Backdoor Bistro and Wine Bar

Reservation for 7 please! GNO a success for one of my bff’s birthday.
Don’t be turned off from the outside. It is very unimpressive. But inside is very cute. Big open bar and intimately placed tables. We ordered 4 appetizers and each ordered an entrée. Everyone LOVED their food. Everything was soooo delicious. We were all happy with our choices. Service was great! This place is a definite must. I be coming back again with the hubby.

Vacaville is totally a strip mall, car dealership-​type town. It’s not Napa. It’s really super-​easy to eat every meal at Applebee’s or some other familiar chain. My first nite there, I did eat at In n Out because I’m from Philly and never had one before.
But I managed to eat local the rest of the time. Backdoor Bistro is in an unassuming strip mall between a liquor store and a laundromat. Don’t let that deter you — go there and eat things!
I had a salad of fresh greens and a housemade buttermilk dressing. The dressing was kinda bland and buttery but the greens were extremely fresh, as if they’d been cut out of the garden especially for me. In fact, they were so fresh that there was a green wormy thing squirming around my plate. I just moved it to the paper table cloth & watched it squirm around til it died. Hey, I’d rather eat a green bug than bug-​killing poison any day.
The clams & mussels were also excellent. And grilled octopus — superb. I also had pork belly which tasted great, but was plated in a non-​appealing way. It was cut somewhat thin, almost like thick-​cut bacon. It looked like dry, burnt «fat back». It was not dry or burnt, thank goodness, but my palate had to convince my brain & eyes of that.
Another note is that I arrived at 8:15pm and they close at 9. The food came quickly and empty plates were collected quickly, but there was absolutely no blatant rush to get us out the door. They have a wine bar that was still jumpin’ when I left at around 8:55pm.
Lovely meal, very kind & knowledgeable servers and great wine! Also, for a corkage fee, you can BYOB.

Came to the restaurant after seeing it on Check Please and was visiting relatives in Vacaville. I ordered the duck l’orange and it was cooked perfectly medium rare.
However, one person in my party ordered the lamb and we were surprised that there were only 2 ribs of lamb. For the price, one would think they should serve three pieces as most restaurants do. The other member of our party ordered the hamburger and she said it was delicious. It was huge and had all the right fixings.
We were looking forward to the octopus appetizer but it wasn’t on the menu that night so we ordered the cheese and meat platter which was outstanding.
Overall, we were very pleased with the restaurant. The service was excellent.

Are you kidding me?! I felt like I was sitting in the private kitchen of a world famous chef. The food was made with so much care and attention, like someone had been prepping and cooking for days.
What I ordered: Seared Spanish octopus served with skinny little potato rounds, fancy pants mushrooms, baby squash, and crispy roasted kale. I took forever to eat it just so it would last. Mushroom risotto — crazy rich and topped with bitter arugula. Lemon thyme sorbet and dessert wine. I didn’t need either of those last two items but didn’t want to stop sampling the menu.
Perfect server-​to-​eater ratio. The place doesn’t seem to cut corners on labor, plenty of staff to support the small restaurant.
Here’s where I make fun of some previous reviews:
Um, yeah it’s in a strip mall. Good food doesn’t need to hide in over decorated fancy locations. Yep, the hostess was wearing a tight lace dress this night (and rocked it). The award goes to the «foodie pirate» who complained that there was only one parking spot when he arrived early for his highness’ reservation: I’m sure next time they’ll run out and reserve your parking by placing orange cones in the choicest of all asphalt squares for your douchery visit.
I was in Vacaville for work. I do not live here but I will definitely return to Backdoor Bistro next time I’m in town.

I have nothing bad to say about this place!!! The bread was amazing the loaded potato soup is to die for and the chicken sandwich made me soooo happy. The service was super sweet and accommodating and I know it sounds silly but I love that the water is served in a wine bottle.

Chef Lindsay is a true epicurean artist. I had dinner with my wife and daughter here tonight and it was an excellent experience. We started with the charcuterie and cheese tray and it was phenomenal. Cheese such as Lambchopper, Purple Haze and Shaft’s bleu paired so well with the mortadella, salami sopressata and proscuitto. The crostini and stewed apricots rounded out the appetizer. We ordered the flat iron steak, kobe beef burger and local spaghetti squash and each had artisan touches such as wild mushroom cream risotto and truffled potato chips. The atmosphere is casual but the experience is easily as decadent as any in Norcal. The service was crisp and friendly with nothing but smiles and professionalism. It is one of our favorites and we will be visiting much more often.

Wow, AMAAAAZING! Food is blow your mind good, servers are sweet and atmosphere is chill but classy. You can come in jeans or a dress. MUST TRY! I’m honestly shocked it’s not in Napa. All local farm supportive and just lovely!

Amazing!, second time passing through Vacaville. Mary, my server, was exceptional! Food, Great!
Wish I was a local, this gem would definitely be my go to.

