Mission Ranch Restaurant — Restaurant in Monterey

"Lousy service and food was terrible." That's what I would say if I were actually seated and ate here. Instead, all I got is lousy service and the run-around for TRYING to dine here. The hostess said there would be a 1-hour wait but that if I sit at the bar then I could eat right away. She even "confirms" there are available seats there but that I would have to eat at the bar. So stupidly and without guidance, I sit by the piano, which has the open space that I thought the hostess referred to because the bar-bar had no space. This would turn out to be the wrong part of the bar and doesn't serve food. I sit there for 15 minutes, wondering what is going on. No service. No wait staff. No one checks on me. Nada. Finally, the hostess walks past. I stop her and ask when the food is coming. Note that at this point, the sarcasm is so raw and teeming in my voice and body language, there's no mistaking the subtext: you wanna actually do you job and serve your customers rather than make them look stupid?

That's when she tells they don't serve food where I sit. What the heck? You could have said that before I sat down for 15 minutes and looked like a ninny. Thank you for wasting my time. Flabbergasted, I am about to walk out on the terrible service. Instead, I decide to give the other hostess (there are two) another chance by going back to the reception area. I ask how do I order food in the area that I had been sitting in because I had been waiting for a while. (I already know why and was playing dumb, just to see what she would say.) She said that that area is just for waiting and that the other bar area is to serve food. No apologies for wasting my time. Nothing. Instead, she tells me that there's an open space at the bar that I could take. I thought that I might have lucked out this time. There isn't. Once again, I find out the seat is taken. Had the hostess bothered to actually check, she would know. Instead, I had to do her job for her. Two hostesses with no confirmation that the seat is actually open by talking to the guests adjacent to the seat (just a visual check) = FAIL. I had to do their job for them.

Am I miffed? Nope. Try perturbed, frustrated. Infuriated. Add a dash of aggravated. Vexed. And a side of irritated. Also, see agitated. I left. Why am I so mad? Oh, that's right. I just drove over an hour to get down there, only to be treated like crap. Now I have to drive an hour to get home.

To be fair, the wait time is that long for all other guests (Yes, I eavesdropped on conversations the hostess had with other guests to make sure they are telling the truth.) Still, given that the Mission Ranch makes all its customers wait that long, you would think the Mission Ranch would have the experience to deal with this situation by now. Instead, all I got was a dose of frustration and treated like they don't even value my business.

I've been to other restaurants that were super busy and still treated FAR better than the staff at the Mission Ranch. Been to one in Carmel where the host apologized profusely after telling me that the seat he was about to give me was just given away by the other hostess. I got at least a complimentary cappuccino and sparkling water. Nothing here at the Mission Ranch. This is bad on so...

A Longtime Favorite, But Disappointed on a Special Night. I’ve been coming to Mission Ranch my entire life—since before I was born. My family has celebrated many special occasions here over the years, and I’ve always dreamed of getting married at this beautiful property someday. That’s why it’s so difficult to rewrite my original five-star review after such a disappointing experience on my parents’ 47th wedding anniversary.

We arrived right at opening in hopes of getting a window or outdoor table to enjoy the views. Unfortunately, the service from the start was cold and unwelcoming. The host manager—a tall, older woman with curly blonde hair—greeted us with no smile or warmth. The young woman who seated us was even less professional: very thin, with blonde highlights and dark roots in a ponytail, visibly irritated and disengaged. She moved around the room with a slouched, stomping walk, rolling her eyes and speaking inappropriately with fellow staff. She told us there would be a 1 1/2 hour wait for a window table or 45 minutes for outdoor seating.

Sadly, our server wasn’t much better. She wasn’t rude, but the service was awkward and uncomfortable. She lingered at the table and made oddly expressive comments that made us feel rushed, like she expected us to order more quickly or keep the pace moving. Two drinks were forgotten and had to be reminded. Overall, the tone of service was not warm or celebratory, and it stood in stark contrast to what we’ve come to expect at Mission Ranch.

The food also missed the mark. My scallops were underwhelming, and every entrée came with the same undercooked broccoli. The steak was heavily covered with strong herb butter with oregano or tarragon. Most disappointing was watching several beautiful window-side tables sit empty while we were told they were reserved—only to see them filled later by other guests who arrived long after us.

There were a few positives: the bartenders were wonderful and attentive, and my “Pink Whale” cocktail was excellent. The live piano music in the bar remains a highlight, and the atmosphere in the bar area still carries some of the magic Mission Ranch is known for.

But the overall experience made it feel like the charm and polish of Mission Ranch has slipped—from a refined, upscale spot to something far more casual and disorganized. We even saw a guest who appeared unhoused seated at the bar and children running through the dining area, which added to the feeling that standards have changed.

I’m still hopeful. I want to continue bringing my family here for milestones, and I’d love for my next visit to change this review back closer...

We stayed at the Mission Ranch for the final 2 nights of a month long trip exploring the West and wanted to finish with a wee treat before our flight home from San Francisco to UK. We had booked one of the higher priced rooms, number 19, the second floor accommodation within the 3 Meadowview Triplex buildings.|When we got the keys on arrival we were told that if we lost a key it would cost us $30 to replace - charming! Our room was very nice, a good size and our balcony had a wonderful view over the field to the ocean. Yes other visitors have commented on the school playing field but we were fine with that. A couple of nice rocking chairs and table on the balcony were great and if we had not so much exploring to do could have just spent the whole time on that balcony for the duration. Reception had also informed us that cleaning staff would not be doing the rooms daily due to covid precautions unless we requested and we were fine with that but they could have at least dropped off more coffee sachets for the coffee facilities. We were still paying for these non existent services!|The restaurant was full when we went in and they would not take a reservation for the following evening inviting us to return at 3.00pm the next day when they take bookings then. We did get a table after asking at the bar and enjoyed a meal enjoying the piano playing and general ambience around the bar area.|We made a point of being around the next day and joined the queue at 3.00pm to book. After nearly 15 minutes the restaurant door opened and priority guests invited to step forward to book. No apologies for the tardiness were forthcoming. We got our table and had a perfectly pleasant final meal and I enjoyed my scallops. We had 2 breakfasts there too and found the breakfast staff very pleasant and the breakfasts fine.|The Wi-Fi stopped working in our room and when I inquired was told that this was due to a burst cable. On our departure after handing both our keys in we were happy to have our final invoice emailed but are still waiting for this over 2 weeks later. Basically this sums up most of the staff and the procedures here. Fantastic location but they lose marks on their attention to detail and could learn a lot from the 2 previous hotels we stayed in where the service and attention to detail was close to perfection at half the price. The Mission staff could learn a...