Ragsdale Kitchen & Bar

Came here for the first time last Friday after following this place on IG for quite some time. Ragsdale is located in the beautiful Downtown Ventura. It was formerly Chicago Ribs and prior to that a fire station and bank (which they are utilizing the underground basement/​old valet space as a speak easy!) Décor and ambiance is sophisticated. Even the bathrooms are gorgeous! I liked the fact that there was a mat next to the toilet. Staff is very friendly and smiled each time I made contact with someone. Ruben, who appeared to be an owner or upper management was very nice.
I was told that they have live music Thursday and Friday evening beginning at 7PM. The floor was a little tight: we were about 2 feet away from the musician (Saint Pierre) and close the table next to us. I think if they eliminated our table everyone (including servers trying to get by) would have a comfortable amount of space. We were also informed that it turns into a dance club at 10PM,
My partner and I ordered from the Happy Hour Menu (4PM-​7PM) which included all items for $ 4, and selected drinks for $ 2 off.
— Pork Belly Taco*
— Duck Bao Sandwich (recommend getting it toasted)
— Crispy Chicken Lollipop
— Al Pastor Duck Taco*
— Truffle Fries
*Order comes with 1 taco
Our favorite was hands down the Duck Bao Sandwich and Pork Belly Tacos. The food still needs a little more work, but none the less is great. I love Asian fusion dishes and will definitely return back to Ragsdale. Keep up the great work! Be sure to become friends with someone there so you can get access to their speak easy opening up in the next couple months!

We’ve been to Ragsdale 3 times and always had a great experience. The second time there was a group of 30 and the restaurant was more than accommodating. They set the tables up the way we wanted, played the music that we requested and did separate checks per couple. Quite a feat as people were ordering off the happy hour menu and the regular menu. Everyone enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Food is fun — from the happy hour very small plate to the small plates — try the shrimp or the hanger steak. Hanger steak is perfectly cooked. The remodel is great. And they have their own parking lot. I know they have had some problems per previous reviews, but I think they have their act together now.

Had the cauliflower gnocchi and a glass of the organic Syrah & sat at the bar while traveling for work. Great service good vibes, friendly bartenders. Food and wine were excellent

What a disappointment. The service was abysmal. We went early on a Saturday night to avoid any rushes. We sat for 10 minutes before someone took our drink order and an additional 30 before any food hit our table. It took 15 minutes after the first two small plates to see the rest thy we ordered. Our waitress tries to explain how the kitchen staff fires the tickets and that we got stuck behind a big table; not really necessary.
The food was so-​so. We ordered the pork belly taco (pork was great, blue masa taco shell was mushy and fell apart), the duck bao (delicious but we tried to order another and they were out of duck at 7:45p on a Saturday), the pork bao (tasted exactly like the duck) and a duck taco (again, meat was good but the taco shell was bad). We ended up still being hungry because when they say small plates, they mean it. Each dish was no more than three bites. We ordered a pasta dish with shrimp that was ok but very ordinary. The food all tasted like it was sauced in the same basic sauce.
The place really missed the mark. Such a bummer because the building and location are great. I would think twice before dining here anytime soon.

This service was really slow. The food was just mediocre. The fried chicken was cold.

Wow, well it looks great. Chic and sexy.
Okay, not that sexy. Here’s why: Lighting! It’s way too bright. All lights were at the same level and it would be so much nicer dimmer and with some candles on the tables. Honestly, it’s the first thing we all noticed… We actually wouldn’t have come in if we were alone. It’s *that* important to us. It makes a huge difference with the over all ambiance.
We started out on the patio but moved in because the heat lamp wasn’t on and I didn’t feel like bothering them. I’d like to sit out there during the day I think…
Happy hour on Sunday 4 – 7 ! Well, that’s nice! I love a place that offers happy hour on the weekend. We all got there at 6:59. I know, bitch move, right? But it was entirely by accident. As the owner walked by I asked if we could order from the HH menu. He said, «hurry up.»
Okay! So we hurried up lol. We ordered one or two of almost every small bite on HH for the table. The steak and duck were great. One of our friends had never tried buffalo cauliflower. He went crazy for it and we all enjoyed it as well.
Our server was simply gorgeous. Beautiful kid. He just needs to be more «on it.» Example: our beers didn’t get to the table until after food was arriving. I watched our beer sitting on the bar and he was no where to be found. Finally he appeared and walked right passed it lol. I waved at him and pointed to the beer. He’s just getting used to serving I think…
So RKB has only been open for 3 months or so. I think it’s going to do well. The remodel is very nice and from what I tasted, the food was pretty darn good. I’d like to try more. All new establishments have bugs to work out at first. And he needs to dim those damn lights.
I recommend and will happily be back. (Owner: thnx for allowing the late HH orders!)

