Gladys is the Southern fried heart of Doug Richey’s new kitchen. Quietly burbling and steaming away she’s a gleaming new Henny Penny pressure fryer that’s seen some heavy R&D over the last several months as Sweet T’s Restaurant and Barin Santa Rosa preps for opening day.
But some whoops and hollers from mingling staff in the pre-opening days as Richey puts out another basket of “test” fried chicken confirm he’s hit the perfect combination. A mash-up recipe of “TK’s” (Chef Thomas Keller) brining technique, his own mix of secret herbs and spices, and what he claims is the real secret to KFC’s chicken (the number of pieces put into the fryer) — this batch is tender, juicy and perfectly crispy, the hallmark of great Southern fried chicken.
“They’re polite, they’re Southern when they don’t like it,” said Richey of less-successful attempts.
Putting aside his pasta and olive-oil drenched past, the former Santi chef is embracing barbecue, creamed corn, molasses cake and of course, his signature fried chicken as the Fountaingrove restaurant transforms into a Wine Country-does-Low-Country eatery. One of the most eagerly anticipated openings in recent memory, Sweet T’s is slated to open mid-November 2011 (probably on 11.18, but call ahead).
Outside, a Southern Pride smoker puffs away, filled with ribs, chicken and pork butt, which will be another staple of the menu. Long-cooked stuff goes in the night before, infusing the meats and building a “bark” on the pork. Like any true Southern ‘que spot, the meats change up daily and are served with coleslaw, biscuits and a napkin — and once it’s gone for the day, it’s gone.
The food is familiar to Richey, who’s family hails from the South, but to re-indoctrinate himself, he spent several weeks last summer eating and staging at some of the South’s best barbecue eateries. Ultimately, it was his momma’s recipes that inspired some of his favorite dishes.
Backed by investors Dennis and Ann Tussey, along with a number of Bay Area restaurateurs, it’s been a long road to the current lineup, but here’s what’s slated to roll out later this week:
LUNCH
– Simple pickles: Housemade pickles and onions ($2)
– Boiled Peanuts: The Southern version of edamame ($2)
– Cornbread: Cooked to order in tiny cast-iron skillets ($2)
– Onion rings with buttermilk vinaigrette
– Hush puppies with salted honey butter ($5)
– Catfish Poor Boy: Doug hates that the fish isn’t local, but hey, you gotta have catfish, right? Dredged in Cajun spices with a lush remoulade. ($9)
– Daily ‘que (chicken, “chopped” pork, ribs, brisket)
– Sides of succotash, mashed potatoes, collard greens, hoppin john, mac and cheese, and grits. ($3-5). The creamed corn nearly made me weep.
– The burger: Right now it’s a cheeseburger, but Doug’s trying to get a lean chuck infused with bacon trimmings on the menu (let’s just say not everyone appreciates the beauty of this concept). Let’s all lend our support here.
DINNER
Most of the above plus…
– “Guilty Pleasures” of chicken lives and cracklin’ with sweet onion jam; crispy Brussels sprouts with garlic aoili
– Barbecue, of course.
– Gumbo with okra, shimp and oysters ($3, 6)
– Shrimp and Grits: Anson Mills grits with prawns and crispy leeks ($16)
– Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and ketchup glaze
– Oven roasted pork chop
– Southern Fried chicken with two sides ($14, $18)
Save room for dessert. We’re just saying. Stay tuned for final opening dates. Cause we know you’re all going to be standing outside with your nose pressed against the window. I know I am.
Sweet T’s: 2009 Stagecoach Road, Santa Rosa, 595-3935
5
To start the service was excellent. Our waitress did a wonderful job. I ordered the prime rib 23 dollars but before i did I asked the waitress if the cooks are accurate on their cooking. She assured me they did know what they were doing. I ordered it medium rare. The steak was a nice cut of beef but way over cooked. 3 other people in my party, myself, and the waitress all agreed it was wayyyyy overcooked. The waitress brought the plate back and the chef sent it back out and said eat it like that because that is how he does medium rare steaks. I started laughing at the audacity of the chef. At this time the manager showed up and said we will cook another. I agreed kind of bummed everyone else had their food and would be waiting on me. The manager came out with what looked like a piece of carne asada (super thin meat) black and burnt. Dropped it off and walked away. It now became comedic as it was an obvious FU from the chef. It was hard as a rock, poor cut, and burnt beyond recognition. It looked as though the chef tried to do a black and blue but cooked it all the way through. It was like a hard Frisbee. The manager came out as he saw our reaction and i looked at him wondering how a manager could even bring that out. You can tell the manager had no balls and couldn’t handle the chef. Needless to say I left hungry, but did not pay for the travesty of a plate. The sides were all excellent but the place cannot cook meat and is poorly run. I will not be returning and due to the poor service by the manager and chef, nobody in my party will be returning as well. Sad because it is a great location and a very nice place..
To start the service was excellent. Our waitress did a wonderful job. I ordered the prime rib 23 dollars but before i did I asked the waitress if the cooks are accurate on their cooking. She assured me they did know what they were doing. I ordered it medium rare. The steak was a nice cut of beef but way over cooked. 3 other people in my party, myself, and the waitress all agreed it was wayyyyy overcooked. The waitress brought the plate back and the chef sent it back out and said eat it like that because that is how he does medium rare steaks. I started laughing at the audacity of the chef. At this time the manager showed up and said we will cook another. I agreed kind of bummed everyone else had their food and would be waiting on me. The manager came out with what looked like a piece of carne asada (super thin meat) black and burnt. Dropped it off and walked away. It now became comedic as it was an obvious FU from the chef. It was hard as a rock, poor cut, and burnt beyond recognition. It looked as though the chef tried to do a black and blue but cooked it all the way through. It was like a hard Frisbee. The manager came out as he saw our reaction and i looked at him wondering how a manager could even bring that out. You can tell the manager had no balls and couldn’t handle the chef. Needless to say I left hungry, but did not pay for the travesty of a plate. The sides were all excellent but the place cannot cook meat and is poorly run. I will not be returning and due to the poor service by the manager and chef, nobody in my party will be returning as well. Sad because it is a great location and a very nice place..
