The food is exceptional. The service is a bit lacking. We arrived and they had a hard time finding our reservation, which was weird because it ended up being under exactly the name we gave when we arrived. But it truly was met with the skepticism of a hostess trying to prevent someone from scamming their way into the establishment. When she ultimately found our reservation, she seemed shocked and suddenly her tone shifted. But it was a weird few minutes of feeling like we were some kind of con artists pulling a fast one. The place was jam packed, so service was very slow - we waited probably 15 minutes for our server to arrive. Which was strange because it's not like they were unexpectedly inundated with a crush of people, this place had been booked solid for weeks! The amount of activity was 100% predictable. Nothing about the menu was really explained, but we were prepared so we just helped the person out by giving our full order immediately using the internet for guidance on what to get. Again, once the food started coming out, it was genuinely fantastic. Not a bad item on the menu. But be prepared to know what you want and be ready when they have time for you. And absolutely come with proof of a reservation! You'll be glad you have it. And get ready for a delicious meal! read more

Great food. Truly awful service. I really wanted to understand the hype around Rory's Place, and honestly, the food was good. Several dishes were genuinely delicious. Unfortunately, the service was so bad that it completely overshadowed the meal. The pacing was bizarre from the beginning. After our crudo, we waited close to 50 minutes for our salad. At that point, we finally had to ask our server if it was coming. She told us there had been some kind of "glitch" in the kitchen and brought us a bowl of olives while we waited, but it honestly felt like our order had simply been forgotten. The bigger issue was that no one was checking on us. We went roughly 40 minutes without seeing our server after ordering. Drinks sat empty. The only person who consistently came by was the busser, who was lovely and frankly provided more attentive service than anyone else. The experience at the front wasn't much better. The welcome felt cold and indifferent, and even getting seated took a few awkward minutes with very little acknowledgment. Nothing about the hospitality felt warm or particularly interested in having us there. Then came the grand finale. While clearing our entrée plates, our server dropped a knife covered in pesto onto my skirt. My skirt is now stained, possibly permanently. She offered soda water, which, fine, but somehow brought out the spoons for our dessert before actually bringing the soda water for the pesto she had just spilled on me. At that point, the entire experience had crossed over into comedy. Even the bathroom was a mess, with paper towels overflowing from the trash and onto the floor. I understand restaurants have bad nights. Kitchens get backed up. Mistakes happen. But this wasn't one mistake. It was an entire evening of poor pacing, lack of attention, weak hospitality, and one problem after another. The frustrating part is that the food was actually good. With even halfway decent service, I would have left with a completely different impression. Instead, this was easily one of the worst restaurant service experiences I've had in years. Two stars, and they're basically both for the kitchen. read more

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first of all, hello satan do be living up to the name bc this was heavy handed. i never be getting the right drinks per usual bc the toes on your nose was better in my opinion... menu is incredibly versatile, from raw seafood to a well seasoned steak. starting off with the tuna tartare--BEAUTIFUL, no notes. perfectly salted, great texture. oysters came next and we were served three different types (clean to fishy) but all were delicious to experience. the steak was crispy yet tender on the inside. read more

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Terrific !!! We were fortunate to walk in on a Sunday at 6 PM and find a seat at the bar... Place was packed, with a really nice vibe. Service was good, maybe a touch pretentious at first... But warmed up Cocktails were "out of the ballpark" ... It was really enjoyable experience... And reminds us both. We need to venture away from town sometimes to SB and Ojai, to get dazzled. It's nice when an appetizer, or entrée shows up at your table, and the visual presentation is consistent with taste. Just about every single item which appeared at our seating, elicited enthusiastic responses from both of us. It's probably a bit pricey... I am not sure but I think it was around $250 or $300 with gratuity... and one of the entrées included was a take-home (chicken) We look forward to visiting again... And (btw) sitting at the bar, turned out to be a nice choice, watching food prep happen. read more

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This meal surpassed all of our expectations. Everything was fresh, delicious and interesting. I want to eat the augachile for all of eternity! It was SO good. Everything was SO good. Inside is dark and vibey, patio is peaceful, relaxed and perfect on a spring evening. I actually preferred the patio to inside. Service was well paced and friendly. Will definitely be back when I can make it back to ojai! read more

