Love The Sportsman. Old school dark bar with the best bartenders: Connie and Mel are the best. Best kitchen staff hands down. If you want a truly cooked to order BIG burger for a reasonable price go here. Breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays is excellent. All the food is great. You will not be disappointed.
Review Source:I love this place, it feels like an old man's bar. The lighting is always dim and the place is never crowded but it does get busy.
The food is really good, the chicken fried steak is my favorite. The mixed drinks there are the best in town. The breakfast is good as well, and the prices are fair.
When I say I had a horrible experience, I really had a horrible experience. Â Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible needs to go to this place because it needs a makeover. Ok First, as soon as I got there I wasn't greeted for five minutes. Me and my father had to stand there and looking at other families while no one was there to greet us. However, a lady ended up coming eventually. She sat us and it took another 5-10 minutes to get greeted with our actually waiter. A young man ended up coming with water and I had no idea who he was, he was just in a button up shirt and pants. Once the waiter came my father order Merlot and he said it was piss pour, but we hoped it get better as I ordered the calamari appetizer. Well yeah it didn't. The calamari was clearly frozen. Oh wait actually I heard it go into the fryer right behind me. Yes the two chefs don't actually cook in the kitchen they cook right near the eating area, almost like a secluded hibachi restaurant, but they don't actually serve hibachi. Mind you when I went to use the outdated restroom, I noticed they were not even wearing gloves. Gross. Well I ended up ordering the New York Steak and my father the fried chicken. Well needless to say my father fried chicken was decent he said; while, my New York steak was poor. It didnt have any flavor. It was as if they just put the steak on the grille and didnt season it. I'm telling you it was horrible. IN ADDITION the vegetables were clearly not fresh, but INSTEAD FROZEN. BIG NO NO. We are not from California and were looking for a welcoming experience, as we are visiting and are from New York, but let me tell you, pass on this place. Spend a little more money a go to an actual restaurant with good service across the street, at Cafe Fiore. I went last night and it was delicious. Dont waste your time at The Sportsman. I may be harsh, but if your from out of town you are looking for a memorable experience. I should have known that when I waited to get greeted it was going to be horrible. In addition if you look towards the bar area from the main room you can see pipes, cracks in the wall, and a huge speaker on the roof. TRUST ME when i say this, the restaurant is not worth your time. Now if you're their for happy hour then maybe its a possible go for drinks. Otherwise I can tell you whenever I come back to Ventura, I will never go back to the Sportsman. ROBERT IRVINE, THEY NEED YOUR HELP.
Review Source:I used to eat here several times a year. Â Went in last night and service was really slow. Â My friend's filet was like rubber. Â Please, for the love of GOD, STOP USING SMART AND FINAL SALAD OUT OF THE PLASTIC BAG!!!!! Â For 30 bucks you can't be bothered with fresh salad?? Â My prime rib was ok, but the veggies were uninspired and the potato likewise. Â I suppose her filet was kept in a ziploc at 0 degress to attain it's "tenderness"
Review Source:Came here a few times for late breakfast with my friend and the food was always spot on delicious.
Pork chops and eggs were moist and seasoned perfectly
Eggs with thick sliced bacon and hash browns looked great
Coffee was hot and strong
Mimosa came with Flexi... surprisingly refreshing
Casual and dark. Service is a bit slow. Food is really good.
I would definitely eat here again.
Adam G. hit the nail on the head. Â "The Sportsman is to Ventura what Musso and Frank is to Hollywood." Â That's a great description of this place. Â It's a solid old-school steakhouse. Â Everything from the decor to the wait staff looks like it has not changed in at least 20 years. Â
I've been here a couple of times to meet my friends who are regulars. Â The service is always GREAT. Â 5 stars. Â Drinks are strong. Â Food is very good. Â The location is awesome - California Street close to everything that's happening downtown. Â I've never had an issue finding a place to park. Â I'm definitely a fan!
