Tarpy's Roadhouse is a great example of "Never judge a book by it's cover." Although the decor lived up to the imagery on the website not much else did. The restaurant doesn't have the feel of a roadhouse (e.g. old barn, etc.) but is more like an an old inn with the large spaces converted in to dinning rooms (of which there are at least three). The decor is wonderfully done but the lighting was lacking and all the rooms are noisy at moderate or higher occupancy. The bathroom was messy and a bit dated. The service was over all sub-par. The hostess was very nice and helpful (both on the phone and seating us). The waitress started out with promise but soon became disengaged which wasn't helped with the tag-team server approach. The service overall was very slow with the meal taking twice as long most other places. This is a perfect example of why gratuity shouldn't automatically be included for large parties. The food was sub-par as well lacking flavor and being on the expensive side. The ribs had a char on them that I didn't like, texture of the meat wasn't to my taste and there was no extra BBQ sauce provided. The cob of corn was perfectly cooked but really didn't have much flavor. My wife thought she had ordered prime rib with au jus but got a prime rib eye steak (they should have said Rib Eye - Prime Cut).The menu was confusing. She instead got the lobster tail which was generous in size but lacking in flavor which was particularly surprising. In a nutshell, there are so many other options for restaurants with good food AND good service that I will pass on Tarpy's Roadhouse in the future. read more

Took a group of 13 out to Tarpy's for a business dinner. When I made my reservation a couple of weeks in advance, they kindly offered us a private room. This turned out to be great for this size group, especially after a few bottles of wine. Everyone commented that the food was excellent, from the surf and turf meals to the halibut to the wild boar. Now the wild boar dish brings up an interesting story. Nick our waiter had mentioned the specials of the day and one was buffalo steak. Someone ordered it but it turns out Nick was mistaken and there was no buffalo but wild boar. So Nick and the kitchen took a gamble and switched the order. When it came, he explained the mix-up and said if the guest didn't like the wild boar the kitchen can replace it with anything else. It turns out the wild boar was delicious but what an interesting gamble. Nick could have easily come back when he learned of the error and asked our guest to select another dish. The menu, extensive as it is, is also quite flexible. They can make half orders of almost any dish and can substitute sides as needed. A couple of folks who had been there before ordered sides of sweet potatoes which were excellent. Nick our head server was excellent and his support staff too. Turns out my group ended up closing the place down and we were the last to leave that evening. Bellies full and with good laughs. read more

Amazing experience to sum it up. We held our 80 person wedding ceremony and reception at Tarpy's. my fiancé found this place online and we chose it based on the uniqueness, architecture, food, ambiance, intimate setting and history. Customer service was top notch. They were reliable, consistent, communicated often, accommodating, and put my mind at ease during the planning process. The servers rocked the evening and were so great to my guests!! The meal and open bar were affordable and delicious. My guests had a blast. I highly recommend Tarpy's if you are looking for good quality food, excellent customer service and no added stress when planning a wedding. read more

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

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Great experience! My husband, Mom and I went here for lunch. We were seated quickly and our amazing waitress Breizey greeted us right away. We had many questions about the menu and she was well educated on everything. Perfect server! We had the Calamari to start with, with some complimentary bread and butter. Calamari was perfectly cooked, nice and crispy outside, tender juicy inside. I ordered a Moscow Mule and theirs has a lil bit of a twist to it which I actually prefer... go and find out what it is! The Calamari came with two dipping sauces, both excellent but we were in love with the lime, vinegary one. It tasted like Florida! Sooo good, I could have drank it straight. We started to dip out bread in it! Haha. My husband ordered the Kobe burger, can't remember the whole name but perfection is all I will say about it. Oh and that it came with a sauce my tastebuds have never experienced, people you want your taste buds to experience this. I ordered the Beet and Whipped goat cheese salad with Salmon, soooooo delicious. From the whipped goat cheese, to the bright delectable beets and fresh arugula and well executed salmon. I will be back for that again. My Mom got the Apple, walnut salad with chicken. Beautiful made and my Mom could not stop eating it. Kept her quite, so I know it was good. Alas, dessert, creme brulee! It vame with fresh strawberries and blueberries and a lovely tasting cookie. But the actual creme brulee was absolutely gorgeous and DELICIOUS! Made my tongue wanna smack my forehead it was so good. As my spoon cracked the delecate sugary shell and hit the creme and then hit my mouth, I did not want it to stop! Out of this world. Bottom line, great food, great service and a garden of eden type ambiance! Will be back very soon! read more

