I've been to Apcal Rockin' Ranch many times and usually recommend it because the venue is beautiful, the food and drinks are great, and most nights are worth every penny. But this last Journey Tribute night was really disappointing. The opening band Shattered was incredible--high energy, crowd interaction, and had everyone dancing and singing. They set the perfect vibe. Then Faithfully came on as the closing band, and the energy completely dropped. The singer had a good voice, but there was no interaction with the audience, the band just stood there looking forward, and even the way they were dressed looked more like a garage rehearsal than a professional closing act. People around us--including from our group--started leaving early, which says a lot. When you pay good money for tickets, food, and drinks, you expect the closing band to keep the night alive, not bring it down. And to be honest, it's disappointing that Apcal removes reviews when guests share real experiences--both good and bad--because feedback matters. read more

I haven't been in 5 yrs and a few of my friends have never been so we decided to check it out when Bruno Mars Tribute band was playing. First of all, I didn't even recognize Apcal anymore. I passed it by on the road because of the new gas station set-up and it is down the road just a bit further. Inside the Ranch, there wasn't the building that used to be off to the right of the stage, no huge oak tree where the VIP tables used to sit and the layout was just so different now. They now have 2 sections divided by a foot path for smoking and non-smoking. Smokers used to have to go in the far back by the entrance to smoke. They now have the bar in the middle with half the bar serving the smokers and other side serving non-smokers. The port-a-potties are lined up by the entrance/exit. They were actually pretty clean with toilet seat covers in almost all of the stalls and running water with hand-soap and paper towels. The stage is now bigger and more professional looking with shelter over it for the bands. There is still a VIP section however they are seated in front on the smoker's side which doesn't really make any sense to me if you are spending so much for VIP but then have to deal with smelling smoke. VIP's get their own bar and access to their own port-a-potties. There were 4 food trucks and it was a bit disappointing to that none of the food trucks served anything sweet except Boba. None of the trucks served coffee or hot chocolate. I am very pleased with the staff. They were helpful and friendly. The bar serves beer on tap, bottled, hard rootbeer, mixed cocktails, wine and sodas in a can. They no longer allow wine bottle purchases. Apparently people got upset when they couldn't take their opened bottles home at the end of an event. Just drink it. Duh?! Alcoholic Drinks run $8-10 on average and sodas $3. I got a pomegranate Sangria (highly recommend) the fruit one is not as good. And then I also got a glass of moscato (in a small plastic cup). I did accidentally spill my moscato after having one drink as I leaned over in my chair to put my food down and down it spilled on my arm and foot. I told the bartender so she wouldn't think I was a drunk downing it and coming back for another. She replaced it for me at no charge. Thank you!!!! Food was okay. I got the Asada nachos from the Asada Island truck. The band that opened for Bruno Tribute was called The Sinners. They were pretty good but we pretty much had enough of that band after an hour. They played for 2 hours which was overkill. The opening band shouldn't be allowed to play as long the main event. Both bands played for 2 hours. Bruno Tribute was on fire. I don't even like Bruno Mars and yet me and my friends danced on the dance floor in front the entire time they played. I can't wait to start coming to more again even though the season is coming to an end. read more

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Sound Techs were not dialed in. For the most part ApCal has been spot on with their sound system. Other than that, everything else was fine. Monsanto is a great sounding group. read more

Way overpriced! You can see original bands in SF or LA for less than they charge for "tribute" cover bands. Also not very friendly, very cliquey read more

The slowest dam staff in the world! So hot , junkie and same 2 food trucks every time! Waste of gas to drive there

Always enjoy coming here. Excellent bands that play, great food and beverages. Friendly staff

It's been years since I had been here because I moved out of Fresno county. It's very different. Full bar is cool but not what I expected. The bartenders didn't know what a whiskey neat was. After I asked for a whiskey neat, the bartender asked if I wanted ice in my whiskey. I ordered another drink they charged me $20 for 2 oz of whiskey. That's a pretty steep price for the LACK of effort and presentation for a $20 2oz pour. If I see a FULL BAR being advertised then I expect the workers to have the basic knowledge of drinks. I was displeased with the service overall. It's not what it used to be. Did appreciate the security and checks before entering the event to make it a safe place. read more

