Decent vegan restaurant with Southern influence. Everything we ordered was good. We especially liked Hush puppies and Broccoli soup. The rice & bean was good but I'd prefer the rice to be drier. The side of grits is ok, nothing special. Peach & berry pie was so so. read more

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I want to give it 3 stars because the price was really out of my budget on a usual day. But outside of that everything else was great. They do make it clear online that they charge 20% gratuity to all orders. It can come out to a hefty bill depending on what you get. We got 2 southern plates, a drink, and the beignets and it came out to whopping $88 plus tax and gratuity. So fair warning for people who want a good meal at a decent price. This may not be the place for you and it would be a shame to knock a place down in review because expectations didn't meet reality. Phew now that we got that out of way... Southern plate was yummy. It's definitely on the smaller side of servings which made it perfect if you're ordering dessert. I never had Lima beans before and it was cool to see it made as the "pulled pork" part of the dish. The cornbread was bomb dot com and we were lucky cause they ran out right after. Never had beignets before either and they were pretty yummy. Overall you're definitely paying for the whole package - vibe, service, food, and high quality sourced ingredients. Isssaaaa vibeeee kinda place. read more

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Hush puppies and Wild Nettle soup. Loved it. A Mendo favorite spot for dinner. Looking forward to next meal. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Wild Nettle soup - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

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This place is truly a hidden gem! Cute decor both inside and out. Great service! As a vegan I often have to compromise when eating out meaning I can only eat a salad for dinner or some pasta with tomato sauce. So nice to find a vegan restaurant where I can eat the whole menu. I would call this comfort vegan food made with love. We had the tomatillo soup, gem salad with pickled rhubarb and pistachio encrusted tofu in cashew sauce with tarragon chimi curry. YUM!!! To full for desert as we ate every bite including sauce and dressing. Will definitely eat here whenever we pass through Mendo. Will try brunch next time. read more

I LOVE this place. I wish I lived here so that I could eat here regularly. Everything about it is great: the food, the service, the decor, everything!! It's adorable and delicious. I also love how fresh and unique everything is. A lot of these more trendy places often have haphazard menus, but Fog Eater is very well thought out and paired. It's a very cute and romantic little spot that I think is great for a date night or GNO. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Pickle plate and peach wine - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

I did not enjoy eating at this restaurant. First, the servers were just not good at their jobs--one tried to explain what the specials were but left within 15 seconds without finishing, another topped up my water after every second sip, and a third showed up three separate times to wipe the table in between our plates (while we were still eating). We ordered three "small plates" since the entrees were expensive for what they seemed to be (such as 30 dollars for a fried mushroom), and were disappointed by the incredibly small portions, the lack of flavor, and the overall greasiness. read more

I'm not sure why this place has such glowing reviews, because we thought it was meh. I wouldn't have been nearly as disappointed in the food if the price hadn't been so outrageous. Also, if you think their mac and cheese is delicious as I saw in many reviews, you have never had a proper vegan Mac or even a proper dairy one. We spent the rest of the week saying how everything we ate was more satisfying and half the price of our dinner here. (Taco Bell, nachos, fancy pizza, salad, etc.) read more

Was hopeful after such great Yelp reviews and a promising menu. Phone was answered along with "What's your favorite color?" which was a cute start. Phone order went fine although an extra comment may me feel judged for ordering so much. Went to pick everything up. Cute interior, plenty of patrons. Food was ready but drinks were not - no problem. While one person (redhead) rang up my card, the other (brunette) made the drinks while chatting with other patrons at the bar seats. The drinks were brought down to me without any greeting, even after I replied with an enthusiastic "Thanks so much!" Was she offended bc I ordered to go? Then the food. First thing I noticed was how light the bag felt considering how much we ordered (and the total cost). While everything was there, the portions were smaller than I had expected. The non-alcoholic "fancy" soda was the highlight - cold and fruity. The food was okay. Everything was lukewarm. The sliders were tasty although spicier than I expected. The mashed potatoes probably would have been better with the gravy on the side. (Also, had potato skins mixed in which not everyone likes). Cornbread was dry. My wife said her rice and beans were flavored well but the beans hadn't been soaked long enough so were a little harder than ideal. Side of greens were good. Dessert: Mississippi Mud Pie was very rich and definitely good for sharing. No napkins, no utensils. Luckily we'd shared our wood utensils from Good Life Bakery earlier in the day or we would have been eating with our fingers! Solid OK. read more

