What started out as a nice ending to a memorable family day in Point Reyes, this experience was a disaster for most of the nine of us during our meal at Coast Cafe. From the start, the waitress had a mega-attitude, and, I suspect, knew she would get her 20% tip automatically with our large group. After taking our order and delivering our food, she totally ignored us for the next hour, not even looking at our table let alone checking in to see if everything was as it should be. I tried to flag her or her helper down to get more bread, but without actually tripping her as she ran past, I couldn't even get her to look at me. On the positive side, the fish dishes were fresh and prepared well, but all meat dishes were dry and overcooked. The french onion soup must be from a mix, yuck! The check never arrived at the table, I had to walk up to her and ask her for it. I was actually surprised she even remembered me, but alas, there it was, a 20% tip calculated right there on the bill! This place is headed downward unless some customer service training is provided, and additional wait staff may help. Never again! read more

My favorite place to eat in the area, (especially after being snubbed at the Parkside the last time I was there!) I LOVE Bolinas, even though we are from out of town, people are always nice and friendly to us. Our favorite guy here is Peter. We actually thought he was the owner. He is the good looking guy with the most presence and personaility there. He seems way over qualified to be bussing tables. We could not figure that one out (!) He looks like he was a hot surfer dude, or a movie star when he was younger. This place is a great place to hang out and get a bite to eat. Great food, Excellent coffee, nice people. My baby and I both love their soups and salads. Hubby likes the great pasta dishes, burgers, and calamari. Everything is organic and fresh. Can't wait to go back. Great outdoor seating right in front with a view of the main street in Bolinas. Now, can you find your way here, to the town with no sign on the main road? (The locals always rip it down to keep outsiders out.) I love the rebel hippy spirit of this place. Remember: Respect Bolinas in order to be respected. read more

I had lunch at the Coast Cafe yesterday - oysters and a Caesar salad - and it was great. Everything very fresh and nicely presented, and no skimping on portions. There was only one server for both inside and outside, and somehow she managed to keep service flowing well, and with a smile. The menu had a lot of interesting options and I had a hard time choosing. I'll have to go back. The hours shown on Google are wrong, but the ones here on Yelp are correct. read more

HAHAHA.. I can't believe this place was the ONLY one listed in Bolinas. Even when I googled for restaurant in Bolinas. But ... like others have said, their fish and chips was delicious. The rockfish was lightly battered and came out piping hot. The fries were also perfectly crunchy to soft potato ratio. I would judge fries. read more

Coast Cafe is pretty much the only game in Bolinas, and the lack of competition has made the restaurant lackluster. The brunch food is OK, but the service is slow, slow, slow. Our server was very nice, but management on the other hand... rude. Good luck with this place. read more

Bad experience... After a long hike at Alamere falls, my friends and I stop by for a quick bite. Long story short. The lady who waited on us was rude. The food was nasty. I order a bowl of the clam chowder & the angle hair pasta puttanesca. The clam chowder taste like it was from a can. The pasta had no flavor. It was a waste of money. read more

Went here with friends. Avoid the clam chowder, it's bland and cheap / commercial, not locally made. Also served lukewarm. The oyster and leek stew was delicious. The portion sizes are small but the prices are not. $70 for 2 clam chowders and 2 entrees on the lunch menu. We waited about 30 minutes for our food even though only one other table was occupied. Quaint ambience. read more

My boyfriend lives out in Bolinas, so we go there more than a couple times a month. The meat is all organic, free range, and hormone-free (they give you a choice between the Neiman Ranch burger and the Marin Sun burger, so you can choose which good farmers to support...personally, I think the Neiman Ranch meat tastes a little better). There's a lot of local flavor, and when it isn't tourist season, most people in there (both servers and diners) start to recognize and remember you. But well, that's Bolinas, small town, everybody knows everybody. There are usually some very fabulous daily specials, and the seafood is delicious (probably because it's so fresh). They also have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. If you go, save room, and the get the brownie sundae. Every single time I order it, the strawberries are PERFECT, sweet and ripe, (I swear they grow them out back and hand select them or something) the whipped cream is the best I've ever had, the ice cream is thick and the brownie is rich and hot. I've never had a better dessert. Also, in the morning, the owner (a very friendly guy) has a little coffee stand right outside with pastries. Talk about a good mocha. One time I only had change, and he just said "give me whatever you have," and then whipped me up a large coffee. So tip good, these are nice people. read more

