Tried to go on 3 different occasions. We waited at the "wait to be seated" sign for only 5 minutes today before leaving. Last 2 times I waited 15 minutes before leaving. Where is the hostess? Maybe get rid of the wait to be seated sign or consider a hostess.Won't try again.
We've been going here since day one. Beer and cocktails 5 stars all day, they make some of the best beer around. Atmosphere 5 stars. Food.. Well depends when you go. They continue to change the menu, and I'm OK with that but they take away the good items, so frustrating. I feel the price point on food for a city like Salinas and it's resistants seems to high, especially when you are doing lunch. We are not Carmel. But I get it, gotta pay that rent and staff... And then there's the staff. I swear no one likes working here. It's not the worst experiences I've had but a smile and acknowledge we're sitting there would go a long way, expect for the hostesses, they are all friendly and do smile.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
aaron williams
Bro if y’all designated one TV to reality tv(bravo, E network, etc) y’all would bring in a wider clientele. Not every person on the planet watches sports. I would stay longer and spend way more money if I didn’t have to watch sports. I actually run out as fast as I can when sports are on the tv.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Claudia M.
I say a 3.5. The food was good, not as many options, but the vibes are great and the staff is really good and friendly. Recommend for a date or night out
Nohemy C.
I was in Salinas for work and stopped by on a Friday for lunch. It was semi-busy but I decided to sit at the bar and order a quick bite and a beer. I ended up being there for a little over an hour and appreciated that I wasn't rushed out. It did take a while to get checked on because it was after the lunch rush and slowing down. Otherwise, everyone was nice. I went for the artichoke tacos because I was intrigued by the dish and wanted to try something new. They were absolutely delicious and such a unique dish. They give you three types of salsa with various levels of heat. I loved the bright red spicy one and wish I had chips so I can finish the salsas. The artichokes had a grilled almost chewy texture and the crispy garbanzo beans were a delightful crunch. It was a lot on tiny tortillas so you definitely need your fork to scoop up the delicious stuff that spills out. I went for the pils and it was crisp, refreshing and not too hoppy, just how I like it. The space is absolutely stunning and in a historic building in downtown/Oldtown Salinas.
Beautiful restaurant/bar in an Art Deco former bank. Deep fried cauliflower was a surprising treat. Their Paloma cocktails garnished with dehydrated grapefruit slice is delightful. Happy friendly staff. I ❤️ this place!
Heather Purdom
This place could have been great if it wasn't for the staffing. We had a birthday dinner for 15 women. We called days ahead to make a reservation and left a voicemail. They took a long time to return the call but finally did. They took the reservation and they were informed it was a birthday dinner. When we arrived they had set up at two separate tables; one table of ten and one table of five. We asked politely if we could arrange the tables to accommodate all of us at one table. The manager was called over and we were told very rudely that no, they wouldn't be doing that. The manager said when there are larger parties they are offered to rent the mezzanine. However, we were never offered that option even though we gave them many days notice. The mezzanine was unoccupied. (They didn't have the staff to let us rent it right then, which is understandable.)The waitress was incredibly rude and sullen all night even though none of us had been rude or demanding. Everyone in our party felt extremely unwelcome. Also, one of our party brought a homemade dessert for our birthday girl since she doesn't enjoy most sweets. They told us there would be a per-person "cutting" charge, although we had ordered 15 dinners plus lots of drinks. We decided to just not have any dessert, except did pay one cutting fee for the birthday girl.We have gone to many area restaurants as a group (including Mangia and Patria) who were all wonderful and accommodating.I would NEVER go back to this place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
David H.
Excellent addition to the family of brewpubs offered by the Monterey Bay staple Alvarado Street Brewery in old town Salinas. The art deco building and decor alone are with the visit to this establishment. The bar is gorgeous with some TVs to catch some sports or sport center. Wide variety of beer and cocktails. The oysters are fresh and so delicious. We must have seen about 6 orders come out of the kitchen while we sat at the bar. The old town pizza is the perfect combination of spicy, salty, and sweet. The beer compliments both those flavors. And my wife's cocktail was delicious. Good pour and speedy service from our bartender. If you're in old town Salinas, it is highly recommended to stop in if just for a drink and the vibes. You can also pop in to take beer to go as there is a counter with cold beer ready for pick up.
