The first thing I noticed upon entering Ranch 45 was the heavy presence of Brandt Beef branding. It almost felt like Brandt was launching a restaurant concept and this was the flagship store. That is not the case, though yet from what I know of Brandt Beef, it’s a great association to have.
Located in Brawley, California, about 130 miles east of San Diego, the Brandt family has been in the livestock and farming business since the early 1900s. With the onset of consumer concerns regarding hormones and antibiotics in the early 1990s, the Brandt family made a decision to go against the industry standard and raise their animals naturally. Today, Brandt Beef is proud to be feeding its animals a vegetarian corn-based diet for more than 365 days without hormones and antibiotic free. Besides all that, it just tastes really good.
Ranch 45 was founded by Executive Chef Laura Bruce and General Manager Pam Schwartz and opened in November 2018 across the street from the Del Mar Fairgrounds on Via de la Valle. Schwartz comes to Ranch 45 with 30 years in the restaurant industry. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute and spent time working in restaurants in Atlanta, Las Vegas and New York. In San Diego, Schwartz managed San Diego Marriott Del Mar’s Arterra, the Pamplemousse Grille for five years and was most recently at Hello Betty Fish House in Oceanside.
The Ranch 45 space is a casual, laidback atmosphere with modern touches. They serve up an all-day breakfast, lunch, and take-home dinners from their gourmet meat selection. Ranch 45 will also offer cooking classes and aims to become a community hub.
As mentioned at Ranch 45, it’s all about the beef. That Brandt Beef plays a key role in several dishes including breakfast burritos with house-made chorizo. I’d heard great things about their burger, which is a simple, no-frills patty with tomato and onion on a brioche bun. Thank you Ranch 45 for letting the flavor of your quality beef come through and not overloading it with unnecessary ingredients like eggs and such.
While I’m on the topic, the sandwich section of the menu also has a Patty Melt, BLTA … a BLT with avocado, Reuben, Carne Asada Burrito, Tri Tip Sandwich, Dutch Steak Fries and a Protein Bowl. Some nice looking soups and salads round out the lunch portion of the menu.
Breakfast is served all day and those offerings are equally fabulous. Some of the Ranch breakfast options include Dutch steak and eggs, a breakfast power bowl with egg whites, quinoa, spinach and seasonal vegetables and a bacon, egg and cheese croissant with all-natural beef bacon. And of course what would a coastal restaurant be without smoothies and cold-pressed juice? Lot’s of coffee and tea options on the menu as well along with Mightybooch Kombucha. They will always offer a soup of the day and Brandt beef all-natural bone broth is a constant on the menu.
It also should be noted that the restaurant sources everything locally, from coffee beans from Cafe Virtuoso to Mary’s Free-Range Chicken, vegetables from Chino Farms and locally sourced eggs from Eben-Haezer Poultry Ranch out of Ramona. Anything on the menu can be made gluten-free, and there are also several vegan-friendly options.
They recently received their beer and wine license so Ranch 45 will be offering happy hours. Keep an eye on their website and social media for more on these events.
The Butcher’s Case offers premier cut-to-order beef products of the highest quality along with a selection of meats to go including skirt steak, Dutch steaks, all natural beef bacon, tomahawks and more. Soon to come, guests will find BBQ grilling kits just in time for summer. The restaurant also offers cooking classes, private dining and an event space. Everything I tried at Ranch 45 was spot on and made me want to come back for more. I should note that there is a kid’s menu and a large, dog-friendly outdoor patio.
Ranch 45 is located at 512 Via de la Valle, suite 102 in Solana Beach. They are open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit ranch45.com
Top: The standout Brandt Beef Burger at Ranch 45. Photo by Paulina Millan (Katalyst PR)