The ambiance is great - Real cozy and quaint! Roseanne the owner and our server was awesome - she took care of us as if we were her own :). The food was fresh, simple and delicious. I had the crab omelette and it was perfectly cooked. My husband raved about the fish tacos and fish and chips! Oh and the desserts...Mmmmm creme brulee and brownie sundae -perfect! Coast Cafe makes the treacherous ride (fog, rain and winding road) worth it! read more

Had dinner here with about 10 family members on a recent Friday night - we were all in town for a wedding. Between eating, drinking and catching up we closed the place out. The waitstaff was great, the food was tasty, the prices were reasonable and they had cold beer on tap - was a perfect meal! There can be lines so plan ahead. read more

Nice homey feeling, smiling waitresses, well prepared food from fresh ingredients. Catch of the day was salmon, which I would have left a tad more raw but still it was very juicy and flavourful. Very pleasant dinner experience after road tripping the whole day. read more

Halibut fish & chips was nothing short of extraordinary! Hostess was charming, waitstaff, not so much, forgot wine.

I returned for the oysters and ambiance, and found the service to be impeccable! I like to think that the several yelp reviews that mentioned the neglectful service prompted the management to reevaluate and improve! read more

Many's the weekend I've had dinner at the Coast Cafe, hopped across the street for a late night at Smiley's and then come back to the Coast Cafe for breakfast. The food is great, service is friendly and they serve my favorite beer (they also have an extensive wine list). I usually get a free range burger, but I've never heard anyone complain about their meal at the Coast Cafe. Once we were there when the power went out on New Years Eve, and they just kept cooking by candlelight, and entertained the dining room with an old hand-cranked gramophone. read more

I thought the food was great. Fresh calamari, so nice and not chewy, cooked perfect. Fish and chips made with fresh halibut. I've only had better in Alaska. Service was a little slow, but the quality of the seafood made it all worthwhile. read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch. Awesome service. Great food. Decent prices. Had the steamed clams and mussels. They were great. Shared a fish and chips that was also good. read more

Very enjoyable, solid feast on a Tuesday evening. Chicken sandwich with great fries, frenh onion soup and kids spaghetti. Service was friendly and attentive. Will definitely go back to sample more of the expansive menu. read more

Terrible. The hostess should find another job. The food was fair at best and the place was swarming with flies. Won't go back.

We had our wedding celebration on their patio last year, and they were totally chill about it, which was perfect for us. In general, their portions are fairly large, with good but not always spectacular food. The place is always pretty hopping, but we've never had a problem getting a table or served fairly quickly. If you see the green umbrellas on the patio, those used to be ours. We bought them the day before we had our celebration and sold them to the owner at the end because they looked so nice out there. read more

The food is good - I had the grilled cob. The service was very slow. Never got a refill or even an ask if the food was okay. Probably 1/3 full with customers. So many flies also. Sometimes it can't be helped - made the dining experience irritating. I will never go back - which is a shame because the food was really good. read more

Lovely spot for Father's Day lunch after tide pooling at the beach. Junior had fish and hand cut fries (skip the too sweet home made Cole slaw). We had fresh grilled fish tacos, and finished with God's Gift to Blackberry Pie a la mode. Friendly service with a few happy dogs snoozing on the patio. read more

Coast Cafe - Lovely garden dining at Bolinas' Coast Cafe - New American Near Me - Bolinas, California

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Super yummy! This place is a hidden gem! We got the calamari to start and it was some of the best we've ever had. Very fresh and not greasy at all. The boyfriend got the fish and chips which is made with the fish of the day. Today it was halibut which the hostess (and possible owner) told us was caught by the gentleman who lived across the street that morning. My boyfriend was very impressed! He loves fish and chips but a lot of the time you can tell it's frozen fish, or the meal itself is dripping in grease. He was in heaven. I ordered the clam linguine which was delicious as well. You can really tell that you're getting a meal that is super fresh here. We live in the Bay Area, and although you'd think finding fresh, yummy seafood there wouldn't be a problem, it can be. This is a great find and we'll absolutely be back! read more

