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Clementine's Steak House
4631 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria
Phone: (805) 684-5119
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Reviews by the General Public
Great place, for a certain type of tastebud, 10/28/2009
Reviewer: Kelly
from Santa Barbara, CA
First, let me reassure you that you do get a lot of food for the money here. (Comments about pricing being like that of restaurants in Beverly Hills is ridiculous. Beverly Hills rests are about $150 a head for this quantity of food.)
But that's sort of where the good news stops. This place is sort of like walking into a place that time forgot. From the weird color scheme to the tacky little accessories and country/victorian decor, it's kind of wild. The service is actually quite friendly. Some of the staff have been there since I was a kid.
The food isn't great. Sorry, but it's only going to appeal to those who like old fashioned food with little seasoning other than salt. Vegetables are cooked until they are devoid of any flavor and just salted and buttered instead. Potatoes are almost like deep fried and while some people might like this, again, it falls into the category of being lost in time. Modern times call for more a more sophisticated palate. It doesn't need to be changed that much, just enough that it has some flavor other than the salt and grease. Nothing fancy needed, just an upgrade.
The standout food-wise is the pies. I'm pretty sure the pies are made on the premises, but even if they aren't, they are made SOMEWHERE from scratch. They are all excellent, especially the pumpkin pie.
I'd love to see this place continue on, but it really needs to find a way to move into this century without losing it's homestyle feeling. I know that can be done.
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The Best, 9/27/2009
Reviewer: James Zumwalt
from Costa Mesa, CA
We drive up from Orange county to Clementines.
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Valentine's Tradition, 8/6/2009
Reviewer: Amy
from Ojai, CA
My boyfriend and I were coming back from Solvang and were starving! We had never heard of Clemintine's and just sorta stumbled across it. When we walked in it was so cute and so pink! The service was excellent...as well as the whole entire meal! They feed you so much food for such a reasonable price. The pie comes with the meal (who does that anymore?!!!) and I have to say the Strawberry Cream pie was the best dessert I have ever had. After that, it has been our tradition to go there for our Valentine's day date. We love it!!!!
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Marie from Montebello, 2/5/2009
Reviewer: Marie
from Montebello, CA
Wow! How nice to find this hometown treasure! The service was fantastic and the food so wonderful! The homemade bread and tasty relish dish are such a great way to start the meal off..my glass of wine was a "full pour" and so appreciated! My entree of fresh halibut was cooked to perfection. The fish was so incredibly delicious..I could tell that this was very fresh! My clam chowder was the best that I have ever had. The salad was a tossed green with homemade dressing. My dessert of blackberry pie with the homemade whip cream on top was the final touch to an incredible experience...all of this for $28.00 (minus my glass of wine)!! So worth every dollar...can't find a place like this where I live for the price! I will be back!
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I will be back! , 1/26/2009
Reviewer: DD
from Summerland, CA
First, I would like to say that our service was superb! Our waitress, Esther, was excellent & the bus boy was on top of things & very attentive. If they had a higher rating for service, I would rate it higher! The food was very good, lots of food for a great price. The price included dessert too! I loved that! I picked the chocolate chip walnut pie....OH MY GOODNESS!!! If this wasn't a slice of heaven, I don't know what is! Can't wait to go back.
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Wow !!!
Reviewer: Kelly Anne Fuller
from Hacienda Heights, Ca.
My Dad, Son and I were in Carpinteria the last weekend of September - decided on Clementine's for dinner - and so very pleased we did !! The food was out of this World - we all decided on the seafood and it was cooked to perfection ! We are big eaters and yet each of us left with take-home cartons - prices so reasonable, it's hard to believe they can make any money with all the food they serve you. The atmosphere comfortable and fun - excellent service ! Parking limited, though we arrived early and did not have a problem. We will be back !!
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Always So Busy
Reviewer: Sara K.
from Santa Barbara, CA
The steaks are delicious. They'll cook them anyway you like. Their seafood is fresh and cooked the way I like them. Their chicken is out of this world and their prices are phenomenal. To say that they charge too much is ridiculous. Did you know that they baked their breads and pies from scratch everyday? No preservatives on top of that.
Since they don't take reservations, I always like to bring my family in early so we don't have to wait as they are always so busy.
