Ellie's Tap & Vine

Review summary

1. J

   Judi VIP

   Central Coast34 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This is a neighborhood gem! We all enjoyed the food selections, the wine and the impeccable service. Will dine here many times & recommend to everyone!
   

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2. DD

   DDGolfer VIP

   Houston6 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We booked this based on reviews from open table and yelp. Many of these reviews touted the creativity of the chef with the food and cited pork chops, chicken pot pie, etc. based on these reviews and looking at the menu on open table we thought we would be able to get hot food. When seated the waiter did not clearly state that the choices would only be cold. He said that there had been changes to the menu but didn’t elaborate. The food we ordered was all well prepared and creative given that they were not providing hot food with the exception of the lobster roll, which was excellent and full of flavor and lobster. The duck confit was served cold on a bed of salad and the tuna and beef tartare tacos were tasty. We did speak to the owner who explained that they were doing construction on the kitchen. This would have been nice to know up front. We may not have booked but once we were there we decided to stay. Unfortunately we were charged $20 for a glass of sparkling when the menu said “all day $10 glass of wine”. The cold menu will serve them well for the coming hot summer.
   

   Ellie's Tap & VineResponded 5 days ago

   Thank you for your feedback. We do not agree with the value or food quality comment but we can agree to disagree.
   

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3. R

   Robin

   Central Coast1 review

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The best service in the county. Great wine. We loved everything we ate from the temporary “small” menu. Delicious. I did miss some of the regular items, but enjoyed trying new dishes. We’ll be back, as Ellie’s never disappoints.
   

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4. D

   Douglas

   Central Coast6 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food, drink, and service in a relaxing casual environment.
   

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5. N

   NOELLE VIP

   Central Coast10 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 18 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Elle’s has a new fab menu and hours…checked it out last night and it rocked🙌🏻💯
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Orange County3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 15 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Food is always amazing! we try to go every time we come up.
   

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7. M

   Melissa

   Los Angeles30 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 11 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   As always, another great experience! Food was amazing as per usual. Joy is the best. Great moody soundtrack and cozy energy. We brought some friends from out of town, and they thoroughly enjoyed everything. Wine pairings were requested and suggestions were spot on. Prix fixe menu is a fantastic value. Highly recommend, we will be back soon.
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner VIP

   Orange County1 review

   5.0

   Dined on 9 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Very interesting menu…Joy came to our table and spent considerable time chatting with us. Loved everything…will be back!
   

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9. K

   Karen

   San Francisco3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on 7 March 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   We made reservations for Ellie's Tap & Vine on a Thursday night. The spot was busy but we were seated immediately. The restaurant offers a prix fixe 3 course menu which was a bargain for $50. I started my meal with the asparagus soup which was a huge portion and very flavorful. For my main I had the filet on a bed of mashed potatoes and fresh steamed spinach. The filet was around 6 oz. which for me was perfect and it was cooked to perfection. My husband started with the chopped salad which could have been a meal by itself. It was large and he said it was excellent. For his main course he got the tomahawk steak short rib. Tender, fall off the bone - it was on a bed of mashed potatoes and included a "sauce" of carrots and vegetables. Once again - great portion cooked to perfection. Then of course for dessert we had Ellie's bread pudding and the chocolate mousse. Both were great and again large portions. The interesting thing about this eatery is that Ellie's kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant and it is small by most standards. The amount and quality of food that she produces from there is mind blowing! If I had one comment it would be to increase the kitchen ventilation -- we were there on a very cold night so they had a window partially open and the doors closed - so the wonderful kitchen aromas were a bit strong. Mind you we were seated right opposite the cooking area. Ellie's food is amazing and you won't go wrong having a meal here if you're in the vicinity of Santa Ynez!
   

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10. J

    James

    Los Angeles33 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    This is our third visit to Ellie’s in the last two years and we were in for quite a treat. It was a slow night so Chef Joy and staff had extra time to interact and chat with us. We got personal attention for choosing our food and wine. Four of us each got something different and everything was fantastic. A crab cake was put together nicely on a bed of vegetables with one of Joy’s excellent sauces. Chicken over polenta had a wonderful tomato sauce. Chopped salad had the best bleu cheese dressing I have ever had. Shrimp simply sautéed in a tomato broth was very good. I had the tomahawk short rib braised with gravy and carrots. The beef was melted into what I called meat butter. A great wine list left us with a wonderful Viognier and a Pinot Noir. Ellie’s is a restaurant I will always visit when in Santa Ynez Valley.
    

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