Wow! We'd been eyeballing the place for years visiting The Elms and Crescent Inn and we finally made it on Vday for an Anniversary dinner. So glad we did! Ventana was delicious. One of the best wedge salads we've had. Interesting combo of balsalmic and ranch and tons of crunchy bacon. Surprisingly (especially since rona changed the dining experience everywhere), Ventana's ribeye was one of the best I've had out in a long while. Thick cut, well seasoned, grilled well, and priced nicely. Outstanding! Great cocktails, excellent server, and tasty locally made turtle cheesecake even my cheesecake making wife enjoyed. Glad we made reservations for the holiday because it was solid busy. Keep up the good work! read more

Went here with my family. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They opened the back part of the restaurant to accommodate our large group.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Overall service was a bit slow, had to ask for drink refills a few times. Food was overall good! A word of advice would be to not get the loaded mashed potatoes- small portion and for fifty cents more you could have a giant loaded baked potato. I personally ate the shrimp BLT and found it had a nice flavor. The bacon was cooked well which I prefer my bacon just a little less crispy. read more

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Higher end restaurant with so such to offer! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Place was pretty busy when we went but were able to be seated in very comfortable chairs.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Everything we ordered from the burrata, cheesy potato soup, and alfredo was very good! Prices were good. Service was great.. Just a great time in general! read more

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Excellent wait staff, very good food. I just wish they would change up their menu. It's been the same for years. That keeps us from going back very often. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Super cute spot. It's really big. Lots of seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Waitress was nice and prompt. I didn't feel like I had to wait ever. They have soups of the day. I got the potato one . It was amazing. Wow so good. They also came out with free bread and that was so soft and warm. Wow delicious. However I was not as impressed with the main meal. I got a Philly chicken sandwich . It was a little dry overall and lacked sauce or flavoring. The onions were not cooked too much, which personally I am not a huge fan of raw onions . It did come with chips and a pickle and you could choose a soup or salad. The portion size was plenty so that was good. Would maybe try a pasta next time instead! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Nestled on a serene street in a quaint town, this exceptional restaurant pleasantly surprises us with its warm ambiance and delectable cuisine.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Our visits always have started with a friendly smile and the option to be seated anywhere we liked. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was a quiet Saturday evening, perfect after we stumbled upon this hidden gem for dinner.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Despite the limited dining options in Excelsior Springs, this establishment always proves to be all we could ask for. The salads were crisp and fresh, the spinach artichoke dip was served hot and satisfyingly indulgent, and the steaks exceeded our expectations. Our daughter enjoyed her pasta and garlic bread so much that she asked to come back. read more

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This was an excellent find on the main street of excelsior springs. We stayed at the Elms and walked down here on a Friday night. Previous reviews said they only took reservations so we initially where walking to another venue. The place had some empty tables and we where welcomed in! Staff was very friendly and explained the menu. My wife and i both had the waffle burger. it was amazing. sweet and savory. I left perfectly full. would have loved an option of fries instead of potatoe chips but the salad was very good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]this was an great place to eat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] the rest of the menu looked good but the go to for me will always be the waffle burger. im still licking the crystalized syrup off my fingers. read more

Ventana has been a favorite spot for me and my husband for many years as we visited Excelsior Springs, so we were thrilled when our son and his fiancé selected it as the venue for their wedding rehearsal dinner. Jill was amazing to work with and made the planning all the way from California so easy. The guests we hosted raved about the food, drinks and out of this world CHEESECAKE! We appreciated the cozy, private room and thank Jill, Valerie and the rest of the staff who took such great care of us! If you're looking for a place to host a special event, check out Ventana, you won't be disappointed! read more

