Marinitas

I love coming here with my girlfriend the atmosphere is nice n quiet. Their garlic bread n fries…read morewere smacking and my man Ty is the goat, he will take good care of u!

The food was absolutely amazing, the service was fast even though it was a hopping Saturday night,…read moreand the chefs were zipping through orders. Tye, our server, was friendly and kind and on top of refilling waters, offering drink suggestions, and grabbing to-go boxes before we even asked for them! I had the chicken parmigiana, which was light and flavorful, and the steamed spinach that went with it was delicious (and I HATE cooked spinach, but gave it a try and actually enjoyed it for the first time ever!) The andouille sausage that was served with the pesto risotto was smoked and you could really taste it, and the spicyness was just perfect. The pesto sauce was heavy on the pine nuts in the best way. It wasn't oily or heavy on the basil or garlic like a lot of pesto sauces can be, and that left the risotto so light and almost citrusy. My cousin had the harvest garden dish, and they were stunned by how delicious it was. As a vegetarian, they are particular about their veggies, but everything was 'perfectly cooked'. At the end of the meal we were surprised by the panna cotta with the fruit remoulade, which we devoured in like three minutes haha! We really enjoyed all of the food, the service, and the ambiance. We only wish we lived closer, but might make the 90+ mile trip from Sacramento just for the amazing food now and then.

California scramble

See all

Table setting

The Hummingbird

4.2(619 reviews)

First of all, da bird! Mmmm mmmm mmmm! I am not exagerating…read morewhen I say that their southern fried chicken is the best I have ever had in my life, and I've been eating chicken for over fifty years. Perfectly moist and delectable bite after bite. The portions are so huge that even a healthy eater like myself will manage to bring home a few pieces to eat later. And eat them with gusto, cold! The service is excellent, even when they are packed and the service is not speedy, you hardly notice because its always so friendly, and well, love takes time! Everything I ever ate there was sublime. Chicken and waffles, gumbo, red beans and rice, po' boys... and don't get me started on those scrumptious beignets! Oh my word! Perfectly crispy on the outside, light and fuffy inside, showered in a snowy confectioners magic and served piping hot. Never too sweet, and not even a hint of oil. If you think fresh warm doughnuts are crave-worthy, these will take you to Nivana and back with just one bite. The atmosphere is lively and cozy and above all, friendly. Sitting alone at the counter my very first time, I immediately had the feeling I was among friends. Michelle is such a genuine and beautiful person, it is beyond obvious that she loves with everything she's got. That love is evident everywhere you look, from her original photography adorning the walls, to the cups and saucers she serves espresso drinks in. Everything about this place is... WAS perfect. Sadly- devastatingly, Michelle served me my last meal there on January 9th at approximately 9:00am. Six hours later she closed the doors on the final day of business. It will be missed by many. The town itself will miss the energy Michelle and her crew brought to the boulevard. Good luck on your next adventure, and keep in touch! We'll follow you to Timbuktu for another bowl of that gumbo, girl!

I had to drive to Fairfax to pick up my daughter from camp and she was craving chicken and waffles…read more Not familiar with the area, I looked up a place on Yelp and discovered The Hummingbird, a New Orleans based restaurant. Having visited New Orleans earlier this year, I was so excited to try this place! As soon as I walked in, I felt like I was transported back to NOLA! There were beads hanging and Mardi Gras decorations throughout the restaurant. Since it was a weekday, there was no wait and we had our choice of sitting inside or out. We opted for inside. Our server was warm and friendly, bringing us water promptly. We started off with an order of beignets. It arrived with three big pieces. They were freshly fried and doused in powdered sugar. So good! My daughter ordered the chicken and waffles, while I decided to try the everything gumbo. The chicken and waffles was huge! It came with several pieces of fried chicken that was topped with freshly minced garlic and came with a homemade spicy sauce. My daughter loved it! I tried a bite and thought it was tasty as well. She ended up taking half of it home. The everything gumbo was also delicious! It was a little thin in my opinion, but the flavor was amazing! It was truly authentic and I could taste all the seafood that was in it. I finished my entire bowl! Unlike the chicken and waffle, it was appropriately sized. When I went to pay the bill, there was a sign that said "free beignets if you pay cash." So of course, I paid our bill in cash! Luckily, I had enough cash on me. Can't pass up a deal like that! All in all, it was a very enjoyable meal! If I'm ever in the area, I'd definitely go back to The Hummingbird!

Mmm,mmm,mmm

First kids in the Hummingbird

See all

Poached eggs with debris gravy and hashbrowns aka "the Jack Riggs Special"

Tutu Lounge

4.5(168 reviews)

1.6 mi

great food, great service! Eggs Benedict best in the area, breakfast potatoes superb.read more

Found this place randomly while walking when visiting the area-decided to try it after reading the…read moreYelp reviews. Great food...Thai tea pancakes were perfectly prepared and unique. Excellent service.

