Ronin Restaurant — Restaurant in Bryan

A great find. Truly so much good to say about the experience at Ronin.

THE HIGHLIGHTS – great and inventive food in a southern farm-to-table style, meticulously well-curated atmosphere, exceptionally warm staff, and a beverage list that wowed at every turn.

Traveling for work in Bryan-College Station, I didn't have any sense of what I might find, but Ronin Restaurant at The Ice House on Main is the kind of spot that you want to be able to dine at in every community that you visit. Whether in the American South, the American West, or near a major metropolitan center like New York or DC, Ronin would still feel like home.

The staff at Ronin was exceptionally accommodating, finding us seating for a party of four on short notice, and take care to recognize both an extreme shellfish allergy and an extreme tree nut allergy among our party. What's more, I came to find that the woman on the telephone and at the host stand was one of the restaurant owners.

It was quite clear that every detail of the customer experience was thoroughly considered. From the table setting (communal seating at long rustic tables), to the glassware, to the bathroom fixtures, and the decor that adorned the bar area – everything had a purpose, and was made to fit together.

The food was inventive, with a flare toward the southern style that is a fabric of the locale. We were informed that all produce was sourced from the Ronin Farm, in Bryan, TX, and any items not available through the farm were sourced from other providers from throughout Texas.

PRO TIP - if you're with a group, order several items off the menu, and share! This cuisine certainly lends to the tapas-style dining that one might find in Europe or elsewhere...

The highlight of the dinner for me was the well-curated list of wines available. An apertif of neat vermouth to start, followed by a sparkling rosé from Greece, followed by a sauvignon blanc from France's Loire Valley, followed by a bright Grüner Veltliner from Austria, and finishing with a beautiful Tokaji from Hungary. Kudos to the staff on selecting a portfolio of wines that is at once a compliment to the cuisine at Ronin, while also offering a broad opportunity for diners to discover some of the world's most beloved wine styles.

So if you're within driving distance, GO! Take your time, and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere, cuisine, and beverages available at Ronin Restaurant...

We have done takeout since the virus apocalypse started. Their takeout menu is great, based on our 4 orders so far. Of the 4, the burger was the least favorite. It was wonderfully constructed and full of flavor, but didnt abide the box trip home that well. We have also tried the meat loaf, the beef bourgignon, and the shepherds pie, the latter two order in "Family" portions. All three of these were spectacular, probably the best takeout we have ever had from anywhere at any time. You really felt like you had had a serious restaurant experience with these. The Family portions easily make 3 meals or maybe 4 portions. The Bourgignon is to die for, ..oops, not good choice of words....comes with excellent crisp roasted potatoes. Minor quibbles: Be sure to ask for ANY salad to be packed separately. The salad that comes with the meat loaf suffered by being up against the hot meat portion. The reduced staff during Covid makes the curbside service a bit slow. We had to wait 12 min after the designated 7PM pickup. And our order for cookie dough, which is great by the way, once got converted to actual cookies, which were wonderful but were all piled together hot out of the oven and ended up as an inseparable block. In contrast, the dough can be converted into cookies in your own oven and to your own portion desires, and they are scrumptious.

Bottom line: Give this place a try. They know what they are doing and they are locovarian to a great extent.

PS- the location in Bryan is on a major street and it is advisable to pull up into the driveway at the north corner and then call them to tell them that you...

Super disappointing. The food was subpar... burnt eggplant, husband had a salt bomb in the chicken fried steak, friend had a pork taco that was 95% fat... she had to send it back. Friend hates mushrooms but because the menu didn't mention it, her dish had mushrooms.

Cocktails are delicious, expensive and take a loooong time but good. Appetizers were good too except the raclette toast was burned and more tomato jam than there was bread, cheese, or the plate needed.

It was my birthday dinner and I typed that in the reservation, but the service was so bad and zero acknowledgement of the special occasion. Waiter only came to deliver food and never checked on us. Husband missed beer he ordered and only got it when I brought it to the waiters attention after everyone had their drinks for a while and he waited 5 minutes just to get water. A lot of the staff were just standing around, because the restaurant was not busy that night.. There were at least 5 to 6 either hostesses or servers that were just standing around talking and we would have ordered so many more drinks if someone had just checked on us.

Overall it's just really lackluster for how much you spend, ambiance is amazing but staff ruin the vibe because they act like they have better things to do, food and drinks taking exorbitant amounts of time to get to you and the service has been hit-or-miss. Hate having to write negative reviews because I want the area to flourish with local businesses... sad to say I'll probably...