Do not let the outside environment deceive your perception of this exquisite downtown Modesto restaurant. This was my first visit and I must say I was impressed at all facets of service. From the initial greeting, to the bus boy and waitress and the ambience with live music I was thoroughly pleased. I am one of those diners that base my 'tip' off the totality of the service- and to both of our luck it was 5 stars all the way around. I haven't had decent Filipino food since my Lola (grandma) passed away and this was a great connection to the great food we used to eat. Great restaurant with great service, thank you! read more

Surla's - Lumpia Appetizer - Asian Fusion Near Me - Modesto, California

I came here a couple evenings ago for Happy Hour. Their wine list is really great, and they offer an interesting selection of specialty cocktails. The Happy Hour specials include $2 beers, $5 wine, $5(?) cocktails, and $4 appetizers. The Lumpia appetizer was awesome, especially for $4. I also got the chef's sushi of the day for $11 off the regular menu, which was delicious as well. All of the appetizers on their regular menu looked interesting, however the entrees seemed a little less inspired. I would definitely recommend this place for a tapas-style small plate meal. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked great, so I will have to come back for dinner on another occasion. read more

Lobster ravioli was awesome so was the Lumpia. Hubby had the lechon and it was ok. Kids had pizza which was ok. Tiramisu was good as well. Overall, 4 stars for service, ambiance, and food quality. read more

The atmosphere was about a 4. The staff were a 5! Very accommodating, friendly, and attentive. The food was 2.5-3. What really brought it down was an Ahi Tuna sushi special. It was awful. Like grocery store awful. What brought the food score up was the clam chowder. It was excellent. The lumpia dish has a great cabbage mix added that I could have eaten by itself, but I wasn't a fan of the entire dish. I will absolutely return to Surla's. Next time I will just stay away from the Sushi. Eek... read more

First off I don't write reviews often, but this was so bad I had to. The atmosphere was great and the service was good........................ but the food was awful. For the price it was downright outrageous for how bad the food was. We had a party of 8 and none of us left satisfied. I had the lumpia for starters. The sauce was good and it was fried ok but the chicken was rubbery and had an almost italian seasoning taste and the pepper jack cheese was an odd addition. The Asian pear pizza was equivalent to something my 11 year old daughter could make at home. The cheese was sparce. The spinach was not cooked with the pizza. It was just tossed on top and seemed like it just came out of a bag from the store. It seemed as if they only crushed one walnut on the pizza, the pear slices were paper thin and when I went to heat up the leftovers the next day there was a sticker from the pear on my pizza. My girlfriend had the Korean BBQ. The ribs were extrememly fatty and it tasted like regular ribs with a "korean sauce" on them. The rice looked like mashed potatoes and was wayyyyyyyy overcooked. It was supposed to come with bok choy but it came with some sort of pea. We ended up throwing our leftovers away. My girlfriends sister has the cream of mushroom soup and it came luke warm and she said it was mediocre. The only thing we did like was the cocktails. They are pricey but very well made. Save your $20+ dollars an entree read more

Love going here because the service is always super impressive and the employees are always looking to make every customers experience fun and comfortable. Dane the bartender is amazing!! I can sit at the bar alone and have multiple conversations with employees and be provided suggestions when I'm unsure of a drink or requesting something for them to make. This isn't an average downtown Modesto restaurant that preforms in comparison to the others-this place is top read more

I made reservations for my 30th birthday to have at a restaurant that I was recommended from my friend and coming up to the date they called me make sure I have a reservation still making sure I was coming which was great but I was notified about 10 yr anniversary that there was going to be free champagne and free appetizers and knowing how big my party was when we got there on that day on my reservation we were treated bad we were approached by a manager who was stressed out and She asked me if I had an invitation and she said for this and I said for what unsure what it was that she was talking about she then proceeded to say did you get an invitation and I sat there and I said they told us about it when I made reservations not knowing that I needed an invitation to make reservations on my birthday so she sat there and told me that she needed a table when they never got the table and my company felt rushed and ignored my friend waited two hours to get our food so me and my brother went to the bar the bartenders were busy and great but waiting for two hours when I have other company who don't drink shouldn't have waited for a salad a side salad if that long story short I didn't have time to eat my birthday meal paid 90 to eat it in my car by myself happy birthday to me I guess. My party felt racially discriminated against. We felt we were profiled immediately through the door. I had guests that had medical needs that were ignored taking over 2 hours for water that they had to go and get themselves after several requests and could have caused them a severe medical reaction. If not resolved I'll be in contact with Ada Americans with disabilities act to inform them of this discrimination that could have caused severe ramifications. my overall goal was to enjoy my birthday with the people that are closest to me in an environment that was promised to be an enjoyable experience the only experience that I received was the complete opposite it made my family and friends feel unwelcomed and as if this was not a birthday party but a day that we were to be judged, unwelcomed, and we paid money to feel that way. read more

