Olive & Hay — Restaurant in Napa

We saw there were good reviews and it was across the street from our hotel but we were sorely disappointed. The service was better than the food and the food was awful! …especially for what the price is! Allow me to elaborate with an honest and fair take…. Six of us went there for dinner Friday night we were seated right away. It took a bit for our waitress to come to the table then only saw her twice thereafter. However, there was a young man who kept up on the water though.

Now the food. I’ll start with pizza which was the best item that hit the table and it was ok at best. The Italian salad was ok as well. The ravioli type dish with ricotta cheese was awful; no vegetables, too much oil, clumps of ricotta, and the single square piece of pasta as the top layer was like chewing on plastic. The worst item was the spaghetti with side of meatballs that two of chose. The meatballs as a separate side dish we paid for were mushy and had no flavor. The spaghetti noodles were over cooked and clumped together making it difficult to use a spoon and fork to eat with. The meat sauce was the worst part of the dish. It had no Italian flavoring or seasoning. It tasted like a bottled buffalo sauce for wings. It honestly was just terrible. Now the drinks. I had to ask another waiter if they had a full bar and he said yes, scan the bar code on the menu. There were only 5 mixed drinks to choose from. When our waitress came back, for the second time, we ordered our drinks. I asked if they could just make me a Tom Collins. She said yes, no problem. It was a small half glass of lemonade, a splash of gin, with no ice. I sent it back. When dinner was done we had to go up and ask for the check and never got the option to get separate checks with the 3 couples AND she added 20% to the bill before giving it to us. We can split the check, no big deal, but I have a serious problem with 20% added to the check when there’s only six of us and it wasn’t even remotely earned. I hope that other people enjoy it more than we did. We will...

A Mixed Experience at Olive and Hays: Exceptional Service, Hit-or-Miss Cuisine My recent visit to Olive and Hays provided a mixed dining experience, where exceptional service stood out amidst some culinary disappointments. While the ambiance was pleasant and the service commendable, the inconsistency in food quality left much to be desired. Despite being short-staffed, the waitress at Olive and Hays went above and beyond to ensure a pleasant dining experience. Her attentiveness and professionalism were commendable, adding a personal touch to the evening despite the challenges faced by the restaurant. While some dishes at Olive and Hays left a lasting impression, others fell short of expectations. The Salmon, although satisfactory, lacked the wow factor one would expect from a seafood-focused establishment. However, the Linguine ai Frutti di Mare was a major disappointment. Not only did it lack flavor, but it also emitted a noticeable unpleasant odor, indicating that it might not have been properly prepared or marinated.Despite these shortcomings, the Tiramisu and Burrata were truly exceptional. Each bite of the Tiramisu was a heavenly combination of rich, creamy flavors, while the Burrata offered a delightful burst of freshness and texture. While my experience at Olive and Hays was a mixed bag, the outstanding service and memorable desserts partially compensated for the culinary letdowns. With some improvements in consistency and quality control, Olive and Hays has the potential to become a standout dining destination for...

This restaurant was amazing! Don’t listen to the Karens on here who give bad reviews because they think it’s expensive or because they arrived 30 before the restaurant closes with their family and didn’t get seated. You can expect that from a nice restaurant. That’s not discrimination folks, that is standard policy for the food industry. Jamie was our waitress and she was outstanding! She brought us dessert because it was our 22nd wedding anniversary and everything we ordered was delicious! They don’t give bread for free, so definitely order the bread appetizer, which comes with whipped olive oil, and that is so good! I’m not super cultured, so I got the margarita pizza which had amazing huge basil leaves on top of it and some of the best mozzarella cheese I’ve ever tasted. We did order one alcoholic beverage, top shelf, which was also delicious! My husband ordered the Wagyu beef, which was honestly one of the best steaks I’ve ever tasted. The chef here is very talented! As to the price, it wasn’t the cheapest dinner we’ve ever been to, but it definitely wasn’t the most expensive. I think $55 for Wagyu beef is very reasonable. If you are on the fence about trying this restaurant after looking at some of these other reviews, don’t be. I should also add that we came in at 5:30, early, and were virtually the first people in the restaurant. I think if you come at a peak time without a reservation, you might also find that you have to wait to be seated. Again, that’s normal. Thanks for a great dinner,...