My husband and I shared fries and a burger-both way tasty! We were able to sit in bar area without a reservation on a Saturday night. Only four stars because we seemed to be forgotten often by our server. read more

The Diplomat - Diplomatic burger - New American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Had dinner at The Diplomat last evening. Shared lots of appetizers and the chicken dinner. It was the best meal I have eaten in recent memory! Everything we tried was outstanding, especially the chicken, the onion salad and the whey risotto. The service was great, ambiance perfect (lots of tables, but it did not feel over crowded) and a very accommodating waiter, Sam. Kudos to the chef! Five stars! read more

Great and attentive service. The vibe in there's is upscale and retro. Really enjoyed it! Would be perfect for a date night or meeting with friends. Not a ton of room so I'm not sure they could accommodate big parties. I would definitely go just to grab a drink too. The bar top was very nice. Everything is tapas which was a little pricey but everything was very high quality. I would recommend the beet salad and crab balls. We had the trout which lacked seasoning but overall prepared well. The banana bread was good but the mousse on top was very sweet. Overall would definitely go back. I'd like to try the steak and chicken full menu items. read more

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The mid century interior decor was a vibe!! I've been here before the renovation and menu change. So much change! We got assorted small plates, the lobster roll and beet salad was the best. The service still remains excellent. My friend said the ingredients taste top quality. The value is 4/5, I thought the dishes were pricey for what you get. Nevertheless, delicious and wonderful experience. read more

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never do I write reviews but this place was different than most, tried about 10 different plates from appetizers to desserts. Every plate being perfectly balanced not lacking flavor. On top of it chef Dane took time to explain a dish & gave the us not 1 but 2 desserts on the house, our server was a 10/10. Great vibes, great people, great food read more

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Service EXTREMELY slow. Food was OK. Recommend the trout. Darling place but won't return

Took myself on a little self date a few weeks ago and enjoyed every bite. Amazing food paired with delicious cocktails and ambiance. The team there has an impeccable yet relaxed standard of excellence. I ate the Roasted Beet Salad which is perfect if you like a subtle sweetness with your yummy greens. I'm also a huge fan of grits, sweet or savory and the beef short rib comes on a bed of yummy grits. The space itself is warm and cozy: ideal for a date, dinner with parents or friends. Will be back. Service 5 STARS Food 5 STARS Atmosphere 5 STARS read more

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This was a modern and contemporary spot with a relaxed and colorful atmosphere. The menu offered many plates that are intended to be shared. They were all very different. The service was friendly, and the food came out in a timely manner. For "starters", the sourdough bread ($5), anchovy ($8), octopus ($15), and garlic shrimp salad ($14) were ordered. The bread came with an olive oil butter. This was outstanding. The bread was grilled to perfection while the butter was soft, but creamy. It was my favorite "starter" of the night. The anchovy dip had a deviled egg filling, pimento, pickled shallot, and capers served with butter crackers. This was solid. It did not have much of an anchovy flavor while the pimento cheese stood out the most. The octopus salad had an olive romesco, pimento, pine nut gremolata, and tangerine. The tanginess from the tangerine and the salt component from the olive romesco and octopus made for an interesting and different combination. The garlic shrimp salad had asparagus, egg white - lemon dressing, green garlic, pickled shallot, toasted breadcrumbs, and sunflower shoots. This was okay. The toasted breadcrumbs really were not ideal as it felt like sand was being ate. The dressing was tasty, but it was hard to get passed the breadcrumbs. For an "entrée", the single portion of the trout ($18) was ordered. It came with beluga lentils, verjus beurre Blanc, green almonds, and radish. This was one my favorite fish dishes I ever had. The trout was cooked to perfection. The fish was like butter when biting into it. The lentils component really enhanced the fish as well. It was unbelievable. Will I go back? Definitely. read more

