Bird Dog in Palo Alto

We were attracted to this restaurant because of its Texan Chef who worked with the French Chef Rousso (or Rousseau). My wife and me both took the entire menu (chefs menu at 125 $ per person).We were sitting at the bar, with very nice discussions with the servers (I pretended to be sent by the Michelin guide, just for fun, and we all laughed). I would say, as many people whom I encountered, that this restaurant is over rated. I felt that they seemed more interested in making money than accomplishing an artistic project, a genuine savoir-faire. The problem with this restaurant is that they do not understand freshness and flavors. The octopus was over cooked, we could not feel the sea, the first ingredients. For other plates, they were served with sauces that artificially covered the real taste of the main ingredients.We booked a reservation for the next week, and we canceled it by email 30 hours in advance through an email sent to them. Be very careful ! The policy at this restaurant is to charge you 25 $ per person if you cancel within less than 24 hours. We were ok since we sent them our cancellation 30 hours in advance. We sent that through email, and we left a message of cancellation on their voice messages. They never responded when I called them by phone, they never responded when I wrote to them by email to their email address. So they charged me 50 $ on my VISA card last week because they do not read their emails and they do not listen to voice messages.I would certainly not advise anyone to go to this restaurant. There are better places on the planet.

The food is amazing here and the service is one of a kind. They have a fantastic menu and the prices are very reasonable too.

The food is good, but not really worth it. Spent $150 per person and left hungry. The wagyu steak consisted of three tiny strips and the sauce was overpowering.

The food is freaking amazing and the service is some of the best. I recommend trying them out when you have a chance.

Best cocktails in Palo Alto. Food is great too but they need to bring back the fried chicken!

Great service, poor food options. All the staff is fantastic and we enjoyed the ambiance, but the portions are extremely small, the menu is limited, and there is no accommodation for food allergies (e.g., dairy). If you have any food sensitivities at all or don’t have a lot of money to spend on a light dinner, would recommend dining elsewhere

Excellent service and the food was cooked and presented very well so giving a 5, but the menu is quite unusual so beware. I’m not sure I would come back often, but glad I tried. The tuna, cauliflower, mushroom and bread were all very good.

Casual fine dining destination with good food and cocktails. Each dish is focused on presenting one ingredient, we especially enjoyed the kanpachi, bread, maitake mushrooms and cauliflower. The signature avocado dish tastes mostly just like avocado and is a bit overhyped. Dessert was nice but also nothing out of the ordinary. We sat at the bar and had two great cocktails, the bartender was very friendly. All in all I always have a good time at Bird Dog, with a fine dining experience at a reasonable price.

The staff were wonderful and the ambiance was well done. The creative ingredients sparked excitement. But, unfortunately it didn’t bring it home to wow the tastebuds. The small plate size and price says Bird Dog wants to contend in slightly finer dining than other nearby options, but, it has a lot of competition in that department and it just doesn’t measure up to that expectation. We had Waygu, Kampachi, mushroom tempura, black cod and a couple others. No complaints on the food, but no special kudos either.

Bird Dog provided an experience through molecular gastronomy. Chef de cuisine, Cameron’s extensive knowledge of food and wine shows his caring of dining presentation. It was more than meal. It was entertainment. Do not wait to visit this gem of Palo Alto. The staff will make you feel special.

I have just had the worst experience at any restaurant.The wine list had no price,,sommelier was rude,wait staff did not know what they were doing,,we got the wrong order..we left

Prix Fixe and Service is excellent.Drinks were so tasty.Great experience.

High prices, small portions with not much taste to the food. Service was not very good either, just ok. Would not go back again.

Not what I was expecting for 100$+ per person dinner. Portions quite small. Flavours also a bit dull. Fish main dish was over cooked.

Simple ingredients made elegant. Every dish was packed with flavors. Simply yummy.

Bring a jacket. Its cold inside. Used to be amazing. But have since changed the menu from a la carte to a set menu. Its not nearly as good.

I loved this experience! Amazing staff, amazing food, 5 star experience without being stuffy and "too much". I was obsessed with the caviar waffle add on and the pork, best pork I have ever had EVER. Would 10/10 go again. Wish they were in SF as well!

