Ordered the mushroom risotto with tempura squash. Excellent taste. The reason for knocking off 2 stars - price and quantity. When the total charge for a take out of vegetarian risotto comes to $33+, then you'd better not be stingy on the serving size - unfortunately Fogeater was. The price of the risotto entree was $24, but after the mandatory 20% tip (even though it is takeout), taxes, and then another $2 that is added to any takeout order, this is how $33 came to be. If you are comfortable eating at the restaurant where you get the full service (and hence what a tip is to say "thank you" for) then I do recommend this restaurant even if they do skimp on portion size. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Amount of vegetarian risotto you get for $33 when doing takeout. - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

By far our favorite local restaurant. Delicious, creative dishes with great staff and atmosphere. Hard to choose whether to go for brunch or dinner. read more

Unique, special, and warming environment. I travel over 3 hours to visit this restaurant. Only downside is that it's so good they run out of the menu favorites read more

This was the perfect place for dinner when visiting Mendocino. Everything tasted perfect and super unique and felt like you were eating at a welcoming home. Waiters were super kind, funny and attentive. Get the beignets you won't regret it! read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Southern Plate and Fried Oyster Mushroom - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

This food is so tasty and the staff is very friendly. The atmosphere is charming. Highly recommend ! I'll be coming here every time we're in the area. read more

So, so, so cute. Loved the patio. Service was so friendly and quick and always appreciate a vegetarian restaurant!

Oh my goodness!! Such a great atmosphere, such kind and funny staff, and suuuuuuhhch amazing food. I've been a vegetarian for 15+ years and this food is unparalleled. My omnivorous boyfriend (and former chef) was as impressed as I was. Great food, great service....... enough to bring us back to Mendocino on its own! read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Brunch Stuff, Cauli and Waffles, and Cornbread French Toast - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

Good food but they charge an automatic 20% surcharge, even for take-out orders(!) which they humorously call a "gratuity". So I paid an extra $17 just for the guy to hand my food over the counter, which took all of 15 seconds. In other words, I was forced to pay, without my consent, the same "gratuity" that a table of two would have paid for being waited on for an hour and a half. Increase the cost of your plates if you need to. The spirit of a gratuity is that it is given freely: "gratuity: gr-too′ĭ-tē, -tyoo′- noun A favor or gift, usually in the form of money. That which is given without claim or demand; a free gift; a donation." ~ Either the owners aren't paying their staff enough and are passing that responsibility over to their customers, or the owners themselves are the staff and have decided to pad their own pockets with an obligatory little "sumfim sumfin"... Either way, no bueno. It colored the experience of our dinner which otherwise would have been lovely. Note to the owners: Instead just increase your menu costs, this doesn't feel good to customers and you will lose loyal take-out clientele, like us. read more

Mendocino has a number of really good restaurants - some of which have killer ocean views. However, THIS was our favorite meal on a recent four-day vacation. My husband is a vegetarian - and while I'm not - I cook a lot of vegetarian meals at home and am always excited to eat really outstanding vegetarian dinners out. We loved everything about this place - the beautiful outdoor garden, the decor, the vibe - everything we ate was amazing - great wine and cocktails are available - and the owners and staff were friendly and you could tell have put their heart, soul and passion into this place. Whether you are a vegetarian or not - you must eat here - at least once while in town! read more

We're from San Jose, and we escaped to Mendocino on a little x-mas weekend getaway and came upon this place for dinner. First off, we felt like we were transported back in time, the place looked amazing. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The food tasted so unique, and the miso/caramel apple pie was one of the best slices of pie I've had in a while. We didn't want to leave! read more

