Back Bistro — Restaurant in Folsom

Back Bistro is marketed as an upscale California restaurant serving up American entrees in a polished and intimate environment. Does it live up to this? Well here’s the review:

There were nine of us, six from out of town and three local. It’s our first time here even for the locals. Our criteria for selecting this place was that it had to offer an intimate dining experience with great food (with vegetarian options) and good drinks. We came here for dinner on a Tuesday (2/6/24) evening. Made reservations a few days prior for 5:45pm. Our table was able ready for us by the time we arrived. The restaraunt is located in Palladio, a neat and clean little shopping area. Parking along the street was impossible even for a Tuesday, but there were plenty in the garage. The restaurant is surprisingly smaller than what I was expecting. There’s patio seating outdoor that adds to the dining area which look like it might be a cool place to dine at during the warmer months. The interior decor is very neat and polished; definitely fitting of a more upscale restaurant. Definitely a 5/5. Our server (didn’t get a name… SORRY!!) was fantastic. A young man that paid enough attention to us but didn’t over do it. Service is a 5/5.

As a group, we ordered some appetizers which included Ahi Poke, Goat Cheese Fritters, Cheese & Charcuterie, and Goat Cheese Fritters. All turned out great especially the Goat Cheese Fritters. Appetizers were a solid (5/5). Our dinner orders included Vegan Stir Fry, Grilled Chicken and Gnocchi, Scallops and Prawns, and House Cheese Burgers. The food arrived within 15-20 minutes after ordering. I surveyed the group on their dish. Presentation review were all very nice, a solid 5/5. Taste fell a little short however. While it was good, it wasn’t exciting, not something that one would crave for. Most would give their dish about a 4/5. Personally, I had ordered the Grilled Chicken and Gnocchi. My dish turned out ok but not great. The gnocchi was good and but with very few pieces of chicken in it. The chef had used WAYYY too much garlic that it took over the entire dish. Taste wasn’t bad however and I’m not a garlic fan. Portion size was much smaller than I had expected. Granted it IS a bistro but was expecting more. I would give my own dish about a 3/5. The drinks… all came out REALLY GOOD and did not disappoint. We had ordered Margaritas, Moscow Mules, and Barrel Aged Old Fashioned. Everyone in our group enjoyed what we ordered. A solid 5/5. We also got dessert ordering pretty much one of each from the menu to share. The Sticky Toffee Cake definitely tops the list as the favorite.

Our bill came out to be about $75 per person with tax and tip for the experience which included appetizers, two drinks, and dessert. It’s definitely pricier for the dining experience. Overall value to price ratio is probably a 4/5. Overall experience is about a 4/5. Do not expect to walk away full when dining here. Personally I walked away feeling hungry given what I had ordered. If not for the great company we were with, the experience may be lower. Do check this place out if you’re in the area. The place is marketed as polished and intimate. It definitely lives up to it. Make sure you’re with good company however, grab a couple of drinks and hang for a while. Food is good but it’s not the highlight IMO. The drinks were. Cheers!

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Decor and Style: trendy and modern with tables inside and outside on their huge patio. I don't think they had booths. I wore a sundress and my husband wore a button up shirt and nice shorts. Some customers wore workout yoga gear, but it was only 3:30 when we were there.

Service level: casual and mildly attentive. They take reservations.

Parking: Close to a parking garage with a short walk required. They are located outside of the Cinema so it's good if you want dinner and a movie.

Food: "Californian" but not all light and healthy options. Dinner menu starts at 3 and they offer happy hour every day, and not just at the bar.

Pros: -The food was amazing -The patio is huge and dog friendly -Lots of heaters for cooler weather and shade trees for warmer weather. Part of the patio is covered and my guess is that's because there aren't any trees in that part of the giant patio. The patio faces west so it's good they have shade.

Cons: -their website (QR code menu) was down and they didn't have hard copies of their menu so it took about 15 minutes to get situated so we could order. Thankfully Yelp came to the rescue because we got to peruse the menu that way. I'm not knocking the restaurant for the website being down, that's the web host company's fault.

The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered the shrimp and polenta. It was rich and decadent. The best way to describe it is like the broth you get with a muscles appetizer but with shrimp, mixed with polenta. So the consistency is stew like. My husband doesn't like seafood but loved this dish too. He had the New York steak which was prepared perfectly. The crispy Brussel sprouts were perfectly prepared and not at all bitter. The steak was topped with compound butter that had a little spice to it. My husband said it was far better than the steak he had at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

In summary this place is a winner. We will definitely be returning. Our meal was $113 plus tip for two entrees and two cocktails, one Pilsner and one Chardonnay. They offer epay through a QR code on the receipt that allowed me to use Apple Pay. Super...

Although getting reservations at the Back Bistro was easy peasy and getting seated was quickly attended at this establishment, this alone should have been the red flag of restaurants for me but the rose colored glasses of the atmosphere and decor easily fooled me that this would be a fine dining experience. I was quickly attended by the wait staff about ordering a drink when it was obvious that I was clearly waiting for someone to join my party, once my partner arrived it was nearly 20 minutes before our waiter came back to take our orders. The staff was friendly but didn't really explain what the specials were for the evening or offer any suggestions. We settled for a plate of the chicken gnocchi and seared salmon and side Cesar salad paired with two glasses of the house red. The house red was surprisingly delicious as well as the side Cesar salad, I enjoyed how it was dressed. Now our food, my partners chicken gnocchi, although tasty the serving size was REALLY SMALL for how much it cost, we expected something more proportional to the price. My seared salmon came with mashed potatoes and oven roasted brussel sprouts tossed in balsamic vinegar glaze. Both the salmon and mashed potatoes were WAY over salted but I loved the flavor and crunch of the brussel sprouts. After dinner I went to use the restroom and the staff had it closed but allowed me to enter since they were just replacing the toilet paper, I thought it was kinda weird tho when the female staff member handed me a roll of toilet paper before I entered the stall even tho there was plenty in there. I didn't know what to do with it so I just set it on the back of the toilet which I thought was kinda ghetto looking. Overall I don't think the food is worth the cost due to the proportions and over salted food and the staff needs a little polishing. If you're looking for a place to eat before the movies, I wouldn't waste your money at this place and instead go to some of the other establishments closely...