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

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

We came to the 10th anniversary party after seeing the invite at Fina by John Surla. It did not disappoint. Always new meticulously crafted cocktails. Mmm. Exceptionally attentive service and a brief chat with John himself just reinforced , in the best way, what a gem this is. We are pleased to call this OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT! So many of our personal and family events have been commemorated here. read more

Decided to check out Surlas for dinner. I've heard great things about their weekend brunch, but i wanted to try out a nice sit down dinner. The atmosphere was nice. We were there around 5pm and there were about 10 other people there. The lighting was dim and the ambience was good for conversation. The restaurant was nice and clean. Nothing really stood out about the decor. The staff was very polite. I'm a huge fan of Fillet Mignon. When ever i go to an upscale restaurant, you can bet your bottom dollar that i'll go for the fillet mignon. I'll give their fillet mignon a 3.7 to 4 out of 5 stars for two reasons. For a $30 fillet mignon, i generally expect the steak to have the "melt in your mouth" savory appeal. Although this steak was flavorful, it just wasn't "savory." Also, the size of the steak was tiny. The presentation was great, and the dish tasted good, but just lacked the $30 fillet mignon appeal. If you compare Galleto's same priced fillet mignon to Surlas, you will notice the difference in "savoriness" and size. I hate to make the comparison, but it is what it is. However, i did enjoy my meal. It just wasn't up to par for $30. Everyone i ate with enjoyed their chicken dishes. They had nice size servings and mentioned the taste was yummy. Their Sangria was non traditional. It had no fruit and was mixed with a spritzer. I want to come back and try their weekend brunch. read more

Surla's - $30 Fillet Mignon - Asian Fusion Near Me - Modesto, California

I really like this place. Today my family and I came for brunch and our server was Nichole. Very nice and friendly. She made sure our Mimosas were always topped off and she and other waiters made sure our plates were taken from the table almost immediately after we were done with them. There was a variety of food to choose from and it was pretty good. Biscuits were kind of hard, but other than that, no complaints. Get there at opening time. There's usually a line that forms around 9:50am since they open at 10am. It gets pretty busy. I'll definitely return. read more

We enjoyed brunch at Surla's on Sunday, January 20, 2013. It was unexpectedly terrific. My partner and I were driving to Sacramento for an overnight stay. Because we had the time, we decided to take a (very) circuitous route stopping first in Modesto, primarily because I had never been there (we live in Oakland). It's also the home of Gallo and as I'm in the wine biz I guess it was a sort of pilgrimage. The restaurant is beautiful and very well designed. Extremely attractive and modern. We were greeted enthusiastically by the female host and immediately were shown to a window table in a corner. Perfect! As we were first timers, and I did not see a buffet, I did ask to confirm that Surla's brunch was indeed a buffet. She said yes, and told us where it was set up. She also stated that our server's name was Anthony and that we could go to the buffet immediately if we wanted. Water was brought by a smiling server assistant (who refilled our water 4 times - impressive!) moments later and very shortly Anthony arrived. He inquired about our drink order, mentioning that sparkling wine was included. We both indicated that we would like the sparkling wine and - because I'd read about it on Yelp - that we would like to order some orange juice to go with it. Anthony's service was professional, unobtrusive and timely throughout our meal. Excellent service. As an aside, I would also like to point out that the live musician who played during brunch was very talented. And the volume was appropriate to the room, which is usually not the case. Extremely nice touch. Then we made our way to the buffet. The buffet is a beautiful, well-designed and attractively set-up. The food was artfully arranged and labeled, which I really appreciate. Cheese board (and a very nice one at that), Asian Chicken Salad, Caesar Salad, Ceviche, bagels, cream cheese and lox, omelette station (make sure you get the homemade sausage), tri-tip carving station (perfectly cooked), the famous crepes (with so many possible fillings/toppings I could not possibly remember them all), eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried rice, baked marinated chicken...and that's about half of what was available. AND, everything was at the very least "very good" but most items were truly excellent. It's obvious that a talented chef controls this kitchen. Can't forget the desserts! Chocolate bread pudding, homemade pastries, croissants, cake pops, some sort of chocolatey truffle thing that made me swoon - the assortment was amazing. I also want to mention the service by the gentlemen at the omelet and crepe stations. Wonderful! Smiling, gracious and helpful. Kudos. Towards the end of our meal my partner (who is generally unimpressed) said "this is so good we should drive out here some night for dinner." I agreed and we asked - and were promptly brought - a dinner menu to peruse. Yes, yes and YES! Looks great and we'll definitely make the drive. So, when the check was given to us we played a game: we did not know the price of the Brunch buffet. My partner and I both guessed that the bill would be about $70. Uh, we were wrong. The buffet is just $21 per person and the giant carafe of orange juice was - are you ready for this? - $3. THREE DOLLARS! Chef Surla you have something to be very proud of. I worked in the restaurant industry for nearly 22 years, a third of that with Chef Emeril Lagasse (I was front of the house). Your restaurant deserves every accolade and I wish you the best. Don't miss out. Surla's would be a great restaurant in any city. For anyone visiting (or living in) Modesto, this restaurant is a MUST. Congrats. read more

