Bluewater Lounge

My fiancé and I came here for the first time to celebrate our anniversary, and we were both…read moreincredibly impressed from start to finish. The ambiance was unforgettable. The restaurant's large windows provide beautiful waterfront views no matter where you're seated. Our waitress (whose name I unfortunately forgot) was fantastic. She mentioned she'd been there for 14 years, which says a lot in itself. She was friendly, knowledgeable about every dish, and gave us excellent recommendations. I know Caesar dressing contains anchovies, but I was hesitant about having actual fish on my salad. I'm so glad she encouraged me to try the cooked anchovies on the side--they were delicious. Perfectly salty and a great complement to the salad. The pork chop entrée was perfection! The pork was cooked beautifully, and the bread pudding side was just as memorable. I'm not entirely sure what was in it, but it reminded me of garlic bread in the best way. The applesauce was also a nice touch. The halibut was cooked perfectly as well, and the mashed potatoes practically melted in your mouth. For sides, the grilled asparagus was exactly what you'd hope for, and the crispy potatoes lived up to their name, perfectly seasoned with a great crunch. The soup of the day was a creamy spring onion soup with crispy pancetta. Although just as delicious as everything else ordered, its the one plate we wished the portion was bigger for the price it was going for. We've eaten at plenty of restaurants, but this may be the first time where every single thing we ordered--from the entrées to the sides and sauces--was a 10/10. Needless to say, this won't be our last visit. It was absolutely worth it and such a memorable part of our anniversary trip to Bodega Bay.

Mother's Day Brunch was overall very good, and uncommonly reasonable. Out of 4 dishes we ordered, 3…read morewere excellent; we found the pancakes to be a bit tough in texture. The time between ordering and receiving food was lengthy. It is possible that they were understaffed for a Mothers Day brunch. However, our waitress did check in before food arrived, to let us know the status of our order. Almost everything that we ordered was under $20. This was as opposed to a place like The Flamingo, which was charging $70 *per person* for its Mothers Day brunch. Drakes has a great view, but the most comfortable booth seating is on the wall, farthest from the windows. The tables at the windows are only for 2 (our party was 3).

Inside the restaurant

The fruit paste, honey mustard, and clear honey & honeycomb that came with the charcuterie board

See all

Outdoor fire pit area

Dillon Beach Coastal Kitchen

4.2(153 reviews)

5.5 mi

My husband stayed here and ate her for dinner both nights. Service is great. Food is great. Drinks…read moreare great. Every single item was so good. We had the burger, poke bowl, chicken sandwich, and the clam chowder. Everything 10/10

Dillon Beach Coastal Kitchen is the one real dining establishment in this part of town and it's a…read moregood one. We managed to scoop in right before closing - they close early - 7:00PM. The menu is straightforward and very coastal forward. I ordered the Baja fish tacos ($20). The beer battered rock cod comes topped with smashed avocado, cabbage, cilantro-lime crema + salsa verde. The rock cod was exceptionally good - it's meaty and flakey. The toppings were mild and the perfect complement to the fish. Apparently, the Dillon Beach Burger ($23) is famous and honestly, it's pretty good. It comes with fancy meat - Stemple Creek beef - sauce, lettuce, cheese, dill pickles + fries. I think I added Monterey Jack cheese (+3). This tasted like an elevated backyard burger in the best way possible. Delish. We had a really nice dinner experience. Even though we did come around 6:30, we in no way felt rushed to order or to eat quickly. Service was attentive and excellent. Ten out of ten.

See all

Cider

Ginochio's Kitchen

4.3(482 reviews)

1.9 mi

You MUST try their amazing BBQ options!! Pulled pork perfection, brisket and ribs are all no joke!…read moreThese folks know what they're doing and they do it with love and bomb BBQ sauce! Clam and scallop chowder in a bead bowl makes for a great day at Bodega Bay. Owner Alicia is a local gem of a human and takes pride serving up family recipes to indulge in. More locals should patronize as they truly depend on tourists but when is midweek and not a slamming weekend, come support this awesome delicious casual dining with your dog on the chill patios. Great place great people. During restaurant week they topped over 100 crab sandos to very happy folks! With no shortage of clam chowder around, the offerings at Ginochio's stand out and truly deserve more than 5 stars!!!! You're welcome in advance! This place effin rocks my palate and will impress yours. All meats can be sold by the pound as well so bring some home or to your hotel, everything packs well for a picnic at the beach or a late night when everything is closed!! Sorry no photos this time- we ate too fast ;)

Stopped in for lunch at one of our faves and ordered the nachos, fish tacos and monkey bread…read more(to-go). Of course, EVERYTHING was fantastic!! Also, service was amazing and very down to earth. Dog friendly and great views. Worth the stop. Mimosa's are also on point.