Open two months and still needs a lot of work. Two tables in the restaurant and it took over an hour to get lunch. Asked for coffee and after fifteen minutes we were told they didn’t have coffee or tea. Really? Salads had to have old leaves pulled out and the crispy pork belly sounded good but was mushy and barely was even noticeable on the plate. The waiter had said, big chunks of crispy poem belly. Hmm. Won’t be back. I give them 3 months.

Came in excited to try fusion food. The waitstaff was friendly and the music was good. Everything on the menu looked really tasty and creative. I ordered the tandoori Cornish hen with pineapple rice and my girlfriend had the puttanesca. The puttanesca was good but the tandoori Cornish hen was reheated. The rice was gummy, slightly under cooked. I really hope this place becomes successful because the menu and flavors are great just poor execution and lack of care for the ingredients. I’m sure it would have tasted excellent on a busier night. Will be coming back to try the rest of the menu

We have been intrigued by the menu and unique atmosphere since the first happy hour we attended. That was on their opening day. They serve delicious, creative appetizers at a very affordable price. the dinner menu promises a variety of dish choices for your appetites’ desires. Come hear us, REDWING, Geoff and Sandi, music duo, Tuesday nights from 7pm-​9.
A great restaurant for your date, loved one, family and friends.

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Please don’t review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you’re connected in any way to the owner or employees. Trying hard, but still a disaster. Too long a wait for drinks after they were ordered. The rude waiter did not ask my fiancée if she wanted a cocktail. Our party of four heard excuse after excuse. The bartender was being trained. After the waiter described a fresh raspberry cocktail, we waited again… Only to be told the raspberries were spoiled. I had to request refills on my beverage. We ordered starters and after a wait, we were told they were sold out. Same thing with the main dish. substitutions or sold out. The Cornish game hen was dry. The stuffed pork chop was ordered medium but came out dry and over done. It was not stuffed. There was a small incision on the outer rim. The stuffing was 95% on the plate. The 2 pieces of broccoli was charred. After asking to talk to the Manager, the waiter asked me Why? After that I was told there was no manager. I was told to talk to the head chef, who is a half owner. After an extended discussion, the one entry & one drink was removed from the bill and free desert was offered & accepted. One individual was presented with 4 spoons. The chef apologized and pleaded we give them another try. We all realized this is a new establishment. If they can stay in business, we may come back in warmer weather and try the outdoor patio. Overall the wait time & service was at best, poor. Only one in our party had a delicious meal. The limited menu had no chefs special as printed. The sea bass was not available. We were not advised of this until after I ordered it. The lack of items in stock on a limited menu is upsetting. The lack of communication between the chef/​owner and his quibbling staff is maddening. We all agreed this place has potential, but this overpriced meal was a disaster & a complete disappointment for what should have been a fine dining experience.

Two months later, and the restaurant is still trying to find itself. Keeping in mind it was a Saturday night after a review had run in the Friday paper, the place was packed and we were a group of 8, we arrived early before the crowd so it should have gone smoother. Food and drink arrival was sporadic, however.
I am addicted to their gnocchi and it did not dissapoint, and when my blackberry cocktail arrived, it was quite tasty. The service was rather passive aggressive, when told the promised garlic bread did not arrive, we were told it did not come with but would bring some. When pointed out that it is on the menu, we were told they must have changed the menu. The burnt bread arrived after the linguine was finished, as did the aoili sauce that was supposed to come with another dish, because they were out of tzaziki sauce. The coffee drinks were undrinkable and sent back, but oh, they are out of coffee.
Hmm, a Saturday night and one bartender? For our next round of drinks, we made our way across the street to Ventiki, with three bartenders happily mixing up their delicious cocktails and dishing them out in a timely fashion
Four stars because of the gnocchi and blackberry cocktail, otherwise a 3.

