Published August 4, 2024

After several hours of exploring the Grounds for Sculpture, we decided to drive down the street to Rat’s Restaurant.

We snagged the last spot in the parking lot and walked around the windy walkways. The restaurant looked like an old barn with gray roofs and trim, trellises, and curtains of greenery. There was even another sculpture of a couple walking along the sidewalk, as if they just left the restaurant!

Rat’s Interior

I was nervous that we wouldn’t be seated, since we were 20 minutes to the end of the lunch service (and I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat in 20 minutes). I wondered if we would be told to come back for the dinner seating.

The host confirmed that we could be seated. He tried to convince us to order at the bar and carry our food outside to bar-top tables (if there were any open). At first, I thought he recommended this self-service option because the restaurant was full, but when we declined, he eventually led us to the dining room where there were several open tables.

I managed to snag pictures of each dining room at the end of the meal as we were leaving. The dining room closest to the entrance had vintage green chairs settled around large circular tables for groups. A white fireplace caught my attention in the back of the room. This dining room was packed when we arrived for lunch.

The next dining room was separated from us by a half-wall. Windows brightened the dark wood, farmhouse style chairs, and brightly patterned cushions. The tables were preset with bold plates and thick glasses. This dining room was also filled when we arrived.

We squeezed through an archway, past a square-shaped bar that was packed with people. Another dining room was to the right, and more tables to the left, which we passed as we moved to the last dining room before the outdoor patio.

I was glad to have the two-top table off to the side of the room. A curtain of metal beads separated our table from a sitting area near the bar. Two top tables to the left were packed with couples, while the table for 6 on the end was a parents with several small children. The windows behind them looked out onto the outdoor patio.

We wandered to the patio at the end of the meal. Greenery rimmed the stone patio with a perfect view of the Monet bridge (where we had stood a few hours before), plus the concrete sculpture craning up from the water!

Rat’s Restaurant Menu

A brown leather, two-page laminated menu offered liquor and lunch offerings. The lunch offerings were organized by appetizers, salads, sides, entrees, and sandwiches and were framed by inked-drawn borders and ingredients.

Mocktails | $7.00-$8.00

After being in the sun for several hours, the mocktails caught our eye, as they usually do when we visit most restaurants.

My boyfriend ordered the “mango aqua fresca” mocktail, which had mango, lime, agave, water, and hibiscus. It reminded me of the drink I ordered from Mumbai Dreams.

I ordered the “watermelon cooler” which was watermelon, cucumber, citrus, and purple basil. I think they put the basil in the mango drink and the lime in my drink. It was light and chilled, but I would’ve preferred it to be sweeter.

Our waitress brought a plate of bread and whipped herb butter while we waited for our appetizers. The butter was fluffy and smooth, and a nice contrast to the seeded bread.

Our table was in a high-traffic area. A rental space was diagonal us and guests dressed in suits and cocktail dresses walked back and forth for bridal showers and first communion celebrations. Parades of people pulled strollers through our dining room on the way to the exit, and the restaurant staff were constantly stopped to ask for directions.

Appetizers

Spring Burrata Salad | $18.00

Salad seems to be a good shareable appetizer and I couldn’t resist the fresh burrata. The salad had a light green fava bean puree, chilled asparagus tips, cherry tomatoes, sliced baby radish on a pile of spring mix greens with a black truffle vinaigrette. 

My favorite part of this salad was the fava bean puree. I thought the burrata was fresh and chilled (though didn’t have as much textured filling as I may have expected. Perhaps because the cheese was sliced before it was plated?)

I was intrigued by this salad because it had a black truffle vinaigrette. I don’t recall if that was a noticeable flavor, though the salad had been dressed (as you can see in the photo). The portion was good for two people.

Sourdough Ricotta Tartine | $18.00 

Our meal at Rat’s was a treat, so we were willing to splurge on some of the menu items, like this $18.00 tartine. I assumed that the price was reflective of the dairy — as this tartine was topped with sugar snap peas, shaved fennel, orange, pea shoots, radish, and ricotta. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this appetizer. The ricotta — which was so smooth it was almost like crème fraîche — was sweet and chilled. The orange segments made the flavors pop and gave summertime vibes. A contrasting spice from the peppery radish and the chew from the snap pea shells worked well together. We split the tartine in half to share.

House Smoked Pork Belly | $22.00 

I was most excited for the pork belly, which for me, is always luscious and rich. As described on the menu, this appetizer had a 6 minute egg, shaved asparagus, pickled shallot, and a blood orange gastrique.

