Golden Gate Saloon

We celebrated our anniversary last week by indulging in the tasting menu with wine parings. It was outstanding! The food was beautifully prepared and plated, and of course delicious. Our night out was made even better by our wonderful server, Becky. She was friendly, attentive, and really cared about our experience. We can't wait to come back!

Amazing! We did the four course meal with the wine pairings and we were blown away! I’ve never had Brussels sprouts so good before. They tasted like orange chicken! How??? The power went out twice so maybe the ghosts were jealous. We got to have dinner in the dark with candle light. It was actually great. The full glass of wine with each course sure helped too

We celebrated my brother’s birthday here and were served by Nathan who made the experience the best it could’ve been. The restaurant itself was wonderful, as was the food and beverages, but his service was incredible.

Every aspect of our dining experience (first time there) was really top notch! Drinks prepared beautifully, appetizer (calamari) was the best I've had since moving to California. Our dinners (Duck and Salmon) were a 10!! Excellent flavors and beautiful presentation. Even our shared desert (brownie with home made salted caramel ice cream) was a 10! Best of all, our food server Becky helped with some recommendations, never seemed rushed or bothered by our endless questions so she made our dining experience so relaxing and enjoyable. And I noticed she was that way at every one of her tables- pleasant, knowledgeable, not hurried.

This is a great spot for a special meal. The duck confit was bonkers good. And the goat cheese cheesecake was fantastic.

My family came to have some appetizers and drinks. We decided to also stay for dinner. I had the butter curry chicken “pot pie”. It was rich and flavorful. Nathan was a spectacular server. He was very accommodating and made our dining experience more enjoyable. He has an inviting smile and personality! The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy and comfortable. Highly recommend this place.

Nathan was amazing! Good service, great food, the best environment! 10/10 would recommend!

My old fashion was awesome, the bartender Kate selected a whiskey she thought would add a punch and not be sweet. It was perfection. Becky took her time to describe menu options, answer questions and was very personable, bubbly and easy to communicate with! A great team here. Enjoyed the environment provided by everyone on staff.

I had to try before the Christmas market and when the hotel renovation was featured by Emily Henderson. Neither food nor decor disappointed (though we had to sit on the patio due to busyness). We ordered: - brussel spouts: a complex flavor combination with Parmesan and some sort of balsamic or pomegranate molasses glaze, perfectly crispy of course - pork belly appetizer: a balanced blend of crispy and melt-in-your-mouth fat with hints of fenugreek, turmeric, and chile. With the side garnish of chickpeas and apple(?) this was a great light meal - pot roast: can't go wrong, easy to split generous serving - crab cakes: classic - the chicken gnocchi: well paired with pomegranate and yam for fall - a cocktail whose name I forgot but it has mezcal, cinnamon, carrot, and chile: wow a complex but balanced cocktail. Not very spicy, just warming Logistics: - indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoor has heaters but not much ambiance - limited street parking and a few public lots nearby - 1-2 vegetarian entrees - reservations recommended especially around Christmas market - there's actually a second separate bar downstairs (decorated for holidays) that we missed until our way out

We have stayed and dined at Holbrooke once per year for the last 3 years. 2022 during the Dry Diggings festival, 2023 when my mother moved here, and again tonight. I have very high expectations for food and am clueless as to why there are such low stars/reviews. We've had a phenomenal stay, and amazing service, food and drinks every time. Tonight's dinner was no different... our server Natasha was a doll and provided impeccable hospitality/service making the occasion memorable as an early birthday celebration for my mama. The food was delicious and worth the price. Portions were great and as expected. We will definitely continue with our annual stay and dinner.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner last night at the Golden Gate Saloon. Natasha provided delightful, friendly service throughout our visit. We started with the absolutely delicious Brussels sprouts. For our mains, the hubby went with the very interesting juniper crusted elk and I opted for the wild mushroom risotto. While quite full, we wanted just a little something sweet to finish and the mango sorbet was perfect to round out our meal. This is a cool place in the Holbrooke Hotel. Interesting and kitschy decor and plentiful ambiance. The only downside was how we were greeted (or not) upon our arrival. The hostess was posted up at the hostess stand and we stood there waiting to be acknowledged. She wasn't on the phone but was clearly thinking hard about something. Regardless, we both just stood there for an absolutely absurd amount of time before she finally looked up and simply said "Hi" then grabbed some menus and said "Right this way." It would have taken the least amount of time and effort for her to simply look up from her task for 2-3 seconds max and say something like, "Welcome in. I'll be right with you." First impressions matter and that was not a good one. Thankfully the rest of our experience made up for it.

