Sheepherder Bar & Grille

Thank you for reaching out Al, I was contacted by Rhonda 1÷14÷13 and she said she was refunding the second tip and giving me a $ 25.00 gift certificate to try you out again. I plan to pick up both tomorrow, 1÷18÷13. Somehow this never got posted back in Jan 2013, so sorry.

Worst dining experience I’ve had in Rancho Cordova, ever.
I come to Rancho for business often, so I’m always eating out. I have tried this place twice and I am just not happy.
The first time, I came here with a coworker for lunch and I ordered the Cesar salad. I received my salad and it looked pretty good. I am a fan of anchovies, so I was looking forward to the fillets on the salad. Unfortunately, the fillets were full FULL of tiny, hard bones. I know that some bones are to be expected, but the bones were so hard that they were sticking in my teeth and scratching my throat. I first attempted to pick out the bones, but it was too much work, so I just picked out the fillets, and ate the rest of my salad. I realize that they can’t help it if the anchovies have bones, but why put them on a salad if they will just cause problems?
The second time, I went for dinner. I was eating alone and wanted to have a nice dinner. The waiter told me of their dinner special, a 14oz NY strip steak with some sort of gravy, served with asparagus and mashed potatoes. I went with the dinner special and ordered my steak medium-​rare.
A while later (a glass of ice tea later), I received my dinner from a food runner. I cut open my steak to find well done… super well done… to where the steak tasted grainy and tough. The sides were just okay, but I was disappointed about the steak. For the cost, I decided I would send it back. I waited… and waited. Unfortunately, because I was eating alone, they sat me off in a far corner, where not many waiters ventured. So, after about 20 minutes of waiting, I picked up my fork and knife and decided to eat.
I only ate about ¼ of the steak and maybe half of each side. As I stared at my empty ice tea glass, I just got more pissed. Finally, 40 minutes into my meal, the waiter stopped by to ask if I’d be using a Groupon to pay for my meal and if I needed a box.
I let him know that I wasn’t happy with my food and I didn’t want to take it home. Without a beat, he said, «Oh, sorry for the slow service. Here is your check.»
WTH? Admitting he ignored my table and not even acknowledging that I was unhappy with my meal was the last straw. I paid my bill, and got the hell out of there. There are better restaurants to spend your money at.

It’s closed down now, but if it mattered here is what I would have said:
This is the third time I’ve been here and each time the wait for drinks and food has been completely out of sync with the actual occupancy of the bar/​restaurant. Whereas there were only a handful of people in the bar, it took FOREVER for the tender to get there to bring us our beer. Once we had her attention, however, we were not disappointed. Everything we ordered was delicious! Maybe it was because we expected to food to be crap given the service with which it was provided, but it exceed whatever expectations there were. Pulled pork sliders, tangy and juicy with sweet, soft buns. Sweet potato fries, crispy, but not burned and salted to perfection. Shepherd’s pie; curry-​tinged, succulent and hearty. I’ll come back, with a book.

I organized an office party at the Sheepherder recently on the recommendation of a friend. A few coworkers warned me that this place wasn’t really that hot and we may not enjoy our time. Since I had already made the reservation I decided to give it a fair shot since this would be my first visit to the Sheepherder.
We arrived in the afternoon and found plenty of parking. The place was very easy to find and it wasn’t terribly busy in the dining area. The bar did seem to be pretty popular during the near ninety minutes we spent here. Our hostess seated us quickly and our server, Lindsay, was cheerful and attentive.
Menu options were explained clearly and some in our party were informed that their chosen item was unavailable and suggestions were offered without any pressure. The food itself all looked very good and tasted even better. Everyone in our party was very satisfied. The crew here took excellent care to communicate with me and ensure we had a wonderful, happy experience and earned themselves one more repeat customer.
After my party left I decided to check out the bar for a few minutes. It was busy but I was able to grab a seat and the bar staff were equally polite and professional. I didn’t wait long to order or to have my drink and the staff kept everyone’s drinks flowing.

