(me) "Better than Everett/Braintree MA, long ago."
(3)Harry S.
My wife and I went on a Tuesday night to get the early-bird special, our first time there. Our first impression was that it was a bit noisy, considering how few people were present. Noise seemed to carry from all over the restaurant: the kitchen, the bar, the busing station, the tables. However, we turned our attention to the early-bird menu and quickly became engrossed in a bigger problem, namely what to order from the huge list of enticing entrees. There must have been six items that I really wanted to try, and after much internal debating decided on the rack of lamb. My wife quickly homed in on the cioppino. We both started with salads that were cool, crisp and perfectly dressed. The entrees were beautifully presented, cooked to order, and tasted wonderful. The desserts (chocolate brownie sundae and key lime pie with guava sauce) were on a par with the rest of the meal -- in other words, superb! The pacing was impeccable, neither slow nor rushed, and the service was quite good. We had a marvelous dining experience, and all thoughts of the noise disappeared once the food started arriving. We definitely will be coming back here to work our way through that extensive menu.
(4)Emily W.
I will start by saying that I havent been in about 6 months, but before that my dad and I went several times and always really enjoyed it. The first time we went was unplanned: my dad is allergic to garlic, and the restaurant we had hoped to go to couldnt make him anything but a veggie platter because all the meat was pre-marinated! We walked into Tarragon with a "what the hell, might as well try it" attitude and were pleasantly surprised. Once she understood our slight complication, the waitress brought the chef over to our table, and he created a custom entree for my dad that was just as elegant and well-thought out as anything already on the menu! After that we were pretty much sold, but it didnt hurt that the food was delicious and the restaurant is nicely decorated without being stuffy.
(5)Denise C.
I really wanted to LOVE this place. After all the decor is quite lovely, the menu "looked" impressive BUT it clearly does not match up to the food quality. I seriously thought it must have been Chef's night off. I could not see anyone working in the the kitchen. There were only four tables occupied at 7:30pm. I suppose it was the first sign we should have backed up and walked out. But we waited... and waited... and waited to be seated. No one was manning the host station and it appeared that the other staff working that evening felt it was their job to welcome us and say the host will be with us shortly. Once seated in a very nice booth I must say, our server arrived and was quite friendly. So I thought alright, this will be okay, just a little shaking beginning but the rest of the evening will be fine. And then we ordered....duh duh daunt dah, dah...... The food went from just okay to the point of just plain bad. We even had to send an entree back - and I never do that. We started with the calamari appetizer (again it sounded impressive-fried with thin slices of lemon and artichoke hearts), but it was served overcooked and cold (how do you do that?) I kept thinking it must have been someones leftovers that was sent back and then re-fired and sent out again - it was that overcooked. The main courses weren't much better, the short-rib which seemed heavily recommended by other Yelpers, was just too fatty (and cold). The potatoes and onions were pretty bland as well. The halibut, also fell short, again over cooked (to the point ya just might want to call it "fish sticks" was also lacking taste. It should be a crime to do that to Halibut! Oh, and did I mention it as also cold? Burned and cold...again, how the !@#$ do you do that?! The shrimp pasta was the best item of the evening, but was only average. The only saving grace was the service. He was very friendly and tried to make up for the shortcomings taking place in the kitchen. But he too, was a little slow at points, leaving me to ponder if it was him or the kitchen that was so slow, since again, there were only four tables being served that evening. Again, I really wanted to love this place but seriously with the quality of food being served (and at those prices), I really felt ripped off. Hopefully the Chef can recover.
(2)Lana P.
We just had work lunch there with 19 people. Food was very good and service is awesome! Best place to take for the large group.
(5)Carol A.
Friday night in a strange town with dinner companions also NOT from the area...what to do? Someone consulted a restaurant guide that was in their hotel room and suggested Tarragon Restaurant as a locally-sourced place not too far from our hotel so by mutual agreement we decided to give them a try. We arrived early enough to be seated without a reservation but that might not work every time. It was Friday night and by the time we left, the seats were indeed filling up. It is an attractive space with dining on several levels, a few steps up or down at the most. We parked and came in by a "back" door and momentarily seemed to confuse the person we ask for a table and were directed toward the "front". Once seated, the most difficult part of the meal was to decide from the menu what to order. I began with a Citrus Salad which has arugula, avocado, orange & grapefruit, red onion, sunflower seeds, mint and citrus vinaigrette and it was exceptionally good. I also ordered a 9 oz Filet Mignon served with garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, mushrooms, bleu cheese sauce & demi glace. The steak was cooked just right and I enjoyed the sides, as they complimented the meal nicely. Since it was a lot of food, I did get a to-go box and had enough for another modest meal later. Hubby, always on his ongoing quest for the perfect specimen, had Lasagna. His take was: "it wasn't the worst or the best I ever had...it was okay." Service was very good although our waiter did forget to bring us three dinner checks as we had requested when we ordered since our dinner companions were buying their own dinners, but the oversight was corrected quickly and cheerfully. Tarragon does, indeed, offer fresh, locally sourced food and it was a really nice meal in interesting, dynamic surroundings. If you are in Sunnyvale, go there, by all means.
(4)Tom P.
Bar and bar service is very good. Food is usually very good. I recommend the stuffed chicken or the beef short rib tower. I don't recommend the Chicken Marsala. The portion I had was very small and the chicken was overcooked. Nice atmosphere and friendly well trained staff. The way to do it here is show up before 6 for 1/2 off appetizers and drinks.
(3)Marsha K.
We arranged a large family party of 35 + 7 children for Tarragon's private room upstairs on short notice (1 week in advance for a Saturday night). We were favorably impressed with the attentive service and the menu choices. We were able to ask at the time of booking for a change to the menu plan and our changes were accommodated. Fish and chicken dishes were good. Vegetables and salad were especially well made - not over cooked, which we really appreciated. Children loved the mac and cheese especially for them. Special thanks to Zoran who assisted us with this arrangement.
(5)Jennifer S.
Short review: Amazing 5-star service. Terrible 1-star food, especially for the prices. Long review: First of all, our server, Crystal, deserves a halo, wings, and rollerskates. From what I could tell, she was the only one taking orders, and it was fairly busy. She was running all over the place! However, she did her best to accommodate us and make sure we were happy. Unfortunately, the kitchen staff made that an impossible goal. The owner also get kudos. Our graduation ran late, and I called just before our reservation time to say we wouldn't be there for a while. He was very nice about it. He also comped my dinner. More on that in a minute. Now for the food. Not one of us in our group had a meal that was excellent. The halibut and filet mignon were good, but that's about it. We ordered calamari first, which was tasty but only came with about 10 pieces of squid, and the rest was just battered onion slices. The arugula and beat salad was good, probably the highlight of our meal, although it was very heavy on the arugula. My son and I split the rack of lamb dish. It was a disaster. I ordered medium rare, it came out charred and well done. The "lamb jus" tasted like Williams-Sonoma gravy out of a jar. It was disgusting. It clearly had MSG in it, because I got the headache later. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes tasted like they were instant. The broccolini was the most edible part of the dish. When Crystal came over a few minutes after we had received our food and inquired how it was, I was honest. She immediately notified the owner, who first went to talk to the kitchen staff, and then came and told me that my meal would be free of charge. That alone is worth an extra star for the review. It also took us forever to get our entrées. It was late, and my kids were beat, otherwise I probably would have sent my lamb back for them to try again. After 90 minutes though, we just wanted to eat and go home. I blame the kitchen staff for this, because they seem to be pretty relaxed and having a good time in the open kitchen. They have a decent wine list, and my Pinot Noir would have well matched a good lamb dish. If you're into ginger ale, they have one that's housemade, but we didn't try it. Dear owner, you're in a great space. You have amazing waitstaff. But you need to fire your kitchen staff, and invest in/partner with a chef who cares about serving delicious, high-quality, fresh food. Let me know when you get someone good in the kitchen, and I'll be back. Until then, your prices are too high for the poor quality of the food. No amount of excellent service can make up for that.
(3)Ejalu S.
This place is a good place to have a special event , the food is good , the environment is great !
(5)An B.
This is an okay place. Didn't think it was that good or bad. Prices weren't outrageous. Nothing really stood out.
(3)Christopher H.
As of the time of this review the current rating for this spot is 3.5 stars. I think that's about right. I settled in at the bar and was greeted by a very friendly bartender. I ordered my Nollet's martini (yum!) and perused the menu. Citrus salad and paella? Sold! I love me some paella. The salad was a salad, granted, but still had a very nice refreshing flavor. The paella was, unfortunately, a bit of a disappointment. it wasn't a classic paella. When I think paella I'm thinking a dish that doesn't have broth. This has a broth, which gave the entire thing an extremely dense soup consistency. The flavor was good, but not great. It just underwhelmed me. And I really wanted to like it. I'd love to give this spot another shot. There was quite a bit that looked good on the menu and maybe I just got unlucky in choosing the one dish that wasn't quite up to par. But for now, and based on my experience, I think three stars is where I'm going to leave this.
(3)Michelle J.
The wait staff seemed.. defeated?.. and the food and drink selection was a little strange. We intended to stay for lunch, so we ordered two drinks as we pondered the food selection. The drinks that might have normally come in a rocks glass came in milkshake-sized glasses and.. tasted like floor cleaner. We began to discuss what our next move should be, given how the drinks tasted and how unappetizing the food seemed, when the waitress came to address the fact that we'd not been drinking enough and asked if something was wrong. We felt awful, because it wasn't her fault, but we were as considerately honest as we could be. In the end, they changed our drinks for glasses of wine, after the waitress left and came back to say that her manager would be mad at her if she didn't charge us for something, and we ended up at the little German place nearby called Hardy's Bavaria. We were happy with the change.
(2)Sanda P.
Beautiful restaurant, great atmosphere and amazing food and service. I recommend to everybody who likes quality restaurants, where you can normally talk, have quality food, wines and cocktails and enjoy your time in beautiful historical Murphy Ave in Sunnyvale.
(5)Alyssa B.