Really good food. I thought the ambience vibe was a little odd as the red counter lighting didn't really match the food choices. She had lamb and liked it. We also had some fried sausage appetizer and that was great but greasy obviously. They had Chimay on tap and some great wine choices although limited on by the glass. Wednesday's are half off the bottle price which is amazing deal. read more

The service was great, food was wonderful and it was nice and quiet so you could visit enjoy the company. I had a filet with Gorgonzola butter and it was to die for! read more

Great place. I went there first time after a recommendation from a yelp friend and I was very happy . The people , the food and the atmosphere is excellent . They have good selection of wine and other spirits. Parking is not a problem . Rod the bartender is really really nice. So if you go alone or with your love interest this place serves both. I would go back again. They have happy hours too . Rod told me that have band playing on Thursdays and weekends are fun for everyone read more

Overrated! Over priced for sure. Came here for my hubbys bday and walked out dissapointed. Was expecting a better experience and food. Ordered the salmon lumpia lechon wich both only came with 4 peices for apetizer..smh for such a high price i could have made my own and had plenty. Never again. read more

Finally tried Surla's brunch. Loved the bottomless mimosas! A very good selection of food: salads, sushi, omelettes, crepes, traditional breakfast food, chinese food, pizza, ribs, stuffed french toast, cheeses, fruit, eggs benedict, tri tip and desserts. The musician was awesome as was the service. One little disappointment was that not all of the food was available when we were seated. read more

Great spot. Parking is private. Food is wonderful and waitress Amanda took care of everything. Didn't get the Asian influence here, but could be just what I ordered. Risotto prawns and a great salad. So good read more

Valentine's Day dinner was amazing. The mint salad was refreshing and a palate surprise. Thanks

Honestly i dont do reviews unless i really find it necessary ! a few months ago i came here for a friends bday and it was amazing the food was soo good and the service was great the waiter was on it on whatever we needed our mimosa glass was not empty not even once since he kept topping it off. The food was great! They do brunch buffet on Sundays and its delcious they have a variety of food. Yesterday i decided to do a birthday brunch with my girlfriends and i can't say the same. The food was still delcious which is why im giving 4 star and everything else is great ! The service i wish i could give -0 which sucks cuz they add the tip to the tab and its 20% and believe me when i say the waitress NICOLE! definitely did not deserve it ! She was rude and on top of that slow! always making rude faces when asked something! well if you were oh top of things lady we wouldn't have to be asking !!!! and when you would ask for something there came the rude face . She was incompitent taking 30 min just to bring juice ! by that time i was already done with the champagne and needed more ! When we asked one of the other waiters to take a picture of us girls my friend heard her tell him "what are you doing and he said they asked to take a picture , and she replied"ugh better you than me" Like really? wish we couldve give him the tip instead of her . She was horrible probably the worst service i ever gotten . Other than that this place is great just wish the service wouldve been a bit better. read more

Been here so many times for brunch, hidden gem in Modesto. Buffet style brunch so something for everyone. Waitresses are so nice and helpful on explaining how things work for first timers there. Food is very tasty, drinks are great, the champagne doesn't stop ;). Great if you like to sit outside or inside. A lot of choices on food hot/cold areas to pick from. If you are ever in Modesto and looking for a great place to have brunch I do recommend checking out Surlas. read more

Surla's - ;) Sunday Funday - Asian Fusion Near Me - Modesto, California

Went for Mother's day Brunch 2013. What I'm comparing to is in the Bay Area, Walnut Creek area price, for brunch was the same $36 per person. To start off with our 1 pm reservation was ignored sitting us at 1:45. The place was so packed they sat us in the isle table meaning people were walking by on all four sides. They had a person singing and playing the guitar while it was piped through the place so everyone was literally yelling at each other to hear over the music. The food was disgusting what was suppose to be hot wasn't and what was suppose to cold wasn't. Kids were running around every where grabbing, coughing and touching the food. The lines had no direction so people were going through the line from both directions trying to scoop up anything they could. Overall this place is and was a disaster, by my estimation this little place served close to 1,000 people on Mother's day at $36 a piece. They made a profit a thousand people ate. Let me tell you it was a pleasure just to leave this crowded mess. read more

Love their Sunday bunch! Can get really packed so come at opening with an appetite. Very worth the price!

