The Restaurant at Ponte
35053 Rancho California Rd, Temecula, CA, 92591
The Restaurant at Ponte Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Temecula for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Temecula for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Temecula for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
35053 Rancho California Rd
Temecula, CA, 92591 - Phone (951) 694-8855
- Website https://www.pontewinery.com/Temecula-Winery-Ponte-Restaurant/4081.html
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 4:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Romantic
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Rachel R.
I have been here a few times in past years and its been pretty good. This time was pretty terrible. They must have gotten a new chef or he has just given up on making quality food. For the price i was extremely disappointed. This is what we had: Wine: It was pretty standard white wine. Nothing amazingly special. But fairly priced so no complaints. Bread: It was pretty good herbed bread with a lemon oil dipping sauce. It was a bit dry but overall the taste was standard for table bread. Although when we were out of bread (food was taking forever) they neglected to give us any more until a random waitress wondered over with spare bread that another table didn't want and offered it to us. Gee, thanks. We feel special. "Kobe" Burger: One word, bland. This burger had no flavor. The meat was not seasoned at all. The toppings were ok. Bacon, sauteed onion and cheese were the only things saving this burger. I could tell the tomato was cut WAY earlier because it was disintegrating and mushy. ick. Also I ordered it medium and it came medium well/borderline well done. I could of gone to walmart and bought a hockey puck and covered it with cheese and bacon and left happier (and with more money in my wallet). The side "chef salad" was a green bean salad with chickpeas and was the only thing worthy of my money. It had a nice flavor although a bit under-seasoned. Really? $18 for this? Shrimp Bruschetta: We were wanting some fresh shrimp piled on toasted bread with fresh Warm bruschetta? ok...I'll go for it. If you are going to offer up warm shrimp bruschetta, at least use fresh shrimp. Anyone who knows anything about food can tell you use frozen. For the price you are charging, using frozen shrimp is completely disrespectful to your patrons. It had a 'fishy' taste that didn't make it very appetizing. The sauce was also too sweet and needed salt badly. Sausage and Pepper Pizza: Wow. Just wow....this pizza was pretty disgraceful coming from a place that prides itself on it's italian heritage. The pizza was soggy, greasy and bland. It tasted akin to a roller rink cheese pizza with some sweet sausage thrown on top. The sauce was also much too sweet and it was dripping with grease. I had this before and it was pretty good, not sure what happened. Service: The waiter was ok. He ignored us for a lot of our stay and maintained the bare minimum of service. Overall I would describe my experience here as monotone and the only way I could describe the food would be like a Dad finding out about his daughter being a stripper....utter disappointment.
(1)C R.
I was really looking forward to eating at this restaurant for a special dinner since many of the reviews were favorable. My husband and I shared the small charcuterie appetizer, which was the highlight of our meal. I ordered the flat iron steak for my entree which was criminally underseasoned. I don't know how a restaurant can serve a piece of meat with NO salt and pepper. It was awful. My husband ordered the cioppino and said it was "okay." Service was great. View was outstanding. Food was tragic.
(2)Mel D.
DELICIOUS!! Not a single complaint! A girlfriend & I spent a Saturday afternoon doing wine tasting in Temecula and sat this winery out for tasting in order to sit & have lunch. It was a great decision. I did order a glass of Chardonnay with my lunch which was delightful. We started with the Short Rib & Tomato App. This was heavenly! The short ribs were soooo tender and flavorful, I could have eaten a bath tub full of them. For some reason I thought it was being served on polenta, but to my surprise, the tomatoes are crusted & fried in the polenta. Everything together was fantastic! My Entrée was a cup of potato & beef soup and the salad special - beet!! Doesn't sound exciting, but it was all beautiful. I assumed (Again) that the soup would be creamy & a bit heavy, but I was happy to see it was broth based. The veggies in it were perfectly tender & the beef was not overwhelming, good small pieces that fit well on my spoon along with a veggie or two. Dipping the table bread into the soup was a good little bit of substance for me. The Beet salad was not too fancy, but very simple. Perfect example of "Less is more". It was almost displayed to look like a carpaccio. All in all I was beyond happy with my lunch. My friend ordered the burger with the potato of the day (AKA, Fries). No just a plain old burger, but a bacon & cheddar burger with Juicy tomato & a buttery looking warm bun. YEs, I had meal envy. She didn't even offer me a bite!!! Sooooo I can't tell you how good it was, but based on her level of happiness, it must have been pretty damn good!
(5)Haley S.
We were looking for a top rated restaurant to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Since it was voted one of the best restaurants in Temecula we made reservations. The ambiance was casual, especially due to the fact that the servers were in khaki shorts, polo shirts, and tennis shoes. They had a live guitar player where we sat outside. We ordered a salad to share followed by the chicken and lobster stuffed mushrooms as our main dishes. The food was delicious, but it took 45 minutes between our salad and main course. It is a great restaurant, I was just expecting it to be fancier and feel more special than an average hotel restaurant.
(3)Justin H.
Although fun- every three to four stops, it's wise to take a break on the Temecula winery trek. Ponte is definitely the spot to do it. While a bit pricey, the food, service, and setting make it worthwhile. The outdoor eating area is surrounded by grapevines. On a gorgeous day, much like the one we had, you really can't beat the setting. The wine selection comes entirely from the Ponte cellars, so wine club members get a decent discount. We ordered a nice bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio at 28 bucks. The wine paired perfectly with the Charcuterie plate that started our meal. The small version of the app was actually big enough to be a meal for the two of us, but we ordered entrees anyway. My wife had the diver scallops which came with an orgasmic risotto. The scallops were large, sweet, and perfectly cooked. I had the chicken paillard, which came with an apple crust and was served with a cauliflower and yam hash that I though was the highlight of the dish. Stuffed and sauced, we skipped on dessert. While I wouldn't do this every trip to Temecula, I will definitely come back to this place.
(4)Tony G.
I chose this restaurant because we are new to the area and it was my wifes birthday, it seemed a perfect fit...I could not have been more wrong. Upon arrival the outside temperature was 101 degrees so we asked the hostess if they had ANY indoor seating, she responded no. I said it was too hot to eat outside, the hostess said "once you get under the patio and misters it is fine". Well, she was wrong, the misters did almost nothing to help alleviate the crushing heat as they were not pointed in the correct direction. The table about 15 feet behind us was very loud and one of the people, a very loud, rude/crude woman couldn't stop dropping an F bomb after every few words. It became so bad, a woman at the table next to us went over and asked her to stop, that did not help. After our very mediocre meal, the waitress brought the bill. when I made the reservation I specifically asked for a small cake or other Birthday treat for my wife. The waitress said she was not aware of that. I proceeded to tell her about the constant cursing from the next table and she responded that she knew and was sorry....that is when I lost it. I yelled at her, "you knew and did NOTHING about it?"....after going back and forth she offered to get the manager, I said no and to just finish the bill so we could get the hell out of there. Well, the waitress sent the manager over anyway, the manager took the entire meal off our bill and apologized claiming SHE was not aware of the next table ruining everybody's meal.I told her about them not honoring my request for a Birthday treat for my wife, she responded " Oh, the hostess has that information"...Yes, and why did we not receive anything?, the manager said, "oh, the hostess must have overlooked that"...So, you take a reservation, the reservation has a special request and you leave it in the hands of your incompetent hostess to handle the request?...That is beyond poor management. I told her about us asking the hostess for indoor seating and she said there was indoor seating that she could have offered us and that is was just next-door. ...Well, that made me much more angry than I was before so we just got up and walked out, never to return.
(1)Biggy B.
Beautiful grounds, ambiance is top notch but now that does leave us with the 3 star review. Decent selection of wines, food was overall flavorful but overpriced. Ordered the ribeye medium and a $12 glass of zin. Pretty much more than half of our group ordered either the ribeye or lamb chops resulting in a semi charred exterior and a medium well center. If im gonna fork out $40 for a quality steak, I should expect it to be prepared perfectly and not overcooked to replicate the texture of a used burkenstock. Mashed potatoes and veggies were outstanding. Also keep in mind there were 2 weddings and a packed house being a summer Saturday. Nevertheless, all the meat ordered was overcooked. They sat us directly next to the vineyard fly infestation. I was expecting goddamn Jeff goldbloom to pop out of nowhere and break my f-in arm. might return on a not so busy day expecting to spend 75 bucks for myself, hoping for a medium rare steak and not waiting 40 minutes to receive the entrée.
(3)Meg W.
I am a previous member of Ponte and was with a member of 8 years when we book a lunch appointment and were told it would be a 45 minute wait. Seeing as how it was a Friday I figured there would be a wait so we said thank you and put our names down. After 2 hours of waiting with no response we decided to leave. I am sad to see such poor service at such a fine winery. Needless to say I will not be back and my friend is canceling her membership.
(1)Erin B.
Great service. Great ambiance. Mediocre food. Good wine. The bread and dessert were delicious. We'd come back for the ambiance. It was crowded when we arrived early for our 7:30 reservation. We were seated promptly at 7:30 and didn't finish our last course until almost 9. We could've sat there all night it was so perfect!
(4)Nate R.
Ok, I expect a perfectly prepared meal per an establishment's menu along with your simple order...The first time, at these prices. Let's just say that this didn't happen. I asked for medium rare, I received medium for an $18 burger! The person with me asked the same and got the same. She was missing onions as well, which are on the menu! I asked for condiments, I had to ask again when my plate was delivered. Ketchup with fries? I had to ask twice for ketchup for my fries. I will add, the food was good after the speed bumps, but not good enough for the price.
(2)Wendy C.
I think the winery is really lovely and the people are very friendly. The food is good but not great. The price is steep, but the atmosphere and the surrounding may be part of price you pay for. Now, the meal: 1) Calamari - lightly breaded, fried, kalamata pepperoncini relish, roasted bell pepper aioli. yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFa… Loved this! The portion is big and the calamari very tender and not overly breaded. Only wished they could have gone easy on the salt. 2) The Rib Eye Steak ($44) - seared with red, green and black pepper crusted, chimichurri, German butterball potatoes, haricot vert.http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFaIRMvmUpIcxÂT1Cpf-ZQ?select=xg3Csfg98JiqYanHDka7Cw Don't think it's prime meat, however the seasoning was great and tasted good. 3) Artic Char ($22) - seared, fruit salsa, Ponte Isabel lemon butter, summer vegetables. This is basically salmon, but not a very tasty salmon that I usually like. I don't know which ocean it was from but definitely not from Alaska. Skip this. Sensing that I didn't care for it, our server was nice that she took the plate back and took the bill off. However, I also realized that she charged $9 more for the Rib Eye Steak. I didn't call her on it because I did eat 1/2 of the salmon. 4) 3-Flavor Ice Cream - for $9, you would expect them to be a little bigger. They were the size of ping pong balls. yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFa… But then again, I probably wouldn't finish them anyway because they were really mediocre. 5) Donut Holes ($9) with 3 dipping sauce. I didn't care for these, either but my fiance liked them and ate them all. :) yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFa… The verdict - it was a nice experience but probably won't be back if I didn't have a gift card.
(3)Kat H.
It gets busy here during the afternoon, so I suggest making reservations. The food is delicious such as the chicken entree and kobe burger. My uncle ordered the ciabatta chicken sandwich but it came out half burnt. We told our server about it. (Forget her name, but she was blonde with bangs). She sincerely apologized right away for the burnt chicken and for the long wait. She came back with his new order quick and it was delicious. The garlic aioli stood out. I believe it was the floor manager who personally came to us and apologized for what happened to his order. She decided to remove his meal off our tab which was generous of her. I give this restaurant great customer service! I ordered the duck flatbread, duck was a bit too salty but the tartiness of the flatbread neutralized the flavor a bit.
(4)Matthew S.
Beautiful outdoor eating, we had the fig and pachecta pizza which was excellent. Highly recommend
(5)John S.
This was my first time to the Temecula wine country and I was not disappointed. The scenery was not what I expected coming from the fwy..The winery was very nice, the restaurant was mostly outside and under a patio with string lighting, grapevine from the winery all around and a peekaboo view of the valley. The night was truly romantic, the food was excellent; very fresh and vibrant ingredients used, and the service was good. Try the sangria very smooth.. All in all a great dining experience.. Highly recommended!!
(5)Gabriela R.
Great service, great atmosphere and friendly staff.
(4)Bernie C.
My bf wanted to check the restaurant out, since he's never eaten here before and also since it was such a nice day out to have dinner here! I'm so glad that we had made a reservation because the place was packed! We still had to wait even though we had reservation. We started with their mussels and mmmmm.....that was sooo good! I liked the broth, very tasy...it was so good, I wanted to pick up the bowl and drink the broth from it, then I realized that it wouldn't be classy! Moving on the entrees, I ordered their halibut special and my BF ordered their sausage pizza! The halibut was pan seared perfectly, flaky and melt in your mouth like butter! The vegetables that came with it on the side was tasty as well...grilled just right and good flavor to it! My bf's pizza was also yummy... and he didn't complain! And of course the dessert, the chocolate moose was finishing touch to a wonderful dinner! So, all in all we had a great experience and will definitely come back here again and our server was attentive and recommended dishes and knowledgeable of the menu!
(4)Liv V.
I have eaten at the Restaurant at Ponte three times now. I am a big fan of the wine tasting room, restaurant and the Inn. I am also a wine club member. Everytime I have gone its been for quite different reasons. The first time I was on a romantic date with my boyfriend. We arrived around 8pm and were seated immediately. Almost all the seating was outside. It was a really nice night and I do not remember being cold at all. There was hardly any one else in the restaurant. Our server was knowledgeable, efficent and friendly. My bf and I shared a couple dishes. I know we ordered a salad, the scallops and one other thing. Paired with a bottle of their wine, everything tasted awesome! The portions are smaller, and are arranged elegantly. This is pretty fine dining. The second time I ate there was for my birthday. I had called a day or two before, to inform them that I was bringing in a large group of about 10 people. The lady that made the reservation for me said that she had the VIP room available. It is a large room, with lots of wine stacked on shelves on the side. There is one large table inside and plush chairs. We all fit perfectly. I was so pleased that this was available. They did not try and charge me an minimums for using the room either. The service was just ok that night. The waitress could see empty bottles sitting on the table, but just choose to ignore them and not pick them up. After a few times of her doing this, I picked them up myself and handed them to here. Also, when I got the bill my wine club discount was not applied. She never asked me if I was a wine club member, it would have been nice if she would have done that. I also, thought that the lady that made the reservation for me said I would be able to pick out a dessert of my choice off the menu but when I asked the server about it she said no. It would have been better customer service, to just have allowed me to pick out my dessert. We spent a lot of money here, its a higher end place and I have high expectations of Ponte restaurant. The third time I was there, I was with a couple that I have known since highschool. We actually had to wait 1.5 hours for a table. We came during a very busy day, it was a special Cab tasting day for wine members. We didn't mind, we just drank some more and explored the property. We ordered the cheese plate. The small one had plenty on it. We also ordered a pizza to share. It was pretty flavorful, but nothing special. The service was alright. Overall, thanks Ponte Restaurant for providing a consistent experience. And thank you for helping to make my birthday fantastic!
(4)Emily Y.
I go here when I'm in the Temecula area on a nice day and want to eat outdoors. The Smokehouse is definitely one of the better eateries in Temecula Valley if not the best and I have been to a few of them. The eatery itself is an outdoor cafe with beautiful views of the vineyard. It's got white tablecloths and can be a great special event or more fancy place to dine. The menu is sort of fancy casual. It's mostly meat, chicken, fish, pizzas and sandwiches. The prices are pricey with lunches about $20 and up. No brunch menu, strictly lunch but they might have a breakfast dish in the specials. Some winners at lunch were the mortadella sandwich, the rigatoni and the eggs benedict on special. I had a special mahi mahi spinach salad with truffle dressing. Simple, but quite tasty! The wines are pretty good, I would say very good considering they are from Temecula Valley who's only bragging rights are of being the Coors Lite of wines. My favorite is the Moscato but their Nebbiolo and whites are all pretty good. Usually with these types of outdoor places, I can say that the view/environment makes the restaurant but the food is actually quite good and better than most winery restaurants. I recommend reservations. One time I lucked out and make reservations and came before 12pm and we were able to get seated. it is a little pricey for what it's worth but a pleasant place to dine after a few tastings.
(4)Risa Y.
Absolutely Amazing. I always tend to go wine tasting on chilly days like January and February. This year once again, I decide to go on a rather chilly (but sunny) day for my birthday~ I was a bit concerned that the restaurant was outside.. but not to fear! There was a cute tent with lamp heaters everywhere which almost gave an illusion that I was there on a warmer day. Everything from the view (which over looks their Ponte Vineyard) to the cute little table settings, made me really feel like I was in Temecula Wine tasting. The food was amazing and their service was top notch! If you go there on a date, I suggest you order 2 appetizers and share an entree and ofcourse order a bottle of wine :) With a bigger group, if you want to share entrees, they put it in 2 separate portions for you :D We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 bottles of wine between 10 people and most of us shared our entrees and we were all full~!
(5)Cher A.
We went here tonight. Big mistake. We didn't have a reservation and called ahead to see what the wait might be if we arrived at 5:00. We were told we could get right in for a party of 2 at 5:00. Arrived at 5:00 and were told there is a 25-30 minute wait. We waited. 45 minutes later they seated us at a table with a leak dripping on our table from the misters. Then...the flies!!! Oh good god, the Flies! All over our drinks, food, our arms...flies everywhere!! We had them wrap up our food to go. We could not stand it any more. We won't be back.
(1)Marika A.