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Rory's Place killed it... we made a reservation for 2, and weee not expecting to have such a phenomenal meal. We had the half-dozen oysters, chicken pate, herbs salad, hanger steak, and the pavlova for dessert. The last two literally changed our lives... though truthfully everything was so delectable. My only bone to pick with the restaurant is that the tables inside are way too close together, it was pretty much shoulder to shoulder to the point I can hear our neighbor's conversations as our own LOL. Rory's incorporated unique flavors and ingredients in such an intentional way, we'll be back the next time we visit Ojai. Thank you! read more

Rory's Place - pavlova - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

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I will think about my meal & visit to Rory's place until I can go back and experience it all over again. I had such a special anniversary meal with my boyfriend there. Rory's place is such a cool, comfortable, romantic, perfect spot. The restaurant is beautiful, warm woods, soft colors & textiles, down to the dinnerware, every element seems to be perfectly and thoughtfully curated. The staff was friendly. We enjoyed the oysters, tuna tartare tartine and tinned fish to start and they were all heavenly. I ordered the roast half chicken for my entree and it was a perfect, so delicious. We had a gorgeous bottle of white wine and to end we had a two flavors of gelato one being grape which was unique and had a great flavor. Go to Rory's place! read more

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Rory's Place is a fun place for a group since many of the dishes are tapas style. The hangar steak was beyond compare, and the sweet potatoes, although not in a fry form, were absolutely delicious. I'm not an oyster eater, but my friend ordered them. Oysters from CA, MA, and Maine provided a nice variety for people who enjoy that type of delicacy. The atmosphere was lively and the service was impeccable. I definitely want to return later this summer with my husband. read more

Rory's Place - Oyster varieties - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

While all the bad reviews talk about the service we had a really kind waitress and the food was amazing. The Japanese sweet potatoes and peppers were excellent and don't miss out on the tuna tartar crostini and the clams / sausage. We were very happy. Tables close together. read more

Stoned waitress forgot to put in our entree orders and when she realized it, the kitchen was closed.

Vera's service was repulsive. She was dismissive and condescending. Took a whole tables order that sat AFTER us and she hadn't even taken our drink order. I asked for a dessert menu only because she would disappear to talk to her friends sitting at the bar and I didn't know when she would check on us again. She responded with "oh you're finished with this (a plate we were sharing that still had food on it)?" I said "no". She said "and you want a dessert menu???" Looked at me like I was disgusting. read more

Rory's Place - Dining room - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

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Nice set-up and ambiance. Service shift rotation was handled nicely. Variety of entrees that complements the locale. Menu variations are restricted so your kids may need a palate for the entrees. Caviar, halibut, steak, pesto ribbons, seasonal salad and fries were all great. Poke was a little heavy handed on the aioli for our taste. Featured Cocktails were nice as well. read more

I really liked this place. Excellent food. Great atmosphere, service was excellent. I would say the tables are tight together. Which is fine, just know that there's not much room to spread out if you order a few dishes like we did. The tables are super tiny. read more

Review of most of the vegetarian stuff on the menu (granted there isn't a whole lot): Gigante beans (3/5) - marinated and too sour for my taste. I ate it for the protein solely. Cucumber Gazpacho (5/5) - I was a total skeptic on this, have such a aversion to gazpacho that I tried to dissuade my table from getting it to no avail. And joke's on me because I actually really liked this. So creamy and cooling and refreshing. Totally faded all my disappointed memories around pathetic tomato gazpacho. Herb salad (5/5) - wow this was so good and I don't even like chicory normally. The pepitas were also so perfectly crunchy and flavored. Just the right amount of dressing too. Dandelion greens salad (5/5) - my favorite. I ordered another for the table i loved it so much. Something about the balance of the bitter dandelion greens against the sweetness of the dates and the saltiness of the parmesan was just perfect! The dates are not super well distributed though and could benefit from a more thorough chopping/mixing. I didn't mind the almonds either. They added to the texture. Tomato Plum Salad (4/5) - pretty delicious and fresh tasting but not super special. Close cousin to the tomato burrata salad that I am quite fond of making myself (really easy to make). Japanese Sweet Potato (4/5) - not originally vegetarian but we got the bonito on the side so the veg folks could try. Pretty good but not a standout. And the drinks! All so unique both in presentation and flavor. Such a delight! Melon Sour (5/5) - my favorite, not overwelmingly sweet, and a delicious flavor without being too spirit forward. Salt N Pepper Martini (3/5) - too strong and spirit forward to me. Not my cup of tea. Tiki Drink (5/5) - close second for me. All the ingredients sound like they would make the drink too sugary (also being a tiki drink) but it was really well balanced. Hello Satan (4/5) - for being a mezcal drink (I usually don't like), it was pretty good. read more