Brunch at Tutu's Lounge

Side of Scrambled Eggs

See all

Crab cake Benedict

The Lodge

4.4(78 reviews)

1.3 mi

I love this place. I dream about and crave their salads. Great ambience and service, too.read more

cozy atmosphere. I had the tri tip sandwich - vry tasty and the staff is lovely. And in the summer…read moreit offeres a great outdoor space.

The bar at The Lodge

Order of the steak Chimichurri crostini with carmelized onion

See all

Half order of the chicken Asian salad, split, next to a half pint of IPA

M.H.Bread and Butter

4.2(575 reviews)

0.3 mi

Excellent bakery café! Great food great service nice…read moreambience. I like the avocado toast. It's nice and thick with a lot of olive oil. Add a couple buttery, scrambled eggs and you complete. Now to top it off have yourself a lovely pastry. Oh yes, and I'm anxiously awaiting the new one to open on fourth Street in San Rafael - and you should be too!!!

Good lord. I'm going to try to find the right words...I told a friend on the phone, lets say that…read moreyou put an HVAC salesman in front of a stove with a recipe and asked him to make you breakfast...that's what it seemed like they did today. My "Soft Scramble" was a pile of astonishment. It was so unrefined that it was an insult the the ingredients. There was nothing soft about the eggs, they were overcooked. The only thing soft on the plate was the watery run-off from the vegetables they heaped into the eggs: Too many chewy mushrooms and HUGE. Too many cherry tomatoes. I had to dig to find the eggs. The leeks were strips of inedible ribbon. The toast? I think it had been toasted yesterday and left on the top of their oven overnight and then reused today. I had to get up from the table and ask for butter to make it edible and still I worried whether I was going to break a crown. The pickled vegetables? Again, HUGE, hard and barely pickled. I will refrain from criticizing the service because they are all unaware of the nightmare in which they are working. Bless their hearts. I was so sad and annoyed. People think they can buy a restaurant with recipes and wholesale accounts and staff and just run it, "business as usual" but they are wrong. I went in and asked if they had sold the restaurant and was told, "yes." I imagine some tech-bro's wife or some hedgefund community doodler wanted a pet project with zero idea about food or food quality or how to treat and retain employees because what happened to MHBB is astonishing. It's rude and insulting to anyone who opened this restaurant and put in their best to keep the name and claim to be catering to the same people. But then again, this is par for the course or, from my vantage point, everything wrong with what's happened in Marin in a nutshell. Faux authenticity. Zero care. This is now all about the money. I will never bother with it again.

Loaves of Bread

Turkey sandwich

See all

Hot coffee

Amélie Café and Wine Bar

4.5(172 reviews)

Only half-jokingly I used to say that Marin excels in ethnic restaurants from developed nations…read more If asked for specifics my response was France and Italy. Whatever we lacked in Korean or Ethiopian fare we made up for with an abundance of restaurants specializing in food from France and Italy. Amelie Cafe and Wine Bar continues the tradition and I'm not mad about it. With outposts in both San Francisco and New York City, Amelie sports a nice pedigree. The Fairfax location is dialed down a bit - perfect for the neighborhood it serves - and makes for a comfortable place to enjoy any meal however you might happen to appear that day. It's a simple cafe and, though not inexpensive, certainly less so than a trip to Paris. Two of us recently dined here, late afternoon on a weekend, sharing a burger ($23; comes with fries and a salad), a lager ($8; they have no IPA), and boquerones, the latter of which I fully regretted having to share. Whenever I see boquerones ($12) on a menu I cannot look away and in Marin, finding such an offering is a unicorn. Delicious; I might sneak back over solo just to enjoy them again. The burger and fries were also good, with a profile a bit different than what one would get at a non-French-centric spot. Amelie is a good place to drop in before or after a movie or a show in Fairfax and equally wonderful to pop into for a morning coffee drink or an afternoon glass of wine. It's a casual and a perfect fit for Fairfax.

Hmmm, I really wish I could love this place more. The food is quite good, with a degree of nuance…read moreand delicacy than you don't often find in Marin. The space itself is not lovely though, one might even say grimy in some ways. The chairs and tables are clean enough but the floor, walls, and ceiling are not, with visible filth and dust bunnies here and there. The wait station at the entry is a total mess and not something anyone would ever want to look at. If you're seated with your back to the wall, this is your view. The past few times I've been there there has been a red bucket with cleaning water and a wet rag, sitting right on the window sill between the front door and the first window/bar seat. Not cool. Nobody wants to eat a meal next to a bucket of dirty water. As they say in the restaurant business, "If you can lean, you can clean." These guys need to do some deep cleaning AND maintain a tidier, less back-of-house look to their dining room. I might also prefer some of the staff not be so rough and casual with new customers who they don't know well. Maybe that's just French "charm" as if visiting a rough corner of Marseille.

