Pete's BBQ

First timer, and SO glad we found this place! Stopped by on a Friday evening, easy street parking,…read moreand was seated right away. The decor and style of the restaurant is very inviting and warm. All the ladies working were very friendly. Our server, Tiffany, was amazing! Gave us wonderful recs and went above and beyond for us. Everything was absolutely DELICIOUS! All made from scratch and not too salty. Will definitely come back one day! Not pictured but their black coffee is really good too. **Get the banana sea salt caramel cheesecake (which is seasonal)!

This wasn't just a fried chicken sandwich--it was a statement…read more You can taste the difference immediately. The chicken is insanely crisp on the outside, juicy and clean on the inside--not greasy, not heavy, just done right. The kind of crunch that actually means something. The slaw brings freshness and balance, the bun is soft but holds up, and every bite feels intentional. But what really sets this place apart is the sourcing. Everything is local. You're not eating some mass-produced, freezer-to-fryer shortcut--you're eating ingredients that came from nearby farms, raised and prepared with care. That shows up in the flavor, the texture, and honestly how you feel after. It hits that rare sweet spot: indulgent, but still clean. Even the fries--simple, crispy, not drowning in oil--feel like they belong next to it, not just an afterthought. This is what food should be. Real ingredients, done well, no corners cut. Comfort food that doesn't leave you wrecked. Local. Thoughtful. Straight up dialed.

Table decor

Pear Bruschetta!

See all

Cranberry Orange Pancake (seasonal)

Country Kitchen

4.0(464 reviews)

0.2 mi

I love this family place. Great food! Fabulous Service. Very Family Friendly…read more Nikki is charming!

[TL;DR: Served inedible food I did not eat, charged in full, zero attempt to make it right.]…read more I very rarely leave negative reviews and don't nitpick or blast places over small issues - and you can check my other reviews to verify that. I had heard great things about this place, which makes it even more disappointing. The only positive was the quaint country ambiance, including a nice old mural on the wall. Service was a bit slow, but it was a busy Sunday morning, so that's understandable and not part of my rating. The food, however, was inedible. I should note here that I came in quite hungry and with a specific hankering for a greasy chicken fried steak and eggs, so I was in a very easy to please state. I ordered the eggs "over medium," and the eggs came out with raw, runny whites and were also cold. The toast didn't arrive until 5-10 minutes later, so everything just sat there getting colder. The "steak" was mostly fat and gristle. The first couple of bites I ate were gristly but doable with help from the gravy - but the third bite was a giant glob of gristly fat that I couldn't even chew - i spit it out and that's all I ate. The hash browns tasted like frozen unseasoned potatoes with only a patch of sear on the outside while the bulk of it was mushy and pasty and gross. Of the whole meal I basically only ate my toast plus a bite or two of each thing on my plate. I left feeling sick to my stomach. After dropping off the food (and later the delayed toast), our server never checked back. No refills, no follow-up. When she finally returned, she asked to clear my very full, barely touched plate without any acknowledgment. I had to volunteer that the food was inedible. The response was dismissive and rushed, with no effort to understand the issue or make it right. An offhand "sorry about that" was offered while walking away, followed shortly by the $60 bill. The complete lack of accountability and concern was frankly abhorrent. This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had, and I won't be back. I would have left hungry except that I was queasy from the gristle and paste.

Eating Area

Chicken Carbonara

See all

Champagne

Up The Hill Grill

4.1(466 reviews)

0.3 mi

A great experience. Our server, and there's only one, was very friendly and engaging. SHE made the…read moreexperience. We escaped today from the flatlander norms of North County and ventured up a path (State Hwy 78) that we hadn't trekked for a number of years. I think this is the only town with a Bol Weevil hamburger joint. We initially sought after and found it. We just couldn't bring ourselves to having lunch there. Too many good spots up here in Ramona. Searching Yelp, we found this place and decided to try it based on the large menu. We had a couple of delicious sandwiches, but I could see as the plates came outta the kitchen, I should've ordered a burger. They really looked awesome, ; and quite the variety, vbut we were already elbows into our plates along with house-made offerings. We also had the excellent ranch dressing that was offered along with the good onion rings. There are plenty of things to look at inside and out, as there are very much a hodgepodge of collections over the years. This place will be our visiting spot next time. CritDicks

Took a drive up the hill from Esco to redeem my free birthday club appetizer. We got the fried…read morepickles and they were excellent once they cooled down a little bit. My wife got the Vegasaurus Rex and loved it. I got the Smokey's Popper Burger that is a take on jalapeno poppers. It was also delicious. Both came with thin cut krinkle cut fries. They were also very tasty. Our server was super friendly and we enjoyed our lunch very much. It's a small place so it could probably get crowded on weekends and holidays. We will definitely make the trip back up the hill again before my next birthday to try something different.

