Came here for brunch and while I enjoyed the majority of the meal there were a few things that really bothered me. Â Here are the highlights- good and bad.
they serve drinks while you wait for your table. the mimosas and bloody marys were very good
we ordered the apple cinnamon beignets which were fantastic. Â However the huckleberry coffee cake was hard and dry. Â
The crab hash was decent but the crab cakes seemed uncooked.
The fried chicken scramble didn't come with the waffles we saw in pictures- it came with corn bread and it was poor cornbread at that. Â
They brought our entrees about 5 minutes after appetizers so we had to stack plates just to make it all fit. Â I get they're busy and have a wait but I don't appreciate spending $35 a person which is higher than if you walked in on a weekday and ordered these dishes a la carte and then rush me through the meal. Â
The S'mores dessert was good, had alcohol in it which I enjoyed.
This place doesn't give descriptions of what's in each dish on their menu which really bothers me.
Sundried Tomato Cafe was so much better- better food, better service and better pricing. Â I think my next brunch outing in SJC will be there.
YUM!!!
$35 for brunch. Come early. Luckily we did and our group of 4 got sat right away in a cute little corner table outside. They have small details such as blankets behind some of the chairs if you get cold.
We all ordered something different so we could try a bunch of stuff... one wich was the stu with blue cheese, which our server told us was only seasonal and people wait hours for. It was one of the best things we had to eat.
Everything was on point, rich and flavorful, except for the crab cakes which we all really disliked. Don't get them! Split pea soup with duck, all the breakfast items... everything was delicious!
Your brunch comes with a mimosa, which is served in a large mason jar.
Great brunch experience. For a whole day thing, take the train like we did, then walk over to sight see at the mission :)
I love the location and the look and feel of the restaurant! The crab/bacon hash was really good. Not necessarily worth the 15-17 price, but its not bad for a unique place. Didn't deduct stars for that. The Bread Lox wasn't very good. Bread was hard or too chewy/old and the amount of salmon was too little for that price.
Love the look and feel! Water comes in a bottle and a jar is used as your cup. Unique. Bathroom(just one) is very unique, with a pull down string to flush. Old and antique.
Train can cause a lot of noise and come pretty often, but its still cool. Service was a tad slow as they seemed to be busy doing other things for the restaurant.
Love this place. The food is great and the staff is friendly. Very vintage, which my wife and I really enjoyed. Another great thing is the train passes by, what seemed like, every ten minutes which kept my 9 month old daughter quiet and entertained!! Â Can't wait to try more items on their menu.
Review Source:Made the mistake of going to Ramos house with a party of six. Â After waiting for an hour (they told us it would be 30 minutes), we were seated at a table for four in front of the kitchen. Â The young waitress had a major attitude; not friendly at all. Â Two of us ordered the pain Perdue with goat cheese. Â One was cooked perfectly; the other was rubbery and not cooked. Â Another waitress came by and said she would get a fresh one for me. Â When the rest of the table was almost finished, our waitress returned with blackened pain Perdue. Â Really? Â Well you wanted it well, she said. Â She did offer to bring another meal, but I did not want to risk it after the blatantly burned French Toast. Â We were not charged for the bad food, but I was surprised no one apologized. Â (Owner was on the premises.).
Review Source:Eggs and potatoes are a match made in heaven. So when I saw the 100+ Yelp reviews referencing hash and Zagat marked Ramos' hash a "signature dish", I figured that this place specialized in hash (not pot). And conveniently off I-5 on the way to San Diego, I was destined to come here. Unfortunately, the hash was the least this place has to offer. The main reason to come is for the setting, not the food. The historic surrounding area makes this place interesting with a park on one side and a functioning train station on the other.
The "crab hash" isn't a true hash because the only potato is the fried potato garnish. So if you are imagining lumps of salty crab combined with the hominess of potato, then you'll be disappointed like me. The bulk of the dish is two ordinary crab cakes stacked together and covered with brown-colored scrambled eggs with bacon. The dish is finished with a horseradish cream on the side and the tiny crunchy potatoes on top. The best part of the dish was the separately served biscuit.
The fried chicken scramble was more of a hash than the crab hash and I liked the diced potatoes, but the concept isn't quite right. It's easy to love fried chicken, but putting fried chicken in scrambled eggs only mucks-up the fried chicken. Basically, I'd rather have fried chicken than this flacid chicken in eggs. Like the crab hash, the eggs in the scramble were again unattractively brownish. And like the crab hash, the best part of the dish was the side quick bread - this time a cornbread.
Because there is no parking on Los Rios Street, we parked in the park's dirt lot which is entered on Paseo Adelanto.
What a super duper crazy cute place! I think that's what the girlfriend was thinking. Yay! Nestled in a cozy & small neighborhood, Ramos house was an unexpected surprise. I never would have known about this place had it not been a recommendation by a friend. The decor was very rustic and screamed brunch. I didn't know where to park so I just parked somewhere in the neighborhood and walked.
