Bing Crosby’s Restaurant & Piano Bar

Even the Dudum Family is susceptible to sometimes rocky currents of this economy. I’ll miss this fun and classy place of which «der Bingle» would have been proud.
Back in that crazy time between the break-​up of my first marriage and meeting Gayle, I had at least one online dating related meet up here in the Bar area. And at my age, a room full of Cougars was actually a good thing!

My friend Erin S and I were in Walnut Creek on Christmas Eve looking for lunch and happened upon Bings. I was somewhat nervous about coming here as I had just left Kaiser and wasn’t necessarily dressed for a red carpet experience but the staff were very friendly and just waved away my concerns.
The place is very nice inside with oversized booths which add to the air of sophistication, pictures of stars on the walls (not that I would know any of them) and great service.
I ordered the Tuna Trio and Cauliflower soup. As Maureen mentioned, this trio is very tasty. One of the presentations had tuna on top of watermelon which was an unusual twist but it worked nicely. Erin had an enormous turkey club which came with delicious chips.
I am not sure I would have fit in during the dinner hours but don’t let the exterior or interior scare you away from lunch as the food is pretty darn good and it is a peaceful respite from the hordes of shoppers AND decently priced.

*Disclaimer: This is a review based solely on their cocktails. I have never eaten here.*
First time I came here, we had «business cocktails.» Ordered my signature Filthy Vodka Martini. KaPow!
Second time I came here, there was a Unilocal Special 50% off signature cocktails. I already knew that I was in for a darn good cocktail. I ordered a Lemon Drop. Potent!
Third time I came here, we had a girls night out. Filthy Vodka Martini take two :) KaBam!
Conclusion. The bartender is not only cute, but he can make a mean old school cocktail mixed to its full classy potency.
Plus, the adorable waitresses are efficient, polite and accommodating in the bar area, no matter if you are a party of 4 or a party of 12.

Food was pretty good, my filet was a little charred… but good inside. Service was good, chocolate volcanoish cake was awesome. It was a slow night, good atmosphere.

AWESOME HAPPY HOUR!
From 4−7pm Tues-​Sat and all day Sunday and Monday!!!
Lots of open seating and delicious cocktails and appetizers for $ 6!
My newest fave for Happy Hour!

Last night was our second time dining at Der Bingle’s namesake restaurant and it was night and day.
The first time my hubby and I were part of a seven member party. It was a dark and stormy night :) and this was a delightful haven from the rain. The food was exceptional, as was the service. Everyone shared the appetizers (crab cakes, calamari, salads) and raved about their individual entrees. The guys had huge steaks that were tender and cooked precisely to order, along with their sides of baked potato, mac n cheese, and fries. I had the wedge and crab cakes as my entrée. My sis and I shared the fruit and cheese platter for dessert. The service was spot on attentive without being over bearing.
Now the sad ending to the story: Last night my husband and I went back to celebrate our anniversary. Since all items are a la carte, this place really, really has to be for a special occasion.
Service was not not helpful. I like my brew and when I asked Caryn our wait person about what was on tap, she fibbed and said there was only one beer on tap. (Later in the evening, it turned out she was even wrong about the brew it was.) We would have preferred that she take the time to walk over to the bar (50 steps) and ask.
Next, she was lecturing about what we should order and not from the menu. When I disregarded her recommendations (commands?), she turned and almost walked away before we could place our order. (She really wanted me to order the potatoes au gratin, but I don’t care for cheesy dishes.)
When my husband’s NY steak arrived ($ 35 for the beef), it was cold, tough, and poorly seasoned. He did not want any of the sauces offered to him, and the wait person had pouted about that. I wonder if this was revenge for him not caring to add any of the three sauces offered? Or maybe the sauces are added because the quality of the beef is so poor?
However since it was our anniversary dinner, he did not want to make a scene and return the beef for something less like shoe leather.
At the end of the quite complete meal (portions are large), we were quite happy to sip the end of our drinks and be done.
But Ms. Scoldy Caryn the Waitperson could not let us escape the required reading of the dessert menu. (We hoped there wouldn’t be a pop quiz.) In spite of our protestations the menus were plunked down on the table.
And finally, the banners outside proclaim the anniversary of the restaurant as having a special on bar tabs. Well it didn’t show up on our bill. Maybe this only applies to bar drinks, and not the restaurant. But reading fine print on banners, putting up with lecturing waitstaff, and enduring overpriced leathery beef will not cause us to return.