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Great food! Great service - Dave was awesome!! But...Our family could't all sit at the table cuz they placed us in the sun. Miserable! Told the umbrellas couldn't be moved, as its there "policy". Mind you, restr only hd about 4 tables full Spent $567 not incl tip!! Have to sit in the sun???? Stupid!!! Get more umbrellas or allow us to move them!! Tip: sit inside!!! Pic I posted: how bad it was, family all huddled in the shade. read more

Been here a few times while racing at Laguna Seca. Stopped in for lunch as we landed. Had David as our server and he was great. Made a special vegetables dish for my wife. So fresh and tasty. The artichoke appetizer was really good with a fantastic cream sauce. The salmon was fresh and cooked right. Really nice ambiance and decor. Just get here before the race weekend starts or it can be crowded. It's that good. Ask for David he will take care of you. read more

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

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OK...if you're looking for a bite before your flight out of Monterey, and your search brings up Tarpy's, go. Don't hesitate. Oh how I wish we had a restaurant like this at home. I wanted everything on the menu. It all sounded good. And every bite we had was delicious. Maybe we'll have a chance to go again someday. I'm sure it'll still be there. read more

Sunday we had lunch on the patio. I had the special which was described as a light tomato fennel broth with salmon, mussels, calamari and white fish in it. I asked is it like beaulabaise or ciopino? "No, it was lighter than either" replied the waiter. Well I must say, I would eat there everyday if they served that again!! I may try and go by and try and wrangle the recipe. It was the most delightful fish soup I've ever had around the orld, and contained a lot of seafood. I think it had a bit of orange juice in the broth...not sure but it was delicious. The service was also excellent. Friendly, eager to serve and all in all a delightful lunch. Going back again and again. read more

Last night we had a small birthday dinner with 8 guest. I was a last minute reservation and we realized that it was the week-end of the golf tournament but took our chances. We were very happy with the food and the service was outstanding. Even being very busy didn't affect our waitress, Jennifer, at all and we want to send a very special thank you to her. We will be dining there again for the food and mostly the service. read more

I flew down to Monterey last Friday night. The airport staff at Del Monte Aviation recommended Tarpy's, and even had a coupon for a free appetizer. The restaurant is a five minute drive from the airport. Upon arriving I noticed the name of the restaurant was actually Tarpy's 'Roadhouse'. The name turned me off a bit. But this place doesn't seem like your typical roadhouse at all, it's actually pretty nice, but not over the top. It's nicely decorated with a rustic feel. My vote: Take 'roadhouse' out of the name. Anyway, back on track... They brought out bread and placed it directly on the table. A bit odd, but the table had been freshly 'repapered', so I suppose that makes it okay? I ordered the brushetta as an appetizer, very good. For dinner I recommend the vegetarian pizza (also available with chicken). All in all, great service and good food. I'll be checking this place out again next time I roll though Monterey. read more

