Listening to the owners response to an unfavorable review is rather startling . To accuse diners of being obnoxious is equally unpleasant. There are ways to speak to customers and while I used the word " bark" it seemed the most apt given the attitude of the waiter. I was planning on a lunch that was certainly not filled with rancor and gruffness. But given this owners response to a legitimate concern I am not surprised. Your vegetarian chili was edible though mediocre at best. It was not a " bucketful" of sour cream and while it is well within your preview to charge, do I think you should have for a spoonful I don't.Your prices are high, your ambience is non existent. you are just convenient because of your location. I didn't feel this way prior to posting, but I do now. Don't patronize a rude self- serving restaurant with an owner that is specious at best. You obvious don't respect the opinion of your diners. read more

All good menus choices. Love the gigantic salads, sandwiches were nice, the soup was good, the wine by the glass list was good & they have cocktails. The best thing was the service, attentive but not bothersome... read more

Light, bright space in Orinda, accessible by BART but there is a parking garage that is free with restaurant validation (score). There is a standard menu and separate lunch menu and the food is hard to nail down. There was a little Mexican in the quesadilla, a little German in a schnitzel, etc. The size of the plates is not going to leave you hungry so I opted for the rib slider appetizer which came with a side salad. The meat was fall off the bone succulent with lots of flavor. Many of the items are not for the economy minded, I think my two sliders were $17., as an example. Kind of a nice half way place between Walnut Creek and Oakland. The best part about my visit was our delightful server. She checked in often, as I was waiting for my lunch companion, and was warm and smiling. read more

This place is so unorganized and under staffed it's a wonder how they are in business. The have a half filled restaurant on a Saturday for lunch and only one server. The waitress came and told us after half an hour of waiting that they don't have the item we ordered. read more

I don't like giving low star reviews but this place needs to get their act together. The server clearly didn't know the menu or what came with what and the items came out at different temps . Cold hard toast, the French toast was soggy and the worst part was that it was obvious they sliced the strawberries with the same knife they used to cut onions ..( I know the chef after reading this is going to remember doing that and thinking "oh crap") Sorry, I really wanted to like this place read more

Disappointed that the avocado toast was Miltons bread toasted topped with avocado and bland lifeless tomatoes during tomato season. I would have brought my own home grown tomato if I would have known. The avocado was perfect though. read more

Started off w an ice cold beer they come in a huge beer mug, tasty. Had the breaded Brie while I really enjoyed it the sauce that was on the plate wilted the salad they had going on so I think of that was opted for on the side it would help out having a sad wilted and soggy salad. I do commend the service they check on you and make sure you have enough water and clean off the dishes right away. Had the mango chicken salad and while the salad portion was decent the chicken was dry and somewhat tough. Also had the Orinda Mojito, decent. Overall nice visit we went on a weekday, Thursday and there were kids screaming and running around in the courtyard that was very annoying nothing to do w restaurant itself but just an FYI it can get busy and loud in that courtyard. read more

We have been passing this Resturant for the past couple of years on our way to 4th Bore-finally decided to try it today. So glad we did. I had the Chinese chicken salad, hubby had the burger with an extra patty. We both loved our meals. I am excited about other menu items and can't wait to try. Will probably update our review as we come back to this restaurant! read more

Shelby's - Chinese chicken salad - New American Near Me - Orinda, California

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Poor service, overpriced food , I. had a pasta dish with shrimp and sausage and found pasta but very little shrimp or sausage. Place was empty and I can see why . The worst,I will never go back. read more

I like to support local restaurants but this evening it was a miss. We made two steak frites orders, one medium and the other medium rare. Even though both were medium rare the meat was so tough and so loaded with gristle that we couldn't eat it. Such a shame. The Brussels sprout salad had a few undercooked Brussels sprouts on arrúgala that was oily without the dressing. The desserts, bread pudding was without any flavor and had a rubbery texture, the sauce was mostly alcohol with little other flavor. The apple tart tasted like apple sauce and was on a pastry that was undercooked and resulted in a mushy texture. So disappointed as other dinners we've ordered in the past have been tasty. The pasta with prawns and sausage was pretty good. The staff are quite nice and friendly. Maybe the chef was burnt out from cooking Thanksgiving dinner. The pastries tasted as if they were leftover from then. We'll try another time and see what they present. read more