Tonight was good food, plates a little skimpy and short on staff due to a company Christmas party. For the menu price they need to step it up a bit. Otherwise nice upscale place to go especially with a Rancho zip code!
Best day to go? IDK as every time we drive by it’s super busy

Make a reservation if you want to be seated quickly. If you are a foodie and experienced in the culinary then this place will be a huge disappointment. The ambiance is awesome very rustic nice for a first date! Make sure to serve a booth if it is a first date. Don’t forget the credit card this place is pricey and the value for your dollar, well let’s just say I’ve had better for a LOT LESS! Our server she was ok.

Went here for a early dinner on a Saturday night (5:00pm). We were seated as soon as we arrived. Our waiter was very nice and greeted us promptly and brought us our drinks quickly. Ordered the special ($ 24.99) NY steak w/​mashed potatoes and asparagus. The place is elegantly decorated and has a nice bar area. Food and service was great! Will definitely be returning here in the future!

So, after my last review, I wanted to go back to see if it was really the restaurant, or just maybe because the groupon had just come out. We don’t have many restaurants in this area that aren’t fast food or casual chain restaurants, and I really prefer local places with more selective menus and better ingredients.
We went on a Friday night at 6pm with my fiancé’s parents and it was MUCH better. It was busy, but not slammed and we were welcomed and seated fairly quickly. Everything that had been good was still good (the bread was delicious!) and the issues seemed to be resolved. My only complaint was that it was more difficult to get my water refilled than I like. Since I drink a lot, that is a big peeve at restaurants. I shouldn’t have to ask repeatedly to get my glass refilled.
And the food was MUCH better! maybe it was the items we chose, maybe it was due to faster service (so it didn’t sit), but either way, I’m thrilled because I really wanted to be a raving fan of this place.
This time, I had a cocktail in the bar which was good, and my fiancé had beer. The only downside was that they were out of Lagunitas on draft. The draft beer selection could still use some improvement — more craft, less bud, coors-​type stuff.
For entrees, both my fiancé’s mother and I had the ravioli, which was amazing! Great flavor, cooked well, I really want to go and get some more. She really liked hers also. My fiancé had the special — a new york steak and his dad had the salmon. Both said the meat was cooked perfectly and flavored well. I took a bite of the mashed potatoes and they were wonderful too.
Overall, I hope that they will continue to improve, and will keep going back because I want them to stick around!

Happy Hour service was slow, but it was Friday after work and busy. I arrived before a group of customers, yet the server took the order for the group before me. For that reason, the rating for service is 1 star.
The food, on the other hand, was excellent! I ordered the Crab Cake (see photo). It was well-​seasoned and loaded with flavor. The best part for having this dish during Happy Hour is the price.
This rating is subject to change because I’m going back for the Crab Cakes and also try something else on the menu. Maybe service will be better next time.

I’ve been to happy hour before so I was quite disappointed with their dinner service. I expected more for the prices.
The service was slow. I was told it was going to be 15 minutes before we were seated. It took almost 30. When the hostess took us in the dining room, I mentally counted about 6 empty tables for 4. We sat down and ordered appetizers. It took almost 30 minutes to get those and then about 30 minutes after that to get our entrees. I asked for a box since I didn’t finish mine. 15 minutes later it arrived. Total time for dinner: 2 ½ hours.
The food wasn’t too great either. Everyone at our table said their main was OK but not great.
I had the prime rib and I though it was pretty flavorless. Has the kitchen ever heard of salt and pepper? It was served with creamy horseradish and au jus. The horseradish was mixed with so much mayo, it just totally muted any flavor it might add. It was also served with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. The veggies made me feel like a kid again; I skipped them. They were drenched in butter.
One of the other reviews mentions that if your hungry, don’t go here. I wish I took that to heart. Flavorless, mediocre food, and slow service will make me skip this place next time for anything but happy hour.

I think this is our go to place in Rancho Cordova. My coworkers and I are out here basically every 3 months — maybe even less for an audit we have out here with a pretty big company. We stay in the Marriott down the street so this is just somewhere else so we don’t have to eat at the hotel restaurant daily.
I think both times I’ve come I’ve gotten the salmon. Very well cooked and nicely done. The men I go with always get the prime rib and this time around I also got the mac n cheese. Now mac n cheese is my comfort food and it just didn’t feel that way. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t really like it very much. Drinks were decent, if not pricy.
The atmosphere is great. TVs everywhere to watch various games. Great décor and feels clean.
Just kind of average since food out in Rancho Cordova just can’t compare to SF. Not bad, but not great either.

