3.5 STARS When planning a staycation in Monterey/Carmel with Tater Tot, I came across Tarpy's Roadhouse on Yelp. Name alone, I thought it was going to be some cheezy, chain-esque restaurant which I was fine with, as long as they're dog-friendly. Hell, I go to BJ's in San Bruno and always leave with blue bean (a happy ending will never exist there) but I go because it's dog-friendly. Upon entering the private parking lot, I was wondering if we were at the right place. I've never seen such a gorgeous "roadhouse". The large estate is like a mini castle with an enchanting garden patio and pond area. I can see this being a great place for a wedding reception. I checked in for our reservations and was promptly seated in the enclosed patio area shielding us from the sun. Perusing the American country menu with some Asian inspired items, I was immediately sold on THE burger but we decided to order with some apps as well. We started with the Steak & Eggs: Deviled eggs, rare steak, fried capers, truffle aioli ($9): http://bit.ly/2tWdDUE which seemed like they were prepped way ahead of time, kept in the fridge, and plated to order. The deviled eggs were cold and forgettable, and the steak was really dry. Not much better was the Popcorn Prawns w/ crispy okra, harissa jam ($12.50): http://bit.ly/2w2ek0h. The batter was too hard and the shrimp was overcooked. A wedge of lemon would have helped as the harissa jam was too sweet. Redeeming the disappointing apps was THE Kobe Burger w/ brie, bacon, maine lobster, truffle aioli, fries ($24): http://bit.ly/2uRQTbn. Living in SF, I've had a lot of great burgers in hole-the-walls to Michelin starred restaurants, and I have to say this was one hellava burger! The thick kobe patty was cooked as requested to medium rare: http://bit.ly/2vf1vSL. The exterior had a nice sear and the interior was flavorful and juicy. The melty brie cascading off the edges of patty made my granny panties wet. It paired beautifully with the salty bacon and bitter pepperiness of the arugula. The maine lobster was chewy and totally unnecessary for already a decadent burger. My only suggestion is to toast the soft bun longer so it can hold up the hefty patty and fixings. The burger was served with Tarpy's "fries" which are crispy potato wedges. I only managed to eat half of the burger and it was so satisfying that I haven't craved a burger in weeks. Don't worry Tater Tot didn't have to sit there and drool while we ate: http://bit.ly/2hkXQwG. I ordered the "Chase the Chicken Around the Barn" from the dog menu for him ($7.75): http://bit.ly/2uSozpn. He liked the chicken but like a finicky eater, he didn't touch the green beans. As many reviewers mentioned, service is painfully S-L-O-W. It wasn't busy but it took over 25 minutes for our server just to take our drink order. I was chatting with the table in back of us and they had been waiting for close to 40 minutes before their food orders were taken (and then their order was wrong). I'm glad our server was genuinely nice but they seem to be severely understaffed both in the FOH and BOH. If you visit Tarpy's Roadhouse, plan for a very leisurely two hour meal. Weather permitting, I suggest sitting in the outdoor patio. It's relaxing and the view of the estate with its lush garden can't be beat. The inside dining area was upscale with white linen clothed tables and rustic stone walls. Again, there's nothing "roadhouse" about this place. Great place for an romantic dinner or a large group gathering. With hits and misses on the menu, and very slow service, I can see why there's so many mixed reviews for Tarpy's Roadhouse. Stick with their burger and come with good company, and you'll be just fine. read more

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Apparently, the previous chef passed away, so the crabcakes are now very different. Thumbs down on what they give with them like a dill mayonnaise they call it aioli - but no, it's not!!! Oh my, their beet salad... I USED TO LOVE IT! Now? Worst ever! It's like they took a Caesar dressing through some water in it shook it up and poured it over. It's got a creamy dressing on out and can smell the Caesar type dressing smell. Very disappointed in the food now so sad because we loved that place. The bar is always stellar, cocktails are always stellar. Food has gone downhill. We ordered the soup. The soup has always been amazing there and it was a cilantro bisque which was extremely salty. Sent that back. Were told we were getting a credit - did not and that's OK. I can afford that 10 bucks. Thanks very much. Will not be back for the food. read more

When I first tried this place a few years back the food was amazing. After Covid it seemed like the food declined a bit and the manager had a bit of an attitude. The restaurant is beautiful, has such a rustic feel to it. read more