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They have ambiance down! I went right when they opened for dinner service. They let me sit at the bar for dinner which was the perfect view to the restaurant. Food - Hamachi crudo with fennel and tangerine strips. This was the crudo of the day it was slightly acidic with a fatty hint from the olive oil. Then it has this savory lite crunch from the tangerine and fennel. Such a clean and satisfying bite. - Japanese sweet potato, now I have had a similar dish from Gjelina in Venice. But this one might be my new favorite. The miso butter added a nice smokiness to the dish. But the lime that i squeezed in top of the bonito flakes gave this such a bright lift. Smoky, acidic, rich, sort of shrimpy. Love this dish, almost not enough. - Pesto pasta rags, I had to look this style of pasta up. It's like a lasagna noodle just flat and al dente. The pesto was rich and velvety. It was such a clean ending to my meal. I absolutely loved it! Overall another great service and eating experience. My only critique is that the dessert menu wasn't as exciting as the food. So I opted to go to Ojai ice cream across the street. Please give us some yummy dessert options read more

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Overrated, incredibly absent and pretentious waitresses. So many more restaurants in Ojai deserving of the hype. Small portions and overpriced. I wouldn't leave this review if it wasn't for going over and over and having the same experience. read more

I loved our dinner here, despite it being packed and peak dining hour the food was delicious and service was professional. The soup and the wedge salad exceeded expectations. What I found wild were the attitudes and demands of the clientele all around us. A man next to me complained about the way his server set the plate down. A woman to my left complained about the dessert not being her favorite. If I worked here I would be burnt out on people in one shift. This is a nice place. What happened to manners? read more

Do not go here. Do not expect to get food. We waited for nearly two hours after even reminding our server and she came out and said oh let me check on it. Then instead of going to talk to the kitchen, she went to the pos system and stood there punching things in to return ten minutes later and say I didn't put one person's in. We were in awe, more than half of us never received our entrees and I only had ordered one. It's now too late to eat anywhere. Worse, they gave us a bill for drinks and appetizers. We were celebrating a birthday, which they knew. What's worse is an hour before, she came to us saying the kitchen is closing do you want order more as you don't have many entrees. She never brought a single entree and didn't even come to check on us. This is not Michelin at all. Apparently they comped the bread, and tea. read more

