Please note that I visited this restaurant for drinks, so I haven't tried their food yet. I discovered this place while waiting for my reservation at a Christmas-themed brewery, and I'm so glad I stopped by. I forgot the bartender's name, but whoever made my espresso martini--it was by far the best one I've ever had! My previous favorite was at Novela Bar in San Francisco, but sorry Novela, Easy Rider has won my heart. I literally chugged it because it was that good, and I still can't forget the perfect balance of sweetness and martini flavor. I also loved how they used powdered coffee instead of whole beans. Please go try their drinks! I'll definitely be back to try the food soon. I hope they consider opening up in SF! read more

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Crunchiest fried chicken ever!! The reason for four stars- hush puppies were a bit burnt , the gravy for chicken tasted like chicken fat drippings and d not much else. The lobster gumbo was just ground up soup, not what I was expecting . Overall good tasting food , generous portions read more

Easy Rider - Fried chicken dinner - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

Came here yesterday, I loved the ambiance and decorations and our waitress was also so nice. The food was good, but just food. The hush puppies and biscuits and gravy tasted like something was missing, it was a little bland. However, it was closer to the end of their brunch so maybe we just caught the kitchen at a bad time. I definitely will come back to try again! read more

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We returned again, and had some different dishes this time. We started with charred Brussels Sprouts. This is a popular dish in lots of trendy restaurants today, but Easy Rider did it best! Absolutely delicious sauce and flavor. For mains, we had the popular Shrimp and Grits. It was incredible. There are two different sauces, one spicy and one not spicy - both complimented the wonderful grits and perfect Shrimp. There's also andouille sausage and a few vegetables. What a fantastic dish! Also had the Breast of Duck - another winner! Large portion, so tasty, and loved it. And our third main was the Petrale Sole - another really delicious treat. In summary, this is a great restaurant, with delightful staff and servers. Highly recommended! read more

Easy Rider - This was a great Salmon dish - so tasty with the Succotash! - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

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Friday night dinner after work with a friend. Wanted to grab a bite & drink. We headed to Easy Rider in downtown Petaluma - catty corner of Hotel Petaluma. Service was great from the hostess to the server. We had a small wait of about 30 to 35 minutes. Not bad for a full house. A request for a particular style of seating was accommodated with a smile - always appreciated! Our server was quick & attentive. Ambiance was perfect for casual cocktails sitting at the bar, a dinner date inside one of the enclosed booths, sunny brunch kinda vibes. There was a variety of seating high, low, chair, both, & bar. They have these two cool almost-enclosed booths but there's only two of them. I didn't get a chance to sit in them! Snag one, if you can. However, everywhere in the restaurant really has its own charm & view to offer. Food menu offers gastropub style food. Presentation was stunning. Everything was cooked well. With all due respect, the flavor was lacking just a little bit for my taste & flavor palette. Feeling a little 'APPY' I order the following: Crispy Brussels Sprouts w/ carolina farro, peanuts, balsamic, parmesan, truffle. They were cooked well & loved the charred flavoring! There was a heavily amount of shaved Parmesan cheese atop the pile of brussels sprouts! I just wish there was a little more seasoning cooked into the brussels. Baked Brie paired w/ bread tips, apple slivers, walnuts, & preserves. Which was an amazing starter. Lastly, the bacon & potato soup. This had a great texture with the smooth soup & bits of bacon as well as potato. I added black pepper because I love it. I added salt because it needed it. It was much better & I enjoyed every bite. I tried a piece of fried chicken from my friends Fried Chicken Dinner w a side of collard greens & mac'n'cheese. She enjoyed her mac but didn't care for the flavor of the greens. They had a bit of a sweetness to them & not much flavor or seasoning. I tried a bite & thought the same. Thank you for having me & hosting a lovely dinner @EasyRider. I'll come back to try some more things. read more

Easy Rider - Bacon & Potato Chowder - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

Fried chicken dinner was amazing. Appetizers were great too. I had the hush puppies and pork belly sliders. Their food left me very full. Our server was awesome and was always available for us. We didn't have to wait long for our dinner which was great. Atmosphere in the restaurant is a little noisy but that's because they were pretty packed. Definitely get there early otherwise you may wait for a bit. read more

