The north coast is not the Bay area. The sidewalks roll up at the latest 9 pm or earlier. I had picked out a place for Andrea's 24 birthday but they were closed, apparently long ago. So plan B into Bodega Bay. 18 minutes later we are in. Started at the bar originally then decided a table was nicer. The place was packed as well as the restaurant through the doorway. Duh, one of the few places open. Keep thinking we should go up there a open up a place called "Andrea's Late Night" and make bank. Anyway, we split the halibut and cous cous and multiple refreshments. Service was great and the tourists were less than annoying. There is an outside fire pit where kids bored with their parents and not too worried about how they were going to make it back to the bungalow, or worse, left there because the elders forgot about them, were roasting marshmallows. Back inside the crowd was clearing out including the couple with their new baby and $1,200 Orbit stroller. Back in the day I bought a car for less than this. Kids these days!!!! (eye roll). As usual we were the last ones out. We typically close down everyplace we go. In populated areas the staff have restaurants/bars they go to after work and every one you saw during the day are there to unwind. Fun times with these groups. Up in Bodega Bay no such place. I think they rotate the after hours activities between different residences. Nice place just wish they stayed open later. read more

My sweetheart took me here for my birthday dinner this year during our weekend in Pt. Reyes. Nice spot overlooking Tomales Bay. We didn't have a reservation, but did not have trouble getting a table. We settled in with a couple of cocktails and perused the menu. We weren't super hungry, so we opted to share the halibut and a side order of couscous. The portions were generous, I'm glad we shared. The halibut was very fresh, as you would expect in a coastal town. The service was attentive and hospitable. Will return next time we're in the area. Had a great time celebrating my 34th birthday yet again! read more

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

Connecting, gathering and enjoying! The perfect words to describe how your experience will be at Drakes Fireside Lounge. On a whim, we stopped by after dinner to enjoy a glass of wine and the sunset. Best decision ever. The place was packed. Always a good sign. We were greeted immediately by Anton and his beautiful smile. He said we were welcome to sit anywhere. However, we had our sights set on one of the outside firepits. Anton found us the perfect firepit facing the bay and the setting sun. (BTW... the interior of the Lounge is jaw dropping elegant and rustic with amazing architectural designs.) Within minutes he was back with drink and dessert menus. I think he reads minds because that was exactly what we wanted. Again... such lovely customer service. Anton just knows how to make you feel special. Oh those desserts!!! I wanted one of each... but settled on the decadent sounding carrot cake. Cream cheese, toasted pineapple and candied pecans. And while we are choosing... please throw in the trio of yummy scoops of gelato!:) For the record, these eye-pleasing, delicious sweets were top shelf for sure. Every bite was thoroughly enjoyed. No leftovers:). For such an upscale venue, prices for the desserts and excellent cafè latte were surprisingly reasonable! I can hardly wait to return to Drakes for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Or all three! Who can resist outstanding food, incredible views and 5-star Yelp service! Thank you, Anton, for providing customer service definitely worthy of this very high end Restaurant. read more

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

Drakes Fireside Lounge - Table with view outside - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Grabbed a quick cocktail prior to dinner. The outside space was comfy and had plenty of fire pits for everyone to crowd around and snack and sip the night away! The cocktail options were amazing and I ended up with a Coconut Spicy Thai drink with rum that was very unique and fun. It was a great drink that warmed me up and was fun out by the ocean. There was a musician playing music that added to the ambiance of the restaurant as well! The server who was running drinks was kind and checked in a couple of times to ensure we were happy. She also got us sat early for our reservation and had our drinks at the table for us! It had beautiful views of the ocean and sunset as well. read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Came In for a drink and the live music. We sat at the bar and the bartender was able to make a tequila version of the pear cocktail with mezcal. read more

We stopped by for our 4th visit yesterday and had a wonderful time! It was a bit windy, but the brews, views & fantastic service made up for it. Our initial interaction with the bartender was not very inviting, but Sergio saved the day. He was super friendly, offered top notch service and even gave us an amazing local recommendation for our route back to the hotel. We have enjoyed coming here for both happy hour & casual drinks on the patio. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Great place to have a drink. They have fire pits outside. Their happy hour drink prices are cheap! Raquel provided attentive and friendly service. She went out of her way to make my kid feel welcome and special. She also got the fire lit fast for us. Beautiful place to relax and have a drink. My husband said the $7 happy hour old fashioned was one of the best he's had. read more

