The food is amazing!! Antionette, Raul and the staff are amazing. Great service!!! Antionette and the staff were so great doing what they do!!!! We loved the fact when we learned they are now dog friendly. Truly was the reason we came because we could bring our Berne-doodle. Sadly when we asked for a piece of grilled chicken for her, they accepted the order and then came back with it had to be at the same price as the chicken breast on the menu. We sucked it up, and it came with all the seasoning whereby she could not eat it. Almost $40 for something she could not eat. We travel all of California. EVERY dog friendly restaurant has a plain burger or chicken breast they can make for your dog in the $5-$8 dollar range. So they may say they are dog friendly, it appears they are merely dog tolerant which in California seems out of touch. Sad to waste such great food and service at those prices when you can't make reasonable exceptions for your dog.
LeLani R.
I have eaten here on numerous occasions and it is absolutely delicious. Tried 4 different menus and they never disappoint! I kissed out on the pavlova and I will never forgive myself! Hopefully they bring it back. Great place for a date!
Pasha B.
Besides that everything was very slow, didn't get that "wow" experience with my filet mignon. I followed yelp recommendations and went for it and it was blah... just like the service. Won't recommend. Not worth it.
Roxanne T.
I do not know what the big hype is about Ember but I did not have a good experience. The problem started at the beginning. We had reservations and though the place was empty, we were offered a seat by the kitchen. We declined and eventually got to sit in the main area; after that, service was good and the server friendly. The problem was the meat. We ordered a rib-eye to be grilled/charred over wood. The meat had lots of grizzle (not fat expected in ribeye) and there was not one char or grill mark. I know it wasn't grilled well and I'm not even sure it was ribeye. It was dry and chewy. The salad, bread and meatball starters were good. I love ribeye and this was not it.
Nels H.
Surprising to find his kind of restaurant where it was but wow. Must go again. We visited from Cambria for a short drive and well worth it.
Katie P.
Fantastic food. Place can be a bit crowded and noisy-people just enjoying themselves!
Nic P.
Excellent restaurant in Arroyo Grande. a very busy place. It took our server a while to get to our table. However, when she finally came, we enjoyed a ribeye steak that was cooked perfectly cocktails that were crafted mostly and overall great experience. I would definitely recommend this place when you come to the central Coast
Nia Hartman
The place is very comfortable, rustic, clean and inviting. 5 of us came to celebrate father’s 90th birthday. Drinks were all superb. Cauliflower steak appetizer was delicious but a little small. The pea pod appetizer was absolutely gorgeous but the first person taking the top piece got all the toppings and had to scrape most of it off for the other pieces. Then for the paste on the bottom you have to scoop some out to add it to the first piece. Not sure the guest should have to do this work. We ordered two rib eye and three duck cannelloni. In a word SALTY. Everything had a wonderful flavor but at least twice as much salt as needed. The layered potatoes and broccolini were the consensus favorites. The cannelloni was questioned by three of us if it even had duck. No duck flavor. Could have been chicken. We shared one desert. For the birthday they added a candle. We were hoping for a little better recognition like his own desert even if just a scoop of ice cream. All in all we will be back but we will ask more questions and ask for low salt.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Bill W.
The pork belly appetizer was amazing! The lasagna was the best I've ever had, and ruined me for all other lasagnas! The citrus cream puff for dessert was so good, and the perfect end to an amazing meal! Definitely Michelin material
Matthew C.
I've been coming to ember for over 6 years and love this place! Pizzas are extraordinary, the brick chicken is moist and flavorful. I've been to Chez Panisse and the taste at Ember is much better.