Happy Hour ‘Tuesday’
Dark, fine woods, piano bar with lots of pictures of the idol being Bing.
The bar area appeared larger than resturant area.
Happy hours lasts all evening starting around 4…
so abit of a misnomer that one should rush to this destination.
On the table was a 7 dollar food menu with a good selection of salads and sliders.
Had the half dozen oysters with a ruben and home made chips.
The flank steak salad also looked very good.
Beers and house wines and cocktails like ‘on the road’ were featured.
Very tasty bar food…
plus it is served all evening at the bar.
A piano player showed up around 7 as we were leaving.
His playing was warm up tempo tune and rather loud.
happy hour 4p til close… not busy like the other resturants so hopfully a late nite crowd place.

I love Bings. I really do! But this is more of a rating of one person that made the whole experience kinda rate lower.
I went on a date here. I had a new dress on and stuff and we were both dressed reallll nice. We ordered a soup and salad, and our server took away our menus and was like, ok, i’ll go get your soup and junk! (not really). So she came back with our soup and salad, we finished them. Then she came back with the check! And I was like, Ummm, we wanted to order more stuff… And she was like, OH! I DIDN’T KNOW!
Umm, duh! I was like, (in my mind) I dressed up for this date! I want a steak!!! So we ordered and we finished our meal. She came back to see if we wanted dessert. And basically asked if my bf was proposing. He was like, ummm no… (A lot of «umm“s and «uhhh“s that night)
Then we took a picture and she asked if we had just gotten engaged or if we were going to prom. WHAT THE! Those are like two polar opposite scenarios, and I wasn’t even in a prom dress and I didn’t even have a ring on.
But the food was good and the music was classy, all and all a fun date. It makes for a good story, but was the server was realllyyy weird. But I still love Bings!

Classy place to happy hour! Very affordable drinks and eats between the hours of 3pm and 7pm.
Would I come back for the regular dinner menu? Nah! I’m just not that well off! So thank you Bing for letting small fish like me be able to dine here.
10 friends and I had a great time in the lounge, enjoying strong $ 5 cocktails and $ 7 appetizers. We left very happy!

From the moment you walk in, you’ll feel like you’ve been taken back to another era. It felt like a private movie star club. Ever so classy. And although big, it felt cozy.
I was whisked to a table where water was being poured for me, and my server was at the table waiting for me. I was greeted and handed a black napkin. My drink order was taken, and delivered soon after that
The secret specials… I mean, daily specials, were read to me, and my order was delivered to the kitchen. The service is so amazing, and so different from today. Oh to have lived in those days.
Warm bread and butter were placed on the table.
My salad and half sandwich ($ 12.00) were so good I wish I had ordered a whole sandwich. A light shaving of Parmesan cheese on the greens added a perfect touch.
The crab salad (just slightly warm) was on a Sliced toasted baguette that had a light spreading of Lemon Aioli. Two thinly sliced tomatoes sat on top of the crab. On the side picked red onions lay on a leaf of lettuce. So if you wish to add them to your sandwich, it’s your choice.
Holy moley I was in heaven.
My Lemon Drop was one of the best I ever had.
The room I was in had photo’s of Bing and his starlets,. All done in black and white. Awesome.
I left the restaurant with a box of matches with Bings picture on it.
MATCHES. Who does that now?
Never liked you much Bing, but today you did right by me. Sorry about the Jeans, you must have been turning in your grave
I’ll be back soon for that signature Filet Mignon, it looked unbelievable.
Thanks for the Memories
I enjoyed this restaurant so much, that yes I have already been back for the
«Bing Crosby signature dish».
So rather than writing an update, I’ll just tell you that the
Grilled Filet Mignon with black truffle demi-​glacé and braised haricot vert, with crispy potato cannelloni, IS, what I want for my last meal on earth.
So I’m changing that part on my profile.
Fellow Unilocalers don’t let the fact that this is a corporate owned restaurant stop you from enjoying such luxury.
Check out the photo’s that Unilocalers have posted. You’ll see that awesome steak.

