Kal C.
Yelp
I would give Bacari 3.5 stars.
3 stars for the pace of service/set-up, and 5 for the food.
I had no idea this place existed, and that it was located behind the shopping center I find myself wandering to on weekends. It's a "petit restaurant," with 5 tables and a bistro table hidden in one of their vehicles in case someone else is interested in their fare and is okay being seated outside. We sat outside.
Based on the reviews, we were excited! How wonderful to have this awesome place near home. We're in dire need of more upscale restaurants, and I had hoped the intimate setting would provide an opportunity for excellent service and fabulous attention to detail when our plates came.
Quite a few things did not meet the mark. They will be moving to a larger location this Fall, and so I think it's an opportunity for them to see where changes could be made. We'd be happy to be regular date night/special occasion customers.
First, we were seated outside, and there were only 2 other tables with customers. One 4-top inside, and a couple outside. They already had a bottle of wine, appetizers, and a salad to share. It seemed like the perfect time to be served.
It took 35 minutes after ordering drinks to receive them. Mine was a delicious blueberry mojito, and my husband had Maker's Mark - not much work to be had mixing there.
I also took issue with the lack of a menu to order from. It takes away from their ability to give better service, and no one likes to ask, "How much is that?" Honestly, it leads to a conversation when I should be able to peruse a menu on my own. Rattling off daily specials is fine, and I realize they like to mix it up, but it fell flat.
Additionally, we ordered a warm brie and pear salad, and it never came. Instead, I finished my drink, and we had nothing to nosh on. Being offered even a piece of bread would have helped to recover the situation.
An older couple that seemed to know the seasoned waitress received their drinks and an appetizer before we did, and had arrived after us. The disjointed service became frustrating at this point. Even if she wasn't our waitress, it would've been nice to have her check in on us since we were at the next table over, and there was a total of 4 tables with persons seated.
I ordered the "lox" pasta, which was poorly or incorrectly described. There was no salmon in my pasta whatsoever. It was mussels and shrimp. It was delicious, but wasn't what I ordered. She brought out my dish by itself, and asked if I still wanted the salad. I said no, because salad isn't something you box up and eat later. She returned to the kitchen, and appeared with my husband's plate - the bone-in pork chop. To his surprise, it was one of the best he has ever had, and he made sure to tell the chef as much. The roasted potatoes were good, as well. Almost like my mother's au gratin potatoes, but lacking cheese and cream.
A small group had sat down in the midst of our meal, and decided to leave. I have to assume it was because of the slow service.
It did allow us the opportunity to see what others had ordered. The beef wellington looks like it would meet Gordon Ramsay's approval. If and when we have an additional 30 minutes, I'd consider ordering it.
With the knowledge that they'll be moving to a location near 4th and Hood this Fall, and room to serve ~70 people, I was understanding once we learned it was our waitress's first day. We then ordered dessert, which also did not disappoint.
If they're planning to increase the number of tables and their restaurant space, they'll need to have additional trained staff for that. My hope is that they'll ease into it.
Regardless, please make some changes, because we'd love to frequent your establishment and bring our out-of-town guests. The food was phenomenal, but the service experience was dreadfully slow, and this was a much-needed break for parents of a feisty toddler. We hope that the service during our next visit matches the quality of the food.