Took my mom here (along with my husband, sister in law, brother, and my dad) for Mother's Day lunch this past weekend and we had such a great time. Overall the quality of service and food was excellent. The ambiance is relaxing and you are surrounded by beautiful blue sky, their gardens, and the grape vines. Even my husband who usually does not make comments said the winery and the restaurant was really wonderful. What we ate: -Table Bread & Dipping Sauce (So good we kept asking for refills!) - 5 Cheese Plate with Temecula honey, apples, candied pecans, and bread. - Spinach and Strawberry Salad (My dad loved this so much he was asking if my mom cold recreate it at home!) - Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad - Cheese Ravioli - Fettuccine Verdura (I had this one and it was YUMMY) - Chicken Caprese - Margarita Pizza For the most part the food was quite good - my party only had very minor complaints - the chicken in the Chicken Caprese sandwich was a bit dry and the Margarita Pizza was only OK. However - everyone still enjoyed their meal and had a fabulous time. We are already planning on coming back again soon!
(4)Shane R.
Top notch food in the local whine area of Temecula. Have eaten here 3 or four times, little pricey, but great location.
(4)Bryce N.
My wife and I went their to celebrate our anniversary (a few days late), based on a friend's recommendation. We had an 8:00 reservation, but we arrived early (7:30) and were seated almost immediately. We had some appetizers, and I ordered the Ribeye steak while my wife had scallops. We also tried the Wine Flight, where you get samples of 3 different wines. We're not normally wine-drinkers (ironic when you go eat at a windery, I know), but we tried some sweet wines and were impressed. Our server, Laura, was attentive and fun. The atmosphere was good, including a live guitar player. It was somewhat noisy, but not so much that we couldn't carry on a conversation. I would definitely recommend The Restaurant at the Ponte Winery! It made our anniversary special.
(5)Kim M.
Had a great dinner at this restaurant. Great atmosphere on the beautiful patio. Our waiter,Rudd made some great suggestions!
(5)Beth W.
Sit outdoors and enjoy the delicious food and wine that the restaurant at Ponte Winery has to offer. Everything is done so that you can be comfortable while you eat - refreshing mist is sprayed and you'll be seated in the shade of a parasol. Perfect since temperatures can get very high here. Ponte Winery is beautifully manicured and maintained so be sure to take a walk on the grounds and around the hotel after your meal. Foodwise, everything I've ever had was scrumptious. I recently swooned over the stuffed zucchini with parmesan polenta - highly recommend it. A lovely place to have a nice lunch!
(5)Edwin D.
It was very good, but was not as good as I expected.
(4)Realtor Karl B.
The prices are high like you would expect. Must try the potato wedges, dipped in ranch or ketchup. The steak is tiny and has too much wine flavor in it. The 3 meat sandwich is too dry, and one of the meats isn't really tasty.
(3)Manny G.
We really enjoyed the place. Not what you would rate as 5 star in an urban market, but certainly a 5 star for the area it's in. The hostesses and servers were great, the setting delightful. We found that the portions were huge and we would have been fine splitting an appetizer and main course. And when it got a little cool at the end of the evening they turned on the heaters of course, but also brought out blankets for those who needed them... unexpected service!
(5)Jerry L.
Awesome. Great value and 5 star service.
(5)Elyse C.
Yum this place charcuterie tray was great...bacon wrapped dates..for sure! Split a pizzza wqith my hubby the margerite and it was very good. Service was ok but it was super busy on a sunday. Defnitly will go back next time were wine tasting!
(5)Jeff N.
Slow! Unfortunately, while the ambience & food is excellent, the service is incredibly slow. I took clients to a lunch on Monday, September 16th. I made reservations. An attentive hostess seated us promptly. Our tasty bread arrived quickly. It went down hill from there. After 10 minutes our waiter "Mario A" finally arrived. A nice benefit of the Wine Club is that we can bring our own Ponte Wine for no corkage charge. I asked "Mario A" if we could exchange a higher priced bottle of red for a less expensive bottle of white. Big Mistake. "Mario A" (in barely comprehensible English) said he had never been asked that question and had to ask his manager. Mario then disappeared for another 10 minutes. So now we have been there for 20 minutes, sitting in the heat and Mario must be taking a siesta because he is nowhere in site. Eventually he awoke and arrived without getting an answer on the wine exchange. We asked him to open to red. He did open the red and then disappeared for another 10 minutes to get glasses. Maybe another siesta? Eventually Mario brought glasses after I asked the bus boy to bring glasses, which seemed to be beyond the bus boy's comprehension. It has now been 30 minutes. Mario tried to run off again, maybe for another siesta, but we managed to get our order to him before headed off to who knows where. After another long 30 minutes our food finally arrived. The food was excellent. However, our lunch turned out to be a 2-hour affair. Way too long. I was embarrassed and I had to apologize to my out of the area clients that I had put them through such a long ordeal. I will go elsewhere where my time is respected.
(2)Jenn K.
Great little wine country restaurant and a go to when meeting my dad for lunch/brunch over the weekend. The food is always fresh, and the service is terrific. Be warned, they only have outdoor patio seating (shaded), so on a chilly day you might be a bit cold. In the summer, it's delightful! Beautiful grounds too, which are nice to walk around before or after your meal. Nice big wine shop too, which offers tastings. Always fun.
(4)Ali D.
Wet the sangria, the burger, and the calamari, along with the birthday Sunday and the chocolate tart. The sangria was great and had a good amount of wine and fruit. The burger as just ok; it seemed more like a pile of meat that had been rolled into burger form, cooked, and slapped on a bun with toppings. The calamari was very good! It was crunchy and very delicious! It was my girlfriend's birthday so we got a Sunday. The brownie underneath the ice cream was very good. The last thing we ordered was the chocolate tart. It was chocolate-y, but it was really good. If you like chocolate this is a great dessert to order.
(4)Troy F.
The wine at Ponte is consistently good so we thought we'd enjoy a late lunch at their restaurant on the 4th of July. This place is always a madhouse so upon first entering, we had to push our way through all of the drunk tasters in the tasting room which can be a little frustrating. My wife was a little annoyed at the large group of employees hanging around the hostess stand and felt that it was inappropriate for them to be hanging out there. I would have to agree. Nobody likes to be ignored when you want to inquire about a reservation. Minus 1/2 star. Once we were seated, water and bread (Yum!) were immediately given to us and our waitress, Katie, approached us shortly after. She recommended that we start out with a bottle of Doppietta, which was delicious, and an order of the mussels. Later on, we all shared the Mediterranean, Margherita, and sausage and pepperoni pizzas. My biggest complaint was the large pile of plates that sat on our table. As I looked around, everyone had mini pyramids of plates and empty glasses loitering around their tables. One table had so many empty wine glasses, I was sure that they were going to start stacking them atop each other and build a wine glass pyramid. Minus one star for the food plate pyramids. Overall, the food was excellent and I would eat here again. I give it a 3-1/2 star rating. With some adjustments, this place has the potential to become a five star reviewed restaurant on Yelp.
(4)Yolanda B.
Five stars for the location, the ambience and atmosphere. But the food was just a 3.5. I ordered the Portobello bacon burger and asked for medium. The bacon was almost burned and the patty was just o.k. The BF seemed happy with his lunch but he didn't rave about it. I guess we might have had an off day. But I wouldn't go out of my way to go here again. If in the area, and it was a beautiful warm day, maybe. But more for the views than anything.
(5)Carmen D.
The food is always top notch here. The Pizza, calzones, salads are really top notch. The 3 star is for the service. The wait staff is not very attentive. They have a laid back mentality thats great if you are on vacation but some of us are on business. You need 2 plus hours for a meal hear
(3)Safia F.
First off the service was impeccable! I thought I was back in Europe! Secondly, the food was fantastic with correct not gluttonous portion sized with such amazing taste with incredible wine pairing! The "angry wife" was my favorite no pun intended! And lastly, the bartender downstairs was incredible she made an old fashion the REAL way pouring the byters over the sugar, and lighting the orange peel on fire before placing it in the drink. She also made an incredible Basil Gimlet! She knew what she was doing!
(5)Aria M.
I tried this place out once for mainly ambiance and to celebrate my friends birthday, but this place was outstanding. The outside area is very beautiful, which is where we sat. We ordered and got the filet mignon and it was amazing. One of the best filet mignons I have had. Service was wonderful as well. All around a wonderful place to celebrate any special occasion.
(5)Mari B.
I've been to the restaurant for the past few years, and it's always a great experience! Recently went there for Sunday brunch! Who can say no to unlimited mimosas, bellinis and moscato! The scones are great and I had the eggs benedict which were great on a Sunday morning. Not only is the food great, but so is the service and the atmosphere outside. The outdoor patio is great, and I've been there on cold weather and they do the best to accomodate your comfort level, even if it's cold or hot out. Plus save room for some wine tasting either beforehand or afterward. It's a must here. The reds are great, and I'm a big fan of their Super Tuscan and Beverino (make sure to try it at room temp and chilled).
(5)tiffanie l.
Came here for our anniversary dinner. The food was amazing and the ambiance was romantic. There was live music in the background and a lovely rose garden that perfumed the air. The bread was delicious and the main courses were superb. The vegetables were farm fresh and the fish was cooked perfectly. Overall the service was ok. Go here if you are looking for a beautiful night out.
(4)Russell B.
The wife and I had previously been here a few years ago for a valentine's day dinner, but haven't been back since. We decided to venture away from our usual lunch spots at Callaway and South Coast and fortunately we were rewarded with a gorgeous day to enjoy their patio. We first started out with the cheese plate, which the cheeses were only described as cow, goat, and sheep cheeses by our waiter when asked. Oh well, they weren't bad, but not all that interesting. The table bread and dipping oil/vinaigrette was tasty. After some negotiation with the wife regarding the lamb sliders, I ended up ordering them and she split the chicken ciabatta and salad with her mom. The lamb sliders were pretty fantastic with a small, juicy, well seasoned patty that was well complemented with a minty/herby mayo (if I remember correctly). It also came with some great onion rings that were perfectly crisp, although lacking in onion. Despite the lack of cheese info, the service was also great throughout the meal and everything arrived promptly, but not too rushed. Even though I'm not a big fan of their wines, I am going to have to remember to keep this place in mind more when the weather is good.
(3)Bunzy S.
Service, atmosphere and food was really good. Came here on a busy saturday night with the wife. We opted for a bottle of the Tempranillo paired with the calamari and the shrimp calzone. Couldn't have enjoyed all of it any more. Thanks Ponte!
(5)Jill H.
The garden area of the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous and complimented the al fresco meal. I ordered the mushroom soup and harvest salad. Both dishes were delicious! If you love hazelnuts, then this is the salad for you! Lots of hazel nuts in the salad as well as the main flavor in the dressing. The mushroom soup was rich and creamy with crispy slices of mushrooms on top of the soup (as a garnish). Also of note, the complimentary bread can be addicting so beware!
(4)Cindy W.
I guess I had high expectation for this place since we've been here a few times for wine tasting, so finally, I made a reservation for Saturday's dinner at 5. I've come to realize, you can enjoy the ambiance and setting of the restaurant OR the food and not both. We were seated after waiting 10 minutes for them to find a seat. I didn't care where we sat, it was a beautiful location. A wedding was going on at the time so it was nice to see that. We were seated at a table for 4 and the chairs were uncomfortable and I couldn't tuck my legs under the table since the table had a piece of wood blocking your knee, so I sat kind of far away from the table due to this. Our waiter was nice and he had the typical surfer dude look going on and was rather nice. He didn't tell us the daily special but he did for the table next to us. The table next to us had 6 people and they were really loud, I mean, EXTREMELY loud! There were points when I had to turn around and see what was going on because sometimes the girls would scream bloody murder or the guys would argue about the situation of the house they're living in. I thought about being asked to move but my husband didn't want to bother the waiter or wait another few minutes for a new table. We ordered the mussels for an appetizer and it was cold. It had sausages in it as well and everything on that plate was cold. We just dealt with it and ate it. We got two pieces of bread each and the table next to us got unlimited bread. I thought that was rather weird. I wanted to have the veal but it had mushrooms in it so I asked the waiter if we can remove the mushrooms and he said it was in the sauce, so I ordered the Butcher's steak instead, which was good, but wasn't the best. Hubby had the lamb and he liked it, but it was lukewarm. All of our food was just lukewarm and not hot. While we're eating, the table next to us were still screaming and more people arrived to join their table. We had 2 other couples sitting near us that would look at us and agreed that they were obnoxious and loud. They noticed us looking at each other and one of the guys at the table yelled "we're Ponte members, bitches, we can do whatever we want!" ummm, ok. Well, I guess now I won't be a member here. So much class, let me tell ya. My husband turned to me and said "let's do dessert somewhere else, I don't want to stay longer than I have to and I don't want to be disappointed anymore by the food." I agreed and we asked for the bill and left, paying $78 for a meal we wished we enjoyed more of. BUT....the view was nice....and I guess you're paying more for the view than anything else.
(3)Mark P.
Rather disappointed in this over hyped restaurant. It didn't help that it happened to be over 90 degrees when we had lunch in their outside restaurant. So aside from the wine flights reaching the boiling point, the food was a real disappointment. We started with the "Butcher & Cheese" plate. Really, ONE slice of cheese and four slices of salami for $13??? Then we shared a sausage & pepperoni pizza, which was just ok. We couldn't take anymore of the inferno, so we moved on to other less commercial/corporate winery's in the Temecula Valley.
(2)Rawhide W.
Had Calamari, Salad and Sangria and was quite pleased. Sangria was great and the outdoor dining area was the perfect way to start the afternoon. I'm looking forward to visiting again.
(4)Sheila H.
Great service and atmosphere, except the guy across the way with a 5x1 buttcrack. Nothing anyone could do, but management is professional and accommodating.
(4)Matt W.
I had a really enjoyable meal with friends this past weekend at the Restaurant at Ponte. It was quite a good meal with really friendly service. We had a variety of dishes and they were all presented really well and tasted great. The salad with the tenderloin slices was really good but a tad too salty. The tenderloin was great. There were not a whole lot of guests here which was a shame because the experience is solid!
(4)Jim O.
Food was great, service was great, I'm not sure about the complaints on slow service but we had excellent service. Lindsay served us and she was excellent. We had a party of 8 and the appetizers, salads, entrees, deserts all came out as expected. It was a Saturday evening at 6:30pm. Everyone had something different and everyone enjoyed what they had.
(5)Maile F.
Absolutely wonderful, the best outdoor lunch I have had in a while. Our large party was seated right away when we arrived. We had a great corner table. The waitress was amazing, best attentive service I have had in a while. The menu was extensive and they had several nice dishes for specials of the day. We ordered a carafe of Sangria, which came with fresh oranges, limes, and lemons. The Sangria was crisp, cold, and sweet, and was a perfect drink for an outdoor wine country lunch. They served us nicely toasted ciabatta bread with a side dish of sweet olive oil for dipping. Our table shared 3 orders of crab cakes, which were delicious, slightly spicy, and presented beautifully with sliced radishes and greens. I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto with shaved black Truffles............drooool. It was amazing, just the right amount of truffles and truffle oil mixed with a creamy, cheesy sauce. The rice was pure perfection. My husband had (therefore I tried....) the pasta bolognese, a hearty dish with a tangy red tomato and meat sauce. Both dishes would be at the top of my list when dining here again. The waitress (I wished I got her name) was great. There were some honey bees, buzzing around our wine and she lowered some shades on the sides of the patio so they wouldn't bug us. She also split our checks per couple with no big hassle, she made our large group lunch a wonderfully, easy time.
(5)Shelley C.
LOVED IT!... Such beautiful view and setup. Ponte is a very popular winery. Came here for the 1st time on valentine weekend, very busy. Got seated right away, we were hungry!. ordered a bottle of moscato, delicious! started with arugula salad (lil too much dressing). then I had the mahi mahi while my friend had spaghetti and meatballs. DELICIOUS! Loved my fish, it was moist and flavor was just right. My friend loved his spaghetti and meatball, as easy dish as it sounds it was very well made, no oily at all. DEF COMING BACK HERE AGAIN!
(5)Miko C.
Mmmmmm, after wine tasting in Temecula is was time for lunch and I thought I would give this place a try. This was definitely a great choice!!! It was a beautiful day so dining al fresco was a must. Started the meal with the trio of cheeses and the Arancini. The cheese were accompanied with honeycomb, candied walnuts, and poached apples. Absolutely delicious! The Arancini which are saffron risotto croquettes with marinara sauce was also pretty tasty. Being more of a cheese person though, I found myself indulging on the cheese platter a little more than the Arancini. My main dish was the Wine Country salad accompanied by their Sangria. The salad had field greens, candied walnuts, feta, cranberries, and a balsamic vinaigrette. This was good... not a standout salad, but definitely good. The Sangria was also good. However, I wouldn't say it was the best that I have ever had, since that honor goes to Viva Madrid in Claremont. Still it was light and sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Went for the Panna Cotta for dessert with a glass of Moscato. Oh yum, the Panna Cotta was absolutely heavenly!!! Also, enjoyed the Moscato too. Overall great place for lunch. Definitely going back and reserving the last star for the 2nd experience.
(4)Clementiine C.
The menu changes with the seasons. Order the Sangria by the liter. You can never get enough of this. The service is attentive and friendly. The portions are filling for one or good to share. If you're a wine club member, you get an amuse bouche with the bread and dipping sauce, plus 15-20% off your meal. I went with a friend and we ordered a mess of food: cheese plate, Butcher's plate, minestrone soup (soothing on a cold day), buccatini, and pulled pork sandwich...PLUS a liter of sangria. We were full after the cheese and butcher's plate. It was a great variety of cheeses, dried fruits, and meat...not to mention, an insane amount for 2 people. When they have their pumpkin gnocchi, try it, love it.
(5)Shawn T.
Went for dinner in June - the food was very good, the atmosphere was a little less than I expected for a winery - but then I realized that I was in Temecula. It's more casual there - a little too casual for my taste, personally, but it was still pretty nice. The only real issue I have is that the live guitarist was waayyy too loud. We were seated far enough away that conversation should not have been impeded, but sadly, we had to just quit talking while he was playing. It was actually better when he went on break! Basically, it's okay - maybe just go for lunch and keep it casual.