Loved it the first time we went, loved it the second time we went…can’t imagine not enjoying it again. We had the Memphis BBQ Nachos (I am in love with this!!). Husband had the Blackened Catfish (it came with cooked greens and pasta), I had the pulled pork sandwich. Both had cocktails before dinner and iced tea with dinner. All was just wonderful. Service was excellent and the wait for our food to arrive was not long. I looked forward to the sweet potato bread pudding. It was kind of meh. Not good, not bad. Wouldn’t order it again.
It’s just up the street from our house so I know we are going to be regulars! Try this place, the employees are friendly, and helpful. Food is just wonderful. Prices are very reasonable. What more can you ask for?
Loved it the first time we went, loved it the second time we went…can’t imagine not enjoying it again. We had the Memphis BBQ Nachos (I am in love with this!!). Husband had the Blackened Catfish (it came with cooked greens and pasta), I had the pulled pork sandwich. Both had cocktails before dinner and iced tea with dinner. All was just wonderful. Service was excellent and the wait for our food to arrive was not long. I looked forward to the sweet potato bread pudding. It was kind of meh. Not good, not bad. Wouldn’t order it again.
It’s just up the street from our house so I know we are going to be regulars! Try this place, the employees are friendly, and helpful. Food is just wonderful. Prices are very reasonable. What more can you ask for?
We met for lunch Thursday 2-2-2012, and given some negatives were prepared for the worst. Given a combined 240 years of dining and our high level of expectation it want very, very well on the plus side.
First, it took us three table locations to find what we all agreed upon! The oldest got the say! Staff were patient with us. Table spacing and noise levels were excellent.
First time no one had a complaint in six years, amazing!
We tried their Short Ribs and Fried Chicken (sides potatoes; slaw and on the chicken veggies).
House wine (white, merlot and pinot nior). Surprisingly good!
Corn fritters (very, very nice), biscuits (also too)
Rhe ribs are perfect and if you want to doctor them that’s good too.
Service was fine and the prices were too.
It does not pretend to be more than what it is and that’s very, very good.
We each took some home for the cat or SWMBO, but no cat’s getting mine!
Good Luck, Sweet T’s, you made some friends today. Keep up the good work! Nice!
We met for lunch Thursday 2-2-2012, and given some negatives were prepared for the worst. Given a combined 240 years of dining and our high level of expectation it want very, very well on the plus side.
First, it took us three table locations to find what we all agreed upon! The oldest got the say! Staff were patient with us. Table spacing and noise levels were excellent.
First time no one had a complaint in six years, amazing!
We tried their Short Ribs and Fried Chicken (sides potatoes; slaw and on the chicken veggies).
House wine (white, merlot and pinot nior). Surprisingly good!
Corn fritters (very, very nice), biscuits (also too)
Rhe ribs are perfect and if you want to doctor them that’s good too.
Service was fine and the prices were too.
It does not pretend to be more than what it is and that’s very, very good.
We each took some home for the cat or SWMBO, but no cat’s getting mine!
Good Luck, Sweet T’s, you made some friends today. Keep up the good work! Nice!
Wow! What can I say? I love the food here. I grew up in Arkansas and Virginia and really appreciate good food that hasn’t been Californicated. Everything is either outstanding, or at least as good as the better I’ve tasted locally.
Most of the reviews are very positive and totally in line with my experience in four visits with friends in the last few weeks. The negative reviews are so very negative and inconsistent with the others, that I suspect that they are emotional tributes to the chef, who was recently let go. I did not know their initial chef, but several people who knew him said that he was arrogant and didn’t respond well to constructive criticism. In his initial interview for the local paper, he acted as though it was his restaurant with almost no mention of the owners and their true Southern roots I suspect that he was an excellent chef of “California” cuisine, but wasn’t into Southern-style dishes. That’s the only way I can explain the lack of any reviews in the mid-range. Anyway, they now have a new chef from Memphis. The food has been excellent from both chefs, but there was a noticeable improvement towards a more authentic Southern style on our last visit.
Now for the dishes themselves (be sure to save room for dessert):
Fried Chicken:
This is unquestionably the best fried chicken I’ve had since I moved here 30+ years ago. Moist succulent meat, very lightly breaded with a nice spicy flair.
Barbeque (brisket, ribs, chopped pork):
All of Sweet T’s barbeque items are very good smoked meats, moist with a gentle smokey flavor. The chopped pork is also available on their Mile Driver sandwich. It’s available dry, which I appreciate. I would recommend their mustard-based BBQ sauce, but they also have a traditional sweet sauce. It is among the best in Sonoma County today (Sonoma County hasn’t had a really great barbeque joint since Lazy J’s, the Geyserville Smokehouse, and the Boneyard BBQ in Hopland all closed). Sweet T’s barbeque is definitely not the typical “grilled” fare,slathered in sweet sauce.
Catfish Poor Boy:
Very tasty sandwich with crunchy lightly-spiced catfish filets. They also have a spicier blackened version that I have yet to try.
Mac and Cheese:
The great Mac & Cheese cooked and served in a miniature iron skillet has a wonderful hint of sharp cheddar. It’s the perfect balance of not too creamy and not too chewy. If you like Mac & Cheese you will like this.
Onion Rings:
Nice onion rings in a tempura-like batter, served with a tasty and unique dipping sauce. I love them. They’re much better than most.
French Fries:
Nice thin fries, delicately spiced with something I couldn’t identify, but that I liked very much.
Corn Bread:
Cooked to order and served in a miniature iron skillet. It is good, but ordinary. I personally prefer a cornbread made from a coarser meal with some crunch to it.
Hush Puppies:
The initial cook’s hush puppies tasted simply like sweet cornbread formed into a ball — I likened it to a cornbread doughnut hole. The new chef has added onions, etc., to make them more like the hush puppies that I grew up with and love. They are served with a honey butter.