We came here for a Saturday brunch and despite the 35 per person cost, it did not disappoint. Each meal comes with one beverage (coffee, tea, Champagne, etc), one small plate and one big plate. Here's the breakdown of what we got:
Beverages:
All typical drinks so nothing to write about here!
Small Plates:
Fresh Baked Huckleberry Coffee Cake - Just the right amount of sweet and moist. It wasn't overpowering and it was moist. Could have been more moist but it was still good.
Small basil cured Salmon Lox - Tasted fresh and delicious. Would probably end up getting it again! I'm a fan of Lox and this didn't disappoint.
Large Plates:
Mac N' Cheese w/ Wild Mushroom & Black Truffle - Rich and delicious. It was a good balance richness and tastiness. I only ate a couple bites as this was her meal and not mine!
Flannel Hash w/ Fried Poached Eggs - I don't think I ever had poached eggs before and it was a shocker. I don't tend to eat runny egg, but combining all parts of the meal (the egg, the yolk, the hash, etc) made for a delicious meal! I was crazy for this dish and my girlfriend agreed.
If you're ever going down to SD or passing by this area, you must goto Ramos House. You won't regret it (except maybe your pocketbook, but hey money is meant to be spent)!
Hands down! - One of the top 3 Breakfast-Lunch-Brunch places in Orange County!
I have been eating at Ramos House forever! The food is EXCELLENT but a bit  PRICEY. Great service and accommodations for any weather. I don't go too often during weekends because of the set menu price and I don't drink much alcohol
(mimosa's)
My fav's on the menu:
Wild Mushroom Scramble - seasonal
Beef Stew - seasonal
Apple Beignets
Bloody Mary w stone crab claw & Quail egg (which is an appetizer in itself!)
I enjoy the ambient atmosphere and my little boy (4) LOVES watching the train go by! Not to mention sometimes after a full tummy we can either hit the playground across the parking area or The petting Zoo, in which my son is fascinated w the Zedonks!
And feeding the animals.
Oh, back to the restaurant......haha - Hands down one of my favorite places to eat during a beautiful sunny day and stroll along one of the oldest streets (Los Rios District) around. I enjoy the many little boutiques and unique little stores along the street.
Whenever I have 'out of town guests' I take them there for Brunch - And every SINGLE one of them go back and tell all their friends about this amazing almost magical place.
Thanks to John Q. - he keeps the bluesy music going! Â LOVE IT!!!!
Simply the best darn brunch I've ever had.
Just go. Don't read anymore - it's worth the money, it's worth the drive, it's worth the reward and the most amazing Bloody Mary ever concocted (complete with scotch egg, crab claw and enough vegetation to consider it a meal).
I love this place. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I don't know why I haven't written a review earlier for this amazing place. Located right next to the Spanish Mission and a historical adobe house, Ramos house is a restaurant that provides that personable, comforting expierince and the food is decadent. I went for my past birthday and I went specifically for the Bloody Mary with the crab claw garnish. Sad news, last time I went, the waitress informed me that crab was being over fished. Shocked when this was first mentioned, not because of my selfish needs to have that crab claw as a garnish but to see that the restaurant actually cares to explain the issue, and offer an alternative, a jumbo shrimp. all in all it was delicious, but not the same.(being a mini environmentalist myself, I love the fact that ramos house chooses not to serve the crab claw not aiding to the problem of over fished crab. every little action counts.)
What's the wait like? In my opnion its worth it. They'll offer you a cocktail, there are shops to look to take up some of your wait time. This place gets busy, the wait can be lengthy, BUT HELLO, it's worth it, the food is amazing.
Oh the food? what's on the menu? Well from what I can recall from what I had as a starter was the fresh peaches with their home made cottage cheese with a very light syrup  and a sprig of mint. The cottage cheese wasn't your ordinary cottage cheese. It was light like a ricotta, but it had its own individualities but so yummy. (im getting hungry as a type this) Main entree was the peanut butter banna french toast. The bananas so fresh and carmelized, the perfect ratio. The french toast was cut from a french baguette. and light spread of a crunchy peanut butter. Not to sweet but it gave you the savory from the peanut and the sweet from the banana. I was in heaven.
They have mimosas, the bloody mary's are amazing!( however i do remember them being in a bigger mason jar, and I would gladly pay for the bigger mason jar, AHEM)
I look forward to coming here in the future and dreaming of a bigger bloody mary with a crab claw topped off with a scotch egg. (crossing my fingers and squinting my eyes.)
Probably the best breakfast I have had in Orange County - hands down.
From the cozy and whole-in-the-wall atmosphere, to the personal service, and "day dream about it a day later" food - this is definitely on my list of to-do's at least twice a month.