I was with a group of 10 this past Sunday for brunch at Surla's. Unfortunately, we left Surla's feeling very disappointed. Our reservation was for 10:30am and at 12:50pm, 2 hours and 20 minutes later, we were approached by an employee who very loudly informed us we had passed our two hour limit and need to wrap it up and "leave". I understand they may have felt pressure as some people were waiting, but we hadn't even got our check back! I have searched everywhere on their website or the reservation site to see a disclaimer that there is a 2 hour limit for brunch, and have not found one. I have never been so embarrassed in a restaurant. The employee was so rude and brought the attention of the whole restaurant to our table. We were celebrating a mother daughter tradition of 23 years and to have it ended like that was very disheartening. I can say the food at Surla's is good, but the service will keep us from going back. Not a good place to enjoy a nice Sunday with friends. Make sure to set your timer when you sit down or else you will get the boot too. read more

Sunday brunch for easterbwas yummy. Tons of different foids to select from. I recommend it!

First and foremost, my gf and I wanted to come to a four star rated or more yelp review but this place disappointed us in a few criteria. Especially on my birthday. Food: appetizers were delicious but the soup of the day which is clam chowder was okay with a little bit of shell crumbs. Not so good Place: it was nice and clean themed more into modern upper end style very artsy. Now service: I read more of the place before we went and found out some people wrote about service which did not bother me in the beginning until the waitress never showed up for our main entree for more than half an hour after eating our appetizer. We felt unnoticed and since it was my birthday we wanted to get a birthday shout out but when we ask the waitress she totally forgot about it at the end our meal. Even asking for water was a bit hard at the end of our meal. The worst part of the time there was the chef came out to every table beside ours and greeted everyone else. We might think it is because we came without reservation but still it is not proper to show no courtesy to us. We paid our a hundred dollars and what we got was a two star dining experience. My advice if you go there is ask for the appetizer lechon and lumpia if you are not a vegan or vegetarian but the rest of the food is okay. I think there are a lot of places to try in downtown Modesto but is more fair with their pricing that feels more higher end. i am sorry to say this place for what you pay for and service is not really on my list to go anymore. I will give the chef a little credit of trying to make a Filipino style lechon appetizer and lumpia pretty good. Aside from everything else I ate myself it was okay not four stars or even five star to me. read more

We've been here twice and so far we havent been impressed by the food at all. However, before I continue with the review of the food, I would like to add that in terms of ambiance and service, Surla's is quite the spot. It's swanky and hip , and the service staff is incredibly courteous, responsive and easy on the eyes ... So from that aspect, Surla's definitely is a hit. The miss however is the food, which is disappointing after you've been (mis)led to believe that it ought to be just as good as the decor and the service. Our last trip we decided to try the Sunday Brunch. Everything was bland and without any zing. Mediocre at its best. Even the omelette station was off. I realize that a buffet brunch ought to cater to a more middle of the road taste, but even then the mediocrity of the food was disappointing. Its almost as though the chef's heart wasn't in it ... Considering your paying around $25 dollars for this, (plus extra for OJ) I was disappointed. read more