It’s safe to say that I don’t have to think twice in giving the full on five stars for RKB, this place is the shizzzzz. So my hubs and I were all about trying this place a couple months ago when they grand opened, but decided to wait until the hype died down so we can truly experience our first time visit without the rush and crowd. Tonight was the night we popped our RKB cherry so let the excitement begin.
We walked in around 6:45ish and were seated right away. We occupied 2 of the high stools at the left end of the bar, which seats 5 super cool people comfortably at a time. We were greeted by Henry, probably one of the coolest bartenders we’ve ever met. He is definitely the reason we will be RKB frequent customers-​super cool dude, who kept us entertained for almost 2 hours! Shouts to you, Henry!
We ordered more food than we wanted, but it was all worth it, $ 104 later…
Alchie Bevs to Order:
1) Homemade Spicy Margarita (extra jalapeños, duh.)
2) The 126– will grow some hair on your hairless chest
3) The Avenue — expect to make sour faces after every sip, yum.
4) High West Whiskey on the rocks– great campfire aftertaste. (Major recommendation if you love Jameson, like myself)
The Good Good, foods to try:
1)The Buffalo Cauliflower — dang. I don’t even like cauliflower but this is a masterpiece. The cauliflower is slightly sautéed with the perfect amount of crunching the outside generously smothered with a homemade buffalo sauce, just the right amount of kick. Found On the HH menu.
2) Pork Belly Taco– speechless. (Too busy eating, just order it… you’ll thank me later…) –it’s hella good.
3) Linguini Small Plate– probably won’t order this in the future… I played it safe, but with everything else we ordered, this place definitely doesn’t serve «safe» things. Take the risk is all I’m sayin’.
4) Beef Tenderloin — one word: butter. Cooked to perfection at Medium Rare, this piece of Heaven cuts and has the same texture as butter with a grilled outer lining… simply delicious and worth every penny. The loin sits atop a bed of yummy sautéed veggies– a must!
5) Pork Belly Bao Sandwich — you better order this, oh &request it «crispy»…again you will thank me later…
6)Banana Bread Pudding — yes, you read that right. This lovely creation is accompanied with a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream and slices of banana. A little scope of each, is a bite of heaven. Don’t forget to order this too.
Overall RKB has an awesome vibe. When you first walk in, you would think this place would be a high end, bOoShy experience dining… but no… This place is totally chill with a slight touch of class. You can easily come here for «date night» or simply stop in and visit on a Wednesday night for drinks with your fantasy football homies. Definitely recommend sitting at the bar or on the huge outdoor patio, which includes heaters for all you peeps who get cold.
The staff here are pretty personable and definitely made us feel welcome. We were able to meet the executive chef, Sheme who was totally open to ideas to be better. Don’t be afraid to share your feedback with him.
There are different menus between lunch and dinner so we are definitely planning a second visit to try a few items from the lunch menu, no doubt.
I would definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone… come on in…
P. s. There’s a door that says «Members Only», open the door, take a quick peek. and check it out *wink.

This was our first time at this restaurant and we were highly disappointed. We went there after the Ventura Wine Walk. We decided to go there after seeing their Happy Hour appetizer menu when we stopped by for some wine tasting. Unfortunately they didn’t have the same Happy Hour appetizers available on their regular menu. Their service took way too long. My husband and our friends got their cocktails but it took forever for my Lemon drop martini.
They certainly don’t know how to cook a ribeye steak. We ordered a ribeye to be cooked medium but it came out well done. The owner came by our table and asked how everything was so I told him that our ribeye was cooked well done instead of medium. He had it sent back. So then it finally came back but once again it was still cooked well done.
I would be very Leary about coming to a restaurant where they can’t cook a good cut of meat. I would think twice before coming to this restaurant.

2^nd try was much much better. Everything seemed to be going a lot more smoothly, although they were still out of a few things on the menu. However, this time around the service was excellent and went a long way in making up for current shortcomings! Our server Ashley made everything go much more smoothly (and quickly) for us. We’d come back just to have her again.
I think they are headed in the right direction. I do agree that the patio is a great option here, and hope they figure out a way to cover it for the winter/​wet weather ahead.

