We'd been saving a $100 gift certificate for our 49th wedding Anniversary on 9/7/17 for which we made the reservations several days to a week in advance. Open Table confirmed both the initial reservation for two and then the modified version the day of the reservation (9/7/17) for 4. We arrived at Craftsman to find a note taped to the doors, front and side, that the restaurant was closed. Disappointed - yes, but inconvenienced even more so at not being notified as soon as we made the day-of reservation-modification that the restaurant was closed. It seems if Open Table is the conduit for restaurant reservations, there'd be some indication from that restaurant as to whether it was open to be conveyed by Open Table back to the customer!

Our dinner at Craftsman last Saturday evening was a weird experience, and not in a good way.
Ambience: Felt like we were in a cafeteria. Lights up high, pop music playing, no candlelight or anything to create ambiance.
Drinks: Only good thing about our experience
Food: Major disappointment. Didn't match the menu description. "Shrimp Skewers with peanut sauce, cilantro, and pickled chili" turned out to be four unseasoned pieces of shrimp lying on a bed of undressed, rotting lettuce. No sauce, no cilantro, no pickled chili. A Margherita flatbread was plain crust, a slice of a plain tomato and bland mozzarella cheese with a few sprigs of parsley, instead of basil (like the menu said). Parsely???
Service: We didn't complain as much as we should have because our server was very nice. But she only comped half the price of the awful shrimp skewers.

I'm not a first time diner but I was let down by the much smaller menu and how simple all the dishes were. The chicken parmesan was good, the drinks were great. Sitting on the patio is the best.

We came in at 8:45-9pm on a Tuesday and didn't know their kitchen closed at 9; our server and the chef were very accommodating and made us still feel welcome and not rushed. The tuna nicoise handheld was AMAZING!!! I don't know if it was the Texas toast or something in the sandwich, but the flavors were amazing! The peanut sauce on the shrimp appetizer was Amazing as well! I could just have a entire bowl of that and be happy.

Disappointing menu choices. My hamburger was overcooked and dry.

Since the ownership changed, the menu has become more extensive and more conservative. This is both good and bad. In the past, choices sometimes seemed limited, but some items were really special. Now it is easier to find something appealing, but everything seems more mainstream.

The deviled eggs were appropriately spicy as described, but the yolks almost seemed processed. BALT (BLT with avocado) sandwich was very good. The red snapper had a nice texture, but seemed a bit lacking in taste, even though red snapper is a mild fish.

We ate in the patio on a Sunday evening with pleasant weather. It's a nice patio, but there were hardly any other diners there.

Overall, our experience was better than adequate but not outstanding.

We used to go to Craftsman all the time and it was always a fabulous dining experience. Something has happened here...the food was mediocre at best, the patio was dirty and there were no flowers even planted in the flower boxes, the server was nice but service was rather slow. There was no "vibe" whatsoever. Craftsman had better figure out how to compete in today's competitive restaurant market or they will not survive. So many other great dining options.
We will not go back.

Has gone downhill in a big way. Salty food, odd menu, empty dining room. Too bad.

Enjoyed our first time at Craftsman. However, the food did not quite live up to my expectations. Red Snapper was a bit overdone and dry...some aioli maybe? The crostini bread was soggy with tomatoes, although the tomato flavor was great.

Gathering of family and special friend. Excellent service. loved the patio on the summer evening. Lingered and never frkt rushed. Great appetizers too.

Once our favorite venue we were incredibly disappointed with the changes enacted since ownership changed earlier this year. We were living out of state then and returned this past spring so we did not know of the change until we walked into the restaurant. A hot day and there was little to no A/C on in the dining room. Our hostess was also the sole server, bartender, bussed tables; she informed us that she was also the co-owner. There were only three other patrons present.
The food was of extremely low quality. Bruschetta bread was burned along with tomatoes saturated with balsamic. Our friends' pasta dishes were standard fair; something you could get at home or a franchise. My meal was different than what was stated on the menu; too generous of a portion and saturated with the bitter taste of treated artichokes. My husband got a serving of burnt hash browns with his steak; again not stated on the menu.
This was once a premier restaurant. Now that ownership has changed our hope is for it to close. Soon.

The food was great, there were very few other diners, I hope it will stay in business! Wonderful bartender and waitress as well.

This was our first visit to The Craftsmen...we went there for my partner's birthday and because we were headed to a show nearby afterwards. There is an outdoor patio where most of the guests were sitting that evening. We decided to sit inside however because the patio was not inviting to me. There was an odd smell out there and the tables were kind of worn and dirty looking. Inside was lovely though and there was no-one else in the restaurant but us, which felt odd but also kind of nice. It was 8:00 on Saturday night so we were surprised there weren't more people. Ultimately, we ended up with a very nice meal and very good service. I had the Red Snapper which was prepared perfectly and seasoned with carribean spices and heirloom tomatoes..delicious. My partner got the steak and devoured it. Our waitress then brought us a tray with 3 different desserts on the house! They were all fantastic! All in all we had a very nice experience at The Craftsmen and will likely go back. it is definitely pricey though, so this will only be a special occasion place for us.

