Restaurant James Randall

My wife and I recently ate at this small and cozy restaurant and I must say that the fried chicken was epic. The portion was huge. It was still fabulous the next day when i had it for lunch. I also enjoyed my roasted red pepper and tomato soup with some kind of creamy white cheese. Dessert was not the best I have ever had, but my wife had a very good pumpkin cheesecake. I will definitely be going back and hope the chicken is still there. Pros: Chicken Cons: Park at the B of A more

I've had the pleasure to dine at this small cozy family owned restaurant at least 20 times since it opened. I've had nothing but the best food, service and atmosphere and have brought many friends in that say the same thing. I must warn people that some of these online reviews seem to come from out of left field. The portions here are huge! The ""tattoo-ed service"" is one of the most friendly and humble young ladies I've had as a server. The ""rich kid"" is a talented and caring young man that doesn't deserve the disrespect he's received in the prior review. Shame on you mgrey200! Get a life, or get a job but either way, get off citysearch.....which I can see you have since you showed up to produce a completely false review and have never returned to discuss any other experiences, anywhere. Five stars to one of the best restaurants in the South Bay! Pros: Fabulous! Cons: Not even one! more

Rich kid gets his mother to buy him a restaurant. Bad food ensues.\r \r The portions are tiny for the price, and the service is tattooed and quite snobby. The restaurant is uncomfortable, with wobbly tables and chairs as previously reviewed, and almost claustrophobic because it is so tiny. Frozen peas and carrots with the lamb was unbelievable at that price. They have nice desserts. Don't stop in for more than that. A ""name"" and the fact that it's in Los Gatos must impress people a lot, since the food certainly doesn't. Pros: Good desserts Cons: Horrible entrees more

The food is nothing special and overpriced. The small portion of halibut was good but nothing exciting and the lamb was dissapointing. The decor is charming but it is so loud inside it is hard to have a conversation. Service wise, 1)we had to wait an unusually long time to place a drink order while seated on the patio waiting for our table 2)another long wait to place our dinner order 3) an even longer wait for our food to arrive 4) the girl who cleared our plates RUDELY reached over in front of us without asking if we were done or saying "" excuse my reach"", etc...5) she snatched my cream and sugar away while I was still drinking coffee and the french press was still half full...With entrees around $30-$35, I expected more from James Randall. Cons: food and service more

I don't normally write reviews I just read them but after reading the last review of james randall I had to speak up. I love how friendly and attentive the staff and owners are at this restaurant. The food is very good and I've dined there at least 10 times so when I read that someone didn't like the ""touchy"" owner I suddenly felt sorry for the writer of the review. This is a small intimate restaurant. Every review or article about this place discusses how charming it is and how it feels like you are dining in someone's home. I think that reviewer must have a different interpetation of cozy and intimate. What did you expect? You don't have to like a cozy, warm and friendly atmosphere, but it isn't appropriate to bash a restaurant or it's owner for trying to welcome you and make you feel at home. You should stick with institutional dining and let the rest of us enjoy this unique and relaxing restaurant.\r \r The Trout is delicious, the sauce is subtle which I find a perfect match with the soft flavor of the trout. It's easy to overpower trout. The pork chops are amazing. The tempura roll is fabulous, I haven't had a bad meal here. The selection of salads are tasty and creative. They can be deceiving however, the Beet Salad isn't really a typical salad. The arugula is pureed. \r \r It sounds to me like the reviewer has some ""personal space"" issues and then decided that because the owner invaded her space, or maybe her husbands space that she wasn't going to like anything about the restaurant. I say keep up the good work restaurant james randall. Pros: Friendly attentive service more

First time eating there, the night before Valentine's Day. Place is welcoming although the owner's behavior is a little too ""familiar"" with the customers (i.e., too much physical touching, which is inappropriate and surprising in a nice restaurant. I was disappointed by the menu, out of 6 appetizers, there were 4 salads, and not much creativity there either. I ordered the tuna tempura roll which I believe was what made me ill for 3 days afterwards. As my entree I had the trout which was perfectly cooked albeit really bland and boring. Nothing special here and not worth $30!!! My husband had the pork which he said was good, but by far from amazing as described by the waitress. The table next to us was also not impressed by their food, and they were irritated with the fact they had to ask for bread 3 times to finally get it. Also, after we were done with our entrees, we had to wait over 20 minutes for our plates to be removed from the table. We spent over $150 with wine and it was not worth it. We are huge fans of Manresa (in another class of course) and Cafe Marcella (similar class of restaurant) and in our opinion, James Randall is mediocre at best. Pros: Location Cons: Unimpressive food more

