I don't think this place is worthwhile for lunch. It's overpriced for sandwiches and they were not that great... I definitely will only go here for dinner.
(4)
Brandy A.
Ok, I said I wouldn't go back after my last experience but I did.... and I'm glad I did. :) A group of co-workers decided to throw a send-off dinner for a manager that was moving on from our department; they chose Stacey's for the dinner. The service was awesome, the ambiance wonderful and everybody enjoyed their meals. This time I ordered the Florentine Ravioli, it was delicious! The sauce and the fried artichokes made the dish. The other dishes that co-workers ordered looked very tasty (especially the seafood risotto). I'll definitely consider coming back on my own for a dinner.
(3)
Pat H.
In year's past we gravitated to Stacey's for the pasta, respectable wine list and out-of-this-world Mac & Cheese. Lately, while the ambiance and staff maintain reasonably high standards the quality and flavor of their food has plummeted. The mushroom carbonara, pepper w/ the essence of pasta. The filet mignon was chewy at best, undercooked and overpriced. I will say the gorgonzola bread pudding was pretty tasty. New management will soon be either old management or in charge of shuttering the doors. Stacey's is now simply overpriced and very below average.
(2)
Rachel A.
I kept expecting Dilbert or Catbert to make a guest appearance since Scott Adams owns this place but no.. no underpaid mascot jumping around or characters to shake your hand. Stacey's Cafe is like a born again California Cafe (the chain that went out of business). The soups, salads, and sandwiches all sound tasty but nothing too original here (except for the clever banter on the menu). My portabella mushroom sandwich was quite substantial and came with a salad. Prices are a little steep for lunch but the place is quiet and not too busy on a Sunday afternoon so it makes for a great venue to catch up with friends. Service is so so. Stacey's looks ritzy but doesn't act like it.
(3)
Amanda B.
Just went to Stacey's for lunch last week - I had SUCH a lovely time! From the moment we walked in, the service was excellent. The menu's were very entertaining - full of witty comments. My husband and I just sat there cracking up! As a vegetarian, normally I don't get many options... not at Stacey's! It was vegetarian-friendly! The tomato soup was outstanding, the salads were great, and the sandwiches were YUM! I told my husband when we left "This is going to be my new favorite spot!"
(5)
Mindy F.
A few years ago I had an enjoyable meal at The Waterford Stacey's. I was expecting the same experience at this cafe...and I came home very disappointed. After seeing the prices we decided to order just appetizers. They came up so short that I feel robbed out of my 50 bucks. cheesy fries made with velveeta ( or maybe it was fondue cheese?) but yuk. The artichoke dip serving was so small we didn't even finish half of the ( store bought?) chips. I can't even tell you if there was artichoke in the dip..seemed more of a pesto type dip to me. The third appetizer we got was the caramelized pear/goat cheese. The only thing that I liked was the olives and the extra side of chicken I added. Yes, the service was great.. very attentive..loved the bread. If you eat there... don't face the chefs. I saw one licking his fingers and tasting something.
(1)
Diane M.
Tried the breakfast and was severely disappointed on service, and the food served. We ordered the Pleasanton Special. Food came out with eggs over easy cooked nicely. The country potatoes were cold, and the sourdough toast was only toasted on one slice, the second one was not toasted at all. We had to flag the waiter down for more coffee, and he never checked back to see if we were ok with the meal. The clincher came with the check. It came in at $14.82, I enclosed a twenty dollar bill, and waited for my change. The waiter delivered five dollars. When I asked about the rest of my change, he asked"You want eight cents back?" I said "No, I want eighteen cents" He told me "Ok, but we round up!" and acted as if I was asking for something I shouldn't. He came back with a quarter and as he laid it down on the table, he said I could keep the seven cents. He told me this like he was granting me a big favor. As I told the manager of Staceys eighteen cents may not be very much, but it is still my change. I wonder how many other customers get their bills "rounded up"
(1)
Courtney C.
I cannot say enough great things about Stacey's Cafe and the owner Abe. This past weekend he hosted our wedding ceremony and reception at his restaurant. It went beautifully without a hitch and Abe couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. All of our guests were unanimously blown away with the quality and presentation of the food and drinks. We will be fans for life and make it our go to spot when we are dining in Pleasanton!
(5)
Anonymous A.
My chicken sandwich was good but the fries were the ones you get at bottom of pile. ( small ). Wife ordered steves pasta, very tasteless. Was expecting better. But like any restaurant, you should try twice!
(3)
Shannon F.
Oh man, do I wish I had gone elsewhere for my Cobb salad. I mean, don't get me wrong it was good, just not $17.00 dollars worth good. I had to make a trip out to Pleasanton recently, and while leaving my destination, a strong craving for a Cobb salad came upon me. I had noticed Stacey's several years back and told myself I would check it out one day. So, being in the area, I figured today should be that day. I also knew they had a Cobb Salad on their menu. Well, the place is certainly nice and all - quaint, classy and the perfect place to meet up with a friend. Me, I was alone this day, which was fine. There were maybe a handful of other people there during this lunch hour. I was greeted by a nice girl and seated by a table of choice by a window. Their lunch menu has a decent amount of delicious looking items however, they are all mostly overpriced...especially my Cobb. I figured hey, what the heck, might as well give it a shot. I ordered the Cobb which comes with- Grilled Chicken, hard boiled eggs, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, crumbled gorgonzola cheese with your choice of a gorgonzola cheese dressing or a champagne dressing. I ordered it without the crumbled cheese and both dressings on the side. Bread was served along with a dollop of garlic butter which looked good, however I did not partake in it. Salad arrived looking good, but certainly not worth $17.00. I seriously thought there would have been enough to take with me...nope. Flavor was there, though, the chicken was slightly dry and the portion was certainly lacking. Service was efficient and friendly throughout my visit which was a plus. Overall, maybe its more of a dinner place because even though it's in "Downtown Pleasanton", I truly feel their lunch menu is way overpriced and had me wishing I had gone home and made my own Cobb. It was enjoyable but not great.
(3)
Damiann S.
Don't go here, when they're busy. Service is OK, but it really shouldn't take an hour to get a BLT. 3 orders of crab cakes at the same table all looked different; no consistency, not that I was expecting it, but at the prices they should.
(2)
Lola B.
I've been to Stacey's several times but this time something seemed very different. I'm sitting here right now on a Saturday afternoon. The place is not busy at all. Since I've been sitting here I watched a table patiently wait to be served for at least 20 minutes and no one came to assist them so finally they got up and left. It took 15 minutes for someone to come ask my husband and I I'd we were ready to order. It took another 45 minutes to get our EGGS. 45 minutes for eggs ?? Really ??? When I asked what the deal was they said oh sorry were trying to get ready for dinner tonight. Really???? So that makes it ok to provide lousy service to lunch costumers???? Won't be coming back.
(1)
Omaira F.
This place is terrible! The service is horrible, no utensils, no condiments and a very very long wait for your food! When It finally arrives, it's cold! This is definitely not worth your money or time!
(1)
Racquel E.
I had lunch here with some coworkers. The restaurant was nice and of formal setting with white table cloths, but casual atmosphere. I had a half salad with a half grilled portabella mushroom sandwich. The hearty mushroom sandwich was a nice alternative to having a hamburger. I enjoyed my healthy lunch and the service was good.
(4)
Cheryl F.
I enjoyed going here for lunch. The service was friendly and thorough, and the food was pretty good, though a little hit and miss, which I suspect is the case here in general. I had the ahi sandwich--which I was a bit leery about because it's ahi, which can go really wrong, and it's a sandwich, which I've never had with ahi. But I was very happy with it. Cooked perfect, watercress, tomato, ciabatta bread--who knew? My husband seemed to enjoy his fish tacos well enough, but I don't think they were anything to write home about, and he felt the beer was too small. Okay, whatever. However, I had their soup, which was "homemade"--and I believe it was--but it really had no flavor partly due to the fact that they used frozen veggies and canned mushrooms. Not good. I feel like the prices are reasonable so long as the quality is consistent, so that could be a problem with the wrong dish. I'll go back again and see if I feel the same way. Outdoor seating is a +
(3)
Barbara D.
Calories in, calories out is choice of a consumer. the wait staff will discuss ingredients of a particular dish and if they don't know, they will ask on behalf of the consumer for an explanation from food prep management team. I always ask for explanation of food ingredients if have questions and care to inquire further. Choice is always mine. They earn tips and a rewarded with incentives to demonstrate I am happy with their services and will return. If I don't leave any tips chances are I wont return. I like Stacys for luncheons and no complaints from me.
(5)
Megan L.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! Sat outside and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I would definitely go again ! Yum!
(5)
Sean C.
I had heard from others that Stacey's Cafe was a great place to go for dinner in downtown Pleasanton, so I decided to try it. I have to say, the service was very good. I sat at the bar and was served a cocktail immediately. I went with the waiters recommendation on the Chipotle Shrimp appetizer and I would give that dish 5 stars. Absolutely terrific. I ordered the Jambalaya for an entree and it was average. The flavor was spot on, the vegetables were not cooked through and were a bit crunchy which I didn't like. The shrimp were cooked perfectly in both dishes though. The owner was very personable as was the wait staff. I was there on a Tuesday and I have to say, other than a few other tables, the place was not very busy. I would go back to Stacey's Cafe again.
(4)
Nancy B.
Great Customer service, Awesome Cook Chef because Food was so good, Seating Area outside was beautiful, and it was calm and peaceful. Me and my girlfriend ordered cosmos, wow they were delicious. I ordered the chicken cajun pasta which was not on the menu but they accommodated and made It for me. It was full of flavors and great quality pasta and chicken, huge portion only ate 1/3 the rest I took home. Overall experience; phenomenal ;) 10 Stars
(5)
Berles C.
Always content after I have eaten here. I have friends who have favorite dishes here, but nothing stands out to me as something I have to return for.
(4)
diana r.
Many years ago I worked in Pleasanton and this was one of my favorite places to have lunch at. Their breakfast and lunch options are amazing. I have tried their salads and sandwiches and both are very tasty and large portions. The cuisines tastes very fresh, definitely not from a frozen package. This is also a good place to meet friends and have a nice conversation, its not too loud. They also have a bar just in case you need a little adult beverage. I would say that it is a tad over priced. There is usually plenty of parking on the street.
(3)
Shane B.
Small town feel. Superb Food! Great Sunday Brunch too
(4)
Ron C.
It has been years since I darkened the door of Stacey's Cafe. Back then, the place belonged to the famous "Dilbert" artist and was pretty tasty. Now, I haven't a clue who the owner is but my experience here wasn't bad. I came with a large group to discuss business and to have a celebratory meal. We started out with libations, most of which we brought (we paid the corkage fee which was fair) which most around the room were pleased with (A few people had Cosmos). Next we moved into appetizers. The crab cakes were fine, the baked brie with pear and crustini was off the charts! Naturally, we moved on to soup/or salad. It must have been good because no one spoke during that time. My salad was o.k. Stacey's has a wide variety of dishes with generous portions. I had the Mahi-Mahi that night. While a little dry, and the smallest portion at the table, it was good nonetheless. The double chocolate brownies with caramel ice cream was a must! In conclusion, while this is not a regular spot for me, I'd be game to go again.
(4)
Josephine W.
Normally for one good experience at a restaurant I would give 4 stars. I am giving 5 because we walked in here and had a great experience right after walking out of the awful Mangia Mi down the street. Not to mention, my water was NEVER half empty. That gets an A+ in my book. Very pleasant staff although I could tell they were a little short staffed and I could see the stress on the waiter's face. He never failed to smile at us and tend to us. Lighting and sound level was good. I liked seeing a variety of people from the group of IT guys to a father and daughter to the very old gentlemen sharing good times. The wait for food took a bit long but the appetizer came quickly and kept us busy. When we did get the food it was superb. So much flavor! We got the spinach dip for appetizer and the dip was a real blended spinach dip and not the typical creamy blend with little bits of spinach. This dip was primarily spinach, primarily green. My husband got the prosciutto wrapped chicken and me the mushroom carbonara. Both were absolutely delicious. So much aroma and flavor. Many people don't know how to mAke fresh cream sauces right. The carbonara wasn't an overbearing heavy thick cream, it was light and the mushroom and onion flavor was perfect! I can't remember the last time we left a place so full we felt like we were bursting at the seams. The food was so good we wanted to eat it all!
(5)
Rhiannon D.
The acquaintance and I came here for dinner, because it came highly recommended. There was absolutely nobody eating our entire stay, needless to say service was on point. I dont understand why it was dead because the food was SO good! I had the gorgonzola filet mignon, and I nearly died with every bite. Can't remember what the acquaint. had, but I remember it was good. It is pretty pricey. After all is said and done, we paid about 100 for dinner, which is not something I can do every week. I'll be back one day, even though it's been at least a year already.
(5)
Amii P.
I went to Stacey's today for the first time. Upon entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a very friendly host who sat me outside on the patio facing a pretty flower box and the lovely Main St. Pleasanton. While the ambience was nice-ish, I had to overlook the quite strong smell of (not that fresh) fish and shellfish that were the main ingredients of their special of the day. The host seemed a little less friendly when I decided to only have water with lemon to drink. My imagination? Possibly. I ordered a half of a chicken ciabatta sandwich and caesar salad. The salad was wilted and warm with a plethora of brown leaves. The sandwich was OK, but was served on a sourdough roll rather than the ciabatta bread described on the menu. The bread was probably the best part though, so I didn't mind that. The chicken breast was sliced, perhaps to save money. The avocado was dark in color and just a smear. The flavor was acceptable but definitely not something I would return for. I noticed the nicely dressed ladies who came in after me and ordered cocktails were given bread and butter, but I wasn't. That hurt my feelings. Was it because I had on my yoga pants and no makeup? I may never know. Will I return next time, more dolled up hoping for a little bread and butter love? Probably not. P.S. It took FOREVER to get my check. And no, they weren't busy at the time.
(2)
Lisa K.
I am dining here right now, as I write this review. The service is not good. It's not our servers fault, it's not the bussers fault. They are understaffed. Very understaffed. And the lady who appears to be the owner would rather roll up silverware than run food that has been sitting in the window. The good news is that more servers have arrived but we have still been waiting 30 minutes for our food.
(2)
renee m.
Horrible service. But after one irritation after the other, food was actually good. Can't add stars though because the service was so bad. Owner or chef was more concerned about his awning outside than getting us our food. Waited an hour for our food and there was never an apology, and still charged us 18% automatic tip for a table over 6! If I felt like spending more time on it I would have demanded it be removed. My husband and brother in law tried to move a umbrella to cover our kids, and the umbrella was touching their new awnings. The chef opened the door and snapped at them for doing this, I replied that he should help rather than worry only about the awning! Idiot! Then some woman came out (Stacey i assume) and mumbled something about the umbrella trying to close it and we were like, no!!! We are trying to get the kids out of the sun!! Totally clueless about customer needs.
(1)
Joseph G.
It's definitely improved over the years. Pleasantly surprised.
(4)
Belle L.
My hubby and I went here for dinner, the place was a li'l crowded which is good. We both had the barbequed beef short ribs w/ scalloped potatoes and roasted winter vegetables. They were so good and tender. This is a must when you're in downtown Pleasanton.
(3)
Jessica L.
Came here with a somewhat large party for our annual ladies brunch. Our waiter was HORRIBLE, slow and most of all RUDE. I have honestly never had such bad service. After ordering and not even finishing what I was saying he grabbed the menu right out of my hand to move on to the next person....I grabbed it right back and said I wasn't done and continued ordering for my son. Both meals came out wrong, he never asked if we wanted anything to drink, when I asked for coffee he literally rolled his eyes and then when he came back I asked for creamer and he told me to ask someone at my table if they are going to use theirs....ummm for real!? He brought us the checks so fast and came over before anyone could even fill the ticket folder and would ask each person for their pmt so he could go ring us out.... I've never been so rushed in my life!!! Such a huge disappointment and I will NEVER give this place a penny again!! Not only that I will continue to tell everyone not to waist their $$ on this place. Customer service is one of the most important things in a business and if you don't have that.... Then honestly you have nothing.
(1)
Lenore L.
My friend dragged me here for a late snack with her boyfriend. We had the tuna tartare, or something. It was pretty fantastic. I'm not sure when I will come back on my own. The prices are pretty high for having some consistently lower reviews. They would have to improve for me to spend my money here, or bring down the prices. I don't like to over pay for mediocre items. I am happy to overpay for phenomenal! once in awhile. (like the cotton candy caramel apple from the fair. $12!!! and worth every bite)
(4)
Veronica T.
Not good at all. Food is way overpriced for what you get. The soup of the day tasted like last week's leftovers thrown in a pot and boiled for 5 hours. Service is slow. Manager is very unaffectionate and seems disconnected with everything. From the outside, this place seems as charming as the rest of downtown Pleasanton, but don't waste your time here.
(1)
Cinna M.
I have eaten at Stacey's Cafe a couple of times now and I've found that the service is not very consistent. One time, all of my friends felt that our server was a bit rude and the food was mediocre. The next time we went, the service and food were quite good. My favorite item on the menu is the Ahi Tuna sandwich, which is excellent. That and the convenient location are the only reasons I go back.
(3)
Blondie R.
I wanted to try this place for years, and finally came for dinner with my daughter. We were seated at a great table on the patio. The bread was good and tasted homemade. Daughter saw that they were voted best Cosmo in Diablo Magazine, so we both had a Cosmo. We took a few sips, and I looked at her and I knew what she was going to say(what I was thinking!). She said, "It tastes like there's no alcohol in this Cosmo! Uncle Lincoln makes them so much better!" Yikes! We split the short ribs. The carrots and green beans were wonderful. The short ribs were ok, but the scalloped potatoes tasted like they were warmed up from the day before. I'm sorry, my claim to fame is scalloped potatoes. I make them every Thanksgiving. Julia Child's! Julia Child's these were not. The service was great. I don't usually complain when in the restaurants. If you didn't get it right the first time, you didn't get it right!
(3)
Brandon C.
This was officially my last visit here. I paid $17 for a mediocre salad that didn't agree with me the next day. The food really isn't anything special and quite expensive for what it is. Service was friendly but stretched thin throughout the whole restaurant. The snarky comments on the menu were funny 15 years ago when the place was new in town. There are better restaurants downtown for sure. This place needs a thorough shake up.
(1)
Laila A.
went their for valentines with close friends and had an amazing time. Food was great, the ambiance and the service was great. There was a little problem with the check but got sorted out quickly. I would go there again for sure. great for romantic dinner without kids. With that note ... I would not come with kids as its not very kid friendly ;)
(4)
Sunil R.
Pretty good option for a nice lunch or dinner in the downtown Pleasanton area. Service was very good and attentive. The menu with the witty comments made me smile. I had the cream of asparagus, the free range chicken sandwich and the double brownie. The first two were very good and the brownie was just OK. They have outdoor seating as well which is nice. I will be back if I am in the area.
(3)
Kate L.
We went to Stacey's the day before Mother's Day to celebrate with our Mom. She had a 75.00 Gift Certificate. We got the check and the owner walked over and told us he would not except it because they have changed to "gift cards" and there was no way to track our older gift certificate. He was so rude about it. I have reviewed the laws regarding this matter and in California there is no expiration date on Gift certificates. The city of Pleasanton will not be happy about this either..Its just bad business!!
(1)
Adrienne K.
Wonderful patio for outdoor seating. Fabulous flavored spinach salad & tomato soup! Great for a sunny day & a glass of vino!
(4)
Brett P.
this place is decent and a go too place if I'm indecisive of where to eat. All I can say is DON'T ORDER A SIDE OF FRIES, its not on the menu, so when i ordered it, to my surprise, they charged me $7! I always get the chicken sandwich is that comes with bacon, lettuce and fries :)
(3)
Dean T.
Extent food and service.We have been at Stacy's a few times and found a unique menu and a kind staff that is willing to make anything that we have asked or substitute ingredients. Stacey's is one of Pleasanton's top restaurant.
(5)
Kara S.
I got the vegetarian sandwich with all its vegetable pesto goodness. And a side of fries. It was delicious. Came here with my mother and daughter for lunch. They were very accommodating of my toddler and brought her a little chicken breast to eat. Such a cute place. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather and the customer service was great. A bit pricey but I will definitely return.
(5)
Michelle R.
My husband and I went to Stacey's last night for a nice meal out. We have been there several times before and enjoyed the food. We started with the spinach and artichoke dip. It was just okay. It needed more cheese in the dip, either some parmesan or swiss. My husband had the Mushroom Carbonara. It was excellent. Very, very good. I couldn't stop eating off his plate. I had the Grilled Natural Salmon Filet. Also excellent. Salmon was good perfectly and my husband loved the smoked patty under the salmon. We then ordered the apple crisp and chocolate chip bread pudding. The apple crisp was very good and the bread pudding was just okay. It was a bit dry. While we enjoyed the meal, the service was slow. That is why I am giving them 3 stars. The food to me is solid and you know what you are going to get. Maybe it was a bad night and they were under staffed? However, we will be back.
(3)
Michelle S.
I've been to Stacey's a few times, because it's a favorite meeting place of some of my friends, and I never really look forward to it, but it's always been okay. This last visit, however, has guaranteed that I will insist my friends find a new meet-up place. We went in Sunday for brunch. I would say only about 1/3 of the restaurant was occupied, and yet, we saw our waitress a total of three times despite being there for well over an hour. I was mildly irritated by this, as I really wanted a second drink after I finished my first, but was never given the time by our waitress to order one. Even so, I didn't think much one way or another about the lousy service until after we left the restaurant. We were standing outside saying our goodbye's when our waitress finally found a way to make time for us by coming out to ask if we had an issue with her service. We all said no and looked at each other confusedly about this question. After a little discussion, we realized that because of the way we'd split the bill, we'd inadvertently only tipped the waitress 10%. I was initially horrified and was about to go in to offer more cash, but then the memories of the horrible service rushed back. On top of that, I found it INCREDIBLY rude for the waitress, who had no time for us while we were in the restaurant, to make time to chase us down about her tip. After a few seconds thought, I realized she actually deserved less tip than I left. On top of that, I have had far better brunches for well under the $30 they deemed fit to charge.
(1)
Vivian M.
The Brunch was disapointing as they have cut back to 2 slices of bacon, put a meger 2 jellies on your plate and coffee service was not attended. You might as well go to IHOP. Very disappointing for brunch . They use to be very good at this but have cut back or whatever they are doing appears to be very downgraded.
(3)
Tam F.
What a gross disappointment...My birthday is in December. Sorry, can't help it and sometimes, friends decide to take me out to lunch to celebrate. I am lucky to have good friends. Sadly, with a December birthday, I am often stuck having to deal with bad service because restaurants are busy with lunch crowds from companies that no longer offer up a holiday party but as a way to show "thanks" take their employees to a swanky place for lunch. This being said.... Girlfriend takes me here for a late lunch on a Thursday after I have completed a day of finals. It was around 1:30 and though there were several large tables with groups, they were finishing up and there was an open 2 top. We were seated immediately, brought water and delicious bread with amazing butter and then our waitress came. Great start. My friend ordered the special risotto and I ordered a burger. Yes, I know, a burger, but that is what I wanted. A burger and fries. The menu says with Stacey's special blend of seasonings...I was okay with that and for a $15.00 burger and fries, I was hoping there was some "special seasoning" if you know what I am sayin'. Our meals come and my friend's risotto is delicious. I take the top bun off of my burger and take a piece of the meat. It is overcooked-more like medium well to the medium I ordered. Fine, I can suck this up, but the burger texture was completely wrong-tasted like meatloaf (ah...special seasonings=meatloaf flavor) and the meat was definitely over worked. I tried another bite and got a crunchy bit. I thought it was odd, so I flipped the burger over on my bun and it was black. Great, I think. Out to lunch with a friend who doesn't know that I will send food back...I contemplate and then she notices I am just eating the fries (damn good fries at that). She asks if my burger is okay, and I show her the burnt side...like they cook their burgers in a skillet and forgot to flip it on time and then just decided to put the "pretty side up" on the bun. TACKY! In the meantime, it took our waitress more than 15 minutes to come to check on us and when she came to the table, I showed her my burnt burger. She apologized and asked if I wanted to order something else. I said "no" as my friend was almost done and then she takes the burger to the kitchen (it is in plain sight) shows the chef and maybe the manager the burger and they acted like they could care less. She comes back with the bill, says they took the burger off, and doesn't ask if we want dessert, NOTHING. I was really sad. My first experience here was STELLAR. This one, not so much and I won't be schlepping back any time for a $15.00 overly skillet cooked burger.
(2)
Ernie M.
Wow---I really do not understand how anyone could be praising this place. We went there and the service under staffed and overwhelmed. The owner did not know how to help them. Having been there before under the original owner, the food was shockingly under flavored and the vegetables was poorly cooked-just uneatable. Let's look at this another angle. When I went by there at dinner time last night TWO people were in the place while all the other restaurants around them were over half full at least. Bad food=no customers. Also I thought the food was drastically over priced
(1)
Keith c.
One word. Bland. Salad was mediocre and the steak was below average. My wife's chicken dish was also below average. We will not be going back.
(2)
Anastacia S.
I absolutely love this place!! I had no idea I would either! A friend brought me to downtown Pleasanton, for my first time ever. I recently told my friend some good news, so we went here for dinner to celebrate. He picked the place since my name is Staci...and thought it would be funny. We were definitely underdressed for the place, but the staff never said a word and happily seated us. First glance at the menu, we noticed this place had a huge sense of humor. If you want to know why...read their "Philosophy" in the menu. The part where they say "slap you senseless" caught my eye, figuring we were in a more upscale restaurant. It is not fancy...just an upgraded casual. We ordered the cheese fries...which were THE BEST CHEESE FRIES OF MY LIFE. I could eat them every single day...no joke. We both ordered different pasta dishes...and both were wonderful. I got the ravioli...and the artichokes were deep fried and topped with fresh parmesan...OMG. Every item was served at the perfect temperature, perfect seasoning, and with the most inviting presentation. The staff all looked happy to work there too...which was a great sign of good management. Even the chefs were smiling while cooking. I felt they were just cooking up happiness...and we both loved it!! I will definitely be back and am so thankful for trying this place!!
(5)
Greg B.
Good place for a salad and a glass of wine; great outdoor seating
(3)
Michelle M.
I'm torn on this review. I used to love Stacy's but after my lunch yesterday, I'm pretty sure I'll never be back. I ordered a sandwich/salad combo, comes with fries. I took a bite into my sandwich to find a huge hair sticking out at me. I was disgusted, but I know it happens. I let the waitress know and she took my plate. My husband was almost done eating at that point, so I finished his sandwich. The unbelievable part: I get the bill, while they took off my cobmo, they added an order of french fries ($4) that I ate prior to finding the HAIR IN MY FOOD. SERIOUSLY?!?! I am not sure if that is desperation to get a tip on top of a $4 item or what, but it's just wrong. Add to it the time before I ordered take out and it was missing an item, I called and they apologized but never offered to refund me for the missing item. Hello, are you kidding me, I didn't have time to go back and get it, but they could have just credited me the few bucks for the item they forgot to include. So, with the weird and inappropriate business behavior and service, and really high prices, the food just isn't worth the trouble.
(2)
Steven P.
Went here for a company event. I'm glad I didn't have to pay. This place has never really been super good, but it has really hit rock-bottom now. The quality just isn't there. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. I'm starting to believe that Downtown Pleasanton is the place where restaurants go to die. : (
(1)
Marco S.
Fun atmosphere, good service. The tuna poke was a bit salty but the food was otherwise enjoyable. Amazing chocolate bread pudding.. I would go back for the dessert any time.
(4)
REBECCA R.
Last night a group of us went to Stacey's to celebrate their birthdays. I found Stacey's on the internet and after reading the menu, which is a hoot and a half, I made our reservations. We arrived and were shown to our table, and right away our server came over,,introduced herself and got started on drink orders. I had the famous Cosmo and it was probable the best Cosmo I ever had! We had the Creamy artichoke soup, and the house salad, both were yummy. The came our dinners: the salmon, a rib eye steak, filet mignon with gorgonzola, the mahi mahi and BBQ boneless shortribs. each dish was PERFECT! Forks were passed up and down the table so we could all taste each others dishes. Atmosphere was great, the decor was very nice, and the $15 cork fee was pretty reasonable. All in all, I think we have found our new "special occasion" restaurant!
(5)
Tuze C.
Shocking! I have been going to Stacey's for a very long time and the food was always excellent. Unfortunately I haven't gone for a few years so maybe they've gotten some new chefs, I don't know what the problem was. This WAS a take out order so I had no problem with the service, only the food we received. The burger was requested to be rare and was almost well done with chunks of gristle in the meat!!! Gross, we'd never experienced that before even at fast food places...it was thrown away. The fried calamari was decent but the dipping sauce was so watered down it actually looked and tasted like water, gross again. The house salad was the only thing that wasn't disgusting, but then again, how does one go wrong with opening a prepared salad bag? The bill came to over $50 so this was an extremely disappointing experience. Needless to say because of this icky food, we won't be going to Stacey's again any time soon; too bad because it used to be one of the only decent places to eat on Main Street. UGH, just thinking about that burger gives me the heebie jeebies.....
(1)
Sheila T.
Very nice restaurant. It has very attentive staff and food is always fresh and good eats every time. There is ample parking at the back of the restaurant. Always great to call ahead for reservations! My favorite is their Shirt Rib and Truffle Fries!
(4)
Janki P.
Don't like waiting for service!!! We ordered the food and been waiting now for a while and once the food came we had to ask the waiter 3 times to get us condiments... Now again waiting for a check...
(3)
michael v.
Stacey's is nice restaurant, plain and simple. The ambiance is OK, the service is OK, the food is OK, though the deserts are excellent. Stacey's is overpriced by at least $2 or $3 per item on the menu. There is outdoor seating which is nice. The menu is diverse enough for most folks to find something to eat and they have a full bar. Expect good food at a bit high of a price and an OK ambiance.
(3)
Tasha D.
I shouldn't have gone here in the first place, since my parents told me it wasn't so hot, and since my mom is the closest thing to Alice Waters any kid is going to be lucky enough to have making her school lunches growing up, they're always spot on. But, it was late, everywhere else had long waits (bad sign already), and Stacey's has been on Main Street *forever* so I figured it had to have some decent offerings. Bleh. Between me and my chick friend, we had 2 glasses of chardonnay, split an app, and each had an entree. I think we had the bread pudding too, which was ok. I wasn't excited by any of the food, they could have cut the portion sizes in half and it would have been too much, and the bill was well over $100. I'm used to being able to eat at a downtown SF restaurant with drinks and food and have it be about $80. Why am I paying this much for subpar food in downtown Pleasanton? Not interested in going back.
(2)
Richard P.
As a solo diner I hate to be too critical, because sit down places hate solo diners. Nevertheless because my experience matches so many other reviews I feel compelled to pile on. This is a prime restaurant location and deserves a better restaurant.
(2)
Nataja L.
I used to love Stacey's but it has really gone down hill. The prices have increased, and the service has dramatically decreased. They need to update and change their menu and maybe think about including more vegetarian and gluten free options.
(2)
Mansi A.
"Stacey's mom has got it goin' onnnn..." Just kidding. But on the real, Stacey's Cafe does got it goin' on. Looking for a place to dine al fresco on a gorgeous day in downtown Pleasanton? You found it. Curbside dining was so peaceful here on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed the 1/2 sandwich, 1/2 soup combo with the grilled portabella sandwich and the tomato bisque soup. What a perfectly balanced meal, and relaxing afternoon with satisfying girltalk. Stacey's is slightly on the pricier side, but worth the splurge every once in a while, particularly when the meal was excellent and satisfying.
(3)
Rayed K.
I've been to Stacey's with friends and family and always had a good time. Food is great, service is good, and the outdoor seating makes for a really relaxing time in downtown Pleasanton. I recommend their Blackened Salmon Sandwich for lunch--really delicious!
(4)
Carole S.
On my first (lunchtime) visit to Stacey's, I enjoyed my meal and would have given a three or four star review. However, four of us went for dinner last night... Big disappointment! The wait was 35 minutes instead of the 5-10 that was promised. Okay, they were busy, so no biggie. But, the food was not worth the wait. The calamari and crab cake appetizers were both overly breaded and lacking in true flavor. My seared tuna entree ($33) was supposed to be rare, but was more of a medium rare, and not the best cut of tuna I've ever had. I didn't finish it, and that is very unusual for me- I love, love tuna! The rice-cake that accompanied it was awful, and the sauce was greasy. My hubby's pasta puttanesca w/ chicken was good, though, as were my friend's prawns. However, my brother had short ribs and they were dry and over cooked. The portion was tiny. Not worth the money. I am no longer a fan.
(2)
Yvonne D.
I heard many people talk about Stacey's over the years. My parents decided to take me there instead of going the same ole same ole chain restaurant. Maybe it was because I had high expectations for this place; I felt it's just on par. + sourdough bread with a scoop of garlic herb butter in center (awesome at first but then it drenches the bread and it gets disgustingly soggy) +/- corn chowder (delicious but $5.95 for a "cup" doesn't seem to be worth it) - chipotle honey prawns appetizer (I ordered it since a few reviews mentioned it but it fell short...the flavor was there but the prawns were overcooked and tough; possibly old?) +/- jambalaya (was okay too...the meat was cut into small teeny pieces but the fettuccini was delicious - people mentioned Stacey's have large portions...not for $17.95) + fish tacos (coming from Southern CA, land of taco Tuesdays, this was pretty good. Lightly battered codfish with a hint of spice. It's a sizeable portion and comes with a side salad.) A note on the restaurant itself - friendly staff, good location (if you can't find street parking in downtown, park in the bank's parking lot behind the restaurant), there's ample outdoor seating which is nice since the weather is usually great in Pleasanton, but there's no real theme to the decoration/painting inside the restaurant (kind of boring.) It's also under new management and had a sign on the door that breakfast is coming soon. I don't think Stacey's would be a suggestion I put on the table the next time we go out, but if others want to I wouldn't be opposed to trying it again. My parents said dinner ran ~$30-40 where as lunch was $20-30.
(3)
Rory H.
Absolutely delicious!!!! Pricey but well worth it. The bread, wine, pasta... amazing! Probably the best brownie I've ever had... my girlfriend agrees
(4)
Airiana M.
It was so delicious. Not only is the place very nice with a beautiful outside sitting area, but the food was amazing. The menu has jokes intertwined with the description! I got Scott's Favorite Pasta dish with angel hair pasta and it was to die for! Will definitely be coming back
(5)
Dawn D.
When my Sis in Law recommends a restaurant, I always listen. My husband and I dined at Stacey's for lunch on Tuesday from her recommendation. We were greeted and seated immediately. We were able to sit outside and I LOVE al fresco dining. Loved the ambiance and the service was fantastic. Our waters were always full and my Arnold Palmer always replenished. The bread they provide is sooooooo good as well as their garlic butter spread. Delish! I ordered the half sandwich and half salad. I went for the ahi sandwich and cesar salad. I found the portion of cesar salad a bit on the stingy side, though for the little there was, it was very good. But one would notice my plate looked "incomplete" for lack of a better word. The salad wasn't too strong or too watery, it had the perfect flavor and consistency. Croutons were very good, too. As for my ahi sandwich, I thought it could have more flavor (my husband feels the same way), as if the sauce needed some spice or something, but I thought it was good and we both finished our sandwiches. My husband had french fries and those were super yums!! I can go back there and have a plate of fries! Must remember this place has delicious fries. In fact, I'd go back and try something else. We had a great experience!
(4)
Tiffany N.
