A Quiet Night After Venturing Around Ventura

Finney's Crafthouse and Kitchen

494 East Main Street

Ventura, CA 93001

It's amazing how a little getaway can really take a lot out of you. After a few hours of exploring downtown Ventura, touring the mission, walking the boardwalk at the beach, and finding the time to get a few hours of napping in, the last thing Katie and I wanted to do was get all dressed up, drive a half-hour to dinner, and be out past nine. Yes, I guess I sound like an old man. 

We instead decided to forgo where I had planned to eat for dinner, and instead take the short stroll from our hotel to downtown Ventura. We looked around for a place and found Finney's Crafthouse at the corner of Main and California streets, in a building that used to be home to the First National Bank. Back when we visited in October, they offered outdoor seating and Finney's was one of the busiest spots downtown, so that's where we settled on, plus we did not have to do any more walking. 

I didn't know it when we were there, but Finney's Crafthuouse currently has three other locations, Westlake Village, Santa Barbara, San Lis Obispo, and their newest venture, which is making its debut in early spring of this year in Burbank, taking over the spot that was occupied by Market City Caffe. Finney's is a family run business started in 2016, with Greg Finefrock as the founder.  

Finney's offers 30 taps, most of which are used to pour craft beers. Along with that awesome beer selection, their food menu features plenty to pick from as well. They have 18 starters to choose from, salads, flatbreads, tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and a trio of desserts round out the rest of the menu offerings. Prices were pretty modest, as most items hover around the $12 to $14 price point, with only the Thai Steak Salad and an Impossible Burger listed as the most expensive items on their menu, at $16. Now that you have a good lay of the land, let's check out what we ate this October evening. 

It was a little cool outside, so Katie wanted a starter that would heat us up a bit. She selected the Buffalo Cauliflower ($11). I'm a big fan of fried cauliflower, and this one did not fail to impress. The cauliflower was fried well with a nice crunchy exterior while having some blue cheese crumbles sprinkled about, and a garlic aioli lining the bottom of the rectangular plate. The menu states that this comes with a yuzu sauce, but what we got I'd call more of a buffalo sauce for dipping. Whatever it was it didn't matter because we both really enjoyed this starter. 

If you were not aware, Katie has been doing the keto thing for six months now, and the good folks at Finney's obliged her request to forgo the bun on her Jalapeno Egg Burger ($12). This burger was something that I had wanted to try, but I stepped aside so she could get it. The burger patties at Finney's are a blend of chuck, brisket, and hanger steak, and this one came with fried jalapenos, bacon, white cheddar cheese, chipotle aioli, and of course a fried egg topping it. She enjoyed the big flavors of the burger. She's a little sensitive to heat but found the fried jalapenos to have a manageable heat level. She was a fan of the burger patty, which she called juicy. The side salad was good sized and included plenty of ranch dressing on the fresh greens. She claimed that she'd get this one again.   

Since Katie selected my first choice, I went with this good looking New York Pastrami Reuben ($14). The hand-cut pastrami came sandwiched on toasted rye, with dijon, swiss, and Russian dressing on the side. The menu called for slaw as well, but they must have forgotten it. I liked this sandwich but felt that the pastrami was chopped too much, which made it stand out less than it should have. I liked the contrast of the dijon and the Russian dressing, but some more cheese on this would have been appreciated. I could have upgraded my side, but I stuck with the potato chips, which were nice and crisp. 

I really enjoyed the vibe at Finney's, even though we were sitting out in front of the restaurant. If we lived in the area, I could envision us coming here quite often for dinner, or to watch Sunday football. After eating here, I get the sense that they take great care in crafting a menu and elevating the usual bar food that has become far too commonplace. This is not frozen stuff that they get out of a bag and heat up. This looks and tastes like real food, at a very reasonable price point. Service was very cheerful and friendly, and our food came to us in a very timely manner. This was just what we needed after a busy day exploring Ventura.  

Out of five bags of money, (because this building used to be home to a bank), five being best to zero being worst, Finney's Crafthouse gets 3 bags of money. 

For more information about Finney's Crafthouse and Kitchen, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.finneyscrafthouse.com/