I can see from my photo that there was a dribble of the gastrique on the plate, but truthfully, I don’t remember anything of the flavor. I also do not recall having the pickled shallot (as you can see from the photo, I do not see any distinctly pink shaved shallot pieces). I wonder, if in the busyness of the lunch rush, that some of these details were lost?

The 6-minute egg surprisingly did not bother me as much as I expected it would (if you recall the beef tartare from Turtle + the Wolf). The runny yolk worked well with the smoky, thick slices of pork belly. I could’ve eaten a plate of them.

Entrees

The two-top tables against the far left corner from my seat turned over twice. Various groups of people filtered in and out onto the outdoor patio. Waitstaff ran back and forth through the space. The bar and the tables in the center of the room were still packed.

A young couple claimed the lounge seating on the other side of the metal curtain with a toddler, who jumped up and down on the sofa. Rat’s seemed to be a location for everyone — large crowds for celebrations, couples of all ages, and even families with small children.

French Dip | $22.00 

My boyfriend and I each ordered a sandwich and traded halves. The French dip stood out to both of us as a menu option and I was excited to try it.

A crusty bread held layers of sliced prime rib with melted Swiss cheese, horseradish aioli, and a crock of French onion jus. Plus, it had four thick wedges of potatoes tossed in salt.

The prime rib was divine, but what really made this sandwich glorious was the French onion jus. I could’ve drank that sauce it was so delicious. 10/10 for the French dip sandwich, I would absolutely order it again.

 Turkey Croissant | $19.00 

I don’t know if Rat’s makes their own croissants or not, but this was a light sandwich, perfect for a hot day.

As you can see from my photo, there is a fair amount of turkey stacked in the middle, with a layer of bacon, before a generous smear of dill aioli (which gave the sandwich most of its flavor). There were even some arugula greens on the bottom of the sandwich, which I enjoyed.

The turkey croissant was good and fresh, but having eaten the French dip first, you can’t compare the two — the French dip was more flavorful.

Dessert

We were well past the lunch window and approaching the break in between seatings before the dinner service began. I wondered if we would be rushed, or asked to leave. Luckily, our waitress was in no hurry. She offered us the dessert menu (which has since been updated since my visit).

Cappuccino | $6.00 each

We started with a decaf cappuccino and sipped it as the dining room became quieter and quieter. Soon, we were the last table in the dining room. The conversations of a few stragglers from the bar reached us, but the volume in the room was quiet.

Crème Brûlée | $15.00

We were most excited to try the crème brûlée.

I could tell when it arrived that the top was a little too brûléed, but the flavor was still rich and tasty. Plus, I loved the addition of the sugared pistachios.

Our madeleine flavor was sprinkled. The texture was enjoyable, and it was nice to have another component on the plate to taste. I wouldn’t be heartbroken if the madeleine wasn’t there at all, as the star was the crème brûlée, which we shared.

Strawberry Profiteroles | $15.00

I imagined this dessert would be a strawberry cream filled cream puff. I was surprised to see that it was an ice cream filled cream puff with half a strawberry sliced in the middle.

The cream puff pastry was light and looked homemade. A generous scoop of ice cream filled the middle and was rolled in a crunchy coating. I don’t think the three-quarter segment of a strawberry and the juice on the plate was enough to consider this a strawberry dessert, but we finished it nonetheless.

As I mentioned earlier, after paying, we wandered out to the patio and overlooked the water before making our way out to the foyer. Already, a crowd of people was waiting to be seated for the dinner service, and more were waiting out on the sidewalk to put their name in. I could see why Rat’s was such a popular restaurant, given its proximity to the Grounds for Sculpture, variety of menus, and French offerings.

My Recommendations

I give our visit to Rat’s Restaurant a 9/10 for the following:

• Decor and Design

  • From the minute you pull up to the restaurant, the branding of “Rat’s” above the doorway invites you into the bold dining rooms, busy bar, and beautiful outdoor dining. Patterned curtains, vintage furniture, colorful plates and glasses, and a branded menu with a wide selection of wine and French dishes creates a unique dining experience.

• Service

  • Our waitress was warm and welcoming. She answered our questions, checked in throughout our meal, and didn’t rush us at all. Our table was always clear of dishes and we didn’t have to ask for anything, which is top-tier service in my book.

• Food

  • Highlighting fresh produce, French dishes, and photo-worth plates, our meal at Rat’s was delicious. I loved the variety of options for appetizers and enjoyed the curated offerings for lunch.

Have you been to Rat’s Restaurant?

Do you have a favorite dish from Rat’s Restaurant? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you.

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