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Straits - Santana Row

3.2 (3.2k reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

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Straits - Santana Row Photos

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STRAITS - SANTANA ROW ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Trendy
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Straits - Santana Row

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CRISPY CHICKEN " LOLLIPOPS " CRISPY CHICKEN " LOLLIPOPS "
Jasmin M.

It was pretty loud inside. The service was okay. The food was good. Definitely gives off nightclub vibes.

GARLIC NOODLE
Laila K.

This is a solid spot! The food is the best part in my opinion. Delicious Asian fusion cuisine with tons of options. Great drinks with a unique flavor (lychee martini). It's dark in there, but it is a lounge vibe with a DJ and can get loud at night. Service was great and we were checked on regularly with all of our questions addressed promptly. A fun spot for a night out and really good food!

Yogi R.

This place is good, especially for out of towners. I've been here many times however. I can't rate it 5 stars as I've not had perfect experiences each time. But my guests certainly loved the food. I think their rendition of butter chicken fell flat. But their apps are wonderful. The corn fritters are delectable! The roti paratha is always awesome with the curry dipping sauce. Noodles were nice and tasty and the eggplant was so so good! We didn't have room for dessert. The manager is so great. He suggested food to us and then even said if we didn't like it, it's on his tab. I call that amazing service! You can't go wrong with the vibe. Come on a Friday night and it's like a modern dance club. The cocktails are delicious so you may get carried away!

Menu
Shahram M.

We had a team dinner at Straits in Santana Row with a group of about 15 people. The space is lively and works well for larger gatherings, which made it a convenient choice for a team event. That said, the food didn't quite deliver. I ordered the spicy basil chicken curry with coconut rice -- it was decent, but nothing particularly memorable or worth going out of your way for. The calamari leaned heavily on batter, overwhelming the actual seafood, and the Brussels sprouts were overly dressed to the point where the flavors felt unbalanced. Overall, it's a solid spot for group logistics and atmosphere, but from a food standpoint, it felt average. Not bad, just not something I'd prioritize for a return visit.

Chaulzy S.

So disappointed in this experience. We should have known this was not going to be a good one by the looks of how empty it was after the marathon and the lack of energy form the people and the place. Finally greeted and asked where we would like i sit. Out on the front patio seemed like the right move. It was NOT! Tables and chairs and too close together. Tables were dirty. That should have been the first sign to leave. Nope we are here maybe this will turn. Well the host comes wiped the table and brings menus, her energy was lacking but whatever. Server comes with only 2plate settings and cups for water, there were 5 of us so he had to come back with the remaining. We ordered chicken lollipops dry with sauce on the side, spicy noods, prawns, shaken filet, egg fried rice, potstickers, tropical ice tea, a custom soda and 2 canned sodas. Asked for a pitcher of lemon water for the table and requested food come out at the same time. Well chicken lollipops with SAUCE and prawns came out first. How frustrating my son didn't want anything to do with them. Kept them cause we don't like sending food back. Ordered A plain cheeseburger so he can eat, just meat and cheese, well that comes with sauce! Ugh had to play mind games with son and tell him it was cheese melted. The potstickers were falling apart, the shaken filet had no flavor just chewy meat, the family liked the rice, noods and prawns. The lemon water never came. I'm just glad we got out of there. I was hoping for a better experience for a $250 bill but I guess I'll go with Yelp Next time! there were warnings but I wanted to give a chance.

straits frites
Lam B.

The garlic noodles were easily the highlight of the meal while nearly every other aspect of the experience ranged from mediocre to disappointing. We were fortunate enough to grab a table during the World Cup match since the lounge seating was first come first served. Oddly, we weren't provided menus and had to request them ourselves at the front. Our server took quite some time to initially check on us, though she was consistent with water refills afterward. Food timing was extremely inconsistent, with dishes arriving at completely different points throughout the match. The fries came out around halftime while the final noodle dish didn't arrive until nearly the end. *Clarified Milk Punch: tasted nothing like its listed ingredients of Thai tea, tamarind, spices, and whiskey. There was no noticeable fragrance, warmth, or spice profile, and I genuinely couldn't detect any alcohol. *Straits Smashburger: came with two promising patties and white American cheese. However, instead of the advertised pickled shiitake mushrooms, we received an entire raw mushroom cap. The fries lacked both garlic flavoring and toppings. Their purchasable Sambal fancy sauce also lacked complexity and tasted more like a thicker ketchup. *Crispy Cauliflower: unfortunately undercooked and unpleasant. The portion was meager and the light coating had not fried properly, leaving behind a grainy texture. The lime aioli was creamy and bright, though it couldn't salvage the raw crunch. *Straits Frites: a very small portion for $15, but admittedly quite tasty. The fries were crispy outside and fluffy within. Each piece had visible minced garlic and the intense garlic flavor worked wonderfully. The lime aioli paired well here too. *Pad Thai: far from authentic but still passable. The noodles had a nice chew and were evenly coated, though the toppings felt sparse compared to the generous amount of noodles. The sauce leaned overly sweet without enough savory depth or acidity. *Garlic Noodles: their signature dish for good reason. The noodles were thoroughly coated in a rich garlicky, peppery sauce and easily carried the strongest seasoning of the night. The shiitake mushrooms were juicy and slightly sweet. There wasn't much bok choy, but what was there absorbed the sauce beautifully. *Spicy Street Noodles: also labeled as Mee Goreng. These had a pleasantly pungent aroma that I personally enjoyed, though it may be overwhelming for some. The house sambal tomato sauce almost carried a fish sauce quality. The noodles were slightly overcooked but coated well. This dish leaned quite salty and desperately needed more lime for balance. This was ultimately a 1.5 star experience rounded downward because most of my party had such a poor time. Throughout dinner, wrong dishes repeatedly arrived at our table and we were interrupted three separate times by food intended for other guests. While I enjoyed the garlic noodles, I especially felt bad for my vegetarian companion who ended up disappointed by the poorly executed cauliflower. By the time the final dish arrived, half of us had already finished eating. Our server did what she could, but the overall system felt extremely disorganized and unfortunately dragged down the entire experience.