Tarragon is one of the fancier restaurants located on Murphy Avenue. I've come here for the Early Bird Special, and I've also been here for the last two Valentine's days. During Valentine's, Tarragon promotes a special four-course menu. You get a choice of appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert for $69 a person. Last year, we really enjoyed the food served during Valentine's. The highlight had been the scallops. This year, I ordered the scallops again. It was a different dish, but the food was still good. I didn't so much enjoy the appetizer or the salad. The red velvet cake I had for dessert was 'just ok'. For $69, the food was a bit underwhelming. Not sure if we'll return for this occassion next year.
(3)Omar N.
not for the ghetto lol ...cause its a really nice place! came here for Easter Sunday Brunch and it was very impressive for a buffet. Eastern-European cuisine, bottomless mimosas, meat station ...nice spread! lots of dining space, awesome wait staff ...FULL BAR! banquet room upstairs u will dig it!
(4)Mage L.
We got the chicken satay for an appetizer, I had the baked brie, and my husband got the pork loin. They recommended the Sean Minor Chardonnay as it's the more buttery of the two they offer by the glass. The chicken satay was pretty good, but it wasn't very spicy and the coconut made it feel like a sweeter dish than I'm normally used to. The baked brie was absolutely divine, and the apricots complimented it perfectly. I thought the Sean Minor ended up being a good choice, as it was just as buttery as they said it would be. I tried a bit of my husband's pork loin and it was so soft and tender, and the cabbage, apples and polenta went really well with it. I though the apples were a bit bland, but I guess that's fine if it's only meant to bring out the best of the pork. Overall I thought the service was great, the atmosphere was nice, and I really loved the food. We parked in back so I didn't realize until afterwards they had outdoor seating so you could enjoy the live music out there. Next time we come back we'll have to try the outdoor seating.
(5)Robert C.
My wife had this Friday off, so as soon as I got home at 445pm, we decided to go to the early bird special at Tarragon. Tarragon is located on Murphy street in the heart of old downtown Sunnyvale. The place has a half price appetizer and drinks special during happy hour, and also an early bird special before 545pm Monday-Saturday -the place is closed Sunday. We walk through the glass front door, and are immediately struck by the elegance of the surroundings: indirect lighting on the lavishly shape patterned white and gold ceiling, with a raised area of lounges and wooden tables, surrounded by plush seating and exotic lighting, over a beautiful carpeted floor. The front facade is all glass windows overlooking Murphy street. An attractive green and off white colored curving pathway separates the dinner eating area from the bar stools and overhead TVs surrounding the bar area. Each of the gleaming wooden tables is neatly setup with glassware, silverware, and cloth napkins. In the background is a fireplace blazing with wood afire, on this bitterly cold evening. We are among the very first arrivals for dinner at 5pm, although the bar area is rapidly filled with earlier arrivals for the half price appetizers and drinks. We get the best seats in the house -one of the five semicircular lounges in the raised area overlooking the rest of the restaurant. There are at least a dozen choices for the early bird menu, including pork tenderloin, butternut squash ravioli, grilled jerk prawns, cioppinio, pot roast, rack of lamb, salmon, and flat iron steak. The main dishes come with a soup or salad, and a dessert, all for $20 per entree. I've tried the pork tenderloin with apricot sauce before, and it is tender and delicious. The serving size is about 6 ounces. I've also had the grilled jerk prawns which consist of four large prawns, and is very tasty, but someone too small a portion to satisfy me. Same is true with the cioppinio, which is mussels, crab, potatoes, and shrimp. Very tasty and high quality, but also somewhat of a small portion. Tonight we both order the flat iron steak. My wife orders the salad, and I the New England claim chowder. The salad is mixed greens with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, topped with a vinagrette dressing. Again, the dish is good, but a relatively small portion compared to what I've had at other restaurants, such as Black Angus. The New England claim chowder is at best average, with very little cream -it tastes somewhat like chicken noodle soup -maybe a chicken broth, with carrots, celery, potatoes, and a good portion of clams. I can even see some grease on the top of the soup. The flat iron steaks are to die for -very tender and juicy in a red wine based sauce, with virtually no fat. The portion size is about six ounces, and the meat arrives cut up in about six slices and looks like a sliced up chicken from afar. The sides are mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables: broccoli, cauliflour, brussel sprouts, onions, green peas. The visual appearance is immaculate on a very large white plate, which contrasts with the color of the meal, and is visually pleasing. Now if only my wife could learn to cook brussel sprouts, my favorite! Dessert arrives. I order New York cheesecake, and my wife orders Tiramatsu. The white cheesecake comes with a yellow mango sauce to give it some sweetness. It is delicious, and my wife's favorite. The Tiramatsu is a layer cake, with moca coffee flavor mixed in with white cake, and custard cake, covered with a chocolate sprinkles. I like both of them, but my wife likes the cheesecake more, and confiscates my dessert, leaving me with the Tiramatsu. The dessert is so good that I am tempted to copy our cat and lick the plate! Total bill is $44 before tax and tip, with each entree $20, including salad/soup and dessert, and $4 for the house wine for my wife. I don't drink so we save a little there. No leftovers for me, but my wife has a few slices of the flat iron steak for a meal next Monday.
(4)Chad J.
Well, first the good news. The citrus salad and the chocolate crisp cake were wonderful. Now comes the bad news: 1. My friends Prime Rib, which she seemed to enjoy, was so fatty and greasy it was disgusting. 2. My grilled artichoke was so oily it almost slipped out of my hands. 3. The "sauteed" mushrooms where actually cheese-stuffed, aioli laden affair. I asked for regular sauteed mushroom - they weren't any good. 4. The "roasted" tarragon potatoes were basically big, tasteless french fries. 5. Last good note - Sour Dough Bread - of which I ate 10 slices - was superb. NOT a good place for Vegan or Vegetarian. Doubtful place for a meat-eater. Yuck. I asked if they could whip up a Portabello Sandwich for dinner - they said no - only for lunches. PS Service was superb. Waitress was nice - think she felt a little helpless. They should have a sign, "Vegans not welcome."
(1)Preety K.
Had a great meal here! We had the filet mignon and rack of lamb, both extremely flavorful and cooked exactly to our specifications. 4 stars only because of environment. Not a very lively place even on the Friday night that we went, but would definitely go back for the two dishes we had.
(4)Maylene D.
We met at this restaurant for the early bird dinner special with a good friend. The service was excellent. The food was delicious and came quickly at the right temperature. The desserts were also delicious. You can't beat the quality of food, the outstanding service and the great price!
(5)Anu M.
After making dinner reservations, we came to Tarragon on a Saturday. The restaurant was not crowded and we were promptly seated. The ambience is dim-lit, decor is neat, offers a peaceful and romantic dining experience. Here is what we ordered for dinner: Appetizers: Stuffed Mushrooms.. Was blah... yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… Entree: Filet Mignon - Pretty good; I loved the sauces yelp.com/biz_photos/tarr… Dessert: Chocolate Crisp Cake - Good Overall, a nice dining experience with good food.
(4)Peter B.
Good place for a casual business dinner.
(3)Rosa K.
The food here is very good. love the pizza here! Visited here alone to see other family in California.
(5)Golda R.
It's probably only best to come here for their early bird dinner specials or maybe even lunch if you're the least bit interested in this place, since dinner prices are quite a reach for OK food. My husband and I came here yesterday because we wanted to stay close to home, after having had a very long workweek, and really to try and redeem our thoughts about downtown Sunnyvale. The host was fairly nice and seated us warmly, but honestly after that, our dining experience was pretty much dismal. We had at least 3 waiters pass by us and not even give us a second look after we were seated. At least the bus boy was kind enough to bring out water and bread to snack on. I had a long day so thankfully he saved my belly from the long wait for our waiter to take our order. It was insanely ridiculous. Not only did it take long waiting for our waiter, our meal took long coming out (which I don't mind as much). Not once did anyone pass by to ask us how we were doing or if we wanted desert, but the diners next to us were getting awesome service. I have no idea what that was all about, but you will not find me back here ever again. I was excited when the food came out and I was ready to excuse such crap service, but my Linguine and Prawns dish was disappointingly bland for $15. It was not worth the price and pissed me off even more that such a place can charge high dinner fees for subpar food all because of the ambiance (I'll admit the interior is nice and romantic). Again if you don't come here for the early bird specials, you will find yourself in the same predicament as me paying overly inflated prices for subpar food. And possibly you could get profiled as we did and get really crappy service.
(2)Jessica P.
This is a nice restaurant for a casual American style dinner. It has better ambiance than many other places on Murphy avenue. The lamb kebabs were pretty good with both the yogurt and red pepper aioli. The bread was hot and fresh. When we ordered our citrus salad and main course meal, the grilled salmon, we requested that it be split as we were not that hungry. the waitress should have told us that they would be split charges. Even though this was nominal, it's a put off when you see the final break down. I think this should be told upfront when the customer orders. The overall service was just terrible. There were 2 waiters serving the entire corner and running from one corner to another. They could definitely hire better staff to complement the kitchen food better.
(3)Irene C.
average nothing special mother's day buffet.
(3)Nicki J.
The old bread was much better. We are regulars here and have been coming for years. The food is fantastic but lately, the new bread is horrible. It constantly tastes stale and not worth eating. I wish you would bring the old french bread back with the crunchy outside and soft inside, much better. The new stuff is not worth putting on the table. The ravioli is to die for though! The early bird menu is wonderful.
(5)Mark M.
My wife and i really love Tarragon. The food is consistently great and the service is awesome. We always come for the $20 Prix Fixe Dinner. The house wine is decent but they have a very nice wine list as well as a full bar with a really great bartender.
(5)Wendy W.