I used to come to this place a decade ago when I worked in the area. I was sad to hear that they had closed several years past and equally happy to hear that they had reopened. After reading Alex L’s review and spotting a Groupon $ 50 for $ 100 I decided it was time to come back and create some new fond memories.
What I remembered of the Old Sheepherders Inn a large bed and breakfast looking building with a huge stone fireplace and a rustic interior. The new Sheepherders inn is a dark hip bar with lounge and eatery. The colors are dark brown, the fireplace is still there but the beautiful lighting fixtures barely illuminate it. My first thought was this is a great place to hold an event.
In the lounge adjacent to the bar there was a saxophone player blowing cool jazz tunes. The talented performer even whipped out a flute and played a few tunes with that as well. Now to the food.
We ordered the following items: Lobster Pot Pie a rich creamy plate with lots of lobster, potatoes with a small crispy puff pastry on top $ 18.95 and delicious.
Fish and Chips: 4 pieces of beer battered fish (probably frozen), fries and coleslaw average flavors but a lot of food for a mere $ 13.95
Grilled Salmon with rosemary potatoes and garlic string beans good flavors overall for $ 17.95
Lamb Shank with garlic mashed potatoes and some vegetables which I don;t remember. The lamb was fall off the bone tender and a lot of meat. The flavor was good and not overpowering $ 21.95
Brownie with ice cream overly sweet and pretty small not worth $ 7.99
Cheesecake with blueberrys decent flavor but nothing special $ 7.99
Coffe average $ 3.50
Lemonade average $ 2.50
All of this food and our bill was still $ 2 short of the $ 100 minimum for our groupon so we asked for a coke to go $ 3.50 LOL.
We really enjoyed the upscale cool atmosphere at Sheepherder’s. We arrived early about 5:30pm and had great service and no problem seating however by the time we left around 7pm the place was full and there were people waiting for tables. it would probably be a good idea to make reservations. The food was good, not great but we will be back for the lobster pot pie :)

First, I have to say I never had been here before the remodel and change of ownership. I heard the place used to be great.
But when my wife and I went a few weeks ago it wasn’t great. It wasn’t good, it was O.K. at best.
We started with the crab cakes, they were quite mushy and bland.
For entrees, my wife ordered prime rib with garlic mashed. I ordered the biggest steak they have to offer with scalloped potatoes.
My wife’s steak was acceptable, cooked correctly and served warm. She said the garlic mashed was O.K. I tasted the potatoes and agreed, just O.K.
My steak was actually very good, cooked just right and served hot. The biggest issue I had was I was not served scalloped potatoes but instead was served some sort of «red potato/​parmesan mess with chunks of green bell pepper. I tried two bites and couldn’t gag down any more. Worst potato dish I ever had. And to top it off, when I inquired why I had not received the potato dish I ordered the server stated my wife and I had received old menus. Really? When I ordered my meal I stated «The big steak with the scalloped potatoes». Why didn’t the server inform me at that time?
Later, I heard a man speaking to the folks at the table behind ours, turns out it was a owner/​manger or something. When I complained to him about the potato dish he stated the kitchen just can’t cook that dish correctly so they changed it to the stuff I was served. In the end we felt the quality of food, poor service, and lack of concern from the management added up to just an O.K. dining experience.

First time to the restaurant and I got a good impression w/​the decoration n the food. It’s good for both casual and formal dining. We ordered sweet potato fries, calamari, grilled salmon and prime ribs. I especially love the ribs for it’s full flavor and tenderness. Will try their happy hour in the future.

I recently hosted a dinner for about 25 at the Sheepherder. Susan, was a tremendous hostess. She made everything so easy and perfect. The small buffet was great. We had the steak with mushrooms. It was wonderfully tender and savory. Great place for a small banquet.