Easy Rider - Fried chicken and their house made Gravy - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

First, we love the ambience of this charming little Petaluma (must-try) restaurant, and the service is always off the hook: Tonight we had Marika and Kelly tag teaming, and they were outstanding. Love the kind, chill, customer service-driven vibes. We started with a perfect Manhattan made by rockstar bartender Colton (with a Luxardo (!) cherry [perfection]). And a neat tequila (or two ;). Nice start to dinner! Damn nice selection of cocktails and top shelf liquor. We started on apps with the sweet potato and pumpkin bisque and it was literally excellent ... accompanied by the beef carpaccio, which was fresh & delightful. But dinner! Oh my God, the honey mustard, salmon, and the mushroom pot pie were off the hook. Savored every bite! We ended with the fabulous donuts, which were the perfect end to this perfect dinner! Cheers to Easy Rider for making date night spectacular. GO! read more

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Finally got to try this! Although having just come back from South Carolina, maybe not the ideal time... We started with some INCREDIBLE cocktails - Tan Lines and the American Graffiti. Delicious!! I was hoping Tan Lines would be a little spicy - it was not, at all - but it was very refreshing. The American Graffiti was perfectly bitter, Bourbon-y, and tasty and I would have it again. What a combination! Then we had the hushpuppies (good, but that jam was odd) and I've never had stuff like cheese and bacon in a hushpuppy, but it wasn't bad. Then for mains I had the shrimp and grits which were very good, and my husband had the special porterhouse. It was fine I guess - one side was quite a bit overcooked, but the other side seemed to be how he wanted it. For dessert we had sticky toffee pudding cake (which I've had at Guesthouse) and my husband had the Panna Cotta. I couldn't finish mine, but it was very good. I was intrigued by their brunch signs. Chicken and waffles?! Yes please!! Will have to come back for brunch for sure! But we will def be back again for dinner too. Yum! Service was attentive and personable. Excellent experience!! read more

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First time to Easy Rider. We've been wanting to try it and tonight was the night. The interior is very cool and relaxing. The wait staff is amazing! Ask for Ashleigh. She was wonderful. The food was terrific. Start with the Brussel sprouts with balsamic, peanuts and Parmesan cheese. It's a large order for 2. The fried chicken is also a large order, served with collard greens and Mac and cheese. You can sub for mashed potatoes. The burger is fabulous. The meat is excellent as are the fries. We were too full for dessert. Can't wait to visit again. read more

Easy Rider - Brussel sprouts - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

Easy Rider is one of the best restaurants in Petaluma. My boyfriend and I started our meal with the shrimp starter. It was very tasty. The sauce that came with the shrimp made it even better. I enjoyed the corn under the shrimp with sauce. I ordered the steak. It was a bit over done for me. I ordered medium and pretty much got well done. That kind of ruined the entree for me since it was the main dish. My boyfriend got the salmon and loved it. I tasted it, and I loved the crispy skin of the salmon. The corn succotash under the salmon made the dish amazing. The servers were great and attentive. The prices could be a little steep for what you're getting. All in all I might come again and try other dishes. read more

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We have been trying to check Easy Rider out while we are in Petaluma in the past so we thought we would try it yesterday evening as a walk in taking a chance on Fathers Day and they were more than accommodating since we didn't have a reservation. We started with their signature cocktails which both were refreshing as well as fair priced. Being our first time everything on the menu looked delizioso so we kind of "grazed" through the menu starting with a todays special which was a heirloom tomato salad with plout, micro greens and burrata in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was so good I forgot to take a pic of it ‍. We moved on to the fried green tomatoes appetizer which was just as good and slightly different than what we have had in the past but amazing smash up of flavors with Kalamata olives and tomato relish. Excellent! Our entrees included the roasted shrimp (small plate) for her and I had the pork chop over cheesy grits and collards. Both were delicious, full of flavor and well prepared. We had to try the dessert menu which offered many choices and we went with the Sticky Toffee Cake and it was so good, light cake with a gooey Carmel sauce with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The service was incredible, happy and helpful in every way. The ambience very warm and welcoming and decorated very modern. Don't miss out on this little gem, the menu will choices will result in multiple visits just to try various dishes. Check er out e mangiamo Ciao read more

