Headed to BottleRock? Here Are 5 Pop-Up Restaurants You Can’t Miss

Napa’s annual BottleRock festival is quickly approaching and nearly 120,000 people are expected to attend and catch performances by some of music’s biggest names. But let’s talk about the real star of the 3-day event – the food! With nearly 50 local food vendors setting up shop, where to begin? Here are five of our favorite pop-up restaurants to indulge in.

Southside Café

Southside Café is popping up all over the valley. With two locations and a third slated to open this spring, this contemporary eatery serves a tasty chef-driven menu of California cuisine with a Latin flair. So it’s no wonder this neighborhood breakfast and lunch café will be making an appearance at BottleRock. We got our hands on Southside’s BottleRock menu and it’s sure to spark your taste buds. Visit their pop-up for Rock Shrimp Tostadas with avocado mash, pickled jalapenos, and fresh herbs; Fried Avocado with a gluten-free batter and spicy aioli; and Smoked Hot Wings with a pepper-peach glaze and blue cheese dressing.

Bounty Hunter BBQ

What’s an outdoor festival without BBQ? Bounty Hunter BBQ has a bar and grill in the heart of downtown Napa, and serves up some of the best BBQ in the valley. The star of their menu is the beer-can chicken, a Cajun spiced whole free-range bird that comes perched on a Tecate beer can. For red meat-lovers they have an excellent beef brisket sandwich and ribs with meat so tender, that it falls off the bone. Seasoned with a blend of spices and slowly smoked in Bounty Hunter’s custom wood blend, their prime cuts of meat are exceptional. We hope they bring some of these favorites to BottleRock! 

Ristorante Allegria

For a perfect red wine pairing, check out Ristorante Allegria in downtown Napa, where Italian and California flavors combine to create decadent dishes. Some menu favorites are the Wild Mushroom Homemade Ravioli tossed in a light roasted garlic cream sauce, and the Pappardelle allo Zafferano, with fresh homemade saffron pasta, jumbo prawns, wild mushrooms, and a roasted shrimp bisque. We expect to see their delicious Chicken Parmesan sandwich and Caesar Chicken wrap, which have each been previous festival favorites. Easy to hold, not as messy as pasta, super savory, and pairs well with wine!

The Farmer’s Wife

Kendra Kolling is bringing her Sonoma County based pop-up food stall to the Napa Valley for BottleRock attendees to try “one of the Bay Area’s best sandwiches”, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Farmer’s Wife sources seasonal and organic ingredients from local farms to craft simple artisanal grilled cheese sandwiches. We love the chili-maple bacon melt with avocado, fried egg, chèvre cheese, and pepper sauce. For the sandwich the San Francisco Chronicle raves about, request the off-menu ‘The Works’ sandwich, with fresh chorizo, fried egg, four types of cheese, avocado, tomato, pickled pepper relish, and a tangy, fermented assortment of cabbage, carrots, and radish.

Foodshed

Foodshed creates pizza perfection in their contemporary take away joint in Napa. Their house-made burrata cheese pizza features the stringy, buttery, citrusy cheese. The simplicity of the toppings lets the crust shine, making this their most popular slice. Other standout menu items include the tasca hot sandwiches, house-made pepperoni, and fresh pasta. We can’t wait to see what their pop-up menu will be, but we can guarantee it will pair well with a cold local craft beer.

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Are you attending this year’s BottleRock Napa Valley? Book your stay with the Napa Winery Inn, a luxury hotel only minutes from the festival. Take advantage of our special Spring Sale, now through May 18th.