Love up the hill grill!!

Fry Sauce

See all

Outside

Reds, Whites & Brews

4.8(63 reviews)

•$

If you're someone who loves and enjoys a lively and welcoming atmosphere, this is it. I would…read moresuggest to definitely check out the calendar and keep watch of certain event nights that they have. They offer everything from trivia nights to live band music. If you're someone new and looking to meet new people. There's plenty of opportunities here to mingle.

Good afternoon spent at Reds, White and Brew in Ramona. Hot day and stepped in to cold local beers…read moreon tap. You know it's a solid place with PBR in cans is served. Super shout out to Anna! Very down to earth, funny, and all round good person behind the bar. NO KITCHEN, NO BAR MENU HERE. Food trucks on scheduled days and the Ramona cafe is across the street...good patty melt if you ask me.

Good selection on tap. And PBR in cans!

Yes, beer sold here.

See all

Anna is the best. Straight up good service, funny and a good person.

Ramona Cafe

3.5(523 reviews)

Visiting Ramona from out of town. Came here based on Yelp reviews. Definitely was not disappointed…read more Food was great with good size servings. Waiters were super nice and eager to help you in any way they could. We ordered the chicken fried steak, cinnamon rolls, steak salad, French toast, and pancakes. Everything tasted fresh and homemade. Our experience at the Ramona Cafe was one of the highlights of our trip as we felt warmly welcomed and the staff was so pleasant, down-to-earth, and kind. Looking forward to returning next time!!!!

In the city of Ramona and looking for American diner food that happens to be famous for being…read morefeatured on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" aka Triple D? Then look no further than Ramona Cafe in Downtown Ramona and park in the back for free or on the street, and get ready to eat! I ordered a pepsi (soda has free refills), chicken fried steak with over easy eggs that came with a biscuit with butter, and the famous cinnamon roll for my complete lunch (breakfast is served all day). The chicken fried steak tasted more like a sausage patty than ground beef, but the server assured me that it was made of beef and that the gravy is made of pork sausage. I had hash browns (shredded potatoes) versus the home fries (diced potatoes) and topped it with ketchup and Tapatio. The biscuit was warm and soft, but the bread that was worth coming to this diner was the Cinnamon Roll, it had a burst of cinnamon in every bite, wish it had a bit more sugar and frosting, but it was delicious nonetheless. I took a photo next to the framed autograph poster of Guy Fieri and was happy to give this diner a try due to Ramona Cafe being featured on this popular show. So if you want American Diner style food in the city of Ramona, then make a pit stop at Ramona Cafe and order the cinnamon roll, and roll out of there!

Breakfast burrito

See all

Boll Weevil

3.9(122 reviews)

1.8 mi

I'm 49 years old and stepping into this place was nostalgic. It feels like it did 40 years ago,…read moresame good food. We will absolutely be back every time that we go to Ramona. One thing that was amazing to me was how clean and organized it was. Very refreshing. My salad was great. My husband had a burger and french fries, that was great. Thank you for keeping this place alive. We need this place.

Came with my girlfriend to relive a bit of my younger days. I used to frequent the Boll weevil on…read moreshelter island drive in San Diego Bay when I was working on fishing boats out of nearby fisherman's landing. The original Boll weevils went out of business several years ago but a couple of franchises are still around. Home of the steering burger. Boll weevil brings me back to those days and fond memories. Server came to the table, took our drink orders, returning with the famous Boll weevil condiments tray and our drinks. She then took our burger orders. The food came out quickly and we dove in. Burgers were solid and tasty. Just not quite how I remember them. The menu has changed and been updated from the 1980's. So we ordered 2 different burgers, cut them in half and sampled both. This was a walk down memory lane for me. Although the burgers were good, they weren't quite how I remembered them. I'll eat here again but will slightly temper my expectations from now on.

Inside

Blue Cheese Bacon Burger

See all

The Bad Burger

Smoking Cannon Brewery

4.8(53 reviews)

0.2 mi

•$

Great micro brewery, good selection of beers brewed on site…read more Owners are very nice, they had Open Mic night when we were there. Food is available from the restaurant next door.