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Walked in with my son to try to grab some dinner. Was completely ignored. Went up to two separate servers who would not even make eye contact with me and entirely ignored me when I tried to speak to them while standing directly in front of them. I had to speak to other patrons (who were very kind might I add, to ask if I was even in the right place because I was so caught off guard by the experience). Don't go here if you care about being treated with kindness or any basic decency. I understand servers being busy and am not one to leave negative reviews but this was the worst experience I've ever had trying to receive service at a restaurant. Incredibly rude and we will obviously not be back. read more

We had reservations at Drakes Sonoma Coast but decided to stop by here first for a drink. The couple of fire pits outside were taken, but we got a seat at the bar and had a clear view of the bay. It was a Saturday night, and we also were treated to a live music performance. Friendly service, very nice ambiance, terrific views! Of note, they don't take reservations but are connected to the restaurant which does. read more

Views are truly stunning, and the location that allows for those vistas is very special. Aside from the visuals, it gets murky quickly. Because the lounge and restaurant adjoin the pricey lodging, parking can be challenging. Weather in the summertime on the north coast isn't exactly warm, often as not, which factored into our visit. We were visiting with my brother and sister-in-law and they took us for a drive over to the coast to escape the inland heat. Mission accomplished, but it was very breezy and almost too cold; or at least a big contrast from inland Santa Rosa. The outside patio area for the Fireside Lounge only had one of three firepits lit; not sure why, as it was perfect firepit weather! We asked to be seated when a table opened up. The same server who told my brother that was doable was the same one who told Dear Hubby and me that it was first come, first served, and if someone cut in front of us to grab a table, there was nothing he could do. Oh-kay. Way to start off a very pricey experience, right? That same server had an odd attitude while he was taking care of us once we did get a table inside. The indoor space in the lounge is very striking in its architecture, but only part of the room affords views of the bay and sunset. We were on the opposite side and only got to view the room itself. Menu-wise, they shift to a dinner menu (more expensive, right?!) instead of maintaining lounge-friendly casual dining and prices to match. There were some lighter options, but not as many as we'd hoped. Also, not that many choices for vegetarian / vegans / non-dairy diners like me. None of us were starving, so we each decided to order the tomato soup, and share the charcuterie board. You have to pay for a bread basket. I didn't try the cheeses on the board, but the meats and nuts were quite good; not the usual fare. The tomato soup was excellent. Throw in a few drinks, and the overall bill was close to sky high for what little quantity we had, plus the offhand / uneven level of service we received. In the future I would consider having a drink outside IF the firepits are lit, and coming before the menu converts to the heavy dinner offerings. Otherwise, I'd try exploring other options in the Bodega Bay area. The view is to die for, though. I'll give them that! read more

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The Service,Food and ambience.. five stars I always enjoy sitting outside, watching the sunset near the fire pit, socializing with hotel guests or people just visiting the area . i've been coming here for years and always have an amazing time. I enjoyed the charcuterie and happy hour Cabernet read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - Drakes - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

We stayed at the hotel and walked over to Drake's Fireside for dinner around 7 on a Saturday. The place was lively but not packed enough where we had to wait for a seat. We honestly really enjoyed the food (though we were hesitant based on the reviews). I highly recommend the following: + Mussels which come with pasta! + Pork Chop + Young Lettuce Salad + Estate drink At Fireside, they have their own menu, but after 6pm, they share the same menu as Drake's Restaurant EXCEPT the cheeseburger ("a secret menu" item). We'd definitely come back. The service was fantastic - shout out to our waiter Ryan (M?) - he was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed the entire time. read more