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Hopeful but disappointing
Reviewer: Suzanne
from Corona, CA
We went to have a good family meal and was disappointed with the food and service. We were seated right away, but then was forgotten for about 15 minutes. The prices were off the chart. It was if we were in Beverly Hills. My son ordered off the kids menu, chicken dinos. They were over cooked and cost $10! I could have bought a 5 lbs box of them at Costco for less. My husbands steak was really tasty, but more than a third of it was fat! I think if they are going to have a high cost menu, then they need better items to choose from. At the end of the night,the waitress forgot that she had given us the tab and my husband tried to flag her down. After the 3rd try, the other waitress came over to see what we needed. There has to be a better place to eat for the money.
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Fantastic!! Home-cookin!!!
Reviewer: Mark n Tammy
from santa barbara
We had fried chicken on the brain and knew there is only one place to go CLEMENTINES! Great service provided by Emily, homemande ranch is the best period. Fried chicken was huge and juicy. We saved room for dessert and WOW excellent pies. We had the strawberry cream pie with fresh strawberries and the chocolate chip walnut both of which made us drool. yummmmy We will be back soon. FYI-Not fancy, just a great overall dining experience, you will not be dissapointed.
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Quaint but backwards
Reviewer: Troy Smith
from Carpinteria, CA
Our first experience with Clemetines was fairly decent, right up until the end. We arrived to find a cute, family type atmosphere with country style decorations and cozy lighting. The hostess and most of the servers were friendly and curteous. We were seated as promptly as the busy Saturday night crowd would allow, and were promptly treated to warm fresh bread and fresh veggies. After reviewing the menu however, I noticed it was somewhat limited. The veggie caserole looked appealing as well as the fresh fish and steak offerings. I chose to go with the fried chicken, (which I had heard was amazing). My wife chose the fried shrimp. Her portion was tiny, while I recieved half of a chicken. The food was fairly good, but really greasy. Their soup, salad and pies are wonderful, but the attitude of a certain older server leaves much to be desired.
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Stay for the pie
Reviewer: Elizabeth
from SB
We love Clementine's. Came here for the 2nd time & loved it. The country & homespun ambience is a comforting welcome. The food is good. Their menu is all-American. Fried chicken & vegetable casseroles are really scrumptious while the steak is a little bland but a good cut (ask for horseradish). Their baked potato is flavorful with a a crunchy skin-not your typical tater. And stay for the delicious homemade pie which is included in your dinner (or you can get it to go). Servers are nice and attentive.
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Like Going Home...In a Good Way
Reviewer: Guy Minear
from Seal Beach, California
We happened upon Clementine's by accident during a torrential rainstorm several years ago when we drove some friends up to Santa Barbara to walk in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. It was such a warm and cozy atmosphere on a cold rainy night and the food (especially the fried chicken)was just like I remembered my mother frying up years ago in my childhood home. The service was excellent, the desserts were delicious and the overall experience was great. We now stop at Clementine's anytime we travel up the coast, and sometimes make it our sole destination.
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AWESOME PIES, so-so steaks
Reviewer: Krista
from Santa Barbara
The atmosphere is great if you are looking for a very homey feel. The service was not off to a great start due to a large party our waitress was serving. She gave us over to another busy waitress. But once our waitress committed to us, she was GREAT--very personable, sweet, and attentive. The steaks, which is why we went here, were not that great - I had the fillet mignon which had absolutely no flavor...it was served with horseradish, which it needed. I think our steaks were a tad overdone, so order on the medium rare side if you want medium. Someone next to us got a huge plate of fried chicken which looked tasty. Their pea soup was really good, but would have been even better if it was hotter (too lukewarm for me). The pies were out of this world! Irene bakes many kinds from 8 a.m. to the afternoon, and you can just taste the love in every bite! I would come back just for the pies. Such wonderful "homemadeness" - my husband said, "Now, THAT's how rhubarb pie should taste." and I felt the same way about their pumpkin pie. Mmmmm....Also loved the adorable idea with the kids menu - they place it inside the cover of a classic children's book which the kids can read while they wait. The coffee was exceptionally good here. And, finally, they make you feel special if it is your birthday with a candle in your pie, a song and even a birthday gift. Lots of love here - nice to have in Carpinteria.
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