I've visited multiple times and every experience has been wonderful -- the staff, the animals, the cheese... EVERYTHING. Easily 5 stars. For those considering a visit: know that the road is steep and you should take a car. It's a tasting, not a full meal, and the focus is on quality and authenticity. If you appreciate a genuine farm experience on the beautiful Central California Coast, you'll love it. If you're expecting a restaurant with big portions, this probably isn't for you. read more

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I finally made it to @stepladdercreamery !! It was well worth the wait. I have had their cheeses years ago and have been wanting to visit the farm and see all the baby goats. The drive into the farm was so beautiful with the rolling green hills. Our tour guide took us up to the farm where we got to hold some of the baby goats. That was one of my favorite parts of the tour. Then we learned how they milk the goats and got to see where perfection was made.... The cheese! After the cheese aging room we went into the tasting room. That was my second favorite part of the tour! I loved trying all the cheeses that are in season. I was also excited to join the cheese club. It's different signing up randomly vs learning about the cheese making process and all the hard work that goes into making it at the farm. That's what got me to sign up for the cheese club. It makes you more excited to join the cheese club when you're there in person. Plus I like the exclusivity factor of some of the special cheese and things I get to experience. If I could change anything it would be to spend more time with the goats. I love animals. I could have held my baby goat for hours. I almost wish they had a tour where you could just go hang out with the goats. And then I also heard a rumor that they used to have ice cream. I would love to try the ice cream produced at this farm!! But other than that I would definitely do this again! I can see my future charcuterie boards with the delicious @stepladdercreamery cheese all over my boards. And it's so exciting! read more

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While on a weekend getaway I booked a guided cheese tasting at this creamery. The drive to the ranch was so beautiful. Green and luscious all around us. The ranch itself is so lovely. So many fruit trees all around. The goats are so cute and fun to look at. It's amazing how they make so many kinds of cheese with milk. The have goat milk and also cow & goat mixed. We tasted their chèvre which I absolutely loved. The Big Sur was a family favorite. All the ones we tried were delicious. Fresh and earthy. The whole experience was fun and enjoyable. They offer farm tours as well. Check their website for more info and details on tours. Really fun for the whole family. read more

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The day was dark and a bit dreary but the tour was NOT! Kristen was fun and full of information. She took us through the whole process starting with the goats and their season for milk, milking and cheese making processes for different types of cheese. At the end of the tour there is a tasting. It was simple but informative and fun. We liked their stuff so much we purchased several different items. Looking for something different to do around the Cambria/San Simeon area? Give the place a try. read more

Our group of 6 cyclists showed up early on bikes at the meeting spot close to the farm. We booked a "Cheese Tasting" tour for $45 each. Pricey, but the thought of relaxing and trying a decent quantity of wonderful artisan cheeses was quite exciting! However, that excitement didn't last long... The tour leader became very unhappy when she realized we had only one car and she would have to drive 3 of us up the hill to the farm. The person that took our reservations knew we were cycling and would need a ride. We waited a few minutes for another tasting customer to arrive before heading up the hill together. We then managed to visibly upset the host a second time when we each needed to use the restroom prior our much anticipated tasting event. Buyer beware that the "Cheese Tasting" experience is only 45 minutes long and not one minute longer!!! This includes waiting for all partys to arrive, an escort up the hill to the farm and using the restroom. Now we only have 25 minutes left to enjoy our much awaited tasting event... We were rushed into the tasting room to sign waivers. I got the full on evil eye stare when I asked a question about the waiver and was rudely shut down without an answer. This is where our whole group began to get a "feel weird" about the experience and the very odd tasting leader. After a brief discussion on cheese making, the first bit of cheese arrived. And believe me, it was truly a tiny bit. It was the same story with the next four tastes of cheeses that came in rapid succession because time was running out! The six of us were laughing amongst ourselves at the ridiculousness of the amount of cheese each of us was getting to taste! After the 15 minutes of actual cheese tasting time, I asked if we could re-taste an offering? Nope, not a chance! Only 10 minutes left now for us to wander the shop and buy their cheese! To be fair, the cheese tasted excellent. However, we were so rushed and so under cheesed that no one was up for spending more than the tasting price of $90+tip per couple for very little in return. Our cycling group is still laughing and joking about our bizarre cheese tasting experience so maybe it was worth the laughs? We will let you decide! read more