Lara Saavedra
Alvarado on Main is an excellent restaurant in what looks like a former bank. It's owner, Alvarado Brewing is one of the best brewers on the peninsula and they never skimp on quality, local ingredients on their menu. Everything we tried was great.On exterior design:It was a little bit hard to figure out that it was a restaurant from the outside. I actually walked past it four times without realizing that was the same brand as Alvarado Brewing because the logo is so understated.It's also hard to locate it on Google maps because Google keeps trying to reroute you to the Alvarado Brewing and Tasting room instead, also in Salinas. Make sure you get the name right when you search it.?♥️?♥️?♥️
Smashburger was good. Fries were standard. Side salad with Sherry vinaigrette slightly exceeded expectations. Took a while for hostess to seat me and for bartender to get to me. Go again?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Lea Kimbler
We ate here last night. There were 15 of us ladies out enjoying our friends birthday. They can not accommodate parties of 10 or more unless you want to be separated into 2 tables. It would’ve been nice to know this. And since when are they charging $3 per person cake fee??? Ridiculous. I brought cupcakes to share and we didn’t because of that. Why charge when you’re not cutting or serving it? Needless to say, that caused a sour note and our waitress was less than friendly. A smile goes a long way but I think she just wanted to get out of there or have us get out. It felt like a night club at closing time. All the lights switched on bright and everyone is looking at us like, “get out of here.” A beautiful place just not inviting and when the staff treats you like you’re a nuisance and not welcome…. Well, that’s says it all! Oh, but the automatic gratuity was there and that seemed to be ok. I wonder if she would’ve been nicer if she actually had to work for the tip.Vegetarian options: I’m vegan, so plain salad and pizza with no cheese.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
MichelleH
We had by far the nicest server we have ever had there, on Saturday night. We love to get the smash burger it is so simple and delicious. It was totally packed but a manager or someone overseeing the restaurant was nice enough to come over and check in and ask how our meal was. Glad to see it so busy, we love coming in here!
MoniG
Was excited to have dinner here for the first time, I was on a date & he has a speech impediment, we wanted a drink each & the server did not want to give us any because she assumed my date was already drunk when he wasn't it was the way he communicated with his speech impediment that came off wrong she assumed he was a few drinks in and it was only about to be our first. spoke to the manager as well & she was a little more harsh than the server. She said they were signs of already having some drink & it made me very uncomfortable to have been put in that position & makes me feel bad for my date. food was not good & they didn't take our order for about 20 minutes after they told us they were not serving us any drinks.
Tried to go on 3 different occasions. We waited at the "wait to be seated" sign for only 5 minutes today before leaving. Last 2 times I waited 15 minutes before leaving. Where is the hostess? Maybe get rid of the wait to be seated sign or consider a hostess.Won't try again.
Service: 1
A little pricey but very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Wings, Crispy Cauliflower
We've been going here since day one. Beer and cocktails 5 stars all day, they make some of the best beer around. Atmosphere 5 stars. Food.. Well depends when you go. They continue to change the menu, and I'm OK with that but they take away the good items, so frustrating. I feel the price point on food for a city like Salinas and it's resistants seems to high, especially when you are doing lunch. We are not Carmel. But I get it, gotta pay that rent and staff... And then there's the staff. I swear no one likes working here. It's not the worst experiences I've had but a smile and acknowledge we're sitting there would go a long way, expect for the hostesses, they are all friendly and do smile.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Bro if y’all designated one TV to reality tv(bravo, E network, etc) y’all would bring in a wider clientele. Not every person on the planet watches sports. I would stay longer and spend way more money if I didn’t have to watch sports. I actually run out as fast as I can when sports are on the tv.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
I say a 3.5. The food was good, not as many options, but the vibes are great and the staff is really good and friendly. Recommend for a date or night out
I was in Salinas for work and stopped by on a Friday for lunch. It was semi-busy but I decided to sit at the bar and order a quick bite and a beer. I ended up being there for a little over an hour and appreciated that I wasn't rushed out. It did take a while to get checked on because it was after the lunch rush and slowing down. Otherwise, everyone was nice. I went for the artichoke tacos because I was intrigued by the dish and wanted to try something new. They were absolutely delicious and such a unique dish. They give you three types of salsa with various levels of heat. I loved the bright red spicy one and wish I had chips so I can finish the salsas. The artichokes had a grilled almost chewy texture and the crispy garbanzo beans were a delightful crunch. It was a lot on tiny tortillas so you definitely need your fork to scoop up the delicious stuff that spills out. I went for the pils and it was crisp, refreshing and not too hoppy, just how I like it. The space is absolutely stunning and in a historic building in downtown/Oldtown Salinas.
Beautiful restaurant/bar in an Art Deco former bank. Deep fried cauliflower was a surprising treat. Their Paloma cocktails garnished with dehydrated grapefruit slice is delightful. Happy friendly staff. I ❤️ this place!
