Goose & Gander — Restaurant in St. Helena

It's pretty good but there are definitely better places to hit. We went there because it was walking distance from our Airbnb. The outdoor seating is lovely. It's very charming and cozy but yes, still enough distance between tables where I felt safely social distanced. They definitely have the high end vibe and higher end attitude. I think that might be part of the allure. Not sure. They are pretty proud of their dishes $$$$. I think overpriced for what you get. The food was good but not value of taste v. cost. Don't get me wrong, we're very willing to spend good money on any meal, but please make it worth it. I asked our server to tell me about the entree I was interested in and he said 'it's exactly what it says'. UH, sorry but I wanted him to sell me on this, tell me what about it would make me want to pay $28 for chicken! My husband had the NY Strip ($42) and it was cooked very much to his liking. I went ahead and ordered the Brick-cooked half chicken ($28), Yes it was very good but not $28 and "an attitude" good. NOTE: like most high end restaurants, you do have to buy your sides separately. We had the Patatas Bravas ($12) and Mac & Cheese ($12) - don't judge our carb diet - lol, we were on vacation! heheeh They have a lovely wine list (duh, Napa)! We had cocktails and a glass of wine. All the beverages were great. Anyway, I've seen a lot of 5 star reviews for the Goose & Gander. I'm happy others feel it was worth it. I wish I...

In St. Helena, there are few places that make you want to go back. At Goose & Gander, regardless of if you're inside or out, you will want to take your friends here time and time again. But what is it about this place? Is it their bone marrow dish? Their signature cocktails by the one and only Scott Beattie? Or is it their duck fat fries? You will be glad to hear that it is all of that and the friendliness of the staff. Feel free to seat indoors, either in their bar area, upstairs, or outside. But first thing first, make a reservation ahead of time. Being on the waitlist is not so bad but trust me, it is better to be seated. Once you get acquainted with the space, order a Cucumber Collins, one of my personal favorites no matter what season. Take in the cozy atmosphere and enjoy the food with great company. Drinks come out very quickly so make sure you put in your order as soon as you can to enjoy the pair. I have been here on multiple occasions and cannot find anything mediocre about the place. Sometimes I even go just to order the side of Mac and cheese, patatas bravas, and house rolls...talk about carb overload. Whatever you choose on the menu, you will be back. So try this in small doses and work your way down...

Dined here twice in one week, here is my review:

Food: amazing. I love the chicken breast plate and the chocolate mousse dessert. To.die.for. I took photos and wrote a really long and amazing review on my first visit and didn't post before losing it.

Service: zero out of ten. Seriously. I was so offended watching families, couples, groups getting great service with an attentive waitor. Both of my solo visits I recieved horrible service. I spend $370 between the two visits and I feel totally frustrated. I won't go back for this reason. I would have loved a visit from my waitor once the food was served and again once dessert was served. I wanted another glass of red wine ($20 per glass) with my dessert but by the time the waitor came, I was done. There was a large gap between the time the busser removed my dinner plate and the time my server took my dessert order. Like a solid 7 minutes or more.

My first visit was the same. I sat at the bat and my server was busy testing drinks the bartender made. He even used the same straw on two "taste tests".

Atmosphere: it's gorgeous. Exactly what you would hope for in this area. Whether you sit inside, in the bar or outside... you won't be disappointed with your...