I hadn't been to the Ranch House in probably 20 years, since moving away. I had such fond memories of it, I asked a friend to go with me as I was going to be in town. I had raved to her about how great it was. What a disappointment. We both got the hanger steak, and although mine was good, hers was so tough she couldn't eat it. I shared mine with her. I must say the waitress offered to get her another one, but we declined primarily because we had waited so long to get our entrees, we didn't want to delay our dinner any further. And in my mind, I'm thinking, at a restaurant of this caliber, it shouldn't have been a question, she should have brought another steak. There were only two other parties of two there, and we felt like the time between the courses was too long. We had the three course, and were there three hours. And who was the guy repeatedly peering out the glass door at us? Strange. There's a piano, but no one playing, it's an electronic device sitting on the piano. Strange. The waitress tried, and she gave us a free dessert and took 10% off the bill, which we did not ask for nor expect, so kudos to her. Overall though, mediocre food and disappointing experience for the $$$.
John Hardham
Sad to say, was not impressed. It's been better in the past.
Matt MacLennan
Hidden old school gem! I had no idea it was an iconic Ojai spot that has been around forever. Had such a great dinner, the food (steak, gem salad) was amazing, and the staff were so great. Such a great property, too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
laynee
I love this place! It's a special place. I feel at peace when I go there. Last night, there were large parties so wasn't as sweet, comfy and quiet. Food is always plentiful and tasty. Staff are great to talk to. Sitting outside in nature is just awesome and a nice night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gustavo Gallardo
Went here for our anniversary and was pleasantly surprised by the entire experience. The staff was friendly and welcoming, the service was great, and the food was exceptional. Oh and the view, stunning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Efrain Cazares State Farm Agent
Nestled in the tranquil surroundings of Ojai, The Ranch House offers a dining experience that's as much about ambiance as it is about the food. The restaurant is set in a beautiful, lush garden, with twinkling lights and the soothing sound of water features, making it an ideal spot for a romantic dinner or a special occasion.
2024: When they redid the model to the 3-course or 5-course option years ago, they were more flexible with what you could choose. You can now only get one of each option. That maybe how it's supposed to be done, but it's not a popular dining arrangement anymore for the price you pay and food quality. I can remember how the food used to taste before the new owners took over and the restaurant is now horribly pathetic. The worst part is knowing that the food was prepared hours if not days before hand, and was reheated for your meal. Maybe the protein you picked will be freshly cooked, because everyone gets the same sides. Microwaved reheated mashed potatoes and veggies for everyone. The staff is doing what they can with the terrible business model, I don't want to give them a hard time for what they have to serve to people. I expect that they're used to the complaints and walk outs by this point. The koi fish are gone and the plants are dead and dieing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
--
What an incredibly disappointing experience! They only serve a prix fixe 3 or 5-course dinner, with no mention of this on their website or social media, likely because the food is terrible and overpriced. Even if you want to do a la carte for two, you’re only allowed to take the 5-course menu to split between 2.
First off, I was served warm white wine. Though they replaced it, they charged me for the second glass without informing me.
1)The pate was made of unknown meat, it’s not listed on the menu, probably because of its questionable origin. The bread was also not homemade and tasted store bought. 2) I ordered the watermelon salad with dressing on the side, but the dish came fully and overly dressed. 3) The portobello mushroom dish didn't have any portobello mushrooms. The waiter seemed surprised when I pointed it out, which is unacceptable. I don’t know if he was aware, or thought I wouldn’t notice, but it’s always customary to inform diners at the beginning of a meal if there are any substitions or lack of ingredients. 4) the scallop risotto was tasteless. 5) the dessert tasted store-bought. We ended up not finishing the food and, not wanting to waste it, took it home to feed the starters and mains to our dogs.
Overall, the service was slow, despite there being only two tables occupied. Even with a 10% discount, it didn't make up for the surprise billing of the second glass of wine. Their only selling point, based on their website, is the garden, but it looks unkempt and neglected, as if they can't afford a proper gardener. When we left, there was only 1 table, at peak dining hour on a weekend. Save your money. This place is best avoided.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
joshkai
Fake restaurant.