Food Service Ambience/--Exceptional!! exceed my expectations!! Server or waitress BECKY is Amazing!!! food is fresh and yammi!! alcohol drink was Just Right!! ingredients mixed well and everything looked perfect!! even bathrooms a work of art!! thank you so much! ill be back once more!

Are here last night and was so empressed with how perfectly prepared each dish was. The crab cake with house made kimchi, short ribs, and shishito peppers were highlights. Planning to come back soon and try out more of the menu.

Had a 7:45pm reservation lastnight Oct 19th, confirmed. This was our Anniversary dinner, which we traveled 4 hours for. Not only did they tell us we were too early at 7:32, but eventually sat us down, for another 30 minutes without even offering us water. Extremely disappointed. Every server walked passed us numerous times and only tended to those who had already eaten. We didn't get asked a single question after we sat. We had to walk out, at 8:20, to go eat across the street. We wereee prepared to have dinner and numerous cocktails to celebrate our special occasion, unfortunately they didn't give us the opportunity to spend a single dollar. Just wow.

food was good service was good, but i cry-laughed the whole way home about how they offer a half dozen oysters as an appetizer but it actually only comes with five. i mean, whatcha doin with that 6th oyster? saving it for a couple extra bucks? ur charging 30-40 a plate but the 24 dollar oyster appetizer comes with one less than six . . huh.i have literally never in my life.

I cannot even begin to discuss my sincere disappointment in the food offered since the new owners have taken over. At the very least the old establishment was decent and consistent. I live here and used to be able to brag to friends about the amazing cuisine in my small town, but not anymore. What makes this even more distressing is that I have expressed this to the management and owners on more than one occasion. Yet, not a single change has been made. The funny thing is that the waitstaffs know it needs improvement and encourages the patrons to write reviews and talk to upper management. It is CLEAR from the 3.5 star rating (probably fueled by tourists with low expectations from a small town (should get 2.5 at the most) that changes should be made. How in the world is this same company running Lola in Nevada City, which is consistently good (with a few hiccups when the frequently change of chefs and when the place is packed then the cocktail qualities go down). So. If you're thinking about eating, here don't. Spend your money elsewhere, like Sushi in The Raw, Sushi Q, Lola, Three Forks, Thirsty Barrels, Friar Tucks, or The Willow. Or better yet, Josephine's, in Auburn when you're on the way down to the Bay Area or Sac. You won't be disappointed. Which is all that you will be at this place. To the management, hasn't this gone on long enough? Please give our small community back what you took from it; a decent place to eat.

We had such a lovely supper! Calamari, caesar, truffle fries and the ribeye were all delicious. We were surprised it wasn't as busy as we anticipated which we were very happy about. The service was so sweet and personable...we look forward to returning again this evening :-)

We had a large party & showed up without a reservation & the restaurant happily & quickly accommodated our large party. The wait staff was friendly & meals were delivered hot & timely! We tried many appetizers with the brussel sprouts being my favorite. I had the super salad & added salmon to it. My friend couldn't stop raving about the elk he ordered. All in all everyone was happy with their meal! The ambiance of this restaurant captures the feel of historic Grass Valley!

What a great "old" hotel. Yeah the bones are truly old, but it's been polished up from top to bottom in the best way while retaining the old west feel that neighborhood boasts. Bar staff was great, as were the drink options and the liquor selection. The place got slammed for an hour or so just before the concert (Mavericks, a block away) that night but the staff did not get in the weeds, at least that I saw. We will go back to Grass Valley, stay at the Holbrooke, and drink at the Golden Gate. Soon.