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The food was absolutely magnificent! I ordered the braised ribs and my boyfriend ordered the gumbo. We shared the pork belly appetizer and truffle fries. Everything, and I mean everything, was made well and tasted delightful. The service was excellent. Our server was energetic, attentive and friendly. It was very loud. They make use of all of their small space. They are in downtown Petaluma on a corner. It's easy to get to. Parking is a slight challenge since downtown is busy. Walking a couple of blocks isn't a bad thing because of its location. read more

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Stopped here for brunch on Mother's Day with reservations made well in advance. A top-notch service staff and fun environment. Even though our server had just finished her training, she was the quintessential professional! We started with mimosas all around and then moved on to the donuts... No way to describe them except fabulous. They come four to and order and honestly, two per person is barely enough. Next we moved on to hush puppies with some of our party had never had before. Perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Fabulous. Then we had an assortment of brunch items. Mine was the frittata, which was fabulous. Also... I used that word twice now. Another member of our party had the chicken and waffles. She's a southern girl and thought these were the best she's ever had. My wife had the American breakfast and couldn't finish at all. This is a great place for brunch, and would like to try it for other dining experiences. Many thanks to the staff, particularly to our newly trained server! She was great! read more

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I had a great experience. The ambiance and service were exceptional. The drinks and food were tasteful. Would love to be back, unfortunately they are closing soon. read more

Easy Rider - Tan lines - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

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Food was amazing mac & cheese rocked it Talk about service amazing quick to the point the menu inside and out I'll be very comfortable. Highly recommend. read more

Easy Rider - Happy customers, my daughters The food was fantastic. Fantastic service was fantastic. - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

We and friends saw this on Check Please Bay Area....looked fab...But: Avocado toast tiny slice avocado, overpriced (we are foodies, don't really care about prices). Omelette OK. Fried chicken & waffles: small portions, good but nowhere near what Brown Sugar Oakland used to be. Service good but one minor glitch. Basically OK but not returning. read more

We went for their Sunday bunch to celebrate my mother's 93rd birthday. We were seated right away in a comfortable booth. My mother had the blueberry mascarpone French toast. It was very tasty. My sister had the burger which looked very good. It came with some delicious fries. I had the braised short rib hash and eggs. read more

Easy Rider - Hash - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

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Delicious, fun, yummy.. I'll be back. Parking is easy and it is a great location. 2nd dinner here in just a few months. I cook at home.. and love my food. These folks are superb. There were forks full of food being shared all around the table. Pork Chop, Duck, Fries, Brussel Sprouts...... read more

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Love this new addition to downtown Petaluma! Buzzy atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, tasty food and cocktails. Great night out with friends -- they were packed. Recommend making reservations. Faves: pork belly biscuits, hush puppies, fried chicken dinner. read more

The appetizers and drinks are really good!! The steak tartare was amazing and the presentation was so nice! I couldn't get enough. The truffle fries were very yummy and I loved the different sauces The ribeye steak was extremely disappointing... if I'm paying $50 for a steak I would hope it's a good quality cut. Instead I got a steak full of fat and tendons much more similar to a chuck eye steak... I should've listened to my waiters warning that the sauce it came with was sweet and had it on the side. It was just pure sugar and the taste was so powerful it overtook any flavor of the meat and side veggies. I could only take a few bites before I shoved my plate to the side.... The fried chicken was okay- dark meat is definitely the juicier parts but that side gravy was horrendous. It was sour and funky. Mac and cheese was good but soupy and collard greens were meh. Unfortunately I would not come back despite loving the apps and drinks... read more

The service was amazing. The restaurant very cute space. The presentation was pretty. Unfortunately, my food not come out hot. The food was fine though. I will say they do have a happy hour all night on Wednesdays. read more

Easy Rider - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

Went to easy rider with my son and wife we were at the bar in ordered off of the appetizer menu.. the bartenders were all over it. Great service great attitude made us feel like family. The appetizers were fantastic. I gave it five stars. read more

