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Nearly every seat in this urbane bistro has a view of its most important feature—a wood-fired brick oven used to prepare everything from local Kumamoto oysters and creatively topped pizzas to wild-mushroom cobbler. Soups, several well-constructed salads, grilled meats, and seafood round out the menu.
1630 F St., Eureka, California, 95501, USA
Known For
- House-made sausage pizza
- Polenta lasagna
- Affiliated 2 Doors Down wine bar steps away
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No lunch
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In a weather-beaten shack that doesn't look like much but whose outdoor tables perch over the Russian River Estuary near the Pacific, this order-at-the-counter health-oriented café attracts meandering tourists, serious cyclists tackling curvy Highway 1, and West County residents soaking up the views and countercultural vibe. Sandwiches and salads, many incorporating locally caught fish and seafood, are the lunch mainstays, with avocado toast, eggs cooked various ways, and yogurt-granola parfait among the breakfast selections.
10439 Hwy. 1, Jenner, California, 95450, USA
Known For
- Organic ingredients
- True-trade coffee, prebiotic sodas
- Live music on weekends
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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An oasis of low-key sophistication in downtown Ukiah, Cultivo is known for inventive wood-fired pizzas (try the braised-pork or wild-boar-sausage pie, or go meatless with one starring trumpet mushrooms) but also plates up oysters on the half shell, fish tacos, a gem salad with bacon and buttermilk–blue cheese dressing, and entrées like grilled salmon and a hefty porterhouse. Meals are served on thick wooden tables in the downstairs bar area and mezzanine; there's also sidewalk dining out front.
108 W. Standley St., California, 95482, USA
Known For
- Something for everyone
- California beers on tap
- Well-chosen, mostly Mendocino wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch
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Ask Bodega Bay residents where they go for superfresh, reasonably priced seafood in a casual setting, and many will suggest this unassuming order-at-the-counter shack. Boston clam chowder, seafood tacos and sandwiches, and fish (or calamari, crab cakes, or prawns) and chips are the hands-down favorites, along with raw or cooked oysters.
599 Hwy. 1, Bodega Bay, California, 94923, USA
Known For
- Tented open-air dining area
- Closes early evening
- Taffy, toffee, root beer floats, and other desserts
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Aided by her mother, Barbara, a former pastry chef at famed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Franny, turns out sophisticated and inventive baked goods. Morning favorites include scones and sweet and savory pastries; there are fruit tarts and strawberry-apricot crisps, plus a mouthwatering assortment of cookies, candy, jams, and jellies for indulging anytime.
213 Main St., Point Arena, California, 95468, USA
Known For
- Dazzling specialty cakes
- Delightful ambience
- Cash-only, closes at noon on Sunday
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch Sun. No dinner
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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The eye-level bay perspective steals the show at this low-slung self-described barbecue and Italian restaurant whose outdoor seating areas fill up quickly in good weather. For breakfast the kitchen turns out oh-so-moist caramel-bacon monkey bread and burritos with scrambled eggs and brisket; lunchtime brings Italian-style scallop-and-clam chowder, fish tacos, pulled-pork sandwiches, and, in season, Dungeness crab sandwiches awash in molten Havarti cheese.
1410 Bay Flat Rd., Bodega Bay, California, 94923, USA
Known For
- Alicia's Crackling Nachos with or without meat
- 14-hour cherrywood-smoked beef and brisket
- Wine list favoring small Sonoma County producers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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The chef at this ocean-bluff inn's redwood-paneled dining room describes the Mendocino Coast's most intricate meal—an 8- to 12-course, prix-fixe extravaganza—as "hyperlocal" seasonal cuisine revolving around seafood and vegetables (many of the latter grown on-site). The artistry displayed in every dish lives up to the raves the restaurant has received from local and national food writers.
5600 S. Hwy. 1, Elk, California, 95432, USA
Known For
- Breathtaking views
- Astute wine pairings
- Five-course prix-fixe lunch ($95)
Restaurant Details
Closed Tues. and Wed. (except in-room dinner for guests)
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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Captain Heather Sears leads her all-woman crew of "girls gone wild for wild-caught seafood" that heads oceanward on the Princess troller, returning with some of the seafood served at their harbor-view restaurant under the Noyo River Bridge. Chowder, crab or lobster bisque, crab rolls, shrimp po'boys, raw or barbecued oysters, and seasonal wild seafood plates that might include sablefish, salmon, rock cod, or prawns count among the stars here.
32096 N. Harbor Dr., Fort Bragg, California, 95437, USA
Known For
- Fresh, sustainable seafood
- Dozen beers on tap
- Crew members who clearly love their jobs
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed.
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The hot tip at this low-slung cliff's-edge restaurant is to come early or reserve a window table, where the Russian River and Pacific Ocean views alone, particularly at sunset, might make your day (even more so if you're a birder). Seafood is the specialty—during the summer the chef showcases local king salmon—but filet mignon, duck, elk, a vegetarian napoleon, and pasta with prawns are often on the dinner menu.
11048 Hwy. 1, Jenner, California, 95450, USA
Known For
- Majestic setting
- Raw oysters and wine pairing
- Burgers, fish-and-chips for lunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. and Thurs.
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Before a day of hiking and exploring, fuel up on organic espresso and coffee drinks, freshly baked breads and pastries, house-made granola, frittatas, and bagels with lox, chèvre, local jams, poached eggs, and other toppings. The lunch lineup includes soups, salads, and panini. This cozy and art-filled place is great for people-watching and mingling with locals.