I knew better than to book Rory's for our anniversary dinner, but Matt B. and I went the first night of our weekend getaway to Ojai. This was a Saturday, and the most reasonable reservation I could get was for 8:00, even five days in advance. We showed up a few minutes early, feeling hopeful until we saw the line at the host stand. The place is really popular, about as crowded and sceney as you can imagine in a small town--honestly more of a thing than almost any restaurant I've been to in Los Angeles. I'm not quite 40 yet, but Rory's made me feel legitimately old. It was loud and dark, with only weak candlelight and a pervasive pink glow by which to read our menus (we had to resort to using our phone lights). The space was packed tight with almost no room between tables. I actually made Matt sit on the banquette side of the long row of two-tops, breaking up the wall of women. The set-up otherwise felt too much like speed dating. There were some larger tables near the entryway, and two of them were occupied by bachelorette parties. Service was friendly, but pretty slow and inattentive--understandable, as our waiter was spread quite thin. We ordered a round of cocktails to start, but wanted to get a bottle of wine with dinner. The cocktails took fifteen minutes, and we could not get anyone to take our wine order until our food had already started coming. And it wasn't like our food came out fast. We had oysters around 8:30, and nothing else until after 8:45. That said, the drinks were excellent. I got the Hello Satan, a robust, sweet and spicy cocktail made with Auga del Sol mezcal, Mijenta tequila, passionfruit, serrano, lime, and Ojai Pixie olive oil. Matt had the Melon Sour, a lightly savory drink with vodka, Italicus, yuzu, fennel fronds, and a bit of froth. We had a bottle of natural pinot noir from Alsace, a nice wine we never would have found on our own. The food was inarguably delicious. We started with a half dozen oysters, and they were fresh and lovely, two each from California, Canada, and Maine, served on ice with mignonette, horseradish, and lemon. Unfortunately, the uni was sold out, but the daily crudo was superb, bluefin tuna with olive oil, tomato, Maldon salt, and edible flowers. My favorite dish of the night might have been the tomato plum salad. The tomatoes and plums were ripe and maximally flavorful, served with Bellweather ricotta, umeboshi plum vin, crispy garlic, and oregano. We enjoyed a cheese board in the middle of our dinner, a selection of artisanal cheeses with honey, Marcona almonds, olives, figs, and bread. There were three made with cow's milk--a funky pasteurized cheese, a lush double cream, and a nutty, semi-hard cheese--as well as a sheep's milk blue, all quality. We shared the roasted half chicken and the semolina cavatelli for our mains, the pasta arriving well after the chicken. The chicken was very good, tender and juicy, served with wood-fired escarole, blackberry, and caper. The blackberry was an inspired touch, though there was a lot less of it than there might have been. The escarole wasn't bad, but it was fibrous and hard to cut. The cavatelli was worth waiting for, hearty rolled pasta with tomato, prosciutto, chili flake, and parmesan. The kitchen ran out of warm cookies and milk, but I was pleased with our desserts: the crème fraîche panna cotta and the daily sorbet. The panna cotta was ideal, jiggly and creamy, finished with geranium syrup, strawberry, rose tea, and bee pollen. I forget what the daily sorbet was, but it was something fruity, and I remember liking it. We had a great time at Rory's. It was a fun restaurant with fantastic food and drink, and nothing annoyed us enough to detract significantly from the overall experience. I'd be happy to go back on another visit to Ojai. It's clearly the spot for a night out in this town. read more

Great food. Bad service. Couldn't even tell you the name of our server, a brunette in a blazer. Beside that - would come again if we had better service. read more

Great space and vibe, courteous staff, a perfectly conceived menu with variety that plays to its location in the Ojai Valley and 20 minutes to the Pacific Ocean. Oysters raw & broiled Excellent Chicken liver pate w fresh baked bread Delicious Herb Salad sent us home trying to recreate the dressing Fresh pastas Perfect oh yeah and both our House cocktails Exceptional . Looking forward to making our way through the entire menu! Ojai's current restaurant scene is superb read more

Delicious drinks and food. got there early, didn't feel too packed. People say the inside is sardine-like seating but I wasn't bothered, have seen much tighter. The mole cocktail and hello satan were amazing. Steak too. Great oysters. Unbelievable halibut. Definitely higher than a 3.5 star place. A shame they got 1 star review-bombed by an 11 member bachelorette party that didn't understand what kind of place it was. read more

Rory's Place - steak - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

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Food was really good, I got the tuna tar tar and my girlfriend got the hangar steak, the cocktail was strong, which is a good thing

Weird servers. Plus our utensils had glass imbedded between them for some reason and we didn't get a sorry or anything.

I was really looking forward to trying this restaurant after seeing the reviews. We were able to secure a reservation last minute (someone must have cancelled because they were completely booked for the time slot we wanted, as of the day before) Happened to be a night where they were serving only Indian food which in and of itself was pretty good but we were really wanting to try their regular menu. The waitress with the long brown hair was very unengaged and somewhat pretentious. I did not see her smile once in the hour and a half we were there. Maybe it was just an off night for her. I'm really not sure we will ever return knowing there are many other great options in Ojai. read more

Rory's Place absolutely delivered. The cabbage was the standout -- bold flavors, perfectly balanced, and clearly made with quality ingredients. The oysters and bubbles were also fantastic. Great service and a relaxed but elevated atmosphere. read more

