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

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

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

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

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

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

This bar/restaurant is like a beautiful person who is completely devoid of personality and substance. The decor and ambiance is incredible but the actual dining experience was comically bad. The food was bland, except for the Caesar salad, and took 45 minutes to arrive. The bar blew a keg of the beer we ordered and just served us different beers without saying anything. When you take the price into account for all of this I can honestly say that this was one of the worst value dining experiences I can remember. Hopefully they get it figured out because the space is really cool. read more

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

When they're not yelling back drink order confirmations to customers as they're walking away from them, the bar staff are too busy bantering with each other. Sure, things can get busy, but I guess zero acknowledgement of me for five minutes after sitting down despite the bar being more empty than full. No biggie, as I was just mooching their air conditioning anyhow, but this place feels more like a roadhouse than a hotel bar. Which might be fine if everything weren't 20% more than across the street at Pour House, and half as good. At least their AC was pretty cold; will be back for that this summer. read more

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

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

I love this location: Grew up in and around this hotel and am so happy about the renovation. I came up from Sacramento to stay at the hotel and have a weekend of hiking and shopping with my mom. The renovation was beautifully done. The decor both hip and classic. We sat inside, next to the fireplace. I had a delicious French 75 cocktail while we looked over the menu. The food is upscale Mexican some great pescatarian and vegetarian options. We had a perfectly cooked and seasoned filet. Two tasty salads. A yummy-but-messy- looking tostada with incredible beans. The chef likes to smoke meats, which could be limiting if you don't prefer that flavor. We found lots of things to like. The gnocchi were light and fluffy, and the mole was a stand out. The servers were bright and competent, but maybe stretched thin. I'll be back in a few months! read more

I had been told the Golden Gate Saloon inside the Holbrooke Hotel was as good as a San Francisco restaurant. Well, after dining there, it might be better. The food was spectacular and beautifully plated. Shared a number of small plates to sample various dishes. The chicharron and smoked wings were the stars of the show. I'm not a big chicken wing fan as I find them a bit pedestrian. These wings were complex, lightly smoked with a great texture and not greasy or messy. The chicharron were light and crispy, not oily. Both portions were probably double the size one would get in the Bay Area. The tostada was also good, but not at the level the previous 2 dishes. Beverages were meticulously made and the service was stellar. Very attentive without being annoying. The manager even stopped by to see how dinner was. Because of this eatery, Grass Valley has become a destination for me. read more

Big sign says come in, Patio! The place was half empty plenty of room in the bar, and the host (a male) says sorry no reservations no seating for brunch. We will never come back... read more

First time here was last week with my girls for breakfast. It went great! Service was friendly and food was super fresh and tasty. I got a coffee with baileys and homemade whipped cream, hit the spot sooo good. The weekday breakfast menu seemed a little limited, I got the ricotta toast $12, so I wanted to come back for Sunday brunch. So I did, with my 2 month old and four year old to meet his six year old cousin and his dad. We didn't have to wait for a table and I ordered the same drink so excited. They brought me an Irish coffee(I can't handle whiskey after having a baby, it's way too strong, lame I know) so I sent it back, much to the dismay of my friend! They brought back the same drink, just added Baileys to It and the whip was all deflated, I cry. So I sent it back again asking for one with no whiskey and it was corrected although the cringe factor was pretty high. Super bummed there was no kids menu, I would have gone somewhere else had I known. Server told us we can get sides, his muffin, bacon, scrambled egg, and side of avocado cost more than my Benedict! I started to get irritated once we had waited an hour and 15 for our food, but it's new so I'm willing to be patient. When it did arrive, my friend's corned beef and our three sides of bacon weren't with the rest of our food (imagine this kid waiting for his bacon if you dare haha) I asked to substitute bacon for Canadian bacon on my Benny and it came with Canadian, whatever I can live with it but my eggs were poached hard as a rock! Server explained bacon would be out shortly (I was finished by the time we got bacon) and the corned beef had "slid off the plate in the kitchen" and they were remaking. HAsked to get it togo, came on a plate 20 minutes later. Service was super friendly but he never asked how My meal was when My eggs were on display untouched the whole time . I'll be back For a drink, no kids next time. Sunday's are hArd. For customer and business alike! read more

