I went back again to double-check and yes, this Marin classic is now the best Peruvian restaurant…read morein Marin. I don't say that lightly but do so without reservation. My hats off to the chef, a Peruvian, for the good work he is doing. My wife and I ate there last weekend celebrating Peru Independence day w/ a special menu. The place slowly filled with Peruvians. Exclamations of Salud, Dinero, y Amor could be heard. BIG smiles and sighs of home-sick soothing happiness over giant plates of Pollo ala Brasa. Ceviche, Jalea (so good my normally gluten free wife said WHATEVER and ate it anyway!), sauces, traditional spices, PERUVIAN Pisco Sours, and much more. I know and love Peruvian food. I was lucky enough to marry into a Peruvian family and cuisean. Mamita has been teaching me how to prepare Peruvian dishes for many years now and my wife as well. Service and staff are professional and friendly. The restaurant and facilities are clean and well maintained. Not to knock the Mexican menu items. They are also truly delicious. I recently also had mutiple items at a lunch with my son. "Dad, those are the best carne asada tacos I ever had." So, yes, best Peruvian food I've had around here anywhere. Yes. But, don't skip the Mexican food either on one of your sure to be many trips. Small small Note: If I could make only one very minor suggestion to the wonderful team there. Offer a choice of Mexican chips and salsa or Peruvian style veggie chips and sauces (Aji de rocoto, Juancaini, o Uchucuta). As good as your chips and salsa are, they don't entirely pair well with the Peruvian food. No prob if the Peruvian version has a small fee attached; we get it. Well done Marintas. See you soon.

Yea. Every time I come in, the place is empty. Granted, I do frequent during lunch hours, but even…read moreon the weekends Marinitas is deserted. There is a waiter who has a different story about the soda water situation, every time, and upsells to a $5.50 small bottle of Pellegrino with such obvious deceit (LOL). He is always on his personal phone, making calls, and does not actively check on his guest(s). The floors are absolutely trashed with food crumbs and filth, tables are improperly cleaned, and the bathroom, which is especially dirty, is always lacking paper towels and toilet paper. I mean zero rolls of each. The tacos and the shrimp fajitas are delicious, always, but I didn't realize that two tacos are $18 (no sides) and fajitas are $30+. Food really tasty, place really dirty, service experience totally disappointing.

It's a hidden gem for anyone who isn't a golfer. My entire family loves eating at the Range Cafe…read moreand the service is impeccable. It's casual and you can watch other sports on television like the World Cup. My kids shared some cheese curds and were entertained by the cheese for 15 minutes!

I highly recommend ordering the fried chicken sandwich and classic Rueben. The fried chicken…read moresandwich had a delicious panko crust with a creamy aioli sauce and sweet chili sauce. In the menu description, it doesn't fully capture the flavor of the sandwich. I would say it's Asian-inspired. Probably one of the best chicken sandwiches I've ever had! The classic Rueben had ample flavor and the perfect amount of sauerkraut. The service was good.

I've been going by The Lodge for years and finally stopped in. The only disappointment is that I…read moredidn't stop by earlier. The service was fantastic, friendly and accommodating. I had two tacos that were tasty and full of goodness. They let me get one chicken and one steak taco. The atmosphere is homie and the decor interesting. You run into the eatery before you get into downtown Fairfax, it's on the left and be sure to look out for it. I highly recommend a visit.

This is a very cool spot very Fairfax, Marin County vibes…read more Casual "hiptituity", laid-back, very chill. Indoor and outdoor seating. A couple of outdoor areas, some under shade with picnic tables. Located in Marin County, California, The Lodge in Fairfax is an iconic, historic establishment built in 1908 by the Arbini and Segale families as The Old Timer's Saloon, serving as the town's very first bar. After years of being utilized differently, the building underwent an extensive two-year restoration. The owners of the San Francisco bike shop Big Swingin' Cycles purchased the property, upgrading its infrastructure, adding a kitchen, and building a large, dog-friendly outdoor beer garden. You get that feeling that you really are at a lodge at the lake in Wisconsin. At least for a minute, it brings back memories. However, in place of the white and red pine trees are the gorgeous redwoods providing shade. Nice tap beer list with healthy portions served. I had the mushroom tacos, vegetarian style with a little salad and chips $10 and a half a beer. My lunch mate had the summer salad with chicken added $25 bucks which is a little steep, but certainly enough for two people. Served in a very large bowl. It's quite impressive. I would forgo the protein and save the six bucks extra. Great spot, great service, great ambience, great food, and beer. Walk,drive your car, or bicycle in. There are a bike racks and some parking on site.

