Ralston’s Goat

I was walking all around at night, in the dark, by myself, past the county jail, the millions of bail bond businesses looking for some phở, or japo, or any food but Mexican. I walked into this place, and decided on it over the chain down the street.
The front part was well lit albeit sparsely furnished. Part coffee house, part country barn. The bar area was better decorated, albeit way too dark. I threw back 3 sparkling waters because I was parched and hungry from my workout.
I ordered the fried chicken with waffles and the escargot lollipop. Lollipop had too much puff pastry. I think they were trying to do the escargot thing that a French restaurant does in SF with puff pastry but it didn’t work. Too think and the middle was still raw. What would Gordon Ramsey say?
The fried chicken had a decent crust but the crust kept falling off of the meat. The meat was cooked, I think, couldn’t tell Bc it was so dark. If the chef brined the chicken in something with vinegar, herbs and brown sugar, it would have enhanced the flavor.
Then, right before bed tonight I had an apple. And now I’m peeing out of my butt. I didn’t know fruit had so much fiber.

We stopped in for Sunday morning brunch, what an excellent choice on our part. I thought I was ordering a simple breakfast but I was blown away by ingredients and prep. We sat at the pub table in the bar area, which has an industrial loft type feel to it. The high ceilings and a full red brick wall had us feeling like we were in the city. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the manager/​owner, neat person, I like him. We both shared our vision for what we’d like to see downtown Modesto become. We have something special here on J St. and 10^th, I encourage people try them out. No need to drive to Turlock or over the hill for something unique it’s right here.
Sheridan Green

We just tried this place for the first time today for lunch. It was delicious! First we started with a beer for my boyfriend, and I had to try a latte that I had seen in one of the Unilocal reviews. I am soooo picky about coffee so I asked the waiter if they had any that were sweet. he explained the difference between the different ones, and I chose the latte because it has the most milk, and he said he’d add sweetener. When I took my first sip I was so pleasantly surprised at how freaking perfect he made it, bravo to him!
Then we got out food, we ordered the burger and I got the penne pasta. Both were cooked perfectly. Fresh ingredients and so tasty! We will be back and I will be sure to tell everyone!
The last thing Modesto needs is ANOTHER chain restaurant, we need more locally owned restaurants who’s chefs know how to cook a good meal and prepare a good latte! Plus there’s a bar area on the other side of the restaurant. Everyone go try this place I promise you won’t be disappointed.

3.5, to be accurate. Always interested in trying out new, locally-​owned places. I admit, I’m biased towards them, so I’m willing to overlook many things, like a lot of 5-​star reviews by first-​time reviewers. Came in here with an empty stomach and open mind.
First, service was great. We were greeted upon entry, the wait staff were all friendly and attentive. The décor was a miss. For fans of «Top Chef» it reminded me of Restaurant Wars; empty spaces with a very basic set-​up. Maybe they were going for a minimalist look, but instead it screamed «we don’t plan on staying here long.» Put something up on the walls, give it some flair!
We started off with the mushroom bisque. This was the highlight of the meal. Bread was DIVINE. Piping hot, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, perfect when dipped into the soup. As for the mains — chicken and waffles, and the lamb with polenta… eh. The chicken wasn’t bad, those were finished off pretty quickly. The waffles were a little dense. But the lamb plate was a miss. The polenta was so bland that it was simply inedible, and the lamb lacked any flavor as well. The sautéed spinach was good, though!
I’d like to see this place succeed, so I’ll be back and give it another try. Taste is subjective after all, so I’d like to sample something else. Definitely a lot of potential here.

