Running Iron

Crazy place, good environment, not for liberals.

An impromptu lunch in quaint Carmel Valley. Very relaxed atmosphere and the food was excellent, but not to be outdone by the service. Friendly and fast, large portions...you'll leave satisfied and with a meal later. Son just moved there so we'll definitely be back!

The Running Iron Resturant and Saloon is a bit of Americana in Carmel Valley. I have been here twice and the food is excellent. This time I ordered the French dip and fries and the sand which was chock full of delicious roast beef. The au jus and horse radish were wonderful. Greg ordered a Terriyaki pineapple hamburger, it was so good I had to stop him from licking the plate. I ordered the best Long Island Ice Tea that I have had in decades . The lady at the next table said we should do a commercial for the Resturant because she almost changed her order to what I was having because she could see how much we were enjoying the food! If that wasn’t enough to recommend the Running Iron, I have to give huge kudos to Sharon our server. She is the reason I will definitely be coming back. Her friendly welcoming smile and how she paid attention to our needs checking in with us without being intrusive. The ambience at the Running Iron is friendly rustic and enjoyable!

We stopped here for lunch on a ride through Carmel Valley. We walked through the bar to get to the outside seating which had plenty of shade. I had the Cobb Salad with steak. The salad was absolutely fantastic; the greens tasted like they were just picked that morning. The steak was juicy and tender.

Very good food. And a lot of it. Reasonable Prices too. Had the Pear & pecan salad. Also the Sloppy Joe Burger-1/3# pattie smothered in chili, tomatoes, onion, served open face with side-I chose sweet potato fries. All VERY GOOD. Good choices on local Carmel Valley wines and various craft beers.

Loved this place. We were in town for a weekend reunion and this was conveniently a block away from our lodging. We were a large group with lots special instructions, and they didn't blink and eye. We had a variety of items, and census was two thumbs up 👍🏻👍🏻

Live music and karaoke on Sunday night with Eduardo. A lot of fun!

You gotta visit just for the decorations!! Cowboy theme extravaganza!!! Some kinda creepy, but so fun. Burger was very good!! Cooked well and came out juicy. The blue cheese was good quality. A friend had the fried chicken and said it was excellent. Another recommended the Patty Melt. But it's really all about the decorations!! The ceiling and walls are covered in old boots, animal skins, animal heads, signs, saddles, horns, pictures, chairs, hats, etc. etc. etc. We were told by two locals during our wine tastings that this is the bar all locals come to at night. The service was excellent!! Really wish I remember the server's name, but she has as much character as the restaurant does!!! Loved chatting with her. She gave us some excellent wine tasting recommendations too!!

I agree with the others, this place is a definite must-stop if you’re in the area! I didn’t eat here(though the food looked good), but the bar experience was fantastic; the bartender (sorry I forget her name) was perhaps the best bartender I’ve ever encountered! And there is so much ‘atmosphere and ambiance’; just grab a draft, have a seat and enjoy the ride!

Kool place boots hanging from ceiling all kinds of things to look at

What a hidden gem I found in Carmel Valley! Pet-friendly terrace, wonderful service, inexpensive price with super big quantity, and yum! very delicious pizza! To clarify the confusion, you can order menus of Stirup Cup Pizza here at Running Iron. My husband and I wanted some pizza after the hike at Garland park. We needed an outdoor seating to be seated with our dog. You can order pizza and eat at Running Iron! We sat with our dog at the terrace at Running Iron and ordered pizza from Stirup Cup Pizza. I ordered stuffed deep dish pizza with the menu #4 and a basket of curly fries. The portions are crazy here! The basket of curly fries was HUGE and delicious! We could not finish the medium-sized pizza. Wow, the stuffed deep dish was very creative. You should definitely try. And Connie, our waitress, was so nice and friendly. I mean, honestly, all of the staffs that served our table were so nice and kind. They seemed to enjoy their job. I genuinely appreciate their service. Of course, I am going to visit here AGAIN!