CONTINUED from previous review... FOOD: The steak had rave reviews from most of our guests. I got to try it.. and I thought it was cooked perfectly. I had the Sea Bass.. but it fell short. :( It was overcooked and dry... not much flavor... so I didn't really end up eating too much of it.. but then again.. I didn't eat much the entire night.... I didn't really get a chance to try the appetizers, but I believe they served the perfect amount, not leaving much to waste. I also didn't get to try the cheesecake dessert from the restaurant (that we served to our guests)... but from what I hear.. I TOTALLY missed out.. because it was DELICIOUS! I will definitely try to come back for dinner one night and try it! :) One thing that I noticed was that food service was slow... there was a long wait between the salad and the entrees... so people got up and moved around and whatnot... And apparently they only served entrees to people who were seated... but that was okay... because I do believe everyone did get to eat! :) However, I do want to note that at one table, everyone got their entrees except for one.. who got it when everyone was already almost done with their meal... :( But it might be because he was up and about throughout the night. OVERALL, not bad.. but I had did expect more... I felt as though their organization was flawed and they need to find a better system.... After I had let go out everything, the night turned out great.. I do want to thank Tarragon for having us and helping us where they could.
(3)George R.
The food is excellent, and always consistent. We have eaten here many times, and always bring friends, who like the food selections. Service is also very good, and wait staff is friendly and courteous. We just had a banquet for our daughter's 50th birthday, for 60+ people. There is a large room upstairs. Everything was as good as expected. they have a PA system, a large screen for videos, and a bar. The food and service could not be any better. We highly recommend this restaurant, for just dinner, lunch, and for parties.
(5)Jo L.
We walked into the restaurant and clearly looks like there were many tables available. The took us to a table, and we asked if we could have another one but was flatly turned down saying that it was reserved. Note : 2 hours later that same table was still not taken and there were obviously more empty tables towards the back half of the room. Strike one. We ordered today's special. Crab cakes was probably the best dish for us. My vongole was a major disappointment. Pasta was way too so dente (undercooked) and there were barely 10 clams in the dish. Strike 2. My husband prime rib was alright and the tiramisu was another disappointment. Strike 3. Don't think we are coming back here anytime soon.
(1)Melissa Y.
Came here with two friends for dinner on a Saturday after finding out the wait for Dish Dash was an hour long. We had halfway finished our meal here by the time we got the text back from Dish Dash saying they had a table for us! My friends are vegetarian so it was nice that there was a separate section for vegetarian selections on the menu. We shared the baked brie as an appetizer and it was delicious -- the baked brie was served with apricot preserves, roasted garlic, and toasted bread. I ordered the salmon and my friends had the vegetarian paella, both of which were pretty good. I would probably come back for happy hour and the baked brie.
(4)Dave S.
Tuesday night quiet dinner. Very Friendly staff and high end atmosphere. Even with all the construction out front a really good meal waiting inside. We sat at a nice both and ordered some killer wine. I ate the Salmon and it came smoking hot! Great flaky skin and tender as a mofo. Im not too into presentation and high price but it was a company dinner so I went big.....Table census was excellent meals all around. Waiter was very professional but knew when to crack an appropriate joke without butting in. Awesome service. Glad I didnt pay if you know what im saying.....
(4)Synthia W.
It's been awhile since I'e eaten at an all-around awesome restaurant. Great innovative food, atmosphere, and service!
(5)Darren S.
I typically come to this restaraunt at lunch so I can't comment on the dinner scene but I'm sure it's equally as good. I really like this place because the atmosphere is great and the prices are fair. Some good appetizers are calamari(of course) and steamed mussels or clams. The ahi tuna is really good and presented very well. The best I've had so far are the short ribs. I just can't get enough of those. Great place you should check it out at least once if you're in the area.
(5)Charlene K.
We went to Tarragon for Mother's Day brunch. We made reservations on open table for the first seating. When we arrived, we were greeted promptly and shown to a table that accomodated our baby. There was a wide variety of food for brunch, including lots of meats. I only had the standard breakfast fare (eggs, pancakes, sausage) so I can't comment on the other stuff. The breakfast food tasted better than average. Service was excellent! I'd ding them half a star because they charged us for coffee (which I think should be included in the price of brunch).
(4)Chuck k.
We brought a group of 10 here for my Fiancee's birthday. With one exception out of the group of 8 we all really loved the food. My steak was perfectly prepared and reasonably priced at 22 bucks. Two people got the seared Ahi entree and it was also very very good and reasonable at 19 dollars. Even our vegetarian friend was impressed with his pasta dish. The one bad spot was the smoked salmon risotto. My buddy just didn't care for it. Not that it as bad, he just didn't realize it was smoked salmon and not fresh. he didn't want to make a fuss because it was on the menu as smoked, but the server came over (without being told about it) and asked him if he'd rather have something else. My friend declined and the server removed it off the bill without asking. Also the manager comped us a bottle of sparkling wine because it was my fiancee's birthday and we had just signed to do our wedding there. The cocktails are very nice there too. Oscar our server was wonderful, so if you can sit in his section, do so! They seem to have a new chef hired (not sure if he or she has started yet) but as of now Tarragon serves good, but not fancy, reasonably priced dishes.
(5)F. L.
A friend recommended this place and I'm so glad I tried it out. The food was really wonderful. My husband and I decided to try their early bird special and was impressed with the food and price. We had delicious cioppino and rack of lamb. Everything was cooked to perfectly! We are looking forward to returning again.
(5)Julia M.
Went to Tarragon last night and found a pleasant surprise. A new menu. I had a wonderful glass of Chardonnay and a spinach salad. Excellent. I ate at the bar and service was excellent. I just read several of the less than stellar reviews and would suggest you make the decision to try Tarragon yourself. It truly is a classy place.
(5)E K.
Just came back from a department lunch at Tarragon. 1. the restaurant is way too dark - can't even see my way around let alone look people eye to eye. 2. there were residue of stuff in two glasses of our water 3. wait-staff was non-existant - refills were slow - well .. just slow overall .. Took 50mins to recieve our table's orders .. mine came last, 10mins later which was awkward since everyone's food was getting cold as they were waiting for mine. Other tables around us inquired about their food as well since it was just SO slow .. everyone was munching on the bread, which was warm 'n good .. probably the best part of the meal. This place would be way too slow for any quick business/dept meetings .. our lunch ended up being almost 3 hours long. 4. Food was mediocre - Macaroni Grill tasted better - I ordered the Capellini with Prawns - good portion of prawns but the dish overall was way too watery/saucy .. and btw, there were CLUMPS of capellini stuck together. - Coworker ordered the Smoked Salmon Risotto looked bland and didn't have enough sauce (she said) - Another coworker got Kobe Beef Boneless Shortribs .. that looked good. - 2 coworkers go the Chicken Parmesan .. looked a bit over-cooked Honestly, by that point .. I'm sure all our entrees tasted somewhat good/decent since we were STARVING! And not to be snobby but, I don't believe a restaurant can call themselves "fine dining" if their lemonade is from Minute Maid. We didn't even order dessert after the experience with our main course .. and nothing looked truly appetizing anyway.
(1)Paul K.
Must have been chef's night off. Food was just ok. The Heirloom Tomato Salad could be described as lazy. Large tomato, sliced into 6 wedges, with a piece of fried mozzarella that wasn't visible to the naked eye. Dressing was in need of seasoning. Extremely bland. There were a couple of figs on the plate that just did not go with the salad. My main course was the short-rib which seemed heavily recommended by other yelpers. It was a little too fatty, and also unseasoned. The potatoes and onions served with the rib were pretty bland as well. My dining partner had the halibut, and she also felt it was lacking taste. She also had a green salad with some pomegranate vinaigrette which seemed to be void of any resemblance of pomegranate. For dessert, I had the micro pear tarts which didn't have any pears visible to the diner. Maybe it was a pear puree. And, as was the case with the pomegranate, try as I may, I couldn't taste any pear either. Put it this way. For about half the price you could stop by Whole Foods on your way home and pick up a very nice treat to have upon returning from your night out which would more than likely be more satisfying. Service was strange. At times we felt unwelcome, other times we felt stalked.
(2)Jon D.
Setting: Very pretty. Darkly lit for those romantic dates. Upstairs is a big room for parties, which is where we were for a wedding reception. It has a nice outside patio, and if the weather is nice, would be a very cool hang out place. It's kinda weirdly shaped tho for a reception area. It's like a big long hallway. So it is difficult for people on one side of the room to see the other side, which makes any kind of slide-show kind of thing a bad deal. Plus, the acoustics of the room wasn't that good, which is very unfortunate for a wedding party. Food: It was OK. Then again, this was just for a wedding reception...I didn't get to dive into their normal menu. I had chicken, and it was rather dry. The sauce was good which saved the meal. My gf had beef, which was pretty tender, but the sauce wasn't that good. If it's not one it's the other right? :) Service: Being that it was a wedding reception, service was good. Waiters were all over the place serving and helping out. The bar tenders were very cool.
(3)Racquel E.
I've dined here twice with coworkers and customers. I really like the ambiance. It's a nice and classy restaurant to take business clients, celebrate a special occasion or just dinner for two or more. The restaurant is busy, so you need to make reservations in advance. I've tried a couple of their cocktails - the raz lemon drop and pom cosmo, and they are very good. They have tasty appetizers from coconut shrimp, ahi tuna poke, to stuffed mushrooms and calamari. On the first visit, I had the salmon marinated in lemons and herbs served with rice pilaf, honey mustard sauce and veggies. The salmon was cooked perfectly and delicious. On the second visit, I had the cioppino with mussels, clams, shrimps, white fish, crab meat, potatoes, spicy tomato-saffron sauce and garlic bread. The cioppino was a tasty well-cooked shellfish/seafood stew. I really enjoyed it. Their creme brulee cheesecake for dessert was yummy. The host and waiters were very friendly, helpful and attentive.
(4)Nancy T.
I was very pleasantly surprised! I came here with my husband and in-laws and everyone seemed to like what they ordered. My husband and I shared a shrimp cocktail appetizer. There were about six shrimps and they were a good size. I've had cocktail sauce before, but the cocktail sauce here was especially tasty with very bold flavors. Next, I had the Filet Mignon which was cooked perfectly and presented very nicely. My husband had the Rack of Lamb, a choice he truly enjoyed. I had a bite of his lamb and it was very tender and juicy. We're definitely coming back!
(4)Eric C.