The Tournedos of Beef was amazing! They give you two steaks wrapped in bacon and covered with a delicious sauce. As the most expensive steak(s) on the menu, it give a big bang for your buck. The Filet Mignon was also moist and delicious. The wait staff is friendly and the service is excellent.
The Sportsman Restaurant is now a must-go when visiting the beautiful Downtown Ventura!
I guess we could be called regulars. I suppose if we had to punch-in every time we showed up, we'd be considered newbies, though, compared to some of the customers that are there every time we visit.
The bar is a great place to start an evening with a drink such as a gin martini ($7) in a dark, appearance-flattering environment. In fact this is our jump-off bar so that we can avoid the $10-$15 cocktails other places serve in town. It's not fancy, but the bar stools are very comfortable and people seem to mind their own business unless invited into your conversation. Â
Many times we decide to have dinner, too. My favorite is the 12 oz. Filet Mignon dinner which includes potatoes, vegetables, and a soup or salad ($25). Prime Rib is also served on the weekends, but I haven't ventured there yet. Good lunches, too, especially the off-menu Rueben sandwich.
A group of us headed into Sportsman's bar recently after watching the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. One of our group ordered Grasshoppers for all which Scotty, the bartender, whipped up to perfection. In fact he made a couple of pitchers so that we could have a second round. After drinking all day, these were very tasty, a welcome change from numerous Bourbon-based drinks, and guaranteed to help inflame the hangover many of us were doomed to have the next day.
My Hubby and I spent the weekend in Ventura for our anniversary.We had breakfast at this restaurant, the steak and eggs were to die for.Best breakfast steak Ive ever had.The pancakes and syrup should be patented.I don't even eat biscuits and gravy but I tasted my hubby's and it was fab!! Cathy, our server is really on her game and quite feisty. The place was full of regulars who refuse to go anywhere else. Thanks Cathy for making us feel like fam.
Review Source:I've always had excellent service here!! I appreciate the fact that each waitress we've had, and even the owner are great at giving their opinion about each specialty when asked. The last time we visited, between the 6 of us, 5 items that we attempted to order were no longer "on the menu" even though it was written/typed out in plain black ink. A bit frustrating since we were on a bit of a time crunch. I'm hoping by now they have taken the time to print new menus.
The bar is excellent. I've never had a bad drink, although I consistently ask for "something on the sweet side with a kick." Pretty much gives him free-range to create/mix what he wants. Good job!!
I've been here for drinks and for dinner on two separate occasions. The bar is fine, not really my crowd but a nice place to have a conversation without shouting.
I have mixed reviews about the dinner. I ordered the chicken cordon bleu with French onion soup as a starter. The soup was fiercely disappointing. extremely salty and a few croutons dropped in covered with shredded cheese from a bag? Â Everyone else I was with got salads to start and those were lack luster as well, wilted edges, you could tell it came straight from a bag.
The meal itself was excellent, the chicken was juicy and flavorful with a lot of cheese, fantastic mashed potatoes. The veggies were average, steamed.
My boyfriend ordered the pork chops, which I tried and they were good, but once he got to the middle it was totally undercooked and raw and had to send it back to go in the oven.
Overall, I wouldn't say there's anything spectacular about this place. The decor is definitely dated, which could be overlooked for excellent food, but that's not the case. Service was good, but it may have been because we were the only ones in the restaurant.
The Sportsman is to Ventura what Musso and Frank is to Hollywood.
Through a Ventura filter, anyways.
Perhaps not as high quality as M&F, but the history as it relates to Ventura and most importantly, the archetypical steak house ambiance is with out par. Â
From the dimly lit bar and dining area, to the dark wood walls and the kitsch metal duck lamps adorning some booths, you might as well be at...well...the Sportsman. Â
I've only had 4 things here (though I've eaten here dozens of times. Â Creature of habit am I). Â The chicken cordon bleu, the filet mignon, the pancakes with their special molasses syrup, and their chicken fried steak. Â
The breakfast is great, as far as breakfast in Ventura is concerned. Â Much higher quality than what you'd expect from a steak house. Â
The chicken cordon bleu is ok, and not worth eating if this is your big meal out of the month. Â The chicken fried steak is quintessential comfort food, and maybe only a dollar more than it should be. Â
But bar none, their filets are the highest quality for the best price I've had in Ventura County. Â If you want a filet done right for the mid 20 range, this is where to go.
