Olive + Oak — Restaurant in Webster Groves

We had received high praise for this restaurant, from some chefs we know at a local cooking school. We decided to give it a try to celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary. There are some really great things to say about our visit, but some not so great things as well. The reservation system worked very well and the hosts actually read the needs of a Table vs a Booth, due to some mobility issues. This is not always the case, but they did great. We had our table with only a very short wait. The hosts were very patient leading us to our table with our mobility issues. Our server was super, great personality, attentive and he was able to answer any questions without hesitation. They have an extensive drink menu and wine list. They also offered quite a few beers on tap. Unfortunately they did not have a Stout available at all. I saw a Sour on the on-tap list. I had not tried a Sour before, so our server suggested I might want to try a sample first. I though that was super that he was aware that a Sour is radically different from a Stout and he wanted to make sure I would be happy with my choice. To me this is a sign of good front of house management. We ordered a crab dip starter to share with the four of us. It was wonderful and just enough for us as a starter. Then as we were ordering our meal, we consulted our server about the need for a salad, he accurately describes our entree choices. We decide that each couple would like to share a Cesar salad. Our server had the kitchen split the salads on to individual plates, a really appreciated service that not many restaurants do automatically. Our server also explained that some of the menu items change on a daily basis. I really like this as it allows the chef to be creative and also not to get bored over time, making the same old things. Typically when we go out with these friends we each order a different entree so we can each have a sample of each others choice. This time we did it a little different. We saw two items that really appealed to us. The gentlemen wanted a Pork dish that had hints of German cuisine and the ladies thought the Red Snapper looked really good. Unfortunately only one of the two entries was wonderful. The Red Snapper was loved by all. The pork on the other hand, while not terrible, was not what we were hoping for. The pork itself was kind of on the dry side, and there was not much of a sauce on it. The small about of sauce seemed strange since the pork was served over a typical German side of Spaetzle. Both of us gentlemen were disappointed in the pork. The ladies on the other hand really loved the Red Snapper. We were dining on a Sunday evening so perhaps the Executive Chef had the day off so not as much attention was paid to the pork dish.

The biggest issue that was a turn off for us, was the noise level. The decor was trendy and I would have to say we may have been the oldest patrons at the venue at that time, 6:00 pm on a Sunday. The high ceiling and hard wall surfaces just reverberated the sounds coming from each table. We found that we really had to elevate the volume lever we used just to be heard by the person sitting next to us, much less across the table. Since I suspect all the other patrons had to do the same thing it just compounded the noise level. The younger people were more likely to handle this noise level better than us more senior people. I would suggest that the management may want to consider adding some decorative noise dampening materials to the walls and ceiling. I’m not a sound engineer, but I’m sure this would not be a major task to reduce the noise level. If it were not for the noise level we would very likely want to try more of the ever changing items on the menu, but I’m not sure we can tolerate the noise...

