Serenity! If I can use one world to describe Lazy Dog in…read moreOxnard is Serenity! We come here to celebrate the good times. But it is different when you need to escape the chaos and a "bad" day/week. Not only it is the confort food we seek, but it's the atmosphere! Adam, our FAVORITE MANGER, always takes the time to stop by and say hello. We met him as a server and since then he was one of our favorites! Another favorite person is Josiah. His energy is so positive, it turns our frowns upside down and we leave this place feeling like we received the hug we needed for years. He wasn't our server tonight, but he stopped and made us feel like we were family! And I cannot forget Kat and Viktor. Our server was awesome and took care of us. Viktor took his time to check in on us. Please come by Lazy Dog in Oxnard, when you are celebrating something, but more importantly, when you are not having a great day, you will leave feeling embraced!

I am not about to stroll into Oxnard and pretend I am some linen-shirted coastal ethnographer with…read morea tote bag full of artisanal certainty. I had never been here before. I was merely a road-battered pilgrim, six hours removed from Oakland, washed ashore near the freeway at the velvet fringe of Ventura County, in that glossy new development called The Collection, where every building looks as though it was approved by a committee whose mission statement was: Let there be ambient lighting and retail optimism. My dinner choices arrived like mildly desperate contestants in a televised pageant. Cheesecake Factory told me the wait would be twenty-five minutes and that they would text me. Reader, I assume that text is now trapped in a ravine somewhere, being nursed back to health by quail. Then there was some steak place whose name dissolved from memory before I finished looking at it. So into Lazy Dog I wandered, hungry, tired, spiritually fragile, and very open to persuasion. And I have to admit: the place has a certain charm. From the back at night, Lazy Dog is weirdly enchanting. The warm lights, the patio glow, the bottles shining through the bar, the whole thing looks like a lodge designed by someone who wanted to seduce exhausted motorists into believing life is still full of promise. Yet the actual entrance is oddly easy to miss. The restaurant is basically playing hard to get. A chain restaurant with mystery. A flirt. A woodland princess in practical shoes. Inside, the vibe is part upscale sports bar, part polished suburban den, part "let's make everyone from picky teenagers to diet-conscious moms to semi-hungover road warriors feel included." Buffalo Wild Wings, but after therapy, better lighting, and a semester abroad. The seating is not what I would call voluptuous. You are not sinking into a cloud of velvet mercy here. But the room is lively, social, and good-humored. It hums in that specific modern way that says yes, you may order tacos, noodles, a burger, or a cocktail with fruit in it, and no one will judge your lack of culinary allegiance. The cocktail situation was fun. I had the raspberry sangria, which tasted less like old-world wine-country sophistication and more like Hawaiian Punch got hired by a vineyard. It was bright, sweet, cheerful, and only slightly ridiculous. A prom queen in a stemmed glass. I did not hate it. I also did not see God. 3/5. Service was reliable, friendly, and sincere, which in today's dead-eyed hospitality landscape feels almost mystical. No fake grandeur, no attitude, no emotional frostbite. Just kind, competent people doing their jobs without making me feel like an interruption in their evening. That deserves respect. The menu is broad enough to make you nervous. Burgers, Italian-ish things, Thai-ish things, tacos, bowls, pizza, noodles, probably a diplomatic treaty if you ask politely. Usually a menu this sprawling suggests culinary panic. But Lazy Dog somehow lands on the right side of chaos. Not transcendent, not revolutionary, but steady in a way that is more useful than many trendier places would like to admit. The fried hard-boiled deviled eggs were the surprise star. In theory, this is the kind of appetizer that sounds like America whispering, "What if we made the picnic more reckless?" In practice: very good. Crispy outside, creamy inside, faintly absurd, and impossible not to admire. 4.5/5. The shrimp tacos were also solid. Bright, fresh, avocado doing its usual California diplomacy, pickled onions bringing color and sass, and the whole plate looking just photogenic enough to make younger foodie civilians feel seen by the algorithm. 4.3/5. The shrimp Thai noodles were decent too. Not an oracle, not a revelation, not the kind of dish that makes monks ring bells in the mountains, but flavorful and more than respectable after a long drive. 3.8/5. That may be Lazy Dog's real strength. It is not trying to be a sacred culinary temple guarded by tattooed sommeliers and fermented foams. It is trying to be open late, fun, dependable, and welcoming enough to make a tired traveler feel the night still has one last good chapter in it. And after six hours in the car, that is not nothing. That is grace with parking. So no, this is not the hidden gastronomic throne of Oxnard. But it is a lively, late-night, good-energy landing pad with charming exterior glow, sincere service, fun drinks, and better food than a cynic might expect. Would I come back? Absolutely. Mostly because Lazy Dog fed me, comforted me, and acknowledged the passage of time, which is more than I can say for Cheesecake Factory. Also, points for being open until midnight, because some places close early as if adulthood itself should have a curfew. Lazy Dog, by contrast, understands the nocturnal needs of the weary, the under-caffeinated, the gossip-prone, and the mildly glamorized freeway drifter still chasing one last decent meal before surrendering to hotel-sheet oblivion.