Potato Salad:
My wife and daughter love the potato salad — “It’s just like Grandma’s!” I haven’t tried it yet.
Dessert (Didn’t I say “Save room for dessert”?):
Molasses cake:
This looks plain, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and served with a small scoop of ice cream. This is so flavorful that everyone at the table on each visit has loved it.
Bread Pudding:
even if you don’t normally care for bread pudding, I think you will enjoy this one. It’s very moist and wonderful. The portion is easily sufficient for two dessert lovers, or a substantial taste for four.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cake:
Sound hokey? It’s actually quite good — a sweet creamed peanut butter filling between two thin slices of a deliciously moist chocolate cake. Like the other desserts, you won’t feel deprived even if you split it with someone, and it’s large enough for four people to have an ample sample.
Blueberry Trifle:
Easily the most beautiful dessert. It had mixed reviews at our table — some loved it and others didn’t care for it. I suspect it was too sweet. I didn’t try it.
Wow! What can I say? I love the food here. I grew up in Arkansas and Virginia and really appreciate good food that hasn’t been Californicated. Everything is either outstanding, or at least as good as the better I’ve tasted locally.
Most of the reviews are very positive and totally in line with my experience in four visits with friends in the last few weeks. The negative reviews are so very negative and inconsistent with the others, that I suspect that they are emotional tributes to the chef, who was recently let go. I did not know their initial chef, but several people who knew him said that he was arrogant and didn’t respond well to constructive criticism. In his initial interview for the local paper, he acted as though it was his restaurant with almost no mention of the owners and their true Southern roots I suspect that he was an excellent chef of “California” cuisine, but wasn’t into Southern-style dishes. That’s the only way I can explain the lack of any reviews in the mid-range. Anyway, they now have a new chef from Memphis. The food has been excellent from both chefs, but there was a noticeable improvement towards a more authentic Southern style on our last visit.
Now for the dishes themselves (be sure to save room for dessert):
Fried Chicken:
This is unquestionably the best fried chicken I’ve had since I moved here 30+ years ago. Moist succulent meat, very lightly breaded with a nice spicy flair.
Barbeque (brisket, ribs, chopped pork):
All of Sweet T’s barbeque items are very good smoked meats, moist with a gentle smokey flavor. The chopped pork is also available on their Mile Driver sandwich. It’s available dry, which I appreciate. I would recommend their mustard-based BBQ sauce, but they also have a traditional sweet sauce. It is among the best in Sonoma County today (Sonoma County hasn’t had a really great barbeque joint since Lazy J’s, the Geyserville Smokehouse, and the Boneyard BBQ in Hopland all closed). Sweet T’s barbeque is definitely not the typical “grilled” fare,slathered in sweet sauce.
Catfish Poor Boy:
Very tasty sandwich with crunchy lightly-spiced catfish filets. They also have a spicier blackened version that I have yet to try.
Mac and Cheese:
The great Mac & Cheese cooked and served in a miniature iron skillet has a wonderful hint of sharp cheddar. It’s the perfect balance of not too creamy and not too chewy. If you like Mac & Cheese you will like this.
Onion Rings:
Nice onion rings in a tempura-like batter, served with a tasty and unique dipping sauce. I love them. They’re much better than most.
French Fries:
Nice thin fries, delicately spiced with something I couldn’t identify, but that I liked very much.
Corn Bread:
Cooked to order and served in a miniature iron skillet. It is good, but ordinary. I personally prefer a cornbread made from a coarser meal with some crunch to it.
Hush Puppies:
The initial cook’s hush puppies tasted simply like sweet cornbread formed into a ball — I likened it to a cornbread doughnut hole. The new chef has added onions, etc., to make them more like the hush puppies that I grew up with and love. They are served with a honey butter.
Potato Salad:
My wife and daughter love the potato salad — “It’s just like Grandma’s!” I haven’t tried it yet.
Dessert (Didn’t I say “Save room for dessert”?):
Molasses cake:
This looks plain, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and served with a small scoop of ice cream. This is so flavorful that everyone at the table on each visit has loved it.
Bread Pudding:
even if you don’t normally care for bread pudding, I think you will enjoy this one. It’s very moist and wonderful. The portion is easily sufficient for two dessert lovers, or a substantial taste for four.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cake:
Sound hokey? It’s actually quite good — a sweet creamed peanut butter filling between two thin slices of a deliciously moist chocolate cake. Like the other desserts, you won’t feel deprived even if you split it with someone, and it’s large enough for four people to have an ample sample.
Blueberry Trifle:
Easily the most beautiful dessert. It had mixed reviews at our table — some loved it and others didn’t care for it. I suspect it was too sweet. I didn’t try it.
OMG!!!!Best Shrimp and grits ever! Mac and cheese is the bomb! Creamed corn is out of this world! Fried chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside- cooked perfectly! Hot wings are really crispy and tasty. The waitress was one of the best I’ve ever had and loved how accomodating, quick and nice everyone was. Good atmosphere and good drinks! We will be regulars at this new restaurant and will be telling everyone about it.
By the way, dinner was sooo good, none of us could resist trying the peanut butter and raspberry cake with sweet potato chips. All four of us were fighting for the last bite- DELICIOUS!!!
OMG!!!!Best Shrimp and grits ever! Mac and cheese is the bomb! Creamed corn is out of this world! Fried chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside- cooked perfectly! Hot wings are really crispy and tasty. The waitress was one of the best I’ve ever had and loved how accomodating, quick and nice everyone was. Good atmosphere and good drinks! We will be regulars at this new restaurant and will be telling everyone about it.
By the way, dinner was sooo good, none of us could resist trying the peanut butter and raspberry cake with sweet potato chips. All four of us were fighting for the last bite- DELICIOUS!!!
This is a train wreck with a capital T. The Menu has changed 10 times. The only great thing about Sweet T’s was the chef and his crew. Too bad the owners have NO experience running a restaurant – and it shows….Oh well, the space will be empty again soon. Hopefully, the great chef will come back.
PS:MOST OF THE FOOD IS DRY WITH A CAPITAL D.
