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    D.G. Cafe

    4.9 (42 reviews)

    D.G. Cafe Photos

    D.G. CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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    Roast Beef!
    Nish N.

    I love popping by D.G. Cafe. Great sandwiches made with precision and love by Clive Nisse. I also just noticed that they have a "walk-by"counter so you can order something quick from the sidewalk, which is what I did for my roast beef sandwich today, since Pablo the dog was with me. They are starting to do a solid breakast, so this might be my new way to get my coffee and pastry as well. By the way, D.G. stands for Defy Gravity.

    Red Hill Roast Beef Sandwich - the horseradish cream cheese makes it.
    Todd A.

    Sandwiches taste better when someone else makes them for you, according to a 2013 study by Carnegie Mellon University. That's because when you make your own sandwich, you sort of already know how it's going to taste - your brain treats it as "known information" instead of a delightful and satisfying surprise. By the time you take your first bite, it's like taking your fifth bite. According to the study, "The sandwich that another person prepares is not "pre-consumed" in the same way." This is one of the reasons people love delicatessens. As I watched D.G. Cafe owner Clive Nisse make my roast beef sandwich, I thought I could imagine how it would taste. And honestly, I was a little skeptical that it would be any good. From where I was standing, it looked completely straightforward. Tomato. Shredded lettuce. Red onions. Roast beef. Cream cheese. "Bummer," I thought. I'll tell you more about how wrong I was a little later. But first Clive's story... which he told me as I watched him work. Clive grew up in England watching his mum cook with a certain inquisitiveness. He loved cooking enough to enroll in culinary school. Like Steve Franchetti of Bruno's in San Rafael, Clive has always been in the food business - specifically the bakery side. He was the GM of Starter Bakery for four years and had leadership roles at Rustic, City Baking Co., Il Fornaio, Noe Valley Baking Co., and Au Bon Pain. So, like Steve, he knows what he's doing. In his case, he especially knows what he's doing with bread Also like Steve, Clive has wanted to open a delicatessen for some time. And last year, as yet another new wave of COVID-19 washed over us, a food-service-ready spot opened up on San Anselmo Avenue in the heart of the town's retail district - about a mile from his house. He could have put $100K into getting the spot exactly how he wanted it, but that would have taken a year. So he jumped right into the space and revved up the business, hiring his two teenage daughters to help him out on occasion. Not great timing, as it turned out - as the pandemic has continued to rage and the delta variant is only just now starting to level off (thanks in part to the huge, vocal population of self-centered, fact-averse idiots who don't like to be told what to do). But when Clive started the business in October 2020, we were all very hopeful that the vaccine would sort out the virus and we'd be back to flying, picnicking, shopping, and congregating en masse by summertime 2021. Alas, like most places on San Anselmo Ave, it's still fairly slow at D.G. Cafe. In addition to offering customers the "create-your-own" option (something I don't want to do when I open my deli, but may have to due to its popularity), Clive has seven sandwich concepts on the menu. He came up with the recipes on his own and validated them through tastings before opening the shop. All of the sandwiches are named after local landmarks: Tamalpais Tuna, Creek Park Chicken Pesto, Red Hill Roast Beef, etc. What I had underestimated about the roast beef sandwich that I watched Clive make was the power of fresh, locally sourced ingredients and how well the horseradish cream cheese pairs with the very fresh, moist roast beef. Also, I hadn't noticed this before, but the bread that it came on was a super fresh, soft, poppy seed onion roll. The man knows his bread. He also knows the importance of apportionment. To add the exact right amount of every ingredient takes sandwiches to another level. The freshness of the ingredients can take it to another level again. There was exactly the right amount of horseradish in the cream cheese and exactly the right amount of cream cheese on the sandwich (a nice big glob of it). Once the thing was in my belly, I was completely full and satisfied. Son Luka (14) had the Creek Park Chicken Pesto sandwich and raved about it. It had a nice fat chunk of fresh swiss and exactly the right amount of pesto. This is unique because pesto very often overpowers dishes. When it comes to delicatessens, the importance of "vibe" cannot be overstated. Yelp reviewers rave about the friendliness of D.G.'s cafe. James from San Rafael says, "Clive is a gracious and attentive host." Someone named Theart writes, "The folks working here were super friendly and the environment was very clean." "The owner was very friendly and welcoming," says Kenyn from Redlands. Clive and I had a lovely chat and his daughter was sweet and welcoming, too. I also love the idea that he's teaching his girls about the business.