Did not know until the morning of our bike ride that we could not ride from the main road to the creamery....too steep. Had to be shuttled in a car that looked like it was used as a homeless shelter. The cheese tasted good, but the serving portions was soooo tiny....really small. We all thought the event was overpriced for the quality of the tasting. Although it was an adventure being on a real farm in the depths of Central California Coast. read more

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Great tour, amazing cheese and super nice people. Book your tour and cheese tasting when you are in the area. It is a beautiful drive up the hill to the ranch. We bought all the cheese and now we order it online. Once you have tried it there is no going back. Bonus if you go after all the baby goats are born it is massive cuteness overload. Pro tip- Do not pet the Billy goats. They stink. read more

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Excellent experience on the tour. Kristen was delightful and wonderful. Loved hearing about the process and getting to see and interact with the goats. The tasting was great and I loved that they provided each group their own creamers and samples because I am a little bit of a germaphobe and this made the experience better for me. The cheese is excellent and we've enjoyed it each night as dinner with crackers, fruit and local wine. Highly recommend taking the tour if you have time but if not, definitely grab some cheese from their creamery if you see it, you'll be glad you did. read more

We went on a tour of the creamery and had a great time. The guide was phenomenal and the goats were super sweet. Well worth the trip! read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - My kids with the kids. - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

We were staying in Cambria, and visiting Hearst Castle, and decided that we absolutely had to take a tour of this goat farm/creamery and do a goat cheese tasting. I'm so glad we did!! It was really fun learning about the whole production process, and I was so happy to hear that they treat their goats so well. The goat cheese was absolutely delicious, I could have stayed there all day eating the different varieties! Definitely, definitely recommend a visit and tour. read more

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I have been singing the praises of Stepladder Ranch & Creamery ever since we first saw them at our local farmers' market. They opened our eyes to cultured butter - which I will be eternally grateful for. While I'd love to visit the farm some day soon, we've had the pleasure of seeing the Stepladder crew at multiple farmers' markets throughout the Bay. And they are, without fail, so warm, so genuinely enthusiastic and excited to share their dairy knowledge. I buy their cultured butter more often than I'd care to admit, and we are also big fans of their soft cheeses, aged hard cheeses and marinated fromage blanc. Highly recommend if you see them at your local farmers' market. Every single product is a banger, and they always take the time to talk us through recommendations based on our preferences. Already thinking about my next Stepladder purchase now... read more

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We bought some Stepladder goat cheese at the farmers market in Cambria. It was delicious and we wondered if it was local. I went online and found that they are 20 minutes away in the backcountry north of Cambria and San Simeon and offer tours. I booked this morning and we went on the 1:30 pm tour and tasting. The experience was exactly as described on their website. Kristin was a great hostess/guide. She's very knowledgeable and personable. She loves her job and it shows. We first met a herd of female goats that were 4 to 6 months old. We were able to interact with them through a fence in their enclosure. We then were able to walk amongst 20 to 30 adult female goats that were gentle and happy to be greeted by our group of ten people. The information on the milking process and cheese making was good and that was followed by the tasting. We purchased some items for home from what we tasted. All were very good!!! We enjoyed a few hours of respite on the ranch and had a wonderful time. Our interaction with the goats was memorable. read more

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This place is fantastic if you love cheese!!! Their fromage, triple creams - Big Sur, Ragged Point - and other cheeses, like Heat Wave, are soooo good! Kristin gave us a great tour and was so ready with the information and the entertaining stories about the goat herd. The ranch is definitely off the beaten path but well worth the trip for everyone in my family. read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

