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The Hayward Ranch
Categories: Restaurants Steakhouses Restaurants American (Traditional) Steakhouses, American (Traditional) [Edit]
22877 Mission Blvd(between D St & Willis Ave)
Hayward, CA 94541
(510) 537-5522
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 7 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
67 reviews for The Hayward Ranch
Review Highlights
"What an Old School Gem."
(in 8 reviews)
"Good sized portions and a full bar."
(in 4 reviews)
"...said it was the best chicken-fried steak he has ever had."
(in 3 reviews)
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67 reviews in English
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Review from Daron C.
Castro Valley, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Found out about this place through Got Daily Deals and so glad that I did. I must admit that this place is in desperate need of a make-over as once I stepped in, I totally felt like, "What is this place?" There were all these weird things hanging all over the wall and the bar was dark, providing quite a contrast for my eyes since the sky outside was bright and sunny.
But once the food came, it was all uphill from there. I had the ribeye and eggs for like $10. And honestly, I just came back from a high end steakhouse where I shelled out $40 for a ribeye and THR's was better...honestly! It was juicy and succulent and I can't wait to have it again. My 2 year old also loved her pancakes (and the whipped cream even more). I felt silly spoiled getting all this delicious food for such a low price. I will be back soon! Thanks guys! Service was phenomenal as well! -
Review from Kelvin P.
Hayward, CA
10/21/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Great Old School charm. Antiques all over the place. Great portions of down home style food.
One of the best chicken-fried steaks and home style potatoes around.
If ever in Hayward stop by and try it out if you need a solid meal that satisfies the body and soul. -
Review from Liz C.
Hayward, CA
10/1/2011
We have been eating at "The Ranch" for many years, even before the current owner. Majority of the time we were well satisfied with the food and the service. One thing we really enjoyed was the deep-fired Zucchini. We always told other people how good it was until our last visit.
We went to the Ranch for lunch on Thursday Sept 22nd for a special birthday occasion. It was not crowded. We started with two appetizers, the calamari, and zucchini.
The waitress, who always seemed in a big hurry, served the calamari with no lemon and the zucchini with no cheese or dipping sauce. The zucchini was absolutely unacceptable and nothing like we had in the previous years. It did not even look the same. The batter was tasteless and the zucchini was soggy.
We asked the waitress if they had changed something and she claimed "We have been making the zucchini the same way for 15 years". We have been going there for over 15 years and it was not the same.
We both ordered Prime Rib with baked potato, and were told they were out of potatoes, at 1:30 in the afternoon? That was a bad sign, and we should have left then and gone straight to "Dino's Restaurant" in Castro Valley. However, we didn't and were punished further. The Prime Rib was terrible; the pasta was cold, and the vegetables tasteless.
The waitress asked if we wanted bread and butter, we said yes, but it never showed up. And again the place was not busy.
This lunch cost about $60.00, for that price you would expect it to much better. About 6 weeks ago we went to lunch at "IL Pescatore", a high end Italian Seafood Restaurant at Jack London Square. The bill for that meal was only $10.00 higher than the misadventure at the Ranch. Go figure!
We will not be returning ever, and we will not be recommending it to anyone. -
Review from Mary jane P.
Hayward, CA
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here on Saturday night with a group of my family to celebrate my primo getting his citizenship. Pretty much 10 out of the 15 people at our table ordered the prime rib dinner. It was cold, the potato was cold, one of them was half fat. I ordered the rib eye which was OK. I didn't have anything to complain about but on the other hand nothing great to talk about either. I will probably never eat here again. The only reason I am giving 2 stars is because the service was good and very friendly and the dessert was good. So unless your going for alcohol and dessert (which doesn't sound too bad) I wouldn't go here
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Review from gee b.
San Jose, CA
12/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Since 1948, I'll have to give this place 4 stars simply for the food itself. Minus1 star due to the service that we were given in the resturant. I know that it is a small place, but hire more staff or train the person on the floor to be more aware of their surroundings. We waited for a refill for about 10 minutes. On top of that when we were ready to go and pay the bill the lady took even longer. If it wasn't for the food and the portions I dont think we would return. I'm hoping on the next visit it won't be like this one we experienced...
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Review from William W.
Castro Valley, CA
12/28/2011
I have been eating at The Ranch for many years now. The food has always been exceptional and the service has always been great. Nice cozy atmosphere and uniquely decorated in a western theme. Portions are generous and everything is fresh.They always have some sort of tasty specials going on so be sure to check those out and the breakfasts are a $teal! Me and my friends and family will continue to go to The Ranch for many years to come!