Such a gem in Mendocino! Ambiance is fun, quirky and lively- and the food is even better. The waitstaff are friendly, helpful and fun! Try the cornbread French toast for brunch- it's to die for. read more

Had such a lovely dinner here this week. Everything was delicious. I had the fried mushroom and my companion had the cheesy grits with squash. We shared the pickle plate and pie. The only note I have is that it was a little hard to tell which dishes had soy in them (soy protein really does a number on me), so I felt I had to tread lightly in my ordering. But we really enjoyed ourselves and I enjoyed the leftovers the next day too. read more

Absolutely fantastic and wish we had something delectable like this over the hill! The owners are friendly and fantastic and the food is to die for! Check out their bottle shop as well for some specialty wines. read more

Very cute vegan eatery, we sat in the back patio and the food was good but very overpriced for what it was. read more

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Great spot for a nice dinner in Mendocino. Unbeatable vegan options! Super friendly staff/service and it's a very cute little restaurant

After a long drive to Mendocino on Labor Day Weekend, my boyfriend and I happened to stumble across this restaurant. Little did we know it was Southern Vegetarian. We didn't get expect the whole menu to be plant base but since we were hungry we thought to give it a try. The food was surprisingly good. I liked my ordered of the grits with shiitake mushrooms and I enjoyed it a lot. For a healthier breakfast option, I would definitely come back and try this place again. read more

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Went for brunch on Sunday. Got lucky as we were seated at the counter right away. Everything on the menu looked really good so we over ordered - FRIED CAULI + WAFFLES with cashew gravy, CORN BREAD FRENCH TOAST, Seasonal Jam + Whip biscuit sandwich, Roasted potatoes and Wine. I love potatoes and the Roasted Potatoes were awesome. So was the fried cauliflower waffles. The Cashew gravy was very tasty. Corn bread French toast was also good, but we are not a big fan of corn bread so wasn't too excited about it. Biscuit wasn't as good as some other places we have had tried. The place is small but bustling. The ambiance is lively. Service was good. Could have been slightly better. Overall great place for brunch, next time we plan to try out the restaurant for dinner. read more

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Everything we had was delicious! We began our meal with some boiled peanuts, which I had never had before. Delectable! We then had the spring garlic soup. This, too, was great. For mains we had the chickpea pot pie (homey and scrumptious) and the deep fried blue oyster mushrooms (decadent and perfectly fried). We couldn't stop there, and ordered two desserts: the strawberry rhubarb pie (nice crust!) and the beignets which came with lemon curd (omg, that lemon curd...). The service was warm and friendly and the food was well worth the price. read more

My hubby and I love vegan/vegetarian food and chose Fog Eater as take out option when we were visiting Mendocino. We were really excited about our food since this place has great reviews but that turned to a huge let down as soon as we opened the to go boxes. First of all, the portion is tiny for the amount they charged. It's literally like kiddie meal with adult price. One of the entree only came with one piece of tofu the size of a eraser! But then we were actually glad the portion is small because nothing tasted good. All the ingredients seem to be just tossed together randomly. I think the only items we liked were the Mac & cheese and the chocolate coffee sauce that come with the Beignet. Maybe we went on a off night or maybe dining in will yield a different experience. But I would not recommend take out from this place. read more

