Sundried Tomato of Laguna Beach

08/11/08

Disappointment

by aandy at Citysearch

We attended the Laguna Arts Festival and the conceirge at the Montage recommended this restaurant. What a disappointment. The service was marginal at best and this was early before the crowds. Each of our entrees were either over cooked and seasoned beyond recognition. We were starving so perhaps it made it worse but would definitely not recommend this place to locals or visitors.

11/24/07

Great Food, Not so good Customer Service

by linkin at Citysearch

As a lover of sundried tomatoes, I was drawn to Sundried Tomato Cafe through its name. We were promptly seated, but our waitress did not even begin to speak to us until 15 min after we set down. We quickly ordered our drink, and the waitress came back to take our dinner order (we later found out that she had omitted to tell us the special of the night). Between my friend and I, we had ordered the Sea Bass of Filet of Beef. Both entrees were EXCELLENT~!!! the Sea Bass was cooked just right with a special asian inspired glazed, and the Filet of Beef was tender, but still retain a meaty texture. The mushroom and onion sauce on the Filet was a great accent to the flavorful meat. We were pleasantly surprise, since the welcome was not so warm. However, after the entree, the disappointment comes again, as the waitress quickly brought us the bill without even asking if we were interested in any coffee or dessert. We ended up ordering the creme brulee anyway, which also proved to be a mistake. For a restaurant like Sundried Tomato, you would not expect the creme brulee to have a "skin" textured on the caramelized sugar. The dessert must have sat in a refrigerator inside for a long while.

So, go to Sundried tomato cafe for the food, skip dessert, and try to overlook the service mishap :)

07/20/07

GREAT FOOD, GREAT SERVICE, AMAZING WINE LIST

by markjacobi at Citysearch

Sundried tomato cafe in Laguna and San Juan for that matter, is an all around positive experience. Our first dinining experience was last summer and being a local oc residents we do not go to downtown laguna in the summer. But we were meeting friends and family and they chose the restaurant. From the hostess with the bubbly personality to the waiter who was congenial and knowledgeable , we had an exceptional experience. The sevice was prompt, and the food was amazing, the sundried tomato soup, spring rolls, and my salad sampler could not of been better. We now go weekly either to the Laguna restaurant or the San Juan restaurant, and the experience has always been very postive. Try the seabas with teriyaki aioli or the lamb burger!