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The service was terrible. Our waitress was rude and slow. The food honestly was a 6/10, the steak being the best thing out of all. The mashed potatoes tasted pretty bland and the portion size is pretty small for the price. The zucchini had no flavor whatsoever. Probably won't come here again because it feels like a waste of money for what i got, and the service was bad read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - Sirloin steak 10 oz - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Our waitress was a sweetie and super fun, which we loved. Had a reservation for 6 and we were seated right away. Drinks were good, the shrimp was great and so was the fettuccine! All around super fun experience! [[HIGHLIGHT]]It wasn't overly fancy, just a nice casual place to eat and super close to The Elms Hotel and Spa, where we were staying.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Pro: no wait for Saturday afternoon. The Cajun grilled shrimp sandwich stoled the show. It was delicious. I had the open face roast beef sandwich. The roast beef was good. However, I did not like the mashed potatoes-flavorless, and the gravy was gelatinous with no flavor. The bread pudding okay. the service was really good. Our waitress was very friendly and talkative. they also have a really nice lunch menu special menu $11-17 until 3pm. My partner was bummed that no onion rings or french fries on the menu instead they serve chips.The potato salad was good. Cons:Ambience I did not like the tables/chairs, very dark space and the fans made the place way too cold for the winter; I wore my jacket the entire meal The women's bathroom needs some attention. No seat covers and it looks like they started a paint job and didn't finish it. Really drafty and cold. read more

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Excellent food and service! Bourbon steak and New Orleans pasta were scrumptious. Savory smoked chicken dip was fantastic! read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

We have always loved Ventana. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Good wines, great atmosphere, and friendly faces.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food is delicious and reasonably priced. read more

We came here for dinner last night while staying at the Elms hotel. The restaurant itself is cute, with dark lighting and tables with mismatched chairs tucked away in different corners. The service overall was a little slow, though our server was very nice. We waited about 10 minutes before she came over to take our first drink order. The food itself was great. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip with a side of pita bread, the shrimp scampi, and the jalapeño burger. Because it was Wednesday, the pasta came with a Caesar salad (which was huge for a side salad). Everything came out hot and was well-seasoned. The shrimp scampi was more of a Cajun pasta, which I really enjoyed. I wanted to have room for dessert, but unfortunately I couldn't eat another bite. All of the beers were $5.50 and most glasses of wine were $9-$12. I would recommend checking this place out if you're in the area! read more

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Went in on a Friday evening. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Pleasant, friendly atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very nice place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Located in the heart of downtown. Ordered steak dinner, well done, with baked potato. Food was delicious and staff was friendly. Will visit again. read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - Reasonable price for quality steak and baked potato. - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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Great food, good service, [[HIGHLIGHT]]good ambiance[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], reasonable pricing. Parking is okay. Management seems to care.

There is street parking in front of the restaurant. There is low lighting and a vintage decor which makes for a comfortable and relaxed environment. You don't feel rushed to eat and leave. They weren't very busy when we arrived so we were able to get a table and order right away. My husband got the NY strip which was a little tough and we wouldn't order again. I loved the salmon and the whiskey glaze was perfect for the sweet potatoes. The green beans were just okay. The service was good and friendly. read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - Whiskey glaze salmon with sweet potatoes and green beans - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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Went with friends to have dinner. My wife ordered salmon. I ordered a bacon cheese burger. And added an over easy egg. It was very good. Both plates. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Atmosphere is inviting. And comfortable[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Service was attentive and didn't miss anything. I highly recommend the dining. read more

We loved this little gem. Came back twice while staying in town. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great casual vibe and the food really was a treat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Steaks were cooked perfectly. Second night we enjoyed two of the pasta dishes. Great friendly service. Will be back for sure. read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

We sat outside on the front patio. It's a little small, but the service outside was still prompt and considerate. I thought the Burrata-Chetta would be a slam dunk appetizer since everyone at the table loves cheese and bread, but we didn't finish all of it. It was good, but I wish we had ordered the spinach artichoke dip instead. The Burrata cheese ball's texture wasn't for me, as it was a little too rubbery. However, it is beautifully plated. The shrimp scampi's white wine garlic butter sauce is yummy. The cajun seasoning gives it an extra bite, but it's not super spicy. My sister ordered the Cajun Shrimp BLT. She's prone to picking at her food, but she ate almost the entire thing as soon as it was sat in front of her. Our friend just ate the shrimp cocktail as her meal and she was satisfied enough! read more

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After the owner tried to gaslight me on Google for calling them out on their predatory practice of misguiding patrons, I've decided to revise this to a complete "do not recommend." The Wednesday pasta special as it was explained by the waitress is that each pasta dish included a salad. They added $7.50 to the bill and instead it was a full $29.50 for lasagna and a caesar with cheap Parmesan. And their signature cheesecake was way too sweet. Whoever is proud of that cheesecake shouldn't be. read more