Review for a weekday lunch for 2 people: 4 stars for the food 3 stars for the service Food: Excellent lamb salad with 2 lamb chops (they will ask how you would like your lamb cooked). It's a big salad so be prepared to eat! Made with romaine lettuce, cheese, cherry tomatoes and olives. Also had roasted peach salad with mozzarella balls. At 1p, the bartender wasn't there, so we can only order wine and beer. Service: Was slow but at that time, the restaurant was 1/2 full. We weren't in a hurry, so that was fine. read more

Gayle and I shared a nice dinner at Shelby's after enjoying the special 4 PM Hanukkah showing of White Christmas at the Orinda Theater. It was also a rainy day and with perhaps a little dip in temperature, we could have been singing "Let it Snow". We were greeted immediately, seated promptly, and quickly served our warm and flaky cheese bread twists. And when our table turned out to be just a little too wobbly, we were reseated without any fuss. Service was not only very friendly throughout, but also observant without being obsequious. We also enjoyed the warm colours, the interesting shape of the dining room space, and the upscale casual feel. Entree prices were very reasonable, although we would have preferred a few more wine by the glass choices for under $10. In fact, it would be easy for one person ordering 2 glasses of wine to significantly exceed their entree price. They also had a very good choice of specials and regular offerings that will definitely merit a return trip. I ordered a steak quesadilla special, with goat cheese, orange mango salsa, and a leafy salad. It was all very tasty and went very well with my pint of New Castle Brown Ale. Gayle is still raving about her lamb kabob, with whole carrots and mashed potatoes (with spinach mixed in). The lamb was tender enough to cut with a fork and the marinade gave the outside just the right slightly salty and crunchy taste. We both ate every last morsel on our plates and Gayle was still licking her lips a half an hour later. What we enjoyed the most was at the end. After we had paid and the final receipt (with tip) was returned, our waiter encouraged us to stay as long we wanted. It's really great to receive good service for the sake of good service. read more

This is the best place in Orinda. The owners have a steady menu of great choices. They recently refreshed a few items and they are all just as delicious. Highly recommend this place! A true treasure in Orinda. Seriously the best restaurant with the most diverse menu, and a rocking specials menu! read more

I couldn't even sit down to eat there. I was trying to get a table at 1pm. I flag the waiter whose been ignoring us for 5 mins to get a table but he walks right past me and says we're closing. Doesn't stop to tell me this but just walks right past me, doesn't look me in the eye, doesn't even care. By the way, you close at 3pm. Terrible first and last impression. Totally unprofessional. read more

Now twice , great dinners. The crab cakes present perfect flavors and great texture. The time I enjoyed the Bronzino whole fish, perfectly done, roasted, -- a white fish of medium flesh, a sea bas, tasting like Sea Bream, nicely presented with a tasty green sauce. Even the skin was good, well crisped but not too well crisped! My dining companion loved the lamb chops, and having had one myself and having eaten many a lambchop: yes, one of the best! She told me the French fries were perfect also. The wine selection compliments the food, and is reasonable. I didn't mean to eat the chocolate mouse, but boy was it good! PS Parking is easy in the garage under the plaza, and it's all seconds off Hwy 24. Bart SFCA ## read more

First time at Shelby's. Was pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant that wasn't blaring music to the point that you cannot hear yourself talk. Food was very good and the service even better. Super friendly staff. Prices reasonable. Will definitely be back. read more

This was my first visit to Shelby's, but certainly not my last. My Zoodles with Prawns was absolutely delicious. The spiralized Zucchini noodles were cooked to perfection, right on the cusp of crunchy and soft. I'm not sure if the shellfish were really prawns, (maybe shrimp) but whichever they were, they were also perfectly cooked and yummy. I don't know what the sauce was, but it was really tasty and full of garlic slices and sun dried tomatoes. The whole thing was topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. For dessert I had the bread pudding which was sweet and moist, full of raisins, and topped with vanilla ice cream. Yummy! Because of post-covid staff shortage, the service was a bit slow (costing them 1 star), so make sure you have time for a leisurely meal. But the food was definitely worth the wait. I'll be back. read more