We always get the huevos rancheros, which are particularly delicious. The ambience is lovely with…read morelots of windows and sunshine on a beautiful day like today. The wait staff is warm and attentive. I wholeheartedly recommend this place! We have been coming for breakfast and Brunch for years now. It is consistently a great place to come.

Always our favorite breakfast place when we're in the area. Perfect experience from start to…read morefinish. Delightful place.

Located in Terra Linda near Scotty's Market, this restaurant has plenty of parking. We stopped in…read morefor lunch around 1 p.m. on Saturday, and it wasn't very busy, so we were seated promptly. It's a large space with indoor and some outdoor seating. We ordered two smash burgers: one with the included house-made chips and the other with a side of fries. I opted to skip the "special sauce" because I'm not a fan of Thousand Island dressing. The included pickles were also a little too sour for my taste. The burgers were delicious! The potato buns were soft, toppings were plentiful, and the 3-ounce size was perfect for lunch. Service was fast, and everyone was very helpful and friendly. I will definitely return!

Monk's Kettle is well known in the Bay Area and beyond, but since their SF location has…read moreunfortunately closed, I did not have a chance to try it out. This location in greater San Rafael is a bit out of my way, but a recent trip to Marin was an opportunity to make up for the lost. Located in a business center, parking here is not an issue and they were not particularly busy on a Sunday night. We were seated immediately, noticing how clean and modern the two-story gastropub looks. The food menu is more or less pub food, executed well. Mango-habanero wings were crispy and came with two dipping sauces, both delicious. We also tired the pretzel, which is on a smaller size, so next time I'll take our server's suggestion and order two. It also came with mustard and cheese for dipping. All their burgers are more or less a la carte: no fries, but chips and house pickle on the side. The burgers were fine though, with smash being smaller, but a bit tastier than their signature Monk's burger. Simplicity is sometimes the best. The beer list is expertly curated with focus on other styles besides IPA, but I assume that Russian River's Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig are always on the menu, in addition to ultra-local options. For pub fare, Monk's Kettle is a bit pricy, which is not totally unexpected in today's economy-especially knowing the area. However, elevated food, drinks, and service quality usually comes with the elevated price tag. We might not be back next time in Marin, but this was surely not the last visit to Monk's.

Over a week ago, we were driving south to San Francisco through Novato when we decided to have…read moredinner, and Mexican food won the majority vote! We chose to try a new place, and El Rey caught our attention. We arrived around 7:30, and the restaurant wasn't busy since it was a Sunday evening. Looking at the menu, I was drawn to their ceviche. We decided to start with guacamole and chips, share a ceviche, and have a Quesadilla con Carne Asada. The guacamole was fresh and well-made, the ceviche was exceptionally delicious, and the quesadilla was very well prepared and tasty. Our server was very friendly and helpful with our questions, and we even shared a few good laughs. The service was excellent. El Rey has been a local spot in Novato for many years, family-owned and known for serving traditional Mexican dishes in a welcoming setting. It has built a reputation in the community as a reliable place for a hearty meal, and many locals have been coming here for decades. The restaurant is a standalone building in a shopping center and offers a large seating area. They also have an outdoor seating area, which I imagine would be especially nice on a warm evening. As a first-time visitor, I left impressed. The food, service, and relaxed atmosphere made for a very enjoyable stop on our drive. We would definitely come back again the next time we're in Novato.