My wife and I have been wanting to try Olive and Oak for years, based on extremely positive reviews from everyone we know who has visited, and after our 9PM reservation at the Lockwood location this past Saturday, we completely understand the love - it was a fantastic experience! Our server was Jackie, and she took great, patient care to answer questions about cocktails, preparations, tastes and flavors, etc., and she was spot-on with her descriptions and recommendations, and her help and care added a lot to our experience. The room itself is wonderful, modern, clean, and relaxed, and the service team members are professional and efficient; we sat at a romantic little table in a row of people on dates, and Jackie and others seemed to always know when to check on us and when to let our conversation roll. The cocktails we had were both enjoyed - my wife had a limoncello-based drink, and I had the #87 which tasted pleasantly, mouth-numbingly, nostalgically, like Beeman's Clove Chewing gum - a great apertif! Now to the food: simply put, everything from the extremely creative and diverse menu we ordered was amazing! Tasty all-around, cooked well and plated attractively, generously portioned, and priced very fairly. There seemed to be a focus on sourcing local ingredients which is always appreciated, and while we made other choices, it was nice to see local wild boar and rabbit on the menu, alongside local beet "carpaccio." We started the meal with fresh West and East Coast oysters on the half shell served on a bed of rock salt, accompanied with the usual sidekicks, including a nice mignonette sauce - though the oysters didn't need any additions. We also had a small order of grilled oysters, and the crumb top and grill aroma woke our appetites right up. For our entree, we ordered the "shareable" Dover sole - the full fish, filleted nicely and laid atop a bed of clams on the shell, corn, and potato - a mixture Jackie described accurately as reminiscent of clam chowder. It was a great accompaniment, and the sweetness from the corn played nicely against the clean, simple flavor of the sole (which was cooked to a perfect temperature throughout the full fish). While the dish could have been shared by three or four diners, we ate the whole delicious dish! For our vegetable, we opted for the "popper peppers," which were thinly-sliced red and green jalapeno peppers mixed into smoked cream cheese and topped with crunches of almost nutty-tasting cornbread. The flavor and presentation of the dish reminded us of pub cheese or pimento cheese elevated; a deconstructed, slightly fancied-up jalapeno popper or pimento cheese spread that was a fun addition to the meal and complimented the potato and corn base of our sole dish nicely. We drank some great local hazy IPAs with the meal, and the beers paired nicely. Though certainly satisfied with our meal, we had committed ourselves to ordering dessert, too, and were very glad we did! We ordered the cloud cake, a huge slice of coconut cake which was perfectly moist and not overly sweet with a great, light icing. My wife declared it the best piece of cake she's had, and it went great with our end-of-night drinks: an espresso martini for her and a Jamaican rum double with a small pot of black coffee for me. It was a wonderful night, and it is rare to visit a place that you've heard only 100% positive reviews about and find that your experience is also an absolute knockout. Save some money, reserve your table well in advance, come out hungry and open to a creative chef's offerings, customize your own several-course meal with the help of your knowledgeable server, and you will have a great night out on the town. We plan to be back for sure. ...

This was  the hardest review I had to write. I wanted this to be a great one, but it was anything but that. My son raved about the food and great atmosphere. He gave me a 50 dollar gift card for my birthday. I saved it up for our 41st Anniversary celebration. I would like to recommend making a reservation  and would like to mention that if you have an allergy to peanuts or garlic, you can note it  on the reservation. Since it was our anniversary  also noted on the reservation.  We decided to make it a night and not worry about cost and just enjoy ourselves. We got the menu and looked it over since it changes every few days at the chef's discretion and availability of food sources. We ordered some house red and white wine and looked over the menu, and I decided on  the goat stew . My wife had decided on the Rockfish in a broth. Something new. Since she is the one with a garlic allergy she picked a steak as a second choice (backup to Rockfish). We explained the allergy issue to Libby our server. She went back  to check with the chef to verify the rockfish in broth. The broth was loaded with garlic . Steak as a second  option. We had to ask if the steak was marinated with some type of garlic marinade or butter drippings. We explained that it cannot have any garlic it affects my wife 's system, not in a good way. Libby told us she was sure - 98%  there was no garlic in the steak but would check with the chef. This whole process took an hour. Our server came back quickly, stating that there was no garlic on the steak. Great, we will have the steak and another glass of wine. We are set.  The order in our wine comes quickly. A little while, the strip steak and goat stew showed up. The stew looks great. The steak looks amazing with some melting butter. My wife takes the first bite. She cuts a piece for me to try and asks, "Do you taste garlic?. I think the steak has garlic in the marinade?. I tasted some garlic in the juice. I tell her not to eat any more. She ate one more bite 3 in total. We called the server over and told her that the steak had garlic in it. She stated that the chef assured her. We told her to send it back to the chef my wife can,'t eat it. A few minutes later, Dominic, the owner, came over and asked if there was a problem. We explained the whole garlic issue. He stated that the steak may have it in the marinade. He apologized but did not offer a new steak or a gift  card for the meal Very disappointing. He kept saying he had a small kitchen to handle all the tables. It's not my problem. We were out our 50$ gift card ,no meal for my wife. Bread and wine does not a meal. The chef never came out to explain  or give options to prepare the steak. The  worst part after this terrible experience is that 2 hours later, my wife was up all night from the garlic that was supposedly not in the steak. We will not go back or recommend  this restaurant.  At least the chef's at 1111 Mississippi  and Carnivore come out and work with you if you have questions or concerns. We unfortunately paid the full price for a horrible...