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

Great place but not a last minute place to get in on a Sunday evening. Our family is of five and the comment from the reservationists is I'm sorry we are not able to seat a party that size today. Bummer...won't be my go to place, only when I plan ahead which is hardly ever. Food is great. read more

From the moment we walked in we were greeted like family that they haven't seen in awhile. The attention to detail. Along with the great choices adult beverages. Make it very comfortable and relaxing I recommend you come try this place out. It will be your new Watering Hole LOL read more

We had a very pleasant and enjoyable socially distanced outdoor meal here over the weekend. The back patio was nicely heated, the staff was very friendly, and the food was delicious! They also have some excellent and reasonably priced cocktails. Thanks for a great evening! Looking forward to when it is safe to dine indoors. What a beautiful renovation. read more

Wait time to be seated was quick. Water and coffee came quick. Brunch beverages were slow. Scrambled eggs had the consistency of polenta. Very unusual. Potatoes were too salty. Bacon was just vet cooked. Might return for another meal but probably not for brunch. Servers were nice. read more

We stopped here (inside the Holbrook) for a drink and bite to eat. The bar is beautiful and the history is fascinating. The bartender was super friendly. We had a couple small appetizers (chicken wings and chips and guac) that were tasty and enough food that we considered passing up dinner. Good pour on the drinks which is always nice. I would definitely stop here again. read more

The setting was beautiful. With warmers it made for a pleasant evening. I ordered the salmon entree which was very good (just too bad there wasn't more to eat). The tamales pie was basic. Almost tasted like a regular shepherds pie. Not very flavorful though a nice concept for a dish. We ordered the rhubarb pie for desert but unfortunately the delicious flavor of the rhubarb and berry was over powered by the taste of flaxseed oil or some kind of gasoline as if the cast iron pan had not been well wiped prior to being cooked in. Food was Very disappointing for a $100 meal. More flavors (and not the wrong kind.. ) sadly was a miss. read more

Went there for the first time yesterday. The birria was so on point. So much flavor and had a nice little kick to it. My wife had the king salmon, which she also raved about. Is the price point steep? Sure, but you get what you pay for. Everything about it is top notch. For a special night out, I'll certainly put this spot at the top of my list. read more

Great quality food and service . Really enjoyed the desserts and the beer selection. We look forward to come by back and staying at the holbrooke hotel again! read more

As a local I've was anxious to try this newly renovated hotel. It does look amazing! BUT the Golden Gate Saloon needs someone who knows how to tend bar with even a little bit of professionalism. We sat at an almost empty bar on a Thursday night and were ignored after being handed three menu's. We only came for a cocktail as we had dinner reservations elsewhere. We sat for more than ten minutes watching the comical drama behind the bar including the guy who mostly stood around, brush into a bottle that came crashing to the floor. Husband ordered a drink with orange juice, and after I was served my drink, the bar tender left the bar to search for orange juice, leaving us to wait so we could toast my husband's birthday. We asked for the check, and the bartender plopped the bill down on the bar and walked away as my husband held his card for no one to take. When I said something, the bar tender snapped back at me. When I called him on his attitude, he let loose on me. Then he claimed he remembered me (like I'm a frequent complainer) even though I hadn't been in that bar since the remodel. I'm embarrassed for this obvious tourist trap, and will not be recommending this saloon to anyone. read more

A party of 5 of us went to the Holbrook for brunch after having made reservations. We stared at our table for the longest time before they sat us. First off, the live music (one guitar player/singer) was so loud we could not hear each other talk. We asked the wait staff to see if they could get him to turn it down a bit, but to no avail. We basically sat in silence after a while because what's the point of talking if no-one can hear you. On to the food. Two people had the chorizo and potatoes and commented they loaded you up on the potatoes, and there was hardly any chorizo. One had the chilaquiles. Another huge disappointment. Hardly any braised brisket (extra 5$ by the way) which was a couple of half inch squares of the driest brisket you have ever had. Super weird flavorless chips with a smoked chipolte seasoning no salsa, sour cream, avacado. Two of us the huevos rancheros. I would give it a medium. This is the 3rd time I have eaten there, and always with guests from out of town because the building is beautiful. I was hoping they would up their game on the food end, but it did not happen. I foresee this place closing down the road due to lack of customers. read more