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  • Orange County Register "Critic's Choice" Names Wood Ranch Best BBQ
    Today, the Orange County Register's "Best of OC" honored Wood Ranch with the Critic's Choice award for Best BBQ (article below). We are humbled and appreciate the recognition. We hope we can live up to the selection each and every day. In addition to today’s award, in 2011, Wood Ranch has been selected: • Best BBQ in Southern California, LA Times • Best BBQ & American Restaurant in Ventura County, Ventura County Star • Best BBQ in Los Angeles, LA Daily News • Best Restaurant in the Inland Empire, Inland Empire Magazine We open in the Irvine Spectrum on October 3 for dinner only, then on October 10 for lunch AND dinner. Come see us! Critic’s Choice: Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill 8022 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim, 714-974-6660 22352 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Margarita, 949-888-1100 Scheduled to open in Irvine, woodranch.com By NANCY LUNA, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER My new favorite barbecue joint in Orange County is a restaurant company that never set out to be known for its smoked meats and tangy barbecue sauces. When you walk inside Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, the word "roadhouse" does not come to mind. The Anaheim Hills location offers a standard casual-dining décor, mixing booth seating with ordinary wood tables. The chain doesn't have the flair of a Lucille's Smokehouse or a Johnny Rebs'. I have a feeling Wood Ranch skimped on its decor budget so it could invest more on food. And that's fine, because flavor and service mean everything, and Wood Ranch delivers in these categories, hands down. Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill opened in 1992 in Moorpark, the brainchild of two buddies who wanted to be known for opening a great restaurant company. They smoked meats and grilled steaks. But the overly smoky platters turned off some customers, so they reformulated the way they prepared their barbecue dishes. Wood Ranch now slow roasts most of its signature meats than finishes them off over a wood-burning fire. The 13 Southern California restaurants use a variety of "lighter" woods – pecan, hickory and apple wood – to smoke meats for shorter periods of time compared to traditional smokehouses. "We are more of a grill than a barbecue or traditional smokehouse restaurant," said Alejandro Benes, a spokesman for the chain, which plans to open its third O.C. restaurant in Irvine later this year. The other two restaurants are in Anaheim Hills and Rancho Santa Margarita. Over the years, Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill has been gaining a reputation for its tender barbecue meats. The best dish in the house is the chain's barbecue tri-tip, which is treated more like a fine steak. The tri-tip is slow roasted and finished over a mesquite fire. The hint of smoke combined with the secret rub show off the meaty flavor of the dish. The restaurant doesn't go overboard with barbecue sauces, either. You are given two choices at the table: the chain's original Santa Marie-style barbecue sauce and a Carolina sauce. The ribs and tri-tip are not slathered heavily with sauce – a plus, as too much sauce can hide the flavor of a good cut of meat. If you like fatty pork ribs, don't order Wood Ranch's ribs. They come with a slight char and are very lean – almost like eating a pork chop. Benes said Wood Ranch's ribs are the "highest quality" in the U.S. and if the restaurants changed the way they serve their ribs "we will have a revolt." While the classic elbow mac 'n' cheese is a popular side dish at the restaurant, I insist you order the peanut cole slaw. It is tossed with Italian dressing, and is the best slaw I've ever eaten. Wood Ranch fans also rave about the garlic rolls, served tableside at every meal. These slightly buttered rolls are addictive. The service here is spot on. Servers know the menu and check in regularly to make sure diners are satisfied. The main downside to Wood Ranch's Orange County locations: they are not open for lunch. Benes said it doesn't make financial sense to open for lunch because there are not a lot of businesses near the two O.C. locations. The Irvine Spectrum Center location, opening later this year, will be open for lunch. I'll be the one ordering the tri-tip and coleslaw.
  • Wood Ranch Winner of Best BBQ in Ventura County and Best American Restaurant in West Ventura County
    For the 11th time in a row (meaning every year) in the 21st century, Wood Ranch has been honored by the readers of the Ventura County Star as the best BBQ in the county. Readers also selected Wood Ranch as the best American restaurant in the western part of the county. Thanks again!