We tried Ventana when we were in town staying at the Elms Hotel, and this dinner was the best part of our trip :) The food was great and the environment was very nice. I had the bourbon glazed salmon with sweet potatoes and zucchini, and it was amazing! I have grown up eating salmon and this was cooked perfectly and the glaze was perfect. My husband had the New Orleans pasta and a cheesecake dessert, both were good. The pasta had a little bit too much garlic in our opinion (and we love garlic). We both had ordered Moscow mules, our normal drink of choice. They were spicy which I found a little unusual, so much so that my husband drank mine and I switched to a Sauvignon Blanc for dinner. We loved the little candy bar towards the back, at first it seemed a little out of place but we really liked it, it was a cute little thing to buy some chocolates before we left for a late night treat later. read more

We had a delicious dinner at Ventana. We live out of town and we're here on a vacation, and we remembered how good it was the last time we visited here. Emma was our server and she took great care of us and made some good suggestions. We had their 16 oz. Prime rib with loaded mashed potatoes, the wedge salad, and the homemade chicken Alfredo with Cajun seasoning. Both were delicious and we left completely stuffed. We also had their white wine sangria which was tasty. We highly recommend! read more

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We had a reservation for 8pm on a Saturday. We were seated promptly. We ended up getting a round of ventana vacations while we waited for someone to take our order (10/10). It did take a while for anyone to greet us and take our order after we got drinks. I would say a good 15 min. The food took awhile as well, but the kitchen was backed up. We ended up getting a wedge salad as an app and I'm glad we did. It was delicious. We finished with Alfredo pasta and Shrimp Scampi pasta. Both dishes were a 10/10. I would come back, but make sure to get an early reservation or you'll be waiting a long time for food and service. Overall good experience and we will be back. read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - Shrimp Scampi pasta - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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Meal was cooked perfectly. We had a 7:00 pm reservation and did not get seated until 7:30. Food came out 1:30 minutes later after all tables that came in after our party were served. Poor service. read more

Delicious food and great atmosphere. The service was fast and friendly. It's a must eat when in town. read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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We were in town and were told this place was amazing. This was not accurate. Server barely came by to check on us and said she was a part timer, if anything was wrong. Food- had prime rib and was advertised in the menu as a 16 oz. It was maybe 9-10 oz at best and over cooked to what I ordered. The dinner was also to come with a side so i went for the baked potato (hard and dry), and was upcharged an additional $4.50 for cheese and bacon. If you ordered separately, it is only an extra $2.00 difference. My wife had the chicken Alfredo, which was very grainy and unflavorful. Finally we had heard the cheesecake was to die for from a local and very generous portion. The piece we received was so thin it basically had one side... for $8.00. Unfortunately, was substandard as far as cheesecakes, due to the grainy consistency. We were also supposed to get bread with our meal, and well that never happened. The server just said we offer it, but I'm a part timer, so sorry for the inconvenience. There was no salt and pepper on the table and asked our server for some, so had to get it myself. Basically, the meal was a $100 bill and would be happier at a different establishment. We will not return.. read more

This lace was recommended by a few people on Facebook. Very nice place, super clean and comfortable. I tried the Reuben sandwich with the sweet vinaigrette dressing. GREAT Reuben, sliced corned beef but not overly salty...like I like. My wife got the chicken salad sandwich with the pasta salad. It was tasty as well. We are here at noon on a Saturday, so not busy at all, parking across the street. Like a 2 minute drive from The Elms. read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - Reuben sandwich with sweet vinegar coleslaw - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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Excellent food and service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend. Try the sweet burger or the KC cut steak.

Great food. Great service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thank you for a good experience Will be back! read more

Great find for our day trip to Excelsior Springs! Started off with the Italian Butter appetizer: garlic oil and butter with Parmesan fans Lots of Garlic served with fresh hot baked loaf of bread! Next course a perfectly served Wedge with a Ranch, Balsamic, Blue Cheese over it all. He had a ribeye steak, I had the Smothered Chicken. Both served fresh and hit and delicious. The chicken was grilled and served over mashed potatoes and a generous covering of bacon, mushrooms and grilled onions floating in a butter sauce! Last course was the Triple Berry Tart with ice cream in a beautiful presentation with creamy ice cream! Everything here was delicious and fresh! A wonderful dinner in a nice old storefront. Worth a visit! read more

