Ambrose Butchery

Cuisine	American (New)
Price	$$$ (31-50)
Rating	6/10
Last Visit	June 26, 2021
Location	SFBA: East Bay (Other)

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General Notes

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Ambrose Butchery is a tiny restaurant / butcher shop in Niles (although as of June 2021 the butcher shop is still closed) and a bit of a hidden gem in the Fremont food scene. Pleasant ambiance and delightful service. The food is solid but not outstanding, but regardless I very much enjoyed my experience. Explore the Niles district and give this place a try!

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Positives

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> The servers are incredibly friendly. They were super pleasant to talk to and happy to explain to me the history of the restaurant and the variety of items on the menu. I even ended up having a conversation with one of them about Boston.
> The restaurant interior is really pleasant. It has that classic Niles rustic "antique" feel, but it also feels sleek. They also have a patio in the back, which (considering Bay Area weather) makes for an excellent environment for lunch or a summer dinner.
> The food is relatively simple but (usually) prepared with precision. Meat focused, of course. According to the servers, the food is also "farm to table" and all that stuff. As a result, the menu changes pretty frequently depending on the season as well.

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Negatives

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> The hours are somewhat erratic and change from season to season. Don't trust what you see on Google Maps; check their website.
> Seating is very limited; expect a wait during peak hours. Thankfully, Niles is a nice place to explore and there's plenty of seating available outside.

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Dishes Tasted

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• ★★★☆ Crispy Chicken Sandwich -- The chicken is wonderful - super tender and crispy. Apparently the chicken is double-fried, which has a lot of positives, but it does have a mild unpleasant double-fried taste. The herb mayo and red onions are just in the right proportion and pair perfectly. My only complaint is that I wish the buns were slightly better toasted. Also, I very much appreciate the proportion of burger to fries - I feel like at fast food restaurants I'm always craving more burger and less fries.
• ★★★☆ Bitterballen -- Crispy duck croquet, house pickles, and mustard. Delicious! Apparently this is a popular Dutch snack. Really well fried - excellent crispy exterior contrasted with the soft, creamy interior. The pickles were also remarkably good. I found the mustard a bit odd - it was more or less entirely grainy, which was interesting but made me wish that there was a bit more acidity in the dish.
• ★★☆☆ Raspberry Lemon Mousse -- Also came with kiwi sauce, which was a pleasant addition and rounded out the flavor nicely. Good dessert, but not particularly noteworthy.
• ★☆☆☆ Prime Bavette -- Truffle butter, potato gratin. Looks good but underwhelming -- the steak is surprisingly flavorless and the gray, overcooked ring on the outside is really thick. The truffle butter is a nice addition, though. The potato gratin was slightly undercooked but otherwise decent.
• ★★★☆ Cheese Arancini -- Crispy risotto & fontina fritter w/ arugula pesto, bruschetta, olive tapenade. Well-fried, crispy, and creamy on the interior. The sauces are a nice addition; I appreciate the olive tapenade and arugula pesto as additional options.
• ★★☆☆ Bone Marrow -- Could use a bit more seasoning and acidity, but otherwise pretty good.