(3)Irene B.
For a Saturday, the wait wasn't too bad for not having reservations... the hostess desk did under-quote the wait time, but the food is worth the wait! There were just two of us and I had to introduce my friend to the deliciousness of the Smokehouse restaurant! The service was ok... It was hard to tell if the server was overworked, slow or just not a good server, but she didn't give any indication she cared to let us know the reason. I let that My friend and I shared the Mushroom Pizza and the Arancini; both were delicious and filling. I paired it with a glass on the Pinot Nior, and it couldn't have been better! I return here when out in wine country because in the past I have always received great service and great, fresh food. I think this time was an isolated experience, and I will continue to visit for the sake of a great atmosphere and one of my favorite places to eat.
(4)Erin C.
My husband and I visited the Restaurant at Ponte at about 2PM on a Sunday. We heard that they can get pretty busy on the weekends so we were prepared to wait, however we were seated right away. The seating area is outdoors and it's really beautiful. You're sitting behind the tasting room in a garden terrace area. Really pretty. It was really hot out though, so if it's a hot day you may want to go someplace else. They do all they can with misters, shades and fans, but on a hot day like we had it wasn't enough. We were served bread with scallion oil to start, which was very yummy. Husband and I also ordered wine, of course. I got the Beverino (delicious!), hubs got the Super T, very good. One thing... I saw other people ordering sangria, but I didn't see it on the menu. Or maybe I just missed it? The soup of the day was a cold melon soup, I decided to try it. Very good and refreshing on a hot day, and different. Garnished with crushed grapes and tarragon, it was very good, we both liked it. I ordered the fish of the day, which was Opa. Looking back I wish I had asked for more detail on the fish of the day because I when I got it I was alarmed to see a TON of Anaheim chiles all over the dish!! I don't do spicy AT ALL so I was a little scared, but the meal ended up not being spicy at all. It was a pan seared opa with couscous, which was cold, although I'm not sure if it was supposed to be? Either way, it was good. Hubs ordered the rib-eye, which was described as having chimichurri sauce and haricot vert. What he got was tempura fried haricot vert and a tiny splash of sauce. Server brought more sauce when we requested, though. I think the menu could do with more description, it was not what he expected. However, the rib-eye was cooked very nicely, husband enjoyed it. For dessert we ordered the popsicle trio, which was kind of disappointing. The popsicles (mango, strawberry lemonade and blood orange) were not very flavorful, but they were all served with mango slices atop grape leaves, which I thought was a nice touch. The bill came to $100 (pre-tip). We were very happy with the excellent service (thanks Mick and Arthur!) and mostly happy with the food. I would love to come back again.
(4)Richard H.
Really like the food and ambience at this place. If you're a wine club member, which I would strongly advocate, you get a decent discount on the wine and the food. Great place for a short getaway and the hotel is coming along nicely and should be up and running in April. Beats trying to drive back to San Diego after some wine tasting.
(5)Charles S.
Classy, Relaxing, Fun, and Posh. We came here for my birthday about a month ago (I know... I know... I'm behind in my Yelping!) and went tasting at the bar. I started looking on my Yelp App on my smart phone for the best place to eat in wine country, and apparently it was 15 feet away. So, my wife and I decided to give it a try. We sat outside under a shadded area and had our food and drinks within 15 minutes of sitting down. We were very lucky and didn't have to wait for a table to open; however, if you plan on eating here I recommend you call and make a reservation because a place as nice as this surely fills up fast on the weekends.
(5)Tara D.
Ambience - 5 stars. Lush and lovely. Well-shaded so that you could sit comfortably outside on their porch on a 90-degree day. Service - 5 stars. Our waiter could not have been more attentive. Food came out at a good pace. Presentation was lovely. Little niceties very well observed (like serving my entree from the right even though it was harder for him to do so.) Food - 4 stars. We had the bacon and pancetta crusted salmon and the pork chop with soft polenta, wild mushrooms and fava beans (which always remind me of Hannibal, I confess.) Portions were significantly different in size; 1 medium-sized salmon filet vs. 2 thick cut pork chops. Both meats were excellent, but far more well-done than we like. The salmon was medium/medium-well, and the pork chops were medium-well. I am 90% sure the pork chops were brined, so they were still pretty juicy and flavorful. Normally I would've sent the plate back (I hate overcooked meat and vegetables, having been fed them incessantly as a kid.) The salmon didn't have that light, fall-apart-with-the-touch-of-a-fork that we both like, but had a fascinating smoky flavor (in fact, it tasted like a smoked salmon.) The vegetable and carbohydrate accompaniments for both dishes were solid, but not remarkable. So the star of the meal was actually our appetizer - tender mussels (not overcooked one bit!) in wine and vegetable broth (fume blanc, chile peppers and thyme grown on-premises, I believe.) The citrus emulsion served with the soft, light bread was also highly addictive. Wine - 4 stars. We had the Dolcetto '08 and the Tempranillo '08 and both were 4-star wines for us, with the Tempranillo getting a small edge. We thought about picking up a few bottles, but Tempranillo '08 was about $36/bottle, and we both agreed we didn't love it that much. We went to the tasting room to price, but didn't stay. The tasting room seemed more elegant than many others, however, it was a bit harder to get information/service than others we had been to (which seemed odd as they were not terribly busy.) So that washes out at 4.5 stars. For now, I'm going to round down, but I will most likely go back. I will hopefully remember to ask for my protein to be rare/medium-rare (they didn't ask how we'd like it), and I can upgrade my review to 5 stars. P.S. Yelp shows Ponte at $$, but I'd say it's closer to $$$. We were there for lunch. Most entrees were $20+, with a few dishes and some pizzas below $20. For us, one app, two entrees and two glasses of wine came out to approx. $95 pre-tip.
(4)Jeff G.
Our family was enjoying a Sunday afternoon outing in Temecula. We had done some wine tasting around the valley and were looking to cap the day with a nice afternoon meal. We really wanted something in the spirit of the wine country setting (not fast food or some chain restaurant) so this place seemed to fit the bill. We found the food choices to be interesting and varied. We had a pasta dish, pizza, soup and salad, sandwiches and "pork cheeks". Everyone in our family thought the food was excellent. The service was low key (maybe a little too laid back) but not pushy or high pressure at all. It started to get a little chilly toward the end and because we were in what appeared to be an "additional" area, it did not have the space heaters that the "original" covered patio had. Total bill for us ended up just a little over $20 per person without any alcohol (we were wine tasted out...) All in all, we would say a solid 4 out of 5. Cheers!
(4)Heather F.
This check in is my third visit to Ponte's restaurant. My first two visits I would have waivered my rating between 4-5 stars yet last visit makes it is closer to a 2 star! The hostess was super friendly and sweet so great start! We waited 15 min just for water and bread with still no greeting from a server. Once our server came to the table with no acknowledgment of our crazy looooong wait we promptly ordered the cheese plate and two glasses of wine. The wait was another 15 min before seeing the food or the wine. My thing is, give me a glass of wine and the wait will not be noticed! It was clear our server was not in a good place and wasn't putting on any niceties to cover up her bad day at work. We really debated leaving after drinks and appetizers, but what Ponte has is beautiful grounds coupled with good wine and we decided that out-weighted the bad slow service. We ordered the chicken dish to split. After our server walked away from the table I put my phone's timer on just to see how long this would take. No exaggeration it took 31 min to get our chicken dish. The chicken had a good flavor but was over cooked. To review I think it may have been an off night for Ponte the wine was good and the views were perfect I just really wished the service was better.
(3)Isela G.
Everything from the service to the food were great! It was my birthday and my husband asked if they did anything for birthdays, the response was yes. Well, after dinner, no one came to sing happy birthday or whatever their "birthday" policy is.
(4)Jeanette S.
Excellent food , great service , yummy Sangrias , great entertainment ! Perfect girls night out!
(5)Shirley W.
Best winery eatery. It has everything you would need in a all inclusive winery experience. The wine tasting room, events, shopping, a beautiful picturesque property to roam, sip your wine and take photographs. The food at the bistro is exquisite! Fine dinning in Temecula never tasted so Devine.
(5)Eddie L.
I am so glad I gave this place a second chance! The last time I was here with a big party I didn't enjoy the food and the service. I came back with another big party this weekend and was thoroughly impressed by the food and especially the service. So let me make it clear that this review is strictly about the restaurant, not the winery or the wines. I booked the table only 2 days in advanced and the manager Nicole was very friendly, sincere, and accomodating to my needs. Her outstanding professionalism and incredible customer service skills speaks in strides of how deeply invested this establishment is when it comes to securing customer satisfacton. I had always been able to count on this property to be well kept and gorgeous, but now I hope I can also depend on it to have great customer service and delicious food consistenly. Our waitress Michele and the rest of the wait staff was AMAZING, meticulous, and attentitve. As for the food, I give it a 9 1/5 out of 10 just because the grilled salmon was a little on the overdone side. The sangria is the perfect remedy for the stifling Temeculan summer heat. Definitely give this restaurant a chance. And if you do, try the lamb or the scallops. Bravo, and thank you for a memorable experience.
(5)Avi G.
Calamari was fantastic, Cioppino just allright, Fume Blanc was ample but points off for the time for arrival, still I'd give it another shot...
(3)Mister P.
Food was great. Could have better waiter (more attentive) and better water server. Otherwise would have been 5 star. The hostesses were very friendly.
(4)Jordan C.
The Temecula Wineries are a poor man's Napa Valley. Wine = no bueno. Smokehouse's food & atmosphere = muy bueno. As long as you don't always expect good wine at a winery, it's a cool place to grab a nice meal on a sunny day.
(3)Mary M.
Great ambiance, and out door seating. The only problem I had was the bugs and the misters. We kept getting misted because we were on one of the side seats. The music playing was nice, mellow, exactly what we were looking for in a restaurant. It could've been very romantic, if the couple next to us didn't bring their screaming 3 year old.. The food was good, but I've had better. It was very pricey for what you ended up getting. Least the wine was tasty, I'll give them that!
(3)Theresa P.
I've been here many, many times. My parents are Ponte Wine Club members and every few months I'll drive down from LA to meet my mom and aunts for lunch here. We've always had a great experience. Our waiters are always good--friendly, efficient, helpful. Several reviews mention the food being served cold. I've never seen that happen. It's true-- not all of the dishes are stellar, but many are really nicely done. I love (lovelovelove) the proscuitto-wrapped roasted figs, and you really can't go wrong with any of the salads or the specialty pizzas. The daily specials are usually great. Their signature bacon wrapped meatloaf is only ok--not terrible, but nothing to come back for. The prices are a little steep for what you get, but you're paying for the winery ambiance. Plus, 10% off and a complimentary Amuse Bouche offered to members make it just about right for our group. The menu changes seasonally, so you can't often get your favorite dish more than once, which is a little sad. But some important things remain constant: the setting is nice, the wine is delish (get a carafe of the sangiovese sangria!), and that scallion oil they bring out with the bread is ah-mazing. There are worse ways to spend an afternoon.
(4)Jeremy E.
Great food and service. The alfresco dining experience makes for a great atmosphere.
(4)Rob L.
We have been going to the Smoke House grill since its inception and have had some amazing meals there. From the Balsalmic Hangar Steak to the meatloaf to the exceptional Lobster Mac & Cheese. The artisan cheese sampler included St. Andre, Humboldt Fog and Wensleydale cranberry. I would say that due to Ponti's recent popularity, the quality has slipped slightly so they need to quickly fix that.
(4)Curt F.
Had dinner there with the misses. I found the restaurant thru Yelp. It has been quite a few years since spending more than a day in the area. Nice ambiance. Found the Ponte Winery to be nice, comfortable. Nice place to sit out and have a meal. Of course, nice weather helps out too. Food: I thought the food was pretty good. Not great, good. I enjoyed the lamb sirloin. Cooked medium. Perfect. I didn't really enjoy the mint pesto. The sauce was good, nice reduction. The misses has the lobster pasta. this was very delicious but oh so rich. Wine: duh, where are we? I just thought that the wine seemed a little flat. considering we ordered by the glass (the misses had a riesling, i had the Syrah). Bouquet of the wine was very good but the taste, it seemed like something was missing, next time we order a bottle. Service. Good, not great. It was busy. We had reservations but still had to wait some. acceptable time but there were tables, just not bussed... not a good sign. our waitress was great however, she was attentive but not over bearing. i hate the trend now for staff to be trained to ask leading questions. not "how is your dinner? or how is your evening?" but "how is the dinner taste/tasting?" anyway she was attentive and quick and was nice to have as a server. overall, i thought is was good. I would go again if in Temecula. Not a must but definitely would like to return.
(3)Chris M.
Ate here again today, third time in 12 days. Unfortunately, I think the duck pizza and Cioppino were the top. Today my girlfriend ordered the mahi mahi sandwich which came out seared on the outside and raw in the middle. Mahi mahi should not be served this way, and it should be cooked medium. I ordered the Osso Bucco which I have had my eye on since the first time I went two Sunday aga and it just didn't compare to what I can make on my own. It lacked flavor and seasoning. Also, the polenta reminded me of Cream of Wheat. Yes, I understand polenta and cream of wheat are pretty much the same thing, I just expect a restaurant of this calibur to do more with it. I know Amanda responded to my last post, so for those doing math 5+3+3 / 3 = 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. I will say the service is 5 stars.
(4)Sherman T.
The best place in wine country for lunch or dinner, everything is great. You can't beat the food, view, service and wine!!!!
(5)Sarah B.
My weekend in Temecula was spent mostly with my brother and his little kids so when I was able to go to lunch with my parents and my aunt and uncle without them I was so relieved! I am not a kid person and lunch with adults sounded decadent after being with the kids for so long. We pulled off Rancho California and into the Ponte Winery. Their restaurant, The Smokehouse is through the gift shop--sneaky, Ponte! After slightly browsing the tempting shop we found our way to the restaurant. We were seated on the patio, in the warm California sun (in October, Chicago suckers!) and were directly served some delicious herbed bread and marinated grapes. I had a caprese style pizza, it was good but this place didn't stand out for the food, to me. It was more about the wine (I had the Meritage) and the scenery. Gorgeous weather, beautiful hills covered with rows and rows of those evil vines and great company. It would have been a great spot to spend the afternoon and sip, but alas, we had a schedule to keep and had to be off directly after lunch.
(3)Gina A.
Found the wait staff to be very friendly and presentable. I had the caprese salad and it was delicious, the mozzarella practically melted on the tomato. I also had the scallops and they were nicely cooked, and the dish as a whole was full of flavor. My date had the filet mignon, and while it was tasty, it came out medium well, despite her having ordered it medium rare. All in all, really nice experience though.
(4)Derek D.
Great place to have lunch in the Temecula Wine Country. The service is great and the Cioppino was one of the best and a great value with how much seafood they pack into it. Worth the wait and will for sure be visiting again in the future!
(4)Jack L.
If you're looking for a pleasant atmosphere, some pretty good food, friendly service, live music, and vineyard outdoor dining, this is a great place to come to! We made reservations using opentable, and I still have fears sometimes making fully electronical reservations (more on this later) but it worked out well. We were promptly seated, and took a while to order, but we finally did order a wine combo (a flight of 3 wines, matched to my gf's courses). Her favorite was the zin port. They start you off with bread, which was delicious with their own dipping sauce. The appetizer was mussels, which I think were on the small side, but still tasty. Entree we had the summer spaghetti or pasta and the wild boar spare rib special (different sauce than the mandarin sauce on the menu and different side). The entrees in my mind were the best parts of the meal as 1) I couldn't drink and 2) we didn't get to dessert, too full. The wild boar had a unique taste to it and were smaller than regular baby back ribs, while also less meaty (not always a bad thing). It was very tasty. The summer pasta was also excellent, with a unique mix of flavors that made me wanting for more (well I was too full to want more but in my mind I wanted more). So we didn't get to the desserts, but it was otherwise a good meal. Now to the one reason why this review didn't make it to five stars, and I would have rated lower had it not been for the excellent save by the manager afterwards. But it wasn't perfect at the dinner so I can't give them five (and the appetizer too). I had noted that it was a special occasion for a birthday and had hoped for a surprise. I didn't find a chance to remind them, and the bill came and there was no surprise. Kinda disappointing for a birthday dinner. I was kinda peeved but it was a nice night so I only noted it in our comments card. They recognize Yelp! on the card! Anyway, so the next day I get a call from the manager telling me how sorry and how they just missed it, and made it up to us. All in all I think this place is a solid 4 stars. Woulda been 5 stars if everything coulda been a little better (food, service, live music).
(4)Clint B.
We stopped by for lunch the week before Thanksgiving. It's a beautiful winery and restaurant and the grounds are well taken care of. It's also packed. On a Saturday afternoon there were plenty of people there for wine tasting, lots of people waiting to eat lunch, and the staff was setting up for a wedding. After putting our name on the waiting list (we didn't have reservations) we only had to wait maybe 10 minutes before being seated. We had a salad (can't remember which one, but it was pretty good), a kid's cheese pizza (I was surprised that they actually had a kid's menu. The pizza was really delicious, the thick doughy crust was great), and the hanger steak w/ red onion compote (not the most tender steak, but still good. Great flavor overall w/ the red onion compote and a touch of balsamic vinegar). The food was pricier than what I was expecting. The three dishes and a couple glasses of wine came out to about $80. It was nice to see that the restaurant is kid-friendly... there were a few other families there... so they get points for not being a snooty winery/restaurant. This place is definitely worth the visit if you're in the area, but I would recommend stopping by during the week when it might be less busy.
(4)Elizabeth R.
Dinner (the shrimp entree in particular) was fantastic. Very creative. Great use of seasonal ingredients. I would highly recommend the Restaurant at Ponte!