I am fortunate enough to live within easy walking distance of this new Petaluma favorite. What originally drew me to visit was what I felt and inspired Sunday brunch menu. With many more returns, weekend, brunch at East Rider (Saturday's now discontinued...for now?) delivers everything you want and more. Some people don't understand the combination of chicken and waffles, but Easy Rider gets it spot on. Spicy, chili infused maple syrup, tops off fried, breaded, boneless chicken breasts that are delicious on their own. A thin waffle soaks up a sugary pat of butter with thinly sliced strawberries, underneath the chicken. The flavor combination of spicy, savory, and sweet, bring it all together. And - it's a healthy portion! Often times I will split the dish because I want the appetizers also! Bacon and cheddar hush puppies with strawberry, jalapeño, jam or, donuts - - little beignets that remind one of New Orleans, perhaps, complete with three dipping sauces, including chocolate and raspberry. Top it off with a nice brut rosé, or perhaps a crafted latte. This is a 'can't miss' brunch. Recently, I also stopped for dinner. I enjoyed those same hush puppies from brunch as a dinner appetizer also, followed by well presented mussels with frites. The menu certainly has more than I'm mentioning, but these are what I've gravitated to thus far. The host, bar and wait staff could be nicer and more welcoming. Service is attentive, but not overbearing. This place can get quite packed, so make sure you make a reservation. The restaurant is clean, well appointed, and orderly. The tall brick walls give you that warm, welcoming feeling. I prefer restaurants that have that kind of character, and in an old town like Petaluma, you can certainly find some spots. I am hopeful Easy Rider will thrive for years to come. The space has housed a couple restaurants / bars prior that have come and gone - partly due to the pandemic. But I think this is certainly the best all-around package to be in this space that I have experienced. read more

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Gotta check this place out! Easy Rider in Petaluma. Southern style cooking. Here you see their amazing Fried Chicken. It comes with delicious gravy, amazing collard greens and comforting and creamy Mac and cheese. One word sums up the total experience: WOW!!! Oh yeah, dessert was the incomparable Sticky Toffee Coffee cake with vanilla ice cream. And a special Than You to our waiter Candis. We're already planning our next visit because there are so many other amazing dishes on the menu. LOVED IT!! Bonus: start with the Hush Puppies! read more

Easy Rider - Fried chicken, collard green, gravy and wonderful Mac and cheese - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

Huge shout out to the team for not just great food & drinks but being so toddler family friendly. Our server was so strategic. He gave us a booth (which is gold with a toddler) and put in the Mac n cheese order for our little dude before our drinks. This allowed us to have kiddo entertained with the food while my husband and I could cheers and discuss the menu. The food runner brought an extra bowl so our 2 year old wouldn't burn his little hands on the fresh from the oven ramekin. The GM went for a high five with our son on the way out and he literally hugged her unprompted. This isn't the first time they've crushed it for us, so it's not a fluke and definitely needs to be shared on this page. If you have family members with littles visiting this holiday season, a 5:30 pm weekday at Easy Rider should be on your list. - Signed, a local mama that doesn't work there etc. read more

Easy Rider - Kids Menu - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

Easy rider has a lot of fun, unique, and delicious food options. We shared a Monday night locals special meal, along with some appetizers. The appetizer included in the meal plan was good, but very small. Then main meat dish was delicious and good-sized. The dessert was not great, as it was cold inside still. The bartender was awesome and made us crafted drinks based on our likes. The only weird thing with the service was another server who kept using a hand-held straw to take little samples of each new drink the bartender made.. kind of gross and unprofessional. read more

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Stopped in last night during a busy Saturday dinner service. I pulled up a seat at the bar and was greeted immediately. This was my second time going to Easy Rider and had high expectations after the first time, which was delicious. This time was even better. I started with the gazpacho and wow, it was the best I've ever had. It was served like a cold purée and poured over a medley of peppers and avocado. The textures and tastes had my pallet dancing with the stars. Next I had the shrimp and grits. Nice big shrimp with thick slices of andouille sausage. The grits were perfect and the sauce was slightly sweet and spicy. Delish. I ended with the toffee cake. If I could swear on here I would, it was freaking exceptional. Super light and moist, topped with sea salt and whipped cream. Paired great with the stout on draft. Service was excellent too. The bartender was a one man band, rocking the service well while being super attentive to all the guests. People complain about the prices- to those people- go to Denny's. You get what you pay for here which is high quality delicious food. read more