So I get to Grass Valley about once a year as I travel for work and traditionally, we have dinner at the Golden Gate Saloon. This year was no exception. However this year we were served by a charming young lady, Sarah. I hope that I spelled her name correctly. Sarah was welcoming, informative and seemed to know when we wanted something and when to let us have enjoy our conversation. I do not know who the manager is for the Golden Gate Saloon, but do what you need to do to keep her on staff. Looking forward to visiting again next year.

I've voiced out my take on the food side of this place and everyone told me to write a review for the upper management to really see what the people want. Since this place is under the same umbrella as Lola in Nevada city, I wonder why the quality is so opposite? The decor is tasteful. Staffs are decent. I really want to love the food here as I am a local and I've been trying to give them a chance ever since they reopened during the pandemic after remodeling. The food and drinks were all so GOOD the first month and then it started to get weird ever since. The first bartender made a great cocktail menu and he actually cared about setting up the bar but because the hotel didn't want to give him the extra 30 minutes to set up, they lost a talented bartender. Now, I don't know what's happening with the food because it's mediocre. It's trying so hard to be a fusion? tex-Mexican vibe? Just keep the ingredients simple will ya? You guys have a smoker, just do an tasteful BBQ theme instead of these wanna be Mexican-Spanish dishes that ends up worst than Maria's in grass valley. Literally, the only good thing are the oysters, because it's raw. Overall, not impressed. For tourists that give this place a chance while visiting, they may not complain, but as a local here, I would rather see this place flourish and have another food place to spend my money on. Need a new BOH head chef and a new FOH bar menu please. Get some ideas/tips from Lola (Nevada city) and Josephine (auburn).

As we were vacationing in Grass Valley, CA, we decided to go eat at the main Holbrooke Hotel in the downtown area. The hotel in itself dates back to the 1800's and is quite remarkable inside if you enjoy classic modern decor! It was so beautiful. We decided to try their Golden Gate Saloon restaurant inside the hotel and it was delicious.

The Golden Gate Saloon at the Holbrooke Hotel is one of the nicest eating establishments in Nevada County. I was amazed at how great the ambiance and staff of this restaurant was. My fiancé and I liked it so much we decided to have our wedding reception at the Holbrooke! The food was fantastic. They had a very elegant brunch menu. My only criticism is the prices are a little high. I would prefer if they were lower, but you get what you pay for. I enjoyed the Chorizo and Potato breakfast, and it was so good. We ate in the back patio area and feasted with a beautiful view. The bar is great. They have many different kinds of local beer on tap, and even some sours, which my fiancé really enjoyed. It's crazy to think that the bar was founded in 1952. I like to think about the spirits that wander the bar, looking to have one last sip of sarsaparilla before heading back to the mines, their final resting place. Ok I realize I am going on a tangent, but I love historical locations, and this place is a must if you are into California & Gold Rush history!

To the owner/manager of the hotel and restaurant, I'm really sad to find the chef changed from past years. My wife and I used to make special trips just to enjoy Chef Zachary Arenholtz's creations. I get it, times change, things need to move forward. However, the meal tonight was not only uninspired but very poorly executed. The Crispy Skin Salmon was not crispy, instead drenched with some kind of salsa. Every 101 of cooking suggests you don't drown your crispy-anything with liquid. Serve it on the side or under. The short rib pasta had the makings of something good but there was no seasoning/salt (presumably in the pasta water) and worse, very little short rib in the dish. It could use more ragu too but that is picky. The last dish, the bread pudding came out with a cold center. Should have probably been comped when we mentioned it to the server. All-in-all, in my opinion, a very generic (you could find it anywhere) menu and most certainly, poor execution. Service was solid but the poor waiter had to cover for the kitchen. You wanted the Holbrooke to be a special destination. That HAS to be reflected in everything you offer; service, staff, room, restaurant.

