On a recent Thursday evening, we three friends visited Winchesters Grill & Saloon for dinner. After entering through the grand patio, we were greeted at the door by the proud owner, Sam. Being the gracious host that he is, he led us to a roomy, comfortable booth inside the open beamed, rustic restaurant. With the copper lights hanging overhead and the beautiful wood interior, I got a very warm and comfy-casual feeling. Taking in the atmosphere, I noticed the intricately cut iron artwork that separates the restaurant and bar seating area. “The Duke” was looking down on us from his prominent place on the wall, which added to the western flair.At the sprawling bar across the room and everywhere else you look inside the restaurant are beer tap handles. Every beer tap handle you see in there is a beer that was served at Winchesters Saloon. With 41 beers on tap, it’s no surprise! Winchesters has the largest beer on tap selection from Los Angeles to San Francisco. So many beers, so little time! With the great mix of background m
usic that is played and the wonderful smokehouse smells coming from the kitchen, it’s no wonder this place is such a popular watering hole! Besides beer, they have a wide variety of specialty drinks and martinis, as well as a wine list to choose from. I decided on the Winchesters Mojito, their summer drink special. It was very refreshing and minty!We chose the appetizers that most people might be afraid to order, because we aren’t like “most” people and this isn’t just any restaurant! They serve all the “normal” appetizers, like cheese fries, jalapeno poppers and potato skins, but they also have more interesting things like venison stuffed mushrooms and fried duck strips. Yes, duck! They are served with a honey mustard sauce that is sweet and spicy all at the same time- an excellent choice as an enhancement to your steak or chicken entrée as well.
The dinner menu has a variety of salads, sandwiches and
burgers, as well as the western grill dishes featuring various cuts of steak, chicken breast and salmon. Occasionally they will add some special features to the menu, like and ostrich steak or a venison burger. All of the western grill menu items have large portions and are served with a great selection of sides and enhancements to add to the flavor. The smallest steak is a ½ pound chateau cut top sirloin, which is what I ordered. This steak is considered the “filet” of top sirloin. It is a very tender and tasty cut of meat. I would never have known it was a top sirloin if it didn’t say so on the menu! It is the center cut of the top sirloin and was cooked to perfection! I also added the Black and Bleu steak enhancement, which is Cajun spices and melted and slightly browned bleu cheese on top. I got my meal with garlic mashed potatoes and a small pot of beans and corn mixed together for a very colorful presentation. The food tasted even better than it looked!I thought I needed to order a steak at Winchesters, since it is a western grill and saloon, but one of my friends ordered the cedar plank salmon and it turned out to be my favorite! Who would have thought that a bar and grill would have excellent fish? It was so moist and had a wonderful smoky taste!
Needless to say, I had no room for dessert, not even for Chocolate Death cake! And I do love my chocolate! I did have a taste of their famous root beer float. The root beer comes from a keg, and it has a much richer taste than those made with regular carbonated root beer. Of course the root beer comes from a keg- with 41 beers on tap, why wouldn’t it! The float is comes in a very large schooner type glass, just like the meal portions- it is a g
enerous serving.Like the generous portions, the owner Sam is generous as well. He spoke to us numerous times throughout the evening and told us many things about his restaurant. You can tell he is passionate about the business. He takes pride in what he does and who he hires. He seems to be the perfect boss! When asked to pose for a photograph, he said to take a picture of his team instead. He said, “It’s not about me, it’s about my staff.” We happened to be there on the night of the demolition derby at the Ventura County Fair. It was a slow night for Winchesters, but as Sam said, “You can’t base the business on one night.” That is true! Winchesters is usually a busy place on most other nights and you can see why. With such great atmosphere, helpful staff, delicious food and a knowledgeable leader, you can’t go wrong!
Insider Tip: Look for the rubber chicken! It is hidden in a different place inside the restaurant every week. It is in plain sight, but you still need to look closely.
