The newest addition to downtown San Juan Cap offers sophisticated shops and restaurants while retaining the city's Western vibe.
Drone footage of the River Street Marketplace campus. Video courtesy of Almquist
It started with a flurry of new restaurants. Heritage Barbecue opened in 2019, followed by chic Mediterranean dining room Mayfield in 2020. That same year, the Inn at the Mission debuted its Spanish dining room.
Then, two venerated restaurateurs moved in: Russ Bendel and partners launched Bloom Restaurant + Bar, a cozy dinner-and-drinks spot in 2022 and David Wilhelm bought Cedar Creek Inn in 2023 and unveiled its makeover, Tavern at the Mission in 2024.
By then it was clear: Downtown San Juan Capistrano was blowing up.
Now she’s the queen of the rodeo with this grand newcomer: River Street Marketplace, a 60,000-square-foot playground by developer Almquist just steps from Los Rios Street opened late last year. Anchor stores include a Hobie Surf Shop and Mendocino Farms, but it’s also home to a Pilates studio and a food hall. The rest of the campus is filling in briskly.
This new complex in the heart of old town has stayed true to the community’s roots. Instead of a slick city feel, River Street Marketplace has been developed with a little bit of a country twang, making it the Rodeo Drive for cowboys and cowgirls in the same way downtown Huntington Beach caters to surfers.
The vibe is rancho days, carefully blended with contemporary California; citrus trees edge the parking lot, buildings resemble barns and farmhouses, open spaces are filled with welcoming green lawns and wide gravel paths, don’t wear those fancy athletic shoes or you’ll be picking pea-sized stones out of the soles.
Instead, pull on your good boots and kick up your heels. Here are five of our favorite hangouts in this new Western wonderland.
Capo Leisure House: PHOTO 1: The bar serve craft beers, wine and cocktails, along with small bites. PHOTO 2: The patio has plenty of seating and a fire pit. PHOTO 3: Servers dress like cowgirls. Photos by Anne Valdespino, Culture OC
Capo Leisure House
We’ve always liked Swallow’s Inn and Trevor’s at the Tracks but this place feels more updated and upscale.
There’s a 40-foot bar and plenty of room on the patio where loads of comfy lounge furniture and a fire pit make you want to set a spell with a cool beverage. Award-winning brewer Max Jones promises that beers will soon be crafted on the premises. The tasty selection includes Mexican lager, German pilsner, hefeweizen, Irish red, hazy IPA, West Coast IPA and double IPA.
There are also premium wines by the glass ($13-$26) and the bottle on Capo’s all-California list with Neyers chardonnay, Justin cabernet and Sojourn Cellars’ rosé of pinot noir leading the list.
Cocktails are all $16 and we love these Wild West twists on the classics. Mexi Cali Negroni is made with blanco tequila, Guajillo-Campari and Carpano Antica vermouth, its sweet notes balancing the bitterness of the Campari. The Mission Margarita is a thirst-quenching blend of plata tequila, Naranja Liqueur, lime and a zippy hibiscus syrup that turns it an appealing pink. Of course, there are whisky drinks and we saw quite a few espresso martinis – they seem to be having a moment now – floating by.
Bites by Capas restaurant in the nearby food hall keep hunger at bay and servers in cute cowgirl outfits of faded jeans, denim shirts and Stetsons keep the drinks coming. Yee haw!
Rodeo River Street is a new food hall in San Juan Capistrano's River Street Marketplace. PHOTO 1: An exterior entrance to the food hall. PHOTO 2: Cookies on display at Hudson's Cookies. PHOTO 3: Giant chocolate brownies at Hudson's. PHOTO 4: A western-themed mural in the dining area. Photos by Anne Valdespino, Culture OC
Rodeo River Street
For the indecisive, there’s a perfect food hall on property. It’s just as eclectic as its sister location Rodeo 39 Public Market in Stanton and the name coincidentally fits the new concept like a deerskin roping glove.
Not everything is open, so keep watching for more rollouts.
There will be a couple of Asian concepts in the hall and Hudson’s Cookies for when your sweet tooth kicks in. Look for Nom, Parana Empanadas, Shootz Hawaiian, Bred Hot Chicken and Kozan Teahouse, too. Italian cuisine by Pastalia, The Sushi Stand and Kebab Craft are coming soon.
We had a taste of Mexican food from Capas at a recent media night. Their small bites consisted of neatly stacked nachos compose – that’s French for not piling a bunch of messy ingredients on top of sloppy cheese sauce. Instead, each one was constructed individually with smoked short rib, seafood and other goodies loaded onto crunchy round tortilla chips. This chuck wagon knows how to dish up some tasty vittles.
Finca at River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano is the latest new concept by Chef David Pratt. PHOTO 1: The bar serves seasonal fruit margaritas. PHOTO 2: The dry aged, wood-fired burger. PHOTO 3: The restaurant's decor reflects the town's heritage. PHOTO 4: Butternut squash with mole and blue corn tortillas. PHOTO 5: The restaurant serves heirloom beans in a dish that resembles pasta. Photos by Anne Valdespino, Culture OC
Finca
Since Brick closed, local foodies have been awaiting Chef David Pratt’s new concept and it has finally arrived. Finca supports and celebrates small regenerative farms such as The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, Early Bird Farm and Mill in Wilseyville and Rumiano Cheese in Crescent City.
The lunch menu divides into “Greens” ($16-$18), salads with optional protein add-ons; “Farmer” ($12-$17), gourmet veggie-focused dishes; and “Rancher” ($21-$29), a lineup of burgers and sandwiches.