We took a chance on Surla's for my birthday dinner last night- definitely did not disappoint. The service was great, the wine delicious. Our meal was accompanied by a man playing Spanish guitar in the background, very relaxed vibe and the staff goes along with that. Our server was fantastic, very patient with our big loud family, and gave great advice on food selections. We will definitely be back. read more

Been here twice so far and great experience here both times. Based on reviews here took my mom to champagne brunch... They don't mess around with that champs! I don't think my glass ever got below 1/2! Live guitarist right behind us too - they even brought out a lil dessert and the guitarist played a lil happy birthday riff for my mom... Made her feel so special! Went there last night for a Christmas party. Believe me, they are so fun there! Everyone was so accommodable and worked hard to give us a great night - from the food delicious! To the drinks - yum! And the bartender knew my fav champagne cocktail! Even had the opportunity to meet John Surla himself there last night. He was playing live music w his own band there last night! It was all in all a fun night. I have recommended this restaurant to lots of people I know personally. And, it's in a great location, just back from the main down town craziness, so there's ample parking. Yay! read more

Surla's - John surla rocks! Got the opportunity to meet him when there for a Christmas party. Great food and all staff are really nice! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Modesto, California

If yo're looking for a perfect Asian Fusion, then you should come here at once. I had a dinner last week with my boyfriend and the two of us left the restaurant impressed. The restaurant was clean, smelled good and looked even better. The staff was also very friendly, courteous and helped us choose our food. To start we shared the pork belly, it was crispy and fatty, it couldn't be any better. Then for my entrée I ordered the Rib Eye Steak, and it was good too. Well this was a quite expensive entrée so I did expect it to be good. My husband had the Shrimp Risotto Special and he liked it a lot, he said that the light creamy sauce was very unique and different. Overall a very nice experience, I'll be coming back soon. read more

very cute little restaurant, service was amazing !! the pizza appetizer was a little too salty with me because of the olives but other than that, i thought the food was 10/10. i had calm chowder that night and it was amazing ! read more

I've been wanting to come here for Brunch for awhile. It was everything and more. Everything was yummy. They had all different types of food. Amazing made to order omelets, crepes, seafood, ribs,desserts. And Alfredo kept the champagne glass full at all times. He was the real MVP. I will recommend this place for brunch. Can't wait to come back. Thanks Surlas. read more

The Arie's Moco Loco was great. The reduction sauce went very well with the meal. The brown rice was flawess and the Angus steak patty was cooked medium well and perfect. read more

Surla's - Asian Fusion Near Me - Modesto, California

Nice place to have a business lunch. Decor nice and classy. Food is good too. Fine service to match the wonderful experience.

My honey and I had the pleasure of dining at Surla's this past Sunday. The establishment looks unassuming and is situated in a business area so it seemed out of place. However, when we stepped up towards the entrance, the place looked savvy and there was live acoustic guitar music playing. The guitarist was awesome! He played a variety of music that made our dining experience very relaxing and pleasurable - from the Beatles to the Police and Stevie Wonder to Ed Sheeran. Back to the food... we came for the buffet which was nicely laid out. Not an over abundance of food like the casinos but there was enough where we couldn't sample it all. From what I remember they had Chinese chicken salad, a variety of cheese and nuts, specialty salads, sushi, ahi tuna, made-to-order omelettes, ball tip, yummy biscuits and gravy, bacon, linguisa, fried rice, scrambled eggs, white chocolate mousse stuffed French toast, chicken adobo (chef is Filipino), Korean BBQ pork riblets (these were my fave!), made-to-order crepes, assortment of desserts (not a wide variety but they had gluten free choices too), cheesy hash browns, and some other stuff I can't remember. Champagne was unlimited and free with this ~$27 pp buffet (can't remember the exact amount) and it was definitely a good value. A decent sized carafe of OJ or cranberry juice is $3. I don't drink so I ordered Sierra Mist and had my virgin mimosas. The wait staff was very pleasant and the restaurant was clean. I highly recommend Surla's for brunch. We understand they have live music some Fridays so we'r definitely going to check it out along with the dinner menu. read more

Went for lunch on Friday. Food and a very good. Our server was great. Kitchen was horrible. Took 45 mins for our appetizer and another 30 after that for our mains. Owner was on patio talking while there was very long wait times for food. We witnessed several tables leave without ever being served. I hope this was an anomaly because the good is quite good. read more

Lettuce wraps, beef, green beans, brownie bites so-so. Service a-ok. Closed on Mondays. Private parking lot.

