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Food
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Meals
Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Table Service
Reviews (18)
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Reviewed September 21, 2022

Too limited offerings for the price. Limited alcohol selection unless you are a tequila drinker. There were two of us, who ordered a drink a piece, and appetizers, and the bill for over $70.

Date of visit: August 2022
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Reviewed February 14, 2020

A before Valentines day dinner and wanted something different. Nice urban chic sort of vibe. Wait staff friendly and attentive. When we asked advice from our server, she provided sound rationale for her recommendations, and we took her up on that. Her advice also was...not influenced by the price of the menu items or any benefit to her.I chose a special, which was good. The greens were smokey with the right amount of tang for a finish. my beet salad was wonderful. with a generous amount of beets...something I have never encountered elsewhere. Nice dressing and greens. My husband chose the crab bisque and a shrimp small plate. He loved both. Dessert: fried bread pudding which came with a huge scop of ice cream on top. The outside was crispy, but the inside was surprisingly moist and creamy. The bill, including 3 drinks a piece at happy hour, was very modest in comparison to the meal. Something we could regularly afford to do. We will be backMore

Date of visit: February 2020
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Reviewed December 11, 2019

Bad service for tha second time. I was charged 30 dollars for a double shot of d'usse when I only asked for a single shot so yeah they took one off and still charged 30 dollars for one lil shot that was even barely a...shot to me. Food was rushed out like it had been in tha microwave for 3 minutes. This was my second time there I said after the first time I wasn't going back but my friend said it had gotten better so I tried it needless to say I would never step foot back in this place again!!!!!!More

Date of visit: December 2019
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Reviewed July 29, 2019 via mobile

First of all the hostess at the door is ride and needs an attitude adjustment. Shes not friendly at all. The manager at the bar hospitality was awesome and on point. Nicole came over and asked how was our drinks and if there was anything...she could make as a special request feel free to let her know and welcomed us as our first time. Now the food well let's say who da hell hired the cook. Presentation. OS almost there not the food foeznt taste like anything. The beignets NOT!! Try again. I've never seen grits swim in any sauce? My grilled chicken strips were chunks of meat so it took me ten minutes to prepare my salad so I can eat it lady like on my date. You need to make reservations if it's on a Friday night per the rude hostess. I cant reccomend for dinner but the drinks at the bar I can!!!More

Date of visit: July 2019
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Reviewed June 13, 2019

The food is delicious and fresh. The service not so much but gentile folks attempting to make sure you have the right items. The outside seating in this weather is great. Music inside is a bit loud.

Date of visit: June 2019
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Reviewed June 6, 2019

Recently lunched at the Playt! The server was very nice. Great wine selection. The food was delicious!

Date of visit: May 2019
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Reviewed May 12, 2019

Dinner on a week night and all was well, from the happy hour cocktails, which we enjoyed sitting outside (and they turned on the heat lamps, as it gets windy), and then inside for dining. Chicken was great, along with mac and cheese, and other...entree were the short ribs and they were excellent, in a rich BBQ sauce. Service was quite attentive, and the ambient noise was fine (again not every table was occupied). We keep coming back, and you should as well.More

Date of visit: May 2019
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Reviewed April 22, 2019

We came here for Sunday brunch. I had the mango mimosa. Other than the taste of the sparkling wine, I cannot detect any taste of mango at all except for the yellow coloring. Maybe it is just me, but I found the chicken fried steak...which was deep fried to a dark brown color too crispy for my taste. Perhaps the problem is with the brunch menu as most entree selections are deep fried. On the plus side, the service was good and there was adequate parking next to the restaurant.More

Date of visit: April 2019
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Reviewed March 21, 2019

Wonderful place for brunch same owners as the noe closed Pecan in Oakland Somewhat loud Great service and very accommodating

Date of visit: March 2019
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Reviewed February 13, 2019

Service is just ok. Cleanliness is limit. Food is just ok, save for the fried pickles. For me just ok does not an excellent dining experience make. Too bad! I heard that Pican was all that and then some.

Date of visit: February 2019
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Reviewed December 21, 2018 via mobile

The San Francisco Bay Area is well known as a “foodie” haven. Seems you never know where you’ll discover a gem. Playt in Hayward is just such a place. Located in the middle of a rejuvenated downtown, this spot has it all! It’s clean and...welcoming and with a local vibe, still hip enough to attract out of towners. The lighting is slightly muted offering a mildly romantic mood. There’s a full bar, comfortable seating, great service, eclectic drinks and amazing food! It’s a spot slightly outside of the SF restaurant scene but very much worth the 45 minute drive!More

Date of visit: October 2018
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Reviewed October 2, 2018

GREAT food with a Southern influence. We've never been disappointed. If you think you don't like grits - try them here! There is a full bar - excellent cocktails. And you've gotta try the fried pickles - the best we've had.

Date of visit: September 2018
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 23, 2018

Earlier this week, we were very excited to try the new PLaYT in Hayward, CA as it was supposed to be a smaller, downsized version of Pican from Oakland, CA. For those who were true fans of Pican – this is not the same!! From...food to service this restaurant is lacking on all levels. We were very disappointed! First, let’s talk about the wine service. We ordered a sangiovese blend from a local Napa Valley winery. The ordering was awkward as the waitress indicated she never tasted it, never brought a colleague over to confer, and finally indicated we could not have a taste of the wine prior to ordering, even though this particular wine was sold by the glass. Next, it took several minutes for the wine to arrive and when it did she brought it opened. Explaining that her busser had mistakenly opened it. This is where it gets really good, she slapped the bottle on the table with two wine glasses and proceeded to walk away. Now we aren’t snobs but everyone knows the server should pour a taste and wait for the customer to accept the bottle. Finally, the food arrived. We were so excited for that taste of Pican! Alas we were denied. The Caesar salad had way too much lemon in the dressing and the lettuce was a bit wilted. The catfish was overly salted. The fried chicken, a signature dish of Pican, was simply bland and undescriptive, the chicken was even a bit dry. And then there was the Mac and Cheese, which was served cold, had overcooked noodles, and the cheese sauce was just clumpy. While both of those experiences were not to our liking, I think the final icing on the cake was the lack of interest in our meal or our service. The owner, Michael was on the floor and he never took the opportunity to check in on us. Neither did our waitress. As they say, tone is set from the top and clearly customer service and satisfaction is not a priority for this owner!More

Date of visit: August 2018
Helpful?3  
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Reviewed July 17, 2018

We've eaten there a couple of times, and been pleased with the dishes on the menu, which are different from any other restaurant in Hayward. Southern/Cajun style, created by their chef. Tends to be noisy, like most downtown Hayward restaurants, though four of us were...able to converse well enough. Only disappointment has been the fried okra, a dish from my childhood. The chef chooses to bread and serve whole okra pods (every restaurant where I've ordered fried okra cuts the pods into 1/2-inch-long rounds then breads them). The disappointment was the laughably small serving--here, 2 medium and 1 small pod. When we reported our disappointment to the manager, he said he would relay our comment to the chef. If you want something different and delicious, though, don't let the okra keep you away.More

Date of visit: June 2018
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 25, 2018

Their has been a lot of buzz about the restaurant due the chef coming from a great fried chicken restaurant that closed in Oakland. Well the chicken dishes didn't live up to expectations, but the peach cobbler did. I think I would go back again...and try the Koren Ribs or some other dish to eat the desert again!More

Date of visit: June 2018
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Playt, Hayward - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

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Playt is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5