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Review from Michael D.
Hayward, CA
11/12/2011
Solid 4 stars. They know what they are and what they do well. No new-age vegan tofu garbage, just real, hearty, American food for a decent price. Have been here about 10 times and never been disappointed, nor have I been awe-struck. The old-west decorations are a little much, (rusty saws hanging from the ceiling...on a fault line) but I think that's part of the charm. If you want a good meal this is a consistant, sure-thing for a very good (if unspectacular) meal. BTW check out the breakfasts. =-D
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Review from R O.
Hayward, CA
11/12/2011
Not the largest menu but decent enough to get that protein fix. The prices are competitive with chain eats. As far as quality it could always be better.
I had the pork chops. Served with mash/ gravy and corn niblets. The chops were center cuts (various cuts though), you know the tray at the local super market that's sold on bargain. Don't get me wrong these cuts make a tasty meal for sunday game time bbq, if done right. Cook could've cooked em an extra minute to clear all the pink but I understand s/he probably didn't want to dry em out. Good call. Mash had that sweetness like they may have mixed some day old milk to smooth out the batch, didn't finish, haha on me. Gravy, well not enough. I think they used some grease drippings to build that gravy cause it held tight until the end. Corn is standard frozen stuff.
Also checked out the meat loaf. For the price you charge please don't thin slice like a spam breakfast. Served with same mash and corn duo. The meat loaf was not bad. Texture wise it was real meat, flavor wise a touch of salt I say.
Bartender is heavy handed. Parking is good. Atmosphere is cool, you hungry come on in and eat, want a drink, here you go is the vibe I got. Waitress was nice and made an effort to do her job.
$40 a meal w/drank on the lower cost end, 2 ppl -
Review from Chris H.
Campbell, CA
11/5/2011
Went there last month and it will be our last.
BEWARE!
We were shocked when we got our usual drink we do shots of. The taste was not strong and we all noticed it right away. The shots had been watered down. NOT COOL. -
Review from Maggie D.
Oakland, CA
10/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Clarice makes the best dirty martinis in all the land! Been coming to this place for years. Wonderful--family owned, loved by locals, homey atmosphere, good hearty food-the meat is top quality. I love the awesome staff and the good home cooking :)
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Review from Lisa H.
Hayward, CA
6/12/2011
I've been wanting to try this place ever since I moved to Hayward. All I knew was that it was a steakhouse and it had been here for a long time. Others have commented on the decor so I'll skip that except to say that their wall junk was a bit more interesting than the typical wall junk at most wall junk restaurants.
The service started off very good, with a friendly cheerful waitress who was helpful. I ordered the daily special, a New York steak with a burgundy mushroom sauce. This is a favorite type of dish for me, so it would have been hard to disappoint me. And they did not, the steak was cooked perfectly to ordered doneness (med rare), both steak and sauce were excellent. The sauce was definitely on the salty side, fine for salt loving me but too much for my low salt partner. The shocker was the mashed potatoes. Not only were they instant, they weren't even good instant potatoes! Really almost inedible.
The service did fall down at the end of the meal. When the waitress brought the check, the credit card was there on the table, but we had to wait almost 15 minutes for her to come back and take the card. It might well have taken longer had we not finally gotten the attention of the chef. Yes, the chef was the only one who noticed.
I would go again, but only under specific circumstances. Specifically if I really wanted a good properly cooked steak and I didn't want to drive more than 2 miles. Otherwise, I would always choose Black Angus over this place for steak, at least BA has decent potatoes. -
Review from V K.
Hayward, CA
5/23/2011
What a charming gem!
Came here for breakfast because hubby didn't want McD's or donuts while our car was being worked on, but left extremely satisfied.
I agree with other yelpers that the Chicken Fried Steak was great; very hard to find country gravy with real sausage flavor. My daughter devoured her french toast, my picky husband was not 100% satisfied with his steak - but that could be because they leave it up to the customer to season and he's a bit of a steak snob.
It was great to have a Bloody Mary with my breakfast for $5! Maybe that was what made me so happy.
The staff was awesome, ultra attentive and overall genuinely warm.
A great breakfast spot is hard to find so maybe I'll be able to get hubby to come back and try the CFS! :) -
Review from dianne t.
