THE RANCH Restaurant — Restaurant in Anaheim

I’m rewriting my previous review because I wrote it from a broken heart. The sadness has begun to subside and I can admit when I say or do something wrong. I said some things I didn’t totally mean, I was speaking from total devastation.

I’ve called this place home for nearly 10 years. I’ve celebrated so much of my life here, built incredible friendships and made countless memories. However in the last two years, changes to management and suddenly enforcement of rules with no warning and no grace have turned this into a cold, cruel place. Everyone who cared about customers and who wanted to provide customer service that would bring people back again and again have been fired or have left because of all the changes. The regulars have left in droves.

I attempted to celebrate my birthday here with my friends from church and from the dance community on Friday, Aug 9. Someone I considered a friend quickly and aggressively approached me to take down my decorations and when I referenced my many other parties and other peoples’ parties that have had decorations I was gaslit about my recollection being inaccurate. I have photos to prove my point. The manager, Alfredo, came over and aggressively “handled” the situation and offered me the opportunity to leave if I was so unhappy with the rules. An opportunity I certainly wanted to take but I had nearly 30 people on their way. I felt backed into a corner and fought back tears as best I could. I cried 3 different times throughout the night because of the harassment from Alfredo and security.

If the rules are suddenly enforced, fine. But have some GRACE and understand the experience from our side. We’ve been used to things happening a certain way and if you fired people because of it, just let us know what to expect. Educate us, don’t come AT us. Alfredo is aggressive and intimidating. As a woman, I became fearful of him every time he approached my group, and it happened frequently. A friend finally asked him to please leave me alone because she witnessed his actions and words towards me all night. Whether we were standing in the wrong place near our table in a section of the restaurant that was COMPLETELY empty or too many people were ordering food from our table or being told all the things I’ve done there for years are no longer acceptable, we were under constant scrutiny. I was humiliated in front of my friends every time he’d come over to address things. Rather than pull me aside he’d be a tough guy towards me and again and again back me into a corner to the point of feeling intimidated and unsafe by his bulging eyes and flaring nostrils.

As a woman, being under constant surveillance by 5-6 grown men who watched my every move made me EXTREMELY uncomfortable and completely unsafe. This used to be an extension of my home, of my family but I was treated like a criminal. I’d cringe every time I’d look over and see security and management literally watching my every move. I grew up in a law enforcement home and was taught to always be hyper aware of my surroundings and I was hyper aware of how many men were constantly watching me. It was very disturbing.

I used to defend this place and I have tried bringing in new people to help regrow the community. This place means A LOT to me and to the people who have been loyal patrons. It’s brought so much life to us and to be treated so poorly is truly heartbreaking. I decided that night, before I got banned…something I had to find out through a third party because they don’t have the decency to spare me further humiliation…that I will not be coming back to support this place. There are many other places around that don’t police FUN quite as much. Of course rules are needed for the dance floor to keep people safe but the other “rules” are drastically changing the warm, welcoming culture this place once was. Be careful where you decide to spend your hard...

My father and I visited THE RANCH for the first time about a week ago as we were in town from NorCal for a local convention, and we both can say that it's firmly situated amongst the best culinary experiences we've ever had!! I've been to probably a dozen or so Michelin starred restaurants around the world, and I can say that this place is on par (if not better) than a majority of those. THE RANCH is now on my list of must-visits whenever I visit SoCal - it's THAT good!

TL;DR: THE RANCH is Michelin quality food and service, without the pretentiousness and at a very reasonable price for the quality. I can't recommend this place enough, just go!

FOOD The food was simply to die for! We had not eaten much throughout the day in anticipation for this meal, and we were not disappointed! To start, we enjoyed 3 appetizers - the Robbins Island Tasmanian Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, the Country Fried Texas Quail, and a Spinach & Pear Salad from the farm menu (I don't recall the precise name of it), preceded by a Salmon Tartare amuse-bouche. The salmon was very fresh and flavorful, with a hint of wasabi (I very much dislike wasabi, but I absolutely loved it in this dish). The Carpaccio was bursting with flavor, and the Quail was probably the most tender fried poultry I've had in a long time (the breading was very flavorful, and the bed of potato salad added a really nice balance to the dish). I didn't have too much of the salad since my dad was enjoying it too much to share! For our main dishes, I ordered the "24-Hour Braised Cape Grim Grass-Fed Beef Short Rib" and my dad got the "Certified Sustainable Chilean Sea Bass" along with Scalloped Potatoes on the side. The Short Rib was probably the BEST I'd ever had - super tender and flavorful, and the Cabernet Jus was very well-balanced (not overwhelmingly salty like many other places I've tried). I didn't get a chance to try the sea bass, but from how quickly it was devoured, I can say with certainty that it was just as tasty. The scalloped potatoes were also a highlight - perfectly cooked with the right amount of cheesiness. For dessert, we had a crème brulee and a scoop of popcorn ice cream - yes, popcorn. The crème brulee was very good, but the ice cream was what stole the show for me (and I'm lactose intolerant!). I would literally go back there just to have that ice cream again!

