Enjoyed a great bday dinner. The food was excellent. Jalapeño soup had a great flavor and mildly spicy. The swordfish was cooked perfectly but the sauce could've been more flavorful, I should've asked for some salsa or hot sauce. The Beef Ragu was unique and pieces of beef so tender they fell apart and paired perfectly with the burrata cheese and pappardelle. Had a couple glasses of Remington Tempranillo which is delicious. read more

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My family and I gave this restaurant a second chance after having had a "not so great" experience the first time. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment once again. I had the duck which was not only a miniscule portion of duck, it was overcooked and had lots of inedible gristle. The ragu dish was flavorless and the swordfish dish was dry. The quality of these dishes was not anywhere near a match for their cost. Also, the music is still too loud for dining which hampers the ambience. We will not return to this restaurant. The San Juan location has been a much better experience. We will possibly opt for that location in the future. read more

Lovely place. Good food. Stoped in for lunch. Pleasantly surprised by their wine, even bought a bottle of their Sauvignon from Washington. Their cob salad was great and fresh. (I asked them to toss it because they always do a better job than I) Overall good experience. Side note: afterwards cross the street for a yummy Gelato ;P read more

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Had a wonderful lunch here for a friends birthday. It was easy to make reservations and they were super great about splitting up the bill which can annoying for a big party. The food was great and I would absolutely come back to try out the dinner menu read more

What started as a disappointment during my appetizer experience quickly turned up the heat with an amazing fire-roasted mushroom truffle pizza that I just couldn't get enough of! I ordered two California reds off of the happy hour menu that were very good as well as a honey blond lager that I also enjoyed. If you are coming for drinks, vibes, and decent food, I recommend Rancho Capistrano Winery overall. I was the first customer to arrive upon opening today, Tuesday 1/7/25, and received outstanding and attentive service. Vibey music and a semi-casual to formal atmosphere made me feel comfortable even in my flip flops and shorts, but you can dress up all the same and not feel out of place for a date night out. My only disappointment was that the pork belly bites were overcooked and dry. The sauce was sticky and not an overly salty soy based glaze, although I would personally like a touch more sweetness. Some honey, and/or a spice kick like sriracha or something similar would really perfect the sauce. The tiny super crispy bits were good, but the majority of larger bites were dry and only passably edible due to the sauce. Definitely NOT the melt-in-my mouth pork belly experience I wanted and was expecting, with a mouthfeel similar to a high temperature, quickly cooked, pork chop. Thankfully, the pizza and drinks MORE than made up for it. I will definitely come back to check the quality of their other entrees, as the pizza was enough to make me curious about the rest of the menu. They just need to work on the cook of the pork belly bites to get them more moist and tender, and looking at a few other reviews, other customers seem to have similar critiques on them. read more

Rancho Capistrano Winery - Pork Belly - Wineries Near Me - Ladera Ranch, California

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If you choose to join this wine club good luck cancelling it. In person, we've tried twice to cancel and were promptly denied because the wine club person was, for the second time "... unavailable"; yet when you join that wine club this employee need not be there. It's now evident we'll have to contact the California Department of Consumer Affairs to straighten this out. read more

Kelly makes an evening at Rancho Capistrano Winery in Ladera Ranch an AMAZING event! From the moment she arrives at your table with her beautiful smile, the service is impeccable! The wine glasses are never empty and the delicious food is always perfect and delivered at the right moment!. The restaurant is great, Kelly makes it wonderful! read more

My mom and I came in for the first time and were pleased with the decor and overall vibe. We ordered the charred artichoke and pork belly bites appetizers. Both were absolutely amazing. The pork belly bites quite literally melted in our mouths. The service was quick and personable. Our waitress helped pick out wines that went best with the meals we ordered. I got the filet mignon special, which was amazing. My mom ordered the ribeye steak, which was 16 ounces and full of flavor. For dessert we got the whiskey butter cake, which was also outstanding. Can't wait to come back and try more menu items! read more

Rancho Capistrano Winery - Pork Belly - Wineries Near Me - Ladera Ranch, California

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This is a little late; sorry. We were there for Father's Day. Tried to make a reservation for mid afternoon because we wanted to have an early dinner but not brunch. The only thing available was 2:15. Since there is a 48 hr cancellation policy and a $50 charge to add or delete people, we attempted to contact the restaurant directly. After two days leaving messages, we gave up. When we finally got there, our attitude was less than stellar and definitely affected our brunch that we didn't want anyway. read more

