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

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

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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This is the place! The vibe in here is comfortable chic. The crudo is sumptuous. The harvest salad so unique, and oooohhhh the steak flavor, texture, and so delicious! Wine list was filled with a good variety and they make some fabulous cocktails. The staff was courteous, timely and friendly. We enjoyed it all. We loved how some of the chefs came and served our dishes. A sign that they are proud of what they do and confidently serving you is what makes them happy. A well run team. A really great dining experience! Cant wait to come back. 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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Enjoyed a wonderful dinner here. Service was superb - friendly and attentive without hovering. We had a selection of oysters, halibut crudo (!!!), uni, and split the Japanese sweet potato and the charred cabbage, and the hanger steak. Everything was great, but the vegetables were outstanding: probably the best overall presentation of veggies we've ever eaten -definitely center stage and not an afterthought. read more

Editing my review, because our friends showed up for our reservation and they told her we canceled on them. Can't believe you're serious @rory's place. Come on. This is actually a positive review for Nocciola, because Rory's, in classic fashion, is rude as all get out and continues to prove me right. We made a reservation two months ago for New Year's Eve, a perfect cap to our night at the Ojai playhouse for the Stranger Things finale. It was to be a perfect evening. Ojai Playhouse is the best thing to arrive in our small town, local or not, and we had the most amazing time watching the finale of Stranger Things. Tears were shed, no spoilers to be found here. We make our way to Rory's, which I'm embarrassed even to type its name into this review. We went from a literal 11 to a -11 in about five seconds. The hostess rudely told us that the patio was closed and our reservation canceled. We asked for a wait time and were plainly told "no." You had our number, you didn't text or call us, and then you were nasty to us when we were at the station. I tried to tell them not to eat there - the staff is always nasty, uppity servers from LA who are instructed to weed out the peasants. But, no, we made the reservation, and, thankfully, we won't be back. Plus 100 for Nocciola, who weren't just there when we needed them the most, but gave us the most amazing and least pretentious new years dinner we could have asked for. See you never, Rory's. read more

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 @jnov_reviews read more

Food service quality ambiance absolutely 12/10 I am so obsessed with this place. So thankful a friend referred me to this spot . This is probably the best restaurant I've ever eaten at !!!!! the flavor Profile of every dish was phenomenal in each dish kept getting better and better. I couldn't recommend this restaurant enough. I can't believe it only has 3.7 stars it deserves a 10 out of 5. This people are crazy. We got aquaquiles amazing but spicy the flavor pop and loved the chips. Then tuna tartar and wow. Such a good portion. And amount of tuna. Crab salad. The flavor pops when you mix it. I was in heaven. Risotto with lobster was exactly what I wanted. Nothing crazy but perfect. The lemon dessert was insane. Idk what this chef is doing, but he's on his way to a Michelin star I swear. Can't wait to go back and try more. WOW WOW WOW Also our server blonde tall beautiful women was amazing! read more

Loved the food and ambience here! However, I would say that the crudo dish is a lot smaller portioned than anticipated esp with the price tag. Would highly recommend getting the salads and milk + cookie dessert to finish up your meal, though! read more

I came with my fiancé after viewing weddings venues in ojai. My first takeaway was that they are trying to cram as many people into the place as possible. The tables are so close together you are essentially shoulder to shoulder with random people, and are in a sense, a part of each tables conversation around you. Not ideal. You then order an entree to have it come with no sides for over $30. I ordered the steak medium rare, it came as 8 pre cut slices of cold well done steak with an onion on top, the chewiest steak I've ever eaten. For a relatively expensive (for how much you received) steak it was arguably the worst steak I have ever eaten. I don't understand the allure but to each their own, I do not recommend. Ps you have to pay 3% extra on your bill for "employee health" whatever that means! read more

Rory's Place - Inside of the sitting area - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

If you're going for a good aesthetic & great vibe - this is your place! Other than that I don't have much positive things to say. The food was fine, nothing to write home about. The service was genuinely atrocious. I like to think that I'm a pretty understanding person, but the front of house waited several minutes to "greet" us and by greet, I mean be extremely rude and begrudgingly showing us our table. The waitress was also really unpleasant which put a damper on the experience. (They did switch shifts and we had a 2nd waitress who was lovely!) Unfortunately the cool atmosphere was overshadowed by beyond poor service. read more

