Polenteria

Review summary

1. J

   Julie

   Tampa

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food is outstanding ! Service was exceptional !
   

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2. S

   Suzette

   Central Coast

   4 reviews

   2.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   As a gluten- and dairy-free foodie finally making my way here for the first time after reading many reviews, I REALLY wanted to love this experience. I really, really did. And maybe my experience would have been different if we were not dairy free, but I cannot lie... I was disappointed. The good: Adorable, tucked away location with only 22 seats. Visible kitchen. Open bar. Simple, elegant (but not pretentious), modern decor. Overall kind, relatively attentive staff (although our head waitress was cold, busy and detached). The less-than-awesome: Again, the head waitress was just cold. We were there for a special birthday and it was completely disregarded. She answered our questions very shortly then darted off to attend to other things (granted, I am sure she was busy, but we did not feel any sense of warmth from her demeanor). I am not sure she smiled once. We were excited at the rare opportunity for gluten-free calamari, but it desperately needed acid (even a squeeze of lemon which was not included) and seasoning. The side of mayo-based sauce was forgettable. The halibut I ordered was overcooked (not horribly but it lacked that luscious moisture and tenderness expected at this level of a restaurant) and the meatballs my partner ordered were bland. My son's pork was also dry and overcooked. It seemed to be seasoned okay but the sauce was not... it was just sweet and sadly missing any depth of flavor. What struck me, though, was the polenta that both I and my son had. I realize we are dairy-free as well, so we had to order their vegan version, but I am not exaggerating in the least when I say it had the flavor and texture of lumpy cream of wheat made with water. It was just not good at all. Fortunately, my halibut had grilled lemon and capers to give it a bit of flavor, but that was its only saving grace. We came here with such high hopes for a lovely, birthday culinary experience but left feeling let down and a few hundred dollars lighter. Big bummer.
   

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3. D

   Daniel

   VIP

   San Francisco

   27 reviews

   5.0

   27 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   It’s such a small space that getting a table can be tough, but it’s worth it. I love their pork chop with polenta. Just wonderful flavors, and perfectly cooked, with a crisp outer layer and juicy interior. The service is also impeccable, and made us feel like we were at home (without all the work!).
   

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4. C

   Christine

   VIP

   San Francisco

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This is our third time eating here and all three times have been amazing!!! The service was just awesome but the food was even better.
   

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5. E

   Elizabeth

   VIP

   San Francisco

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on January 6, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We absolutely love dining here! Everything is delicious and our server was so kind and helpful!
   

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6. E

   E

   VIP

   San Francisco

   10 reviews

   1.0

   10 reviews

   Dined on January 5, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   I had such a good experience dining here a few weeks ago for my birthday! I could not wait to share this restaurant with my friwnd. We got here a bit early for our 1:45 reservation. The restaurant was closed and a gentleman said he was locking up and that the staff was at the Farmer’s Market. I showed him our reservation on Open Table. No update or cancellation on app and we had driven south from San Francisco. We scrambled to find another suitable option for my friend with Celiac. Luckily Telerific was able to accommodate us.
   

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7. A

   Annie

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 5, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The host as well as the server were amazing! This hidden gem is certainly worth the drive from the peninsula! We took the focaccia bread to-go and enjoyed it for a whole week! My daughter and I will def come back!
   

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8. D

   David

   VIP

   San Francisco

   12 reviews

   5.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on December 28, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was great, and the service was spot on. We were there for lunch and liked it so much we made a reservation for dinner as my aunt who is gluten free was in for the Holidays. The owner also came out to all the tables to talk to the guests and make sure everything was good. We will be back for SURE
   

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9. J

   Joslyn

   VIP

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on December 16, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful food experience for celiac daughter, amazing GF bread, pasta and dessert.
   

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10. D

    Daniel

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4

    My wife suffers from celiac disease, so this place is perfect for her. She doesn’t have to worry about anything on the menu and could order everything, everything on the menu is gluten-free. The food and drinks were really good. We loved the meatballs and arancini. Also, had the short rib and polenta. It was perfect. It’s a small location, but it was very enjoyable and staff was awesome.
    

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