Went to the old Waterford location with my BFF after someone told us that it turns in to a "grown-up" bar at night. I can tell you exactly why they closed in two words. DISCO AC/DC. The "dj" they had was nothing more than some dude with a macbook and headphones forcing you to listen to his awful mixes. Just when you though the disco ac/dc was bad, he subjected us to country ABBA! Needless to say, no one was cutting it up on the dance floor in front of him. The only upside to this place was the giant brandy glass they had in front that was full of chocolate mints. I filled my pocket with them after finishing my cape cod and hustling my BFF out so we could have our ears packed with gauze.
(1)
Nicole V.
I used to love this place years ago. Ive frequented it less and less since I am in Livermore and have such a great downtown and many restaurant options to choose from. A few at my office still use this place to host account dinners if needed. With that being said, I suggested that we go here with family for a long awaited dinner together since it was a half way point between us. It was a Saturday night and the restaurant was moderately full. It was an extremely HOT day and it seemed like they didnt bother to turn the AC on at all. We were sweating profusely during our whole meal. The service was great but our food was not. I had the mahi mahi with risotto. The fish was ok but the risotto was the consistency of rice. Not the creamy loveliness you would expect from risotto. My brother ordered the short ribs which were extremely sweet and had a spice reminiscent of Christmas. When you order short ribs you are expecting something savory. He didnt eat his meal at all. My stepmother had the pancetta wrapped chicken over egg noodles which she didnt touch at all because it was terribly bland. We skipped out on dessert all together since we were so disappointed with our meal and headed down to an ice cream shop to beat the heat. I was so sad everyone was so disappointed with their meals since we dont do this often and it was my suggestion and so pricey. Stacey's has definitely fallen off of my list of restaurants :(
(2)
Robert R.
Great place to eat, I like the humor they add to the menu items. Great ambiance and service.
I have been coming here for 5 years and love their food and their friendly service. They hosted my dad's 90 birthday so beautifully. They make you feel you are the only guest they have every time you walk in there even when the restaurant is packed.
(5)
Mary J.
So how does one show up for work on a Friday morning only to be done with the work day by 11am? Well for me this past Fri (12/4/09) that was the case, but hey closed up shop early to have our Xmas Lunch @ Stacy's Cafe in Pleasanton. WEBSITE: Do check out their website...informative, helpful, & fun =) eatatstaceys.com LOCATION: On Main St with Bernal Ave being the major cross street, but reall Abbie St is the cross. Street parking all over the place, but kinda of "good luck with that" situation...parking lot in the back area along Abbie St, but again, "good luck with that". RESTAURANT: They provide great photos of their interior @ their website. Outdoor patio w/ umbrellas in front of restaurant w/ the view of Main St, bar area upon entrance, then dinning area leads to the right side & further in. Table cloth setting with armless chairs & soft jazzy/soft-rock music playing in the bkgd. Spacious, clean, & welcoming restaurant for all shapes, sizes, & range of folks who'd like to dine here...more of an "adult" setting to me..prob not best suite for kids, but that's ur call. yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… CUST SVC: Excellent! Welcoming, pleasant, patient, thorough, helpful, & courteous. Having lunch w/ a party of 8, our waiter was simply great; apologetic when needing to interrupt the convo, great w/ peaking in on glasses/plates/etc, as well as colleague in the area taking a peak everything ok. Keep up the excellent work team ;-) FOOD: Fresh hot baked bread w/ scoop or butter in center brought as courtesy to the table(s) yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Lunch prices range from say $15-$20. Good portion sizes, "clean" presentation of food, & everyone pretty much enjoyed their meals. No alcohol on this dinning experience, just reg unsweetened tea (free refills) that I jazzed up w/ Splenda *tee-hee* yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Mushroom Carbonara yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Florentine Ravioli yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Jambalaya yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Scott's Favorite Pasta yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Free Range CA Chicken Sandwich yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Portabella Mushroom Sandwich yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Fish Tacos yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Stacy's courtesy birthday "bread pudding" cake yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… There was a birthday in our group, so nice to see their courtesy bday dessert. I'm not a much on bread pudding cakes fan...all I can say is it was def hot & the vanilla ice cream was cold & creamy. My Jambalaya entree was tasty, but didn't knock me off my chair like "Hot damn, this is the sh!t". Not overly spicy after 5bites; I could've finished the whole thing, but chose to brown big a lil' hm so my BF could sample it. FINAL TAB: Hell I have no clue...it was a company lunch (lol). Great eats tho...I'd recommend it if ur pocketbook allows u ;-)
(4)
Kathryn L.
This place is extremely popular for lunch because of it's Main Street locale. The ambiance is nice - sophisticated and casual at the same time, making it a great place for company lunches or a relaxed business meeting. A negative about their location is that it's on Main Street which means mostly street parking. My biggest beef is that each time I have been there for lunch, their service was SO SLOW!! I have come both with a large party of 20 as well as a small intimate party of two and the outcome was the same. Their lunch is tasty enough with a pretty good selection of sandwiches, soups, and salads, but their terrible service makes a delicious lunch feel earned, therefore making the entire experience negative. I have never been here for dinner, but because of my negative experiences, I probably wouldn't ever because who knows HOW long it would be before I got fed.
(2)
Amrit A.
Stacy's was a great place a few years back but due to the manager Abe this place has gone down hill in many ways. The manager (I guess owner because he says he is the highest up) is argumentative and does not need much business as he does not return calls and has no phone manners at all when you talk to him. I have always wondered why they do not have Geronimo as a manager he is pleasant to speak to and would have more tact and intelligence. The food has declined and not much has changed ( except for the Abe) in the menu. Business must be good to treat customers like this.
(1)
Alvin B.
I have been going to Stacy's Cafe for many years now and I have to say that they are extremely consistent with their high quality. The food is always fresh fresh and the assortment of dishes are above what the rest of Main St. has to offer. Their bar has good offerings along with the wine list. Pricing is very fair for what you get and the portions are more than enough for a hearty appetite. Stacy's is worth a try!
(5)
Amy C.
My husband and I went there for date night and had a great time. The food was great! We had Chipotle Honey Glazed Prawns appetizer, Grilled Natural Salmon Filet (best salmon I've ever had at a restaurant I usually prefer to cook it at home) and Mushroom Carbonara and Triple Chocolate Brownie. The server was very nice and the busboy was as well. Our water was never empty. We sat on the front patio and enjoyed the nice weather; sunglasses were a must as the sun went under the levels of the shade umbrellas.
(4)
Annissa H.
My family and my sister's friends came here for lunch and it was pretty crackin. Very nice atmosphere- cozy and modern. Like others have said, the complimentary bread with melty garlic butter was DELICIOUS. If you like butter like I do, you will definitely enjoy it! I had the blackened salmon sandwich with the house mixed green salad. The dressing was good and so was the sandwich. The bread was very soft and warm, which is always a plus in my book! It's a little bit pricier than other sandwich places. Mine was about $16 but definitely worth it.
(4)
Zach M.
Nice atmosphere - not busy,so good for conversation inside. Outside seating nice. Service OK, but long wait for food. Food good, but not great and overpriced-crusted Mahi Mahi was $30 and dry with over spicy the being the only sensation.
(3)
Christine N.
I don't know how many times I've walked by this place and though 'huh, that looks cute', but this week I finally tried it with a group of friends. I didn't want something too heavy for lunch so my group and I split the cheesy fries as an appetizer. They were delicious!!! The cheese was like the consistency of my favorite fake nacho cheese, but was actual real, quality cheese. I was in heaven! The bread they provided was hot and fresh with a delicious garlic butter. The house salad was super tasty and I topped off my lunch with their strawberry limeade. Fresh and delicious! The price was definitely up there for some items (that cobb salad still amazes me that it's in the high 'teens), but everything we had was fresh and delicious. Service was great and we enjoyed a beautiful day sitting out on the patio area. I'd definitely go back and try some more from the menu, and come for dinner sometime.
(4)
Brian Z.
Excellent service, food, and wine. I will be going back to try the rest of the menu. Also features a nice outdoor seating patio.
(4)
Skip M.
Our favorite place to eat in Pleasanton. We go there at least a couple times a month. The menu is fun and there are many options to choose from. The service is excellent and the staff is extrememly friendly.
(5)
Alexis D.
I guess this place has changed ownership. In the past, I've had some really great meals here with great service. However, this time, both entrees for our party were practically inedible. After waiting for ages, in a not busy restaurant, we finally received our entrees. The gruyere scalloped potatoes were basically raw potatoes covered in so much cheese it was like they were trying to hide the fact that it was still raw. My mom's NY strip steak was overcooked, and on the border of being rancid. The service was great, as usual, however when the manager came out to talk to us about the steak, he basically said it's aged so it's supposed to taste like that, and it was fresh in that day. I understand people make mistakes, but I'm a professional chef, and that was not a fresh or properly aged cut of meat. The salads were good, as usual, and like I said, our server was very attentive and apologetic, but one star for no service recovery from the manager. Although my mother said she would go back, I would have to see a lot of improvement before I'd be willing to blow $60 on two house salads and inedible meals.
(1)
Dimitri A.
If I could give less, I would. Went to Stacey's last night for dinner with my wife and a couple friends. The service was good. ALL the pasta comes with chick peas, which is not in the menu. Then comes my order. I decided the new york strip sounded good, so went with that. I asked for it to be cooked rare. When the steak came, the outside was seared, but the fat was still cold, and the steak was RAW!!!!! How they can serve a raw steak, I have no idea, but I sent it back. Everyone else at the table started eating. The steak comes back, STILL undercooked. Now I figured I should probably ask for it to be cooked Medium so that it would come cooked at all. Finally the steak comes back, and I can eat. The problem is my whole table has already eaten, so I have to eat alone. Now here is the part that REALLY pisses me off. THe bill comes and they charge me for EVERYTHING!!!! I don't mind paying for all the food that came out on time, the way it was supposed to, but NOT for a steak I had to send back twice. I actually had to complain and ask them if they made a mistake for charging me for the steak, and it should be removed. NOT OK...
(1)
Jim L.
I recently had lunch at Stacey's Cafe in downtown Pleasanton. What a nice place to visit Pleasanton is. Stacey's Cafe is a very nice place to stop and have lunch. The food is good and the service was prompt and courteous. The menu has a lot of variety and there are many funny quotes printed following the descriptions of the individual food items. If you're in the Pleasanton area, stop here. You'll both enjoy this restaurant and the town itself.
(4)
joyce m.
I'm surprised to see such negative reviews here. I've only dined @ Staceys once, months ago, but I still remember how good my salmon dish was. The porcini sauce, polenta, veggies and crispy onions complimented the salmon very well. The service was great. Attentive, without being overbearing. The only reason I haven't been back is because they're a bit pricey, so I'm reserving it for a special occasion. If you want to try the salmon dish above, it's $10 cheaper during lunch!
(4)
Jessica M.
Delicious, tomatoes bisque was yummy, love the garlic butter for the still warm fresh bread. And my carbonara was very good, a little too much ham made it a touch salty but it was really really good. My creme brulee was fantastic. Service was absolutely spot on and very friendly and professional. Will definitely come again
(5)
Jocelyn N.
Great service - loved our waiter. Food isn't very good and atmosphere is blah. Won't go back.
(2)
Cindy W.
Lunch at Stacey's seemed pretty popular. Could be the nice patio that wraps the front of the restaurant, or the cute corner that it sits on in downtown Pleasanton. Or could be the soft sourdough loaf that comes warm with a scoop of melting garlic butter. The bread definitely stood out for me. As for the lunch itself I thought it was ok. I had the half sandwich and soup combo (or choice of salad or fries instead) for $10.75. I had the Ahi Sandwich which required an extra $2. The half sandwich (about 4" long) was good - a wedge of seared tuna bookended by fresh ciabatta bread, some bitter arugula greens and some nondescript sauce. I chose a side of the Tomato Bisque soup, served in a pretty square lipped bowl. Just a tad salty but thick and hearty. My companions had variations of the half and half combo and seemed pretty satisfied with their choices. Reason why Stacey's doesn't get a 4th star is the price. It's high for a small cup of soup and a little section of sandwich. For the same price, we could have feasted on whole sandwich with leftovers for later. But oh well, maybe that's why you should savor the warm sourdough loaf in the beginning of the meal.
(3)
Ashley M.
I came here with my family on a Monday night around 7:30pm. It wasn't very crowded, but it was hard to hear anyone speak at our table. It serves pricey and up-scale food, but everyone in there was dressed very casual. I didn't like the spinach artichoke dip because the texture was like it was blended to a fine mush. The Barbecued Beef Short Ribs were very sweet and my family all agreed it tasted like Christmas for some reason. My parents enjoyed the lamb, but hated all the garlic in the pasta. The service was good and the atmosphere, although loud, was intimate. For the price and the taste of the food, I don't think I'll be going again. But I would recommend it to someone who wanted a nicer American cuisine restaurant in Pleasanton.
(3)
T. C.
Service was very good. Place is nice. Nice patio for a warm night. Bread and butter were very good. Warm and flavorful. But once I opened the menu and saw the prices, I felt like leaving. I was better off going to Haps if I was going to pay those outrageous prices. I had the pasta. I have never had overcooked pasta before in my life, until Stacy's. So overcooked, it nearly melted in my mouth. Simply awful. My date had the Stacey's Shells & Cheese. She was not impressed and has had better. I can't comment on the high-priced food items like salmon, etc. They looked and sounded good, but there is no way on earth I am paying those prices. Will not be back.
(2)
John G.
Salmon filet was perfect with the pesto sauce potato cake and green beans. Something for everyone. Very nice restaurant. Worth the price.
(5)
Gary D.
On a warm summer day, you really can't go wrong under an umbrella at one of the many downtown Pleasanton eateries. I took the wife, 4-year-old daughter, and 1-year-old son and headed out for a relaxing lunch on an 80-degree Saturday.. Ambiance/experience: The Stacey's Cafe side patio is one of the better spots, with giant strategically-placed umbrellas to shield from the hot sun and just enough space between Stacey's and the nearby building to create a perfect tunnel for a slow, cool summer breeze that won't blow everything off your table. Take your time reading the menu, as practically every item is followed with a related one-liner, some funny and some not quite as humorous as the writers thought they'd be. The Food: My daughter had the shells & cheese, which unfortunately was swimming in the oil that had slipped free from the cheese during baking and looked pretty disgusting. As the dish cooled, the oil started to solidify and it simply didn't look edible. Do yourself a favor and avoid this dish. I had the California grilled chicken sandwich, which came with bacon, cheddar, tomato, avocado, and an aioli-mayo paste slathered on perfectly grilled bread. All the ingredients looked terrific, but they didn't seem to taste so great when eaten altogether. It was much better when took it apart and ate all the components separately. The fries on the side were excellent. The Service: Food took quite a while to come out and our waitress abandoned us for about 15 minutes at a time, but it wasn't too bad because we were relaxing under the shade of the umbrella. Overall: Stacey's Cafe hit the spot, exactly what I had hoped for but nothing really special to win my loyalty. I can't wait to go back to downtown Pleasanton and give their competitors a try.
(3)
Meredith K.
Tasty food, decent wine and reasonable prices for dinner. i came here for a work dinner, so it's always hard to get a good feel for a place when you have a group of 20 people... But overall Stacey's did a great job accommodating our large group. Waiters were pretty attentive, drinks/wine were served in a reasonable time, and dinners all came out right about the same time and were cooked very well. Loved the Chipotle Shrimp dish.
(4)
Marilyn T.
Growing up, I was always amused by the Dilbert references and the witty comments on the menu. Stacey's is at the beginning of Main Street, so it's generally easy to find parking right in back. The chipotle honey prawns make for a nice starter - prawns are plump, and in the summer, the fruit salsa is especially fresh. I usually prefer two of their appetizers vs one entree as my meal for more variety and for something lighter. My mom is a vegetarian, so she always goes with Scott's favorite pasta. You can add edamame, which is unique, so that in combination with the walnuts makes for more texture and protein. For dessert, I love warm chocolate chip bread pudding with ice cream. Wines are mostly from Napa/Sonoma; surprisingly, not much from Livermore. I've never been blown away by the food. I think it's pricier than it can justify. Service has always been OK for me, but never great, and food has sometimes taken a really long time to come out. It seems more popular for lunch. Try to get a shaded seat on the patio.
(3)
Stacy S.
I have to review a place that has the same name as me!!! I went here on Saturday with 3 other people, it was not super busy and we sat out in the patio. I ordered the BLT- with avacado, so it was a BLAT- and it was awesome! The salad it came with was delish as well. My fam was happy with their meals as well. Even though the portion sizes were reasonable, it was kind of pricey, especially for lunch. Also, the bathrooms were messy and there weren't any paper towels. I would like to come back here for dinner and try it out. :)
(4)
Angela S.
I love this place! Sometimes the service can be slow, but it is great. Of course it is more expensive than most options, seeing as how it's on Main st and has a more "gourmet" selection, but I definitely enjoy the food. I always usually get the salmon. It is delicious. It has a potato patty, fresh grilled salmon, sauteed spinach, green beans and topped off with crunchy onions. The bread with the garlic butter to start is to die for btw!!!!!! Definitely worth a try, and multiple visits!
(4)
Spencer C.
Two stars because their food is still good, but service and prices are horrible. I started eating at the one in Dublin first and really liked the Jambalaya - it was $20. The Dublin location shut down so my friend wanted to take me to the Main St. one for my birthday. We got seated outside and they forgot about us - we had to flag someone down. I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and it was awful so I switched to wine, thinking the bartender can't mess that up - he just pours. It got cold outside and they came out and set up a heat lamp then moved it away from us to another table! And the Jambalaya (which was still great) jumped to $26 dollars. No thanks.
(2)
Barbara R.
Went for lunch, saw the special of risotto with pancetta, chicken and asparagus so I ordered it. Pancetta tasted like Chinese BBQ pork found in fried rice. The rice they used was anything BUT the right rice for risotto. It had the consistency of minute rice. The entire dish tasted like a sloppy Chinese Fried Rice. No sauce on it, very dry, total disappointment. I have been there several times prior, but won't be back after this experience.
(1)
Diane R.
We went for lunch on a Sunday. Sat outside on the back/side patio, which was very nice and pleasant, so they get high marks for atmosphere. Seemed like it would be a good restaurant, but I thought the food and service were just OK. I was there meeting an old friend and we were getting caught up. The waitress kept asking if we were ready to order, even though we left our menus open. I finally asked her what she recommended and she gave me a few choices, including the chicken sandwich and portobello mushroom sandwich. I chose half a chicken sandwich and a house salad with gorgonzola and walnuts. My sandwich was very "bread heavy" (on ciabatta) and had lettuce cut in thin ribbons which kept sliding out. The bread was toasted on a grill because it had a bit of charred taste. Just OK. The salad was overdressed and I got one walnut and three small crumbles of gorgonzola. The mushroom sandwich (which I didn't try) was had by 2 others, along with the spinach salad which looked good, and they both raved..so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. After we walked out and saw the specials board, I realized that our waitress never even mentioned them and they weren't on the menu. I'm not from Pleasanton so probably won't ever try them again. The bonus thought is there is a lot right behind them to park!
(2)
Scotty D.
still love the food but can you bring down the lunch prices please? SHEESH!
(3)
Scott S.
I Went here on the 5th of November. I had the Mushroom Sandwich minus the cheese, and asked for champagne vinaigrette on the side. WOW, very tasty. The side salad was out of this world, a perfect fix of greens. dried cranberries, candied walnuts. and a perfect amount of gorgonzola cheese. For dessert, i had a brownie with Vanilla Bean Gelato. Very Very good. All plates were plated very nice, presentation was great, service was great, A+++++++ Our Server Theresa was very professional, and showed great customer service skills. #1.
(5)
Jennifer A.
I had a business lunch here the other day and came in with pretty low expectations, but I have to admit, I was really surprised! First of all, they bring you a little round loaf of sour dough bread with a garlic butter spread that is DEADLY. I knew I shouldn't be eating it since I had a presentation to give later, but I couldn't help it. That butter would make cardboard taste good. I also had the Thai Beef salad which was awesome. When they brought it out, it just smelled soooo good. Now, when was the last time you had a salad that actually smelled like anything?? The beef was really well seasoned and the peanut dressing was tasty. Service here was also excellent. They knew we were in a bit of a hurry and took our order and brought our food very quickly. Our server even came by to tell us the time! Minus 1 star though for the price. I think it's a little overpriced. $15+ dollars for a salad and $9.95 for a bowl of soup. I haven't seen soup that expensive since my $23 bowl of soup at Spago!
(4)
Herb H.
Great food and very well presented. I actually had my reception here and they staff was amazing! Great place for a date night but they are on the pricey side! I will def be back.
(4)
Jessica E.
I see lots of great reviews and I may give them another chance, but our service and food left something to be desired. We were seated up front but seemed to be almost an afterthought to the waiter. The chicken was dry and the crab cakes were a little too crispy. $22 dollars for a cup of soup, a shared appetizer of crab cakes and a shared Stacey's salad with dry chicken. No beverage, just water.
(2)
Geraldine S.
I love this place! I've had the Grilled Natural Salmon Fillet and I think it's delicious! I love how there is a potato cake on top of haricot verts and sundried tomatoes. Then it's topped with pesto and gouda cheese. The salmon fillet is on top of that. Then on top of that is onion rings. Yum! I also had the Triple Chocolate Brownie. It's sinfully delicious! It's topped with chocolate and caramel sauce and candied walnuts. There's vanilla bean gelato on the side. I don't really care for their decaf coffee. My favorite decaf is at BJ's. It's so noisy inside. I feel like I have to yell in order for my friends to hear me. The service is great! They're friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Parking can be a challenge during lunch when it's busy. There's street parking and some lots you can park in.
(4)
Nicole B.
We walked in for a late lunch this afternoon without reservations. Our server immediately gave us our choice of outdoor seating. It was beautiful out today and my husband and I really enjoyed sitting outside against Main St in downtown Pls. We ordered the spinach dip for an appetizer, hubby ordered the chicken sandwich w/parmesan fries, and I ordered the portabella mushroom sandwich w/parmesan fries. Everything was DELICIOUS, we both agreed! The cosmo I ordered was the best I've had in a long time! I can't wait to go back!
(4)
Robert F.
So much potential in location and with outdoor seating. It gives off the vibe of this quaint little farm to table bistro until you start your meal and quickly learn different. Turns out it's overpriced and the food is unmemorable, even bland. I've had lunch a couple time here and that's a better experience overall - lunch is the only reason it's getting a few stars. Also, don't eat inside - it feels dark and kind of outdated.
(3)
Mai Anh V.
My husband and I were very impressed with this joint! We even had a choice of where we could sit! We ordered the spicy fried calamari for our appetizer. Yummy, yummy! The sauce was just perfect. It tasted like a spicy sweet and sour sauce and the squid itself was not stinky and just the right texture. My entree was the rib eye. It was extremely tender, but I could have done with a different marination. The drinks here are strong and extremely tasty! I ordered the cherry lemon drop and it tasted exactly like a cherry icee. It's probably why I had a second one! :p Our server, Geronimo, was extremely catering and so personable! He made us feel very welcomed and appreciated. We will definitely be returning in the future!
(4)
Carol W.
Good food and pleasant atmosphere. We stumbled onto Stacey's while driving through from out of town. The menu cracked me up with the humorous comments next to the items. I'd go back.
(4)
Felecia W.
Went a few wks ago ago.Very nice restaurant in historic pleasanton. This time we went here the day of the farmers market. We got outdoor seating, which was very nice. We sat under their umbrella's in the shade, and had a nice view of the main street. Food is good, sandwich and salad type of place. Afterwards took a nice walk thru the farmers market and down main street. A nice place to spend the afternoon.
(4)
Manuel G.
Absolutely the WORST $40.00 I ever spent for lunch. Tea was fine and my wife enjoyed her sandwich well enough. However the Tortilla soup. A Cocktail sauce like consistency and it literally made me sick to my stomach. The Crab Cakes were disgusting. An example of pure incompetent cooking. Of the Four sides, not two were the same color. One was hardly seared and greasy looking on one side and solid BLACK burnt on the other. Served solid BLACK side up.. The second had good color on the bottom. (Why not serve on that side? I can't understand.) The service side had a black burnt ring around the edge with a chunk missing. It looked like PAC MAN I am very sorry Stacy. But NEVER again. I was robbed
(1)
Lisa R.
We were given a gift card for our wedding and went to use it on my birthday. We had good service, although slow (even though the restaurant wasn't busy on TH evening), and the food was delicious. Our experience ended on a sour note when the new management would not honor the gift card. As a diner, I come for ambiance, food and service... I don't care that new management won't realize the revenue from my gift card, as it was purchased under old management. What I care, and what I remember, and what I share with you, was that real money was paid for that card and wasn't accepted. There's nothing on the gift card itself, nor the envelope it came in, about disclaimers of not being valid in certain circumstances. It simply says "full amount redeemable for food/drink". All the good work from the wait and cooking staffs was wiped away by our waiter's last words. My husband and I won't return to that restaurant again, as that gesture shows that new management doesn't care about customer loyalty and they'd rather snag my $75 one time rather than have me as a returning customer, who would have otherwise raved about her special birthday dining experience. 9/5 update - so, after I posted this initial review (back in July), I emailed it to Stacey's management. I received a phone call a few days later and a week or so after that initial outreach, we connected. Abe was very apologetic, realized the error, said they want to be a good community member and said if we were to give his restaurant another chance, he'd honor the card. We went in on Friday night, my husband's birthday, and spoke with Abe before we sat down to confirm he was keeping to the offer. We enjoyed a wonderful meal on the patio. Again, food was delicious (I had the rack of lamb special and hubby had beef ribs) and the service was once again top notch. In my mind, they did the right thing by honoring the gift card, so I'm upping my rating to 3 stars. food and service deserves 4 stars, but since this rating system claims 4 is "I'm a fan"... well, I'm just not sure I'm there yet, but we're definitely more open to dining here again than we were before.
(3)
Burrito M.
Based on a recommendation from a co-worker, we headed to Stacey's for a leisurely lunch for 4. All I have to say is...DeeeeELish! The curb appeal and indoor decor are more on the upscale side, and to my taste, quite appealing. They seated us right away by the front window which is a primo spot. Our server was attentive and friendly the entire time, right after we sat down and ordered our drinks, she brought out a large round loaf of warm sourdough bread with a giant scoop of melty garlic butter nestled in the middle, it was to die for... Onto lunch, I ordered the half soup/half sandwich and added a side of the house salad w/ ranch. The soup was tomato bisque served with a dollop of pesto - I thought the soup was OK, but didn't like the pesto. The sandwich was the free range chicken breast w/ lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon, cheese and mayo on baguette - this was extremely yummy - the chicken was tender and the bacon crispy and perfect. The side salad was mixed greens with candied walnuts, crumbled bleu cheese, and dried cranberries - quite good. I was too stuffed at the end to order dessert. One of my lunch companions ordered the BLT and she stated that it was the best BLT EVER! That's what I'm gonna order next time. These folks really know how to do bacon. Four lunch entrees and 2 iced teas came out to about $70 w/ tax and tip. So this wasn't cheap, but good food is worth it when you want to treat yourself, and the four of us were definitely in the mood for some cheering up with a nice treat. As we say in yelp*-ese: Yay! I'm a fan.
(4)
Liz O.
Had a late lunch on Easter Sunday.. nothing to special.. great service.. love the atmosphere.. ok food.. nothing that I can really complain or brag about.
(3)
Star M.
Visited for a weekday lunch in early August. We went with the sandwich & salad lunch special -- great choice. Half-sandwich was plenty to eat with the salad, and a quick and reasonable lunch. Great service & quick refills. Repeater for sure!
(4)
Deb T.
Sorry to say this restaurant shows signs of wear and neglect. The service was ok, but the food quality was low and the price was high. Food tasted warmed over microwaved.
(2)
Niki H.
Whenever we've been to stacy's the ambiance, food and service has been exceptional.
(4)
Kali L.
We tried this place, it came recommended. We were expecting breakfast options, but none available. Food quality is below average, nothing to write home about. The prices are high for their quality of food too. However, I did like the nice hot bread.
(2)
Nicki P.
Best crab cakes!! My husband and I love dining at Stacey's Cafe and it's our number one choice for date night dining. We heard of the new ownership and hope everything remains the same.
(5)
Dustin S.
Just had my mom's 60th birthday party here and all I have to say is that Abe and his crew rock. Food was great, service was spectacular. All of our guests that live in the area said they'd be returning for the "out of this world" short ribs.
(5)
sandy b.
Tonight was our thirteenth wedding anniversary. We decided to go to Stacey's for dinner. As we walked in the door there was a basket of chips on the table. My husband took one as we both thought that it was for all to snack as you walk in. Immediately a waiter came over and told my husband off. Accused him of stealing and would not stop scolding him loudly in front of the crowded restaurant. He embarrased my husband and me. We did not know what to say and not only that he basically made it known to all that my husband was a theif. This waiter has a temper and certainly enjoyed being the center of attention by putting us down. We are educated people and my husband owned a very large airline company. We have recently moved to Pleasanton from Saratoga. We left immediately as we were affraid that this man would put something in our meals just to spite us. He was just that type. My husband never argued with him and was trying to stop this verbal lashing. We went accross the street and had a wonderful dinner where we were treated with respect. Sandy Barnes
(1)
livs-phill y.
P: The food at stacey's is mediocre. The best appetizer they have is their cheese fries. The location in Dublin, which is now closed, had a better menu selection, however the Pleasanton location is in the heart of downtown so you can dine outside if you like. L: This place I think is just okay. The food hasn't wow'd me yet but it does taste good. I haven't had one that I didn't like yet. The entree's are a good portion and are done well. The appetizers are also generous in size. The service is always good.
(3)
m j.
It was nice to dine on the patio at Stacey's where I took a friend to lunch today. We both ordered the Cobb salad for $17.95. W/ a price tag like that however, I was expecting more than a lot of lettuce and a paltry serving of everything except the bacon bits. Two beers to chase the heat, two Cobb salads, tip and $60 later I left feeling, well, ripped off. Even my guest mentioned the too few pieces of chicken.
(1)
Sara B.
Stacey's is one of my many favorite restaurants. They have great service and the food is great! I'm a big fan of their garlic bread and of the Chipotle Prawns! AMAZING!! I definitely recommend that!
(4)
Michael L.
Stacey's is one of my favorite restaurants. It's one of those places you have to visit in Pleasanton. I've been here many times for dinner since they opened over ten years ago and I've brought friends many who told me they really enjoyed the experience. The service has always been attentive and the food is tasty and well eye catching. The chef Ryan is creative and the quality of his ingredients is high. Stacey is often there to greet dinner guests and sees to the details. Stacey is a wine fan and tastes and selects the wine on the menu and she's always ready to make a recommendation if you ask. A couple of years ago I moved to within walking distance of downtown and I like to take a stroll to Stacey's on Wednesday evenings when they have music and drink and food specials and sit on the patio and visit with the guests. It's the kind of small town thing that people come to Pleasanton for.
(5)
eric k.
I thought this place was really nice. Service was quite good. It has a nice small-restaurant feel mixed with just a tinge of fancy. I ordered the hot pastrami, and the sandwich was quite good. I requested salad with it, and the small house with gargonzola turned into walnut/cranberry/arugula salad.... which a bit too much dressing. The bread was warm, but not quite as sourdough as I think it was meant to be, or maybe the butter/spread overpowered it. Very nice... I went and used passport. I'd certainly go again if I was in the area.
(4)
Rebecca G.
My Friend wanted to come here since it was on the Passport savings card. We started with mai-tai's which were good but I still like Cheesecake factory better. They brought out bread and garlic butter. The butter was so good I could have eaten it on everything! I had the shells and cheese...phew. it tasted like mac and cheese from a box and I was highly dissappointed. The waiter said it was good. unh-uh. No not good. Oh well my bad for ordering something so low end in a place that has daily specials I can't pronounce. It was also a bit on the pricey side for Dinner. Thank goodness for a savings card.
(2)
Nina P.
What a lovely restaurant! Our waitress, Laura, was friendly as soon as we walked in late on Sunday night--one hour before close. She did not rush us, and even offered dessert, after the place had officially closed. There were still a few other patrons at the time, though. The manager also stopped to talk to us during our meal. Friendly staff and good food! We always drive by this place but never stopped until that night. We just figured any place called "Stacey's" couldn't be more than a greasy spoon kind of place. Boy were we wrong. Upscale furnishings, a full bar and decent wine menu, coupled with great service, made our evening special. I also like the open kitchen format, even though I wasn't really checking in on the cooks! It would be a great place to bring visitors after an afternoon of wine tasting around Livermore. The patio outside will make for a good hangout when summer arrives. We plan to go back the next time I'm craving my favorite comfort food: macaroni and cheese.
(5)
Ethan H.
Good set and setting, good wine, great service, but man, the food is just tooooo rich. Stopped going because every dish leaves me feeling bloated and gross. Cut the cream by 4x, cut the pancetta out of every dish, just tone it way down guys!
(2)
Jonathan L.
Take a look at all those ratings that gave this place more than 1 star. Okay, now ignore them. They were written by very nice people who are perpetuating damage on peoples' digestive systems by recommending they go to Stacey's. This place is awful. I had a sandwich that tasted like last night's subway sandwich. The one subway gave away for free because they forgot to include taste. Like one of the other reviewer's, I really wanted to like Stacey's. But the one in Dublin and the one in Pleasanton are equally deserving of the lowest rating. Sorry, really I hate to give such low ratings.
(1)
Rob M.
Had not been to Stacey's in a while, so when friends offered to watch the kids, wife and I first thought to head over as our past experience was quite pleasant. Man, this place has taken a serious slide for the worse! We didn't have reservations, but arrived early enough to be seated right away. Service was fair, but it was apparent that the staff's priority was preparing for the 'expected' dinner service and not so much the customers at hand. Lot's of prep work, chit chat among staff, fiddling with the light level, etc. It really felt like showing up for a party 30 minutes early - not the ambiance we were looking for. But you know, an evening out was good enough (to start). We ordered up a bottle of wine (one of 'Stacey's Picks' in fact)...not available...second try...not available. So not being huge wine enthusiasts, scanned the menu for a third alternative and the cheapest offered /available was a bottle of cab for $65. I'm all for paying for quality & service, but living here is the HEART of the Livermore Wine Country, it was hard to feel good paying that for a bottle I could pick up at BevMo for $14 (I checked). Eh, it's a night out, let's enjoy. A good menu selection, though one could say a bit too large for a cafe/bistro - really would be nicer to go seasonal, especially with the Farmer's Market 3 blocks down. Entrees arrive and, ugh, can't put into words how let-down we both were. Really over-seasoned and over-cooked. Halfway through we swapped plates, but my wife traded back stating mine was inedible (I have a higher spice tolerance though). Never been closer to sending something back to the kitchen, but we didn't have the time to wait with the kids at home. This was a few weeks back, but after having dinner at the Outback Steakhouse last night, we both found ourselves joking how enjoyable it was, good food and for the money, we could visit another two times for the price of Stacey's. I know the Waterford location closed down, really had hoped more effort would have been put into the Main Street Cafe, but we won't be returning and given the great locale (with rear parking no less), would be more excited to see them follow Waterford's path and turn it over to someone willing to compete with the great choices Pleasanton's Main Street has to offer.
(2)
Dave F.
Three words: Best Bacon Ever! A friend was in town and he wanted to check out Scott Adams's restaurant. What? Dogbert owns a restaurant? Ok. I'm in. Quaint little restaurant with ample patio seating. A gorgeous sunday, sitting on the patio having a couple of drinks and watching the world go by sounds like the way to do it. First, they actually have clamato at the bar. For those of you who are bloody mary fans, yes, the Caesar (with a capital C) is a much better sunday brunch libation. They made the Caesars with gusto and let us focus on the menu... which is worth the visit in itself. Every single item on the menu comes chock full of Adams's legendary wit... Comments like "Caesar salad [...] named after the great Romaine emperor Julius Salad" makes the menu reading rather long. I had to read the menu twice - once for the comments, and once to decide what I wanted. So, down to business. The Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich, which would have been included endive, but for having to call the sandwich a "BELT", was divine. The red pepper aioli complemented the sandwich well, and the bacon.... oh, the bacon. I had a spinach side salad with it, which was also delicious. I highly recommend this place.