Super cute establishment. Had fried cauliflower& waffles & coffee - it was fantastic & service was good!!! Would've given 5 stars, except ..... Says on their site that they are dog friendly with only limited area if you want to bring your dog. Because they were pet friendly, I brought my 2 small dogs along to find out that they only had one table for ppl who bring their dogs - the only 'pet friendly' table was out in front where there was very little space & very close to the street. & also Not sure why they couldn't warm up the oat milk for my coffee. ‍ Will visit again for sure tho! read more

4 stars: would love to come again! Ambience: music playlist was ABBA; There is indoor and outdoor (inner courtyard) seating. We sat indoors against the front windows where we could see the kitchen and bar seating. The tableware and decorations were quirky and the serving dishes were different for each order. It's located off the main street and has a hidden, tucked away alley feel. It was pretty busy, but thankfully not nearly as busy as the places on the main street. Good vibes. Service: it was fine; The girls were helpful and answered our questions. They also frequently topped off our coffee. Food: It was the Russells' second time coming here for brunch. They remembered the corn bread French toast from last time and wanted me to try it. The corn bread was good - not too sweet and great texture. The light taste allowed the coconut whip and apple-sorghum syrup to complement it well. The presentation was a nice touch, especially the flower petals on the French toast. Today's special was good. I was particularly interested in trying it because of the charred corn and I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. The beignets were delicious and well fried. Kai thought there was too much powdered sugar and wasn't a fan of the chocolate dip. The strawberry jam was very good. The black eyed peas sausage was good, but the side fried cauliflower stole the show. The cauliflower was firm and tender. The combination of the salty breading and the sweet, tangy hot pepper jam was interesting and delicious. read more

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Hands down, a gem of a culinary experience when visiting the charming coastal town of Mendocino. Don't miss stopping through Fog Eater if you appreciate delicious vegetarian and vegan cuisine with a Southern spin. read more

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We came here on our trip to Elk for Happy Hour. That have a really cute whimsical garden outdoor dining area. Ordered a few of the HH appetizers: artichokes, hush puppies, and vegan crab cakes. It also came with some boiled peanuts on the house. Everything was pretty spicy and a bit expensive for what you get. The staff were pretty attentive. Cute spot to hang out. read more

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Omg so good The cauliflower and waffles for brunch were amazing, as were the biscuits and gravy and sausage. The beignets were scrumptious, and the grits and grillades were savory and delicious. I would highly recommend brunch here, and I can't wait to come back sometime for dinner! read more

As a long-time vegan I was really excited to try this place, but several factors left me feeling disappointed and honestly a little alienated. The food was ultimately not worth the price tag. $30 for a plate of under-seasoned beans, some raw and un-seasoned cucumber, and some dry cornbread was just sad. The star of the menu was the breaded and fried mushroom dish which was reminiscent of fried chicken but was under-salted and overly-greasy, leaving me with a nauseous feeling in my stomach. The red wine I ordered tasted like maybe the bottle had been open for too long and was starting to turn. The plum wine cocktail I ordered after that was actually delicious and well-balanced. Overall, maybe we were there on an off night. Other online pictures make the food look much more creative and appetizing. Having said that, nothing can explain away the cold service we received (cold stares, snatching of menus, and slamming of dishes, etc). This place felt like the epitome of a vacation town restaurant that despises tourist. The lack of warmth was palpable and I would never go back. read more

I absolutely loved my meal at the Fog Eater! As someone who craves Southern food but leans vegetarian, I couldn't believe my luck in staying just around the corner from this fabulous concept restaurant. Every dish was full of flavor, perfectly seasoned, and beautiful to boot. The garden patio is charming and romantic. The beer selection is small but definitely on point. I will be thinking about those buffalo cauliflower sliders until the next time I'm back in Mendocino! read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Buffalo cauliflower biscuit slider - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

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Thank you Fog Eater Cafe for responding to my update and offering me a free brunch entree. I was able to get the cheesy grits without the hot sauce AND I tried another entree, the savory oatmeal, which does not contain hot sauce. They were delicious. Quite flavorful without hot sauce. I do hope the next time I visit the waitress/chef is able to provide me with a dish without any hot sauce. read more