Haha, the first time I saw this restaurant I asked my boyfriend if it was Chinese food. His response «What?! Bing Crosby’s?» OOOooohhh… the cursive writing made me think it was MING CROSBY’S! Hahaha, and therefore I assumed Chinese!!! Stupid… but funny :)
We went here during that Unilocal drink week to cash in on our half off drinks. They have some modified version of a lemon drop that is outta this world tasty, and strong! I had two during dinner and definitely had a buzz going on, haha.
The restaurant itself is kinda stuffy, ambiance and patron wise. The food was good, a tad bit pricey, but still good. I think I had fish encrusted with nuts and sitting on top of pickled veggies and pureed something or other. I came there not too hungry, but ended up clearing my entire plate… so it must have been good! My boyfriend had the set 4 course menu for $ 39. You get to choose one appetizer, one dessert, one side to compliment your endless prime rib! Not too shabby!
I think we paid about $ 100 for dinner that evening, and that’s with our half off drinks Unilocal coupon. We noticed there was a great bar menu if we ever wanted to stop in for drinks (I still want to actually go when there’s a piano player there!), and the food on that menu is decently priced and they have a wide variety of items.
I would give «ming’s» (heehee) a 3.5 rating overall, and would come back for that lemon drop anytime!

So I decided to give this spot another try again so a friend and I went for an early dinner on Wednesday. First off, they remodeled the front dining area. I love it! Now the booths are all in the front of the room instead of all the way in the back section. The back area was masked off but I was able to take a peak in the back to see what it looked like. All the tables have been moved to the back and there are no booths back there at all. Very nice!
For dinner, I decided to deviate from my usual filet mignon and get their special which was a plate of three jumbo fried raviolis filled with shredded short ribs and pureed sugarsnap peas. There is a nice oriental sauce on top and crispy noodle garnish. It was amazing! Definitely worth a try ;)
Overall, much happier with the service this time than I was before. Our waiter was attentive and very diligent.

Ahhh Bing Crosby’s…
Pull up your car & be greeted by a nice valet, then whisk yourself into the closest thing the East Bay has to a supper club (think Bix).
The atmosphere is very soothing, a nice sized bar with plenty of bistro & bar seating. Beautiful cocktails made to order, and even a fantastic piano player (although too loud to keep your conversation rolling).
The food is very good, and comparable to the popular Flemmings & Ruth’s Chris (both within several blocks). I have eaten here many times, and have had pretty consistent food. Only once was it awful, and I will not factor that into my review, as I’ve had at least 10 fantastic meals that cancel that one experience.
My recommendations:
— Ahi done 3 ways — I know tuna tar tar is done everywhere, but the trio is really tasty
— Shrimp cocktail (comes on a SPECTACULAR display of dry ice)
— Signature filet with a side of bernaise. The little rolled up potato chips stuffed with mashed potatoes? Heavenly. I could easily trade my steak for 3 more of those little potato angels.
Recently (maybe this last year?), Bing’s has added a prix fix menu to the offering. This is FANTASTIC value! Seriously folks, it’s the same signature filet that’s on the menu, and you get a complete meal instead of just the entrée. It’s a crazy great little $$ saver, which makes the high price tag more bearable.
We were recently seated at one of their giant signature booths… at first I thought this was the coolest seating ever. I shortly after realized the table was too big to allow good conversation. I’ve since requested not to be seated there. Looks fabulous… lacks the social side of dining. Plus the waiter is reaching all over the place trying to get you served.

I’m a simple gal, in a simple world. I simply enjoy great food and above average, amazing cocktails.
I think that I have found the top of the pyramid of those two things put together, here at Bing’s.
It didn’t know what to expect when we came here for lunch. I wasn’t really sure of the menu and I had no idea of their cocktails.
The only thing I knew was that its the favorite restaurant of the President of the company I work for. What that says I don’t know? I do know he likes a good adult beverage and what red blooded American doesn’t.
We came for lunch a little after one and were sat at a center table in the dinning room that is nearest the windows that face the front. It was very busy and I had almost wished we chose to sit in the bar rather than there.
We ordered a first round of Pomegranate Sidecars. I was worried that a twist on one of my favorite cocktails would be bad but actually it was good in its own way.
We didn’t order appetizers due to my recent attempts at weight loss. (6lbs so far!) My husband got the burger, I got the Pan Seared Sea Bass.
He said his burger was to salty. If he was grading he would have went with 4 stars but I’m reviewing and my Sea Bass was fan-​freaking-​tastic!
It was a giant piece of Sea Bass on a bed of Yukon Potato Confit, melted Leeks, Golden Chanterelles, wilted Arugula and pickled Beets with Lemon. Then sprinkled with Pomegranate Seeds.
It was a savory, crispy, succulent combination of flavors that could only keep me from moaning at every bite. Which I did at every other bite actually. I offered my husband a bite and he said no because it looked like I was enjoying myself to much.
My food was perfect!
Then the next drink we had was the «I Love You.» Thank you I love you too! Oh, I mean, this drink is one worth falling in love with. It was vodka, Baileys, Kahlua and maybe something else. Served in a martini glass and chilled to perfection. All in all delicious. My husband had 2 of these in fact.
The 3^rd round was a version of the Lemon Drop with Champagne. It was a great combination. As my husband said it was «Pretty Damn Good.»
4^th round was June In January. I sometimes order the best drink last and in this case that is exactly what I did. I don’t remember what was in the drink but it came with, wait for it, wait for it. DRY ICE!!!
It was a bubbling brew from heaven. I even took video of it:

Women at another table were so curious that they couldn’t help but ask what the drink was. Not only did it look amazing but it tasted even more than amazing.
We loved our visit. Everything was exceptional and I am so excited that we finally visited Bing’s.
As we were leaving the Bar Tender asked if we enjoyed our drinks and we said of course we did and they were some of the best we have ever had. She replied, «I made them with a lot of love.» That was so sweet.
Also for all of you out there who love the paint colors on the exterior of the building, I know what they are so feel free to drop me a note if you want them.
Love, love, love this place.

We came here for my mother in-​laws retirement dinner celebration with the family. I called about a week ahead of time to make reservations and ended up getting a private room (the wine room) on a Sunday night. This was our first time coming to Bing’s, although we frequently head out to Walnut Creek for dining and shopping, Bing’s didn’t seem to appeal to us at any of those times… mainly because a few people have told me the food was not that great and the costs were steep… but we took a leap of faith and decided to try it out.
We started with drinks and appz… since it was about 10 of us, we decided to get a mix of appz, from the shrimp cocktail, calamari (yummo!), crab cakes (a little too rich for me, but everyone else loved it)…all in all the appz were good.
For our entrée, they had a ‘summer’ special menu which featured your choice of a soup or salad, 3 entrée selections and a dessert (chocolate lava cake or a lemon/​lime cake of some sort, can’t recall what it was exactly, but something yummy and tart like that).
Most everyone opted for the special menu which was a steal, considering you got all that food plus dessert for only $ 39 or so. I however, wanted to try the Bing Crosby’s signature dish, which is a petite filet… oh how I should have gotten something from the special menu! Don’t get me wrong, the filet was perfectly alright, but my hubby got the prime rib, which was sooooo good! Melted in your mouth! Most of the guys ordered the prime rib, which was the rave and a few of the ladies ordered the salmon stuffed with crab, which also looked really tasty! My signature Bing dish was just OK…
The ambiance at Bings is lovely, romantic… and would totally recommend this place for a first date, date night or special occasion… or just for some good food. I personally still love Flemmings a bit more for their quality of food and service, but Bing’s is not off my list… it’s a great place for some good food with a nice ambiance for a night out. Everyone seems to get some what dressed up here, but you can still sport jeans, not a big deal… there is no ‘dress code’. I can see where you would feel uncomfortable in flip flops and shorts, but in jeans and a t-​shirt, not a big deal. It’s not like you’re dining at a 5-​star restaurant… so I wouldn’t get too hung up on what you’re wearing at Bing’s.
The service was ok… not spectacular, but then again, I guess with larger parties, it’s difficult to juggle along with the other tables our waiter had to handle… however, to me exceptional service can sometimes make up for the not so exceptional food, and in this case, that didn’t seem to apply here.
My one big gripe is that there was no valet service, we were in Walnut Creek just the day before our dinner and there was valet service stationed right in front of Bing’s however when we arrived, no valet and not much parking, so that annoyed me. High heels, bag of gifts and a cake to top it off and walking across the Macy’s parking lot through Chase’s parking lot to Bings because of no valet. C’mon…let’s get it together. =P

I was lucky enough to join coworkers and friends for a service anniversary luncheon yesterday.
I love the look of the place in shades of brown and mint green, all the pictures of Bing Crosby all over the walls adds to the ambiance of the place.
Our server was very accomodating and gracious… she knew we were here for a luncheon honoring our coworker and made sure our experience was delightful!
We also brought a cake (courtesy of my sister) to enjoy for dessert that the restaurant happily kept cool in their refrigerator.
We all started off with a cocktail, I can’t remember the name of my drink. it was something with Mule in the name.haha.but it was a mix of kiwi and lime and gin I believe, it was a little tart. but refreshing none the less.
Appetizers we ordered: calamari (tasty), shrimp cocktail (these shrimp were HUGE!) crabcakes (yummy)
I ordered the veal scallopini and it was delicious with creamy polenta and a large parmesan crisp, with baby carrots and greans. the sauce with capers was to die for — scrumptious!
Everyone else had shrimp scampi, sea bass, ny steak, and the herb roasted chicken, they were all hits with everyone.
For dessert, they had their pastry chef slice up the cake we had brought (peaches and cream!)
We all laughed and chatted and honored our guest of honor, service was wonderful as was the food.
I’d definitely come back here for a special occasion!