My favorite restaurant here at in Orinda. Always elegantly presented dishes that are consistently delicious. Service is friendly and prompt. Quiet, intimate location versus the other end of Theatre Square. Dinner, lunch and brunch have never failed to please me. Family favorite regular menu items are the Po Boy sandwich and the Arrabiatta (SP?). Last night we just went w starters, crab cakes, rib sliders, and Brussels sprouts. All beautifully presented in just the right serving size. Finished off w The most memorably flavorful Bread pudding I've ever had and my friend had the also delicious apple tartine. Make an afternoon of it--brunch and a movie or matinee and dinner! Orindans, support our local restaurants! This one will satisfy the more particular and always has specials too! read more

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So I specifically called and asked ahead of time if the chicken salad came with green onion and sesame seeds, as that was my favorite part. I was told yes. Placed my online order, pick it up, get charged 18 bucks for lettuce, chicken, dressing and the crispy things. Everything EXCEPT what I wanted, I spoke to the manager and we had a conversation about why I was calling them, prior to me placing order, just to make sure those things were included in my salad. I get back to office and of course, those 2 things are missing. I am appalled that people seriously cannot follow simple directions. My online order also stated what I wanted, and instead of including it, (which I was charged EXTRA for), they eliminated it. I called as soon as I opened salad and spoke to manager again and his response: what do you want me to do about it? Never going back. a 6 ingredient salad should not be difficult to make. read more

We've been going to Shelby's for our "date night" for about 15 years, and it is amazing how Chef Arno manages to consistently deliver European quality meals with a creative flair. The menu has something for everyone, from burgers to salmon and back. Highly recommended! (And their take-out during Covid has maintained those standards throughout!) read more

I've lived in Orinda for a while now and this is ALWAYS my favorite place to eat (my parents too). The food is always on par and tastes delicious. They serve you these nice little twisted puffs when you are seated as opposed to bread-which I love. Service has been great, food, beer, wine selections are also awesome. There's something here for everyone. Highly recommend going here if you haven't yet!! read more

One of the best in the area for online orders. Always tasty, and they do a good job presenting the order well so that it still looks good when you get home . The psecials are especially nice. William Orinda read more

We love going here for lunch. Food is good. Service is good and they have a great wine list.

Our service was amazing! Went there with friends on New Years Eve, had a reservation, and seated immediately. I don't remember our server's name, she was pregnant, she was awesome!! She had great Recommendations for cocktails and food. My husband had the Sangria, which was filled with fresh fruit, I had Prosecco and friends had the Eye Candy cocktail. Everyone loved their drinks. For appetizers we had the Brussels sprouts, crab cakes, and prawns. The Brussels sprouts were the best! The prawns needed a little more seasoning and juice to soak up with the bread that came with. I'm not a big fan of crab cakes, but our friends thought they were phenomenal. For entrees, we had the Short Ribs, 2 orders of Truffle Ravioli with Prawns because it was recommended by our server, and one Chicken Cacciatore. I had the Truffle Ravioli, which was only served with 2 Prawns, and was not seasoned well. I barely tasted the Truffles. My friend that had the Cacciatore absolutely loved it! My husband's Short Ribs were pretty good too. For dessert we split the Crème Brûlée and Molten Chocolate Cake. Both of these were very good. The food was good, but not especially memorable. The best part of our meal was our server. She was completely engaging and funny. Great personality for sure. For the prices of the entrees, I would have liked the food to be a little better. Will try them again to see if the food improves. read more

The Food Here is the Star of the Show! A must check out place if you are months East Bay and looking for a nice brunch or tasty lunch. Seriously, a simple Sandwhich looks like a work of art. What I also love about this place is the Owner and Staff are constantly checking in with the clientele to ensure they have a great experience! Their cocktails are off the chain. Definitely a new favorite read more

Love this place we eat here often, food is great!! The variety of salads, raviolis, desserts, etc..... My kids like coming here. I highly recommend it. read more

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Came here for brunch... it was okay, nothing fantastic. Service was good but other then that I wasn't impressed. I thought that the size of the salad and salmon was disappointing but it tasted fine. I dont think it should have been served in a shallow bowl though since they left the lettuce whole. In all, I wouldn't think to come back here. read more