My friends and I showed up at 1 after going to Stinson, excited to eat at this place. We stood in the doorway for 10 minutes waiting to be seated and the waiters kept looking at us and then not helping us. Finally we sat down and got our menus after another 5 minutes. Then we wait to order for 40 minutes and no one ever comes by. We ended up leaving at 2 all hungry and cranky. read more

My wife and I took a day trip to the area, and searched online for local restaurant ideas. This one was recommended, but our experience was awful! We sat down and two waitresses immediately asked us if we were ready! How could we be? Then we took a look around,..nice surroundings, except for the hundreds of flies calling the restaurant home (and I do mean HUNDREDS). We decided to try to ignore the flies, and smiled at a waitress telling her we were ready to order. She smiled back, and then went into the back. Okay. She then came back out, and started talking to another waitress. I made eye contact again, in case she had forgotten us. She then started talking to someone else, and than went outside. My wife and I couldn't believe it. We summoned someone else to ask them how much we owed them for my wife's coffee, but couldn't get anyone's attention (mind you, there was no one else sitting inside with us, only staff). As I started to put $3 dollars down onto the table, someone came up to us and said she would take our order. We asked why our waitress had seemed to ignore us, and she told us that she was now off duty, and would not be our waitress. We asked if it was normal that she should ignore us, and asked how much we owed for the coffee. She said that it was on the house! Wow! It seemed that they were either playing with us, or just couldn't give a shit. I guess when you're the only place in town, it's okay to treat people like dirt. We went to the market next door and bought some overpriced cheese and crackers for our lunch. read more

A year ago, I would have given this place 4 stars easily. BACK THEN... I had oysters fresh off the grill which were great, a super tasty french onion soup and a nice veggie burger. Fast forward to today. I took a purposeful trip out to Bolinas mostly to re-live that experience. I should have turned around when they said there were no oysters. Hey, it's something environmental I take it, the host didn't explain, but I decided to sit and eat anyway. The host, by the way, couldn't care less and had the personality of a wood post, of which she very much resembled sitting there dumbly. I ordered a lemonade, like I had the first time, and back then I got the entire bottle of Calypso lemonade. Sure, obviously not home made but good stuff. This time, they only gave me a glass worth, not the entire bottle. Oh well, no biggie. I move on to the french onion. What do I get? A very bland soup that otherwise looked fine. I add a dozen or so shakes of salt and it's still lacking flavor. Worst of all is my sandwich... a grilled cheese and fries. How bad could that be? Well... the worst grilled cheese I've ever had, hands down. White bread that I can tell is somewhat stale though it's only been "grilled" enough to lightly "brown" the bottom. Barely cooked with some super low quality orange cheese inbetween that's barely half melted. I was in shock. The only way to worsen it was to use stale Wonder Bread, which it was only a small step above. The fries even.... half weren't fully cooked or crispy. Some were. I ate about 7-10 fries and 2 bites from the sandwich. I left 80% of the obviously crappy looking meal sitting there for them to wonder why I left in such a hurry. I unfortunately didn't complain to the waitress who was super busy as I wasn't even in the mood. Sorry Coast Cafe, I don't think I'll come back after that one. Not worth it... and I spent over $20 for that garbage! read more

While visiting friends in San Francisco, a friend took me up for a drive up the coast. The amazing beaches, hills and trees along Highway 1 were already incredible enough, but my British foodie friend had a destination in mind. He's a great cook and is very attentive regarding the quality of the food he cooks and eats (organic, bio-dynamic, free range), and my palette's been sort of fine-tuned as well, living (and eating well) in Europe and New York. Whatever, you know good food that's been lovingly prepared with the highest quality ingredients when you taste it. And that is what Coast Cafe serves. This relaxed, charming cafe serves exquisite food. From the menu it appears that nearly all the ingredients are organic and local, prepared in way that highlights the quality of the ingredients. Ordering off the specials menu, highlights of our meal included the fresh cranberry compote with a perfect balance of tartness and creamy mashed potatoes with perfect gravy that accompanied the delectable turkey dinner. For me the star was the salad, made with local greens and soft, subtle feta, with a cilantro dressing. I can't stop thinking about how delicious every component was; I almost feel as if I've never eaten a real salad before, that's how shockingly flavorful those greens were. Delicious! The service is great, too, quick and very friendly. And after forgetting my hat and sunglasses (probably because of the excellent bio-dynamic Syrah we had with dinner) when I called the next day the owner said she would send them to me in NY, refusing my offer to pay for shipping. A great, friendly delicious experience... read more