We've been enjoying the Saloon since they reopened a few years ago with new owners, revamped menu and a refreshed dining room. The food was interesting with a bit of a Mexican influence and some nice vegetarian choices. It seems they changed chefs in the past few months and now unfortunately food is not as good, in our opinion anyways. We went out for dinner there on a weekend night before a concert recently, made our usual reservation and got there on time. They sat us almost immediately but it was around twenty minutes before any of the wait staff interacted with us. A manager type person ran around with a concerned look but never dropped by to check. When our server did appear, she stood on the far end of the table and tried to talk to us. The noise in the restaurant was deafening and we invited her to get a little closer so we could hear each other. Twenty minutes after ordering our drinks we got them. I ordered the skirt steak, my wife ordered the short rib. After around 40 minutes they brought our food out. It seems that the chef decided I should have the elk instead of the beef, my wife got her order. The server was surprised I ended up with elk (so was I) and offered to it back, but since I wanted to eat with my wife and we had been there for an hour I declined. I do like elk but this dish wasn't that good. My wife did like her short ribs. And the drinks were good when we finally got them. One suggestion for the restaurant: if you don't have the staff to handle customers, don't fill up the restaurant. It's okay to turn people away. What's not good service: Seating customers, making them wait, and then giving one of them the wrong order. We are going to hold off on returning to Golden Gate for a while.

Delish with excellent service, such a great vibe and great curbside views! Had lox and tomato and the frittata. Potatoes were on point.

made a reservation for dinner last week, as I'd heard they have a new chef and a new menu (both true). Happy to report we enjoyed a fabulous dinner with great service. Will definitely be back!

I don't know, should I tell you this is the best breakfast in town? We love the excellent menu, friendly service and exceptional decor.

Stopped in here for a late afternoon drink and appetizer. Staff was very accommodating even though it was extremely busy. Great wine selections and craft beer list. Food was delicious. Went with avocado dip and grilled Brussel sprouts, this one was my personal favorite. Recommend sitting in Augustina's section, she was wonderful. See you on our next visit.

We walked into the newly renovated Holbrook Hotel. Absolutely beautiful bar, lobby and dining rooms. We immediately decided to have our first dinner out in Grass Valley in over a year. We chose to sit in a large shaded patio. Socially distanced and all the staff were masked , including the kitchen help. Live music over cocktails and dinner ..., just a perfect evening! The pork tostada was excellent!

Delightful and delicious New Year's Eve dinners. A beautiful and historic dining experience!

I had super high hopes for the dinner menu. There are some high points for the Golden Gate, but some real low points from the kitchen too. 5 stars for the overall service. We had three servers for cocktails, dinner, and breakfast. They were all wonderful and went out of their way to take care of us. 5 stars for the cocktails. We had old fashioned's and they were perfect. 1 star for the food. So, the food is interesting and fresh, but the only spice that came through is salt. I had the kale Caesar and I could feel the grains of salt on my teeth as I was chewing. It was an avocado dressing, but the only thing I could taste was salt. I knew I was in trouble. We had the chicken wings with the honey habanero and they were delicious, but the dressings were super salty. They should have been a creamy offset to the spicy wings. Had breakfast... we had to send our potatoes back to be made with no salt because they were inedible. The eggs, salty. The sausage was supposed to be ginger and something, but again, you got a hint of ginger and then wait for it... more salt. I feel like it's the new trend to use salt as the only spice. To the chefs, honestly, there are so many others flavors I want to taste other than heat and salt. When I woke up this morning I couldn't even get my wedding ring off because of the salt bloat. Please - retool something in your process and lighten up on the salt lick. I like your menu, I just don't want to be afraid of how puffy I'm going to get and how sick I will feel the next day if I eat there.

I absolutely love this local restaurant/hotel/bar. I am writing this to let the ownership know that changing the menu makes us not want to come back anymore. Three of our favorite menu items are no longer served and it has gone down in quality and we will no longer be coming for dinner regularly. The menu used to be so unique and tasty and now it's so plain and regular that there is no justification to come here for us as a family. Everything we can now make better at home. Wishing you the best in your new retrofit but sometimes change is for the worst

The Elk was delicious. Caitlin was friendly, very knowledgeable and explained the menu with ease and accuracy. Overall experience ence was wonderful.

I want to support our town but the food here has gone so downhill. Prices are high and quality low. Meal came out in seconds as if it were already cooked. 50 dollar steak is mealy. Beautiful atmosphere and nice staff. I hope they improve their kitchen soon.

One star is for good service. Other star is food presentation. One word after that SALT. So salty I didn't eat it or even bring leftovers home. I really want this place to be around our town. Maybe a One time thing.

