Rating: 
Cesar Bistro Dog Food earns the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
Currently, the Cesar Bistro brand includes five canned products… each designed for adult dogs only.
- Cesar Bistro Steak Florentine Flavor
- Cesar Bistro Grilled Chicken Primavera
- Cesar Bistro Tuscan Style Stew with Beef
- Cesar Bistro Steak Tips Sonoma Style Flavor
- Cesar Bistro Oven Roasted Beef Burgundy Flavor
Cesar Bistro Steak Tips Sonoma Style Flavor Dog Food was chosen to represent the others in the line for this review.
Cesar Bistro Steak Tips Sonoma Style Flavor
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Sufficient water for processing, chicken, liver, beef, meat by-products, brown rice, wheat gluten, starch, tomatoes, wheat flour, pea fiber, broccoli, spinach, salt, minerals (potassium chloride, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide), sodium tripolyphosphate, vitamins (vitamin A, D3, And E supplements, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate [vitamin B1], biotin), xanthum gum, added color, guar gum, natural steak flavor
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this product is water… which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a regular finding in most canned dog foods.
The second and fourth ingredients are chicken and beef. Both are considered quality, high protein items.
The third ingredient is liver. Normally, a named liver ingredient can be a nutritious component. However, the source of the liver here is unknown… generic. It could come from a pig, a goat or a horse.
For this reason, this item cannot be considered a quality ingredient.
The fifth item includes meat by-products… slaughterhouse waste. Meat by-products are the unsavory leftovers of slaughter deemed “unfit for human consumption”.
Since the source animal is anonymous, this meat can come from almost anywhere. Dead zoo animals, road kill or diseased and dying livestock… even euthanized dogs and cats.
When you see the phrase “meat by-products” you’re looking at one of the lowest quality ingredients in commercial dog food.
The next ingredient is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality grain. It’s a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The seventh item is wheat gluten. Gluten is what’s left over after wheat has had all its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it. The rubbery residue that’s left is the gluten.
Wheat gluten is an inferior plant-based protein lacking many of the essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life.
Gluten can exaggerate the reported amount of protein in any food. But this item is too far down the list to have any real effect on the actual protein content.
Incidentally, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are normally associated with mid to lower-tier dog foods.
Cesar Bistro Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Cesar Bistro appears to be one of Cesar’s better sub-brands.
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 44%, a fat level of 22% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 25%.
With high protein, moderate fat and relatively low carbohydrates, the nutrient gauges present the profile of a better quality canned dog food.
But the inclusion of lower-quality meat by-products in the formula prompts a lower rating.
With an acceptable three-stars, the Cesar Bistro brand delivers a mid-tier canned dog food at an affordable price.
Recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
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