Idle Hour Winery & Kitchen ~ Queen's Inn & Wine Bar — Restaurant in Oakhurst

I wish I could rate Idle Hour higher than just 5 stars because they are just that exceptional!! My wife and I chose to host our dinner reception for our elopement on the patio and we couldn’t have made a better choice.

Jen was amazing to work with throughout the planning process and took the time to talk with us as we planned everything from Texas. She executed our vision perfectly and even provided linens for the tables and flowers that fit into our color scheme. She personally cut and served our wedding cake to our guests and provided a speaker so we could have music while we dined.

That was just the service. The FOOD was the star of the show!! Everyone raved about how amazing everything tasted. We had a grazing table set up for cocktail hour, then garden and Caesar salads, focaccia bread with butter and olives, then freshly grilled chicken, ribeye, and shrimp accompanied by asparagus, house made chimichurri, and smoked romesco for dinner. I cannot stress enough just how delectable all of it was. No one left hungry and I can also say that the leftovers were amazing as well!! We even went back a few days later to purchase a bottle of wine to save for our anniversary.

Whether you are in town visiting or looking for a lovely spot to host a private dinner, Idle...

Some local friends and I went to see the live band on a Saturday evening and enjoy dinner on the outside patio. It was so much fun! The Vince Warner band was great and the dinner was delicious! Honestly, being on the patio is such an experience in itself. It is so lovely with all of the trees surrounding you and the fresh mountain air to breathe in, while you enjoy your meal and the music. Lisa and Philip, the two bartenders, were both so sweet and make you feel like they've known you forever. I didn't meet Anna, one of the owners, but Deb, the other owner, is terrific! She has the greatest personality and it really does feel like family when you are there. I am not a wine drinker, but my friend loved her many glasses of wine! They had a great selection of beer, some of SLO's finest! We will definitely be going back many Saturday evenings...

We visited the restaurant for dinner to celebrate my husband's birthday. He ordered the ribeye, while I had the pasta with added shrimp. Unfortunately, the $40 ribeye was quite bland and lacked flavor, and the pasta was similarly underwhelming. The shrimp, however, were well-prepared with a pleasant garlic taste, though it felt like the sauce was missing something, perhaps the pasta itself wasn’t properly integrated.

Overall, it was a very expensive meal that didn’t live up to expectations. I was also under the impression that the restaurant offered riverside dining or a cozy atmosphere, but we were seated in what felt more like a backyard setting.

On a positive note, the service was good. Our server was clearly busy but still attentive and managed to take care of all the tables...