I had the green salad, salmon with couscous and spinach, and berry crisp Pros: The salmon was well-cooked. The berry crisp was amazing - crispy and buttery! Cons: The salad was bland. The couscous was prepared in a lemon-butter sauce which coagulated on my plate - not very appetizing! I wasn't very impressed with my meal. However, this restaurant did just open. I would consider giving it a second chance read more

Gem hidden in downtown Modesto. Very modern looking, fancy restaurant. Appetizer: Being Filipino, I had to try the Lumpia and Lechon. Lumpia definitely had it's own twist to it - it was more like a taquito. Very cheesy. The Lechon was very juicy - it was a nice touch with the little rice ball. 2nd Course: Korean BBQ - Cooked to perfection - the meat just fell off the bone! Mahi Mahi and Sausage Rigatoni (Special) - VERY flavorful. The fish was cooked very nicely. A Must try when you have the chance to order it. Dessert: It was my boyfriend's birthday and they were kind enough to give him a brownie and ice cream with a candle in it. Customer Service: VERY FRIENDLY AND EFFICENT. I like a place that will take all empty plates and refill my water as soon as its ready, they get an A+ the waiter would stop and talk with us and ask about our day - very nice. read more

Went to Surla's for the first non-fast food meal I've ever had in Modesto; usually it's a place I end up grabbing a bite on the way to Yosemite. 5 of us went to celebrate my girlfriend's 21st - she's from Modesto and just went a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it, wanted to go back to show it off and have some more risotto! Apparently it's the chef from the Gallo family's restaurant also in Modesto... good creds! Anyway, the food was great, birthday girl got her risotto (the night we were there it had salmon, it changes nightly). I started with the eggplant napoleon which was great, kind of like a deconstructed eggplant parmesan, but the menu was misleading, I was expecting fresh tomatoes and a less heavy dish (the mozzarella was fried) and found myself wishing I was warned (all the waiter said to my appetizer and entree choices was that they were "some of the best on the menu"). Delicious anyway. For the main course I chose the fish & chips because what can I say, I'm a sucker for fish and chips. The cod they used was fresh and moist with a light batter. The fries were great but the aioli was odd- it was described as having champagne but unfortunately the chef in my foodie opinion should have chosen a different, lighter oil for the aioli - the extra virgin olive oil completely overpowered the poor delicate champagne. Maybe just even virgin olive oil or something more flavorless so it could be more balanced and not just extra virgin olive oil flavored. Because it was a 21st of course cocktails were ordered - their margarita was our favorite, flavored with passionfruit and raspberries it was a nice change from the usual sweet and sour mix crap. (our waiter was not afraid to ramble on about how EVERYTHING at the bar, even sweet&sour is made in house) The basil gimlet was a struggle for a few of the girls - not everyone likes a leaf floating in their drink, but as a gin fan I thought it was fine. I actually had their version capriana, it was good and heavy handed on the rum. My fish and chips were made even better with a Newcastle - skipping over the Bud Light and Coors (it is Modesto I suppose) they had some good beers. So after this review I'm sure you're wondering why a 3 star rating? Here's my issue. I understand it's a new restaurant. But the chef came from an established, well-know business. My friend, 21st or not, was celebrating a birthday. No dessert was brought. Not even a one cocktail was comped. Can you say cheap? You have to take care of your customers if you want them to come back, and no matter the hype you may have from a prior business, it can and will fade if word gets a round about small but important details such as this. I get that we are in a recession but I work in the food service business and no matter what, I get my table something when celebrating a birthday, anniversary etc. Another thing - our waiter was TOO attentive. Good service means reading a table and knowing when you're overdoing it. It was almost ironic how much he chatted with us but didn't get her anything for her birthday. I could give details but we were bored at the table with his ramblings so why should I bore you my yelper friends? Surla's has the potential to be great, they just need to work out the kinks. read more