Three stars for our first three visits. Hope they can EARN the final two soon!
I have been here for dinner with my husband, a business lunch and a happy hour with coworkers. Three times. Yes giving it a real good try!
Beautiful remodel! Wow. Good job. Love the vintage building and the minimalist interior. Of course, being concrete, wood and chrome it is not the quiet romantic dinner place but it is chic, modern and classy. Nice patio (first time there was for dinner and we sat outside) which we were told they will add a canopy and heaters. The openness is awesome right now with the good weather but won’t be usable in El Niño weather so I see the need to cover. Hopeful they can uncover next summer.
Food is okay. Not great, not bad but okay. Hopefully they will get the menu finalized (per seasonal selections) soon. What’s with being told at the business lunch last week that this is still their «soft opening» until January? What? We were there for dinner on the Saturday night of their soft opening in October… now weeks later still a soft opening? Yikes! Too much softness makes one never return.
But the real bummer is… SLOW service. Come on. How long should it take to be greeted by your server, then return with waters and any drinks we may have ordered? Simple rule #1 in the restaurant business, be attentive. I understand if packed and busy but not when only four tables were with patrons at noon on a Tuesday.
Prices are high. A kale salad (not served with bread or any side and was told it was bland and boring) was $ 13. My Encrusted Ahi on wild rice was $ 14 (very yummy) but add the tiny simple side salad for $ 3 made this meal $ 17 for a lunch? Water that day so no drink tab. Can’t spend that at lunch very often.
Portions are very small which is okay as we all eat too much anyway but prices may have to be adjusted downward to fit the size of offerings. I know they are to be Tapa style (small plates) but really who can afford to spend $ 30 on two small plates, $ 18 on two drinks and then still be hungry? Again we are NOT large people or big eaters.
The $ 4 happy hour offerings for small plates are the better price range but remember they are teeny tiny plates (that’s a reduced small plate at Happy Hour).
And oh oh… Each and EVERYTIME I have been there, they can’t make a certain drink or menu item (yes these items are printed on their menus) due to not having an ingredient. Come on. Grow or buy extra mint to make a Mojito style drink. And happy hour… how do you NOT have the ingredients to mac & cheese balls that are on said happy hour menu? When there is only 8 items or so on a menu you can’t be out of four of them.
I so want this restaurant to succeed. The owner, I think it is the older gentleman that says hello, is so very nice. And it’s within a few blocks of our home and work. But the location is a bit away from the heart of Main Street so Ragsdale needs to work at pulling in and retaining its customers. How? With great exceeding expectations first time visits.
I hope it does. I wish them the best. We will try them again for each of the above mentioned types of visits… oh but AFTER this three months of soft opening. See, I DO want them to stick around.

My fiancé and I are somewhat recent transplants to Ventura, and have been sorely disappointed with all things food & restaurant in the area, with few exceptions.
Ragsdale was a breath of fresh air for us– great food, great service, just a great eatery.
We stopped in for lunch. I had the grilled cheese, which was delicious and everything that I would hope for in a restaurant grilled cheese. My only critique: just a touch too much dijon on the grilled cheese, but I’m pretty sensitive to dijon. My fiancé had the California dip, and it was amazing. I didn’t order it for myself because I thought it might be a tad spicy for me, but it wasn’t too spicy at all. Definitely something we’ll order again.
The service was great. There were only a few other parties dining while we were there, but the staff was very attentive, and extremely nice.
This place is clearly more cocktail-​oriented when it comes to drinks. We didn’t have any, but the list looked appealing. Didn’t get too good a look at the wine list since we were in for lunch, but it also seemed very decent. Only negative (which is more of a suggestion): the beer list needs some improvement. Coors light, bud light, and Modelo on tap = unnecessarily wasted taps. A few high quality craft beers on the tap (or bottle!) list could really go a long way.
Overall great experience and an exciting addition to the otherwise lack-​luster Ventura restaurant scene. We’ll be back for dinner soon.

