Dale Street Bistro Cafe

Dale Street Bistro. Not worth the cost. It had been years since we visited The Dale Street Bistro. It is located downtown in an old Victorian that is, unfortunately, in desperate need of updating. What was once nice and romantic seems run down and outdated now, it is evident that not much care has gone into the home in the last decade. The food, although good is not gourmet and does not warrant the $14 to $21 price, and the owners and wait staff are not welcoming. Our biggest disappointment was the Gnocchi Gorgonzola at $13.95. The gnocchi had the tell tale stripes and rubbery taste of Sam’s Club pre-packaged gnocchi. Very disappointing. For some fresh homemade gnocchi the way it is intended to be, we recommend going downtown to Fratelli’s Ristorante, the food and ambiance there is vastly superior-see our review of Fratelli’s. more

I love sitting outside. It started raining and they helped us get under the roof. everything about this place is great more

Me and my son went there after going to the fine art center... It is one block away~~ Love the atmosphere and the work crew!! My son is very shy but @ the end of lunch he fell in love with the owner, cook and the waitress that he hug all of them.... Salad was freash and healthy low fat! My son loved the freash baked bread. The whole place was filled with the art works!! I would definately go back!! love the heart of the downtown dinning experience! I am going to take my whole family there in the summer the patio is going to look awsome!! It was very pleasing experience!! more

My wife and I have been enjoying Dale Street for a few years now. Last Friday night was no exception - another great dinning experience. The Blackend and L'Orange Salmon were truely scrumptious. We like to make sure we order different entrees and then split them up so we can enjoy more of the menu each time. Everything from the shrimp appetizer, crisp salad and fresh bread, served while we waited for our main course, was all just wonderful. We ended our meal with Creme Brulee, Bread Pudding and coffee. Dale Street is truly a unique experience. The old two story filled with artwork from local artists, along with the neighborhood feel, make it very special. There's nothing else like it. more

This is a great restaurant in the heart of uptown. Offers a good American menu and the fresh baked bread is fantastic. more

I wish you could have joined me for lunch today at Dale Street! With the storm brewing in the air, I was in the mood for comfort food. I ordered their BLT half sandwich and a salad (perfect portions for me - I don't like eating huge lunches) and coffee. I already knew the bread was going to be good, I could smell it baking! The first bite of my sandwich told me that I had made the perfect choice - it was just the way I had imagined! The soft fresh bread with plenty of savory bacon cooked just the way I like it (not too crisp and not limp) with fresh lettuce and tomato...just the way my mom used to make it for me...I wouldn't have changed a thing. And the salad, with the dried crandberries and feta cheese, delicious! I will be back! more

So, having read all the bad reviews on this place, I felt I should clear the air on the real deal. Dale St. Cafe is great. The fresh baked bread is fabulous, fluffy and flavorful. I always want to sneak into the kitchen and steal a loaf, or spy on the chef making it to figure out why hers is so good. Everything is superb, from the salad to the fish to the steak. Following up dinner with a creamy creme brulee or a buttery bread pudding thats to die for sounds like a perfect ending to a meal to me! Also, I would like to point out that during each meal there, the chef personally comes out to ask how our meal is and if we need anything. Even refilled our water for us once or twice. I would like to point out as well that not all wine that's corked is good as not all wine with a cap is bad. A real connoisseur would be aware of the wine industry trend of kitschiness that is a cap. Hui Park is a tremendous chef who takes great pride in her restaurant, the quality of service, and the quality of food. Integrity is a rare find these days. more

We hadn't been to the Dale Street Cafe for a couple of years. The menu has changed dramatically. Apparently, the owner let the chef go and decided to do the cooking herself. Everything was pre-made stuff that tasted like it came striaght out of a box or can and was just warmed. Even the $26 bottle of wine had a twist off cap. Give me a break?!?!?! Stay away from here like it has the plague. Cons: food is bad more

