The Main Course

A bit expensive for Ramona. Wait staff was great and food was very good, however we were sat right next to the door and after complaining twice to the 2 supposedly managers all they could do was make excuses. Part of the complaint is they would open and hold the door open while they talk to someone on the wait staff. Either come in or go out. Managers did not seem to care, and they even blamed us for being at that table because we only made our reservation a week before we were to dine there. Keep the food, the wait staff and replace the managers as they don’t seem to care what the customers think. Lower the prices. Dinner for 2 with no alcohol $ 150.00 is way too much. Only two stars because of the lack of interest in our discomfort while dining.

My husband and I have been here several times. We have had breakfast, lunch and dinner and have never been disappointed. Love the atmosphere and the service is spot on! If you haven’t tried the main course, I highly recommend you do!

A surprising find in Ramona… Pros: beautifully decorated 1930s vibe, great food, service excellent. Cons: We arrived for a show at the Main Stage next door, and the kitchen was so slow that they had to hold the show up (as there were quite a number of tables in the same boat).
A really nice addition to the area, but don’t be in a rush… felt like we were in France again given the pace. Our table of nine was universally happy with the food, and will dine there again.

Most restaurants respond after a low rating Still no response, what does that tell you.

Very expensive and small portions but excellent service and elegant décor. Food was ok.

I hate to leave a negative review for a new restaurant, but I just cant ignore the bad experience we had. We were a party of 10 who came before a concert. As many have said they do not have a liquor license and only 4 beers on tap to offer. So be prepared if you are coming for a bday celebration as we were (no shots). Unfortunately our waitress was extremely overwhelmed. We put it in our order, which consisted of salads, fish, chicken, & steak. After about an hour I finally asked the bus boy if we could have waters. We asked our waitress 5 times… we had been there for a very long time, its not like I went and asked the bus boy after 10 minutes. At this point I was desperate. The waitress then came over to the table and said «Just so you girls know, I cant get my own drinks, Ok? «. Wow. She was already being rude, then she had to come over and make an excuse of why none of us could get a damn glass of water. Btw, we range in age from 30 – 55. So adressing us in that manner was just way to talk down to us. After an hour and 15 minutes our food arrived. You heard that right, an hour and 15 minutes. Not one person came to the table to update us on the status of our order, apologize, or even offer more bread to hold us over. So the kicker after waiting over an hour for mediocre food & being belittled by an inexperienced waitress, they included a 20% auto gratuity. She got $ 120 for treating us like crap. Makes sense now doesn’t it? She didn’t need to wait on us, she knew she would be getting paid. Next time we will visit any restaurant in Ramona other than this one. But I dont see it staying open either. I wish the owners good luck! They need it.

About time Ramona got such a classy restaurant with wonderful food and service! We had a wonderful dinner– I had lamb chops with add-​on lobster tails, and my husband had rib eye with add-​on scallops. We had the brussel sprouts appetizer and crème brûlée dessert. It was all fabulous and the ambiance was perfect. Great job, Main Course! We will be going again soon.

Poor service for the level of restaurant they are trying to achieve. I understand it’s probably hard to get qualified servers in this neck of the woods, but then you’ve got to train them properly.
The Food was certainly good, but come on… this isn’t the high-​rent district. Prices are a bit too high.
Finally, the tables are crammed in way too close. Certainly not a «fine dining» experience like one would expect from this price range.

WOW. If you want to show someone you love how much you care about them – take them HERE! Impeccable attention to detail: service, food & ambiance.

Nice ambiance good service but just okay food. Our party tried 5 different entrees all of them were just okay. Over priced for what it was.

This place is quite good. I thought it might be an attempt at a nice restaurant like Jeremy’s on the Hill in Julian but I was wrong. It’s quite a gem with a quality environment with quality food. I’ve had the stuffed chicken and the burger. Both were phenomenal. I’ve also ordered the calamari and Mac and cheese lobster. Out of this world tasty. That Mac n cheese, yum! The lava cake for dessert is good too.
Service was great. We had Ashley this time around and she is a great person and server.
It’s good to see Ramona adding places like this. Highly recommended.

On our way to Julian, we spotted the Main Course, with excellent review’s on Unilocal we decided to have lunch. Loved the Classic and Classy décor once inside, and possibly one of the nicest ladies rooms!!!
I ordered the prime rib sandwich with onion rings, the hubby went with the steak sandwich and fries. The prime rib was came with melted cheese oozing out the sides, and possibly the best onion rings I’ve ever had, crispy and the batter had so much flavor. The Sandwich came with hot dipping au jus, just melted in my mouth. The steak sandwich was perfectly cooked, with amazing fresh cut french fries. Our waitress Kaylin, never let our Ice Tea glasses get low. Great Service and beautiful resturant won’t disappoint!