Tarragon features great ambiance, live music and a fantastic menu but the quality of food disappoints. Our chicken saltimboca was dead sea salty. By the end of the meal we were spitting rock salt . Their proscuito and goat cheese pizza sounded delectable, imagine our surprise when our pizza arrived topped with cold cuts. Mmmm. Word of advice to Tarragon, apply some heat to the meat, we ordered pizza, not cantelope. The only truly decent thing about our meal was the over-priced wine. On that note, Tarragon would be a great place for drinks and only drinks. The live Jazz was especially nice. Nice place on the surface but takes itself too seriously for what it can deliver.
(2)Penny V.
Since Yelp won't let me give this place zero stars I have to give them one, but they definitely do not deserve it. I booked their banquet room for my engagement party. We called and booked in June and the engagement party is going to be January 30, 2010. Anyway, we had everything in agreement, we even asked if they wanted a deposit and the owner said we didn't need one and that the date was ours. Friday we get a phone call and they actually had they audacity to book another event on the same day as ours and kick our party out! I am completely livid with this establishment and I refuse to ever go back there again, not even for dinner. I mean I already have my invitations ready to go, and now I have to throw away $200 worth of invitations because these people do not know how to book events!!!
(1)Jaa L.
I had dinner at this place 3 month's ago and I had the Tri Tip Food was a bit over cooked and over priced for the portion they serve it but was delicious the vegetable was over cooked as well I did order finger appetizers but my appetizers and my food came to my table the same time because my it was so busy and I only seen my server once just to take my order, really a bad service
(1)Kevin K.
I went recently for the early-bird dinner special that is $20 per person for a 5 course meal. I enjoyed the selection and ambiance of the restaurant and was happy about choosing what to eat for each course. I chose the petite filet mignon and my fiancee picked the beef short ribs. Both of them were delicious and we were very satisfied; however, we got there around 6:00p and didn't get our food until about 8:00p. The restaurant wasn't that busy, so I didn't understand what was taking so long. However, the quality of the food more than made up for wait time.
(4)Ashvin V.
I would actually give this a 3.5 but restricted here. Starting off with the ambience, this place is definitely a good change from the Irish bars and Asian restaurants that line Murphy St. Would definitely work for a date place. The service was great and were served on time. I have to admit we were amongst the few people there and definitely were treated like valued customers. We started off with a Brie with Apricot Compote. It was a great combination of sweet and savory along with yummy yummy cheese. My girlfriend thought it tasted a little woody though. I ordered the Petite Filet medium-well. The portions were good but i thought the fillet was too well done. The sundried tomatoes, artichokes and olives with my steak was a perfect complement to the dish. It was definitely not amongst the best fillets that i've had. I would rate the filet a 3 out of 5. My girlfriend ordered the Pork Chops and was a more satisfied customer. It was cooked perfect and had a yummy bacon filling. The sauce was lip smacking to say the least. She rated it a 4 on 5. We will definitely go back to try the fish next time around.
(3)Yuan W.
I think this place has been around for some time now but I have never tried it. So when he suggested that we come here for dinner, I agreed. This restaurant is HUGE. Probably big enough for a corporate event. We were seated quickly at a corner table and the server came by to take our drink orders right away. The level of service was just right. Attentive but not overbearing. He gave us plenty of time to talk and go through the menu. We shared a steamed mussels appetizer which was excellent. The mussels were cooked in a garlic / tomato / basil broth and were yummy. For the main. I had the fresh fish of the day which was petrale sole and he had the filet. He said the filet was good; my petral sole was just okay - nothing to write home about. For dessert. we shared the molton chocolate cake with rasberry sauce. It was good but again, nothing spectacular. Service - good Ambiance - good Food - good For the two of us. the bill came out to be about $105 (without tips - OK I peeked at the bill) which includes what I described above and a martini and two glasses of wine for him. Reasonable price for a nice dinner.
(3)C G.
We went to Tarragon for a special occasion. It happened to be one of those summer Wednesday nights where there's a concert and huge crowds on Murphy. We came in later in the evening, when most of the revelers had dispersed. There were only a couple of groups in the whole restaurant, including a boisterous bunch at the bar, with one guy ranting loudly about something. The restaurant (remember, it's an elegant, sit-down place) just turned up the music instead of addressing the issue for the comfort of their other patrons. -1 star. We were seated in a booth in the corner. And then we sat...and sat. We waited there for almost a half hour, completely ignored by the servers. We weren't even sure which one was ours because he never came by. We got very close to getting up and leaving, but finally flagged down the hostess, who seemed surprised. -2 stars. The menu is creative; the food was good, but nothing earth-shaking. The bottom line: Tarragon is not on my list of places to consider for fancy dinners because if they ignore you on the empty nights, what do they do on the busy ones? Not sure I want to find out.
(2)Ceanothus O.
Whyfor are there not more people dining at this restaurant?? Okay, I'll give you that its nightclub appearance is a bit off-putting from the outside, and it is a mighty dark, cavernous interior with which to contend once you cross the threshold...but the food! Oh! The prices are on par with most other lunch spots along the street, but the quality is just phenomenal! I feasted upon a pasta dish featuring tomatoes marinated in a sweet balsamic vinegar, capers, two kinds of olives, basil, olive oil, and that rarest of American ingredients: perfectly al dente pasta. I felt like I was in Italy! My coworker had the roasted vegetable sandwich, of which he generously offered a sample. It, too, was just wonderful! It seems that we were lucky regarding service, as our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. The only reason I'm not shelling out a fifth star is because of the ambience: it is just a tad too dark in there for lunchtime dining. The restaurant may want to consider upping the wattage around the tables for midday, then resorting to the hush-hush dim surroundings after sundown.
(4)Patricia S.
tried it again with a group of 8 everyone liked and enjoyed there meals very much But I got the lamb and it had about two bites of meat on it tasty but sparse would go back for the paella
(4)Corey S.
SHORT & SWEET: Having eaten at the unpolished and eclectic restaurants along Murphy St. for years, when I walked into Tarragon I was taken aback. The owners of this place must have looted Fort Knox to finance the lush interiors, expansive bar and open kitchen. One wonders if the investment translates into a good meal, reading some of the other reviews here. I say yes indeed! If I've had better calamari, I can't remember. The elegantly-layered Eggplant entree is outstanding and it looks like the ratatouille dish from the same animated feature. With fresh, hot bread, great service and a really good/reasonable wine list, Tarragon is a real winner.
(4)Jason T.
Great atmosphere with a live jazz band playing on a thursday night. For the romantics, the music may be a little too loud for a comfortable conversation, unless you sat in the back of the restaurant, the look of Tarragon is fantastic and great for a couples night out. My friend and I ordered crabcakes ($8) and goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto for appetizers ($8). The goat cheese was a bit of a strong flavor, but not too stifling. The crabcakes were a little dry and did not hit my taste buds with anything special as I would've liked. As per the reviews I've read here, I ordered the 14 oz. rib eye steak ($18)which was a great choice, it was tender and matched very well with the side mash potatos. My friend ordered the Braised beef ($17) which appeared much smaller compared to my steak, and tasted ok but nothing spectacular. For dessert, we shared the apple cobbler ($6) with vanilla ice cream as recommended by our waiter..which was a wee bit too sweet for me. Service was fine, our dishes came fairly promptly. I would have given it 5 stars, yet nothing really stood out to me as being spectacular, but an all around good restaurant. I would like to come back and try their fish dishes and perhaps a different dessert. Great location: After dinner locations are very close by, ranging from bars, dance clubs, and a hookah bar in a minute's walk. Note: There was also a bar inside but I didn't get a chance to grab a drink
(4)Chris W.
Took a friend out to dinner here on Friday as an appreciation for all of her support, and it turned out to be the perfect location for the event. The food itself is very simple (they basically juggle four side dishes w/ all of the entrees), but they were presented well. There are also plenty of options for people to choose from. Despite that, I agree w/ previous listings about the salt factor though - definitely a little too salty on the chicken saltimbocca and the salmon. I was most impressed with the atmosphere of the restaurant. It is clear they put a lot of time into the decor, and I'm a big fan of brick in design work (call it an east coast bias). The bar itself looked incredible, and the seating was very comfortable. Definitely a place I could check out again.
(4)T M.
Oysters Rockerfeller so salty as to be inedible. I might give them one more try - the menu looked ok and the prices seemed reasonable.
(2)Arlene E.
It was OK. I went there on a Friday night. Not crowded at all at 7 pm. I had the Penne with chicken. I was pretty good but nothing spectacular,
(3)Shinny L.
A solid 4 stars for this one. A nice Italian place in downtown Sunnyvale, and my first trek for an "off-campus" lunch with my co-workers. We ended up here because all the other restuarants were full. There was plenty of space, and the food and service were decent. There was a slight fishy smell in the air, but I ordered the salmon anyway and was pleasantly surprised. The fish was fresh and grilled to a flaky perfection, and paired with nicely seasoned summer squash and a good sauce that was creamy but not too heavy. Great prices - most of the fare was around $10 for something that goes for $5-10 more at a comparable place in the city.
(4)Ken V.
Decent, business lunch type of place. This is a good spot to eat in Sunnyvale if someone else is picking up the tab. One thing you'll notice is that, unlike many other restaurants on Murphy Street, there's never a wait at this place. That should tell you something. Interior is very classy with large booths lining one wall, and the bar area lining the other. Dark woods and colors make it a nice, subdued setting. The menu changes with the seasons, but overall, it's decent and predictable, but far from outstanding. Sort of typical, hotel restaurant quality. Prices for lunch are in the $8-12 range, so, like I said, it's a good spot if a rep is taking you out. Service has been good when I've been here, always fast and reliable. -----UPDATE----- My entire department from work went here for lunch today. My experience was definitely a one star, if that. I ordered a romaine salad and chicken saltimboca. I was expecting the romaine salad to look something like this: images.jupiterimages.com… What I got looked like little squares of iceberg lettuce smothered in dressing. And it was definitely the smallest salad I've ever had. The chicken saltimboca was worse. The chicken was so overdone that the texture reminded me of shoe leather. I stopped eating it after 3 or 4 bites and stuck with the mashed potatoes and vegetables. Really, for me not to finish my entree, it really has to be bad. Like I said in my original review, this place is never full, even at the height of the lunch hour on busy Murphy Street. I guess word's gotten out about this place.
