Rongbranch is just w-rong. The service was fine and the restaurant clean, but dingy with silverware delivered in plastic bags. Trust the bad reviews and stay away. We stumbled in here by accident because the bbq beer place nextdoor was busy and we were in a hurry and said this Rong-place makes ribs. What a mistake, and they don't even serve beer. We spent $60 on garbage food. The oven-cooked fall-of-the-bones pork ribs were sad, gray, tasteless, and slathered with their "Bumsteer" sauce - a sad attempt to make homemade bbq sauce out of cheap ketchup and vinegar. The sides included a dried out cornbread muffin, sour creamy coleslaw, and homemade baked beans that were basically canned beans in ketchup. Basically inedible. I've seen enough Gordon Ramsey to know this restaurant does not have an actual cook with any culinary experience whatsoever. They should be ashamed selling such garbage (especially with no beer to try to wash it down). I hate wasting $ on garbage. Do yourself a favor and learn from our sad lesson. Bumsteer sauce? Sounds gross, and it is. Also, bumsteer means bad advice read more

Charming place and location. Service okay. But just terrible food. We ordered homemade chili cups and they served it cold (not sure if it was heated and then just not served for a while). The waiter brought new ones, this time okay, but in all it took over 45 minutes since we had sat at the table. Ordered medium done New York steak. It came well done, actually way overdone that the meat was so dry that it was not chewable. My son ordered bacon and eggs, but the bacon tasted like rancid oil. Wife ordered chicken pot pie, which had almost no chicken. To top it off, the food was crazy slow to come out. My steak took close to 1 hr since sitting down at the table. You know it's bad when tables that arrived after us are getting their food before us. The server was nice and apologetic, but a gesture of compensation would have gone a long way. All around really bad food. I feel bad giving this review but hopefully this helps others. read more

The rumors are true. Don't eat here. It's true that you're quickly seated, but there will be a vacuum cleaner hanging out in the corner of the dining area. And the tables are a little sticky. All forgivable grievances really if the food was mid to okay tasting, but it wasn't, so yikes. I ordered the French dip sandwich ($16.95 I think). The sandwich comes with sliced smoked tri-tip topped with a slice of cheese + grilled onions on a toasted French roll. It's served with a side of fries and a cup of au jus. Initially, it looked promising, however, I heavily suspect that sliced tri-tip was just deli meat in disguise. Moreover, the au jus was incredibly salty. It. Was. So. Salty. Without the au jus, the sandwich was just a sandwich and not a French dip. Overall, the kitchen needs to exercise more qual control. Both orders of fries for the table were severely undercooked. And the buffalo burger was burnt. There is litany of things that Rongbranch could do better, so come at your own risk. Strategically eat here if you need a bathroom break or a break from the crowds. However I advise against making Rongbranch your dining destination while visiting Julian. read more

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We came here because all the other ideal restaurants have one hour wait time, this place did not have any wait; however, we waited for one hour for our food, which is ridiculously long for a restaurant that is not even full at the time. The server was accommodating but did not notice our wait until 45min later, she offered salad which was a nice gesture. The potpie was on the salty side, the breading was good, flaky dough. The skillet breakfast item has a nice puff pastry, but felt a little empty. I would hope that they would improve their management, as others around us were waiting for a long while, too. The restaurant had a gift shop in the front and back of it. There was a lot to look at while we were waiting, which helped kill some time. read more

Rongbranch Cafe - American Near Me - Julian, California

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We took a trip to Julian to buy pies (that'll be another review). Since we were there we decided to get lunch. Our first choice had a wait so we came to the Rongbranch. We were seated right away and given menus. We had plenty of time to look at the menu because it took a while for the server to come over. She was very nice. We had a long wait to get our food and when it came only three of our four orders came out. There was no explanation. It took at least five minutes for the missing meal to come out. Our server apologized for the wait. By then, our sons were almost done eating. Food was good, but not great. I had a Pattie Melt with Fries. It was a little dry but not bad. The place is cute and cozy with fun signs on the walls. There were some interesting souvenirs for sale near the front. Everyone was friendly and they were quick with refills. Not sure if we'll go back again. read more