Boy does this place want to be a 5 star. But they are overpriced and a snoody. The pros are weak! Pro - beautiful property - nice landscaping - pet friendly! Negative - attitude from employees - price tag to food quality - they are killing a giant redwood! While the property looks wonderful, they were unable to cut down a protective giant redwood tree on the parking lot. So their solution was to pave right up to the trunk and over the roots. Knowing this will cutoff the trees water supply killing it slowly (selfish jerks!) This would have made a great landscape highlight. Food, I ordered the brisket. It arrived in nice thick slices looking very tasty. I quickly learned all the sauce was because their chef is an over payed false front. One should never ever need to use a knife to cut brisket!! Brisket is next to pork belly. It should tear and cut with just a fork. It's also flavorless without the sauce it taste like a dry potroast. How is it so dry and how does it not taste smokey at all? Smoked for 12 hours? In what? More like roasted in a stove for 8 hours uncovered. This is not 5 star brisket and something I'd expect from Arby's but that's an insult to Arby's. As a matter of fact send you chef to Arby's. Arby's smoke house Brisket is made in bulk with no love. 5 star food taste like someone's heart and soul was put into it. So in turn, go to Arby's if you want brisket because chef missed the mark. Now let's talk attitude, they think this is 5 star? Meh not when you down talk your customers and the poor employees. Ok, I didn't know this place was fancy so sitting a guy who hasn't shaved in 15 days and shoes covered in dirt and falling apart outside. I understand that. But this lady and her family made reservations! They were told to sit outside because 2 of their party members were not dressed pretty enough. BS they all looked better than me! And they made a reservation for 3 but she has such great family that someone jointed at the last min so they put them outside? If it was me, I would have just left. But the waitress was really nice and commented on it being her birthday and asked the manager to sit them inside. The poor girls were dressed pretty and not warm. All the sudden a table opened. Jerks!!! A table that sits 3 can sit 4! Location is everything! Let's be clear a 5 star place does not have jets loudly flying over ever few minutes. Get over your selfs! You know what, I'm going to say I don't recommend this place. I got grass feed beef cheaper elsewhere. Here is not even grass feed or organic. Better food is available at everyday food truck in the city. YES!! That's right they can't even out preform a food tuck. I just took another star off because my waitress just keeps disappearing and I wrote this while waiting for her to Shut up and take my money. read more

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Atmosphere was amazing! We sat inside but the grounds are beautiful! There was a fire in the fireplace. The service was impeccable. The food and cocktails were delicious! I would definitely recommend! read more

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It's been over 8 years since I've been to Tarpy's so when I had a chance to go to Monterey for a night I took the chance to go to Tarpys. I was afraid that I just overhyped it in my head as I remember it being really delicious the first time I went but boy it didn't disappoint. We sat outside under the heat lamps (which were much needed this weekend) because we had our dog with us. They have a doggy menu which was really cute. We ordered our dog salmon and I'm sure she would give it 5 stars as she gobbled it all up in minutes flat! I ordered the guava lemonade and the meatloaf with popcorn shrimp and okra starter. The guava lemonade was delicious, not sure if they just mixed kerns guava with lemonade but whatever it is it's the best lemonade I've had! The meatloaf was perfectly cooked and instead of that red ketchupy sauce, it came with a mushroom gravy instead which was a perfect compliment for the mashed potatoes. For dessert I got the creme brulee and it's seriously the best creme brulee ever! You know how sometimes the actual custard part needs the sugar on top to make it really good well this base of the custard is so good you don't even need it. The oatmeal raisin cookie that comes with it reminds me of the old Starbucks oatmeal raisin cookies that were my favorite. Minus a star because they gave us B&B plates but didn't bring us any bread. I saw the guests inside with bread so i think they forgot. Also being the only group sitting outside i think we were the forgotten ones. At a point the server realized we never got our entrees as he came out to check on how we were doing and we had nothing in front of us. Still my favorite restaurant in Monteret area though! read more

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We really enjoyed our food here and the ambiance was great with an exquisite service!