BRING BACK SOME GOOD WINES AGAIN !\ We have gone and supported Apcal since Darren opened it at the original location years ago. Always good music, etc. But for the life of me (and my wife), we can not understand WHY WE CAN NOT get any good wine at your venues now...? We are WINE DRINKERS ! And so are most all of our friends, but most all of them go to Englemann, or Toca or a number of other venues that actually serve good wines. Guy's, that poison your serving in those little 4oz plastic bottles is almost not edible. CLUE : Serve some at least middle of the road Red & White wines, and you'll an increase in business. Not everyone likes just beer and hard liquor. read more

The VIP is waste of money. You get faster service in the general admission. 2 bartenders in VIP for over 200-300 people the wait is over 45 mins to an hour. The bands are great! The venue is not worth it if they don't get their stuff together. This is the worst service and not worth the money. I'm not upset because I'm with friends. I am giving you an honest review. I hope you do not take this lightly. This was the first time here and the worst experience at a concert ever. AP Cal get your stuff together. You need to make some major improvements. read more

ApCal Rock N Ranch - The bartenders for 200-300 people or more - Music Venues Near Me - Madera, California

This was my 3rd time seeing a tribute band and I had a great time the staff was so helpful , the weather was great!

The original Apcal was great. Loved that huge tree and historical house. Now they put us in a field with misters and no trees in the area. The dance floor turned into a standing floor for patrons to gawk at tribute bands that are not "the real thing ". I can't dance anymore. No customer service. No one answers phones or responds to emails. I pre purchased several Max Headroom concert tickets for my friends, then it was cancelled. No refunds given. They say they'll be good for the rescheduled event date. I keep emailing or leaving messages. I want my refund since I don't know the rescheduled event date or if I can even attend. Common sense: I purchased items, they were not delivered. Return my money. Business law 101 read more

This was my first time going to what they call ApCal. They have events there every Friday and Saturday. On this particular night off Thursday night they had an event called smoke under the oak. They were showcasing cigars wine and various beers. So I enjoy the atmosphere it was a nice cool evening I didn't like that when I tried to buy my wine, because it was close to them closing I had to buy a whole bottle instead of just a glass. Other than that it's a great place to go on a Friday or Saturday if the crowd stays consistent with what I saw that Thursday night read more

ApCal Rock N Ranch - My bottle of choice - Music Venues Near Me - Madera, California

If you are whizzing down the 99 and pass through Madera, there is a place you must stop, out in the middle of nowhere. Graced by some lovely old oaks and surrounded by vineyards is an old house, now a tasting room, called California Appellation. Open 2 years, they feature fine wines from multiple wineries from the surrounding area in the San Joaquin Valley. Most of their wines run around $15 -$17/ bottle. For those who dislike wine, it is still a pleasant stopping off point. It's easy to get to, right off the freeway. They have tables set up with tastings of local olive oil, nuts and chocolate dipped dried fruits, and a tiny gift shop with decorations, cheeses, wine oddities, jams and sauces, olives and nuts for sale. There is pleasant seating outside under the trees. And you might even get a friendly greeting from Wino, the winery cat. And you will find this is a good clean restroom stop. Wine tasting costs $5. But if you buy a couple of bottles, its free. The wines were delightful, light, with no tannins. A very pleasant way to make driving up the 99 freeway a touch more interesting. read more

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I won't go again..... Used to b cool friendly and nice wen it first started now u get attitude and garbage parking and stupid animals everywhere and high charges for everything.....I haven't gone in years and won't.... Found the drinks had things floating @ the bottom on mor then 1 occasion.... read more

This place was fun we where able to bring your own food snacks & blanket or chairs and enjoy the entertainment and chili

If you are looking for a inexpensive night of fun with live Music and Food and Beer, Wine, this is the place. It's an outdoors venue with live Music, dancing and great food.Coldedt beer in town. Fun for adults! Super friendly staff. Friday and Saturday nights Check them out! read more

The band was great, but the venue and event was missing more food vendors. The events at apcal have a lot of potential because the space is so big it has an opportunity to offer more food and drink options. read more

My favorite place to go on the weekend! live music bring your own picnic basket!! Great wine-tasting selection, best prices they also have specialty beers my favorite Sancha!! read more

ApCal Rock N Ranch - Friday night at ApCal - Music Venues Near Me - Madera, California