Ambiance/atmosphere is not a place go or adults or couples. It like sitting in a cafeteria and being rushed your food. If you have a young family it's fine as it's very casual. Food is ok and like I said. This is a family banquet hall place in my opinion and not for adults looking to enjoy a night out. Note: my server was ending his shift at 8pm and it was evident in the approach as everything was rushed. My wife doesn't usually complain but this date night was a bust. So I'll reiterate; my recommendation for couples is to stay away from here. read more

I want to love this place so much.. I'm a member because its local..Wine is average and food the same. I'm in the restaurant business and I think its important to have passion for all aspects of the business. When ownership is dining nearby and they don't seem to have that passion, it speaks volumes. Don't judge a book by its cover. You never know who's dining in! read more

This restaurant turned out to be better than expected, but the ambiance of the place leaves much to be desired. We ate in the outer patio area, chairs and table suitable for large groups. Not much sunlight and very windy. Service was pretty good. Prices are reasonable, with appetizers, salads and entrees offering a great variety of choices. We chose the steak salad, with thin cut meat slices and spinach leaves amid grape and apple slices. The margherita pizza was also our choice, and this was quite tasty. Desserts are limited. We had sorbet and a chocolate orange sundae. $91 included drinks. Food quality seems to rate higher than the restaurant itself in terms of ambiance, as mentioned. My suggestion is to choose to eat inside, rather than patio-side. You may have a more enjoyable experience. read more

We love coming to this restaurant for the food and wine, and ambiance! It's a beautiful location in Ladera ranch with seasonal menu offerings- the Chinese chicken salad is my absolute fav paired with a cool glass of Balboa or Bougainvillea rosé *chefs kiss*. The staff is always friendly and quick to greet, especially Mirella- she has always been so friendly and welcoming, helped us get our member wine in a timely manner, and is just the sweetest! Great service. So happy this restaurant went into the previously empty space, it was needed and well appreciated! Try it out- you won't be disappointed! read more

Pit stop with the family on the way home. First time in the city. Everything we had for lunch was amazing. I had the senor ruben. The pastimi was fresh, moist and tasted great. Brussel sprouts were really good for appetizer. We sat outside in the nice patio area and received great service. Great lunch place for lunch! read more

Rancho Capistrano Winery - Señor Reuben - must try for all pastrami fans!! - Wineries Near Me - Ladera Ranch, California

Rancho Capistrano Winery is a gem! Not only was the food absolutely out of this world, but the staff went above and beyond to make our experience special. Our server, Nick, was hands-down the best server we've ever had--attentive, personable, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. He made spot-on recommendations and made us feel so welcome. A big shoutout also goes to Kelly, the front-of-house manager, who kept everything running smoothly and clearly cares about every guest's experience. She stopped by to check on us and had such a warm, genuine vibe that made us feel right at home. With an amazing team like Nick and Kelly, plus the incredible food and wine, Rancho Capistrano Winery is an absolute must-visit. Can't wait to come back! read more

Lovely spot for lunch with a large, dog-friendly patio! We walked the Oso Creek Trail in the morning with our dog and then stopped by Rancho Capistrano Winery for lunch (about a 10 minute drive). We were running earlier than our original reservation time, but it was easy to change it via Yelp. Staff was friendly, there was plenty of parking and outdoor seating, and the wine options were tasty. The price per glass is typical (~$15+) but bottles were pricey especially for non-members (~$45+). The wines were great though; we tried the Trabuco GSM, Matador Mourvèdre, and Catalina roussanne (I don't typically like white wine unless I see it labeled as "bold" or "full-bodied" which this was and it was surprisingly good). To eat, we ordered the spinach artichoke dip (our server said it was delicious and she was not wrong! but it needs to come with more bread), margarita pizza (my husband wasn't impressed, but we took it home and I reheated it in the air fryer and thought it was pretty tasty), and the blackened chicken club (not bad, but I wish it was more blackened and spicy and that the avocado wasn't chopped because most of it fell out of the sandwich). The fries were great though - they reminded me of a healthier version of McD fries (the best fast food fries IMHO). I wish they offered wine tasting with lunch or at least wine flights so that we could try more options. Also, although the service was friendly, it was a little slow (not a big deal though since it gave us time to enjoy our wine). Overall, we had a nice experience and would return or try their other locations. read more