This is a train wreck with a capital T. The Menu has changed 10 times. The only great thing about Sweet T’s was the chef and his crew. Too bad the owners have NO experience running a restaurant – and it shows….Oh well, the space will be empty again soon. Hopefully, the great chef will come back.
PS:MOST OF THE FOOD IS DRY WITH A CAPITAL D.
I had dinner there last night. The fried chicken was the best that I’ve had out at a restaurant and Heather is correct, the creamed corn is to die for. The potato salad and coleslaw that is served with the chicken dinner actually tasted homemade, so it’s my guess that they make it in-house as opposed to serving it out of a pre-bought tub as so many restaurants do. I didn’t especially care for the corn bread as it was a bit salty and I lean towards a sweeter bread, but that’s just a matter of taste. Though we didn’t order the ribs, they looked delicious and I will probably try them the next time.
We were there in the early evening around 5pm, so it wasn’t too busy. We had no wait at all and the service was fine.
Servings were plentiful, so plentiful in fact, that there was no room for dessert and doggie bags were required! I will definitely return!
Loved it!!
I am not sure why all the comments have been so negative. Two of us went Sunday night, ordered 7 items. Happy with em all. I thought the portions were quite large for the price, maybe not compared to some roadside bbq joint in the South, but for a fine dining atmosphere in California.
Highlights were:
Hush Puppies, crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. Not to heavy. Nice and salty.
Cream Corn, my new favorite way to eat corn! Worth every calorie.
Potato Salad, Salty and good texture, not that mushy over dressed sweet sort.
CHANGE OF OPINION!
Went the other night and the new chef…not so much! Food was boring and bland. Service was terrible! Over an hour from sitting down to the first course arriving, and on a Wednesday night. No excuse, or apology.
Cream corn was the only thing anyone at our table liked.
Hush Puppies were not crispy. Potato salad had no flavor. Pork cop was DRY. Slaw had Lettuce?!? Burger was dry and not good quality meat, and no sauce, had to flag someone down for condiments.
Huge disappointment.
Went her with my son expecting a good meal.
Worst food and absolutely the worst service I have had in recent memory.
We had high hopes for this restaurant but now we hope they run out of funding early and leave, paving the way for a future restaurant.
Just one detail about my meal that says it all. my rack of ribs tok an hour to bring to tangle after apps and then were stone cold. Waiter offered to heat them up in the microwave if I needed, but implied that they were busy so it might be a good idea to heat them and eat them when I got home. shocking!!!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE!
I had dinner there last night. The fried chicken was the best that I’ve had out at a restaurant and Heather is correct, the creamed corn is to die for. The potato salad and coleslaw that is served with the chicken dinner actually tasted homemade, so it’s my guess that they make it in-house as opposed to serving it out of a pre-bought tub as so many restaurants do. I didn’t especially care for the corn bread as it was a bit salty and I lean towards a sweeter bread, but that’s just a matter of taste. Though we didn’t order the ribs, they looked delicious and I will probably try them the next time.
We were there in the early evening around 5pm, so it wasn’t too busy. We had no wait at all and the service was fine.
Servings were plentiful, so plentiful in fact, that there was no room for dessert and doggie bags were required! I will definitely return!
Loved it!!
I am not sure why all the comments have been so negative. Two of us went Sunday night, ordered 7 items. Happy with em all. I thought the portions were quite large for the price, maybe not compared to some roadside bbq joint in the South, but for a fine dining atmosphere in California.
Highlights were:
Hush Puppies, crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. Not to heavy. Nice and salty.
Cream Corn, my new favorite way to eat corn! Worth every calorie.
Potato Salad, Salty and good texture, not that mushy over dressed sweet sort.
CHANGE OF OPINION!
Went the other night and the new chef…not so much! Food was boring and bland. Service was terrible! Over an hour from sitting down to the first course arriving, and on a Wednesday night. No excuse, or apology.
Cream corn was the only thing anyone at our table liked.
Hush Puppies were not crispy. Potato salad had no flavor. Pork cop was DRY. Slaw had Lettuce?!? Burger was dry and not good quality meat, and no sauce, had to flag someone down for condiments.
Huge disappointment.
Went her with my son expecting a good meal.
Worst food and absolutely the worst service I have had in recent memory.
We had high hopes for this restaurant but now we hope they run out of funding early and leave, paving the way for a future restaurant.
Just one detail about my meal that says it all. my rack of ribs tok an hour to bring to tangle after apps and then were stone cold. Waiter offered to heat them up in the microwave if I needed, but implied that they were busy so it might be a good idea to heat them and eat them when I got home. shocking!!!
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE!
Horrible service! Not sure who’s running the front of the house or what the qualifications are to be hired there……. From ordering a drink at the bar to the confusion amongst the wait staff that were waiting on us I felt like I was in a reality show of a restaurant gone bad!
Went today. The great food was only eclipsed by the outstanding service! Can’t wait to go back.
Horrible service! Not sure who’s running the front of the house or what the qualifications are to be hired there……. From ordering a drink at the bar to the confusion amongst the wait staff that were waiting on us I felt like I was in a reality show of a restaurant gone bad!
Went today. The great food was only eclipsed by the outstanding service! Can’t wait to go back.
I wrote this review up for yelp and am pasting it here. Yes, I’m a slight vendetta against this place. I was darn hungry and got no food for my trouble. Hell hath no fury like a hungry me.
If it is at all possible to give a negative star on this site, I would do it because the service is freaking ridiculous. We came on a Friday night, put our name on the wait list, then sat around in the cold (because despite having gas heaters around, they’ weren’t even turned on. What a service oriented this place is. Yes, that was sarcasm) to wait for an hour and a half . Then after seeing for the umpteenth time others being seated before us, we gave up and left. So yes, an hour and a half in the cold for no food. Awesome experience, isn’t it?
