On Friday, October 23, Holman Ranch will serve a relish tray, garlic bread, and grilled filet with horseradish cream at 18 W. Carmel Valley Road, celebrating one of Carmel Valley's most beloved culinary legacies. Will's Fargo served steaks in that building for 58 wonderful years, and this special evening, "Will's Fargo Returns for One Night Only," brings that cherished era back to life. Tickets are $175.
This dinner is a beautiful tribute to a building that has delighted Carmel Valley Village for close to a century, with each new chapter honoring the ones that came before it. In 2017, the building celebrated its 1930s tavern roots. This fall, for one special night, it's the beloved steakhouse era taking center stage.
A Building with a Rich and Storied Past
Holman Ranch's event page notes that Will's Fargo was "founded in 1928." That date marks the building's beginning. In a 2015 profile, SFGate reported that the brick building went up in 1928 as a charming tearoom, later becoming a beloved roadhouse for Monterey families traveling the scenic route to Tassajara Hot Springs. Will Fay bought it in 1959, transformed it into a steakhouse, and gave it his name. The Monterey Herald's 2017 account confirms the same timeline, with Fay's opening in 1959.
Pulled together from several sources, this address has been a beloved gathering place for generations:
- A tearoom, built in 1928 and welcoming guests through the 1920s
- Carmel Valley Tavern, from 1932 to 1937
- A cherished roadhouse on the route between Monterey and Tassajara
- The Carousel Restaurant, which Fay and his business partner from San Francisco's LeBeouf Steakhouse brought to life in the late 1950s, according to the Carmel Valley Historical Society
- Will's Fargo Dining House & Saloon, a beloved institution from 1959 to April 2017, with Fay, Bernardus Lodge's ownership starting in 2002, and Holman Ranch owner Thomas Lowder from late 2014 each adding their own chapter
- Holman Ranch Tavern, which opened its doors May 20, 2017
- The Holman Ranch Tasting Room, dated to 2020 on Holman Ranch's own timeline
Each era brought something special, and Fay's steakhouse years left perhaps the most lasting mark, shaping the look many people still fondly associate with the building today. The Historical Society's June 2024 newsletter shares that Fay and his partner lovingly furnished the room with antiques and collectibles sourced from auctions and wrecking yards, creating a charming Victorian Western, turn-of-the-century atmosphere. That same spring, the Society celebrated this legacy with an exhibit, "Will's Fargo Restaurant & Saloon: The Will Fay Era 1959-1993," at its annual meeting. The newsletter also honors Sidney Slade and her late husband, Frank Quilty, who carried the torch after Fay.
A New Chapter in 2017
When Bernardus passed the Will's Fargo torch in November 2014, SFGate reported that Carmel Valley Village was excited to see what would come next for this beloved steakhouse space. The new owner, Thomas Lowder, already had deep roots in the Valley through Holman Ranch, another historic property with its own wonderful steak tradition. In the 1940s, Holman's Guest Ranch served steaks from the ranch's own white-faced Hereford cattle to notable guests including Clark Gable, Vincent Price, Joan Crawford, and Marlon Brando.
Lowder's daughter Hunter Lowder and her husband, Nick Elliott, ran the steakhouse with care for about two and a half years. When it came time for a new chapter, Hunter Lowder shared her thinking with Edible Monterey Bay:
"The restaurant industry is definitely changing and people just aren't going out for high-end dinners anymore... It wasn't a financial decision for us, but we looked at what we're good at and that seems to be the happy hour crowd."
The inspiration for the next chapter came from the building's own 1930s history. The Herald reported that the new concept would beautifully honor the era when the building was Carmel Valley Tavern, from 1932 to 1937, complete with new signage and a plaque celebrating every restaurant that had called the building home. "When it was a tavern they had game nights, really getting people together to enjoy life in the village," Lowder told the paper. "That's what we want to re-create, to get away from the more formal restaurant experience."
The tavern welcomed guests daily from noon to 7 p.m. with shareable plates alongside the classic steaks. Jérôme Viel, a former Will's Fargo chef who had gone on to own Carmel Valley Market, returned to develop the menu as consulting chef, bringing continuity to the new concept. The tavern beautifully preserved pieces of the Fay years too: the original bar stayed in use, and Edible Monterey Bay reported that Ben Pon's stuffed boar heads, photographs of Will Fay, and a Jack Swanson painting created for Fay remained in the room, joined by charming new additions like leather Mexican chairs, orange sectionals on the front patio, and cowhide rugs. Holman Ranch's earlier tasting room at 19 E. Carmel Valley Road closed on May 15 so the business could move into this storied space.
Holman Ranch's team page currently lists Tom and Susan Lowder as proprietors, carrying the Valley's hospitality tradition forward.
Celebrating the Will's Fargo Era Once Again
Holman Ranch's Tasting Room has been a beloved part of historic Carmel Valley Village since 2020, offering guests a charming 1920s-era setting for tastings, retail bottles, venue space, and lovely outdoor patios. It's open Thursday through Monday from noon to 6 p.m. The Estate Tasting is $35 for five wines, including the celebrated Three Sisters and Three Brothers Pinot Noirs.
The October 23 dinner is a wonderful nod to the steakhouse era so many in the community hold dear. Nine years after the tavern's debut, the steakhouse returns for one special ticketed evening, announced on Holman Ranch's blog on August 30. Holman Ranch describes the menu as a classic steakhouse dinner paired with estate-grown wines, "inspired by the former Will's Fargo Dining House & Saloon."
When: Friday, October 23, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Holman Ranch Tasting Room, 18 W. Carmel Valley Road
Starters: relish tray and garlic bread, then a Caesar or house salad
Entrées: grilled filet with horseradish cream sauce, grilled lobster with drawn butter, or herb-stuffed chicken breast, each served with a twice-baked potato and green beans
Dessert: strawberry shortcake and chocolate lava cake, with coffee available
Tickets: $175, sold through Holman Ranch's Tock page, with guests choosing their salad and entrée at purchase
The relish tray, garlic bread, and twice-baked potato bring back all the classic steakhouse charm longtime fans remember fondly. Questions can be directed to [email protected] or (831) 659-2640, ext. 2, and interested guests should check availability on Tock to secure their spot for this special evening.
Guests joining the October 23 dinner will get to experience the room's storied décor firsthand and see which beloved touches from the Fay era remain.
More to Celebrate This Fall
The building's role as a beloved community gathering space continues throughout the season:
- Thursday, October 15, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Pumpkin Paint & Sip at the Tasting Room
- Friday, November 13, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: Happy Hour on the Half Shell, with freshly shucked oysters and Reserve Jarman Sparkling Brut Rosé
- Saturday, November 14, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: McIntyre Family Wines hosts a small-business Makers Market at its tasting room, 24 W. Carmel Valley Road
- Sunday, November 22, 4:30 to 8 p.m.: Holman Ranch's Harvest Table Wine Dinner, a five-course celebration by Paradise Catering, held at the estate at 60 Holman Road
The Jarman name featured in the November 13 celebration traces back to the building's 2017 chapter, when the new tavern concept introduced tasting patios for Holman wines and their beloved Jarman label.
At Monterey Coast Realty, we love following the story of Carmel Valley Village through its historic buildings and the people who bring them to life, as well as through its listings. If you have stories about Will's Fargo, or questions about the Village properties around it, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us.