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My husband and I loved dining here. We enjoyed happy hour and wine tasting with our meal. The Whiskey Bundt cake is a must try! We can't wait to go back. read more

Rancho Capistrano Winery - Delicious! - Wineries Near Me - Ladera Ranch, California

We've eaten here a dozen times and I've never thought to leave a review until tonight. The environment is just so welcoming and really a beautiful spot that you feel right at home, the service has been top notch every single time we go, wish I caught the waiters name tonight but he was great as always! The food is always incredible, my husband had the lamb chop and I had the chicken, absolutely delicious! I have no complaints, it truly is my favorite place to dine. read more

Had my birthday dinner here with a large group of family/friends. Setting up the reservation with Michelle was easy. The staff was very attentive and everyone in our party had nothing. But compliments for the server and staff. It was extremely busy with other parties and Saturday night dining. Thank you for making my birthday special. read more

Have been here and the San Juan location several times. Food is great- the Brussels sprouts are my favorite and the avocado crunch salad was filling. The wine is decent. Service in the restaurant is great, usually no wait. It's quiet enough for a nice dinner and being able to talk. Last time decided to get the dessert and the brownie was a little undercooked and ended up having stomach issues all night. Called the restaurant to let them know something was bad but never heard back. read more

Our group of ten went to Rancho Capistrano Winery in San Juan Capistrano for happy hour yesterday at 4:00 pm. They had the table on patio all set up of us when we arrived. The service was outstanding and the choice of appetizers were so good. We ordered the blackened soft tacos. Or friends ordered the flatbread and corn ribs. I can't begin to say they were the best we ever had. We will definitely be back every month for happy hour and will definately try their dinners. I highly recommend this place. read more

We joined the wine club and love sharing a bottle of red in their quiet beautifully decorated restaurant. On a beautiful day on the weekends it's great sitting on their patio listening to live music from local musicians. Loved the seabass, the burger and fries and both red wines we tried, sienna and El Capitan were wonderful. Good service as well. read more

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This is for the Ladera location to be clear.....Ok so what an evening!!! One of the worst, and weirdest experiences dining we have ever had. We stopped in on a Sunday early so it was fairly light in crowd. The restaurant itself is actually pretty with a nice covered outdoor area. The staff that sat us was personable enough and semi-attentive so all a plus. Here's where thnigs go off the rails. First off, my wife ordered the St. Patricks Day special corn beef with cabbage. She said it was good actually , but the cabbage was just a quarter head raw sat on the plate which she felt was a but weird. I ordered the Beef Rago short rib. Generic and way to heavy with an acidic or vinegar taste. Thus the food get a c plus. Now the the drinks.. apparantly this is a beer and wine only location which is fine. BUT, me and my wife each order off the specialty cocktail menu. I ordered the "Power nap" with the listed ingredients being "Vodka, Baileys, coffee, cream etc." When the drink came , it seemed way watered down and weak. I was going to chalk it up to just a poor bartender or a light pour and not say anything. Then the waitress who was working bar came around asking for round two. I asked what was on their bourbon list and she said they were only a beer and wine bar. I inquired if they were only beer and wine, how is there "vodka" in my drink and "tequila" in my wifes cocktail. She informed us they use Soju which is a lesser ABV and thus within their licensing. Ok.. fair enough. I asked then how is it the menu says Vodka and tequila. Her response was they are the same and their bottle even says vodka I explained they aren't even close and in fact seems a bit like a bait and switch for 17$ drinks. She finally agreed that they arent the same spirit, but the bottle said vodka so therefore they are the same( I think she likely meant the bottle said tequila unfused , or flavored) BUT THEY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT LIQUORS. I told her that explains why my drink tasted off and she said shes not had any complaints. About this time, the 17 year old kid sitting in the booth next to us who overheard the discussion said "hey, it says in small print on the bottom that all drinks are poured with Soju". I suppose that's the piece that allows them to wiggle out of what is nothing but false advertising. We sure didn't see it. I told the bartender, "why dont your owners simply change the ingredients on the menu to reflect accurately and clearly what are in the drinks. " her response is yeah I get it, Ill talk to them. Amazing. Then when we were leaving it dawned on me that Baileys was a spirt as well. I looked at the bar as we exited, sure enough no Bailey's, only Torani Baileys flavored syrup. WOWWW. My family has been in the bar business for years and that level of lack of training by bar staff, misrepresentation by ownership, and general confusion is simply not acceptable. I suppose the filet mignon on the menu is really only top sirloin, but hey the box said filet ..HUH. So buyer beware. We won't be back to any of the locations which is said as we are seeking new joints and have plenty of funds to share. PS cost our seasoned bartender a tip so she paid for the drinks indirectly. read more

