Cork Dork — Restaurant in Thousand Oaks

This place. Where do I start? So My wife found it and we have been coming here for 3 years now. We make sure that we celebrate our anniversary at Cork Dork because of how special they make it. This last time was unreal. I have admired Chef Danny and his food but never had the opportunity to talk about it with him.. WELL... We were presented with champagne upon arrival and after ordering apps Chef Danny came out and greeted us (He is the nicest most down to earth human being. A Dad, a husband and a father. Also possibly the sweetest dude alive) So he proceeds to talk about us and the menu and says "I hope you guys are hungry, we are doing it special for you tonight" He brought out multiple dishes we did NOT order lol and explained them and why they are important and special to him and the restaurant. It was the greatest dining experience. No bougeois vibes. Just real great, fresh fare with Danny's whimsical and fun twists. If you have never had his bread pudding, you are doing yourself a disservice. My Lord.

Now will this happen to everyone? Heck, I don't know. But he and the entire staff at CD made our anniversary one of the most special and fun nights eating dinner we have ever had.

10000/10 We Love you Chef Danny. Keep...

By far the best restaurant I’ve been to on this side of LA. From the service to the food to the atmosphere there is nothing I would change. I love seeing the owner and the co-owner/chef in there because it really adds a sense that they care what happens in their restaurant. The staff is friendly and remembers when you’ve dined there before which is incredibly smart. The food is consistently outstanding, I have yet to have it be anything but spectacular and I order the same entree every time I go. I’ve found that it is very hard for restaurants to keep something as good as the best it’s ever tasted yet they do it every time. I truly enjoy my time here and find that them having a sommelier walk around and interact with guests elevates the restaurant that much more. I’ve referred many people who also rave about their experience at Cork Dork and I will continue to do so! (P.S. the Thyme for Cookies and Panna Cotta...

Good but not great and a bit overpriced. Very artfully prepared dishes, but nothing had an amazing taste or flavor. Yellowtail starter was ok, sweet potato gnocchi didn’t have the distinct brown butter taste I was hoping for - probably overpowered by the mushrooms, squash risotto was the best item we ordered. Had been hoping to get the pistachio affogato cake, but it was unavailable so we got the s’mores tart which didn’t look anything like the picture - maybe a different item? The “We don’t have an espresso machine martini” was probably the highlight as it tasted excellent with only their house made espresso syrup - very smooth. The tablet menu is a great idea, but be aware that the menu can change, so what you see on their website may not be what’s available that day. Service and atmosphere were very good. “Outdoor” seating is a tented part of the parking lot, so I was glad we were...