I knew this was going to be a tourist trap when I made the reservation, and I was right. The service was awkward and super corporate. When we approached the hostess stand we were greeted with, "do you need something?" by a staff member and then another one interrupted and asked if we had a reservation. Our server was doing his best, especially considering how busy it was. The food was fine. I tried the ribs, beet salad, deviled eggs, and tuna tacos. The tacos were good, but the rest was just ok. It remnded me of airport food. Nothing offensive, but way overpriced and ultimately soulless. They also forgot my drink order a couple times. It was also really crowded for COVID safety. I've only been to a few restaurants during the pandemic, but this one was by far the least concerned with the health a d wellbeing of their customers and staff. Holiday weekends aren't an excuse. Turned me off of dining at a restaurant for a while. There's a Chili's a couple miles down the road. The food is comparable, the service is warmer, and it's half the price. read more

Perfect spot for a business lunch, family meal or special event. Options for indoor and outdoor seating. Excellent service. Meals always delicious! read more

Went to celebrate my brothers birthday and I was so impressed with the food, but let me tell you the ambiance was amazing because of Nick from Nápal he was a great server. Nick made my brother birthday dinner awesome that we will return to not only have delicious food but the service we received from Nick made my brother's birthday dinner memorable. He even took pictures with my brother. read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

My first time at this yummy restaurant. With my husband's family of 9 people total. We went for the calamari and the bruchetta's for starters, and the braised ribs as the main dish. So yummy! I definitely recommend this place! read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - Crisp Calamari with Sweet Pepper Piccalilli and Srirachannaise (Warm) srirachannaise that's left, plus a half full Passionfruit Rita - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

A great location by the airport and the Laguna Seca racetrack. The outdoor ambiance is wonderful on a nice day. We were lucky to have a great duet playing the evening we had dinner. The full bar cocktails were excellent. I had the Tarpy Wagu hamburger and it was more than enough to satisfy my appetite. The best part of the burger was the lobster tail topping. Service was always there when we needed them and very friendly. Pricing was a bit high for what you get but we were all happy with our choices. read more

The food was delicious. Service was very accommodating. My sleepy and very grumpy 2.5 yo son was amused and cheered up by the pond and the turtles they have on this very unique property. read more

Tarpy's was suggested to us as a place to celebrate our oldest daughter's graduation from the MSW program at CSUMB. The staff were courteous and attentive. The restaurant was beautiful. The atmosphere was perfect for the celebration. We were seated and served promptly. The menu presented us with choices that suited the varied tastes of our guests. The food was beautiful on the plate. I had the Kobe Burger with lobster, bacon and Brie. The entree came with deliciously crispy steak fries. I asked for my burger medium and it arrived well done. It was so well done that the burger was inedible. The manager was quick to have the kitchen redo the dish. Our party was large and almost all of the items I was attracted to were ordered by our guests. I was able to sample their ribeye steak, lamb, steak sandwich, shrimp and grits and their salmon entrees. While the presentation for all these dishes was absolutely gorgeous on the plate and the ingredients were high quality the feedback from our guests was consistently the same. None of us felt the food was seasoned adequately. One exception was the appetizer, a giant pretzel with the spicy jalapeño cheese dip that I ordered as a starter. That dish got rave reviews from our guests. I will give happily give Tarpy's another shot next time we are in the area. The atmosphere and service is exceptional. read more

We stopped in for lunch on our way back to Santa Barbara. We were seated right away. The waitress was great and very knowledgeable about the menu and current specials. We decided on sandwiches. Both portions were generous and very tasty. We shared a flight to sample beer they had on tap. I would recommend this restaurant. read more

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I had a wonderful lunch at Tarpy's last weekend, 'twas my first time back since it changed ownership. I decided to graze on appetizer choices instead of having a strong plate. The first a Short Rib Risotto was cooked to perfection the rice had a tender bite, buttery and creamy with bits of rib meat through-out, the arugula and balsamic gave it a delightful pop of citrusy freshness! I also had the Spanish Octopus which was cooked to such tenderness, Chef Ivan suggested the best way to eat this is to grab a wee bit of all in one bite and yum he was right, it's an explosion of flavors in your mouth, tangy, sweet, fresh and earthy! Bravo Chef Ivan excellent creations I enjoyed every delicious morsel. One happy foodie right here. read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

Food quality has gone way down. Table was sticky. Pepper grinder (had to request) was empty). Air machine REALLY loud. Glad they have it, but... read more

We travel to Carmel each year for a 3 day get-away. Typically we land and immediately head for Tarpy's for an early lunch. This year was the same, after a year off due to Covid. Lunch was again terrific. We also had the benefit of being served by Claudia, a little bubble of Colombian joy who has worked at Tarpey's for several years. On our last night in the area we decided to dine at Tarpy's once again. Wonderful again, and, as a bonus, we were able to be served by Claudia once again. If you are ever in the area, even if you are not, please dine at Tarpy's. The atmosphere, food, wine and service are excellent. read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