Hayward, CA
12/20/2010
So as I walked by, I decided to stop by and try this place out, since I drive by it all the time.
As I opened the door, it was super dark. Then as my eyes adjusted, I learned there was a bar. I took a stepped back, like wait did I just open the wrong door? Then as I looked to my left there was the restaurant. It had like a western theme going on with bull horns on the wall and the whole thing. So I got seated and ordered the hot BBQ pork sandwich with fries.
It looked quite delicious.
I took a bite out of the fries and it was cold. I was like really? So then I bit into the sandwich and it was not hot. Like what kind of Hot sandwich is this? So then as I continued to eat my sandwich I kind of wished it had more BBQ sauce.
The food was alright, not the type where you would want to keep coming back. It was an experience to try. But wasn't the greatest -
Review from Anthony H.
Hayward, CA
11/10/2011
I am a Hayward local and I have not eaten here in years, so I decided to go on a friends recommendation. Our order was taken quickly, appetizers came out fast, so did salad , bread refilled every time it got empty, and never an empty glass. I had a Rib-eye that was great, my friend had the T-bone which he had no complaints with, son had teriyaki chicken which he said was fine. Got cherry cobbler to go which was okay, nothing spectacular, good old americana comfort food here at The Ranch, affordable. It is connected to a bar so you will hear the occasional cackles from the drunks as well as the sounds of dice being played, nothing out of hand though, older crowd!! Waitstaff very attentive- High marks for that!
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Review from Michael S.
Castro Valley, CA
12/3/2010
Delicious dinner and excellent and prompt service.
Great place for some good comfort food. Ask for Amy to be your waitress and be ready for some fabulous service. Will return for future dinners.
Thanks Amy for a wonderful evening. -
Review from sabrina b.
Oakland, CA
2/16/2011
Don't call it retro or kitschy!! The Ranch is authentically what it is. You've got memorabilia that's been collected for years inside a re-purposed Railroad barn or something before re-purpose was trendy. The staff is friendly and warm. It has the feel of a diner but with a full menu and bar.
I've had their rib eye with au gratin potatoes, veggies, salad, bread, and chocolate cake a la mode! If your looking for fancy, this is not it. I think my family had these plates and serving dishes in the 70's. I come here when I want a good steak, wear jeans and a t-shirt, and don't want to wait til I save $$$ before I get it! :)
I can't wait to have breakfast with a bloody mary at 7am!! -
Review from DS O.
San Leandro, CA
9/11/2011
The show Restaurant Impossible would have a field day with this place. The place is more like the barn instead of a ranch. There is so much 'stuff' on the walls, ceilings, etc., you could seea heavy layer dust on just about all the 'decor'. The painted walls are in desperate need of cleaning, you can't blame the road construction outside for dirty walls. A few co-workers suggested this place for breakfast, so I figured we give it a try. The food was so so. The potatoes were super greasy. I had a bacon, avocado and cheese omelet. The bacon bits tasted like they came out of the jar and re-fried to crisp them up. Everything else about the omelet was okay, nothing special-2 Stars all around. My husband had the Ranch omelet and loved it-Food 4 Stars, Decor-2 Stars.
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Review from Sarah H.
Clovis, CA
8/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Went here with my family when I first moved to hayward. We wanted a steak place and found this on yelp. The waitress was really nice and very attentive but I have to give it 3 stars because of the food. First of all, the steak is really good! Other than that, not so much. I am 99% positive that their vegetables are just frozen veggies that they heat up. The fried zucchini that we ordered was burned. My side salad was pretty good. If you're going for steak, its a good place. I would recommend getting a baked potatoes with it though, and you can load it up too.
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Review from Denise R.
Hayward, CA
7/31/2010
I went here with Sophia B. I had the ribeye and also wanted it medium rare and it was more like medium well. The steak was not tasty at all. The baked potato was bad as well. How do you screw up a baked potato? The waiter was very nice and i love western decor and I dont mind that it had dark lighting. But I want the food to be good.
I've had better food at Jack in the Box and for alot less money.
I notice alot of 5 stars on here though for this restaurant. Maybe I need to order something other than the steak and potato?? I will look at your suggestions and give it another try. -
Review from arti s.
Hayward, CA
12/15/2010
I was disappointed.
The shrimp salad was blah...Garlic bread got burnt...
Home made fries were ok..
I always wanted to try it and headed up there on a monday evening.
Most likely would not be going back. -
Review from Liz N.