The hot chocolate with the caramelized chunk of marshmallow hit the spot, as I draped the blanket they provide on my shoulders. Â I ordered the crab hash - and it was the most amazing thing I had tasted for breakfast.
Their portions are more than enough, but I had to finish my dish even though halfway I was full. Â It is that good!
The occasional rumbling of the train, and the small town atmosphere added so much to the experience too. Â
I almost didn't want to write this review and introduce more people to this hidden gem, but its Christmas damn it!
I've had this spot on my bookmarks and have wanted to come for ages! Â Finally the opportunity came when I was driving down the 5 for a wedding rehearsal. Â Half the bridal party was in my car, and we thought we'd make a super quick stop to grab food and a famous bloody mary. Â When we arrived, there were only a few customers, with plenty of wait staff. Â We told the waitress we were in a rush to get to a wedding rehearsal so to please be quick. Â No problem, she says!
We order the crab cake salad and some peach salad. Â And of course, the bloody mary's. Â The bloody marys were a disappointment, only topped with a couple of pickled beans. Â We quickly scarfed down our food and asked for the check. Â About 5 minutes the check came, and then we waited about 15 minutes for them to run our credit cards. Â There was absolutely no explanation for why it took so long. Â During this time we kept trying to flag down someone to help us but they seemed to be avoiding us. Â Had they come to us to explain their credit card machine was down, or SOMETHING, then I would have felt better. Â But it just seemed like the waitress wanted us to be late...which...we were. Â Say, 20 minutes late.
The food is decent, but my bloody mary was poor, and the service was just awful. Â So I'm going to have to say, Meh. Â I've experienced better.
The wait (if there is one) is well worth the it to get in. Â It's a charming place in the historic section of Capistrano and is the epitome of a local Southern California experience.
Food presentation is amazing, combinations of flavors/ingredients are innovative, staff is friendly and accommodating and you won't leave hungry.
With that said, if you're used to enormous American-sized portions, this may not be for you. Â The art of gastronomy is not about walking away sick to your stomach because you ate so much, it's about having exceptional food and leaving satisfyingly full by the end without being a whale.
At $35 per person for brunch, it's not cheap but it is well worth every penny for the great food and pleasant setting.
A couple of tips: the Bloody Mary's  are delicious, as are the sparkling citrus drinks (champagne, fruit juice and sorbet) - neither are part of the beverages included with the brunch but they're worth the extra cash.  As long as weather permits, I'd recommend asking to sit under the trees and not under the roof area otherwise the noise of table conversations becomes overwhelming.
This place has outstanding food which is very tasty and well presented. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is on the pricey side. Brunch for 2 people came out to $80, and you only get 1 mimosa each - we should get free refills for that price! However, the food portions are generous and the food tastes incredible! We will definitely be going back, but probably only once/month because of the price.
Review Source:If you are looking for a unique dining experience with high quality food and presentation, this is definitely the restuarant for you. These guys use garden picked vegtables and everything about their food is high quality. The price definitely reflects the quality of their food. For example, we ordered the mac & cheese with truffles. Man, it was out of this world! Try this place, and let me know what you thought. It is definitely a hidden jewel in the Historic SJC area.
I'm definitely a fan!
4.5 stars
If it weren't for the cost, I'd come here for brunch every weekend. Â I have never been disappointed by anything I've tried here. Â Quaint surroundings and a kick-ass bloody Mary make this place a one-two KO. Â And the apple butter...... omg. o_O Â I seriously just don't have the words... Â Generously slather on a warm, freshly made biscuit and you will be converted, guaranteed.
My husband and I really enjoyed our lunch here. We loved the starter beignets. Hubby had crab cake salad - terrific. I had fried chicken salad - also terrific, although I think the crab cakes beat out the chicken a bit. Then banana berry shortcake for dessert. The only thing that was slightly off was the cornbread and the shortcake cake were a bit dry. But we thoroughly enjoyed the food and the lovely setting.
Review Source:Delicious
Amazing
Beautiful Setting
5 Star Dining and Service
Best Sunday Brunch
The above are all descriptions of the perfection that I had with Yelp BFF Katie on a recent brunch outing.
Hearts, Flowers, Love, X and O's, Rainbows, Puppy Dogs & Kittens, hard to find all that in one place! Â Ramos House is just that, located in historic district of Los Rios in SJC, serving up a $35 pp 2 course brunch, 3 if you count your beverage. (*no childrens menu, same price for children)
1st course Apple Cinnamon Beignets: 10 stars actually, one of the tastiest things I've had in my life, sheer perfection.
2nd course Smoked Bacon Scramble: also perfect, just the right ratio of bacon/onion/egg/potato, formed and plated beautifully, with arugala on top (they call it wilted rocket). Â
*Served with a fluffy, warm and mouth-watering buttermilk biscuit, with cinnamon applesauce on side
Our server was friendly and knowledgeable re the menu and was able to make suggestions based on personal experience and overall good judgment of what others had loved.