SERVICE The service and hospitality were 5 stars throughout the entire meal. We were warmly greeted and seated by Sten (who I assume is one of the managers of the establishment). Our waitress, Tina, was also super friendly and attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu. She walked us through the two different menus (the standard menu and the Farm menu) and pointed out the chef's specialties. Our glasses never ran empty (one of my personal barometers for service) - and we were checked on numerous times throughout the meal (without it seeming intrusive).

DÉCOR The décor was very consistent with the RANCH theme. Leather belts lined the walls, with wood ceilings and finishes throughout the restaurant. Everything was very elegant and cohesive - a generally relaxing vibe overall - I'd say upscale, but still a nice casual feel. I noticed the tables and booths/seats were all very well taken care of (seems like the restaurant just opened yesterday!). It was rather loud in the restaurant, but once we were in the booth, it was actually relatively quiet. I applaud whoever designed the acoustics, I noticed some sound-dampening material on the walls and the ceilings - it's very easy to have conversations within the booths - and the booths felt rather private as well (with high dividers). The restaurant seems to be perfect for date night, business dinners, as well as larger groups (they have long tables and at least one...

I was in Anaheim working a gig at the convention center, & figured that rather than patronize the usual chain of steak places one always finds in the convention corridor in most cities, I wanted to try a local place. The reviews for the Ranch were outstanding, (except for the party bus people that got turned away.) So, hopes were high for a good steak dinner with my buddy of 40 plus years who lives in the OC. I gave them a call, & I was told that there was a $25 no show reservation charge, but was assured that, depending on the the circumstances, the charge wouldn't be applied if an emergency situation occured. I was fine with that, & gave them my credit card number. We were greeted & seated by Kiara, a gracious young lady who chatted to us about her love of guitars. Being a couple of old rockers ourselves, we offered some advice for her first electric guitar purchase. Joe was our server. He was prompt, & attentive, describing the specials, & asking us about drinks &/or wine. I asked him about the size of the shrimp in the shrimp cocktail, ($28), & he seemed confused when I asked him if they were U12 or U15. (These numbers reference how many shrimp equal 1lb, so, the smaller the number, the larger the shrimp). He went to the kitchen to ask the chef about the size, & returned with the news. "U15 is the size", he said. OK, so for the apps we ordered the shrimp cocktail, & the escargot. The warm bread was delicious & creatively presented. When the apps arrived, I immediately took note of the size of the shrimp. They had obviously been peeled before cooking, as they were curled up & shrunken. The flavor was that of a farmed shrimp from Asia, like the grocery stores carry. They were also overcooked. Wild caught green shrimp should've been the chef's call here, but sorry, nope. The cocktail sauce featured Atomic brand horseradish, which is the best there is, so that was a consolation. The escargots, ($28), were served with a delicious garlic butter & baguette toast. This dish was perfect! We split the aged 40oz Delmonico steak for the entree, & this is where the real disappointment set in. I asked Joe how they cooked the steaks because I prefer a char broiled steak. I told Joe that I wanted my steak with some char on it. He told me that they could put some char to it, but that the steaks were done sous vide style. This is where the steak is put in a plastic bag & slow cooked at low temperature for a long period of time. In theory it's a great concept. I've done it many times, but in order to get the steak done properly, one has to undercook it for the sous vide process, then sear it to bring it up to the desired doneness, in our case medium rare. FAIL! The steak came out looking like it was boiled. There was absolutely no char or brown sear to it at all. On top of that, it was medium, not medium rare. I mentioned this to Joe, who asked me what could be done to make things right. I quietly said "nothing" for a couple of reasons. I had been in the restaurant business for over 25 years when I was younger, & I know how these things work. 1. I didn't have the time to make a fuss over my dissatisfaction, & 2. I simply don't believe in sending my food back unless the situation is beyond ridiculous. It's just my personal policy. We still enjoyed the conversation, ambiance, & the fries that came with the steak. We also ate almost all of the steak. It was nicely aged, & had flavor, it just fell short of our expectations. When I'm paying top dollar for a meal, I hold that meal experience to higher standards. The Ranch failed to meet those standards, & will not be on my list when friends & associates ask me where to get a great...