Popped in over Memorial Day weekend, no wait and got seated right away. Staff were friendly, the menu is the right size, with a list of specials. We ordered a cafe mocha and latte- both were great. If it were warmer I would have enjoyed their pretty patio space. I had the egg scramble with spinach and chicken sausage and my dad had the huevos rancheros- the portions are large- it was delicious and we were stuffed! Check this place out! read more

Mendocino Cafe - Breakfast scramble special, spinach and chicken sausage. - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

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Surprised in such a touristy town. Great friendly service . Food absolutely best in town. Nice outdoor seating with heaters to take off the chill. We will definitely be back soon! read more

A lovely restaurant with both indoor and patio dining that offers a good selection of American and a few Thai-inspired dishes. I really liked their clam chowder, which is one of their specialties. They also had delicious sandwiches with filling portions. All the sandwiches come with a soup of the day or their homemade potato salad. The staff are friendly, attentive, and bring out the food rapidly! read more

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The fish sandwich was my favorite! The fish tacos were good too. This place is so cute with the garden yo my can eat in! The service was really good even with how busy it was so that's impressive. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Fish taco - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

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This place was so adorable and the outdoor garden area is very beautiful. We ordered the fish tacos and blackened cod sandwich. Both were excellent and delicious. There was no wait to get a table even though it was still busy. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

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Cute cafe with a rustic patio. Not a fancy place however the food is delicious accompanied by good service. We were happy to see the vegan options for us. Food came out fast. I had a cup of lentil soup and Vietnamese salad. read more

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I've been going there since 2005! I was there tonight. I had a bad experience. I ordered their "healing bowl " and asked if they could do it with veggies like they do with the Thai Pot bowl. They have done this for me many times. I got a $5 surcharge for the change. No one told me about an extra charge. I tried to discuss it with a waiter, he was not helpful at all. The bill was astronomical! He was not helpful or empathetic. I had already paid the bill. Now they are losing $$$ from me the rest of the week I am in town. Bad business decisions! Updated from previous review on 2026-06-01 read more

Super happy with the service, food and ambiance here! We all 3 raved about our dishes, mostly the clam chowder and special smoked salmon pasta. Server and bussers were polite and attentive. The garden surrounding the outside tables is so beautiful. Loved it and would recommend to anyone! read more

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Stumbled on this place on a sunny day after a walk. The mocha was amazing, clam chowder was out of this world, and the pasta was really good. Def worth it. read more

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There is no excuse to serve such low quality food when you're in an area with great ingredients. I paid $29 for an ahi salad, that was some lettuce that came from a bag, some noodles that also looked boxed, and a piece of ahi. This was the lowest effort possible, and for this price I can get an amazing entree in wine country. read more

I loved Mendocino Cafe! They have something for everyone on their broad menu, which included classic American fare like soups and sandwiches, as well as Mexican and Thai options. Although it was a chilly day the patio was covered and cozy, and provided a gorgeous view of the ocean cliffs. I had a cup of clam chowder, and a pesto grilled chicken sandwich. Both were delicious. They use local and organic ingredients , as well as grass fed and free range meats. It shows! Some great local wines and beers are featured on their drink menu as well. Service was a little slow, but that seems to be a bit standard in this mellow little beach town. read more

Food here is very good. The service is pitiful almost insulting. Even when you got the waiters attention I've gotta say I would rate them among the worst I've ever encountered. They are very attentive to options. Speak options, gluten-free options. That part was great. The food was decent. However, tofu comes in a very large serving of tofu, very generous with the tofu. Lots of pies, desserts, few gluten options.. Among the most annoying is simply that they add gratuity and yet the service as I said, it's pitiful it's poor terribly staffed read more

The pastries are out of this world! Great place for breakfast, lunch and (best of all) grabbing a coffee before walking the headlands.

I got the crab cake sandwich with potato salad. The potato salad was delicious and exactly what I'd want my potato salad to taste like. Good textures and perfectly creamy. The crab cake sandwich was simple but delicious. It really needed that sauce it came with, I was scraping for more! read more

Mendocino Cafe - crab cake sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

The crab cake sandwich is great! I only wish the service were a bit quicker and more attentive but the food is great and the outdoor seating is lovely. read more

I would give more stars if I could! Fantastic dinner! Service with a smile, in a lovely peaceful atmosphere! Thank you!

The Thai Burrito was fabulous! I had it with shrimp and the combo of ingredients topped of by their homemade peanut sauce and homemade Thai hot sauce was incredible. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Thai burrito - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

Nice people, all around. Food extremely overpriced and mediocre, at best. Outdoor tables nice, with heating. Indoor, meh.