$75 for a three meal course. Food is undercooked, over salted, and not fresh. Dessert was okay. Bugs everywhere outside, there was a grasshopper next to my plate.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Chandler Magalhaes
Cannot express enough how amazing this place is! Got married here early May of 2024 and I couldn't have been happier with my decision. The food and drinks were amazing, the service was exceptional and atmosphere was everything we wanted and more. Kathy who handles events helped us every step of the way, and made everything so easy!
The service is excellent. The pate is fantastic. The rest of the food is good, though not very special...my feeling was that each dish was made by a chef who followed the recipe to a T, but did nothing interesting with it.The service was wonderful, truly felt welcome as a guest. Thank you!
Wheelchair accessibility: Easy accessibility via wheelchair for most tables
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Brittni Dye
This place was absolutely magical. Perfect place for rehearsal dinner event. The food was amazing and service was spectacular.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lollie Katz
Unseasoned, tepid main courses. Brussel sprouts were not well roasted or seasoned either Crème brûlée was right out of the refrigerator. Had to ask for coffee. Disappointing for sure and nit worth the cost.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Gordon White
Our belated Valentine dinner was soooo tasty (filet mignon and duck a'la orange were standouts) and the ambiance was special. The servers were attentive.
Very disappointed with both service and the sticker shock of the the prices. We had heard a lot of good reviews from people and were not impressed. For starters, our waiter came to our table only once to drop off our drinks and we waited over 30 mins for refills. After we placed our orders, we waited 30 minutes for appetizers and he brought the wrong order, which was the table next to us which had been sat 20 minutes after we were originally sat. We waited another 20 minutes for flatbread that came with our appetizer and it was cold. Our filet mignon's were cold and overcooked by the time we got them. We ordered medium rare and must've been almost well done. The filet mignon tasted like brisket and was so dry the meat was flaking. Lastly, the orange cake was burnt on the bottom and was the driest cake I have ever had.A $200 bill later because the waiter did not mention prices when it came to 3 or 5 course meals was a big surprise for the especially bad service we received.SAVE YOUR MONEY and go somewhere else.
I hadn't been to the Ranch House in probably 20 years, since moving away. I had such fond memories of it, I asked a friend to go with me as I was going to be in town. I had raved to her about how great it was. What a disappointment. We both got the hanger steak, and although mine was good, hers was so tough she couldn't eat it. I shared mine with her. I must say the waitress offered to get her another one, but we declined primarily because we had waited so long to get our entrees, we didn't want to delay our dinner any further. And in my mind, I'm thinking, at a restaurant of this caliber, it shouldn't have been a question, she should have brought another steak. There were only two other parties of two there, and we felt like the time between the courses was too long. We had the three course, and were there three hours. And who was the guy repeatedly peering out the glass door at us? Strange. There's a piano, but no one playing, it's an electronic device sitting on the piano. Strange. The waitress tried, and she gave us a free dessert and took 10% off the bill, which we did not ask for nor expect, so kudos to her. Overall though, mediocre food and disappointing experience for the $$$.
Sad to say, was not impressed. It's been better in the past.
Hidden old school gem! I had no idea it was an iconic Ojai spot that has been around forever. Had such a great dinner, the food (steak, gem salad) was amazing, and the staff were so great. Such a great property, too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this place! It's a special place. I feel at peace when I go there. Last night, there were large parties so wasn't as sweet, comfy and quiet. Food is always plentiful and tasty. Staff are great to talk to. Sitting outside in nature is just awesome and a nice night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went here for our anniversary and was pleasantly surprised by the entire experience. The staff was friendly and welcoming, the service was great, and the food was exceptional. Oh and the view, stunning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nestled in the tranquil surroundings of Ojai, The Ranch House offers a dining experience that's as much about ambiance as it is about the food. The restaurant is set in a beautiful, lush garden, with twinkling lights and the soothing sound of water features, making it an ideal spot for a romantic dinner or a special occasion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheesecake, Tuna Tartare, Flourless Chocolate Cake
2024: When they redid the model to the 3-course or 5-course option years ago, they were more flexible with what you could choose. You can now only get one of each option. That maybe how it's supposed to be done, but it's not a popular dining arrangement anymore for the price you pay and food quality. I can remember how the food used to taste before the new owners took over and the restaurant is now horribly pathetic.