(5)
Carol Y.
We arrived a half hour before our scheduled reservation because the traffic on the way was a lot lighter than expected that evening. Thankfully, even though they were quite busy at the time, they were still able to seat us within a couple of minutes. Since neither of us had ever really been out in Pleasenton, we chose to sit out on the patio to enjoy the sites. The vibe of the neighborhood was relaxed and pleasent. People were out with strollers and dogs. Inside, the restaurant seem cozy with a nice homey feel. The commentary accompanying each menu description was halarious, and we found ourselves chuckling the whole time we were studying them. We were headed to see a comedy show right after dinner, so it was a great start to a light, laughter-filled night. The wait staff was friendly and attentive and the food delicious. I liked the fact that they brought out a tray of their dessert selections as visual representation a of their selections. Unfortunately, nothing really stood out and we opted to pass and go for Cold Stone ice cream across the street instead.
(5)
Beth K.
Stacey's cafe is 1 of my favorite restaurants of all time. The waiters are friendly and quick. Their food is some of my favorites and the pasta is the best.if you're looking for a restaurant that has great food and friendly people Stacey's you're go to place.
(5)
Stacy B.
In a sentence, Stacey's is our favorite place in downtown Pleasanton. We have come here a few times, with friends, by ourselves, even on work lunches. So we have a bit of experience here, and it is one of the few places that has us coming back for the food and service. The food is a bit on the more expensive side, but honestly, it is the best menu and best tasting food in Pleasanton. Pleasanton lacks a lot of the bigger city flare when it comes to restaurants, but Stacey's delivers both a nice ambiance and a pretty good menu. I have had the filet there a few times, which is always pretty good. Seasoned very simply (salt and pepper, I would guess), the sauces are typically tasty. We have enjoyed a few fish and lamb dishes as well. All have been worthwhile. The desserts are generally pretty tasty also. They have pretty standard desserts, but the chocolate cake type stuff has been a staple for us. If you are traveling from some other town to come here, it might be worth it. But this is not a destination restaurant. We love it because it is a 3 minute walk from our house, the food is good, and the service has been great. Would we like it this much if we had to drive 30 minutes? Probably not. The food is good but not travel-worthy.
(4)
Sara M.
It takes a lot for me to give five stars, so.... My husband, son (18 mos) and I went to Stacey's tonight with another couple, and the experience was GREAT! Food, service and overall experience were all really good. As far as food, it started with warm bread with herb butter which everyone enjoyed and nibbled on. The table shared the calamari, which was good as well. Entrees at our table were the jumbo prawns, pancetta wrapped chicken, entree sized house salad with chicken and the mahi. Everyone really enjoyed their meals-they had good flavor, were good sized portions, and were really tasty. Our server was Shaun, and he was EXCELLENT. He was attentive, friendly and flexible. He made sure our toddler's food came out early, and he even washed off our toddler spoon after dinner. For those parents out there, the family friendliness is definitely a plus here. For dessert, we ordered the creme brulee and apple crisp. Everything was really good. Overall, a great experience, and highly recommended...We will be back for sure.
(5)
Christine Y.
Mediocre food, absolutely dreadful service. I could describe in lengthy detail, but this place does not deserve more than just a few words, even if they are negative.
(1)
Susan Y.
Very good. A bit pricey for my taste so I had the pasta shells with cheese. Good pasta, spicing, flavor, lovely cheesiness, like fancy mac and cheese. Friend had prawns and looked good. 4 stars for the dishes we had but 2 for the value.
(3)
Lorna B.
I recently co-hosted a wedding shower using Stacey's private room. We had 24 guests. My overall experience was awesome. The manager, Abe, was helpful with all the details from choosing the wine and menu to allowing us access to the room a little early to make some personal touches. He also took very good care of us during our luncheon. The response from the guests about the food and atmosphere was nothing but positive. The price was very fair and the best part for me, other than how much our bride loved the restaurant and party details, was how much fun I got to have while being a co-host of such an event. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
(5)
Mary Ella D.
Stacey's ... clever, clever, clever... My favorite thing is the menu, it's hilarious! What more could you ask for than belly laughs for appetizers?! The downtown location has the "Pleasant"ly quaint atmosphere of small-town goodness. Everyone seems to know everyone else. I had the Grilled Salmon, with green beans, pesto, potatoes, and little onion strings on top. This was gorgously displayed as the leaning tower of salmon and I delicately dismantled it and ravaged the whole thing down. Sopped up the pesto with the delishly warm buttery bread too. Great for business lunches, friends, etc. Not to miss. There is also the Stacey's across the freeway (in Dublin) by the Safeway, Amici's and Armadillo Willy's. I prefer this one better.
(5)
Marja M.
I like to come here for vendor-funded lunches, given the general pricing of the menu. But, I decided to be a good "boss" and take my coordinator for lunch last week. We both needed a pick-me-up. Ordered a KILLER appetizer of melted gorgonzola cheese with pear chunks mixed in. Came with a plate of thinly, thank god, sliced crostini. This was absolutely delicious, and we both loved it! For entrees, my Girl Friday had a 1/2 turkey sandwich with Caesar salad, while I ordered the wild roasted salmon with red pepper sauce. I have to say that the salmon was a skosh dry and the sauce was too peppery for me. That's a personal preference; some people probably would go bananas over it. Our service was only alright. Seems like once we got our meal, it was all over but the shouting. No refill on the water or soda. No checking in to see if everything was okay with meal. We skipped dessert at this chi-chi establishment and made a beeline for the drive-thru dairy, where soft-serve ice cream is readily available at a FRACTION of the cost of the desserts at Stacey's. I've had better food and better service here before. Won't stop going, but there are plenty of other places to visit in downtown Pleasanton. Factoid: street parking is available and there's also a parking lot behind the restaurant.
(3)
Melissa B.
Ahhhhhhh, Stacey, Where to begin... Before I can heap any praise at all (no matter how deserved it might be) on the Pleasanton location, I must ask that you IMMEDIATELY close the doors in Dublin. EWWE. Awful. Icky. Need I say more? Okay, on to the good stuff. This place is incredible. Fun, inventive food made and served by people who obviously love food. It is a pleasure everytime I walk in the door. I have never even heard of a house salad as good as this one. Some days I will just order a small house salad and be completely happy. Everything I have tried here has been great, and yes-the menu is funny. It all adds up to a great experience. Best of all-only a couple of snobs work here. My only problem ever was when the manager asked me one balmy evening if I needed a taxi since I had 4 Lemon Drops. Problem was-I had only one drink with my meal. When I explained this to her, she looked at me like I really was tanked. I still give her the finger when I walk past.
(4)
Amy T.
Do NOT waste your time or money. If you like bad service and cold food this is the place for you. The silverware and cups were dirty and the waiter was rude. My husband and I ordered different items and both were cold, not sure why since it took 30 minutes to get eggs and french toast. It was 48.50 for bacon and eggs and the bacon was hard, not flavorful and way overcooked. The french toast my husband had was $8.25 and didn't taste like much, the menu said it came with sausage and it came out with bacon.
(1)
Jeremy S.
This used to be one of our favorite spots for dinner or lunch in Pleasanton. However the service and quality of food has dropped over the last six months. We were there Saturday for lunch and not only was the food just as bad as the last three times we ate there. The service has gotten progressively worse... We used to love coming to Stacey's Cafe but its off our list now.
(1)
Colleen M.
I have been to this place twice, once with my dad who visited me at work for lunch and another time with my mom for the same thing. Both times the service was good; they filled out water and made sure everything was good. I had the vegetarian sandwich the first time which I loved, my dad had a burger. Both were great. They come with either fries or a salad. The salad is nice because it's different, comes with blue cheese and cranberries and I think walnuts with a light vinaigrette. When I went with my mom it was Friday so their soup was salmon chowder. My mom and I both got a cup of the salmon chowder which was absolutely fantastic. We then split the protobello sandwich with the salad. They knew we were splitting it and put each of our individual portions on separate plates. It was nice to sit outside the second time because it was one of the first nice days of the year. Would definitely recommend this place for lunch. I have never been there for dinner but would try it since I had such a great experience with lunch.
(4)
Kenny P.
Ate lunch here after having our Taxes done at Conley's Tax Service and didn't really know what to expect, but it looked nice, so in we went. Lunch was excellent ! Warm bread with some of the tastiest butter I've ever had. My wife had the daily risotto (she loved it), while I had Stacey's Shells & Cheese, which was so rich I couldn't even finish. We were too full for desert, but the creme brulee and triple chocolate brownie both looked great - we'll be back next time we're in the Pleasanton area.
(4)
Rishi G.
I am shocked that a place like this would close at only 10 pm on a Saturday. Indeed, we were finally kicked out at 11 pm. :) I had the Ribeye which had an excellent glaze and was one of the better steaks I've had in the Bay Area. Cooked perfectly (medium-rare as I specified) and a fair price for the quality of food. My date had the Spinach and Artichoke dip (appetizer) which was good as well. They have a good size wine list, and our waitress made some decent recommendations from there. The total bill for two people wasn't too expensive, about $80. It would have been closer to $100 if we'd ordered two entrees instead of one entree and one appetizer. But even then, for a nice dinner with big portions, that's acceptable to me. Especially since we each had two glasses of wine. BTW the bar is miniscule. Maybe 4 people could sit there, so you definitely want a table.
(4)
Rob D.
We have been trying a new place every week in downtown Pleasanton. This week was special because it was my wife's birthday. We liked the atmosphere so we thought we would try Stacey's. The first waiter was very friendly. We noticed the prices were a little high for the setting, but as other foodies know if the food is good it's worth it. We ordered the peach and goat cheese dip. The dip was very good, but super rich. I ordered the Fettuccine Puttenesca and even though it comes with capers I didn't expect the dish to basically be all capers. My wife ordered Scotts favorite pasta with chicken. The chicken was super dry. In the description for the Scotts favorite pasta the second ingredient was walnuts. My wife looked all the way through the dish and could not find any walnuts. After we told the waitress there no walnuts she just said sorry and that was it. We both also noticed the bloating feeling half way through the meal the others have mentioned. What is that about? We asked for the check and left never to return. We checked the prices on the web when we made it home. We found that they even over charged us my my 2 iced teas. The service is barely acceptable and the food is over priced for what you get. The downtown has many fine food establishments. I would suggest to check Yelp and try another.
(2)
Patricia C.
Went there with friends before a jazz concert. First time there, so looked up their menu on website. Looked pretty good, especially the jambalaya at $19.95. Got there, and while the menu was the same, there had been a price increase...the jambalaya was now $26.95 (?). When I mentioned the difference to the waiter and suggested that they update the website, he said "wonderful". When I asked what he meant by that, he replied that it was "wonderful" that I told him about the website. Really? How inane. Two of us ordered the crab crusted halibut filet which was edible, but definitely nothing special--no flavor. Can't remember the other 2 entrees ordered, but the consensus was that they were "underwhelming". We will not go back. I can see by the reviews that both the service and food are very uneven. That's a clue.
(2)
Jackie D.
I've been to Stacey's Cafe many times - it's a great local spot and the food is pretty good no matter if you come for lunch or dinner. And yes, its a bit pricey, but definitely a good treat! Today, our team came here for lunch since we had a couple folks in from out-of-town. We called ahead to ensure we would beat the lunch rush and we were seated in the middle of the dining area. Our server promptly got our drink orders and shared the day's specials. The service was good, but could use something more - perhaps more personality or something. Anyways, my lunch was awesome. I decided to go with the Ahi Tuna Sandwich with fries. Not only was lunch great, the cheese fries for appetizers were amazing. I definitely recommend the Ahi Tuna sandwich - the tuna was very fresh, seared perfectly and served on ciabatta bread. Delicious! I've had so many good things on their menu and this definitely goes on it. Try their Shells & Cheese, Chicken Sandwich, their burger and everything else - I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Cheers!
(5)
Jennifer A.
Sat in the patio area...beautiful warm summer evening. Expecting a great meal, we were quite disappointed. We ordered the salmon dish and the special of the night - rack of lamb. From the time we sat down to the time our meals arrived was one hour!! - and this place was not even busy yet (perhaps 5 or 6 couples besides us). The presentation of the dishes was quite beautiful - once you saw it, you really started looking forward to eating it. And that is where the problems occurred. My dinner salad would have been delicious, but it was drowned in dressing. I ordered my lamb medium, and it came medium-well/bordering on well-done. There was no 'Wow! This is really good!" It was just okay. Not good, not terrible. The wait staff was attentive, but $80 for two entrees and one iced tea for 'just okay' food is NOT okay in my book. There are plenty of places to eat nearby; will try something else next time.
(3)
Michelle L.
We have eaten here ever since it opened. Not crazy about the service and the food is wayyy overpriced for what they are serving. My kids always want to go for the Mac and Cheese, but we finally put the kibosh on going anymore b/c it costs so much for a family. The ambiance is nice, but I like other places in Pleasanton better.
(2)
j s.
Stacey's just started serving breakfast. We came across a coupon for one free breakfast entree so we decided to try it. We have been there for dinner and thought it was decent. So we arrived at 8am...They were late opening, a few other groups were waiting outside along with us. So overall it was not anything to write home about. The coffee wasn't brewed so we had to wait on that (it was good coffee, when it was finally served), there was only one server who was obviously overwhelmed. My kids shared pancakes, which we tasty, but how can you mess that up! My husband had eggs Benedict, which was not good. The English muffin was old and the potatoes looked like they were previously frozen. I had the "healthy breakfast" option, which was okay. It consisted of egg whites, small turkey sausage, fresh tomatoes, and fruit. I was excited to see fresh papaya in the fruit mixture, but I could taste that it was cut on a cutting board that previously had onions or some veg. on it...you know that taste I'm talking about... Anyway, we wont be going back there for breakfast. It was pricey and you can get the same, if not better across the street for less $$. I know they just started serving breakfast, so maybe they just need some time to get it together.
(2)
Sara W.
i don't frequent here often enough, but the few times i have i'm never disappointed... i had their "fully loaded" mac n cheese and it was really good. the other time my brother and i took my mom to a nice dinner, also very enjoyable. some dishes are definitely large enough to share... also really like their salads. i've been meaning to go back when they started serving weekend brunch! parking can be 'challenging' when it's farmer's market, obviously. but otherwise ample parking behind the restaurant. wish the dublin locale was still open!
(4)
Roxie K.
I was not impressed with their breakfast. The red potatoes were not done and it's odd that certain breakfast items do NOT come with toast. The chicken apple sausage was DRY also. Won't be going back.
(2)
Jenni S.
I had to write a review and before I did, I had to double check and make sure this was the same place I went as the mediocre rating threw me off. I've been there once with my husband and our three kids. We were seated immediately and our server was awesome! Helpful suggestions, great with our kids (he obviously had his own) and a good selection of food. I had the florentine ravioli and my husband had a gorgonzola steak - both entrees and our wine was delicious...even my children's cheese pizza and chicken strips were awesome. I've honestly been dreaming of going back. I am not a huge reviewer (yes, I made up a word) but when I saw the obvious confused rating of Stacey's, I knew I had to pipe up. Maybe it was a fluke experience and I will definitely update once we go back (which I'm hoping is soon). The only possible downside I saw was it's a little pricey but overall, worth it!
(5)
kiwi i.
No thanks. I went here with my boyfriend to eat dinner around 8:00 at night I think it was a Thursday or Friday. I thought that the place would be really good because it looked nice and clean and somewhat fancy, so I kind of built up an expectation that the food would be delicious! WRONG. I wanted something that would Blow My MInd! Not something mediocre. I got the Salmon plate and my boyfriend got the Short Ribs. Both were "meh". It tasted like my moms food...I am NOT saying my mom's food is nasty or anything, but I expected something with a little more UMPH! If I wanted to eat salmon that I've tasted before I would have gotten it from my mom...not for $20 bucks. I am also a huge fan of Crab Cakes...I try them everywhere I go...and I tried them here...what a disappointment. I have really never had a BAD crabcake before but this one was just SO BORING. and they put salsa on the side to give it an extra kick..well it needs more than that. Our server was nice but our food took over an HOUR to come out. I was sitting there and I looked at my phone at 8:45 and then I looked at it again at 9:35 and our food wasn't there. ..more minutes..that seemed like HOURS passed because I was starving...and the busboy came up to us and asked us if we were waiting for anything...and I responded YEAH MY FOOD. It took then another 30 minutes for our plates to come out...I mean..HELLO....what service...no one even came up to say.."oh sorry for the delay...we are killing the cow and still trying to catch the salmon you ordered..it'll be a few more hours..." NOTHING. ugh..what bad service. I am getting mad just writing this!! The only good things about this place are::: THE BREAD..probably the only good tasting thing there...and the booze. That's it.
(1)
Andy H.
We have been coming here for years. The food is always excellent, the service is always slow (order appetizers with the first drink order), and the ambiance is perfect. This location is the only one we choose to return to and have consistent experiences every time.
(5)
Rachel S.
Went here for lunch sometime in 2008 with my fiance. Nothing to write home about. He liked the spinach dip. It was WAY WAY WAY overpriced.
(2)
Tiffany T.
No. I had dinner here before homecoming back in 05, with a rather large group. We had a reservation and they nicely put out name tags by couple. We were forced to have a fixed menu, which is somewhat understandable considering the size of our group, but I don't think most restaurants do that.. And even though our food was ordered ahead of time because of the fixed menu policy, it still took ridiculously long to get our food. The price you pay is not worth the food you get. I believe I got some kind of chicken, but I don't remember it to be anything higher than decent. Some of the other people in my group got some kind of salad, which was basically a nasty looking pile of greens with some maraschino cherries, or something like that. The only thing that seemed tasty was my friend's lamb shack, but poor guy wasn't able to eat it cause he had his braces tightened that day. :) We requested separate checks by couple ahead of time, which they agreed to over the phone, yet after we were finished eating, separate checks were refused. It was frustrating to figure out the bill (Thank goodness the women didn't have to worry about that)!
(1)
Gabriel B.
Good food, charming concept, fits well into the Pleasanton "homey" appeal. The staff were warm, friendly, and seemed genuinely eager to please. The food was decent and consistenly good. I have enjoyed it but wouldn't say it;s GREAT! I found it a bit pricey for the type of cuisine. The meatballs were surprisingly hearty and good The ambiance was great at lunch I don't know about dinner. Skip the Dublin one!
(3)
Dr L.
Poor service and ignored; so-so fish tacos and a bit pricy for what you get; portabello sand was tasty; A waste of time with so many other choices around...
(1)
Susan D.
Had a quick lunch here today around 2pm. The service was great, our wait staff very friendly. Both my friend and I were very hungry and each ordered a salad. She had a Caesar with chicken and I the Stacy's house salad (greens with Gorgonzola, cranberries and candied walnuts tossed with a light vinaigrette ) They brought our salads out in record speed ... which was nice since we were starved. The salads themselves were reasonably priced, though the menu's other items were a bit more moderate to pricey for lunch. But everything looked good. So since we only had salads and were there for a half hour Id say lunch was probably 3.5 ish. I'd probably try it again in the future.
(3)
Micah J.
The appetizers are the best. The presentation is also very good for everything on the menu. Listen to their specials, because they are usually better than the entrees on the menu. The wines are good, but the ones offered by the glass are average. So, if you have a group that loves wine and is willing to spend a bit, take a look at the wine list and get a few bottles.
(4)
Isabelle G.
Ok, but overpriced for what you get. Spinach salad good. Don't recommend rhe fish tacos. Bleh. Good service.
(2)
Carol G.
I went to Stacey's with four of my friends and two children for lunch today. We were seated outdoors after waiting a couple of minutes. The inside decor is modern and simple. Outside the chairs are plastic and the tables are covered in linen and then topped with butcher paper. This meant the 3 year old with us could color on the tabletop! The menu's sarcastic commentary reflects one of the owners, Scott Adams, who is also the creator of the comic strip Dilbert. Every dish is delectably described and then in italics are sarcastic comments along the lines of teaching the house how to make soup and using poke tuna because the other tuna was too fast. You can enjoy the wit of the lunch menu here: eatatstaceys.com/staceys… The prices are a bit high for lunch, however the ingredients were high quality and the dishes are wonderfully prepared. I ordered the Poke Tuna with a side of Truffle Parmesan Fries and another side of edamame. I also ordered the unsweetened mango iced tea. We were given a basket with fresh baked bread and a scoop of herbed butter on top. Unfortunately for my calorie-conscious friends, the butter had melted over all of the pieces of the bread. So make sure you ask for the butter on the side if you want to control the amount used. The bread was warm, soft and flavorful. The butter was not as herbaceous as it appeared, which disappointed me for the amount that had melted on my bread. Unknowning to me was how large the side of fries would be. After waiting a lengthy period of time (thank goodness for wonderful friends and fabulous conversation!) our dishes came out. The bowl of fries was the equivalent of all three other people's side of fries combined! The fries were delectable at first, but after the first few it was more of an overly oiled batch of fried potatoes. I would recommend enjoying a couple off of a friend's plate if your meal doesn't come with them instead of paying $7 for your giant bowl. The Poke Tuna was good. The chunks of raw tuna were a little large in contrast to the other finely diced vegetables. Additionally, the sauce almost overpowered the tuna and other ingredients natural flavors. Finally, the edamame was simply a bowl of shelled beans with no added seasonings. I am assuming these were meant to be tossed in a pasta dish but after ribbing from friends I had attempted to add a vegetable type dish to my meal. I would not order these again. After tax and tip, my meal was $37. This wasn't too much because my company was fabulous. However had I been eating along, this is about $15 more than I would be willing to pay for a meal of this quality with the slow (but friendly) service. I want to give it 4 stars for the concept and flavor, but the price and speed of service were frustrating. I think my fabulous friends are what made it a 4 star experience, not the restaurant itself.
(3)
Kayla Z.
After giving the Stacey's at Waterford 1.5 (ok 2) stars, you'd be surprised to see my 4 stars here. Aren't they run by the management? Obviously not. While our service here is sometimes a little slow, the food is fantastic and the decor is much nicer. It's lighter and brighter and doesn't feel like a skanky dungeon. Their BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato) sandwich is STUFFED with bacon! They don't skimp on their avocado either. The butter they serve with their house bread is absolutely to die for. I wanted to bathe in it. It is a little bit expensive for a lunch, but its nice every once in a while
(4)
Kel E.
I'm not sure what's with all the negative reviews about this place but I've been here many, many times over the past couple years and it's always been GREAT! The service is always great and the food and drinks are yummy! For those saying it's over priced may I remind you where you are at...downtown Pleasanton! You're paying for location too. Yes, many times for a party of three our bill is over a hundred dollars but that includes mas amounts of alcohol, dinner and desert. I have been sad the last few times I went in because they didn't have the fusili gorgonzola that I fell in love with but their mac n cheese is a good substitute.They have this killer garlic butter they serve with the bread and it is soooo good! And they have the BEST bread pudding...swear!!! I don't even like bread pudding and think it's rather gross. So, I don't know what Stacy's does but theirs is sooooo good!!!! I will not eat bread pudding from anywhere else. It comes to the table nice and warm with chocolate sauce drizzled on it and a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream....oh god....so good! I prefer the location in Pleasanton to the one in Dublin...I swear the food and drinks taste different and I think they are better at the Pleasanton location. I'm not typically a cosmo drinking kind of girl but this Stacy's has the BEST cosmo. Ask for some sugar on the rim and it's even better!!! I swear (I've done that a lot in this review) three of these and you'll need a cab home, well at least I did!
(4)
Corinna V.
I love this place. It's one of my FAVORITE places to eat. They have the best cobb salad I've ever had in my life. I can't even find another one that compares. Outside on the patio in the summer is the best.
(5)
Jennifer S.
Went here for a work lunch today, with 2 folks that were out-of-towners. We had a party of five (haha, like the show back in the 90's =) ) Anyway, I've been to this place before for lunch and dinner... and to the one in Dublin.. I must say the food, again, was phenomenal!!! I got Stacey's Mac & Cheese, w/ peas, tomatoes (already in it), and added edameme and chopped chicken.. and let me tell you, it was a bowl of colorful deliciousness!! It was so pretty!! =) ----and by me getting the edamame, it made me feel healthy haha ;-) Everyone else loved their food as well... Stacey's is priced well, a little pricey for lunch -- so don't go here if you're trying to save $$. And the service was decent.. not spectacular, but not bad.. The food was so good that it'll bring me back!! oh and p.s., there's a hilarious mural painted on the wall.. once you start picking it apart, the people in the painting are doing some weird random things =) (the kind of odd-funny that goes along with their menu!)
(4)
Alissa T.
I enjoyed my time here. I was here with a friend for a late lunch and there was hardly anyone here (around 3:30 PM on a weekday). We shared a BLT and a Steak Salad. BLT was so good, the fries was great too, they split it for us as well which was a very nice thing to do. The salad was tasty, drizzeled by too much dressing which tends to happen at restaurant, it was still tasty!
(4)
Scott S.
I'm not sure if it was a fluke but I ordered what was described in menu as shells with a creamy three cheese sauce. What I received, after about 10 minutes of waiting for the dish to cool off for me to even take a bite, was a bowl full of tiny, overcooked shells in a soup of grease. At first, I thought the grease would settle out, but, it only seemed to puddle more as the dish cooled. It was honestly one of the most of repulsive dishes I have ever been served at a restaurant. So bad I barely noticed the mediocre lemon drop and extremely slow service. The one star is merely for the bus boy who kept my soda filled and my dining companion's steak which was quite delicious. Such a shame since I won't be back.
(1)
Kisa Z.
My family and I had a nice breakfast here. We were just walking around downtown and my kids chose this restaurant. Probably because they saw you can sit outdoors. It was warm, so it was pleasant. However, when we walked in, they sat us outdoors in the side patio area. Not in the front facing Main Street. At first, I didn't like it because we were the only ones outside there. Then the crowd started coming. The service is nice. Our waitress didn't seem to know the menu very well though. The breakfast menu clearly states that all breakfast platters comes with fresh fruit and potatoes. But she said some didn't. We ordered anyhow, and it did come with both. The fresh fruit however, was no more than a small triangular slice of watermelon (with the top cut off or broken off) and one strawberry sliced up. The beverage price is way overpriced! The fresh orange juice was sour and cost $4.00. I should have sent it back. The ice tea was nothing fancy for $3.00. There is no children's menu, but they will be happy to split an order. But a scrambled egg will set you back $4.00 - it was a same portion size as well. The food was not terrible by any means. It just wasn't special either. I probably wouldn't come back. Afterwards, I saw many more restaurants with crowds. Probably should have kept walking before settling on this restaurant.
(3)
Jerry L.
Recently my husband took me here to celebrate a new job. It was like a repeat of the two prior visits years apart. Got seated soon. Took drink order. Bus person delivered bread and water. Waitress came soon to take order. WAITED FOR DINNER. OVER 1/2 HOUR with nobody checking on us. FINALLY got check after putting on sunglasses. HINT HINT We waited almost 25 minutes after plates picked up. I timed it. Never asked if we wanted dessert/coffee which we were going to. These are the same things that kept us away right after they opened and again about two years later. It seems that after all these years the problems would have been resolved if they really wanted them gone. This parton is gone for good.
(1)
Ailynne P.
We had company lunch at Stacey's it is a pretty nice restaurant... clean & wait service is pretty attentive... But what is funny is they run out of diet coke so they have to send somebody to buy one.... I have the mushroom carbonara. The food was great but would love to try the salmon... the presentation was really nice and makes your mouth water but didn't get a chance to order it... maybe next time.
(3)
Kurt B.
Recently I had some collegues in from out of town. They wanted to meet for dinner and I opted for what else...? Downtown Pleasanton. This resturant is perfect for when you want something kind of upscale but not afraid to go in wearing jeans. I'm a Risotto fan so I usually get the "Risotto of the Day" or the Chipotle Shrimp I think it's called. 4 of us went and everyone committed on how great a time it was. Those comments could be about....1) The Food 2) The Location 3) The atmosphere. I'm not sure any one thing jumps out at you as stellar but it is definately a great place to go.
(4)
rocio h.
Hm, where to start. I used to love this place. They had the most de-lish Butternut Squash Raviolis. But then they took them off the menu. Yup, found out when I was 5 months pregnant. I was not a happy lady. And ever since then I have not been impressed with their menu. They have also taken a steak that my husband used to love off of their menu. I now opt for random things when I need to go there. Notice the word "need." We get a huge discount through work so dining there is like eating for free...but still this restaurant has lost some of its lustre. Stacey, I beg you .... please bring back the Butternut Squash Ravioli! Then I promise to eat there more often.
(3)
Lucy D.
Stopped in on a whim Saturday afternoon. Had the soup and salad combo which the server recommended. It was excellent! Hubby had the Ahi Poke which was very very good. Wine is a little pricey by the glass but it did spoil the wine tasting later in the afternoon because the wine I had was very good (Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand). We'll definitely try this again although I hope the same couple will not be seated near us. Their inane conversation was the only detraction.
(4)
Kathy G.
My boyfriend took me to Stacey's for dinner this past weekend. I really liked the feel of the restaurant. They played 80 music the whole night and it brought us back to our high school days. We both had the rib eye steak. It was superb. I asked it to be cooked med-well and it was perfect. The meat was tender and juicy. The yukon mashed potatoes and asparagus just made the meal even better. I was stuffed after dinner that I didn't have room for dessert but they looked delicious.
(5)
Diana R.
I got taken her for my b-day by my bf. It was great! The cheesecake alone was 5 stars! The service was good. My only complaint would be that the tables are kinda close. We got seated next to a couple who wanted everyone to hear there conversation. I hate people who talk LOUD!..lol!
(5)
Brittney B.
I went to Stacey's last night for dinner. I had heard good things about it from a friend. I think she had been a few times for lunch or brunch. I have no problem paying for a nice dinner, but this was ridiculously over priced. The cheapest thing on the menu is a side caeser salad for $9.95. The chicken cobb salad, which was nothing fancy or even a large portion, was $17.95. $9.95 for a bowl of soup and $28 for pancetta wrapped chicken?? I would call the dining room a cafe, nothing fancy so I cant even say the ambiance was great. I felt like I was ordering over priced room service.
(2)
Snoopy D.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Pleasanton. Food and sandwiches here are great. Dining environment is very pleasant and nice. Service is good. Only complaint here was I lost my credit card here and the waiters/waitresses weren't very helpful.
(4)
Charlotte L.
I used to love Stacey's but my last 2-3 experiences there really changed my mind. The service was really poor. We barely saw our waitress. I order a drink that never came. I think between the time we arrived and the time we got our food we waited at least 40 min. I was facing the kitchen so I saw our plates ready on the counter. It took 15-20 min for the waitress to bring our food. In the meantime we stuffed ourself with 2 baskets of bread and butter. Surprisingly when the food came (after sitting on the counter for so long) it was extremely hot. But not hot like it was coming out of the stove; it was hot like it was coming out of a microwave or stayed under a heating lamp for a LONG time. Anyway, bottom line is that the food was almost tasteless because my tongue was burnt. The nicest person there was the guy who brought us bread and water all along (because really that was the only food and drink we got for our lunch!). We tipped the waitress 10% because I always have a hard time to tip $0, but really she should have gotten anything. So if you look for a restaurant on main street ... keep searching Yelp; there are plenty of others good restaurants worth your $.
(2)
Sherri C.
Went to Stacey's for lunch Sunday afternoon, there were three of us. All the food was delicious. My father had the fish tacos, my son had the salmon sandwich and I had the spinach salad. All three were very good. The fish was not overcooked on either dish and the spinach salad was a healthy portion. The ambience is great, good location downtown. We sat indoors as there was a wait for outside seating, but that was understandable considering the time of day and the excellent weather. I gave it only four stars as the service was a little slow. I saw our meal sit outside the cooking station for at least 5 minutes before our server picked it up. And we had to go find our server to ask for the check. So disappointed in service, but the food was very good.
(4)
Brian B.
Nice wine list and friendly vibe. The food is well-prepared. Stacy's claim to fame is that she used to date the Dilbert dude. I don't know what that has to do with the restaurant biz but it works here. 10/12/06: Went for dinner. Very tasty. Had a chicken rotini pasta thing that was good but another in our party had some fantastic looking ahi. Enough ahi that he was the west coast distributor of ahi. Huge portion. Decent wine list but the prices didn't make a lot of sense. Liberty School cab that I get at costco for $10 was $31 and BV Tapestry that runs $40 a bottle at Safeway was $60. The cab seemed a little overpriced and the Tapestry a relative bargain. Shop carefully. I liked that they had Boa Ventura, a small but great Livermore winery on the wine list. Adding Bodegas Aguirre would be cool if Stacy is a yelper. Our server was fantastic. Great personality always there when needed and not when not. She was just delightful. Great bread pudding dessert. Oh, had a drink at the bar before my party arrived. Bartender was a good guy. Easy on the nerves and can carry his end of a hockey conversation. Why is this place so good and the Stacy's at Waterford so uneven?
(4)
Vesta m.
My husband's lunch was so bad he sent it back. The fish was stringy and dry--no one could eat that garbage! We were still charged for it! I would never go back due to their lousy customer service.
(1)
Deana H.
I live in Pleasanton and this is by far my favorite restaurant and where I take any out of towners. First there's the menu, which is definately worth reading. Second, the staff is really friendly. Not pretentious and really accomadating. Third, the atmosphere is great. Last time I went, they were playing 80's alternative music... ah... flashbacks. :-) Last, but certainly not least is the food. My favorites, in order: House salad with seared Ahi Tuna (Rare) Gargonzola Filet Mignon (Rare/Medium Rare) BBQ Boneless Ribs .... the Hot Chocolate is also good, the desserts are nothing super special but the Creme Brulee is quite good.
(5)
Erez K.
Excellent food (though on the heavy side). Fantastic service. One of the best restaurants in Pleasanton, if not the best. Considering the quality the of food, the prices are very reasonable if not too low for what you are getting!
(4)
Jasmine D.
Stacey's has a nice interior dining room. It's simple without being boring and keeps the focus on the food, which is nice. But the outdoor seating is preferable if weather permits. I'd say they have equal parts indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating feels just as nice as the indoor due to the white linen and paper covered tables and you get to enjoy the sunshine. Like everyone else said, make sure to check out the funny menu. The descriptions of the food are pretty witty, but did the food live up to the memorable menu? I don't think so. Everyone I was with got excited about the Parmesan truffle fries which are an extra $2 if you get them instead of regular fries. If you get them as a side they are $7! I eagerly ordered them with my Applewood Smoked BLT. Service was a little slow, but at least there was fresh baked bread on the table to pass the time. The bread was very good, nice crust, hot fluffy insides, and served with an herb butter. The butter looked flavorful, but tasted like regular plain butter. My sandwich was decent, The bacon was thick and super crispy, like I like it, but there wasn't much lettuce on it and the tomato was pretty sparse as well. Without the right ratio of L&T, the sandwich was too heavy tasting. Oh and those fancy fries? Like the herb butter, nothing to write home about. Save your $2. My 3 yr old had the Shells n Cheese which came out molten lava hot. Why haven't restaurants figured out that Kids' Menu items should not be served so freakin' hot?? But I think I figured out why. As soon as the cheese wasn't burn your mouth instantly hot, it separated into a super oily mess. It was seriously too oily. Like for a one cup serving of shells n cheese, at least 1/4 cup of it was pure oil. Ew. Portions were decent enough that combined with the bread we ate while waiting for our food, we were too stuffed to even think about dessert. So I can't comment on them, but they looked tasty on the display tray near the maitre d's stand. I enjoyed my lunch at Stacey's, but in hind sight, I think it had more to do with the company I was with rather than the food and experience.