The most galling thing about this whole situation is we were told it would take about 40 mins, then 15 mins, and 90 mins later we were still not seated. When we raised up the issue, we were told that others have reservation and the policy is to sit them first. This is fine but you would think after seeing us there for that long someone would have the courtesy to explain the situation to us so that we could decide that maybe this wasn’t our night and to come back later. But all we got was the baiting treatment, having people lie to us again and again how we’re next. Don’t tell us that when you continuously sit others before us. I don’t know if the front staff is just stupid or they think we’re that stupid that we can’t see how we’re being ignored time and time again.
I hate using the race cards but honestly, I’m feeling this was an issue here. We’re Asians and as far as I could see, we were the only ones of our race there. Maybe because Asians are known to be push overs or something, but I just can’t understand why we were treated this way.
I have never had such a pure rage experience at a restaurant before. What kind of future do the owners think they have if THIS is the way they run the place?! It boggles the mind.
When I talked to the manager, I was told somewhat condescendingly that an hour and a half is the usual wait for a Friday night which wasn’t something that his staff told us. Great leadership that manager have right there.
Asians don’t eat BBQ
Wow, that’s an intelligent remark. Very nice, now crawl back under your rock and be quiet.
Hmmn – Korean BBQ, anyone?
Anyone been to Tov Tofu lately? I like that place.
I wrote this review up for yelp and am pasting it here. Yes, I’m a slight vendetta against this place. I was darn hungry and got no food for my trouble. Hell hath no fury like a hungry me.
If it is at all possible to give a negative star on this site, I would do it because the service is freaking ridiculous. We came on a Friday night, put our name on the wait list, then sat around in the cold (because despite having gas heaters around, they’ weren’t even turned on. What a service oriented this place is. Yes, that was sarcasm) to wait for an hour and a half . Then after seeing for the umpteenth time others being seated before us, we gave up and left. So yes, an hour and a half in the cold for no food. Awesome experience, isn’t it?
The most galling thing about this whole situation is we were told it would take about 40 mins, then 15 mins, and 90 mins later we were still not seated. When we raised up the issue, we were told that others have reservation and the policy is to sit them first. This is fine but you would think after seeing us there for that long someone would have the courtesy to explain the situation to us so that we could decide that maybe this wasn’t our night and to come back later. But all we got was the baiting treatment, having people lie to us again and again how we’re next. Don’t tell us that when you continuously sit others before us. I don’t know if the front staff is just stupid or they think we’re that stupid that we can’t see how we’re being ignored time and time again.
I hate using the race cards but honestly, I’m feeling this was an issue here. We’re Asians and as far as I could see, we were the only ones of our race there. Maybe because Asians are known to be push overs or something, but I just can’t understand why we were treated this way.
I have never had such a pure rage experience at a restaurant before. What kind of future do the owners think they have if THIS is the way they run the place?! It boggles the mind.
When I talked to the manager, I was told somewhat condescendingly that an hour and a half is the usual wait for a Friday night which wasn’t something that his staff told us. Great leadership that manager have right there.
Asians don’t eat BBQ
Wow, that’s an intelligent remark. Very nice, now crawl back under your rock and be quiet.
Hmmn – Korean BBQ, anyone?
Anyone been to Tov Tofu lately? I like that place.
Had lunch there last Friday. Catfish Po Boy. Po is the operative word. Asked my server what was in the Cajun
Spices and she said it was a secret, made especially for them by some people in Petaluma. They can’t come up with their own? One thing that wasn’t a secret, it didn’t even contain salt, a hint of pepper, let alone spice. Bland. It tasted like a fried piece of white fish….period. And the remoulade, mayo at best. So disappointed. I asked my server to take my uneaten half and give it to the “chef” and see what he thought. That sandwich was not worth downing all those calories. My son went a few days before unbeknownst to me and had the same thing ( he is a chef and knows his BBQ) and had the exact same opinion. Guy sitting near me at the bar had the fried chicken and looked underwhelmed. Who leaves fried chicken on their plate? If you’re full and it’s good you take it home, right? Oh and the “simple pickles”, adequately named.
Went tonight, Thursday, with much anticipation, hoping for good food and good service, a good neighborhood restaurant to replace Santi. As much as I was pulling for them, the food was poor to OK and the service was confused and slow.
The place was hopping when we went in, glad we had a reservation, the parking lot full, which seemed like a good sign. We were seated pretty quickly, but things went down hill from there. The server could not answer basic questions about the menu items and the drinks, starters and dinner were SLOW. But I could have overlooked confused and slow if the food was really good, unfortunately it was not. Here’s the run down.
Chicken livers and crisp – the chicken livers were fried to a crisp, like liver jerky with a coating.
Corn bread was good.
Potato salad was good.
Mac and Cheese was unremarkable. Expected this to be killer, because Southern M&C usually is.
Fried chicken was unremarkable, not bad, but not WOW by any stretch.
Baby back rids were good, smokey, tender, what you would expect from a good smoker.
Brisket, was missing in action, they ran out by 7pm.
I know they recently opened, but I know they also had a practice run a couple of weeks ago and it makes me wonder what they learned? The chef is supposed to be killer, but the food we had did not indicate that and they need to get their act together on their service, or they are going to be a flash in the pan.
I would really like to see them kick butt, but the way things were tonight they are going to get their butts kicked if they don’t make a major turn around. This may sound brutal, but really it is just factual.
Had lunch there last Friday. Catfish Po Boy. Po is the operative word. Asked my server what was in the Cajun
Spices and she said it was a secret, made especially for them by some people in Petaluma. They can’t come up with their own? One thing that wasn’t a secret, it didn’t even contain salt, a hint of pepper, let alone spice. Bland. It tasted like a fried piece of white fish….period. And the remoulade, mayo at best. So disappointed. I asked my server to take my uneaten half and give it to the “chef” and see what he thought. That sandwich was not worth downing all those calories. My son went a few days before unbeknownst to me and had the same thing ( he is a chef and knows his BBQ) and had the exact same opinion. Guy sitting near me at the bar had the fried chicken and looked underwhelmed. Who leaves fried chicken on their plate? If you’re full and it’s good you take it home, right? Oh and the “simple pickles”, adequately named.