Possibly one of the BEST cheeseburgers and fries I have ever had. We took a motorcycle ride out there today and I was extremely pleased with the food, the service, the staff, did I mention the food? FANTASTIC! I hear this place gets really busy on the weekends. What a fantastic place right in our own back yard. We sat outside and the weather was perfect. Definitely going back!

Solid lunch, locals were there and enjoying their meals, historic place.

Amazing place… Great staff and awesome customers. The atmosphere and decoration is awesome and makes you feel like you’re a real cowboy that just rode in on a horse to sink your teeth into a great ribeye steak that’s tasty and made to perfection and then wash it back with so many great drinks to choose from. Whiskey mmmmm.

Amazing tasty food Outstanding staff went far and beyond.. Definitely visit again without doubt if we were in the area we even bought a mug We loved it.😊🫶

Awesome place Awesome food Love the theme and the atmosphere New fav place

I have never seem a place like this Its a Must visit for anyone looking for unique bars or restaurants

Love this place. Great menu, food and service

Everett

You gotta visit just for the decorations!! Cowboy theme extravaganza!!! Some kinda creepy, but so fun. Burger was very good!! Cooked well and came out juicy. The blue cheese was good quality. A friend had the fried chicken and said it was excellent. Another recommended the Patty Melt. But it's really all about the decorations!! The ceiling and walls are covered in old boots, animal skins, animal heads, signs, saddles, horns, pictures, chairs, hats, etc. etc. etc. We were told by two locals during our wine tastings that this is the bar all locals come to at night. The service was excellent!! Really wish I remember the server's name, but she has as much character as the restaurant does!!! Loved chatting with her. She gave us some excellent wine tasting recommendations too!!

Pete Maloney

I agree with the others, this place is a definite must-stop if you’re in the area! I didn’t eat here(though the food looked good), but the bar experience was fantastic; the bartender (sorry I forget her name) was perhaps the best bartender I’ve ever encountered! And there is so much ‘atmosphere and ambiance’; just grab a draft, have a seat and enjoy the ride!

박한별

What a hidden gem I found in Carmel Valley! Pet-friendly terrace, wonderful service, inexpensive price with super big quantity, and yum! very delicious pizza! To clarify the confusion, you can order menus of Stirup Cup Pizza here at Running Iron. My husband and I wanted some pizza after the hike at Garland park. We needed an outdoor seating to be seated with our dog. You can order pizza and eat at Running Iron! We sat with our dog at the terrace at Running Iron and ordered pizza from Stirup Cup Pizza. I ordered stuffed deep dish pizza with the menu #4 and a basket of curly fries. The portions are crazy here! The basket of curly fries was HUGE and delicious! We could not finish the medium-sized pizza. Wow, the stuffed deep dish was very creative. You should definitely try. And Connie, our waitress, was so nice and friendly. I mean, honestly, all of the staffs that served our table were so nice and kind. They seemed to enjoy their job. I genuinely appreciate their service. Of course, I am going to visit here AGAIN!

Kevin Utz

Solid lunch, locals were there and enjoying their meals, historic place.

Appraiser REALTOR

Possibly one of the BEST cheeseburgers and fries I have ever had. We took a motorcycle ride out there today and I was extremely pleased with the food, the service, the staff, did I mention the food? FANTASTIC! I hear this place gets really busy on the weekends. What a fantastic place right in our own back yard. We sat outside and the weather was perfect. Definitely going back!

Gil Serrano

Amazing place… Great staff and awesome customers. The atmosphere and decoration is awesome and makes you feel like you’re a real cowboy that just rode in on a horse to sink your teeth into a great ribeye steak that’s tasty and made to perfection and then wash it back with so many great drinks to choose from. Whiskey mmmmm.

Tracey Jones

Amazing tasty food Outstanding staff went far and beyond.. Definitely visit again without doubt if we were in the area we even bought a mug We loved it.😊🫶

Kylie Snyder

Awesome place Awesome food Love the theme and the atmosphere New fav place

Neha Nagori

I have never seem a place like this Its a Must visit for anyone looking for unique bars or restaurants

Mamatigger Westmoreland

Love this place. Great menu, food and service

Renaud La Joie

I went last night (Sunday) for the first time, kinda randomly. Great atmosphere, good burger, and super nice waitress!

