Troutdale Bistro

Troutdale Bistro is trying. This is going to be a tough review, let's see how it turns out...

Located on State Street in Bristol, TN. State Street IS the main street in town and it is lined with other eateries, antique and music stores. Why all this? Well, Bristol is exactly on the boarder of Tennessee and Virginia and its claim to fame is that it is the "birthplace of country music". Sometime around the turn of the century, someone set up a temporary recording studio and recorded a bunch of local talent - including the Carter family!

So, its a very small town atmosphere. When you walk into the Troutdale Bistro, it reads sort of like a diner, except there is a small bar in the back for drink mixing and behind that is the rather large kitchen with what looks like an adequate staff. There's added lighting which is a little harsh.

Service - nice and attentive. Prompt, but no rush.

Food - very good really. Tomato soup was ok and the salad was fine. Rib eye was done perfectly. The chicken dish may have been a little lemony, but not troublesome. Dinner for two, including wine was less than $75. Not a cheap but not expensive either. They publicize local fresh produce - and I believe it.

If this were somewhere else, say right next to a PF Changs, it might not make it, but what the heck, its good food, good service, nice atmosphere and its NOT a chain - I gotta protect the little guy and hope they can get the kinks out and become a really outstanding local cuisine stop. So in the meantime, let's go with a 3.5 and round up to 4 stars!

We've been meaning to try Troutdale for quite some time and finally visited for lunch two days before Christmas... It's nice to walk into a place that emphasizes local foods and recognize the people in the photos from local markets and farms. The atmosphere is nice and relaxed without being too casual.

The goat cheese ravioli with butternut squash and chicken was wonderful on a chilly day. The sauce was rich but not overpowering. The calamari was surprisingly good, and the peppers lent it a nice spiciness. Obviously, not *everything* is local; squid are not indigenous to the Appalachians.

What pushed Troutdale above four stars was the service. Our server knew the dishes and provided excellent recommendations. She read us well and pointed us to dishes that "we wouldn't make at home." She also knew the wines and suggested an excellent (hence obviously not local, sorry) red.

Above and beyond, though, were two seemingly little points. One is bringing out a taste of the lamb sausage when we were trying to decide. The other is the offer to split our dishes in the kitchen when we told her we would be sharing. I've never before heard that offer. Perhaps it was the holiday spirit, but these little things kept the lone kitchen staffer (lunch, two days before Christmas) quite busy... And these points are well-appreciated.

In a town dominated by chain restaurants, the options for a nicer meal have been somewhat limited in Bristol. I've been to the Troutdale Dining Room which I look back upon favorably but the list pretty much stops there.

Prior to my return visit to Bristol, some old friends recommended the Troutdale Bistro and tonight we tried it. I thought the dinner was quite quite good. I don't think any in my party were necessarily oohing or awing over their dishes but I think we all were very pleased.

The wine list was nicely varied with a good selection of mid-level wines of good quality (for someone who lives in the wine country). There were a handful of beers on tap, too.

The salads were very tasty and the portions reasonable. Our entrees were nicely prepared and well-seasoned. My wife had a filet mignon which came prepared as she requested and she seemed to enjoy. I had the Mahi Mahi which I thought was a tad dry but still tasty. Desert was homemade ice cream which was very nice.

My one disappointment was they did not have an expresso/cappuccino machine for that after-dinner expresso. Instead they offer coffee from a Dutch system and Tazo teas.

The atmosphere is perfect for a bistro and I'm so glad to see a restaurant like this on State Street which is the main street down town. It was worth noting that there were a couple of tables outside on the sidewalk which I personally love. The staff were pleasant and flexible and our waiter was a little quirky but nicely attentive without being intrusive.

This is definitely a place I would patronize on my next visit and I think my guests will too. Quality, locally-owed places like this deserve our support.

I grew up in TN. This was the best meal I've had in the state. I had the Cuban pork tenderloin, calamari, salad, and ice cream. Every item served was outstanding. Nothing was ordinary. They source their food locally and you can taste the freshness. I wish I had one of these in San Diego.

The meal was expensive, but worth it.

We recently had dinner at the Troutdale Bistro when visiting my In-Laws in Bristol, TN. We dine out frequently all over the country and overall we this was one of the better meals that we have had in some time.

Troutdale bistro has several excellent local beers on tap and a reasonably priced wine list.

We started with the red onion, marmalade and bacon flatbread and the iceberg wedge salad. For entrees we had the braised lamb and a special which was a 7oz filet topped with crabcake served with local roasted squash and golden potatoes with a butternet squash puree. The filet was one of the best steak dishes that I have had in some time.

The food was excellent and exceeded our expectations and it would be 4.5 stars if there were some minor changes to the decor. I understand that they are going for an upscale casual vibe, but I have limits when paying $30 per an entree. I was a bit dissapointed that you can see the soda dispenser, wine bottles, wine glasses, computer for entering orders etc from the dining area. The addition of a curtain or partition to block this area from the diners view would help to improve the decor without sacrificing the casual atmosphere.

I would highly recommend the Troutdale Bistro and I will definitely go back again.

Ate there years ago under a different chef in different times.

I am not a fan of the chains, so I support anyone who is brave enough to go toe-to-toe with Bennigans etc... The menu looks very interesting and reasonable.

Tried this place out with my mom since I'm so against chain restaurants. Hadn't been open long. The food was just okay. I had a flatbread pizza. It was okay. I forget what my mom had but it included the most tasteless pasta salad I've ever had.

Goatcheese ravioli was amazing. Buttercups squash stuffed raviolli added chicken. Started with homemade bread with salted spiced crust. And dipping oil!

This is one of my standard places in Downtown Bristol for a business lunch. The soups, sandwiches, and salads are quite good. I think the wait-staff is top-notch. This fall they started serving dinner, but I haven't made it down there in the evening. I recommend any of there paninis.

Ate there last night with my wife. She had the veal, I had the Shrimp Diane. The risotto in each was undercooked (we love risotto). The spices in each were overpowering (we love spice). The shrimp was tough and my wife's last bite of veal, in her words, "tasted rotten." Also, it seemed as if the server didn't want us to be there. At least my Fat Tire wasn't flat.