Ginochio's Kitchen on April 13, 2024

Monkey bread with bacon

See all

Cider at Ginochio's Kitchen on April 13, 2024

Gourmet Au Bay

3.9(378 reviews)

1.9 mi

Went here yesterday mid day for the first time and while hardly cheap we still felt it was worth…read moreit. Unlike other more popular restaurants in the area, no need to stand n an endless line which is great. Beautiful spot with great bay views unlike some other area restaurants with a more industrial setting. All the food was excellent. Crab sandwich was outstanding with a gorgeous bun, fantastic couscous and excellent pickled veggies on the side. Clam chowder was very good with a great hint of bacon in the savory broth intermixed with clams. The Rock Cod paella was deemed excellent and my brother in law vowed to get it again next time. If you want a quiet place on the bay with easy parking, great views and friendly service give it a try.

Beautiful spot with amazing views. Wine flights are a must. 4 big pours served on a surfboard…read moreholder. Staff is always sweet. We typically get the oysters- so fresh and delicious. The crab sandwich is good, but not as hearty as some others in the area.

Inside- cute decor

See all

Reality Czeck Pilsner

Terrapin Creek Cafe & Restaurant

4.5(826 reviews)

2.1 mi

This restaurant had a similar menu to another restaurant in Bodega. Ultimately decided to come here…read morebecause the duck looked delicious and the dessert menu was more intriguing.. Glad we came here because the food and wine were delicious, staff were friendly, and ambience was great.

Had the salmon and it was delicious. Restaurant was busy but they squeezed us in with no…read morereservations.

Liberty Farms Duck Breast

See all

Liberty Farms Duck Breast

Drakes Fireside Lounge

3.7(94 reviews)

0.7 mi

We ate at the Fireside Lounge instead of the dining room & had a nice time. The VIEWS from the…read moredining room were awesome!! Easy parking & the service was fabulous! Great views & we recommend the chocolate cake!

Really good food and service...awesome view! Each time we've been the waiters give us such…read morepersonalized attention.

Drake's Fireside inside

Mussels Cacio e Pepe

See all

The Tides Wharf Restaurant

2.4(1.7k reviews)

1.4 mi

You cant beat the view! Reservations are sketchy. You can…read moremake one and it will be honored- but if a walk-in hops in front of you in line... you may lose that window seat request you made when you reserved. Why? The request, even though you reserved the table ahead of time, isn't checked when when walk-ins are there. It's first come, first seated- reservation or not. Specials of the day are local and fresh. Food is average, but the view from inside brings you back- especially on a windy Bodega day.

Topic: The Tides Date: 4/19/26…read more Quality: 6/10 Value: 7/10 Service: 8/10 Timeliness: 5/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Total: 33/50 Came in for our final meal from our trip here this weekend, and it was fairly good. The service was also good, but this restaurant excels most in its location. What an outstanding view of the bay! One of our waters did have a weird cloudy substance on the top so we did not keep drinking it.. we're curious what that was! The food took about twice as long as we expected for a quick breakfast, maybe 25 minutes? Traditional Eggs Benedict (Country Potatoes): 5.5/10 Very very basic, the hollandaise tasted a little funky Tides Breakfast (Classic Breakfast, Bacon, Eggs (Medium), Country Potatoes, Sourdough Toast): 9/10 Everything here was great! I wish they had a higher quality jam to offer than smuckers when there is so much good, local jam in the area already.

View

Sampler

See all

Irish nut coffee

The Casino Bar & Grill

3.9(214 reviews)

3.7 mi

This is a "what you see is what you get" kind of place. I do appreciate their authenticity…read more Only 5 items on the lunch order which made it very easy to order. You place your order at the bar and the person working the bar was a kick. I guess she thought we were city folks as we were asking what kind of wines they offered and such. When we inquired what kind of bread sandwiches were served on she said "just regular bread". The in interior of this restaurant/bar has animal heads displayed all throughout and knotty pine One orders at the bar and then has the option of dining inside or on the patio. As it was a very warm sunny day, we opted for the patio. While seated you can see the iconic church in Bodega, St. Teresa of Avila. I had the tuna melt with a bag of chips and a Diet Coke. The tuna melt was pretty darn good you can't beat the price with all three coming in at undef $15.