Hands down, this is the best place to have nice meals in town and excellent service. The saloon is part of the hotel and staff are very warm and attentive. The food here is new Californian with someMexican influence and executed flawlessly. We had both the brunch and supper here and we simply loved every morsel. While there's several burger and pizza options in town, we are glad that we ate here. The Saloon can easily handle its own and rival the nice restaurants you might find in sf or napa. Keep up the good work and we hope to come dine again! Oh it's also very dog friendly.

I loved this place. Excellent service, delicious cocktails, a great selection of wine and beer, and a wonderfully inventive food menu. All their dishes are based on early California cuisine (gold rush era), mixing traditional Mexican ingredients and what was around in California at that time. Can't wait to come back!

I was a big fan of the Golden Gate Saloon at the The Holbrooke in the past. I'm a local, was a regular, and enjoyed their equisite food and outdoor patio. However, a change in chef and menu just took place. Warning: The restaurant is not the same quality - especially for vegetarians like me and my wife. Terribly dissappointed to have no vegetarian entree and barely any sides /share dishes. Not even a token entree! In addition, they stopped serving their guacamole - which was the best in the area. Many other vegetarian options disappeared. Added was a very cheesy artichoke dip. Not really what I want to put into my body. The move is more toward a meat house with comfort foods rather than fine dining. Some will like that but it's no longer is one of my favorite places to eat. Spoke to the staff. They suggested I leave this review.

A completely underwhelming lunch. First the hostess/server was completely uninterested in our reservation which I guess is understandable since the place was deserted at 1:00pm on a Friday. Might have been nice if she'd offered a Happy Anniversary since we had been asked if this was a special occasion when making the reservation online. After seating we were given a carafe of warm water with no question of ice being offered. All through lunch actually the service was half-hearted at best. We weren't particularly inspired by the menu either and though my burger was OK, my husband's pork sandwich was less than even OK. All in all, hardly a celebratory lunch worth almost the $100 tab.

Sat at the bar, food was just ok and cocktails were also just ok. We had restaurant reservations but decided to just order off the bar food menu. Dinner menu wasn't anything special and the prices were a bit much for a not so special hotel. Unlikely we will be dining here again.

I have had lunch here a few months ago and it was just okay. But I thought I would give them another try, this time for dinner. The service was very good - out waiter knowledgeable about the menu and wine pairing. However, the food was mediocre. I think $30 for chicken and rice is steep, the waiter talked about the special seasoning and slow cooking and made it sound worth it. There is no price I would find fair for dry chicken and tasteless rice. I won't bother to detail the other meals ordered by our group of 4. While the ambiance is nice, I would recommend only going there for a drink and elsewhere for dinner.

The food at this restaurant was phenomenal! It it pricey but so worth it! I ordered the Pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes mash and tangerine marmalade. That combination was unreal and delicious! Also their fresh bread and chicken wings are amazing for an appetizer. And lastly! Their vanilla ice cream and tres leches cake was to die for! Definitely come to this restaurant to treat yourself!

We've lived here for 7 years and have eagerly watched the Holbrook and National being renovated beautifully down to the smallest detail. It's honestly a blessing to this town to have these historic buildings restored beyond their original appeal. We've had brunch twice at the renovated Holbrook, and as much as I want to believe they have broken above the low bar set by some restaurants that cater to tourists, the experience has been disappointing both times. I'm sad to say we won't be back soon. It's such a shame to see this establishment get 99% there and then drop the ball where it counts, on the living breathing experience of the place. To the owner/manager - please find good help. The service has been slow, confused, nervous, bizarre, absent. Did I mention slow? We immediately ordered mac and cheese from the kids' menu for our toddler, and requested it be put in early and come out as soon as possible. It took one hour from ordering for that dish to arrive, which came with our other food. My wife ordered a $17 brunch entree that was brisket and potatoes and eggs. There were three tiny pieces of brisket. So the meal consisted of under-salted potatoes and undercooked clear eggs. We asked for salt three times. It came 5 minutes after the third time. We also asked for more brisket which took another 15 minutes. By the time it came we were done on many levels. If the food can be dialed and expedited and the service can be attentive and helpful, we'll gladly be back. The cocktails, though slow are good. The decor is excellent. The food is 90% there. Hopefully these early service kinks that create an unworkable dining experience will be worked out, and this will be our new favorite spot!