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Fantastic tour. It's essentially a goat petting farm with cheese tasting at the end. Started with petting the mama goats. Careful- they nibble on clothing zippers, clothes buttons, clothes sleeves, bag straps, and more. And... don't stand right behind them because they poop and pee at moments notice. Thankfully I didn't get lucky with that. They sure do love their pets and will nudge their heads against your hands and legs for pets. Super sweet gentle mamas. Got to learn a little bit about their life at the creamery, the milking process, etc. After that, it was baby goat petting. There were a few cute lighter ones that they brought out of the pen to allow us to pet and hold. Like their mamas, they like to nibble and jumped on us like little puppies too. They were so much softer though. So cuteeee. Then we washed our hands and checked out the creamery from the outside since it's a sterile area we couldn't go in. We saw the milking machines and the packaging area. At the end, we sat on picnic tables and tasted 5 different cheeses with a side of their honey. They provided a cute journal to write our tasting notes. The honey is fantastic. Purchased the Cabrillo cheese and honey to take home. They provided an ice pack free of charge for the trip. read more

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Best. Experience. Ever. Who knew we had a local goat farm that make yummy cheese in my home away from home town in Cambria!! I wanted to do something different during our longer-than-normal-stay and found this "experience" on Airbnb. Not only is the cheese delicious, but we came during the early stages of baby goats being born! This one is only a week old!! Love love love. Must experience this hidden gem! read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Baby goats in June! - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

A wonderful tour! Beautiful setting, you get to pet goats and hang with their cool farm dog. And then it ends with a lovely tasting in their barnyard tasting room. Such a special way to spend the day. I went with my teen son, who doesn't get very pumped about much, and when we left he said "That was cool." So that's a high-level compliment. read more

Everyone was super friendly, including the goats! The tour was very informative and the cheese absolutely delicious!

Kristen provided a wonderful tour this am to my wife and I, and 15 other people. It was well worth the adventure up into the foothills of Cambria. read more

This 'tour' which sounds so great on their website was a total disappointment. Instead of a 1.5 hour creamery and farm experience, it was 15 minutes in the goat pen and 15 minutes being shown the building where the cheese is made, but not actually seeing the production facility just having it pointed out and 25 minutes tasting small bites of a few cheeses. Total time about 45 minutes. So not worth the cost and very disappointing read more

We had a lovely time visiting the creamery. Our tour guide was excellent and very informative and friendly. We enjoyed petting the goats and learning about the dairy and cheese process. We got to taste five different delicious cheeses and ended up signing up for their club as it was so tasty. It feels great supporting local food growers. Highly recommend. read more

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Nice mix of Artisan Cheeses and Farm Fresh Meats. I was just checking out the stand at the Sunday Stonestown Farmers Market in San Francisco , they had a great mix of cheeses and meats, if my fridge were less full I might have picked up some of their Rocky Butte. read more

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My wife and I had a great time on our Friends and Family tour that we booked via exploretock. The weather was a bit in question leading up to our tour, but turned out really nice, and we ended up being the only two in our tour with Michelle, one of the co-owners of the Ranch and Creamery. We had no idea it started as a ranch and was so large or that they had grown so much other produce there. The tour was still quite muddy since the area has been pounded relentlessly with rain for a few weeks, but we managed to get a sunny day to enjoy playing with the goats, getting to walk around the creamery a bit and see some of the facilities to milk the goats, make the cheese, and see the 80+ baby goats in their little pens. Usually they are running about outside but this year has been so wet they had to get them into a barn to keep them all healthy and happy. Seeing the little baby goats was probably my favorite part of the tour. We got to hold the goats and they were so soft and cuddly/curious. Michelle also offered to take our picture in front of the Stepladder sign with us holding the goats and their huge guard dog Gus in the background as well. It was an awesome memory to capture. At the conclusion of our tour, we sat at a picnic table in a covered area and Michelle cut us up a bunch of interesting citrus, since they belong to the California Rare Fruit Growers. We were able to try Rangpur Lime, Bergamot, Lisbon Lemon, Meyer Lemon, Variegated Lime, and Pomelo. Then she served us 6 of their cheeses. We had Ragged Point, Lumberjack, Marinated Fromage Blanc, Cabrillo, Rocky Butte, and Chevre. My wife and I both loved the Chevre. It was so fresh and bright, extremely delicious 100% fresh goat milk cheese that had so much great flavor and was so great just on its own. We bought more of that to take back to our Airbnb and enjoy it with a baguette. We also really liked the Cabrillo, so we bought the reserve version of that cheese as well that's aged about 3 times as long as the version we tried, since we do like some of the longer aged cheeses as well. This one is interesting as it is a Cow + Goat milk cheese and has a lot of interesting stuff going on. We also bought a very nice branded bag with all of the main farm workers, goats, dogs, and produce on it. I'd highly recommend this tour - just make sure you bring proper shoes if it has rained recently as there will be plenty of mud and some hilly stuff to traverse in that mud. read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - My wife and a baby goat! - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