If you are a vegetarian or vegan then you will love this new cafe in Mendocino. I am neither, so to be fair, I am basing my review on my reactions to the food we had at happy hour, the enthusiasm of the restaurant team and the delightful decor and garden setting. We had the pickle plate ( which might more accurately be called the pickled plate as there were no pickles) which was an artful array of vegetables and cherries that were pickled and delicious. We also tried the deviled eggs which were excellent and beautifully presented. People near us were very pleased with their appetizers - see the happy hour menu photo. The organic red wine was not to my liking at all - it is an earthy tasting somewhat overpowering wine reminiscent of a Bordeaux. There was only a choice of organic red or organic white for happy hour. The main menu includes items like grits, hush puppies, rice and beans, etc. The cafe is well done and I hope will be a huge success. read more

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We've been wanting to eat here and we were finally in town when they were opened for dinner. Loved the all vegan menu and choices! We decide to share small plates so we could get a taste of several different dishes. We started with curried pumpkin soup (Thai infused flavors) which was followed by mushroom toast, delicata squash, mashed potatoes & gravy, and biscuit buffalo cauliflower sliders. We ended our meal with fluffy warm beignets that came with apple butter and chocolate sauce. We were not disappointed with our dinner. Everything was delicious! We left with full bellies and smiles on our faces! read more

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Food and ambience was good but a few things really stuck out. The service was bad, we were told multiple contradictory things about the availability of food by different staff members. They didn't honor some of our requests but they did for others who came after us. Not sure if that was a convenience thing or a racist thing but it left a bad taste in our mouth no pun intended. On top of it all they include a 20% gratuity as part of their bill which is fine if you have a good time but really sucks if you thought the service was bad. So overall a disappointing experience from a promising place. read more

I struggled with writing this review. I understand restaurants are dealing with challenges right now. I also trust Yelp reviews to tell me like it is and let me make decisions on where to eat. For me, a 5 means a great experience, 4 is a good experience, and 3 is a can take it or leave it. It's not terrible, it's just... underwhelming. So, let me cover the great things about my experience at Fog Eaters, and the things that gave me pause. The good: I ordered a chickpeas and dumpling dish and a veggie of the day for takeout. The flavor is rich and savory. The person who took my order on the phone was friendly. The underwhelming: #1 - The food was lukewarm, and one side of it was legitimately cold. I suspect they finished cooking the dish and didn't keep it in an warming oven. I picked it up within 5 min of when they said it'd be ready, so it was disappointing that my 3rd bite was cold. The portion of the veggie of the day was seriously tiny. Think those tiny cups you get for a child's size ice cream. #2 - Value for the money for when it's takeout just isn't there. The chickpeas and dumpling was $16, I also ordered a side of veggies for $6. The total for food was $22. As you can see from the upload photo, there's a $2 takeout fee. OK, that's cool. Then the tax is on the $24 total. THEN there's a 20% gratuity on the after-tax total. So when you spend $22 on food, the total comes out to $31. Final verdict: I have eaten at Fog Eater, and I would give them a try again when I can eat in cafe. Takeout is a pass for me. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Recipe of takeout - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

Delicious and inventive!!! Adorable aesthetic and the food is insanely good. Fried cauliflower, cornmeal pancakes, and the grits with shrooms. My family was skeptical but everyone was licking their plates. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

We went back and had brunch. I had the fried cauliflower and waffles and my bf had the grits and grillades. Once again everything was perfection! I loved that the the cauliflower wasn't overly breaded, it was just right and totally crispy. The green onions in the waffles were a great added touch of flavor. read more

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Absolutely incredible food. We didn't realize when we came here that this was vegetarian/vegan fare, and boy, what and absolute treat it was. We came for dinner and it was so astonishing good we came back for the treasured Sunday brunch. The food is so confidently presented and combined, and how the chef manages to coax seemingly-impossible combinations from vegan ingredients is mind-boggling. If you have a chance to try this food, you will not be disappointed. The ambience is quirky, comfortable and delightful. The service is second to none. An absolute treat. read more