(1)SugarSHER B.
Went here with the hubby for Valentines Day dinner. I love downtown Sunnyvale, its just so quaint and pretty. Tarragon is a nice restaurant with a good atmosophere. It was a mixed crowd, yound and old, some people dressed up and a lot of people didn't. The wine is divine! It was so good. Had the tempura asparagus for starters but they only give you TWO asparagus! It was so good I wanted to ask for more! My salmon was good, hubby's chicken was a little dry and then I had the mango creme brulee for dessert and that was OK. Our waiter was nice but didn't like that he kept calling me sweetie or honey. Sorry, I'm an independent lady and should be addressed as Ms or Madame. Honey and sweetie is what the hubby calls me! Also didn't like the fact that the hostess didn't ask to take my coat. So -2 stars for the service!
(3)jamie c.
They attempt to disguise the food's mediocrity with fancy table sheets and candlelight.
(3)Tessa S.
Loved it! Conveniently located for a work event. Dinner was amazing! Had the raw oysters to start (the vinegar was a great touch), heirloom tomato salad (I adored the sweet compliment of the melon, especially with the salty finish) and the saltimbucco (huge portion, cheesey, just enough tomato). Fantastic service. My companions and I had a wonderful experience and all agreed it was a place we will frequent.
(4)Mark F.
Food is usually good here but service is hit or miss. I took clients here for lunch and it was a big miss. Waiter took our order and it took 25 mins to get starter salads and than another 30 to get our food. When the food arrived it was luke warm and not worth the wait. If you can afford to take a 2 hour lunch and like luke warm food this is the place for you.
(2)Heidi C.
I had not been to Tarragon in years, I will likely not go back. The food took forever to come out. My friend order lamb medium rare and it arrived well done (they graciously took it off the bill). My chicken skewers were just not good. Overall the food was just not good. The manager was great and tried to make it right.
(2)Luxuriouskin L.
1st course, we had cream of mushroom soup which came out all diluted and they put in a bunch of salt to give it some flavoring, salad was ok. 2nd course cioppino was so salty, the jerk shrimp was too sweet. 3rd course tiramisu had no rum taste, cheesecake was all lumpy. Food was more acceptable when we went last a few months ago.
(3)Seaweed U.
If you've got some dough to burn and are in a pinch, you might consider trying Tarragon...otherwise not worth your time! Went for dinner last night (Friday) and was welcomed with live jazz music (yey). My friend and I were offered a tight two-top off to the side of the main walkway when we requested a roomier/less trafficy four-top on the other side. We were reseated quickly (yey), but were met with rolling eyes (boo). Oh, and if you're expecting quality service, I'm sorry to say that you probably won't get it, especially if you get the same server we had! He was in an awful rush, couldn't recite the specials, and was awkward and loud when clearing the table. Timing is something he didn't have either...we weren't even halfway done with our apps (roasted mussels--yum...great sauce to dip bread in & goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto--ok, could be smaller, over-grilled too) when he dove in and piled our utensils/plates into a single heap and left it on the other side of the table. The entrees were ok, nothing spectacular and the portions are HUMONGOUS (beware). I had the chicken saltimbocca which has some good flavors going, but it was 1) over-sauced, 2) way too big and 3) presented in one massive mound which made one sloppy looking plate. My friend had the sirloin steak, cooked to order (yey), but was bland nonetheless (boo). On to dessert (my fave part). So Tarragon offers you several choices from creme brulee to tiramisu. I had the apple tart tatine, expecting a simple dish of caramelized apple slices on top of a nice puff pastry crust....what I got was a thick layer of apple jelly over a shortbread cookie crust. It was served a la mode (yey) but not even the ice-cream could help this lackluster composition (boo). My friend had the chocolate mousse cake which was uber sweet (not nec in a bad way), but the outer layer of cake was way day-old (ie dry as my skin during a northeastern winter). So, if you don't have anywhere better to go, go; otherwise I recommend you spend your $ elsewhere. Oh and the owner seemed to do a great job making rounds and talking to all the tables, except ours (double boo).
(2)Matt B.
I really only go here for the atmosphere not the food. The bar area is one of the nicer in downtown Sunnyvale. The MiniBurgers and some of the appetizers are good.
(3)Zeke S.
Poor tarragon gets reviewed right after I read some article on how user reviews tend to go with 1 star or 4.... So I am out to prove them wrong, 3 stars... 3 stars... I will be different, 3 stars.... Seriously, like so many places I feel like 3.5 stars is the right answer. Typically I bump that to 4, but I am gonna hold at 3 this time. 3 is not an insult, 3 is good food. Note that I have never eaten diner here, so my review is purely for lunch... Its an upscale lunch at reasonable prices for the kind of menu they offer. Lamb chops in a wine reduction, seared mahi mahi, braised kobe beef shanks... It's the "type" of food you expect at a premier place not grab a bite to eat with the work buddies place. Along these lines, the dcor is white table clothes and dim lighting. Not bad for a 10 dollar entre place. The food itself is better in concept then in delivery. So while you might see some things on the menu you would expect at a top notch place, it will not quite deliver the same way. It's a bit like minor league baseball, its still baseball, but everything is a bit slower. But... baseball is baseball and tarragon is good food. The lamb was a bit overdone for medium rare, but the sauce had flavor without just salt. Last time I was there the braised kobe beef was super tender and high on flavor. The garlic mashed potatoes are creamy and tasty. In terms of the price, I am not quite sure where the expensive idea comes in. If this were real good food of the type they are delivering I would expect to walk out at close to 30 dollars rather then 15. So if your looking for something a little different, a little fancy but without breaking the bank tarragon is a great choice.
(3)Marlo E.
I've been here for lunch twice now and it's been great both times. Can't say much about dinner obviously, but this is a great lunch spot if you want to impress a chick or just have fine dining during the day. Affordable lunch prices and an impressive menu make for a great outing. I definitely recommend their meat dishes. Very tasty and they really excel on food presentation. Bunch of wine and other spirits to choose from too if that's your thing.
(4)Kim N.
One of the few "nice" restaurants in Sunnyvale. A huge group co-workers and I ate here for a farewell dinner. Murphy street is a weird place at night since it is no longer the tech worker crush that it is during weekday lunch. I suppose from the other reviews your mileage may vary. Fortunately I've had a good experience and the rack of lamb I had was pretty darn good. Not sure why I didn't get the NY that night but I guess I'll have to return to give it a shot. They're also open for lunch now so that's probably a to do also. The service is somewhat formal and the prices are high for Sunnyvale but as I said, there's a lack of "fine dining" there.
(4)Dave L.
Ever go to a place that is almost empty at 7 PM, yet it has wonderful decor, service is good -- you're wondering why there isn't a line around the block to get in -- and then they REALLY drop the ball on one thing and you have your answer. I really want to LOVE Tarragon. We've been there a few times over the years and always remember the food was WONDERFUL, but for some reason we go years between visits. We went back again tonight for the first time in several years. It is still beautifully decorated with a theme that is both very cool and cozy at the same time. But I had to deduct one star right off the bat for the (lack of a) greeting we received at the door. Let me have a general rant for a minute, then I'll get back to Tarragon. I've worked in many restaurants in my younger days. I've been to many restaurants. All of the places I've worked, most of the places I've been to, have a host or hostess who greets you with something like "Hi! Welcome to (name of restaurant). How many in your party tonight? or Dinner for two this evening?" Why is it that nearly every restaurant I go into these days seems to have lost this art? Now the hosts and hostesses all just say "Hello", if anything, and stand there and stare at you waiting for you to make the next move. I don't know why, but this REALLY gets under my skin. I mean one of the most important parts of their job is to make a new guest feel welcome and find out how many they have in their party. And they just stand there with a stupid grin on their face waiting for you to do their job for them. It all comes down to "who's buying and who's selling?". The one doing the selling is supposed to do the work and go to the extra mile. It's their job to ask first, not my job to tell first. OK, I feel better. I've been wanting to get that one off my chest for a long time. So we walk into this gorgeous, cool, white table cloth restaurant and we are greeted with "Hello" and a blank stare. I said "Hello" and gave him a blank stare back. He stood there with a confused look on his face, but I wasn't going to break. I stood there with the blank stare on my face. Finally he said "Two for dinner?". (Minus 1 star) After that the service was very good. Appropriately attentive without being intrusive. They do have a very creative menu. I started with beef carpaccio and my wife had an heirloom tomato salad. Both were prepared with a special presentation and with creative differences from the ordinary. For instance, my carpaccio had a boiled quails egg and anchovies on it, which went very well. But there was on BIG problem. The carpaccio was frozen. I mean FROZEN. Solid. As I tried to delicately roll the first thin slice onto my fork, half of the meat came up in a solid disc. The other half was very cold, but not frozen, so I started there. I decided not to send it back because it would warm up on my table more gently than having them do something in the kitchen. It did, but oddly enough it never had that freshly carved taste that I love in carpaccio. After that, everything went very well. My entree, the pork chop, was amazingly good. The flavor was incredible, the creative side dish of lentins, bacon pieces and mushrooms went perfectly with it. My wife reported that her halibut was delicious and creatively flavorful. A word about the wine list. They have a decent number of selections, tending toward very nice wines at the high end. We had a La Crema Pinot ($70, a fair price at a place like this). We didn't have dessert, but I was impressed with the "liquid" dessert list. They have an entire page of "Dessert Cocktails" which are just that. Cocktails made with a variety of high end chocolate liqueurs and such. All in all, it is a delightful space, most of the food is outstanding, and most of the service is very good. They are so close to nailing it, and then drop the ball so badly by serving frozen food that is supposed to be prepared fresh.
(3)Lydia V.