Visited this marvellous restaurant on numerous occasions both for business, with friends and my family, I also threw a big surprise birthday party for my wife which, by the way, they handled swimmingly well! Surla's has never failed to provide anything but exemplary food and exceptional service in a very pleasing environment. One is greeted in a friendly courteous manner upon arrival and quickly seated the only exceptions being Friday and Saturday evening which normally very busy so reservations are recommended. The deconstructed beet salad when available is a particular favourite of mine as is the filet, sea bass and so many other items that I've had the pleasure of eating here. Normally a decent selection of daily specials which I've tried on occasion, each time seasoned correctly and cooked to perfection. Vegetables are cooked exactly as they should be and all foods are served at the correct temperatures. I've honestly never returned a single item I've ordered here. My only critique is that they could improve the dessert menu a little, don't misunderstand me, the featured desserts are all delicious but a little variety would be a nice change for frequent visitors like myself. Well worth the trip and money. Jolly good work Surla's, keep it up! read more

If you're looking for a contemporary, trendy restaurant that offers up fantastic food, then Surla's is the place to go. I was there for a special family event, and the fare was buffet-style. Billed as "Asian fusion", we had items ranging from chicken adobo to cilantro lime rice to penne pasta Bolognese. Everything was cooked to perfection, with the meat as tender as could be, and the sauces had that depth of flavor that makes you know that you're in a high-quality place. With this much attention to detail for buffet-style eating, I can only imagine how delectable each individual plate would be. If you're in the Modesto area, I can't recommend this place enough. read more

We love Surlas!!!! Gabe was great to us, he really took care of us even though we were outside. The food was amazing Jade was also great, always checked in on us. Very nice and personal. I really recommend Surlas for brunch!!!! Great food and even better vibes read more

I had the fish and chips and very disappointed it was heavy batter and small pieces of fish and very pricey. Only thing i liked was the free bread read more

I love this place! The food is amazing and so is the service. Alfredo was my waiter and he was exceptional! Definitely recommend for anyone looking for an amazing brunch place in Modesto! read more

When I went to Surla's it was quite crowded, which made it difficult to relax in such a small place. To be fair, it was the same night as an event at Gallo so I am sure that contributed to the congestion. The food was good, but I wasn't "wowed". I am not a picky eater and enjoy most foods but the meal here was forgettable...well everything except for the price. Service was average as well, although I will give it another try on a less busy evening. read more

I've been here twice. I love the vibe here. Customers are happy here. And the jazz music!! Yet!! And the food is delicious. Very thought out menu. Service is excellent. If I had to make any suggestion, it would be to expand the menu. Great place!! read more

We heard that on Tuesday nights they have a Prime Rib special, so we were going to have a drink at the bar, and there was this guy passed out DRUNK with his head leaning back totally passed out, ant first we thought it was funny so we sat down and had a drink, but after while he was still passed and we were told they called him a cab then he woke up and started harassing the bartender, this was no longer funny, why didn't you make him go outside. Then Owner John Surla walked into the bar from the back area, and started talking to 2 ladies, and COMPLETELY ignored the drunk guy, this is your restaurant and you didn't care enough to kick him out? Needless to say we will not be back. And to the Owner I would like to say, take some pride in your restaurant and care what is going on in your restaurant. read more

My husband and I came here to celebrate or 48th anniversary ! I was not disappointed the service was excellent! The food was to die for. I had the lamb chops and my husband had the ribeye both were cooked spot on. The restaurant is decorated beautifully so warm and inviting. I can't wait to come back! I forgot to mention that they have outside seating I can't wait till summer to sit on the patio and enjoy another meal that chef John will prepare read more

Unfortunately, after my third attempt at eating here, I must write a bad review. My wife and I ordered the $30 ribeyes, mine medium rare and hers, medium well. We were served two pieces of cardboard, mine was also cold. We sent them back and literally three minutes later, we had replacement steaks. Both were still over cooked, but palatable this time. However, they were the toughest ribeyes we've ever had. I have had better steak at Perkos. Sorry, I won't be returning. read more

We went for dinner on 12/10-I was underwhelmed. The setting is LOUD, it's impossible to have a conversation across the table. The layout sucks. No booths or privacy, just tables crammed everywhere. Our waiter was kind of a smartass, definitely not the service I would expect for the money. It took forever to get our cocktails. The food was not wonderful. Nothing seasonal, the fish was bland, the prime rib chewy. The bread was strange. Under baked, slightly raw with a weird sweet/salty taste. After a first bite, no one in my hungry (and long waiting) party touched it. Don't waste your money or time. This place is pretentious and doesn't live up to it. read more

Love this place! Dinner was great and brunch on sundays are amazing! They have such an amazing variety! I love this place and so happy it's in little ol' Modesto! I mos def recommend! You won't be disappointed! read more