Food (honestly, the best) Service (A hot fart in my face) So rude, and staff seemed appalled by our presence. But hey, food was delish. read more

Amazing food Service is a bit slow but not bad Depending on where your table is, it can be noisy Raw oysters - fresh and tasty Uni and ikura - Sweet and smokey Bluefin tuna crudo - so good we wanted second Dandelion salad - delish, though not your typical salad. Dandelion greens are a little tougher than your typical lettuce but boy, whatever dressing they toss them in was amazing Braised leeks - cold and strange. The only dish we didn't like so our server took it off the bill. Such great service Duck - shio koji, say no more. So much flavor with every bite Steak - cooked to perfection, and the sauce with a hint of acidity just cut thru the richness of the dish. I read others' reviews about how their steak were lukewarm, I can see what they meant. However, with the type of cut, how it's prepared is just perfect - tender with no chewy parts. Panna cotta - creamy, light, and not gelatinous, a must Honestly, don't know why this place has 3.5*. The restaurant was packed. There were diners who'd give the servers, manager warm goodbyes as they leave, I assume they were frequenties. read more

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Shoutout to Angie, she went above and beyond. GGIATA TEAM LOVES AND APPRECIATES YOU. Food is great and atmosphere fun. read more

Rory's Place - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

Definitely check this place out for dinner if you find yourself in Ojai! The ambience was great and food was all tasty. The hangar steak was my favorite and it was cooked perfectly medium rare. I also really enjoyed the sauce it came with. read more

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Came here after seeing all of the TikTok hype. It was pretty difficult to get a reservation even a few days in advance, just as an fyi. The ambience is great here and service was awesome. The menu is mostly small plates and seafood. The mole manhattan was nice and had a fun kick to it. We enjoyed a selection of oysters from the East and West coasts, which were excellent. The crudo was a yellowtail hamachi and was great. The aguachile was delicious! The marinade was zingy and fresh, and it was fun pairing it with the shrimp chips. We ordered the herb salad- it was unlike anything I'd ever had... in a good way! The fried sole was pretty good, definitely rich. The star of the show here was surprisingly dessert. The passion fruit pavlova was incredibly light and fresh. And the persimmon sticky toffee cake was delightfully spiced. I would recommend this place for some light bites and lovely vibes. What a neat spot in a neat town! read more

Rory's Place - Aguachile with shrimp chips and mole manhattan - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

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restaurant vibe is cute and has potential but i'm pretty sure all of the employees hate their jobs. Megan should never serve another customer again! after getting seated and looked at the menu, one of the people in our party asked "do you guys have any lighter sweeter cocktails?" server gave us a look like we were crazy... and offered a negroni?? i've never had a light sweet negroni. we came just for drinks and apps and the server made us feel so terrible about that. giving us very confused dirty looks "are you guys just not hungry??" because we wanted to share a few things. drinks came out and they were so mid for almost $20 a piece. none were remarkable cocktails, just unbalanced and bad. honestly every business has such terrible customer service and energy. servers shame you for not ordering enough "are you not ordering anything else beyond that?" with the same dirty face. we would have ordered more if she wasn't judging out every move. unfortunately gratuity is included, otherwise we would have left $0. not sure if it was racial as we were all asian. if you're a minority thinking about visiting ojai, DONT! update: after checking out some of the other 1 star reviews on yelp and google reviews; seems like management knows that there service is a joke and even has some snappy responses to customers. this place does not deserve your money. read more

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Tried Rory's Place during our first visit to Ojai recently and we'll definitely be back. Small space that is packed to the brim on busy nights but is a part of its cozy ambiance. Friendly servers. Easy free street parking. Drinks were pretty good. Cocktail was well made and wine list has something for everyone. Lots of raw bar options which were awesome. Didn't try the oysters but really enjoyed the aguachile and crudo. Hangar steak was also cooked well and quite tasty. We'll definitely be back during our next Ojai trip. read more

Wonderful service. There was a line of people waiting before they opened at 5 so get there or expect to wait! Everything I had was good. The tomato plum salad was UNREAL get it and thank me later. Olives were yummy but I just have had a craving for olives lately. The Parmesan ice cream is a must if they have it! They also have matchbook souvenirs and postcards so cute read more

