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    Running Iron

    3.4 (204 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

    Running Iron Photos

    RUNNING IRON ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Running Iron

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    "He Who Drinks With Grace Is Always Welcome In This Place" Long may that hold true.
    Rory F.

    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!

    Ranch Burger: Bbq sauce, cheddar, onion rings. Added bacon
    Jayne B.

    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.

    Steffen S.

    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.

    Chef salad. Excellent.
    Robert H.

    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.

    Grilled cheese with onion rings
    Nyla K.

    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.

    Wedge salad ?!

    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.

    BBQ sauce, onion rings, cheddar cheese burger
    Jennifer T.

    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.

    Just too quaint
    LoriLynn R.

    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.

    the inside of a restaurant

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    1 month ago

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

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    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.

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    1 year ago

    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.

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    2 years ago

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

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    3 years ago

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

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    3 years ago

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

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    Sur at The Barnyard

    Sur at The Barnyard

    4.4(2.1k reviews)
    10.8 mi
    $$$
    Full bar
    Outdoor seating

    I've been to Sur at The Barnyard 3 times. The food is consistently good across the board. The…read morecheese bread with corn sounds a little strange, but somehow it totally works -- unique and delicious. The bacon cheeseburger was really good, the Caesar salad was a solid classic, and the fried chicken dinner was hearty and satisfying with two large pieces of chicken plus sides. The banana cream pie has a spin on it. I love the brûléed bananas. What stood out the most, though, was the service. My family is in the restaurant business, so I tend to have pretty high standards when it comes to hospitality and customer service. Our server, Razi, was truly excellent. He had the perfect balance of friendly and professional, made great recommendations, checked in often, and made sure we had everything we needed. At one point, I was feeling a little lightheaded, and he immediately brought me a cold towel and made sure my water glass stayed full so I could stay hydrated. That level of attentiveness really stood out to me. He was fast, efficient, customer-focused, and brought such positive energy to the restaurant. So many restaurants struggle these days with finding employees who seem trained, experienced, and genuinely engaged -- Razi was the complete opposite. He was outstanding. I even made a point to share positive feedback with the owner before leaving because great employees deserve recognition. I honestly could see Razi managing this restaurant -- or another one -- someday. As a fun side note, we also learned he's a singer/rapper, which somehow perfectly matched his great personality and energy. Really memorable experience overall.

    This restaurant is a must-visit every time I'm in the Carmel-by-the-Sea area. It's just a few…read moreminutes away from the crowded area, which makes it a perfect spot if you're looking for a more relaxed and peaceful dining experience. I've brought both friends and family here, and everyone has loved it. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and you can also choose to sit in a beautiful glass-enclosed sunroom, which is especially nice during brunch and dinner. The food is consistently good, and they have great cocktails along with a well-selected list of local draft beers. The service is excellent as well. Austin always gives thoughtful recommendations. Highly recommend this place!

    Photos
    Sur at The Barnyard
    Sur at The Barnyard
    Sur at The Barnyard

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    Lucia Restaurant & Bar - Vegetable Wrap

    Lucia Restaurant & Bar

    4.0(246 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$$

    Holly is over the top in service…read more Lucia new chef is excellent The staff best servers in all the monterey area The restaurant is in a beautiful setting Try the the steaks Excellent High recommended

    Food was okay. Service started out great, then went downhill…read more Came here over the weekend and the host was kind enough to seat us early and we cozied up in one of the booths. The atmosphere was chill and romantic. Kerry started off so energetic and knowledgeable about the chef and the menu. We ordered bread service, 2 oysters, the vegetarian pasta but added the pacific halibut. I ordered the fowl of the day, which was guinea fowl in like a deconstructed pot pie. Then it starts to go downhill. Our entrees took an unreasonable amount of time and even the floor manager recognized this and stopped by the table to check in. Additionally, we wanted more drinks and also had to flag her down for that. We barely saw him after he took our order. Our food came luke warm, like it was sitting under the warmer for some time. The sauce on my dish was cold and the halibut was overcooked and dryyyyyyyyyyy. Thankfully they removed this from the bill. I could see staying at the hotel and grabbing drinks at the bar. They also had a piano player in the lobby/bar area, so that was a nice touch. But would I come back for dinner? Unfortunately no.

