Troubadour — Restaurant in Yokohama

Entering the restaurant, we were met with a quintessential American restaurant and bar interior and atmosphere. The interior feels quite cosy with it's low lighting (we went in the evening), and litter of American clutter for decoration. Upon entering, the staff were friendly and welcoming, and it didn't take long to be seen to, despite the restaurant being at about half occupancy.

We were seated upstairs, which continued with the nice atmosphere. We were seated towards the back, there were several families sitting down to eat at the time. The young waitress, though clearly somewhat inexperienced, was very friendly and accommodating. It seemed, however, that her boss (possibly the owner) was overly harsh towards her.

We ordered the buffalo wings to start with, along with a cheeseburger and chips and the chili burger with onion rings. There was a lot to choose from drink wise, and at first glance without knowing the size of the drinks, it seemed expensive. Thus, it took a bit of time to settle on a drink each. Whilst deciding, the possible owner pushed on the young waitress to pressure us to order a drink.

The buffalo wings were not too bad, we ordered the half dozen. The sauce was a little too sour, and the chicken wasn't marinated in it, just smothered in it instead. For some people, I imagine it's quite alright, but for us, just a little bit too much and a lazy way of preparing them. The burgers were very nice, and made the proper American way. The chili was very good on the chili burger, and the onion rings and chips were well cooked.

Drinks wise, we ordered the Zombie and the frozen margarita. Both were very delicious and well made, and when they arrived we were pleasantly surprised by the size. In the end, the cost was worth it. The zombie was how it should have been as well, quite strong, bearing 3 shots of rum.

Finally, we ordered dessert. We got the chocolate bavarois and the pecan pie. Both were very large portions, but were unfortunately only served with ice-cream at an extra cost. Both cakes were very delicious, and it is recommended to go to the bakery that supplies the restaurant, 'Lucy's'. Unfortunately, I had a brief run in with the "possible" owner, who at first allowed me to pass him, but as he was clearly in a rush, I allowed him to pass first. Instead of a thank you, I got a simple "Hai", which felt somewhat rude. But when I asked for the bill, and when we were leaving, him seemed alright. I'm guessing he was in a bad mood, but this aside, he should be more careful around the paying guests.

All in all, the restaurant has a good atmosphere, the majority of the staff seem very friendly, the food is very good, but portion size for the price is not the best I've seen. The place certainly has more of a family restaurant vibe on a weekend night. The best things are the cocktails and cake, and we will be back to have a good time and eat cake. For the burgers, we'll probably go elsewhere purely based on cost to portion ratio. At the end of the day, it's worth paying a visit, especially if you like the American restaurant...

This is the quintessential Americana vibe. The food was good, the atmosphere was good, overall a solid option for dinner. We found the place on accident and were so happy we did!

Food we ordered: -Nachos: 4/5 — they were nachos, not the best but not the worst -Spinach and artichoke dip: 5/5 — amazing and gooey, I just wish it came with more than 6 little breads. This would be fantastic with tortilla chips! -Birria tacos: 5/5 — the meat was juicy and the consommé was the perfect accompaniment to the taco -Cuban sandwich: 4/5 — after so many tasty items, this one fell a little short. There was nothing amazing about it. -Catfish: 5/5 — so buttery! So flaky! So delicious! -Meatballs and mashed potatoes: 5/5 — a little on the pricy side for 3 meatballs but overall so so so tasty. -Desserts: 5/5 — all of them were fantastic! This was American sized and American tastes!

Overall, a fantastic first visit. We’re going to go back very soon to try more...

Expensive, but for those with the cash, worth it. As an American who's traveled all over the states, I can attest to the genuinity of the flavor of the Pecan pie, Mac n' Cheese, deep-fried catfish, and Reuben. All the dishes were just a bit small for my American palate, which means they'll probably be average size for the rest of the world. The burger was alright - nothing incredibly special, but still wonderfully balanced and delicious. It was a wonderful experience to remember flavors that I've missed for so long. This diner truly stands up to...