Hi. Been hearing so much great stuff about this place, like… lots of really great things, especially concerning ‘so many’ veggie/​vegan options. Awesome, right?
Long story short. Took my wife out, she was the one who initially told me about this place. I made reservations earlier in the day. Upon arriving, there was one table sat and no one to greet us. Just a long, lonely. coffee bar? Display case? I don’t know.
Anyway, we kinda look at each other, then check the door. Yep, this is the place.
As we slowly start to walk in, we’re both acknowledged by the kitchen staff and the waitress who smiles, then turns and goes right back to shootin’ the shit w/​the kitchen crew.
We wandered from the dining room to the bar TWICE looking for someone to seat us. There was no hostess station so we had no clue where to sit. Do we just go wherever? Finally approached the same server in the kitchen and then we were seated.
Food was sorely lackluster. Besides the mushroom soup, the food was really, very disappointing. The fries were frozen store bought. No seasoning, not even salted.
Pasta was flavorless.
There was 1 vegan option and maybe 2 vegetarian options. ugh.
Of course «we can take out the bacon and chicken», but sorry, not the same.
Overall, I hope this place succeeds. I think a point of entry such as a hostess station with someone to welcome you in would be a good start. And maybe a little more heart in the food.

I mostly got the impression that this restaurant is new. As in, they don’t quite have their shit together yet, but I feel like it’s going to get better. When we walked in for lunch, the staff was mostly busy doing things and it took a bit before we were seen and seated. My boyfriend ordered the cream of mushroom soup which was amazingly delicious, served with some nicely herby focaccia. He got the flank steak, ordered medium rare, and it was actually served medium rare, not the «medium rare» (*cough* medium) most restaurants serve. The «pepper au jus» was kind of peppery, but not quite enough. I got the fettuccini with bacon and ham. It was mostly good; the noodles were good quality, but overall it was a little too salty.
The woman who sat us also waited on us, but then the one other server came by at some point and asked if we’d ordered yet, so they lacked a bit of communication.
The space is one of those places with exposed ductwork and high ceilings, so it’s pretty loud. The woman who sat us told us she made the noise absorption panels that were leaning against the walls, which are going to be attached to the ceiling once they get the right bolts. She also was pleasantly surprised when my fettuccini came out with a wheat sourdough slice that she’d made. So she seems to have a hand in the running of things, which is cool.
Overall, I really want this place to work things out. It’s kind of cool that the person who waited on us also made bread for the kitchen. Hopefully In a few months, they’ll really get into the swing of things and impress us.

Had dinner with my wife here on New Year’s Day. The atmosphere is really nice. Laid back, but still says «date night.» They have a full bar and their beer and wine list is respectable for Modesto. I ordered a Velvet Merlin to drink and my wife had a Cold Press Cabernet from Paso Robles.
As someone who is married to a vegetarian, I was pleased to see multiple vegetarian-​friendly options on the menu; something that is a rarity here. They even have a vegan plate that is not just vegetables on a plate.
Wife ordered the penne with a fresh tomato sauce and I ordered the flat iron steak with fries. Both were delicious! The steak barely even needed a knife it was cooked so perfectly. And the peppercorn sauce was amazing.
Service was pleasant and courteous. I’m excited to come back for their coffee bar and what sounds like an interesting breakfast menu as well.
Modesto needs more of this. And by this, I mean a restaurant that holds itself to a different standard than «bang for your buck.»

Great addition to downtown Modesto!
We had a great experience at dinner here the other night. Since it was our first time here we wanted to try as many items as we could… There were four of us and we tried the Caesar salad, the wedge and the crab cake to start and shared bites. All were great flavors and were fresh and portioned well.
For dinner we had the chicken, pork chop and flank steak. Everyone was very happy with their meals! The flavors were right and there was a sophistication that is rare for Motown. There are a small handful of restraints in town that we frequent. Concetta’s, commonwealth, Dewz… Etc.
Ralston’s goat goes right on to the list of «go to’s» in town!
If you want boring and predictable with a good helping of table salt… Hit up Olive Garden ! If your looking for a legit meal with fresh ingredients and a chef that knows how to prepare them… Along with a full bar… And a legit in house barista… Try this place!
Modesto needs as many good spots as possible and I can tell you that based on our experience, Ralston’s goat should do just fine!
Now I will just have to stop in for a morning espresso to give it a go.