Fantastic Dining Experience
My husband and I ate there today. Beautiful interior. Wonderful food. We had calamari, Ahi Tuna Wontons for appetizers. Both Excellent. I had the Atlantic Salmon and my husband had the Tenderloin. His tenderloin was fixed to perfection. He often had not get it the way he wants it. My salmon was perfectly cooked. The veggies were cooked crisp - tender. Just as they should be. We had the Creme Bruele and chocolate almond cake. Both were fantastic. I had a cocktail called the Bourbon Baked Apple. Awesome!!! This is fine dining at its very best. The outside exterior is very plain. You would never guess the inside was so stylish and elegant.
Absolutely love this place! I go there for me and my girlfriend's "wine Wednesday" night we have twice a month. I have only tried the appetizers and wine but it is absolutely amazing!
Only downfall is the pricing. I feel it's a little too high for Manteca. I love the concept of the place and all that they have to offer is great, however, I would feel better paying the amounts I have paid if I was in the Bay Area, not lil Manteca. But other than that, I highly recommend them!!!
I dined for the first time last night at Ernie's Food and Spirits. Chef Michael Midgley and his staff offer upscale and elevated food. It was worth the drive from Stockton. The wine list is extensive and top notch - appealing to all tastes! I ordered the Ahi Napoleon - bright fresh flavors! The lamp chops were cooked perfectly! This is a true gem! I would definitely go back again!
Review Source:It's great to have a place like this in Manteca! It's in the worst location from the outside, but once you're inside it's upscale. Â The bar is small but has a great atmosphere and interesting cocktails. Â We've always had exceptional service, and they've been very accommodating to vegetarian diners. Â The food has been solid. Â I've had their catering as well and it's definitely one of the better local options.
Review Source:My wife and I went to Ernie's to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This was our first visit.
We had crab cakes and caprese salad for appetizers. Crab cakes were good but deep fried. Caprese was tasty. It was good and my fave dish of the evening.
For entries, my wife had chicken ($26), which she described as OK. I had rack of lamb ($40), medium rare. Meat was tender but raw in the center. Sauce was good but intense in flavor which made it hard to taste the meat. We shared crème brulee for dessert, which was typical CB yumminess.
Our wine was $32, which sells for ~$20 at the winery. Not bad. Be aware that corkage fee is $20 so bring the good stuff!
As has been noted by many reviewers, it's in a questionable area next to a low rent casino. Restaurant itself is nice.
Service was very good.
In sum, food was pretty good, service was very good, and value was awful. Area is shaky at best. There are better fine dining options in the general area. We won't be returning.
I was born and raised in Manteca and have since spent my time in New York in Chicago where there are some of the best restaurants in the country. It was so nice to come home to visit my parents and go to this fantastic place. My parents mentioned this place and that it was tucked away by the old movie theater (now a casino) and I couldn't believe it was all they were saying it was. But they were absolutely right. This place is amazing. Manteca is very lucky to have this place. The interior is beautiful. I felt ba that I wore shorts! The food was amazing. I highly recommend the ceasar salad. It's unlike any other. The preparation for everything that was order lives up to a restaurant of the highest quality. Finally, Manteca has a high quality place to eat!!!! Thank you Ernie's!!!
Review Source:Last night a friend and I had dinner here and I have to highly recommend that you try this place at least once. They have celebrity chief Michael Midgley: from season 2 of Top Chief that prepares and cooks all the food... And it tastes absolutely amazing and our waitress Amber provided us with excellent customer service. Â I have to say this is a great date nite spot to eat :)
Review Source:Went here for lunch today with my wife. Â We had Mussels & Frites, Calamari, Crab Cakes, and Lamb Chops.
The food was amazing. Â The lamb was cooked perfectly and had a delicious dijon sauce to go with it. Â The Mussels were very good as well, with a wine butter garlic sauce and nice, thin crispy frites that I soaked in the butter. Â The crab cakes were the best I've ever had, two very large ones that were cooked perfectly and were so good they didn't need the sauce that came with it.