Went tonight, Thursday, with much anticipation, hoping for good food and good service, a good neighborhood restaurant to replace Santi. As much as I was pulling for them, the food was poor to OK and the service was confused and slow.
The place was hopping when we went in, glad we had a reservation, the parking lot full, which seemed like a good sign. We were seated pretty quickly, but things went down hill from there. The server could not answer basic questions about the menu items and the drinks, starters and dinner were SLOW. But I could have overlooked confused and slow if the food was really good, unfortunately it was not. Here’s the run down.
Chicken livers and crisp – the chicken livers were fried to a crisp, like liver jerky with a coating.
Corn bread was good.
Potato salad was good.
Mac and Cheese was unremarkable. Expected this to be killer, because Southern M&C usually is.
Fried chicken was unremarkable, not bad, but not WOW by any stretch.
Baby back rids were good, smokey, tender, what you would expect from a good smoker.
Brisket, was missing in action, they ran out by 7pm.
I know they recently opened, but I know they also had a practice run a couple of weeks ago and it makes me wonder what they learned? The chef is supposed to be killer, but the food we had did not indicate that and they need to get their act together on their service, or they are going to be a flash in the pan.
I would really like to see them kick butt, but the way things were tonight they are going to get their butts kicked if they don’t make a major turn around. This may sound brutal, but really it is just factual.
Went last night with the wife and friends. I was happy to see what we had got, though some in the party were left wondering if this was it. First off the place has been open for less than a week and some things need to work themselves out. Seems there was a bit of a confusion as to what menu items were available during the transition time from the lunch menu to dinner menu. Not a big deal to me but it set a weird tone to the others. Getting off on the right foot here will make things better. To help ease it along I told the others let’s just order apps until the official dinner time starts. We had the boiled peanuts, chicken wings, shrimp and cornbread. The nuts, cornbread and shrimp were good though for the money I’d probably skip the shrimp next time. Don’t even bother with the chicken wings…….not even worth it. And the blue cheese sauce that came with it tasted good but had a weird consistency that didn’t coat the wings but rather just ran off.
I went with the Shrimp and Grits which were good, but needed a little fire. I forgot to ask which hot sauce the used because the hot fry dipping sauce stolen from my wife’s plate did the trick. Saw something on the menu about crispy leeks that were supposed to be on there but never caught one. Also had the Mac and Cheese. It was tasty but another item I’d skip next time.
The wife had the St. Louis style ribs. She didn’t like them, but I’m not sure she had this style before. I thought they were good and when more sauce was added they went down easy. I did like the cole slaw.
Also at the table was 1/2lb of chopped pork. That was pretty good. I’d like to consider myself a BBQ aficionado, specifically to pork and it did satisfy me. Where I have the problem, and this goes with pretty much all BBQ restaurants, is the price for what you get……the bang for the buck factor. For that I was wanting more. And this isn’t just the chopped pork, but the rib amounts as well. But this is normal everywhere…….around these parts anyway.
Two desserts at the table were the molasses and bourbon pie and the chocolate peanut-butter cakewich. Both were good and super rich. The cakewich thing came with salted sweet potato chips that the others initially passed over. I thought it was odd but totally got the concept as the crunch and salt from the chips came together with the sweet choconutty flavor…..and there was a berry puree/sauce with it too. Neat concept, hope others get it too.
I would totally go back as I saw 6 other menu items I want to try. With a little time to work the kinks out this place should be rockin’ soon.
Went last night with the wife and friends. I was happy to see what we had got, though some in the party were left wondering if this was it. First off the place has been open for less than a week and some things need to work themselves out. Seems there was a bit of a confusion as to what menu items were available during the transition time from the lunch menu to dinner menu. Not a big deal to me but it set a weird tone to the others. Getting off on the right foot here will make things better. To help ease it along I told the others let’s just order apps until the official dinner time starts. We had the boiled peanuts, chicken wings, shrimp and cornbread. The nuts, cornbread and shrimp were good though for the money I’d probably skip the shrimp next time. Don’t even bother with the chicken wings…….not even worth it. And the blue cheese sauce that came with it tasted good but had a weird consistency that didn’t coat the wings but rather just ran off.
I went with the Shrimp and Grits which were good, but needed a little fire. I forgot to ask which hot sauce the used because the hot fry dipping sauce stolen from my wife’s plate did the trick. Saw something on the menu about crispy leeks that were supposed to be on there but never caught one. Also had the Mac and Cheese. It was tasty but another item I’d skip next time.
The wife had the St. Louis style ribs. She didn’t like them, but I’m not sure she had this style before. I thought they were good and when more sauce was added they went down easy. I did like the cole slaw.
Also at the table was 1/2lb of chopped pork. That was pretty good. I’d like to consider myself a BBQ aficionado, specifically to pork and it did satisfy me. Where I have the problem, and this goes with pretty much all BBQ restaurants, is the price for what you get……the bang for the buck factor. For that I was wanting more. And this isn’t just the chopped pork, but the rib amounts as well. But this is normal everywhere…….around these parts anyway.
Two desserts at the table were the molasses and bourbon pie and the chocolate peanut-butter cakewich. Both were good and super rich. The cakewich thing came with salted sweet potato chips that the others initially passed over. I thought it was odd but totally got the concept as the crunch and salt from the chips came together with the sweet choconutty flavor…..and there was a berry puree/sauce with it too. Neat concept, hope others get it too.
I would totally go back as I saw 6 other menu items I want to try. With a little time to work the kinks out this place should be rockin’ soon.
I was pleased by the mac n cheese, though it was heavy handed on the nutmeg, the Chicken “Lives” as its called here were the best thing we ordered though I didnt see or taste any “cracklings” and where were the GREENS???? … we did try the fried chicken, but I found it was flat, needed salt and the hot sauce my server didnt offer, among forgotten things…I see lots of comments on different menu items we didn’t see on our trip…. All-in-all, not a bad experiance- I guess every southern state has a different take on Soul food, which is to be expected. I wasn’t to hot on their interpretation of it… It was good- but not southern as I know it… use the salt boys and some Soul.