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We dined at this restaurant for the first time shortly after Chef Dane Baldwin was nominated for the James Beard Award (which he later won) in 2022. The dishes we ordered were Vichyssoise, Octopus, Ribeye, and Chicken Leg Confit. Every dish was meticulously prepared and extremely pleasing to the mouth, particularly the Ribeye. We waited eagerly to go back and recently got a chance to have dinner there again. This time, we tried some different dishes: Onion Salad, Roasted Beet Salad, The Diplomac, Trout, and (again) Chicken Leg Confit. These dishes were all delectable with complex flavors. The two salads used very fresh and high-quality ingredients and had balanced taste profiles. The Diplomac was similar to other good gourmet burgers, although we are more used to gourmet burgers with stronger spices including chili peppers. The kohlrabi-radish salad and tonnato complemented the flavor of the Trout very well, and the Chicken Leg Confit was as tender and as tasty as we had the year before. We consider the Diplomat to be one of our two most favorite restaurants in Milwaukee. read more

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James Beard Award for best chef in the Midwest did not disappoint with delicious shareable plates that were upscale but approachable. 4.5 stars Service 4.5 food 4.5 atmosphere: 4.5 Cost to worth it rating: 4 (got 9 plates plus drinks for $100 per person, most were $11-15 with larger ones $18 and $26) Return worthiness: yes Eve award: most inventive fish fry preparation Highlights - Cod hash brown: I thought this was going to be a piece of cod encrusted in potato, but it was all mixed in with the potato for a magical cod plus dill flavor! My sister was also obsessed with the tarter sauce. 5+ stars - Sunchoke dip: was light with pure cheeses instead of being mayo or sour cream based which could let the vegetable shine. 5 stars - Chicken confit: don't know why people only do this with duck, it's so tender and rich and delightful: 5 stars - Pretzel buns: Heart of Wisconsin perfected. 3 small warm rolls with a delightful cheddar dip smeared on the bottom. I'm a big Merkts fan and this is that elevated though bit more mustardy. 5 stars - Short rib: very tasty with a pile of grits. 4.5 stars - Wines by the glass: good list with diff locations--not only California and France - Atmosphere: cute inside with wood and colorful art on walls. Was comfortable and welcoming. Also separate bar room on the side and few tables outside in the sidewalk. Midlights: - These dishes were fine, but not outstanding like the ones above. - Beet salad: pure red and orange beet wedges with some sesame, radish, and greens. 3.5 stars - Octopus: just ok with very tiny legs. 3 stars - Desserts: peanut butter pie and chocolate mousse were ok. Extra peanut butter texture was nice. 3 stars Lowlights: - Dishes come out when they're ready, but it's nice to have the more of a progression of snacky/appetizer type dishes before the mains. Enjoyed this spot for a sister dinner date and would return. read more

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My friend and I were on our bi annual vacation to MKE from Chicago and genuinely had the best meal in a LONG time here. We got the pretzels (so soft and the cheese was punchy), the Caesar (perfectly dressed, warm croutons), the salt cod hashbrown (no words, must get), and the trout (favorite dish, no notes, definitely get the bigger portion, you'll want more), and finally the banana bread which was just the perfect ending. We sat at the bar and regretfully did not get our bartenders name but she was wonderful, quick and efficient service and just a generally warm vibe. Go!Here! read more

Decent food. Could be a little better, nothing memorable. I'm making this a few months later and can hardly remember what I even ate. Services were also weird af. No hostess. Had us waiting next to the cashier counter in the back while they got us a table. read more

We went here expecting a great experience and had a very "meh" experience. The food was good, but we can get just as good or better in MKE. The decor was nice and classy. The service is what brought the review down. There were plenty of people working, but the restaurant was only half full, not very busy. It took at least 15 minutes for the server to approach us after we were seated, another 20 to get our cocktails, then another very long time to have our order taken, get our water filled, etc. It was just 2 people at our table, we ordered their house "Diplomat" cocktail (which was delicious), and didn't have any adjustments to the menu items, so we weren't difficult customers. On our second round of cocktails, they were missing the garnishes despite there being 2 bartenders working a half full restaurant. We are not picky customers, but we ended up not getting to do anything else for our date night because our meal took SO LONG and we had a babysitter. We would have ordered more food bc we were still a little hungry, but we had already been there over 2 hours and were afraid it would take too long to get more. Won't go back, won't recommend to friends. For how expensive the restaurant is, the service should be a lot better. read more