Went here for lunch with a colleague. There are so many good things about this place: cool red bar, creative menu, VERY attentive waitstaff, nice food presentation. . .and the list goes on. Definitely seemed an elegant choice for lunch. Probably only one wrinkle in this, which was that the dipping sauce had a stripe of something very hot and red swirled on top. Both my lunch partner and I accidentally took too large a bite and had mouths of fire for a few minutes. I think a warning on that would have been in order. Otherwise a very nice place to lunch. read more

Great for lunch, a bit pricey for dinner. But the ambiance is nice and so worth checking out.

Nice selection of food, breakfast, sushi, salads, drinks, deserts, really good buffet.

The food was to die for, but the service was.... Bad. I was shocked at how terrible the servers were. At first it was great but about half way through the meal our server disappeared and never returned. We were left to try to hail down another server to get our tab, which trust me, took way too long. Definitely going to think twice about eating here again, even though the food was fabulous. read more

For starters...sat down and opened up the wine list. The wines are far, far too high marked up (100-200%). Appetizer of lumpia was good. Bruschetta was just ok. Got two house salads. They had some sort of herb or something that made it feel like you were chewing on sand. I had looked at the menu beforehand, and was looking forward to the short ribs. After taking our time, and finally ordering, I ordered the short ribs! Soon to find out, they were all out. The next step to beef was an overpriced ribeye. The overall experience was disappointing, and really overpriced. You can do a $150 dinner for two MUCH better elsewhere read more

This place is the most disgusting place I have ever eaten at. Hear me out. I wanted to have a nice dinner with my girlfriend here, and we went and it look more than 3 minutes before anyone greeted us. The food was way worse than I expected. I ordered the chicken fetttachini and she had the pizza. The pizza was burnt, and my fetttachini had no flavor, it was so bland and nasty. I don't understand all these other reviews, the only reason I came here, was because all these reviews said it was good, but please, I will spare you the trouble, do not go here, it was so nasty. read more

A great new place! This is simply the best restaurant in Modesto (and the surrounding area). Awsome chef offers great dishes--try the osso bucco or the catch of the day. Leave room for dessert. Very pleasant and knowledgeable service, and a good wine list. Follow the Maitre D's recommendations for a great dining experience. read more

Food is always fantastic. Make sure to hit the Sunday brunch. You will not de disappointed. John Surla does good work with his restaurants. Surla's is his signature restaurant for a reason. You will be happy. read more

A high price place but worth every penny ( or dollar). If you want to celebrate a special occasion this might be the place in Modesto to try. On my one visit there our party of 5 all ordered something different. All five of us were very pleased with our dinners and service. I had the short ribs and they were the second best ( first place will always go to Cafe Ole in Maui) that I've had. Certainly the best in Mo Town. Your evening will not be cheap but the dinner will indeed be memorable. read more

Yes,yes,yes,yes. My mama brought me here for the brunch and it was amazing such good food service was great. I really enjoyed myself and will return soon. Everything about this place was nice and clean. Great food friendly service, and the environment is great. So many food choices , not so many they forget about appearance and quality each plate is great even the things I don't like looks really good. Give this place a try it's totally worth it read more

Went for dinner last night and can't get over how amazing the food was. The LUMPIA! so amazing I could have eaten it for a meal rather than appetizer, and will definitely return just to get it. Had the risotto of the day (seafood: with salmon, sea bass, and another fish) and loved it. And to finish off the meal, tiramisu, which is my favorite dessert, and this one did not dissapoint! All around great experience, nice music, ambience etc. The minor negative I'll say is that the service was just a tad slow. Will definately be returning soon. read more

Great food and service a bit loud for a mid to high price range place. Great cocktails! The pumpkin spice one is unique while the velvet rope was very good but very sweet!! Liked the set up of the restaurant also kind of had an art gallery fill read more

Surla's is one of our favorite brunch place to eat. The food is great, the atmosphere is welcoming and the service is astounding. Keep up the good work read more

