Went last year and really enjoyed ourselves. Went again this year and had an even better time! If you are looking for a meal that will fill your belly and warm your heart this is the place. A gourmet meal cooked by teenagers, its an absolutely astounding experience. My husband had the soup and the duck egg, I had the pear salad and the beef, everything was amazing. The highlight however was the service and the dessert. Our waitress Bianca was sweet and attentive and made excellent suggestions. Her peanut butter mouse was the best thing on the menu followed close by the pumpkin cheesecake served in a wine glass! If you are looking for a four star meal and a great atmosphere this is where you need to be on Friday nights! Will be back before the end of the season where else will you get an amazing meal that sponsors such a great cause?!?!?! read more

See all

Great service. Great food. Great atmosphere. Great to support the local youth and such an amazing program.

A hidden gem in Salinas. My wife and I have eaten there 4 or 5 times now with other couples and each time we have been truly amazed. The food is excellent and the view from the restaurant cannot be beat. Try to be there during sunset and you will be amazed. The students who do the prepping, cooking and serving are very well trained and Chef Lee keeps a close eye on the place. We have had everything on the menu and have not been disapointed in anything. Open on Friday nights, so make a reservation and enjoy. read more

Service was nice, Food came out extremely fast and was delicious. I would recommend it as the best high end restaurant in Salinas, and it helps a good cause read more

I cannot say enough about this place. My experience at Rancho Cielo was truly heavenly. Not only did I have a spectacular meal which included a beautiful grilled artichoke, perfectly cooked filet mignon but one of the desserts simply happened to be free of gluten and I was able to enjoy it thoroughly. The executive director, teachers and staff are strong positive individuals that are empowering their eager young students to thrive in life. I was so happy to be able to enjoy Friday night dinner and I was overjoyed with happiness inside and out during my whole visit. I cannot wait to return to this magical place for so many reasons. I highly recommend visiting Rancho Cielo and or donating to this special organization. read more

Great food, great view of the Salinas Valley from a ranch in the eastern hills, and it supports a great cause -- a new future for youth!

We just celebrated a birthday with 16 of our closest friends and had a great evening. The staff was very accommodating and the food was excellent! Beautiful city light views as well. I'd highly recommend this place to all for a change of pace in Salinas dining. You won't be disappointed. read more

Delicious! Good service and a very delightful evening! Highly recommend!! This is a wonderful organization that is doing great work in the community! read more

Went for dinner the Friday before Christmas. Arrived and was amazed with the view and atmosphere. Received excellent service and fantastic food. The steak was cooked perfectly and everything from start to finish was great. I would defiantly return and recommend this place to friends and family. Only wish they were open more often. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

Rancho Cielo - Specialty Schools Near Me - Salinas, California

See all

I'm a fan! Last Friday was an exceptionally busy evening which meant that service was a little slow but the servers were working hard and were always polite and friendly. The kitchen ran out of two of the entrees by the time we got there but they complemented us with the wine. The food was very good and presented with style. We would definitely go there again and again because it is a good cause and the food is very good and the prices are right. Do support this fantastic program for the young people in Salinas! read more

One of the, if not THE, best place for dinner in Salinas. Though prepared by culinary students, the food is better than most restaurants. The service was wonderful and the ambiance is top notch. The dining room is a cozy ranch style with large windows facing the hills and a lovely view of the valley. Everything is delicious. We were surprised with an appetizer of cream of asparagus "soup shots." I could have eaten an entire bowl of that and been happy. I had the wedge salad with fabulous bleu cheese dressing, my family's caesar and green salads were great as well. I had a wonderful steak dinner, my mother had chicken picatta, and my brother and father had tortellini with shrimp. We finished with dessert, mini apple pies, flourless chocolate cake, and espresso creme brulee. This is where you should be going for dinner on Friday evenings. The grounds are beautiful and Rancho Cielo's mission is so important. Help our community and have a delicious dinner while doing it! read more

This is a five start restaurant, hidden in the foothills of Salinas. My husband and I had dinner there last Friday night and were very impressed with the delicious food, great service, friendly atmosphere, and the hard work of the staff and students. I hope that more people visit Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy and experiance what we were able to see. read more

