Submitted by Leah K on 02/08/2022
Came to Girl & the Goat for the first time a week ago with my boyfriend and had a great time! Our expectations were super high as I’d been hearing about this restaurant for years.
When we first came in the host tried to seat us at a tinyyy table sandwiched between two sets of couples on each side, all sharing one long bench. I asked if there was anything else and we ended up sharing a large table with another group that was already eating. I found this a little strange given the exclusivity of the reservation process and that the entire front part of the restaurant is taken up by an enormous sectional couch which they called “the lounge.” Why do you need a lounge if you can’t comfortably seat your reservations?
The food, drinks, and service however, were fantastic. Our server was super friendly and engaging! For 2 people, 5 dishes is plenty (which is what our server said). 4 if you’re getting the pork shank, which you absolutely should. Everything was super creative with innovative flavor combinations. I also loved that the restaurant is tapas style (although the plates were much bigger than traditional tapas), because it allows you to try more of the menu without breaking the bank.
Don’t skip: the pork shank, the green beans, the olive bread with feta
Came here to have a nice date night and to celebrate our anniversary. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to our expectations because of a number of reasons:
- Noise level was way too high.
- No private seating, felt a bit squeezed (we also noted in the reservation that we preferred to have a more private seating/table due to the occasion).
- Dishes were served in a strange order (fish/meat came before veggies) and there was a looooong (!) waiting time between each dish. It just didn’t work to have a whole plate of cauliflower to eat at the very end of the meal after having eaten the more heavy dishes already. We also got a plate of green beans on the house because of the long waiting time (appreciated the gesture) - also arrived at the end of our meal, but like with the cauliflowers, it felt like eating side dishes after already having finished the “main meal” which just didn’t work for us.
- The 6 dishes we tried simply didn’t live up to our expectations and certainly not to all the hype. Yes, everything was delicious and there were some nice creative flavor combinations, but nothing that really wowed us at all. And a big minus that the $16 sourdough bread was burnt and very dry. Our favorites were the “popcorn situation” dessert, chickpea fritters, and halibut.
(Note: A person from the management team did apologize for the long waiting time between courses, which we highly appreciated.)
Overall, this was just not the right choice for our occasion. And because of the above reasons we don’t think it’s worth the hype nor struggle to get a reservation.
I think the ambiance (high volume restaurant that’s extremely noisy due to bad acoustics) and they way you’re seated (not private at all, rather tightly sandwiched between other tables or on large dining tables with other groups) makes this a better place to go with a group of friends rather than a nice date night.
Submitted by Katarina Ekelund on 08/16/2022
Light, elegant, elevated American fusion food.
Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted so flavorful. Each dish was unique and worked beautifully together.
We had the salmon poke bowl, pan roasted halibut, oysters, woodfire lamb, goat cheese board and the popcorn situation to bring us home.
Make reservations - place gets busy and packed. Good for any size party.
Submitted by Kenneth Ahn on 08/02/2022
Perfect date night this evening. The food was absolutely amazing ????. From the chickpea fritters tasty goat yogurt, to the fall off the bone sticky pork and the scrumptious green beans. The desert we ordered was the well balance dessert with the sherbet and the chewy like pastry and they put on the house. that was on the house.
Service was top notch and the food came out quickly. This was a well oiled machine worthy of all the starts and accolades.
Our first time but will be back.
This was our first time
Submitted by Florida Harris on 07/23/2022
I don’t really get why the restaurant is so booked. I like how they made the sauces for a majority of the dishes, it’s really refreshing and unique, but sometimes the flavor of the meat doesn’t match with the flavor of the sauce, and the meat’s own taste doesn’t really come through in some dishes. They don’t really get rid of the meat stink (which is something some people like, so I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s something to know if you don’t like meat stink). I love the halibut! The pig face tastes just like pork. The chops’ sauce is too heavy.
The lights are dim and the decor is nice, but it’s too noisy if you want to go on a nice date. The seating isn’t very private and while I’m pretty thin, i had to squeeze my butt between my table and the other just to get out, which cannot have been a great experience for my neighbors. They did have some space up front which could’ve been used for some seating spaces. Taking one star off mainly for the seating. The host and server were friendly and chill.
Overall, I think it’s a good place to try out new things, but not suitable for a “romantic” date or if you’re picky about food.
Submitted by Dandan on 06/08/2022
The pork shank, green beans, and the popcorn ice cream dessert were my favorite items, although all the food (we tried 8 plates and had our dessert) was very good! The goat belly wasn't worth the price, but everything else was fairly priced for the quality and flavor. The dessert is a must! Unbelievable! G and the G is definitely worth the visit! Thank you to Katie for the signed cookbooks! They made our visit even more special and memorable!
Submitted by Eric Lynch on 05/31/2022
Had a phenomenal meal here. Every dish we tried was fantastic and the service was stellar. Got lucky and a reservation opened up, but definitely recommend making one in advance. Will absolutely be back next time we're in town.
Submitted by Josiah Deandrea on 05/15/2022
Second time going and the food still tastes delicious. We ordered the green beans which were flavorful and a great side for any meal. The grilled skirt steak is fulfilling to your taste buds but be mindful that it is a small portion. The pork shank was the best part of the meal, I recommend it to anyone that decides to come here. The presentation of the Glazed Pork Shank as well as all the flavors leaves your mouth watery. The drinks here are phenomenal, I ordered the mezcal and was happy with it's flavor. I recommend anyone to come eat at Girl & The Goat and enjoy the Unique Experience.
Submitted by J Torres on 05/02/2022
Top 5 meal of my life. It was incredible from start to finish. I went here for Valentine's Day with my wife and it was prefix menu but everything was fantastic. I personally loved the pork belly the best. I look forward to going again to try out their full menu.
Submitted by Eric Benoit on 02/15/2022
A tremendous meal as I'm sure you've heard/read. Great service (shout out to Katie!) and a fun atmosphere too! Giving this four stars because most of the meal felt a tad over-salted.
Our favorites and the least salty things were the roasted pig face (like a fancy pork hash) and chickpea fritters (great mix of textures). We got two goat dishes: the empanadas have a nice crunch and are a classic; the goat belly was well done and not fatty like pork belly. The shrimp salad was good too, especially the shrimp in it, but a little overdressed.
Submitted by Jason Xiahou on 02/12/2022