New prix fixe menu with special add-ons. Highly recommend the sweet and savory goodness of the caviar on a belgian waffle with creme fraiche. The sustainably raised blue fin tuna, with a kick of pepper, melted in my mouth . The striped bass was delicious with crispy skin and a flavorful dashi - I cant quite figure out what made it so tasty... The food, drinks, people, and the music made for a very special dining experience.

We were there for a journal club and we wanted to sit in a big table, to talk about different educational matters, however they have given us two separate tables. We couldn’t even hear each other. We had to wait for them to rearrange the tables.Anyway, the atmosphere was good and staff were nice. I had lamb steak and it was delicious. 👍🏻

food was ok - middle of road on taste. for the quality and price the portions were far too small. Had to get supplemental meal afterward. Staff was extremely accommodating and generous - great service and ambiance.

Small plates, pretty well done. Unique combinations of flavors. Somewhat pricey, but everything is high quality.

For me, hugely disappointing. For my colleague ‘just really bad’. First, the highlights: The service is excellent, chic aesthetic, and truly phenomenal cocktails. The food menu though is a mess. There is no narrative - dishes make no sense in sequence. Everything is well cooked and the flavors are bold but as dishes they are just bad. The horseradish pile overwhelmed the amberjack. The curry killed the beets. The squash was just bad. The hibiscus dessert was cold. No flavor. Just (inexplicably freezingcold. We stopped for pizza on the way home.

This was my first time dining at Bird Dog and I was seriously impressed with their combination of flavours and the attentive staff. The squash with tofu and mushrooms was such a delicious and memorable dish.

Exceptional food and great service. Modern, clean decor. Impressive wines. Overall, a great find. Serving size is somewhat small, so the water advised ordering an extra dish per course to share among the 3 of us, which worked well. If you order obvious side dishes like potatoes, ask to have them served with the main course. Food was very creative and perfectly prepared.

We had a wonderful exceptional experience. We loved the food and the hospitality. A lot of thought has been put through each dish and every one of them was unique and delicious. Obviously a great night is not all about food only. Marcus was so nice to us and was so attentive and made every effort to make our night more memorable.

Last night we went with a party of four. We ordered cocktails and 12 dishes and brought our own bottle of wine. Corkage was a steep $45. Almost everything was good, we especially enjoyed the short ribs and the salad - one out of our 12 dishes (the dish with salmon roewas bland but the rest were quite good with interesting ingredients and flavors. Main complaint is that the portions are extremely small, so even after 12 dishes and a $500 bill for 4 people we left the restaurant not feeling full. The first courses of raw fish appetizers are tiny, just four very thin slices of fish, for sure less than an ounce. There arent really any side dishes on the menu, so theres not a way to add more substantial food without adding more $50 main dishes, and even the mains arent very large. So just be aware when they say small plates they really mean it. Also they half assedly force you to show proof of vaccination when you enter the restaurant - which is just dumb theater since you could flash the hostess any image of any vaccine card - so their process is both intrusive and pointless. We missed the chicken thighs which used to be the best dish in the house and its no longer on the menu - they were closed for a very long time during the plague and the whole menu is new. We were there on a Thursday night and the place was perhaps half full.

This is not my first time visit BirdDog, everytime I need to celebrate, me & my husband make a reservation. Their food and drinks are still tasty for sure, but more details need to be take care. We will definitely keep coming back, we are still looking for a better change about this fine dining restaurant.1st , we are a party of two, the King salmon comes in 3 piece, and the server said all dishes are shareable? Did you tell your kitchen about this is for a table of 3 guest? I believe the kitchen can slice our fish in 2 or 4 if you tell them “this is for party of 2, don’t let them fight for the fish.”2nd, The lettuce come with our wagyu brisket, the server recommend to use the lettuce wrap the meat, but the lettuce are still pretty wet, I wish they could dry it before they serve it. Otherwise my fingers/palm getting wet & oil easily that I can not enjoy this dish.I have to running into the ladies room but here comes the 3rd detail, the podcast playing there is really uncomfortable for me. The tone, the volume, the information that podcast makes me seriously want to run away. Is a ladies room supposedly make customer relax? Why they have these weird podcast playing will people pee, poo, & clean up? I wish it is just a quiet ladies room.