The Craftsman changed hands in January 2017. Reviews prior to that time do not apply to the current restaurant. Too bad. We arrived at 5 pm, no other diners were there. We sat on the patio, the roar from the street was awful because the high fence was removed along the street. The waitress did her best. We had appetizers that were so blah and cocktails that were so below average we decided to not stay for entrees.

Great food and service!

We have really enjoyed past visits to the Craftsman with friends and family, but something has changed. The vibe is a little dead -- there was not one other customer inside the restaurant when we were there on a Thursday night. Two other tables of folks out on the patio, which was where we ended up sitting. There was one waitress on duty, so service was a bit slow, which was not a big deal. We ordered drinks and bruschetta, which was tasty. Dinner, however, was another story. Of the four of us, one got a meal he did not order ("sorry, I must have not heard you right" - it was not loud out on the patio), and one of us was not served at the same time as the others (lamb chop dinner). The others started eating and 10 minutes later, the lamb arrived. After about two bites it became clear that the kitchen had altogether forgotten to cook the chops -- they were absolutely raw and refrigerator-cold on the inside, barely gray (not browned) on the outside. Rather than take the whole plate back and start over, the waitress brought a small plate and asked me to put the chops on it for further cooking. I didn't really want the large plate of cauliflower purée and vegetables with the raw meat juices on it, but whatever... 12 minutes later, after everyone else had finished eating, the chops were back -- now well done rather than rare as I had initially requested. My son, who lives in the area said new management is the trouble and word in the neighborhood is to give the Craftsman a miss. The waitress did take some money off the check but with other choices close by, I don't think we'll be back.

So sad to write this! Craftsman usually has wonderful food and hopefully this was just a bad day. Service was terrible. And, two orders of eggs Benedict were delayed, in a party of six, were delayed till the other four were halfway through their meals. Then one of those had to be done again. Quality of the food is always good but service and bad kitchen timing made it a difficult experience.

This was not our first time to dine at the Craftsman but it will be our last. The service was very slow, we were one table of 6 and there were two other tables occupied. When we arrived for our reservation there was not a table set, which was fine. We were told we could choose but no table was ready for 6. About 10 minutes after sitting down the server came to pour water, but all of the glasses at the table were dirty. It was 10 more minutes before more water came. The AC was broken and it was very very hot. The drinks seemed to be watered down. I had a chicken breast burger, mediocre. The server was pleasant, but I think he was also the bar tender. It took far too long to get our checks, I'm sure due to double duty. We will not be back.

Great patio loaded with greenery as well. Attentive service and wonderful food and beverages!!

Loved the food this time, which I'm thankful for. This is my favorite restaurant and it's gone under new management. The food has been hit or miss but it was a hit this time!

Recently moved nearby, walked to this location on recommendation, was not disappointed. Great food at decent prices. Wonderful atmosphere and comfortable, shaded, outdoor seating. Worth it.

This used to be our favorite restaurant. We are so sad at what it has become. The christmas lights are terribly tacky, the drinks took almost 10 minutes, and the "gourmet" grilled cheese sandwich was not just disappointing, but actually disgusting--an under-melted block of cheese, soggy bread, mushy avocado, and even mushier tomato sauce something. We ordered a house salad on the side and got a Caesar salad instead, with croutons that claimed to be homemade but tasted like the stale box variety, and the dressing was globbed messily on the top. Our server was kind, but seemed very inexperienced. So must have been the bartender--evidently the cucumber martini "stumped him" even though it was listed on their specialty cocktails list. What a bummer.

Loved it. Our waitress was fun.

We went to the Craftsman for brunch on Mother's Day. It was very pleasant, not overly crowded or noisy. There was an abundance of food and many options that pleased everyone in our group. The patio was really cute and the ambiance inside was true to the name of the restaurant and decorated in arts and crafts style.

Wonderful, as always. This is where we bring out of town guests to impress them!

No one was at the desk when we came in. We told them we had a reservation, but then got a "naughty" email from open table that we didn't show up for our reservation when we did.

The food took forever and our waitress apologized repeatedly.

My husband ordered rare lamb chops - they were overcooked, he was not impressed.

My entree was supposed to come with acorn squash and came with potatoes instead. My scallops were very good.

It was very loud. They really could turn off the radio - it added nothing to the ambiance. It was what you might hear in a sports bar. You can't even get away from it sitting outside.

This is one of my favorite restaurants, which makes this is a tough review to write. It's recently changed management and the food has clearly suffered because of it. I really hope they get back to how good it once was. I will go back but I hope they fix it soon.

Now the service is excellent, ambience is great so no problems are there. They just need to get the food back....perhaps better chefs? I love comfort food and local ingredients but the food together just doesn't quite work. I believe that they'll do it though!