Went to Back Door last Saturday and had an amazing meal! They squeezed me and my lady in for a reservation the day of. They have always been very accomadating to us. We each had the beat salad, which is something I could eat everyday. It’s so refreshing and has flavors that burst in your mouth. It’s not your typical starter salad at all. The GF had the Coconut Lime Bouillabaisse. She loves that dish. She had it for the first time there during Restaurant Week and now it is one of her go-​tos. I went with the Duck a l’Orange. It was phenomenal! One of the best dishes I’ve ever had here. For dessert, the cookie parfait was a great end to the meal.
Needless to say, every time we’ve gone to Backdoor, we have exquisite food and a great time. Chef Lindsey is a genius! I recommend this restaurant to all my other fellow foodies. It will not disappoint.

Great little place in Vacaville… outside may be deceiving but once you enter inside the atmosphere is cozy. We have eaten here twice and have enjoyed the flat iron steak, the halibut boulibasse, and fried chicken. The steak is done to perfection. The local salad is very fresh and delicious. The staff is very friendly and attentive.
We will definitely come back again and again!

This was a great surprise.
If you are going to the sac airport this is the place to eat.

I am so glad we finally have some great restaurants in Vacaville. Our options aren’t many, but it’s definitely better than the choices we had ten years ago. I can remember when it was basically just Denny’s. Anyway, I digress. Backdoor Bistro and Wine Bar is one of your best choices in Vacaville. The service is consistent. The food is terrific, with much attention paid to detail. I have always had a positive experience at Backdoor Bistro. The location is a little weird, but I really enjoy the fact that I don’t have to drive all the way to Napa or Sacramento. The drinks offered are fairly priced and delightful.
Please support this wonderful local restaurant. I would really love for Vacaville to be able to support of few other places like this. Until then, we have to protect the ones we do have.

Super cute place in a totally unassuming strip center. The food is good; the service is friendly. Reservations are apparently de rigueur. (We got a seat at the bar no problem.) I had the fried chicken (apparently a Tuesday special) and my friend had the burger. We shared the beet salad, which was super tasty. If this restaurant were in SF, I might only give it three stars, but I was super impressed it existed at all, and the beet salad knocked my socks off (and knocked my rating up a touch).

My wife and in-​laws had chosen this restaurant to meet for my birthday dinner.
The location is in a small, ugly strip mall, next door to a coin op laundry and there was only one remaining parking space when we arrived 15 minutes early for a 6 PM reservation.
My wife and I started with a couple of draft beers and the Duck Prosciutto Tartine which was tasty but was about 2 — 3 bites for each of us for $ 10. This example continued after my in-​laws arrived through salads to our entrees and desserts, everything very flavorful, pretty, well organized plates, but small portions with prices that didn’t match location, ingredients or quantity.
The biggest problem in my opinion is that they’ve squeezed about 20 tables and a long bar into a space that should have held HALF that many. This became extremely evident as the restaurant filled to capacity. The interior noise level was so high that the waitress couldn’t hear us nor we her, and it was difficult to hold a conversation across a small table. The over crowding meant that we had our elbows and chairs bumped into throughout the meal as servers tried to squeeze through the over packed cluster of tables and chairs and the wait time on our order was nearly 90 minutes from when we placed our order and received our entrees. Since we had starters and salads it wasn’t a hunger issue as much as an irritant when we noticed tables and people at the bar who clearly were not there when we arrived being served their food ahead of ours… that is just poor kitchen/​server management.

Upon entering, I was pleasantly shocked and surprised by the ambiance and décor. This is in Vacaville? We came with a huge party of eight, including two little ones, for my mother’s birthday and originally felt a little out of place, as this place caters more to dining for couples or smaller groups. Anyways, didn’t take long to get over that discomfort, as I really don’t give a rat’s ass about how things «should» be.
We ordered a whole bunch of things and I was able to have a nibble on most of them. The beet salad was your typical small plate, well-​presented, but not much else going on salad. Definitely did not feel this was worth it, as I used to work as garde manger before at a restaurant, and our beet and arugula salad there basically had all the same components (we also used toasted pistachios, oranges and an orange vinaigrette on top of that) and the portion was significantly more reasonable and similar cost. It was also an above average, somewhat pricey spot in Portola Valley, so not like I was whipping out commercial and mainstream salad portions at a chain.
The pork belly app was terrific and worth the three small pieces for $ 10, as the flavor on this dish was fantastic. Did not get to try the salmon on top of egg noodles or whatever, but several in our party commented on how awfully salty the pasta was and how brutally impossible it was to digest. After those comments, I naturally didn’t take a flyer on it and stayed far away as possible.
For my main entrée, I settled upon the Niman Ranch flat iron with house made tortilla chips, black bean and gypsy pepper salad, with an Amy’s farm egg for $ 28. This plate was well executed and delicious. The steak was just a little overcooked, still medium rare, but not as rare as I would’ve preferred. All the sides on the plate melded well with one another and each bite was satisfying. Good, bold and strong flavors without being over seasoned.
Service was fine from start to finish, but nothing amazingly memorable. The complimentary bread they give you at the start is wonderful and we naturally asked for a second helping of it, as plenty of us dining are in fact carb addicts, but the second basket of bread was only half full. Stating the obvious, but they add automatic gratuity for parties this large, so total bill for the eight of us was around $ 220 if I remember correctly. Seems like a cool spot to come in and grab a glass of wine at the bar and to try their different small plates (the menu is constantly changing). Sucks for me, since I quit drinking months ago, but I’d definitely return to try more of the food. I applaud the ambitiousness of the chef and kitchen for bringing a cool, fresh alternative to this area. Few kinks here and there, but overall, was a pleasurable dining experience. More like 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up to four as the positives stuck with me more than the negatives after this meal.

