Rory's Place — Restaurant in Ojai

I'm torn with this place.

First the fire Marshal needs to visit this place because a bunch of people got stuck following exit signs which lead to a locked sidewalk. you have to go through the restaurant to get out ..so there is really only one exit in the whole restaurant. If there is a fire, people will literally die in this location especially if they are on the patio because there is no exit on the patio which is enclosed by buildings on all sides and a locked gate.

The food was very good but the menu was bizarre. It's like a place you go for a light nibble and lots of drinks. There are only a couple real entrees on the menu and none of the options or entrees that I've seen reviews of.

Our waitress who sat us seemed annoyed that we were breathing humans. She sat us inside at a 2 top table but unless you're the size of Jack Skelington, it's impossible to get to the long bench side without having to scooch a table over. Very difficult when they all have wine glasses on them. Also quite embarrassing... spacing so a human can fit would be great ...outdoor seating is the same unless you get a 4 top. It also makes it feel like you are sitting with a group instead just with whomever you are with.

We asked to move outside because the chair side (2 tops are a long bench then a chair opposite) had a bar behind it and a tiny walkway for servers and patron so the chair side kept getting bumped and having to stand up to let people through...super annoying

We get outside and then the appetizers were delivered to the inside... Awesome communication. Honestly the apps are skippable.

There are not many non-alcoholic drink options. There are no sodas of any sort, no iced tea even. They have hot tea and coffee which I didn't want with fish n chips (one of the few entrees with substance) so water it was.

Also they don't have salt or pepper in the restaurant which is bizarre as well.

Be prepared to wait a very long time for very little food.

The napkins were like little cleaning rags so if you get fish n chips get extra napkins. You'll get one heafty piece of breaded fish on a giant bowl of fries, you can't cut the fish because it flakes too much and gets lost in the fries so you have to pick it up.

The fish n chips was good, nothing that I would go back for. The chicken was good but also not worth going back for.

All in all of you're a local this would be a cool hang out and get a glass of wine kind of spot.

If you're a tourist with loads of time then this would be a good relaxing drink stop. Be prepared for the cramped seating though!

Knowing the chefs can produce tasty food makes me wonder why the restaurant seems to be in such an...

Wasted potential is one of the most frustrating things in the world. Rory's showed flashes of greatness, but every high high came with an equally low low. It's like an athlete who has all the tools to be great, but just can't get out of his own way.

Rory's was our first meal of our Ojai vacation, so we came in ready to have a NIGHT. We ordered a bottle of red wine and a round of individual cocktails. One of dem ones...

We paid $11 for what turned out to be a small cup of olives. $21 for a daily crudo that was a handful of mixed greens and maybe 4 pieces of fish. After these appetizers I was like "oh it's gonna be one of those meals where I gotta eat again after..."

But then, as if sent down from heaven, a HUGE basket of freshly cut well seasoned fries came. Some of the best fries I've had this year. Then came the tuna tartare that was on fresh bread with a MOUND of delicious tuna on top. The oysters went CRAZY too. The vibes were up again.

We put our entrees in, along with another basket of fries cuz we were BIG hungry. The little gem salad, chicken, and Hanger Steak were all fantastic. They use fresh, seasonal produce, seafood and livestock from Ojai and the surrounding areas AND IT SHOWS!

However, after we put our food orders in, we didn't see our waiter again until we had to find him and ask for the check. We would have spent another $200 on alcohol, but he went out for that metaphorical pack of cigs and never came back. The 2nd basket of fries never came. They added a 3% employee health fee which is just annoying.

We ended up going to the local grocery store and getting more wine and snacks.

The whole dining experience was like watching Ben Simmons play basketball. You just want to scream at the TV "YOU HAVE ALL THE TOOLS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST EVER," but you can't teach heart. You can't teach passion.

IG @jnov_ Tiktok...

I have had a few good meals here, One was outstanding last summer. So the 3rd visit this evening was horrendous. Our Server was clueless and not interactive at all, blah personality and missing any enthusiasm about menu, food, drinks or us!! She should not be front of house. So Our meal??? Subpar and disappointing! I know this is supposed to be shared courses. I came with a work colleague. So sharing was not going to happen. orders were put in wrong so the whole night one was eating one was just sitting there waiting. Totally disjointed and uncomfortable. We had to wait and wait just to ask a question server never once came and asked how anything was. When ordering, Server should ask how we want our courses would be a start.

Liver pate was mostly just a side of pickled vegetables ~ toast was cold, pate was blah. Hangar steak was delicious but a very small portion and just came with A LOT of sauce and needed salt. Other reviews i read said “foods too salty “ so maybe they cut back out of worry?? Then Salt should be on table. Sweet potatoes were just plain weird and flavor combinations wrong. French fries were good but served as a appetizer and not with my steak?? I even made a comment to the very clueless server when she cleared the fry plate “would of been nice to have those with my steak” that came at least 40 minutes later! She said nothing, not even sorry??? I had to ask where my steak was two times. Really a disastrous dining experience. Totally appalled about service and food was just not good. When we walked out, we both said we should of just gone for a burger. Sadly, Not...