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Horribly disappointed!! I purchased 2 tickets to a recent event at Ap Cal and was unable to attend because of an unfortunate car accident. I gave the tickets to a friend and her guest so that they wouldn't go to waste. My friend asked if children were allowed, to which I did not know the answer. I went to the website to see if there was any information on children being allowed or not... I found nothing! So my friend and I figured that it must be ok, especially considering the child in attendance was a newborn. My friend and her guest traveled from Tulare to Madera (60miles) to attend this event only to be rejected at the gate because they had a baby with them. They explained the situation to the attendants and a manager was called and to still be turned away. The manager told my friend that they would refund me for the tickets that I had originally purchased. I called immediately after finding out that they were not allowed in ... and to explain that we researched the website before making the decision to go ahead and go with the baby. Of course this is the day of the event and there was no answer, but it wasn't until that time did I hear on the greeting message that this was a 21 and over venue... but there was zero mention on the website... ZERO! I've called 4-5 times to explain my issue with the refund and the poor website with no response to either!! Today I decided to look at the website just one more time to make sure I'm not missing something about the 21 and over ... to my surprise they fixed the website, there is NOW a header that explains that it is a 21 and over venue and does not let you continue on to the full website before acknowledging that you read this disclaimer! Good job Ap Cal ... (sarcasm) but too late for my friend, her guest and newborn and I guess too late for me too as I've been waiting for my refund or at minimum a phone call to acknowledge me as a disappointed customer. I guess the best thing that has happened in this situation is that they made changes to their website to clarify the question at hand ...but only at my cost of loosing my tickets and refund that was promised and the time and fuel costs to my friend and new mom that was really looking forward to a night out to listen to some 90's rock ... I mean honestly... the baby wasn't asking for beer! Do better AP CAL ... I WANT MY REFUND!! read more

This is our new family night out place to be. Lots of room if you show up early, staff is cool and the drinks are cold. So great to be able to come kick back and dance a little. read more

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What a great place for date night on the weekends. I recently went for Latin night. The bands are always fun. Huge dance floor. They sell beer also. Bottles of wine are in the 20 dollar dance so very affordable and tasty. Take comfortable shoes because there's dirt, rocks and uneven grass. We bought a table so we don't have to bother bringing nothing but ourselves. Table for 10 was one hundred dollars. You can also bring your own lawn chairs and food in during an event. Great place for a birthday party. read more

ApCal Rock N Ranch - They put your bottle on ice - Music Venues Near Me - Madera, California

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My husband and I came here with a group of friends for 90's grunge night. They had a taco truck and we were able to bring in snacks as well. I bought a glass so that I could do some wine tasting. All of the wines I tried were great. My friends and I even bought a few bottles of wine to drink while we hung out listening to the band. The band was amazing! I loved all of the music they played. We had a blast. I can't wait to come back again. read more

ApCal Rock N Ranch - They put your wine in a bucket of ice for you to enjoy - Music Venues Near Me - Madera, California

Great local venue with, for the most part, good bands! The latest I heard was Midnight Run and Wild Hair. Midnight Run is a great knock off band of Journey and I would love to hear them again. Wild Hair was terrible. Off key and not in sync. The lead singer has all the talent..... The grounds are great except for the parking. Lots of goat head puncher vine stickers as well as way too much dust. They care for the drive on areas but not the places to park. For a small venue, they have a great stage and sound system! They would get 5 stars if not for the crappy parking. read more

If ever you find yourself at home on a Friday night with not much to do, you owe it to yourself to go to ApCal for an evening of live music. Friday nights is a great night to go as it is FREE! Bring your lawn chair so you can relax, listen to music, and just enjoy an evening amongst great people. If you decide you want a little bit of intoxication, hit the wine and beer tasting section. They have good wine and beer, and it is reasonably priced. They also have food! This place is ideal for a first date or shit, just to take yourself out on a lonely Friday night. See ya Friday! read more

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We were heading home to San Berghetto when I saw the sign pointing to this tasting room off the freeway so I diligently made a detour, and boy, I am glad I did. Th tasting fee is $5.00 for 5 tastings. The fee is waived when you buy a bottle or 2. We were asked if we wanted a tour of the facility and we readily said yes! As though I would say no?! Turns out this tasting room is quite large and it has all these hidden rooms and stuff (good for all kinds of shenanigans). They have live music on select days of the week and the facility will host weddings & other events. They carry the products from local vintners and the ones not to close. Their prices are competitive, but alas, not cheaper than Costco's. But it's okay, Costco doesn't have everything. read more