VERY BAD EXPERIENCE, by far NOT FINE DINING, HORRIBLE FOOD, and UNPROFESSIONAL STAFF. \r We choked down our salad and soup, and were ready for the entree. I got the seafood over ""saffron"" rice dish, my husband ordered the shrimp linguine with portabellos. Lets just say, I've DEFINITELY had better at Olive Garden...BY FAR. My food was inedible. REALLY. For $21, I was served a bowl with RICE PILAF (not saffron rice), ONE shrimp, TWO mussels, ONE clam, and ONE scallop, which were sitting in a broth of what tasted like CANNED stewed tomatoes. That's it...Oh, except for the 7 (at least) pieces of shell in the rice, that made the entire thing a complete failure. I had to get rid into my napkin at least SEVEN bites of food, because of biting down on hard shell. My husband could hear it each time and was getting nauseated. I am not sure why we didn't just leave, I think because we were starving. I mean, one or two small shells in a dish is excusable, but FILLED with them is not. My husband had what seemed to be packaged spinach linguine, with a runny, COMPLETELY UNDERSEASONED white sauce, mushy, slimy, portabello pieces (about 3), and CANNED button mushrooms, and three shrimp...$19 bucks. When finished, I very politely and quietly said to the server, ""Although my dish was tasty, you may want to inform the chef that it was full of shells, and was almost inedible."" Her reply, ""Really? Okay."" She then proceeded to tell the chef my complaint IN FRONT OF EVERYONE in the dining room, so tacky. To top it off, the chef did not come over and apologize, or say a word, and when the server returned, she gave us our check and said, ""Please come back and see us again!"" No apology from her either! It was very strange. My husband and I are always very polite to restaurant staff, and we were shown absolutely no professionalism whatsoever. Really, the bottom line...THE FOOD WAS HORRIBLE. SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT! more

We went to Dale Street Cafe on the 19th of August, a Friday evening, and arrived around 7:30. We were promptly seated and our orders taken. Two hours later, when we had only received bread (and the homemade bread isn't that great, believe me) and water - we LEFT! Oh yes, the waitress had asked us a few minutes before our departure, ""Are you still being patient?"" I've heard their food is good AND the atmosphere was nice. But if you can't handle a big party (wedding party upstairs) and your routine business, then close the downstairs and take care of the special party. But don't leave customers sitting for almost 2 hours. We definitely won't be back, and we'll make sure others check whether there appears to be a big party upstairs before they go...that way they may actually get their meals. Pros: Ambience, Parking Cons: Service, Service, Service more

The place was cosy, but the owner is a very rude lady. My husband asked for a regular benedict and the waitress asked if I wanted a benedict, but she never asked what kind of benedict I wanted. I was drinking my juice, so I pointed with my finger to the veggie one and showed it to the waitress because I am a vegetarian. The waitress brought two benedicts with ham and my husband asked her if she could change it for a vegetarian one. Minutes later,the owner came out from the kitchen to our table, insulted me, screamed at me and made me feel miserable. I apologized several times and she continued screaming at me. \r My husband and my daughter felt horrible with the situation. My husband got mad. Then the waitress came back with the same plate with a slice of ham and a small slice of avocado. It was a ""take it, or leave it"" message. I showed the waitress the slice of ham and she did not care about it. I just removed the ham from the plate.\r My daughter's hamburger was burned outside and uncooked inside and we decided not to complain because of the uncomfortable situation we had have minutes before. \r We ate and paid, but I will never recommend this place to anybody. \r We are educated persons, my husband is a college professor and I am a school teacher and we are not used to this kind of treatment. We had never had this experience before! Cons: Bad customer service more

I love Dale Street Cafe because it is unlike anything else. The old building is historic and classic. I enjoy the fireplaces, small tables, and quaint atmosphere. I've been here with old girlfriends and enjoyed tea with them and also dined here with my husband when we wanted a romantic night out. Their pizza is excellent and I love pine nuts, so anything with pine nuts suits me. The last time we went there, the service was extremely slow. I think our server forgot we were even in there. However, they had a live piano player who was very good and entertained is enough that we didn't get upset about the slow service. We did tip the piano player twice as much as the server though. However, overall I like the atmophere. It's very relaxed with an elegant touch, and I'll be back someday. Maybe they'll get the service figured out again. Pros: Quiet Location, Relaxed Atmosphere but Classy, Live Music Cons: Service Slow more