Rongbranch Cafe - Double Cheeseburger and Fries (Comes with more toppings but my son only wanted lettuce) - American Near Me - Julian, California

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We came to Julian for the day and found this little cafe not a stand out when walking by. We were at first the only one in the place around lunch time, then it filled quickly. The staff was so friendly and the ladies were so polite and helpful. We split two items between the two of us, the barbecue pulled pork and the French dip. Great choices and a very good coleslaw that my friend at first wouldn't try then she sampled it and consumed here entire salad. We love this the place and will return soon. The prices were very reasonable for what we ordered and the amazing crinkle fries. Highly suggest you stop in. read more

This place was a disappointment. One of the first times, I did not look at the reviews first. The ambience is nice and toasty. Service is polite. They also have a large assortment of things to buy inside. Now the food was not to the standards of the Julian community. The steak had no flavor. The pulled pork tasted as if it was boiled. The bbq sauce on it was on the sweet side. The baked beans had a strong ketchup taste. The chicken pot pie was filled with gravy. More gravy than chicken or mixed vegetables. Now the winner, was the kids waffle. It's had a crispy outside and a soft inside. For what you get. The price is too much. I will not revisit. read more

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Disappointed with the food we ordered. Beef BBQ less than what expected: dried and sauce is just plain flavored. Chx fried steak: chewy and mash potatoes watery. Fried Chx have good crisp on skin but blunt taste. We were attracted by long wait times outside but not impressed with food. read more

Restaurant and shop all in one. Our host was a sweet young gentleman. The restaurant seemed family owned. The service and people were great. The low star rating was the food. From what we ordered was very basic diner food. I was surprised that the Country Fried Steak was an actual steak. I never had it prepared like that before. read more

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Horrible food, tasted like old leftovers. We waited 1 hour to be served, Waitresses were rude, when our food was bought out only my son's and mine was brought out not my 6 year old grandson he had to wait for his. I substituted pepper jack cheese for Swiss and we were charged extra. Very small portions as if it was a child's menu. Horrible dining experience. Stay away from it. read more

We came out for the tree lighting during Christmas time. The food was bland, no seasoning on anything. The kids cheeseburgers were burnt and they were out of everything. read more

Rongbranch Cafe - American Near Me - Julian, California

Unfortunately, the reviews are accurate and I really don't know how this place is in business. I've been to Julian a handful of times and try to eat somewhere new each time. The inside has a little gift shop in the front and back with the dining area in between. We got the chili size, which was an open faced burger with chili on top and fries and the pulled pork sandwich with fries. It's hard to describe how bad the food was. The fries were really the only edible items. The burger tasted like something I image would be sold in the freezer section of a gas station and just microwaved with the cheapest chili they could find poured on top and the pulled pork was just a dry lump of meat on a bun with bbq sauce drizzled over it. The service was fine, but there was also only one other table to serve while we were there and it was noon, prime lunch time. I do not recommend unless you're just starving and nothing around is open. read more

Service was good but food was pretty bad. Chicken pot pie was not appetizing. Two guest could not even eat it. Chicken fried steak and eggs was good but biscuits were hard as bricks. walked out hungry and it was expensive for the end result. Need a better cook guys! read more

Should have been a warning sign that there was no line in the heart of Julian. The atmosphere was nice and plenty of seating. Ordered the chicken sandwich with a side of ranch. What arrived looked like the precooked chicken pieces from the frozen food section and the fries were lukewarm and tasted freezer burned. Additionally the side of ranch tasted like it was spoiled. The cowboy skillet was a very runny and tasteless gravy and would have thought the pasty topping would've been baked into the skillet, instead what it featured is just a pasty thrown on top of the sausage and gravy. read more

Rongbranch Cafe - Cowboy skillet with side of eggs and cooked apples - American Near Me - Julian, California