This is Ventura's little known litttle known secret. Â Sure you can go to Zach's Cafe or Aloha Steak house. Â But, you get a great steak for a good price (relatively) and some hard hitting martinis (I'm all about martinis and filet) all while immersing yourself in classic steak house and Ventura provenance. Â
Speaking of provenance, Monday nights the bar dining area is known by some as the Green Room. Â Various city elders and business people (I shall not name them here) gather at the bar to watch the Ventura City Council meetings. Â It is interesting to get an insider word on what's going on in the city. Â And they are not shy about expressing their opinion.
So yeah, go there for the filet. Â Stay for the gab. Â And the ducks. Â
ps-I'm not sure if I used "provenance" correctly, but I'm hardly in the mood to go to <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesaurus.com&s=d772d28b25fa6bc4bc26aa90699fb19f61150e11dd12058dc4b4efa339c9a06f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://thesaurus.com</a> and be proven wrong.
I had read mixed reviews of the Sportsman and so wasn't sure I would ever try it. But, Mrs. Picky and I and two friends decided to try it over our staycation. Can't believe I had not tried it sooner. It was delightful.
Its definitely like going back 50 years in terms of decor, but I found the throwback to mad men times to be fun for a night. The cocktails were good. A friend and I had the prime rib, which was delicious. Another friend had the pork chops, which I did not try, but looked nice. Mrs. Picky ordered the show pony of the night, though, with the chicken kiev. I tried it and all I could think was, man, I wish I had ordered that. So, that says something when your prime rib gets shown up. It says, order the freaking chicken kiev next time.
The salad that came with it was just okay because the vinaigrette wasn't very good, but everyone else had the blue cheese dressing and seemed to really love it. I will try the soup instead next time.
Also, a plus for folks who are too carbed' up: they let me substitute more vegetables for the starch that would have come with my meal. That was nice.
Because it was my birthday, they brought out a chocolate pie desert of some type. I thought it was very tasty, but probably won't crave it.
Overall, I would say it is a nice trek into old Ventura / mad men times and has some very good food. I will be back.
The Sportsman's is dark, dank and dated just like me! Man up in a classic 50's bar setting and order a real mixed cocktail and enjoy the surroundings. No reason to order beer or wine here as there are much better venues for light drinking within a short walking distance. Two femme fatales seated at the bar once told me they come here to have starter drinks and not to be harassed by old men trying to hit on them because the men here know better. Then they will go across the street to dance at Cafe Fiore to get hit on by old men who don't know better.
Mainstream "American" steakhouse food is featured in the dining room which is predictably satisfying but unremarkable. You won't be ala carted to the poor house here as dinner entrees normally include salad and sides. Service is always prompt and attentive. Good alternative when you just want to chill and converse with someone special or a group of friends.
I really need to frequent this place more often! Â Scotty is hand's down Ventura's finest bartender.
This place has a certain retro charm many other bars in Ventura lack. Â It's very clean, well-lit, thoughtfully decorated, and don't forget the topless cowgirls.
Drinks are strong and delicious, but the best part about this bar is that it is never too loud or crazy to actually enjoy your company.
Long live the Sportsman, it's relish tray, it's White Russians and all it's darling little cockroach residents. The carpet alone deserves a review. But seriously folks...this place is a mystery....what's the history? Everytime I come in here my mind is full of questions. It's just ripe for a movie set, or a seedy story of lost souls and broken dreams. How long has it been here? Who's vision was this place? Are they still alive? Maybe the Star Newspaper should send out a reporter to do an expose.