We went here after hearing a lot of positive talk and were suitably impressed. This was our "big date" to celebrate our anniversary and it was perfect. The setting is "in the country" and it is peaceful and beautiful. This was the first night for this batch of students and they were eager to get it right. Our server was Joanna and she is going places with her keen interest in communication and understanding people. The food was superb. Forgive if I don't recall the phrasing on the menu but I started with a cool salad of heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella on lettuce with a drizzle of basil oil vinaigrette. A fellow cracked some black pepper and we were OFF. The flavors were clean and blended nicely. My wife had a shrimp bisque with a shrimp cake in the middle. A swirl of cream made an artful presentation. The soup was very rich but the portion was measured so that it was gone before it got too heavy. She had steak au poivre medium rare and it was medium rare. Perfect. I went with a shrimp and penne that had a tangy and light sauce. The dish was warmed enough to keep every bite just hot without being a hazard. Dessert and coffee were very nice with a white chocolate cheesecake and apple-cinnamon rose for me and a flourless chocolate cake with a toasted meringue shell for her. We shared and each enjoyed our own and each other's. The coffee was bold and rich without being too bitter and my wife enjoyed a glass of pinot noir from J McFarland (?). She said it was very nice. This program is great in that it is teaching these young people skills that can find them employment but it is also teaching them confidence and a winning attitude. read more

The food was great, service was amazing, prices were very reasonable. We were a large party and everyone really loved their meal. These kids are the future generation of fine dining! read more

If you have not been here you are missing out on a great dining experience. We took four guests who had not been here before to dinner last night. We were all impressed at the quality, flavor and cost of the meal. These Friday night only dinners prepared by the students at the DrumondCulinary Academy are worth your time, attention and support. read more

First time for dinner last night at Rancho Cielo. Meal and service was excellent. Our waitress Lorie was very polite, professional and knowledgeable. We have definitely found a hidden jewel. Can't wait to go back. read more

I had the Caesar salad, steak, and chocolate mouse! Hector our server was awesome, and the food was amazing (and $30 for an amazing 3 course meal was a great value). I'll definitely be back! read more

Exceptional food from start to finish, as well as service. The volunteer staff work closely with the student servers and chefs to create an elegant, yet very affordable dining experience. Views out over the Salinas valley are par none. If you haven't been- go! read more

Great ambiance, amazing food, and wonderful service! All for a good cause too! Couldn't ask for more.

This was our fourth visit here. Again and again we have had excellent service, wonderful food with great waiters and waitresses. Just a delightful place for a wonderful dinner and evening. It is a wonderful program in our community; and should be visited by many people. I cannot say enough about this great culinary school. It is only open on Friday nights===so please go and enjoy. read more

The C.I. A. has some serious competition. Casanova, move over. We had a delightful evening at Rancho Cielo. We got a table for two, by the window, and were served by the nicest waiter. We ordered the mushroom soup, a salmon entree and a pork entree and finished off with a "Chocolate Snowflake" and a "Key Lime Margarita". We were blown away. The food is phenomenal. The mushroom soup was served up at our table and it brought back why we loved mushrooms so much. A perfect balance of creaminess and complexity. The salmon was prepared to perfection and the pork was moist and tender and was complemented with the Mexican flavors of the dish. The desserts were fabulous also, along with a exceptional bottle of McIntyre Pino Noir. What these students prepare under the leadership of Chef Patrick Hendon truly creates an extraordinary dining experience. read more

This was our second time dining there and the food was just as great as the first time. Our server Lorie was excellent and very attentive to our party of 5. The wine is reasonably priced but you can also bring your own bottle for a $10 corkage fee. Congratulations to the Chef for an outstanding job training these students for a career. We'll certainly return soon to support a great cause. read more

The food is truly fantastic! Not only is it a great atmosphere and great food, but you are supporting an incredible cause. The students are very respectful and eager to answer questions about the program. You could really tell they were proud of what they are doing, which is nice to see. The kitchen has windows to view the students preparing the food, which was interesting to watch. An amazing experience overall and would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone. It's definitely a hidden gem in the area! read more

I had dinner here for the first time on Oct. 5, 2017. I understood it was the first dinner of the season. They hit a home run. The food was excellent. I ordered pork and it was extremely tender. Our server, Jaycie, was very attentive. I'll come again and bring my wife. Thank you! read more

Was here for a family event. Great service! Very nice ambience. The sunset over the valley was amazing. The servers were awesome. The food was very good. Will be back again and will always keep in mind for events. read more