(5)Christina S.
Our first day in wine county our friend had suggested that we try dinner at The Smokehouse located within the Ponte Winery. Unfortunately the restaurant closed for dinner at 5. However they are open Friday and Saturday nights latter for dinner. Honestly who eats dinner by 5? So, we ended up venturing out to Old Town Temecula for dinner. But luckily we made it here on our last day in wine country for lunch. The restaurant is beautiful. It is an outdoor patio surrounded with views of the grapevines. Apparently on Saturdays they have live music as well. The bread here and the dipping sauce is amazing and unfortunately no available for purchase here. But, it is sold somewhere in Old Town Temecula is what our waitress told us. Our meal was good. I am not a red meat eater but I did try the bacon wrapped meatloaf which was not impressive. Tasty but I was not floored. Prices are about average. Oh, we also went with ordering a carafe of Sangria here. It makes more sense ordering the carafe. For per glass sangria is $8 the carafe was $21. The carafe yielded much more than I thought. In fact I didn't finish my glass. I guess a little holiday in wine country proved to be too much vin for me. The sangria was real tasty and perfect for a warm day. I wish we had more time to tour the winery itself.
(4)Bryan M.
Absolutely amazing. The ambiance creating from the outdoor seating in the pavilion of the vineyard is excellent. The bruschetta is the best I have ever had. I had the king salmon which was amazing and my first glass of wine. A sweet red dessert wine that was very enjoyable. Wifey had the steak special of the day was so excites her medium-well request was executed perfectly. Everything was perfect and the grounds were beautiful.
(5)Danielle R.
Let me start by saying I pretty much NEVER review anything, but this restaurant is expensive enough that I thought I should speak up. We came here very excited on our very first night in Temecula based on all the reviews. Don't get me wrong the setting is gorgeous and the atmosphere is wonderful! I would give them a five! The food on the other hand was VERY disappointing and the service was mediocre. We started with the bread (yummy) and then the calamari (totally bland, but the dipping sauce had flavor). Then my husband ordered the salmon special which was soupy, over cooked and contained a weird mishmash of veggies. I ordered the ahi salad, on the recommendation of the server. While there was a good helping of the tuna (there'd better be for the price of that dish) the fruit combination of jicama and kiwi was weird. The kiwi totally overpowered the tuna and if you ate them in the same bite you couldn't taste the fish. Also for a "ceviche" the pieces were cut way too big. Overall we were just really disappointed because we both left our $75 meal half eaten. UPDATE - we had filled out the comment card and before we got back to our room the assistant manager called us. She apologized and informed us the calamari and tuna dish had been removed. While we wont be going back again, it meant alot that they responded so quickly and proactively made things right.
(2)Kipp P.
If you're looking for a relaxing and tasty experience, then this is the place. After a weekend in Temecula and spending time at several different wineries, myself and 5 other ladies (bachelorette party) stopped here as our last stop out of town. One of us is a wine club member (not me, so I'm not going to review that) and recommended the restaraunt. We bypassed the Sunday buffet brunch ($35 for adults in case you were wondering) and opted for the lunch menu. Each of us ordered something a bit different and all of us seemed pleased with our choices. The little caraffes of green sauce and bread arrived and the girls and I were already in heaven! That stuff is amazing! The soup of the day was a spicy chilled watermelon gazpacho which I would have bet tasted horrible. I would have lost that bet. One of us ordered a fruit salad that was full of extremely fresh fruit and looked delicious but I didn't taste it. Among other things ordered were a turkey sandwich and a grilled portabello sandwich. Both were great and the side choice of shoestring fries drizzled in truffle oil was a perfect addition. For my main meal I ordered the cheese plate ($12) and choice a soft and brie-like cheese, a hard paremsano reggiano, and the waitress' recommendation of a smoked gouda. It did not disappoint and arrived with nuts, grilled bread, a delicious honey spread, and fresh figs (best I've ever had). It may sound odd that I made this as a meal selection, but I don't get great cheese too often and in Temecula I had the fine fortune of finding some great cheese selections. For dessert we split the chocolate marscapone cheesecake and the recommended port pairing. I was delighted to see that the dessert is around $8 or $9, but throw in the port and I believe we only paid about $12 or $13 for the two of them. One or two bites of that dessert did me in and I was full. I can't say it was the best cheesecake I've ever had, but it certainly wasn't bad with a few sips of their port. I would definitely go back again as it seems a great place to go with people that you don't mind spending an hour or two chatting with as you share some delightful food. I imagine a date would go extremely well here too! Side note: about 80% of the employees looked like Abercrombie models. This was an added bonus to the already beautiful scenery.
(4)Meg R.
This was our choice for dinner while out doing wine tasting. It was a nice restaurant, outdoor seating and a beautiful view. There was a wedding going on and we were kinda spying on the bride and groom while we ate. This place has a great atmosphere and lovely grounds. It was rather enjoyable. I had the sangria and I highly recommend it. Very tasty, a nice body on the red wine they use in it. It actually went fantastically well with red meat. We started off with the calamari with the jalapeno tartar sauce. It was actually really great. The calamari were not chewy, they had a nice breading - very similar to those at the Creekside Grille. They were tasty though. We also tried the soup -- it was a pork and barley soup and it was really flavorful, much like a sweetened minestrone I would say. I ordered the filet for dinner and my cohort had the the bacon wrapped grilled barbecue meatloaf. We wound up switching, the filet was good, but it was really salty to me and I tried the meatloaf and found it more appealing. It was succulent, meaty, a rich tangy sweet BBQ sauce with it. Good thing my accomplice liked the filet better. :) I can't say it was the most fantastic meal *ever* but it was good. I think with a different order I would definitely kick them up to a 5 star. Our waitress recommended a great wine pairing for dinner as well but for the life of me I cannot remember what it was. Cabernet Sauvignon? perhaps? She also sent over a complementary dessert for my birthday. It was a delightful fudgey cake with a strawberry on the side. Really rich, but very nice. Thank you! Overall this was a nice place and it is worth hitting up again on a future visit.
(4)Steven C.
Homophobic, racist or just a very poorly run restaurant??? I made reservation for dinner (4) and was very specific about being there to celebrate the wedding of our best friends (asked for a nice view). When checking in the Hostest acknowledged that we were there for the special occasion. She asked us to wait a moment while she checked the table (the place was not that busy for 7:30). When she returned, she walked us back to the furthest possible table in a corner with two giant hedges. Took a little bit for our waiter to come around and greet us but did go over the specials when he arrived. Came back to take our order and two of the guest indicated they would have salad starters and then decide if they wanted a meal. We were quickly informed that the kitchen closed at 8:00 so if they wanted anything else they should either order or share from the other two guest. Placed our order and 40 minutes later we had one steak (cold and burnt on edges) and two salad delivered. The calzone took an aditional 10 minutes to come out. The waiter appologized saying the chef was yelling at him for putting all his orders in at once. Really?! It's a good size place and it wasn't even half full. Remember, we had to walk past all the empty tables to get to the one in the furthest back corner (Rosa Parks?). No attempt to make it up with a dessert, port wine or coffee. Didn't even get a little "Congratulations" dessert. Our friends are an inter-racial, gay couple who have been together for 16 years and married for one week. So I left wondering, was it because we are gay, because they are inter-racial or is it that they are just a very poorly run restaurant? Overall it was horrific end to an otherwise great day.
(1)Joel G.
I came in for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and had called in for a reservation 2 days before. Checked in with the hostess and got seated right on time, which was perfect because the people without reservations were waiting for about 1hr or so due to how busy it was. Once seated had a great table with a nice view of the garden and back of the vineyard. The waiter was very nice, helpful, and fast with all the service. I had a great swordfish salad that came with spinach, strawberries, mango slices, avocado, sunflower seeds, and vinegarett dressing that was perfect blend. Also had a flight of 3 4oz glasses that were recommended by the waiter and they were all very tasty. Had a great experience & service overall. Will be coming back here for sure!
(5)Marvin G.
We're tied to this place. We got married here on this day seven years ago. It's always great to come back and enjoy the great wine with my beutiful wife. However, the food is a little week. For what you pay, you would expect the best tasting food. I was definitely disappointed this time. If you're here for some appetizers and dessert definitely have some of their sangria.
(3)Sean S.
The food was actually pretty good. I would have given 4-5 stars but they ran out of 1 of their approx. 5 entrees. It was pretty sad seeing all the steak come out just to find out that they had just ran out. I may have looked into it a bit much but it definetly seemed like they taken care of their wine club members much better than the others. I saw 2 tables get their food faster and of course got steak and we all sat at the same time. It would have been nice to know before we were seated and ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer. It didn't effect me since I was good with the scallops but one in our group doesn't eat seafood so she was really disappointed. I had mussels to start. Great sweet/spicy tomato broth. Scallops for entree, a little small but good after an appetizer. Banana Split dessert. Play on a banana split but whatever it was, it was good!
(3)Bonnie G.
We were plesantly surprised by the Restaurant at Ponte. When we arrived, we mistakenly checked out the restaurant inside the winery. After talking with the hostess, who tried her best to have us dine inside, we decided to take a walk around, as she mentioned a "pizza place" out back. I'm glad we did because 1. it wasn't a pizza place 2. it had a nice vibe 3. it was the place we'd researched online. I had the scallops with israeli cous cous and my partner had the pork. We were both very pleased. We also started with the goat cheese and fig flatbread. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for an appetizer. Service was good. The only thing was that our server did not bring us any bread until after we were done eating. When we inquired, she blamed it on her "bus boy", apologized, and brought us some. The thought was nice but who wants to eat bread as dessert? The guy strumming away at the guitar was also great. He was there from the time we arrived until we left. Perfect timing. Would return here and recommend in a heartbeat. Just remember to keep your eye out for the homemade bread and the pureed scallion sauce that comes with it!
(4)Yvonne R.
Great service! Our waitress Laura was the nicest & most helpful person. Kept us totally happy! Great wine & really good appetizers!
(4)Candace C.
What a great experience. Our waiter, Shawn, was fantastic. Perfect service. He recommended the corn soup and it was the best I've ever had. Not heavy like a chowder. The tiny green onions (which I generally don't care for) were almost sweet, and the dish was perfectly balanced. The bass in parchment was also great. Moist but firm, and the fresh tomatoes and capers added to the taste but didn't overwhelm the dish. My friends ordered the beet salad, salmon and pasta and everything was great. Ate on the patio (there are heat lamps). Highly recommend this restaurant.
(5)Marisa D.
This review is way overdue, so I just have to say, that my family and every one of my friends who has come with us to eat and/or stay has had the most wonderful experience at Ponte Winery. We have stayed at the Vineyard Inn three times - twice without our kids, and once with for the wine club's family movie night last year - and every time we have been treated exceptionally well by all staff members we encountered. Our favorite place to unwind and chat is the Cellar Lounge. Its intimate setting, delicious bar bites, and low noise level are so welcome. The tasting room is huge, and we have our favorite attendant, Miss Kim. She's always so cheerful and chatty, letting us know about new things happening at Ponte and which wines we should take home. Lastly, and most importantly, we had our wedding here on the 17th of August, 2013. We couldn't have asked for better coordination from Kelsey Smith; she made dealing with the vendors a breeze, and even recommended the better ones in town so that we could get our money's worth. We're sad that she's moved to the east coast, but we know she will do great things out there with hospitality! We are looking forward to October's wine club shipment so that we have an excuse to drive down from Los Angeles and visit this beautiful place. Ponte will definitely have a place in our lives for years to come. :)
(5)Arlene H.
I absolutely love this restaurant. The ambiance, the sustainability, the excellent service and the food. There are not enough restaurants in San Diego County that offer local, pesticide free foods and cage free chicken and grass fed beef. I hope this is just the beginning of more healthful, tasty choices in our county!
(5)Temenah C.
After a long day of wine tasting, me and the crew headed here for dinner. Kudos to them for being able to seat a party of 7 on short notice. Although on the phone they made it seem like the place was jumpin. When we arrived it was pretty open. Our server was great and totally appreciated our post wine drinking antics (or at least she pretended to). We ordered 2 bottles of the Super T and it was delicious. It's unfiltered so, no, you're not a toddler and left backwash in your glass. That's beautiful sediment. We started with a cheese platter that had 3 different types of cheese, crackers, a baguette, and olives. Everything was phenomenal. So you're reading this and thinking, "you keep saying everything is great, why the 3 stars?". I ordered the mussels and they were out. Why did I order mussels in Temecula? I have no idea. So I went with the Kobe burger as an alternative. I really wasn't impressed with it and have had better for less. It was very messy, which is fine if I'm not paying damn near $20 for a burger and fries. At best, I'd describe this as typical hotel food. Ya know, like when you're traveling and you just decide to eat at the hotel because you're so dang tired to get out and explore. I think I'd just go into Temecula and get food somewhere else.
(3)Smitha A.
Went in for a quick lunch between wine tastings. Mom had the shrimp bruschetta. It was really fresh but had an odd sweet flavor. My sister had the fig and goat cheese flatbread she enjoyed and I had the chicken breast ciabatta sandwich no bun. At first they told me I couldn't have the veggie side instead of fries and if I did, it would be an additional $4. On top of a $12 price tag but thank goodness they changed their mind and gave me the veggies. A good deal that they have is that you can get any three wines for $18. We had the Graciela, Rose Spumonte and Zinfandel. All good.
(4)Kim H.
We had a really nice, fun dinner here. They have great outdoor seating--featuring live music and heat lamps, two of my favorite things in life. I'd highly recommend doing a wine flight. The pours are really generous and you won't need to order another glass with dinner, most likely. The bread they bring out to the table is DELICIOUS. Dunk it in the oil, liberally. I promise this is a good idea. I appreciated that they had a good number of vegetarian options. I got the Mediterranean calzone. It was just okay. The dough was the star and the tomato dipping sauce was good. The fillings were a little...eh. My friend got the shrimp calzone and she had a similar opinion. For dessert, we got the chocolate souffle. It was just okay, too, but I ate every bite anyway. I had a bite of the macaroons and a bite of the key lime pie. Those were better than the souffle.
(4)Mary D.
was a wonderful spot to sit & have lunch with a glass of wine. just delightful. Rudd was our waiter & everyone was so friendly & nice. I had a sampler plate with cheese & bread & fruits/nuts/honey/pound cake, etc--it was perfect. fact is we boxed up the leftovers & ate them at another winery later in the day!
(5)JoJo R.
Went here randomly after wine tasting and loved it. The calamari was amazing! Huge portion sizes and the best calamari I've ever had. We had the pesto pizza and that was pretty good too. They also serve you bread to begin with. And there was live music on the Friday night that we went that asked for suggestions on what we would like them to play :-)
(5)Pooja B.
I joined the winery and I think the restaurant is the best perk ever. The members get a 10% discount and the service is AMAZING. I always try to order something new every time. Sometimes though the food is hit or miss. I love the margherita pizza for sure. The scallops are are great too. Melt in your mouth. Another perk is the wine of course. They have a great brand called Angry Wife I prefer the red. The sangria they make is also delicious. I eat here every time I come to Ponte.
(4)Angel L.
The restaurant is outdoors but it's enclosed with heaters. cozy. Live acoustic music last Friday evening. Thoroughly enjoyed lobster stuffed mushrooms with black truffle paired with Super T. Excellent service. Had the chocolate mousse to go. Would return to buy the bottle of Super T (winery closes at 5)
(5)Jen K.
The Restaurant at Ponte never disappoints. I brought my co-worker and friend here today to celebrate. We started with the red curry mussels; the sauce is perfectly balanced and savory! I've had mussels from coast to coast, and these are among the best I've tasted. We ordered a bottle of Vermentino 2013, which was a perfect summer wine. I enjoyed the ahi and my friend had the wine country salad. Our server Kira was attentive and friendly. I can't wait to enjoy this restaurant again!
(4)Leslie G.
We were here for a bachelorette party. Our set up was nice - we were on the "patio" and were a little bit away from other diners, so they wouldn't be bothered if things got weird. The service was good, but they could have brought the bread sooner and more frequently. We were starving! I had the fig, gorgonzola & pancetta pizza without the pancetta ($18). It was a big pizza, I was starving and could only finish half. There was fresh arugula on top, which was awesome. I'd definitely recommend this pizza for vegetarians. I don't know anything about wines, but the ones I tried that other people picked out were good.
(4)Heidi W.
Very good dinner and great service. One of the best places in Temecula. There is a private room that is fun to go with a party of 8-10 peeps.
(4)David T.
Came here after our horse riding tour through Wilson's creek. We have come here once before. The ambience is romantic. The scenery is beautiful as well. The winter would have snow on top of the mountain. You receive a miniature loaf which is cute and tasty. Honestly I stopped eating bread 4 months ago. Our waitress Jackie was very nice. We ordered a cheese plate. It was good, again stopped eating bread. The bacon wrapped date was delicious. Jackie heated up our loaf of bread. We also ordered the chicken entree and dumplings. The chicken was good. Not the best thing I had. The cheese dumplings were interesting. I wouldn't get them again. But they were good for what they are. We then ordered the tiramisu. Its homemade. It was pretty good. And we also received a ice cream Sunday as well. The prices are a bit high.
(4)Kathleen V.
Their food is pretty good but not amazing. I got a pizza, calamari, and wine. All good. But for a Sunday afternoon, the service was incredibly slow. At least a 10 minute wait between each request (asking for water, more bread (had to ask twice), ordering food, asking for the bill, paying for the bill (I had to go up to the front), asking for boxes, and asking for dessert. It was pretty ridiculous. I think we waited at least an hour total for everything. One person went out to the car at one point because of the wait. And after a great day of wine tasting, it sure ended the day on a sour note. It was nice that they gave my friend a free brownie a la mode for her birthday, but because of the wait, it came to our table with the ice cream melted. It was so melted that at first we thought it was just ice cream, until we hit the brownie in the middle. Overall, good place to chill. But don't go here if you're hungry.