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Went for a cheese & wine pairing and learned all about the goats and cheese making. Fantastic! I would highly recommend this to anyone. Michelle was very informative. read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Cheese & wine pairing on the Goat farm. - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

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The spicy fromage blanc is my new favorite. I am glad I was able to make it to the farmers market in SLO because they no longer sell cheese at the farmers market on Saturdays in Santa Barbara. read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - So yummy - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

Don't waste your money , not worth it at all they were spraying insecticide and the guide was the first one to run indoors

Came for a tour of the farm and cheese tasting. What a wonderful experience! Whitney was great guide! The property is really pretty. You can even rent and have events there. The goats are so cute. I forgot the name of the breed, but they have short ears and they are not noisy. They are SO friendly! The cheese tasting was very generous! Couldn't leave without a few. So happy to hear that their cheese is sold at the South Pasadena Farmer's market on Thursdays!! read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Cheese is being made in there! - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

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Stellar tour by Michelle! We enjoyed all of the information and knowledge she has of cheese making and running a farm. Our team loved learning about the cheese and fruit, some of the amazing varieties we tried were out of this world! We can't wait to use them in the future! read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Baby goats in the Spring are worth the trip! - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

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A group of us went for a tour on the farm and let me tell you it was the BEST day! Kristin our tour guide was so fun and informative her song was also so fun! the goats are all so sweet and the property is so beautiful and pristine. The tasting was delicious! I would highly recommend this tour even if our not a cheese fan! read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

This review is for their goat cheese I bought today at the farmers market in SF (not the creamery/farm experience). I saw the sign that read 'fresh goat cheese' and my heart skipped a beat and I bee-lined to the stall, bought it ($14) wo tasting it. My fault somewhat bc it's rare for me to not like goat cheese, and I didn't foresee this as an exception. In fact, I love the creamy and gaminess of a good goat cheese. I brought it home and let it get to room temp...and the taste was beyond disappointing. Texture wasn't creamy and the flavor was bland. Very very bland. If you were to cut goat milk w kefir, and maybe whip it, that was the taste and texture. It was hard to tell that it was even goat cheese, much less fresh goat cheese. I haven't been to the creamery itself but I hope the cheese is better there than my experience today. I wish I took the time to try it before splurging :(. read more

We visited Stepladder Ranch & Creamery on Monday! The goats friendly and adorable! The cheese is delicious. We joined the cheeseclub to ensure we wont miss out! Thank for the wonderful tour! read more

I took a friends and family tour in June 2023. The tour was great: delicious cheese, cute goats and fun people!