It doesn't much matter that the food is OK in concept and in execution...The service is dismal. Like the kind where you want to ask the server is she/he/they are mad at you? Based on our experience, I genuinely believe this restaurant does not like having diners. We were made to feel 0% welcome and 100% a burden. We even watched the table next to us be treated like crap when asking about wine and the poor girl shrugged and asked her dining mate, "Should we just leave?" The hair in my food was pretty cool too! But I didn't get a chance to say anything because the server (owner??) just cleared all the plates and walked away without a single word or check in. Sweet. Easily the worst dining experience we had over the 3 days we spent in town. I know how hard it is to run a business - I own two myself. A little hospitality goes a very long way...But this staff wasn't about to crack a smile or appear welcoming in any way. Were they busy - Yes. But isn't that the point?!? read more

I was SO excited to come here and try this place for the first time. It was a total waste of money unfortunately. For starters, my food was not good. Then, they bring out my husbands and the biscuits are the smallest things ever and they brought him potatoes instead of the sausage. When we asked for the sausage, they brought it out and it was so burnt. They put the potatoes that we didn't order on the bill and the burnt sausage they had forgotten about initially. They also failed to bring me my second mimosa I ordered because they forgot as well. My man literally got to eat 2 teeeeny tiny biscuits and a few bites of potatoes and he payed $70 for this meal. He was still starving after. It was absolutely ridiculous. Not only that, but they add 20% tip themselves to the bill. When they most definitely did not deserve that. We had to ask for the potatoes and sausage to be taken off the bill. Which they were not happy about. It was a busy day, I give them that. But, for me coming for my first time and it being that much of a mess and not even yummy tasting food, I 10/10 would never go back. And def don't recommend it. I've been a vegetarian for 11 years now and absolutely adore little vegetarian and vegan spots which is why I was so excited but it was a major disappointment. We had to go somewhere else after to get my husband food. After he spent $70. So dumb. Here's his burnt sausage. They did not apologize once or offer anything to us. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Burnt food. - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

Aw, man. I really wanted to love this place. Look at these glowing reviews! I am a decades-long vegan, and finding excellent vegan food anywhere, especially in small town USA, is a feat. The food at Fog Eater was decent, albeit tiny portions that aren't worth the price. The service was absolutely one of the worst that I have encountered. The 20% automatic gratuity is a total scam - buyer beware. If you have low expectations, then this is the place for you! I had a reservation at 6pm on a slow Wednesday evening. There was no one eating inside, and three parties of two outside. What seemed to me to be a new young server was at the counter, who I introduced myself to and told that I had a reservation for the patio - a super snarky server (who is one of the owners!!!!!!!) berated New Server for not knowing where the reservation list was, then sat me outside at a wobbly cafe table and literally and wordlessly slapped a menu in front of me. A few minutes later Rude Server returned to take my drink order, then came by again a few minutes later with my drink (in a coupe! adorable!) but spilled quite a bit on my table, wiped it up, mocked herself, and didn't offer to refill the glass. I ordered my meal - the salad was delicious (they should sell the horseradish-tahini dressing wholesale); New Server took my plate along with my silverware, which Rude Server loudly berated her for. The fried blue oyster mushrooms were really yummy - a unique take on chicken fried steak that I haven't seen elsewhere - but the "braised greens" were freezing cold collards. And it wasn't because of the wind. Portions were laughably small. By the time I finished my entree, there were two parties of two inside, and I overheard Rude Server LOUDLY complain to a customer seated inside by the patio door about having to go outside to serve other customers. New Server then came by and took my plate. Rude Server slapped a dessert menu in front of me without saying anything, yet again - I ordered an herbal tea (flavorless - don't bother) and a slice of the chocolate corn cheesecake (YUM) to go, because the vibe was hella bad and I didn't want to stay a moment longer. Rude Server brought out the goodies a few minutes later along with my check and said nonchalantly "we include a 20% automatic gratuity" and then left, never to be seen from again. 20% AUTOMATIC GRATUITY FOR A PARTY OF ONE! FOR HORRIBLE SERVICE! Money truly wasted and unearned, even in this capitalist hellscape. I was also grossed out at the nerve of the "additional tip" line on the bill. I brought my bill inside for New Server to check me out. No one said goodbye, thank you, etc. Meh food and a bad taste in my mouth - not worth $93 (for one person!!!). Look. Running a small business is hard! I get it. Serving is hard! I get it, too. Servers are humans, after all, and have "off" days. I can also only imagine how difficult? annoying? boring? it is to work in a sleepy coastal town that makes the majority of its money from tourism dollars, where you'll likely never see most of your customers again. Do you have to be an a**hole, though? I would love to return if there were some adjustments, including food prices, server attitudes, and the joke of a tip system that is in the name of providing "stable living wages" but is at best a cop-out for ensuring the quality service that will ensure your restaurant's longevity. 20% gratuity is earned, not an absolute. Don't burden your customers with your bullsh*t. read more