We had a weird experience here. The menu was limited. If you didn't want a very expensive steak ($65) or chicken entree ($72), basically, you were left with the hamburger. We skipped the trout because they served it with a red sauce. We ended up getting 3 other dishes that were good, although they were all appetizers/salads The disappointing thing was, they brought the salad last. We inquired about it and the waitress told us that they bring the food out according to when it's convenient for the chef. We've had their burger in the past and it was good. We were just trying to elevate our dining experience this time around. read more

We came here with friends for dinner and overall we had an excellent time. Our server, Anna, was so helpful, friendly, and attentive. Highlights were the pretzels, octopus, peanut butter pie, and the fries. All of the plates are ideal for sharing. We also shared the trout with Brussels sprouts, capers, almond aioli, and grilled lemon - AMAZING. The flavors were perfection, a little crunch from the capers, and the trout melts in your mouth. read more

NEVER AGAIN. NEVER EVER, EVER AGAIN. I have been to The Diplomat a few times and have always enjoyed the food and service. Guess its because the owners never where the ones to serve me. Tonight was hands down THE WORST I HAVE BEEN TREATED ANYWHERE, EVER..and for THEIR MISTAKE. My aunt went in to get us table, which already started off concerning because the female owner was not very nice or pleasent. We ended up sitting at the bar, which was fine and the bartender was great by the way. We ordered multiple plates to share, I had a couple drinks and then ordered our entrees. After about 45 mins of still no entrees, the bartender goes to see what is going on. Turns out the female owner missed our ticket completely but they will make our food as soon as they can. We are hungry and we are annoyed, I ask if something can be done for the wait. Female owner comes back, and gives me two options. They will pay for our meal up to this point, but they will not serve us our entrees and we have to leave OR they will pay for nothing and we will get our entrees. I was trying to get clarification on why these were our only two options because we still wanted our meals, and I NEVER ASKED FOR THEM TO PAY FOR OUR WHOLE MEAL. As I am talking with her, male owner and chef comes outs and begins to ARGUE AND YELL AT ME in the bar area with customers around. He was condensing, rude and clearly having a bad day. He began to ask me "did you like your food thus far, did you like your service thus far, did we admit our mistakes..so you just want something for free. AGAIN THAT IS NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR. I was so taken back we decided to finish our so-so fries and call it day with the no entree option. We still wanted to tip the bartender, but was told "we will take care of him, not you". My aunt tried to sneak him a tip and the female owner saw and gave it back to us. I thought we could at least finish out fries, but apparently that wasn't part of the two options we were given. As we were eating female owner came by and started taking our plates, while I was mid bite mind you. I was accused of only wanting something for free, if that was the case I would've racked up a way bigger bill. Maybe the owners should consider that people dont just come in to enjoy a good meal. My aunt and I had a long hard day cleaning out a family members house we had to put into a memory care home and came here because we THOUGHT it would be enjoyable. Not the case, not even close. We purposely yelled at, purposely treated like we didnt belong, just yelled at and belittled overTHEIR MESS UP. I asked if something could be done about the wait, SHE SAID "OH YOU SOMETHING FOR FREE" I RESPONDED WITH SURE, SOMETHING. It couldve been a desert for all we cared. Hope anyone else who goes there doesn't speak up, you might also get yelled at and kicked out. Proceed with caution. read more

One of the best meals we've had - bar none! Big congrats to the chef for his James Beard nomination. Very well deserved! We started with a couple of cocktails - with a few more a little later! Really enjoyed the Cachaca Baron Cohen and the Deebo (see accompanying picture for the cocktail menu), but the drink that stood out for me was the "I'm a Numbers Guy". It was so unusual - starting with a very tart taste that became super sweet after swallowing a sip of it. Never tasted anything like it! The food definitely lived up to the standard that the drinks set. Even though the dishes are sized so that you can try a number of them, we probably ended up with more food than we strictly needed - but everything was so good! We did end up taking home half of the three cheese tartiflette pie (which was great with lunch the next day!), but everything else we polished off. We had the pretzel, octopus, salt cod hashbrown, anchovy deviled eggs, and short rib. Oh... and we can't forget the peanut butter pie! Like I said, everything was great, but for me the octopus was the big standout. It was marinated in citrus for I don't know how long and grilled - and it came out so tender and delicious. Just outstanding! For my wife, the peanut butter pie was equally memorable (okay, for me too I must admit). This was about half peanut butter pie and half Italian buttercream, with candied peanuts and caramelized bananas. Outstanding dessert! Overall fantastic food, drinks, service and ambiance. Can't be beat! read more