Hayward, CA
7/21/2010
YUCK!
As soon as my love and I walked in we had the urge to walk out. The inside was pretty dark and had an old grungy creepy feel to it. Imagine a restaurant in a horror movie in a small town out of the middle of nowhere. That's the kind of place this reminds me of.
It was empty besides one other couple dining. I ordered the ribeye and it was disgusting. Very fatty and even A1 sauce didn't help. Not coming back. -
Review from Carmen M.
Hayward, CA
11/5/2011
Good place for breakfast. I love their antique decor. Service was very quick and they are always ready to refill your coffee for you. It seems the price of their coffee is a little steep for $3.90, even if it's free refills.
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Review from Jerry K.
Oakland, CA
2/10/2011
Not five stars mainly because they're closed on Sunday. :D
In short: Great food, large portions, classic menu, decent prices, good service, full bar.
Crazy decor. Someone else here said the place was made out of an old railroad bridge? Not sure how they can afford insurance with all those implements of destruction hanging from the ceiling, but hey! Maybe they don't have insurance. Lots of old folks who seem right at home.
Also, it took us a couple of years to realize this, but they are a great breakfast place.
The prime rib is good and the drinks are strong. Nuff said. -
Review from Terry S.
Eagan, MN
3/16/2009
3.5 stars
The ambiance is nice in here and the two times I have come here to eat dinner, I ordered steak and while it was decent, it was not as good as I had hoped it would be.
Their breakfast is good and probably my favorite meal here.
I will go back again sometime. -
Review from Tom B.
Manteca, CA
2/5/2007
I walked in to the Ranch at around 6pm on Friday night. I was immediately greeted by smiles from the patrons at the bar. The cute hostess and bartender were very friendly. I felt welcome, comfortable, at ease, relaxed.
The decor of the place was so cool. Hanging from the walls and ceiling are all sorts of things you'd expect to find on, well, a ranch. Bit and bridle for horses, hitches for teams of working animals, saddles, old rifles and six-shooters, pictures from a by-gone era, stuff like that. I spent most of my time just looking around at all the things surrounding me.
As soon as I sat down someone was by to drop off a basket of sliced sourdough french bread and a bowl of butter pats. You know, the kind of bread that's sliced, but not sliced all the way through, so you have to tear off hunks. I don't know why, but I've always loved bread like this.
My server's name was Adrianna and she was a perky ball of energy and joy. She recommended the clam chowder, which was excellent, and something from the grill. I went big---and ordered the porterhouse steak. When I told her that I'd lived in Hayward most of my life but had never been inside the Hayward Ranch she smiled and said, "We get that a lot. I think you'll like it here. I bet you'll be back."
Throughout my dining experience all the servers in the joint would periodically stop by to ask me how I was doing and if I needed anything. I appreciate that kind of service.
My steak potato veggies arrived quick and hot. From the first bite of my porterhouse I was hooked. The flavor of the meat was better than anything I've ever accomplished. My dinner was sooo good! I was blown away. I haven't had a steak that good in... I don't know how long. Everything was excellent. My potato was perfect with my sour cream, chives, and bacon bits. My veggies were cooked just firm enough and not soggy at all.
I walked over to the bar side of the building and spent a few minutes chatting with the other customers as well as the bartender. Everyone was very friendly. Most of them have been coming to the Ranch for years and years. I can't say that I blame them---in fact I'm sorry that it's taken me 35 years to try the place.
All those wasted years! Thirty-five years that I could have been enjoying the goodness that is the Hayward Ranch! Now that I've discovered the Ranch I want everyone to know, and I want to take everyone there, so they can discover it too.
As I left the building my server, the hostess, and the bartender all called after me; thanking me for joining them for dinner, and asking me to come visit them again.
Oh yes, I'll be back. I *will* be back. -
Review from Johanna O.
Castro Valley, CA
6/26/2011
Their food is really heavy. Beware of their clam chowder - very thick. I had their sandwich that has avocados and turkey inside. Rather tasteless. If it wasn't for the ketchup and the one slice of tomato and one slice of lettuce they gave on the side, the sandwich would have been a fail. I definitely could have made it or made something tastier.
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Review from JANIE A.
Hayward, CA
4/17/2011
Ok, heres how this day starts... My wife was wanting to go to IHOP, not to mention my 2 year old son was wanting pancakes. When we got there is was way packed. My experience in the past with IHOP is cheap food with slow and bad service. So after looking at the long wait time and line my wife and I left to try to find somewhere else to eat...