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I have family who arrived last week after living in abroad in London to house hunt in Orinda. So when asked if we wanted to meet up after their house tours of course we said yes. My mom suggested Shelby's based on the yelp reviews and location with covered parking as my family in question has a 3 month old and I have a toddler. We arrived early as did the other half of our family who we found enjoying drinks at the 4th Bore - which seems like an excellent place to go watch international soccer matches by the way - my husband was VERY interested and he doesn't drink. We came in and were able to be quickly seated and then our server asked for our drink order, we were able to get a high chair for my little one and crayons with a paper place mat for her to draw on and then there was a lag of 15 -20 minutes between drink order and her coming back to ask to take out actual food order. Once the food order was taken - we as a family relaxed and started talking - enjoy our drinking and the puff pastry bread sticks (dont give these to your toddler unless you are ready for a mess of crumbs). Eventually around the 30 minute mark I noticed our server had not come back to refresh our drinks nor to check in and communicate that there was a back up in the kitchen etc. Add another twenty minutes to this and I had to go do a diaper change that meant walking all the way back to the elevators with my toddler to do so - an inconvenience for myself and my family member with the three month old. After I came back add in a 5-10 minute walk where my toddler wants to check every little thing out and greet everyone she sees and just as I arrive get my kid reinserted in the high chair and the food starts to arrive. Really well skilled servers will 1. refresh your drinks at a rate that your drink never goes below half full 2. Communicate if there is a back up in the kitchen or lack of staff making the wait for your meal longer than normal 3. Offer appetizers on the house because there is a back up in the kitchen and you don't want your customers to get so hungry and upset you get a bad review and refuse to never come back. My husband's burger arrived with bacon on it - after asking for no bacon on it as we both don't eat pork. I asked for both the side salad and the fries with my burger and only got the side salad. My toddler was in melt down mode by this point because the wait was so long. I got my food I was just grateful to eat something - nursing mamas got to eat. I won't be going back again to Shelby's it made eating out way more stressful than it had to be with a toddler due to the lack of communication from the server. read more

Shelby's recently renovated and has set up a full bar near the entrance. The mixed drinks/cocktails are very good, have tried the Manhattan and the Mojito so far. And they pack a punch (!) unlike many establishments that water them down. read more

Excellent dinner and service. Scallops on the specials menu were amazing. Husband loved the ravioli. Only complaint was that the coffee machine was broken so didn't try desserts. read more

I've had two Saturday night dinners at Shelbys in the last 6 weeks, and both have been superb. The first time I had goulash and house-made spaetzle, and it was excellent. Each dish tender and flavorful and served separately so they weren't a muddy mess together. (Hard to find any chef making spaetzle from scratch these days.) The second dinner was luscious, juicy, perfectly cooked-to-order lamb chops with the best au gratin potatoes I have ever eaten! I had the poached pear and ice cream for desert. (Not many restaurants make labor-intensive poached pears either). Service was superb - attentive and polite and helpful. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Dining is available indoors and outside. Parking in the Theatre Square is free on Saturday night. read more

I tend to leave big milestone reviews for times when I am with my folks, husband and daughter. 1000 reviews. Dang, I get around! Last Sunday, we decided it had been too long since we had all spent time together and planned on meeting here for dinner. Both my Dad and Toni had been before, but it was a first time for us. This is a beer/wine only place and Toni had a glass of wine. The rest of us had water. They have delicious bread knots-shaped more like a bone with a decent knuckle on each end. They are made of some sort of dough (maybe phyllo) that has both a hint of cheese and hint of spice. They were sinful and I am glad we didn't ask for more or else I wouldn't have been able to eat my dinner. We all ordered different things with both Caesar and house salads to start. The dressing on the house salad was really yummy and tasted like some sort of Asian flavoring. For our mains, we all ordered something different and shared bites. I had the tarragon rotisserie chicken, Toni had the halibut, Dad had the paella, daughter the steak frittes (minus the frittes add extra veg) and Kevin had the lasagna. Everything was tasty and we were all relatively pleased. We did not indulge in dessert and service was great with our water being refilled without asking and so on. We will be back. read more

My future goal for 2015 is to eat everything in Orinda. Sounds weird but I've been pretty impressed so far and I'm not stopping until all is consumed. This particular lunch venture was a goal to try Shelby's. I've wanted to try it on the weekends with my husband, but we love a good cocktail and they do not have a full bar. Which means I have to relegate to a lunch option during the week. I was a party of one and was served promptly and efficiently. They have an abundance of fresh flowers and the place smells wonderful. My entree was the Chicken and Mango Salad with Avocado. Holy Salad Batman! The chunks of Mango and Avocado were giant. You definitely feel you get your moneys worth. Everything was served to me at the peak of freshness. Salads can be "meh, its a salad". This salad was better than most. The chicken was an after thought compared to the enormous amount of Mango and Avocado. If I was vegetarian Id take the chicken out and be incredibly happy with just those other two ingredients. I thought the art for sale on the walls was a bit how you say "1990's" feeling. But that was just an observation I had. Regardless of the decor I really enjoyed myself. This is a perfect work day location to take a client. Great service, open air and well lit and the fresh food are perfect. read more