I've eaten here twice, and based on the first visit, it would've gotten a 4-5 stars, but I just went again tonight, and the service was CRAPPY! 4 adults and my 15 month old went, and I don't know if it's because we had a kid (who the bartender/manager said acted very good...not some brat) or because my hubby is brown, but we were seated next to the kitchen between 2 big parties! The server even asked us if they could "move our table over a bit" to make room for another table for a large party. Now, mind you...there is a whole side of the restaurant free and we had already sat down and began on the bread (which took forever to come to the table) The food was really good... except for the baked brie which was literally a circle of Trader Joe's Brie baked for a minute or 2 with served along side crusty bread. The inside wasn't even melted, and had no outer crust or breading of any kind. I had never seen it like that before. $10 for that. Back to the service... The waiter also came over to take our order and just as I was about to spout out my dinner fare, he peered above me, spotted fresh plates of food, and excused himself so he could "take the other party their food while it was hot"!!! OK, I'm a realist and could understand if I was one of those folks still looking at the menu reading it aloud, but I wasn't! I knew what I wanted. He didn't give me an option, just up and left! Sign of things to come. So, great food, crappy service, ok prices for the portion and quality. I just expected more. :(
(4)Coco L.
Average food...I think it's a little overrated..
(3)Katie L.
The lighting is perfect for a date and the seating is comfortable. I came with a date on a Thursday night at 6pm. We were talking and did not look at the menu yet and the young male waiter came over and we werent ready yet. So then i knew what i wanted but my dated didient know yet and the waiter asked again and we said we need one more minute. SO the third time the waiter came over with attitude and told my date he dident have anymore chances to stall. We ordered: calamari, spinach salad and something that looked like crusted chicken. The calamari was straight up gross. Tasted freezer burned and was not crispy on the outside. The spinach salad was drowning in some mayonnaise dressing and the chicken dish my date ordered was very dry and a very small portion. The place was not busy at all so i was stuck on the waiters inpatients with us. A woman came over to our table and asked if the food was alright because it was a new menu. We were polite but we were lying. I came here 2 years ago and it was good but this time it wasent even close to what i remembered. I think they should consult Gordon Ramsey
(2)Aline B.
Glad to say that our experience was not repeated - we went to Thanksgiving the next two years and the food was delicious, the service was good, and we will continue to make this our Thanksgiving tradition.
(4)Kaytie H.
I highly recommend Tarragon if you enjoy food and high quality restaurants. Every time I've eaten at Tarragon, we've had the nicest, most helpful waiters. They are always very outgoing and wonderful. The food is exquisite as well. The menu is very varied and always has something fun to try. Love it!
(4)Mike C.
For the ambiance and quality of food, I think this place is very reasonably priced. The restaurant.com option makes the experience even more appealing. I only have one slight caveat, which involved the management refusing to allow the gift certificate to be used concurrently with their early-bird special promotion. I found this frustrating given the fact that I called in advance to confirm that using it would be acceptable. In the end the manager allowed a "one time only" exception for me, and applied $20 of the $25 coupon. I didn't want to further ruin the dining experience by haggling over $5, so I let it go. Other than that, in my 4 times dining at Tarragon, both the food and the service were consistently above average.
(4)Bonnie W.
I debated between a 2 & a 3. Nicely greeted for early bird special. We asked to be moved to a quieter place as they set up for a party of 10 right next to us. Hostess told us we would have to have a different server - when I asked if server could switch a table " No, it's not her station," we were told. We moved to another booth and sat there for well over 5 minutes before someone came over. It was our server - way too long wondering, being ignored as waitpersons passed us by. Service was lacking. We had to ask for bread and butter plates. My friend was very happy with her salmon. The flavor of the my pasta dish was good but the pasta was overdone & cut into small pieces -that was weird. I thought the dessert I ordered was a chocolate layer cake - in fact it was a small layer of cake with a layer of chocolate and white chocolate mousse + choc. sauce. Disappointing. When I brought it up the server told me it was described on the menu. We were not asked if we wanted coffee or any beverage with our desserts. The person who cleared the table didn't seem able to communicate - don't know if it was a language barrier or what but he mumbled. I took my leftovers but decided to toss it when we got outside. Not going back there.
(2)Tracy R.
I've eaten at Tarragon once for dinner and twice for lunch, and I've had a good experience each time. The last time I was there for lunch, I ordered the grilled swordfish special and it was wonderful. I'll admit the saltimbocca I had for dinner was OK but not outstanding - I found it a little dry; I ended up coveting my husband's NY Steak Au Poivre, which was well-prepared and delicious. Unlike other reviewers, I've had no problems with Tarragon's service; in fact, I've found the wait staff to be friendly and attentive each time. When we were there for dinner last fall, the owner came by our table right as we were finishing up to introduce herself and make sure we were having a good evening. I haven't spent time on the bar side, though, so I can't attest to how things run over there. The decor is lovely and upscale - definitely a cut above most of what you'll find in Sunnyvale.
(4)Richard S.
To be fair I went here for a group work dinner (about 30) with a fixed menu. Still, the service was excellent; fast, efficient, not loud. The food was good. I had the steak. They set us up in the banquet room above the dinning room. It has a separate bar. Not a bad space. Parking isn't bad. There's a public parking lot at the end of the block.
(3)Yvette H.
after spending tons of time trying to pick a place for my mom's birthday, i chose tarragon... and was not disappointed. i didn't realize what a challenge it was going to be to find a decent restaurant in the south bay that had some atmosphere, a full bar, and a appetizing menu. but tarragon worked out perfectly! the food was solid, especially for the price, and i really liked the fact that their menu had a lot of options. they were several steaks, some pastas, chicken, lamb and a couple vegetarian options-- basically there was something for everyone. and many items sounded really good-- which was reflected by the fact that everyone in our party of 7 ordered something different. we had the ahi and the mussels as appetizers... both were raved about. also we shared a few of the salads. all were yummy with my family particularly impressed with the wedge. portions were generous. for entrees, a lot of people ordered steak, including me. i had the filet mignon. it was pretty awesome. everyone seemed real happy with what they ordered... service was really good too so all in all, i would totally recommend.
(4)Kirbologix J.
I can't think of anything good to say. We ordered a glass of rose wine, a beer, a spinach salad, chicken with bacon and potatoes, and an eggplant entree. First to arrive were 2 spinach salads. We ordered 1. But neither came with the carmelized nuts, so what we were left with was 2 plates of wilted spinach with feta cheese. Yum. The busser apologizes, and takes 1 salad back with him, saying he'll fix it. Then a glass of merlot and a beer arrive. So far the only thing that's correct, then, is the beer. The waiter appears, apologizes, and takes the second salad and the wine away. Now all we have is a glass of beer. He returns with 1 salad, still with no nuts, and the correct glass of wine. He apologizes again and says he'll come back with nuts and to make up for it that he'll give us free dessert. We wait. And wait. And wait. Meanwhile we see the waiter multiple times and make eye contact but he never comes over. Finally we eat our salad. The nuts never arrived. Then entrees arrived. Mine was the chicken with bacon, boiled greens, and potatoes. None of the flavors went together. The chicken was undercooked and cold. The eggplant entree had no flavor. It just tasted like boiled vegetables. Again, the waiter never comes by. Finally, once the bussers have cleared our entrees, the waiter returns and asks if we're interested in dessert...with no mention that he offered it to us free earlier. Besides, we're not really dessert eaters...we really wanted a good salad...not a $10 plate of spinach. I will never go there again. Save your $60 and go to Chavez Supermarket and buy a dozen burritos.
(1)Christian T.
The girlfriend and I decided to go to this place last minute. The decor seems really nice. The service was so so and the food was above average. Nothing too special. I know some coworkers go here for lunch but I'd have to say that it might be a little too expensive for lunch. The only downside to this place would have been the service since it took so long to get our meals. Other than that I would go back from time to time.
(4)William H.
The first sign that this might not be a memorable Saturday night was that the dining room was almost empty. It felt like we were arriving at 5:30 not 7:30. And while nothing was terrible, it is hard to imagine this would be a place you would ever eat at a second time. The calamari was pub quality -- okay, but nothing to talk about. Our salad, while sounding creative and interesting was a huge disappointment. It must have been soaking in the dressing for a day- it was almost inedible. And the main courses, while all edible was pretty boring, with dull flavors and so-so presentation. The sweets were clearly in the fridge and reheated for us, leaving the outside dried out, the inside still cool. This is the most blatant example of a failed attempt to upscale a restaurant before the chef is really ready to take it there. In a competitive market I think they may have a lot of quiet evenings ahead of them at this rate.
(2)nenette d.
Noise level 2/5 (5 loudest) Not worth going back to. The ambiance was very good though , if not for the loud woman seated next to our table. It's not the restaurant's fault that a customer was tacky and obnoxious. She was literally yelling from where she was seated to the other 6 people in her dining group. More annoying than her non stop, raspy monologue was the showy thong that appears on and off every time she leans over to make a point to her unfortunate, captive audience. It was not a pretty sight either, by anybody's standards. Everything else was the restaurant's fault. Except, for my escolar which was very flavorful , flaky and very moist. That was the best part of the meal. I wish it had not been sitting on top of green beans scattered on top of a huge mound of old mashed potato.. It gave me the feeling that there was a long assembly line in the kitchen who put this together. It was apparent that very minimal care was put into this dish. Our waiter looked scruffy , poorly groomed and very crude. It seemed like the guy was told he had to wait on tables after he'd been working in the machine shop all day. He did not match the ambiance and the nice, professional host that greeted us. His vocabulary was limited; aside from asking " what would you want?" in a bored, detached tone ( he might as well could have asked "quickly, what do you want to order?!!"), he mumbled a lot, grunted and made other vocal sounds...If I manage a restaurant I would have a quick once over with everybody before opening time: "your perfume is too strong, you didn't shave, you have dried food on your shirt, practice being polite and welcoming, pull your pants up, for god's sake!." The rest of the food was mediocre at best. Part of their thanksgiving menu was a selection of desserts. After the poorly done meal , I ordered what I thought was the safest dessert which was the chocolate mousse. Big mistake. It tasted like one of those that comes out of a dispenser from Fresh Choice. I thought Fresh Choice' was better. My friend's bread pudding seemed carved out of a hardened block of bread. It was very dense. Good thing it was mini sized; I haven't seen such a small serving of bread pudding! Are we lining for old bread now? Has depression snuck up on us from behind?
