Wappo Bar & Bistro

06/13/07

Good Experience-lovely patio

by activities

Was pleasently surprised, with my group of 19 that the waitstaff were able to pull off the service they did and the kitchen produced a very nice lunch. We were there on a weekday afternoon, so the restaurant was not packed, though the weather had everyone wanting to sit on the sizable and beautiful patio. Give it a try in fair weather and I think you will enjoy it.

• Pros: patio, menu, staff
• Cons: inside dining area very cramped

12/19/06

Glass found in food!

by sobremesa

Calistoga is great precisely because it's not as pretentious and pricey as Napa, but this means that restaurant choices are limited. Wappo looked like our best option for a "gourmet" meal. The food was okay -- everything was on the cold side, but passable, UNTIL we had desert and found a shard of very sharp glass! We told the waiter, who was apologetic and took our desert off our bill. However, the manager of the restaurant never came to apologize and I think we deserved more than a desert! If we had swallowed the glass, which we almost did, we would have seriously cut our throats and ended up in the ER. In any case, I would not recommend a restaurant in which glass ends up dangerously in the food. Be safe and go elsewhere!

04/19/04

Review removed by author

by rgiovanetti

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• Pros: TBD
• Cons: , TBD

08/14/03

The flower-decked outdoor patio of this charming restaurant is a locals' favorite for eclectic global cuisine.

by Contributor

The Scene
Located a block off Calistoga's main street, Wappo Bar and Bistro is spread between two warm, inviting dining rooms (one with bar) and a romantic, shady outdoor patio complete with gurgling fountain--the perfect place to linger on a warm summer evening.

The Food
Happily traipsing around the globe, Wappo's menu mixes and mingles influences from Asia to Mexico. Dishes are abundant and colorful, lavished with fresh vegetables and great local produce. The don't-miss dish is the cross-cultural chile relleno, a silky green chile just lightly crunched with cornmeal on the outside, stuffed with rice, corn and black beans, and set in a puddle of tahini-walnut sauce touched with pomegranate syrup. Chewy, succulent shredded duck carnitas are piled over thick, tender homemade corn tortillas along with beans, salsa, and queso fresca. In season, finish up with a flaky slice of cherry pie.

• Pros: lovely outdoor patio

08/01/03

Snooty and Slow

by anxphiler

My husband and I spent the weekend in Napa recently, and given the glowing reviews of this place, we decided to give it a try. What a disappointment! We were seated in a terrible location (the busboys ran into my husband's shoulder everytime they walked by), and when we asked to move, we were given a really hard time about it. The menu selections seemed fine, but both of our dishes came very undercooked. When I sent mine back, it disappeared for about 20 minutes, and we never did see it return (because we left in frustration).

Overall, we found the waitstaff snooty and unhelpful (if you weren't ordering wine, you apparently weren't worth serving), the food poorly prepared, and the atmosphere unappealing. There are really only two positive things I can say for this restaurant: (1) the outdoor seating is fairly nice and (2) we got our money back.

02/03/03

Just perfect

by leighniles_citysearch

We had dinner at Wappo on a recent stay in Calistoga, and were blown away. The service wasn't fantastic, but the meal more than made up for it. To start we had the green corn soup, which was so rich and tasty, perfect. We also split the endive, pear, walnut salad which was delicious. I had the special grouper fish, wrapped in a banana leaf, with pineapple salsa. The fish melted in my mouth. Amazing. My boyfriend had the steak which he loved. Others with us had the osso bucco--they couldn't stop raving about it. Wine selection was nice, too.

09/29/02

Nice, but prepare to wait

by JLG

Wappo has become an up-valley staple for dining. The food is worldly & ecclectic and always presented well. The service is pleasant, even when there is a serious wait for your table. The food takes quite a while to arrive, so make sure to devour the great bread & dipping oil that is presented after you order.

• Pros: Outdoor dining, World-fusion cuisine, Group dining room
• Cons: Long time to get food

09/23/02

Great dining experience.

by elliebagherian

Nothing but good things to say about this restaurant. We took some friends who are visiting from Europe and we were all equally impressed and pleased by the friendly and prompt service, the delectable food, and of course the outdoor patio which made it a truly enjoyable dining experience. Everything we tried on the menu was very tasty...but you can't go wrong with the Osso Bucco. Make sure you leave room for the Chocolate Ice-cream sandwich with caramelized bananas...HEAVEN!!!