(3)
Claudia A.
Loved it! great food and service. I also had an amazing glass of wine there- a red blend, one of "stacey's picks". very cute restaurant-- we really enjoyed having dinner there and will definitely come bacj.
(4)
Alisa B.
I always want to like Stacey's. I love the menu. The copywriter is great. But the food? Ok, average, nothing-to-write-home-about food with a special event price tag. Is the food bad? No. It's just not *that* good. Case in point: last Friday I went for lunch with a friend who I haven't seen in ages, so we decided to splurge and go someplace nice. And let me state upfront that on occasion, I'm definitely willing to splurge for a good meal and good atmosphere, but you have to deliver on both. I got a "grilled veggie sandwich" which consisted of a small ciabatta roll with some pesto, spinach that wilted under the provolone when it went into the broiler, and "roasted tomatoes" which were the approximate size of two cherries. For my side, the waitress talked me into their "legendary truffle parmesan fries" instead of a salad, which I wasn't thrilled with because I'm not a huge fan of truffle oil (and told her so), but she told me that I'd love them. They tasted like regular old french fries, so I don't know what was so special... until we got the bill. $2 extra for the "truffle" treatment. Are they kidding me? So it was a $12 sandwich, $2 for the flavorless truffle oil and a whopping $3 for an iced tea. $17 before tax and tip. You can do better downtown for the price. You can do better almost anywhere for the price.
(2)
J P.
The food was excellent! We ordered just appetizers (an order of fried calamari & an order of the beef Thai salad) and both were very tasty and quite spicy. Sourdough bread with herbed butter was a nice touch. The appetizers were perfect for a light dinner/snack. Good attentive service. Enjoyed a glass of Heifeweizen beer after a hot but enjoyable day at the Alameda County Fair. (Had it been not so hot, we would have enjoyed sitting outside on the restaurant patio on Main Street). Menu is pricey but what we had was definitely worth it. Recommend.
(5)
Mike H.
Location is ideal. Located right in downtown Pleasanton. Parking is probably tight on busy nights but not during the week. Ambience and decor were nice with seating inside and out. Service was very good. Our waitress was very pleasant and took drink orders immediately. The waiting staff was quick and attentive with bread and water. The food was excellent, both the risotto of the day and the crusted halibut. The wine menu was extensive and the beer selection was good. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. The menu is on the pricey side $$$.
(4)
Bill T.
Four big reasons to like this place. 1) It's in the heart of downtown Pleasanton. 2) It's got one of the better small bars (6 seats) in town. 3) The food is healthy, un-pretentious, simple & tasty. 4) Service is always friendly (Collette, ROCKS!! especially when she's bartending), fun, helpful & accommodating especially when you are a pain-in-the-ass who just wants a simple off the menu pasta dish. (ok, so I was just getting over a nasty cold & needed some comfort pasta, so sue me.) Great patio seating & people watching & the Dilbert inspired humor do make it a nice refreshing change to the typical dining experience & yes, Stacey is kinda hot too.
(4)
Michael B.
I have been going to Stacey's for the past 3 years, mostly for multi course $250+ dinners for 3-4 people, and consistently I have had the same impressions: (i) decent wine list with average prices; (ii) inconsistent service; and (iii) the menu is an odd hodgepodge of items that don't necessarily belong on the same menu, but have solidified two themes: (a) they have witty comments on each item written by the Dilbert cartoonist and (b) the prices continue to rise, now to the point of way overpriced for what you get. Today's lunch was a perfect example, and the last time I will eat there. My wife and I wentat 12:15, not overly busy, but humming along. We ordered a Cobb Salad, an iced tea and a grilled portabella sandwich with side salad. After over an hour of waiting, the waiter came out to say that the kitchen had lost the ticket so our meals hadn't been made yet, but instead of hurry back after retaking our order, he stopped at multiple tables to check on them, clear plates, etc. Then, rather than telling the kitchen to bump our order to the top, we watched as 4 tables arriving more than 30 minutes after us were all served food over the next half hour. Our food eventually arrived, and while the ingredients are always nice quaility and everything tasted decent, the 17.95 Cobb Salad was 6 pieces of thinly sliced chicken, a half of an avocado, one hard boiled egg cut apart, crumbled cheese and bacon and a cup of romaine. The salad could easily have been a side salad portion. The portbello was fine. Bill came to $39.00. The waiter said he had forgotten the discount for the food being so late, stopped at 3 tables on the way back to the register, and came back out 5 minutes later to ask if we needed change (having never brought the revised bill). We reminded him of the discount, at which point he checked on the other tables on his way to the register, and came back with a $34 bill another 5 minutes later. Total time at lunch was 2 hours 15 minutes from sitting down to leaving, with 1:45 spent waiting, 15 minutes eating and 15 minutes wiating for a bill and to pay. A notification in the window stated that there was a pending change of ownership. Sorry, Dilbert, this was our last time; having been stung too bad.
(2)
Cheryl P.
The co-owner of this restaurant is the Dilbert cartoonist. Walking in, you see the array of Dilbert & Dogbert dolls. The menu has funny little comments following each plate description. If you're looking for a unique place to take someone, this would be it. The interior is like that of any other resto but the theme is what makes it so fun. Our waitress was very attentive, funny and just friendly overall! We started off with the Ahi Tuna - spicy and fresh. Yum-o. I was drawn to the shells & cheese. There's nothing like good comfort food on a cold, rainy day! Our waitress did not steer me wrong! It was delicious - took me back to my grade school days :) For dessert, crème brulee - a little bit too sweet for my taste. It's one of those places that you should try once. There are many other good restos out there to frequent.
(3)
Vicki L.
Though it is slightly overpriced, it's a reliable place for lunch. Good portions, everyone usually likes whatever they order (pasta, sandwich, fish). Waitstaff is nice. Sit outside or inside. It works.
(4)
Zach D.
Good food and good service. The filet mignon is served with a gorgonzola butter sauce which I love. The appetizer of fondue is served with bread, apples and broccoli. They desperately need to axe the broccoli. No one wants to eat broccoli with cheese fondue. The scallop potatoes are great, and a perfect addition to any meat dish! Dining room is nice, but not particularly unique or fancy. Stacey's is good but not great.
(4)
Kristin G.
The menu is hilarious - check it out on their website: staceyscafe.com/index.htm . Good California fresh cuisine with lots of delicious veggies. The dining room is very loud, so I've always eaten on the patio. It's perfect for a summer afternoon lunch and I think they have heaters for the evening. In the heart of downtown, it's perfect for a stroll down Main Street after eating.
(5)
Daphne T.
5 stars just for the truffle fries. So good that I'm still thinking about them even though it's been a month since I've been there.
(5)
JayJay L.
The decor is bright and nice. I went with a big group and the service was pretty good. I really like their salads and it is always fun to read their menu for the comedy.
(4)
Gennie G.
Friendly staff, and delicious mac n' cheese. Call me crazy but no matter what age you're at you can enjoy that meal. In front can get pretty packed so I highly suggest parking in back behind it.
(4)
Karebear R.
New ownership in Pleasanton this year. We LOVE to come in for the tomato bisque, antipasti platter (AMAZING!) and white wine. Lunch is the chicken sandwich with a salad, also fabulous! Their fresh bread with garlic butter is a perfect compliment to the antipasti platter. Staff is really nice and the food is served with fabulous efficiency. After work hours are perfect to people watch, especially when there are downtown events. My bf loves their dirty martinis. I highly recommend this restaurant! Make sure to read the entire menu as the listings are followed with amusing commentary.
(4)
Will G.
Food is quite good and the menu is hilarious. Nice decor and service too. However, not much selection and a bit overpriced considering the quality. Ordered bbq boneless beef short ribs and crab crusted mahi mahi fillet, but they ran out of mahi mahi and replace it with halibut. The bread is quite yummy, with garlic butter in the middle. The desserts are hit and miss. I like the creme brulee, but the chocolate bread pudding is not that great.
(3)
NoCal S.
Food has always been very good. Blackened salmon sandwich is great! Salads are well dressed and loaded. Presentation of the pre-meal bread was weak, in a stainless bowl along with a giant glob of butter that was melting already into the bread. Tacky. BUT, the garlic butter was quite good. I'm not sure about its merit as a dinner spot, but for lunch it is perfect for a nice weekend break or weekday treat.
(4)
Jeanne D.
Stacey's was recommended to me as a great place for a group to have lunch. I called and made a reservation for 8 ladies on Jan 8. I told them that we were retired ex-co-workers (noisy) getting together for a reunion lunch. Obviously they took that into consideration and gave us a nice table in a back corner of the restaurant that was a little more private. We arrived on time and were all seated immediately. Our waitress Christina appeared right away with menus and took our dring orders. The menu has a nice selection of starters, and entrees . Our group ordered the tomato bisque and various salads. The bartender came in and took orders for bar drinks and delivered some wonderful warm sour dough bread with a garlic flavored butter ah...h devine we demolished 4 of the small loaves before we ordered our entrees.The bisque and salads were a big hit nothing left but empty bowls and plates.The entrees consisted of the two lunch specials a salmon dish and a shrimp dish with a red curry sauce and pineapple both were described as awesome. The sandwiches look delicious and appetizing I, the special guest had the fish tacos they were good with a little more chipotle sauce and cilantro they would have been outstanding nevertheless it was a good choice and I enjoyed it. Several of us had desserts and still no complaints only empty plates. The timing and delivery of the various course was very good. Christina and the bartender did an outstanding job and even took pictures for our group.Before going I had read many of the reviews and didn't know what to expect. I am so glad we chose to go there and I would like to suggest you try it for yourself and then decide. It is a little pricey ($43.00ea incd grat.) but the atmosphere, the service, and the quality of the food was well worth it. The ladies in the group definitely plan to go back and they will not wait for me to return before thay go. Overall it was a fantastic day and I had a great time. Thanks Christina!
(4)
Jackie W.
Love this place! We have had great service every time we come here! The menu is hilarious! I brought my mom here and it took us 30 minutes to order because she was laughing so hard she was crying when reading the menu. The sanwiches are the best here. The california chicken with avocado or BLT with avocado . . . mmmmm. The soups are fantastic. The seafood chowder and the Tomato bisque are to die for. Like a previous person said the hot bread and melty garlic butter is great. Makes my mouth water as I write!
(5)
Julia H.
I have eaten at Staceys 3 times and it has been pretty good love the bread but I went to try out the 'Happy Hour' and I was disappointed with the food offered. The wine selection was fine but I had the calamari and it was sooooooo bad. Very very crunchy and what was funny is that I handed this unfinished plate to the bartender and he just didn't get it how overdone it was. I should have got the french fries with cheese sauce(the other option)!
(3)
David H.
My family ate at Stacey's this past Saturday evening. We were a party of seven and the food and service were top notch. The only reason it's a four and not a five is that one of the meals was about five minutes later than the others. However, they put a discount on the bill without us even asking or complaining. Also, they gave us two free desserts. I had the Guinness marinated rib eye steak, with sauteed mushrooms. The steak was cooked just right and had some of the best mashed potatoes ever. Others had the Jambalaya, the short ribs, the salmon, chipotle prawns, and a filet. Everyone thought their meals were great. All were presented beautifully, and everything was cooked perfectly. We ordered the 2004 Hess Cabernet, which was listed in the wine list as "Stacey's Pick" and it was excellent. Desserts: Cheesecake was great - not too sweet and you could really taste the cheese. The brownies are served warm as brownies should be, and topped with a delicious vanilla ice cream. The apple crisp was just O.K., not as crispy as the name implies. The creme brulee was excellent. I live in Fremont, which is a hopeless wasteland of good upscale food (Papillion: NEVER go there), so this was a very nice treat. Downtown Pleasanton is a lovely place, and on a warm evening (they have patio seating) it was just perfect. Public parking just steps away makes it even better. Make sure to read the menu carefully - especially the Fine Print. Scott Adams (Dilbert) is one of the owners and the menu is really funny. We took our infant there (he's very quiet) but I would not recommend doing the same. I dislike crying babies as much as the next guy and if our boy had been fussy it would have hurt the ambience. Price is moderate to high. Expect to spend $50 to $65 per person with wine and desserts. Bottom line: great food, very nice atmosphere, excellent service.
(4)
Michelle M.
I had a really bad experience at this Stacey's. I took my eight year old daughter there for a mother/daughter lunch and was shocked at the horrible service and then my daughter actually found a hair in her food. Disgusting! We waited forever for our order, they got it wrong the first time and then of course we didn't eat it because of the hair issue. There were two other groups of people sitting on the patio with us and they were just as unhappy with the poor and slow service as we were. To top it off, when I pointed out the hair in the food and told them that we woldn't be finishing our food, they had the nerve to offer to credit my daughter's meal only. No way! The manager re-thought this offer after I shared my feelings with him about it and credited the entire meal. I shouldn't have had to shame him in front of other patrons to get him to do the right thing. I love downtown Pleasanton, but Stacey's is one place you'll never find me. No thanks!
(1)
Jaime R.
I went here on Sunday afternoon. The place was quiet, not a lot of people which seemed odd to me on a Sunday. But I gave it a try. The fresh warm bread with garlic butter plopped in the middle of the loaf was so perfect on a chilly day. I had the Free Range Chicken Breast Sandwich with thick cut Apple-wood Smoked Bacon, avocado, tomato, and cheddar cheese. Yummy!!! It was so good. It also, comes with chipotle aioli, but I'm not a fan of Mayo, so I skipped it. The Waitress was really slow, but so quick to leave after I ordered I couldn't ask her suggestion for a supplement for the aoili. Anyway, it came dry, and it was still very good. It comes with fries or a house salad. I chose the salad and the house dressing was really good. The salad had green leafy lettuce, candied nuts, and cranberries. It was a bit pricey, but I'd go back. I'd especially recommend this to someone who prefers to eat organic. Don't sit down here if you are in a rush. It took over 15 minutes after we ordered our drinks for our waitress to bring them to us and take our lunch order. And as I mentioned before there were only 2 other tables...they were not busy. I think this place tries to be more upscale than it really is. Take a look at the wine list. You can usually tell a lot about a place by that. I wasn't impressed, but hey...maybe Stacey isn't a wino! (She should be, I 'd probably hurry back)
(4)
Kat B.
Great atmosphere and the best wine glasses in town (yes that counts!). The food is good but not great. Services it usually friendly.
(4)
Mike L.
I really like this place because of the atmosphere and the food. Everything I've ordered from here tasted great, and the service was awesome. The restaurant has a nice layout to it, and decently priced food (not cheap but not unreasonable). The bread there is delicious as well, especially if you ask for one of those roasted garlic cloves.
(4)
Bubba J.
Good food, great drinks, great staff and always good to see an owner working in their business. Would definately recommend and will be back...often.
(4)
Allisson K.
Nice place to dine with the kids if you want to venture away from the chain restaurants for a change. The food is great...lots of interesting jokes on the menu...and great staff too. Overall a very pleasant experience.
(4)
Tiffany T.
Clever menu, with good food, the Dilbert cartoonist is a partial owner. I have eaten there a couple of times with mixed results. I really enjoyed their spicy jambalaya, but wish it had more seafood. And my husband liked the way they prepared the green beans with his beef dish. He wasn't to thrilled with the beef (too well done) and I don't recall if it was a pot roast or steak. The service can be iffy; I think the location in Dublin has better service and more consistent food. I know that the Dublin location can also handle group events. I had the salmon at the Dublin location, which was moist and flavorful, and their appetizers are worthwhile. The Pleasanton restaurant is cozy, with rich burgundy and wood colors. They have a mural on wall that's across from a cocktail party and fellow diners in conversation. It's a sophisticated, upscale place; it's pricey and a little stiff for my taste. I took my mother and grandmother there for Mother's day and they both really enjoyed their meal, they had mixed green salads that were very fresh with a zesty dressing and some sort of chicken entre with a golden chicken reduction which was also very palatable. They gave both my mother and grandmother each a very pretty flower in celebration of Mother's day which was a pleasant end to a good meal. Nice place, but they could be better.
(3)
Dani N.
That outdoor seating for this restaurant is A+ and on downtown Main St in Downtown Pleasanton it is quite a nice stop outside of the norm especially on beautiful days. The food is always on point and always very good. I recently went there a few Sunday's ago and it was too crowded for the amount of service they had. Which made our experience definitely lack. I had the california chicken sandwhich with tomato bisque and again, it was so good but my soup was all over the plate and running down the cup which seems small but refutes the $12 price. I love the restaurant and the food but the prices are definitely too high for majority of the food served.
(4)
Melinda G.
The food here is California cuisine. Stacey's takes some Asian, Mexican, and French food influences and makes it with organic ingredients. This is one of the only places that we can bring our vegan friends to eat. I like this restaurant because its atmosphere is akin to a busy New York eatery. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the ingredients. The wine list is pretty impressive including terrific champagnes, tequilas, and even a very tasty Caymus vintage. I especially love the diversity of the food given that Pleasanton is infamous for having too many Italian restaurants. Much of the staff has been there for years and that says a lot about the owners. The staff is always friendly including Stacey herself who, albeit a little shy, is very service oriented and willing to go the extra mile to keep her customers happy. I have also been disappointed by some my favorites disappearing from the menu (the pancetta wrapped chicken disappeared for a a while but is back!) but I have found that this makes me more adventurous in ordering. But for the chicken disappearing for a period of time, I would never have tried the Chipotle prawns. I understand that it important to change the menu because I eat at restaurants a lot and it would be boring if the menu was not constantly changing. With that said, I love the new bread, artichoke dip, the Chipotle prawns! Well done, Staceys!
(5)
Bill B.
Good food and good service. I like the nice, bright but casual environment--seems to fit Pleasanton's pace.
(4)
melanie b.
My boyfriend and I went here for lunch, we split a beef thai salad, which we both though was tasty, and we each got a sandwich,i got the fries with truffle and parmisan, it was all pretty good! more than i would usually spend on lunch, but I was expecting that, they are an upscale nice place!
(4)
Rupert Y.
Fun, good food, nice ambiance for romantic dinner.
(4)
Tin-Tin M.
the first thing they brought out was a mini-loaf of hot fresh baked fluffy bread with a huge dollop of garlicky buttery spread. everything i had here was very tasty and very fresh. i had the free range chicken breast sandwich with avocado, thick cut applewood smoked bacon (they smoke it themselves?!), cheddar cheese and chipotle aioli on grilled bread. i chose fries as a side. they were good, but they that tasted a lot like in-n-out's french fries (I like McDonald's style french fries more). I would definitely go back here to sample the rest of the menu. I wish they had a Stacey's in San Jose.
(5)
Natalie L.
I LOVE THE jambalaya! and teh Macaroni and Cheese! the two best dishes...
(5)
Cathy W.
We have been going to Stacey's Cafe since it opened, and for the life of me, I don't know why. The food is mediocre, at best, and the prices are really outrageous. $23.99 for Pasta Carbonara? That's not even San Francisco prices - it's just ridiculous. Like another reviewer, I want to like Stacey's - it is in a great location, the decor and atmosphere are fun and lively, and Lord knows Pleasanton needs a good, hip anchor restaurant. But, I'm afraid we have wasted our money here for the last time. It's not hard to serve good food at reasonable prices and still make a profit. Stacey's just hasn't figured it out.
(1)
Betty W.
Stacey's has lost chefs as often as you change your underwear..well at least as often as you should change your underwear. The service is not all that great. the food is good depending on what you order and what chef she is on that day. The lady is whacked and there are only 2 reasons she has a restaurant...and they are in her shirt!! ;-)
(1)
Critic I.
i always had a perfect dinner at this restaurant! i brought here the girl that i was dating and she loved it as well. price is fairly descent for the ambiance and all that. its a nice place!
(5)
brian m.
Nice environment, plates are a little above average price wise, but still good.
(4)
Cheryl J.
I love this place!! Been there twice in the past 6 months. Both times it was a wonderful experience! Food was great and the wait staff were very attentive!! Getting ready to go there today for breakfast! Love love love the eggs Benedict!
(5)
Yvonne H.
I love Stacy's BLT!! You will not find one better! I get the same thing every time! Allison is very nice and is a great server!
(5)
Vol T.
The wait at Nonnie's was longish so decided to come here. The food is average. I ordered pastrami with rye but it came in wheat bread. The pastrami was just so-so. Meh.
(2)
Wing L.
Came here for a business lunch on a weekday. We had reservations, but the place wasn't that full so there wouldn't have been a long wait anyways. I ordered the Ahi Tuna Sandwich and it was okay. It's served with ciabatta bread, so it was pretty good. I love ahi and eat it all the time for sushi, etc. The sandwich was cut in half. I enjoyed the first half of it (probably because I was really hungry), but the second half of the sandwich had a really fishy taste to it. I didn't finish it. The house salad that I ordered to come with my meal was tasty though! You have a choice of house or caesar salad. Last time I came here, I had the mac & cheese. It was okay - it was super cheesy and didn't have much to offer. The menu made it sound really good though. I finished half of it and took the other half home. I recooked the leftovers I took home with some bacon for a little more kick. Parking: There's a lot behind the place for parking or you can find street parking.
(3)
Ann S.
This is what I have to say about Stacey's: great outdoor patio area, superb service and the best tomato bisque known to man! My order: 1/2 bacon lettuce tomato sandwich with avocado and a cup of tomato bisque, with a good friend, heaven!!!
(5)
Tom T.
Friendly staff, tasty apps, good wine list. The new owner is very nice. Prices are decent. Nice atmosphere. I will be back for dinner!
Really great experience--mimosas are lovely and the patio is dog-friendly. Service was very attentive and food was solid. Definitely worth a repeat visit.
(4)
Dara E.
I usually am quite happy with my food when I eat here. Yesterday I ordered a Cobb Salad. It was smaller than usual and it did not have any grilled chicken in it. When I questioned the waitress on the matter she said that there Cobb salads don't come with chicken. When I looked in the menu it clearly states there is grilled chicken. The waitstaff and chef really need to know what goes in a Cobb salad. Very unsatisfied.
(2)
Tung T.
Meh. I know giving this place 2 stars is sort of on the lower end; but honestly, it's way overpriced for the service and cookery that one would be getting. First off, I didn't pay for this meal. But that doesn't mean I can't talk about how ripped off this place is. I understand it's in downtown Pleasanton and good for the owners for being knowledgeable about their demographics and geographic location. But my goodness, I can go to Texas Roadhouse and get a bigger, juicier, and better cooked steak for 1/3 of the price! In addition to the free bread being better than Stacy's. The service wasn't bad, nor spectacular. Whatever, I can deal with it. Don't know if it's the way I was raised up or not, but good food over service any day. I rather get a lackluster service than a terrible meal any day of the lunar calendar. We started out with the crab cakes, cold cut plate, fried calamari, and spinach dip. All of which was meh. Here's why: Crab Cakes: claw meat only and nowhere could you taste the crabs. Cold cut plate: not enough cold cuts and the flow of it just didn't make sense at all. Fried Calamari: eh not bad, but would I order it again? No. En Espanol, no. Spinach Dip: By far the worse. Your local grocery store probably has better. Now on to the entree which I mentioned earlier. Steak was overcooked and overpriced (word of the day). I asked for a medium, but it was a perfect well done. My colleague also had the same cook on her filet, it was a perfect gray in the middle. The mashed potatoes was good, but i don't think I can spend 35+ on good mash. Nor did I want anyone paying that price for me. Regardless, the wine was good but since I didn't pay I didn't look at the price. Best that I didn't. I don't want to leave on a negative note or sound like a jack ass. This restaurant has a lot of potential. Nice location, nice owner, and a very relaxing decor. What it needs is just a few tweaks here and there. Take a look back at your menu. Have them prepared again by your cooking staff. Everything needs to be up to your standards and stay there. Consistency is important. And take down your prices a few bucks. Remove items that shouldn't be on the menu. I don't think spinach dip should be anywhere on this menu.
(2)
Norcal G.
Ugh. Thought I'd take a visitor here for a nice, downtown Pleasanton experience. Seated on the sidewalk which was lovely. However, the service was lousy and the food was worse, especially for the incredibly jacked-up prices. Fast forward a couple of years. Thought we'd give it another shot for Mother's Day. What a mistake. The elderly couple in front of us at the host stand was treated rudely by the staff who was confused about their reservation. Did not bode well. We were seated outside on the patio. Staff seemed to have no clue that it was Mother's Day. There were no specials, drinks, etc. They didn't even mention it. Food was still crappy and overpriced. Will never, ever be back.
(1)
Chris R.
Great food, incredible service! Diamond in downtown pleasanton. The owner waited on us for lunch and split the entrees for myself and my daughter. His service was impeccable, as was the food. Great outdoor seating is a quaint, wonderful atmosphere to go with the food.
(5)
Yvonne B.
I gave this restaurant four tries and all I can give is 2 stars. Main reasons for such poor rating: 1. Very slow service 2. Terrible customer service from manager 3. Flavorless food 4. Overpriced on every item on the menu The food servers are ok, but not apologetic enough for the slow turnout of food from the kitchen. It's simply not worth coming here for lunch or diner. Too many other restaurants offer better atmosphere, tastier food and quicker service.
(2)
Shannon M.
I've been to Stacey's several times over the last several years and have always considered it a go-to place for a nice Saturday evening dinner date in downtown Pleasanton. However, when I went there this past weekend, I was thoroughly disappointed with the food and the service was just average. While my husband and I were there, we were the ONLY 2 people on the inside of the restaurant for our entire stay (7 p.m. reservations) - once a large prom group left. There were maybe 3 other couples who were on the patio - that was it. We thought that perhaps all of Pleasanton was slow that evening (we later determined that that was not the case - as we drove down Main St. we noticed most restaurants were more than 50% full - they must have known something we didn't?), but we are now convinced that the Stacey's experience just isn't what it used to be. The lobster bisque (soup of the day): lukewarm, not hot; taste was not great; no chunks of lobster - completely pureed and gritty, not smooth It took a very long time to receive my "before-dinner" drink...not sure why since there was NO ONE in the restaurant! This actually prevented me from ordering a second drink with dinner. Risotto of the day: seemed overly salty and too many ingredients - not sure that tomatoes belong in risotto. Mahi Mahi w/crab cake: not seasoned enough; just okay Bread pudding: this used to be my FAVORITE dessert at Stacey's...during this visit, it was very rubbery, and clearly had been leftover for a while - it was likely just warmed up in the microwave Not sure what has changed, but Stacey's is no longer a go-to for us. Pretty disappointing.
(1)
ken P.
We went there during the antique fair last weekend. We skipped it weeks ago after seeing the prices, but were tired and needed some shade. Glad we did...yes, the prices are on the high side, but our food and service were great. i'd rather pay more and give a review like this than to spend 5 bucks and bitch about it. My wife and daughter had hamburgers, they were large and have several options for them (For a cost of course) they loved them . I had the Jambalaya...very tasty. Our waitress was very attentive...we will definitely return.
(4)
Jacob H.
Great service! Pretty high quality food. Very nice to eat outside on a warm evening with the ambiance of an old fashioned Main Street.
(4)
Maria J.
Jeliabeth has it right. I ordered the pastrami with the same results. And shredded lettuce!! Really now, $15? I've been to the restaurant a few times over the years and it's really gone downhill. Service was terrible, I saw my food ready to be delivered and watched as my server kept passing it up to do other things. Very dirty, too. A thick layer of dust on the lamps and old food on the floor, yuck. I won't go back and wouldn't dare recommend. Eater be ware.
(1)
Simon L.
I wouldnt have given this place a star if no-star was an option. The food was aweful!!!. Overcooked ripeye that looked like medium well when it was supposed to be medium rare. when complained, the owner/chef shrugged it off, "I wish you'd told me earlier" My wife's dish was so salty that she couldnt' finish 1/3 of it. The worst part inconsistancy. My wife had called just hours earlier to confirm that they would accept gift card from another closed stacey's location. But by the time the bill came they declined to accept gift card and said that they never accepted gift card since the restaurant had changed ownership. Crappy food mixed with ignorant management and terrible customer service was the house special for Stacey's
(1)
Katherine F.
I was not imppressed with this location based on price for what one received, not bad, just simply over rated. I like Stacy's at Waterford better.
(3)
Alicia S.
I am a total fan. We love this place and eat here about once a week. Wonderful yummy bread with butter when you sit down. drinks are good. Their staff is always SUPER nice. You have to try the shells and cheese. I would recommend to eat here for sure and this is one of our top 3 places in downtown Pleasanton to eat at.
(4)
Erica S.
My fiance and I decided to try this place for dinner as their menu included various types of food such as pasta, jambalaya, fish, meat, etc. Unfortunately, you can't make reservations on Open Table so I called in for one. For appetizer, we tried their dungeness crab cakes. It came with two huge crab cakes with watercress salad and some spicy roasted pepper sauce. The sauce was pretty tasty. The crab cakes were nice and light. Their foccacia bread with herb butter was really good that I couldn't stop eating it while I waited for my entree. For dinner, I had their daily special which was grilled swordfish with spaghetti squash topped with dungeness crab meat and red wine braised potatoes. The fish was cooked well and the spaghetti squash was interesting. I didn't care for the red wine braised potatoes. The wine had really sunk into the potatoes that I was able to taste the wine more than the potatoes. While I was eating my dinner, the owner came up to me to ask how the daily special was so I gave him my opinions and he informed the chef. Nice to know that they do ask for customer opinions on the daily specials. My fiance had the Pancetta Wrapped Chicken which came with angel hair pasta. It tasted very healthy as it came with lots of veggies in a lemon caper and butter sauce. The portions were pretty big that we had leftovers. Overall, the food was good and it seemed to be a popular place for the locals. Also, they accept the Passport card which was nice.
(4)
Nicki B.
This is my favorite restaurant in Pleasanton. It has a little of everything on the menu and I have never had anything that wasn't perfect. Depending on what you order it can be a little pricey especially for lunch. I love the outdoor area and the inside is really charming. I can think of nothing bad to say about this restaurant. Try it out you won't be sorry.
(5)
Rick S.
Just finished our New Year's Eve Dinner at Stacey's. It was our second time there since the ownership change. I have to say, the first experience was very great (approximately a year ago). I know, sometimes memories and first time impressions are hard to replicate, but here is the scoop. We sat at the bar, ordered two glasses of house zins. Abe, the owner, was working the bar and shortly after we ordered, we had the bar all to ourselves. It was no big deal that Abe was fairly distracted the entire time since we were just looking for a good restaurant to have a few glasses of wine, have dinner and walk home. The pours were substantially smaller (pretty much smaller than anywhere I have ever been). The second indication that it may not be like last time was after a couple of sips, Abe asked us if we were ready to order. We obliged and ordered the scallop appetizer, which was pretty good. We then asked Abe what is really standing out, he mentioned everything that was on the special New year's menu (the NY strip, lamb, etc.). Needless to say, we opted for the risotto. They were great in offering to replace the scallops for short ribs since the evening special included scallops, which we already had for the appetizers. I really appreciated the gesture. When the meal came, it definitely could have been hotter, but that was not the real problem. Although they split orders in the kitchen before, they did not offer this time. But the compelling problem was that the beef was old.....very old, kind of like something you would taste, and then not even begin to finish. My wife confirmed that it wasn't just me. I mentioned the issue to Abe in a very constructive, helpful way. He smiled and seemed to appreciate it. Yes, I would have appreciated it if maybe he offered to comp a desert or even a cup of coffee or something, but nothing was offered. I have to admit, I may be tainted with the fact that a gesture (which I would likely have turned down) was not even made, the fact that I definitely have some lower GI pain and the fact that the pours were extremely small.....and yes, the owner of the half....or 2/3 empty restaurant was a little too busy to even pretend to to interact with us (again, he was tending the bar and we were the only people sitting at the bar). In summary, no big deal, we could definitely have had a better meal, $85.00 out the door for three glasses of wine, a plate of risotto and 4 scallops is not horrible, but down town Pleasanton had much, more to offer. We very obviously will never go back.
(1)
Laura K.
Is great but I miss the one at Waterford as I live right by there and could walk there...now it is still there but closed. What happened?
(4)
Aaron M.
Wow, I was very unimpressed by the food here. We went out here with family for Mother's Day. Its in a very nice new area and looked pretty fancy, so I was expecting it to be top notch. Overall, the entrees weren't so great at all. The mushroom risotto was bland and others reported the same for their dishes (chicken and salmon). Also, some of the other clientele seemed a bit trashy. One girl walked in with brass knuckles, as if she were about ready to get into a gang fight. Lady, this isn't Richmond. It was entertaining and I did like the decor inside this place, but overall, I'd give it 2 stars for the food and 4 for the decor, so that's where the 3 comes from.
(3)
David L.
This was our first time at Stacey's Cafe, after reading about the reviews on Yelp the night before. Maybe since I researched the menu before hand, I had no problem deciding what to order. My wife and I sampled the crispy fried buttermilk calamari ($9.95), California Chicken Sandwich ($12.95) and the Hot Pastrami on Rye ($14.95). Sandwiches come with choice of house cut french fries, caesar or house salad. It was too much food for us to finish even though I was starving when we walked in. I thought that the calamari would have been better if it comes with a creamier sauce. The sandwiches were very satisfying and the fries were just perfect. The food was just a notch more expensive than you'd expect, but I guess you are paying for the atmosphere (white table cloth dining) and the locale (right on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton). I thought that the service was excellent. My water glass was never less than half empty (or was it half full?) the whole time we were there. Our server was very courteous and helpful. Food didn't come out very quickly, but if you just want to have a relaxing lunch, why allow the servers to rush you through it? Bottom Line: Stacey's Cafe advertises itself as a fun place to eat, but really its atmosphere is just more relaxed than fun. Maybe they mean fun because of the commentaries on each menu item.
(4)
Ron M.
Had dinner here last night; great service and really good food! A bit pricey though; they weren't that crowded during peak time of a Saturday night which tells me others probably think this way too. Our bill for two which included 2 drinks, 2 glasses of wine, one salad, two entrees, one dessert, and two coffee's was $144 before tip. Still, good service, and good food so we'll be back! The new owner is a nice guy too...!!!
(4)
Lisa P.
Two words......HAIR NETS. They need to use them when preparing food. Ick!
(1)
Brooke K.
This place is pretty good, except i think its a little pricey for what you get. Also the menu never changes! I would definitley suggest going here for lunch, more variety, then dinner.
(3)
Ruth O.
We recently had lunch on a weekend at Stacey's. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and the outdoor seating is lovely on a warm day. Our dog was permitted to join us on the patio. The staff were friendly but not attentive. They forgot to give us menus. The server never told us the specials of the day. Two tables seated after us were served before us, due to the menu delay. The appetizer also took longer than normal to arrive. The bread was warm and delicious. The calamari were cooked properly but the breading had an almost whole-wheat heaviness to it that we did not like. The Stacey's Burger was tasty. The Spinach Salad flavors were fine, but it was topped with a creamy chevre instead of a drier, more crumbly style. It was hard to cut off a little bit of cheese to accompany a forkful of salad because it stuck to the utensils like taffy. We did not stay for dessert. Despite the great location, the overall experience is just not good enough.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
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 : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
Shannel G.
I don't think this place is worthwhile for lunch. It's overpriced for sandwiches and they were not that great... I definitely will only go here for dinner.
(4)Brandy A.
Ok, I said I wouldn't go back after my last experience but I did.... and I'm glad I did. :) A group of co-workers decided to throw a send-off dinner for a manager that was moving on from our department; they chose Stacey's for the dinner. The service was awesome, the ambiance wonderful and everybody enjoyed their meals. This time I ordered the Florentine Ravioli, it was delicious! The sauce and the fried artichokes made the dish. The other dishes that co-workers ordered looked very tasty (especially the seafood risotto). I'll definitely consider coming back on my own for a dinner.