    Photos
    Lucia Restaurant & Bar - Lobby.  Beautiful and full of fresh flowers.

    Lobby. Beautiful and full of fresh flowers.

    Lucia Restaurant & Bar - Kids Plate

    Kids Plate

    Lucia Restaurant & Bar - Lucia restaurant. We dined outside on the patio.

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    Lucia restaurant. We dined outside on the patio.

    From Scratch Restaurant - Bowl of Chili with Triple D selection, cheese and cream

    From Scratch Restaurant

    4.3(2.2k reviews)
    10.8 mi
    $$

    My partner & I got into Carmel around 8:30am on a Saturday and had a long list of places to stop at…read morefor breakfast, but ultimately ended up stopping here for the easy parking & delicious looking food. We were seated right away without reservations. The place looks smaller than it is - they have a bunch of outdoor seating. It is a typical diner style establishment. And I'm not sure how accessible it is unless you know exactly where to park - there's a lot of stairs around. But it is a really cute location with lots of nice flowers and landscaping around. I can't remember our servers name - but he was really wonderful & had a great attitude. I ended up going with a custom skillet & my partner chose the biscuits & gravy and brisket chili. My custom skillet was super yummy & I was pleasantly surprised they had vegetarian sausage! It was well seasoned & the mushrooms were thinly sliced & cooked to perfection. I actually really enjoyed this meal. My partner really enjoyed his biscuits & gravy and thought it was one of the best ones he's ever had. He also was starstruck over the brisket chili, so I would definitely say to get a cup of that if that sounds like your thing. I would definitely stop back here on my next visit to Monterey/Carmel. I usually drive out to Carmel when visiting Monterey just because I like the food options more.

    Wow, what a delicious and fun breakfast spot! We came in on a Thursday around 11:30 am and were…read moreable to be immediately seated. It was quite busy outside, but we found a nice spot in the shade. Once we started to order, a lot of the people started to leave and there was only a couple other parties outside. For once I was hungry AND actually able to order while thinking about portion sizes. Normally my eyes are more hungry than my stomach! I had one banana walnut pancake and still couldn't finish it. My partner ordered the breakfast skillet with chorizo, mushrooms, and avocado. Both were exceptionally delicious, and the skillet especially with their homemade bottled pepper sauce. It's available to purchase but they ran out when we were visiting. The pancake had bananas or walnuts in every bite, if not both. The maple syrup was also heated up so it made for a very pleasant experience. I'm normally a savory breakfast gal, but this called to me, and I'm so glad I went with it. And the skillet wasn't that spicy but packed tons of flavor. I could taste some smoke paprika, garlic powder, and a pleasant amount of salt and pepper. We enjoyed our time here, and since the business was slowing down, we were able to chat with our waiter and get some ideas for local spots to try. 10/10, we will be back again! :) Thank you so much!

    Photos
    From Scratch Restaurant - View of inside seating

    View of inside seating

    From Scratch Restaurant - Hot chocolate

    Hot chocolate

    From Scratch Restaurant - Bloody Mary

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    Bloody Mary

    Valley Kitchen - House Made CVR Ricotta

    Valley Kitchen

    3.9(195 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$$

    I had a few meals here and every single time was a special in different ways. My favorite dishes…read morewere the roasted duck and filet mignon. The two dishes were cooked perfectly with great flavors accompany , sweet potato for the duck and mashed potatoes for the filet mignon. Black cod was also cooked perfectly and the fish was so soft, but the flavor for that dish, which was a burnt bitter taste, was not fit for my preference. For appetizers, I'd recommend the crispy shrimp for the amount and also flavor! The ambience of the space was comfortable but classy. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. Worth the long drive for this property!