The calamari was good but the breading was slightly undercooked. Â My wife ate it happily, i peeled off the breading and ate the bare meat with the cocktail sauce. Â For desert my wife had creme brulee, which she thought was a bit bland but was not overly sweet.
Good coffee with cream was served, and ice water with lemon.
Overall it was a pleasant experience. Â Our food was pretty darn good. Â We will definitely be back, next time for dinner.
FInally made it to this place and it did not disappoint. Had to try the highly recommended  crab cakes. I make a darn good crab cake but hate  to admit it, these were better. Two large crab cakes served on a bed of peppery arugula. $14. Then I had the onion soup. Served in a cut out onion accompanied  with parmesan toasts. $7.This was very tasty, Could have been a little hotter but that's just me, I like my soup burn my tongue hot. I was pretty full at this point but still had my salad. The poached pear, endive salad with goat cheese,$11.  Presented beautifully. The pomegranate dressing was a tad too sweet for my taste. Our server warned us it was sweet so my  fault. I  thought the goat cheese would counter balance that but it didn't. so instead I just pretended it was my dessert course. Cant wait to go back for dinner. Many interesting choices on the menu. They also have a Saturday brunch that looked very appealing.
Review Source:Amazing little gem. Â Unassuming from the outside, it is adjacent to the Casino in Manteca. Â It has a retro look that reminds me of the 1960's from the outside. Â Mid-century modern with modern touches on the inside. Â It looks as though the Rat Pack would have loved this place. Â Classy and elegant.
Now for the FOOD! Â Because, let's face it, you come for the food and if this food was served out of a paper bag dive you would still come back for more. Â
It is truly unique, but classic. Â AMAZING flavors and presentations that will impress. Â TRULY impress. Â Grab your favorite date or spouse / significant other and go enjoy one of the best meals you will ever have.
I mean it. Â I would hate to sound like I oversold because I assure you... I am not. Â it is really that great.
I have been to Ernie's twice and cannot wait to come back! The food is outstanding!! Chef Mike came out both times and greeted our table; he's super talented and really funny! I usually never order chicken when I go out to eat, but their chicken entreé is to die for! Exceptional service by Jimmy and Laci. The wine list and drinks are top notch. Definitely worth the drive from Lodi. Perfect date night restaurant or for family too.
Review Source:Ernie's Food and Spirits is OUTSTANDING! Chef Mike Midgley is a great guy. My Wife and I have eaten here 4 times and are coming back tonight with the parents. It is that good. The Butter Poached Lobster and Rib Eye is excellent. The Pork Chop is great. I had a Wagyu/Kobe Filet about a week ago that was phenomenal! Every time we leave this place we are absolutely satisfied. Our waiters have been great every time. Do yourself a favor and check this place out. You will be glad you did.
Review Source:Napa Valley style dining with a great ambiance and a total surprise to find in Manteca. Not too many vegetarian options yet, but was told the chef is working on some new options for the less carnivorous inclined. Amazingly professional staff who understand the menu and can make great suggestions. Stop by the bar for a great cocktail and conversation. Â Manteca is lucky to have landed Ernie's.
Review Source:This was our first time at Earnie's and although we had high hopes Manteca would finally have a restaurant that compared to SF fine dining establishments we were severely let down by the service. The food was very good a solid 4, with exception to the celery salted shrimp. Â We showed up at 5:30 to beat the dinner crowd thinking we would get good service - what a disappointment. It took close to 20 minutes to get our warm martinis which I'm sure were our waiters fault. Our waiter must of thought he was the entertainment, all he wanted to do was to chat with the 4 or 5 tables in the house without being attentive to anyone. Our appetizer was served without a small plate for each of us and since it took about 15 minutes for someone to show up we were forced to make a mess of the the place mat. Did I mention I had to eat half of my steak with a butter knife - Â I finally asked the buss-boy for a knife and upon bringing it to me he noticed that our wine glasses were left on the table in which he was at least gracious enough to show some professionalism. He should have been our waiter rather than our ridiculous male entertainment. The scores are as follows Food -4, Ambiance-4, Service-1. Â Total score-2.