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Okay, Sonoma, here we goooooooo. I walked in and was greeted immediately. A pleasant waitress named Marika was eager to assist and accommodate. The manager, Bill, kept checking in with us. The food was outstanding from start to finish! I highly recommend this restaurant. From the atmosphere to the staff and food. No negative feedback. Overalls, Easy Rider, you did Sonoma County Fantastic! read more

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Whatever I have to say will be moot because by the time you read this they will probably be closed. Unfortunately - and for whatever reason - this great restaurant is closing for good at the end of the year. read more

3.8 stars. The sell for me are the cocktails and service. I'd probably only return for that. Before I jump into this review, I have to shout out Allison and Cesar, they attended our table with friendly smiles and consistency. They definitely carry the stars for the evening. * Calamity Jane * Low country crab cakes (2) - pepper coulis, old bay, chop chop & remoulade * Fried Chicken - collard greens, mac n' cheese, bacon truffle gravy, calabrian chili honey Starteding with the Low country crab cakes. Although the portion was small, the crab cake was packed with flavor. It was a nice appetizer to prepare us for what was coming. That Calamity Jane though! Whew girl!!! You betta watch out for her. She a thirst trap, and will make you want more and more! I told our server Allison how delicious it was, and she gifted me a small bottle of local brand Bitter Girl bitters, and a slide card with a recipe to make it at home. This definitely needs to be a starred cocktail on their menu. It was refreshing, smooth, had the perfect quantity of liquor without being a headbanger. It is a perfect cocktail, I could have enjoyed a second. The rest of the food, sigh. I was not impressed. Let's begin with the greens, while they were not bitter, they were incredible sweet. I do not believe I have ever had sweet collard greens before. It tasted like a smokey, maple flavor. Perhaps they used a sweet maple bacon? The macaroni and cheese needed more salt. The texture was grainy, not a melted cheesy texture at all. It had a strong sour flavor and reminded me of the intensity of blue cheese. Too much punch. I asked what type of cheese was used, Allison said it was Mornay (sauce) and Fiscalini cheddar. The who what? The thing about soul food, is that it is simple comfort food that every day folks prepare and the ingredients should follow suit. I doubt anyone in the southern states or most southern households know about Fiscalini cheese let alone putting a béchamel sauce in their macaroni. It's like asking the BBQ master to add a bordelaise sauce on the ribs just to elevate the flavor. Please no. I checked the website for Fiscalini, it said Swiss origins. Maybe the way they make their cheese is not the same as say a Gruyere or American cheddar. I dunno, but it did nothing for the macaroni. The chicken had a dense crisp consistency, not a light and crisp texture. Even my husband who is not from the south asked for hot sauce. Which means it needed more seasoning and flavor. The meat was cooked very well except, as other Yelpers have stated, needed more flavor. Pass on the gravy it also needed salt. When I asked my husband what he thought overall, he replied "We are in Petaluma, not New Orleans." With this in mind I asked where the chef was from, our server said North Carolina / Virginia area. Fried chicken in North Carolina does taste different than fried chicken in Nashville and New Orleans. Soooooo, I guess we had Virginia style friend chicken? Please pass the Lawry's. read more

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Definitely up there in one of the tastiest places in town! The sweet potato gnocchi is to die for! Ambiance is beautiful. read more

Dined here on a whim when out enjoying happy hour recently with the better half. Wanted to make up from a ho-hum experience elsewhere, so stopped by at opening time in the hope of snatching a seat. We were accommodated under the proviso that we had to be out within 90 minutes... Shouldn't have been a problem. Then we saw the portion sizes. DAMN! I've lived in the US for more than 8 years now and yet still don't learn... Not only were the portions ample, but the quality was as authentic as it was delicious. Having visited New Orleans earlier in the year, this dinner was like a return to that dining Nirvana. Haven't checked for a happy hour menu, but if there are criticisms on pricing, such people value volume over quality. Easy Rider has both! read more

Easy Rider - Fried chicken, collard greens, mac n cheese - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