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Look, I knew when reading the reviews that this place was going to be expensive. There aren't many fine dining restaurants in the area, so it makes sense and we expected to pay a premium. What surprised me was how often this place was recommended as having "amazing" food. I found it while looking for places to stay and things to do in Bodega Bay, our Inn had it top of their list of restaurants in the area and the front desk person checking us in even said we should go. Ok so for our one fancy dinner for the weekend, this seemed like the place! We get there at 7 and it is DARK. It was hard to find exactly where we were supposed to park and where the entrance was. There's one sign that's very softly lit up in yellow. This place is in a resort, so ok, I get people don't want to be disturbed with big lights but I couldn't see a thing. Same with walking to the restaurant itself, all the pathways and the outside lighting at the lounge itself was yellow. It felt like somewhat of a ghost town. Once we got inside there were plenty of people. We walk through the lounge door since we didn't get a reservation in the main restaurant and no one made eye contact or said anything. So after standing there awkwardly, we made our way to a clear high top table and sat down, hoping this was ok. It was. The server came over pretty quickly after that and was such a kind and warm gentleman. He truly was the best part of this dining experience and I wish him nothing but restful sleeps and happy days. We ordered the cheese plate. It was $27 I think and that seems reasonable for the amount of food we got. I loved the honeycomb included. The thing that bugged me about the cheese plate was the person who dropped it off at our table (not our main server) didn't tell us what any of the cheese or meat was. It rotates, so it wasn't on the menu. And we were just left to try it out. The choices themselves were ok. Didn't seem to pair well together and all three cheeses were on the softer or crumbly side. No hard or sharp cheeses (I don't count blue cheese as "sharp", it's a very specific taste on its own that can't be lumped in with a sharp manchego, for example). So good but not great start. Then, we split the baby gem Caesar salad and the halibut. The baby gem leaves were so bitter. I get that's it was a deliberate choice to make this Caesar salad different, but i did not like the choice. The halibut on the other hand was pretty tasty. I love halibut, I also love cherry tomatoes, so these little bursts of flavor were great. And still, this dish was relatively plain in flavor. It did not highlight the halibut flavor, but seemed kind of muddled together. Overall, I was very surprised that this restaurant which everyone recommended and has awards, ultimately fell flat and felt like a waste of an expensive night out. Our server was amazing though! And the fires outside looked cozy! I'd probably come back only for those and a hot toddy. read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - Halibut - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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If I could give no stars I would. We wanted to go to bodega for the day and have a nice fancy dinner for my boyfriend's birthday so we drove all the way to bodega to the nicest place so we thought. We were rushed to order when we didn't even get our drinks in. They have a steak option so I got that my boyfriend got a burger. It was his 25th birthday. Apparently whoever was making steak doesn't know what medium well is because my steak was raw. His burger was burnt as fuck literally on the way home he had in his teeth. I'm grateful that we were comped for the meal because we would've probably had to pay $80 for a shit experience pretty much ruined the day never going back worst experience ever. I've never had to be a Karen and send something back but the first time it was raw the second time they just threw the same steak back on the grill obviously it's gonna get tough as fuck. It was so hard. I re-ordered a Caesar salad. Their Caesar salad had a full ass anchovies in it was disgusting, very pungent and fishy And then when I cut up the damn chicken tell me why I was a hair in it the worst experience ever that chef needs to be fired or maybe they just need to have some fucking hair nets. I have worked with food so much. I have never had anybody complain that there is hair in their food because I simply wear a hairnet. It's just being clean and then the moment we seen that hair he couldn't even finish his burger. it just was disgusting . Like really do better. read more

I came for brunch on Sunday and it was fantastic food. The atmosphere in the fireside lounge was very pleasant. Also they where very accommodating, I booked my reservation for outside but it was a cold morning, and Patrick found us a table inside so we would be more comfortable. Lastly i believe are servers name was Wendy, she was very friendly and sweet to us. read more

Drake's is an absolute five-star experience. The food, service, and ambience are all exceptional. I'm genuinely obsessed with their charcuterie board, and the cocktails are incredible. Sitting outside with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc while watching the sunset and meeting new people made the evening unforgettable. If you're in Bodega Bay, I highly recommend stopping by Drake's. read more

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!! FOOD POISONING - The sole server when we were there was also acting as the bartender and made both of our cocktails wrong. A previous bartender/bar manager (we assume based on the conversation with her) showed up as we were drinking our cocktails and she could tell immediately that something was off. When I explained the taste of my cocktail and my partner explained the taste of his, she immediately understood that the server had not made the drinks correctly. She remade 1 (!!!) of our drinks. There was also a very uncomfortable/ awkward conversation right in front of us, as guests, explaining to the server what ingredients were missing. The server was obviously annoyed & and responded by saying "I have tables". (Rule number one of working in a restaurant - don't reprimand team members in front of guests!) The fact that this person served us incomplete and incorrectly made cocktails and then charged us? That's some shoddy service. - We had a dozen oysters and they were warm. We should've immediately returned them to the kitchen and asked for fresh shucked oysters, but after the experience with the bartender and our drinks, we suffered through it. Never again. Both of us got food poisoning. The oysters were the only seafood we ate, so it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together: Their poorly prepared oysters made their guests sick. - I called the hotel twice to try to speak with a manager about our experience. Still no luck reaching anyone - the first time the call was disconnected and the second time the person who answered simply picked up the phone and then hung up, not even saying hello. **** If a manager from Drakes is reading this, I would appreciate someone reaching out to me. There's a reason why this establishment has poor yelp reviews and ratings. read more

Outdoor ambiance is pretty nice but only because of view and fire pit areas nearby. Food is mediocre and pricey. Service is spotty. We went with a group for my husband's birthday because health issues prevent us from eating indoors at any restaurant. So we're glad Drake's is there but .... read more