(2)Michelle S.
I really want to like this restaurant. I like the winery; the grounds are beautiful, the tasting room awesome, the wines good and the inn charming. We are members of the wine club and come out to the area once a month to do a tasting, have lunch and pick up our wine. The last few times we've been out we have eaten in Old Town Temecula, but this time I planned to have lunch with a friend who lives in the area. Since I had to be at the winery to pick up my wine, we decided to have lunch there. The patio is beautiful and though it was almost 90 degrees out were were comfortable in the shade, with the fans and misters going. Our waiter was attentive so I have no complaints about the service. Because we are wine club members, my friend and I got a tasty "amuse bouche" along with the bread and dip they give everyone. All tasted good. Then we ordered lunch :( Here is what I ordered (this is straight from the menu): Capon Melt wine + herb roasted chicken, fontina cheese, caramelized apples, cherry relish, watercress, lemon pugliese 17 $17 for a sandwich. But it is capon so it sounds fancy. But it is really just a castrated rooster. Sandwiches come with a salad or the "daily potato". In this case the daily potato was french fries. A lot of french fries. French fries that took up 3/4 of the long skinny plate my food came on. The remaining 1/4 of the plate was the "Capon Melt". A tiny sandwich with a pathetic amount of cheese, small amount of chicken (capon), barely grilled and not hot. The "caramelized apples" were actually dried apples which were an interesting addition but just slapped on to the sandwich. The watercress was not on the sandwich and sat in a wilted pile between the fries and the sandwich. The menu did not indicate the type of bread and I will tell you it was very thin sourdough type of bread which added nothing to the dish - especially as it was barely toasted and cold. On the plus side, the cherry relish was yummy. My friend ordered the special sandwich of the day which was a pulled brisket topped with apple cole slaw. She got the salad (vs. the daily potato) which ended up being a tasteless pasta salad. She wasn't impressed with her sandwich either though, just from appearances, it was much heartier than my entree. My bottom line: $17 for a chicken sandwich is too expensive. Obviously I am paying for the setting - like when you pay a premium for food near the beach. I can't equivocally state that I'll never come back to this restaurant - I would give it a chance for dinner. But my expectations would be very low with the hope that I'd be pleasantly surprised.
(2)Chanel B.
Friendly and warm! My hubby and I were there for our anniversary dinner after a nice day of wine tasting and couldn't have been more pleased. It is casual, but very special and romantic at the same time. We had great service - even when i changed my order after seeing a plate walk by- they had a smile on their faces and changed it right away! Great wine suggestion for the meals we ordered. The Lamb, (Order it, it was FANTASTIC!) and the Tri Tip were both wonderful but the lamb stole the show! Loved the ambiance and we will be back! Thanks Ponte!
(5)Shelley D.
This is not really one star, this is negative 5 stars. I am hoping that this will be my longest yelp ever. My tip, never support this restaurant. My family was getting together to celebrate some birthdays and I was tasked with finding a restaurant. I had been to the Restaurant at Ponte in the past and had had just fine experiences so I figured why not, I'll give them a try. I made reservations for 6:30 PM. A basic breakdown of the what happened, at 8:00 PM (btw, the restaurant is closed at 8:00 PM, so the food came out after the restaurant was closed) the food finally came out, only after the manager Lynn came to talk but was not apologetic, saying that the restaurant was"busy." Well the restaurant was at most 60%. The food that came out was bland and gross. I am very disappointed with the terrible food and rude manager. Now let's get into the nitty gritty of 2 and half hour debacle at The Restauarant at Ponte. My party of 5 arrived at 6:30 PM for our reservations. A hostess sat us down, gave us the menu and said our server would be right with us. So far so good. Our waitress (who I bear absolute no ill will towards, none of the following was her fault) smiled, greeted us and asked for our drinks. At the time, the restaurant was at most 40% full. There was some sort of large party in the wine room, another party of 5 sitting across the way from us and a party of two with a baby sitting near us. Our drinks came, some table bread and scallion sauce came and our server took our order. We ordered the charcuterie plate as an appetizer, and for dinner the basil chicken pizza, shrimp dish, the wine country salad, pacific sandabs, diver scallops, and sides of broccolini, asparagus and brussel sprouts. We leisurely chatted, since it was a Saturday night there was some really nice acoustic guitar playing in the background. I noticed that our appetizers were on their way out, but one of the bussers or servers accidentally dropped part of the plate and did not bring out the appetizers until 25 minutes after we had ordered them. Now industry standards is the kitchen aims to have appetizers out 8 to at most 15 minutes after someone had ordered them. Here is a description of what the plate was supposed to have: Charcuterie + Cheese chef's giardiniera, cured meats warm olives, spicy mustards + nuts blue + brie cheese, bacon wrapped dates What we got were a collection of thick sandwich style meats, that looked literally like they had gone to a ralph's and gotten some Boar's Head. The "Warm olives" were pre-pitted (which means they were from a jar) and the brie was served at room temperature, which was hard and cold since we were sitting outside. So the appetizers come, we eat and we wait. Then we wait some more, did I mention that we waited. Our poor server came over three times to tell us that our food would be coming out shortly. So time check, we got there at 6:30 PM. We ordered our drinks and appetizers at 6:35 PM. Our drinks come out 6:40 PM and we sadly were never offered refills. Our appetizer came out 7:00 PM. After 45 minutes of radio silence, (so now it's 7:45 PM) my sister in law goes to talk to a manager about the appalling lack of communication between the restaurant and their guests. By the way, remember how I had said that there were other guests seated in our section as well? Well the big party in the wine room who had been there before us, they didn't get their appetizers (presumably ordered before we had arrived) until after we go ours. The other table of 5 also got their appetizers after ours. Surprisingly, the table of two which got to the restaurant last, had all of their food served first. The manager Lynn, comes over to our table at 7:55 PM. Rather than telling us that she is sorry, she asks that we understand that this is a busy restaurant, and that there were other tickets in front of us and that is what was causing the delay. EXCUSE ME? In our section, our tickets were 3rd. The big party in the room was there before us so they were number 1. The other party of 5 was 2. We were the third party to have our orders taken down, so we were 3 and the couple with the baby sat down 20 minutes after we arrived so they were the 4th ticket for where we sitting. If it went by tickets, then why did the people who sat down last get there food first and the people who sat down first get their food last? I think it is absolutely unacceptable that Lynn came over to our table, and basically said that we were SOL. She did offer us 50% off of our food bill, but if he had not taken the initiative to go and complain, then nothing would have happened. So, this restaurant thinks it is okay to not tell their guests about delays in their food, which is terrible. My parents live in the area, but the rest of my family was visiting from Los Angeles, an hour
(1)Milan B.
A lovely Sunday in Temecula's wine country naturally calls for a vineyard lunch. I do not pretend to be a wine connoisseur, but for what Ponte lacks in refined, fermented grape juice it makes up for with atmosphere and food. Yes, this is a winery that does a better job in the food department than it does with it's staple attraction. My date and I arrived after enjoying the impressive offerings at Palumbo (best of the day) and the very competent and generous vintages at Miramonte. Being neophytes trying to give college kids a better name, we must have seemed ignorant. But at least we were decorous and refrained from compromising ourselves. I wish the same could be said for some of Ponte's 'members.' But I digress. Ponte's restaurant, nestled among Zinfandel and beneath a trellis ensconced in vines, deserves the hype it receives for its setting. It's perfect. Perhaps too perfect (It reminds me of something out of Disneyland; so well engineered that it can't possibly be real). But despite the "estate's" corporate spin, it does it's job well, striking me as something more akin to what's found in Santa Ynez rather than Temecula (save for the boutique hotel, which I thought was a bit too contrived). Service-wise all were friendly and helpful, if a bit leisurely. Our waitress was slow in delivering the bill, and was quick to push as many Ponte wines across our table as she could (we resisted... after a tasting we decided this place is really only good for dessert type wines), but nothing to suggest a lack of competency. Similarly, our food took its time in arriving. However, we were pleased with what we received. The calamari was pleasantly seasoned - lightly sauteed and neither overpowering nor bland. And our entrees were similarly well-prepared. I went for the Kobe Burger, which was very generous in size. The chef seems fond of delivering beautiful presentations, but I was pleased to see that he did so without compromising the generosity of the dish. Neither of us were able to finish our main course. The Restaurant at Ponte is a romantic, well-executed outdoor restaurant... even if it is a bit kitschy. The place is too popular for its own good (the main tasting room, the club, and the restaurant were all packed), appealing to a demographic that prefers theme and food to truly fine wine. As far as the winery itself goes it's pricy for what you get ($20 for one tasting as opposed to $10-$15 at better wineries), but it delivers on many fronts, and that makes it well worth a visit. Whether I'd join the Wine Club, however... that's another story.
(4)Eviola N.
We stopped by for a quick bite to eat in the inside bar area. The whole place was decorated in an old Spanish vibe with mosaic and paintings of guitar players. Speaking of guitar, the background music down in the wine cellar/bar was pure Spanish guitar heaven. I seriously wanted to buy the CD or something (Spanish guitar is my favorite). The food was slightly overpriced as we were given the appetizer menus, which consisted of snacks like fancy arugula, tomato and cheese plates. I ordered a chicken sandwich, which seemed like the only worthwhile and filling thing on the menu, and it was very flavorful and tender. Everything tasted fresh too. We went in the evening time, so the actual winery and outdoor eating area were closed, but it was still a nice rustic experience overall.
(4)Jamie W.
Overhyped is a completely accurate description of the Smokehouse. I guess that has something to do with a lack of above average dining options along Temecula's wine tasting trail so with that I mind, I will say it's better to eat something (anything!) then to drink too much with nothing in your tummy. By the time we got around to our 2:30 reservation (it was closer to 3), our group was starving! And a little buzzed too. Usually food tastes better if you've got a decent buzz going so I was a little surprised that the food at this much hyped restaurant came up as only OK. For starters though, the fresh bread and citrus emulsion dipping sauce is really tasty. The sangria was also good and a nice option since the last thing I want to drink at lunch when I am wine tasting is yet another glass of wine. Since one of our group is a Ponte member we received the wine members appetizer. I should have taken a picture. It was a little silly. Basically a crouton with a piece of ham and a squeeze of mustard (looked like a line of that string cheese stuff - LOL) on it. Hardly an "appetizing" appetizer but it was free. I ordered the bolognese (see picture). As did someone else in our group so I'm not going to feel like a bolognese snob by saying that it was super bland because between the two of us, that was the consensus. I will say though that they do give you a lot of it and they certainly do not skip on the meat. Some salt and pepper at the table might have helped but it seemed that not only did we lack S&P but every other table did as well. The hubby ordered the duck confit salad (another picture) and after a little nibble of his duck, I will say that he (as usual) ordered something better then me. Why does it always feel like that??? Other people at my table told me that their food was fairly mediocre. We skipped dessert but the options looked decent. The outside ambiance is nice. There is plenty of shade for those of you who melt in the sun like myself. As for service... Now I get the reasoning behind adding an automatic tip to groups of 6 or larger. Some people are cheap. I am, however NOT. If you're gonna charge me 20% tip and I have no say in it, please give me relatively decent service so I don't bitch about it later. Another case of me wanting to promote the busboy to server because our waitress kept disappearing for long periods of time. So to sum it up... food being only half decent + prices on the higher end + unimpressive service = a skip it for me.
(3)Michelle S.
We actually stayed next door but came over here for dinner after tasting/touring 1 day. AMAZING meal. Just incredible. Nice atmosphere to sit outside in the evening for a nice dinner as well. Friendly staff and good service.
(4)Felixcia S.
Love this winery!!!!! Jackie our waitress is always amazing. We have had her at least 5 times in the past and she's always peppy and sweet! Food is delightful and tasting are to die
(5)Jim F.
Best food in Temecula! I highly recommend having dinner here as opposed to the too crowded lunch. The grounds, ambiance, live music, and atmosphere are so excellent that you'd forgive the food for being less than stellar. No need, though. The food has been exquisite each of the four dinners we've had. The ingredients are clearly always fresh, mostly local, and the dishes are prepared with skill, care, and attention to detail. It's a perfect end to day of wine tasting in Temecula.
(5)Claudia D.
I have dined at Ponte over the years & have enjoyed the ambiance and usually the food. I've had under-cooked salmon and pretty good wine. But the atmosphere is so pleasant. that I thought I'd try again. I invited some friends to have lunch there yesterday. I was shocked to see how much the menu prices have gone up. I had one appetizer, the crab stack ($21) and one glass of Malbec ($14.50). That, plus tip makes for an expensive lunch. They have become over-rated and over-priced. The crab stack was 'meh'; the wine was decent. It seems that they are using L.A. prices in Temecula to pay for their new property next door. I won't be going back or recommending it.
(2)Stephanie W.
Really enjoyed lunch with friends! The bread was delicious. I enjoyed the winery salad with shrimp. My husband enjoyed the margherita pizza.
(4)Wendi H.
Amazing! Everything was excellent! This place is great! I had the scallops and my husband had the steak. Both were amazing. I recommend making a reservation because the wait time can be long on the weekends.
(5)Belle N.
9/10/11 The outdoor ambience was great! (4 Stars)With live music and the outdoor seating was very nice! Bring a sweater/jacket as it gets chilly when the sun goes down...ordered the Calamari appetizer...corn chowder soup with bacon and rock shrimp pizza and sweet corn ravioli! We also had the ice creams...they were yummy! I think out of all of the food items...we liked the corn chowder the best! The pizza was a bit salty and the ravioli was super sweet...Overall the food was a (2-3 Stars at best)...but because we enjoyed the evening so much and the service was really good...I gave it 4 stars...
(4)Jenny K.
Good food Nice view Food portion is big Overall good experience in a short period of time
(4)Daniela S.
First off this place gets packed fast so make a reservation. Second the food is worth the wait. It does take some time to get to you but when it does oh my! My husband and I had the stuffed mushrooms which were FANTASTIC, then when had the herb crusted chicken with the risotto and pesto chicken pizza they were out of this world. The staff is fast and efficient, great wine recommendations and a breathtaking view!
(5)Aron W.
My wife and I were celebrating our 5 year anniversary and have been to Sonoma/Napa many times, but never Temecula wine country so we decided to give it a try this weekend. I booked a room at the South Coast Resort and we headed up to Temecula Friday morning. We arrived in Temecula around 11:00 and decided to go to stop by a local Brewery before heading in via Rancho California Road. We arrived at hotel early and they checked us in and we were off to do some wine tasting. We got back around 4:00pm and could not decide on where to eat between Vineyard Rose (at South Coast) and Restaurant at Ponte (at Ponte Inn). Both were actually about the same walking distance from our room and decided since the Vineyard Rose had happy hour from 4:00 - 5:30pm we would try the Vineyard Rose to get a small taste of their food to see if we like....big mistake (see my post on that fiasco). Anyway we both lost our appetites for the winery food and went into town for dinner later that evening. The next day we were wine tasting again and the lady at Danza del Sol Winery was raving about the cheese plate at Ponte so my wife decided she wanted to go there for lunch. We headed out to Leonesse Cellars and then headed back to the Restaurant at the Ponte. We arrived around 12:15pm, keep in mind this is Saturday with no reservation. Parking - plenty of parking around the grounds really not an issue. Although some of the overflow parking areas are not paved so if you have nice shoes they may get a little dirty. Grounds - very beautiful and the outdoor seating is very nice and all in the shade Check-in - Actually a little kiosk just outside of the tasting room. The greeters were extremely friendly and advised they were fully booked and if a reservation should cancel or is 15 minutes late they would be happy to seat us. I was thinking it was going to be about an 1 - 1 1/2 hours before they seat us. About 15 minutes later they said their 12:30 for 2 just called and cancelled and they could seat us now. Service - without a doubt spot on!!! Very polite and courteous which was a pleasant surprise considering how busy they were. Requesting refills for drinks, extra bread, anything were met quickly and courteously. They made us feel very comfortable and not rushed to get out so they could fill the table with next patron. Not sure about some of the negative post below on service since ours was so great. We even saw service for other tables being handled extremely well Food - Amazingly good and all HIGHLY recommended! After they took our order they brought us some bread with what tasted as a Tomatillo Vinaigrette for the bread. Bread was very fresh and delish. For lunch I ordered the pan seared Diver Scallops ~ caramelized figs ~ pancetta risotto ~ sautéed arugula ~ micro greens and my wife was craving the 5 cheese plate ~ imported and domestic artisan cheese ~ real honeycomb ~ sliced apples ~ candied pecans ~ fig hazelnut jam Bill - once I paid for the bill it was processed quickly and returned to me without having to wait a long period of time My wife and I walked around the grounds a little to walk off the delish lunch... very beautiful and highly recommended LOCATION = 5 stars ATMOSPHERE = 5 stars SERVICE = 5 stars FOOD = 5 stars OVERALL = 5 stars
(5)Vun D.
Made reservation bc we had a big group, since it was a busy they took down our number and said they will call us , we waited and even have a timer going, but they never call us. We were waiting in our room all night. . Hungry. .. That was very unprofessional of them. No bueno.
(1)Becka A.