My husband and I were on our honeymoon in Mendocino, and found Fog Eater on yelp. We are vegan, and were excited to try this all vegetarian restaurant! To our happy surprise, not only was almost everything on the menu fully vegan- but the entire experience was INCREDIBLE and we left wishing we could just move in! We were seated quickly, and served by the owners who were both absolutely lovely. (Also, their baby was adorable and kept us thoroughly entertained as they came in and out of sitting with friends at the table next to us) The food was delicious. Most of all, we were just struck by the very unique and special environment they were able to intentionally create in this little town. You get a feel for it in photos- but you have to just go eat there to really see for yourself! THANK YOU Fog Eater, we will be dreaming of you until our next visit to Mendocino! read more

What a great experience! Inventive menu, great ambience in the patio area, great service... just top to bottom a fun place to eat. Everyone should give this place a try. One of our friends that's decidedly not into vegetarian or vegan food was thrilled with the brunch. Go as soon as you can. read more

I'm drooling just thinking about my visit a few weeks ago. My fiancé and I stopped in with our 2yo and at first glance, I was in love. The aesthetics are fun and the music had our little one grooving. But you're not here for that.. you want to know how the food is. If I lived closer, I'd be here on a weekly, if not daily basis. Yup, it's that good. I can't wait to go back for more! read more

The vibe here is very unique, like that of a 60's diner. That includes the decorations and even the plates and cups. Really cool! Our food was awesome! We had a few different things between us and devoured everything. I rarely get to each French toast since it's usually not gluten free, but they happen to have a gluten free version and I'm so glad I got it - it was unlike any regular fluffy kind of French toast. It's toasted to perfection and nice and crunchy on the sides. I only got 1/2 the order and that was pretty big! I can imagine the regular order must be huge! read more

Very good. People who aren't vegan would love it as well. Everything we had was on point including the house wine. The service was good and the ambience was fitting for a southern kitchen. I'd definitely recommend stopping here while in Mendocino. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

The food is incredible. The ambiance is beautiful and the service was perfect. HIGHLY suggest the fried green tomatoes & beet cake. Omg, best cake I've had in years. read more

I'll be blunt. My wife is a weed eater, not me. This was a place she could order anything on the menu. I was stunned by the quality and service. Had the pickles, a cup of lentil soup, and the Southern plate, plus two beers and the berry pie. Great chow. The host and servers were impressive and professional. No shaggy jeans and peasant tops, nor Birkenstocks. Great meal. read more

If you are looking for a restaurant with a lovely atmosphere and great service (and that's it) - this is your place. It's charming and kitschy and fun. Staff is lively and super friendly and dressed in a 1950's vibe. Five stars for all of the above. Now, let's talk about the food and drink. I ordered the Frankly, Scarlett. It's a beautifully presented drink (it's made with wine - no hard liquor), but it's not well balanced. There were three of us, and we couldn't get it down. We ordered hush puppies and pimento cheese as our appetizers. The hush puppies were incredibly dense and dry (the remoulade that was underneath them could not assist them) and the cheese was, well, cheese. Both were presented well. As far as entrees go, we each got something different - grits (with egg), rice and beans, the sampler platter - and all were equally flavorless. Neither the hot sauce or the salt could save these dishes. I'm from the south and adore southern food and my diet is vegetable heavy (so I appreciate the vegetarianism), so there is no bias about the exclusion of meat products. I think the concept is fabulous, it's the execution that's gone astray. Mind you, there were many people both inside and out that seem to love their food. We ended with the beignets and they arrived very hot, covered in powdered sugar (as a good beignet should) with two sauces - a blackberry (more of a jam) and chocolate with rose hips. Again, this is where things went sideways. The blackberry jam was tasty, but heavy for the light beignet. The chocolate sauce was too thin and overwrought with rose smell and flavor - so much so that there was barely a hint of chocolate. This restaurant is really close to great, there just needs to be some tweaks to their delivery. read more

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I loved this place! I'm so glad it exists! The vibe and the food are spot on and so unique! Make sure to try the Moon pie! I loved their take on it and I was so sad to realize I couldn't stock up and bring some back since they have to stay cold. Eat as much as you can while you are in Mendocino (or bring a cooler)! read more

