Sardine Factory

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   San Francisco10 reviews

   3.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Have been dining here on and off for over 30 years. This time we were under whelmed. Maybe because the server seemed disinterested. Not very busy so we were placed in the dining room near the bar area. Doubt we will be back
   

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2. MB

   MatthewB VIP

   Central Texas29 reviews

   5.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was our third visit to this legendary place! This time celebrating my birthday but the treatment this time was as good as our prior visits. The bar staff were awesome, Jen and Christian were awesome throughout our dinner service and the tour of their amazing Tavern on The Green gazebo and wine cellar was an off the hook experience. Thank you to everyone at the Sardine Factory for making my birthday celebration such a memorable evening. We will see y’all whenever we’re within 100 miles of this amazingly historic place!!
   

   Sardine FactoryResponded today

   Dear Matthew, Thank you for choosing The Sardine Factory to celebrate your birthday. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your delicious food, great service and memorable atmosphere. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you again!
   

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3. J

   Joe

   San Francisco22 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   An absolute 1st class operation from start to finish. A friendly greeting from the stunning beautiful young lady at the hostess desk to the wait staff (Evan and Connor) and everyone in between. I am a big fan of sand dabs and I can say, these were the best I've ever had. My wife had the wild caught salmon and it was equally top level. Glad to see this place is still going strong with an emphasis on quality and class. This is probably our 4th time in as many years and it hasn't disappointed. Thanks, all. See you again, soon.
   

   Sardine FactoryResponded today

   Dear Joe and Debbie, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had an exceptional experience at The Sardine Factory. Your kind words mean the world to our team, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable visit!
   

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4. C

   Carolyn

   San Francisco3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This restaurant is now on my favorites list. Everything was superb, from the service to the ambiance to the food and drinks. They even gave me a complimentary birthday cake! I just wish it was closer to me so that I can go more often.
   

   Sardine FactoryResponded today

   Dear Carolyn, Thank you for choosing The Sardine Factory to celebrate your birthday. We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your delicious food, great service and memorable atmosphere. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you again!
   

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5. B

   Branae VIP

   Los Angeles14 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had such a wonderful experience. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and the staff made us feel special. The food was impeccable. We had the Chilean sea bass, prime rib and lobster tail. Cocktails were great too. Would definitely come back.
   

   Sardine FactoryResponded today

   Dear Branae, Thank you for choosing The Sardine Factory to celeb rate you anniversary. We are delighted to hear we were able to make your celebration something special. We appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you again!
   

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6. E

   Elvira

   Orange County4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I had very nice dinner on my business trip to Monterey. Jennifer was very professional and friendly, food was excellent and atmosphere was very nice. Outstanding decorations inside. Would be perfect for romantic dinner as well. Highly recommend.
   

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   Sardine FactoryResponded today

   Dear Elvira, Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit overall, and we truly value your feedback. We look forward to your next visit!
   

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7. K

   Kathleen VIP

   Los Angeles11 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great service , fabulous food. Very romantic dinning Will surly go back.
   

   Sardine FactoryResponded today

   Dear Kathleen, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had an exceptional experience at The Sardine Factory. Your kind words mean the world to our team, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable visit!
   

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8. L

   Loren

   San Francisco3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The service and food exceeded my expectations. Our server Dylan was fantastic.
   

   Sardine FactoryResponded 6 days ago

   Dear Loren, Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit overall, and we truly value your feedback, and we look forward to your next visit!
   

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9. T

   Theresa

   San Francisco1 review

   5.0

   Dined on March 3, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious food and excellent service. Canolli is a must for dessert!
   

   Sardine FactoryResponded 6 days ago

   Dear Theresa, We are delighted to hear you enjoyed your visit and thank you for your review. Your patronage is appreciated and we look forward to serving you again very soon!
   

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10. C

    Charles

    San Diego1 review

    3.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4

    A Farewell Feast… That We’d Rather Forget This was supposed to be our grand send-off meal from the Monterey Peninsula, a culinary mic drop to cap off our time here. We had sky-high expectations, thanks to the glowing reviews from our wine-loving friends—who, in hindsight, were probably three glasses deep before the food even arrived. Rookie mistake on our part. Let’s start with the good: ambiance and decor? Absolutely nailed it. Presentation? Top-tier. Service? Flawless—our server earned every penny of that 20%+ tip, despite the kitchen’s best efforts to ruin the experience. Now, the food. Coming off a stellar meal at Chart House just days earlier, we were primed for something extraordinary. Instead, we got… well, let’s just say the abalone soup should come with a dental warning. Eating it felt like a workout for my jaw—tough, chewy clam-like chunks that had us questioning if we were on a seafood endurance challenge. Definitely not a plate pleaser. The $135 seafood tower? A visual masterpiece but a flavor letdown. The lobster tail was the only standout, while the rest ranged from “meh” to “did this come from a hotel conference buffet?” The surprise hit of the night? The unmentioned oyster Rockefeller—shame it wasn’t the star of the menu because it outshined everything else. To top it off, we were looking forward to the famed wine cellar tour, but alas, some corporate execs with deep pockets threw down $10K to rent it out for the day. Can’t say we were thrilled to have our grand finale derailed by a work party, but hey, money talks. All in all, it was a fitting farewell to a year in Monterey—where we’ve learned that online restaurant reviews are about as reliable as a used car salesman. Wine and vacation goggles make everything taste better, and we fell for it ourselves before moving here. Lesson learned. Would we return? Not a chance. But at least the service was stellar, and for that, our server got the full tip—even if the meal itself wasn’t worth the price
    

    Sardine FactoryResponded 6 days ago

    Dear Charles, Thank you for taking the time to review our restaurant. We’re sorry to hear you were disappointed with your experience at The Sardine Factory, and that the food fell short of your expectations. We will pass your comments on to the Management and Owners. We sincerely hope you will allow us to serve you again in the future.
    

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