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How have I missed this cool spot! This place is both an amazing Formal or Casual dining spot. The outdoor, under the grape vine seating is quaint or the formal interior rooms are perfect for a more formal event. They have private sequestered rooms for medium to large parties. Without question the best calamari I've ever had. The thinnest breading on large pieces of calamari steak. The beet salad was also seriously impressive with fresh candies walnuts, rhubarb and goat cheese. I loved the camzole infused grits stuffed portobello. I was envious of the Kobe burger with Brie and lobster. Excellent value. Entrees all very rich. One member in our party had an allergic reaction so slightly disappointed that server did not confirm ingredients for us but that is always a risk when eating out. read more

My wife and daughter ate lunch here last weekend. We had a great upscale patio dining experience that was more upscale than the name roadhouse stereotype implies. We started with the calamari. Nice light and fresh strips. I would order this again. I had the angus burger with cheese. It was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. I felt it had too much bun, as it was a pretty thick roll used as a bun. My daughter had the shrimp and grits. She loved them. My wife had the blackened sea bass sandwich. She enjoyed the freshness and the pickled veggies on the sandwich. The potato wedges with my burger and the sweet potato fries with my wife's sandwich were both crispy and properly seasoned. Service was friendly and attentive. We will be back...especially for lunch on the sunny patio. read more

My children and grands treated me for my birthday at Tarpy's . I cannot say enough good things about our experience. Our server Grisel was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. She made my night a delight. My son had salmon, DIL had short ribs and I had filet mignon, all of which were cooked to perfection, right down to fresh asparagus and quality if the fresh fruit on the kids plates. Topped off with house made made blueberry sorbet. Thank you so much for a perfect birthday celebration read more

Great atmosphere in the outside seating area. Good service, and really yummy food. Recommend the beet salad and the shrimp and grits!

Soo my husband and I are finally having a date night and we decided on Tarpy's because he's never been here and was craving a good . We had reservations for 7:30 and were seated promptly. The service was excellent. We had ordered the popcorn prawns and they took a while to come out as they were super busy but the manager said dessert was on the house. Our food had a ton of flavor and was cooked to perfection but I must say the braised ribs were the best super tender and the lemon cheesecake was just the dessert to top off the dinner. Oh and I forgot to mention the ambience was really nice. We will definitely be returning!! read more

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It was my first dining experience at Tarpys and it could not have gone better!! The food was amazing, (highly recommend the sea bass), the drinks were so so good, and we had the best server possible. Nick is truly what made our experience top notch, he was attentive, funny, outgoing, bubbly, and so welcoming and friendly. I plan on coming back just for him - lol!!! The management also seems involved, willing to help and was very friendly. 10/10 rating!! I will most definitely be back read more

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You will see this in the side of the highway and think it's just tourist stop, but actually very beautiful and history rich restaurant. I would highly recommend coming here for a dinner now. The price is normal, not overpriced. Definitely worth what you pay. Had a great waiter attending us on Valentines (Bobby). For appetizers we had deviled eggs which for 8/10 very good. And for the main course I had 16 oz prime steak, that comes with a side of broccoli and potatoes excellently cooked 10/10 overall. My panther had prawn pasta which was 8/10 was very fresh but I felt like it needed more cheese to give it that pasta taste. Lastly we had a chocolate cake ice cream which perfectly Proportioned since I'm not a huge fan of sweets but I found this dessert be very tasty after a good meal. Overall would give this place a 9/10 ! read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - 16 oz steak Prime Select Rib Eye - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

Well for the price i think they should pay more attention to detail, i ordered the shrimp and grits which is $30 dollars. I was expecting something that matched the price it was okay but worst was i was served on a dirty dish , i was half way through the dish and my fiance seen it and scraped what was dried old food on the plate disgusting! i told the waiter and a manager and all they said was im sorry about that. I was expecting them to replace the plate idk but thats gross , how do you charge those prices with food being served on crusty dirty plates. I give it a one star just because the food was OKAY. WASH YOUR DISHES PLEASE read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - tarpys Shrimp & Grits - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

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This was always, (ALWAYS!), on our list when we came to Carmel. So naturally we were incredibly disappointed with our last dinner. One had the lamb, one had bass, one had short ribs, and one had steak sandwich. Only the steak sandwich diner liked their meal. The lamb actually was sent back (first time the 70 year old who ordered it had ever sent an order back!); he said it looked and tasted like beef. The short ribs were literally 70% fat. The bass was tasty, but it consisted of a 3" x 3" piece of fish, about 1/2" thick. The prizes ranged from $44 for the lamb to $22 for the sandwich. And they charged for bread and butter! It's listed as an appetizer... lol..! I hate to say it, but this might have been our last visit... read more