My wife and I ate hear for the first time this evening in on of her Birthday. I had booked the table with Open Table and made a note about the birthday. On arrival, the hostess quickly took us to a nice table with a couple of balloons on it...a nice touch. Since we were celebrating, we ordered a couple of starters to get the festivities rolling. I had the Fire Roasted Ocean Mist Farms Artichoke. It was very flavorful with a hint of spices. The Basil-Pesto Aioli was a nice complement. The Birthday Girl tried the Cajun Philly Steak Spring Rolls. It was another hit. She liked it even better with the Basil-Pesto Aioli too. For Dinner, the Wife had a salad with Fuji Apples, Candied Pecans, Gorgonzola & Baby Lettuces. She loved it. I had the Dijon-Rosemary Lamb Tenderloin. I loved the fact that the sauce was served on the side. The grilled meat tasted wonderful by itself. Adding the sauce was like having a totally different meal...Two excellent tastes for the price of one. The Scalloped Potatoes that came with the lamb didn't look too appetizing (rather bland and white) but that was far from the case. They were probably some of the best tasting scalloped potatoes that I've had. On to dessert...We started with the complimentary Birthday Mango sorbet. The special dessert items were more plentiful than the dinner specials so we had to go for more. The wife ordered the Chocolate-Espresso Bread Pudding. She's very fond of bread pudding but said this one was disappointing (we thought they had brought a lava cake by mistake). I had the Lemon Creme Brulee of the day. It was delicious. Made my wife wished she had ordered it. The wait staff was friendly and competent but could have been more attentive. My water glass was empty for a fair part of the meal. The bus boy could have cleared empty plates faster but nothing major. As the room filled up, it did tend to get noisier but not horrible. The Mrs. did comment that it was the nicest "Roadhouse" she'd ever been in. We're happy to say we found another place in Monterey to add to our regular dinner rotation. read more

Average food. Nothing spectacular. Overpriced. It's just OK. Social place. Popular bar area.

Amazing food with friends. Very accommodating for large parties. No separate checks though. We were all pleasantly surprised. Large portions, attentive staff, beautiful building and outdoor seating area. Will be back when we are in town again. read more

I love this place! Found it through yelp and once again they didn't let us down. Went back the following weekend with our family. These people can cook a steak to order. Most of us ordered the New York, which was huge. Every side on our place was delish. Calimari great, but the star was the rib appetizer. The sweet/spicy sauce is to die for. Down side only 3 for the appetizer. If you are a couple you will fight over that last rib. My father in law talked about those ribs for the rest of the day! Pricey, but worth it. Great service the staff is friendly and efficient. Beautiful resturant. read more

I've been enjoying Tarpy's a lot in the past year. There is consistently excellent food and service. The outdoor seating is comfortable and pleasant. The wine and spirits list has something for everyone, even non-drinkers. There is even a pet menu with proceeds going to local pet-related charities. read more

We just had a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner at Tarpy's Wine Bar Patio. Everything was fantastic! Tarpy's staff, and service were so professional. All 18 of us loved everything from the brisket sliders, appetizers, caesar salad, entree and the wonderful cake! The wine and beer were flowing..So glad we picked Tarpy's for this event. Everyone left happy!! read more

We live in town and don't necessarily frequent Tarpy's, but I think that will change! My husband Jason and I were there last Thursday night and were waited on by Nicolas, who was BEYOND amazing! He says he has been there for 12 years, and I tell you what, it shows! Not only did he know his stuff, but he was attentive, extremely friendly, and treated us like gold! And we were using a gift certificate and free appetizer coupon, yet were treated as any other paying person. AAAnd, they gave us the free appetizer coupon and told us to come back again and see them : ) The food was amazing, but at the end of the day, people don't go back to restaurants for a plate, they go back for service! And we will be back! Thanks Nicolas!!! read more

Very disappointing dinner on our anniversary. We won't be going back. The setting itself was surprisingly nice inside (when I think roadhouse, I think of a bit more seedy ambience) and I was looking forward to our anniversary dinner. Our server was prompt and pleasant to begin with. We ordered the crab cakes, some wine, and some water. I never got the water, which initially was just fine. Thirty minutes into the meal, still no water and the server had not come to check on us since we ordered. When the entree was brought out, by another server, they asked if we needed anything else, and I asked for water once again. I was told "Sure thing!" but when that server passed us by three times in five minutes, I went to the bar to order the water. Normally, not a big issue but my entree was overpowering. I ordered the meatloaf, which was more on the dry side, and when coupled with the heaviness of the gravy and mash potatoes, well, my glass of Malbec wasn't cutting it. Our server finally came to check on us after I had finished eating (and finished my water) to ask if we needed anything. Yep, a refill on the water please. On the plus side, my wife ordered the prawn pasta, which was delicious. The creaminess of the sauce, the softness of the prawns, and the crispness of the sweet corn were a good combination. read more