    While the hotel was nice and restaurant in itself doesnt have any issues, the host who works at the…read morerestaurant is absolutely rude and unpleasant of an individual. I arrived at the restaurant around 5:00 PM for a 5:30 PM reservation, hoping to be seated a bit earlier as my baby was hungry. At check-in, I politely explained the situation to the receptionist, who curtly replied that the restaurant was busy and could not seat us before 5:30 PM. While I understand policies and seating procedures, what was troubling was her dismissive and condescending attitude. She avoided eye contact, spoke in an unwelcoming tone, and bluntly stated that there were "5 PM seatings not even seated yet" and that she "would not accommodate." She also pointed to another group behind me and said I needed to wait, even though no one else was in line at the time. I waited another 15 minutes and noticed that the restaurant and waiting area remained mostly empty. When I politely asked again, she became defensive and argumentative. I explained that I wasn't demanding special treatment but was simply hoping for some understanding since my baby was getting fussy. Her response--"that's none of my problem"--was shockingly unprofessional and unempathetic. By the third interaction, when I tried to calmly express that her attitude was unnecessarily rude, she accused me of yelling, which was completely false in front of other guests as a way of defending her behavior. At that point, I requested to speak with a manager, but the damage had already been done. The entire exchange was unnecessarily hostile and completely inconsistent with the standards I would expect from any restaurant. Making false accusations in front of other guests has clearly crossed the line. I want to emphasize that this was not about being seated a few minutes earlier--it was about being treated with basic respect and courtesy. The receptionist's dismissive behavior and lack of empathy were unacceptable and made what should have been a pleasant family dinner an upsetting experience. This restaurant is worth skipping entirely. If I were to visit this hotel again, I will dine out in the Carmel downtown area.

    Photos
    Valley Kitchen - Valley Kitchen

    Valley Kitchen

    Valley Kitchen - Hen-House Egg White Burrito

    Hen-House Egg White Burrito

    Valley Kitchen - Apple/berry cobbler

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    Apple/berry cobbler

    Los Laureles Lodge Restaurant & Saloon - Loaded burger

    Los Laureles Lodge Restaurant & Saloon

    3.9(127 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Our visit took place on a Friday around 7 pm. As a group of 4 we showed up with no reservations and…read morethere was luckily one seat available that could accommodate our party. Stepping into Los Laureles felt like we went back in time to an old western saloon, it was dimly lit, rustic and full of character. Our friends recommended the loaded burger, so all 4 of us ended up ordering one. For $20, the loaded Laureles burger comes with bacon, avocado, mushrooms, grilled onions and your choice of Cheddar, Swiss or Bleu cheese. In addition to the burger it comes with fries. For $20, this feels like an absolute steal. I have to say, this burger may be the best burger I've ever had. It was juicy, flavorful, and fully loaded. I will certainly be back and can't wait to share this hidden gem with some friends.

    Stayed at the Lodge this week on the advice of my friend (a local) and now that I know about it,…read morethis is the place I'll always stay whenever I come up to Monterey or the Carmel Valley. It feels like you've sat stepped back in time to the 1930s or earlier - the cottages are charming, and have lots of little nice touches. It's not fancy by any means, but that's why I like it - it's not colorless and bland like modern hotels. I would choose this every day over those types of hotels! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the area. There's a nice cat that likes to hang out in the lobby, which contributes to the cozy vibe. Breakfast is light, which is fine with me - the granola is great, and tastes homemade. They have fruit and boiled eggs and a homemade coffee cake, which was a little dry but tasty. I didn't have a chance to try the restaurant, but I will on my next visit. Definitely coming here again!

    Photos
    Los Laureles Lodge Restaurant & Saloon - Hill House Dining Area

    Hill House Dining Area

    Los Laureles Lodge Restaurant & Saloon - Lovely ceremony under the expansive oak tree up on the hill.