(3)Pat H.
In year's past we gravitated to Stacey's for the pasta, respectable wine list and out-of-this-world Mac & Cheese. Lately, while the ambiance and staff maintain reasonably high standards the quality and flavor of their food has plummeted. The mushroom carbonara, pepper w/ the essence of pasta. The filet mignon was chewy at best, undercooked and overpriced. I will say the gorgonzola bread pudding was pretty tasty. New management will soon be either old management or in charge of shuttering the doors. Stacey's is now simply overpriced and very below average.
(2)Rachel A.
I kept expecting Dilbert or Catbert to make a guest appearance since Scott Adams owns this place but no.. no underpaid mascot jumping around or characters to shake your hand. Stacey's Cafe is like a born again California Cafe (the chain that went out of business). The soups, salads, and sandwiches all sound tasty but nothing too original here (except for the clever banter on the menu). My portabella mushroom sandwich was quite substantial and came with a salad. Prices are a little steep for lunch but the place is quiet and not too busy on a Sunday afternoon so it makes for a great venue to catch up with friends. Service is so so. Stacey's looks ritzy but doesn't act like it.
(3)Amanda B.
Just went to Stacey's for lunch last week - I had SUCH a lovely time! From the moment we walked in, the service was excellent. The menu's were very entertaining - full of witty comments. My husband and I just sat there cracking up! As a vegetarian, normally I don't get many options... not at Stacey's! It was vegetarian-friendly! The tomato soup was outstanding, the salads were great, and the sandwiches were YUM! I told my husband when we left "This is going to be my new favorite spot!"
(5)Mindy F.
A few years ago I had an enjoyable meal at The Waterford Stacey's. I was expecting the same experience at this cafe...and I came home very disappointed. After seeing the prices we decided to order just appetizers. They came up so short that I feel robbed out of my 50 bucks. cheesy fries made with velveeta ( or maybe it was fondue cheese?) but yuk. The artichoke dip serving was so small we didn't even finish half of the ( store bought?) chips. I can't even tell you if there was artichoke in the dip..seemed more of a pesto type dip to me. The third appetizer we got was the caramelized pear/goat cheese. The only thing that I liked was the olives and the extra side of chicken I added. Yes, the service was great.. very attentive..loved the bread. If you eat there... don't face the chefs. I saw one licking his fingers and tasting something.
(1)Diane M.
Tried the breakfast and was severely disappointed on service, and the food served. We ordered the Pleasanton Special. Food came out with eggs over easy cooked nicely. The country potatoes were cold, and the sourdough toast was only toasted on one slice, the second one was not toasted at all. We had to flag the waiter down for more coffee, and he never checked back to see if we were ok with the meal. The clincher came with the check. It came in at $14.82, I enclosed a twenty dollar bill, and waited for my change. The waiter delivered five dollars. When I asked about the rest of my change, he asked"You want eight cents back?" I said "No, I want eighteen cents" He told me "Ok, but we round up!" and acted as if I was asking for something I shouldn't. He came back with a quarter and as he laid it down on the table, he said I could keep the seven cents. He told me this like he was granting me a big favor. As I told the manager of Staceys eighteen cents may not be very much, but it is still my change. I wonder how many other customers get their bills "rounded up"
(1)Courtney C.
I cannot say enough great things about Stacey's Cafe and the owner Abe. This past weekend he hosted our wedding ceremony and reception at his restaurant. It went beautifully without a hitch and Abe couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating. All of our guests were unanimously blown away with the quality and presentation of the food and drinks. We will be fans for life and make it our go to spot when we are dining in Pleasanton!
(5)Anonymous A.
My chicken sandwich was good but the fries were the ones you get at bottom of pile. ( small ). Wife ordered steves pasta, very tasteless. Was expecting better. But like any restaurant, you should try twice!
(3)Shannon F.
Oh man, do I wish I had gone elsewhere for my Cobb salad. I mean, don't get me wrong it was good, just not $17.00 dollars worth good. I had to make a trip out to Pleasanton recently, and while leaving my destination, a strong craving for a Cobb salad came upon me. I had noticed Stacey's several years back and told myself I would check it out one day. So, being in the area, I figured today should be that day. I also knew they had a Cobb Salad on their menu. Well, the place is certainly nice and all - quaint, classy and the perfect place to meet up with a friend. Me, I was alone this day, which was fine. There were maybe a handful of other people there during this lunch hour. I was greeted by a nice girl and seated by a table of choice by a window. Their lunch menu has a decent amount of delicious looking items however, they are all mostly overpriced...especially my Cobb. I figured hey, what the heck, might as well give it a shot. I ordered the Cobb which comes with- Grilled Chicken, hard boiled eggs, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, crumbled gorgonzola cheese with your choice of a gorgonzola cheese dressing or a champagne dressing. I ordered it without the crumbled cheese and both dressings on the side. Bread was served along with a dollop of garlic butter which looked good, however I did not partake in it. Salad arrived looking good, but certainly not worth $17.00. I seriously thought there would have been enough to take with me...nope. Flavor was there, though, the chicken was slightly dry and the portion was certainly lacking. Service was efficient and friendly throughout my visit which was a plus. Overall, maybe its more of a dinner place because even though it's in "Downtown Pleasanton", I truly feel their lunch menu is way overpriced and had me wishing I had gone home and made my own Cobb. It was enjoyable but not great.
(3)Damiann S.
Don't go here, when they're busy. Service is OK, but it really shouldn't take an hour to get a BLT. 3 orders of crab cakes at the same table all looked different; no consistency, not that I was expecting it, but at the prices they should.
(2)Lola B.
I've been to Stacey's several times but this time something seemed very different. I'm sitting here right now on a Saturday afternoon. The place is not busy at all. Since I've been sitting here I watched a table patiently wait to be served for at least 20 minutes and no one came to assist them so finally they got up and left. It took 15 minutes for someone to come ask my husband and I I'd we were ready to order. It took another 45 minutes to get our EGGS. 45 minutes for eggs ?? Really ??? When I asked what the deal was they said oh sorry were trying to get ready for dinner tonight. Really???? So that makes it ok to provide lousy service to lunch costumers???? Won't be coming back.
(1)Omaira F.
This place is terrible! The service is horrible, no utensils, no condiments and a very very long wait for your food! When It finally arrives, it's cold! This is definitely not worth your money or time!
(1)Racquel E.
I had lunch here with some coworkers. The restaurant was nice and of formal setting with white table cloths, but casual atmosphere. I had a half salad with a half grilled portabella mushroom sandwich. The hearty mushroom sandwich was a nice alternative to having a hamburger. I enjoyed my healthy lunch and the service was good.
(4)Cheryl F.
I enjoyed going here for lunch. The service was friendly and thorough, and the food was pretty good, though a little hit and miss, which I suspect is the case here in general. I had the ahi sandwich--which I was a bit leery about because it's ahi, which can go really wrong, and it's a sandwich, which I've never had with ahi. But I was very happy with it. Cooked perfect, watercress, tomato, ciabatta bread--who knew? My husband seemed to enjoy his fish tacos well enough, but I don't think they were anything to write home about, and he felt the beer was too small. Okay, whatever. However, I had their soup, which was "homemade"--and I believe it was--but it really had no flavor partly due to the fact that they used frozen veggies and canned mushrooms. Not good. I feel like the prices are reasonable so long as the quality is consistent, so that could be a problem with the wrong dish. I'll go back again and see if I feel the same way. Outdoor seating is a +
(3)Barbara D.
Calories in, calories out is choice of a consumer. the wait staff will discuss ingredients of a particular dish and if they don't know, they will ask on behalf of the consumer for an explanation from food prep management team. I always ask for explanation of food ingredients if have questions and care to inquire further. Choice is always mine. They earn tips and a rewarded with incentives to demonstrate I am happy with their services and will return. If I don't leave any tips chances are I wont return. I like Stacys for luncheons and no complaints from me.
(5)Megan L.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! Sat outside and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I would definitely go again ! Yum!
(5)Sean C.
I had heard from others that Stacey's Cafe was a great place to go for dinner in downtown Pleasanton, so I decided to try it. I have to say, the service was very good. I sat at the bar and was served a cocktail immediately. I went with the waiters recommendation on the Chipotle Shrimp appetizer and I would give that dish 5 stars. Absolutely terrific. I ordered the Jambalaya for an entree and it was average. The flavor was spot on, the vegetables were not cooked through and were a bit crunchy which I didn't like. The shrimp were cooked perfectly in both dishes though. The owner was very personable as was the wait staff. I was there on a Tuesday and I have to say, other than a few other tables, the place was not very busy. I would go back to Stacey's Cafe again.
(4)Nancy B.
Great Customer service, Awesome Cook Chef because Food was so good, Seating Area outside was beautiful, and it was calm and peaceful. Me and my girlfriend ordered cosmos, wow they were delicious. I ordered the chicken cajun pasta which was not on the menu but they accommodated and made It for me. It was full of flavors and great quality pasta and chicken, huge portion only ate 1/3 the rest I took home. Overall experience; phenomenal ;) 10 Stars
(5)Berles C.
Always content after I have eaten here. I have friends who have favorite dishes here, but nothing stands out to me as something I have to return for.
(4)diana r.
Many years ago I worked in Pleasanton and this was one of my favorite places to have lunch at. Their breakfast and lunch options are amazing. I have tried their salads and sandwiches and both are very tasty and large portions. The cuisines tastes very fresh, definitely not from a frozen package. This is also a good place to meet friends and have a nice conversation, its not too loud. They also have a bar just in case you need a little adult beverage. I would say that it is a tad over priced. There is usually plenty of parking on the street.
(3)Shane B.
Small town feel. Superb Food! Great Sunday Brunch too
(4)Ron C.
It has been years since I darkened the door of Stacey's Cafe. Back then, the place belonged to the famous "Dilbert" artist and was pretty tasty. Now, I haven't a clue who the owner is but my experience here wasn't bad. I came with a large group to discuss business and to have a celebratory meal. We started out with libations, most of which we brought (we paid the corkage fee which was fair) which most around the room were pleased with (A few people had Cosmos). Next we moved into appetizers. The crab cakes were fine, the baked brie with pear and crustini was off the charts! Naturally, we moved on to soup/or salad. It must have been good because no one spoke during that time. My salad was o.k. Stacey's has a wide variety of dishes with generous portions. I had the Mahi-Mahi that night. While a little dry, and the smallest portion at the table, it was good nonetheless. The double chocolate brownies with caramel ice cream was a must! In conclusion, while this is not a regular spot for me, I'd be game to go again.
(4)Josephine W.
Normally for one good experience at a restaurant I would give 4 stars. I am giving 5 because we walked in here and had a great experience right after walking out of the awful Mangia Mi down the street. Not to mention, my water was NEVER half empty. That gets an A+ in my book. Very pleasant staff although I could tell they were a little short staffed and I could see the stress on the waiter's face. He never failed to smile at us and tend to us. Lighting and sound level was good. I liked seeing a variety of people from the group of IT guys to a father and daughter to the very old gentlemen sharing good times. The wait for food took a bit long but the appetizer came quickly and kept us busy. When we did get the food it was superb. So much flavor! We got the spinach dip for appetizer and the dip was a real blended spinach dip and not the typical creamy blend with little bits of spinach. This dip was primarily spinach, primarily green. My husband got the prosciutto wrapped chicken and me the mushroom carbonara. Both were absolutely delicious. So much aroma and flavor. Many people don't know how to mAke fresh cream sauces right. The carbonara wasn't an overbearing heavy thick cream, it was light and the mushroom and onion flavor was perfect! I can't remember the last time we left a place so full we felt like we were bursting at the seams. The food was so good we wanted to eat it all!
(5)Rhiannon D.
The acquaintance and I came here for dinner, because it came highly recommended. There was absolutely nobody eating our entire stay, needless to say service was on point. I dont understand why it was dead because the food was SO good! I had the gorgonzola filet mignon, and I nearly died with every bite. Can't remember what the acquaint. had, but I remember it was good. It is pretty pricey. After all is said and done, we paid about 100 for dinner, which is not something I can do every week. I'll be back one day, even though it's been at least a year already.
(5)Amii P.
I went to Stacey's today for the first time. Upon entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a very friendly host who sat me outside on the patio facing a pretty flower box and the lovely Main St. Pleasanton. While the ambience was nice-ish, I had to overlook the quite strong smell of (not that fresh) fish and shellfish that were the main ingredients of their special of the day. The host seemed a little less friendly when I decided to only have water with lemon to drink. My imagination? Possibly. I ordered a half of a chicken ciabatta sandwich and caesar salad. The salad was wilted and warm with a plethora of brown leaves. The sandwich was OK, but was served on a sourdough roll rather than the ciabatta bread described on the menu. The bread was probably the best part though, so I didn't mind that. The chicken breast was sliced, perhaps to save money. The avocado was dark in color and just a smear. The flavor was acceptable but definitely not something I would return for. I noticed the nicely dressed ladies who came in after me and ordered cocktails were given bread and butter, but I wasn't. That hurt my feelings. Was it because I had on my yoga pants and no makeup? I may never know. Will I return next time, more dolled up hoping for a little bread and butter love? Probably not. P.S. It took FOREVER to get my check. And no, they weren't busy at the time.
(2)Lisa K.
I am dining here right now, as I write this review. The service is not good. It's not our servers fault, it's not the bussers fault. They are understaffed. Very understaffed. And the lady who appears to be the owner would rather roll up silverware than run food that has been sitting in the window. The good news is that more servers have arrived but we have still been waiting 30 minutes for our food.
(2)renee m.
Horrible service. But after one irritation after the other, food was actually good. Can't add stars though because the service was so bad. Owner or chef was more concerned about his awning outside than getting us our food. Waited an hour for our food and there was never an apology, and still charged us 18% automatic tip for a table over 6! If I felt like spending more time on it I would have demanded it be removed. My husband and brother in law tried to move a umbrella to cover our kids, and the umbrella was touching their new awnings. The chef opened the door and snapped at them for doing this, I replied that he should help rather than worry only about the awning! Idiot! Then some woman came out (Stacey i assume) and mumbled something about the umbrella trying to close it and we were like, no!!! We are trying to get the kids out of the sun!! Totally clueless about customer needs.
(1)Joseph G.
It's definitely improved over the years. Pleasantly surprised.
(4)Belle L.
My hubby and I went here for dinner, the place was a li'l crowded which is good. We both had the barbequed beef short ribs w/ scalloped potatoes and roasted winter vegetables. They were so good and tender. This is a must when you're in downtown Pleasanton.
(3)Jessica L.
Came here with a somewhat large party for our annual ladies brunch. Our waiter was HORRIBLE, slow and most of all RUDE. I have honestly never had such bad service. After ordering and not even finishing what I was saying he grabbed the menu right out of my hand to move on to the next person....I grabbed it right back and said I wasn't done and continued ordering for my son. Both meals came out wrong, he never asked if we wanted anything to drink, when I asked for coffee he literally rolled his eyes and then when he came back I asked for creamer and he told me to ask someone at my table if they are going to use theirs....ummm for real!? He brought us the checks so fast and came over before anyone could even fill the ticket folder and would ask each person for their pmt so he could go ring us out.... I've never been so rushed in my life!!! Such a huge disappointment and I will NEVER give this place a penny again!! Not only that I will continue to tell everyone not to waist their $$ on this place. Customer service is one of the most important things in a business and if you don't have that.... Then honestly you have nothing.
(1)Lenore L.
My friend dragged me here for a late snack with her boyfriend. We had the tuna tartare, or something. It was pretty fantastic. I'm not sure when I will come back on my own. The prices are pretty high for having some consistently lower reviews. They would have to improve for me to spend my money here, or bring down the prices. I don't like to over pay for mediocre items. I am happy to overpay for phenomenal! once in awhile. (like the cotton candy caramel apple from the fair. $12!!! and worth every bite)
(4)Veronica T.
Not good at all. Food is way overpriced for what you get. The soup of the day tasted like last week's leftovers thrown in a pot and boiled for 5 hours. Service is slow. Manager is very unaffectionate and seems disconnected with everything. From the outside, this place seems as charming as the rest of downtown Pleasanton, but don't waste your time here.
(1)Cinna M.
I have eaten at Stacey's Cafe a couple of times now and I've found that the service is not very consistent. One time, all of my friends felt that our server was a bit rude and the food was mediocre. The next time we went, the service and food were quite good. My favorite item on the menu is the Ahi Tuna sandwich, which is excellent. That and the convenient location are the only reasons I go back.
(3)Blondie R.
I wanted to try this place for years, and finally came for dinner with my daughter. We were seated at a great table on the patio. The bread was good and tasted homemade. Daughter saw that they were voted best Cosmo in Diablo Magazine, so we both had a Cosmo. We took a few sips, and I looked at her and I knew what she was going to say(what I was thinking!). She said, "It tastes like there's no alcohol in this Cosmo! Uncle Lincoln makes them so much better!" Yikes! We split the short ribs. The carrots and green beans were wonderful. The short ribs were ok, but the scalloped potatoes tasted like they were warmed up from the day before. I'm sorry, my claim to fame is scalloped potatoes. I make them every Thanksgiving. Julia Child's! Julia Child's these were not. The service was great. I don't usually complain when in the restaurants. If you didn't get it right the first time, you didn't get it right!
(3)Brandon C.
This was officially my last visit here. I paid $17 for a mediocre salad that didn't agree with me the next day. The food really isn't anything special and quite expensive for what it is. Service was friendly but stretched thin throughout the whole restaurant. The snarky comments on the menu were funny 15 years ago when the place was new in town. There are better restaurants downtown for sure. This place needs a thorough shake up.
(1)Laila A.
went their for valentines with close friends and had an amazing time. Food was great, the ambiance and the service was great. There was a little problem with the check but got sorted out quickly. I would go there again for sure. great for romantic dinner without kids. With that note ... I would not come with kids as its not very kid friendly ;)
(4)Sunil R.
Pretty good option for a nice lunch or dinner in the downtown Pleasanton area. Service was very good and attentive. The menu with the witty comments made me smile. I had the cream of asparagus, the free range chicken sandwich and the double brownie. The first two were very good and the brownie was just OK. They have outdoor seating as well which is nice. I will be back if I am in the area.
(3)Kate L.
We went to Stacey's the day before Mother's Day to celebrate with our Mom. She had a 75.00 Gift Certificate. We got the check and the owner walked over and told us he would not except it because they have changed to "gift cards" and there was no way to track our older gift certificate. He was so rude about it. I have reviewed the laws regarding this matter and in California there is no expiration date on Gift certificates. The city of Pleasanton will not be happy about this either..Its just bad business!!
(1)Adrienne K.
Wonderful patio for outdoor seating. Fabulous flavored spinach salad & tomato soup! Great for a sunny day & a glass of vino!
(4)Brett P.
this place is decent and a go too place if I'm indecisive of where to eat. All I can say is DON'T ORDER A SIDE OF FRIES, its not on the menu, so when i ordered it, to my surprise, they charged me $7! I always get the chicken sandwich is that comes with bacon, lettuce and fries :)
(3)Dean T.
Extent food and service.We have been at Stacy's a few times and found a unique menu and a kind staff that is willing to make anything that we have asked or substitute ingredients. Stacey's is one of Pleasanton's top restaurant.
(5)Kara S.
I got the vegetarian sandwich with all its vegetable pesto goodness. And a side of fries. It was delicious. Came here with my mother and daughter for lunch. They were very accommodating of my toddler and brought her a little chicken breast to eat. Such a cute place. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather and the customer service was great. A bit pricey but I will definitely return.
(5)Michelle R.
My husband and I went to Stacey's last night for a nice meal out. We have been there several times before and enjoyed the food. We started with the spinach and artichoke dip. It was just okay. It needed more cheese in the dip, either some parmesan or swiss. My husband had the Mushroom Carbonara. It was excellent. Very, very good. I couldn't stop eating off his plate. I had the Grilled Natural Salmon Filet. Also excellent. Salmon was good perfectly and my husband loved the smoked patty under the salmon. We then ordered the apple crisp and chocolate chip bread pudding. The apple crisp was very good and the bread pudding was just okay. It was a bit dry. While we enjoyed the meal, the service was slow. That is why I am giving them 3 stars. The food to me is solid and you know what you are going to get. Maybe it was a bad night and they were under staffed? However, we will be back.
(3)Michelle S.
I've been to Stacey's a few times, because it's a favorite meeting place of some of my friends, and I never really look forward to it, but it's always been okay. This last visit, however, has guaranteed that I will insist my friends find a new meet-up place. We went in Sunday for brunch. I would say only about 1/3 of the restaurant was occupied, and yet, we saw our waitress a total of three times despite being there for well over an hour. I was mildly irritated by this, as I really wanted a second drink after I finished my first, but was never given the time by our waitress to order one. Even so, I didn't think much one way or another about the lousy service until after we left the restaurant. We were standing outside saying our goodbye's when our waitress finally found a way to make time for us by coming out to ask if we had an issue with her service. We all said no and looked at each other confusedly about this question. After a little discussion, we realized that because of the way we'd split the bill, we'd inadvertently only tipped the waitress 10%. I was initially horrified and was about to go in to offer more cash, but then the memories of the horrible service rushed back. On top of that, I found it INCREDIBLY rude for the waitress, who had no time for us while we were in the restaurant, to make time to chase us down about her tip. After a few seconds thought, I realized she actually deserved less tip than I left. On top of that, I have had far better brunches for well under the $30 they deemed fit to charge.
(1)Vivian M.
The Brunch was disapointing as they have cut back to 2 slices of bacon, put a meger 2 jellies on your plate and coffee service was not attended. You might as well go to IHOP. Very disappointing for brunch . They use to be very good at this but have cut back or whatever they are doing appears to be very downgraded.
(3)Tam F.
What a gross disappointment...My birthday is in December. Sorry, can't help it and sometimes, friends decide to take me out to lunch to celebrate. I am lucky to have good friends. Sadly, with a December birthday, I am often stuck having to deal with bad service because restaurants are busy with lunch crowds from companies that no longer offer up a holiday party but as a way to show "thanks" take their employees to a swanky place for lunch. This being said.... Girlfriend takes me here for a late lunch on a Thursday after I have completed a day of finals. It was around 1:30 and though there were several large tables with groups, they were finishing up and there was an open 2 top. We were seated immediately, brought water and delicious bread with amazing butter and then our waitress came. Great start. My friend ordered the special risotto and I ordered a burger. Yes, I know, a burger, but that is what I wanted. A burger and fries. The menu says with Stacey's special blend of seasonings...I was okay with that and for a $15.00 burger and fries, I was hoping there was some "special seasoning" if you know what I am sayin'. Our meals come and my friend's risotto is delicious. I take the top bun off of my burger and take a piece of the meat. It is overcooked-more like medium well to the medium I ordered. Fine, I can suck this up, but the burger texture was completely wrong-tasted like meatloaf (ah...special seasonings=meatloaf flavor) and the meat was definitely over worked. I tried another bite and got a crunchy bit. I thought it was odd, so I flipped the burger over on my bun and it was black. Great, I think. Out to lunch with a friend who doesn't know that I will send food back...I contemplate and then she notices I am just eating the fries (damn good fries at that). She asks if my burger is okay, and I show her the burnt side...like they cook their burgers in a skillet and forgot to flip it on time and then just decided to put the "pretty side up" on the bun. TACKY! In the meantime, it took our waitress more than 15 minutes to come to check on us and when she came to the table, I showed her my burnt burger. She apologized and asked if I wanted to order something else. I said "no" as my friend was almost done and then she takes the burger to the kitchen (it is in plain sight) shows the chef and maybe the manager the burger and they acted like they could care less. She comes back with the bill, says they took the burger off, and doesn't ask if we want dessert, NOTHING. I was really sad. My first experience here was STELLAR. This one, not so much and I won't be schlepping back any time for a $15.00 overly skillet cooked burger.
(2)Ernie M.
Wow---I really do not understand how anyone could be praising this place. We went there and the service under staffed and overwhelmed. The owner did not know how to help them. Having been there before under the original owner, the food was shockingly under flavored and the vegetables was poorly cooked-just uneatable. Let's look at this another angle. When I went by there at dinner time last night TWO people were in the place while all the other restaurants around them were over half full at least. Bad food=no customers. Also I thought the food was drastically over priced
(1)Keith c.
One word. Bland. Salad was mediocre and the steak was below average. My wife's chicken dish was also below average. We will not be going back.
(2)Anastacia S.
I absolutely love this place!! I had no idea I would either! A friend brought me to downtown Pleasanton, for my first time ever. I recently told my friend some good news, so we went here for dinner to celebrate. He picked the place since my name is Staci...and thought it would be funny. We were definitely underdressed for the place, but the staff never said a word and happily seated us. First glance at the menu, we noticed this place had a huge sense of humor. If you want to know why...read their "Philosophy" in the menu. The part where they say "slap you senseless" caught my eye, figuring we were in a more upscale restaurant. It is not fancy...just an upgraded casual. We ordered the cheese fries...which were THE BEST CHEESE FRIES OF MY LIFE. I could eat them every single day...no joke. We both ordered different pasta dishes...and both were wonderful. I got the ravioli...and the artichokes were deep fried and topped with fresh parmesan...OMG. Every item was served at the perfect temperature, perfect seasoning, and with the most inviting presentation. The staff all looked happy to work there too...which was a great sign of good management. Even the chefs were smiling while cooking. I felt they were just cooking up happiness...and we both loved it!! I will definitely be back and am so thankful for trying this place!!
(5)Greg B.
Good place for a salad and a glass of wine; great outdoor seating
(3)Michelle M.
I'm torn on this review. I used to love Stacy's but after my lunch yesterday, I'm pretty sure I'll never be back. I ordered a sandwich/salad combo, comes with fries. I took a bite into my sandwich to find a huge hair sticking out at me. I was disgusted, but I know it happens. I let the waitress know and she took my plate. My husband was almost done eating at that point, so I finished his sandwich. The unbelievable part: I get the bill, while they took off my cobmo, they added an order of french fries ($4) that I ate prior to finding the HAIR IN MY FOOD. SERIOUSLY?!?! I am not sure if that is desperation to get a tip on top of a $4 item or what, but it's just wrong. Add to it the time before I ordered take out and it was missing an item, I called and they apologized but never offered to refund me for the missing item. Hello, are you kidding me, I didn't have time to go back and get it, but they could have just credited me the few bucks for the item they forgot to include. So, with the weird and inappropriate business behavior and service, and really high prices, the food just isn't worth the trouble.
(2)Steven P.
Went here for a company event. I'm glad I didn't have to pay. This place has never really been super good, but it has really hit rock-bottom now. The quality just isn't there. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. I'm starting to believe that Downtown Pleasanton is the place where restaurants go to die. : (
(1)Marco S.
Fun atmosphere, good service. The tuna poke was a bit salty but the food was otherwise enjoyable. Amazing chocolate bread pudding.. I would go back for the dessert any time.
(4)REBECCA R.
Last night a group of us went to Stacey's to celebrate their birthdays. I found Stacey's on the internet and after reading the menu, which is a hoot and a half, I made our reservations. We arrived and were shown to our table, and right away our server came over,,introduced herself and got started on drink orders. I had the famous Cosmo and it was probable the best Cosmo I ever had! We had the Creamy artichoke soup, and the house salad, both were yummy. The came our dinners: the salmon, a rib eye steak, filet mignon with gorgonzola, the mahi mahi and BBQ boneless shortribs. each dish was PERFECT! Forks were passed up and down the table so we could all taste each others dishes. Atmosphere was great, the decor was very nice, and the $15 cork fee was pretty reasonable. All in all, I think we have found our new "special occasion" restaurant!
(5)Tuze C.
Shocking! I have been going to Stacey's for a very long time and the food was always excellent. Unfortunately I haven't gone for a few years so maybe they've gotten some new chefs, I don't know what the problem was. This WAS a take out order so I had no problem with the service, only the food we received. The burger was requested to be rare and was almost well done with chunks of gristle in the meat!!! Gross, we'd never experienced that before even at fast food places...it was thrown away. The fried calamari was decent but the dipping sauce was so watered down it actually looked and tasted like water, gross again. The house salad was the only thing that wasn't disgusting, but then again, how does one go wrong with opening a prepared salad bag? The bill came to over $50 so this was an extremely disappointing experience. Needless to say because of this icky food, we won't be going to Stacey's again any time soon; too bad because it used to be one of the only decent places to eat on Main Street. UGH, just thinking about that burger gives me the heebie jeebies.....
(1)Sheila T.
Very nice restaurant. It has very attentive staff and food is always fresh and good eats every time. There is ample parking at the back of the restaurant. Always great to call ahead for reservations! My favorite is their Shirt Rib and Truffle Fries!
(4)Janki P.
Don't like waiting for service!!! We ordered the food and been waiting now for a while and once the food came we had to ask the waiter 3 times to get us condiments... Now again waiting for a check...
(3)michael v.
Stacey's is nice restaurant, plain and simple. The ambiance is OK, the service is OK, the food is OK, though the deserts are excellent. Stacey's is overpriced by at least $2 or $3 per item on the menu. There is outdoor seating which is nice. The menu is diverse enough for most folks to find something to eat and they have a full bar. Expect good food at a bit high of a price and an OK ambiance.
(3)Tasha D.
I shouldn't have gone here in the first place, since my parents told me it wasn't so hot, and since my mom is the closest thing to Alice Waters any kid is going to be lucky enough to have making her school lunches growing up, they're always spot on. But, it was late, everywhere else had long waits (bad sign already), and Stacey's has been on Main Street *forever* so I figured it had to have some decent offerings. Bleh. Between me and my chick friend, we had 2 glasses of chardonnay, split an app, and each had an entree. I think we had the bread pudding too, which was ok. I wasn't excited by any of the food, they could have cut the portion sizes in half and it would have been too much, and the bill was well over $100. I'm used to being able to eat at a downtown SF restaurant with drinks and food and have it be about $80. Why am I paying this much for subpar food in downtown Pleasanton? Not interested in going back.
(2)Richard P.
As a solo diner I hate to be too critical, because sit down places hate solo diners. Nevertheless because my experience matches so many other reviews I feel compelled to pile on. This is a prime restaurant location and deserves a better restaurant.
(2)Nataja L.
I used to love Stacey's but it has really gone down hill. The prices have increased, and the service has dramatically decreased. They need to update and change their menu and maybe think about including more vegetarian and gluten free options.
(2)Mansi A.
"Stacey's mom has got it goin' onnnn..." Just kidding. But on the real, Stacey's Cafe does got it goin' on. Looking for a place to dine al fresco on a gorgeous day in downtown Pleasanton? You found it. Curbside dining was so peaceful here on a Saturday afternoon. I enjoyed the 1/2 sandwich, 1/2 soup combo with the grilled portabella sandwich and the tomato bisque soup. What a perfectly balanced meal, and relaxing afternoon with satisfying girltalk. Stacey's is slightly on the pricier side, but worth the splurge every once in a while, particularly when the meal was excellent and satisfying.
(3)Rayed K.
I've been to Stacey's with friends and family and always had a good time. Food is great, service is good, and the outdoor seating makes for a really relaxing time in downtown Pleasanton. I recommend their Blackened Salmon Sandwich for lunch--really delicious!
(4)Carole S.
On my first (lunchtime) visit to Stacey's, I enjoyed my meal and would have given a three or four star review. However, four of us went for dinner last night... Big disappointment! The wait was 35 minutes instead of the 5-10 that was promised. Okay, they were busy, so no biggie. But, the food was not worth the wait. The calamari and crab cake appetizers were both overly breaded and lacking in true flavor. My seared tuna entree ($33) was supposed to be rare, but was more of a medium rare, and not the best cut of tuna I've ever had. I didn't finish it, and that is very unusual for me- I love, love tuna! The rice-cake that accompanied it was awful, and the sauce was greasy. My hubby's pasta puttanesca w/ chicken was good, though, as were my friend's prawns. However, my brother had short ribs and they were dry and over cooked. The portion was tiny. Not worth the money. I am no longer a fan.
(2)Yvonne D.
I heard many people talk about Stacey's over the years. My parents decided to take me there instead of going the same ole same ole chain restaurant. Maybe it was because I had high expectations for this place; I felt it's just on par. + sourdough bread with a scoop of garlic herb butter in center (awesome at first but then it drenches the bread and it gets disgustingly soggy) +/- corn chowder (delicious but $5.95 for a "cup" doesn't seem to be worth it) - chipotle honey prawns appetizer (I ordered it since a few reviews mentioned it but it fell short...the flavor was there but the prawns were overcooked and tough; possibly old?) +/- jambalaya (was okay too...the meat was cut into small teeny pieces but the fettuccini was delicious - people mentioned Stacey's have large portions...not for $17.95) + fish tacos (coming from Southern CA, land of taco Tuesdays, this was pretty good. Lightly battered codfish with a hint of spice. It's a sizeable portion and comes with a side salad.) A note on the restaurant itself - friendly staff, good location (if you can't find street parking in downtown, park in the bank's parking lot behind the restaurant), there's ample outdoor seating which is nice since the weather is usually great in Pleasanton, but there's no real theme to the decoration/painting inside the restaurant (kind of boring.) It's also under new management and had a sign on the door that breakfast is coming soon. I don't think Stacey's would be a suggestion I put on the table the next time we go out, but if others want to I wouldn't be opposed to trying it again. My parents said dinner ran ~$30-40 where as lunch was $20-30.
(3)Rory H.
Absolutely delicious!!!! Pricey but well worth it. The bread, wine, pasta... amazing! Probably the best brownie I've ever had... my girlfriend agrees
(4)Airiana M.
It was so delicious. Not only is the place very nice with a beautiful outside sitting area, but the food was amazing. The menu has jokes intertwined with the description! I got Scott's Favorite Pasta dish with angel hair pasta and it was to die for! Will definitely be coming back
(5)Dawn D.
When my Sis in Law recommends a restaurant, I always listen. My husband and I dined at Stacey's for lunch on Tuesday from her recommendation. We were greeted and seated immediately. We were able to sit outside and I LOVE al fresco dining. Loved the ambiance and the service was fantastic. Our waters were always full and my Arnold Palmer always replenished. The bread they provide is sooooooo good as well as their garlic butter spread. Delish! I ordered the half sandwich and half salad. I went for the ahi sandwich and cesar salad. I found the portion of cesar salad a bit on the stingy side, though for the little there was, it was very good. But one would notice my plate looked "incomplete" for lack of a better word. The salad wasn't too strong or too watery, it had the perfect flavor and consistency. Croutons were very good, too. As for my ahi sandwich, I thought it could have more flavor (my husband feels the same way), as if the sauce needed some spice or something, but I thought it was good and we both finished our sandwiches. My husband had french fries and those were super yums!! I can go back there and have a plate of fries! Must remember this place has delicious fries. In fact, I'd go back and try something else. We had a great experience!
(4)Tiffany N.
Went to the old Waterford location with my BFF after someone told us that it turns in to a "grown-up" bar at night. I can tell you exactly why they closed in two words. DISCO AC/DC. The "dj" they had was nothing more than some dude with a macbook and headphones forcing you to listen to his awful mixes. Just when you though the disco ac/dc was bad, he subjected us to country ABBA! Needless to say, no one was cutting it up on the dance floor in front of him. The only upside to this place was the giant brandy glass they had in front that was full of chocolate mints. I filled my pocket with them after finishing my cape cod and hustling my BFF out so we could have our ears packed with gauze.
(1)Nicole V.
