Remember 2000s downtown Modesto? Team behind old hotspot back with new Goat Bar & Grill
When a well-liked restaurant is sold, customers typically worry about what the new owners will do with the place.
But anyone who remembers downtown Modesto’s nightlife scene in the mid 2000s should feel very familiar with the plans for the old Ralston’s Goat — and with its new owners themselves. The group of longtime collaborators who have taken over the restaurant and bar at the corner of J and 10th streets formerly ran the Copper Rhino, a hot nightspot that operated just down the block from their new venture for close to a decade until it closed in 2012.
The new owners — regional bar owner Les Knoll, married event promotions team Jill and Ryan Irons and business partner Justin Diaz — want to make the transition as smooth as possible, down to the name. They’ve dropped “Ralston’s,” and now just call the place The Goat Bar & Grill.
The old name was a reference to one of Modesto’s founders (banker William Ralston) and a rejected city motto (“Nobody’s got Modesto’s goat” instead of the current “Water Wealth Contentment Health). The new name keeps the goat legacy, and brings back a lot of the team that made 10th street so fun almost two decades ago.
That includes former Copper Rhino owner Knoll, who since 2017 has owned CR2 (an homage to the Copper Rhino) at the corner of Oakdale Road and Sylvan Avenue, and Jill Irons, a longtime area event promoter who got her start working at the Copper Rhino with Knoll.
Former Copper Rhino team returns to downtown
They’ve also hired fellow Copper Rhino and Twisted Pig alum Griffin Dye as bar manager, rounding out a team with decades of restaurant and bar experience. But Jill Irons, who with her husband puts on regional events like the Riverbank Wine & Cheese Festival and Taco Festival, said with everyone now older they wanted to make sure their next project was more family friendly.
“It’s nice to be back together,” Jill Irons said. “What makes the Goat the Goat is a lot of the hard work that (previous owner) Mike did. So when Les came to us with this, we thought it was the deal of a lifetime.”
The new Goat builds on what Ralston’s longtime operator Mike Shelton was able to create. Opened in 2015, the high-profile corner spot and outdoor patio become a magnet for live local music until he sold the spot this summer.
The new Goat is continuing that live music legacy, and hopes to meld some of the best of the group’s past and present projects in an all-ages restaurant setting. That includes adding a game room, like at Knoll’s north Modesto CR2, and bringing back some of the actual bar fixtures from the Copper Rhino, including the back bar, shelving and wall art.
The Ironses said they wanted to take advantage of the unusual U-shaped design of the 3,500 square-foot space, by turning the J street-facing front room into a place for people to play games — from snooker to pool, foosball to darts, and pinball to a custom-made shuffleboard table. The back room, which has the bar, features its main dining area and opens to the patio.
Other than moving in game machines and equipment and some paint, not much has changed inside The Goat. But outside, the team has big plans to take its live music to the next level.
Ryan Irons said they plan to build out the patio, enclosing the area and adding a roof to make it an all-weather space. They hope to install a larger, more permanent stage as well. Plans have been submitted to the city, and if things go as planned they hope to have it completed in early 2024.
“Nobody else has a stage in their front yard like (The Goat) does. I love it. It’s so unique,” said Ryan Irons, who also owns Hometown Heating & Air with business partner Diaz.
Already they’ve restarted live music on site, hosting open mic night for local artists on Wednesdays. Other theme nights have also begun, including a foosball league on Mondays, karaoke on Tuesdays and free pool on Thursdays. Once the outdoor patio is complete, they plan to book local, regional and touring acts on their new stage on the weekends.
All-ages restaurant features bar favorites for lunch, dinner
Jill Irons said by expanding their live music options and bringing in the game room, they hope to broaden their appeal.
“We think one of the keys to making it downtown is to have multiple attractions for people,” she said. “We have live music, we have a full bar, we have a game room and we have food.”
The food menu leans in heavily on bar and fried favorites. Appetizers include spicy fried chicken bites, nachos, fried pork belly and more (prices range from $9 to $16). The lunch and dinner options include several burgers (from jalapeno bacon to PB&J for $15 to $17), tacos (from chicken, beef, shrimp and fish for $14 to $15) and a number of specialty sandwiches (even grilled cheese for $10) and fry bread tostada ($16).
The bar also has a full menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty cocktails. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner until 9 p.m. After that it becomes a 21-and-over venue.
The Ironses said they’re excited to be part of the downtown Modesto scene again, and look forward to taking part in upcoming community events including Rockin Holiday, the Tenth Street Plaza Christmas festivities.
“Our goal is to get the live music scene to come back in Modesto,” Jill Irons said. “And this location is kind of the hub of it all.”
The Goat, at 1005 10th St. in Modesto, is open 11:30 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday (opening late at 3 p.m. Monday) and 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information call 209-549-9413 or visit www.facebook.com/GoatBarGrill.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