Hole in the wall. I've been several times but first time reviewing. You walk in to the bar area…read morewith two pool tables. Family friendly. Middle section are tables and outside area has seating as well. Biggest thing to remember here is it is CASH only. The menu changes based off what's available - most are locally sourced ingredients. Rumor is the chef is a former Michelin star chef who wanted to live a quieter life- either way- the food is to die for. You can tell love and passion is put into each dish. We had the spaghetti and meatballs- still dreaming about the meatballs. Perfection. Stop in. Be patient. And talk to the staff- all super friendly.

$10 burgers? Not bad

Tuna melt

See all

The bar

Hole in the Wall

4.3(854 reviews)

12.6 mi

Went there because another restaurant that we had planned to go was closed (Independence Day). Had…read morethe steak sandwich; it was juicy and done well. Also had the off menu churros with ice cream; delicious. Service was great, especially with all the people I went with. A typical diner setting, although there's outdoor seating if you want to sit outside. A great place to grab a meal!

My friends and I came here after a wine tasting. We always end with a nice meal, and everybody's…read moregood to go. This place was very close to our tasting. Once we saw the menu, we realized that their Dutch baby is the thing to get here, so we ordered two. We just shared it, it's similar to a pancake, only baked with cinnamon and apples, and had syrup, not overly sweet delicious our severs were fast and efficient the food was excellent it's not fancy but good we all loved that Dutch baby yum I definitely need to come back happy customers right here so I'll see you there. Ambience, comfortable and clean. Cheers, my friends SYOY 02/02/26

Inside

N'Orleans scramble

See all

Tuna salad

Rocker Oysterfeller's

4.0(268 reviews)

1.2 mi

My husband wanted some oysters so we gave this place a try, and I'm so glad we did since we went…read moreback the next day for more! We had a tasty lunch with raw oysters and a jalapeño mignonette sauce, smoked trout dip, and a bowl of the chowder. The smoked trout dip was pretty good with the chip and pickled onion (my least favorite dish). The raw oysters with the mignonette sauce were fantastic...we went for two rounds! My favorite chowder in Bodega Bay was Spud's, but I think this one knocked it out. I enjoyed the smoky flavor to it! Our kids aren't seafood fans so I really appreciated their kids menu that had butter & cheese pasta. Their Bloody Mary was solid as well! The following day, we had the Wedge Salad and calamari along with a bowl of chowder. The salad was crisp and the combination of ingredients was perfect with all the textures and flavors of the bacon, cherry tomatoes, shoe string onion rings, and blue cheese dressing...the best wedge salad I've ever had! I loved the lightness of the calamari batter as well! This is a nicely decorated and clean restaurant. It was romantic with the view of the bay. I felt the customer service was a little off, but eventually our servers were nicer as both lunches went on. There was a Hispanic man that was very friendly and kept our water filled. We enjoyed talking to him. The customers sure were friendly with lots of smiles towards our kids. This is my favorite Bodega Bay restaurant. I look forward to bringing family and friends.

Meh. We were there on Monday at about 1215 or so. It wasn't very busy at the time and the service…read morestarted out fine but then went downhill from there and never recovered one person at our table ordered chowder and we immediately received soup, spoons, but then we sat and waited and waited and waited, and when the chowder finally came out, it was after the entrées were served. So now you have to choose between having hot soup or having a hot entrée. Very poor. The fish and chips and the captains plate both featured seafood that was far too heavily coated in batter. That was far too thick and heavy. I would never order them again based on this experience. The fries were good as was the coleslaw and the sauces served with the items. The rockfish was very fresh and once you got past all the armor, it was tasty but needed salt. No one ever came to check on us and in order to get just the basics like a refill on iced tea and some salt and pepper we had to flag our server down. The first set of salt and pepper shakers that were delivered were completely out of salt. Seems like no one's doing their side work. The ambience was OK but the style of the restaurant dates back to the 70s and 80sand not in a great way. However, if food and service are good, I really don't care about things like that. The captains platter was very large, so some people would perceive it as a good value, however, since half of it is batter that really deflates that idea unless you like fried dough. The calamari were lightly coated in some kind of flour, but as a consequence, they were not crispy at all. I wanted to like this restaurant and this was our first visit. Not sure I would be back.