YUM. While we’re sheltering in place, Bird Dog is still blessing the community with a to-go menu.Their normally off-menu burger is now available, and thanks to a mouth-watering picture they convinced me it was worth ordering. Pickup times were thoughtfully spaced out to ensure orders would be picked up in an orderly manner.Thank you, Bird Dog! We hope you’ll be open again for delicious sit down meals soon...

This was a great place for all kinds of needs. I have been here for almost 3 times and the most recent one is for a personal event. The staff is super helpful and they have a great online system you could finalize all different kinds of details before your event. Great food, very decent service with reasoanble price for this level of restaurant. Highly recommend

By far the best meal I had on my brief trip out west, Bird Dog was a breath of fresh air. Fresh ingredients and bold experimentation almost make you forget that you’re paying $30 for carrots and avacados (worth every penny). The potatoes, too, were indulgent stand outs - so much cream.The kitchen is fast, the cocktails competently made, and, if my meal at the bar is any indication, the service is terrific. Desserts were hit and miss (we preferred the chocolate cakebut they rotate the menu frequently. Ill definitely be back.

Wonderful spot! Parking is a challenge. Very cool 😎 vibe. Delicious flavors. Smaller portions. They serve full menu at the bar. I started w a cucumber and gin drink called Big Bills. Then a avocado and tortilla appitzer wow! They will describe the tortilla is much more than what I just noted in that simple description. I followed that with poched Monterey King Salmon. This takes about 20 minutes so be patient 🧐. Light and delicious 😍

Thanks so much for a wonderful evening Bird Dog!!! My fiancee and I were celebrating our engagement. The staff was super attentive throughout the evening and the food was amazing. Our waiter even gave us a dessert compliments of the house because of our celebration.PS: The interior and decor is really cool and relaxing and is perfect for a fancy date spot or memorable meal with friends and family.

Had lunch with friends on a weekday, not many people in the restaurant but I still recommend to make a reservation beforehand.Its a shared plate dining style, which also referred to as small plates. We ordered two appetizers and two main dishes to share.I would say wood-grilled avocado is a must-try! The dish looks not that fancy: one avocado cut in halves and peeled, with ponzu sauce and wasabi on the side, but it tastes amazing!Fried chicken thighs are very juicy and tender, also recommended. Duck leg is okay, but I dont really like how it was presented :(

Great service...Good food for what you get of it...Unfortunately heavily over pricedDefinitely not a value restaurant.Plenty of sight jokes on the plates 😂

Went in there for lunch. Sat down at the empty bar. Bartender gave me a menu. Ughh..is this in English? Guess I am not up to date with all fancy smanshy food these days. I wanted a burger, but I didnt see it on the menu. I asked if I could have a burger, she said yes. I asked can I substitute a salad for fries, she replied that I get just the burger, nothing else. If I wanted to add a salad, I would have to order one from the lunch menu. So I told her Ill have just the burger then. She didnt even ask me how I wanted it cooked. WORST burger I have ever had, and I have had a lot of burgers from a lot of different restaurants. The bun was burnt black, maybe that was intentional, part of the fancy dining whatever. But I can tell you, it didnt taste good. The meat was really greasy, whole burger was dripping with grease. It was very spicy, like too much black pepper spice. And some weird sauce on it. I couldnt even finish it, even though I was hungry. And I eat just about everything. And the kicker is that it cost $25!! The only good thing was that the bartender was nice though. I am never going back to Bird Dog again.

A different place than usual. Really enjoyed the cuisine and loved the service. Cozy ambiance. Good for a date but also for a business dinner. We tried a bit of everything on the menu and enjoyed all what we ordered. Good wines as well

One of my favorite places for an upscale, fusion experience with high design food and ambiance in Palo Alto. The service has been spotty for me at times, but the food experience makes up for any kinks in the service.

What a place! The food was modern, clean and mind-blowing. Wasnt doused in sauce or spices. Fresh ingredients, honest modern cooking. Great interior as well. It was perfect for our team dinner. Also had the fortunate opportunity to enjoy a 1974 barolo and my god, the night was great. Will return for sure.

American Asian fusion food tapas style! Portion size was perfect. Every dish was delicately curated with interesting and sometimes clashing ingredients and flavors, resulting in sublime flavors and presentation. Great ambiance and service on top of everything make this restaurant one of my few repeats in the Bay area!