Amazing food, amazing people!! Five stars!! Full stop. Nothing else to say. Ok since yelp wants me to say more, we had the blue oyster mushroom, the sliders and an amazing soup. Then the beignet combo to finish it off. Delish!! To die for cocktails plus a great house red and the mist delightfully sassy wait staff. :). As I said, just go. read more

Delicious! The sausage and pimento biscuit with sides of braised greens and potatoes were phenomenal together. We finished up with a piece of King cake (dense, sweet, with a perfect touch of salt!) and the best beignet ever! GET THE BEIGNETS! Plus the most bright n fun ambience, fun music, and awesome staff! read more

Absolutely delicious and beautiful place. Would have visited every day of our trip if we could have. Has a lot of flair and a very particular style. read more

We loved our experience at the Fog Eater Cafe! Every 5 star rating is spot on. Being a vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurant, it makes an effort to give their patrons a unique taste (not just stringing soy substitutes together). We ordered the mashed potatoes + gravy, biscuit sliders, tofu creole, green tomato bisque (soup of the day) and a strawberry-blackberry pie. Each of the items were worth it! I would recommend anyone having at least one meal here during their visit to Mendocino. One recommendation would be to add the 20% gratuity to the value of the items in the menu. read more

My favorite spot in Mendocino by far. The souther vegan food is the best and the service is great. Get here soon if you can. Buy their merch. Follow them on social media to keep up with their adventures. read more

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We ate a lot of good food in Mendocino this weekend, but this was hands down our favorite place! It's a small restaurant , and has this really lovely vintage aesthetic. I was very excited to try a different take on Vegan/Vegetarian Southern food! It's not something I get to eat much of, and this restaurant had a lot of different food on the menu that I don't normally see. We started off with soup special of the day, which was a carrot pure, with a pesto made of the greens for top. It was AMAZING. We also got the golden beet cakes, which were very good. For mains, we got the Heirloom Grits and the skillet pot pie, both of which were delicious. We ended with the pie of the day which was a miso caramel apple pie! All the food was so good, we definitely wish this place was closer to home. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - The Apple pie! - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

Fog Eater has just started and it's pretty great. I love going here for a good cocktail and a nice dessert. I have brought a few of my out of town vegetarian friends here because I'd like for them to experience a little of that Mendocino magic. The decor is vibrant and colorful, a good place to take a bathroom selfie. There's counter (solo eating), outdoor and indoor seating. The wait staff is super friendly. All the food is locally sourced from small farmers. The cocktail menu is quite original and their choices in wine is super ace. read more

Food was way too salty, defeat the propose of cooking with healthy ingredients. Management is worst I have ever seen, horrible waiting time like 1 hour for easy dishes and I really don't want to pay 20% mandatory tips. The staff didn't know what they are doing, forgot to give credit card back, change assigned seats without telling the guests... read more

The food here is amazing! Little hidden gem in the charming village of Mendocino. The dinner was so good, we came back the next morning to try the brunch. Great food - you can tell the staff work more like a family and care about every detail. read more

Amazing!! I wish I lived down the street so I could go weekly. The best meal with such a fun atmosphere! Fun for a date night, family or girls evening. Highly recommend going. read more

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I don't get it. I wanted to love this place based on the reviews. The place is adorable with darling decor and the staff is nice. I normally love vegetarian, but the spice was so over powering on both dishes, we ordered (cauliflower steak and Lima bean dish with cornbread and potato salad) it was hard to eat because of the spice. Boiled peanuts were given as an appetizer and they were not my favorite. The house red wine was the best part of the dinner. read more

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I took my mom for brunch for her 75th Birthday and the food was fabulous. She is already asking me when we can go again.