Thank you Larsen's Grill in Oxnard for saving our Christmas dinner! The restaurant we had…read morereservations for flooded due to the rain storm of the century and could not open. We called Larsen's and they had an open reservation at 7:30 PM. We were greeted with friendly faces, a joyful ambience in the restaurant and it was definitely Christmas. We had two dinners of lobster tail and one of the pork chop. This was a preset menu, which was very representative of their excellent food. The pork chop was probably the best pork chop we've ever had in our lives. It was prepared sous vide style and so tender, juicy and seasoned perfectly. The lobster tails were good size, broiled, but a little dry and not much flavor but the butter made them all better. We still enjoyed it and really were happy to be there. We tried 3 of the desserts. The maple bourbon crème brûlée, the butter cake and their house-made Keylime pie. There were three of us eating and we all tried these options. We had two thumbs up on the crème brûlée, one thumb up on the butter cake and no thumbs up on the Keylime pie. The Keylime pie was similar in our mind to a cheesecake (huge piece, super creamy but it's not what we were used to. The crème brûlée was delicious, but we didn't get much maple bourbon flavor. The butter cake tasted and felt like a cake doughnut, delicious but not what we expected. We also enjoyed the maple carrots side dish, it was fantastic! All in all the dinner was successful and again thank you Larsen's for serving us all on Christmas instead of you being home with your families. It is truly appreciated!!!

Stopped in as the restaurant we were intending to go to had a 35 minute wait so thankfully Larsen's…read morehad plenty of available seating and did not disappoint! There was a piano player at the bar and made for the best ambience while dining in the main dining room and our server was spectacular. The food was delicious and the drinks were good and overall made for a nice evening before we had to attend a show at the comedy club nearby.

Tried out the fried Chicken Pot Stickers on the HH menu, under 500 calories so I wouldn't feel so…read moreguilty about ordering the cheesecake after! The Chicken Pot Stickers are really tasty! Loads of flavor! This place is always so clean and the staff is so friendly. They do make a point of paying just the right amount of attention to all guests.

This was a quick visit to pick up dessert -- Key Lime and Fresh Banana Cream cheesecakes…read more It was busy when we arrived, which is typical of CF locations. The bakery seemed smaller but still had a nice selection. The restaurant was very clean. The team member who helped us was courteous and friendly. Our order was ready at the expected time and accurate. We can always count on the consistency in the taste of their cheesecakes. Presentation however often varies. Our order today was neatly packed and still looked great when we had it at home. Both were delicious!

Food was exquisite The beet salad was amazing…read more The Brussels sprouts were toasty and just right... Mussels were ok ... Chicken tortilla soup was also delicious... Thanks for the amazing setting and good food...

What a beautiful clear night, watching the sun set over the oven while enjoying a couple drinks &…read moresome yummy food! Wings are EXCELLENT! Hubby not a fan of chile sauce, so Carson made sure he got some "buffalo". The ranch, to DIE for! I had the mussels....super tasty, but they do need more juice/sauce, ESPECIALLY to dip the toasted sourdough into! We had perfectly crisped fries to share....... Carson was AWESOME! Great personality, made sure we weren't left alone too long, but didn't hover either! All in all a great experience for the start to our long weekend!

Me and my husband came here for our valentines to chill while we waited for this other restaurant…read more Random pick and honestly it was amazing the food that they have is really good. The servers super friendly even the manager. We had order some asada fries and they seemed to take very long along with some drinks and we had let them know because our son had not eaten and they offer to pay for everything which wasn't needed but I love this place will definitely will be going back!

Went for taco Tuesday where the margaritas were supposed to be $5 and tacos $1.50 our waitress was…read morevery sweet and we had a great time however the next day when I was going over what we paid, we got over charged. There were an additional 4 drinks that we did not order and about half of the margaritas that we ordered that were listed in the special, the discount was not applied so we ended up paying full price for half the margaritas when they should have all been $5. Again the waitress was sweet and very attentive I just think it got too busy for anyone to handle we also overheard the security say they were short staffed and didn't expect such a huge crowd that night.

I loved the food, it was hot and very tasty, the coffee was delicious too, and the service was very…read moregood.

The food as well as the service was amazing, the owner is kind and interactive with customers…read more 10/10 service and food!!

The food was excellent and the wine vending machines were a cool concept. The Vol a Vent chicken…read morewas quite good. It is one of the best ones I've had. Most of the things we had were excellent. The only low point was the charcuterie board. The cheese and meat choices were good. The bread that was served with it was hard as a rock. Otherwise, an excellent meal with good service.