Amazing time after my cousins wedding. Very accommodating for the wedding party. Held onto a wallet and jacket for us after hours for us to pick up. 10 ⭐️

I was there and had something to "drink". I did not eat, but talk about an old school environment. A perfect bar, if that indeed exists still. Terrence was a great tender too. Easy to chill and talk with while I "drank" my "drink"!

Our server was kind and funny! The food was delicious I was apart of the clean plate club!

Great place! Tons of atmosphere! The patio is dog friendly with over half the tables with dogs. The bar is dog friendly as well. There is karaoke Sundays 9 pm to 1 am. The food is great. I had a delicious burger. The fries are to die for. Very crispy. My wife had a salad she enjoyed. Will return soon.

Love this place. Verry casual, cowboy themed bar and restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining. Nothing fancy, but good food & great drinks. Dog friendly in the bar & outside. It’s our first stop every trip to Carmel Valley. And the service is excellent

Went to the running iron yesterday for a family brunch and this was my first time coming here. I was very impressed, the atmosphere is very western/country, and the food was great! Definitely would recommend it to others!

Daniel Santa Cruz

Our server was kind and funny! The food was delicious I was apart of the clean plate club!

Rebecca Jo

Went to the running iron yesterday for a family brunch and this was my first time coming here. I was very impressed, the atmosphere is very western/country, and the food was great! Definitely would recommend it to others!

Case

Amazing time after my cousins wedding. Very accommodating for the wedding party. Held onto a wallet and jacket for us after hours for us to pick up. 10 ⭐️

Saul Garcia

I was there and had something to "drink". I did not eat, but talk about an old school environment. A perfect bar, if that indeed exists still. Terrence was a great tender too. Easy to chill and talk with while I "drank" my "drink"!

Linda Richardson

Love this place. Verry casual, cowboy themed bar and restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining. Nothing fancy, but good food & great drinks. Dog friendly in the bar & outside. It’s our first stop every trip to Carmel Valley. And the service is excellent

Mark McDonald

Great place! Tons of atmosphere! The patio is dog friendly with over half the tables with dogs. The bar is dog friendly as well. There is karaoke Sundays 9 pm to 1 am. The food is great. I had a delicious burger. The fries are to die for. Very crispy. My wife had a salad she enjoyed. Will return soon.

Great bar near our AirBnB. Good selection of liquor and food was yummy, but not 5 stars. Clean and fun little place, friendly staff and a great place to watch sports as there are several TV's

Only stopped in to have a draft beer and the selection was good. The atmosphere is a mix between an old saloon and a barn-like museum with a collection of a ton of interesting items hung all over the walls and ceiling. The food looked good from what we could tell. Good service and friendly staff.

Food was good, service good. Salad not quite as fresh as expected. Fries are slightly breaded, which tasted fine. But I would not have ordered them that way. Overall, a good place to return. Old time equine decor was fun.

I would like to give the place 3.5 stars, but will go with 4 since the staff was very friendly. After a long hike, we were starving and decided on this place and glad we did. Super comfortable atmosphere, cool western theme, and good food. I had a steak that was good, but a little fatty. The salad and grilled broccolini were outstanding as was the baked potato. My boys had burgers and a barbecue sandwich they both liked. I will return next time I am in Carmel.

The music was AMAZING! The overall vibe is very cowboy-ish and old-ish. Unfortunately they didn't have the famous artichokes. The wings were good. 8$ for a basic salad (iceberg salad and 1/2 carrot) it's a bit much imho. The creme brulee was good.

Stopped by for a burger after a couple of wine tastings. Both our burgers were good albeit a bit pricey. What really stood out was the service and attentiveness of the staff and they were all genuinely warm and friendly. They were also super great with our dog - would def come back next time we’re in the area

Best casual lunch spot in Carmel Valley. One of those truly authentic places where the atmosphere isn't just nailed up on the wall. Large, quality, portions and good sized menu. Great bar as well. A frequent hangout for locals and Carmel Valley Road travelers.