I wanted to love it! It is a beautiful space with a new owner. The cocktails were excellent and the bruschetta crostini was great. Unfortunately the service was slow (in a pretty empty restaurant) and not very attentive. Pleasant but they were just calling it in. The entrees were pricey and just blah. Dessert was really expensive, $12 for blueberry cobbler. It was good but way out of line pricewise. The cap on our disappointment was having staff start vacuuming while we were finishing our dessert and coffee. At 9:15. When they close at 10:00. Needless to say we scampered out the door and probably won't be back anytime soon. Our final bill was $200 for four people - not horrible for a nice meal. But a lot for a disappointing one.

I love this place! I've heard it's under new management but haven't seen a difference at all.

Although the ambience was much the same as in the past, the food was lacking in taste, the cosmo was too heavy on the juice, and the wait staff checked on us only once, never asking if we wanted our leftovers.

We enjoyed a delicious Sunday brunch and great service. Our kids are hard to please and the waitress and chef were really accommodating .

When I booked this I did not realize that the restaurant was under new management. I was so disappointed. The food was not worth eating. The waitstaff, though pleasant, was not well trained. I used to take visitor to the Craftsman, but I will not be returning.

Not a huge fan of the Easter buffet -- was expecting normal menu. Otherwise great as always.

Best Red Snapper there is
Pretty quiet on a Friday night
The place is gorgeous inside and patio. Our waitress was gorgeous too.

A real gem. Excellent food, service, ambiance. This is the sort of place that could be pretentious, but it most definitely is not. Locally sourced ingredients, prepared and served with great care.

Great food and service. Beautiful presentation of all the dishes. Our group had the pork chop, scallops, filet, slider small plate, Caesar salad. All excellent.

We have loved the Craftsman for years and had many fine meals and memories there. Clearly it's undergone some changes, some-the new curtains and white table cloths are fine (though I loved the aesthetic before) and some the uninspired roasted red potatoes that seem to come with everything, not so much. My steak was perfect, and my son loves the pork chop, but if your a veggie person like my daughter, not so much for you anymore.

I will still return, and still suggest it as a neighborhood haunt worth visiting (the patio is wonderful once the weather allows for it), but it just didn't seem as artfully done as it had in the past.

Well, clearly there has been a changing of the guard since we last dined here. The creative, fresh, interesting, well- crafted cuisine is gone and we have left a menu and cooking worthy of a run-of-the-mill, highway hotel dining room. While we have loved dining at Craftsman for several years, here is a definite odd disconnect about the present day incarnation. I should have suspected something when the host greeted us in bleached jeans and polo shirt and then led us to a table nicely set with starched white linens, hefty flatware and long-stemmed wine glasses. I should have suspected something when the menu and the (very nervous, clearly inexperienced) server listed available salad dressings as "ranch, blue cheese, French, and Italian". I should have realized that all was lost when the "special of the day" was something on the order of fried fish and green beans. I should have known better to proceed with dinner when having ordered a prosecco I was served "about the same thing" which turned out to be a flat, sickeningly sweet Spanish cava, that "we use for all our champagne cocktails". I ordered what has always been my favorite Friday evening, end-of-the week, special favorite, the Craftsman turkey burger, which used to be a glorious, deftly seasoned grilled patty with a heavenly aioli on a substantial bun, but now is an overcooked lump topped by a sweet "salsa" of chopped cherry tomatoes on a mushy "brioche" bun that may have come 8 to a bag at Cub Foods. The burger used to be accompanied by a lovely salad of local greens and a delicious herby vinaigrette. Now one must order the house salad which came with haphazardly chopped romaine, the standard hotel-variety sliced tomato, red onion and hard, powdered-garlic-flavored stale super-market "croutons". The Italian dressing sounded more like vinaigrette to me, but that was a mistake, too, as it clearly came from a restaurant service gallon jug.

I am in deep mourning for the Craftsman of old.

We were disappointed after hearing good things about this restaurant. The potatoes served with our scallops were dry, burnt and seemed to be leftovers. The server was very flighty and spent the evening apologizing for mistakes. The small plates were average. Bummed to spend that much.....

Craftsman has come under new ownership in the past few months and most of the qualities that brought diners back again and again are now absent. The menu is uninspired, static, and, of course, laminated. We used to look forward to seasonally-inspired, chef-driven fare but that is all gone. Our three entrees were universally miserable. The first was an under-seasoned portobello mushroom sandwich with a sad (stewed? canned?) tomato and an excessive amount of low quality mozzarella cheese on an undercooked french roll. The second was a dry turkey burger with a pre-formed patty and dull toppings. The final was a pre-cooked, barely re-warmed halved acorn squash filled with undercooked lentils, whipping cream, and cinnamon. Our hearts went out to our valiant and beleaguered server who had to present these offerings to us. This poor dining experience was accented by our simple requests being denied for reasons unknown. Truly? No substitution for the french fries with a side salad? Not even for a nominal up-charge? Apparently, one must, with no exceptions, receive the fries, and, thereby wonder if, in fact, they are "hand cut" as advertised, an assertion belied by their uniformity. To top it off, the decor has been diminished by over-bright lighting, cheap window treatments, and competing air fresheners in the bathroom. The whole experience came off as a cynical attempt to capitalize on Craftsman's reputation at the expense of its faithful following. Fool us once, shame on you. We will not return.