Sagebrush Annie's

Super fun place, wonderful owners, and great wine!!! Me and my son thoroughly enjoyed our visit with them and learned of their rich history in the community. We even got a beautiful piano concert.

This review is going to be a little out of character from my other reviews. I usually don't give stars based on emotions... my feelings about a place have little bearing on the experience other people may have. What I usually consider important are the empirical facts: Is the food good? The service? Decor and ambience? Etc.Such rational ratings are simply impossible with Sagebrush Annie's: For many reasons, I would rather eat here than any other restaurant I've ever been to, yet this is far from what most people would consider a perfect restaurant. So why do I love it so much?A lot of it is the owners, Larry and Carina Hogan: Sagebrush Annie's is the ultimate mom-and-pop place. This friendly, dedicated, hard-working couple have built a winery and restaurant from the ground up... literally. Larry himself built the event center, and can tell you exactly how many stones and bricks went into its construction (something like 14,388 of one and over 16,000 of the other).I won't ruin the almost legend-like story of how the Hogans created this place by retelling it: Larry tells it with such down-home simplicity and warranted pride, that I don't feel it is mine to tell. Suffice to say that after a lifetime that included fighting in the Korean War, ranching cattle, and battling cancer, Larry somehow came to create a Cabernet Sauvignon that has won medal after medal at competitions all over the country. His 2004 vintage won best Cab at the San Francisco competition, against over 450 other labels.Karina runs the restaurant. Er, I mean she *is* the restaurant: Greeter, seater, chef, pastry chef, waitress, bus boy. She does it all. She also plays piano at the wine tastings. This is truly a Renaissance couple to beat them all.Larry cooks the beef. You would expect the beef to be good coming from a former cattle rancher, and it is. But when you combine it with Karina's exciting, amazing side dishes, soups and salads, you are taking steak to a world-class level that you would simply not expect out here in the sticks. She is a self-trained chef who retains a sense of wonder about cooking... She likes to surprise herself as much as her guests. It is like eating the meals of a young master chef with much promise, who makes up for lack of mastery with sheer enthusiasm and whimsy.To call the restaurant "funky" is an understatement. Between the steer head on the wall (yes, it was one of Larry's herd), the deer head, the wine bottles piled up on the bar, the old tables, the place has, shall we say, a very iconoclastic ambience... but it is like dining at something out of a novel. Even while you are sitting there, you can't quite believe it is real. We've taken friends who were hesitant even to step into the place after seeing the sign out front made out of branches and twigs. Once you taste the wine and the food though, you know you have stepped into a culinary Twilight Zone.All this may explain why they've been selling out dinner seatings since February 2009... and why there are so few cases of wine left. Their 2007 Zinfandel (first ever) is one of the best I've ever tried, second only to A. Rafanelli. This place is simply off the hook in terms of experience, homey ambience, and kindness. Do not think of it as eating at a restaurant; think of it as dining at a friend's house, where they have invited too many people for dinner and don't have time to sit with you themselves. To complete this illusion, Karina herself will walk you to the door at the end of the evening to say good night and wish you a safe trip home.However, the critic in me can't give a rave without pointing out the honest downsides: 1. Location. This place is in the middle of nowhere. Really. Although only about 90 miles from Valencia, it will take you nearly three hours to get there. Google maps will send you ON A DIRT ROAD for the last 15 miles. (You can actually take a paved road, but it adds 20 miles to the drive.) Plan on an adventure. (It's much easier coming from the coast or from Bakersfield, but still a long drive. On the plus side, it's a gorgeous drive, too.)2. Premises. I don't think the restaurant seats more than 20 people. So, they are likely to be booked when you want to come.We were there recently, and I think they only had one seating for the evening. Dinner went from 4:30 to nearly 9. This is a (slow) dining experience that you will never forget. Don't come with someone you can't really tolerate, as you will spend a long time with them. I was there with my wife, sister and brother-in-law, and the time just flew. It seemed like an hour, and we were shocked to see it had been over four. (Actually, that wasn't all the meal... it also included a wine tasting of about six different bottles, each poured and explained by Larry himself.)If you are a jerk, snob, or food snob don't go here. You WILL be disappointed. If you want a long, slow, magical meal, served by really nice people in a rustic getaway, this is the place for you.

It was truly a great experience to stop and taste here. We didn't have reservations, but thankfully Larry was there expecting another person. He was kind enough to welcome us and our dogs in and let us do a tasting. There is a great patio supplying plenty of shade from the hot sun in the valley. Larry was a pleasure to talk to about wine and life as he has a lot to share. The wines are excellent and we had a hard time picking out a couple favorites because they were all good. It is an absolute must to make reservations and stop here if you are a wine lover. From the street it doesn't look promising, but once you get inside and taste the wine you won't care how the street front looks. Plus there is a beautiful converted barn in the back for events. Can't wait until next time we go back through.

Excellent food and wine. Mostly a steak place with a nod to chicken and fish. Reservations are a MUST.

We love this place. The post by David G. is spot-on. I think the other reviews were expecting a fast-food timeline.

I had dinner 2 times at this place. The food was fine but the service was atrocious. When the food finally arrived, after I don't know how long, the meal was fine until the check arrived. We were overcharged by the waitress who we found out was one of the owners. SHE then accused ME of lying about what we ordered. She very reluctantly adjusted the check with no apology. I left amazed how this place can stay in business. So when I stupidly went back for a second dinner the service was actually worse. This time I waited for almost two hours to be served. WARNING. DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE IF YOU EXPECT TO BE TREATED AS A CUSTOMER AND NOT AN IDIOT.