Review Source:After the Charthouse closed down in Ventura, we were pretty miffed. Â Searching for a good steak restaurant, Sportsman proved to be reliable, consistent, and excellent with service and quality. Â We got tired of looking for anything better. Â Aloha Steakhouse, Cafe Fiore, Prime, 5th Street Steak, and Brooks are all good in their own respect. But there's a comfortable feeling about Sportsman that trendy places just can't compete with. And I love Doug S. comment on no A la Carte pricing here (like at other fancy steak houses). Â They get the filet mignon a perfect medium every time. Steamed vegetables are not overcooked, baked potato tastes like a baked potato (not steamed). The vodka and tonic is perfect every time. Â And we're usually the youngest couple in the whole restaurant. Â I love that! Â Did I mention exceptionally pleasant wait staff?
Review Source:This place was probably a kickin' place back in the day, but today---not so much. Â There is an 'old smell' to the place and it just seems a little run-down. Â The food is good but the glam seems to have faded years ago. Â Go across the street to Cafe Fiore instead. Â =))
Yvette Schulz of Ventura
Walking into the Sportsman is exactly like walking into a "supper club" in southwest Wisconsin (which is to say it's just like walking into 1972). Â I mean that in a good way. It was amazing. It seemed like they transported the place brick by brick from the Midwest and dropped it in Ventura.
They were a little understaffed, but their friendliness made up for it. The bar tender was nice, and the food was OK. Â We had a coupon so the price was right.
I'll be going back to check out the bar, which looks like a great little dive.
I highly recommend that any Midwestern transplants, especially Cheeseheads, check this place out, for the nostalgia if nothing else. Â Everyone else should go too because I want this place to stay open.
Long Live the Sportsman.
This place is great, yes it is old, and yes the crowd tends to be a bit older, but I never mind. Â The place has great food and the staff is normally pretty quick. Â Meals come with everything they should none of those extra charges for "Special Potatoes" or "would you like to add a salad", no I would like it to come with my meal and generally it does here. Â Hate the bar scene and wading through too large of crowds and screaming over the live music? Â Well congratulations on picking this place, because it won't happen here. Â Here's an inside tip, there's warm and cold sides of the restaurant, so if your prone to being cold beware of the main dining area when both front and back doors are open it can get chilly.
Review Source:Solid, straight forward food. Â Filet was perfectly pink. Â Veggies were soft and tasty. Â Fried clams were tasty. Â Salad and rolls were basic. Â The decor was interesting. Â They had red leather u-shaped booths, low light ing with candles, and small tvs in the corners. Â Older, towny crowd. Â I expected to see Tony Soprano and his "family" in the corner.
Review Source:I'm not sure why all the reviews are about the bar, not so much about the food. I suppose the older crowds that frequent this wonderful steak house do not use Yelp. This place must have done something right to have been in business at the same location for the past 60+ years. The decor is not hip or modern, but rather intimate and cozy. It is difficult to find old-world atmosphere these days. Service at Sportsman's is very casual, attentive and friendly. The servers seem to know exactly what you want when you want them.
My husband always go to Sportsman for their fillet - he insists that no where else does as well. The prime rib is also excellent, although they only serve prime rib on weekends. If you are a prime-rib person, be sure to get there early before the best cuts are gone. I don't care for steak, so I normally go for their halibut or salmon. They are consistently fresh, juicy, and simply delicious and satisfying. They serve different soups everyday of the week; all of them are delicious and hearty. The clam chowder on Fridays is not to be missed. I don't particular care for their trimming - especially the steamed vegetables, because they are quite bland. But I always eat them anyways, because this takes away some of the guilt from eating such a sumptuous meal. I find their price extremely reasonable compared to other steak houses. For about the same price, you get a much bigger, better quality steak plus a nice salad or soup.
I would stay away from anything deep-fried - they are frozen and nothing special. Their cocktail is consistently good and reasonably priced. Their desert selection is very limited - this is not their strong suit - but who cares for desert when you're already so stuffed? Sportsman's also serves breakfast on weekends. I LOVE their pancake and homemade syrup. I wish I knew their secret recipe...