Debra was our waitress, very nice! Good food. Going to try eating outside next time. read more

Tarpy's Roadhouse - Nice welcoming sign. Good food. Nice waitress! - New American Near Me - Monterey, California

There where 10 of us. Have always enjoyed the food but I think who ever was in the kitchen should not be there!!! 5 of us ordered the Ribs. All came out "Cold" and instead of BBQ sauce they had put on Ketchup!!! Some of us where hungry but some sent it back. It came back hot and this time it had BBQ sauce. Two ordered the special of the day.. very poor!!! I am just giving it two stars because the service was good. Whoever was in the kitchen shouldn't be there.!!! Will not be back. read more

Not sure how so many folks rate this place as fantastic. It is very expensive, and not really very good. Avoid the walleye, huge disappointment. The staff is very nice, the drinks are good, but the food just hasn't lived up to the reviews. One review mentioned the best brisket they ever had. Oh my, it is absolutely the worst I've ever had. Had the steaks as well. Odd cuts with gristle and stuff where you don't expect it. I've spent almost $1k in two family dinners here, there won't be any more. Finally, if you have a party of 8, be prepared to sit at a fire pit table with no room for your plates or your legs. Very uncomfortable, we asked to put some tables together as the place wasn't busy at all and were denied. See ya. read more

One of the worst shots in golf is a shank. Well Tarpy's definitely "shanked" my pork shank meal. If I owned Tarpy's and I was served a pork shank that didn't fall off the bone and a side that was tomatoes, Lima beans and some other green whatever I would consider firing the chef and his staff. The food quality was bad, the quality of the cooking was terrible and the sides were uneatable. I should have sent back the pork shank after one taste. In addition the two other meals were just as bad. Stay away the food is bad and it's expensive. read more

Server was excellent, such a total sweetheart, but wow, the two women in the front were RUDE! I was told by the first host that I would be helped in a minute, and then another woman came up and ignored me and asked the guest behind me if they had a reservation. The guest had to explain that I had arrived before him. She then asked if I was here for a to-go order. I don't know what I was doing to give the impression that I was not worthy of dining here. Had I not been waiting on a friend to dine with me, I would have walked straight out. read more

I visti Tarpey's whenever in the Monterey area. Always a great meal with excellent service. They have an amazing wine list, as well. read more

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

Super disappointed during my last visit here. We ordered the special porterhouse steak after it was highly recommended by our server. It was as thin as a pancake and lacking of any taste. It was not tender or juicy and cost $58. The highlight of the meal was the spinach we substituted for the broccoli side dish. I think I will only go here for lunch and stick with the salads and seafood. Much better options on the peninsula for steak. read more

I am updating my review from 7 months ago. This time around the food was very good. Steak, salmon and lamb shank dinners were excellent!

Tarpy's is a real local "secret." Most tourists stick to the Cannery Row area and don't venture over here, since it's a bit out of the way. And let's be honest, anything with the word "Roadhouse" in it conjures up images that don't exactly match with "cuisine" and "classy environs." Don't be deterred by visions of Patrick Swayze sweating on your food, though. The food here, while a little pricy, is seriously fantastic. Brunch, lunch and dinner are all equally delish, and the surroundings are gorgeous. I think it was an old farmhouse or wine cellar... either way, it feels old and cozy and upscale. Perfect for a Mother's Day brunch or a date night dinner or a business lunch. read more