Wrongbranch cafe would be a better name. Absolutely awful. Chewiest, blandest, chicken fried steak I've ever had. Eggs were cold, they forgot my sides. Felt awful after eating it, I knew better. Now you do too. There's a reason there are so many bad reviews, we thought people were being mean, but they were just being honest. Nice people, but really bad food. read more

Gosh, I ate at the Rongbranch Cafe with friends today, Jan 16 2026. I haven't been back to this cafe since the mid 1990s. My experience was a good one, and that, I didn't know what I was missing! I only get to Julian about once or twice a year. Anyway...went with some friends. I had the fish and chips! with cole slaw, tartar sauce and malt vinegar...absolutely delicious, as was the food my friends had. They had never been at this cafe before. We all plan on eating there again. I am also recommending it to all my family. The menu seems to have a really good selection of food and they say they serve breakfast all day too! Anyway, my experience was good. Only one glitch happened, and they forgot some onions for a hamburger, but got them to the table fairly quickly. When you go in, look for the bell on the counter and ring it if there is no one up front. read more

We wanted to check out their gift shop, the staff were very welcoming when we entered the restaurant/gift shop. It was a very cute place, they have a gift shop when you first enter and one in the back of the restaurant. They have a lot of random stuff for sale and a counter full of different homemade fudge. They looked so good. read more

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Lizzy is the best server! Easy going. On top of our orders. Let us know right away they were out of a few things because of the holiday crowd, and a no show on their delivery. Love the country feel, perfect for Julian read more

Went here for lunch on a Sunday at 11:30. We chose this restaurant because all the other locations had 45-90 minute waits. The fact we got seated right away should've been our first sign. We got our drinks fairly quickly after sitting down. It took over 30 minutes for our food to come out. It was warm, not hot. The pulled pork was dry. The salsa that came with the quesadilla looked like a paste more than a salsa. The French dip wasn't bad, but wasn't good either. When I asked for a refill on our fountain drinks and iced tea I was I informed they charge for refills??? I have never heard of being charged for a refill on a fountain drink. Ridiculous. There is a gift shop and candy shop in the front of the store. Unfortunately we won't be back and will wait for one of the restaurants in the future. read more

We were originally planning to eat somewhere else but the line was too long. Upon walking in, there is a small candy store which leads to the restaurant. It was very dark and it almost felt like a dungeon. The omelet was very bland and I thought it was strange for the meal to not come with toast or potatoes. I had to order a la carte which was very inconvenient. The avocado toast was dry and had too much lemon pepper on it. Very hard to eat. The only reason I am giving 2 stars is because the servers and waitresses were very kind. They gave our daughter things to color with also. I don't see myself coming back for the food. read more

Rongbranch Cafe - Pepper and onion omelet with avocado toast - American Near Me - Julian, California

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Service was great, food was gross. I'm sorry I've been coming to Julian my whole life and tired all the places. The food is was to bland and not seasoned. We had the winner winner chicken dinner a the chili cheese fries. Neither was good read more

Wrote name down, was told it would be 1 hour. Got seated 20 minutes later. Ordered food. It took an hour for the food to come out. The food wasn't amazing, but it was okay. Restroom had two stalls and a good, powerful flush. Nicely lit and not disgusting. Pros: staff was friendly and answered questions Cons: length of time to get food Based on the time it took for the food to come out, I wouldn't go back. read more

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We come out this way about 6 times a year and try to visit a new restaurant each trip. This trip to Julian, we stopped during this beautiful snowy day at Rongbranch Ranch. We don't base our visit on the reviews as we have found it to not be a good representation of truth, for us. I started with the Blackbean soup and my wife had the Chicken noodle soup. Both are house made daily and hit perfectly! Well balanced, a lot of flavor and not overly salty. I ordered the Petite Sirloin and fries. My wife ordered the New York steak and baked potato. I recommend that you are very clear on your order. Quality was about a 6 as the meat was over cooked in my case and undercooked in the case of the New York. Coffee is excellent, they make an amazing apple pie which along with coffee was perfection. I would give the Ranch a higher rating but my experience dictates my rating. read more

