Even with the grade work on the interchange the trip to the running iron is worth the drive. The iron is a valley tradition. Still local. Still fun. Still worthy of a visit read more

Really cool western interior. Got a decent burger and some coffee here for brunch, toppings were fresh and food came out fairly quickly. Coleslaw was a bit bland but nothing wrong with it. Good vibes. Kinda confusing as there's a bar next door, so use the entrance that's through the outdoor seating. read more

Running Iron - Valley burger - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

This is a really cool, unique dive bar in Carmel Valley. Highly recommend checking this out. I absolutely love the decor inside. They have a lot of hanging boots on the ceiling, which is a really cool vibe. Overall really nice parking was easy to find and it's all locals inside. Service is a little bit on the slower side, depending on when you go. We were seated a few minutes after arriving. The woman working there said we can sit anywhere and we ended up sitting by the fireplace. We tried quite a few things, including the buffalo wings, curly fries, french fries, grilled cheese, coleslaw, Cobb salad, and garden burger. The drinks you are very strong, especially if you get a margarita it taste just like tequila. Overall prices are reasonable. Portion sizes are very big highly recommend checking them out. read more

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I don't know where to start with this review.. At one point, while we are in Carmel Valley checking on our rentals, we would come and enjoy the patio with our dog and have a beer and a snack. We were even somewhat sympathetic with the rodents that we saw scurrying about occasionally. But when we went to the parking lot and saw two separate cars with dogs in them in the direct sunlight and it was about 90° outside. We went back in to see if anybody knew anything about this. We were met with vulgarities and people screaming at us to mind our own business. One of them was an employee. (apparently these dogs belong to employees of this business )Sorry folks, no way can I support a business that is OK with that. read more

Second time here and it just wasn't good. The food was lukewarm, the broccoli completely steamed to mush with a dollop of mayonnaise slipped on top of it. The prime rib was not flavorful and the gravy on the mashed potatoes was lumpy and flavorless. I got sick after having it BOTH TIMES we've been here so I'm inclined to believe the kitchen may not be the cleanest and maybe food safety temps aren't adhered to. The staff is nice enough but very slow. I felt like we spent a lot of time waiting around, not for the food but for the server. The calamari was really bad... slimy on the inside and extremely fishy. The ambiance is cute with a lot of interesting stuff to look at but it wasn't anything special. Mostly seemed like this was a bar that *could* serve you food but mostly they prefer bar customers. Cigarette smoke wafted in throughout the meal which was not the nicest. I won't be returning. read more

Great to return to the Running Iron for a decent Bloody Mary and their Valley burger with avo & bacon. The area and village might have changed but this wonderful bar and restaurant have the same vibe, thankfully! For example, we miss the Blue Sky Lodge up the road, which has closed, and the local airfield is used as a tree nursery... The Running Iron is still run by the original family, so I met the granddaughter this time. It's been more than 25 years since I first came to this place with my own baby Grace. The carving above the bar still says "He who drinks with Grace is always welcome in this place!" Long may that hold true! read more

Running Iron - "He Who Drinks With Grace Is Always Welcome In This Place" Long may that hold true. - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

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I expected something very elegant and sophisticated. I walked in the place looked nice. The writer was very pleasant. They had country music going. I'm not a fan of expected Michael Bublé or Sinatra and a nice steakhouse. Four stars. The food was so so baked potato was good in the bread was good. I was very disappointed in the whole thing Rebecca Bulger. read more

This place has such a unique vibe. Cowboy boots and antique relics fill the ceiling, giving it a rustic, old-school charm that instantly sets the mood. We ordered the fish and chips (upgraded to curly fries) and the ranch burger with onion rings, and both hit the spot. The fish was crispy on the outside and tender inside, and the ranch burger was juicy, flavorful, and perfectly satisfying. Great atmosphere, comforting food, and a fun dining experience overall. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. read more

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I was visiting from out of town, and came here for a drink with friends. We had a nice time, they have a great vibe and a well stocked bar. I left my favorite jacket and didn't realize until I got back home to southern ca. I called the bar a few days later. They had set my jacket aside and offered to mail it home to me. Very nice people, and a great place to grab a drink if you're in town. read more

Running Iron - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

I love this place. Been a regular for 26 years. Good solid food, hilarious decor, friendly waitstaff.