We came upon this cute place by mistake, but it was a great mistake. My husband is from the South but is now a vegetarian, hard to find a restaurant that serves vegetarian Southern fare, so we thought we'd give it a try! I really liked it but I'm a native CA girl so not a good example. My husband liked it but he thought some of the things we make at home are better. But would definitely go back if we are near them again. The green hue on the Banana Cream pie was interesting, have never seen it before and I've cooked a lot with bananas. Was good though!! read more

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Wow this was an awesome experience, the food was great and so was the staff! We were inspired by the dishes, a random mishmash of antiques. We even plan to email them and donate some of our families dishes to bring new life to them. Highly recommend going to the Fog Eater and give them a try! read more

I'm not sure how they did it, but their red beans and rice entree was a meaty rival to any I've had in the south. The mushrooms gave it a wonderful umami base. A beautifully presented, well executed dish. Friendly warm vibe, the staff seems happy you're there. Inside is homey and hip, pretty outdoor patio too. They don't take reservations, but that wasn't a problem on a summer Sunday night. read more

Stopped in for some delicious natural wine and hush puppies last night at the bar of Fog Eater. The restaurant was full of people, but there were a few open bar seats, so we were more than happy to sit there, which had a great view of the kitchen, and we got to watch all of the food coming out of the kitchen. Loved the design of this tiny restaurant, vibrant colors on the walls, vintage cups and bowls, and great music. It felt modern, but also a throw back in time. We ordered Pet Nat Rose, Bone Jolly Gamay, and The Folk Pinot Noir, all amazing wines, earthy, delicious with lots of character. The hush puppies were deep fried balls of heaven, with a slightly spicy sauce. Perfect to accompany the wine. The best part of this place was the warm fun service. Sitting at the bar made us feel right at home, if we lived here we would definitely be locals. If you like natural wine and vegetarian food I'd definitely recommend stopping in! The cauliflower steak looked out of this world! read more

This is a vibrant new cafe with a very creative Brunch menu up till 2 (then a more full menu). It's run by young women with a colorfully creative fashion slant on the Rosie the riveter look!? The brunch is entirely vegetarian; much more up to date and artistic than most of the town; the slightly spicy kale slaw with the poached egg was distinctive. Our favorite dessert was the wonderful beignets with chicory - rose - chocolate dipper and apricot bourbon jam. So fresh, inventively more-ish and not overly sweet. The front exterior is currently understated but the interior and the back garden is full of lively colors & charm. We sat in the small back courtyard with quaint varying cups, plates and utensils, white iron tables and colorful coastal flowers. We'll come back for the full dinner next time. read more

When I say that the food at Fog Eater is better than most of the in the Bay Area (especially in Oakland and Berkeley), I'm not kidding. The flavors are delicious, the food is hearty, and I definitely want to come back for more. Highly recommend the grits as well as the oyster mushroom dish! The restaurant is gluten free friendly, and the ambiance is gorgeous and charming, even when you're stopping by to pick up your order. If anyone complains about the 20% gratuity included in your bill, look at the care the staff puts into your meal and dining / take out experience, and let it go! The cost of running a restaurant is more expensive than ever, and the staff deserve to be compensated accordingly. 10/10 would recommend, and as a Scorpio with strong opinions and expectations, the bar is high! read more

Not impressed. Quickly location, setting and seating. Guess that is what they were going for. Some of the food was creative but did not make up for the other food which was bland and not worth the cost. Did not care for the additional non-options charges. Put it in the cost food. Sort of like the government renaming taxes as "fees" Much better places and ways to spend our hard earned dollars. Would not recommend. read more

Really great place. The atmosphere is top notch, service is warm and friendly, food is really good! My boyfriend is not big into vegetarian food but he ended up eating half my grits because they were so good. Definitely worth a stop!! read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Grits and beignets - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

Excellent all around. Food, wine, service, physical space, vibe all hit their marks. The vegetarian take on Southern cooking worked out better than I thought possible- tasty and substantial. Bonus- the hostess was as smart and funny as she claimed to be. read more