We were really impressed with the fresh takes on seasonal ingredients. Heirloom beans almost looked like a pasta dish with a tangle of yellow beans, roasted mushrooms and cherry tomato confit in a tangy roasted garlic yogurt. Slow roasted butternut squash slices were fanned onto a plate and served with blue corn tortillas and almond mole for a homey take on tacos.
The hand-cut fries made from Kennebec potatoes are plentiful and shareable and come with a trio of sauces: a rich ranch dip, pineapple salsa and tasty house-made ketchup.
But the dish that won our hearts and warmed our palates was the dry-aged, wood-fired Three Stars Burger. It came off the grill juicy with a dark pink center, tucked into a buttery milk brioche bun and topped with farmers’ market mushrooms, Nicasio Farm San Geronimo cheese, fig jam, porcini aioli and onion demi sauce. Craveable and satisfying, it will certainly compete with the steak, quail and rib entrees on the dinner menu.
Of course, there’s wine and craft cocktails, and the seasonal fruit margarita has already made this a popular place for ladies who lunch. But don’t ask for dessert – there’s no need, Chef David told us, not when there’s a McConnell’s ice cream shop nearby.
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams
You know how delicious McConnell’s is right out of the carton, now experience this straight-from-Santa Barbara treat at its first Orange County scoop shop.
The texture is pure luxury, made with 18% milkfat – the highest in the industry. Flavors include Eureka lemon and marionberry, double peanut butter chip, Turkish coffee and chocolate-covered strawberries. We love the sea salt cream and cookies, but don’t get hooked on just one flavor; McConnell’s will offer seasonal varieties unique to this location, so there will always be something new to try.
A single scoop of one or two flavors is $6.95; a double with one to four flavors is $9.50 and a five-flavor flight is $11.50. There are sundaes, shakes, ice cream cookie sandwiches, brownies, sprinkles, waffle cones, gluten-free sugar cones and more. Don’t want to wait? Get a pint to go for $12.95.
No wonder McConnell’s has been a Golden State tradition for 70 years. That yummy, super creamy mouthfeel will take you back to your first licks of a cone from childhood.
Tecovas in San Juan Capistrano's River Street Marketplace has western wear to suit all styles. PHOTO 1: The entrance of Tecovas, which is located next door to Hobie. Photo courtesy of Almquist. PHOTO 2: Gold boots on display at Tecovas. Photo by Anne Valdespino, Culture OC
Tecovas
Next time you hit River Street, you’ll want to look the part. So, visit this special western wear boutique for some quality duds. Based in Austin, Texas, this company is rivaling bigtime bootmakers such as Lucchese but with pricing that’s more down to earth.
Whether you’re looking for he-man work boots, fancy cowgirl kicks or a modest pair of ropers, Tecovas is sure to have something to suit your style. Coordinated accessories include belts, handbags and a goat suede fringe skirt worthy of Dale Evans. Complete your look with a visit to the custom hat bar. They’ll even offer you a cold beer to sip while you shop.
PHOTO 1: San Juan Capistrano's River Street Marketplace is a collection of retail shops and restaurants with a Western vibe. Photo courtesy of Almquist. PHOTO 2: The bar at La Vaquera. The restaurant serves California cuisine. PHOTO 3: A dining spot and mural inside of Mendocino Farms which is an anchor store at River Street Marketplace. PHOTO 4: At the Hobie Surf Shop in San Juan Capistrano's River Street Marketplace, surf wear and western wear share the stage. Photos 2-5 by Anne Valdespino, Culture OC
Who are the Other Tenants?
Here’s a list of other tenants (as of January 2025), with descriptions provided by Almquist.
Bred Hot Chicken: Nashville Hot Chicken
Capas: Baja-inspired ceviche
Shop Common Thread: locally-owned womenswear boutique
Fermentation Farm: sauerkraut, pickles, long-fermented sourdough bread, bone broths and kombucha
Free People: contemporary women’s apparel
Hobie: surfwear and lifestyle products for the modern outdoor experience
Hudson's Cookies: O.C.-based bake shop that’s known for “medium rare” cookies in 30 flavors
Kozan Teahouse: specialty tea beverages
La Vaquera: Santa Barbara-based restaurant with “authentic Californio cuisine”
May Martin: woman-owned jewelry brand and specialty boutique founded in 2014 in Costa Mesa
The Market by Meat Cellar: an in-house butcher counter with source-verified, humanely raised meats and specialty food items
Mendocino Farm: global twists on sandwiches and salads
Nom: Asian-inspired, fast-casual bowls and rolls
Parana Empanadas: San Diego-based restaurant with a dozen types of savory turnovers and dipping sauces
Pick Me Floral Boutique: grab-and-go bouquets, custom arrangements, gifts, house plants
Salt: premium eyewear brand designed by opticians
Seager: San Clemente clothing brand with outdoor gear inspired by “the Old West”
Shootz Hawaiian: fast-casual Hawaiian comfort foods
Studio Pilates: boutique studio experience with superior Pilates reformer machines combined with state-of-the-art audio visual technology and world-class instructors
Toes on the Nose: family-owned and operated surf apparel company based in O.C.
Wildfire Mercantile: Western lifestyle boutique with designer brands such as Justin, Old Gringo, Howler Brothers, Johnny Was, Stetson and Double D Ranchwear
Coming Soon
Kebab Craft: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern combo plates with a SoCal spin
Pastalia: Italian pasta concept with traditional as well as vegan and gluten free dishes
Rowan, a California-based apparel brand and retailer, specializes in “elevated basics” for men and women
The Sushi Stand: classic and contemporary rolls and nigiri
Ubuntu: first O.C. location of a Long Beach-based all-day café
IF YOU GO
Where: 31856 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano
Parking: There’s a pay lot when you enter at Paseo Adelanto or park in the structure on the other side of the tracks on Camino Capistrano.