I work nearby so I was first introduced to Sheepherder through business lunches. I love the interior décor; it’s very cozy and comfortable. I feel incredibly contented bringing guests there regardless of whether it’s for business or pleasure.
The service is always excellent and the food is always prepared in a way you can tell great pride is taken in its taste and presentation. I truly believe they’re the best in the area in regards to that. I decided to try them for dinner and was not disappointed in the least. I received the same excellent service and quality of food for dinner as well. Their menu is unique and truly enjoyable. There’s a wide variety of items without feeling overwhelmed. There’s something for everyone.
They have an excellent staff that works incredibly well together as a team. I’ve watched them interact with each other making sure ALL customers are taken care of as quickly and professionally as possible, regardless of where they’re sitting.
They have a full service bar that is expertly staffed and know how to make customers feel like they’re at their favorite water hole, even on their first visit. Stopping by for a simple beer can be an amazing experience in itself… well done!
NICELY DONE to the entire staff!!!

Oh, Sheepherder, where do I even start with you?
When you walk in, you’ll be pretty amazed at the beautiful dining area, with its impressively high ceilings, chandeliers, etc. I was pleasantly surprised and ready to expect great things.
The server was more than helpful and friendly to us, which started things off great. Then, the food started coming, and that was when it all started to go downhill.
Asian lettuce wraps — sure, i’m asian, so it might be unfair, but i’m am American Asian, so i think i have plenty right to just say, these were not tasty at all. they were quite spicy, and had way too much vinegar or something in them. the chicken in them was dry, and it really just needed some good old hoisin sauce and stir fried chicken.
Roasted Assorted Nuts — YUM. i gulped down those wraps and started to eat nuts and hoped that everything to follow would be as great as those yummy cashew, almond mix. Must have been because they can’t do anything else but straight American food.
Lobster Pot Pie — looked great, but the taste was way way too rich. The lobster was rubbery from being overcooked, and the cream had way too much cream cheese or something so you didn’t want to take more than 3 bites. Also, there was a slightly burnt taste throughout the sauce, probably because the skillet had remnants of burnt food on it.
Prime rib — nothing special, not bad though. Props for that.
Fish and chips — the fish was okay, but not matching with the price points for sure. The coleslaw that came with it, just like the asian lettuce wrap, was no good. They try too hard with the spices and vinegar, methinks.
THEN, now comes the entertainment. I get that you want to have live entertainment, but do you really want to make it into a karaōke bar? there was a group of asian people in the back singing… and i would have preferred soft elevator music to them FOR SURE.

Place look nice like a hotel. The foreign service was bad. Seemed all flustered all the time. Prices are crazy high for a burger 16 freaking dollars… –_–
One star for the hotel look and the food.
I would rather go to the squeeze inn!

The place reminds me of a tavern or an elks lodge lol, but they have a really good happy hr. Mon-​Fri from 3−9pm. Saturday 4pm — closing. You can’t beat that.
Theres a good variety of alcohol n food on their HH menu.
$ 3 draft beers — domestic n imports. sierra, blue moon, newcastle, modelo, guinness, coors light, etc.
For $ 2 — chicken/​steak tacos, quesadilla, garlic fries, potstickers, mozzarella sticks, jalepeno poppers, onion rings,
For $ 5 — fish tacos, bruschetta, cheeseburger n fries, chicken quesadilla, thai chicken lettuce wraps, macaroni & cheese, veggies & hummus, sweet potato fries.
For $ 7 — pepperoni pizza, sampler, potstickers, etc.
They have TVs too so you can watch the Miami Heat dominate the OKC Thunder in the NBA finals!

Prepare to change your expectations about dining in Rancho Cordova. I know I did after walking into Sheepherders large but intimate restaurant off Folsom Boulevard.
I really had no expectations of what to expect because despite the restaurants good reviews, it still doesn’t get near as much buzz as most of the downtown eateries. The inside has a sort of mountain lodge feeling to it — especially cozy on cold winter nights. My party and I were led through hallways and a spacious bar area to a giant back room where (on a weekday) we were almost the only ones there. This allowed us to be seated by a fireplace and enjoy hot tea and warm food.
We ordered up a great selection of delicious appetizers, and I ate one hell of a pork chop as my entrée. The service was excellent in that they basically left us alone. It would have been quite intrusive to have a waiter hovering over your shoulder when you are the only ones there.
All in all an experience I’d love to repeat. Rancho Cordova is on the way up!