(1)katy g.
We've eaten at Tarragon a number of times over the last 5 years. Each time the menu has changed, and dishes that we liked were gone, replaced by others that were less successful. The service is usually horrible, with not much attention to the patron, rushed and/or rude servers, or, more frequently, absent. We got stuck in a cycle of having a nice dinner there, then the next time it was awful, then waited months and tried it again, this time the food was good, then the next time awful, etc. The bartenders are usually aloof and the drinks are tiny and poorly made. Why we gave it so many chances can't be explained, other than it has a nice atmosphere and an "adult" bar. But we won't be back again. Dish Dash has superior food,and a friendly and efficient wait staff who remember you. Tarragon has lost our business permanently.
(1)Stefano M.
The first impression I got from Tarragon once my girlfriend and I were inside is that it has a romantic mood which me and my girI liked. We sat in a booth facing the bar. We order the fried calamari and thought it was ok, not bad but I have tried better. My entree was Hefeweizen braised Short Ribs. The flavor was really good and the portion was just fine for me if there was a let down is that there was way too much fat on the ribs. My girlffriend got the Grilled Salmon and the she liked it. The server was very attentive and friendly. I would say that this is a very good option if you live or are close to the in the Sunnyvale area but you will find better restaurants in downtown Palo Alto.
(3)Esther A.
i just got back from lunch here.... the interior was STUNNING. went kinda late, but still tables full of people. their service is HORRIBLE. walked in. had 3 people walk by us until i finally asked if they were still seating for lunch. FINALLY someone seated us. given menus, waited a good 5 minutes before our server introduced himself, but also said that he was off soon and that someone else would be taking over for him. mumbled name and never pointed the guy out. about 10 minutes later our order was taken. having been our first time there, little did we know that you have to request the bread if you wanted it. HOLY MOLY.... it took 30-35 minutes to get our food. so 45 minutes AFTER we walk in, we finally had our food. i ordered the chicken and brie saltimbocca and he had the short ribs with a pear soy ginger glaze. mine was a little salty, but other than that, it was really good... the short ribs were HEAVILY marinated and drowning in sauce.... both dishes were good, but i'd rather say, "more sauce to go with my meat, please." not, "more meat to go with the soup on my plate".... an hour and 45 minutes later, i am back at work.... willing to give the restaurant another try, but only if they hire new servers or hire more.... service was waaaaaaaaaaay too slow.
(3)Greg D.
We used to take visitors to the office here for dinner because it's supposed to be one of the fancier places in SV. Until I convinced the people who decide on these things to stop doing that. The ambiance is great. The drinks are great. The appetizers are decent. The entrees are uninspired, and I've had them be cold on multiple occasions. The service has been way below the price point every time I've been there, probably because they only seem to have one waiter working on weeknights. If you want to get some appetizers and good wine or drinks, it's a good bet. If not, save your money and go down the street to Il Postale.
(1)Bobbie F.
Went there with friends on a Friday night. The food was excellent and the setting quite pleasant, except that we were at a table with bad lighting, though this was only a problem when I needed to read the menu. The waiter supplied us with a little mini-flashlight, which I thought was funny. I had the halibut and was quite pleased, it was done just right. Everyone else was happy with their food too. But when it was time for dessert things the service was very slow, though they were aware of it and we got an apology. Desserts were good too, I had the bread pudding and will say yummy yummy on that too. Only the slow service keeps me from giving this five stars, otherwise it was a very satisfactory evening.
(4)Brian J.
I have lived in Sunnyvale for 3 years and just discovered this place recently. I have to say that downtown Sunnyvale is very underrated. We sat at the bar and watched monday night football. Cowboys!!!.They were very slow so it was great to be able to pick the seat we wanted but not good for them. The Bartender was nice and gave great service. I really enjoyed the baked brie and the prosciutto pizza. I will be going back very soon and will make Tarragon a regular place to eat at. Thank You.
(4)Any H.
i had a good experience the first time i went there iwth some friends so i decided to go back with my husband and my cousin who was in town from Asia... the atmosphere was okay, no one was there to help us get seated really.. the food was not impressive at all...the paella was more of a rice cooked in soup, seafood was not fresh in the paella nor in the cioppino (if you dont have freshseafood then why bother putting cioppino on your menu??) the special of the day was a canadian cod over pasta which tasted bland and the pasta seemed like it was left over from the previous day ... the waiter rarely came over, every single time we had to try hard to catch him to ask for more water or anything else we needed.. will never go back again...
(1)Julie G.
good food, good service, and reasonable prices. went on a weeknight for dinner. I had the pork tenderlion over polenta with some cranberry-apple topping. Pork was cooked well- not dry at all. Great flavors and a huge portion. I was starving and ate most of it, but I was stuffed at the end of it. My friend had the braised short ribs. It was also very good - a large portion and very tasty. short ribs can also get dry, but these were really good. prices were very reasonable - both entrees were under $20. the service was also good - the bread was warm and we always had water. ambience inside is a little dark and murphy st outside the restaurant is being redone so the overall ambience and feel of the place was slightly lacking but definitely not a huge deal.
(4)Deb D.
Our first time to Tarragon last night for a special dinner. Excellent! The wait staff was attentive, the food was delicious. Very impressed! The tomato/basil soup was outstanding. My trip tip was perfectly rare, with garlic mashies (not too garlicky) and sauteed spinach. The food portions were just right. Will be back!
(5)Angel A.
Tarragon has a warm atmosphere, good food and a nice wine list, but the slow and impersonal service leaves me feeling a little underwhelmed. Also the menu is a bit pricey for what you get. I expected more flavor and higher quality preparation. My short ribs (which until recently was listed on the menu as pot roast) had a lot of gristle, and the dish didn't taste much different from what you'd get from a crock pot. That said, at 6pm on a Saturday night we were able to easily get a table for four even though the place had plenty of customers and a nice live jazz band. But unless I'm stuck again trying to get into a place on a weekend night, I won't be back.
(3)Renee L.
My 15 year old son, husband and I went to Tarragon for the first time. We had a reservation, but it wasn't necessary (that should've been a clue, but the streets are torn up, so I put it off to the construction). When we sat down, the host introduced himself and told us he would be our waiter. We reviewed the wine list, and another person came and took our wine order. The host came back and asked us if we'd like something to drink - huh? We told him we'd already ordered our wine. I made a joke saying, "maybe you two need to rochambeau for our table". He was visibly upset, and said, "it doesn't work that way". He marched off and the two waiters had words. The second waiter must've won the heated debate, because he came and took our order and was our waiter for the rest of the evening. We waited at least 10 minutes after that before we were served our wine - even though I could see it sitting on the bar with my son's Sprite. I can understand this delay if they are crowded and busy - but it was practically empty. I think we realistically waited at least 15 minutes for our wine after ordering it. I ordered the spinach salad and asked for the dressing on the side (based on reviews below that state they put too much dressing). The salad was served with too much dressing - not on the side - so I sent it back - you could tell the waiter was miffed, but that's how I wanted it and asked for it originally. I also had the pork tenderloin with polenta and a chutney. It was very good. My son ordered a Caesar salad and the Cioppino. He said both were good. My husband had the grilled artichoke - which came just as my son finished his salad, so he was sitting there without food quite a while, and he had the paella. He said both were mediocre. The wait staff set a negative tone from the start that unfortunately never turned around for us. We won't be back.
(2)Jennifer M.
Our waiter told us Tarragon has a NEW HEAD CHEF as of 09/2007. Is the result better than before? I don't know (having not gone before), but we were all satisfied with our food. Not wowed, maybe, but definitely satisfied. The brie appetizer was tasty, but oddly arranged. It comes with a roasted garlic bulb which was placed directly on top. Why? You're not going to cut through it. You just have to eventually take it with one hand to scoop out the roasted garlic bits. I got the pork chop which was excellent, cooked perfectly, very moist. My friends ordered the salmon and ahi (tuna) which were good but not great. Stick with mammals, and you've got a good meal.
(4)mark p.
this place is awesome u should try the new fall menu thats out chef ryan and sous chef markus formerly of paragon have nailed it here american cuisine with lots of seasonal freshness and pop
(5)buttercup r.
Pretty decor, good lighting, large. Nice waiter, really good food (had the mushroom risotto), live jazz. Pricey, though.
(3)Sneha J.
We went to this restaurant for a quite Tuesday night dinner. Arrived at 8 PM and were promptly seated. Service was average. We were not served any bread, dont know why? Although, the food was pretty good. I would go back here. I ordered the Salmon with lemon butter sauce and wild rice pilaf, it was Yummy..My friend ordered the chicken penne dish and it was average. My husband ordered the Blackened MahiMahi and he really liked it..Although, the desert was the highlight, we all left this restaurant wanting a little more of this desert. We ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake (No lava in it), but its not overly sweet and its a warm, may be flourless, chocolate cake that just melts in your mouth and it comes in a small pool of chocolate icecream and whipped cream. it was delicious..would definetely go back again, even if just for the desert. Definetely worth trying.
(4)Rose S.
Excellent service and a luxurious atmosphere. I personally enjoyed the crab cakes and pomegranate glazed pork. The live jazz music combined with the romantic ambiance make for an enjoyable and elegant meal!
(5)Ken R.
We had a terrific evening here for our anniversary, my second full meal experience and third overall. The crab cake was exceptional--almost all crab--with a terrific spicy relish topping, the spinach salad with poached pears was wonderful and gently out-of-the-ordinary, and the rack of lamb was substantial, tender, and cooked perfectly. My partner's radicchio salad with balsamic glaze was really great and his petit filet was a great cut done perfectly. Service was attentive but not obtrusive, so we invited the waiter to join us for a glass of our 2005 Foxen Sea Smoke Vineyard Pinot Noir. Great decor too.