My five year old mixed-race son got his first introduction to racism at this restaurant on Sunday, Memorial Day weekend. We were first in line waiting for the hostess, and when she came out, she proceeded to speak to the other people (my son and I were the only non-caucasians there). Some of the others pointed out to her that we had been waiting first, she said "so what?". I will not be visiting again. I give it a star only because you can't post a review without one. read more

Great place to eat in Bolinas. My husband and I love to come here for breakfast lunch or dinner and sit outside on a sunny day. We also love to sit inside by the fire on cold days. Live music several nights at dinner, everyone is super friendly and the food is great! read more

I had an amazing experience here... lovely atmosphere... instant gratification with both the food/drink and service. People watching is always at an all time high when warm. There is a significant amount of attention to detail here when doing a hide-a-way escape like off the beaten path sort of restaurant. And .. BTW. if you are trying to find Bolinas... too bad.. all signs are proudly removed. Either you know where this is..or go where the tourists do. read more

Best place to grab a bite in Bolinas! We grabbed a table outside on a gorgeous day. We had some grilled oysters--half with BBQ sauce and half with garlic butter. I was partial to the garlic butter ones, but both were excellent. Service was friendly and fast. I would definitely recommend stopping in if you are in the area! read more

Thistle/chanterelle mushroom soup, fresh halibut sandwich. Great greens.

interesting. we showed up after lunch and before dinner - so this review is based upon the 2 hour window when it was barbecue menu, with outdoor seating. now... the idea sounds perfect. the weather was on our side, people were out and every inch of the entire town's available parking was already taken... but, that is beside the point - the barbecue 1/2 rack of ribs and pop shrimp would be perfect. at first, i thought it was not having ribs in such a long time - a new way of eating and cutting ribs was implemented, and i need to just adapt to change. sure... i could do that. however, gary was also having no luck tearing the carcass to get to the meat. we had sauce all over our hands and mouth, but not much else. then i was thinking about these ribs i had at almost every other restaurant, where serving barbecue ribs was part of the menu program, and everyone wanted them because they would fall off the bone and melt in your mouth without any effort... okay, maybe just grabbing the tender meat, drowning in more sauce, and simply leaving the bone cleaned. yes, this place was nothing like all the other places. it was great paying $12.00 (i believe) and receiving the not-for-eating-barbecue-ribs-ribs... oh!!! i did not realize i had selected the viewing option ribs, rather than the eatable ones when i was extremely hungry. the saving grace was the pop shrimp. nice, big, juicy shrimp, with a tiny portion of dipping sauce. now remember, i am rating on the lull serving moment after lunch and before dinner. you know - the time of day when you pay for a decent meal, even though you are not hitting the main menu time frame, but when you hit their barbecue event. i will get some grief for this one, but you know - it is what it is... read more

A bearded gentleman bid us to sit down anywhere when we arrived at around noon today. I ordered a white bean, vegan soup and freshly-caught, local Dungeoness crab --- all were wonderful. Traded out the scallions and melted butter for just a simple clarified butter for my meal, but definitely enjoyed myself. read more

we had a romantic little evening on valentine's day. the place has a surfing/ocean/beach theme. i had a spicy angel hair pasta dish and a lovely apple salad. the lemonade is perfect. try it out, if you can find bolinas. read more

Mostly agree with all of the reviews already. One of the more tourist heavy spots in Bolinas (I'm an out of towner myself, but was visiting a local). Slow, but fitting to the lifestyle. Great beer selection and the best fish and chips I think I've ever had. read more