We had dinner at Ragsdale Friday night. It was crowded with people like us excited about the promise of another great eatery in Ventura. We were not disappointed! We shared the buttermilk encrusted halibut with spaghetti squash and persimmon saffron mousse and the seared scallops small plate. Both dishes were fantastic with great flavors and beautiful presentation and well worth the wait, which was longer than average, but I won’t knock Ragsdale for that considering the crowd was at capacity or more. The food was 5 stars all the way.
The parking is unique in that this property has a private parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, unlike most others on Main St. The lot was full this night, however we were directed to the Post Office lot which is right next door and available when the office is closed.
A few things I felt could be changed to make the experience even better than it was for us:
When the wait is expected to be long from the kitchen, offer appetizers along with the drinks.
Dim the very bright LED lighting over the tables. It reflects off the silverware and isn’t a ‘warm’ spectrum, these are great for shop lighting and energy efficient, but the glare is uncomfortable.
It’s a bar and kitchen but the acoustics make it very noisy. A lot of hard surfaces, concrete and glass make a pronounced echo effect that made it difficult at times to carry on conversation without raising your voice. But it is a bar so no stars off. Just keep in mind if an intimate dinner is what you’re looking for, sit in the outdoor dining area.
All in all– We loved Ragsdale, we will make it a regular dinner spot, and I think with a tweak or two Ragsdale will be in the running for Ventura’s Best!

Ventura Main Street’s latest addition to the dining scene. Tasty $ 4 tapas at happy hour (3 – 6), and a full bar! The Ragsdale Mule (I like mine with bourbon) is wonderful. You can try their main plates, or share a sampling of their small plates. The scallops were great, as was the steak. Pasta putanesca had a smoky taste, interesting… The cornish game hens were well received, and the cheese gnocchi was world class. They have very good house wine that is eco friendly, shipped in bulk and served in 750ml carafes, doing away with the carbon footprint of making and shipping individual bottles (up to a 60% savings!).

A wonderful experience. This is our new go to place. Frank was great. The atmosphere is inviting and the food was delicious. The menu is dynamic with something for all types of diets, or for those who want to indulge. There are so many great choices it made it hard for us to decide, but with the awesome small plate items and entrée offering menu, we ordered a handful of items and savored.
The happy hour, small plates and entrée menu allow clientele to create any type of experience.
We ordered the pork tenderloin, gnocchi, organic caesar, Indian Spiced Tofu, Truffle fries and finished with the banana desert. All fabulous however the tenderloin was a tad over cooked on the well side versus medium, but don’t let this steer you away, I’m being picky and the dish is delicious with a wonderful array of flavors from the grits and strawberry bacon gastrique.
Ragsdale has great potential of being the best place in Ventura County. From being a server myself with a decade of experience, I recommend these nice customer experience suggestions. Please don’t interpret this as not choosing to dine here. This is simply recommendations for the Ragsdale suggestion box.
1. Bus boy brings water immediately.
2. Have staff Replace silverware for clientele after each course, provide staff serving trays to do so.
3. Give the table a quick buff/​comb after each course.
4. Serve each entrée course together versus as it becomes available.
5. Dim the lights
6. Keep the joint sounding classy and hip by playing beats such as Jazz and blues
7. House cut fries tossed in fresh chopped herbs and seasoning.
We’re excited Ragsdale is in our neighborhood. Its literally a five minute walk and it is going to be hard not to visit often.

Friends and family night at this beautiful historical building that was remodeled of Art Deco-​Streamline
Modern styles. Beautiful Art throughout-​very inviting patio/​deck with glass panels to block the weather and security I’m sure. The concrete structure was built VC Mutual Fire Insurance Company in the late 1930’s. All Eco-​friendly sink fixtures by dyson.
My wife and I got an invite through a relative and experienced the fix menu and a very soft opening.
We had the seared scallops with lemon cilantro butter (amazing), and the roasted Pork Tenderloin with cheesy cauliflower grits.(mouth watering).
They made up their own signature drinks $ 9.00
We shared Midtown Martini with «kettle 1 vodka «
Excellent. Food took a long time but it’s the 2^nd. Day being open. Thursday night I guess was open from 7 – 10 with the Happy Hour menu. Service was very friendly– gentleman’s name was Brad and everyone was helping each other’s customers and it was pleasant and we’re excited for many more dining experiences at Ragsdale Kitchen and Bar.
Cheers