363 Trinity St., Trinidad, California, 95570, USA
Known For
- Bagels with creative toppings
- Strong, organic coffee
- Vegetarian options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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A garden of heirloom and exotic plantings surrounds this popular restaurant inside a yellow Victorian cottage. Local ingredients find their way into dishes that might include Oaxacan-style ceviche, smash burgers, pizzas from a wood-fired brick oven, fish and prawn tacos, beef bourguignon, and oven-roasted cauliflower with house-made mole verde.
961 Ukiah St., Mendocino, California, 95460, USA
Known For
- Garden dining in fine weather
- Bowls and other vegan and vegetarian selections
- "Waiting Room" for morning pastries and other grab-and-go fare
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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Amid Old Town's vibrant dining district, this rollicking spot in a former saloon and brothel turns out consistently fresh locally caught seafood—steamed clams, grilled snapper, oyster burgers, homemade chowder, and quite a bit more. Soups, salads, steaks, and burgers are on the menu, too, and breakfast, served only on weekends, is popular. After your meal, stroll a short way to Living the Dream Ice Cream for a gelato by the harbor.
102 F St., Eureka, California, 95501, USA
Known For
- Historic vibe
- Locally sourced oysters (raw and grilled)
- Victorian-style B&B upstairs
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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$$$ | | Modern American
On a sunny afternoon or at sunset, glistening ocean views from the Coast Kitchen's outdoor patio and indoor dining space elevate dishes emphasizing seafood and local produce both farmed and foraged. Starters like a baby gem lettuce Caesar and grilled salmon wings precede entrées that may include seared scallops and aged rib eye.
Timber Cove, 21780 Hwy. 1, Jenner, California, 95450, USA
Known For
- Oceanview patio (frequent whale sightings in winter and spring)
- Sonoma County cheeses, wines, and produce
- Fresh ingredients
- Ocean-view patio (frequent whale sightings in winter and spring)
- Bar menu 3 pm–5 pm
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In a rough-hewn structure that, for years, housed a beloved coffee haunt called the Horn of Zeese—the local "Boontling" lingo for a cup (horn) of coffee (zeese)—international wine expert Wendy Lamer operates this combination wine bar and gourmet mini-mart. Well versed in the local wine scene and generous with advice, she pours wines by the glass or bottle and serves up sliders and other "disco snacks."
14025 Hwy. 128, California, 95415, USA
Known For
- Wines by Anderson Valley producers without tasting rooms
- European and other wines complementing local selection
- Good stop for light lunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed. No dinner
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You'll often see cyclists sitting on benches outside Elk's general store, wolfing down well-made salads and deli sandwiches after scaling the coastal highway's hills. The staffers at this modest pit stop for all travelers are consistently welcoming, and the ocean views is a bonus.
6101 S. Hwy. 1, Elk, California, 95432, USA
Known For
- Picnic fixings
- Beer and wine selection
- Bakery items
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No dinner
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Brave the lines at this seafood shack that doubles as a bait-and-tackle store to feast on crab sandwiches on sourdough, catch-of-the-day fish tacos, and fresh Tomales Bay oysters raw or barbecued (the latter with sauces that include piquant chorizo butter). The family owners place a premium on quality and sustainably produced ingredients.
1850 Bay Flat Rd., Bodega Bay, California, 94923, USA
Known For
- Indoor and outdoor seating
- Hearty clam chowder and Portuguese fish stew
- Vegetarian options including salads and beer-batter avocado and fries
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Grass-fed-beef burgers, pulled-pork and pork-schnitzel sandwiches, and cod ceviche are among the popular items this hip-casual restaurant serves all day, with heritage pork chop, rotisserie chicken, and similar plates appearing for dinner. Well-selected breads and buns, crispy fries with the burgers, perfect pickles with the sandwiches, and slivers of fresh ginger in the ceviche elevate the farm-to-table comfort fare, much of it showcasing ingredients from local purveyors.
13380 U.S. 101, California, 95449, USA
Known For
- All-day brunch
- Mendocino County wines
- Tastings at affiliated wine shop 200 feet south
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A plaque out front hints at the layers of history that have unfolded in this hangout's redbrick 1880s structure. The mood's invariably upbeat in the bar, even more so in the courtyard beer garden, where patrons chow down on burgers, sandwiches, chicken wings, and other pub grub.
13351 U.S. 101, California, 95449, USA
Known For
- California brews on tap
- Down-home atmosphere
- Live music some nights
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. (but check). No lunch Wed.
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Boonville locals and frequent visitors love Lauren's for its down-home vibe and well-sourced comfort food—vegetarian and ground-beef burgers, hand-cut fries, chicken tostadas, fish-and-chips, and Thai-curry bowls. Chocolate brownies and (seasonally) apple tarts and honey-baked pears are among the desserts worth a trip on their own.
14081 Hwy. 128, California, 95415, USA
Known For
- "made-from-scratch American-International cooking"
- Many ingredients grown or produced nearby
- Taco Tuesdays with half-price margaritas
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Tues.–Thurs.
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The tastefully eclectic Mayan decor at this restaurant near the Skunk Train depot hints at the layers of complexity in the Yucatán-inflected cuisine based on the chef-owner's family recipes. Tamales, empanadas, sweet Mexican corn, fish tacos, and pork slow-roasted in banana leaves form the menu's backbone, with pork osso buco and the meatless, mildly spicy Thai burrito (or add coconut prawns) typical of the fusion plays.
418 N. Main St., Fort Bragg, California, 95437, USA
Known For
- Family restaurant vibe
- Mayan clam chowder and Yucatán cioppino
- Mojitos, margaritas, and other specialty drinks