  • WR to open at the Irvine Spectrum
    (view article)
  • WR Mojito on YouTube
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BXGYaqQbfE
  • WR at Pavilions in Rancho Santa Margarita
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BYbV4RRFok&feature=related
  • Press-Enterprise Reviews Wood Ranch
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BXGYaqQbfE
  • BEST RESTAURANT & BEST STEAKHOUSE
    Inland Empire Magazine, 2010, 2009
  • Press-Enterprise Reviews Wood Ranch
    (view article)
  • Wood Ranch Helps Raise Record Amount for Special Olympics
    (view article)
  • See Who's Visiting Wood Ranch!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5COtziqSw
  • The Mark and Brian radio show talked about Wood Ranch.
    Listen to excerpts from the show below (MP3s)
    (show clip 1)
    (show clip 2)
    (show clip 3)
  • Wood Ranch presents a "big check" to the Navy & Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
    Wood Ranch Ventura raises more than $8,400 for local charities
  • Wood Ranch introduces “WINE WITH US” Tuesday. Half-Price on All Wines, All Day
    (view article)
  • Wood Ranch introduces New Lunch Menu...also passes along savings at Dinner
    (view article)
  • Wood Ranch on the Red Carpet for "Hannah Montana, The Movie" Premiere
    (view article)
  • Playboy's Miss April has Lunch at Wood Ranch
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bNWwCMfxRs
  • “Wood Ranch having fundraiser for USA Olympic Men's Water Polo Team”
    The Camarillo Acorn
    (view article)
  • “Wood Ranch proceeds to benefit U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team”
    The Ventura County Star
    (view article)
  • “Wood Ranch Donates $4,000 to U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team”
    (view article)
  • “2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 Readers’ Choice Award Winner for Ventura County”
    Ventura County Star
  • “Wood Ranch Reviewed by Press-Enterprise”
    The Press-Enterprise
    (view article)
  • “Wood Ranch Helps Feed Firefighters”
    Los Angeles County Fire Department
    (view letter)
  • “Profile of Wood Ranch's Founders” Ventura County Star
    (view article)
  • “Best BBQ,” Los Angeles Daily News, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
  • "Steaks as good as you're gonna get... A true beef mecca!"
    Larry Lipson, Daily News
  • "Inductee to the Local Barbecue Hall of Fame," KABC Radio (The Restaurant Show with Marlo & Amy)
  • "Best barbecue, Best Caterer; Best Take-Out," Conejo Valley TODAY Magazine Readers' Choice Awards
  • "Best Restaurant Value in Orange County," Elmer Dills, KABC-TV
  • "…Southern California's best barbecue," Where Magazine
  • "Best Barbecue in L.A.," 97.1 FM Talk Radio
    (The Merrill Shindler Show)
  • "Best Barbecue in Ventura County," The Ventura County Star
  • "Best Barbecue," The Los Angeles Daily News
  • "…high marks from locals for barbecue," The Wall Street Journal
  • "Top Barbecue Spot in Southern California," Zagat Survey, America's leading restaurant dining guide (1997-2006)
  • "BBQ King." L.A. Weekly
  • "Wood Ranch is ecstasy!" Merrill Shindler, KABC Radio
  • WOOD RANCH BBQ & GRILL SELECTED BEST BBQ IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Times, Best of Southern California, 2011
    Agoura Hills, CA, July 24, 2011 – Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill has been selected the Best Barbecue Restaurant in Southern California by the readers of the Los Angeles Times. The announcement came today in the newspaper. “This is a great honor,” said Eric Anders, co-founder, of the restaurant company. “We’re proud to have been recognized by the LA Times and I want to thank everyone who voted for their confidence in Wood Ranch.” “Amazing,” added Ofer Shemtov, co-founder of Wood Ranch. “We try every day to be consistent and maintain a very high quality to give each guest a great value. We think our teams in all the restaurants should be proud of this award.” The announcement of the award was accompanied by a short article in a special section of the LA Times subtitled, “How to Live Well in Southern California.” Here is what the LA Times wrote about Wood Ranch. Best Barbecue Overall Winner “Wood Ranch slow roasts its barbecue meats overnight before finishing them over a mesquite fire in their celebrated sauce. The resulting tender, bursting-with-flavor tri tip, ribs, chicken and pulled pork paired perfectly with traditional sides like peanut coleslaw and fiery green beans. The aged steaks and premium seafood here taste like they cost twice as much, while the burgers and sandwiches are complex stacks of flavors and textures.” Wood Ranch currently operates 13 premium-casual restaurants in Southern California and is building a new one in Irvine, CA, at the Irvine Spectrum.
  • Wood Ranch Increases Gluten-Free Options
    (view article)