While Ramos House is pricey, it is well worth it, and is now tucked away in my beautiful dining memories.
got a chance to go down to SD so i could finally give this place a try!
the wait wasn't as crazy, i think we waited a whole 10 mins to be seated? it was around noon on a Saturday and it was crowded! on Saturdays they only have brunch options which is a pretty good deal - more on a higher price level side i have to say... but you get to have a drink, a small plate, and a big plate - you will be filled up for sure! or if you are not THAT hungry but rather to drink more, you can give up on the small plate and get another drink - warning though, their cocktail could be pretty strong...
i wish they could do something about the 'flies' issue... the whole time we were there we were constantly waving away the flies... i know, it's a old historical landmark and you do want to enjoy the out door and it was a hot day... but still.....
there are lots this type of cute cafe around the area... since i've already tried this place, next time if i have a chance to go down, i'll give other cafes a try!
I basically don't trust anyone who didn't give this place five stars. Â Ok I kid, but seriously this place is the balls ... and I don't mess with these grandes cajones. Â
So here is where I get tough, oh wait, I can't. Â BECAUSE IT'S THE BALLS. Â At first, when I had not had the food, I was like really? 35 dollars to dine in a dilapidated shack ... really? Â AND I have to wait? Â No, this isn't going to be good. Â But as aforementioned, I would pay this every day and twice on Sunday for this amazing food and truly excellent service. Â
What was the flavor profile, you ask? AmazeBALLS. Â I think I can speak for my YBFF Laina, and say that we were both truly impressed with the food. Â The bloody mary was spicy and caliente, but I still really liked how it was elegantly presented in a mason jar stuffed to the balls with pickled green beans and shrimp. Â I started with a fava bean puree with truffles. Â The waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the ingredients. Â The puree was beautifully presented with cucumbers (as I requested this in lieu of the crostini). Â It tasted like a mix of rainbows and love. Â I could have eaten six or a million portions. Â It was one of the better dairy-free things I have ever eaten. Â The texture was smooth like a baby's backside, but less revolting and illegal. Â Then, I had the bacon scramble which was so beautifully presented I didn't want to ruin the majesty with my whorish fork. Â But ruin it, I did. Â It was, again, I hate to say it: THE BALLS. Â
I will address the two main sources of contention I have read about: yes, it's expensive. Â It's genius. Â The service was amazing, by the end I wanted to propose to half the kitchen and my waitress. Â Second they charge $35 dollars/head for each seat, which means kids are problematic. Â I am going to say something that makes me wildly unpopular, but some places are just for adults, and that is OK. Â I wouldn't take my kid to a strip club and I wouldn't take them to an expensive brunch place. Â Just do as my parents did, and leave your kids with a 10 dollar bill and basic survival skills, and get your (lady) balls to Ramos House.
I am amazed I have not reviewed this place yet. Â I am in love with Ramos House. Â It is an awesome backyard quaint setting with trees and wood table and chairs. Â
My favorite thing on the menu is the deep fried quail. Â Oh my! Â It is a party in your mouth. Â Also, the crab hash is huge! Â It could feed two. Â Just watch out for that 3 dollar split place fee. Â
I love the bloody mary's here. Â It is spiced to perfection and you could add the quail egg to top it off for a great pairing for 17 buck a roos!
I took my hubby for his birthday brunch recently and they don't do anything special for special days. Â I guess everyday at Ramos House is special. Â
If you are looking for a culinary experience that won't disappoint, this is the place for yous!!!
Cute cafe nestled in the middle of nowhere. Literally looks like someone's house and they concerted the patio. The food though was really good.
Had the bacon scramble with potatoes was really good, the potatoes were soo crunch even better than the missions in north park. We also had the crab cake scramble, was actually pretty light and not too heavy considering it was fried. Â And both were extremely filling we both barely finished half of it. Don't forget the buttermilk biscuits and apple sauce, soo good. Only complaint was the fried plantains on the crab cakes were soft and a bit soggy.
The best parts were 1) no wait 2) lemonade and the orange juice tasted soo fresh and 3) excellent customer service, you could tell they really cared about their customers.
Would def come back if we're ever in the area.
It looks like a shack....charmingly rustic with a tiny herb garden in front & an apple sapling planted so close to the house that when it gets larger, will wreak havoc to the porch.  The food at Ramos House tends to have that same approach where it careens close to a minor disaster but narrowly misses creating a faux pas.  There is a subtle excess to the food, which many of us would misinterpret it as just being a bit opulent.  To me, it seems kind of like the food that could be made by Blanche  Devereaux if she had enough money to afford buying the ingredients to plan a husband trapping dinner for her disabled daughter .