Rory's Place - Chocolate mousse - yum! - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

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Not a terrible experience --but not going back anytime soon. A few things that really stick with me... Table was tiny for the three of us, food couldn't even fit on the table. Not to mention it was wobbly the whole night even though this was brought to the attention of the wait staff. Portion of the crudo was hilariously small and WAY over salted. Almost inedible. It was hamachi for like $25. Would guess the actual portion size of the fish was about 1oz. Nothing else on the plate but olive oil and salt. Same issue with most of the other dishes. Potatoes on the seabass dish were over salted and totally broken and oily. Fish was cooked to death. Ordered a bottle of wine on the menu (priced at $80). Server dropped the bill and we were charged $120. When I brought up the issue to the server he didn't say anything and just took the bill. Manager dropped a new one without even looking at me. All I heard was "you lucked out tonight, menu typo". Overall it was an extremely disappointing experience. Service was "too cool" and super casual. Food was not worth the price. I was very surprised. read more

Okay I've come back to give a better review almost a year later. Came here the weekend of New Years and this was probably one of the most delicious meals I've had :) This time I was greeted by a different host who acknowledged us and sat us down for our reservation a few minutes before initial check in. The last time I came, I was practically ignored and seemed like a bother. We started with the tuna tartare on toast, super yum! Only note was the bread was a bit too hard, assuming it was a sourdough of some sort. Shared a dip plate of some sort! With 2 assorted hummus dips and pita - great. We then ordered the hangar steak.... I mean wow I think I was in heaven lol. Paired the steak with creamy ricotta pasta and it melted together so nicely! For dessert we tried the chocolate tart, it didn't stand out to me as much. It tasted a tad bit too salty for my liking, but I tried the peach galette last summer and enjoyed it. Overall, I truly enjoy the seasonal pickings Rory's Place has to offer. It's nice to come to a spot and try new dishes each time. Hope to be back in the summer! read more

Love this place. Friendly service, warm atmosphere, and food is delish. Tim and the staff always take great care of me and my family. Highly recommend. read more

Amazing food, service was fast, helpful and kind. We can't wait to go back the next time we are in town! read more

Rory's Place - Delicious- amazing and inventive cuisine. Don't sleep on the Salt & Vinegar martini - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

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i'd almost considered not posting a review after the atrocious customer service at Rory's Place, but now that i've been discharged from the hospital with food poisoning from the food I ate there, I've decided I will. Our server Angie approached our large table of 14 girls with an immediate attitude. Having worked in customer service, I could understand perhaps seeing a large table of girls in Ojai (where likely lots of bachelorette weekends happen) would have her rolling her eyes. I was committed to showing that we were not only a respectful and appreciative group, but quiet and patient as well. Some girls at our table inquired about whether the food style was shared plates or if we might be able to do individual plates- to which she replied "Oooohh, individual plates? that would be pretty impossible." At first, we were surprised but not discouraged. We wanted to work with her so we ordered plates to share as she suggested. My friend Dani ordered a drink having to grab her attention as she proceeded to walk away. No apology for skipping over her, nothing. (This happened again when she ordered food) But then after serving everyone their drinks, she forgot Dani's drink. When she politely checked on it, the waitress snapped at her and said "yea i put it in!" We were taken aback but assumed she was just stressed. Two sips into my drink- I told her, and i quote, "Hi i'm so sorry to bother you, but i actually don't really like my mocktail." I pause, hoping she'll offer me an alternative option or to take it off the bill, and she just goes "ok fine," and proceeds to charge me $14 for my untouched mocktail. The portion sizes were smaller than individual plates. Every single girl in the party went home after ordering an appetizer AND a main, and proceeded to finish full plates of leftover pasta from the night before. Every girl at the table picked up on her attitude, and to top it all off- I ended up in the hospital with severe food poisoning from either the green goddess salad or the japanese sweet potatoes. DO NOT waste your time here. I've eaten at restaurants all over the world- from the divey-est bar food to michelin rated restaurants. I've never been so off-put by service and food in my life. read more