Stopped for lunch on the way back to Manhattan Brach after the Concours d'LeMons in Monterey. Great lunch. I love the atmosphere. Rally4Vets 5tars. read more

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We spent a weekend in the area for a friend's bday and wanted to go to a nice local restaurant. This place has a bar and restaurant section and is a bit divey but I love a good dive bar. We got seats out on the patio and ordered drinks and food. Our waitress was very nice but looked a bit old and was having a hard time hearing us. I asked for tomato soup and she said they had some but instead she put tomatoes on my grilled cheese. 2/5 Regular grilled cheese with a side of onions - I wanted a regular degular grilled cheese but the waitress misheard my request for tomato soup for adding a tomato on my sandwich. Also the sandwich was not grilled at all and arrived lukewarm and not not. 3/5 Fried artichoke hearts - decent and wanted to give this a try since I've never had them fried before 4/5 Bloody Mary - best thing I ordered. Very good. I would probably just come only for drinks. Go elsewhere for food. read more

Running Iron - Grilled cheese with onion rings - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

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This place was great a very long time ago Fried chicken so dry and flavorless potato skins Had lack of toppings crazy over priced bummed my family had been coming here for almost 40 years read more

The running iron is hit or miss, more often than not a miss! This was supposed to be a wedge salad that I got to-go. A $16 wedge salad mind you! You think they would have at least cut off the dead brown spots, and since when has a wedge salad been done on a head of Romaine?! Extremely disappointed. read more

Running Iron - Wedge salad ?! - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

I am a connoisseur of fine dive bars, and this is definitely one. It's been here at least 40 years, and seen a lot of use. Extremely rustic, in a masculine kind of way with lots of dark wood, and barely any outside light. There's a dining room and outdoor seating, too, but the bar is the focus. Good beer list, decent local wine list, fully stocked bar, and the friendliest and most efficient of service. The menu is served at the bar, too. The menu itself is basic and satisfying. I have a good friend that lives in the area, so this is our local watering hole. Come join us. read more

This place really hit the spot after a backpacking trip. Service was really friendly and I like going to places with character like this one. They have fun decorations hidden around inside and really clean bathrooms. The menu is pretty extensive with all the burger options, hot dogs, veggie options. If Mexican food is what you're craving they have burritos and tacos too. The sides are a must get. I got a Western burger because I wanted to try their onion rings and could have eaten an entire plate of them. They're crispy, perfectly seasoned and massive. The curly fries were also very tasty. The burgers are a great portion size and I love that they grilled the bun too. My friends and I all ordered our patties cooked differently and they all came out perfectly. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area. Parking is fairly easy as they share a lot with a string of other shops. read more

Running Iron - BBQ sauce, onion rings, cheddar cheese burger - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

This place was absolutely fantastic and exactly what we were looking for on a quiet Tuesday night in Carmel for the warriors game. Maybe the most epic dive bar of all time honestly. Food was mediocre as hell, as expected, but the drinks were strong and the company was great! The bartender was super nice and the locals even nicer! We had a great night - absolutely immaculate vibes read more

So I've got a soft spot for 'locals' restaurants and bars. The Running Iron is certainly one of these. The decor of hundreds of hanging cowboys boots from the rafters and eclectic ranch memorabilia won't ever don the pages of architectural digest, but this gem of Carmel Valley's Village is a must stop for anyone passing through. The menu is traditional comfort food and grilled proteins. My go to is their flame-grilled burgers but Friday I tried their Philly cheesesteak. I substituted jalapeños for their Ortega chili's. It was a solid cheesesteak with some punch. I glossed over the calamari and fries appetizer, as the calamari was overcooked and wasn't very good. The fries were great, and so was the tartar sauce. Alexis was our server. She was friendly and attentive even though she was waiting on 6-8 other tables. Never frenetic that happens to most servers when juggling this many tables. She was impressive. We are relocating to Carmel Valley in the coming months. I look forward to becoming a 'regular' of the Running Iron. read more