I started with the  Ramos House Soju Bloody Mary.  Soju is a Korean low alcohol "vodka" that is mixed in a spicy, flavourfully herbed tomato juice concoction that has a pleasant tabasco heat.  When I ordered it, they asked me if I wanted a Scotch Egg to go with it.  I decided I was going to participate in this culinary Southern style decadence and opted for this delicious fried quail egg coated in ground sausage meat with a bit of  Panko-like bread crumbs.  There was an abundance of pickled yellow wax and green string beans redolent of some kind of cider vinegar hanging limply over the lip of the mason jar.  The mason jar itself added a nice touch of the South where I had many a glass of sweetened  iced tea in a mason jar in the hot, muggy, steamy summer day.  But wait, there's more.....a shrimp cooked in the same tomato based sauce of the Bloody Mary was also hooked onto the lip of the mason jar.  It was definitely over-the-top.  $13/$4 for the Scotch Egg
I ordered the Crab Hash with Bacon Scrambled Eggs & Citrus Cream.  The crown was the moist & flavourful scrambled eggs with a generous ration of diced smokey, porky bacon & grilled sweet red onion. Hidden underneath was the crab hash that was full of seasoned crab meat & seemed to be bound by a soupcon of mashed potatoes. There were lightly sauteed bright green spinach  to contrast with the yellow of the egg and a frisee of fried bright orange sweet potato that  was scattered all around the plate as a festive afterthought.  A lump of citrus cream was on the side, but it was rather bland and did not taste of citrus.  It was a mystery to me why this citrus cream was included.  (Nothing succeeds like excess??)  A nice flakey biscuit came along with this tasty crab dish, and an apple butter which was perfect in sweetness was ideal in slathering onto the biscuit.  $17
I sampled a friend's order of Basil Cured Salmon Lox with Toast Points, Baby Herbs and Sweet Corn Kernels. Â I couldn't taste the basil in the lox, but the very micro thin sliced lox was moist, fishy in a good salmon way. Â The baby herbs added a green, aromatic savour when placed on top of the lox and toast. Â $15
The Fried Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pumpkinseed Dressing was rather disappointing. Â The white breast meat was not marinated in white wine nor brined beforehand so that the frying of the chicken made for extremely dry textured meat and not particularly well seasoned. Â The crust had a corn meal style roughness which was fine, but the over frying of the chicken was a major peccadillo. Â $15
Service was informal and friendly, and to add a bit of whimsy, a clothes line ran next to the eating area with clothes hanging to dry and blowing around in the summer breeze. Â Â The food at Ramos like the clothes on the line was up and down, but overall it is a likeable tourist oriented eatery that seems to reflect the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the spirit running the kitchen. Â
PS Â It was cool seeing 5 black cat clocks lined up on the kitchen wall. Â Two of them had tail pendulums that still moved and only one cat still had eyes that moved side to side. Â I don't know what happened to one of the cats whose one eye is missing.......perhaps some tragedy in the kitchen?
Could possibly be one of the best brunch places that I have ever been to...
This restaurant is quite the gem of Southern California, I must say.
As you walk towards the restaurant, you'll notice the quaint, hominess of the restaurant. You can almost imagine the early inhabitants in the days of early California, just chilling on the front porch. Quite lovely. Seating is all out doors.
Let's get down to the food. Everything but the bacon chocolate cake (super weird tasting -- best one done was at Animal in Los Angeles), was simply amazing, amazing.
1) sausage gumbo - tasty!
2) salmon lox - one of the best I have tasted
3) mac & cheese with truffle - pretty damn friggen good
4) crab egg hash - wowowowowow!
5) butter biscuit -- THE BEST BISCUIT EVER!! (this beat's SF's Brenda's Soul Food)
6) coffee -- yes, even the coffee was perfect
The price is not cheap. With $35/person, you get a drink (coffee, juice or alcohol), a small plate and a large plate. WARNING: You will have leftovers. Â The portions were just big. I loved it!!
Let's put it this way.... I would take the train or drive out there from LA just to eat brunch at this place!!! It's that good. So worth it, folks.
Great service. Had to wait a little bit. They don't take reservations, but the wait wasn't too bad. They started us with drinks even while we were waiting outside!
Next time, I'm going to bring my dog! :)
What a lovely place with great and original food!!! Â The Ramos House has a great history. Â Food is wonderful and prepared with care. Â Slightly before lunch time during the week is the best time to go, not crowded and the servers are attentive. Â
Thank you for an amazing experience.
Ok all these 5 star reviews...I am sure there is basis to them, but here is an honest review from a local from the immediate area.
The food is average at best, overpriced and not worth the wait. Total tourist hole. The owner himself is the biggest reason I gave this place the rating I did. I would not give him one cent of my hard earned $$. He's not worth it. I like to spend my money in places owned by people who actually give a rats keester about their community and the people they service, and don't spend most of their waking hours heavily intoxicated.