Arrived early to a show next door at the MainStage and enjoyed dinner at the bar in this six-​month-​old Ramona gem.
Calamari was my favorite, its calamari steak, not tiny tentacles.
Brussels Sprouts were tasty, maybe cooked a little longer than I am used to but flavored perfectly.
Angus beef was tip top and like the calamari, the proportions were perfect.
Main Course staff didn’t miss a beat and acted like they didn’t notice my concert attire. The place was full, people were laughing & enjoying themselves and sitting at the bar, I observed a lot of empty plates returning to the kitchen. I can only presume that others were enjoying their meals as much as I did.
Bonus… having bought my ticket early, I was escorted through a secret passage right into MainStage.

No scotch to go with my steak, boo hoo!
Elegant, gem in the restaurant wasteland that is Ramona.
Open on Saturday for lunch, we drove by on our way back from Oasis Camel Dairy tour, and called to make sure before driving south.
The GM was in attendance, dressed to perfection, and the embodiment of easy cool. We were offered our choice of table.
We started with a glass of Prosecco ($ 9.00) each, and shared a Prawn cocktail ($ 14.00). Much needed the side of horseradish I requested, but the prawns were beautiful. There were four of them, it was s decent deal.
Shantel our server was polite, brisk and attentive. Unfortunately, she cannot tell the difference between a BIG sandwich and a little one. Ordered the Reuben ($ 16.00), and it was a small sandwich. Very tasty though. Came with fries and requested aioli, in this case, it was a horseradish tinged one and perfect for the fries, ate ‘em all up. Had a glass of Cab to go with ($ 8.00)
The other patrons dining at the time we ate recommended the Salmon salad ($ 16.00) very passionately, my wife ordered it and loved it, especially the dressing. She had a glass of unoaked Chardonnay ($ 10.00)
We shared a Kahlua Crème Brulee ($ 7.00), small bit of fruit on the side. Light, creamy and delicious.
They have Monday/​Tuesday date night special between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm for a limited selection of Appetizers, soup/​salad, entrée, and choose your dessert from the menu. That’s a great deal! We will be doing it. Hurry, because it expires at the end of the year.

Great dinner last night at The Main Course! A classic American steakhouse restaurant with a contemporary flair. We’ve been looking forward to trying this place since they recently opened. I recall remarking back in the day when visiting Thai Time for the first time that you don’t feel like you’re in Ramona (not that there’s anything wrong with that). This place, even more so! Since I have a lot of ground to cover, I’m going to cut to the chase and get straight to the food…
Clam Chowder — Big (shallow) bowl containing a rich and flavorful chowder. Full of meaty clams with just the right amount of potato, not too much. Also had some bacon which was a nice touch. Lent a smokiness to the whole thing that was really nice. Did not feel the need to add any salt & pepper. I would get this again.
Lobster Mac & Cheese — Initial impression was «hot mess». Presentation was not great and it was clearly a very loose béchamel. Never did tighten up. In fact, we wound up eating it with a spoon. There were only 4 discernible pieces of lobster meat throughout, only one of which I would consider a chunk. It did have a good lobster flavor though. I did appreciate that it was made with cavatappi pasta (corkscrew macaroni), which is how I like to make it at home.
Bread service — This was a highlight for us. A good sized sourdough loaf, warmed and sliced. Served with a side of what seemed to be an herb/​garlic compound butter. Best thing was, the butter was perfectly soft! Nothing irritates me more than rock hard butter from the fridge! Although the bread was good, I will say it didn’t taste fresh from the oven. If it was baked the same day, it was very early in the morning.
Grilled Salmon Fillet — Excellent salmon, perfectly cooked and just the right sized portion. Moist, tender and flaky on the inside with a really nice sear crust on the outside. Highly recommended. Served over a bed of sautéed kale slaw and rice pilaf. The kale slaw was a nice touch and added a somewhat crunchy texture to an otherwise soft dish. Rice was just decent. Seemed odd that a rice pilaf was made with a short grain rice. Rice was on the al dente side and didn’t seem as hot as it should have been. All topped with a lemon herb beurre blanc (butter/​white wine type sauce). Sauce was fine, but I thought it could have had more of an up front acidic/​citrus note. Recommend they serve with some lemon wedges. I would get this again…
New York Steak — From Gail: When I have the option for steak, I almost always get my go-​to basic of filet mignon. However, I felt compelled to ask our server which cut she felt was best at The Main Course. Our server highly recommended the New York steak. Because she is the one who is always serving them up, I was more than happy to take her suggestion! I am SO happy I did. A New York cut is more often than not poorly done, but not in this case. I chose to order mine medium rare, knowing I could ask to be cooked longer if needed. The steak was almost a thing of perfection! Large in size for a steak service, that’s for sure. There was a nice bark on the outside with the perfect rare center that I had hoped for. Our server did double back with me to make sure my steak was to the right temperature, at which is was! I chose to have the béarnaise sauce with my steak, which there are many sauces to choose from. It was certainly delightful and complimented the New York steak perfectly! I was not a huge fan of the veggies, but thats me on an every day level, they would have been perfect for the veggie lover. Personally, for me, its all about the steak and I look forward to going back to try that filet mignon next!
Kahlua Crème Brûlée — One of the more perfect desserts… This one was as good as any other fine restaurant crème brûlée that I’ve had. Nothing really that set it apart. The caramelized sugar on top seemed to be a little too thick. Maybe because it was served in such a shallow dish. I think I would prefer to try the flourless chocolate molten cake next time.
The restroom is classy, clean and elegantly appointed!
They incorporated a really nice patio seating area with top shelf furniture. There’s a section that wraps around the side so you don’t have to feel like you’re eating literally on the sidewalk of 620 Main Street.
Overall a fantastic restaurant and such a gem for Ramona! They clearly focus on attention to detail. We interacted with most of the staff and service from start to finish was outstanding! Friendly, welcoming, personal and very professional. Can’t wait to go back for breakfast sometime on the weekend to try my favorite Eggs Benedict :)

