Lone Pine — Restaurant in Carmel

Visited shortly after they updated their menu based on recent feedback and had an absolutely incredible meal. Our server, Rebecca, provided a fantastic overview of the concept and the menu and was attentive without being overbearing. Aaron, Mya, Nick and Josh were also lovely and very welcoming!

We started with the meatballs (made from ground steak trimmings, superb flavor) and hummus and naan. The hummus was incredible! Very silky with a lovely olive medley on top. We ended up adding a squeeze of lemon wedge halfway through from one of our cocktails and it made the garlic sing - 10/10.

We got a special for the second round - braised beef cheeks with polenta and house-made giardiniera. Absolutely no notes - perfectly composed bites, beautiful plating, impeccable execution. Easily one of the best dishes I or my partner have had this year.

Split a Caesar salad - excellent flavor and really enjoyed the lemon-zested breadcrumbs, which provided a more consistent crunch than croutons.

For mains, we had the steak au poivre (8 oz strip, med. rare, cooked perfectly and sliced so it was both easier to eat and confirmed to be perfect before serving - love it!) and the Icelandic cod, as well as a flight of all their sauces. The chimichurri, Old Bay beurre blanc, smoked horseradish and black garlic aioli were all standouts. The au poivre had a beautiful texture but could’ve had a bit more pepper for my palate, and the Lone Pine red wine demiglace was delicious but not my usual speed. The fries were excellent - crispy, well-seasoned and just thick enough.

The beverages were all excellent - we had three well-made classics and two glasses of Fableist Cabernet. While we weren’t feeling a bottle, the wine list was beautifully curated. I’d expect nothing less from the wine brain behind Beholder, but it’s really refreshing to visit a steakhouse that appreciates old-world reds to this degree.

Really my only critique was that the lighting was a little weird - it felt bright given the rest of the vibe, which was definitely cozy, but the overhead lights were a little bright and a little too white and it made it feel a little too sterile.

This is definitely an ambitious concept, particularly for Carmel, but the staff is passionately and has clearly been receptive to feedback. We had a great experience and it feels like they very much have their feet under them; if you’ve been waiting to try them,...

This is my first 1 star review, so I don't give it lightly. I try to look for the good in any operation. However, Lone Pine let my group of 6 down in almost every way you can. Service: Service was almost non-existent. A 3 hour dinner for a 3 course meal from a prix fix menu (Devour) was the absolute limit of my patience. The waitress was nice and friendly when she was around. The food for each course came out at random times and not everyone was served, so we were left in this super awkward situation where we didn't want to start eating because there were people without food, but after 20 minutes, we still hadn't received some items. These items then came later, with the entrees, when we didn't want them. Each phase of the meal took way too long. It even took us 20 minutes to ask for the check because our waitress wasn't around and then another 10 for her to bring the checks. Mind you the place looked well staffed and less than busy, so unclear if she was overloaded. Food/Drink: The food, for its price, was a let down. If I compare it to other area restaurants where I spend $100/pp (tip included), it falls dramatically short. 4 of the 6 ordered off the Devour menu and the entrees included steak frites, filets, and salmon. My partner's and my steak was cooked right from a doneness perspective, but were lukewarm temperature when served. My drink (a simple tequila, soda, lime) was served with barely any ice, like it had been sitting for 30 (which I can believe because our service was so slow). Ambiance: Lone Pine had a great atmosphere, similar to a cozy, nice steakhouse. This would have been great had it not been for the items above. One note: The lights were flickering in and out all evening, I don't think this was intentional, but if it was, it was off putting. In summary: For $100/pp 3 course dinner, I expected better food and service. If this had been a less expensive restaurant, I may have raised my rating simply because I don't have as great of expectation of good service or food. I write all this in the hopes that Lone Pine management reads this and makes some changes, not to put them down. This idea, Lone Pine, has good bones, but...

One star because our Server Shawn was great, this review is not a reflection of him.

The wine list is incredibly over priced. Anthony’s has the same bottle of Ridge Montebello 2020 (a premium Cali cab blend) about $200 cheaper than the same bottle of wine on the list here. My issue is we ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir- it was ok…retails for about $40 but their bottle price was over $100. They def did not do basic market research on how to appropriately price their wines. An over 2x markup for a $40 bottle is ridiculous…and there are several different bottles that cost $40 (in Oregon ) that are good, and would have had no issue paying $100 at a restaurant to enjoy.

The steaks…this might be a personal preference but my $74 ribeye should be cooked to perfection and come out NOT chopped like a caveman. I’d like to be able to carve through it and enjoy it. Also the “red wine Demi glaze” tastes like it was made from a store bought brown gravy packet…had no flavor and certainly no red wine flavor.

Everything needed salt.

Their appetizer selection leaves much to be desired, so we order the mussels entree as an appetizer- it came out with a tablespoon of broth in the bottom of a very shallow bowl. It’s almost like they’ve never eaten mussels before…also the broth that was available lacked salt.

The tiramisu’s lady fingers were still crunchy?

Overall, our meal ended at about $400…would have much preferred Anthony’s or Peterson’s… hopefully they work out the kinks, but it was def not the culinary experience we...