I had my wedding rehearsal dinner here and wow the food and wine was sooo delicious!!! Working with Michele was easy - she was quick to respond to help plan the event. They let us bring floating candles, flowers and decor to decorate the room. Also, the staff was friendly and attentive and bottled the wine we didn't drink so we could take it home. Even 2 weeks after the event surprisingly the granache still tasted good! We plan to return! read more

We love Rancho Capistrano Winery, Ladera Ranch! The food is exquisite, the service is wonderful and the atmosphere is superb! We come here several times a month and are always happy with our experience. They have a really good menu and are always adding new things to keep it exciting. There are many gluten free options like pizza, pasta & chicken & waffles! The wine is excellent as well. I highly recommend dining here! read more

Rancho Capistrano Winery - Chicken & waffles, gluten free - Wineries Near Me - Ladera Ranch, California

Attended a company lunch here recently. The Brussels sprouts were my favorite thing! I had a glass of the Marissa Sauvignon Blanc, very good. Margherita pizza was good and loved the balsamic vinegar drizzled on top, but crust was a bit soggy. Great ambience/atmosphere & I'd definitely return. read more

Fun vibes, great service, good wine and food, great for kids and dogs (on the patio). We are wine club members, and it is a great deal if you go here regularly! read more

Great service, had a lovely dinner here and their wine is also on the menu and great as well!

Fantastic the restaurant is great. The service is fantastic. The food was phenomenal the waiter the bartenders to drinks. I have no complaints. read more

Took my wife for dinner here tonight. Very nice location in beautiful Ladera Ranch. Our table was not stable and we requested several times to fix it. For a upscale restaurant this was not what you would expect. Cheese plate was delicious. My wife ordered soup which you would think be a basic order but after ten minutes waiter told us that soup was all out. Ordered the Kale salad which she liked. I ordered the chicken dinner which was very good. Glass of wine $17. Over priced for a place like this and not very good. Wine glasses look badly scratched. Waiter did not provide us info on there membership details after stating they would. Overall food was good, service terrible. read more

Horrible reservations and service. The host was great but everything ended there. No one else cared for our service. The host informed us; that the event coordinator never informed them of our reservations. Everything was a mess. Emma our server responded with that she USE to work at fine dinning but it took over two hours for our food to arrive. I've never seen a server complain after a complaint. Half of our tables had main entrees while the other half had appetizers. I never had the chance to order my entree. Kenny, "the worst manager I've ever met" never came to our table but at the end of the night after multiple complaints were made informed us that he was busy with his own tables and that's why he's never checked on us. They never apologize for their lack of service. We had to order bottles and drinks at the bar. Kenny was no help at all. McDonalds service is better than this place. The owner's response to this yelp shows completely how unprofessional this place is. If I NEEDED a breathalyzer then that would have meant I was getting service. I wasn't trying to "skip out" on my bill, I actually stayed sat on my table and asked for a manger before I paid my bill but it took til I was the LAST person in the restaurant for them to acknowledge I was waiting for a manager. The "owner" response is a joke because he was never on the premises and there was no other guests around to say anything else. My guests left because I waited for service read more

We've been wine members for a couple years. The quality of the wine is exceptional. The food is great as well. All the staff here is friendly and attentive. Tonight, Isaac, was awesome. The City has a free concert and the staff did a great job to get people in and out and did it with a smile. The outdoor patio is amazing as the weather cools down a little! We love to sit at the bar and this way we get to meet some great locals !!!Tanya is a BOSS! read more

Rancho Capistrano Winery - A beautiful glass of Remington! - Wineries Near Me - Ladera Ranch, California

