Cowhorn Kitchen

“I booked a 2 pm, same-day reservation on a whim, and as dramatic as it may sound, it was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made this decade, aside from a couple breakups. Evan doubled as our chef AND server and when he realized he didn’t have the beer my boyfriend ordered, he quite literally RAN across the street in almost 100 degree weather to grab the closest beer he could find, and then refused to charge us for it since it wasn’t the beer on his menu. His conversation was almost as superb as his dishes and getting to know him (and the food) while we ate was such a treat. The unique flavor pairings, the presentation, the freshness from locally sourced ingredients -truly unmatched. We can’t wait to go back for the prix fixe menu. If you’re a local or just passing through, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for you to carve time out of your weekend to try this gem. Order something a little out of your comfort bubble (ice cream isn’t something I generally order off a dessert menu, but my god this was the best ice cream I’ve had in my whole life). Ask questions if the menu feels intimidating (the staff will be kind and helpful and wonderful). And if you normally order your steak cuts well done, be brave here. Give rare or even medium-rare a chance.”

“Such a special night out. Opted for the full prix fixe and so very glad we did! Everything from start to finish was immaculate. Each dish was well-concerned, beautifully presented, and so delicious! There were so many lovely textures, colors, and flavors–works of art to say the least. Our wine paired nicely with everything (highly recommend the Johan Melon de Bourgogne), and the service friendly with just the right amount of attention. Atmosphere is cozy but not stuffy, which I love. Perfect date night spot. Can't wait to go back!”

“Just wanted people to know what they are getting. This is a fancy dinner with small portions, served as a 6-8 course meal. Very expensive but delicious. Is a great thing, if you are expecting it. Based on the website, my group was not expecting it. Once we realized, we should have walked out but we didn’t want to be rude. We also knew they had held a big table for us and so we wanted to at least purchase something. So we ordered a great white wine and then we all ordered one of the items to at least try everything (ie one scallop for 22ish bucks, a small sorbet for $14, a little lamb and a biscuit for $28). We were trying to have fun and yet as soon as the staff realized we couldn’t do whole meal, they treated us very cold. The chef glared at us from kitchen. Waitress was no longer as bubbly. Very sad experience. They included a service fee of 20% and we still left a tip tho they didn’t deserve it. Anyways. Hope others are treated nicer.”

“We had one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had at what is supposed to be a fine dining restaurant. My 92-year-old grandmother stood at the entrance for several minutes without anyone even acknowledging her. Even with a cane no one offered her a seat, how egregious! We also went from a party of 10 to 12, and despite having a very large table with plenty of room, we waited nearly 15 minutes just for two extra chairs while everyone stood around awkwardly. Once seated, no one introduced themselves, explained the menu, or even came to take our order until we flagged someone down ourselves. The service throughout the night felt completely disorganized and inattentive. To make matters worse, the food portions were surprisingly small for the price. Overall, it was an extremely disappointing experience with poor service from start to finish. Definitely not the level of hospitality you would expect from a fine dining establishment. Stick to wine making!”

“I chose Cowhorn Kitchen to celebrate my birthday with friends and family, including both locals and guests from out of town. I wanted to try something new for a special occasion, but unfortunately it was a huge disappointment. The positives: the Johan Vineyard Chardonnay was excellent, and they had previously been accommodating by phone with reservation changes. Our reservation was for 10, but two family members were unexpectedly able to stay in town, so we tried calling during business hours to update it to 12. No one answered, so we politely asked in person. My 92-year-old grandmother and aunt arrived first and were completely ignored by the hostess, even though she walked by them twice. My grandmother cannot stand for long periods, so that was especially upsetting. When we asked about adding two chairs, we were told they needed to check, but no one followed up. After about 20 minutes of waiting and asking multiple employees, they finally brought two chairs from the back. The whole interaction felt cold and unwelcoming. Service remained slow and uncomfortable. We ordered six bottles of sparkling water, but they only had three. The menu was extremely limited, with only three entrée options: lamb, duck, and market fish. The server did not know what the market fish was and had to ask the chef. The food was also disappointing. The chips with crème fraîche appeared to be basic kettle chips, mostly tiny broken pieces. Several people ordered the halibut, and the portions were shockingly small. They didn’t arrange the correct place settings so we all had one fork and no knife. Our starter plates weren’t cleared before our entrees arrived. Many of us left hungry. We did not even order dessert, which we almost never skip for a birthday dinner. Our bill was around $900. Had the service been warm, attentive, or welcoming, we likely would have spent much more. Instead, we left disappointed and hungry. There are far better restaurants in the area with kinder service and better food. In all my years dining at restaurants around the world I have never been treated with such disregard as we were last night. The service was just horrendous. If the owner of Cowhorn Kitchen is reading this - a major overhaul of your front of house staff is needed ASAP.”