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Wow! I see why this place won the jAmEs beard award. Every single thing here is GREAT, tasty and of perfect texture. I've had all the best tapas in mke (odd duck, Birch, la merenda, balzac, braise) and this place on the same league/ upper tier amongs the place I listed. The ambiance is really cute, reasonably priced. Portion is a little small, but not enough for me to knock off to a 4 star. My group got the octopus, beech mushroom, salt cod hash brown, trout, anchovy, fries, and tuna salad (these are in particular order). However, everything is GREAT Feedback: List gluten free options read more

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We are spending our summer in Milwaukee and are on a quest to find the best cheeseburger in the city. This was our 7th stop and it did not meet our expectations as we ordered 2 cheeseburgers and it took almost 1:45 minutes to receive our meal. Now the burger was good but the wait damped our ability to judge it fairly. We would not recommend this establishment to anyone on the same quest. It is really to bad because we had heard great things about the Diplomat. read more

Excellent service and great food, without stuffy environment. Was in town for 8 days on business and went twice.

Get the three cheese tartiflette pie!! We went here on a Friday evening and had a few dishes but the pie was by far one of the best things I've ever had at a restaurant. So rich and the flavors all went together perfectly. The service was great and the decor is cool as well. read more

The Diplomat - Menu - New American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Excellent food and service! We really enjoyed ordering a bunch of items and sharing. Everyone had their favorites but everything was good! The whey risotto was an especially surprising dish with unexpected but amazingly complimentary flavors. For dessert, I'm still dreaming about the banana bread and the peanut butter pie!!! read more

My boyfriend and I ate here for the first time last night to celebrate my birthday. Our pallets are not very sophisticated, and we weren't sure what to order. Our waitress, Anna, and the chef, Dane, were more than helpful. They both offered their opinions and expertise. Dane is a wonderful chef-he is accommodating, and extremely talented. We shared the pretzels with cheese and mussels appetizers. My boyfriend had the burger with fries (and garlic mayo), while I had the New York strip. The appetizers were delightful and both of our meals were delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly. Our dessert was scrumptious too! We split the peanut butter pie. The staff, atmosphere, and food is amazing. We will definitely be back, and we recommend this restaurant to anyone interested in a truly pleasant dining experience. read more

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The restaurant can't order properly in order to keep dishes regularly available. They can't staff well enough to keep on a bartender, a host or a food runner/busser. The food is good but the experience is dismal. read more

Really delicious, but can we finally move on from small plates? Also small plate with three portions?...look around the room, see any 3 tops? I know math is SO hard but multiples of two please. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/apr/01/still-hungry-how-we-fell-out-of-love-with-small-plates https://amp.theguardian.com/food/2019/mar/14/the-end-of-small-plates-why-the-dinner-ruining-dishes-may-finally-be-over read more

For a James Beard award winner I expected more. We had a 7:30pm Friday reservation but somewhat surprised by multiple open tables. It's a nice warm, friendly, welcoming space. We sampled 6 dishes and kept waiting to be wowed but left underwhelmed. Not a huge deal but we expected things would be coursed out a little - they weren't. So we got our fries first and a full ten minutes before anything else - was a bit odd for what is essentially a side. Once the next dish arrived everything came at once so we ended up with a busy table and feeling pretty rushed. The best dish was easily the chicken liver mousse which was excellent. Everything else felt like OK gastro pub food - nicely cooked and seasoned but nothing special. read more