I was pleased by the mac n cheese, though it was heavy handed on the nutmeg, the Chicken “Lives” as its called here were the best thing we ordered though I didnt see or taste any “cracklings” and where were the GREENS???? … we did try the fried chicken, but I found it was flat, needed salt and the hot sauce my server didnt offer, among forgotten things…I see lots of comments on different menu items we didn’t see on our trip…. All-in-all, not a bad experiance- I guess every southern state has a different take on Soul food, which is to be expected. I wasn’t to hot on their interpretation of it… It was good- but not southern as I know it… use the salt boys and some Soul.
The BEST onion rings & brisket!! The sweet tea is made perfectly, the way I remember it being made by my father in Alabama (in a 5 gal. bucket, of course). The chopped pork was delicious, and the hush puppies are dangerously fried to perfection. One small complaint, I had the fried chicken biscuit sandwich (I forget the name of it) it must’ve sat in the window too long because my gravy & cheese was separated and a big greasy slop mess! Plus, the chicken was very tough and stringy, I won’t be ordering that again. Other than that, we’ll definitely be back for more of Sweet T’s!!
The BEST onion rings & brisket!! The sweet tea is made perfectly, the way I remember it being made by my father in Alabama (in a 5 gal. bucket, of course). The chopped pork was delicious, and the hush puppies are dangerously fried to perfection. One small complaint, I had the fried chicken biscuit sandwich (I forget the name of it) it must’ve sat in the window too long because my gravy & cheese was separated and a big greasy slop mess! Plus, the chicken was very tough and stringy, I won’t be ordering that again. Other than that, we’ll definitely be back for more of Sweet T’s!!
We vrooooooooooooomed over for lunch yesterday.
Background: We lived in central North Carolina for 15 years. We’ve long bemoaned the lack of gen-u-ine southern BBQ in these parts. Our days of wandering in the BBQ desert are over. We have reached the promised land.
To quote Pete Rinaldi’s Fried Chicken, Durham, NC circa 1978…
“Land sakes, it’s good!”
We have an hour for lunch. T’s is a 20 minute drive from work. I called ahead and asked Ann if I could place our order over the phone and have it ready to eat there when we arrived. No problem! And, I can’t tell you how lovely it was to hear a gentle southern accent. Thank you, Ann.
We each had the chopped pork platter; a half pound of BBQ pork, a side of BBQ sauce, cole slaw, and a biscuit.
Chopped pork: Perfectly cooked. Moist, tender, delicate smokey flavor. Not at all fatty, but not so lean as to skimp on flavor. I am so appreciative that it had “bark.” Haven’t had that in a dog’s age.
BBQ sauce: The reason we were there, let’s face it! We were not disappointed. The sauce is a super good red sauce. For the tarheelers amongst us; this is not the traditional North Carolina pulled pork sauce we’ve been jonesing for but is absolutely worth the trip.
Cole slaw: Really, really good. I love this type of slaw. It’s not creamy or drowning in dressing. It’s crisp and has a bit of bite. It was perfect with the pork.
Biscuit: What can I say? It’s the best biscuit I’ve had since July 5, 1992, my last trip to Biscuitville before moving to Santa Rosa. I’m hoping they’ll do a bacon and egg biscuit if they start doing breakfast.
We also had a pickle plate brought to our table. I especially loved the pickled okra.
Our service was very attentive despite the fact that the restaurant was packed. Everything went very smoothly. We would have gone back last night for the fried chicken and hush puppies but worked too late to get there.
As we used to say, “everything is so good, it has a more-ish taste!”
Had dinner there last night…many kinks to work out! One thing that really bothered me was that my husband ordered a bucket of fried chicken, the menu clearly stated breasts, leg, thigh and when his food arrived there were no breasts and wings were substituted. I’m sorry but wings are not an equal substitute to breasts!!! Our waiter made no mention of the substitution and when it was brought up he came back from the kitchen to inform us that they had run out of breasts. I don’t know, it all seemed very sneaky. Plus, how can you run out of chicken breasts at 6:30pm??? Excellent creamed corn…very decadent!
Since it was so jam-packed at lunch, I would guess that they ran out because many people were ordering it for lunch and, being opening day, they don’t have a clear sense of what their volume will be yet. Granted, the server should have been told so that you could have been told, but, again, it’s opening day. Give them another chance. Oh, and I’m dying to try the creamed corn; so many have raved about it already! Apparently, the brussels sprouts are amazing, too. I know where we are going for my birthday dinner Friday night!
We vrooooooooooooomed over for lunch yesterday.
Background: We lived in central North Carolina for 15 years. We’ve long bemoaned the lack of gen-u-ine southern BBQ in these parts. Our days of wandering in the BBQ desert are over. We have reached the promised land.
To quote Pete Rinaldi’s Fried Chicken, Durham, NC circa 1978…
“Land sakes, it’s good!”
We have an hour for lunch. T’s is a 20 minute drive from work. I called ahead and asked Ann if I could place our order over the phone and have it ready to eat there when we arrived. No problem! And, I can’t tell you how lovely it was to hear a gentle southern accent. Thank you, Ann.
We each had the chopped pork platter; a half pound of BBQ pork, a side of BBQ sauce, cole slaw, and a biscuit.
Chopped pork: Perfectly cooked. Moist, tender, delicate smokey flavor. Not at all fatty, but not so lean as to skimp on flavor. I am so appreciative that it had “bark.” Haven’t had that in a dog’s age.
BBQ sauce: The reason we were there, let’s face it! We were not disappointed. The sauce is a super good red sauce. For the tarheelers amongst us; this is not the traditional North Carolina pulled pork sauce we’ve been jonesing for but is absolutely worth the trip.
Cole slaw: Really, really good. I love this type of slaw. It’s not creamy or drowning in dressing. It’s crisp and has a bit of bite. It was perfect with the pork.
Biscuit: What can I say? It’s the best biscuit I’ve had since July 5, 1992, my last trip to Biscuitville before moving to Santa Rosa. I’m hoping they’ll do a bacon and egg biscuit if they start doing breakfast.