This place could have been great if it wasn't for the staffing. We had a birthday dinner for 15 women. We called days ahead to make a reservation and left a voicemail. They took a long time to return the call but finally did. They took the reservation and they were informed it was a birthday dinner. When we arrived they had set up at two separate tables; one table of ten and one table of five. We asked politely if we could arrange the tables to accommodate all of us at one table. The manager was called over and we were told very rudely that no, they wouldn't be doing that. The manager said when there are larger parties they are offered to rent the mezzanine. However, we were never offered that option even though we gave them many days notice. The mezzanine was unoccupied. (They didn't have the staff to let us rent it right then, which is understandable.)The waitress was incredibly rude and sullen all night even though none of us had been rude or demanding. Everyone in our party felt extremely unwelcome. Also, one of our party brought a homemade dessert for our birthday girl since she doesn't enjoy most sweets. They told us there would be a per-person "cutting" charge, although we had ordered 15 dinners plus lots of drinks. We decided to just not have any dessert, except did pay one cutting fee for the birthday girl.We have gone to many area restaurants as a group (including Mangia and Patria) who were all wonderful and accommodating.I would NEVER go back to this place.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Excellent addition to the family of brewpubs offered by the Monterey Bay staple Alvarado Street Brewery in old town Salinas. The art deco building and decor alone are with the visit to this establishment. The bar is gorgeous with some TVs to catch some sports or sport center. Wide variety of beer and cocktails. The oysters are fresh and so delicious. We must have seen about 6 orders come out of the kitchen while we sat at the bar. The old town pizza is the perfect combination of spicy, salty, and sweet. The beer compliments both those flavors. And my wife's cocktail was delicious. Good pour and speedy service from our bartender. If you're in old town Salinas, it is highly recommended to stop in if just for a drink and the vibes. You can also pop in to take beer to go as there is a counter with cold beer ready for pick up.
Alvarado on Main is an excellent restaurant in what looks like a former bank. It's owner, Alvarado Brewing is one of the best brewers on the peninsula and they never skimp on quality, local ingredients on their menu. Everything we tried was great.On exterior design:It was a little bit hard to figure out that it was a restaurant from the outside. I actually walked past it four times without realizing that was the same brand as Alvarado Brewing because the logo is so understated.It's also hard to locate it on Google maps because Google keeps trying to reroute you to the Alvarado Brewing and Tasting room instead, also in Salinas. Make sure you get the name right when you search it.?♥️?♥️?♥️
Restaurantji Recommends
Perfect night with good food and good friends. Always great service and delicious meals for everyone in the group.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wings Serving, Crispy Cauliflower, Smash Burger
Smashburger was good. Fries were standard. Side salad with Sherry vinaigrette slightly exceeded expectations. Took a while for hostess to seat me and for bartender to get to me. Go again?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
We ate here last night. There were 15 of us ladies out enjoying our friends birthday. They can not accommodate parties of 10 or more unless you want to be separated into 2 tables. It would’ve been nice to know this. And since when are they charging $3 per person cake fee??? Ridiculous. I brought cupcakes to share and we didn’t because of that. Why charge when you’re not cutting or serving it? Needless to say, that caused a sour note and our waitress was less than friendly. A smile goes a long way but I think she just wanted to get out of there or have us get out. It felt like a night club at closing time. All the lights switched on bright and everyone is looking at us like, “get out of here.” A beautiful place just not inviting and when the staff treats you like you’re a nuisance and not welcome…. Well, that’s says it all! Oh, but the automatic gratuity was there and that seemed to be ok. I wonder if she would’ve been nicer if she actually had to work for the tip.Vegetarian options: I’m vegan, so plain salad and pizza with no cheese.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 1
We had by far the nicest server we have ever had there, on Saturday night. We love to get the smash burger it is so simple and delicious. It was totally packed but a manager or someone overseeing the restaurant was nice enough to come over and check in and ask how our meal was. Glad to see it so busy, we love coming in here!
Was excited to have dinner here for the first time, I was on a date & he has a speech impediment, we wanted a drink each & the server did not want to give us any because she assumed my date was already drunk when he wasn't it was the way he communicated with his speech impediment that came off wrong she assumed he was a few drinks in and it was only about to be our first. spoke to the manager as well & she was a little more harsh than the server. She said they were signs of already having some drink & it made me very uncomfortable to have been put in that position & makes me feel bad for my date. food was not good & they didn't take our order for about 20 minutes after they told us they were not serving us any drinks.