Bistro — Restaurant in Indio

TL;DR: Insanely overpriced restaurant with compact seating and expensive, average-tasting food, and OK customer service with an odd reservation system.

When you arrive, you can wait in chairs at the front of the restaurant which is nice. Once seated, you’ll see all tables are pretty tightly packed (my chair was literally two feet away from the group behind me) with simple decorations. My table of 5 ordered sushi rolls, 2 filet mignon, lobster tail pasta, 2 crème brûlée and soft drinks. The total was $300 which is alright if the food was not so mediocre.

The sushi rolls were outstanding and I would definitely order them again. The filet mignon just tasted like steak one could cook at home and the mashed potatoes were of similar quality—nothing impressive at all. Now the lobster tail pasta… that was absurdly bad, and it was the most expensive dish: $75. I thought “mm, delicious! I love lobster and pasta!” However, my entire table agreed the lobster was completely tasteless and the sauce on the pasta had the viscosity of water, falling off each noodle with every bite. We did not even finish the pasta, it was straight up laughably bad. I did not want to be “that guy,” but after spending close to $80 on terrible pasta I could not help but write a note suggesting they either improve the dish or remove it from the menu. C’mon, that’s WRONG to make a dish so expensive, described so deliciously, only to have a whole group of 5 adults agree it is not tasty at all. Fortunately, the crème brûlée was absolutely fantastic. Best I have ever tasted with a perfect surface crisp and not overly sweet creamy chocolate bottom.

For the above reasons, I dropped it to three stars. But as if it could not get worse, they did not jot down our reservation placed several hours earlier so when we arrived we had to wait 10 minutes for them to make room for us. The system requires the caller to leave a voicemail, and it is up to the employee at the front to note the reservation. The woman helping us forgot to put our name down.

I know this might seem “extra” to say all this, but our group was shocked at the quality of food for the price we paid. If you want a better dinner, go to a different restaurant where you will likely pay less for much better food. None of us felt the quality was anywhere CLOSE to $300! However, if after this essay you decide to Gordon Ramsey this yourself, I truly hope your food is better...

So my husband and I came in last night and requested a table for two. They said they had a wait of 1.5 hours. I turned around to leave and I was offered an outdoor table. I agreed, sat outside to find that we were placed at a table where the previous party needed to be moved because the party next to our table was beyond drunk that one woman was throwing up all over herself. The restaurant staff and manager had prior knowledge of the situation going on because after the party left my husband and I discussed what had been going on and the busser, taking notice that we knew what was going on, came over and said the woman was so drunk on arrival that the party sitting at our table prior to us needed to be moved because of the vomit mess happening at THAT time. The manager eventually came out to address what happened as if she had no knowledge then we let her know the busser informed us that they DID have prior knowledge to which nothing was done for us to make it right other than a free dessert. Our bill was $100+ with tip and it was definitely NOT worth the experience nor the quality of food. The need to make a dollar was so significant that they allowed THREE different parties to pay for that experience. I definitely will never eat at this restaurant again. I want to also say this woman was so drunk she couldn't even walk or stand up. Her family ended up carrying her outside to the parking lot and the staff acting as though they didn't care she was so drunk they just wanted her to leave. She should have been given a wheel chair. It took three grown women to carry her out.

Update: The number left in response by the food and beverage manager for resolution was a non-working phone number so resolution...

Had been to Bistro twice prior with exceptional food and service. Took out of town guests and told them how fabulous it was. OMG we were so embarrassed. One person had crab cakes and house salad, said remolade sauce was disgusting, salad mediocre. Asked for a dark beer and waitress brought a WARM IPA. Huh? Sent it back and asked again for dark and she brought a Modelo, again WARM. Friend had lobster bisque and wedge salad. Described bisque as very unremarkable(and I would agree as I had one also). I noticed she did not eat even half her wedge. I had a Caesar salad and it was chopped up like a coleslaw with scant bland dressing. One party got the duck and said it was “ok” but he couldn’t eat the potato half because it was floating in duck fat. The Pinot Noir was nice. My daughter got the lobster pasta and liked it. So 1 out of 5 good meals. 🤨 Service was TERRIBLE. Waitress literally screamed in my friends ear not sure why she needed to yell what she was serving. A very disappointing evening and very embarrassing. What happened Bistro? We will not be going back. We were there on Tuesday...