The Restaurant at Ponte is one of our very favorite places to dine when in Temecula Wine Country, especially for dinner after a day of wine tasting. This particular occasion marked our third time here yet this is my first review for our dining experience, so needless to say this review is long overdue! This particular trip we dined here over the summer in July while we celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. Our server was very attentive, allowing us several complimentary samples of various wines before we each selected our chosen favorites by the glass for enjoying with our selected meals. At the end of our meal she brought out a dessert created especially for our Anniversary which really added to our over all experience. I also love how they provide a basket for ladies purses so that they are protected from the ground. Something to keep in mind it that the menu here is seasonal & is continually changing so even if you eat here during the same season the entree items can be completely different from the last time you dined. This aspect certainly allows for keeping things fresh & new so its always a bit different of a dining experience every time you come, which my husband & I like a great deal. There is always something delicious & new to try. I also suggest making a reservation to dine here so that you are able to be seated in the main patio area overlooking the gorgeous gardens. If you are a party of 2 request a seat closest to the gardens as they are very good at honoring such requests, which I have made in my online reservations with the restaurant on all our previous visits. Having a dinner reservation right around Sunset is the best time so you can see the garden transition, it is a beautiful ambiance to enjoy with your meal to be sure. Our staple favorite item to enjoy as a starter is their 'Cheese, Bred +Jams' which is served in a 5 or 3 assorted cheese spread, and for us cheese enthusiasts it is a must every time we dine. The pairing with the cheeses combined with wine is a heavenly experience for us. We could spend almost a whole hour just savoring & languidly enjoying this one menu item. We highly recommend ordering this to all the fellow cheese loves out there. We will undoubtedly be seeing The Restaurant at Ponte and their wonderful staff again, and hopefully Very soon.
(4)Elizabeth K.
Amazing pasta dinner and minestrone soup. Great vanilla bean ice cream. Wine! Delicious ....
(5)Neluta G.
I was so happy to see that this restaurant has improved a lot, not sure if they have a new chef and new staff. We were seated right away, which was a lot better than waiting for two hours while you see available tables. The bread they served was freshly baked with sundried tomatoes and a citrus type dip that complimented the bread very well. We got some olive spread "amouse bouche" because we are club members at this winery and it was served on a perfect crostini. The crab stack was amazing, made with fresh polenta and it had some corn kernels for a perfect texture, on top was the freshly made crab cake, topped with fresh baby sprouts. For main course we shared was a steak and gravy pizza baked in the oven to perfection. The dough used was great, overall the pizza crust was very tasty. This pizza is hearty and perfect for a cold day at the wineries.
(5)Ada L.
My fiance and I stopped by here for lunch in between our wine tastings. I heard good things about the food here, and my expectations were met! Our main reason for dining at Ponte was to judge the food because we were trying to decide between different wineries to book our wedding venue. We ended up choosing a different winery, but I still plan on dining more often at this restaurant! The dining area is located outdoors, with a nice view of the gardens and vineyards. I would suggest making reservations or arriving right when the restaurant opens. It can get pretty busy. We started off with a plate of fried Calamari, which came with marinara and roasted garlic & lemon buttermilk sauces. The calamari was lightly breaded and fried to the right amount of crispness. My fiancé ordered the Meatloaf, which was made of beef and lamb. The meat and sauce were slightly oversalted, but everything else still tasted delicious. I tend to find that restaurants overcook their salmon, but this Salmon was perfectly cooked-soft and flaky on the inside with a slightly crisp outer layer. It was served on a bed of creamy butternut & pumpkin squash farro and with an orange pomegranate sauce. I'm not used to eating salmon dishes with these types of ingredients, but the sweet and savory flavors blended well together. Our waitress and waiter were both friendly and checked on us often. We ended up having leftovers of everything, and our waiter quickly packed it up for us and even included a fresh loaf of bread with sauces for us to take home. Overall, the food was tasty and the service was excellent (both at the winery and the restaurant). We originally thought the menu was a bit pricey, but the quality and portion of food justified the price. I hope to try out other dishes the next time I visit Ponte.
(4)Matt M.
By far the slowest worst service I've had in a very long time. Took at least 30 min to get a drink order in, another 10 to get them. And for the price they charge, I'd at least expect it to be cold. Plenty of servers walking blindly by multiple tables with empty glasses. Getting the check takes equally as long. Skip this place and hit one of the other many places near by.
(2)Jessica P.
This little gem has to be by far my favorite ever!! The people who work there are so kind and welcoming and THE VIEW while you have brunch is breathtaking. It's so peaceful and serene. To top off the amazing view the food is exceptional and their Bloody Mary bar is also uh-mazing! Love love love this place!
(5)Michael K.
We had a wonderful lunch. My wife had a delicious salmon with a lime glaze and peaches. I had Agnioloti (spelling?), a cheese ravioli with artichoke and a sausage sauce. It was amazing. We both had starters. My wife's salad was outstanding. I had Ahi Carpaccio. My one comment about the whole meal was that the ahi should have been more the star of the dish instead of hidden under so much salad material. It was too much vegetation for a ahi starter. Our server, Rudd did a great job and was very helpful.
(5)Camille V.
This is my first and only review. Unfortunately our experience at Ponte's restaurant was so terrible I felt compelled to write something. First we were quoted a hour and half wait time when we checked in at 1:30 pm on a holiday Monday. We were called approximately one hour after we had put down our name, and had to rush back from another winery. By the time we were seated the restaurant was significantly less busy with only half the tables filled. We ordered 2 entrees (a burger and a pasta dish) and waited over 35 minutes for our order. We went through 2 loaves of bread. Once our food arrived it was cold (room temperature at best). The burger was served with less than 10 fries which were also cold. The waiter offered to bring over more fries because the plate looked incomplete and pathetic. Because we were extremely disappointed in the food, I asked to speak to the manager. A middle aged woman came over. She didn't introduce herself and was immediately defensive and rude. I explained we waited for a long time for our food. Instead of apologizing, she told me that the average wait time in their restaurant is 30-40 minutes. Personally, I think that's too long for 2 simple entrees but explained to her that the wait time would be acceptable if the food came out hot and complete. She argued with me for 2 minutes asking repeatedly what I wanted becoming more exasperated each time. She never apologized and at the end asked if we wanted her to buy us a bottle of wine. We were not drinking wine so the offer seemed like a way for her to end the conversation and walk away. We declined her offer and instead explained we wanted to let her know that their process needed to be improved. She walked away without apologizing and instructed the waitress to comp our meal. This particular manager needs to understand that she is in the hospitality industry and that a simple apology goes a long way.
(1)Ernestina U.
We had a 6:30 pm reservation at the Restaurant at Ponte during a December cold snap. We had to follow the shadowy flow of other people in the dark because there was no sign in the vast parking lot telling us how to reach the restaurant. We sat at a table in a bright open area where a man was playing the guitar. The music was pleasing and unobtrusive. Many of the diners, including us, were wearing coats even though there were overhead heaters. Both the flatiron steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus and braised lamb shank with potatoes were tender and tasty. The pumpkin creme brulee was excellent and very large. The bread pudding with almonds seemed dry and very filling. They had a lot of sweet red wines, but the only sweet white wine by the glass was a Riesling. Seating and service were prompt and friendly. After dinner we looked at the garden and admired the winter sky. The constellation of Orion faced us as we looked out over the vineyard. We visited the next day to see what it looked like by daylight. We joined a lot of cars in the parking lot and entered through the tasting room. There was a lot of merchandise on display in the center of the room, and the tasting counters were located along the walls. The price tags showed one price for tasting club members and another for others like us. If given a choice between lunch and dinner, we would choose lunch because the beautiful gardens and buildings look different in the dark. Our dinner experience was a bit better than very good, and we feel a lunch experience would have been even better.
(5)Lesley S.
Rarely do I give out 2 stars unless it really earned. We stayed at The Ponte Vineyard Inn for an Anniversary trip and we had truly enjoyed this beautiful place. Don't get me wrong the restaurant had great ambiance and presentation, however our waiter was terrible and so was our food. I ordered the filet mignon (I believe that was the cut, it's in pictures) and broccolini with the yukon mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were bland, the broccolini was barely cooked (super hard and I've cooked broccolini at home many times and know what the texture should be). The steak was terrible. I ordered it medium well and it was as tough as jerky on the outside and it just didn't taste well at all. He ordered the chicken and said it just tasted terrible. After 2-3 bites of each, we drank the bottle of wine that we ordered so we could leave. The waiter besides being slow and unobservant of the fact our food was barely touched. He never asked how it was or why we didn't touch it.
(2)Margaret N.
Beautiful outdoor setting next to the vineyards for a leisurely afternoon lunch. Sprinklers for cooling above the patio area needed with the warm weather. Three of us dined on salads. I elected the Harvest salad, listed as roasted baby pattipans, rainbow carrots, beets, broccolini, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, radicchio, Italian greens, asiago cheese, pomegranate vinaigrette. It was hard to see the vegetables other than the lettuce. I certainly think they substituted ingredients or gave me the wrong salad. However, the crusted tuna served as an option was cooked perfectly as ordered, moist and delicious Both my friends selected the Wine country salad, baby greens, candied pecans, feta cheese, tomato, dried cranberries, oranges, balsamic vinaigrette. Looked far better than mine, The herbed bread bowl served with the meal was tasty and warm. I consider the service a B+. I have eaten here many times and really return for the ambiance and fresh greens. The restaurant a welcome place to take visitors as opposed to a chain restaurant. A nice touch is the baskets they provide to place your purse in on the ground. Overall, good.
(4)Ha T.
Expected to come here for an amazing wonderful experience but instead left feeling unfulfilled. Pros: Ambiance Live pianist was amazing Food was good Set up looked nice and romantic Hosts was warm with a nice greet Cons: Server Mary was horrible. Felt like we were unimportant Didn't recommend anything, not even wine at a winery! Never refilled waters, not even once Ordered a soda on our own that never came out Honestly was more of a transaction experience then a memorable experience. We came because of all the great reviews but disappointed with her service! If we had a different server perhaps this would have been better. We could only tip her 15% and we gave the pianist $40. Bummer for her for leaving money on the table. She probably didn't realize she was serving a CEO and a general manager at a restaurant. Hopefully she'll take this constructive feedback to get better!
(3)Jason F.
What a night! This was the most romantic, delicious, enjoyable dinner we've had in a long time. The ambience was phenomenal and as wine club members they rolled out the red carpet and brought us a special appetizer before we even looked at the menu. My entrée wasn't spectacular but that's my fault so no negative points. I ordered a prime rib at an Italian boutique winery in Temecula, my bad! Overall we enjoyed ourselves and we'll be back.
(5)Cecilia M.
I have to say my past 2 visits to the Restaurant at Ponte have been great. Their Potato Leek soup is by far the best I've ever had. Most recently I came up with a small group on New Years Eve. I can't thank the managers enough for squeezing us in after a reservation mix-up at another restaurant. We called Ponte and they fit us in. We had a spectacular meal in the Barrel Room. My friend and I shared a Beef Trio ( on their NYE menu) with the most incredible prime rib wellington with a bottle of Super T! She had a Cesar Salad and I had the Lobster Bisque, both really delicious as well. I swear whoever makes their soup is a GOD! Honestly my first visit wasn't great... however everyone has off days... Their manager Deborah made my other 2 visits so great I'm officially a believer.
(5)Robert B.
Beautiful location,Rudd walked us through the menu and wine choices with knowledge. Delicious loin of lamb came out medium so Rudd replaced it with a beautiful medium rare piece of meat. So gracious. Nicole the restaurant manger came by to then make sure everything turned out great. It did. Lovely plates, interesting flavors, 9 oz of wine in the 3 oz tasting for $ 18. Delicious wine, beautiful customer service, lovely setting and quality food. Go here please
(5)Letty M.
Gorgeous views and delicious food! I recently had the pleasure of eating here after a bachelorette wine tasting afternoon and it was fabulous. The ambience is lovely and the food was excellent. We had calamari to share as well as a bread basket that had a ricotta, pesto, and sun dried tomato spread. I had the roasted beet salad and chicken pesto pizza as an entree. It was all great and highly recommended. Service was good no real issues. I love that they give you a basket so your purse doesn't go directly on the floor. I will definitely return.
(4)Melissa M.
A warm, breezy afternoon in May made for a beautiful slow lunch on the patio at Ponte. We asked our experienced and well-versed waiter, Rudd, for a wine recommendation, and we were so happy with our first sip of the lightly-blushing Pas Doux that we invited him to select our meal of four, shared courses. We enjoyed a leisurely, sunny lunch and highly recommend inviting Rudd to select for you. Bon appetit!
(4)Erin V.
I've come here sooooo many times, that I can't even count them. But I was so disappointed in my visit yesterday! The food was only "so-so", it's been amazing in the past (I haven't been here in about 1 year). But it took them over 1 hour to bring me a Sangria (which is one of the reasons that I like to go there!) because they ran out.... at 3:30 on a Friday. They didn't have any back up made. They served me the sludge from the bottom "on the house" in case I actually liked it, which I didn't. The server was really sweet and attentive... it wasn't her fault the food was only so-so and the sangria was ready...
(3)Lisa W.
The sangrias are excellent! Get a whole pitcher! The view of the garden and the lunch seating area was very pretty. The food is pretty pricey ($18-$25) for an entrée but what food place in Temecula is going to cost less than that for fine dinning? I got the salumi pizza and it was very delicious! Big pieces of salumi. It came out hot and more than enough to feed one person. Another great thing about the food was the bread! We loaded up on the bread (since we were drinking wine and sangrias). The pesto like sauce for the bread was very goooood! The waiter was very nice as well, we asked for thirds on the bread! A cute little lunch spot in wine country, worth a try!
(4)Angie L.
Stopped off for a bite to eat on our way back from SD to LA. The food and atmosphere was enjoyable. Rudd, our server was great. The staff in general were all very friendly. Will definitely come back.
(4)Clemente M.
Great food. Very accommodating. Friendly and courteous staff. Great wine. We will definitely be back.
(5)Rebecca B.
OMG this was an awesome experience. Great food, great wine , and a great waiter Rudd!!!! The salmon was delish and the " Pot of Chocolate", so yummy! Thanks Rudd for making our time enjoyable. Rebecca
(5)Anastasia L.
Beautiful winery and cute restaurant. Wine was fantastic but the food was pretty bland. Great service made up for the food. The bread was delicious and the home made cream to go on the bread was the best part of the meal. I could have just eaten that and been happy. I would go again but just stick with appetizers, wine, and bread.
(4)Brenda W.
The Best meal we have had in a long time! Beautiful setting great staff and amazing food!
(5)Miss J.
I've dined there twice, both times with girlfriends. My first time was for my friend's birthday and we had a small party of 5.. Second time for a girls day outing - there were about 8 of us. Both times were great. Good food, and fantastic service. Not really liking the prices as they are a bit high. I wish Wine tasting was included in our food meal, however it was not and both times we still had to pay our Wine tasting fee. So Minus one star for that. Other than these reasons, I really do recommend Ponte for a great place to eat in the Temecula area, and of course fab place to try wines.
(4)Ayami H.
Love this little place. Haven't had a bad experience yet! Just make sure to make reservations if you are planning to visit on a weekend... or else.. you won't be seated. EVER. jk. But yeah, reservations are good. What's good? The pesto dip that comes with the bread Scallops Pizza Calamari Asparagus soup This one fat pasta dish where you can add jumbo shrimp for $8... amaziing.
(5)Tryphena D.
Located in beautiful Temecula wine country, The Restaurant at Ponte is the perfect example of a great restaurant lead by mediocre waitstaff. Our reservation was at 7:30. Being the punctual people that myself and other 3 family members are, we arrived on time. We were very impressed with the all outdoor seating. It's unique and allows you to take full advantage of a beautiful summer night. Live entertainment from a great upcoming artist, Micheal LeClerc, helped set a lively and fun atmosphere. The bread and water came out first. The soft fresh sourdough bread with one of the tastiest scallion dips I have ever eaten was a perfect way to start off the dinner! It wasn't until 8:00, that our server came to take out order. That was the first thing that rose frustration. Next, when I asked her a question about what was served with the lamb, she replied "exactly what is stated." That did not sit well with me at all considering the customer service should be great at a pricier restaurant. Our food came out and I will admit, it perked us all up! It was presented beautifully and smelled divine! I began to eat my lamb and realized that only 2 chops came with it for $40! I felt a little ripped off. My husband ordered scrimp scampi and the rations on his shrimp servings were meager as well. One person in our party ordered the tri-tip. The portions served were appropriate and it was very good. Another person ordered the Margarita pizza and she enjoyed it very much. It was my birthday celebration and our server brought me an ice cream and a brownie. It did surprise me that it didn't come with a lit candle, considering it was a celebration. Restaurant chains do a better job of celebrating than that. All in all, the food was great! Other factors make up a restaurant experience. That's why I deducted 2 stars. When people are paying good money for a meal, it should be portioned for an adult! Secondly, nobody wants to be snapped at by their sever. I might come back, I might not.
(3)Michael A.
Terrible and expensive food. Drive 5 more miles to McDonald's instead. $98.56 for terrible rack of lamb and spoiled steamed black mussels.
(1)Aly J.
I have been here before and had a great time but the last time we came we experienced Horrible customer service. We came to have a nice relaxing lunch. There were plenty of open seats and all of sudden they told us there was a 30 minute wait. There were no parties ahead of us and the manager did not care to help us at all. The manager was very rude.y dad is a restaurant owner and would never have treated customers that way. We will never come back again.
(1)Rod E.
3 times have I been here for lunch. Disappointed, I was not. Eaten here when hot, I have, but cooled down by misters we were. When cold out, eaten here I also have. Warmed by the heaters we were. Lots of wines I have tasted, very good most were. Enjoyed fish, scallops, salads, crabcakes, stuffed mushrooms and bread I have. Satisfied I was. Back soon, I will be. May the food & wine be with you...
(4)Kevin H.
OMG great food and we ate outside and I have to say spectacular views! Very romantic and so glad we came. We had the duck and the sea bass. Bother good however the sass bass was the hands down winner is was the sea bass. Sangria was ok, but good. Had a couple of beers as wine tasting can take it out of you. They have a full cocktail bar which is awesome, especially here. Only negative is probably the service. They we all very friendly but completely forgot the appetizer completely, which was a bummer. We absolutely will be back and absolutely will be ordering the sea bass.
(4)Artcha W.