Love this place! The service is tremendous. We came to town to drop our daughter off at school and decided to come here for dinner. The atmosphere is is clean and tasteful . It's southern taste with a few twists. First off the Hush puppies with a sweet sauce for an appetizer was amazing. I ordered a sole dish that had flavors bursting with every bite. My friend ordered the gumbo which was a bit spicy but delicious. We don't usually order dessert but a staff member suggested the sticky toffee cake which was amazing. Perfect size to share and not over indulge. I gave this place 4 stars because of food and service. read more

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Cocktails were great, food not so much. We had the chicken sandwich and it was very dry and lacked salt. Bland. Bun was plain as well. Uneventful. Tuna Ahi dish was four tiny pieces that were not fresh. Disappointing for $18. Hush puppies were burnt but still tasted good. We really wanted to like this place, but we think they may have had an off night with the kitchen. read more

This has already been my second time back and always my first choice for breakfast or brunch when in Petaluma. The last time I was here I got the beef hash and I wanted it again I'm making it my mission to try everything on the menu. I also got the bloody Mary last time highly recommend, but this time I got the calamity Jane not pictured. The chicken and waffle comes as a flattened chicken breast that's boneless breaded and fried to perfection. Underneath is butter and some strawberry compote on a waffle accompanied by hot honey. The service and Decor is always cozy and attentive. Can't wait to come back the next thing I want to try is the pork belly grits and pork belly biscuits. read more

Easy Rider - Chicken and waffle - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

The chicken that they're famous for is the dinner; not the sandwich. That said, we had the fried chicken sandwiches and they were good. I probably would have butterflied the breast or pounded it because it was impossible to get your mouth around it. Service from David was excellent. Very attentive but not too. The ambiance is great, but be selective where you sit. We were at a small table, where the nook was shared with another couple who was quite loud. For 2 cocktails, 2 sandwiches and a dessert, with all tips, the bill was $100. I thought it was about10-20% too high. read more

Great brunch and mixed drinks! The idea of southern comfort food sort of fizzles here when you try to elevate a cuisine that is humble, flavorful, and meant to be shared with a table of friends and family. I found that the portions tend to be small and expensive in the name of exquisite presentation and fine dining, which doesn't seem fair when you want to get the true shrimp and grits experience. After using these sharp words, I went on their website and actually see that they refer to themselves as 'contemporary southern' which is more fitting that 'southern comfort', and maybe my critique isn't fair because of that difference in the definition and I shouldn't have gone in with expectations of beignets and fried chicken and waffles. But for 35 dollars you can get the fried chicken dinner if you still want it, it might not be what your heart is set on though. I've been several times now and do think the brunch deserves a strong mention, but my overall criticism still stands. I love the space, the service, and the convenience on the corner of Kentucky and Washington in downtown Petaluma. It is truly different than 90% of Petaluma's offerings for food, and I do appreciate that immensely for a community that desperately wants more diverse cuisine and culinary experiences than what it currently has. I won't complain about visiting again if invited, but won't be back anytime soon on my own accord. read more