I used to love this place years ago. Ive frequented it less and less since I am in Livermore and have such a great downtown and many restaurant options to choose from. A few at my office still use this place to host account dinners if needed. With that being said, I suggested that we go here with family for a long awaited dinner together since it was a half way point between us. It was a Saturday night and the restaurant was moderately full. It was an extremely HOT day and it seemed like they didnt bother to turn the AC on at all. We were sweating profusely during our whole meal. The service was great but our food was not. I had the mahi mahi with risotto. The fish was ok but the risotto was the consistency of rice. Not the creamy loveliness you would expect from risotto. My brother ordered the short ribs which were extremely sweet and had a spice reminiscent of Christmas. When you order short ribs you are expecting something savory. He didnt eat his meal at all. My stepmother had the pancetta wrapped chicken over egg noodles which she didnt touch at all because it was terribly bland. We skipped out on dessert all together since we were so disappointed with our meal and headed down to an ice cream shop to beat the heat. I was so sad everyone was so disappointed with their meals since we dont do this often and it was my suggestion and so pricey. Stacey's has definitely fallen off of my list of restaurants :(
(2)Robert R.
Great place to eat, I like the humor they add to the menu items. Great ambiance and service.
(4)Del S.
"Barbecued Boneless Beef Short Ribs...cooked for hours until they are fork tender, served with our gruyere scalloped potatoes, androasted winter vegetables..." All I know is that they do this dish perfectly, and I savored every bite... Hubby had the Guinness marinated Rib-Eye... And he devoured the whole thing... Our friends had the Pan-Seared Ahi and were not disappointed... Full bar, and great wine selection...My Mango Mojito was oh so yummy! Our table had a variety of desserts to share... A word of advice, -one should not be allowed to eat their Bread Pudding... Every bite was addicting... The creme brûlée and the Triple Chocolate Brownie were tested and given a resounding thumbs up... We will definitely return to try other menu items... I can't wait!
(4)Soraya B.
I have been coming here for 5 years and love their food and their friendly service. They hosted my dad's 90 birthday so beautifully. They make you feel you are the only guest they have every time you walk in there even when the restaurant is packed.
(5)Mary J.
So how does one show up for work on a Friday morning only to be done with the work day by 11am? Well for me this past Fri (12/4/09) that was the case, but hey closed up shop early to have our Xmas Lunch @ Stacy's Cafe in Pleasanton. WEBSITE: Do check out their website...informative, helpful, & fun =) eatatstaceys.com LOCATION: On Main St with Bernal Ave being the major cross street, but reall Abbie St is the cross. Street parking all over the place, but kinda of "good luck with that" situation...parking lot in the back area along Abbie St, but again, "good luck with that". RESTAURANT: They provide great photos of their interior @ their website. Outdoor patio w/ umbrellas in front of restaurant w/ the view of Main St, bar area upon entrance, then dinning area leads to the right side & further in. Table cloth setting with armless chairs & soft jazzy/soft-rock music playing in the bkgd. Spacious, clean, & welcoming restaurant for all shapes, sizes, & range of folks who'd like to dine here...more of an "adult" setting to me..prob not best suite for kids, but that's ur call. yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… CUST SVC: Excellent! Welcoming, pleasant, patient, thorough, helpful, & courteous. Having lunch w/ a party of 8, our waiter was simply great; apologetic when needing to interrupt the convo, great w/ peaking in on glasses/plates/etc, as well as colleague in the area taking a peak everything ok. Keep up the excellent work team ;-) FOOD: Fresh hot baked bread w/ scoop or butter in center brought as courtesy to the table(s) yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Lunch prices range from say $15-$20. Good portion sizes, "clean" presentation of food, & everyone pretty much enjoyed their meals. No alcohol on this dinning experience, just reg unsweetened tea (free refills) that I jazzed up w/ Splenda *tee-hee* yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Mushroom Carbonara yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Florentine Ravioli yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Jambalaya yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Scott's Favorite Pasta yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Free Range CA Chicken Sandwich yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Portabella Mushroom Sandwich yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Fish Tacos yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… Stacy's courtesy birthday "bread pudding" cake yelp.com/biz_photos/2gDf… There was a birthday in our group, so nice to see their courtesy bday dessert. I'm not a much on bread pudding cakes fan...all I can say is it was def hot & the vanilla ice cream was cold & creamy. My Jambalaya entree was tasty, but didn't knock me off my chair like "Hot damn, this is the sh!t". Not overly spicy after 5bites; I could've finished the whole thing, but chose to brown big a lil' hm so my BF could sample it. FINAL TAB: Hell I have no clue...it was a company lunch (lol). Great eats tho...I'd recommend it if ur pocketbook allows u ;-)
(4)Kathryn L.
This place is extremely popular for lunch because of it's Main Street locale. The ambiance is nice - sophisticated and casual at the same time, making it a great place for company lunches or a relaxed business meeting. A negative about their location is that it's on Main Street which means mostly street parking. My biggest beef is that each time I have been there for lunch, their service was SO SLOW!! I have come both with a large party of 20 as well as a small intimate party of two and the outcome was the same. Their lunch is tasty enough with a pretty good selection of sandwiches, soups, and salads, but their terrible service makes a delicious lunch feel earned, therefore making the entire experience negative. I have never been here for dinner, but because of my negative experiences, I probably wouldn't ever because who knows HOW long it would be before I got fed.
(2)Amrit A.
Stacy's was a great place a few years back but due to the manager Abe this place has gone down hill in many ways. The manager (I guess owner because he says he is the highest up) is argumentative and does not need much business as he does not return calls and has no phone manners at all when you talk to him. I have always wondered why they do not have Geronimo as a manager he is pleasant to speak to and would have more tact and intelligence. The food has declined and not much has changed ( except for the Abe) in the menu. Business must be good to treat customers like this.
(1)Alvin B.
I have been going to Stacy's Cafe for many years now and I have to say that they are extremely consistent with their high quality. The food is always fresh fresh and the assortment of dishes are above what the rest of Main St. has to offer. Their bar has good offerings along with the wine list. Pricing is very fair for what you get and the portions are more than enough for a hearty appetite. Stacy's is worth a try!
(5)Amy C.
My husband and I went there for date night and had a great time. The food was great! We had Chipotle Honey Glazed Prawns appetizer, Grilled Natural Salmon Filet (best salmon I've ever had at a restaurant I usually prefer to cook it at home) and Mushroom Carbonara and Triple Chocolate Brownie. The server was very nice and the busboy was as well. Our water was never empty. We sat on the front patio and enjoyed the nice weather; sunglasses were a must as the sun went under the levels of the shade umbrellas.
(4)Annissa H.
My family and my sister's friends came here for lunch and it was pretty crackin. Very nice atmosphere- cozy and modern. Like others have said, the complimentary bread with melty garlic butter was DELICIOUS. If you like butter like I do, you will definitely enjoy it! I had the blackened salmon sandwich with the house mixed green salad. The dressing was good and so was the sandwich. The bread was very soft and warm, which is always a plus in my book! It's a little bit pricier than other sandwich places. Mine was about $16 but definitely worth it.
(4)Zach M.
Nice atmosphere - not busy,so good for conversation inside. Outside seating nice. Service OK, but long wait for food. Food good, but not great and overpriced-crusted Mahi Mahi was $30 and dry with over spicy the being the only sensation.
(3)Christine N.
I don't know how many times I've walked by this place and though 'huh, that looks cute', but this week I finally tried it with a group of friends. I didn't want something too heavy for lunch so my group and I split the cheesy fries as an appetizer. They were delicious!!! The cheese was like the consistency of my favorite fake nacho cheese, but was actual real, quality cheese. I was in heaven! The bread they provided was hot and fresh with a delicious garlic butter. The house salad was super tasty and I topped off my lunch with their strawberry limeade. Fresh and delicious! The price was definitely up there for some items (that cobb salad still amazes me that it's in the high 'teens), but everything we had was fresh and delicious. Service was great and we enjoyed a beautiful day sitting out on the patio area. I'd definitely go back and try some more from the menu, and come for dinner sometime.
(4)Brian Z.
Excellent service, food, and wine. I will be going back to try the rest of the menu. Also features a nice outdoor seating patio.
(4)Skip M.
Our favorite place to eat in Pleasanton. We go there at least a couple times a month. The menu is fun and there are many options to choose from. The service is excellent and the staff is extrememly friendly.
(5)Alexis D.
I guess this place has changed ownership. In the past, I've had some really great meals here with great service. However, this time, both entrees for our party were practically inedible. After waiting for ages, in a not busy restaurant, we finally received our entrees. The gruyere scalloped potatoes were basically raw potatoes covered in so much cheese it was like they were trying to hide the fact that it was still raw. My mom's NY strip steak was overcooked, and on the border of being rancid. The service was great, as usual, however when the manager came out to talk to us about the steak, he basically said it's aged so it's supposed to taste like that, and it was fresh in that day. I understand people make mistakes, but I'm a professional chef, and that was not a fresh or properly aged cut of meat. The salads were good, as usual, and like I said, our server was very attentive and apologetic, but one star for no service recovery from the manager. Although my mother said she would go back, I would have to see a lot of improvement before I'd be willing to blow $60 on two house salads and inedible meals.
(1)Dimitri A.
If I could give less, I would. Went to Stacey's last night for dinner with my wife and a couple friends. The service was good. ALL the pasta comes with chick peas, which is not in the menu. Then comes my order. I decided the new york strip sounded good, so went with that. I asked for it to be cooked rare. When the steak came, the outside was seared, but the fat was still cold, and the steak was RAW!!!!! How they can serve a raw steak, I have no idea, but I sent it back. Everyone else at the table started eating. The steak comes back, STILL undercooked. Now I figured I should probably ask for it to be cooked Medium so that it would come cooked at all. Finally the steak comes back, and I can eat. The problem is my whole table has already eaten, so I have to eat alone. Now here is the part that REALLY pisses me off. THe bill comes and they charge me for EVERYTHING!!!! I don't mind paying for all the food that came out on time, the way it was supposed to, but NOT for a steak I had to send back twice. I actually had to complain and ask them if they made a mistake for charging me for the steak, and it should be removed. NOT OK...
(1)Jim L.
I recently had lunch at Stacey's Cafe in downtown Pleasanton. What a nice place to visit Pleasanton is. Stacey's Cafe is a very nice place to stop and have lunch. The food is good and the service was prompt and courteous. The menu has a lot of variety and there are many funny quotes printed following the descriptions of the individual food items. If you're in the Pleasanton area, stop here. You'll both enjoy this restaurant and the town itself.
(4)joyce m.
I'm surprised to see such negative reviews here. I've only dined @ Staceys once, months ago, but I still remember how good my salmon dish was. The porcini sauce, polenta, veggies and crispy onions complimented the salmon very well. The service was great. Attentive, without being overbearing. The only reason I haven't been back is because they're a bit pricey, so I'm reserving it for a special occasion. If you want to try the salmon dish above, it's $10 cheaper during lunch!
(4)Jessica M.
Delicious, tomatoes bisque was yummy, love the garlic butter for the still warm fresh bread. And my carbonara was very good, a little too much ham made it a touch salty but it was really really good. My creme brulee was fantastic. Service was absolutely spot on and very friendly and professional. Will definitely come again
(5)Jocelyn N.
Great service - loved our waiter. Food isn't very good and atmosphere is blah. Won't go back.
(2)Cindy W.
Lunch at Stacey's seemed pretty popular. Could be the nice patio that wraps the front of the restaurant, or the cute corner that it sits on in downtown Pleasanton. Or could be the soft sourdough loaf that comes warm with a scoop of melting garlic butter. The bread definitely stood out for me. As for the lunch itself I thought it was ok. I had the half sandwich and soup combo (or choice of salad or fries instead) for $10.75. I had the Ahi Sandwich which required an extra $2. The half sandwich (about 4" long) was good - a wedge of seared tuna bookended by fresh ciabatta bread, some bitter arugula greens and some nondescript sauce. I chose a side of the Tomato Bisque soup, served in a pretty square lipped bowl. Just a tad salty but thick and hearty. My companions had variations of the half and half combo and seemed pretty satisfied with their choices. Reason why Stacey's doesn't get a 4th star is the price. It's high for a small cup of soup and a little section of sandwich. For the same price, we could have feasted on whole sandwich with leftovers for later. But oh well, maybe that's why you should savor the warm sourdough loaf in the beginning of the meal.
(3)Ashley M.
I came here with my family on a Monday night around 7:30pm. It wasn't very crowded, but it was hard to hear anyone speak at our table. It serves pricey and up-scale food, but everyone in there was dressed very casual. I didn't like the spinach artichoke dip because the texture was like it was blended to a fine mush. The Barbecued Beef Short Ribs were very sweet and my family all agreed it tasted like Christmas for some reason. My parents enjoyed the lamb, but hated all the garlic in the pasta. The service was good and the atmosphere, although loud, was intimate. For the price and the taste of the food, I don't think I'll be going again. But I would recommend it to someone who wanted a nicer American cuisine restaurant in Pleasanton.
(3)T. C.
Service was very good. Place is nice. Nice patio for a warm night. Bread and butter were very good. Warm and flavorful. But once I opened the menu and saw the prices, I felt like leaving. I was better off going to Haps if I was going to pay those outrageous prices. I had the pasta. I have never had overcooked pasta before in my life, until Stacy's. So overcooked, it nearly melted in my mouth. Simply awful. My date had the Stacey's Shells & Cheese. She was not impressed and has had better. I can't comment on the high-priced food items like salmon, etc. They looked and sounded good, but there is no way on earth I am paying those prices. Will not be back.
(2)John G.
Salmon filet was perfect with the pesto sauce potato cake and green beans. Something for everyone. Very nice restaurant. Worth the price.
(5)Gary D.
On a warm summer day, you really can't go wrong under an umbrella at one of the many downtown Pleasanton eateries. I took the wife, 4-year-old daughter, and 1-year-old son and headed out for a relaxing lunch on an 80-degree Saturday.. Ambiance/experience: The Stacey's Cafe side patio is one of the better spots, with giant strategically-placed umbrellas to shield from the hot sun and just enough space between Stacey's and the nearby building to create a perfect tunnel for a slow, cool summer breeze that won't blow everything off your table. Take your time reading the menu, as practically every item is followed with a related one-liner, some funny and some not quite as humorous as the writers thought they'd be. The Food: My daughter had the shells & cheese, which unfortunately was swimming in the oil that had slipped free from the cheese during baking and looked pretty disgusting. As the dish cooled, the oil started to solidify and it simply didn't look edible. Do yourself a favor and avoid this dish. I had the California grilled chicken sandwich, which came with bacon, cheddar, tomato, avocado, and an aioli-mayo paste slathered on perfectly grilled bread. All the ingredients looked terrific, but they didn't seem to taste so great when eaten altogether. It was much better when took it apart and ate all the components separately. The fries on the side were excellent. The Service: Food took quite a while to come out and our waitress abandoned us for about 15 minutes at a time, but it wasn't too bad because we were relaxing under the shade of the umbrella. Overall: Stacey's Cafe hit the spot, exactly what I had hoped for but nothing really special to win my loyalty. I can't wait to go back to downtown Pleasanton and give their competitors a try.
(3)Meredith K.
Tasty food, decent wine and reasonable prices for dinner. i came here for a work dinner, so it's always hard to get a good feel for a place when you have a group of 20 people... But overall Stacey's did a great job accommodating our large group. Waiters were pretty attentive, drinks/wine were served in a reasonable time, and dinners all came out right about the same time and were cooked very well. Loved the Chipotle Shrimp dish.
(4)Marilyn T.
Growing up, I was always amused by the Dilbert references and the witty comments on the menu. Stacey's is at the beginning of Main Street, so it's generally easy to find parking right in back. The chipotle honey prawns make for a nice starter - prawns are plump, and in the summer, the fruit salsa is especially fresh. I usually prefer two of their appetizers vs one entree as my meal for more variety and for something lighter. My mom is a vegetarian, so she always goes with Scott's favorite pasta. You can add edamame, which is unique, so that in combination with the walnuts makes for more texture and protein. For dessert, I love warm chocolate chip bread pudding with ice cream. Wines are mostly from Napa/Sonoma; surprisingly, not much from Livermore. I've never been blown away by the food. I think it's pricier than it can justify. Service has always been OK for me, but never great, and food has sometimes taken a really long time to come out. It seems more popular for lunch. Try to get a shaded seat on the patio.
(3)Stacy S.
I have to review a place that has the same name as me!!! I went here on Saturday with 3 other people, it was not super busy and we sat out in the patio. I ordered the BLT- with avacado, so it was a BLAT- and it was awesome! The salad it came with was delish as well. My fam was happy with their meals as well. Even though the portion sizes were reasonable, it was kind of pricey, especially for lunch. Also, the bathrooms were messy and there weren't any paper towels. I would like to come back here for dinner and try it out. :)
(4)Angela S.
I love this place! Sometimes the service can be slow, but it is great. Of course it is more expensive than most options, seeing as how it's on Main st and has a more "gourmet" selection, but I definitely enjoy the food. I always usually get the salmon. It is delicious. It has a potato patty, fresh grilled salmon, sauteed spinach, green beans and topped off with crunchy onions. The bread with the garlic butter to start is to die for btw!!!!!! Definitely worth a try, and multiple visits!
(4)Spencer C.
Two stars because their food is still good, but service and prices are horrible. I started eating at the one in Dublin first and really liked the Jambalaya - it was $20. The Dublin location shut down so my friend wanted to take me to the Main St. one for my birthday. We got seated outside and they forgot about us - we had to flag someone down. I ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and it was awful so I switched to wine, thinking the bartender can't mess that up - he just pours. It got cold outside and they came out and set up a heat lamp then moved it away from us to another table! And the Jambalaya (which was still great) jumped to $26 dollars. No thanks.
(2)Barbara R.
Went for lunch, saw the special of risotto with pancetta, chicken and asparagus so I ordered it. Pancetta tasted like Chinese BBQ pork found in fried rice. The rice they used was anything BUT the right rice for risotto. It had the consistency of minute rice. The entire dish tasted like a sloppy Chinese Fried Rice. No sauce on it, very dry, total disappointment. I have been there several times prior, but won't be back after this experience.
(1)Diane R.
We went for lunch on a Sunday. Sat outside on the back/side patio, which was very nice and pleasant, so they get high marks for atmosphere. Seemed like it would be a good restaurant, but I thought the food and service were just OK. I was there meeting an old friend and we were getting caught up. The waitress kept asking if we were ready to order, even though we left our menus open. I finally asked her what she recommended and she gave me a few choices, including the chicken sandwich and portobello mushroom sandwich. I chose half a chicken sandwich and a house salad with gorgonzola and walnuts. My sandwich was very "bread heavy" (on ciabatta) and had lettuce cut in thin ribbons which kept sliding out. The bread was toasted on a grill because it had a bit of charred taste. Just OK. The salad was overdressed and I got one walnut and three small crumbles of gorgonzola. The mushroom sandwich (which I didn't try) was had by 2 others, along with the spinach salad which looked good, and they both raved..so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. After we walked out and saw the specials board, I realized that our waitress never even mentioned them and they weren't on the menu. I'm not from Pleasanton so probably won't ever try them again. The bonus thought is there is a lot right behind them to park!
(2)Scotty D.
still love the food but can you bring down the lunch prices please? SHEESH!
(3)Scott S.
I Went here on the 5th of November. I had the Mushroom Sandwich minus the cheese, and asked for champagne vinaigrette on the side. WOW, very tasty. The side salad was out of this world, a perfect fix of greens. dried cranberries, candied walnuts. and a perfect amount of gorgonzola cheese. For dessert, i had a brownie with Vanilla Bean Gelato. Very Very good. All plates were plated very nice, presentation was great, service was great, A+++++++ Our Server Theresa was very professional, and showed great customer service skills. #1.
(5)Jennifer A.
I had a business lunch here the other day and came in with pretty low expectations, but I have to admit, I was really surprised! First of all, they bring you a little round loaf of sour dough bread with a garlic butter spread that is DEADLY. I knew I shouldn't be eating it since I had a presentation to give later, but I couldn't help it. That butter would make cardboard taste good. I also had the Thai Beef salad which was awesome. When they brought it out, it just smelled soooo good. Now, when was the last time you had a salad that actually smelled like anything?? The beef was really well seasoned and the peanut dressing was tasty. Service here was also excellent. They knew we were in a bit of a hurry and took our order and brought our food very quickly. Our server even came by to tell us the time! Minus 1 star though for the price. I think it's a little overpriced. $15+ dollars for a salad and $9.95 for a bowl of soup. I haven't seen soup that expensive since my $23 bowl of soup at Spago!
(4)Herb H.
Great food and very well presented. I actually had my reception here and they staff was amazing! Great place for a date night but they are on the pricey side! I will def be back.
(4)Jessica E.
I see lots of great reviews and I may give them another chance, but our service and food left something to be desired. We were seated up front but seemed to be almost an afterthought to the waiter. The chicken was dry and the crab cakes were a little too crispy. $22 dollars for a cup of soup, a shared appetizer of crab cakes and a shared Stacey's salad with dry chicken. No beverage, just water.
(2)Geraldine S.
I love this place! I've had the Grilled Natural Salmon Fillet and I think it's delicious! I love how there is a potato cake on top of haricot verts and sundried tomatoes. Then it's topped with pesto and gouda cheese. The salmon fillet is on top of that. Then on top of that is onion rings. Yum! I also had the Triple Chocolate Brownie. It's sinfully delicious! It's topped with chocolate and caramel sauce and candied walnuts. There's vanilla bean gelato on the side. I don't really care for their decaf coffee. My favorite decaf is at BJ's. It's so noisy inside. I feel like I have to yell in order for my friends to hear me. The service is great! They're friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Parking can be a challenge during lunch when it's busy. There's street parking and some lots you can park in.
(4)Nicole B.
We walked in for a late lunch this afternoon without reservations. Our server immediately gave us our choice of outdoor seating. It was beautiful out today and my husband and I really enjoyed sitting outside against Main St in downtown Pls. We ordered the spinach dip for an appetizer, hubby ordered the chicken sandwich w/parmesan fries, and I ordered the portabella mushroom sandwich w/parmesan fries. Everything was DELICIOUS, we both agreed! The cosmo I ordered was the best I've had in a long time! I can't wait to go back!
(4)Robert F.
So much potential in location and with outdoor seating. It gives off the vibe of this quaint little farm to table bistro until you start your meal and quickly learn different. Turns out it's overpriced and the food is unmemorable, even bland. I've had lunch a couple time here and that's a better experience overall - lunch is the only reason it's getting a few stars. Also, don't eat inside - it feels dark and kind of outdated.
(3)Mai Anh V.
My husband and I were very impressed with this joint! We even had a choice of where we could sit! We ordered the spicy fried calamari for our appetizer. Yummy, yummy! The sauce was just perfect. It tasted like a spicy sweet and sour sauce and the squid itself was not stinky and just the right texture. My entree was the rib eye. It was extremely tender, but I could have done with a different marination. The drinks here are strong and extremely tasty! I ordered the cherry lemon drop and it tasted exactly like a cherry icee. It's probably why I had a second one! :p Our server, Geronimo, was extremely catering and so personable! He made us feel very welcomed and appreciated. We will definitely be returning in the future!
(4)Carol W.
Good food and pleasant atmosphere. We stumbled onto Stacey's while driving through from out of town. The menu cracked me up with the humorous comments next to the items. I'd go back.
(4)Felecia W.
Went a few wks ago ago.Very nice restaurant in historic pleasanton. This time we went here the day of the farmers market. We got outdoor seating, which was very nice. We sat under their umbrella's in the shade, and had a nice view of the main street. Food is good, sandwich and salad type of place. Afterwards took a nice walk thru the farmers market and down main street. A nice place to spend the afternoon.
(4)Manuel G.
Absolutely the WORST $40.00 I ever spent for lunch. Tea was fine and my wife enjoyed her sandwich well enough. However the Tortilla soup. A Cocktail sauce like consistency and it literally made me sick to my stomach. The Crab Cakes were disgusting. An example of pure incompetent cooking. Of the Four sides, not two were the same color. One was hardly seared and greasy looking on one side and solid BLACK burnt on the other. Served solid BLACK side up.. The second had good color on the bottom. (Why not serve on that side? I can't understand.) The service side had a black burnt ring around the edge with a chunk missing. It looked like PAC MAN I am very sorry Stacy. But NEVER again. I was robbed
(1)Lisa R.
We were given a gift card for our wedding and went to use it on my birthday. We had good service, although slow (even though the restaurant wasn't busy on TH evening), and the food was delicious. Our experience ended on a sour note when the new management would not honor the gift card. As a diner, I come for ambiance, food and service... I don't care that new management won't realize the revenue from my gift card, as it was purchased under old management. What I care, and what I remember, and what I share with you, was that real money was paid for that card and wasn't accepted. There's nothing on the gift card itself, nor the envelope it came in, about disclaimers of not being valid in certain circumstances. It simply says "full amount redeemable for food/drink". All the good work from the wait and cooking staffs was wiped away by our waiter's last words. My husband and I won't return to that restaurant again, as that gesture shows that new management doesn't care about customer loyalty and they'd rather snag my $75 one time rather than have me as a returning customer, who would have otherwise raved about her special birthday dining experience. 9/5 update - so, after I posted this initial review (back in July), I emailed it to Stacey's management. I received a phone call a few days later and a week or so after that initial outreach, we connected. Abe was very apologetic, realized the error, said they want to be a good community member and said if we were to give his restaurant another chance, he'd honor the card. We went in on Friday night, my husband's birthday, and spoke with Abe before we sat down to confirm he was keeping to the offer. We enjoyed a wonderful meal on the patio. Again, food was delicious (I had the rack of lamb special and hubby had beef ribs) and the service was once again top notch. In my mind, they did the right thing by honoring the gift card, so I'm upping my rating to 3 stars. food and service deserves 4 stars, but since this rating system claims 4 is "I'm a fan"... well, I'm just not sure I'm there yet, but we're definitely more open to dining here again than we were before.
(3)Burrito M.
Based on a recommendation from a co-worker, we headed to Stacey's for a leisurely lunch for 4. All I have to say is...DeeeeELish! The curb appeal and indoor decor are more on the upscale side, and to my taste, quite appealing. They seated us right away by the front window which is a primo spot. Our server was attentive and friendly the entire time, right after we sat down and ordered our drinks, she brought out a large round loaf of warm sourdough bread with a giant scoop of melty garlic butter nestled in the middle, it was to die for... Onto lunch, I ordered the half soup/half sandwich and added a side of the house salad w/ ranch. The soup was tomato bisque served with a dollop of pesto - I thought the soup was OK, but didn't like the pesto. The sandwich was the free range chicken breast w/ lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon, cheese and mayo on baguette - this was extremely yummy - the chicken was tender and the bacon crispy and perfect. The side salad was mixed greens with candied walnuts, crumbled bleu cheese, and dried cranberries - quite good. I was too stuffed at the end to order dessert. One of my lunch companions ordered the BLT and she stated that it was the best BLT EVER! That's what I'm gonna order next time. These folks really know how to do bacon. Four lunch entrees and 2 iced teas came out to about $70 w/ tax and tip. So this wasn't cheap, but good food is worth it when you want to treat yourself, and the four of us were definitely in the mood for some cheering up with a nice treat. As we say in yelp*-ese: Yay! I'm a fan.
(4)Liz O.
Had a late lunch on Easter Sunday.. nothing to special.. great service.. love the atmosphere.. ok food.. nothing that I can really complain or brag about.
(3)Star M.
Visited for a weekday lunch in early August. We went with the sandwich & salad lunch special -- great choice. Half-sandwich was plenty to eat with the salad, and a quick and reasonable lunch. Great service & quick refills. Repeater for sure!
(4)Deb T.
Sorry to say this restaurant shows signs of wear and neglect. The service was ok, but the food quality was low and the price was high. Food tasted warmed over microwaved.
(2)Niki H.
Whenever we've been to stacy's the ambiance, food and service has been exceptional.
(4)Kali L.
We tried this place, it came recommended. We were expecting breakfast options, but none available. Food quality is below average, nothing to write home about. The prices are high for their quality of food too. However, I did like the nice hot bread.
(2)Nicki P.
Best crab cakes!! My husband and I love dining at Stacey's Cafe and it's our number one choice for date night dining. We heard of the new ownership and hope everything remains the same.
(5)Dustin S.
Just had my mom's 60th birthday party here and all I have to say is that Abe and his crew rock. Food was great, service was spectacular. All of our guests that live in the area said they'd be returning for the "out of this world" short ribs.
(5)sandy b.
Tonight was our thirteenth wedding anniversary. We decided to go to Stacey's for dinner. As we walked in the door there was a basket of chips on the table. My husband took one as we both thought that it was for all to snack as you walk in. Immediately a waiter came over and told my husband off. Accused him of stealing and would not stop scolding him loudly in front of the crowded restaurant. He embarrased my husband and me. We did not know what to say and not only that he basically made it known to all that my husband was a theif. This waiter has a temper and certainly enjoyed being the center of attention by putting us down. We are educated people and my husband owned a very large airline company. We have recently moved to Pleasanton from Saratoga. We left immediately as we were affraid that this man would put something in our meals just to spite us. He was just that type. My husband never argued with him and was trying to stop this verbal lashing. We went accross the street and had a wonderful dinner where we were treated with respect. Sandy Barnes
(1)livs-phill y.
P: The food at stacey's is mediocre. The best appetizer they have is their cheese fries. The location in Dublin, which is now closed, had a better menu selection, however the Pleasanton location is in the heart of downtown so you can dine outside if you like. L: This place I think is just okay. The food hasn't wow'd me yet but it does taste good. I haven't had one that I didn't like yet. The entree's are a good portion and are done well. The appetizers are also generous in size. The service is always good.
(3)m j.
It was nice to dine on the patio at Stacey's where I took a friend to lunch today. We both ordered the Cobb salad for $17.95. W/ a price tag like that however, I was expecting more than a lot of lettuce and a paltry serving of everything except the bacon bits. Two beers to chase the heat, two Cobb salads, tip and $60 later I left feeling, well, ripped off. Even my guest mentioned the too few pieces of chicken.
(1)Sara B.
Stacey's is one of my many favorite restaurants. They have great service and the food is great! I'm a big fan of their garlic bread and of the Chipotle Prawns! AMAZING!! I definitely recommend that!
(4)Michael L.
Stacey's is one of my favorite restaurants. It's one of those places you have to visit in Pleasanton. I've been here many times for dinner since they opened over ten years ago and I've brought friends many who told me they really enjoyed the experience. The service has always been attentive and the food is tasty and well eye catching. The chef Ryan is creative and the quality of his ingredients is high. Stacey is often there to greet dinner guests and sees to the details. Stacey is a wine fan and tastes and selects the wine on the menu and she's always ready to make a recommendation if you ask. A couple of years ago I moved to within walking distance of downtown and I like to take a stroll to Stacey's on Wednesday evenings when they have music and drink and food specials and sit on the patio and visit with the guests. It's the kind of small town thing that people come to Pleasanton for.
(5)eric k.
I thought this place was really nice. Service was quite good. It has a nice small-restaurant feel mixed with just a tinge of fancy. I ordered the hot pastrami, and the sandwich was quite good. I requested salad with it, and the small house with gargonzola turned into walnut/cranberry/arugula salad.... which a bit too much dressing. The bread was warm, but not quite as sourdough as I think it was meant to be, or maybe the butter/spread overpowered it. Very nice... I went and used passport. I'd certainly go again if I was in the area.
(4)Rebecca G.
My Friend wanted to come here since it was on the Passport savings card. We started with mai-tai's which were good but I still like Cheesecake factory better. They brought out bread and garlic butter. The butter was so good I could have eaten it on everything! I had the shells and cheese...phew. it tasted like mac and cheese from a box and I was highly dissappointed. The waiter said it was good. unh-uh. No not good. Oh well my bad for ordering something so low end in a place that has daily specials I can't pronounce. It was also a bit on the pricey side for Dinner. Thank goodness for a savings card.
(2)Nina P.
What a lovely restaurant! Our waitress, Laura, was friendly as soon as we walked in late on Sunday night--one hour before close. She did not rush us, and even offered dessert, after the place had officially closed. There were still a few other patrons at the time, though. The manager also stopped to talk to us during our meal. Friendly staff and good food! We always drive by this place but never stopped until that night. We just figured any place called "Stacey's" couldn't be more than a greasy spoon kind of place. Boy were we wrong. Upscale furnishings, a full bar and decent wine menu, coupled with great service, made our evening special. I also like the open kitchen format, even though I wasn't really checking in on the cooks! It would be a great place to bring visitors after an afternoon of wine tasting around Livermore. The patio outside will make for a good hangout when summer arrives. We plan to go back the next time I'm craving my favorite comfort food: macaroni and cheese.
(5)Ethan H.
Good set and setting, good wine, great service, but man, the food is just tooooo rich. Stopped going because every dish leaves me feeling bloated and gross. Cut the cream by 4x, cut the pancetta out of every dish, just tone it way down guys!
(2)Jonathan L.
Take a look at all those ratings that gave this place more than 1 star. Okay, now ignore them. They were written by very nice people who are perpetuating damage on peoples' digestive systems by recommending they go to Stacey's. This place is awful. I had a sandwich that tasted like last night's subway sandwich. The one subway gave away for free because they forgot to include taste. Like one of the other reviewer's, I really wanted to like Stacey's. But the one in Dublin and the one in Pleasanton are equally deserving of the lowest rating. Sorry, really I hate to give such low ratings.
(1)Rob M.
Had not been to Stacey's in a while, so when friends offered to watch the kids, wife and I first thought to head over as our past experience was quite pleasant. Man, this place has taken a serious slide for the worse! We didn't have reservations, but arrived early enough to be seated right away. Service was fair, but it was apparent that the staff's priority was preparing for the 'expected' dinner service and not so much the customers at hand. Lot's of prep work, chit chat among staff, fiddling with the light level, etc. It really felt like showing up for a party 30 minutes early - not the ambiance we were looking for. But you know, an evening out was good enough (to start). We ordered up a bottle of wine (one of 'Stacey's Picks' in fact)...not available...second try...not available. So not being huge wine enthusiasts, scanned the menu for a third alternative and the cheapest offered /available was a bottle of cab for $65. I'm all for paying for quality & service, but living here is the HEART of the Livermore Wine Country, it was hard to feel good paying that for a bottle I could pick up at BevMo for $14 (I checked). Eh, it's a night out, let's enjoy. A good menu selection, though one could say a bit too large for a cafe/bistro - really would be nicer to go seasonal, especially with the Farmer's Market 3 blocks down. Entrees arrive and, ugh, can't put into words how let-down we both were. Really over-seasoned and over-cooked. Halfway through we swapped plates, but my wife traded back stating mine was inedible (I have a higher spice tolerance though). Never been closer to sending something back to the kitchen, but we didn't have the time to wait with the kids at home. This was a few weeks back, but after having dinner at the Outback Steakhouse last night, we both found ourselves joking how enjoyable it was, good food and for the money, we could visit another two times for the price of Stacey's. I know the Waterford location closed down, really had hoped more effort would have been put into the Main Street Cafe, but we won't be returning and given the great locale (with rear parking no less), would be more excited to see them follow Waterford's path and turn it over to someone willing to compete with the great choices Pleasanton's Main Street has to offer.
(2)Dave F.
Three words: Best Bacon Ever! A friend was in town and he wanted to check out Scott Adams's restaurant. What? Dogbert owns a restaurant? Ok. I'm in. Quaint little restaurant with ample patio seating. A gorgeous sunday, sitting on the patio having a couple of drinks and watching the world go by sounds like the way to do it. First, they actually have clamato at the bar. For those of you who are bloody mary fans, yes, the Caesar (with a capital C) is a much better sunday brunch libation. They made the Caesars with gusto and let us focus on the menu... which is worth the visit in itself. Every single item on the menu comes chock full of Adams's legendary wit... Comments like "Caesar salad [...] named after the great Romaine emperor Julius Salad" makes the menu reading rather long. I had to read the menu twice - once for the comments, and once to decide what I wanted. So, down to business. The Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich, which would have been included endive, but for having to call the sandwich a "BELT", was divine. The red pepper aioli complemented the sandwich well, and the bacon.... oh, the bacon. I had a spinach side salad with it, which was also delicious. I highly recommend this place.