Ate lunch there with my mother yesterday. We asked the waitress for recommendations for specials, she said the first two items: 1) breaded pork and 2) chicken with mixed greens, figs and goat cheese were popular. The salad was disappointing with limp greens that should have been tossed and chicken that tasted "days old". The pork was bland and not tender. read more

Good lunch spot with indoor and outdoor seating. I had the falafel and hummus wrap lunch special for $9.95 and it came with a nice little salad with a soy vinegarette dressing that tasted Asian. My friend had the Greek Salad...which came very heavy on the feta cheese. Most of the salads seemed to be in the $12-15 range. It was a beautiful day...so it was nice to eat outside under the umbrellas and the menu offers a wide variety. I did notice they have a kids menu too. Service was fine...although I was a little weirded out when the waiter started to unwrap my straw from the paper for me, and he didn't exactly make any friends when he made some comment to the effect that he assumed we didn't want dessert. We were coming from BART and it was very easy to park in the underground parking garage and just walk upstairs for lunch. Three hours free parking with validation from the restaurant. read more

If I could give a zero, this place would warrant it! The prices for what you actually get is borderline criminal! I, like an idiot, decided to give this place a try --even though every time we have walked by it was deserted (never a good sign). Just one of those rules like, never eat at a Chinese restaurant that is full of white people... (the food is gonna suck) We got our 5 year old a 'traditional' breakfast that came without toast. i wonder if the puff pastry twists that came were in lieu of any toast... Ya can't dunk with puff pastry like you can with a piece of toast. My son was miffed. My hubs and I ordered ehhs benedict (not a typo) that was just gross and honestly, stomach churning. Afterward we were thinking about getting some real food, but the mess we were served at Shelbys put us off anything except a nice coffee from Starbucks. PASS ON THIS CLIP JOINT-- give Table 24 a try. read more

Came here awhile back and I haven't been back since. Got me a chicken caesar salad since I wasn't too hungry but it was beyond disappointing. The salad was so bland I thought they forgot the dressing. And on top of that, the chicken itself was so dry I had to drink all my water to stomach it. Blech, I mean I know Orinda restaurants don't tend to be mind-blowing but this was amazingly bad. read more

We had a very poor experience!!! We arrived around 2:30pm...I guess right before they closed for a break and reopened at 5:00pm. The waitress there never followed up to see how our meal was, she was very unhappy and never smiled, we ordered an appetizer and everything came all at once. The quality of the food was subpar but at least my lemonade was refilled! We will never visit there again!! read more

Shelby's is the best restaurant in the Lamorinda area. The changing menu, fresh and seasonal ingredients, and the California/Mexican/German inspired items are always interesting and often outstanding. How fortunate we are that we have such a good restaurant in our area. read more

This was our third time dining here, and unfortunately we have to rate the place as "1 Star" at most; I am feeling generous right now. The first time was very good and service equally matched, but by the second time, it faltered and this third time was a big loser. First, the waitress forgot to give us the customary "bread," while others got theirs; there was no excuse for that since the restaurant was NOT busy. When we alerted another waiter, after taking care of other customers, he said "the waiter (a young Asian waitress) did not give you any?" I think the appropriate response should have been, "I am sorry and I will have it for you immediately." Instead, he questioned whether we already had ours! As for the food quality, both dishes were NOT very good. The steak that we ordered "medium cooked," arrived FULLY cooked, dry, and chewy. The egg plant in the Grilled Egg Plant Salad with cheese and tomato slices did not have any grilled taste. It seemed raw or cooked in a skillet for two seconds at most. Of course the waitress would have learned of our disappointment had she come by to ask how our meal was, but she never did! So coupled with the poor food quality and poor service, I will not patronize this place again. It is a shame because the location and proxminity to the neighborhood theatre are excellent, not to mention free indoor parking at nights. Oh well, there are other restaurants close by needing our attention and $$ with free parking too. read more