Amazing Experience. A gem on the California coast. An adventure as soon as you leave the main road. We found Stepladder ranch by some amazing fate through VRBO and it is now part of our history. We made our appointment to tour the farm before we decided on the "BIG house" as our location for our 4 night family stay. As we arrived to the creamery gate, We were immediately enchanted! We knew this was the spot! As we were driving up to the goats we passed a huge bull, sunning himself on the roadside, close enough to feel his breath... The farm is charming and has so much history!! You get to get in with the baby goats, who are just adorable! And even get to meet the milk goats too. Wear your farm shoes because it's real guys! I won't tell you any more because you need to go!! The Cheese? Amazing. So many delicious choices and all are incredible, made even better by the fact you know it's made right there by the goats you just met!! So the "BIG house" - remember I said we stayed? It is just above the farm about 5-8 minute drive ~ It was 4 incredible days, the view is absolutely amazing, our family and us were completely wow'ed, relaxed, playful, joyous, what other words can I use to describe the most amazing family weekend EVER? The entire experience was beyond anything we could have dreamed and wish we could relive it every month!!! Thank you SO much Step ladder!! You are the best!! read more

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I just finished a delicious lunch of Stepladder cheeses on Morell's sesame seeded bread. I had bought a container of chevre and a little round of Big Sur, a brie-like goat milk cheese when I was at the Berkeley farmers' market a couple of Saturdays ago. They also sell Hass avocados and I bought one, putting it in my shopping bag, but it had disappeared by the time I got home. It may have fallen out of the bag at the market, because it wasn't in my trunk, so I hope someone found it and enjoyed it. This morning I brought the cheeses out to come up to room temperature and removed a couple of slices of the bread from the freezer to thaw. When it was lunchtime I cut the bread into pieces and spread the cheeses on them. Both cheeses were tasty, different styles, both smooth and flavorful. I'm very partial to goat milk cheese and it's great to have ready access to artisanal (almost) locally made varieties. read more

I took my elderly mother and my sister for a tour at this Creamery and Ranch it was so delightful and beautiful! Located in the middle of gorgeous countryside of rolling hills in Cambria. We were met by Whitney who was so kind and very knowledgeable about the milking process of the goats and knew all the goats names! Amazing! My mother has special needs being on a walker and Whitney was so patient with her. The cheese we tasted was delicious! We loved feeding the goats and learning all about the La Mancha Goats and meeting the Guard Dogs Lilly and Gus. I especially loved playing catch with Frank!!! I highly recommend this farm and staff and we want to come back when all the babies are born in March! read more

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We are so glad we booked a Stepladder Ranch and Creamy tour while on our coastal excursion. We loved seeing and hearing about the day-to-day operations on this family owned ranch. They really love what they do, and it shows! We got to play with friendly baby goats (they loooove people) and say the milking and cheese making facilities. At the end of the tour, we were able to taste all of the creamery's available cheeses. So good! We purchased four cheeses to take home with us. Loved this experience!! read more

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I went with a group of 10 and we had an amazing time! All of the samples were delicious but the best part was hanging with the goats! Everyone got their fair share of baby goat time and anyone who wanted to got a chance to hold one. We got some amazing pictures and all left in the best mood. I highly recommend visiting Stepladder ranch. Shout out to our very sweet, knowledgable tour guide Kristin! read more

My family and I came last weekend of September on a Sunday. We did the group tour at $20 each, with reservations made off the website. Don't try driving here without a reservation, the gate will be locked (happened to us the first time we heard of the place!) Beautiful farm location set high up surrounded by oaks, the goats are penned up and after nearly 45 minutes or so of petting them, questions answered, and a wandering the cheese tasting is held inside the main barn. Loved that part! Super-friendly guide, my kids loved the tree and tire swings and the "ranch dogs" that love to play. Some advice: don't wear sandals as some people did on our tour. You will step on goat poop - quite a lot of it. Wear shoes you don't mind getting dirty - you are on a working farm. Overall, will definitely come back again wine the baby goats are born. read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

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Visited as a group of 4 on a Sun in Sept ($25/pp), reservations required. The tour is relatively short (about 45 min) but informative, and ends with a nice cheese sampling. It was nice to see how well they treat their animals, from the silly farm pup Frank who literally never stops bringing you his toy to throw, to the baby goats who love head scratches and act a lot like dogs, to their mama goats who produce the milk. The employees seem to love farm life, animals, and guests. There is a passion in the explanation of each duty that adds to the whole experience. Prices of cheeses range from about $8 for a small chunk to a $15 double the size chunk. Avocado honey, crackers, logo t's and bags are also for sale. Read the instructions prior to booking - wear closed toe shoes (you will be standing in Goat droppings!), wait at the gate before your tour (tour guide will show up right on time). read more