What can a say about the Ramos House that most have not said? Â Incredible food, amazing service, fun location, wonderful ambiance.
My husband and I have been going here on and off for the past six years, for both breakfast and lunch. Â When it came time to tie the old knot as it were, we couldn't think of a better place to have our reception than the Ramos House.
After having an incredible ceremony at Casper's Wildness Park up the Ortega Highway, we headed to the Ramos House and were greeted with incredible passed apps and champagne. Â The Humboldt Fog Cheese on Beat Chips was amazing! Â I think that was my fav, but I was so in the moment, I am not sure I even tasted all the apps. Â Next was a wonderful salad so fresh and flavorful and paired with a perfect wine. Â Finally the best Hudson Valley Duck confit risotto in the world! Â Again paired with a lovely red wine. Â Finally a wonderful port finished off the night along with some red velvet cupcakes that we choose in lieu of the usual wedding cake (uggh so trendy right ;-P).
The ambiance at the Ramos House is wonderful, not much needed to be done, add some candles, some old gas lanterns and some lovely flowers, and there you have it! Â John has created such a beautiful special space, and Michelle is so wonderful and helpful. Â The entire experience was mellow easy and FUN!!! Â How the best weddings are!
I should have given this review two years ago when we got married, but having just moved back to the area, and seeing friends who were invited to our wedding and asking us to get married again just so they can have dinner at the Ramos House again, made me think I can't wait any longer to write this review!!! Â So to John and his staff I apologize this is coming so late! Â Now that we have moved back to the area, we will be seeing you all often!
Thanks for making our reception so special and something we will always remember, cherish, and brag about ;-)
Wow.
After having friends wax poetic of the whimsical nature of Ramos House, I was quite sure the inflated hype would leave me a depleted mylar balloon upon experiencing the magic for the first time. Because I'll be leaving California for destinations much colder and farther away, I've been making a state-wide bucket list, with brunch at Ramos House being one of them. Boy, am I glad I penned my virtual Google Map around making a stop here.
First of all, I'm a sucker for a good historical oasis. Los Rios street is apparently the oldest street and neighborhood in California, and God bless the folks who've been able to preserve its integrity while being surrounded by atrocious sprawling gentrification. It literally took me pass after pass to find this little street tucked between a massive strip mall and a set of train tracks, but once I had this tiny streets in my sights, it was as if I was instantly transported to a time in the early 1900s before iPhones or One Direction (SyCo's new boy band... look out, Biebs!) were resonating names.
The story of Ramos House is much better told by the purveyor who both lives and works on the property, John Q. A coffee table book explaining the five Ws of how this special place came to be sits on each lectern, and it's a fascinating read that I was happy to ditch my handheld Facebook machine for. Really makes you feel like you're a part of something extraordinary, even if you've never been there once before in your life. It's a feeling I've never had previously when simply eating brunch, but this place is much, much more than just brunch, as I hope you'll find out for yourself one day.
On the topic of brunch, this isn't just some dog and pony show designed to attract fervent followers of Huell Howser's California Gold... the sustenance might be some of the best I've experienced in years. Perhaps I was still in a post-love like afterglow even before setting a fork into my first course, but the inventive items dotting the menu certainly delivered a soft embrace to my palate.
The bill of fare is laced with attractive looking specimens, but I decided to dive into the crab hash w/ bacon scrambled eggs and sour cream remoulade topped with fried shallots. It's not often that I lose my marbles over an egg dish, but this combination of flavors was incredible. I was also on the final stretch of a week-long vacation, so a bloody mary seemed utterly essential. Instead of your typical tomato juice, it came with Clamato (which might make it a caesar, actually), enough pickled green beans to feed a small village, and an absolutely perfect Scotch quail egg on top. It was a meal in-and-of-itself, and the perfect way to squash the lingering bottle flu I'd been holding onto throughout the morning.
The above did end up being a bit on the pricy side, but sometimes, money comes secondary to a truly memorable experience that you can't buy elsewhere. Sticker shock might strike, but when it does, just look around and let your environment settle in. I promise, you won't miss those greenbacks for a second.
I understand why the stellar reviews, however, I think people are a little too jaded and enamoured by the ambiance, which on a beautiful day, helps a lot. Â We did the prix fixe brunch, and at $35 a person, it is very pricey. Â No, I'm not cheap, but how much does it really cost to make breakfast?
For starters, I had the smoked salmon lox. Â Not too bad I guess, as I had a hard time tearing apart bits and pieces of the salmon since it stretched like taffy. Â I also ordered the soju Bloody Mary. Â It wasn't the greatest Bloody Mary I had, but I guess that since it was $12, I was expecting too much. Â The missus had the apple cinnamon beignets. Â I was actually jealous that I didn't order that - until I tried it. Â It was meh to me because it was just dough, and I didn't taste any apple nor cinnamon. Â Let's just say I've had better beignets at Disneyland. Â
I've also had the smoked bacon scramble. Â It was pretty good, and heck, it looked good too as they've stacked the bacon and the eggs, and well, just look at the pictures on here. Â She had the crab hash, and unfortunately, there was way too much egg you had to work through to get to the crab.