This place came highly recommended by our friends who frequent Ember anytime they're in town. Everything about our time here was amazing! Upon arriving we were greeted by the hosting staff. They were very welcoming and friendly. We were seated promptly, with a reservation of course. Which I highly recommend you make one because as soon as the doors open the seats are full! Our waiter was very pleasant and knew the menu well. We ordered drinks and I had asked for mine to be made a specific way... ( lemon drop- extra sour) and it was perfectly made! Kudos to the bartender in knowing exactly what I wanted this to taste like. The husband went with an old fashioned and said it was one of the best he'd had. On to the entrees. Definitely had to order the 50 layer lasagne because why not?! Nice freshly made thin sheets of pasta layered with a delicious bolognese tomato sugo and creamy prosciutto béchamel sauce. It sounds rich, but because the pasta is so thin it isn't. I ate the entire thing and I NEVER finish my entree at dinner (always saving room for dessert) but I could not stop eating it. Also got the New York steak which came with broccolini and scalloped potatoes, the husband loved it. We had to end the meal with the cocoa cake. This and the lasagne were the highlight of the meal. The cake is topped with vanilla ice cream and giant toasted house made marshmallow. We also ate the entire thing leaving no crumbs behind. Ember sits very high on my list of great places to dine at. The ambience is great, the food is great and the staff is great! You can't go wrong. Cannot say enough good things about this place, and I cannot wait to go back!
Micah V.
Such great food - EVERY Time! Great service too. Menu has new items regularly. One of my favorite places for special occasions.
Dean C.
Outstanding and different twist on a Clam Spaghetti. Flavors of lemon peppers and artichokes. Subtlety flavored with a piquant tang in the mildest of cream sauces. Outstanding. Service was excellent ambiance on point.
Paula T.
I've been a serious fan and patron of Ember for many years. We typically dine there a minimum of once per month and have for many years. Tonight however was a disappointing experience. My husband always orders the ribeye. Tonight he received a ribeye with only the center and the cap trimmed off :-o Sacrilege! My pasta dish was unfortunately disappointing as well. It was so heavily salted I had to send it back. Something I rarely do at any venue. I know there will be growing pains with new ownership, particularly with a menu that changes monthly/seasonally. I hope they figure it out soon. I've always looked forward to meals at Ember and this is the first in all my years dining here that was a less than stellar.
Denton V.
I know the marshmallow dessert is very hyped here, but it's for good reason. It's the best dessert I've ever had in my life. Drinks are amazing too, my favorite is the Ron Swanson. Food is amazing, always.
The food is amazing!! Antionette, Raul and the staff are amazing. Great service!!! Antionette and the staff were so great doing what they do!!!! We loved the fact when we learned they are now dog friendly. Truly was the reason we came because we could bring our Berne-doodle. Sadly when we asked for a piece of grilled chicken for her, they accepted the order and then came back with it had to be at the same price as the chicken breast on the menu. We sucked it up, and it came with all the seasoning whereby she could not eat it. Almost $40 for something she could not eat. We travel all of California. EVERY dog friendly restaurant has a plain burger or chicken breast they can make for your dog in the $5-$8 dollar range. So they may say they are dog friendly, it appears they are merely dog tolerant which in California seems out of touch. Sad to waste such great food and service at those prices when you can't make reasonable exceptions for your dog.
I have eaten here on numerous occasions and it is absolutely delicious. Tried 4 different menus and they never disappoint! I kissed out on the pavlova and I will never forgive myself! Hopefully they bring it back. Great place for a date!
Besides that everything was very slow, didn't get that "wow" experience with my filet mignon. I followed yelp recommendations and went for it and it was blah... just like the service. Won't recommend. Not worth it.
I do not know what the big hype is about Ember but I did not have a good experience. The problem started at the beginning. We had reservations and though the place was empty, we were offered a seat by the kitchen. We declined and eventually got to sit in the main area; after that, service was good and the server friendly. The problem was the meat. We ordered a rib-eye to be grilled/charred over wood. The meat had lots of grizzle (not fat expected in ribeye) and there was not one char or grill mark. I know it wasn't grilled well and I'm not even sure it was ribeye. It was dry and chewy. The salad, bread and meatball starters were good. I love ribeye and this was not it.
Surprising to find his kind of restaurant where it was but wow. Must go again. We visited from Cambria for a short drive and well worth it.
Fantastic food. Place can be a bit crowded and noisy-people just enjoying themselves!