G G, our server was such a delight, but I wasn't impressed with our entrees. We ordered The Steak, which was good, but not $45 good. And a Chicken Cesar Salad, that the chef forgot to toss.

Originally we went to Tofanellis but since there was a big lunch wait we decided to try the newly renovated Holbrook. This restaurant had only been opened since The previous day according to our waitress. I ordered a fried chicken sandwich and my wife had chef salad with chicken. After about 30-35 minutes of waiting I notice other tables being served that came and ordered after us. Up til now we were enjoying the atmosphere. I called the hostess over to ask about our food. She said she would check. The food finally came out 10 minutes later. I asked what took so long? She replied well the chef burnt my chicken twice. I appreciated her honesty! I would have like our waitress to tell me that beforehand but she did not making me frustrated! Anyway this place was about Mexican food which if i wanted that we would have gone to El Milagro our favorite. Well take a look at this picture. We probably won't be going back! This chicken they served was a little BURNT and the fries were at most two nice long or shorter and burnt as well. Like old fries and refied. Very disappointed.

Holy wow. We had the Monday Night family supper for two, $65 for three courses -gem salad w blue cheese; prime rib w potato puree; tres leches cake. All of the food was perfection but the prime rib. LORD. I would have paid $65 just for that it was so goddamn good. Huge thick juicy slice of velvety tender meat, salted bark-like crust, delicious au-jus & horseradish. Also how did they get the loaded baked potato puree to taste like an actual baked potato? I swear you could taste the skin as well! Our server seemed to be in high demand so service was a little on the slow side but the host was always close at hand to help w drinks or clearing our plates, an impressive tagteam job. The restaurant is gorgeous & i could spend all day just inspecting the decor & tiny details. I absolutely would not hesitate to come back again for lunch or dinner or just toss me some more of that prime rib... no lie, i will be dreaming about that gorgeous slab of meat for decades.

The food and the ambiance are on point. We had the Guac and chips and the Birria. The guac was super tasty with the perfect amount of salt and pepper and lime. We cleaned the plate. The Birria comes with handmade tortillas that were soft and flavorful. Loved every bit of this dinner!

This review is for the restaurant. We were so pleased to find that they had reopened after their renovation! We stopped in for lunch today, and were not disappointed. I understand it's all been redone, and unfortunately being new to the area, we had only been here once about 11 years ago. I felt that the interior was just beautiful, obviously lots of new seating in the lobby, but the bar area was obviously retained in it's original state. But well restored, bright and shiny and inviting! We sat outside on the back patio; it was a bit chilly but we were given a table in the sun at our request. There were plenty of heaters throughout, so I'm sure all of the other diners there were quite comfy. They had a large enough lunch menu with plenty of interesting and inventive choices. My friend and I both ordered the salmon sandwiches, which were delicious. The salmon was nicely broiled; bread crusty and fresh; bacon relish very tasty. My only negative comment about the food is that the coleslaw was pretty soupy. It would be a good idea to drain the excess milky dressing off prior to plating it. In spite of that, the flavor was very good. We will definitely dine here again!

I can't say enough good things about this place. We have eaten there more than 5 times and every time has been perfect! The service goes above and beyond, the food is always soon on and the place is so clean/hip. The tamal pie is to die for! The manager did everything he could to keep us warm while we sat outside including offering warm blankets and moving all the heaters to our table.