I love southern comfort food, so when I heard of this new(ish) place, I had to try it out! We went on a double date with some friends on a Saturday night. We knew they'd be busy so we tried to make online reservations on Friday but were unsuccessful. We called on Saturday morning to try again as well but no luck there either. We decided we'd just try to walk in and see if they could seat us. Our friends arrived around 7:30pm and the restaurant was as packed (as expected), but they (it might've been the owner) was kind enough to offer them a spot on the counter area in the side/back corner facing the window. There were 6 total seats in that counter and 4 other people were already there. They were told that the couple on the very end was leaving soon, and once they did, the couple in the middle would be able to move over and we could take that middle spot. We arrived around 7:55pm and were led to the area they sat at, with the same assurance that the couple in the end would get up soon and we'd have a seat. By the time we got there that couple had been long done with their food, but were just sitting behind to chat, which was fine. Luckily there was a small chair at the very back corner that I could sit down at (see pictured) next to my friends, but unfortunately my bf had to stand and wait the whole time. We'd only expected to wait for a few minutes, but ended up waiting for over 15 minutes in this corner, which definitely was the beginning of it becoming a negative experience for me. I get that the staff couldn't do anything about the couple not wanting to leave, but they also never made any effort to check in or acknowledge us and how we were just awkwardly crammed in the corner. Multiple people passed by many times (as this was also their working corner), would see us, say nothing and just continue on with their work. I didn't expect them to outright tell that couple to leave, but they could've found other creative ways to encourage them to move to the bar or elsewhere, or at the very least accommodated for our situation. We had to flag down someone to even take our drink order while we waited and they had to call our server over. We got our drinks while still sitting in the corner, with nowhere to even put our drinks (see pictured). When that couple finally got up and left, the couple in the middle kindly moved over as they'd promised, but the staff didn't even come to clean up the food and leftover plates that had been left behind. Once again many people passed by but no one did anything. We had to ask for someone to take away the dirty plates, then asked again for someone else to wipe down the table (they only wiped down one area so we again had to ask for them to wipe down the other area as well). I didn't like feeling that I had to ask for every little thing to be done every time which made me feel like I was being a difficult customer, but these were all very fair things that they should've just done without me having to ask. Once the table was cleaned we didn't receive any plates, utensils, or waters either, which again had to ask for. As far as food, it was decent but nothing special in my opinion. The fried chicken dinner had huge portions which was nice, but I wished the chicken was more flavorful. It had a sweet honey taste to it, which it nice, but all I was tasting was the honey and no other flavors or seasonings. I also didn't receive a chicken leg but instead got a giant piece of chicken tender? Not a big deal, just thought it was odd and also I was disappointed because the leg/drumstick is my favorite part. My bf got the chicken sandwich which I tried as well, but the chicken was quite soft and not crispy as I'd expected a chicken sandwich to be. One of my friends ordered a steak and was asking for a red wine to go with his steak, which he mentioned seeing something on the menu for a $15 glass. The waitress responded in a bit of a rude tone saying something along the lines of "I don't know these wines by their prices". I don't expect her to memorize prices on the whole menu, but she could've maybe just taken a look or provided a reco without sounding so condescending. To top things off, she ended up completely forgetting about the wine and he basically finished 90% of his steak before she showed back up for him to ask about where his wine was. Overall, I think the whole seating situation just completely dampened my mood and made the entire experience less enjoyable. I appreciate the restaurant for accommodating our walk in and trying to make it work, but there's just so many things they could've done differently to make this situation more bearable. However, I'm inclined to believe this was just a one-off experience and would like to maybe give this place another try, with reservations this time. read more

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Have been to Easy Rider twice in the last couple months, it's New Orleans cuisine fit a category that was sorely missing in Sonoma County. Easy Rider is a nice comfortable space, high ceilings give it a spacious setting. There is a bar at the back of the restaurant to grab a cocktail or glass of wine before dinner. While we waited for our table to be set we grabbed a cocktail (Tan Lines) and a glass of champagne. Both were tasty, off to a good start. We shared the Crispy Brussels Sprouts with farro, peanuts, balsamic and a touch of truffle. Excellent starter and enough to share. Entrees kept up the pace. My Berkshire Pork Chop came with cheesy grits and collards. Chop was a perfect medium and juicy while the grits and collards were tasty. Excellent! My wife had the Shrimp n Grits which came with andouille and Creole sauce. She said it was very good but her bar is high as her favorite Shrimp n Grits is back in NJ at Drews Bayshore Bistro. Easy Rider has a nice wine and beer list (along with those tasty cocktails). Corkage is available and we brought a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner. Service was excellent from the bar as well as our server who was helpful explaining the menu. Been to Easy Rider twice and will be sure to return! read more

Easy Rider - Shrimp n Grits - Southern Near Me - Petaluma, California

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I wanted to give this a 3.5 but it didn't allow me to. I, too, heard about them on Check Please. I can usually agree with their suggestions. But not this time. What a disappointment. I drove about an hour, and I arrived hungry. I was also irritated that we could be seated at 445 but couldn't place an order from the menu until 5. Bar menu was not working for us. Started with- Hush puppies and artichoke both Bland. So upsetting, they just missed the mark something just missing on each. I had the pork chops it was good. The fried chicken was good. But the greens were sweet, too sweet, not what we expected. The gravy was watery. I had planned to bring a group of fellow foodies, and I am glad I made the trip first. It's not worth the drive. The waiter was great. read more