Beyond amazing!!! This fine dining steak house is such a fantastic additional to the little town of Ramona. The quality of food would have you think you’re in some major city or Vegas, it’s that’s good! We had the Brussel sprouts and calamari for appetizers and let me say, both were exceptional. The calamari was tender and soft, not chewy like so many places make it. The Brussels were delish as well, serve with bacon and balsamic drizzle. We each had a filet for our entrees and both were cooked perfectly. They had wonderful flavor alone, but with the sauces (peppercorn for him, a mushroom wine for me) took them to another level. Words don’t do justice to the wonder. We were also treated to a complimentary dessert from celebrating our 5^th wedding anniversary there.
Yes, prices are higher than the average Ramona dining establishment, but the service and food are well worth every penny.

Had dinner here last night, and it was really delicious. We had the brussel sprouts for an appetizer and they were cooked perfectly. The bread with basil butter was delicious. We ordered the prime rib and the New York steak. Although some reviews said their prices are expensive, I don’t agree. It’s not a fast food experience, it’s a dining experience, and I’d pay a higher cost to have the level of service and quality that we had. I don’t need massive quantities of food to feel that it’s been a good meal. The sides that came with both dinners were cooked to perfection, especially the au gratin potatoes.
The wait staff was on point all evening, and we couldn’t have asked for more. We did eat outside on the patio, and I do agree with one of the previous comments that it was rather basic. But, they’re new. I’m looking forward to watching this restaurant grow to a five star rating with two very basic improvements: attend to the ambiance of the patio and increase the wine list. It would be wonderful to have some local wines represented!

My husband spoiled me by taking me to the new restaurant in town. Such an amazing addition to our little Ramona. A much needed upscale place.
Now we can go on a great date that’s only minutes from our house! Saving money on gas, miles on our car, and time!
The food was beyond delicious! On par with my favorite restaurant Island Prime. Our salads were fresh and crisp, our steaks were amazing! They have many options of sides and sauces to go with them. Perfectly cooked to each of our styles and so tender. Then the deserts were divine. We got the cheese cake and the lava cake.
The portions were so perfect that we left extremely satisfied. People may be concerned about the price, but every bite was worth it! I am so excited for this new joint!

Great Fine dining without having to drive down the hill! Me, my husband and 2 young child decided to try out the new restaurant last night. When we were sat the hostess handed my kids 2 old school Etch a Sketches, what a great idea to keep the kids busy!!! Chef Dustin delivered an amazing dinner, starting with the wedge salad and scallop app (delicious!) My husband had the lamb chops and I had the stuffed chicken thigh with a mustard demi. They were both awesome! My son went for the lobster Mac n cheese and my daughter had angel hair pasta off of the kids menu, once again both were great! Our server Chantel was prefect in everyway! The manager Eric made sure everything was good and the owner was there too. Our new favorite place in Ramona!

Ok… we are here for Sunday breakfast… Brittany is awesome hostess. Dining room is beautiful and u got to check out the bathrooms… top notch.
Big City class in Llil Ol Ramona.
So far, service is terrific and earning every penny of the tip (a rarity these days)
We’ll let you know about food and overall experience in a bit.
Ok…overall food was very good.
Wife’s Corned Beef Hash was moist and the fact it was not too salty made it a winner… serving size on the small side.
Son loved the French Toast and though also on the small side my Veg Omlette was tasty.
Gonna try dinner later… stay tuned.