I absolutely love this place. The habanero wings are perfect. Seems the water down their blue cheese dressing quite a bit, but that's truly my only . The waitress was great and the people awesome. The locals having great debates of football. It's a beautiful thing. read more

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Food was great, prices are extremely fair, and service was wonderful! Had a great time! We will be returning!

This was an awesome venue. Dancing and singing the night away. Great energy, friendly people, attentive staff. My first time visiting Carmel Valley and it did not disappoint. I felt like a local and it was great! read more

Running Iron - the inside of a restaurant - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

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My Valley Burger and Onion Rings were the best. Tawni made the burgers we had and it's worth every penny. Great service, Tawni was cooking and bartenders. Her chef didn't bother to show up. Thank you for the good service and great food. read more

Had the best steak in a while there yesterday. The customer service was awesome. If you want a country style meal I recommend this place.

Great, friendly environment and a great hamburger. It's a place that reminds you of an old country environment w/ very good country food. If you like that, it is great. read more

Food was good. Just popped in for apps. It was a rough day, because they had a cool walk out. However, the ladies there were awesome and did the best they could in a bad situation. read more

Dive indeed. We came here to watch a local band play. We were on the fence about it due to the reviews we found on this site, but came anyway to support the band. The atmosphere was OK. Place was clean. Some folks in the bar clearly having a small get-together. Not loud, just having a good time. No problem. We asked to sit in the bar so we could see the band. Staff were pleasant and attentive. Beer was cold, though the margarita tasted like it was just mixer without any tequila. We placed our order. Burger for me, club sandwich for my hubby. Both were good and made fresh. Generous portions that made up for the disappointing cocktail. Still OK. The band played and we enjoyed the music. As it got darker outside, locals began popping in. Mostly drunk already. Get-together group and restaurant patrons left and only locals at the bar were left. We still managed to enjoy the music even with the drunks wandering in and out. It was a bar after-all, so a couple of over served people aren't unusual. The younger wait staff left, leaving just one wait person and the bartender out front. She was busy, but again, we were OK. A couple of other people kept going in back, like they worked there, but weren't on duty? I dunno, but it wasn't important to us, just something we noticed at the time. A very drunk guy kept staggering in and out, kind of half dancing to the music, but I didn't pay much attention as I was focusing on the music. Finally the band finished and were packing up when drunk dancing guy staggered in again with his pants down, showing ALL his business. I mean ALL of it. No one blinked an eye! Not the waitress, not the bartender. Does this happen all the time? My hubby was mad and loudly said he needs to pull up his pants or he (hubby) will personally throw him out the door on his ass. One of the girls came out from in back (drunk guys gf maybe?) and pulled up drunk guys pants, then proceeded to relax on a bar stool, facing us, then spread her legs with a grin on her face. That was our cue to leave, even though the very nice guy setting up the karaoke machine tried to convince us to stay. We had to search for the waitress to pay. Could have totally stiffed the place if we were that kind of customer. Finally found her after a good while. Walking out, all the drunks were hanging out in front of the place, like it was a nightly habit, which I suspect it is. So all in all, VERY MUCH A DIVE BAR. One star for a decent burger, but we have no intention of going back. read more

I just had the best steak I've had in a while. Great customer service. If you're in Carmel Valley, that's the place to go for a great country style meal. read more

Great food at a good price.Had steak which was perfect,my wife had ribs,also perfect and finished off with apple pie,amazing. Great location and cowboy themed interior. read more

Running Iron - Best ribs in town. - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

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It pains me to write this because I used to really like this place but lately it's been bad. We left once during a recent visit because no one ever acknowledged us. Today we had to ask for menus and for someone to take our order (after waiting for 20 minutes). It was not busy. The prices have gone way up. $18 for most things like sandwiches and burgers. The house salad is $8 and is romaine and two carrot sticks - that's it. My soup was good but not hot. They do make an excellent french fry. I don't think we'll be going back, which makes me sad. read more

THIS is a bar. That's the review. That it is all you need to know. If you want to go to the best bar you've ever been to, go here.