Went here for our anniversary dinner based upon some great reviews on another site about the clam chowder. Â I would bet money that that chowder is canned. Â It's gelatinous cream consistency did nothing to help out the lack of flavor (go to Brophy Brothers for that). Â If you order the filet with the shrimp scampi, you get a mediocre filet with over-breaded fried shrimp on the side, with cocktail sauce. Â No attempt at a scampi there. Â When we made our reservations, they asked if they should note that it was our anniversary: sure, why not. Â They didn't even mention it. Â And did I mention, it's overpriced too? Â If you want this kind of meal, go to Sizzler and pay half as much.
Review Source:I dig the throwback atmosphere, but not so much the scanty booze selection and steep prices for food and drinks. I suppose the one benefit of this place being a bit on the expensive side is that it tends to keep the riff-raff out, and that's a real plus on the days when you don't feel like rubbing elbows with too many townie asshats.
Review Source:My wife and I were looking for someplace downtown without a long wait and happened across the Sportsman. Â Now I know why they didn't have a waiting list. Â
Dismal decor, lousy service, a stale menu, and lousy food poorly prepared. Â Oh, did I mention the dirty table cloth? Â With the competition downtown, I can't see this place staying open for long.
Being 22, wasted, and confused (among other things), my friends and I stumbled inside this bar- a mysterious cavern with dingy neon beer signs beckoning forth the drunk, the lonely, and the curious! I remember being 17 (pretending to be 21) and trying to peek in the door... everything seemed pretty seedy, especially with the strong odor of cigarettes and musk leaking out of the bar like a poisonous gas. Now that I'm old enough to enter, my first time at this bar was everything I expected it to be. The Sportsman must be the aftermath of the Star Lounge... and if you don't know about the lounge- I suggest you start there and make your way down. Definitely for the older crowd.
Still, the bar is never busy and if you want to avoid the suffocating mass of bros and hoes at Dargan's and Rookies, this is the place to bring your very curious and very drunk friends for an intimate bonding experience. The lighting is very poor inside, but whatever you can see of the retro decor gives the Sportsman a unique atmosphere- way cooler than the overwhelming sight of bro-gear (no offense).
Though I did feel out of place, the bartender was very nice and we had lots of fun talking with the regulars anyway.
Great drinks, and a crowd to match- I love an old man bar.
A place to take friends and not worry about it being overcrowded with annoying 21 year olds. I love sitting at the bar and hanging out with a few close friends- the service is always wonderful! I have never had the food, but there's always people in the dining area, so it must be good!
The Sportsman is one of the few places in Ventura where I don't have to worry about a high school reunion tour... because everyone else is at Dargan's or the Sewer. Â Jessie makes great drinks. Â Don't believe the 342968 rumors you hear about this place closing; or be like me and just refuse to believe they could be true.
ps: billy-o's is a lol crowd- this is a better bet.
Stiff drinks, legitimate service all around, and a bartender who really knows what the people want. One might complain that the Sportsman closes a bit too early, but bring on the ruckus and they may keep the doors open for you and your friends.
The bar is never overcrowded but if you brought a large group - no problem! Vonda will escort you right along to a plush, red vinyl booth - I recommend sitting under the enormous crab in the illuminated glass case.
Faces you can count on:
Jesse: the bartender, a man of class and sophistication... plays great music and knows how to party!
Vonda: sexiest waitress in town. need i say more?
Old Man Elmhurst: frequents the Sportsman. He smells bad but looks so cool
If you could live behind any one bar in Ventura, this is the spot!
A hipster bar without the dumb irony, shitty drinks, or hipsters. Dim lights, a framed swordfish, a beautiful bar backed by a mirror with topless lassoing cowgirls etched into it, and a uniformed bartender who is Ventura's town treasure: he wears a classy vest, is attentive to more than the level of your drink, knows bars are for booze, is a most pleasant conversationalist, and, I think, enjoys surprising the youngsters with his superior musical taste.
Review Source:
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