Play games, watch sports on TV, toss back a few, dine on elevated comfort cuisine.
My dining companion and I got an instant good feeling upon arrival at The Lincoln, whose outdoor deck overlooks the Napa River about a half mile north of Downtown Napa’s Oxbow bend. The restaurant and bar, opened in August 2023, is a relaxed space to hang out and play games, watch sports on TV, and toss back a few, but the gastropub menu merits attention, too. Arriving midweek at twilight, we scored a prime river’s-edge table and spent the next two hours sampling shareable plates and more substantial fare as sky and water faded to black.
Elevated Apps, Generous Portions
Well-chosen ingredients elevated several apps beyond the expected – bourbon bacon for the deviled eggs, a mildly spicy sesame-laced coleslaw underneath crispy salmon “lollipops,” and adobo wings (and lemon-pepper-feta) in addition to blue cheese ones. The portions were generous for these and the truffle popcorn and hummus and guac.
A starter we didn’t try was the Hash Mac, a hash browns and mac-and-cheese mash-up a journo friend insists is the bomb. Didn’t have smash burgers either, so a return visit is a must.
Although the wine list tempted, The Lincoln seems more like a beer or cocktail place, so we took Jesse’s the floor manager’s suggestion and ordered a Pennies from Heaven (Barr Hill gin, honey, and lemon) and a Green Flash (kiwi, pineapple, sparkling apple cider over crushed ice with). The latter was zero-proof but zesty – and with its grape-flavored popping boba balls entertaining as well.
We split a short rib entrée to see how the chef handled larger plates. Served with au gratin potatoes and roasted carrots, the beef was fall-off-the-bone tender (though there was no bone), the gravy a natural for sopping up with the hummus and guac’s remaining flatbread. We thought we were too full for dessert, but duty called. We were glad we answered because the smooth-n-creamy panna cotta with berries sent us on our way smiling.