(5)Carol Y.
We arrived a half hour before our scheduled reservation because the traffic on the way was a lot lighter than expected that evening. Thankfully, even though they were quite busy at the time, they were still able to seat us within a couple of minutes. Since neither of us had ever really been out in Pleasenton, we chose to sit out on the patio to enjoy the sites. The vibe of the neighborhood was relaxed and pleasent. People were out with strollers and dogs. Inside, the restaurant seem cozy with a nice homey feel. The commentary accompanying each menu description was halarious, and we found ourselves chuckling the whole time we were studying them. We were headed to see a comedy show right after dinner, so it was a great start to a light, laughter-filled night. The wait staff was friendly and attentive and the food delicious. I liked the fact that they brought out a tray of their dessert selections as visual representation a of their selections. Unfortunately, nothing really stood out and we opted to pass and go for Cold Stone ice cream across the street instead.
(5)Beth K.
Stacey's cafe is 1 of my favorite restaurants of all time. The waiters are friendly and quick. Their food is some of my favorites and the pasta is the best.if you're looking for a restaurant that has great food and friendly people Stacey's you're go to place.
(5)Stacy B.
In a sentence, Stacey's is our favorite place in downtown Pleasanton. We have come here a few times, with friends, by ourselves, even on work lunches. So we have a bit of experience here, and it is one of the few places that has us coming back for the food and service. The food is a bit on the more expensive side, but honestly, it is the best menu and best tasting food in Pleasanton. Pleasanton lacks a lot of the bigger city flare when it comes to restaurants, but Stacey's delivers both a nice ambiance and a pretty good menu. I have had the filet there a few times, which is always pretty good. Seasoned very simply (salt and pepper, I would guess), the sauces are typically tasty. We have enjoyed a few fish and lamb dishes as well. All have been worthwhile. The desserts are generally pretty tasty also. They have pretty standard desserts, but the chocolate cake type stuff has been a staple for us. If you are traveling from some other town to come here, it might be worth it. But this is not a destination restaurant. We love it because it is a 3 minute walk from our house, the food is good, and the service has been great. Would we like it this much if we had to drive 30 minutes? Probably not. The food is good but not travel-worthy.
(4)Sara M.
It takes a lot for me to give five stars, so.... My husband, son (18 mos) and I went to Stacey's tonight with another couple, and the experience was GREAT! Food, service and overall experience were all really good. As far as food, it started with warm bread with herb butter which everyone enjoyed and nibbled on. The table shared the calamari, which was good as well. Entrees at our table were the jumbo prawns, pancetta wrapped chicken, entree sized house salad with chicken and the mahi. Everyone really enjoyed their meals-they had good flavor, were good sized portions, and were really tasty. Our server was Shaun, and he was EXCELLENT. He was attentive, friendly and flexible. He made sure our toddler's food came out early, and he even washed off our toddler spoon after dinner. For those parents out there, the family friendliness is definitely a plus here. For dessert, we ordered the creme brulee and apple crisp. Everything was really good. Overall, a great experience, and highly recommended...We will be back for sure.
(5)Christine Y.
Mediocre food, absolutely dreadful service. I could describe in lengthy detail, but this place does not deserve more than just a few words, even if they are negative.
(1)Susan Y.
Very good. A bit pricey for my taste so I had the pasta shells with cheese. Good pasta, spicing, flavor, lovely cheesiness, like fancy mac and cheese. Friend had prawns and looked good. 4 stars for the dishes we had but 2 for the value.
(3)Lorna B.
I recently co-hosted a wedding shower using Stacey's private room. We had 24 guests. My overall experience was awesome. The manager, Abe, was helpful with all the details from choosing the wine and menu to allowing us access to the room a little early to make some personal touches. He also took very good care of us during our luncheon. The response from the guests about the food and atmosphere was nothing but positive. The price was very fair and the best part for me, other than how much our bride loved the restaurant and party details, was how much fun I got to have while being a co-host of such an event. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
(5)Mary Ella D.
Stacey's ... clever, clever, clever... My favorite thing is the menu, it's hilarious! What more could you ask for than belly laughs for appetizers?! The downtown location has the "Pleasant"ly quaint atmosphere of small-town goodness. Everyone seems to know everyone else. I had the Grilled Salmon, with green beans, pesto, potatoes, and little onion strings on top. This was gorgously displayed as the leaning tower of salmon and I delicately dismantled it and ravaged the whole thing down. Sopped up the pesto with the delishly warm buttery bread too. Great for business lunches, friends, etc. Not to miss. There is also the Stacey's across the freeway (in Dublin) by the Safeway, Amici's and Armadillo Willy's. I prefer this one better.
(5)Marja M.
I like to come here for vendor-funded lunches, given the general pricing of the menu. But, I decided to be a good "boss" and take my coordinator for lunch last week. We both needed a pick-me-up. Ordered a KILLER appetizer of melted gorgonzola cheese with pear chunks mixed in. Came with a plate of thinly, thank god, sliced crostini. This was absolutely delicious, and we both loved it! For entrees, my Girl Friday had a 1/2 turkey sandwich with Caesar salad, while I ordered the wild roasted salmon with red pepper sauce. I have to say that the salmon was a skosh dry and the sauce was too peppery for me. That's a personal preference; some people probably would go bananas over it. Our service was only alright. Seems like once we got our meal, it was all over but the shouting. No refill on the water or soda. No checking in to see if everything was okay with meal. We skipped dessert at this chi-chi establishment and made a beeline for the drive-thru dairy, where soft-serve ice cream is readily available at a FRACTION of the cost of the desserts at Stacey's. I've had better food and better service here before. Won't stop going, but there are plenty of other places to visit in downtown Pleasanton. Factoid: street parking is available and there's also a parking lot behind the restaurant.
(3)Melissa B.
Ahhhhhhh, Stacey, Where to begin... Before I can heap any praise at all (no matter how deserved it might be) on the Pleasanton location, I must ask that you IMMEDIATELY close the doors in Dublin. EWWE. Awful. Icky. Need I say more? Okay, on to the good stuff. This place is incredible. Fun, inventive food made and served by people who obviously love food. It is a pleasure everytime I walk in the door. I have never even heard of a house salad as good as this one. Some days I will just order a small house salad and be completely happy. Everything I have tried here has been great, and yes-the menu is funny. It all adds up to a great experience. Best of all-only a couple of snobs work here. My only problem ever was when the manager asked me one balmy evening if I needed a taxi since I had 4 Lemon Drops. Problem was-I had only one drink with my meal. When I explained this to her, she looked at me like I really was tanked. I still give her the finger when I walk past.
(4)Amy T.
Do NOT waste your time or money. If you like bad service and cold food this is the place for you. The silverware and cups were dirty and the waiter was rude. My husband and I ordered different items and both were cold, not sure why since it took 30 minutes to get eggs and french toast. It was 48.50 for bacon and eggs and the bacon was hard, not flavorful and way overcooked. The french toast my husband had was $8.25 and didn't taste like much, the menu said it came with sausage and it came out with bacon.
(1)Jeremy S.
This used to be one of our favorite spots for dinner or lunch in Pleasanton. However the service and quality of food has dropped over the last six months. We were there Saturday for lunch and not only was the food just as bad as the last three times we ate there. The service has gotten progressively worse... We used to love coming to Stacey's Cafe but its off our list now.
(1)Colleen M.
I have been to this place twice, once with my dad who visited me at work for lunch and another time with my mom for the same thing. Both times the service was good; they filled out water and made sure everything was good. I had the vegetarian sandwich the first time which I loved, my dad had a burger. Both were great. They come with either fries or a salad. The salad is nice because it's different, comes with blue cheese and cranberries and I think walnuts with a light vinaigrette. When I went with my mom it was Friday so their soup was salmon chowder. My mom and I both got a cup of the salmon chowder which was absolutely fantastic. We then split the protobello sandwich with the salad. They knew we were splitting it and put each of our individual portions on separate plates. It was nice to sit outside the second time because it was one of the first nice days of the year. Would definitely recommend this place for lunch. I have never been there for dinner but would try it since I had such a great experience with lunch.
(4)Kenny P.
Ate lunch here after having our Taxes done at Conley's Tax Service and didn't really know what to expect, but it looked nice, so in we went. Lunch was excellent ! Warm bread with some of the tastiest butter I've ever had. My wife had the daily risotto (she loved it), while I had Stacey's Shells & Cheese, which was so rich I couldn't even finish. We were too full for desert, but the creme brulee and triple chocolate brownie both looked great - we'll be back next time we're in the Pleasanton area.
(4)Rishi G.
I am shocked that a place like this would close at only 10 pm on a Saturday. Indeed, we were finally kicked out at 11 pm. :) I had the Ribeye which had an excellent glaze and was one of the better steaks I've had in the Bay Area. Cooked perfectly (medium-rare as I specified) and a fair price for the quality of food. My date had the Spinach and Artichoke dip (appetizer) which was good as well. They have a good size wine list, and our waitress made some decent recommendations from there. The total bill for two people wasn't too expensive, about $80. It would have been closer to $100 if we'd ordered two entrees instead of one entree and one appetizer. But even then, for a nice dinner with big portions, that's acceptable to me. Especially since we each had two glasses of wine. BTW the bar is miniscule. Maybe 4 people could sit there, so you definitely want a table.
(4)Rob D.
We have been trying a new place every week in downtown Pleasanton. This week was special because it was my wife's birthday. We liked the atmosphere so we thought we would try Stacey's. The first waiter was very friendly. We noticed the prices were a little high for the setting, but as other foodies know if the food is good it's worth it. We ordered the peach and goat cheese dip. The dip was very good, but super rich. I ordered the Fettuccine Puttenesca and even though it comes with capers I didn't expect the dish to basically be all capers. My wife ordered Scotts favorite pasta with chicken. The chicken was super dry. In the description for the Scotts favorite pasta the second ingredient was walnuts. My wife looked all the way through the dish and could not find any walnuts. After we told the waitress there no walnuts she just said sorry and that was it. We both also noticed the bloating feeling half way through the meal the others have mentioned. What is that about? We asked for the check and left never to return. We checked the prices on the web when we made it home. We found that they even over charged us my my 2 iced teas. The service is barely acceptable and the food is over priced for what you get. The downtown has many fine food establishments. I would suggest to check Yelp and try another.
(2)Patricia C.
Went there with friends before a jazz concert. First time there, so looked up their menu on website. Looked pretty good, especially the jambalaya at $19.95. Got there, and while the menu was the same, there had been a price increase...the jambalaya was now $26.95 (?). When I mentioned the difference to the waiter and suggested that they update the website, he said "wonderful". When I asked what he meant by that, he replied that it was "wonderful" that I told him about the website. Really? How inane. Two of us ordered the crab crusted halibut filet which was edible, but definitely nothing special--no flavor. Can't remember the other 2 entrees ordered, but the consensus was that they were "underwhelming". We will not go back. I can see by the reviews that both the service and food are very uneven. That's a clue.
(2)Jackie D.
I've been to Stacey's Cafe many times - it's a great local spot and the food is pretty good no matter if you come for lunch or dinner. And yes, its a bit pricey, but definitely a good treat! Today, our team came here for lunch since we had a couple folks in from out-of-town. We called ahead to ensure we would beat the lunch rush and we were seated in the middle of the dining area. Our server promptly got our drink orders and shared the day's specials. The service was good, but could use something more - perhaps more personality or something. Anyways, my lunch was awesome. I decided to go with the Ahi Tuna Sandwich with fries. Not only was lunch great, the cheese fries for appetizers were amazing. I definitely recommend the Ahi Tuna sandwich - the tuna was very fresh, seared perfectly and served on ciabatta bread. Delicious! I've had so many good things on their menu and this definitely goes on it. Try their Shells & Cheese, Chicken Sandwich, their burger and everything else - I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Cheers!
(5)Jennifer A.
Sat in the patio area...beautiful warm summer evening. Expecting a great meal, we were quite disappointed. We ordered the salmon dish and the special of the night - rack of lamb. From the time we sat down to the time our meals arrived was one hour!! - and this place was not even busy yet (perhaps 5 or 6 couples besides us). The presentation of the dishes was quite beautiful - once you saw it, you really started looking forward to eating it. And that is where the problems occurred. My dinner salad would have been delicious, but it was drowned in dressing. I ordered my lamb medium, and it came medium-well/bordering on well-done. There was no 'Wow! This is really good!" It was just okay. Not good, not terrible. The wait staff was attentive, but $80 for two entrees and one iced tea for 'just okay' food is NOT okay in my book. There are plenty of places to eat nearby; will try something else next time.
(3)Michelle L.
We have eaten here ever since it opened. Not crazy about the service and the food is wayyy overpriced for what they are serving. My kids always want to go for the Mac and Cheese, but we finally put the kibosh on going anymore b/c it costs so much for a family. The ambiance is nice, but I like other places in Pleasanton better.
(2)j s.
Stacey's just started serving breakfast. We came across a coupon for one free breakfast entree so we decided to try it. We have been there for dinner and thought it was decent. So we arrived at 8am...They were late opening, a few other groups were waiting outside along with us. So overall it was not anything to write home about. The coffee wasn't brewed so we had to wait on that (it was good coffee, when it was finally served), there was only one server who was obviously overwhelmed. My kids shared pancakes, which we tasty, but how can you mess that up! My husband had eggs Benedict, which was not good. The English muffin was old and the potatoes looked like they were previously frozen. I had the "healthy breakfast" option, which was okay. It consisted of egg whites, small turkey sausage, fresh tomatoes, and fruit. I was excited to see fresh papaya in the fruit mixture, but I could taste that it was cut on a cutting board that previously had onions or some veg. on it...you know that taste I'm talking about... Anyway, we wont be going back there for breakfast. It was pricey and you can get the same, if not better across the street for less $$. I know they just started serving breakfast, so maybe they just need some time to get it together.
(2)Sara W.
i don't frequent here often enough, but the few times i have i'm never disappointed... i had their "fully loaded" mac n cheese and it was really good. the other time my brother and i took my mom to a nice dinner, also very enjoyable. some dishes are definitely large enough to share... also really like their salads. i've been meaning to go back when they started serving weekend brunch! parking can be 'challenging' when it's farmer's market, obviously. but otherwise ample parking behind the restaurant. wish the dublin locale was still open!
(4)Roxie K.
I was not impressed with their breakfast. The red potatoes were not done and it's odd that certain breakfast items do NOT come with toast. The chicken apple sausage was DRY also. Won't be going back.
(2)Jenni S.
I had to write a review and before I did, I had to double check and make sure this was the same place I went as the mediocre rating threw me off. I've been there once with my husband and our three kids. We were seated immediately and our server was awesome! Helpful suggestions, great with our kids (he obviously had his own) and a good selection of food. I had the florentine ravioli and my husband had a gorgonzola steak - both entrees and our wine was delicious...even my children's cheese pizza and chicken strips were awesome. I've honestly been dreaming of going back. I am not a huge reviewer (yes, I made up a word) but when I saw the obvious confused rating of Stacey's, I knew I had to pipe up. Maybe it was a fluke experience and I will definitely update once we go back (which I'm hoping is soon). The only possible downside I saw was it's a little pricey but overall, worth it!
(5)kiwi i.
No thanks. I went here with my boyfriend to eat dinner around 8:00 at night I think it was a Thursday or Friday. I thought that the place would be really good because it looked nice and clean and somewhat fancy, so I kind of built up an expectation that the food would be delicious! WRONG. I wanted something that would Blow My MInd! Not something mediocre. I got the Salmon plate and my boyfriend got the Short Ribs. Both were "meh". It tasted like my moms food...I am NOT saying my mom's food is nasty or anything, but I expected something with a little more UMPH! If I wanted to eat salmon that I've tasted before I would have gotten it from my mom...not for $20 bucks. I am also a huge fan of Crab Cakes...I try them everywhere I go...and I tried them here...what a disappointment. I have really never had a BAD crabcake before but this one was just SO BORING. and they put salsa on the side to give it an extra kick..well it needs more than that. Our server was nice but our food took over an HOUR to come out. I was sitting there and I looked at my phone at 8:45 and then I looked at it again at 9:35 and our food wasn't there. ..more minutes..that seemed like HOURS passed because I was starving...and the busboy came up to us and asked us if we were waiting for anything...and I responded YEAH MY FOOD. It took then another 30 minutes for our plates to come out...I mean..HELLO....what service...no one even came up to say.."oh sorry for the delay...we are killing the cow and still trying to catch the salmon you ordered..it'll be a few more hours..." NOTHING. ugh..what bad service. I am getting mad just writing this!! The only good things about this place are::: THE BREAD..probably the only good tasting thing there...and the booze. That's it.
(1)Andy H.
We have been coming here for years. The food is always excellent, the service is always slow (order appetizers with the first drink order), and the ambiance is perfect. This location is the only one we choose to return to and have consistent experiences every time.
(5)Rachel S.
Went here for lunch sometime in 2008 with my fiance. Nothing to write home about. He liked the spinach dip. It was WAY WAY WAY overpriced.
(2)Tiffany T.
No. I had dinner here before homecoming back in 05, with a rather large group. We had a reservation and they nicely put out name tags by couple. We were forced to have a fixed menu, which is somewhat understandable considering the size of our group, but I don't think most restaurants do that.. And even though our food was ordered ahead of time because of the fixed menu policy, it still took ridiculously long to get our food. The price you pay is not worth the food you get. I believe I got some kind of chicken, but I don't remember it to be anything higher than decent. Some of the other people in my group got some kind of salad, which was basically a nasty looking pile of greens with some maraschino cherries, or something like that. The only thing that seemed tasty was my friend's lamb shack, but poor guy wasn't able to eat it cause he had his braces tightened that day. :) We requested separate checks by couple ahead of time, which they agreed to over the phone, yet after we were finished eating, separate checks were refused. It was frustrating to figure out the bill (Thank goodness the women didn't have to worry about that)!
(1)Gabriel B.
Good food, charming concept, fits well into the Pleasanton "homey" appeal. The staff were warm, friendly, and seemed genuinely eager to please. The food was decent and consistenly good. I have enjoyed it but wouldn't say it;s GREAT! I found it a bit pricey for the type of cuisine. The meatballs were surprisingly hearty and good The ambiance was great at lunch I don't know about dinner. Skip the Dublin one!
(3)Dr L.
Poor service and ignored; so-so fish tacos and a bit pricy for what you get; portabello sand was tasty; A waste of time with so many other choices around...
(1)Susan D.
Had a quick lunch here today around 2pm. The service was great, our wait staff very friendly. Both my friend and I were very hungry and each ordered a salad. She had a Caesar with chicken and I the Stacy's house salad (greens with Gorgonzola, cranberries and candied walnuts tossed with a light vinaigrette ) They brought our salads out in record speed ... which was nice since we were starved. The salads themselves were reasonably priced, though the menu's other items were a bit more moderate to pricey for lunch. But everything looked good. So since we only had salads and were there for a half hour Id say lunch was probably 3.5 ish. I'd probably try it again in the future.
(3)Micah J.
The appetizers are the best. The presentation is also very good for everything on the menu. Listen to their specials, because they are usually better than the entrees on the menu. The wines are good, but the ones offered by the glass are average. So, if you have a group that loves wine and is willing to spend a bit, take a look at the wine list and get a few bottles.
(4)Isabelle G.
Ok, but overpriced for what you get. Spinach salad good. Don't recommend rhe fish tacos. Bleh. Good service.
(2)Carol G.
I went to Stacey's with four of my friends and two children for lunch today. We were seated outdoors after waiting a couple of minutes. The inside decor is modern and simple. Outside the chairs are plastic and the tables are covered in linen and then topped with butcher paper. This meant the 3 year old with us could color on the tabletop! The menu's sarcastic commentary reflects one of the owners, Scott Adams, who is also the creator of the comic strip Dilbert. Every dish is delectably described and then in italics are sarcastic comments along the lines of teaching the house how to make soup and using poke tuna because the other tuna was too fast. You can enjoy the wit of the lunch menu here: eatatstaceys.com/staceys… The prices are a bit high for lunch, however the ingredients were high quality and the dishes are wonderfully prepared. I ordered the Poke Tuna with a side of Truffle Parmesan Fries and another side of edamame. I also ordered the unsweetened mango iced tea. We were given a basket with fresh baked bread and a scoop of herbed butter on top. Unfortunately for my calorie-conscious friends, the butter had melted over all of the pieces of the bread. So make sure you ask for the butter on the side if you want to control the amount used. The bread was warm, soft and flavorful. The butter was not as herbaceous as it appeared, which disappointed me for the amount that had melted on my bread. Unknowning to me was how large the side of fries would be. After waiting a lengthy period of time (thank goodness for wonderful friends and fabulous conversation!) our dishes came out. The bowl of fries was the equivalent of all three other people's side of fries combined! The fries were delectable at first, but after the first few it was more of an overly oiled batch of fried potatoes. I would recommend enjoying a couple off of a friend's plate if your meal doesn't come with them instead of paying $7 for your giant bowl. The Poke Tuna was good. The chunks of raw tuna were a little large in contrast to the other finely diced vegetables. Additionally, the sauce almost overpowered the tuna and other ingredients natural flavors. Finally, the edamame was simply a bowl of shelled beans with no added seasonings. I am assuming these were meant to be tossed in a pasta dish but after ribbing from friends I had attempted to add a vegetable type dish to my meal. I would not order these again. After tax and tip, my meal was $37. This wasn't too much because my company was fabulous. However had I been eating along, this is about $15 more than I would be willing to pay for a meal of this quality with the slow (but friendly) service. I want to give it 4 stars for the concept and flavor, but the price and speed of service were frustrating. I think my fabulous friends are what made it a 4 star experience, not the restaurant itself.
(3)Kayla Z.
After giving the Stacey's at Waterford 1.5 (ok 2) stars, you'd be surprised to see my 4 stars here. Aren't they run by the management? Obviously not. While our service here is sometimes a little slow, the food is fantastic and the decor is much nicer. It's lighter and brighter and doesn't feel like a skanky dungeon. Their BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato) sandwich is STUFFED with bacon! They don't skimp on their avocado either. The butter they serve with their house bread is absolutely to die for. I wanted to bathe in it. It is a little bit expensive for a lunch, but its nice every once in a while
(4)Kel E.
I'm not sure what's with all the negative reviews about this place but I've been here many, many times over the past couple years and it's always been GREAT! The service is always great and the food and drinks are yummy! For those saying it's over priced may I remind you where you are at...downtown Pleasanton! You're paying for location too. Yes, many times for a party of three our bill is over a hundred dollars but that includes mas amounts of alcohol, dinner and desert. I have been sad the last few times I went in because they didn't have the fusili gorgonzola that I fell in love with but their mac n cheese is a good substitute.They have this killer garlic butter they serve with the bread and it is soooo good! And they have the BEST bread pudding...swear!!! I don't even like bread pudding and think it's rather gross. So, I don't know what Stacy's does but theirs is sooooo good!!!! I will not eat bread pudding from anywhere else. It comes to the table nice and warm with chocolate sauce drizzled on it and a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream....oh god....so good! I prefer the location in Pleasanton to the one in Dublin...I swear the food and drinks taste different and I think they are better at the Pleasanton location. I'm not typically a cosmo drinking kind of girl but this Stacy's has the BEST cosmo. Ask for some sugar on the rim and it's even better!!! I swear (I've done that a lot in this review) three of these and you'll need a cab home, well at least I did!
(4)Corinna V.
I love this place. It's one of my FAVORITE places to eat. They have the best cobb salad I've ever had in my life. I can't even find another one that compares. Outside on the patio in the summer is the best.
(5)Jennifer S.
Went here for a work lunch today, with 2 folks that were out-of-towners. We had a party of five (haha, like the show back in the 90's =) ) Anyway, I've been to this place before for lunch and dinner... and to the one in Dublin.. I must say the food, again, was phenomenal!!! I got Stacey's Mac & Cheese, w/ peas, tomatoes (already in it), and added edameme and chopped chicken.. and let me tell you, it was a bowl of colorful deliciousness!! It was so pretty!! =) ----and by me getting the edamame, it made me feel healthy haha ;-) Everyone else loved their food as well... Stacey's is priced well, a little pricey for lunch -- so don't go here if you're trying to save $$. And the service was decent.. not spectacular, but not bad.. The food was so good that it'll bring me back!! oh and p.s., there's a hilarious mural painted on the wall.. once you start picking it apart, the people in the painting are doing some weird random things =) (the kind of odd-funny that goes along with their menu!)
(4)Alissa T.
I enjoyed my time here. I was here with a friend for a late lunch and there was hardly anyone here (around 3:30 PM on a weekday). We shared a BLT and a Steak Salad. BLT was so good, the fries was great too, they split it for us as well which was a very nice thing to do. The salad was tasty, drizzeled by too much dressing which tends to happen at restaurant, it was still tasty!
(4)Scott S.
I'm not sure if it was a fluke but I ordered what was described in menu as shells with a creamy three cheese sauce. What I received, after about 10 minutes of waiting for the dish to cool off for me to even take a bite, was a bowl full of tiny, overcooked shells in a soup of grease. At first, I thought the grease would settle out, but, it only seemed to puddle more as the dish cooled. It was honestly one of the most of repulsive dishes I have ever been served at a restaurant. So bad I barely noticed the mediocre lemon drop and extremely slow service. The one star is merely for the bus boy who kept my soda filled and my dining companion's steak which was quite delicious. Such a shame since I won't be back.
(1)Kisa Z.
My family and I had a nice breakfast here. We were just walking around downtown and my kids chose this restaurant. Probably because they saw you can sit outdoors. It was warm, so it was pleasant. However, when we walked in, they sat us outdoors in the side patio area. Not in the front facing Main Street. At first, I didn't like it because we were the only ones outside there. Then the crowd started coming. The service is nice. Our waitress didn't seem to know the menu very well though. The breakfast menu clearly states that all breakfast platters comes with fresh fruit and potatoes. But she said some didn't. We ordered anyhow, and it did come with both. The fresh fruit however, was no more than a small triangular slice of watermelon (with the top cut off or broken off) and one strawberry sliced up. The beverage price is way overpriced! The fresh orange juice was sour and cost $4.00. I should have sent it back. The ice tea was nothing fancy for $3.00. There is no children's menu, but they will be happy to split an order. But a scrambled egg will set you back $4.00 - it was a same portion size as well. The food was not terrible by any means. It just wasn't special either. I probably wouldn't come back. Afterwards, I saw many more restaurants with crowds. Probably should have kept walking before settling on this restaurant.
(3)Jerry L.
Recently my husband took me here to celebrate a new job. It was like a repeat of the two prior visits years apart. Got seated soon. Took drink order. Bus person delivered bread and water. Waitress came soon to take order. WAITED FOR DINNER. OVER 1/2 HOUR with nobody checking on us. FINALLY got check after putting on sunglasses. HINT HINT We waited almost 25 minutes after plates picked up. I timed it. Never asked if we wanted dessert/coffee which we were going to. These are the same things that kept us away right after they opened and again about two years later. It seems that after all these years the problems would have been resolved if they really wanted them gone. This parton is gone for good.
(1)Ailynne P.
We had company lunch at Stacey's it is a pretty nice restaurant... clean & wait service is pretty attentive... But what is funny is they run out of diet coke so they have to send somebody to buy one.... I have the mushroom carbonara. The food was great but would love to try the salmon... the presentation was really nice and makes your mouth water but didn't get a chance to order it... maybe next time.
(3)Kurt B.
Recently I had some collegues in from out of town. They wanted to meet for dinner and I opted for what else...? Downtown Pleasanton. This resturant is perfect for when you want something kind of upscale but not afraid to go in wearing jeans. I'm a Risotto fan so I usually get the "Risotto of the Day" or the Chipotle Shrimp I think it's called. 4 of us went and everyone committed on how great a time it was. Those comments could be about....1) The Food 2) The Location 3) The atmosphere. I'm not sure any one thing jumps out at you as stellar but it is definately a great place to go.
(4)rocio h.
Hm, where to start. I used to love this place. They had the most de-lish Butternut Squash Raviolis. But then they took them off the menu. Yup, found out when I was 5 months pregnant. I was not a happy lady. And ever since then I have not been impressed with their menu. They have also taken a steak that my husband used to love off of their menu. I now opt for random things when I need to go there. Notice the word "need." We get a huge discount through work so dining there is like eating for free...but still this restaurant has lost some of its lustre. Stacey, I beg you .... please bring back the Butternut Squash Ravioli! Then I promise to eat there more often.
(3)Lucy D.
Stopped in on a whim Saturday afternoon. Had the soup and salad combo which the server recommended. It was excellent! Hubby had the Ahi Poke which was very very good. Wine is a little pricey by the glass but it did spoil the wine tasting later in the afternoon because the wine I had was very good (Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand). We'll definitely try this again although I hope the same couple will not be seated near us. Their inane conversation was the only detraction.
(4)Kathy G.
My boyfriend took me to Stacey's for dinner this past weekend. I really liked the feel of the restaurant. They played 80 music the whole night and it brought us back to our high school days. We both had the rib eye steak. It was superb. I asked it to be cooked med-well and it was perfect. The meat was tender and juicy. The yukon mashed potatoes and asparagus just made the meal even better. I was stuffed after dinner that I didn't have room for dessert but they looked delicious.
(5)Diana R.
I got taken her for my b-day by my bf. It was great! The cheesecake alone was 5 stars! The service was good. My only complaint would be that the tables are kinda close. We got seated next to a couple who wanted everyone to hear there conversation. I hate people who talk LOUD!..lol!
(5)Brittney B.
I went to Stacey's last night for dinner. I had heard good things about it from a friend. I think she had been a few times for lunch or brunch. I have no problem paying for a nice dinner, but this was ridiculously over priced. The cheapest thing on the menu is a side caeser salad for $9.95. The chicken cobb salad, which was nothing fancy or even a large portion, was $17.95. $9.95 for a bowl of soup and $28 for pancetta wrapped chicken?? I would call the dining room a cafe, nothing fancy so I cant even say the ambiance was great. I felt like I was ordering over priced room service.
(2)Snoopy D.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Pleasanton. Food and sandwiches here are great. Dining environment is very pleasant and nice. Service is good. Only complaint here was I lost my credit card here and the waiters/waitresses weren't very helpful.
(4)Charlotte L.
I used to love Stacey's but my last 2-3 experiences there really changed my mind. The service was really poor. We barely saw our waitress. I order a drink that never came. I think between the time we arrived and the time we got our food we waited at least 40 min. I was facing the kitchen so I saw our plates ready on the counter. It took 15-20 min for the waitress to bring our food. In the meantime we stuffed ourself with 2 baskets of bread and butter. Surprisingly when the food came (after sitting on the counter for so long) it was extremely hot. But not hot like it was coming out of the stove; it was hot like it was coming out of a microwave or stayed under a heating lamp for a LONG time. Anyway, bottom line is that the food was almost tasteless because my tongue was burnt. The nicest person there was the guy who brought us bread and water all along (because really that was the only food and drink we got for our lunch!). We tipped the waitress 10% because I always have a hard time to tip $0, but really she should have gotten anything. So if you look for a restaurant on main street ... keep searching Yelp; there are plenty of others good restaurants worth your $.
(2)Sherri C.
Went to Stacey's for lunch Sunday afternoon, there were three of us. All the food was delicious. My father had the fish tacos, my son had the salmon sandwich and I had the spinach salad. All three were very good. The fish was not overcooked on either dish and the spinach salad was a healthy portion. The ambience is great, good location downtown. We sat indoors as there was a wait for outside seating, but that was understandable considering the time of day and the excellent weather. I gave it only four stars as the service was a little slow. I saw our meal sit outside the cooking station for at least 5 minutes before our server picked it up. And we had to go find our server to ask for the check. So disappointed in service, but the food was very good.
(4)Brian B.
Nice wine list and friendly vibe. The food is well-prepared. Stacy's claim to fame is that she used to date the Dilbert dude. I don't know what that has to do with the restaurant biz but it works here. 10/12/06: Went for dinner. Very tasty. Had a chicken rotini pasta thing that was good but another in our party had some fantastic looking ahi. Enough ahi that he was the west coast distributor of ahi. Huge portion. Decent wine list but the prices didn't make a lot of sense. Liberty School cab that I get at costco for $10 was $31 and BV Tapestry that runs $40 a bottle at Safeway was $60. The cab seemed a little overpriced and the Tapestry a relative bargain. Shop carefully. I liked that they had Boa Ventura, a small but great Livermore winery on the wine list. Adding Bodegas Aguirre would be cool if Stacy is a yelper. Our server was fantastic. Great personality always there when needed and not when not. She was just delightful. Great bread pudding dessert. Oh, had a drink at the bar before my party arrived. Bartender was a good guy. Easy on the nerves and can carry his end of a hockey conversation. Why is this place so good and the Stacy's at Waterford so uneven?
(4)Vesta m.
My husband's lunch was so bad he sent it back. The fish was stringy and dry--no one could eat that garbage! We were still charged for it! I would never go back due to their lousy customer service.
(1)Deana H.
I live in Pleasanton and this is by far my favorite restaurant and where I take any out of towners. First there's the menu, which is definately worth reading. Second, the staff is really friendly. Not pretentious and really accomadating. Third, the atmosphere is great. Last time I went, they were playing 80's alternative music... ah... flashbacks. :-) Last, but certainly not least is the food. My favorites, in order: House salad with seared Ahi Tuna (Rare) Gargonzola Filet Mignon (Rare/Medium Rare) BBQ Boneless Ribs .... the Hot Chocolate is also good, the desserts are nothing super special but the Creme Brulee is quite good.
(5)Erez K.
Excellent food (though on the heavy side). Fantastic service. One of the best restaurants in Pleasanton, if not the best. Considering the quality the of food, the prices are very reasonable if not too low for what you are getting!
(4)Jasmine D.
Stacey's has a nice interior dining room. It's simple without being boring and keeps the focus on the food, which is nice. But the outdoor seating is preferable if weather permits. I'd say they have equal parts indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating feels just as nice as the indoor due to the white linen and paper covered tables and you get to enjoy the sunshine. Like everyone else said, make sure to check out the funny menu. The descriptions of the food are pretty witty, but did the food live up to the memorable menu? I don't think so. Everyone I was with got excited about the Parmesan truffle fries which are an extra $2 if you get them instead of regular fries. If you get them as a side they are $7! I eagerly ordered them with my Applewood Smoked BLT. Service was a little slow, but at least there was fresh baked bread on the table to pass the time. The bread was very good, nice crust, hot fluffy insides, and served with an herb butter. The butter looked flavorful, but tasted like regular plain butter. My sandwich was decent, The bacon was thick and super crispy, like I like it, but there wasn't much lettuce on it and the tomato was pretty sparse as well. Without the right ratio of L&T, the sandwich was too heavy tasting. Oh and those fancy fries? Like the herb butter, nothing to write home about. Save your $2. My 3 yr old had the Shells n Cheese which came out molten lava hot. Why haven't restaurants figured out that Kids' Menu items should not be served so freakin' hot?? But I think I figured out why. As soon as the cheese wasn't burn your mouth instantly hot, it separated into a super oily mess. It was seriously too oily. Like for a one cup serving of shells n cheese, at least 1/4 cup of it was pure oil. Ew. Portions were decent enough that combined with the bread we ate while waiting for our food, we were too stuffed to even think about dessert. So I can't comment on them, but they looked tasty on the display tray near the maitre d's stand. I enjoyed my lunch at Stacey's, but in hind sight, I think it had more to do with the company I was with rather than the food and experience.