Drake's Fireside Lounge is attached to the resort here, but it's open to anyone. Some folks use this as their pre-dinner drink spot before moving on to Drake's full dinner menu at the adjacent restaurant. They also offer room service if you're staying at the resort or you can charge the dinner to your room. I wasn't staying here, just looking for a spot to go with my vegetarian mom for dinner and they seemed to be the best of limited options in Bodega Bay. They have three literal "fireside" areas out front, where a large gas fire heats up surrounding benches. It's a gorgeous spot for a sunset drinks. The fire is quite warm so even on chilly or windy nights, you can be comfortable. However there aren't really any tables by the fire so it's not great for a full dinner. Inside, there is bar seating, two-top seating, and some larger tables. Very lodge style decor with beautiful views of the bay through the windows. They have an extensive wine list with local options, and many food options if you are eating meat. The happy hour "bites" menu helps with very expensive prices. We got popcorn ($6), a walnut salad ($15), a veggie burger ($18), a beer ($8), the goat cheese cheesecake ($14), and the pear and merlot sorbet ($14). Yeah, we went all out. Everything tasted very good, the unique desserts especially. It was very nice of them to accommodate our request for a veggie burger even though it's not technically on the menu. Staff was attentive throughout the meal. I'd certainly come back for a fireside appetizer and cocktail to watch the sunset! read more

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Drake's is a beautiful restaurant with friendly and attentive service. We had their clam dish which was outstanding along with some sides everything was fresh and delicious. Since we were staying at The Lodge we decided to have breakfast the next morning, I wish we didn't. Dinner was so great and breakfast was the complete opposite. Breakfast was bland, especially the breakfast potatoes which seem to have been cooked the day before and weren't even hot. It was mediocre at best. I say try dinner go out to her for breakfast! read more

Best evening ever!! Cane here for our friend's birthday. The staff was on point, welcoming, warm, and anticipated all our needs. We started with the Aguachili and the Tomales Bay clams. The aguachili was so refreshing! The cucumber and jalapeño offset each other perfectly. I was the one one that had had class before and I wasn't sure how they would go over, but surprisingly, everyone loved them!! We split the ribeye and halibut. I cut the ribeye with a butter knife, do buttery and flavorful. The pickled onions and potatoes paired wonderfully. The halibut was prepared perfectly and the sauce was so good, we asked for a spoon to finish it. Jose and Hallie made our night. They made sure all of our needs were taken cate of. I can't say enough good things about our evening. Thank you!! read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Solid covid prepped breakfast. Boxed up plastic cutlery, endless coffees n water. But here to hit the links. Perfect way to start a round of Golf! Can't wait to come back! read more

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Eaten here for 15 years. The current chef here has taken this place to a new high. The salmon crepinettes are off the charts amazing; Moist and flavorful. The pork chop is on the same level. Great job !!! read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - Salmon crepinettes - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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I thought everything was wonderful. I brought three other people who are all "food ppl" and everyone loved the whole experience. Food was excellent and service was spot on. It was also Sunday memorial weekend and they were slammed and it was still excellent. read more

Is this place romantic.? Yes! Is this place beautiful? Yes! Does this place have an incredible selection of drinks cocktails and wines? Yes! Is your wife going to love this on a cool foggy. Sunday afternoon sitting by their fire pits on their comfortable lounges, looking at the Bay? Are you kidding me? The answer is yes! Yes! The food is good. The ambience is out of this world and they have the nicest bartender who makes you feel so at home you wish you could live there. read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - a glass of wine and a drink - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

The ambiance, the service that was provided and the staff makes you feel so welcoming. Everything we ordered exceeded our expectations. Definitely coming back every time we are in Bodega Bay. read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - Oysters! So good we had to get another dozen! - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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We went to Drakes on Mother's Day for an afternoon cocktail after a day at the coast. It was 4:00 pm. There were a few people at the bar and one table of dinners done with their meal. We walked in and stood at the bar, for several minutes before being acknowledged. We stated we would like to order a cocktail. The bartender was less than friendly. Two more people walked in after us and sat down at one of the two bar tables, we chose the other. The bartender went to the table who had walked in after us and when they inquired about food he gruffly stated they were not serving food, they ordered beers. We sat at the table as the bartender stomped around the bar and into the kitchen before finally coming over to us to take our orders. I asked if they made bloody Mary's as it wasn't on the drink menu. He actually groaned and harrumphed at me! When I asked if that was a problem he stated " I've been making them all day". He stomped away... we sat there for several more minutes after he walked away and into the back kitchen (?). A woman came out and asked if we were ordering and we said we just tried to order drinks but that the bartender did not seem happy about it. She then said "well we're between service". Mind you NOT closed... We opted to bail at this point. This is the second time we have been here and received pretty terrible service. It's too bad. It's a nice set up but we will never return. The bartender in question was a gentleman (I use that term loosely as he was so rude) with dark hair and a beard, in case management is reading. read more

