The Hero Ranch Kitchen — Restaurant in Saratoga

This review is for a server name: Gabriela M, I came in with my son who’s 15 months and we asked to sit inside (as I had made reservations for inside for 2), when I arrive I had asked the hostess to please have a high chair ready for me when she seats us— the issue started when I asked for a high chair 3 times, which took about 8-10 mins while I’m just standing next our table waiting, asked Gabriela if she can bring me a high again or atleast follow up with the hostess, she replied with a bit of a attitude saying “the hostess is getting you one” not even let me find out why your high chair is taking very long. Fast forward to now we’re finally sitting down after a long 10 mins of waiting for a high class, My son is trained to eat with a fork and spoon, as I was giving Gabriela his plate, as she was leaving she grabbed my son’s fork out of his hand VERY aggressively, which I did not appreciate what so ever, it is NOT OK to touch or grab guests kids items out of their hands without the parents permission (this is common sense), if she need the fork back, she needs to ask me to grab it. My son started crying and at this point I was very frustrated with Gabriela, i told her how unprofessional she was and if they had plastic utensils for kids and she said no— so you’re tell me if guest had a “to-go” order, they don’t provide their guest with plastic utensils? I’ve never been to a restaurant that doesn’t have plastic utensils for kids, unless she was lying. After that experience, my whole mood was off and I just ended up not ordering dinner and ended with finishing up my appetizers and asked for my check!

Again, it is NOT ok for servers to touch and grab items out of guests children’s hands, YOU NEED TO ASK THE PARENTS for permission or ask the parents to grab it for you. I’m still a bit confused to why she thought it was OK to grab it out of his hand when he was using it to eat food? This kind of behavior is never ok, i didn’t make a scene at the spot but had told her what she did was not ok! After that she switched up her bad attitude and was trying to be nice, but I was just very upset, I just wanted to leave. Me and husband atleast came here once a week and after this unfortunate situation from Gabriela I don’t feel comfortable coming back, as this serve doesn’t have a lot of manners.

I would like the manager to please reach out to me so I can discuss this matter more in depth, also I had brought my son’s stroller with me- the hostess told me I can bring it inside and place it in a corner, and after 10 mins Gabriela told me I couldn’t put it in a corner— it was just so much drama, it just seems like this place just doesn’t like kids or aren’t really prepared to deal with small kids. This is something they need to work on or they will...

🥃i am amazed by this cool place called: The Hero Ranch Kitchen, tucked away in Saratoga. It's the sister restaurant of Flowers Saratoga, but unlike the Michelin-style Flowers, this place offers a casual farm-style fusion of French and Italian cuisine, at a lower price point. Plus, it's conveniently located! Half of the seating area is outdoors, showcasing a charming farm ambiance that lets you savor the open-air atmosphere. I've been there once with friends after a shooting session, and now on my second visit, I'm sure it will be a different yet equally rewarding experience.

🥃The restaurant is famous for its small plates, perfect for sharing among a group of friends. My companion and I tried two appetizers, two main courses, and enjoyed three drinks. Since I don't drink alcohol, I was glad they offered mocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails, too! 🍹

🥃Appetizers:

🥂Rack of Lamb: $28. This dish is a highlight and a must-try for friends. It's definitely a main course-sized portion and can be enjoyed as such. It's seasoned with a special lemon tomato sauce and unique spices!

🥂Grilled Mexican Street Corn: $10. This dish is incredibly appetizing and delicious. The portion size is not too big, making it highly recommended!

🥃Main courses:

🥂Cowboy Ribeye with Lobster Tail: $68. I chose this dish as it was a special offering for the day, a seasonal item. Since my friend really wanted to try it, we decided to order it. The lobster tail was incredibly tender, and the ribeye was cooked to perfection. However, I didn't find it particularly outstanding. I can only say that for the price, the combination of lobster and ribeye was definitely worth it!

🥂Seafood Dumpling Pasta: $32. I particularly loved the Italian-style dumpling pasta, paired with crab paste. It was a delightful experience to chew on it. However, it was a bit heavy on carbs. Otherwise, I could have easily devoured two bowls myself!

🥃Parking is available on the street, and there are a few small parking lots in the first few blocks, although they require a short walk.

🥃The total bill for two people came to just over $200, including tips and gratuity, averaging $100 per person. If you enjoy fine dining, I recommend gathering a group of three to five friends, sipping on some cocktails, and enjoying a wonderful...

I can't believe my experience at Hero Ranch Kitchen (HRK) was so-so. FRI/SAT reservations at HRK using Open Table were weeks out. I used a handy tool on Open Table to alert me if a table opened up and BAM...a 7:45pm SEP 2022, table opened up and I jumped at the chance to finally eat at HRK. Reservations require a credit card hold, which was a bit surprising. If one cancelled their reservation within a day of the reservation a fee was charged about $30. Ok, onto the experience...

Parking Arrival Environment

Parking sucked. I thought Valley Fair / Santana Row was a nightmare holy wow! Plan 30 mins to find a parking and walk to the restaurant. Downtown Saratoga is in shambles. Sidewalks under construction and the parkletts are merely concrete k-rails between dining tables and the roadway.

HRK

Our HRK host was great. He seated us right away and our server Mitchell greeted our table for two promptly. Mitchell was fabulous; attentive, personable, conversational and knowledgeable of the menu, its ingredients and philosophy of the HRK. I came for the signature old fashion cocktail-HRK didn't have the ingredients to make a batch. My second cocktail alternative was also unavailable. I settled for a Hi-Lo which was tequila based and sour-I didn't care for it. My wife had a yuzu cocktail which she liked. We also had a bottle of Goldeneye Pinot which is offered at retail price (no corkage fee either here!!) Dinner consisted of chicken marsala and a rib eye steak. The marsala was served with a bone-in chicken portion with a tasty rich sauce and mashed potatoes. My rib eye was a good portion, cooked perfectly and tasty. The dish was served with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. The scalloped potatoes were a little gummy and had to be cut with a knife to portion off. Dessert was the butter cake coupled with an espresso martini. The butter cake was good the martini so-so. I ordered coffee with cream which wasn't available and settled for an americano which was good. Overall, hesitant to say, my food experience was filled with alternative menu choices which didn't excite me. The food was good, not exciting and the service great but overall, I'll have to give HRK another try before...