Absolute best overall restaurant in Milwaukee. There were 4 of us, and we were able to share everything. Exceeded our expectations on small plates (sourdough bread, fries, octopus) and entrees / sandwiches (New York strip, whey risotto, chicken leg confit, and diplomac burger). We went with the smaller portion sizes of steak and chicken, perfect for sharing. Peanut Butter Pie for dessert. Yum! We were so happy with the ambience, service, quality of food, and prices. Also, excellent beer & cocktail selections. Highly recommended! read more

Stopped in on a week night and was so very pleased with my visit. The service was excellent and the food was incredible. Was a upscale atmosphere, but also felt very laidback and home-y. Bartender was fantastic. If I lived closer, I'd be here frequently! read more

The Diplomat - Tartine - New American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Very good restaurant, people are nice and the food is good. No bs simple and good. My favorite place for fine dining in Wisconsin !

I'd pass by the Diplomat multiple times on Brady St and had always wanted to check it out but never gotten around to it. Once Carol Deptolla of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel listed the Diplomat as her #4 best restaurant in Milwaukee, I knew I had to check it out. I got to the restaurant before my friend, around 5pm on a Friday night. I immediately liked the cozy, cool vibe as I came in. Despite only one table being full, it took a bit to find a waitress in order to get a table. Then it took at least another 20 minutes to get a happy hour menu. The happy hour menu had a good deal on a couple of things, but I was confused as to why some items on the happy hour menu were the same price as the regular one. After about another 20 minutes, I got my initial order for a drink in while I waited for my friend who was running late. From there, my friend joined me, and it took at least 2 1/2 hours to have a couple small plates and a drink each. I get that it's small plates and fancy, but the service was slower than necessary. At the end, I paid the bill at the bar because we had to be somewhere else, people were standing and waiting for our table, and we hadn't seen a waitress/waiter in a solid 15 minutes. We dealt with two different waitresses as well as a variety of staff bringing food back from the kitchen and were offered the incorrect food multiple times, so I don't know if our table just got lost in the shuffle or what happened. In summary, I'd be willing to try the Diplomat again The food was good as was the atmosphere. However, the service was very disjointed and slow to the point where I'd rather go someplace else or make sure I really like the person I'm going to dinner with here. read more

The Diplomat - New American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

They won a James Beard for a reason...wow just absolutely amazing food. My friends and I stopped in as walk ins and they were so nice!! It's a little pricy but you get what you pay for. The bartender was there to help with all drink questions and to serve out of this world cocktails. The food was extraordinary, we shared the diplomat burger, steak, and chicken leg and they were all fantastic. For dessert (because how could we not) they have a peanut butter cup pie which for me was probably my favorite part!! It was a wonderful dining experience, I plan on visiting again soon read more

The Diplomat - The Diplomat burger my favorite of the entrees - New American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We arrived on time at 7:00 pm. There were only 4 entrees on the menu. The steak, for which they are known, was unavailable. We should have been told prior to the appetizer. We would have left. The food is pedestrian. Nothing to write about. Several of us opted for the Diplomat burger. I'm sorry to say that I've had much better at any Culver's. I'm sorriest to say that McDonald outperformed it. I don't frequent fast food places. Prefer Bartolotta's restaurants for example. If you want an outstanding dining experience, go to Dan Dan's. Avoid the Diplomat. Avoid the disappointment. read more

The lack of beets in the beet salad and small portion of fries worried me. Is there a shortage of beets and potatoes in Wisconsin? Are those farms or grow houses that I see when I fly into Milwaukee? It took over 45 minutes to get a burger out of the kitchen with nobody else in the place except a couple at the end of the bar. This is lunch service not a burger reality show contest where you have to make your creation under 60 minutes. It was really good, though I have to give them that. But I got a hair in my burger and I am fighting it in my throat right now as I write this review. I let the owner know I also got a hair on my plate and they did nothing. Not even an apology. I was cool about it because I grew up in the restaurant business and just said to be careful then shrugged it off. Brady Street has a ton of hair salons and barbers and if I wanted hair for lunch I would have gone there. read more

The Diplomat - Hair on my plate that looks like a 4" pube - New American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Very attentive staff even on a quiet Wednesday evening. Food was excellent, the beet salad and chocolate mousse were stand outs. read more