Surprise dessert from the server
Susan P.

My friend and I went there for cocktails and appetizers. We have these really cool cosmopolitans with lights inside of them and I thought it was pretty cool. It was a nice atmosphere and the service was really great. The gal serving was very friendly and very tentative to our needs.

Laksa
Peggy C.

Went to Straits for brunch on a Sunday and was pleasantly surprised to find it quiet and welcoming. It must've been before the rush hit so we were able to enjoy a quiet brunch with some hearty food. The chicken wings were incredible - albeit a little expensive for what we get - but we thoroughly enjoyed it. I ordered the bone marrow entree and it came with cubed filet mignon, lots of bread, and a salad. I thought this was quite good for the value and I had a leftovers for the next day. The Laksa Noodle Soup was also very filling and bright in the flavor.

Moonlit Lily Mocktail
Kerry R.

We had our management dinner here and were one of the first reservations of evening. The server was incredibly patient and polite, which we appreciated. After years of walking by and wondering about the food, I'd say it was just okay. My director and I both ordered the garlic noodles, but neither of us could really taste any garlic. They were heavy on the pepper, decent, but not what we were expecting. Everyone else's dishes looked so-so as well, nothing really stood out. The chicken lollipop appetizers and calamari were good, but it's hard to go wrong with fried food. The Moonlit Lily mocktail was delicious, though, and definitely a highlight. Overall, I don't think I'd go out of my way to come back. By the time our 4 pm reservation wrapped up, the restaurant was already full.

B-Lemongrass Steak
Michael F.

Went for Valentine's Day dinner and had a good time. First time in Santana Row in over a decade and have to admit, it's pretty amazing how crowded it is now in the area. Suggest going early as there are a few big parking garages, but lots of traffic on a Saturday and takes some time to get into the garages, too. As for Straights, we sat outside in the front patio since we had our dog and the staff was very nice and accommodating. We ate somewhat early at 5:45 so plenty of tables and heat lamps were helpful for outside seating in February!! Inside restaurant seemed bustling and lively, with a large fashionable looking bar/lounge area that seems like a good place for a cocktail or two after shopping or to start a nice night out! Enjoyed our meal and attentiveness of our server! The Roti Prata was very good with a nice creamy curry dipping sauce. We liked the Golden Crunchy Salad, too, with refreshing taste with nice crispy crunch from dried noodle topping. We also had the lollipop chicken, lemongrass beef and banana leaf salmon which weren't bad. It's a little pricey but that's to be expected for elevated Singaporean food in this neighborhood!

chicken curry
Ashlee L.

came here because i was looking for a place to eat n watch the world cup at the same time vibes were great, but food was unfortunately mid. i think the issue was that it was all really really salty especially the chicken curry. the garlic noodles w beef had a good flavorful but they overcooked the noodles so that they were breaking apart. shaking filet mignon also had good flavorful but was also overcooked so it tasted dry.

Poh Pia vegetarian rolls
Hemant D.

Had drinks here this weekend. Server was friendly, helpful and very efficient Excellent ambiance Food was above average, not great The samosa's were crispy and tasty, needed more salt. Poh Pia vegetarian rolls were very good. Got a glass of Caymus, limited options for wine by glass. Mezcal margarita was good.

BR Kaya Toast
Alvina L.

Pretty interesting restaurant, more of a bar-like ambiance but serves modern Singaporean cuisine. Kaya Toast is not very authentic, missing the actual "kaya" in it, more like butter toast with egg dipping sauce. Laksa is pretty good, soup base has the coconut flavor to it and is pretty rich. Noodles are slightly on the soggy side. Satay is also pretty authentic, has a strong peanut flavor in it, chicken is tender, goes well together. Attentive servers, pretty good place to dine in Santana Row.