    Local Art for sale

    My fiancé and I were road tripping to wine country and stopped into D.G. cafe for a quick lunch. It was perfect! Tasty sandwiches: I had tuna which they make w avocado vs Mayo (#healthy!) and my man had roast beef- he loved!! They had options to choose from along with "master" sandwiches which is an option to make yourself. Sandwiches are big! We only had half and saved the other for a picnic. Parking, super easy! Lots of 3 hr spots. Owners were there running the place. Spoke with them & they are a wonderful family owned cafe! They support local artists too. Support local- check them out

    Imagination Garden Sandwich with cheddar and feta

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    2 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    2 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    1 year ago

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    Clive N.

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    Clive N.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    3 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    4 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    6 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food, great location and atmosphere. Definitely recommend this cafe to all. Go get a great sandwich at a great price.... A+++++++++

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    3 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

    Very nice sandwich & salad cafe - & delicious pastries...perfect for grabbing breakfast or lunch to go

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    Clive N.

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    3 years ago

    The Mt Baldy BLT is my favorite sandwich ever!! Could eat it 4 times a day. Service is amazing and they have the cutest shop. Love it here!!

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    Clive N.

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    3 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    4 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Clive N.

    Thanks for the review. Hope you have an amazing 2021!!

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    4 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    3 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    4 years ago

    Just tried DGCafe for the first time. Roast beef sandwich is killer. They have a to-go walk up window - very fast!

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

    Fantastic atmosphere! The sandwiches are tasty & all fresh / local... and very polite staff, I definitely recommend trying here!

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    Clive N.

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - D.G. Cafe

    Dear D. G. Cafe, I would love to know if your salads are organic? I am looking forward to hearing back from you. Thank you

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    Came here as a quick stop and they were having a small event going on for vendors to come and I…read morejust smelled the delicious coffee from the door! Right when I came in I just knew it was good and I got to ordering Parking is pretty open and convenient so it was easy to walk right over. I ordered on the kiosk which makes it easier and gives me more time to look at items. I kept it simple and got a strawberry lemonade which was very good and also in cute packaging. The interior of this place felt like I was in Dubai or something because of the gold and how fancy this place looks lol overall I love it and the music playing.

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    Red Whale Coffee - Spring has sprung!

    Red Whale Coffee

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    Was in Marin recently and popped on Yelp looking for a local coffee shop to get some fuel for the…read morebody. Red Whale Coffee stood out in my search with great reviews. I initially tried to place an online order through their website but they weren't taking online orders at the time so I ended up walking in to order. Located in between several industrial companies, it can be easy to miss if you're not looking. Plenty of street parking along the front or just across the street. The shop is segemented into 3 connected sections; the main room where orders are taken, crafted, and served along with bags of coffee beans. The connected room had shirts, sweatshirts, and a fridge with grab n go items. The back room, had a few vintage pinball machines along with some tables and chairs. That'd be such a fun place to hang out at! Ordered a vanilla latte with almond milk and ice maple latte, also with almond milk. Both were wonderfully crafted and provided the morning jolt needed.

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    M.H.Bread and Butter - Tuna sandwich

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    Amélie Café and Wine Bar - Amelie Burger

    Amélie Café and Wine Bar

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    Only half-jokingly I used to say that Marin excels in ethnic restaurants from developed nations…read more If asked for specifics my response was France and Italy. Whatever we lacked in Korean or Ethiopian fare we made up for with an abundance of restaurants specializing in food from France and Italy. Amelie Cafe and Wine Bar continues the tradition and I'm not mad about it. With outposts in both San Francisco and New York City, Amelie sports a nice pedigree. The Fairfax location is dialed down a bit - perfect for the neighborhood it serves - and makes for a comfortable place to enjoy any meal however you might happen to appear that day. It's a simple cafe and, though not inexpensive, certainly less so than a trip to Paris. Two of us recently dined here, late afternoon on a weekend, sharing a burger ($23; comes with fries and a salad), a lager ($8; they have no IPA), and boquerones, the latter of which I fully regretted having to share. Whenever I see boquerones ($12) on a menu I cannot look away and in Marin, finding such an offering is a unicorn. Delicious; I might sneak back over solo just to enjoy them again. The burger and fries were also good, with a profile a bit different than what one would get at a non-French-centric spot. Amelie is a good place to drop in before or after a movie or a show in Fairfax and equally wonderful to pop into for a morning coffee drink or an afternoon glass of wine. It's a casual and a perfect fit for Fairfax.

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    Endless Quest Roasters

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    I was here a few months ago and saw a coffee table book that stayed in my mind because I wanted to…read moregift it to someone. I forgot the name and came back in today hoping someone might know what I was talking about. Both of the women at the counter were incredibly helpful and genuinely tried to help me figure it out. Not just polite, but truly engaged and caring. Honestly, it's hard to find service like that these days, especially in Marin, and they really went above and beyond. The coffee is amazing, the vibe is wonderful, and the people made such a difference today. Thank you so much for your kindness and help. It genuinely meant a lot and made me want to keep coming back.

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    D.G. Cafe - cafes - Updated June 2026

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