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery - Adult goats - Ranches Near Me - Cambria, California

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Beautiful surroundings, tour is informative, price doesn't match experience. From a kids perspective this is five stars because they get to play and pick up baby goats. From a parents perspective you kinda leave scratching your head a bit. The cost is $25 each person, $100 minimum, for a 45 minute experience and a 15 minute tasting. The play time with goats is indeed fun and memorable and full of picture opportunities. Again, the kids will love this. But besides that there isn't much else to this experience. Your tour guide will walk you through the milking area and the cheese making area but there were no workers or any actual milking or cheese production going on. One reviewer said they got to see actual milking, but that appears to be rare. You would think for the price they could arrange a milking, OR at least suggest/recommend a better time to come and see it. To put this into perspective, we went to a free petting zoo at the Santa Barbara county fair and the kids loved THAT experience too. You also get the feeling that you're paying a lot of money for the privilege to sample their products because at the end of the tour is a small room/shop where they sell you t-shirts, honey, and their cheese. Is this tour worth it? Well if you're in a group of 3 or fewer you're still paying $100.. so absolutely not.. even at $25 per person that's steep for only a private petting session. If you have a lot of disposable income then by all means come here. Recommendation - let grandma take the kids here. Tip - if you drive the five mile road during sunrise or sunset you will see so many deer.. read more

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Paid $195 for a family of 3. Were asked to add 20% tips, but decided that we can do it after the tour. We read the description of a farm tour on the website, that was supported by multitudes of very positive reviews. We were very disappointed in the downgrade or our actual experience from what was promised. Here is a list of things that were written in reviews, and on the website itself, that did not happen as described, or at all: What was promised: "Play With the Happiest Goats in California. "Interactions with the goats/viewing of the goat herd's various pastures". "Wear closed-toed shoes since we will be with the goats out in the pasture." Some reviews were sharing excitement about holding baby goats. None of this happened. Baby goats were in one pen, milking goats were near the milking station in the second pen, we were outside those pens. We didn't see or walk past various pastures. We stayed in one spot near the red barn and the two pens were like 10 steps away. We could pet baby goats, if they were near the fence. That's it. "Endless selfie and photo opps. "We got to hold the goats and they were so soft and cuddly/curious." A picture on their web shows a happy person with a phone surrounded by baby goats. That was our understanding of photo opps. We were not offered to hold the goats and it's impossible to take any picture WITH them in the pen as they are moving constantly. You could take pictures of the goats, but that's not a rare opportunity, as goats are everywhere along the road. "Learn the Art of Cheesemaking". We were told about the process and allowed only to peek through the reflective glass into the almost empty room. Nothing was suggesting that it's a cheese making facility. We were told that behind "that closed door" are all the cheeses and they smell amazing. Sounded a bit like a joke. For context, we visited several creameries before, everywhere you could really see the process behind the glass. For free! "Experience 150 Years of California History. Discover the rustic charm of our ancient barn." We saw a nice red barn from the outside, that's it. "Tasting of 3-4 goat's and cow's milk cheeses". From review: " loved the Chevre. It was so fresh and bright, extremely delicious 100% fresh goat milk cheese that had so much great flavor". We tasted only cow's milk cheese. But that wasn't the biggest disappointment. The three of us were given one plate to share. Ok. The hard cheeses had one small piece each. Then a tiny amount of honey was dropped on our plate and then literally 1/2 teaspoon soft cheese. For the three of us. Two friends sitting at our table were also sharing a plate and received the same ridiculously small sample. We looked at each other in total disbelief. And then we had the option to buy cheese and donate/support the creamery. We bought the cheeses and honey and they were really good, but the experience of the tour was really disappointing. read more