(3)Claudia A.
Loved it! great food and service. I also had an amazing glass of wine there- a red blend, one of "stacey's picks". very cute restaurant-- we really enjoyed having dinner there and will definitely come bacj.
(4)Alisa B.
I always want to like Stacey's. I love the menu. The copywriter is great. But the food? Ok, average, nothing-to-write-home-about food with a special event price tag. Is the food bad? No. It's just not *that* good. Case in point: last Friday I went for lunch with a friend who I haven't seen in ages, so we decided to splurge and go someplace nice. And let me state upfront that on occasion, I'm definitely willing to splurge for a good meal and good atmosphere, but you have to deliver on both. I got a "grilled veggie sandwich" which consisted of a small ciabatta roll with some pesto, spinach that wilted under the provolone when it went into the broiler, and "roasted tomatoes" which were the approximate size of two cherries. For my side, the waitress talked me into their "legendary truffle parmesan fries" instead of a salad, which I wasn't thrilled with because I'm not a huge fan of truffle oil (and told her so), but she told me that I'd love them. They tasted like regular old french fries, so I don't know what was so special... until we got the bill. $2 extra for the "truffle" treatment. Are they kidding me? So it was a $12 sandwich, $2 for the flavorless truffle oil and a whopping $3 for an iced tea. $17 before tax and tip. You can do better downtown for the price. You can do better almost anywhere for the price.
(2)J P.
The food was excellent! We ordered just appetizers (an order of fried calamari & an order of the beef Thai salad) and both were very tasty and quite spicy. Sourdough bread with herbed butter was a nice touch. The appetizers were perfect for a light dinner/snack. Good attentive service. Enjoyed a glass of Heifeweizen beer after a hot but enjoyable day at the Alameda County Fair. (Had it been not so hot, we would have enjoyed sitting outside on the restaurant patio on Main Street). Menu is pricey but what we had was definitely worth it. Recommend.
(5)Mike H.
Location is ideal. Located right in downtown Pleasanton. Parking is probably tight on busy nights but not during the week. Ambience and decor were nice with seating inside and out. Service was very good. Our waitress was very pleasant and took drink orders immediately. The waiting staff was quick and attentive with bread and water. The food was excellent, both the risotto of the day and the crusted halibut. The wine menu was extensive and the beer selection was good. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. The menu is on the pricey side $$$.
(4)Bill T.
Four big reasons to like this place. 1) It's in the heart of downtown Pleasanton. 2) It's got one of the better small bars (6 seats) in town. 3) The food is healthy, un-pretentious, simple & tasty. 4) Service is always friendly (Collette, ROCKS!! especially when she's bartending), fun, helpful & accommodating especially when you are a pain-in-the-ass who just wants a simple off the menu pasta dish. (ok, so I was just getting over a nasty cold & needed some comfort pasta, so sue me.) Great patio seating & people watching & the Dilbert inspired humor do make it a nice refreshing change to the typical dining experience & yes, Stacey is kinda hot too.
(4)Michael B.
I have been going to Stacey's for the past 3 years, mostly for multi course $250+ dinners for 3-4 people, and consistently I have had the same impressions: (i) decent wine list with average prices; (ii) inconsistent service; and (iii) the menu is an odd hodgepodge of items that don't necessarily belong on the same menu, but have solidified two themes: (a) they have witty comments on each item written by the Dilbert cartoonist and (b) the prices continue to rise, now to the point of way overpriced for what you get. Today's lunch was a perfect example, and the last time I will eat there. My wife and I wentat 12:15, not overly busy, but humming along. We ordered a Cobb Salad, an iced tea and a grilled portabella sandwich with side salad. After over an hour of waiting, the waiter came out to say that the kitchen had lost the ticket so our meals hadn't been made yet, but instead of hurry back after retaking our order, he stopped at multiple tables to check on them, clear plates, etc. Then, rather than telling the kitchen to bump our order to the top, we watched as 4 tables arriving more than 30 minutes after us were all served food over the next half hour. Our food eventually arrived, and while the ingredients are always nice quaility and everything tasted decent, the 17.95 Cobb Salad was 6 pieces of thinly sliced chicken, a half of an avocado, one hard boiled egg cut apart, crumbled cheese and bacon and a cup of romaine. The salad could easily have been a side salad portion. The portbello was fine. Bill came to $39.00. The waiter said he had forgotten the discount for the food being so late, stopped at 3 tables on the way back to the register, and came back out 5 minutes later to ask if we needed change (having never brought the revised bill). We reminded him of the discount, at which point he checked on the other tables on his way to the register, and came back with a $34 bill another 5 minutes later. Total time at lunch was 2 hours 15 minutes from sitting down to leaving, with 1:45 spent waiting, 15 minutes eating and 15 minutes wiating for a bill and to pay. A notification in the window stated that there was a pending change of ownership. Sorry, Dilbert, this was our last time; having been stung too bad.
(2)Cheryl P.
The co-owner of this restaurant is the Dilbert cartoonist. Walking in, you see the array of Dilbert & Dogbert dolls. The menu has funny little comments following each plate description. If you're looking for a unique place to take someone, this would be it. The interior is like that of any other resto but the theme is what makes it so fun. Our waitress was very attentive, funny and just friendly overall! We started off with the Ahi Tuna - spicy and fresh. Yum-o. I was drawn to the shells & cheese. There's nothing like good comfort food on a cold, rainy day! Our waitress did not steer me wrong! It was delicious - took me back to my grade school days :) For dessert, crème brulee - a little bit too sweet for my taste. It's one of those places that you should try once. There are many other good restos out there to frequent.
(3)Vicki L.
Though it is slightly overpriced, it's a reliable place for lunch. Good portions, everyone usually likes whatever they order (pasta, sandwich, fish). Waitstaff is nice. Sit outside or inside. It works.
(4)Zach D.
Good food and good service. The filet mignon is served with a gorgonzola butter sauce which I love. The appetizer of fondue is served with bread, apples and broccoli. They desperately need to axe the broccoli. No one wants to eat broccoli with cheese fondue. The scallop potatoes are great, and a perfect addition to any meat dish! Dining room is nice, but not particularly unique or fancy. Stacey's is good but not great.
(4)Kristin G.
The menu is hilarious - check it out on their website: staceyscafe.com/index.htm . Good California fresh cuisine with lots of delicious veggies. The dining room is very loud, so I've always eaten on the patio. It's perfect for a summer afternoon lunch and I think they have heaters for the evening. In the heart of downtown, it's perfect for a stroll down Main Street after eating.
(5)Daphne T.
5 stars just for the truffle fries. So good that I'm still thinking about them even though it's been a month since I've been there.
(5)JayJay L.
The decor is bright and nice. I went with a big group and the service was pretty good. I really like their salads and it is always fun to read their menu for the comedy.
(4)Gennie G.
Friendly staff, and delicious mac n' cheese. Call me crazy but no matter what age you're at you can enjoy that meal. In front can get pretty packed so I highly suggest parking in back behind it.
(4)Karebear R.
New ownership in Pleasanton this year. We LOVE to come in for the tomato bisque, antipasti platter (AMAZING!) and white wine. Lunch is the chicken sandwich with a salad, also fabulous! Their fresh bread with garlic butter is a perfect compliment to the antipasti platter. Staff is really nice and the food is served with fabulous efficiency. After work hours are perfect to people watch, especially when there are downtown events. My bf loves their dirty martinis. I highly recommend this restaurant! Make sure to read the entire menu as the listings are followed with amusing commentary.
(4)Will G.
Food is quite good and the menu is hilarious. Nice decor and service too. However, not much selection and a bit overpriced considering the quality. Ordered bbq boneless beef short ribs and crab crusted mahi mahi fillet, but they ran out of mahi mahi and replace it with halibut. The bread is quite yummy, with garlic butter in the middle. The desserts are hit and miss. I like the creme brulee, but the chocolate bread pudding is not that great.
(3)NoCal S.
Food has always been very good. Blackened salmon sandwich is great! Salads are well dressed and loaded. Presentation of the pre-meal bread was weak, in a stainless bowl along with a giant glob of butter that was melting already into the bread. Tacky. BUT, the garlic butter was quite good. I'm not sure about its merit as a dinner spot, but for lunch it is perfect for a nice weekend break or weekday treat.
(4)Jeanne D.
Stacey's was recommended to me as a great place for a group to have lunch. I called and made a reservation for 8 ladies on Jan 8. I told them that we were retired ex-co-workers (noisy) getting together for a reunion lunch. Obviously they took that into consideration and gave us a nice table in a back corner of the restaurant that was a little more private. We arrived on time and were all seated immediately. Our waitress Christina appeared right away with menus and took our dring orders. The menu has a nice selection of starters, and entrees . Our group ordered the tomato bisque and various salads. The bartender came in and took orders for bar drinks and delivered some wonderful warm sour dough bread with a garlic flavored butter ah...h devine we demolished 4 of the small loaves before we ordered our entrees.The bisque and salads were a big hit nothing left but empty bowls and plates.The entrees consisted of the two lunch specials a salmon dish and a shrimp dish with a red curry sauce and pineapple both were described as awesome. The sandwiches look delicious and appetizing I, the special guest had the fish tacos they were good with a little more chipotle sauce and cilantro they would have been outstanding nevertheless it was a good choice and I enjoyed it. Several of us had desserts and still no complaints only empty plates. The timing and delivery of the various course was very good. Christina and the bartender did an outstanding job and even took pictures for our group.Before going I had read many of the reviews and didn't know what to expect. I am so glad we chose to go there and I would like to suggest you try it for yourself and then decide. It is a little pricey ($43.00ea incd grat.) but the atmosphere, the service, and the quality of the food was well worth it. The ladies in the group definitely plan to go back and they will not wait for me to return before thay go. Overall it was a fantastic day and I had a great time. Thanks Christina!
(4)Jackie W.
Love this place! We have had great service every time we come here! The menu is hilarious! I brought my mom here and it took us 30 minutes to order because she was laughing so hard she was crying when reading the menu. The sanwiches are the best here. The california chicken with avocado or BLT with avocado . . . mmmmm. The soups are fantastic. The seafood chowder and the Tomato bisque are to die for. Like a previous person said the hot bread and melty garlic butter is great. Makes my mouth water as I write!
(5)Julia H.
I have eaten at Staceys 3 times and it has been pretty good love the bread but I went to try out the 'Happy Hour' and I was disappointed with the food offered. The wine selection was fine but I had the calamari and it was sooooooo bad. Very very crunchy and what was funny is that I handed this unfinished plate to the bartender and he just didn't get it how overdone it was. I should have got the french fries with cheese sauce(the other option)!
(3)David H.
My family ate at Stacey's this past Saturday evening. We were a party of seven and the food and service were top notch. The only reason it's a four and not a five is that one of the meals was about five minutes later than the others. However, they put a discount on the bill without us even asking or complaining. Also, they gave us two free desserts. I had the Guinness marinated rib eye steak, with sauteed mushrooms. The steak was cooked just right and had some of the best mashed potatoes ever. Others had the Jambalaya, the short ribs, the salmon, chipotle prawns, and a filet. Everyone thought their meals were great. All were presented beautifully, and everything was cooked perfectly. We ordered the 2004 Hess Cabernet, which was listed in the wine list as "Stacey's Pick" and it was excellent. Desserts: Cheesecake was great - not too sweet and you could really taste the cheese. The brownies are served warm as brownies should be, and topped with a delicious vanilla ice cream. The apple crisp was just O.K., not as crispy as the name implies. The creme brulee was excellent. I live in Fremont, which is a hopeless wasteland of good upscale food (Papillion: NEVER go there), so this was a very nice treat. Downtown Pleasanton is a lovely place, and on a warm evening (they have patio seating) it was just perfect. Public parking just steps away makes it even better. Make sure to read the menu carefully - especially the Fine Print. Scott Adams (Dilbert) is one of the owners and the menu is really funny. We took our infant there (he's very quiet) but I would not recommend doing the same. I dislike crying babies as much as the next guy and if our boy had been fussy it would have hurt the ambience. Price is moderate to high. Expect to spend $50 to $65 per person with wine and desserts. Bottom line: great food, very nice atmosphere, excellent service.
(4)Michelle M.
I had a really bad experience at this Stacey's. I took my eight year old daughter there for a mother/daughter lunch and was shocked at the horrible service and then my daughter actually found a hair in her food. Disgusting! We waited forever for our order, they got it wrong the first time and then of course we didn't eat it because of the hair issue. There were two other groups of people sitting on the patio with us and they were just as unhappy with the poor and slow service as we were. To top it off, when I pointed out the hair in the food and told them that we woldn't be finishing our food, they had the nerve to offer to credit my daughter's meal only. No way! The manager re-thought this offer after I shared my feelings with him about it and credited the entire meal. I shouldn't have had to shame him in front of other patrons to get him to do the right thing. I love downtown Pleasanton, but Stacey's is one place you'll never find me. No thanks!
(1)Jaime R.
I went here on Sunday afternoon. The place was quiet, not a lot of people which seemed odd to me on a Sunday. But I gave it a try. The fresh warm bread with garlic butter plopped in the middle of the loaf was so perfect on a chilly day. I had the Free Range Chicken Breast Sandwich with thick cut Apple-wood Smoked Bacon, avocado, tomato, and cheddar cheese. Yummy!!! It was so good. It also, comes with chipotle aioli, but I'm not a fan of Mayo, so I skipped it. The Waitress was really slow, but so quick to leave after I ordered I couldn't ask her suggestion for a supplement for the aoili. Anyway, it came dry, and it was still very good. It comes with fries or a house salad. I chose the salad and the house dressing was really good. The salad had green leafy lettuce, candied nuts, and cranberries. It was a bit pricey, but I'd go back. I'd especially recommend this to someone who prefers to eat organic. Don't sit down here if you are in a rush. It took over 15 minutes after we ordered our drinks for our waitress to bring them to us and take our lunch order. And as I mentioned before there were only 2 other tables...they were not busy. I think this place tries to be more upscale than it really is. Take a look at the wine list. You can usually tell a lot about a place by that. I wasn't impressed, but hey...maybe Stacey isn't a wino! (She should be, I 'd probably hurry back)
(4)Kat B.
Great atmosphere and the best wine glasses in town (yes that counts!). The food is good but not great. Services it usually friendly.
(4)Mike L.
I really like this place because of the atmosphere and the food. Everything I've ordered from here tasted great, and the service was awesome. The restaurant has a nice layout to it, and decently priced food (not cheap but not unreasonable). The bread there is delicious as well, especially if you ask for one of those roasted garlic cloves.
(4)Bubba J.
Good food, great drinks, great staff and always good to see an owner working in their business. Would definately recommend and will be back...often.
(4)Allisson K.
Nice place to dine with the kids if you want to venture away from the chain restaurants for a change. The food is great...lots of interesting jokes on the menu...and great staff too. Overall a very pleasant experience.
(4)Tiffany T.
Clever menu, with good food, the Dilbert cartoonist is a partial owner. I have eaten there a couple of times with mixed results. I really enjoyed their spicy jambalaya, but wish it had more seafood. And my husband liked the way they prepared the green beans with his beef dish. He wasn't to thrilled with the beef (too well done) and I don't recall if it was a pot roast or steak. The service can be iffy; I think the location in Dublin has better service and more consistent food. I know that the Dublin location can also handle group events. I had the salmon at the Dublin location, which was moist and flavorful, and their appetizers are worthwhile. The Pleasanton restaurant is cozy, with rich burgundy and wood colors. They have a mural on wall that's across from a cocktail party and fellow diners in conversation. It's a sophisticated, upscale place; it's pricey and a little stiff for my taste. I took my mother and grandmother there for Mother's day and they both really enjoyed their meal, they had mixed green salads that were very fresh with a zesty dressing and some sort of chicken entre with a golden chicken reduction which was also very palatable. They gave both my mother and grandmother each a very pretty flower in celebration of Mother's day which was a pleasant end to a good meal. Nice place, but they could be better.
(3)Dani N.
That outdoor seating for this restaurant is A+ and on downtown Main St in Downtown Pleasanton it is quite a nice stop outside of the norm especially on beautiful days. The food is always on point and always very good. I recently went there a few Sunday's ago and it was too crowded for the amount of service they had. Which made our experience definitely lack. I had the california chicken sandwhich with tomato bisque and again, it was so good but my soup was all over the plate and running down the cup which seems small but refutes the $12 price. I love the restaurant and the food but the prices are definitely too high for majority of the food served.
(4)Melinda G.
The food here is California cuisine. Stacey's takes some Asian, Mexican, and French food influences and makes it with organic ingredients. This is one of the only places that we can bring our vegan friends to eat. I like this restaurant because its atmosphere is akin to a busy New York eatery. The prices are very reasonable for the quality of the ingredients. The wine list is pretty impressive including terrific champagnes, tequilas, and even a very tasty Caymus vintage. I especially love the diversity of the food given that Pleasanton is infamous for having too many Italian restaurants. Much of the staff has been there for years and that says a lot about the owners. The staff is always friendly including Stacey herself who, albeit a little shy, is very service oriented and willing to go the extra mile to keep her customers happy. I have also been disappointed by some my favorites disappearing from the menu (the pancetta wrapped chicken disappeared for a a while but is back!) but I have found that this makes me more adventurous in ordering. But for the chicken disappearing for a period of time, I would never have tried the Chipotle prawns. I understand that it important to change the menu because I eat at restaurants a lot and it would be boring if the menu was not constantly changing. With that said, I love the new bread, artichoke dip, the Chipotle prawns! Well done, Staceys!
(5)Bill B.
Good food and good service. I like the nice, bright but casual environment--seems to fit Pleasanton's pace.
(4)melanie b.
My boyfriend and I went here for lunch, we split a beef thai salad, which we both though was tasty, and we each got a sandwich,i got the fries with truffle and parmisan, it was all pretty good! more than i would usually spend on lunch, but I was expecting that, they are an upscale nice place!
(4)Rupert Y.
Fun, good food, nice ambiance for romantic dinner.
(4)Tin-Tin M.
the first thing they brought out was a mini-loaf of hot fresh baked fluffy bread with a huge dollop of garlicky buttery spread. everything i had here was very tasty and very fresh. i had the free range chicken breast sandwich with avocado, thick cut applewood smoked bacon (they smoke it themselves?!), cheddar cheese and chipotle aioli on grilled bread. i chose fries as a side. they were good, but they that tasted a lot like in-n-out's french fries (I like McDonald's style french fries more). I would definitely go back here to sample the rest of the menu. I wish they had a Stacey's in San Jose.
(5)Natalie L.
I LOVE THE jambalaya! and teh Macaroni and Cheese! the two best dishes...
(5)Cathy W.
We have been going to Stacey's Cafe since it opened, and for the life of me, I don't know why. The food is mediocre, at best, and the prices are really outrageous. $23.99 for Pasta Carbonara? That's not even San Francisco prices - it's just ridiculous. Like another reviewer, I want to like Stacey's - it is in a great location, the decor and atmosphere are fun and lively, and Lord knows Pleasanton needs a good, hip anchor restaurant. But, I'm afraid we have wasted our money here for the last time. It's not hard to serve good food at reasonable prices and still make a profit. Stacey's just hasn't figured it out.
(1)Betty W.
Stacey's has lost chefs as often as you change your underwear..well at least as often as you should change your underwear. The service is not all that great. the food is good depending on what you order and what chef she is on that day. The lady is whacked and there are only 2 reasons she has a restaurant...and they are in her shirt!! ;-)
(1)Critic I.
i always had a perfect dinner at this restaurant! i brought here the girl that i was dating and she loved it as well. price is fairly descent for the ambiance and all that. its a nice place!
(5)brian m.
Nice environment, plates are a little above average price wise, but still good.
(4)Cheryl J.
I love this place!! Been there twice in the past 6 months. Both times it was a wonderful experience! Food was great and the wait staff were very attentive!! Getting ready to go there today for breakfast! Love love love the eggs Benedict!
(5)Yvonne H.
I love Stacy's BLT!! You will not find one better! I get the same thing every time! Allison is very nice and is a great server!
(5)Vol T.
The wait at Nonnie's was longish so decided to come here. The food is average. I ordered pastrami with rye but it came in wheat bread. The pastrami was just so-so. Meh.
(2)Wing L.
Came here for a business lunch on a weekday. We had reservations, but the place wasn't that full so there wouldn't have been a long wait anyways. I ordered the Ahi Tuna Sandwich and it was okay. It's served with ciabatta bread, so it was pretty good. I love ahi and eat it all the time for sushi, etc. The sandwich was cut in half. I enjoyed the first half of it (probably because I was really hungry), but the second half of the sandwich had a really fishy taste to it. I didn't finish it. The house salad that I ordered to come with my meal was tasty though! You have a choice of house or caesar salad. Last time I came here, I had the mac & cheese. It was okay - it was super cheesy and didn't have much to offer. The menu made it sound really good though. I finished half of it and took the other half home. I recooked the leftovers I took home with some bacon for a little more kick. Parking: There's a lot behind the place for parking or you can find street parking.
(3)Ann S.
This is what I have to say about Stacey's: great outdoor patio area, superb service and the best tomato bisque known to man! My order: 1/2 bacon lettuce tomato sandwich with avocado and a cup of tomato bisque, with a good friend, heaven!!!
(5)Tom T.
Friendly staff, tasty apps, good wine list. The new owner is very nice. Prices are decent. Nice atmosphere. I will be back for dinner!
(4)Morgan Richelle M.
eatatstaceys.com/staceys… I'll tell you what, we would walk by this place SO often on our way to get ice cream at Tara's. I would always poke my fiancé and tell him that we need to try them out! When we finally did it was on a Saturday morning and there were hardly any people in there. Better for us! We had seriously fast service! The menu is creative: lots of breakfast/brunch items available for vegetarians and non-veggies. There are many items to choose from, so this is a great place to bring a group. I had the Eggs Benedict without the Canadian bacon. It was really good! I loved it! The hollandaise sauce was really delicious. My mother had an egg scramble with toast- also delicious. My fiancé had the Stacey's Pancakes. They were good. Nothing extremely unique about them, but they were tasty! All in all, I thought the food was lovely. I think the prices were high for what we received, but wouldn't dismiss the idea of coming back.
(4)Meg M.
Really great experience--mimosas are lovely and the patio is dog-friendly. Service was very attentive and food was solid. Definitely worth a repeat visit.
(4)Dara E.
I usually am quite happy with my food when I eat here. Yesterday I ordered a Cobb Salad. It was smaller than usual and it did not have any grilled chicken in it. When I questioned the waitress on the matter she said that there Cobb salads don't come with chicken. When I looked in the menu it clearly states there is grilled chicken. The waitstaff and chef really need to know what goes in a Cobb salad. Very unsatisfied.
(2)Tung T.
Meh. I know giving this place 2 stars is sort of on the lower end; but honestly, it's way overpriced for the service and cookery that one would be getting. First off, I didn't pay for this meal. But that doesn't mean I can't talk about how ripped off this place is. I understand it's in downtown Pleasanton and good for the owners for being knowledgeable about their demographics and geographic location. But my goodness, I can go to Texas Roadhouse and get a bigger, juicier, and better cooked steak for 1/3 of the price! In addition to the free bread being better than Stacy's. The service wasn't bad, nor spectacular. Whatever, I can deal with it. Don't know if it's the way I was raised up or not, but good food over service any day. I rather get a lackluster service than a terrible meal any day of the lunar calendar. We started out with the crab cakes, cold cut plate, fried calamari, and spinach dip. All of which was meh. Here's why: Crab Cakes: claw meat only and nowhere could you taste the crabs. Cold cut plate: not enough cold cuts and the flow of it just didn't make sense at all. Fried Calamari: eh not bad, but would I order it again? No. En Espanol, no. Spinach Dip: By far the worse. Your local grocery store probably has better. Now on to the entree which I mentioned earlier. Steak was overcooked and overpriced (word of the day). I asked for a medium, but it was a perfect well done. My colleague also had the same cook on her filet, it was a perfect gray in the middle. The mashed potatoes was good, but i don't think I can spend 35+ on good mash. Nor did I want anyone paying that price for me. Regardless, the wine was good but since I didn't pay I didn't look at the price. Best that I didn't. I don't want to leave on a negative note or sound like a jack ass. This restaurant has a lot of potential. Nice location, nice owner, and a very relaxing decor. What it needs is just a few tweaks here and there. Take a look back at your menu. Have them prepared again by your cooking staff. Everything needs to be up to your standards and stay there. Consistency is important. And take down your prices a few bucks. Remove items that shouldn't be on the menu. I don't think spinach dip should be anywhere on this menu.
(2)Norcal G.
Ugh. Thought I'd take a visitor here for a nice, downtown Pleasanton experience. Seated on the sidewalk which was lovely. However, the service was lousy and the food was worse, especially for the incredibly jacked-up prices. Fast forward a couple of years. Thought we'd give it another shot for Mother's Day. What a mistake. The elderly couple in front of us at the host stand was treated rudely by the staff who was confused about their reservation. Did not bode well. We were seated outside on the patio. Staff seemed to have no clue that it was Mother's Day. There were no specials, drinks, etc. They didn't even mention it. Food was still crappy and overpriced. Will never, ever be back.
(1)Chris R.
Great food, incredible service! Diamond in downtown pleasanton. The owner waited on us for lunch and split the entrees for myself and my daughter. His service was impeccable, as was the food. Great outdoor seating is a quaint, wonderful atmosphere to go with the food.
(5)Yvonne B.
I gave this restaurant four tries and all I can give is 2 stars. Main reasons for such poor rating: 1. Very slow service 2. Terrible customer service from manager 3. Flavorless food 4. Overpriced on every item on the menu The food servers are ok, but not apologetic enough for the slow turnout of food from the kitchen. It's simply not worth coming here for lunch or diner. Too many other restaurants offer better atmosphere, tastier food and quicker service.
(2)Shannon M.
I've been to Stacey's several times over the last several years and have always considered it a go-to place for a nice Saturday evening dinner date in downtown Pleasanton. However, when I went there this past weekend, I was thoroughly disappointed with the food and the service was just average. While my husband and I were there, we were the ONLY 2 people on the inside of the restaurant for our entire stay (7 p.m. reservations) - once a large prom group left. There were maybe 3 other couples who were on the patio - that was it. We thought that perhaps all of Pleasanton was slow that evening (we later determined that that was not the case - as we drove down Main St. we noticed most restaurants were more than 50% full - they must have known something we didn't?), but we are now convinced that the Stacey's experience just isn't what it used to be. The lobster bisque (soup of the day): lukewarm, not hot; taste was not great; no chunks of lobster - completely pureed and gritty, not smooth It took a very long time to receive my "before-dinner" drink...not sure why since there was NO ONE in the restaurant! This actually prevented me from ordering a second drink with dinner. Risotto of the day: seemed overly salty and too many ingredients - not sure that tomatoes belong in risotto. Mahi Mahi w/crab cake: not seasoned enough; just okay Bread pudding: this used to be my FAVORITE dessert at Stacey's...during this visit, it was very rubbery, and clearly had been leftover for a while - it was likely just warmed up in the microwave Not sure what has changed, but Stacey's is no longer a go-to for us. Pretty disappointing.
(1)ken P.
We went there during the antique fair last weekend. We skipped it weeks ago after seeing the prices, but were tired and needed some shade. Glad we did...yes, the prices are on the high side, but our food and service were great. i'd rather pay more and give a review like this than to spend 5 bucks and bitch about it. My wife and daughter had hamburgers, they were large and have several options for them (For a cost of course) they loved them . I had the Jambalaya...very tasty. Our waitress was very attentive...we will definitely return.
(4)Jacob H.
Great service! Pretty high quality food. Very nice to eat outside on a warm evening with the ambiance of an old fashioned Main Street.
(4)Maria J.
Jeliabeth has it right. I ordered the pastrami with the same results. And shredded lettuce!! Really now, $15? I've been to the restaurant a few times over the years and it's really gone downhill. Service was terrible, I saw my food ready to be delivered and watched as my server kept passing it up to do other things. Very dirty, too. A thick layer of dust on the lamps and old food on the floor, yuck. I won't go back and wouldn't dare recommend. Eater be ware.
(1)Simon L.
I wouldnt have given this place a star if no-star was an option. The food was aweful!!!. Overcooked ripeye that looked like medium well when it was supposed to be medium rare. when complained, the owner/chef shrugged it off, "I wish you'd told me earlier" My wife's dish was so salty that she couldnt' finish 1/3 of it. The worst part inconsistancy. My wife had called just hours earlier to confirm that they would accept gift card from another closed stacey's location. But by the time the bill came they declined to accept gift card and said that they never accepted gift card since the restaurant had changed ownership. Crappy food mixed with ignorant management and terrible customer service was the house special for Stacey's
(1)Katherine F.
I was not imppressed with this location based on price for what one received, not bad, just simply over rated. I like Stacy's at Waterford better.
(3)Alicia S.
I am a total fan. We love this place and eat here about once a week. Wonderful yummy bread with butter when you sit down. drinks are good. Their staff is always SUPER nice. You have to try the shells and cheese. I would recommend to eat here for sure and this is one of our top 3 places in downtown Pleasanton to eat at.
(4)Erica S.
My fiance and I decided to try this place for dinner as their menu included various types of food such as pasta, jambalaya, fish, meat, etc. Unfortunately, you can't make reservations on Open Table so I called in for one. For appetizer, we tried their dungeness crab cakes. It came with two huge crab cakes with watercress salad and some spicy roasted pepper sauce. The sauce was pretty tasty. The crab cakes were nice and light. Their foccacia bread with herb butter was really good that I couldn't stop eating it while I waited for my entree. For dinner, I had their daily special which was grilled swordfish with spaghetti squash topped with dungeness crab meat and red wine braised potatoes. The fish was cooked well and the spaghetti squash was interesting. I didn't care for the red wine braised potatoes. The wine had really sunk into the potatoes that I was able to taste the wine more than the potatoes. While I was eating my dinner, the owner came up to me to ask how the daily special was so I gave him my opinions and he informed the chef. Nice to know that they do ask for customer opinions on the daily specials. My fiance had the Pancetta Wrapped Chicken which came with angel hair pasta. It tasted very healthy as it came with lots of veggies in a lemon caper and butter sauce. The portions were pretty big that we had leftovers. Overall, the food was good and it seemed to be a popular place for the locals. Also, they accept the Passport card which was nice.
(4)Nicki B.
This is my favorite restaurant in Pleasanton. It has a little of everything on the menu and I have never had anything that wasn't perfect. Depending on what you order it can be a little pricey especially for lunch. I love the outdoor area and the inside is really charming. I can think of nothing bad to say about this restaurant. Try it out you won't be sorry.
(5)Rick S.
Just finished our New Year's Eve Dinner at Stacey's. It was our second time there since the ownership change. I have to say, the first experience was very great (approximately a year ago). I know, sometimes memories and first time impressions are hard to replicate, but here is the scoop. We sat at the bar, ordered two glasses of house zins. Abe, the owner, was working the bar and shortly after we ordered, we had the bar all to ourselves. It was no big deal that Abe was fairly distracted the entire time since we were just looking for a good restaurant to have a few glasses of wine, have dinner and walk home. The pours were substantially smaller (pretty much smaller than anywhere I have ever been). The second indication that it may not be like last time was after a couple of sips, Abe asked us if we were ready to order. We obliged and ordered the scallop appetizer, which was pretty good. We then asked Abe what is really standing out, he mentioned everything that was on the special New year's menu (the NY strip, lamb, etc.). Needless to say, we opted for the risotto. They were great in offering to replace the scallops for short ribs since the evening special included scallops, which we already had for the appetizers. I really appreciated the gesture. When the meal came, it definitely could have been hotter, but that was not the real problem. Although they split orders in the kitchen before, they did not offer this time. But the compelling problem was that the beef was old.....very old, kind of like something you would taste, and then not even begin to finish. My wife confirmed that it wasn't just me. I mentioned the issue to Abe in a very constructive, helpful way. He smiled and seemed to appreciate it. Yes, I would have appreciated it if maybe he offered to comp a desert or even a cup of coffee or something, but nothing was offered. I have to admit, I may be tainted with the fact that a gesture (which I would likely have turned down) was not even made, the fact that I definitely have some lower GI pain and the fact that the pours were extremely small.....and yes, the owner of the half....or 2/3 empty restaurant was a little too busy to even pretend to to interact with us (again, he was tending the bar and we were the only people sitting at the bar). In summary, no big deal, we could definitely have had a better meal, $85.00 out the door for three glasses of wine, a plate of risotto and 4 scallops is not horrible, but down town Pleasanton had much, more to offer. We very obviously will never go back.
(1)Laura K.
Is great but I miss the one at Waterford as I live right by there and could walk there...now it is still there but closed. What happened?
(4)Aaron M.
Wow, I was very unimpressed by the food here. We went out here with family for Mother's Day. Its in a very nice new area and looked pretty fancy, so I was expecting it to be top notch. Overall, the entrees weren't so great at all. The mushroom risotto was bland and others reported the same for their dishes (chicken and salmon). Also, some of the other clientele seemed a bit trashy. One girl walked in with brass knuckles, as if she were about ready to get into a gang fight. Lady, this isn't Richmond. It was entertaining and I did like the decor inside this place, but overall, I'd give it 2 stars for the food and 4 for the decor, so that's where the 3 comes from.
(3)David L.
This was our first time at Stacey's Cafe, after reading about the reviews on Yelp the night before. Maybe since I researched the menu before hand, I had no problem deciding what to order. My wife and I sampled the crispy fried buttermilk calamari ($9.95), California Chicken Sandwich ($12.95) and the Hot Pastrami on Rye ($14.95). Sandwiches come with choice of house cut french fries, caesar or house salad. It was too much food for us to finish even though I was starving when we walked in. I thought that the calamari would have been better if it comes with a creamier sauce. The sandwiches were very satisfying and the fries were just perfect. The food was just a notch more expensive than you'd expect, but I guess you are paying for the atmosphere (white table cloth dining) and the locale (right on Main Street in downtown Pleasanton). I thought that the service was excellent. My water glass was never less than half empty (or was it half full?) the whole time we were there. Our server was very courteous and helpful. Food didn't come out very quickly, but if you just want to have a relaxing lunch, why allow the servers to rush you through it? Bottom Line: Stacey's Cafe advertises itself as a fun place to eat, but really its atmosphere is just more relaxed than fun. Maybe they mean fun because of the commentaries on each menu item.
(4)Ron M.
Had dinner here last night; great service and really good food! A bit pricey though; they weren't that crowded during peak time of a Saturday night which tells me others probably think this way too. Our bill for two which included 2 drinks, 2 glasses of wine, one salad, two entrees, one dessert, and two coffee's was $144 before tip. Still, good service, and good food so we'll be back! The new owner is a nice guy too...!!!
(4)Lisa P.
Two words......HAIR NETS. They need to use them when preparing food. Ick!
(1)Brooke K.
This place is pretty good, except i think its a little pricey for what you get. Also the menu never changes! I would definitley suggest going here for lunch, more variety, then dinner.
(3)Ruth O.
We recently had lunch on a weekend at Stacey's. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and the outdoor seating is lovely on a warm day. Our dog was permitted to join us on the patio. The staff were friendly but not attentive. They forgot to give us menus. The server never told us the specials of the day. Two tables seated after us were served before us, due to the menu delay. The appetizer also took longer than normal to arrive. The bread was warm and delicious. The calamari were cooked properly but the breading had an almost whole-wheat heaviness to it that we did not like. The Stacey's Burger was tasty. The Spinach Salad flavors were fine, but it was topped with a creamy chevre instead of a drier, more crumbly style. It was hard to cut off a little bit of cheese to accompany a forkful of salad because it stuck to the utensils like taffy. We did not stay for dessert. Despite the great location, the overall experience is just not good enough.
(2)