Looks can be deceiving. Tarpy's seems like it was this huge old barn converted into a restaurant. It's pretty fancy for something that would be called a "Roadhouse". By the looks of this place, I thought I would taste one of the best sirloin steak around! I ordered the Wood Grilled Sirloin Steak with snap peas and red potatoes medium rare. When it came out, it was this dinky piece of steak sitting on top of a mountain of peas and potatoes. In my honest opinion, it wasn't very appetizing but I thought I would give it a chance. I took a bite and it literally tasted like something that would be roadkill. It had a really awkward flavor to it. Unsatisfied, a family member of mine gave me a portion of his Grilled Angus Rib-eye. It was juicy, flavorful and much better than my sirloin but it wasn't great for the price you pay. For dessert, I shared the Chocolate-Espresso Bread Pudding topped with fresh berries and of course the Creme Brulee. They were both tasty but I was definitely consider sharing dessert. The Creme Brulee got pretty sweet and there was no way I would be able to finish it by myself. After my experience, I probably wouldn't come here again but on the bright side, they give you crayons so you could draw on the paper table cover. It'll bring out the kid in you. read more

Such lovely ambiance with delicious food. I look forward to Sundays, when my brother picks up my friend and myself after Church and we take a road trip to Tarpeys. I love our new tradition, never disappointed. read more

PROS: 1. Lovely location, relatively easy to get to. Decent amount of parking. 2. Courteous, accomodating waitstaff. 3. Good salads (poached apple, gorgonzola, etc). 4. Crayons and paper table topper! ART ENSUES CONS: 1. What the hell is with the noise levels? Some form of baffling would really, really help, aesthetics be damned. 2. *Tiny* bathrooms. Tiny, *poorly designed* bathrooms. Tiny, poorly designed, *quiet* bathrooms where you can hear the person next to you think, not to mention anything else they might happen to do. 3. Overpriced. They are not so far from steak that a NY cut should be $32, nor is it that posh a restaurant (Barbies on the bathroom doors, anyone?). Related to this - I know restaurants do markups for booze, but a 300%+ markup for a half-bottle of mid-to-low-range cabernet is frakkin ridiculous. Sorry, Michael Bauer, but it is. 4. If you are going to offer grilled onions as a topper, (a) make sure they're actually grilled and not just limply sauteed, and (b) don't charge $2 for said onions. I am sorry, Tarpy's, that I did not get to try your elk ribs, or any of your desserts, or any of your apparently impressive drink selections. I am sorry I went to you when I was already in a slightly less than stellar spot. I am sorry that you feel the need to mark things up to near Hawai'i prices (I can dig food being more expensive there because lots of it has to be shipped in; Monterey and environs should not have such a problem by any stretch) (sure, posh places have higher prices regardless of ingredient availability, but this place did not strike me as the kind of place that really, seriously, was on such a high level as to charge so much, much less feel so awesome as to point out the names of their two sous chefs). I'm probably being a little harsh. On the bright side, our waiter was a good dude, we were given a choice of where to sit (patio or inside). On a side note: what is with the hostesses' short skirts? I mean, I dig that a lot of the time the position is mainly to be eye candy, but what the hell? There's "let's be pretty and young and all" and then there's "that skirt is so unprofessionally short I'm surprised this is not Chevy's". Although given the overall quality that's about where I'd rate it (MAN I am sorry but I actually do enjoy Chevy's, but you'll notice they keep their prices reasonable for what you get). TO SUM UP: Will return only if someone else really wants to go, or if there's nowhere else to go, cooking at home is a no-go, and if the place is guaranteed not to require shouting to be heard over the dang din. read more

Tarpy's was recommended to us by two different people before we went to Monterey. We decided to give it a try after watching the sun set on the 17 mile drive. It didn't disappoint. I had the Baby-Back Ribs and my wife had the swordfish. Both were excellent. We were both intrigued by the Gruyere Potatoes au-gratin, so so subbed those for the fries that came with the ribs and the polenta that came with the swordfish. The service was friendly, knowledgeable, and to the point. Our server also new the history of the place, which was great. The setting was a sprawling ranch house below the Monterey Airport. There were several private events going on, but we wouldn't have know were it not for the signs. This is a great place, definitely recommended. read more