Restaurant James Randall seems to be doing everything right. From the moment you walk through the front door of this charming Los Gatos establishment, you can immediately tell you're in for a treat. Double thick pork chop with maple jus and innovative appetizers come pouring out of the kitchen onto the wooden counter that overlooks the dining area. The ambiance is incredible and the food is even better. Executive Chef Ross Hanson is making a name for himself . . . and he's only been open for 6 months. A great date spot, a great spot to catch up with old friends, and a great place to take the family. How can I describe the overall feel . . . Think sophisticated yet simple comfort food with a ton of pure and authentic flavors. Subtract all the silly and gimicky bells and whistles that restaurants these days seem to rely on. Add a geographically expansive yet reasonably priced wine list and picture a restaurant run by a tight-knit group of friends and family (the Chef's mother is the owner and came out to greet our table). I've been three times and I haven't had a bad dish. No joke. This place is a true hidden gem. I live in San Francisco and the restaurants I would compare James Randall to in the City are all twice the price. If it's your first time, I recommend trying either the beef tenderloin with bleu cheese potatoes or the lamb chop with cinnamon couscous. \r \r It's great to see a neighborhood restaurant that stands above the rest. Look no further. Pros: The salads, the soup, the lamb and beef entrees Cons: so sad they closed for lunch -- you should have tried this pulled pork sandwich more

Cute place. Small - very small. Good Food, but the selection is limited. It seems as though they would change their menu weekly - or want you to believe that by the date on the menu, but we've been 3 times and it hasn't changed, so you can get sick of the selection quick. \r \r Otherwise the food was tasty - besides the fish being dry. They had a good selection of wine and the restaurant is pricey considering you are sitting on top of the person next to you, but the staff is friendly. Pros: good wine selection, tasty food, nice people Cons: small and limited menu more

Los Gatos has had its ups and downs in cuisine, and any resident will know the 'downs' Im talking about, on the same street. But finally, restaurant james randall opens, and brings us incredible (and non pretentious!) food. The steak was perhaps the best Ive ever had, and my (vegetarian) wife loved the beet salad and tamales. \r \r It was so good and small that I debated even writing this review. But Im sure its just a matter of time before theres a line out of this door every day of the week, and the food is too fantastic not to share. Pros: FOOD! comfortable ambiance. Friendly all around. Cons: Small. phone/email reservations only. more

I ate lunch one day at James Randall, had a steak sandwhich, with a great homemade barbaque sauce. Along with a fresh mixed green salad. I liked it so much, I had to go back and try the dinner menu. I enjoyed the perfectly cooked Halibut with edamame beans and rice. Wonderful combination. I would go here on a date or with a small group of friends to enjoy the nice wine list, Or just go for the dessert! All around must try restaurant! Pros: Small and intimate Cons: not open mondays! more

Who ever that was that said they served frozen peas and carrots must be some kind of moron! And if you actually care to ask about the story behind the restaurant, there really aren't any ""rich kids"" involved. \r Of all the times I've been to this restaurant (at least 10 times, more if you include when they used to be open for lunch), there has never been anything but fresh, perfectly presented, and perfectly cooked food on my plate. Just about everything I've ever ordered from their menu has been spectacular! One of my favorite parts is that they have an ever-changing menu, so there is always something that I haven't tried before! Some of my all-time favorites would have to be the Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll (almost always on the menu), the lamb (and I'm not even a lamb person), and the Mahi Mahi!! Those three items always make it hard for me to try the new menu items!! On the downside (only slightly) it does tend to get a little loud in there, but to me that's a sign that everyone is enjoying themselves and having a good time. I don't mind the noise or the crowd, if I wanted to eat alone I would have stayed at home. :) Pros: food, dessert, menu, service, ambiance Cons: parking in downtown los gatos more

Winemakers Dinners the last Tuesday of every month. Coming soon, Domaine Alfred, Ladera, Raymond, Pinot Night featuring some of Tony Craig's fabulous wines. more