    Lovely ceremony under the expansive oak tree up on the hill.

    Los Laureles Lodge Restaurant & Saloon - They didn’t want a lot of clicking cell phones and cameras.

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    They didn’t want a lot of clicking cell phones and cameras.

    Pangaea on Ocean Ave

    Pangaea on Ocean Ave

    4.5(2.6k reviews)
    12.0 mi
    $$
    Locally sourced ingredients
    Locally owned & operated

    Wonderful grill spot in the heart of downtown Carmel by the Sea. The staff was attentive, the…read moreprices aren't cheap but you get what you pay for. I had a nice steak, my wife had the curry, and we were both delighted. Very filling portions and unique flavors. Highly recommended.

    Rating 3.8 I really…read morewish I could give a 3.8-star rating. This place has so much going for it in terms of hospitality, but the food was hit-or-miss. The Highlights: The service is top-tier. The host and hostess were incredibly thoughtful, even offering us champagne for a wait that wasn't even that long. Our waiter (I believe his name was Ethan--tall, slender guy) was wonderful. He was fast, full of personality, and checked on us just the right amount. My Miso Salmon was also a standout--perfectly cooked with a sweet sauce that balanced well with the salty rice. The Downsides: The wait for the food was long enough that both we and the table next to us were wondering where our orders were. More importantly, the Asian fusion dishes were a letdown. The Spam Kimbap had chewy seaweed, undercooked rice, and very little flavor. The Kimchi Fried Rice was just a mushy blend of flavors with no distinction. Final Word: For a place with such beautiful Asian-inspired decor, the actual Asian dishes felt generic and lacked authenticity. If you go, stick to the salmon and enjoy the great service, but lower your expectations for the fusion items.

    Photos
    Pangaea on Ocean Ave - Dinner in the best way!

    Dinner in the best way!

    Pangaea on Ocean Ave
    Pangaea on Ocean Ave - Great place to gather!

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    Great place to gather!

    Mission Bistro - Steak + Seafood

    Mission Bistro

    4.5(577 reviews)
    11.9 mi
    $$$
    Outdoor seating
    Pet friendly

    Absolutely loved my experience at Mission Bistro. Such a cozy and charming spot with amazing food,…read moregreat service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Every dish we ordered was delicious and beautifully presented. The ingredients tasted incredibly fresh and you can tell a lot of care goes into every plate. The flavors were creative without being overwhelming, and everything paired perfectly together. The staff was also fantastic -- attentive, friendly, and made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. The ambiance is warm and relaxed, making it a perfect place for dinner with friends, date night, or even a casual night out in the city. Highly recommend checking this place out if you're in San Francisco. Can't wait to return and try more from the menu!

    Had a lovely time at Mission Bistro. The restaurant is clean and the workers are attentive…read more We came as a party of 4 to celebrate a birthday. The bread and butter that it is served with it is very good. We ordered more, not realizing it was not complimentary. Oops that's another $12. Though pricey for a bread basket, I would order again. The ceaser salad was a good size and very flavorful. It's even topped with fresh sardines. Probably the best one I had 10/10 I ordered the black cod and though it looked burnt, it was just blackened and extremely flaky and juicy. The noodles served with it was good. 8/10 Crab cakes-need more flavor. Would not order again 3/10 Steak frites- 8/10 the sauce used in the steak is yummy and the fries were cooked to perfection. Beef cheek-there is a LOT going on that plate. The beef was good, but I thought it was too many ingredients mixed together 5/10. The meal seemed heavy. The bday girl was treated to a slice of cheesecake. The cheesecake looked good, but, it was pretty dry. 3/10 All in all, I rate this 4 stars.

    Photos
    Mission Bistro - Crab + Pea Risotto

    Crab + Pea Risotto

    Mission Bistro - Heirloom Leaf Salad

    Heirloom Leaf Salad

    Mission Bistro

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    Running Iron - bars - Updated May 2026

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