Golden Leaf Bistro — Restaurant in Danville

Title: Disappointing Experience. I recently dined at the Golden Leaf Bistro on a Sunday with my daughter, and unfortunately, the overall experience left much to be desired. Here's a breakdown of our visit:

Ambiance and Service: Upon arrival, we waited for about 20 minutes for a table. The decor caught my eye, as it had a pleasant aesthetic. However, the waiting area was not well-maintained; the floor appeared dirty and neglected. The hostess was friendly, though, and promptly seated us at a booth. Unfortunately, the high side of the booth created an intimate but somewhat isolated atmosphere.

Drinks and Appetizers: Our waitress, who was quite charming, took our drink order. My daughter ordered a sweet tea, and I opted for a brown sugar old fashioned. To my disappointment, the old fashioned was subpar, made with regular ice that quickly watered it down. It didn't meet the standard of a top-shelf cocktail. We were served mini biscuits with blueberry jam, which my daughter enjoyed, they reminded me of the cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster although they didn't quite live up to them.

Wait Time: Waiting for our food was the most frustrating part of our visit. It took an additional 30 minutes for our burgers to arrive. During this time, my daughter's sweet tea ran out, and we had to wait for a refill.

Main Course: When our burgers finally arrived, they were visually appealing, with a touch of balsamic reduction that added a touch of elegance. However, the size of the burger patty was disappointing, especially considering the $17 price tag. While they tasted good, they didn't justify the cost. Conclusion: As someone with years of experience in the restaurant industry, I expected more from a restaurant at this price point. We ended up paying $60 for two cheeseburgers, an old fashioned, and sweet tea, which I found excessive for what we received. I don't mind paying a premium when I feel like I'm getting value for my money, but sadly, that wasn't the case here. Regrettably, I won't...

My wife and I went with another couple for our friends birthday on a Saturday night for dinner. They told us how great the place was, so we were really looking forward to a great night out.

First we had to ask twice for the glass of wine they kept forgetting to bring the birthday girl. The rolls were hard and dry, in fact I smacked one on the table and we were amazed it sounded like a rock. The inside was the same as the outside.

We ordered our appetizers and main course. Oops, they were out of stock on the tuna I ordered. Uh oh, no ingredients to make a Singapore Sling. Not promising so far.

The appetizers were good, gotta give them that. Then came the main course. My wife's pork chop was so dry she said she thought she would choke on it. It didn't get finished. She didn't want to complain because, again, it was our friends birthday and we wanted to have a good time. The smashed potatoes were plain and dry. My Cajun rubbed ribeye was good though, and properly cooked medium rare.

Next came coffee and dessert. Three coffees, one cappuccino, creme brulee, two pieces of cake. The coffees were cold. Not just not hot, but actually cold, as though the coffee pot had been turned off earlier in the day. Those were sent back and replaced with warm coffee. Nope, still not hot, just warm.

The cake I got actually tasted like a box cake with whipped cream icing. There was nothing appealing about it at all. The creme brulee was good my wife said.

Time for some after dinner drinks. What, you don't have the Sambuca you went to get us? And no digestifs?

I also mentioned to the manager it was our friends birthday and asked if they could bring her something, to which he replied they would. Never happened. Even our friends said they were disappointed.

For a place that was supposed to be a nice steakhouse, they failed. We...

Edit to add second visit- I was very disappointed on 7/29. I ordered the Surf and Turf, there were so many issues with this dish. I'll describe them by component. The filet- the meat was tender but had no flavor except for a heavy salt flavor on the crust; the deep knife cross hatching on the meat indicated a rush to get my steak to medium and they did not manage to get it cooked right (lazy AND incompetent). The "Lump" crab cake was a sad, runny mess of claw meat (the lowest grade of "picked" crab). The shrimp were overcooked on one side and still a bit raw on the other-not sure how they tasted since I don't eat raw shrimp. The Hollandaise sauce was broken and very salty. The sides-asparagus stalks were very thin and overcooked and they were out of the garlic mashed potatoes (?!?!? on Saturday?!?!?!?) so I subbed the polenta cakes which I had to ask for, again, after I had my entree served. They were cold and not in the intentional way.

My dining companions enjoyed their meals but they were out of seasonal vegetables (see mashed potato comment).

Service started slow and got much worse. At the end of our meal my Father was served his dessert in a to-go box because the server said I requested it. When we ordered his dessert I made a third request for a to-go box for my uneaten food (my dogs don't have the standards I do). He wasn't listening or hearing because the table beside us seemed to hold his attention.

Nice restaurant with a beautiful outdoor space. Service and food are inconsistent.

Enjoyed our late lunch. The Shrimp Wrap had a great sauce but the use of pre-breaded, frozen shrimp made it only ok. My husband really liked his Tuna. Service from Christina was excellent. Will be going back...