Decor

Ravioli with Truffle Sauce

See all

Croque Madame for lunch

La Gastronomia

4.4(91 reviews)

Really sweet spot. Super nice staff/owners. We had reservations for brunch on Mother's Day. Place…read morehas an open kitchen. They all are working hard, making it look easy. They have great coffee/lattes. Excellent focaccia bread served with delicious olive oil. I put cracked pepper & salt in mine. Perfecto! My husband loved his grits, with veggies & perfectly poached eggs. He says, he will have it again next time. That's how much he enjoyed it! We shared the tortellini, to my daughter & I, this was the star. She had their bass, enjoyed it. I had their eggs Benedict. Next time I will have their beet (salad). Gelato was good, outsourced. Panecota was good but too small ;) We look forward to eating here again real soon.

Service and atmosphere decent…read more The food needs work. The appetizer and salad menu are uninspiring. My main dish was the filet mignon. While the quality of the meat was good, the cooking methods were not. It was extremely bland. No seasoning. The sauce that came with it was bland too. Worst of all I ordered it cooked medium and it was served mostly well done. 85% of the inside was grey and dry. Only about 15% of the steak was not cooked well done. The 15% left was barely medium well. Just a slight hint of pink in one spot. Clearly the cook does not know what medium cook is. Overall decent but doesn't stand out. Definitely did not justify the prices.

Inside dining vibe

Focaccia, a must!

See all

Group of mature Marin bikers enjoying brunch

Garden Cafe

4.5(646 reviews)

1.8 mi

We had such a lovely time at Garden Cafe with my favorite people--it made the whole experience even…read moremore special. We ordered a little bit of everything: the bacon scramble, cinnamon pancakes, burger, chorizo Benedict, and corned beef hash--and honestly, every single dish was delicious. Everything came out flavorful, well-prepared, and satisfying. The vibe was cozy and welcoming, perfect for a relaxed meal with people you love. Definitely a spot we'd come back to again!

Absolutely loved our visit!…read more We had a bomb breakfast here -- the crab cake Benedict was rich and perfectly cooked, and the breakfast tacos were packed with flavor. We washed it all down with Micheladas, which were on point, and the lemon water was incredibly fresh and refreshing. Portions were huge, so come hungry! The real highlight, though besides the excellent service, was the garden seating -- super cute, cozy, and such a relaxing place to sit and enjoy a meal. Amazing food, great drinks, generous portions, and a beautiful atmosphere. Can't wait to come back!

Entrance

The Daddy Scram

See all

Mambo no meat

Miracle Mile Cafe

4.4(849 reviews)

0.8 mi

Miracle Mile Cafe in San Rafael absolutely delivered. I ordered the sausage and ham omelette with a…read moregluten free biscuit, and everything was outstanding. The omelette was perfectly cooked, fluffy, packed with flavor, and loaded with quality ingredients. The breakfast potatoes were crispy and seasoned really well, and the gluten free biscuit was honestly one of the best I've had at a breakfast spot. What really makes this place stand out is how many gluten free options they offer without sacrificing quality or taste. It's rare to find a breakfast cafe that takes gluten free dining seriously while still making the food feel indulgent and homemade. The service was exceptional as well. Everyone was friendly, attentive, and made the experience feel welcoming from start to finish. Between the amazing food, generous portions, excellent gluten free selection, and top notch service, this place easily stands out as one of the best breakfast spots in San Rafael. Highly recommend.

I stopped by Miracle Mile for a meal after hitting a massive traffic backup on the bridge, which…read morepushed breakfast out to lunchtime. Luckily, they serve breakfast all day. I ordered the daily special, "Divorced Eggs," which featured two tortillas at the base, ham, eggs, salsa, and avocado. The black beans on the side were a perfect complement. My wife went with the two-egg breakfast paired with veggie patties. She loved the patties and the delicious rye toast. The staff was great and kept the coffee refills coming. The restaurant offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The parking lot was completely full, but we easily found street parking and faced no wait to be seated.

Inside vibe

See all

Golden Gate Bistro

4.3(270 reviews)

11.6 mi

We happened to be just down the road working and stopped in for lunch today.!…read more Very cute ambience.! I ordered a fried chicken sandwich that was to die for.! Wish there was a spicy option, that would have taken it to a 12/10.! My boyfriend had a BLT omelet and enjoyed that. Would def go again.!

Food was great. Lot of variety of brunch items to choose from…read more It's by the railroad tracks, but it feels like you've walked into someone's well-tended patio garden when you walk in. Parking can be a bit tricky as they don't have their own parking lot, so street parking only. Majority of seating is outdoors but shaded. They really put a lot of time and dedication to the ambiance. They do have a small parklet area if you want some more shelter. It's fast casual, so order at the window and they'll give you a buzzer that'll go off when your order is ready. I had the breakfast sandwich entree. As you can see, portion sizes are generous and the food did not disappoint! Breakfast sandwich was lightly toasted and the potatoes were well-seasoned. Customer service was a bit lacking. Had to go back to the window a couple of times to ask for stuff and felt bad having to bother them every time. Aside from that, great spot with plenty of seating for a brunch/lunch date.