I had been wanting to go here for a few years and finally we did. It takes 40 from our home so that is why. But it is a beautiful drive through the country ("The Pastures of Heaven ", John Steinbeck called Salinas Valley) and at the end is a lovely restaurant with a lovelier vista from the terrace. But the story behind it is the most interesting. It is the home of the Second Chance for young people who have been in trouble. Instead of being incarcerated, they are learning all aspects of the restaurant trade.There is even a garden from which much of the produce is grown. You pass it on your way in.And recently they have started serving tapas on the terrace with no reservaations.The students are so attentive and so earnest, it is a pleasure to be served by them and to watch them in the kitchen.i knew most of this before we went but I was unsure of the quality of the cuisine. It was beautiful, inventive and really delicious! and a bargain at $36 for 3+ courses. The wine is donated fro the many local wineries so it may be different at different times. The whole experience was a delight! Highly recommended! read more

What is there not to like? The food, the servers, the service, and especially their mission. The best restaurant in Salinas. Be sure and take a Friday night out to Rancho Cielo and experience delicious cuisine and service with a smile =) read more

After winning a free ticket from a Don Chapin Company fundraiser, we decided to have our Friday date night at Rancho Cielo. Coming from Gilroy, unaware of this program, we were on a new adventure. Well, guess what--Really fabulous 5 star dining in a cozy but formal hillside restaurant overlooking Salinas Valley lights. This program should be available to every community offering hope, mentoring, kindness and top notch skills to young men and women that will make an incredible contribution in this country. Hats off to Salinas and the Judge that made this happen. We have returned with friends and can't wait to visit again for my fathers 92nd birthday party. Wow. Make reservations. read more

Ate here last night for the first time. It was amazing. We were a group of 20+ we were all pleased with our meal. Stephanie our server did a great job. Thank you Rancho Cielo for a wonderful dinner. read more

Delicious food, wonderful service, beautiful surroundings and most of all a breath of fresh air to see our youth taking their first step in the right direction! read more

As good as it gets, food was done as I asked, portions were just right Friendly & helpful, they have learned well. Hector was the best server. Nice to know we are helping people get ahead,& learn a craft they love & are proud to be a part of. Never would have guessed they were learning, they had it down. Can't wait to go back, what a wonderful experience. read more

This was one of the best meals my husband and I have ever tasted. Truly. I would have continued to come here over and over again for the cuisine alone, let alone the fact that it is an absolutely amazing cause! Our server Damien was incredibly professional and his earnestness and honesty when providing food recommendations shined through. Every course of our meal was served precisely on time, and we ate every last bite of everything that was served to us. My husband, who has traveled to upwards of 30 countries, felt certain the gnocchi was the best he has ever tasted. He said it literally melted in his mouth. For my part, I felt the butter lettuce & apple salad was absolutely incredible. I tend to be a "grazer," and this was one of the few meals I have ever finished every last bite of. I definitely recommend the chicken saltimbocca and the chocolate peanut butter tart as well! We definitely plan to bring friends back and visit often. Please do yourself a favor and check out the finest food and experience the central coast has to offer. read more

The Drummond culinary acedmy at Rancho Cielo is trully an awesome experience. I highly recommend anyone to go and have a night out and enjoy fine dinning. It's the only hidden gem in salinas that is worth the buck. I am a student at the drummond culinary academy. My name is josh. I work there almost every Friday and am honored to work/attend there. I usually am a server. If you see me there serving make sure to say hi to me and to let me know that you read this. I honestly can really say that I love to be there. I never want to leave I love working there and I love the guests. It trully makes me happy to answer all of the lovely questions and to serve and see them smile. When I see my guests leave with a smile on there face and a full belly, that's the best feeling knowing that the food I prepared prior to that night and that I served the guests to all of there needs and wants. It's going to be sad to graduate this year in June. Since starting attending the ranch over two years ago I have changed soo much. I started off going to silver star youth program being on probation and addicted to drugs. Now I'm in the Drummond culinary two years later being sober and on my way to becoming a chef and fulfilling my dreams. I even fou d the love of my life here. ;) I am speechless in a good way and really don't know what to do or say but thank you and to really spread the word about this wonderful place. One day, ten years from now when I am an executive chef I will donate and give back to this school all that it has done for me and all that it deserves. Thank you Rancho Cielo. I don't know what I would do or where i would be without you. read more