After many attempts to get over to Bolinas, I finally managed to stop by there on the way home from a Russian River weekend. Coincidentally, the town was closed to traffic that day for their annual BBQ and party. We followed the stream of cars to a remote dirt lot and waited with a small crowd for the free shuttle. Sunny weather, a live band, and a good times atmosphere added to the relaxed feeling of the day. We took a table on the back patio, which afforded shelter from the wind but plenty of sun. I was tempted by the fabled box crab but we stayed on budget with a plate of fresh halibut tacos, a platter of halibut fish and chips, lemonade for him, and bubbly for me. The fish tacos were accompanied by standard Mexican rice, pinto beans, and garnishes. I was happy to find the fish was perfectly grilled and very moist. The fish and chips were expertly fried, the batter was crisp and lacked doughy undercooked or tough overcooked spots. Simple dishes with fresh off the boat fish that really let the fish shine. The service was friendly and low key, dealing with our requests for sauce on the side and extra cups of ice easily. I found the prices to be fair (about $35 for the meal), especially for locally-caught fish. The whole meal was refreshingly kickback and the fish was worth a detour. I look forward to other meals of super fresh seafood on their sunny patio. read more

Halibut lunch. Best.Halibut.Ever. I said to my hubby, "This dear, sweet fish was swimming in the ocean this morning." Thank you, Neptune. I wanted to swim in the lemon, butter sauce. Basmati rice, al dente broccolini, asparagus. I think there was also a choir of angels... Husband had his favorite pancake ever. We were asked, "Mrs. Butterworth or real maple syrup?" Huh? It turns out real maple syrup is $1 extra, which of course we ordered. The little ceramic cup of syrup arrived with the pancake & wasn't full. We asked for more & were charged for two servings of syrup. Sigh. I decided people can be very wasteful with syrup & maybe this is their way of controlling it: Waste Mrs. Butterworth, but think twice about something that costs a dollar for 3 tablespoons. Our waiter was nice enough but there is really something different about the service here. Maybe the person who interviews & hires has a weak spot for slightly sullen people. (jk.) Or maybe they just really do hate "outsiders" and they do the best they can, considering we bring some financial boost to this cute little town. I have never spent $30 on a lunch before. Thank Dog, it was memorable! The hostess was lovely & checked on us at least once. Anyway, socio-economic philosophizing aside, I'll eat there again, definitely. read more

My fiance and I stopped here after a nice day at the beach, and it was a great way to end the day. The staff was very friendly. The food was good, starting with the fresh bread they put on the table. (I think that's a sign of what's to come, when they deliver the bread- I've been to many a place where they plop down a basket of stale rolls and wondered why they bother). We had BBQ oysters (though I prefer raw, they had them, but I decided to try a way I hadn't had them). Their ingredients are fresh, organic, local, corn-fed, etc...So it's a more conscious diner too. Eh, the decor wasn't my favorite, but the friendly staff, good food outweighed all that...But the decor really confused me- it was so haphasard, kinda late 70's early 80's surf, kinda messy like with frog feet on the floor that lead out to the bathroom (which was cute, but extremely casual)...so it's very casual and outdated, but the staff- very professional, knowledgeable about the food, the chef was skilled .....Not that I expect this place to be all classy joint, just never been somewhere so casual and dated looking, that really was a classy joint if if closed your eyes.... read more

If you find yourself in this magical town, make your trip complete: Have breakfast here. The Coast Cafe served up the best food on my entire trip from San Francisco to Seattle, no doubt. We sat outside on a beautiful day and chatted with the chef, Chuck, who was not only one hell of a cook, but also very friendly and full of great travel advice. I ordered their chiles-verde benedict and the best blueberry pancake of my life with a raspberry- hibiscus tea. My fiance had the huevos rancheros with a plate of oysters and was blown away. Their oysters come from Tomales Bay right up the road and are some of the freshest, tastiest ones you'll ever eat. Those chiles-verdes benedict alone has me planning my next trip to California. I know Bolinas wants to keep its quaint, quiet, humble image alive, but with food like this at the Coast Cafe, I want the whole world to visit! read more

It's a really cute diner in what seems like a small town center. The food is good--we got the fried oyster/chips and a regular ABLT (boring, but whatever!). The service is really great so 4 stars for them! read more