Well, how things evolve over time. My dad was JONESING for menudo Sunday morning, and it was too…read moreearly to visit any of his usual weekend Mexican haunts. My wife called around to find that El Rey was open - and had menudo. What we didn't realize was that there was a full-on buffet-style brunch going on every Sunday from 9-2. First, the aromas were intoxicating. Second, there was a HUGE buffet line with Pozole, Menudo, rice & beans, chilaquiles, sausage or eggs with chorizo, veggies, potatoes, huevos ranchero, birria, quesabirria tacos, EVEN American brunch favorites like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and pancakes (but why eat those when there is AMAZING Mexican buffet to choose from?). Coffee/soda also included, and desserts including fruits and custards. I figured for sure it was upwards of $30 a head for the buffet, but the bill comes and it's like $68 for the three of us! What a value! BTW, everything I had was delish. Fresh. Hot. Tasty. And the fact that 90% of the people dining at the restaurant were Latinx tells you all you need to know. Highly recommend this brunch, Novato!

I was choking on a piece of lettuce. Fortunately there was a man who had training on the Heimlich…read moreManeuver who helped me clear my throat. Unexpectedly the manager compted our meal, which was delicious. I highly recommend The Cantina.

I wasn't originally planning to eat here. We had intended to go to Hook Fish at Proof Lab, but the…read morewait was over an hour, so we ended up at The Cantina instead. Because of that, my experience may be influenced by expecting a bit higher quality, especially given the other food options in the area The Cantina in Mill Valley is a pretty standard Mexican spot with a Tex-Mex lean. I usually enjoy this style of food; I was a big fan of places like El Torito in SoCal, but this one didn't quite land for me. We ordered two burritos. The portions were generous, but the flavors were very mild. I love bold, spicy food, and these were lacking seasoning in my opinion. I ended up taking half home and adding avocado, lemon, and salsa from my own kitchen to give it the punch it was missing. We also tried the queso fundido, which was interesting. I hadn't had it prepared quite like that before, and it definitely leaned more Tex-Mex. It wasn't bad, just different from what I expected. Unfortunately, the service was a letdown as well. I had to find menus myself, and the only ones available at the bar were happy hour menus. Later, the server told us that happy hour isn't honored on holidays, which was disappointing. If that's the case, those menus shouldn't be out at all--it sets expectations that weren't met. Overall, if you're looking for a basic Tex-Mex spot and aren't big on spice, this might work for you. For me, between the bland food and the service issues, it's not a place I'd rush back to.

Our server was very sweet, our sandwiches were decent, we were served quickly. Overall it was an ok…read moreexperience but not one I'd be anxious to return for at this price point. The salad with the sandwich was uninspired plain iceberg lettuce. The elote was mild, not bad and came with (yummy) cotija and mayo. The barstools at the front that look like legs are cute but the aggressive cowboy decor with white linen tablecloths felt misaligned. I don't think they know the vibe they are going for. I'd go again and try something else when in the area. Their menu is huge!

If you've not been to this restaurant since the new owners, I highly recommend it. We were there…read morefor a gathering of 8 in the back room reserved just for us. Two companions ordered and raved about their burger. Everyone loved the crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside fries. They were gracious to create a special order for me: 2 eggs scrambled with spinach, diced tomatoes, and chorizo; iceberg lettuce, plantains, and homemade hollandaise. Since l adore extremely lemony hollandaise, I asked for lemon wedges; they brought 3 and I could have used even more. (I really like it lemony!) Our server was fun, sweet, competent, and friendly. There are so many wonderful options on the menu--breakfast all day including omelets, waffles, and pancakes. Thursdays are for special pricing for pupusas I can't wait to try. The ambience is adorable. It's a Western theme. Our server wore a fringe vest. There are adorable stools (see photo!) that are actually as comfortable as they are cute. There are two big screen TVs that had lovely spring scenes that made me pause, smile, and soak it in. There's a rack of Western hats--perhaps for little buckaroos to wear when seated on the horse getting their photo taken. There's a huge white throne bench for photos, too. Super fun. I'll be back!