The Ramos House Café is situated in the heart of the Los Rios Historical District in San Juan Capistrano. It is the oldest remaining residential street in California, Los Rios dates back to 1794 when about 40 adobe structures were constructed to house soldiers and workers overseeing construction of the Mission. Today, only three of the original adobes still remain: the Rios, which has been continuously occupied by the same family since 1794; the Montenez, which held religious services while the mission was being constructed; and the Silvas. At one time, the street stretched all the way to what is now Dana Point Harbor (then considered San Juan Bay) and was the main access point to the harbor. The remaining portion of the historical street is only 600 feet long.

In the late 1800's, a second wave of homes were built on Los Rios by European Immigrants. The Ramos House, built in 1881, is representative of the board and batten homes built during this time. Originally built by the Aguilar Family, the house was the long time residence of the Ramos Family, one of San Juan Capistrano's oldest families. Rumors speculate that the hideout underneath the main bedroom, which now serves as a wine cellar and music studio, was once used to hide vaqueros from their would be captors.

The Ramos House began its new life as café and residence for Chef/Owner John Q. Humphreys in 1994. Preserving a majority of the original structure, John added a commercial kitchen to the back of the house, restored dilapidated portions of the building and laid out the exterior patio seating area around the century old Mulberry tree. An ideal location for an American Restaurant, the Ramos House Café opened its doors on October 4th, 1994, and has been cooking ever since.

The idea of the Ramos House Café is simple. As in the old days, the owner lives and works at the house. The wines are kept in the cellar, the herbs are grown in the garden and the ice cream is turned out back. The menu is seasonal and can change daily.

The Ramos House specializes in Contemporary American Cuisine with an obvious tilt toward the South. Breakfast and Lunch are served all day Tuesday through Friday. Current specialties include: Potato, Corn & Buttermilk Crab Cakes w/ Field Greens & Smoked Chili Remoulade; Mac 'n Cheese w/ Smoked Chicken & Asparagus; Southern Fried Chicken Salad w/ Buttermilk Dressing; Scotch Quail Eggs; and Warm Rock Shrimp Bread Pudding. Dessert selections include Warm Banana Berry Shortcake, Buttermilk Pie and a variety of Home Turned Ice Creams. The beverage selections include home squeezed juices; an All-American beer and wine menu and Orange County's best Soju Bloody Mary loaded with pickled beans and crab claws.

On Saturday & Sunday, the Café serves a unique Brunch Menu. he thirty-five dollar per person brunch includes a glass of champagne, pomegranate/orange mimosa. Our famous Ramos Soju cocktails and dessert may also be ordered for an additional charge. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30AM to 3:00PM.

Chef/Owner, John Q. Humphreys, is originally from Newport Beach, California. He is a graduate of the world's top ranked cooking school, New York's Culinary Institute of America (CIA). After graduation in 1989, John then honed his skills at various restaurants including Acquerello , Savoy Brasserie in San Francisco, and others in the Virgin Islands, New York and Southern California.

What the Critics Are Saying

2006 - Ranked #1 Food in Orange County
Zagats Review

"Ramos House is one of the most pleasant places in the world. The food served here is some of the best served anywhere, it makes me proud to be an American."
OC Register

"The best food in Orange County."
"Possibly the best breakfast in the United States"
Zagat Survey

2004 - Ranked #1 Food in Orange County
Zagats Review

1999 "One of the best breakfasts in the United States." "Remarkable, What a find."
Zagats Review

"Orange County's best restaurant."
Kelly McGinnis, OC Weekly

"Best Soju Bloody Mary you'll ever have in your life."
David Lansing, LA Times

Sunday Brunch has been elevated to an art form at the Ramos House Café."
Cathy Thomas, LA Times

"John Humphreys' bold American cooking has award-winning written all over it."
Orange County Register