Excellent service! Loved the food and ambiance at Backdoor! My boyfriend and I originally made a reservation for 11:30 but we arrived at 11. The hostess was able to seat us quickly although we arrived 30 minutes early. We were given menus and water immediately. A few minutes later, our server came by and asked if we had any questions and were ready to order drinks. We were ready to order our whole meal so we did.
My boyfriend and I both ordered the brut rosé and the Eggs Benedict. The rosé was okay, nothing too special. I usually don’t order mimosas because the champagne is watered down by the amount of orange juice. I wouldn’t know how Backdoor’s mimosas tasted but the table next to us ordered them and they looked good. What was unique was there was a standard mimosa and a kiwi mimosa!
Later, our food came out. It looked and tasted delicious! I’m a sucker for amazing Eggs Benedict and the potatoes were seasoned and cooked perfectly. I ate it all!
Our server was sweet and friendly. I forgot her name sadly but she was so nice and accommodating. The service was prompt which I appreciated. Lastly, on our way out, I thought it was super sweet that everyone, our server, the hostess, the chefs, all said good bye to us! Nothing feels better than feeling appreciated right?
Can’t wait to come back and try some other brunch entrees! :) thanks for a nice time!

This restaurant has a lot of potential. Don’t be fooled by the outside. Appears to be in a hole in the wall area. I love the large seating bar area. Super cute, love the wood and simple lamps. I felt the front part of the restaurant needs some help with lighting though. We made reservations about 5 days prior for 3 for brunch. Simple and easy (1 star). We walked in and there was no host and waited about 5 min for someone to come up and greet us. Our table was set and ready to go so we were seated immediately after that. Ok, so the host was sweet but definitely not appropriately dressed for the place. Short black lace dress, skin tight with long sleeves but shoulder cut outs? Wow. For brunch, as a host, maybe something more covered up and comfortable?!?
For a pretty quaint restaurant, service is slow. Took a while for 1. To order food, 2. To get our food and 3. To pay our bill. I ordered the sausage hash with poached eggs and lemon poppyseed bread. I love love love the lemon poppyseed bread (additional star). I liked the hash, but it was overly seasoned making it salty in my opinion. I had coffee to accompany it– full big mug of coffee– that I liked. My girlfriend ate an early breakfast so she only ordered a biscuit (that looked more like a cookie crossed with a scone) and chicken Apple sausage. She had hot water and finished it all but had to continually ask for more. My other girlfriend ordered the apple cinnamon pancakes which she said was delish (another star) and a pomegranate mimosa which she said was ok, nothing special.
It appears the menu may change here so I might come back and update my review. I’m not sure if I would come back here with my husband as the serving portions are not generous and he likes to leave full after eating out.

Great restaurant to come to in Vacaville. I had the steak and it was good but the butternut squash soup was phenomenal. I also had these cinnamon fritters for dessert!
Ambience was nice. The employees were nice. We had a big group of 20 people and all of our food came out at the same time. It’s a quaint place ur at night it’s kind of hard to find.
Come here when you get a chance!

Brunch in absolutely incredible.
I got the french toast, which was perfect. Nothing else to say about that.
And then I also got the pancakes. Don’t judge me.
The lemon Pancakes were light, flavorful, and zesty.
Try the pomegranate mimosa, and the coffee is killer.
Definitley coming back for Brunch!!!

Love it!!! Love it!!! Love it!!!
This was my first time and it was during my lunch time and it was great. I ordered the tomato and pesto sandwich and it was great. The amount of pesto, tomato and cheese it was perfect not to much of everything. We also ordered the mac and cheese. It was good, this mac and cheese had apple and gave a great after taste of fresh and juice. Some of my friends, they ordered the Kobe burger and it looks good. They enjoyed the burgers and said that it was cook very good, not to dry.
Love the environment and restaurant décor. Very rustic with warehouse details, which makes the place very unique in the area.
I need to come back to try the wine and some other dishes that I’m intrigue to try. Good place to go.