The worst part is knowing that the food was prepared hours if not days before hand, and was reheated for your meal. Maybe the protein you picked will be freshly cooked, because everyone gets the same sides. Microwaved reheated mashed potatoes and veggies for everyone.
The staff is doing what they can with the terrible business model, I don't want to give them a hard time for what they have to serve to people. I expect that they're used to the complaints and walk outs by this point. The koi fish are gone and the plants are dead and dieing.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
What an incredibly disappointing experience! They only serve a prix fixe 3 or 5-course dinner, with no mention of this on their website or social media, likely because the food is terrible and overpriced. Even if you want to do a la carte for two, you’re only allowed to take the 5-course menu to split between 2.
First off, I was served warm white wine. Though they replaced it, they charged me for the second glass without informing me.
1)The pate was made of unknown meat, it’s not listed on the menu, probably because of its questionable origin. The bread was also not homemade and tasted store bought. 2) I ordered the watermelon salad with dressing on the side, but the dish came fully and overly dressed. 3) The portobello mushroom dish didn't have any portobello mushrooms. The waiter seemed surprised when I pointed it out, which is unacceptable. I don’t know if he was aware, or thought I wouldn’t notice, but it’s always customary to inform diners at the beginning of a meal if there are any substitions or lack of ingredients. 4) the scallop risotto was tasteless. 5) the dessert tasted store-bought. We ended up not finishing the food and, not wanting to waste it, took it home to feed the starters and mains to our dogs.
Overall, the service was slow, despite there being only two tables occupied. Even with a 10% discount, it didn't make up for the surprise billing of the second glass of wine. Their only selling point, based on their website, is the garden, but it looks unkempt and neglected, as if they can't afford a proper gardener. When we left, there was only 1 table, at peak dining hour on a weekend. Save your money. This place is best avoided.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Fake restaurant.
$75 for a three meal course. Food is undercooked, over salted, and not fresh. Dessert was okay. Bugs everywhere outside, there was a grasshopper next to my plate.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Cannot express enough how amazing this place is! Got married here early May of 2024 and I couldn't have been happier with my decision. The food and drinks were amazing, the service was exceptional and atmosphere was everything we wanted and more. Kathy who handles events helped us every step of the way, and made everything so easy!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The service is excellent. The pate is fantastic. The rest of the food is good, though not very special...my feeling was that each dish was made by a chef who followed the recipe to a T, but did nothing interesting with it.The service was wonderful, truly felt welcome as a guest. Thank you!
Wheelchair accessibility: Easy accessibility via wheelchair for most tables
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
This place was absolutely magical. Perfect place for rehearsal dinner event. The food was amazing and service was spectacular.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unseasoned, tepid main courses. Brussel sprouts were not well roasted or seasoned either Crème brûlée was right out of the refrigerator. Had to ask for coffee. Disappointing for sure and nit worth the cost.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 2
Our belated Valentine dinner was soooo tasty (filet mignon and duck a'la orange were standouts) and the ambiance was special. The servers were attentive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fresh Salad, Seafood Crab Cake
Very disappointed with both service and the sticker shock of the the prices. We had heard a lot of good reviews from people and were not impressed. For starters, our waiter came to our table only once to drop off our drinks and we waited over 30 mins for refills. After we placed our orders, we waited 30 minutes for appetizers and he brought the wrong order, which was the table next to us which had been sat 20 minutes after we were originally sat. We waited another 20 minutes for flatbread that came with our appetizer and it was cold. Our filet mignon's were cold and overcooked by the time we got them. We ordered medium rare and must've been almost well done. The filet mignon tasted like brisket and was so dry the meat was flaking. Lastly, the orange cake was burnt on the bottom and was the driest cake I have ever had.A $200 bill later because the waiter did not mention prices when it came to 3 or 5 course meals was a big surprise for the especially bad service we received.SAVE YOUR MONEY and go somewhere else.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
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