Beautiful views but terrible service. Server checked in on our neighboring firepit 3 times but never came over to us. We look young but are in our early 40s. I had to go into the bar to order a glass of wine before our dinner reservation. Unfortunately it didn't get better. I ordered the $16 county line pinot noir, bartender gave me a glass that was already poured and just sitting there thinking I wouldn't notice. I was distracted by paying my bill and already frustrated. Ended up ordering the same glass at dinner and a much better glass of wine came out. So now I know he gave me a $8 salmon creek Pinot. Just really bad, go to the restaurant and skip this. 2 stars bc the views are gorgeous but oof, no. read more

Drakes Fireside Lounge - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Went with out of town relatives for my husband's birthday. Had a nice table near the fireplace with a great sunset view. The food was good and the server brought my husband dessert when he found out it was a birthday celebration. read more

We stopped in after stopping at Doran Beach. It was peak winter so frigid temperatures outside. They started the fire for some other people but we sat inside, even with covid worries. Tables were pretty spaced though they do have communal tables. Food was outrageously expensive. Drinks were good but also pricey. View was priceless. read more

Enjoyed the dinner with a view here! Very upscale and good service staff. As a vegetarian, I had limited options - mostly salads and one rice bowl option, but their Rosemary Almonds are out of this world!!!! Absolutely loved it! The outdoor seating is very romantic. Recommend enjoying an early dinner watching the sunset here at Bodega Bay! read more

Overall, not excited to eat here again based on this first experience. If things changed, I'd be much more interested. I recommend reassessing customer service training and R&Ding items on the menu with some taste testing. Service 2/5 We found out there was table bread online. We weren't offered any and when it came, it was cold. I ordered Clam chowder which I think was forgotten. It never came as my starter. We all got our entrees and the busser asked did you ever get your clam chowder? I said no and then it came. My partner ordered her burger without tomato because she's allergic and it still came with tomato. She also added avocado for $3 extra and what was provided was a paper-thin slice. There weren't servers around to check-in on us, the most helpful people were the bussers. Food 3/5 High-quality ingredients executed decently. My duck breast was dry and didn't have much sauce to compliment the duck flavor. Everything needed a bit of salt but that's not too much of a problem. Ambience 5/5 Views and nature and outdoors around are beautiful. Lots of nice fire pits around. Value 2/5 It was a premium price tag for a not premium service or experience. read more

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Dare I say--the best happy hour in west county as far as drinks go!? Excellent service staff are attentive and knowledgeable, and the bar always cranks out delicious cocktails! The cod exceeded my expectations and was superbly delicious. We are looking forward to becoming regulars! read more

Absolutely gorgeous view - best in small town of Bodega Bay. And happy hour martini great buy in tourist town where I paid $10 for a loaf of plain, regular bread! Service was excellent. read more

The ambiance outside is unmatched. Comfy little nooks to sit in that have speakers playing chill music, fire pit and beautiful view. The cocktails were yummy as was the kid's grilled cheese. My daughters burger and bun were burnt but overall we had a great experience and will be back! read more

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Came here the other weekend 5.22 after a day at Doran Beach. Super convenient location, literally up the street from the beach with plenty of parking. I'm all about views, ambiance and food! This place is extremely beautiful, breathtaking not to mention this place had some of the best salmon I've ever had, even if it was in a taco! Due to the Pandemic they have a limited menu, but it did not disappoint. Service is great, didn't have to wait, awesome wine selection I ordered the J sparkling rose. Everything was moderately priced. read more

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We were over at Bodega bay for a few days RVing with some of our fellow. Elks lodge members from Stockton 218. Having grown tired of our own cooking we opted into Drakes for a nice breakfast. Quick seating and coffee complimented by a view of the bay made for great start to the day. My friend had the Eggs Benedict and other than being a little light on the Hollandaise sauce, she was well pleased. I went with the Waffle and a nice dude of sausage. Both perfectly done. Coffee was fresh hot and refilled. We'll be back! read more

Our bartender, Willa, was fabulous and her drinks and service were excellent. We had a bowl of steamed clams and a crab Louis salad. The portion on the clams was big. There was chorizo in there too. A little too much. The salad was disappointing. It was small and strange. Taste was good but I wouldn't order it if you like crab Louie salads. You'll be disappointed. Great ambiance and the music was a nice touch. read more