Have eaten here quite a few times LOVE the food. This morning went for brunch Jade was our sever always great. Tristan was our bus boy he said he was new to Surlas he did a great job. He was so polite and made sure we had everything we needed. The service is always great here. Nice to know that from the top to bottom they care. read more

Proposed new years eve 2016 and the service, food, drinks, music, and atmosphere was perfect...She said yes! Thanks Heather!!!!! & Staff!!!!! read more

I've been here on several occasions while visiting my friend who lives in the area. I have eaten here during the most important meals of the day: late dinners after bar hopping and of course for brunch. Sometimes in the same day! Surla's really delivers on all fronts and I absolutely love the ambiance of the restaurant and the quality of their food. Dinner options are phenomenal and the bar area is perfect for some evening noshing. Their brunch is a whole other story! $25 for the most delicious buffet brunch which includes BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS. How on earth is this possible? I've never been to a buffet that was this affordable and insanely awesome. Surla's really is a gem and I would recommend it to anyone. read more

Love the buffet here to bring the entire family or group of friends - options for everyone's taste is available. Our family had a great time enjoying the great food and drinks and the service was excellent. read more

Not that impressed. Appetizers were excellent, but the entrees were average . Tonic water in my drink was flat. Wife's specialty cocktail was very good. Waiter (empty handed) walked by our table 5-6 times before he stopped to take a drink order. Staff that brought out our food was more professional than our waiter; wish he had been our waiter. Hostess made us wait while she fixed some balloons instead of seating us to our seats and we were not walk-ins, we had reservations (I didn't realize I was at el toritos...ha ha). Bar empty and restaurant at 40 % capacity on a Saturday night at 7pm. Won't go out of my way to return. Food not that special; at least not up to the other reviews. Pretty sure my salad fork could be bought at smart and final; very cheap and didn't match the rest of our flatware. read more

Best Sunday brunch that we've found within a 100 miles. Our daughters from the Bay Area wanted to treat us for Mothers Day a week early, but I didn't want to drive from Merced to the Bay Area, so they suggested meeting at Surla's. It worked out perfectly. Everyone in our party of 8 said everything they tried was done perfectly. The champagne (sparkling wine to be exact) was very good and freely poured. Omelet station and crepe station were excellent. If I could change anything, it would be to eliminate the music. It is too loud with all the voices and the music to carry on a conversation in a big group. (Granted I am 75 years old and have some hearing loss.) One person who loved the lox said the mini bagels lack the flavor of bagels you get in a bagel shop. Perhaps real bagels cut in two would solve this problem. That said, I loved, loved it and can't wait to return. read more

Brunch and bottomless champagne who could ask for more? Brunch is the best! omelets and crepes are so delicious service was great they were so friendly! read more

i go here often for business. the food is always great and Chef Surla is the best. I think surlas is the best fine restaurant in town.

I really only have 3 words "Brunch only please". I love this place, but only for brunch. Came for dinner and was a little disappointed. But brunch on point$25 beans for all you can eat and bottomless champagne. Great selection of food & lots of it. Try and make reservations, because this place is always packed for brunch. read more

Chef John and Jerry are the best!!! I have not stepped foot in Galleto's since Surla's has opened. I recommend the pork belly app, so yummy. If youre not hungry, I'd check out Friday nights there for drinks and good conversation. Beautiful people and cool music. read more

I tried so hard to like this place. The restaurant itself is lovely. Even the live guitar music, which was unbearably loud, was a nice touch. What wasn't nice was the mediocre food, and frazzled waitstaff, and cramped seating. I had the Filet Mignon, medium rare which came out raw-rare and cold. It was presented on a pile of mashed potatoes that tasted right out of a box. Slick and greasy string beans rounded out the plate. Nothing special at all. The Korean-Style BBQ: ugh. Fatty meat and scooped mushy greens. The Kim Chee was pretty good. Our creme brûlée tasted burnt. The focaccia was tasty with its salted crust. I had great expectations for Surla's, and sadly it was an epic fail. read more