My honey and I had a little time to kill before heading to dinner on Valentine’s Day and decided to stop by Bing’s for a drink and snack.
I appreciate that they have such a large, open, yet still cozy bar area. We sat at one of the tables in the back. We started with martinis and ordered the baked goat cheese and crab cakes to accompany our drinks. The baked goat cheese had pesto and roasted red pepper on top. It was served with olive bread and the whole dish would have been perfect except that parts of the bread was burnt. The crab cakes were crispy on the outside, nice and tender on the inside, and served with a delicious sauce that had ginger in it. Mmm, ginger.
The ambiance is lovely and makes me feel fancy. I especially like being there when they have a pianist and I can pretend that I’m enjoying a drink in a swanky 1930s lounge. I could definitely see myself coming back here for drinks and appetizers with friends and/​or my honey.

Great tasting food and very observant staff.
My wife and I came here for dinner at 530. So we beat the crowd. Which means our waiter was very attentive. And knew if we needed more bread, wine, or water.
We ordered prime rib and mahi mahi. Our appetizers was foi gras. Delicous.
I think this is as good as it gets. We are in our late 20’s and the crowd there was a little on the older side.

Yes, there are a lot of 40-​somethings who hang out here at BCs… and so it seemed an appropriate place to celebrate my induction into «Club 40,» and as it happens, the 10^th anniversary of the night my guy proposed to me.
I get why people like the bar here. Strong drinks, live music, good appetizers (We shared the baked brie and I had the broccoli cream soup… both were delish.) and on this night, salsa dance lessons. Hot! Five stars for that.
When my entrée arrived is when they lost a star from me. Somewhat salty and plain salmon on a bed of overcooked «corn» risotto with very little corn flavor. I’m pretty sure it also must have had some MSG thrown in for good measure based on how I felt after eating it. Meh. Hubby ended up finishing a good portion of mine… and I’m usually right there with him in the clean plate club. As we finished our entrees, an employee flung open the curtains, to reveal… a view of Macys. Bleh. They should have left them closed, the dark candlelit room was much more romantic.
I was going to order a dessert, but they brought me a very yummy, super rich, little flourless chocolate bday cake with a candle on the plate and just about then the band struck up a latin flavored rendition of «happy birthday.» Sweet.
Though my entrée was less than impressive, all the other food was really good, as was the service… so overall BCs ends up with 4 stars from me. And if you must know… I went home with the guy I came in with. He’s married. And hot. And I think I’m in love. Rawwwr.

*3.5 stars*
Had lunch here with my friend April. I was amazed at the ambiance when we walked in as it truly reminded me of the old school type of steak house/​restaurant from my childhood like Durant’s and The Brown Derby. The colors alone are inviting and I felt terribly under-​dressed even for lunch.
On to the rest. The restaurant wasn’t busy at all for Friday at 1pm. You would think with this, the service would have had would have been spectacular. We were given menu’s. My friend wanted an adult beverage so the cocktail menu came a few minutes later. She perused, I perused. The waitress came to the table to take our drink order and April ordered something called January in June. I ordered a Diet Coke. The waitress then made a snarky comment that she waited 10 minutes for us to order a beverage and ALL I was ordering was a Diet Coke? WTF is that? There was no-​one around (the place was almost empty). She was immediately on my shit list after that.
The drinks arrived and we ordered. The drink April had was not only delicious, it was a conversation piece. It had some dry ice in it so the whole thing was smoky and bubbly. AWESOME.
I had the turkey club on rosemary bread (sans cheese or mayo) which came with delicious thinly sliced waffle homemade potato chips. YUM. The turkey was hand carved and fresh. Probably one of the best sandwiches I have had in a very long time. April had the roast beef sandwich with the same said chips which she declared delicious as well.
So, the food was fantastic. The sandwiches are very reasonably priced-​the rest a little spendy for lunch, but when I want to walk into an old-​school place again, I will have credit card in hand and attempt an adult beverage of my own along with a hot entrée.
So, Food itself 4 solid stars. The waitress pissed me off-​and was not attentive after the orders were placed (i.e. we had to flag her down twice for refills of water or soda an mustard). She depended and was bitchy towards the bussers too. For an «upscale» place, there is a reason she was on the lunch shift…