Went to a Saturday night event to listen to live music and taste wine with friends. The deal was $10 for the APCAL wine glass that enables the buyer to either taste 5 wines OR 4 beers today and each time they bring back the glass to future apcal events. Alternatively, you can pay $5 to either taste 4 beers or 5 wines. One of the reasons I gave 2 stars was because the wine tastings were tiny! it's barely 2 sips. All 5 wine tastings combined maybe consisted of 1/4 of a glass of wine. No bueno. The atmosphere and music was pleasant but make sure to bring your own lawn chairs or blankets. You can rent chairs but I'm not sure how much it costs. The food was the worst part. It consisted of 3 food trucks that I can remember. Enroute grill served tri tip sandwiches for $11. Compared to Mike's grill or Dog House grill, this sandwich is pathetic in comparison. Barely any tri tip at all and it's served in a hot dog bun with a smattering of fries. Easily the worst sandwich I've ever had in Fresno. And expensive! $11 and it didn't even taste good. The 2nd food truck was called Bravo Bites. They served tacos, burritos, etc. I purchased the $8 asada burrito and it was also a disappointment. Like the other food truck, it BARELY had any meat at all. The whole burrito was beans, beans, and more beans. True to it's name, the protein portion was definitely only a bite. These food truck thieves are basically stealing your money. Any self-respecting fast food Mexican establishment serves waayyyyy more meat for a $6.50 burrito. And the tri tip was served on a 10 cent hotdog bun with 4-5 slivers of meat. Like the crazy Game of Thrones lady in this past season finale...shame. Shame. Shame. Shame. The 3rd truck just served pies. I can't speak to the quality but I know the slices were small compared to the other pie food trucks. If the apcal organizers/owners happen to be reading this post, I suggest changing the food options or at least screening future food vendors because it's an embarrassment. The Gazebo Gardens food trucks are far, far better. If these food trucks also go to gazebo gardens, I recommend avoiding. I believe they have events every Friday and Saturday throughout the summer. Cover charge varies but the highest I've seen was $20. 2 stars for good atmosphere and friendly staff. 0 stars for atrocious food and meager wine tasting pours read more

ApCal Rock N Ranch - Worst Tri Tip sandwich ever! $11 and served in a hot dog bun! - Music Venues Near Me - Madera, California

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Very approachable and professional staff, ample parking, and easy on-off the highway. We stopped here on our way to the Fresno County Blossom Trail. The tasting room is in an old home (from the `20s I believe, ask the staff for the history of the place). There is a bar area with two flanking rooms filled with dried fruits and other food products. There are event spaces in the other parts of the building. Tasting was $5. The wine we enjoyed tasting was Ficklin Tinta Port. Recommendation to owners: credit the tasting fee to purchases. This visitor's center will deserve another star once they've implemented their new programs. I heard they're going to have special food events such as teaching kids where pizzas "come from" by bringing in the whole ingredients to show them (including animals for petting). read more

ApCal Rock N Ranch - Appellation California Wine Tasting & Visitor Center - Music Venues Near Me - Madera, California

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My husband and I always went to most of the events at the old location. We were sad when they closed. But once they reopened in their new location we were there again! The new location is much larger, bring a umbrella no shade. Also I was disappointed over their wine selection. They offered only Cabernets, 1 Zin and Chardonnays. They had a much better selection at the old venue. It had just reopened so I'm hoping that changes? We love going read more

Great drinks and awesome bands! But very terrible food! The burgers where pretty good but the taco stand was very unpleasant... they should find a better taco truck. I couldn't even eat my tacos drunk! And 10 dollars for shitty tacos like cmon. read more

Very cool venue but the line to get a glass of wine was absolutely awful. We waited for 45 minutes to get a drink... missing the entire set of the band. They were seriously understaffed. Unacceptable. I honestly don't know that we'll be going back. Unfortunate. And you get frisked upon entry so no taking your own beverages.. read more

Great setting for music and fun. I didn't have food from the food trucks but I did have a glass of wine which I loved. The wine is one reason to come back. The music was great and the space is open that you don't feel so crowded. The downside is their dance floor is pretty small but you can still have fun dancing. First time customer but plan to go to future events. read more

