Back to Visalia
The Southern Pacific Depot - Steakhouse in Visalia, California

The Southern Pacific Depot

4.3 (126 reviews)

207 E Oak Ave, Visalia, CA 93291

Californian restaurant
Bar
Restaurant

About The Southern Pacific Depot - steak house in Visalia, California

Elegant 1916 train station with stained glass & chandeliers features California cooking & wine.

Customer Review Summary

The Southern Pacific Depot is situated in a historic railroad station, creating an impressive ambiance. However, many patrons find the food and service to be disappointing, particularly during occasions like Thanksgiving where meals are priced steeply. Service issues such as long wait times, wrong orders, and inexperienced staff are common complaints. While some diners have positive experiences praising the atmosphere and exceptional dishes like salmon and calamari steak, others report extremely poor service, leading to frustration. The restaurant seems to struggle with consistency, with some guests enjoying their meals while others find them overpriced and poorly prepared. Overall, it's a mixed bag with impressive decor but notable issues in service and food quality.

Key Features

Service options

  • Dine-in

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Cocktails
  • Food
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Amenities

  • Restroom

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.3 out of 5
5
84
4
21
3
8
2
4
1
9
Based on 126 reviews

Garoupa 1

7 years ago

The restaurant is set in an impressive historic railroad station. Unfortunately the food and service are no match for the opulent surroundings. The food and service at our Thanksgiving dinner was mediocre at best, especially considering entrees were priced a la carte at fifty dollars and up. Upon arrival we were seated at a noisy table facing the kitchen door and had to request a booth that turned out to be cramped and uncomfortable. Service was spotty with the entrees arriving far apart and the wrong orders brought to our table initially. Drink and bread refills had to be requested, and they were served clumsily by amateurish helpers. The food itself was palatable, but far from what you would expect to get at a top tier restaurant in any big city, especially at these prices. Overall, it satisfied our curiosity to try this place once but we will not be "regulars" here.

Hope Rowley

6 years ago

It was really nice! Beautifully decorated for Christmas and wonderful food! We had our work Christmas party there and it was wonderful! Thank you for the service and delicious food!

Brian Brower

5 years ago

Great bar to hang out and keep it low key with friends. Drinks are great and service even better, will be back!

Denise Baumer

Absolutely wonderful!! Great atmosphere, excellent staff and the food was incredible. The salmon was perfect and they did not skimp on the sauce. My husband had the calamari steak and said it was the best he had ever had. I am not fond of calamari but the steak looked so good, I had to try it. It was extremely tender and very tasty. One of the best dining experiences we have had in a long time.

sara young

I never write reviews, but this was the absolute WORST service Ive ever experienced. Our waitress was so incompetent. Our party was 8 and we only ordered dessert, only 3 of us ordered drinks, she didn't know anything about the menu, kept forgetting everything, brought the wrong items and would disappear for so long that it actually ended up being comical. Friday night, not very busy, we couldn't figure out what was going on. Overpriced for the amount and quality of food. Was hoping new ownership would've improved this place. Will never go back.

Rachelle Henshaw

Fabulous as always!!! Love our server Faye she is the best. And the chef will make my favorite app even if it's not on menu. 10 out 5 stars!!

Diane Shambley

3 hours to wait for food was too much. Forty five minutes to wait for water to drink, another hour and forty minutes to get food then 30 minutes to get dessert is a bit much to wait. Spending $43-$49 per meal should mean your food is wonderful. Not the case today. Some of the food could not even be eaten it was so bad. The bill came very quickly though.

Keith Paré

I had to go to the bar to get another drink as the wait staff seemed understaffed. My steak was obviously pulled directly out of the refrigerator because the center was very cold. I had to let it set to bring it up to room temperature. I love salt, but I think the cook loves it more as everything was very salty. It is disappointing to go to a restaurant of this caliper and find the cooked carrot was better than the escargot and filet.

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Hours information not available

Price Range

$$$