Love this place! Brent the bartender makes the best martini in town. I love the sweet potato fries too!

Long wait to get in on a weekend but good food and good service.

I hate to leave a bad review and I'm giving 2 stars when it should be 1, only because I know people rely on Yelp, and I don't want to ruin their stars, but I'm posting this so maybe the business owners can fix the issue we had... most of the wedding party I attended, went into the Running Iron after the reception on September 7, 2024. The girls behind the bar were caddy and their annoyance was made very known with their eye rolls and condescending tone. Most of us who were there, have worked or still are working as bartenders, so we were very understanding and patient for it being a bit busy (even though the bride and groom called ahead of time and let them know of such a big party coming in). They were getting a bit lazy on the shooters, by not making them right (or maybe they just didn't know the basic ones), but they were warm and bad to the taste. The Running Iron's layout looks like a place of high volume, so I thought the 3-4 girls behind the bar could handle it. Stress management and efficiency would probably fix these issues. Each guest probably would've tipped $50-$100, but instead, stuck to 20%, even if it didn't feel warranted; I bet sales would've been higher if they were more welcoming and made us want to stay. read more

It's very concerning that the Running Iron has chosen to support multiple controversial political candidates. Just look at the planter box in front. The food was marginal at best, I will not be coming back! read more

Went in on a Thursday evening with a group sat outside on a corner booth and accidently forgot wallet on the seat. We called first thing in the morning before they opened and they stated they had no wallet. We personally went in as well right when they opened and were told the same thing. We had several appetizers and drinks, so the staff most definitely had to get in the area to clean up the table. I went in again that afternoon and talked to a manager, she rudely stated that a wallet was not found and went on to state that neither was the Prada purse from last weekend, nor the watch, and listed other various items that apparently had been reported missing by other customers. During all the visits, there was very few people and most were sitting at the bar, so while it could have been any other customer who came across it, it seems more likely that the desolate table in the corner was cleaned and attended to by staff before another customer. We felt there was no real attempt to see if any staff had come across it, we communicated that we did not care about the cash, but were really hoping we did not have to cancel the cards etc. It was ironic that the manager listed several items that have been reported missing and yet states that the staff is really good at turning things in. There was nothing amazing about the food nor the drinks, and after the interaction with the manager we were left with an overall bad vibe. read more

Splendid informal hangout for lunch. Dine with the real people of Carmel Valley. Friendliest servers in the County....and very genuine. Fun atmosphere and super dog friendly...especially on the patio. Decor is a trove of memorabilia....who collected all this stuff? Food is adequate, but you go here for the fun and authenticity read more

Great food, great service by Terris, ambiance is fun and great vibes! Coming back again soon

We had an awesome pre-wedding Friday night celebration there before our daughter's ceremony at Los Laureles Lodge the next day. The Running Iron was perfect for friends and family to gather the night before, munching on tasty appetizers and dancing in the cozy pub. Our daughter brought their wedding DJ and they welcomed him and his entertaining personality. Lots of fun tunes and fun people. I recommend The Running Iron for a good time and an ideal place to kick up your boot heels. read more

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The food and staff were great. We had the fried artichoke and they were amazing. I highly recommend them. Also had the bacon avocado burger and fries and they were delicious. The fries were nice and crispy. read more

Running Iron - Bacon avocado burger - Bars Near Me - Carmel Valley, California

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Relaxing and quiet, we Always enjoy this place. Wait staff is super friendly. Food is delicious! read more