Daniel Yoon

Stopped by for a burger after a couple of wine tastings. Both our burgers were good albeit a bit pricey. What really stood out was the service and attentiveness of the staff and they were all genuinely warm and friendly. They were also super great with our dog - would def come back next time we’re in the area

Hanns Ullrich

Best casual lunch spot in Carmel Valley. One of those truly authentic places where the atmosphere isn't just nailed up on the wall. Large, quality, portions and good sized menu. Great bar as well. A frequent hangout for locals and Carmel Valley Road travelers.

Steak lacked flavor, mashed potatoes, and broccoli were fair. Service was good. Very much a bar vibe.

My wife enjoyed her vegan burrito. But the chips and salsa and my rib eye steak were disappointing. Service was good and we loved the location.

It's a pretty nice place, great atmosphere, great service. A nice place to relax, have a drink and have a conversation. I ordered the lunch special fish tacos with rice and beans and my girlfriend ordered a burger with avocado, bacon ect. and sweet potatoe fries. The food was a lot which was great, but we both agreed that both our servings needed more flavor, it was just missing that taste that you are looking for in a meal.

We ordered the blue cheese burger and the chicken ceasar salad. The burger had lots of cheese and was cooked to order, very tasty. The salad was good. Service was slow. It was not very busy on a Thursday night. Had to ask for menus and our first beer order. Waitress finally took our order, and it took quite a while to get our food. Wish the service was better to match the food!

Robert Syrovatka

We ordered the blue cheese burger and the chicken ceasar salad. The burger had lots of cheese and was cooked to order, very tasty. The salad was good. Service was slow. It was not very busy on a Thursday night. Had to ask for menus and our first beer order. Waitress finally took our order, and it took quite a while to get our food. Wish the service was better to match the food!

Not much of a breakfast menu. Eggs seem to be carton type. Sign at entrace states to inquire about Benedicts, but when you do its nothing special or intriguing, as waitress responded it was normal, turkey, or veggie Benedicts. Pancake combo was also on board as special, but its nothing special. Got black coffee, which first cup was okay, but refill was definately water added to existing brew, as it was very clear and not much taste. Find better options elsewhere is my recommendation.

Wine pouring lady at nearby wine tasting room recommended this place as a Wild West kind of saloon type restaurant kind of like tourist attraction. And probably she was right. It was old, dirty and Bison burger I ordered was overcooked, dry and tasteless and waiter brought my wife inedible over cooked and dry chicken she did not order. The whole experience was terrible. I added one start because she did not charge us for chicken. Avoid if you can.

I ordered a medium veggie pizza and 2 hamburgers for my grandsons and I was charged $75.39 I am sure prices have increased, but that is ridiculous! I wasn't given a receipt of the individual charges only the credit card receipt. I just can't believe that a medium pizza and 2 burgers should cost $75! It is OUTRAGEOUS!

Just had one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. Service was so awful it was almost like performance art. We watched 3 tables who got seated after us finish eating before we ever saw our food. Food finally showed up over 45 minutes after we ordered (a burger and a turkey sandwich) and the burger had clearly been sitting under the heat lamp for way too long, to the point that the bun was actually turning into crumbs at the slightest touch. No apologies for the delay at all. After we got our food the waitress (who seemed like she might have been drunk) completely disappeared for 20 minutes. We tried to order a slice of pie but that took another 15 minutes, after which time no pie actually arrived. Instead we were brought disgusting bread pudding “on the house.” Nothing else was comped.

Very very over priced. Waitress sucked. Never came to the table to fill our cups. Asked for a soda after ordering water it never came the entire time we were their. Husband also ordered a drink after and it never came. Never asked if we needed anything after the food came. We even had to get another waitress to tell ours we were ready to go. Food was okay but, won't be visiting again due to prices and poor wait staff.