We live pretty close by julian and eat up here about eight times a year. The Rongbranch has gone downhill over the years. We used eat here quite regularly in the past and it was tasty. We decided to give it another try since the last three times it was at best maybe a two out of five stars. We ate here on Valentine's day because everything else had an hour or longer wait . We should have known better and we said lets give em a last try. We were quickly seated. We ordered fish n chips, chicken wings and open-faced turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes. The sodas were being poured out of two liter bottles. The wings were small and tasteless, the fish and chips were small and looked as though they were frozen fish. The turkey looked like processed turkey made to look like a homemade meal. The waitress and other waiters were polite and appeared to be overworked.we will not be eating here again. read more

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The bacon, cheese and egg omelet was delicious! It came with hash browns and toast. Cute little country store inside.

Waited 45 minutes to get a table, which was understandable since it was a busy weekend. Once seated, waited another 45 minutes for our food. Waitress never came by to refill our drinks or check in, even if to apologize and say the kitchen was busy. Food was unappetizing in its presentation and tasted terrible. What a bummer. read more

Breakfast was nasty steak was chewy hash browns where from frozen patties like you buy at Walmart. Biscuits and gravy was so bland like out of a can. Coffee was 4.39 a cup read more

Mama's cafe (right around the corner) had a 30 minute wait so I decided to try Rongbranch - "Rong" decision ! I really wanted to like Rongbranch Cafe, especially with its friendly service and cozy small-town vibe, but unfortunately, the food was beyond disappointing. The ribeye was cheap-quality, lacking any real flavor, and cooked poorly. The French fries? Absolutely terrible--undercooked, no salt, and tasted like the cheapest frozen kind you'd find at a bargain grocery store. The tri-tip was even worse--it felt like it had been microwaved, with parts of it still cold. It's clear that the kitchen is just throwing together low-quality, store-bought ingredients without any care or effort. For the prices they charge, I expected way better. Definitely won't be coming back. read more

Hey yall I am here to tell you about MY experience at this RONGbranch cafe... First of all the service was suspiciously quick but overall okay. We got seated immediately but thats when things started to go downhill. Our order got taken it didn't take really long but the food is what made me go bonkers. First of all, the steak that had came out of the kitchen was still mooing. I could literally hear it say MOO! I kid you not, it was bloody, raw, red, disappointed. We had to get the waiter to re-grill it. Now after that it was overcooked... Basically they don't stay true to their cooks. Anyways enough of the steak lets talk about their chicken. The chicken was old, rubbery, weird, cold, sad, and depressing. It was sooo disgusting. Anyways enough about the bad food, for now. Lets talk about yallsm burger. It was so buss, I devoured that thing under one condition however, I had to put ketchup on every single one of my bites of that dry, annoying, rude, dryer than the Sahara Desert. Anywho we had several complaints about the food unfortunately! The ambiance was okay but credits to the waiter for being so kind to us and recommending us places to go after we were finishing consuming their food! Also there was no line which isn't surprising. Anyway solid 2 don't recommend if you're looking to satisfy that stomach of yours and Rongbranch was indeed in the wrong. Bye srodies! read more

Ambiance is great and so was the service. The food was bland. Ordered the chicken pot pie and I can tell it was microwaved. It was like eating a frozen chicken pot pie from the grocery store. Friend order the biscuits and gravy. The mash potatoes were cold but the gravy was hot. The meat was tough and also bland. Dont eat here. I wish I read the reviews beforehand. read more

Food is bad. Plain and simple. Greasy and overpriced. But the waitstaff is very friendly and the ambiance is cool.

