At Walnut Creek’s Pinstripes, you’ll enjoy family fun with higher-end cuisine
WALNUT CREEK, CA (Jan. 28, 2025) — Historically in the culinary world, one of the most difficult things to do is deliver quality services for gatherings of 30 plus patrons. Locally, only a limited number of restaurants and hotels can accommodate the needs of this market.
Enter Pinstripes at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek. This 28,000 sq. ft. facility that opened last November is designed to be the venue of business meetings, weddings, birthday parties, special occasions and family gatherings.
“At Pinstripes, we provide a home away from home where people feel like they are celebrating life while eating the best food, playing the best games and doing it all with the best people,” says director of sales Ben Rodny.
Downstairs has a lounge and restaurant. Upstairs are meeting rooms and a banquet area that accommodates 300 guests. In addition, there are eight bowling lanes, two bocce courts and bar service.
Pinstripes takes pride in its kitchen, offering upscale, made-from-scratch Italian-American cuisine. In sampling the menu, I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this new restaurant.
The French dip served on a pretzel bun is accompanied by a delicious horseradish sauce, au jus (not made with soup base) and crispy Parmesan fries. All in my party enjoyed the cooked to perfection tenderloin sliders and goat cheese chicken fusilli pasta.
We also liked the gnocchi in vodka tomato sauce with spinach and the Margherita pizza. All of these items were moderately priced and on par with the quality one might find at Jack’s in Pleasant Hill.
Trying to please non-meat eaters, Pinstripes features extensive vegetarian options.
For those who enjoy alcoholic beverages, there’s a first-class cocktail and wine list. These items are priced on the high side but can be found for a discount at Happy Hours 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. At those times, games are discounted by 50% along with special priced starters and pizzas.
At lunch during the week, they have a value menu with an entree, side and non-alcoholic drink in the $20 range.
Notable is the Pinstripes Sunday brunch priced at $38 per person. It includes breakfast selections, an extensive buffet, crusted prime rib and a dessert station. The quality is comparable to the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley.
As an additional bonus, kids eat free in an area separate from their parents. There are also youth activities and specials listed on the website.
As an alternative to Chuck E. Cheese, where most adults drop their children off or endure the noisy proceedings, Pinstripes offers an experience the entire family can enjoy. For business meetings, they provide a pleasant atmosphere unlike stuffy hotels.
Pinstripes is a much-needed breath of fresh air in the hospitality-restaurant trade on the 680 corridor.
“With us, everything is about family,” says assistant general manager Brian Curtis. “We want those who visit our business to have a quality experience only we can bring them.”
Pinstripes is at 1115 Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek. Make reservations at 925-496-0960. For special events, call 925-496-0955.
Rich Eber
Rich Eber is a local journalist and long time resident of Concord. His diverse topics covered go from politics to gourmet food. He can be reached at rjerje@pacbell.net