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Farm-to-table Modern American cuisine is the prevalent style in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County, but this encompasses both the delicate preparations of Yountville’s Thomas Keller, whose restaurants include The French Laundry, and the upscale comfort food served throughout the Wine Country. The quality (and hype) often means high prices, but you can find appealing, inexpensive eateries, especially in Napa, Calistoga, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa.
No cheese is made at the factory, but the 2024 resurrection of this Sonoma Plaza fixture for picnic fixings surpassed previous iterations with the addition of The Butcherman, whose executive chef, Oscar Gomez, held the title of head butcher at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry. Gomez and his team prep brisket, tri-tip, pulled-pork, turkey, and other smoked meats (there are also non-smoked options) for sandwiches or plates.
A French-trained chef with Napa Valley haute-cuisine chops transformed a cavernous auto-repair shop on downtown's periphery into a clean-lined, order-at-the-counter homage to the Kansas City–style barbecue of his youth. Chef Darryl Bell Jr.'s access to the area's best protein and produce purveyors ensures steady lines for lunch and dinner (after 1 pm and right at 5 pm are good times to dodge the wait).
Kris Austin of Mississippi and Marvin McKenzy of Kentucky operate this hot spot for Texas-style barbecue notorious for long summer lines and closing when the food runs out. Brisket, tri-tip, and pulled pork appear in sandwiches and plates, the latter also including pork spare ribs, chicken, and jalapeño sausage.
A roadside stand at the west end of Calistoga's downtown, Buster's serves Louisiana-style barbecue basics, sweet potato pies, and cornbread muffins. Local-fave sandwiches at lunch (best time to come) include the tri-tip, spicy hot links, and pulled pork, with tri-tip and pork or beef ribs the hits at dinner (which ends early, at 6 or 7 in winter, 7 or 8 in summer).
Beef brisket and St. Louis ribs are the hits at this saloonlike, order-at-the-counter joint whose house-made sauces include espresso barbecue, South Carolina mustard, and the sweet-and-sourish KIN blend. Along with the expected sides of potato salad, cornbread muffins, and baked beans (the latter bourbon-infused), the spiced sweet-potato tater tots and Granny-Smith-and-horseradish slaw stand out.
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