BR Kaya Toast

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Straits - Santana Row Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Straits - Santana Row

Is business kid friendly?

Yes it is kid friendly. Since alcohol is served you may not be allowed to sit at the bar if you're with kids.

Around what time the live music start on Friday?

9pm

What days and Times are happy hour?

We serve Happy Hour from Monday to Friday ( excluding major holidays), from 3 pm to 6 pm.

Do you serve halal meat?

Im going to say probably not, like blessed by a muslim leader?

Are there same day reservations? Is this the same straits that was inside the Metreon in downtown SF?

Yes! It is. Since 1987 :)

Do you take same day reservations? If not, why?

They take same day reservations

How do you make reservations for this place?

You can make reservations on their website

Do they still have happy hour?

No they don't

Are we allowed to bring our own wine? Is there a corckage fee?

Yes, we allow a maximum of 2 bottles of wine for each party. The corkage fee is $30 per bottle.

Are their any vegan options here?

Yes, they do. We even ask them to remove some stuff from the dishes

Can I come at 12:01 AM the night of my birthday? I know CA doesn't have a law against this, but I'm assuming bars might have their own policy?

Yeah should be open

What music do they play?

They tend to play like beat music or dance music, and quite loudly in fact. This is for dinner

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Walking into haberdasher always makes me feel like I'm going back in time. It's beautifully…read moredesigned and has amazing staff. My husband and I had a baby free night out to celebrate my birthday and haberdasher did not disappoint. We went soon after opening so there was no line but I know they tend to have one later in the evening. We were greeted warmly at the door by the attendant who checked our ids. I was even wished a happy early birthday. When going into the bar, you walk down a staircase into a space that makes you forget you're in downtown San Jose with beautiful reds and burgundy decor. The staff is all smartly dressed; the bartender and bar back were both sweet and funny. I ordered a jack rose (my all time favorite), their seasonal watermelon waltz (this may be a new favorite for me, nice and refreshing) and one of their zero proof cocktails called a Mariposa which was soooo good as well. My husband ordered a couple old fashioned and a watermelon waltz for himself. We had an amazing time and look forward to coming back in the future.

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Full bar
Locally owned & operated

Overall, I am looking forward to coming here again. The space itself is very nice with two dining…read morerooms and a bar area. The place is well lit, but still elegant. We had a reservation and there was no problem with seating us as we all arrived. The hostess and staff are friendly and eager to be of assistance. We had a reservation and our party of 5 was immediately seated. Of our party 4 are vegetarians (dairy ok) and I am the omnivore. During the course of the meal I tried the beet blush and vrindavan bloom cocktails. Neither can be said to pack a kick, but can be said to be well-balanced. Of the two I rate the beet blush more interesting as you get both the sweet and earthy tones of beets in the flavor profile. I had the goat chops which arrived on a sizzler with 4 small but meaty goat shops covered in a spice marinade. This was then set afire with spirits as a flourish. Very nice! For some reason, however, the flavor was just shy of next level. It's certainly good and I would order it again. It was enough meat for me that I joined my vegetarian companions ordering only vegetarian mains to share among us. The other appetizers were yogurt-soaked vegetable kebabs served on a walnut-based (muhamarra) paste that was quite good and an avocado tikki (mild flavor focused on the avocado). The latter comes with 4 pieces, but for a small additional charge they added a piece. I appreciate this. I don't know why all restaurants don't do this. Pleases the customer and ups the bill. We then had the bhindi which is essentially a large helping of very lightly battered okra pakoras cut in narrow strips, a kofta curry based on water chestnuts and asparagus (creative) and a well-flavored vegetable biryani that developed a nice heat in the background. The bread eaters enjoyed the plain rotis and chili naan. Plain raita and boondi raita cooled our mouths. For dessert we went with the rose kulfi. This is an impressive tableside preparation in which the kulfi preparation is cooled with liquid nitrogen in a glass bowl. As the server mixes the mixture actively to keep it from freezing solid, another server offers a frozen rose that members of our party were invited to crumble the brittle petals into the kulfi. Quite a sight! This had the attention of other diners throughout (and may have encouraged diners celebrating a birthday to order for themselves). Served out, the flavor was bland, without the expected rose flavor. Perhaps this was because it was just so cold. I don't know, but I encourage them to explore adding some additional rose flavor as they serve it out. No pictures this time as I didn't want our guests to be distracted, but we'll be back again for another special celebration!

Very limited vegan options. Unfortunately the kitchen could not even make any basic vegan items for…read moreme, mostly other restaurants even very small ones offer to make basic things like Dal or some basic vegetable entree like Aloo. Looks like the staff really tried but they didn't get much support from the kitchen or chef. Would not recommend if you have dietary restrictions. Otherwise, the place looks nice.

Photos
Jashn - Bar seating

Bar seating

Jashn - Chicken Bao

Chicken Bao

Jashn - Bar seating

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Bar seating

Straits - Santana Row - asianfusion - Updated October 2026

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