Our experience at the Golden Gate Saloon in the Holbrooke Hotel was beyond disappointing. It would be difficult to imagine a worse meal or more poorly run operation. We were seated for 20 minutes before our table got any attention, and then only drink orders. After another lengthy period we begged a waitress to take our orders. Food finally arrived at our table more than an hour after we were seated. And I use the term "food" loosely. None of the four of us enjoyed our diverse entrees. I ordered Cast Iron Baked Tamale Pie ($24) which was supposed to contain smoked pork shoulder, among other things. What I got was a pan full of burnt masa and you would have needed an electron microscope to find any pieces of pork shoulder. One of our dinners had to be returned to the kitchen, and we asked the on-duty manager what he could get to the table quickly so that we all had a meal. His answer was, "nothing." He said he could get bread on the table in 20 minutes. It turned out that the bread ($6) was the only decent dish we were served. The manager made no apologies whatsoever for the deplorable level of disorganization. Clearly a rank amateur at a face-the-public position. The tragic part of all this is that the building and the décor are stunning. But the business will fail, and then the owners will say, "Well, Grass Valley just won't support a good restaurant." Wrong, the truth is no community will support a crappy restaurant that serves slop in a most disorganized manner.

Its always a treat when you experience the unexpected. We came to Grass Valley on a last-minute trip when my birthday surprise to Bora Bora was cancelled. Gonna be honest, while not Bora Bora (what is?!), this restaurant and its home in the Holbrook Hotel in downtown Grass Valley were a charming and DELICIOUS experience! Kudos to the Chef. I highly recommend this place. The mole sauces and house-crafted gnocchi were divine. My partner's sous vide steak with roasted veg was perfectly done. The outdoor dining is first-rate, delightfully cozy even in winter with fire pits and gas heaters.

Sad to let my five star review recede... But tonight was utterly disappointing in just about every possible way, on my partners birthday of all days I chose to take her out to dinner at a place I had a great experience at recently, and looked forward to seeing what else they had going on! Unfortunately they were gravely understaffed especially considering the fact that it was the Thursday night market in downtown GV, and the service was ridiculously slow and chaotic, the wait-staff were overloaded and confused, it was a mess... I don't know what was going on in the kitchen either, my tri-tip was pretty dry, and not the least bit tender, leaving me underwhelmed, and bummed out for $32, the flavors of all the food was great, but the execution was bollocks. Dropping $120 for the food and service we received tonight made me not want to go back, despite the great 5 star experience I had before. And just because it was a full house, is not an excuse for this poor service. I have worked in the restaurant industry for a long time, and you have to be ready for this, especially when it comes to nights you already know it's going to be this way.

Decided to take the wife for a bloody mary and see the "new and improved" Holbrooke/Golden Gate saloon, as we used to enjoy bloody mary's here frequently before the renovation. I've got to say, we were not impressed. We showed up shortly after 10 am on a Saturday (10 is when they open) and sat for 5-10 mins at an empty bar. After not being acknowledged whatsoever, my wife tracked down somebody from the restaurant who told us the bartender had gone on break because it was slow. Who goes on break 15 mins after opening? Finally the bartender was found and he came in and made 2 tiny bloody mary's, barely any eye contact was made or words spoken. It was almost as if he was mad at the inconvenience of having to make us drinks. I asked if they still give out a beer back along with the bloody mary, as they have done for years. He told us they did not, but we didn't need one because it was a "strong" drink. Ummm... ok? So he hands us our 2 tiny "strong" drinks, garnished with 1 tiny olive and 1 lemon wedge and proceeds to disappear again, never to be seen for the rest of our visit. The taste of the mary's was decent, but the amount was pitiful. It was maybe a 12oz glass filled to the brim with ice and maybe 6oz of actual beverage. After finishing our drinks, we were given a bill for $27. Lol, $27 dollars for 2 tiny drinks, non-existent service and the privilege of feeling like an inconvenience for the bartender, who actually had to do his job. No plans to return here ever.

We went for Christmas Eve dinner. If you like very spicy expense mexican food this restaurants is for you. I was so disappointed. The salad my dad ordered was good. They rest of the meal pretty much sucked. The tritip was cold. The waiter could have.cared less if we were happy . I will not go back.

We were staying at the Holbrooke for a wedding, and got home late. Ordered room service right before the kitchen closed, assuming it wouldn't be good but was a last minute option. Turned out to be one of the best burgers we have ever had, it was piping hot, fresh and delicious. Have been thinking about this burger for the past week now.

I'm not sure what happened but the all-around quality has gone down. Service staff is really nice but seem very new. Food quality and menu are nowhere near as good as they used to be. Atmosphere is still nice but it seems like this place made a grand entrance and couldn't keep it up. I really want to know what happened!