Ok these negative reviews are wild. The portions are small, yes, the food is pricey, yes. But it is delicious and inventive. Ambiance is nice, feels like Highland park in Ojai. Service was great. We had the oysters, daily crudo, the Japanese sweet potato, the beet ravioli, hanger steak and the pavlova for dessert and the cocktails The Satan and the Gimlet. Nothing missed. Everything was top tier. It was $230 for the two of us (we're both small humans) and we were full. So like I said pricy, needed 6 dishes but I know what I was in for and all I care about is the food is bomb read more

Was super excited to go to celebrate my bachelorette but left feeling super disappointed and offended. Made a reservation, planning to just have a couple drinks + light apps. Once we got seated made our order, we saw an obvious shift in our servers attitude. Kept on questioning our order and asking if we were gonna order more food. LIKE SIS we made it clear we weren't hungry - but we did order 3 apps to share. Came back and asked us ARE U ORDERING MORE BEYOND THIS ??! We would have order another round of drinks but we wanted to leave asap. AND our $20 crudo has 5 pieces !?! Honestly was not gonna leave tip, but ofc we had a large party so gratuity was included. The server (meghan ?!?) tossed our check onto the table and shamelessly said "gratuity is included" and left. Total we spent ~$300 but guess that was not enough for them sadly. Def not going back .. have never experience such terrible customer service. DO NOT SUPPORT AT ALL !!!! read more

vibe was cute inside but attitude from our server was not. we wanted to come here to get some drinks & small appetizers before our dinner plans & got MAJOR ATTITUDE from our server. everything is nice n great until we put in our order. our server was super judgy asking us if thats all we were ordering. i didnt know there was a price limit we had to hit or a minimum per person, if yall gonna be like that then have a rule or something. rude as hell. made us feel so uncomfortable and ruined the mood. it was supposed to be a special night celebrating our friend's bachelorette. we would've gotten multiple rounds of drinks but not after how she treated us; we wanted to leave asap after that. steer clear unless ur tryna get judged for not ordering enough read more

A Gem That Deserves More Love Not sure why there are mixed reviews -- Rory's Place is absolutely outstanding. The food is thoughtful, fresh, and packed with flavor. Every dish feels intentional, not overdone or trendy-for-the-sake-of-it -- just really well-executed. You can tell the kitchen takes pride in what they're serving. And the vibe? Spot on. It's got that effortlessly cool energy -- warm, welcoming, and stylish without trying too hard. Perfect for a date night, dinner with friends, or just treating yourself. Highly recommend. We'll be back again and again. read more

Sorta last minute I decided to drag my aunt with me to the bar & semi crash my best friend's 11th wedding anniversary. Tim greeted us at the door and was super personable and willing to sit us (despite this place buzzing like a beehive on a summer Friday night). I asked him if he'd do be a solid and send my best friend and her husband a glass of champagne- I was hiding behind a menu so they couldn't see me (I was not a master of disguises) so my cover wasn't the best. But, Tim nevertheless helped me make it possible and it was comical. Sarah was our server- totally patient with walking my aunt and i through the wine options. She was super busy and I can tell we might have tested her a bit but she definitely kept her cool and attended to us while managing her section. We enjoyed the tuna tartare which was savory and fresh. I tried my best friend's hanger steak which I guess they're known for and it was delicious- like melts in your mouth. I'm not a meat eater but I will try it here and there and I can attest to this steak being a must try! I also saw the bar staff assemble a seafood tower that looked incredible. I didn't try it but it looked fresh and well designed. read more

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Recommend for a bite in Ojai! Food - enjoyed the brunch options but especially loved the raw bar. The oysters, shrimp and crab were all so fresh and delicious. Cocktails were tasty! Bloody Mary was OK. Service - really friendly and attentive service. A little bit of a wait but what I assume would be typical of such a popular brunch spot in downtown Ojai on a Saturday. Ambiance - definitely can be crowded for weekend brunch, a bit tight of table setup but overall great option to enjoy a meal with friends. read more