Review Source:This has become my new fave spot in Manteca. You walk in and are blown away with the classy and elegant ambiance. Wine selection superb! Food was amazing! Classified as fine dining. Perfect Date Night! Server James was interactive and attentive. Our bill was spendy, but I think worth it. Definitely a special occasion place to eat! I saw this restaurant in the San Joaquin Magazine and thought to give it a try. Soooo glad we did! We need something like this in Manteca to put us back on the map.
Review Source:The wine list is excellent and would stand up to many Bay Area restaurants. Plus, there is very little markup on their wine. Â My wife and I ordered a 2005 Dunn Howell Mtn Cab. for $100 which is about what it costs retail. Â The food and service were also impressive. Â The rack of lamb was rubbed with cumin and coffee and was nicely prepared and paired very well with the Dunn. Â The rib eye was also nice but not as good as the lamb. Â The prices are on the high side but overall it was well worth the cost. Â We will be back.
Review Source:I was really excited to have a decent restaurant in Manteca. Ernies has great food and wait staff, however, the bathroom was broken and had to use the one at the casino next door, absolutely appalling considering the $200 dinner check. Just a reminder that I was in Manteca after all. A disappointing end to an otherwise great experience.
Review Source:I have to say I was absolutely floored by the service and the food at this place...more rightly, I should label the food cuisine, and by that I mean great cuisine! Â That's right: Â in the heart of downtown Manteca is a superb gem (hidden away), absolutely worth the effort of maneuvering its tiny (& I do mean tiny) parking lot.
Upon discovering this restaurant on Yelp, my hubby and I decided to give it a try.while visiting the area. Â Most options around Manteca are fairly standard. with only a few variations from the norm, and I want to emphasize that! Â But Ernie's was better than expected, with an outstanding menu, a great wine list, superb ale, lager and cocktail choices, and some of the most elegant and personal service I've experienced in a long time.
Most definitely worth checking out for an exquisitely fine dining experience...and yep, I want to visit again. Â As a matter of fact, I say to Ernie's 'come up to the Walnut Creek area, and open another one!"
A diamond in the rough! If you're looking for a hidden secret look no more! Ernie's is fabulous! The outside isn't anything to talk about but when you walk through the doors the perfect experience begins. Greeted by a friendly hostess and entered the contemporary dining room done up in smoky brown iridescent tiles, rich dark woods with a pop of white buttery soft leather chairs. They have an extensive wine & liquor menu to please all. Food was awesome! Had the salmon which was prepared perfectly and melted in my mouth. Our party also had the pork chop with this to die for chutney! The filet with truffle mashed potatoes was just as wonderful. My husband had the onion soup which was served in an onion bowl! Fanfriggintastic!!! The charbroiled Caesar salad was a treat! The romaine was actually grilled! They even have homemade dark chocolate pretzel bites that come with the check. I could go on and on but I suggest you try it yourself! Chef Mike Midgley was a contestant on Top Chef season 2. He even came out to personally meet and greet each table for an added touch! Chef, job well done! We will be back! Total foodgasm!
Review Source:Fantastic, Excellent and Delicious are only a few adjectives to describe the experience you will receive at this restaurant. Chef Mike went out of his way to create awesome vegetarian food for our group of 6. I highly recommend this restaurant that is out of this world in a very average strip center.
Review Source:What a treat to have such a great restaurant come to our area. I took my wife there for dinner tonight and we were pleasantly surprised by just how elegant and comfortable Ernie's is. We were greeted by staff and seated right away. Our server was truly proud of the restaurant and had a excellent knowledge of the menu. I noted that the lounge was equally beautiful and someplace I would like to visit soon. we shared the Vegan Buffalo Wings which were very good, My Wife had the Day Boat Scallops and I had the Rib Steak, we shared a order of Vegan Wings. I look forward to trying many more items on there menu.