Service was top notch, and of course the ambiance is good if you wanna impress the ladies and show your softer side. Â I don't think I'll be back because I'm a cheap bastard and think I am better off not spending $100 on breakfast. Â
You're welcome.
I've been searching for a dog friendly restaurant near Newport/Dana Point/San Juan Cap/Laguna area and stumbled upon Ramos House. Â I'm not familiar with the San Juan Capistrano area and didn't know what to expect when I got here. Â Thanks to Chris D.'s detailed explanation of where to park and reading about what to expect for brunch from other fellow yelpers reviews, Â I was able to plan accordingly for Saturday's brunch with my bf and our two dogs. Â
Getting here was a bit confusing because the navigation told us to turn into the train tracks. Â Then we realized that the small street called Los Rios was right after the tracks and so had to make a U-turn. Â The street where Ramos is located is very small. Â It's easy to miss if you're a first timer in this area! Â We found street parking and was early enough to beat the crowd. Â Got here around 10am. and there was no line. Â The restaurant was packed but luckily we were able to get seated right away since there was only two of us (including two dogs). Â
Weekends are for brunch only. Â NO other options. Â For $35, you get a choice of drinks (including mimosa), appetizer and an entree. Â Some might think that it's over priced but if you were to order these items elsewhere individually, the price would come out the same. Â So is it overpriced? Â Sure if you're thinking Denny's! Â But for any other restaurants that charge around $12-$15 a plate, I'm sure you can do the math and realize that $35 for 3 items isn't so bad after all. Â
Coming here on a February morning time, it was quite chilly. Â Thank goodness for their table heat lamps! Â The cold breeze mixed with the warm glow from the heat lamps felt very cozy. Â They also provide you with blankets. Â It's like eating outside someone's backyard. Â Nothing too fancy. Â Still, the overall place has a nice charm to it. Â Love Los Rio's street!
So then let's talk about the food. Â I strongly recommend ordering their Salmon Lox for appetizer. Â If you're eating with a friend, have them order the apple beignet. Â I think I enjoyed their appetizer more than the entree. Â Those apple beignets were airy, fluffy and next best thing to Leonard's malasada's from Oahu! Â Ok, not the same but it sort of reminded me of eating those hot airy sweet malasada's! Â
For the entree, I HIGHLY recommend sticking to what seems to be the most popular dish...crab cake hash!  I got the chicken  bacon scramble with waffles because it sounded good but ended up regretting not getting the crab hash.  My dish was very bland and didn't look appetizing either.  Stick to the crab cake hash dish.  Also comes with hot biscuit and applebutter sauce. Â
Overall, I give this place 3.5 stars. Â If you're in the area, you should give this place a try at least once. Â Very pet friendly!
I don't think I've ever had such an expensive brunch. Â I don't think I've ever had such a delicious brunch. Honestly, it was a wonderful experience.
I went to Ramos House on new years day 2012 with my girlfriend without knowing what to expect (other than a brief glance at yelp reviews), or without even knowing if it would be open new years day. Lucky for us it was.
The location is wonderful, tucked in amongst California's oldest neighbourhood in what I think is a charming city, San Juan Capistrano. The building is rustic yet clearly maintained well.
We approached the restaurant and were told there would be about a 15min wait, not bad, we took a quick stroll around the local area and then headed back. We were seated in about 10min. The table was adorned well and had the feel of a small cafe.
On the weekends there is a fixed brunch price of $35 a person, yes it is expensive and yes you'll need to ignore that, simply because you have to try Ramos House at-least once.
For that $35 you get a drink, a starter and a main course.
I had the orange juice which was without exaggeration, the best orange juice I have had in recent history. Served in a mason jar with a slice of orange on top.
My girlfriend had a pomegranate mimosa, which while in classic pomegranate fashion, you could hardly taste the pomegranate, it was still delicious.
For starters I went for the Cinnamon Apple Beignets... soft doughy savoury sweet... yes delicious (I could eat them all day) and my gf the Salmon Lox w/ toast points, which was probably the most delicious lox + bread combination I've ever tasted. The most noticeable point was the herb sauce which among its ingredients included very small cubes of egg and instead of rings of red onion, the onion was diced extremely small and included in the sauce. Brilliant idea, there is nothing worse than having to wrangle stray rings of onion when enjoying lox. Both were quite good portions for a starter.