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

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Rory's Place - Where Reservations Go to Die and Influencers Go to Multiply So here's the deal: I had a reservation--you know, that thing where you call ahead, they say "yes," and in theory, they hold a table for you. You remember that ancient practice, right? Apparently Rory's Place doesn't. Because when I arrived at my reserved time (early, even!), I was met with the type of confused stares usually reserved for asking a DJ to turn it down. I stood there, watching table after table filled with people who looked like they were spawned in a TikTok algorithm--wide-brim hats, neutral-toned outfits, aggressively mid banter. It's like someone dared a Pinterest board to open a restaurant, and somehow it said, "Bet." The oysters? Overhyped, like everything else here. I've had more flavor from a salt packet. The service? If you enjoy being treated like a background character in someone else's Instagram story, you're in luck. The host looked at me like I'd interrupted a vibe check just by existing. Every interaction felt like I was infringing on their "soft launch" energy--even though it's been open long enough to know better. Rory's isn't a restaurant, it's a set. A scenic backdrop for people who care more about what's on their grid than what's on their plate. Food-wise, it's aggressively fine. Not bad enough to laugh about, not good enough to remember. Just... there. Like the friend of a friend at brunch who insists on splitting the check by the ounce. In conclusion, Rory's Place is the kind of spot that reminds you some reservations are better left unmade. They may take the reservation, but they sure as hell don't know what to do with it. read more

Ok, this place is just as great as last time, but a big miss this past time! The hanger steak, which is normally tender and perfect, was so dry and overcooked this time! We just ate it because I don't believe in food waste, but I was sad that it could have been more pleasant like the other two times we've been here! Now for the highlights! The squid ink pasta is divine! Perfect way to eat seafood. I also loved the melon and prosciutto appetizer, extremely fresh melon and the best prosciutto I've ever had! Of course, we started with 1/2 dozen oysters that were delectable! As always, the drinks are bomb! Lastly, our waitress was really sweet and even pronounced my sister's name correctly! That was a pleasant surprise! Thank you! read more

At long last, Rory's is back and better than ever! My wife and I shared the heirloom tomato salad, their take on deviled eggs, and chicken liver pate for starters followed by some delicious fresh halibut, and their fresh fig tart for dessert. Everything was fresh from farmers' markets and the halibut was fresh caught purchased in Ventura that morning. The staff are so attentive (not hovering), upbeat, knowledgeable and can answer any question you may have. This restaurant is a real gem! If you're making a weekend trip to Ojai, make a reservation a week or two in advance. read more

Rory's Place - Fresh honey fig tart! A true delight! - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

I had an exchange with the "GM" today that put me off from this place forever. The restaurant messed up my reservation TWICE and ultimately did nothing to get me a reasonable replacement reservation. The person I spoke to was bereft of any courtesy or accountability; I was offered a table that could not seat my full party as an "accommodation" for the first mistake they made - I'm not sure how that could ever be viewed as an accommodation if it meant telling one of the adults in my party they couldn't join us for dinner. We come to Ojai often and I am so disappointed to remove this restaurant from our rotation. Shame on the GM for missing the whole point and going about the situation completely wrong. read more

Angie's customers service was phenomenal. She made our managers retreat extra special with her attention to detail and her friendly service. We had a big group and she did amazing at getting us well treated. read more

We were sat outside on a Wednesday night and it was packed. The seating is very tight so you and the tables next to you are close. The music was loud and it was hard to hear my friend or our server. Food is designed to be small plates and everything was really good. We had the borscht, fish n chips, steak, bread with feta dip and desert. The desert was average. Cocktails were not good and they are tiny. Will eat there again but won't bother with bar drinks. read more

We are escaped LA due fire situation. I could say this place is INSANE. Amazing food 10/10, especially service. Thank so much you Carrie (the best server). read more

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

I'm surprised by all of these negative reviews! I had a wonderful time at Rory's earlier this year. My sole reason for making this a 4 star and not five is the wait. The two of us arrived ten minutes early for our 7:30 reservation and were not seated until almost 7:50. I give a good amount of grace considering it was a Friday night, though! Here's all the good: Ambiance is very lively and active and the dining room is regularly packed, so keep that in mind. Both the hostess and server were absolutely wonderful. We ordered the Pasta Al Limone, Lentil Soup, and Persimmon sticky toffee pudding and it was all exceptional. The people complaining about price in these reviews do not understand how expensive it is to run a busy restaurant in the center of a tourist town AND serve high quality food. I felt that the price was completely reasonable and would've paid more for the food we got. Service was super quick. It of course would've taken longer if we'd ordered a steak or something akin to that, but it was still faster than expected. I would say we got our entrees within ten minutes at the absolute most. read more