I dined there on a girls trip and was so disappointed with the food. We ordered artichokes that were overcooked and mushy. Our Cobb salad was drenched in dressing and lettuce was wilted. The chicken was so over cooked, it was more of a chicken jerky. I don't understand how you can mess up a salad so badly. I would absolutely not recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Monterey. The food, ambience, and service are consistently excellent. My son had an incident in their parking lot and management an ownership handled it with professionalism, class, and generosity. They have our dining business for a lifetime. read more

Tarpy's is a special place. Located in Monterey, California Tarpy's has a colorful history and a beautiful location. It's colorful history includes a hanging and it's beautiful location has a lovely pond with walkways and lights as well as a beautiful patio and many indoor rooms in the historic stone building. Count this as a nice date night restaurant and reservations are strongly suggested. The food at Tarpy's is top notch. I had the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with a wedge salad while my husband had the shrimp & grits. Both dishes were flavorful and had good portions. I loved my sandwich and although a tad messy to eat, it was tasty and satisfying. The wedge salad was great and the bacon on top was so good. I love blue cheese dressing and this one had chunks of blue cheese which I loved. I tasted my husband's shrimp and grits and it was so good! He complained that he'd love more shrimp in that dish because it was that good (there were 5 large shrimp). The grits were perfectly cooked and really packed with flavor and quite rich and creamy. There are other really tempting offerings on the menu, some of which are offered as daily specials. The service is excellent. It's amazing to me that they offered such great service when they were operating with limited wait staff due to the recent reopening after the pandemic. I was impressed how the wait staff worked as a team and helped each other. My iced tea was constantly refreshed and we were often checked on to see if we need anything. Tarpy's also offers live music on occasion so check for that because that's a nice perk. I encourage you to skip the touristy places in Cannery Row and opt for this local gem. It's really a special place. read more

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Totally recommend Tarpy's Roadhouse in Monterey. My husband and I went for our 5 year anniversary. It's gorgeous and service was great! Food was even better! I only wish I would've ordered dessert haha and taken more pictures of the restaurant. My husband even gave it a better rating then Gordon Ramsys steakhouse in Las Vegas We made a reservation online and got there everything was smooth. The ambiance is elegant looks like a fairy house. The food like above was so delicious. The pretzel was amazing! Also gotta try the guava tea! Can't wait to go back to visit! read more

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I like the restaurant but they need to work on their calamari. From little tiny rubber bands to what they used to serve. Big pieces of Monterey bay calamari. You are charging enough to have decent calamari. read more

Checked all the boxes: - Good food (selection, quality, quantity) - Kids menu with decent selections - Nice atmosphere inside and outside - Friendly and generous service - Fabulous cozy table with fireplace in the center that kept the kids fascinated (although the table portion was a little too narrow and you have to make sure they don't get their hands too close) Great experience and perfect start to our Monterey getaway weekend. read more

We are from out of town and saw the good reviews. It is a little out of the way but the drive was worth it. Every dish we ordered was excellent and hot. The waitstaff were very friendly as well. It is a comfortable atmosphere. We highly recommend this place. read more

Nice atmosphere and service. The brisket is tastey once you remove the chuncks of fat. read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - Beef brisket - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

Happy hour has some of the best food. Great prices too. Nice atmosphere. Friendly service too.

NOT celiac safe! I called ahead and the hostess spoke with the chef. She assured me that they could guarantee no cross contamination of gluten on my daughter's food. However upon arrival the following day the waiter told me that food prep happens together with gluten and they could not guarantee no cross contamination. It's not right that they lie to you to get you in the door. My daughter would have not had dinner had I not been prepared. read more

Great food and service! The ambiance is nice despite the gets flying overhead. I highly recommend. read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - The Octopus appetizer was delicious. It was a meal! One of the best I've had. Totally enjoyed our lunch outdoors! - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

I'd like to first of all shout out the owners, Mona and Ken are true leaders by example. Silent, poised, and present. they are there for their staff, in touch with trends, and quality. Firstly they respect , mingle, and celebrate their guests. I've been a customer for 30 + years plus, and I am proud of their ability to transition and take Tarpys to the next level, with integrity. read more

I stopped off here alone for lunch one day while I was working in the area. Great outdoor atmosphere, incredibly well balanced cocktails, and the food was amazing. I've been backs a Few time since and had a few things. Their beet salad with added prawns, their salmon sandwich, and their turkey sandwich special of the day. Each were amazing. I go out of my way to stop here every time I'm in the area. read more