Great white tablecloth meal at reasonable prices. We enjoyed wine, Tarpys' Ale, steaks, crabcakes, strawberry rhubarb pie (that day's special!) and coffee. Although a grownup place, they handled our little ones like pros and all dined in style. The staff was wonderful across the board. read more

Fantastic meal at Tarpy's on Saturday night. Reservation was at 6, but we wanted to have drinks at the wine tasting room next door, so we got there at 5. Uh, Oh, wine tasting room is closed...let's go to Tarpys. They offered us our table for drinks since we had a bigger group. There was a wedding going on at the time, as well as several very large groups, so it was nice that they could accommodate us. We started off with the Deviled Egss - amazing, a must order if you like eggs. Spicy tuna and aioli on a delicious deviled egg that rests on a bed of andioulle schmeer! WOW. The house salad that night was a house made birratta (sp?) with fuju persimmons, arugala, and pomegranates - relish! For entrees, I ordered the Lamb Shank on a bed of Pumpkin Risotta and a crown of Romanesco - off the hook! SO amazing. The hubs ordered a T-Bone with bone marrow butter, on Gruyere scalloped potatoes, a little boring given the other menu options. It was good but he is a very picky steak person and would have traded with me if I would have allowed it. Mine was just too good. I had no room for dessert, but when our server said she had a maple and bacon bread pudding, I freaked out! I had to have it, and it was worth every bite. All in all, one of the best meals I have ever had. It would've been 5 stars if not for my husband's steak, which I liked, but it just didn't have the wow factor. Definitely drive past the pier and go to Tarpy's - you will not regret it! read more

Had the most amazing lunch at Tarpys the food was amazing as expected. However, what really made it a great lunch was our amazing server, Gabriella. My friend had questions on the menu and Gabriella made great suggestions. She checked on us constantly but not so much that our conversation was constantly interrupted. She was an amazing server and just made our girls lunch so much fun. read more

Great place and great service. The pork shank and the Kobe burger was awesome. Will go back again

Service here was exceptional. I had arrived a bit earlier than my reservation, and was asked if I would like to wait for my party or be seated. I opted to be seated. Drinks were offered and ordered. Staff was extremely friendly and pleasant. Appetizers, salad, entree and dessert were ordered, and brought out in a timely manner, and plated beautifully. Food was ALL AMAZING, and cooked perfectly to specification. The Sriracha ribs had the perfect amount of spice, the Tarpys cobb was delicious as cobb salads go. We ordered the Prime Angus Sirloin, medium, which was cooked perfectly, and was so juicy and tender. Dessert, we ordered the Chocolate espresso bread pudding, which I would rate very good, although I prefer my bread pudding a bit more moist, but the ambiance and service is why I am giving this restaurant a 5. read more

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

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Had lunch again after a break from the Minterey area of a couple of years. Weekend peaceful (except for the planes which my husband enjoys) and great food. Instead of our usual choice of sandwiches, we shared a beet salad and a giant Bavarian pretzel. The last such pretzel wehad was in Bavaria and this equalled the fun, with a cheese chili dip and spiceybmustard. The beet salad was one of the best I've had, with relatively small chuncks of a variety of heritage beets flavor and colors, matched by cooked rhubarb giving a nice contrast and texture. Satisfying with a glass of Justin Cabernet. Can't wait to come again! read more

Just finished a very positive and entertaining dining experience. More Than the food, the service from Alfredo is unmatched. He greeted us in such a warm and welcoming manner. He is really a sweet man. Request his station when you dine here. We saw him on Saturday at lunch time. Our appetizer was fried pickles and bruschetta. The bruschetta was the best I've ever had. The entrees were filet minion kale salad, beet salad, bacon cheeseburger and kids bacon Mac n Cheese. For dessert we had creme brûlée which was spectacular. Overall very fun and great experience. Thank you Alfredo. read more

Whenever in the Monterey area we have to stop and eat at Tarpys. It is the best food and the atmosphere is great. A have to go eat place.

Beautiful outdoor dining. Prawn pasta was pretty good. Service was hot and cold. Prices were a little high for what you get