Went on Saturday and tried to walk in, we were a party of 5. It doesn't say anywhere online that they only take reservations. After I gave the host my info I asked how long she thought the wait would be and another worker there told me they wouldn't be able to seat us unless they had a cancelation which they didn't think would happen that evening. I would have waited 3 hours if they told me that was the case. Basically make a reservation since they don't accommodate nightly walks ins. read more

Food is good, oysters are fresh. The place is hip and lively but unfortunately the servers are arrogant and rude.. almost every time I've been there I've had bad experiences with the way our servers treated us. Trying to flip tables fast, forgetful, and seem spiteful if u don't order enough. Somehow feels like you're always in the way and they are just not happy to be there. Unfortunate because I would go there more often if they weren't so dismissive! read more

Had been to Rory's one other time last March and despite experiencing issues that many have stated (rude staff, sardine style seating, high prices etc) we did really love our meal so we were excited to head back on this trip. Sadly nothing has changed for the better. Somehow the host staff and wait staff have gotten even more rude and cold and not the slightest bit helpful whatsoever. We were seated at a two top-close to the back of the restaurant and were seated next to a group of 4 women who had absolutely no etiquette and were screaming the entire time they were there to a point we couldn't even hear one another and we are sandwiched in between them and another table merely inches apart. I love a fun and vibrant vibe but sitting so close to the people next to you and having them be that obnoxiously loud just made it a bit unpleasant. Apparently our server was Angie. Had to look at the bill. She never mentioned it. We noticed that the menu was missing some of the items we had the last time like this wood fired bread and the steak dish. I asked and she seemed so annoyed that I did and very abruptly explained their wood fire oven was not working. Ok. Not ideal as we were so looking forward to those items but we pivoted and ordered. We thought the herb salad would be nice. I promise you it's not. I somehow interpreted the dish to be a salad with lettuce and some herbs or herbs mixed in. No. It's quite literally a very small plate of like cilantro, mint and some other unidentifiable "herbs" and a few Pepita's and we found it so un enjoyable and unpleasant to eat. We did the broccolini which we thought we liked last time and it was drowning - I mean drowning in straight up balsamic vinegar to a point my daughter choked on the dressing it was so strong. It was inedible to be honest. We then moved to the pasta limone. It was fine. Antony portion for the price. And I mean TINY. the noodles had the consistency of rubber bands - so chewy but at this point we were so hungry we just ate it. And finally the chicken. It was the only protein that even remotely appealed to us. Again. It was fine. I don't know that I'll ever eat blackberries with chicken again. It wasn't like a cherry balsamic glaze it was just straight up heated blackberries and it was odd. We don't eat dark meat chicken - strictly preference so the tiny piece of white meat chicken we shared was barely enough. It came with some sort of leafy greens that were entirely forgettable. We don't drink. And they don't have soda. I asked for a sparking water thinking they would bring a bottle and it was the smallest glass of club soda. And never one did the server ask me if she could refill or bring another. When I tell you these servers almost make you feel like you're doing something wrong by existing and being there - it's no lie. It's honestly wild. Bill came. Was 122 which felt criminal and I'm quite accustomed to high price meals. And there was little to no enjoyment here tonight other than the company with me. Perhaps it's just that Ojai lacks many other options because despite it all - the place is packed so I'm certain my review won't phase them in the slightest. Nobody there will care and that's fine. I Why be bothered when tables are turning multiple times a night - every night. Which is sad because they could make this place so much better than it actually is and make people feel welcome and appreciated. But sadly they fall short in quite literally every area and it was really hard to find anything positive to say about this meal and experience tonight. So save your money and find somewhere else to go. I promise you aren't missing much based on this latest experience. Left there tonight So disappointed and do disregarded. And possibly a bit hungry as well. read more

Rory's Place - our bill. part of two who don't drink. - New American Near Me - Ojai, California