For the main course I enjoyed the Crab Hash and my gf a Mushroom & Truffle Mac & Cheese. Both were brilliantly yummy and surprisingly large portions. I don't want to describe them too much as I think you should go and enjoy them yourself without too many pre-empted expectations. However it was clear that by having a small limited menu that the Ramos House does what it offers well.
I was glad I chose Ramos House for our new years day brunch and if I could afford it I would return asap, and maybe I will one day.
I do insist that instead of picking through the Yelp reviews about this place that you just go, I don't think you'll regret it.
Ramos House is the best dining experience I've had in Orange County.
Alright, I'm a sucker for "mood" and "decor" and sometimes I'm wiling to sacrifice just a little bit of taste for it. But at Ramos House, I didn't have to make the compromise.
As you walk in, it feels like you are at the patio of a hobbit house. They have blankets waiting for you on the chairs and a mild mannered cat that walks around. $35 per person for breakfast might seem intimidating, but I assure you it's worth it.
You get a choice of drink (coffee, tea, juice, champagne), a starter, and a main course. I went with the Beignets... and holy hell, these were the best Beignets I've ever had in my life. I usually don't even like sweets but these were soooo delicious. My BF went for the Salmon Lox and it was pretty good too...but not as memorable as my Beignets. For the main course I went with the Crab Hash from recommendations of Yelp. I'm happy to say it did not disappoint. They were as good as it looked in the pictures. It was a really good blend of flavors and textures. It also came with a humongous buttermilk biscuit. My BF got the Mac n Cheese which I thought was good, but nothing amazing. He did not finish this (it was kind of over the top fatty) so we boxed it for later.
One thing I'm going to go against the grain here is the Bloody Mary - I don't think it was all that great other than the fact that it had a giant crab claw. I didn't think the actual Bloody Mary itself was anything to write home about.
If you want to impress someone or if you are looking for a great spot to take your mother, this is it. It's super pleasant and the food is really great. On a warm spring day, mimosa and breakfast at Ramos house would be perfection.
I absolutely LOVE this place! The fixed weekend brunch menu is definitely the way to go.
For $35 a person you get a drink, appetizer and main entree. My husband had the salmon lox and I started off with the seasonal soup. Both were really tasty and beautifully presented. They call them "small plates" but there is really nothing small about them. Everything is very hearty. For the main we ordered the crab hash (of course) and the flannel hash. Both were AMAZING. The crab hash was just a little bit more amazing. The flavors go together so well and I love how they mix the soft textures with a little crispy. We also ordered the Bloody Mary which is a definite must! Â As this trip was a babymoon, mine had to be a virgin but it was still very enjoyable.
I was genuinely sad when my meal came to an end. I cannot wait to go back and hate that I live so far. The area is so cute and rustic and the whole experience was very lovely. I highly recommend it to everyone! I honestly think it was worth every cent.
I'm just kicking myself for not buying the cookbook while I was there!
Best brunch EVAH!
San Juan Capistrano: Eat, Pray, Love, see the Swallows
Yes, Ramos House is a bit pricey, but for what you get it's totally worth it. We found this quaint, cute little house on the main historic street. Hubs and I had brunch in place of a missed date night. $35 per person for a beverage, small plate, and main. All of them were a treat.
We started with two glasses of juice which I immediately regretted once I saw a bloody mary with A CRAB CLAW sticking out of it. Why didn't I order THAT? (oh yeah, I'm preggo).
Our small plates were in-house smoked salmon with crusty bread and their incredibly light, fluffy apple beignets which even impressed the man, Â who spent a good chunk of his early years in New Orleans.
For our mains, hubs went for the crab hash while I opted for the mac and cheese. Both turned out to be excellent choices...I think. I never got to try the crab hash; he ate it like a prisoner. I ended up diving back into my mac and cheese in the car once I felt I had room for it in my belly.
I love that any combination we chose for brunch would have gone well together. Choices are seasonal, plus you're basically sitting in the chef's yard. I also enjoyed perusing the Ramos House Cookbook on our table while we ate. We were so relaxed and restored when we were done. It was fantastic.
We'll definitely be back with friends and family.
4 stars for the food/service, and I'm adding the 5th just for the fact that there is history here and Ramos House is not yet another faux Tuscan ode to Donald Bren.
I played hooky last Thursday and was finally able to try the regular lunch, instead of the $35 weekend brunch. It's a less pricey option if you are able make it on a weekday.
My brother and I wandered around the Mission and then went to eat. Still pretty crowded, so even at 1:30 we had a 15 minute wait.
I had the Fried Chicken Salad ($15), which was a fun take on chicken and waffles. It came with 2 nice-sized chicken breasts and waffle points and a good buttermilk dressing.
My brother had the Spicy Crab Cake Salad ($16) and really enjoyed it. We both agreed that the greens at this place tasted unbelievably fresh, like they had just been yanked out of the ground.
With 2 iced teas, our bill was $44 with tax and tip.
Will be back soon John Q.
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