(4)Phil T.
Don't fall for the old-"Bait and Switch Menu!" I just had dinner at Tarragon on Friday, 10/17/08. The menu looked delicious. When we got to the restaurant, which is NOT air-conditioned! Our first look at the menu was completely foreign. On Tarragon's web site the dining experience looked great. I was hard pressed to find one or two items offered on the "real" menu compared to what was published on-line. Needless to say the experience went down hill from there! The pasta wasn't thoroughly cooked, the prawns were over cooked and the waitress got our bill mixed-up with another diner. I don't think I'll be back!
(2)clarisse n.
the food was okay. the fries were good though. terrible service. my company (we were a party of 12) went there for lunch. it took them over an hour to get our food served to us. there were also several other large parties that were there that got there after us and were served before us. the food was not worth the wait.
(3)Julia W.
Fresh Mediterranean food. Fun bar hang out more than a restaurant. Great place to have a fun night with friends over good food and drinks. Not the best setting for an intimate, romantic dinner as the acoustics get rolling with the busy crowd. Must admit that the service was not up to par - hopefully this improves.
(3)Verissa S.
This place has a great atmosphere, especially on Friday and Saturday night, since they have a jazz band playing from 7pm-11pm. A couple of friends and I thought to try it out for that very reason. We wanted something pretty light, so we just ordered a few appetizers and wine. We started off with the Crab Cakes, which had surprisingly great flavor coming from the roasted red bell pepper and the pesto sauce. Then we had the Baked Brie with roasted garlic and apricot sauce. Brie is brie, but the disappointment is that it only came with four thin bread crisps and we had the whole entire circle of cheese. We ended up having a whole lot of cheese left and nothing to eat it with, as they didn't serve us any dinner bread. Finally, to kill time we finished off with the garlic prawns with basil and lemon butter. Again, it had great flavor, but the prawns were shrimp and a lot of sauce we couldn't sop up with bread. I ate this with a half bottle of Kenwood 2005 Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and Delish.
(3)P C.
Reflecting previous reviews, Tarragon is a work in progress, but I'm rooting for it to succeed! Similar places in busier locales are too hard to get into. We arrived about 7:30 on a Saturday, and the place was bustling, but not full. My cosmo was so-so, and I rate bars by their cosmos! Dinner - I had Seared Ahi that was cooked perfectly, hubby had a great-looking chop. He said it was perfect. Drawback - bland mashed potatoes, which are a splurge for me, so I need them to be outstanding. Plus - quality jazz combo playing great dinner/bar music, and outstanding atmosphere/decor. I will go back, but improve the mashers!
(3)Julie K.
Good food and reasonable lunch prices but not enough servers to meet lunch time demand.
(3)Travis M.
Walking in the door we were greeted with a warm and wonderful smell. The interior is comfortable and lit perfectly for a cozy evening meal. The rack of lamb had a great flavor and was prepared to order. Our party commented several times how the atmosphere of the restaurant really impressed them. We were at the back of the dining room and were plagued by a very cold draft that chilled our feet. This unfortunate factor did make it difficult to fully enjoy the meal. This issue would not keep me from returning. If you are in the neighborhood, Tarragon is a great option for a slightly upscale experience and good food.
(3)Vivien W.
Billed as Sunnyvale's only fine-dining restaurant, Tarragon has looks and ambience that read upscale, and fairly good food (and corresponding higher prices) but mediocre service. The bartender on several nights was unfriendly, borderline rude and made BAD cocktails. However, the live music on some evenings can also be pleasant. A mixed bag altogether.
(3)Samson W.
Good food, but the two stars is for the terrible service. Definitely a restaurant to avoid, especially if you are in a hurry or want to eat for just an hour.
(2)Janet G.
Wow.....I haven't had bad service at a restaurant in a very very long time, I guess I was due. My husband and I walk into Tarragon and take a seat at the bar, we are literally not approached for 10 minutes, the bar has only a handful of people in it. Then we look around and notice that our bartender is out serving drinks to the tables as well as running the bar. I thought at that point, that is too much work for 1 person, but hello, at least acknowledge me. She finally comes up to us and says what do you want to drink I said can i have a drink menu? she puts one down in front of us and walks away, she didnt even bother apologizing for the long wait or anything!!!! Then someone sits next to us orders a drink and gets their drink, RIGHT NEXT TO US and she still doesn't take our order, after about 20 mins. of sitting and waiting my husdand and I left. The bartender was cold and didn't bother apologizing for the long wait...it was horrible!
(1)Smarty Pants P.
Okay, I have mix feelings about this place. I heard they have a new chef, so we decided to try it. I checked the menu on-line, however their menu on their web is totally different than their current menu. We started with an Artichoke, and their soup of the day. Clam Chowder. They were bot delicious!!! OK , so far so good.... Then our main dishes came out, and guess what? They were all COLD!!! Are you kidding me? Not to be a total bitch, but isn't it cooking 101 that your food should arrive your table warm/hot? So we sent them back... So then few minutes later, our food arrived... OK, let's try this again. NY Steak with Gnocchi - Steak was perfect! Gnocchi just okay. Penne w/ bolognese sauce, with goat cheese - It was good, but I had better. A side of macaroni and cheese, with black truffle oil. - Wow, I had such high expectation about this... However, it sounds so much better than it taste. I don't recommend this at all... No flavor, just cooked pasta, with some cheese on top... Biggest disappointment for the night. Okay, on a good note.. Their portion was very good. We did ordered a bottle of Cab from Owen Roe and it was fantastic. Our waiter was bit air headed, but he was charming enough... I'm not sure if I'll go back to this place... I mean for the money you pay, it's totally overrated...
(3)Alex L.
Interesting... this place is definitely a work in progress. I had been here a few times when it first opened (many years ago) and it was outstanding, but each trip was less impressive. Then, I started hearing horror stories about this place. Needing a place in Sunnyvale for a business lunch I decided to give Tarragon another shot. The service could use some work. The host and our server had a thick accent and didn't seem to understand our orders well. However, water goblets were kept full and everything arrived correct. The food was surprisingly good; borderline outstanding. Prices were very fair with lunch for two under $25. I had lowered expectations, but it was very good! Worthy of another shot.
(4)Carolyn P.
We had a reservation and were seated a few min late, not a big deal. However a half hour came and went before we even got waters. More time passed before we could order and we had a 10:30 reservation at the comedy club and an 8:00 dinner reservation. We barely made it to the club on time with such horrid slow service. They kept taking things off our tab as they kept screwing up! They offered us complimentary coffee but then had it sitting at the bar so long we ended up getting up ourselves to bring it to the table. This was the worst dining experience, so bad it was almost funny as we thought we must be on a hidden camera for a show about horrid restaurants. Never going back! Never!
(1)Carmen M.
Food was a little bit pricey but the decor was nice considering the outside wasn't so great looking. Service staff was warm friendly and accomodating. The rack of lamb with red wine and risotto was cooked to perfection, juciy, and succulent. And tiramisu to top it all off was yummy, smooth, and delicious.
(4)Mia M.
If you give an honest review of this restaurant you will get very rude messages from people connected to this restaurant.I know many long time yelpers who are shocked when I forward the messages I received to them They have not experienced such RUDE behavior in response to honest reviews. whether positive or negative.Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
(1)Cary W.
This place tries to be upscale, but the food and service are no where near the quality level of similar price-range places in SF.
(2)Jameson L.
I came here with my family for the Early Bird Special. Sure, you have to dine between 5 and 6 pm, but it's worth it - soup or salad, entree, and dessert for $20! The really nice part is the selection for the entree - just about the entire menu is available to choose from. I got the rack of lamb and it was just fantastic - nice and tender and flavorful! It's definitely one of the best that I've ever had. It also came with a side of roasted potatoes and spinach, which was delicious. The tiramisu for dessert was quite good as well. The salad was decent, although nothing to get excited about. Overall I guess the portions are adequate. It's enough for the average person, but for someone like me who eats a lot, I could've used a little more (although that may have just been a craving for more of the lamb). It's a nice atmosphere to dine in for a birthday or family dinner. I will definitely eat here again for the early bird special.
(4)Simon B.
Arrived at 4:50 P.M. for the Early Bird Special which was dominantly posted in the window. We were on a tight time constraint and mentioned this when we sat down. Josh our waiter did everything right. He kept the pace we needed to leave within an hour. The menu is extensive and the choice difficult, but we had NY steak (generous 12 oz.) and halibut. Started with one of each of the appetizers, the mushroom barley soup was quite good, the baby greens salad as expected wherever the "European" greens are offered. The steak was cooked as ordered and the halibut was moist and delicious on a bed of barley. The desserts were 50/50. The tiramisu was tasteless, although the presentation was delightful and had enhanced our expectations. The chocolate cake was to die for. Bread with balsamic/oil mixture was presented upon ordering, but not refilled although we had eaten it all before our main entrees arrived. All in all for the price, unbeatable for quality.
(4)Sandeep T.
This is an interesting restaurant. The prices are reasonable and the food was very good. The overall experience was good. But for some reason I do not feel a pull or desire to go frequently.
(3)Edwyn A.
Supposedly a wanna-be trendy italian restaurant in downtown sunnyvale. This restaurant is sub-par. I went here for lunch with co-workers since the nearby middle eastern restraurant had quite a wait. So we thought why not try Tarragon down the street. It was a big mistake. While it the decor and ambiance appeared upscale - the service was unfortunately horrible. Food was delivered in a haphazard order as the waitstaff was unsure how to accomodate 3 or 4 tables - yes - it wasn't that busy - so i don't understand the confusion. As for attentiveness of the staff - there wasn't any. We waited for our bill to arrive... and the waitstaff seemed confused. So we decided to head for the door - funny they noticed us... but again the staff asked if we wanted a table - didn't they just seat us an hour ago. Anyways... we left no tip but mysteriously the staff will add a tip - i checked my amex and noticed they gave themselves 10% - very illegal and i don't care if you pay your staff min wage + tips! I suggest you avoid this place at all costs.
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