Ventana Gourmet Grill - Italian Butter appetizer - American Near Me - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

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While this was probably the best meal we had in Excelsior Springs, it was far from a good meal. This place takes itself way too seriously, but is simultaneously seriously lacking in hospitality standards. Our server referred to us as "guys" more times than I can count. "How's the food guys", "what can I get for you tonight guys", "are you guys staying at The Elms". It's 2023, use non gender assuming terms when addressing your guests. The decor was super cheap. Looks like they decorated with pieces sourced from a Marshall's or Ross Dress For Less. My wife ordered pasta and enjoyed her dish. I got the KC Strip, medium rare. While the steak was cooked properly, the cut was so tough that I repeatedly bent my fork in the process of trying to cut it. The bar and wine selection were fairly weak for a restaurant aiming for steakhouse vibes. This restaurant has a lot of potential to be great, but is lacking in some basics of hospitality, bar selection and decor. read more

Worst meal I have had in a long time. I got the lobster bisque and the consistency was like a seafood flavored pudding. There was NO lobster in it at all. It was cold and I couldn't eat it. Tried the bread pudding for dessert. It had absolutely no flavor and I couldn't eat it either. It was truly a waste of money to go and not be able to enjoy anything. Will NEVER go back. read more

Consistent, convenient, and cute, Ventana is a trusted staple in Excelsior Springs. A little on the pricey side for Excelsior but as mentioned before it's nice to have consistent meal options up here. It's definitely worth a try when in the area and they do have a rather varied wine list. I wasn't super thrilled with the $10 cocktail which, while served up in a visually pleasing manor, tasted like mostly juice, but my husband mentioned it and they gave me an extra shot. That was cool of them. I had the sugar burger which was actually really yummy, but share it because it's huge. My husband had the lasagna and he loved it. The bread and Italian butter was also pretty good. They don't serve fries or rings here, just slaw, potato chips, or salad which I've always found odd. Overall a solid meal choice when in Excelsior Springs with great service and atmosphere. read more

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Made reservations at 7pm. Didn't get seated till 715. Took almost 30 min to get our drinks and is was past 8pm before we even got food. After asking a manger came to our table and said they are rushing our food. Ordered medium well stake got rare. Then proceeded to tell us they pulled from someone else's order because we seemed to be in a rush. Not the fact we sat for over an hour waiting for our food. We watched people come in get there food eat and leave before we even got our food. I'm sure it's a great place but they don't prioritize all their customers. Watched our waitress serve customers that came in after us and be at there table constantly but we had to stop her just to get ideas of where our food was. It was our first time in there and definitely won't go back. They also use loads of garlic on there food so if you are allergic this isn't the place for you. read more

This is an excellent restaurant, tucked away unassumingly on a quiet street in a small town. The staff was pleasant and helpful, and the food was great! We were in town on a Monday evening for a work event, and needed dinner, and came across this gem. Not many restaurants are open on a Monday night in Excelsior Springs, but it doesn't matter, as this place is all you need. The salads were fresh, the burrata plate was hearty, and the salmon was excellent (a delightful find so far away from a coast!). Personally, I recommend the whiskey-glazed salmon, as I am a sucker for sweet potatoes and zucchini. This dish was really well done - possibly a little too sweet for some, but it was oh-so satisfying! read more

The minute you walk thru the door a very polite person greets you and seats you promptly! The servers are top knotch ,super friendly & helpful but not too much so. The food. Oh the food ! I had the spinach artichoke dip, and it was literally the best I have ever eaten! A tad on the pricey side but definitely worth every penny! Super cute spot for date night! I can't wait to go back!!!! read more

Had a reservation. Sat there for 40 minutes... no service. No acknowledgement. Nothing.

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Wonderful atmosphere.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food was wonderful and plentiful. Prompt and friendly service. Definitely stop again when in town. read more

Ventana is probably the best choice for supper in Excelsior Springs--but we had a 7:30 reservation and our entrees arrived at 9:15. The wait staff was attentive but the kitchen was just backed up and our group of 7 was behind a group of 16. Steaks were good and the whiskey salmon with sweet potatoes was delicious. It's a noisy restaurant in the main dining room. The side room was nicer for conversation. read more