Stumbled in here after shopping, wasn't looking to hot but boy was I shocked. Emily was our server! AMAZING!! Very kind, suggested the fried pickles and they were delicious. I got the chicken pot pie! Love it, flavorful and homemade tasting. My husband got a cheeseburger with avocado, perfectly cooked and fries were great!! Stopped at the shop on the way out and got fudge from Anthony, very kind! Overall was very happy! Not sure why so many low reviews but worth trying it out for yourself! Clean restaurant, good music as well! read more

WrongBranch Cafe I planned a fun adventure during the Thanksgiving break. My sister and family recently moved to the Temecula region and nearby Julian sounded like a cool day trip. It was a fun country drive back into time. Once arrived we found out everyone else thought so too. Crazy crowds everywhere but still lovely, historic and overall a pleasant mood was shared by all. I really wanted a chicken pot pie and other American comfort food. I convinced my extended family of 10 to try Rongbranch Cafe.... Despite the stated very long wait we got seated in just 45 mins. Little did we know this would be the worst part of our trip. Over 20 people in 4 parties left making fast of the line. Once inside it was run down, operated by a mixed ragtag group of people. The waitress, however pleasant, was forgetful and 3 of our orders were completely wrong. My niece couldn't even get her sprite for almost 30 mins despite us flagging down the help. The food was atrocious. The fried chicken was under cooked and rubbery and my nephew just went hungry. The Tri tip dinner was an open face rubbery mound of roast beef slices on an old piece of bread smothered with dark nasty tasting gravy. My niece wanted a simple grilled cheese with a side of onion soup. To our surprise it was totally burnt with charred onions and no soup was ever delivered! The pulled pork was unrecognizable and my son hated it. The only meal that was decent was my nephew's burger and my chicken pot pie. We were left hungry, disappointed and spiteful! We told party of 10 outside please don't eat here and they listened and quickly ran off! I hate making bad reviews, often just not saying much and trying to forget about it..... but this is my duty as an Elite reviewer to save Yelp's audience and please learn from this damaging report! If this restaurant could go on "Restaurant Rescue" maybe it can be saved! If it was run efficient and had quality over "whatever" their motto is, maybe it would be a goldmine. read more

The staff is very nice and service is fast. I had the breakfast tacos. You get 3 small tacos on corn tortillas. You get a choice of bacon or sausage or avocado with cheese and eggs. Sour cream and salsa come on the side. Enough for one person. They were satisfactory. The restaurant is very dark with wood panel covering the walls. This is common decor for the area. read more

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Overall 2/5 food was okay and service was okay as well. Got a chicken pot pie. 2/5. Single person serving. Nothing to write home about. Gravy inside more than a creamy sauce. My friends got chili and it had no meat only beans. And other friend got a pulled pork sandwich which was very dry. read more

Rongbranch Cafe - American Near Me - Julian, California

I did not enjoy the food, core flavor of the meat was bland . I am not sure if they marinate the meat before cooking. The seasoning was just superficial. read more

Got seated pretty quick. Server took so long to take our orders and drinks,once order was taken food took over 30mins to come out and food is not good at all. Disappointed with the food its cold and taste bad waste of money. Do not come here! Our server forgot one of our orders that we added on. Service sucks,food sucks. Bad experience for a first timer and never coming to this place again. Save your money and do not come here. Thumbs down. Read reviews all bad comments read more

Unfortunately, their salads leave little to be desired. They completely removed all traces of Romaine hearts, from my Caesar salad, leaving me with nothing but huge gaping bites of leafy greens. Rongbranch is best known for their decadent, often frozen comfort foods and nothing else. read more

Stopped in here on our way home from seeing the wildflowers. It was late and near close but the ladies were nice and got us in and fed. We had country fried steak and liver and onions. It is a little diner with a store in the front. The food good and the price was better. read more

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I think the biggest thing for me is the gravey was runny/watery. The steak had a weird taste to it also, unfortunately i cant pinpoint the issue. The biscuits were nice. Sausage tasted undercooked. Eggs were nicely cooked at over medium. Asked the check and didnt get it till we walked up to the register. Its probably just my taste buds. I dont like giving ratings like the one i did. read more

Rongbranch Cafe - Country Fried Steak and Eggs - American Near Me - Julian, California