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I made dinner reservations for Valentine's Day . We have eaten at their sister restaurant in San Juan Capistrano and enjoyed it. We we arrived we were told they were preparing our table. The young host took us to our table which was right next to the open kitchen entrance where the waitstaff pass back and forth. This was quite possibly the worst table in the restaurant as it is very busy and noisy. We asked for a different location as there were four other tables and booths open at that moment. Several of the booths had only 2 diners so we thought there were options available. The young man went to confer with the people at the host station and then came back and told us there were no other options. After we gave him what I am sure was an incredulous look, we told him we would leave rather than sit at that table. He apologized but said there was nothing he could do. So we left. We ended up having as great Valentine's Day despite the restaurant's poor customer service by finding a wonderful Italian restaurant across the street in the opposing shopping center. We were their final customers of the night as they were closing soon but were very gracious and welcoming. They had very good food and wonderful service so we found a new go to place after the bad experience at Rancho Capistrano Winery. I gave the above restaurant 2 stars to be fair as we didn't try their food. Sadly we'll never know as we won't be going back. read more

The food was amazing! Had the filet and blue cheese mashed potatoes and it was excellent! Alli who served us was a breath of fresh air and was AMAZING! I highly recommend everything on their menu....everything was wonderful! LOVED IT! read more

We visited RCW a couple of months prior and had a delightful experience. The food was perfect and the service was good. So... I'm not sure what happened with our visit this week. Caveat: the things I mention below are small in and of themselves, however there were so many small things to note in one sitting that it warrants mention. This is meant to be constructive for management, not a personal gripe towards anyone. Our reservation and seating  were just fine. Friendly staff everywhere. Interior was nicely appointed as always. Specifics on our food and service.... My son ordered the daily special, Beef Ragu. He was served Beef Stroganoff and, when he asked, he was informed that they substituted the dish, as the Ragu was out. (This was the first time any restaurant served a substitute without informing us first!) My wife and daughter ordered salmon. One order came served in a bowl with extra vegetables and the second order came on a plate served with extra rice. Taste was not on par with the prior visits salmon. I ordered the steak salad again, requesting my steak medium rare. The salad was delicious, however the steak temp was medium/medium well, a bit chewy. In terms if service, our server was very nice, but after the order, we did not receive any attention for the duration of the meal. Our small water glasses were never refilled. We were seated on an almost empty patio, so not sure why our server was tied up. I will classify this experience as a "whoops." Did we have a bad time? No. However many little whoops add up and put a damper on our experience. For a $200 meal, we expected the same experience as last time and sadly, it didn't happen. (There are local go-to places that are consistent.) We will maybe return once more time down the road to try to replicate that first-time experience... someday... I really wanted to have a constructive chat with the manager but I felt awkward because it was a) multiple small things and I didn't want to come off as an entitled Karen who came to pick apart the place and b) it was Christmas. Averaged 3.5 stars for the two visits. read more

Ambience is nice. My friend and I ordered the ranch breakfast and it is just eehhh. We had the mimosa and it's just ok too. Our server is nice though. read more

Poor Coursing - served entrees maybe 4-5 minutes after serving Brussel sprouts appetizers, even though we ordered them about ten minutes apart. The Brussel sprouts were excellent, though. I ordered the Braised Lamb Pappardelle. The lamb was GROUND lamb, NOT braised, and was drowning in sauce. My friend ordered the Beef bone in Short Ribs, which were tasty but were quite sparse on meat. The plate was filled with a large whole carrot and branches of broccolini, with polenta - good but overwhelmed the meager short rib. We had been really impressed with this place last summer, but it seems maybe inflation is pinching their food quality and shrinking portions. Don't dupe customers by putting BRAISED lamb on your menu, then serving drowning GROUND lamb, and expect customers to keep coming back. Disappointed. read more

Service was just ok. Appetizer was served after the entree. Quite frankly, the appetizer was better than the entree. Dessert was not good--who puts strawberries,rhubarb AND cinnamon together? Couldn't taste the rhubarb or the strawberries! Disappointing experience overall and not inexpensive. Don't waste your money. read more

I really enjoyed my membership here. We've been to all three wineries, Ladera Ranch I have to say is super awesome! San Juan Capistrano little small & San Clemente, love the outside seating! If there's a membership night with good deals, can't even get in. The food is a little pricey, but super yummy! read more

Currently waiting for 45 minutes for some waffles along with the fact that the menu on the website isn't true to the one in person for Father's Day. Unfortunately this hasn't been a pleasant experience and everyone in the party is done with their food while me and my mom are here waiting to even take the first bite. read more