Stopped by the Cave with the family after forced family photos. We recently purchased tickets to…read moretheir "Murder Mystery Dinner" so we wanted to check the place out. In Ventura's industrial area, the Cave is a nice, cozy restaurant that is hidden in the Ventura Wine Company shop. We were greeted by live music which made a lively atmosphere. They have the self vending wine machine with a decent variety of wines for all. I'm going to be honest - I did question the pour size. We ended up buying a bottle of wine at dinner instead and I'm pretty sure that was the economical choice plus it gave me peace of mind. I will say - the plating of the food is strange. Giant plates for small portions never really sits well with me. The kitchen's "thinly sliced" waygu steak was also off putting visually. The Jumbo Scallops w/Leek & Truffle Risotto ($46) is a must order. Scallops perfectly pan seared and that risotto I would eat by itself. The Lemon Chardonnay sauce was incredible. The Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs ($39) was okay. The meat fell apart as it should. The red wine sauce was okay but lacked depth. The creamy mashed potatoes were very good and seasoned perfectly. Wasn't mad that I tried it but would not order again. Wagyu Top Sirloin 12 oz. ($48) was very good despite the poor slicing. The creamy mushroom sauce was perfect to add some flavor but not overpower the protein. The Pepperoni Pizza ($18) was decent for my son. My daughter planned to order the Seafood Pasta until she saw all of her favorite things combined: Mac and cheese, bacon and pizza - the Mac and Cheese Pizza ($21) was honestly top notch. It wasn't overly heavy, the depth of flavor was great and it's extremely tasty. The spicy aioli was top notch. Overall, a good experience at the Cave. I recommend giving it a try.

Stopped by on are way to Santa Barbara and it did not disappoint! The food was not only amazing, so…read morewas the staff. Food came out fast and was a good serving of everything. My husband was able to ask for a customization and they did it without complaint. Kids meals were good portions as well. They ate well. The atmosphere was small and cute with nice outside seating with plenty of umbrellas if there is too much sun. My family of 4 enjoyed this stop, this place is clearly a gem and the total bill for my family of 4 was $69.84 Happy and full Appreciated our server Herbert for taking care of us, efficiently and respect respectfully

Pretty decent spot for brunch, the size of the omelette was pretty good, the Italian I thought was…read moreat least unique? It just part of fell apart and the potatoes has no seasoning and probably needed a side of marinara to make it better. It was not bad but I'd have to try some of their regular staples

My husband and I had a spontaneous date night here and it was such a beautiful setting as the sun…read moreset, with a panoramic view of Camarillo. As long as you reserve through Yelp, non members are welcome certainly nights. (Check the availability when you reserve on Yelp.). I had the salmon with a savory herbal pesto and my husband had the carnitas. We even had room for dessert, which was the flourless chocolate. Mackenzie was our server and she was super sweet, professional, and extremely welcoming. She made us feel at home. We hope to return with some friends soon!

I never knew that this place existed until I got an invite to attend an Elite Yelp event today…read more This place is soooo beautiful! The food and drink they served today were all so delicious with beautiful presentation. My favorite was the filet mignon as It was so tender. My favorite dessert was the apple pie with vanilla ice cream. All the staff especially the bartenders were super friendly and helpful. There are lots of seatings inside and outside. I don't think you need to worry about getting too cold by sitting outside because there are lots of heaters. Overall I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone who would like to enjoy a nice meal with a spectacular view!

Fun and chill vibes at the Mighty axe…read more Love coming for happy hour (4-6pm) to unwind with a beer and games. The axe throwing itself is $35 per person but it is worth it if you are looking for a fun activity or destressor (lol). If you opt out from axe throwing they have other options like card/ board games as well. Side note: They don't have food vendors but there's lots of wonderful food options around the area walking distance. In regards to the drinks, every beer/ alcoholic drink they carry is intentional and they rotate based off season. Every time I've came I've had a wonderful and welcoming experience with the help of Ryan, Marshall, and Mariah. Definitely recommend!

My husband and I went for date night there with a Groupon he purchased. We had not been there for…read morea few years. The first time was for a work event and we had fun, so we went back. It was a slow night for them. As we arrived at the bar to check in and I have to say that there was not much joy in are presence. My husband presented the Groupon and she immediately said, "Yeah, were not taking those anymore" and mentioned the manager or owners name. My husband immediately showed her that the Groupon had not expired yet. She fiddled looking in the computer and eventually allowed us to sign the waiver and Ray led us to our lane. Listen, if the place was super busy and they were swamped, I could see why they would be bothered by a Groupon hassle. But that was NOT the case and the fact of the matter is, they did not apologize for doubting the validity of the Groupon. It was more like we were an annoyance that we came in at all. Didn't ask us if we wanted something to drink. Ray was excellent at his presentation and instruction, but we were the only people throwing at the time and I was having issues with even hitting the board with the metal part of the axe. Just a helpful hint for the throwers, you will have to get someone back over there by asking if you need anymore help. They are not going to volunteer to help you again. All and all it is a fun environment, but I doubt we will be going back anytime soon. You want to spend money in an establishment that wants you there. Not one that acts like you just pissed in their Cheerios by showing up. Fun place to try, but frustrating if you can't throw the axe correctly to make it stick to the wall.