We also had a pickle plate brought to our table. I especially loved the pickled okra.
Our service was very attentive despite the fact that the restaurant was packed. Everything went very smoothly. We would have gone back last night for the fried chicken and hush puppies but worked too late to get there.
As we used to say, “everything is so good, it has a more-ish taste!”
Had dinner there last night…many kinks to work out! One thing that really bothered me was that my husband ordered a bucket of fried chicken, the menu clearly stated breasts, leg, thigh and when his food arrived there were no breasts and wings were substituted. I’m sorry but wings are not an equal substitute to breasts!!! Our waiter made no mention of the substitution and when it was brought up he came back from the kitchen to inform us that they had run out of breasts. I don’t know, it all seemed very sneaky. Plus, how can you run out of chicken breasts at 6:30pm??? Excellent creamed corn…very decadent!
Since it was so jam-packed at lunch, I would guess that they ran out because many people were ordering it for lunch and, being opening day, they don’t have a clear sense of what their volume will be yet. Granted, the server should have been told so that you could have been told, but, again, it’s opening day. Give them another chance. Oh, and I’m dying to try the creamed corn; so many have raved about it already! Apparently, the brussels sprouts are amazing, too. I know where we are going for my birthday dinner Friday night!
Went for lunch today on Opening Day and the place was busy. For 4 of us, we had gumbo, peel-and-eat prawns, cornbread, pear salad, the big tasty, sweet potato chips, fries. They brought two plates of the simple pickles as soon as we sat down, which are excellent. We all loved our meals, tasted each others’ meals, and took some with us when we left. YUM! Ann & Dennis have hit the mark with this place. Don’t wait to go; you’ll definitely be hearing more about Sweet T’s.
Went for lunch today on Opening Day and the place was busy. For 4 of us, we had gumbo, peel-and-eat prawns, cornbread, pear salad, the big tasty, sweet potato chips, fries. They brought two plates of the simple pickles as soon as we sat down, which are excellent. We all loved our meals, tasted each others’ meals, and took some with us when we left. YUM! Ann & Dennis have hit the mark with this place. Don’t wait to go; you’ll definitely be hearing more about Sweet T’s.
Vroooommmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vroooommmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tick….tick….tick….tick…
Tick….tick….tick….tick…
I attended the soft opening last night and was thrilled with the variety of libations as well as the amazing food!! Great job Dennis, Ann and all of the crew at Sweet T’s!!
Chicken livers! YUM. I remember in the 70’s, driving with my mom, brother & sister from Rincon Valley to the Blue Chip Stamp Store to turn in our books and stopping at KFC after to get a box of fried chicken livers! What a special treat that was. No one I ever tell about this ever believes me that KFC sold these. But then again most ask me what at Blue Chip Stamps??? Oh well, hope they are a special as I remember them!
Can’t wait for the BBQ either. Just had to have my daughter drive to the East Bay to get me BBQ the other day. Was craving it and now I will have a spot right up the street.
Bella, I so remember the chicken liver dinner from KFC and the blue chip stamp redemption store. I think you got 4 chicken livers in the meal. So good. Would I eat chicken livers now….no way Jose! LOL
I attended the soft opening last night and was thrilled with the variety of libations as well as the amazing food!! Great job Dennis, Ann and all of the crew at Sweet T’s!!
Chicken livers! YUM. I remember in the 70’s, driving with my mom, brother & sister from Rincon Valley to the Blue Chip Stamp Store to turn in our books and stopping at KFC after to get a box of fried chicken livers! What a special treat that was. No one I ever tell about this ever believes me that KFC sold these. But then again most ask me what at Blue Chip Stamps??? Oh well, hope they are a special as I remember them!
Can’t wait for the BBQ either. Just had to have my daughter drive to the East Bay to get me BBQ the other day. Was craving it and now I will have a spot right up the street.
Bella, I so remember the chicken liver dinner from KFC and the blue chip stamp redemption store. I think you got 4 chicken livers in the meal. So good. Would I eat chicken livers now….no way Jose! LOL
Any chance you’ll be adding breakfast? Was just talking about chicken and waffles with a co-worker this morning. And who wouldn’t love a great place for biscuits and gravy?
I wish them good luck. I am still sad to see the loss of Traverso’s. This is a chance to show that we will support local eateries. Give it a try. Good luck to this eatery.
Can’t wait!!!
I’m sure the chicken lives will upset amila rights folks.
How dare people eat all the parts of the animal! blah.
Um, I think Matthew was mocking the typo “chicken lives”, not the fact that people eat chicken livers.
Looking forward to it opening, big bbq ribs fan. Any chance of fried pickles, with those homemade pickles?
I hear yes.
Think I gained five pounds reading about the food! Must visit and feast!
I’m telling you, it’s really evil. I’m fasting in preparation for a visit where Doug promised a the bacon fat burger with foie gras and a fried egg. OMG. He’s evil. Evil, I say.
This was the LAST thing I needed to see right before lunch =/
Looking forward to trying this new spot! The food looks great.
Any chance you’ll be adding breakfast? Was just talking about chicken and waffles with a co-worker this morning. And who wouldn’t love a great place for biscuits and gravy?
I wish them good luck. I am still sad to see the loss of Traverso’s. This is a chance to show that we will support local eateries. Give it a try. Good luck to this eatery.
Can’t wait!!!
I’m sure the chicken lives will upset amila rights folks.
How dare people eat all the parts of the animal! blah.
Um, I think Matthew was mocking the typo “chicken lives”, not the fact that people eat chicken livers.
Looking forward to it opening, big bbq ribs fan. Any chance of fried pickles, with those homemade pickles?
I hear yes.
Think I gained five pounds reading about the food! Must visit and feast!
I’m telling you, it’s really evil. I’m fasting in preparation for a visit where Doug promised a the bacon fat burger with foie gras and a fried egg. OMG. He’s evil. Evil, I say.
This was the LAST thing I needed to see right before lunch =/
Looking forward to trying this new spot! The food looks great.