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What an excellent venue to meet up w former coworkers for drinks, and share food. I must confess that my routine pre-meal Manhattan (the "Diplomanhattan") was smooth (not overly sweet nor overly boozy). So I had two! Haha. Dan and Charlotte, behind the bar, provided excellent service and handled my banter w ease.. The great thing about Midwesterners, regardless of where they currently reside, is the friendliness and open conversation. All of us barsitters had blast regardless of age or topic of discussion. When my gang arrived, we shared the burger, trout, the pretzel, sliced New York Strip, Caesar deviled eggs, and Chicken in a Biscuit. All fantastic! One of my fav things is when the manager, owner, or chef makes the rounds on the floor. Anna stopped at the table a couple of times to check in on our satisfaction. We were def happy diners! read more

I'm conflicted about the Diplomat. They've got a crap ton going for them. The ambiance is spot on. It's a little bit quirky, as it's on Brady St it's only fitting. I want to say that I love it, but I think the whole small plates, but not small price is what's stopping me. The menu was pretty small, and as a friend put it, "there isn't something for everyone." That's usually ok with me, as I like to try new items. The items they did have, sounded good and everything we ordered did taste good. However; when you do small plates or shareables, you've got to make it easier for people to share. We dined as a group of three, and we struggled with each dish to separate in a fair way to everyone. I thought the biscuits were divine and those were aligned with the price/portion. The burger was incredibly good as well, and not a small plate item at all. If I return here, I will definitely be ordering that and growling at anyone who wants to share. read more

The Diplomat - New American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

YUM!!! My experience at The Diplomat was amazing! The restaurant has a cool mid century, retro, homey vibe. The service was great, our waitress, Alyssa, gave us excellent recommendations! We first started with drinks, I got the kangaruby cocktail which was good but is a little spicy/smoky. Then we were ready to order food, it's all sharables which I love so you can try a lots of things! We started with the picked deviled eggs and octopus on the left side of the menu which is more starters/salads. The deviled eggs came with 3 and were so flavorful! The octopus was so good, it came with a pasta with a light creamy sauce, a seasonal fruit and olives, the combination of everything was delicious. Then we moved to the right side of the menu and got the diplomac, the corn grits, and the chicken leg confit. The diplomac is a burger and was very good! The corn grits which is what the chef is known for was unreal! I never would have ordered something like that before but we had to try it knowing the chef is known for it and holy moly it was so delicious! Then the chicken leg confit was great! The sauce and seasonal veggies were so flavorful! Lastly, we got dessert even though we were stuffed but it was so worth it. They all looked amazing but we went with the banana bread and WOW! The filling on top and the little clusters of goodness were amazing! Highly recommend!! read more

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Third time here. Sharing plates. Always tasty, but this time the beet salad was noticeably skimpy. I want some value along with my Gourmet food. Watch the portion sizes, guys. read more

Awesome find! Please check it out. We stayed way after close (sorry), and were bribed to leave by doing shots with the owner. You'll love it. read more

I wanted to love the Diplomat so much. The ambiance was great including a live plant wall, cute tables, and candles by Lit MKE which was a huge plus to me. Its located in the hustle and bustle on Brady Street. I previewed the menu and was leery of the lack of options (in my opinion), and the slightly elevated pricepoint compared to other small plates/tapas in Milwaukee. As I said the menu was much smaller than I am used to in these types of restaurants. I kept thinking if I brought a big group this wouldn't be a something for everyone type of situation. Luckily we weren't with a group of picky eaters so we found some decent options. The one thing I will say is they made the food well. However, for being a shareable restaurant the food wasn't really easy to share. It was hard cutting and portioning most of it. My favorites we tried were the Diplomac burger with their own sauce and the fries on the side. We got to to split even though it definitely isn't meant to be, I think if I went back I would just get a burger to play it safe and get the most bang for my buck. The Biscuits were also delicious, I could have had 4 of those on my own as a meal. I wasn't a huge fan of the Medjool Capaccio, also would have never wanted to pay $10 knowing the sizing of it. The roasted chicken was also good, but very hard to share between us. read more

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