Excellent restaurant in Arroyo Grande. a very busy place. It took our server a while to get to our table. However, when she finally came, we enjoyed a ribeye steak that was cooked perfectly cocktails that were crafted mostly and overall great experience. I would definitely recommend this place when you come to the central Coast
The place is very comfortable, rustic, clean and inviting. 5 of us came to celebrate father’s 90th birthday. Drinks were all superb. Cauliflower steak appetizer was delicious but a little small. The pea pod appetizer was absolutely gorgeous but the first person taking the top piece got all the toppings and had to scrape most of it off for the other pieces. Then for the paste on the bottom you have to scoop some out to add it to the first piece. Not sure the guest should have to do this work. We ordered two rib eye and three duck cannelloni. In a word SALTY. Everything had a wonderful flavor but at least twice as much salt as needed. The layered potatoes and broccolini were the consensus favorites. The cannelloni was questioned by three of us if it even had duck. No duck flavor. Could have been chicken. We shared one desert. For the birthday they added a candle. We were hoping for a little better recognition like his own desert even if just a scoop of ice cream. All in all we will be back but we will ask more questions and ask for low salt.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
The pork belly appetizer was amazing! The lasagna was the best I've ever had, and ruined me for all other lasagnas! The citrus cream puff for dessert was so good, and the perfect end to an amazing meal! Definitely Michelin material
I've been coming to ember for over 6 years and love this place! Pizzas are extraordinary, the brick chicken is moist and flavorful. I've been to Chez Panisse and the taste at Ember is much better.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place came highly recommended by our friends who frequent Ember anytime they're in town. Everything about our time here was amazing! Upon arriving we were greeted by the hosting staff. They were very welcoming and friendly. We were seated promptly, with a reservation of course. Which I highly recommend you make one because as soon as the doors open the seats are full! Our waiter was very pleasant and knew the menu well. We ordered drinks and I had asked for mine to be made a specific way... ( lemon drop- extra sour) and it was perfectly made! Kudos to the bartender in knowing exactly what I wanted this to taste like. The husband went with an old fashioned and said it was one of the best he'd had. On to the entrees. Definitely had to order the 50 layer lasagne because why not?! Nice freshly made thin sheets of pasta layered with a delicious bolognese tomato sugo and creamy prosciutto béchamel sauce. It sounds rich, but because the pasta is so thin it isn't. I ate the entire thing and I NEVER finish my entree at dinner (always saving room for dessert) but I could not stop eating it. Also got the New York steak which came with broccolini and scalloped potatoes, the husband loved it. We had to end the meal with the cocoa cake. This and the lasagne were the highlight of the meal. The cake is topped with vanilla ice cream and giant toasted house made marshmallow. We also ate the entire thing leaving no crumbs behind. Ember sits very high on my list of great places to dine at. The ambience is great, the food is great and the staff is great! You can't go wrong. Cannot say enough good things about this place, and I cannot wait to go back!
Such great food - EVERY Time! Great service too. Menu has new items regularly. One of my favorite places for special occasions.
Outstanding and different twist on a Clam Spaghetti. Flavors of lemon peppers and artichokes. Subtlety flavored with a piquant tang in the mildest of cream sauces. Outstanding. Service was excellent ambiance on point.
I've been a serious fan and patron of Ember for many years. We typically dine there a minimum of once per month and have for many years. Tonight however was a disappointing experience. My husband always orders the ribeye. Tonight he received a ribeye with only the center and the cap trimmed off :-o Sacrilege! My pasta dish was unfortunately disappointing as well. It was so heavily salted I had to send it back. Something I rarely do at any venue. I know there will be growing pains with new ownership, particularly with a menu that changes monthly/seasonally. I hope they figure it out soon. I've always looked forward to meals at Ember and this is the first in all my years dining here that was a less than stellar.
I know the marshmallow dessert is very hyped here, but it's for good reason. It's the best dessert I've ever had in my life. Drinks are amazing too, my favorite is the Ron Swanson. Food is amazing, always.