It was a lost minute decision to go have lunch at the restaurant at Ponte Winery. We arrived on Sunday at around noon. Went to the reception station and gave then my name and cell phone number. I was told they would call me when the table is ready and was given an estimated wait time of 30 minutes. After about 50 minutes of waiting my husband went back to the receptionist and asked for an update. They told my husband that they couldn't find my information. One of the girl behind the desk did recognize my daughter and confirmed that we were there earlier. Was another 15 minutes wait to finally get a table. They sat our party of 4 at a table made for 2. Had to do the plate shuffle throughout then entire meal to get everything to fit. The crab stack was good. Skirt steak was a bit tough to chew. The seafood pasta was ok. The winery grounds was beautiful. Had a small fountain and garden to walk around while we waited for our table. Restrooms were very clean. If you have to come here, I would recommend making a reservation. If I ever return, I would probably just stick to the wine tasting.
(3)Virginia E.
Visited on a Friday evening. Great music- Jason weber. Old fashions were delicious; However, the sliders were dry. We took them home and had to throw them away because they were super dry (and expensive).
(3)Matthew T.
First things first. Eat here! Great food. Great service. Wine flights during your meal. Bacon wrapped meatloaf is amazing. Try the sparkling moscato as well
(5)David H.
Had a great time this weekend having dinner at The Restaurant at Ponte. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was really nice. The bread they serve with dinner is fantastic. The calamari is quite good. I do have to say that neither my wife or I liked the sauces that came with it. In fact, one tasted "off". Luckily we had cocktail sauce from their frittura di mare (which was VERY tasty). The soup of the day was a creamy mushroom and was delicious. I had the pear & parsnips salad which was also excellent. However, I added chicken to it and the chicken was rather dry. Surprising when everything else came out so well. Even microwave chicken comes out tastier, so Im not sure what happened there. Of course they have a great wine list! I would go again for sure, I'll just stay away from the chicken....
(4)Laura B.
The food and service was good, on the expensive side. Two and a half glasses of wine, calamari, soup and a salad for $74. Wouldn't be bad but the lights at night on the patio are like stadium bright and not at all ambient or high end feeling and actually could have used sunglasses as they were so intense. I asked the server if there was a way to turn them down and she said she would check in a very gracious way but nothing ever happened and didn't follow up with us. I am not if I will be returning in the very near future.
(3)Amanda A.
My first time here! Our server Josh was efficient, knowledgeable and very polite. He tour guided us through the menu and answered all of our questions. We had the crab stack which was juicy and full of flavor. We also enjoyed the country wine salad which was deliciously citrusy. Our entree was a steak and we enjoyed it immensely. Thanks to Joshs expertise we will be coming back again.
(5)Natalie P.
Have to say, pretty disappointing. First of all, I made reservations for a rainy Saturday night. I knew the restaurant was outdoorsy, but I also knew that a high class restaurant like that would certainly make provisions for their guests. I was wrong. They first tried to sit us in the path of rain, and when I asked for a different table, they refused to sit is on the middle coveeed section, claimimg they had reservations. We finally sat at a not so terrible table, but two of the people dining with me had to move at a certain point to avoid being soaked. Not cool. Second of all, it's a winery. With not so good wines. That only has 5 options of reds on their menu. And only one decent library wine that is way more expensive then it should be. Thirdly, my seabass (the chef's special) way beyond overcooked. Tou'd think he'd know how to cook the special he chose himself. And the lamb was bland. Not salted enough. Almost inedible. Finally, on a higher note, the three stars go to our server Laura, that was a sweetheart, and tried to make sure we had an amazing experience (not her fault at all we didn't). And the shrimp and crab plate was pretty tasty.
(3)Jen G.
Beautiful location, great wine and food, and top notch service. We've been there twice for Sunday brunch and have been completely satisfied both times. I highly recommend!
(5)Kenneth B.
I was looking for a restaurant to have lunch in the wine country because I did not want to go all the way into town. This restaurant was mentioned to me and it was a nice find. The staff was very friendly and courteous. The restaurant has a nice outside seating area and is clean. The menu has quite a varied selection from pizza to seafood, and of course a nice wine list is offered. I recommend the penne pastain. The food was served piping hot and did not disappoint.
(4)Christine D.
I have been wanting to eat at the Restaurant at Ponte for awhile now so I was more than excited to finally wine and dine here for my early 30th birthday celebration! I really had such high expectations for this place after reading several articles on their exceptional wine, food and ambiance. I think they were also voted one of the top outdoor restaurants in the US. I had made reservations on Open Table for 10 at 7:30 not realizing that wine tasting closes at 5 so my best friend asked if we could be seated earlier. It really was a chilly night and although it would have been nice to be seated outside I don't think there were that many heaters available hence the disclaimer on the website saying to dress accordingly. Luckily the board room was available for my larger party and we were able to be seated earlier so that was definitely a plus. It was a perfect room for the celebration with the wine on the walls and long table. Very boardroom-esque. We ordered a bottle of the Malbec to start off the night and if you are a Wine Club member you are offered a complimentary amuse-bouche. Our server was very sweet however, I was surprised at the fact that we were not explained to us of what foods we were being served. I just expect at a fine dining establishment to be at least sort of explained to what was being brought out and served to the table. Perhaps it was because my party was larger? For example I ordered the cheese plate with 3 different cheeses as stated on the menu and so we were served our cheese plate but I didn't know what type of cheeses were included and the different jams etc.... it just would have been nice for our server to have been like we have manchego, brie, and a sage derby cheese with fig jam honey etc....etc.... I didn't even know what was in the amuse-bouche and just had to kind of guess at some sort of rich creamy-onion spread. Nonetheless the food itself was delicious. My party ordered a variety of different dishes (cioppino, steak, pasta pillows, chicken etc..) and all were very tasty. The portion size is pretty hefty so the prices which range anywhere from 17-31 seems to be reasonable for the quality of food you are receiving. All in all the I think that Ponte deserves more of a 3.5 since to me the food was pretty delicious and of course the wine was exceptional. However, service to me really carries the entire dining experience so with slow and mediocre service it just made the whole overall dining experience just ok. I think that I would come back but perhaps just during lunch so I could enjoy the view of the vineyards.
(3)Adriana S.
Came for dinner this weekend & I was very impressed. I had the flat iron steak with blue cheese & it was so delicious. I also had the key lime mouse & it was very refreshing. The staff was nice & provided good service as well. There was a guitarist in the outside patio area which added to the atmosphere.
(5)Lars L.
The Restaurant at Ponte offers superior service, delectable cuisine with beautiful and pleasant ambience.
(5)Paul T.
This place is definitely nice to hang out at and enjoy the ambiance, but the food is definitely overrated and overpriced. We've been here before and were not impressed, but we figured we'd give them another chance. We have to conclude that the other reviewers must have done the wine tasting beforehand and therefore were not at the top of their restaurant-reviewing game. The food suffers from a general shortage of seasoning and is not what is expected at the prices asked. We had the roasted beet salad, the mussels, the ricotta dumplings, and the coconut cake. The only thing that we could even consider recommending would be the mussels. They weren't the white wine-based French style; they had more of a tomato base with a good flavor, though it might have been nicer to have a more neutral bread than the one they provide. They were nice and tender, and easily removed from the shell. Overall, though we really wouldn't recommend them at this price point. The salad features some nice greens and beets, goat cheese, and some visually appealing radishes, but the flavors don't really pop, other than the candied cumquats, which overpower the dish. The dumplings could hardly have been more bland. There was some green pasty stuff on them that I can't remember what it was, and it was so nondescript that it was difficult to identify. The cake wasn't too bad, but the chocolate and mango sauces they drizzle on the plate are so sparse as to only faintly hint at the success this dessert could have been. The service was adequate, but again not quite in keeping with the price point.
(3)Ashley B.
Pretty consistently good, have had some hiccups in service or in menu items but overall always a solid choice for a winery lunch.
(4)Dojo A.
I have come here many times and this is one of my favorite spots to bring my wife out for dinner. This time, I took my 3 kids with us and my sister and brother in law. I was quite disappointed with their summer menu. Their diver scallops was the most expensive item in their menu and I was very disappointed. It was a bit salty and chewy. I think the chef overcooked it and there was too much bell peppers on it as a garnish. The special salmon was great. I highly recommend it. Downside, their was a lot of flies :-( very disappointed. Management should do something about this issue. I read some reviews with the same comment. I will still come back though :-)
(3)Freedom M.
The food does not disappoint. The mussels were excellent but the broth was so good we asked for 4 soup spoons! Flank steak is a winner Pesto cannoli is a unique approach and something I've never experienced. Really liked it. The calamari appetizer provided a generous portion and we left nothing to waste. When in wine mode, the charcuterie plate is fantastic.
(5)Lynn N.
Service is a bit chaotic, but I can understand since they're really busy. The space is very tight, but maybe they want to create that atmosphere so you can talk to your neighbors? whatever you do, be sure to make reservations here if you're planning to visit Temecula. The wait time can go for at least an hour on a random afternoon. Food was a bit pricey, but really good.
(5)Deb D.
Brought my sister and her family here for dinner on a saturday night and the food was not good. Taste and quality has really gone down. We ordered ravioli, a seafood pasta dish, pear Gorgonzola pizza, and steak along with calamari and mussels. The best part of our meal was the calamari. The ambiance was okay; wait staff not too overly friendly they all looked like they didn't really want to be there. There are no spectacular views- its all flat however the grapevines bordering the restaurant made up for the lacking views. Definitely not worth the $250+ we spent on dinner.
(2)James L.
Great bread to start off with but the food in itself wasn't that compelling enough for me to plan another visit here again. Ordered the Kobe Beef burger which comes with heavy slabs of bacon on a poppy seed bun. Unfortunately, what killed this burger was that it was way overcooked for medium rare... there was no sign of pink in here. The other plate I tried was the ravioli and again, I wasn't blown away by it. I guess I'm not a big fan of outdoor seating because there were so many bugs out there that day. Had a wine that had hints of grapefruit/passionfruit? and it was tasty. Service was good.
(3)Mika O.
Had the steak and cioppino. Had the pumpkin creme brûlée for dessert. All tasty and great
(4)Paolo D.
The Restaurant at Ponte is fantastic. I was looking for a nice place to have dinner on our first night in Temecula wine country. I found this place thanks to reviews. Little did I know that Ponte Vineyard is right next door to South Coast Winery, which is where we were staying. We were able to walk right over after we got settled. As far as I know, all of the restaurant's seating is outdoor. It's a gorgeous setting. We got lucky with the weather too. Despite being the first weekend of summer, it was a perfect and comfortable 80 degrees. Not to be outdone, the food was fabulous. We shared the Wine Country Salad, as well as the Diver Scallops and Sandabs dishes. Everything was flawlessly executed, especially the main courses. I couldn't imagine a better start to our little Temecula getaway.
(5)Tasheena B.
Came here for a late lunch/early dinner with a group of friends on 7/21/2013. Here is what we ordered from the lunch menu: Blends and breads appetizer - DELISH, came with hummus that was sooo good! The olive oil and balsamic wasn't so great due to you having to dip your ENTIRE piece of bread into olive oild just to get a drop of balsamic on your bread. Burger, medium - it was ok...the burger was not exactly medium it was more pink and rare than it should have been but nevertheless the bun was very soft and the bacon crisp. The fries were very good as well. Calamari - wow! some of the best I've ever had taste-wise, the texture was a tad chewy for what should be fresh Calamari but still was good. Diver Scallops - Everyone loved them, I'm not a scallop fan however I tried them and - I'm still not a scallop fan. But like I said, everyone else loved them. Chef Special - Stuffed Rainbow Trout - AMAZING this was the star of the table, if you're even remotely a fish fan, guaranteed you would have loved this dish! We actually were celebrating 3 birthdays and our server was nice enough to bring us 3 birthday desserts! We also order the 3 additional desserts...thats how good the entrees were, we were confident in the desserts too! Birthday dessert - a brownie with ice cream and fudge sauce - it was very very very good especially considering it was complimentary. Panna Cotta - very interesting, Vanilla bean panna cotta with a basil and watermeleon topping. I'm a HUGE panna cotta fan, but this was just ok. Chocolate Tart- this had everyone fighting for a bite. Nothing else needed to say here. Banana Split - it wasn't your traditional banana split but man was it good! A must try for sure if you're a fan of banana split!
(4)Laura P.
I've been going here since they first opened. If I had written the review that first year I would have given five stars all the way. A few years back they switched chefs and I felt like although the food is still amazing, it just doesn't have the wow factor that it did when it first opened.
(4)Leslie B.
We had multiple recommendations to dine at Ponte, despite the mixed reviews on Yelp. Needless to say, we should've listened to the online reviews. My husband's soup starter was nothing more than lukewarm beef broth. His medium rare NY steak was delivered medium well, tough and cold. My halibut was cooked perfectly, but lacked another seasoning besides heavy salt. The wine was average at best. Mashed potatoes on both dishes were lumpy and dry. The best parts of the evening were the dessert, outdoor ambiance and live entertainer. The waiter was also very friendly and responsive. Aside from that, take it from two serious foodies who spent decades in the restaurant industry...save your $ and spend it elsewhere. South Coast and Falker were AMAZING dining experiences! Not to mention the fact that a prime rib sandwich we had at Pechanga (of all places) was far superior in taste and tenderness to the $28 NY at Ponte. What a waste of money!
(2)Jen L.
Was treated out here by friends for lunch on a weekday. I ordered the mushroom pizza and a glass of white wine. The restaurant with the outdoor seating was very relaxing or could it have been the wine that made me feel so calm and serene? The mushroom pizza is so delicious that I want to replicate it at home.
(4)Matt B.
The setting set outside in the middle of the vineyards is perfect, and the food has consistently been more than delicious. There's no better place to have a meal while wine tasting down in Temecula.
(5)Thomas M.
The Smokehous, and in fact, the whole patio area of Ponte Winery, are what motivated me to join their wine club. It is a little pricey, which keeps it off of our regular rotation of restaurants, but we make sure to go there for lunch anytime there are guest in from out of town. We've ordered their sandwiches, salads, soups, and fish dishes....and all have been wonderful. The service has always been good, but nothing that has ever stood out. Even if there's a wait for a table, you can walk into the tasting room, sip some wine, and do some shopping. During the summer, the dining area can get quite warm, even with the sunshades lowered. If you go there, be sure to try their Nebbiolo (sp?), it's wonderful.
(5)Christine C.
I eat here about once a month and if you have the pleasure of dining at the Smokehouse, you might be tempted to become a regular as well. The setting is gorgeous. It a restaurant that is completely outside and it is surrounded by the winery's orchards. The weather in Temecula is usually mild but it gets pretty damn hot in the Summer months, yet I still would go eat at the the Smokehouse in the Ponte winery for evening dinners and here's why: They have a savory brie appetizer that comes with a sugary sweet fruit compote. After I polish that off I usually get the Wine Country salad. I know what your thinking, what is so special about a salad? But the Wine Country Salad is so much more! It is a lovely mixture of fields greens, tender chicken breasts, candied walnuts, blue cheese and dried cranberries. It is great blend of the tart and sweet flavors. At this point I get pretty full, but damn, I always manage to taste at least one dessert and oh, their cheesecake is a delight. It is not too big or heavy, it is just right, like the rest of the Smokehouse menu.
(5)John S.
We went out of our way based on the reviews here, What a let down. Out of 3 meals and 1 lunch everying was tasteless. The shrimp and spinich pasta tasted like Spinach and nothing else, fettuccine was clumped together. The stuffing inside the trout was cold and mushy like uncooked bread crumbs, spinach was bitter and cooked with too much burned garlic. Swordfish sandwich was very bland. Calamari was blah and cold. A bit biased here since I love good food and come from NYC. There are some great restaurants around Southern CA but sorry but this isn't one of them and I cant for the life of me understand these reviews. Maybe the Chef was absent but on a Saturday ? They were doing a wedding so maybe normal patrons take a back seat or they were overwhelmed. After $120 for 4 with no liqueur I won't be going back. I would have no problems paying much more for great food.
(1)Rich N.
Pizza here is excellent, even though it's more of a fancy-schmancy pizza, which I typically hate. My preference is for the meatier, cheesier variety... However this fancy offering stacks up well against it's higher calorie counterparts. Other items on the menu were just ok..calamari not bad, but stay away from the steak.. perhaps a bad day for the chef, but it was not done properly, and was VERY Fatty.. Finished off with some yummy port zinfandel wine..You MUST finish off your dinner with this... Yum
(4)Jeff P.
Had crab cakes and a couple salads with some white wine. Very relaxing outdoor ambiance. Would definitely go back.
(4)Cari G.
Dining amongst the vineyards of Ponte make this restaurant quite memorable. The menu options are good and are paired with their wines. Their menu is seasonal, so it's good to stop by every few months to see what's new. This restaurant is great for lunch.
(4)Elton W.
This place was pretty good. We liked the trout, and I enjoyed my eggs and turkey sausage. My only complaint is that the eggs were so good that I began to feel ill at the end of the meal because they were so rich (had a lot of salt or something in them, they were very tasty). Service was excellent and the atmosphere is indeed very relaxing.
(4)d f.
Food was so-so and overpriced, though the ambience and service were excellent. Sangria was excellent. Reservations highly recommended. We had the eggplant pasta and didn't really like it (eggplant wasn't baked long enough, so it was hard to chew), but the waitress immediately offered to switch it for something else. Also had the lamb pizza, which was only ok and hard to find much lamb. Everything on the menu was around $15 for lunch, so a bit overpriced for what you get (e.g. sandwhiches or plain pizzas, pasta with chicken breast). The sangria was very good, and a carafe yields 6-8 glasses so is a good deal. The waitress was very accomodating. The ambience was excellent: we were seated outside next to the rose garden, with a roof blocking the sun and heaters to keep us warm. Definitely a nice place to sit and hang out if you don't mind paying for it. Reservations are a must -- wait was 1.5 hours without.