What was I doing here from NH?!? We were looking for great, fresh beer. Man this place delivered…read more Straight forward awesome west coast crisp ales and IPAs. Most noticeable were the pickle juice Pilsner, chili ale and great stouts and home brewed ginger and root beer. They know what they're doing.

See all

Bones and Pints

Mariscos Mar De Cortez

3.8(305 reviews)

0.1 mi

Outstanding Cali burrito made the way it should be. Best in R town. Love the decor and great staffread more

We used to go all the time but stopped going because it became very pricey and on top of it they…read morestarted charging for chips. Decided to give it another try and ordered a wet chicken burrito à la carte. I was shocked when I got the bill - $21. Mind you, this wasn't a burrito combo plate with beans and rice - it was a single chicken burrito. Needless to say this will be the last time. There is better Mexican food in town at a much more reasonable price and free chips and salsa to get ripped off here.

Inside

Chips & Salsa

See all

Chips & Salsa

D'Carlos

3.5(258 reviews)

Have you tried the prime rib dip sandwich here? It's is hands down the best dip sandwich I've had…read morein my 72 years! Our server was great, and very patient. The ambiance is typical "steak restaurant" We were a party of 4, but I don't recall what everyone else had because I was so absorbed in my dip sandwich.

My friend and I stopped in for lunch and both had burgers. I added bacon to mine which was an extra…read morethree dollars. Both of us really enjoyed the food, burger was great, fries were delicious too. My friend got the potato salad which was bomb. Service was friendly and fast, the restaurant was very clean spacious and well air-conditioned, which was nice on such a hot day. The portions were so big that I had half my food left over for dinner! The only thing I will say was a little bit pricey for something so simple with tax and tip. It was over $30 for my burger other than that we really did enjoy the time and the food They're located on the main road in their own shopping center with plenty of parking so it was really convenient to get in and out, and we didn't have to wait at all for a table.

Inside: ornate glass inside

Salad

See all

Space Dust IPA

Old Town BBQ

3.2(13 reviews)

1937 Ramona theatre opened as a fancy art deco cinema. 2003 Orrin and Cheryl Day restored this…read morebuilding and live shows began. 2018 Old Town Bbq opens. I like the looks of the theatre. It would have been great to watch movies in it's heyday. The dining area is where the theatre seats were. I hope Old Town Bbq stays in business as we visited around 1pm on a Saturday there wasn't anybody else here. I tried the bbq sampler which featured meats smoked in red oak. There was a choice of sweet or spicy sauce. I liked the sweet sauce but chose to eat everything without it. Pork ribs were tender and not dry. Smoky flavor and the dry rub blended nicely. Tri tip was tender and had a nice smoky flavor. Brisket was tender and had a nice smoky flavor. Link was juicy, and full of spicy flavor. Service was good. I liked everything I ate. Old Town Bbq is preferable to chain restaurants but there are some bbq joints I like more. A year ago we started going on foodie trips in San Diego County with our Yelp friends Lisa and Liang. I always voted to try restaurants in Ramona so I could stop at London Bakery and pick up an apple crumb pie. That's how we ended up at Old Town Bbq.

Walking in seemed like I was going to watch the movies but I'm not. Actually was here to try out…read morethe BBQ which Soo had been curious about. Old Town BBQ is physically connected and part of the Main Course Restaurant. For you to taste Old Town BBQ's menu though, you have to sit on the side of Old Town BBQ or inside the room with Ramona Mainstage. Both restaurants have food from the same kitchen but different menus. They have 12ish beers on tap- most are IPAs. Liang suggest they add an amber, so they might. He ended up getting the Belching Beaver which has a chocolately peanut butter hint to it. Menu was slightly interesting and confusing. They listed Dinner - but as thats the menu you get, it's available any time. On the menu, "For the Pick 2 Sides From Below", it applies to dinner portion and not the Sampler Platter. And also for the sides for the dinner section, it does not include mac and cheese even though it is listed under sides... We ordered a 1/2 Pork Rib Dinner with Macaroni Salad and Cole Slaw. Our lovely pair of Soo and Maggie ordered the Sampler Platter with a side of Mac n Cheese. The 1/2 Pork Rib was huge for a 1/2 size. It wasn't bad with the spicy and sweet sauces which I ended up combining. Mac salad was too sour so wasn't a fan. Cole slaw was okay but definitely need more flavor or sauce. Maybe some apple vinegar to give it some kick?