Came here with three other friends on a Thursday night. We got a nice table in the middle of the restaurant and had a nice waiter who often came to refill our water.Food: We got two appetizers including the Grilled Avocado, which was quite tasty and had a nice morsel of sauce in the pit of the avocado. They also give you Roti before your entree which is a nice touch! Would recommend getting an appetizer for your wait for the entree though for sure. I personally got the Duck but the wait time for the duck was around 40 minutes. It was extremely crispy and worth the wait but the portion sizes were quite small. I had some of my friend’s fried chicken which was just so juicy and wonderful. We also ended up getting the Panna Cotta and chocolate cake, and would recommend the panna cotta because it was just so light and tasty.Service: The server we had was very nice and apologized for our long wait time! It’s definitely a more upscale place.Overall would recommend for a one time experience! They have funny names for their drinks and a good hipster vibe.

Food was delicious and playful. We came 10 mins before the kitchen closed on a Sunday night and was seated right away. The drink list is quite extensive and the staff was attentative. Water was kept filled and plate changes happened quickly. We ordered the Uni, grilled avacado, rice and trout. The trout is a must. The avacado was delicious and a creative mix of Japanese and Californian flavors. The rice was imaginitive, but the herbs predicitable. The uni was playful, but I dont know if I would order it again. All and all great overall experience. The chefs did great.

All dishes are like the work of art. And the flavors are superb. Service is a bit slow during lunch time since it is not packed and theres only one waiter. Their lunch and dinner menus are different with only a few dishes overlapped. I had the kampachi (sashimi), grilled avocado, pork katsu and skirt steak from the lunch menu. Highly recommended all these dishes. There are enough food for 2 people. But if I am super hungry, I would probably add 1 or 2 more appetizers. Will definitely come back to try the other dishes.

We had fun here - the cocktail was burbon and campari and delightful! all the dishes were good and flavorful. The duck was the only one that was not done perfectly, it was hard to chop and eat. The brisket was amazing.The prices are high ($140 for a couple), the dishes are high quality but very small.

An upscale place for fancy food in downtown Palo Alto. A bit challenging getting a reservation for a party of 8 but they were able to accommodate. Our group ordered a few of every dish on the menu and everything was delicious. The wagyu steak in particular was very tender and tasty.

Thoughtfully crafted selection of food and the dishes are well executed. We sat by the bar which services a full menu, since we didnt want to wait for our reservation.

Absolutely loved everything about the place! From the moment you walked in(the decorand sat down and all through the sumptuous dishes which were an absolute treat to your taste buds! Every single dish was an explosion of flavor and easy on your stomach. None of that heavy oily, saucy, stuffed feeling, even when I was the hangar steak, the very thought of which has me salivating!! The dishes were an absolute treat and the dessert, the citrus parfait.... cannot get enough of that!

Well cooked competent dining. Interesting flavors. Love their fried chicken. Brussel sprouts were fantastic. Great cocktails. Probably one of the best restaurants in Palo Alto right now.

This place is interesting, went for lunch. I would say the starters win, entrees were good but mind not blown like I would expect for the price and hype and atmosphere. Great service and good plating. I had "sandwich" which was an unagi (eelsandwich and was good. Dont understand the powdered rice cake thing that was too unwieldy to eat without blowing whatever the powder was all over the table. Dessert was also good, though the cake was a lot like a cliff bar. I would try other places before going back here

Wow this is definitely a surprise for me. Generally the reviews are pretty accurate when you go above 100s. For a 3$$$ restaurant, I expect excellent service. Our waiter was cold and dismissive. We, 4 people, asked for paper napkins; got 3 paper napkins. Requested if we can avoid pork butter, his response was borderline rude (no substitutes here). The waiter was better as the night progressed but it is a bit too late.Food: The skirt steak was a bit salty but well prepared. The wagyu beef was better. Potatoes come with a nice sauce. The carrots dish was really tasty. The food took really long time to be prepared. This is expected of these type of places, so not out of ordinary.Overall, I am really underwhelmed with the experience here. Cant see myself visiting here again, given the number of alternatives walking distance.

very special food tasting restaurant.. still dunno how exactly i should describe the experience for the foods , ingredients are nothing exotics or rare the presentation n sauce make them special. love the service... totally worth a try