Cork Wine and Tapas — Restaurant in New Bedford

I've always loved Cork, their food, and the atmosphere, but have now been disappointed twice in a row.

Last month, my friends and I made a dinner reservation in order to hear Dori, Donn, and Dan on a Sunday evening. When we arrived, they asked to put us downstairs, but we had specifically RSVP'd in order to hear the music. We ended up having a drink and staying for a couple of tunes, but not the nice dinner we had hoped for. I chalked it up to an honest mistake.

I made reservations for 4 to hear Dori, Donn, and Dan again for this Sunday, Nov 26th. I was particularly looking forward to it because 1. I love the food and atmosphere at Cork, 2. I absolutely love Dori, Donn, and Dan, and 3. It's my niece's 20th birthday and I was looking forward to taking her out.

However, I recently received a phone call from a woman at Cork letting me know that they can't keep my reservation. I honestly am not sure why. I don't know if they overbooked, or if I am being bumped for someone else. They did tell me that I could still sit at the bar (first come, first served), but as I planned on bringing my 20-year-old niece for her birthday, that won't work.

I have to say that I'm beyond disappointed. Dori, Donn, and Dan have been playing at Cork for years, and I'm not sure what's going on all of a sudden. They are some of the nicest people I know, and frankly, we're lucky to have such talented musicians on the Southcoast. I always look forward to hearing them. I do understand that they are popular and have a following, and I know that the food at Cork is great. That's why I make reservations. But I'm so disappointed that for two months in a row, those reservations haven't been honored.

At the end of the day, they're one of my favorite local groups, and I'll follow them wherever they play. I just wish I could do that at Cork as well, seeing the food and atmosphere is good. But I honestly feel like Cork doesn't want...

Had the pleasure of dining there this past Sunday (party of 7) and had a meal that our entire group will dream about for years. The sliders (Land & Caprese Chicken) were favorites of the table, but there wasn't a single thing that wasn't adored by my group. The confit wings were gobbled up quickly. We could've eaten at least two more orders of the Kogi ribs. The chimichurri mussels were completely savored. The truffle fries were perfectly cooked and so, so flavorful. The weekly empanada (country pie) disappeared before I could see it. The charcuterie board was bigger than we expected and was another favorite. The house guacamole & chips are must-order. The clam chowder (seasonal soup) had chorizo - rich, smoky, and delicious. And the steak tips were perfect in every way. For dessert, the flourless chocolate layer cake and mixed berry cheesecake we raved about between bites. Between the meal we did have and the things we missed out on (summer scallops, Philly spring roll, Okinawa gnocchi, and the pickle board [of all things!]), we all agreed we needed to come back. While I don't regret avoiding the entrees, their Cajun cod & hash and sherry chicken are definitely in my future. Thank you, Cork Wine and Tapas, for making my birthday so very wonderful - the best way to sum up our dining experience came from my wife: A dinner like this reminds you how rare and special a perfect meal is!

UPDATE: Tonight was our second visit, my son's birthday dinner. A party of 9, with two first-timers. The food, once again, was perfection. We'll be talking about Cork for a while, at least until our...

Had a reservation for four at 6PM. Arrived at 5:55PM. Was seated immediately at a very small table (about 36"x36"). Waiter took our drink orders and we ordered appetizers. So far everything OK, but then realized that the table was not big enough for our drinks and the two apps, so we had the waiter remove water and anything else that would provide us more room. We the ordered our entrees, all of us got the steak, 3 in our party got med rare and one got med. It is now about 6:35. We ordered another round of drinks and when the waiter brought them to the table, he promptly dumped a drink directly into the lap of one of our party. He and another waiter brought towels to clean up and after helping for a minute or two left the mess for us to finish cleaning up, and believe me it was everywhere (remember the very small table). Then the wait began. We watched as parties seated after us received their meals It was about 7:30 that the medium steak arrived, and we waited another 15-20 minutes for the 3 med rare steaks. Aren't the meals supposed to be brought out at the same time? They were served with potato wedges that resembled French fries (the online menu says served with mashed potatoes) and a gravy that was really bad like an instant gravy from an aluminum pouch. An overpriced meal that was terrible. The steaks were $38 a piece, not worth it at all, but the waiter did comp us one meal because of the drink spill. Horrible experience, couldn't get out of there fast enough. Will...