(3)Lucian F.
Had a very enjoyable lunch here. Shared the calamari with a friend, then tried the eggplant sandwich with fries and creme brule (sp?) for dessert. Everything was flavorful, overall, and the service was very friendly. I would have liked to see our server a bit more (ran out of water a few times), but I can't complain. The hostess was very accommodating when we showed up over 30 minutes early for our reservation - we were seated right away. I'd like to see the prices about $2 less for each item, but that's just me being petty. The ambiance and atmosphere make this an enjoyable meal, perfect for relaxing with a friend or having a romantic meal.
(4)Natalie B.
We are long time, LOCAL, wine club members and love our lazy days at Ponte. Maybe that's why we are so willing to give The Smokehouse a second, third, fourth try at changing our minds about the service. No dice. After waiting an hour and half (because they erroneously had us listed as non-wine club members!) we waiting an additional 10 minutes after they finally called us so that three people could put their heads together to figure out where to seat us (ahem, maybe one of the 10+ open tables?)! My husband was furious, he called Outback, did a "call-ahead", and demanded we leave (Of course we had been sitting for an additional 10 minutes with no waiter). Our dinner at Outback was perfect: warm bread; great, attentive service; and we had chicken, ribs, a 9 oz steak, king crab legs and all the trimmings for about the same as an entree and salad at The Smokehouse. FAIL! Hire me Ponte, I'll whip your restaurant into some serious shape....well I DID apply, but I'm not a cute 21 year old girl. I am a grown, highly educated woman, I guess thats not what your looking for...???
(2)LEANNE P.
I have been a wine club member at Ponte for over 5yrs now.. and have never been disappointed! Their smokehouse had wonderful lunch and dinner and terrific staff! If ever you have a concern or dislike they quickly correct to best of ability and never make you feel unloved! I bring all my friends for their birthdays as well as myself and will continue to do so for years to come! Ponte Smokehouse is fantabulous!!!! You don't want to miss it!
(5)Shawn D.
Jeph is an idiot. The only one to give one star here. He would rather complain about a hair then enjoy the fantastic ambiance and great wine. Don't miss out on the best food in Temecula. I had the bbq sandwich and it was fantastic! Great service too!
(5)Jonathan W.
come here for lunch and sit outside when its nice and sunny. the braised pork was very good, and i had a side of buttery squash to go with it. expensive, but you are paying for a nice ambience and also, its a winery. this is the place to impress your girlfriend or girl to be friend. great bathrooms.
(4)Miki M.
Well please take a look at Stephy S's review- she summarized it really nicely. A great memorable restaurant in a great location.
(4)S. L.
It was a beautiful September day in Temecula -- high 70's with a stiff but intermittent breeze. And because the dining area at the Smokehouse is outdoors, the weather made our lunch at Smokehouse that much more enjoyable. The food was good, but not spectacular. I had the bacon wrapped meatloaf, which was dry and did not have a memorable flavor. The mashed potatoes accompanying the meatloaf was also forgettable. My wife had the "salad pizza," which was pretty good. The flatbread that made up the base of the pizza was crusty with a nice soft interior. We were hoping the dessert - the marscapone fitters - would raise the rating to a 5, but it also disappointed. It wasn't terrible; just not great. My wife and I would definitely recommend the Smokehouse as a fun dining experience and a restaurant with above average, commensurately priced food. But it's just not 5 star-worthy.
(4)Kevin R.
This gets the crown as the best place to eat in Temecula wine country. It is a very casual atmosphere on an outdoor patio, but don't let that fool you - the food is anything but unsophisticated! I've been here a few times and have never had an item I didn't like, which is saying a lot, because most restaurants are hit and miss. I appreciate their attention to detail. They start every meal off with an assortment of freshly baked bread (with ingredients like rosemary baked into it) along with an olive platter. So much more enticing than the generic french bread or sourdough bread you get with most places. It is a little difference like this that makes you feel like you are really getting something special for your money. All the ingredients seem very fresh and high quality. They don't skimp on portion size (relatively to other upscale establishments, obviously you aren't going to be getting Cheesecake Factory size meals here). Even though eating here can get expensive, you leave with a memorable meal, feeling like you actually got something worthwhile for the dough you laid down.
(5)Paul G.
Great outdoor spot to have lunch, snacks, wine, coffee, and more. No breakfast here however, but I believe the hotel serves it. Came here for brunch and had amazing coffee and a couple great pizza's. I ordered a steak and mushroom pizza, and my friends ordered a roasted beet salad and chicken pesto pizza, trip tip, ceviche, and seafood pasta. All were great except one which was a chicken melt sandwich with apples and jam. Stay away from that. Sounds good one the menu but is kind if disgusting and not for me. Not sure how that even got on the menu. Overall, a great spot to enjoy lunch.
(4)S S.
Most of all, not usual occasion when you come to winery which add one additional star. I would say three star instead of four if I come here as a one of usual go out for dinner kind of restaurant. Chicken pest pizza: you will get bored with its flavor/taste when you finish one slice. You want to move on to next dish and not come back... Tri Tip: good! I, horseradish lover, loved mashed potato with horseradish and simple vegie come with the steak which has little bit saltiness for me, not too bad. Chicken pasta: expected. Not bad. Overall, location: good, atmosphere: (not quiet, not too noisy) very good, serve: OK as weekday 2pm, people: good, cleanliness: good. Sangria: me, love it!!!
(4)Caitlin M.
Visited the restaurant for my grandfather's 78th birthday. Jackie was our server and was great! My grandpa is very talkative but old school. Some of his humor can be taken askew, but she was a real sport and our service never dwindled. My grandparents got the meatloaf and the charcuterie plate (small). For being picky eaters, they loved both plates. The meatloaf wrapped in bacon was seasoned and cooked very well. And the cheddar mashed potatoes on top were some of the best I've ever tried. The charcuterie plate, even though a sized small, came with a great variety of cheese, meats, pickled veggies, mixed nuts and breads. A little much for my grandpa to eat on his own so luckily he shared :) my cousin and I split the small Wine Country salad which was plenty for us because we were going to go tasting shortly after. When the bill came, I had remembered being a member of Ponte, we get a discount on eating. Jackie was more than willing to adjust the bill appropriately and even brought my grandpa a brownie sundae for his birthday. Great atmosphere. Great service. Great food.
(5)Michelle V.
Came here to celebrate a birthday celebration and they charged us an extra $4 per person for bringing a cake for them to serve us. I don't know why they had to charged us, we where already a party to begin with. And that extra $4 was all added on top of the gratuity. Anyways, we tried their soup of the day. Which was a cold leek potato soup. Never had my soup cold before but it was ok. It lack of leek favoring and there where no present of the leek itself. So if just tasted like a cold water down potato soup with dried bacon bites on top. Pizza- I did not like the sauce that was used. It was super sour and tangy. Took one bite and I was done with it. Ahi sandwich- it came with a big piece of tuna, tomatoes, lettuce, red onions, and avocados. The tuna it was cooked well. But lacked of favor. It needs more of the mayo sauce that it came with. The sandwich came with fries which was overly salted with some green onions. Service was ok. We had a great time but knowing the fact that it was additional $4 on top of our meal made us uneasy. I expected better tasting food since this place already cost a lot to begin with. Probably will be coming but just for the wine tho.
(3)Chrissie O.
I was pleased with my visit. Ponte is really beautiful. It's one of the vineyards that has an inn also so there are dining options here. They have 3 restaurants and we decided for the restaurant at Ponte. My only complaint was all the empty tables and I still had a 30 minute wait. They need to let go of some of their reservations especially with only a few parties waiting for a table. It was a nice ambiance. It's outdoor seating and this guy was playing and singing songs on his piano. To drink, I had a sangria and it was amazing. I ordered the Agnolotti for my meal. It is a ricotta, marcapone, and parmesan stuffed pasta with Italian sausages and artichoke hearts in this creamy artichoke sauce. It was reasonably priced at $20 and I knew the pasta would be filling and it was. I love artichokes and it's definitely a different tasting pasta from what I am used to. I absolutely loved it. It's very delicious and the sauce tasted great. For dessert we shared the pot of crème. The chocolate was divine and the hazelnut cookies were perfect. The staff here is really nice and accommodating. They have baskets for your purses which I thought was cute. It definitely gives me hope for the dining experiences in Temecula wine country. Can't wait to come back again.
(4)Danielle J.
We came here over Easter weekend for lunch. I like Ponte more than the other overpriced lackluster wineries in the area. It has solid food and wine. I don't remember the menu being so expensive so that would have affected our return had we not just moved out of state! The hostess gives you a basket to set your handbag in so that it does not get dirty. I've never seen that before. Great idea! We started with the charcuterie plate. It has a variety of cheeses and pickled vegetables. It also had spicy pickles and mustards. It was different than any other meat and cheese plate I've ordered before (and this is my staple app for wine tasting). We shared the salchicha pizza with Spanish chorizo, capicolla ham, roasted red peppers, red onions, manchego and mozzarella cheeses and spicy marinara sauce. It was delicious and had a just-right kick to it.
(4)Andrew M.
Went here earlier to day, and loved it. Beautiful ambiance, wonderful food(heavier than one might think) and an unusual sense of occasion for the IE. Wines are Okay( lorimar just across the street is preferred). Check it out, lunch was nice dinner I think would be just as good. Will be back soon
(5)Jefferson D.
Slow service but good food. Only come here if you have the time. Reservations a must on the weekends. I recommend the Salmon on the plank
(4)Rosa G.
The restaurant sits on the edge of the vineyard. The server knew her stuff and effortlessly responded to all our questions regarding the menu. She talked me into having the pizza, which was not my first choice, and I was not disappointed. If you are a fan of dessert try the Caffe Latte.
(4)Randy B.
Absolutely stunning place and lovely people! For a special occasion, I attended a dinner at this Temecula wine restaurant. Unbelievable place. Gorgeous building, and one of the most beautiful store and wine tasting rooms I've seen. It featured items for sale such as olives, fine jams, and imported Italian and french ceramics, etc. Due to a 530pm dinner reservation, I missed the wine tasting as it closed at 5pm (fyi: most, if not all, Temecula tasting rooms close at that time). I will definitely have to return one day in the future...because everything was just so beautiful! The restaurant of Ponte Winery, was voted top 50 outdoor dining experiences in the US (well, according to their website). Holy. I don't know who votes, but they sure know what they are talking about! As the evening transpired, it was definitely one of my the best or top 2 nicest outdoor dining experiences I've ever had, and perhaps one of my all-time favorite experiences. Surrounded by the vineyard on one side, a beautiful patio, the barrel room, and the lovely main building/store...sipping (to start) with a Pinot Grigio, a solo guitarist playing light jazz, delightful and attentive service added to the fact that the weather was particularly perfect. The printed menu features daily selections, meat and vegetarian alike. While there is a nice selection to choose (steak, fish, chicken, pastas)...it as just 'good', but not great. What was great and made up for what the food lacked was the service. Mick, our waiter, was fun and casual, attentive and brought various extras along the way. Lynn, the manager, had such great energy...and very welcoming. All in all, the place is perfect for the special occasion, a glass of wine, dessert with a coffee, or all of the above. It's casual, and very comfortable. A very special place! ~5/2012
(5)Kat M.
I had lunch here a couple months ago on a long weekend. Make a reservation so you don't have to wait, because this is a very popular place to dine since the food is amazing! They start you off with the most delicious loaf of bread and green dipping sauce. My BF could not stop eating this bread, I think we must have gotten 2 or 3 loaves. I had the turkey burger and salad and he got the burger and fries. The food was delicious and tasted fresh, I believe they get their ingredients from the local farmers. I also had a yummy glass of Voignier, which was my favorite from the wine tasting we did here. I loved the outdoor seating, it's so pretty here. I can definitely see how this could be an ideal wedding venue. I hope to be back soon to try the other delicious food on their menu. Even though they were really busy, service was good. Plentiful free parking in front.
(4)Wally P.
Beautiful place to hang out. It's like you've been transported off to Tuscany. Service was not stellar. We got a nice table on the patio, but the water sprinkler was dripping on us from above. So we asked to change tables - which they did, but no one offered to help us move; we were clearly on our own. Since we were now assigned to a new waiter the service level dropped off tremendously. Food was mediocre at best. Paella was very fishy and tomatoey. Barely ate half of it. Burgers were dry. Ravioli - good, but nothing special. Overall impression - great atmosphere, mediocre food, and apathetic service. If you have enough wine then I guess it does not matter, but I'm not in a rush to come back.
(3)Torrey S.
Lovely place for lunch- we came at about 1pm on a Saturday and the wait time for a table was 45 mins. We were probably seated by 35 mins or so- but that should not be an issue since you can walk the nice grounds and taste. The seating area outside is great- greenery, and views of the impressive grounds. I will say that it is close quarters; there were a few traffic jams while we were sitting. But I loved the addition of the purse baskets: little details like that go a long way. Our server, I think Josh, was nice and very knowledgeable of the menu so it was easy to trust his judgment. My sister and mom had the harvest salad to start and then shared the pesto chicken pizza. They left one slice left so it seemed like a nice size and they enjoyed. I personally had the harvest salad with seared ahi on top. It was to die for! Best prepared ahi I have had in a while. Service was a little slow on occasion (we needed to ask for bread and water needed to be filled). But I think that was just because it was a little on the busier side. And it was busy for good reason!
(4)Erin H.
My second visit here was only mediocre. I don't think I liked the spring menu too much. I visited here recently with my friend who is a vegetarian. We split the harvest salad which boasts a lot of veggies on top of a mix of greens but really only came out to like 3 pieces of beats, a scattering of fava beans and 3 slices of avocado. It really needed more dressing as well. We also split the linguine which we were told was in a cashew cream sauce. It sounded okay at the time but the pasta was goopy and it tasted so sweet. The service wasn't too friendly so I didn't dare send it back. Think I'll try another restaurant next time but I do love the ambiance of this restaurant.
(3)John P.
So good! Best outside dining in Temecula! Been dining here for years and it's the best in SoCal wine country! Had the margarita pizza, Kobe burger and 3 cheese platter. Everything was great and the staff was awesome and attentive. Great lunch spot!
(5)Danielle F.
On a beautiful day the patio is great. The food has always been wonderful and the service is on point.
(4)Don E.
VERY DISAPPOINTED. .. Called a few days prior to our 40th wedding anniversary. Was told I had reservations with a "nice private view setting where a special table would be set up with wine and glasses" When we arrived the hostess said the only thing on the reservation was our name nothing about our anniversary, a special table or anything at all? Then after sitting down we were avised the sun shade was not working and could not be raised. After dinner we were going to walk around the garden court yard but we were ubable due to a sign "area closed for a private party". I TRIED TO SURPRISE AND IMPRESS MY BEAUTIFUL BRIDE BUT IT WAS ANYTHING BUT IMPRESSIVE!
(1)Juan F.
Came here after having lots of wine in the nearby wineries. We didn't make reservations, but we were able to get accommodated within 30min of arriving which was better than I expected since the place was pretty packed. I love the outdoor seating with the vineyard views. Perfect for people watching as well. The food wasn't very memorable though.
(3)Laura D.
Great food and even better atmosphere! We went to celebrate our first anniversary and our waiter, Rudd, even brought out a complimentary dessert for us as a surprise! We had a bottle of the Rose with our dinner and it was very nice. The grounds were calming and beautiful to walk around after dinner. We will definitely be back!
(5)Christine R.
Best Restaurant for "lunch" in Temecula Wine Country. Amazing Flourless cake & organic greens. After go to the Grapeseed Spa at South Coast Resort & Spa. Fun Stuff!! Pleasure was all mine! Lol
(4)Rachael S.
Had to get a quick bite in between wineries. Sat on their outdoor patio which is fantastic during nice weather. Good food, good service, smaller menu.... Beautiful surroundings but the food is average.
(3)Tanya F.
We stayed at the Ponte Inn & Vineyard for a close friend's surprise birthday weekend. We had a group of 10 people for dinner at the vineyard restaurant (not the restaurant in the hotel). It was fantastic! The food, the atmosphere, both were excellent. Perhaps the best part was the service. Our server, Rudd was great! He was very attentive, knowledgeable about the menu and offered great advice on entrees. We had been wine tasting all day and were pleasantly tipsy, animated and probably a bit noisy. He put up with our craziness with a smile on his face! My husband & I went back the next day for lunch and got lucky & got Rudd as our server again! As before, he was great. He highly recommended the Ahi sand which and is was delicious. It was sushi grade tuna, cooked perfect. My only complaint was that I got too full to eat it all! I would go back to stay at the Ponte for that sandwich alone! My husband got the burger and he loved his as well! I would highly recommend Ponte Inn for a great experience!!
(5)Angela E.
We arrived a bit early. Ordered glasses of wine and enjoyed the live music which was great. Our waiter Rudd was awesome. Presented the specials which we ordered one of (sea bass). The bread is amazing. The calamari very good. Moved on to a split Caesar salad. Sand dabs and sea bass. We shared both. Dessert was the pot of creme which was delicious but very rich. For a special occasion, this fit the bill perfectly.
(4)Stella L.
Beautiful place with amazing outdoor seats and tranquil ambience. A great place to relax and enjoy great food and wine. Good customer service from the staff at the restaurant and wine bar.
(5)Marika L.
By far the best place ever. My bf is a member here and we try and go monthly. Amazing food and wine. Also the staff are all so nice and remember us every time.
(5)Bailey B.
We had a beautiful lunch here and had the pleasure of Rudd's service. He was friendly, knowledgable, and allowed us to take our time to result in a great experience. The wine was great and the food tasted as good as it looked! We enjoyed strolling around and taking in the surrounds as well. Definitely a beautiful and tasty place for a a great lunch!
(5)