It really shocks me that this spot does not have more stars, do people only like to complain on this app? Rory's was excellent in service, quality of food, and ambiance. We came back twice for dinner during our stay in Ojai because it was so wonderful! We loved the Crudo, Tuna Tartare, Hanger Steak, and the Mushroom Ravioli. If you enjoy cocktails, please try the Tiki Drink! It was delicious and paired well with the food. We luckily were served by Dylan both times and he was very informative and attentive. Rory's Place will single handedly be the reason we come back to Ojai! read more

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We were in Ojai for the weekend and came here for my birthday dinner! Definitely recommend making a reservation because they were packed on a Saturday evening! We reserved online for 630 on the patio, however I got a text message from the restaurant the day of that they had double booked our reservation and asked if we could come in at 7pm instead, which was fine with us. We got a free dessert for being flexible. We got to the restaurant at 7 and it was very busy with a lot of large parties. We got seated closer to 720. Our waiter was wonderful, though he did have a lot of tables so service was a little on the slow side. The food a lot took quite a while to come out compared to other restaurants, if felt like 10-15 minutes between our entrees coming out though not sure entirely. Their drinks are very flavorful and strong! We ordered 2 cocktails - the satan and the MIA and both tasted great. I highly recommend the seafood tower for any seafood lovers! We got the basic tower (there is also a Primo tower for $60 more), which included 12 oysters, clams, mussels, 2 crab claws, 6 or so shrimp and caviar. It tasted so fresh, was incredibly filling and felt like a great deal for so much seafood. We also ordered the mole duck confit, hangar steak and root vegetable gratin to share for our main dishes. The mole had a good flavor and the duck was tender - it also came with a lot of cabbage. The steak was ok and tender, but would probably not get again as it was not as memorable as some of the other dishes. The root vegetable gratin came with carrots, potatoes and turnips according to our waiter and was filling. I would definitely stick to the seafood and raw bar at this restaurant. Street parking only. We were staying nearby so we were able to walk. The outdoor patio is dog friendly. read more

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Creative and innovative cuisine served by a caring staff in a lovely setting. Our server Carey was incredibly attentive and helped guide us through the most interesting menu. We started with the crudo which was a halibut with and cilantro served on shrimp chips that was wonderful. And the chicken pate with delicious bread was another star. The baratta and beets were also outstanding. The hanger steak entree was cooked perfectly and the wine Carey suggested nicely paired with the entire meal. read more

In part, Rory's Place is a victim of its own hype in this review. The expectations that were raised given its status in the "new wave of Ojai eateries" were not met by the food, which languished somewhere between not-quite tweezer food and not-quite filling. Plus, I'm fairly certain I was given the wrong salad, one which contained anchovies--I'm not the kind of vegetarian who freaks out about a minor unintentional lapse but suffice it to say, it wasn't an ideal mistake. I can see the appeal of the trendy atmosphere for a certain clientele, but ultimately you'll find better food and better deals elsewhere downtown. read more

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

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Service was almost mute. Music so loud you can't hear the server, if they did talk to you. The tight banquette seating is so tight you CANNOT get to your own seat without your ass being served on the neighbors table. And my ass is not that big! It's mortifying!!! Food was good, but not great. Expect a very limited menu, which is fine, but a warning. read more

The food timing was all over the place, my steak arrived nearly 40 minutes after ordering, while everyone else at my table was already halfway done. Nothing kills the vibe more than watching your friends finish their plates while you're still waiting. This spot is more about the "scene" than the food. Think snobby, LA-transplant energy with shallow vibes and staff who don't seem too interested in hospitality. My server (the Asian server) was dismissive and unfriendly. When we arrived, the host was loudly chatting with a friend at the front about her Hinge date, shucking oysters, and popping wine bottles instead of focusing on guests. On top of that, walk-ins were seated inside before us, even though we had a reservation and had been waiting patiently with the same party size. As for the food! The steak was underwhelming, with the chimichurri being the only thing that gave it any flavor. Definitely not worth the wait. Honestly, the highlight was spotting a YouTube celebrity, which seems to be the draw here for a lot of people. If Erewhon had a restaurant, this would be it: style over substance. Fries for $10? Cmon yall. Beans out the can for $9? Yea right. read more