After driving around for 10 plus minutes I spot "The Ranch," with a sign 4.99 breakfast... My wife and I were not so sure about this, but we were tired of looking, and I am a grump when I am hungry. When we decided to go in, my wife and I were not sure if we came into the right area, due to seeing a western style bar. As we look left, we see the dinning area. We walk up, and are promptly seated. I was amazed at all the southern ranch style memorabilia. I am actually from Texas...and it made me fill right at home. My wife is from L.A. so she was not so sure, but wanted to see how good their food was. Our server (Amy) came, she was friendly and came many times to check on us throughout our visit. I had ordered the avocado omelet, sausage, hash browns, and biscuits and gravy. Portion were huge and tasted awesome. My Wife ordered Eggs, the pancake sandwich, and hash browns. My wife was very impressed by the food. She said she loved it. As for my son... he got his pancakes they were shaped like Mickey Mouse, and was very happy.
Later on the Head Executive Chief Dante came out to greet us, and asked us about our meal... I told him I loved it. He earned my business, and I will be coming back!
So for anyone who want to check this place out...Trust me it's well worth it. My wife and I are thinking of making this our Saturday tradition. Only one small down side... they were currently doing construction out side... but don't let that stop you. This experience was way better that IHOP. -
Review from Ruth A.
Oakland, CA
4/3/2007
Were it not for the noise, I'd have given this place four stars.
You've seen those chain restaurants where they put all kinds of oddball stuff on the walls, and it's supposed to look casual and interesting? The Hayward Ranch has that decorative scheme too, but it's for real. I ate my dinner under the watchful glass eyes of a deer head. A few feet away was a framed chunk of rock labeled "piece of the Berlin Wall." Assorted other objects -- a wild mix of history and weirdness -- filled my eyes everywhere I looked. Unlike the canned version, it was fun.
My food was excellent: as other reviewers have said, a large serving of perfectly cooked meat. The service was quite good. It was just the noise -- a steady roar that made it impossible to understand anything my dinner partner was saying -- that brings this down from four stars. By the time we left, I felt tired. That is not how I want to feel on a pleasant evening out.
I'll be back, because maybe it was Night of the Screaming People or something. That dinner was too good not to return at least once. -
Review from gina p.
Oakland, CA
10/10/2008
Wow... I can't believe I haven't written about THE RANCH.
Ok.. so here is another place I worked in my teen years, so please excuse my bias.
The Ranch has all the comfort food that Mom used to make (assuming Mom is a white American baby-boomer) except MUCH BETTER. It is comfort food cooked perfectly, which is acutally hard to find in American Traditional restaurants nowadays.
Once I counted some 40-odd deadly weapons on the walls. The cook made me do it. he was funny. His name is Dave. The other cook is a really sweet older man named Ben (if he still works there). Anyway enough about the employees...
more about the food!
so every single thing i've tried there is delicious. granted, i have not tried the rabbit. something about that just bothers me.
However, I must reccomend all the steaks, the NY Steak Sandwich, and the PATTY MELT OMG!
Ok so my comfort food is the patty melt with mashed potatoes and brown gravy... SO DELICIOUS and a small side salad w/ blue cheese tops it off... I get random cravings for this place that no other restaurant can solve. I highly reccomend it if you're NOT looking for some posh place with skimpy portions.
I could go on and on about the awesome-ness of this place and the biker people who used to hang out at the bar... but i'll keep it short
Oh and btw.. the owners Chris and Christo rock! -
Review from Earl G.
3/22/2009
Totally old school.
This review is for their bar only but the menu for the restaurant side with it's traditional American cooking looks super good and filling. None of that elf food over here.
This place looks like a Tahoe wooden cabin from the inside with their authentic trinkets of old school Americana. This place dates itself with real newspaper clippings from like the 50's and 60's. You go in a Chevy's or Chili's or whatever and they have ton's of this stuff but it's all imported from China. Not at the ranch where it's all authentic and real.
At the bar, it's more of the older generation and they are so friendly and always more than willing to share some stories from their "hay-day.
This place reminds me and is very similar to Joes of Westlake in Daly City.Listed in: Drinking Made Easy : Bay Area
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Review from Linda B.
Oakland, CA
4/1/2007
When you walk in, you think you made a wrong turn. To Kansas.