Review Source:I've eaten at Ernie's twice now and our third visit is already on the books. First was date night for hubby and me. Â We so appreciate finally having a nice place in Manteca--we are used to heading out to Modesto for a decent dinner but now we have an option in our own city. I love the modern chic decor and booths are very comfortable. I started out with a Lemon Candy cocktail--really a lemon drop. Just right,not overly sweet. Hubby had the Mantecan--a Manhattan and was satisfied, We shared the Crab cake appetizer and loved the spicy aoli it was dressed with. I enjoyed the scallops and mushroom risotto-creamy risotto and scallops were seared to the perfect doneness. Hubby enjoyed the filet which was cooked to the perfect medium rare that he ordered--and had a side of the truffled mashed potatoes. Their wine list is fairly extensive and not marked up as high as other restaurants we have visited,
My second visit was hosting a birthday party for a dear friend and we had a table for five. We started in the bar and enjoyed our friendly bartender chatting while the rest of the party arrived. One problem that night: they ran out of vodka after mixing 2 of our drinks and we had to wait while they went out to buy more. Plus, the bartender made an error on one drink--but it was rectified. At first it was unclear who was our waiter--two different ones came to the table and introduced themselves as our waiter. Little glitches to work out with a new place, I'm sure. We loved our waiter, James. He helped make our celebration a fun evening. Rest of staff very friendly and accommodating as we needed to set favors on table, store bags, etc. Â Everyone shared crab cakes , 4 had the filet mentioned above, I tried the pork chops with chutney....amazing! It was another two thumbs up dinner for us. I also asked if the chef could come to the table as it wasn't busy at the end of the night and he obliged. Chef Michael was charming and fun--I admit-- I was a fan of him on season 2 Top Chef! Â I really hope the city will support this business and keep it going. I know we will do our part.
I was visiting a friend in Stockton, whom I wanted to take out to a dinner of the caliber we'd find at home in LA or NY. Hotel front desk foodie told me that Mike Midgley, who was a contestant on Top Chef season 2, opened a new restaurant near Stockton in Manteca. I thought WTF random luck?? so we had to check it out!
I daresay a good time was had by all... The restaurant itself was intimate and classy, but really welcoming. I ordered had the pork chop with apple currant chutney, fried sweet potatoes, and bourbon sauce upon the waiter's recommendation. I'm usually not a fan of pork chop, I find it to be too tough and dry, but this was SO good! It was cooked perfectly and I loved the varied flavors and textures. My friend ordered the scallops with mushroom risotto. I can't comment on that dish but she certainly enjoyed it.
Overall, the food at Ernie's is flavorful and the prices are not over-the-top for the caliber of food being served. This place gets a rare 5-stars from me for being a gem among an unfortunate deep-fried, chain-restaurant wasteland.
First, Manteca has landed a wonderful restaurant with the nicest of staff. Â We have known Mike the Chef for a few years, even hired him before he was famous to cook for several of our events. Â I have had both lunch and dinner there and both times were Five Stars. Â I had the Steak Sandwich for Lunch and Pork Chops for dinner. Â Great wine and spirits list and the Vegan Wings, well best I have ever had. Â Staff outside the kitchen was outstanding, Mike came out and spoke with us and other guest and just added that right a touch to the evening. Â Â I love the look of the interior. Â The toughest part was finding a parking spot, but just drop off your friends and park and walk. Â The casino security next door watches the lot so all is good.
Review Source:We have lived in Manteca since 2004 and have to go out town to have a nice meal. We are glad to see a restaurant come into town that we can sit 2-3 hours and have good food,wine and conversation and not have to leave town!  They are more expensive than what Manteca residence are use to,  but worth it. We where seated right away in a nicely decorated dining area. Nice for a romantic night out! We started with the Ahi Napoleon-tasty , but not a WOW from the husband. My son and Husband really enjoyed the filet chili-it had a mild spice at the finish and lots of flavor. All of the portions for our main dish entrees where very generous, enough to take home to enjoy again. We tried the  Pork Chop, Lamb and the Filet which where all very tasty, moist and not over cooked. They had a good size wine list and a full bar. The also had a nice dessert selection if you have enough room to top off your meal. The staff was very friendly and attentive- which was better than expected for a new restaurant. Thank you for a nice evening! We will defintely be back to try more of the menu.
Review Source:
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