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Really nice upscale yet casual Ojai eatery. The cocktails are great, and the Japanese sweet potatoes are to die for! My favorite dish on the entire planet. If you go there, you MUST get them! Service has always been outstanding every time we go as well read more

Love this place. It was a wonderful experience. We had the hanger steak which melted in your mouth and the halibut, both good. Hanger the best. And the broiled clams were delish. Good wine and the all around I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

Absolutely incredible meal at Rory's Place. We started with the Aguachile, tomato plum salad, and hearth bread with whipped feta. Dipping the warm, crusty bread into the ricotta under the tomato salad was a highlight. Then the pesto pasta and the hangar steak. The steak was perfectly cooked and super flavorful. Great service, relaxed atmosphere, and truly outstanding food. The tomato salad, hearth bread with feta, and hangar steak were next-level. 10/10. *all of these negative reviewers are out of their minds read more

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If you want a casual yet upscale delicious dinner in downtown Ojai. This is your place. It's Lovely. We sat inside, but they do also offer outdoor seating in the back on the patio . Be warned , make a reservation because they do fill up quickly. We started with a generous pour of French bubbles and a martini. We also tried the chicken liver pate served with their house sourdough ( a bit strong IMO), an order of the freshest Uni and shared a wonderful fresh & perfectly dressed market, lettuce salad with toasted breadcrumbs . For our main, we shared the absolutely gigantic double tiered seafood tower. It was filled top to bottom with a dozen wonderful oysters, mignonette and horseradish, a half of a Dungeness crab, a dozen steamed mussels, 6 to 8 of these insane jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemon, of course. Oh & it even had a nice size dollop of caviar with crème fraîche and Ritz crackers, OMG. . The only thing it was lacking in my opinion would've been a really nice aïoli to go with the cold mussels. They had a very limited selection of wines by the glass, but they were adequate. Service was friendly and efficient & I love the way our server coursed out our selections with perfect timing, so nice! read more

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Good atmosphere and food! I enjoyed their skinny mezcal margarita and their melon sour for drinks. For food the bread starter, and salads were great as well. I loved their corn chowder and miso Japanese sweet potatoes. The group also enjoyed the chicken and mushroom pasta. read more

We made reservations at Rory's Place, and the layout was beautiful. My group was excited to try it as a cocktail spot based on TikTok reviews, especially for a bachelorette celebration. Some girls planned to order small bites, and our goal was to keep ordering rounds of drinks in this nice setting. However, our server (Megan) ruined this special night by first questioning us and giving us THE look for not ordering enough, saying "you guys aren't hungry?" when our itinerary was to have our last meal at home with the girls after having drinks. We were speechless from that question but not only that, after we ordered small bites, she had the biggest attitude asking us, "are you going to order anything else BEYOND that?" Like WHOA hello ma'am, I have never in my restaurant experience had any server ask me that!! Excuse me, how do you want us to respond to this question when you speak to us like that with no respect? How do you expect us to keep ordering and feel comfortable in this kind of space with the persistent negative attitude every time you come to our table? Where's the human decency to mind your own business on what we want to EAT? We don't need to explain our plans or why we ordered what we did... but apparently she felt the need to question us anyway. The food and drinks were underwhelming too: the Crudo had only 5 pieces for $20, and cocktails were mid with limited options. Overpriced food and drinks for a small amount of food...yeah our plan was to definitely eat somewhere else... When we asked for the check which took 10 minutes to just print? She then proceeds to toss the tab on our table, and said "gratuity was already included", and walked off so fast LOL -- we get it, we want to leave too! Not only that, the owner's response to our experience...so now the owner is being defensive and blaming my group, only focusing on lost revenue RATHER than the experience or the service issues we had spoken about. If there's a so called policy for large parties, it should have been communicated on how much to order/spend when we booked back in January--not after the fact. Deflecting blame instead of taking accountability really reflects poorly on how this place treats customers. If you want to avoid rude service and a ruined celebration, check out other small businesses that will treat you right. Reviews show this isn't an isolated incident (same experience from a different party like 5 hours before we came lol) Rory's Place needs to DO better really. read more

Rory's Place - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

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