Lots of memorabilia on the wall, dark wood walls, Waiters and waitresses who all seem to have pleasant accents. It's a homey feeling.
The menu is the good, thick steak variety. My partner's lamb chop was exquisitely cooked, and there seemed enough to keep her happy. My ribeye and prawn combination was terrific -- there were only two fried shrimp, but they were large and tasty, and the steak was humongous and expertly cooked to medium.
We didn't bother even trying the bread, although I did dip into my baked potato once or twice, mostly because there was enough entree food to drown a sane person. -
Review from Blu and Lily E.
Hayward, CA
5/17/2011
The food is very geared to the "meat eaters" among us. Consequently, we were much less then satisfied with the variety in vegetable choices. We were surprised that the vegetable side that came with the meal was actually just corn. However, the side salads were absolutely amazing and not a bad price for a side salad if one wanted to add one to their order. We really liked the homemade salad dressings, blue cheese and thousand island. The barbecue chicken sandwich was delicious and messy. The meat loaf was okay, the safeway pre-made is better. The gravy was way too thick and gelatin like. The fries were average steak fries. The prices were appropriate for the quality of the food-- better food then Denny's, but nothing extraordinary in taste or style.
We found the atmosphere to be quite relaxed, but sometimes to the point of being a bit unprofessional. Additionally, the servers weren't very attentive and we often had to request items. For example, our glasses weren't refilled without request. Although, once we got someone's attention they were quick to satisfy our requests.
The decor was interesting, but very dusty. We're not big on the memorabilia placed on walls, but for one interested in such things the decor was an impressive collection.
The bathrooms were disgusting. In the women's restroom one toilet was clogged and the stall door to the other was broken. Toilet paper was everywhere. It was so dirty I didn't want to touch anything even the stall doors which had an odd paint texture sprayed on them preventing them from closing properly. In the men's restroom, there was a machine that sold not just condoms, but a variety of such items including "male enhancement pills," which really doesn't say anything good about the clientele there. In both restrooms the floors were extremely sticky.
Since we're have errands in the area, we may stop by for a side salad again, but not for dinner or any time we may even perhaps need a restroom. -
Review from Andrew L.
San Leandro, CA
2/23/2007
Totally old school. Nice steaks as big as your head for a fair price. Not the best service I've ever had, but didn't really walk in expecting to be blown away by a super fast waitstaff.
Looks like it's been here forever, and so does much of the clientele.
Can't beat a good steak! -
Review from corinne m.
Castro Valley, CA
3/16/2010
I love The Ranch. I've been coming here since I was a kid. I have honestly never had a bad meal here. The soups are awesome(especially clam chowder!) and the calamari is my favorite appetizer. I am a big fan of the salmon and the Ranch Fettuccine. YUM! I even worked here for a couple years, and the customers are fabulous. It's like a big family. Love the owners, Chris & Christo, and the rest of the staff was great. We always had fun. After two years of working here, I still wasn't tired of the food :)
I think it's time for a trip to The Ranch, it's been way too long! -
Review from Scott Z.
Hayward, CA
12/10/2010
People who complain about the Ranch based on the esthetics are too blind to see the trees for the forrest.
This is a fantastic restaurant with world class food and service. It's one of my favorite Bay Area steakhouses.
The person who claims to have ordered med-rare ribeye and gotten "med-well"? Yeah, I call BS on that - I've had the bone-in cowboy cut ribeye there perhaps 2 dozen times and every single time it's been prepared perfectly rare. Every. Single. Time. As such I find it extremely hard to believe they received anything but what they ordered. This is their signature steak and everyone I know who's ordered it has agreed it's one of the best steaks in the East Bay.
The portions are generous, and the waitstaff are courteous and professional. The restaurant might seem "dingy" to some - "brimming with character" is more how I'd describe it. The place is full of history, and in fact is built from an old railroad bridge so it is historical in and of itself.
I have never, ever had a bad meal at the Ranch and have been eating there for years. The quality is always terrific, the service fantastic and the portions are generous. And you can go there in jeans & a t-shirt, which is so much more comfy than so many "stuffy" steakhouses that take themselves way too seriously. And for the record, while I love McNamara's, I think the Ranch has a better ribeye.
Ps - try the rabbit. While I've never ordered it, my last dinner date did and it was absolutely delicious. -
Review from Jill O.
Hayward, CA
6/8/2006
I gave this place 4 stars not for the ambience or the food, but more for the last memory I had here...