Friendly staff, the wine was great and I loved all the different types of cheeses they had. They have a museum and interesting things you can explore. Would totally come back read more

Apcal is a nice place to sit back and enjoy music every Friday and Saturday night. Price is reasonable especially if there is a great band playing. Upside is the wine and food vendors. Downside is the people drinking the wine and have just too much of the vine and get a bit boisterous and think it's all about them and no one else. It also depends on the band that's playing. read more

Ok so this was our first time here at Apcal It is one of the best venues We've been to at a local winery in the valley thus far. The band Monsanto was very awesome, So glad we came. The only complaint I have is to bad everything at ApCal ends in September, I would really encourage the owners to stretch the entertainment to at least end of October. Great Job ApCal keep bringing in more Latino groups like Monsanto and we will be regulars . Thanks Mario read more

I love going out here for concerts. The people are always nice and friendly. They've upgraded the stage and put in an actual dance floor. I wish the dance floor were a bit bigger, but whatever. If you have a beer in mind, make sure you get it early as they do tend to run out of the super popular ones. The food can change with each show, but the times I've been there it's always been great. It's nice out there as well because it cools down in the evening. Love this place. read more

This was our first time. Been here since 3 because it said 4 ..come to find out doesn't open till 5 then music starts at 7. But nice here potential for very nice..great crowd..nice weather...now to enjoy the band read more

"Sounds like Godzilla farts" This is how the lead singer of Stealing Nicks, the Stevie Nicks tribute band, described the sound while performing on Saturday September 22nd. She wasn't wrong. The sound was horrible. The feedback was terrible and there was no bass, then no treble and people all over the venue were complaining. The crazy thing is that the sound crew didn't seem to care. They just sat there looking at each other and not really doing anything. At one point, the lead singer sang acapella because it was so bad. We felt badly for the group because it wasn't their fault, and were wishing we had our money back. So not only was the music a disaster, so was the food. The Smoke Joint BBQ ran out of food around 9pm, two hours before the show ended, and right as the main act took the stage. They actually went and got Me-n-Ed's pizza and sold that to the crowd. It was embarrassing. Who books just one food vendor and then doesn't make sure they have enough food? But wait, they still found other ways to disappoint. The bathroom sinks at the north end of the venue were out of order and they had signs directing you to the south bathrooms where, guess what.....they were out of hand soap. Come on ApCal. We expect much better. read more

horrible experience. came here today with madera wine trails tour for a bridal shower. the moment we walked into the winery a worker named Brandon says "omg" as if our group of 8 would've been overwhelming for him. he was rude and talking over me the whole time while i was trying to explain to him that we are part of wine trail tasting. brandon was very rude to our driver. brian even rudely said to us "do you want me to refuse service to you? because i can" and i calmly responded "no theres no need to, im speaking to you calmly". my thing is, if there was a miscommunication between our tour company and the winery, brian should've handled it a more professional way. it got to a point whete our transportation was going to pay $40 each person to resolve the issue. je shouldn't have to pay if its inclusive with the wine tour. brandon, if you're reading this review.. i suggest you really change your attitude and make people feel welcomed.. and if you cant handle big parties then you really should find another profession, because customer service is not your specialty. read more

As we were driving along the highway and see the signs for wine, we think, "hey, what did we come to California for if not wine?" I can't say that my expectations were too high given the roadside location, but I must admit, there is something to Californian vinology after all. We were the only patrons on an early Wednesday afternoon and the host took excellent care of us. We got to taste several samples and then enjoyed a generous glass out on the patio while listening to the birds sing and marveling at the perfect weather. At $5 for a flight and $7 for a glass you really can't go wrong at ApCal. read more

Checked out some of my friends bands here recently. The grounds are very nice. Lots of grass and a big tree to sit under if you need shade. The sound system was killer. One of the best I've heard in a long time. All the bands were excellent though. They don't mess around with amateurs here. The place draws an older crowd, I'd say 40 and up on average. Everyone was super friendly and enjoyed themselves. They have wine of course and a few local beers. The beers are a bit pricey and they have a $20 minimum for credit cards. And you have to park in a dusty dirt lot which is a drag if you're on motorcycles like we were. All in all I'd say this is a pretty cool place to come and relax, have a drink and listen to some good music. read more