This spot is a must if you're stopping through Fort Bragg or Mendocino! We stopped in for breakfast and loved everything we got. They have a back patio that looks cute, but there were tables right out front when we got there, and that was great too! The staff were also super friendly and funny. It's very vegan and vegetarian friendly, but even meat lovers will find something delicious! We got the special rhubarb bun they had and wanted about 5 more because it was so delicious! I got their fried cauliflower and waffles (make sure to add the cashew gravy), and the flavors were unreal. My partner got the grits and grillades which was equally delicious! We will definitely be back for breakfast and to check out their happy hour and dinner. read more

Fog Eater Cafe - Special rhubarb bun (like a cinnamon roll) and bottomless local coffee. - Southern Near Me - Mendocino, California

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We enjoyed a delicious meal on thel little back patio next to one of the outdoor heaters. The inside was super cute as well! Service was top-notch. My friend had the pumpkin soup and mushroom focaccia, and I had the latkes. He loved his focaccia and we agreed the soup was outstanding. My latkes and the accompanying 'sour cream', kraut, and applesauce were excellent. For dessert we shared the apple pie with miso caramel sauce which I felt the server over-sold. There was a minuscule amount of said sauce (which was very good) and the pie to me was meh. Wish I we had ordered the beignets. Next time! read more

Ok, this place is amazing! Small, hip, cute place downtown Mendocino with some damn good food and all the good things! They have a small area for indoor dining (not open during covid times) and a back patio. Side note, no dogs allowed. Very vegan friendly! Stopped in for dinner during our annual visit to Mendocino and came back for brunch the next day! All of which did not disappoint! It's one of those places where you want to order everything on the menu and you kinda do...Appetizers, drinks, desert and all the food is something good and satisfying! It adds up but is very worth it! I couldn't recommend this place enough and will definitely visit (at least once) when I'm in town. read more

I know they are closed for their winter season but I had the pleasure of going for one of their last seating right before Thanksgiving. I don't celebrate the Genocide of natives BUT I didn't a little celebration dance after eating this meal. Very happy with everything, even my 13 year old sister enjoyed everything except the mushroom loaf and she is PICKY! So happy to get to enjoy a meal here yet again! Until next time! read more

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Very crafted dinner with served on well design plates and cups. We came for Friday vegetarian dinner wo reservation which was almost impossible during COVID in Mendocino. We shared few plates and took the hot wine and plum wine, both were excellent. The special of the day was Farro risotto with wine and mushroom, this was topped with fried butter squash- awesome dish. We also took the southern bowl, this had beans, Mac and cheese and corn bread. Was only ok. We closed e banana pudding and herbal tea, w good service and nice backyard atmosphere I will come back in my next Mendocino visit ! read more

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