Quickly: This place is so old it's historic. The food is decent, but if I want to eat mash tators and chewy steak I eat my mom's home-cooking. The walls are littered with weird, historic artifacts to tantalize the eyes (i.e., a toilet key from the 1920's) and the waitresses are "down-to-earth" (read: kind of stereotypical broads with don't-give-me-no-shit-'tude).
I've been dragged here on numerous occasions, but the last time I came here was early this year and I wasn't dragged but rather I was looking for a place where I could have some privacy with my company (and this place really makes you feel like you're tucked away somewhere secret). My company had come to win my heart back. The valiant knight worked his magic and I was able to snort my drink across the table. I will forever hold this place in my heart even though normal people shouldn't give it a second glance. -
Review from Sylvia B.
Oakland, CA
10/8/2011
Was looking forward to having an enjoyable dinner after having read the great reviews. The filet was very good, but forget about having conversation in the quaint restaurant. Arrived with friends and with Liars Dice going on at the bar, very irritating, and on-going. We even moved but still annoying because it is a small dining area. We let the waitress know how noisy it was, she said she would let the owner know. Its a shame because it is a gem in downtown Hayward...very "old school" but you want to be able to chat with your friends while having dinner.
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Review from Moira N.
San Francisco, CA
3/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
came here late night after a long evening. food exceeded our expectations. My husband said it was the best chicken-fried steak he has ever had. Seems like a local place with decent standards. The waitress was brusk at first because we came in late, but then she warmed up and we had a great time.
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Review from Seri L.
Oakland, CA
8/5/2007 1 photo
I went here last night with my bf and his buddy because... well, you have to try a place with a big cow head sticking out of the sign. I really wanted to like this place. It's local, quirky, and they had lamb on the menu. We got seated right away, it was pretty empty given it was a saturday night around 8:30.
Our server was prompt and nice, we ordered some sodas, mozzarella sticks, the lamb chop meal for me, a ribeye dinner for the bf, and a prime rib dinner for his friend. They come with a salad or soup AND mashed potatoes or a baked potato or rice pilaf or spaghetti AND veggies AND bread. That's a lot of sides.
The mozzarella sticks were decent, but the breading was extra greasy and it came out warm, not hot. The meat dipping sauce was tasty. The salads were good (i got a regular salad w/ ranch sauce), but there was too much dressing on all of them and the Caesar salad tasted weird. Also, as the older gentleman in the next table pointed out, they didn't use romaine lettuce. They used iceberg lettuce (a big nono for that guy). So far, pretty good.
Then we got our entrees. I asked for medium rare on my lamb, it was still bleeding. Only 1/8" of the outer layer was cooked and everywhere else was red. Not pink. Red. My bf's ribeye was medium rare, but he ordered medium. I tried a bit of his steak and it was pretty good. My lamb didn't didn't have much flavor. I guess it had the flavor of raw lamb. Our friend's prime rib: "I've had better, I've had worse." One other thing... my lamb was lukewarm when they were served, not hot. Like the mozzarella sticks.
The service was good, our server checked up on us a few times and refilled the cokes that they ordered. The decor was dark and filled with lots of old and random stuff. Except for the stuffed dead animals, everything was rusty. Hope you had your tetanus shots!
Our bill came and everything was reasonably priced compared to other non-fancy steak places, but you get all the sides included here. What stood out was the $7 for two sodas. $3.50 for a soda?! Another reason I don't drink the stuff.
I packed my lamb to go (I only one and a half pieces of the three because it was a little tooo bloody and flavorless) but I forgot it on the table. This was one of the times I wasn't too sad that I forgot my leftovers at the restaurant. The place has potential, but the food just didn't do it for me... maybe more like 2.5 stars, but I can't give it 3. -
Review from Gabe F.
Hayward, CA
7/27/2010
Hey, if i wanted to bone a drunk senior citizen, eat a mediocre steak,surrounded by dusty flea market nik naks I'll just hang out with my aunts room mate on a Saturday night.I sat at the bar was immediately accosted by a very drunk old gal and normally i'd be cool with it but i was starving so i did her in the bathr..........so i politely moved to the end of the bar.Good soup, fresh bread, steak was average. Service was spot on. I have had better steaks and I've had much worse.I will probably come back.Damn , i hope my blue haired Tillie (not her real name)is there when i do come back cuz i'm gonna ring her life alert button off the hook.What the funk does that mean,lol.