The healing noodle miso soup was my main entree and it was really fishy tasting and I found shrimp that wasn't cleaned all the way and still had the vein. These small rock shrimp do not taste as nice as regular shrimp. The portion size overall was fair but could have used a bit more noodles. This was super disappointing to eat and I would NOT recommend The Vietnamese salad was very average and a surprisingly small size as well. Ingredients were fresh though and I liked the cherry tomatoes The crab cake 5/5 was delicious and would recommend this. My friend got the Thai burrito which also looked filling and they thought it was a 3.5-4 rating. Staff was friendly and attentive on the patio. Nice spot to enjoy dining outside but be mindful which dishes you choose to order. There are classic American brunch menu items and then some Asian fusion type dishes. I imagine the classics might be better to order read more

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A charming resturant with simple and fine choices to select from. We went towards the end of the night and they were still warm and friendly from the start. We ordered clam chowder, ceasar salad, and thai bowl, and all were acceptable and filling. Nothing was rave-worthy, but it did the job. I would like to come back here to try out lunch or breakfast here. If you're visiting, its definitely a trust-worthy place with a great variety in menu options. read more

Such a delightful evening! We weren't sure where to eat dinner and happened upon the cafe and it was a win! The service was fantastic and everyone was so friendly, plus the food was A+! I'll be dreaming about the Thai FirePot with tofu for a while. We also ordered the Cafe Catch Rockfish, which was great, and ended the evening with blackberry pie. So good! Would 100% come back next time we're in Mendocino. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Thai Firepot with Tofu and the Cafe Catch Rockfish. - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

The garden ambiance is beautiful. Captures everything you'd hope for when dining in Mendocino. The food, which also included clam chowder, was good and delivered quickly. The service was courteous and attentive. One of our favorites when visiting the are. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Salad with Crab Cake and Chicken Sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

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We were too late for breakfast so we got a light lunch before our walk in the botanical garden. Clam chowder cup was ok. The crab cake sandwich was really good. Highly recommend the crab cake sandwich if you come! The black coffee was also easy to go down. They have lots of indoor and plentiful of outdoor seating! read more

Mendocino Cafe - Clam chowder - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

This place is really under-rated on yelp! I had the Thai Fire Bowl with the red curry and it was absolutely delicious. My husband had the Thai burrito and was very happy with it as well. The service was friendly, attentive, and prompt. I'd absolutely eat here again. We really appreciated all the vegan options. read more

The clam chowder was good, the sandwich was good. I wouldn't say anything stood out, but I wouldn't say it was bad either. The staff wasn't very attentive though and they were pretty scarce. The place was super cute though read more

Mendocino Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

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Great location. Cozy and rustic. Friendly staff and good service. Reasonable prices. Food was okay but not good enough to go back. The menu offers a wide variety of choices but in doing may be sacrificing quality. Better to do fewer items really well than a lot of items just mediocre. Our collective opinion. read more

The flavors were excellent. I had the Thai Firepot - per our waiter's recommendation (I always like to get their opinion) and it was excellent. Very comforting with the slightest bit of zip. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Thai Firepot - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

Came here for breakfast, 12/10. Service was quick and easy, very attentive. We had the regular breakfast and a breakfast burrito, highly recommend. Guacamole was delicious. read more

This place has a beautiful vibe and the garden sitting is really nice. The staff is pretty friendly and polite. For food we ordered thai curry with white rice, dumplings and chocolate mousse cake. Overall, the taste for all the dishes were really nice. My favorite was the dessert ofcourse as it was beautifully balanced. Its one of the nicest place to visit in Mendo! Show some love to such local places. read more

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Two night nights in Mendocino and we ate there twice. Night one was crab cake sandwiches. Crabs were in season and they were something to dream about having again--fantastic. Night two my dining partner had chicken curry (a bit under spiced, but good) and I had the coconut milk Brazil seafood stew. With a fairly allergy, this was an amazing dish. I'd love this place in my neighborhood. read more

The Mendocino Cafe has been a stable staple of dining on the coast for as long as I can remember. It has a cool fusion of foods to tantalize your culinary pallet to take you to another level of appreciation. The atmosphere there is very relaxing as the staff are always looking after your needs while not hovering, that hasn't changed since the turn of the century. When you can get in, their outdoor dining is one of the prettiest spots on the coast. Lush greenery surrounds you as do views where you can people watch; a true joy. We had the burger which was cooked perfectly and the Thai burrito, which has always been my go to, make sure you try the sweet Asian chili sauce. This is one spot always frequented by locals, which when I travel is what I look for . Locals know best read more

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Absolutely loved the service, the food and the ambience of this restaurant. They have a dish from every cuisine but it's exotic / unique. I ordered the tofu Indian curry dish which was absolutely delicious. It was like a cross between thai and Indian - I think it was very well done. The flavors were balanced, and, I loved how the veggies were thoroughly cooked in the curry. The tofu came out really well, and it was served with a side of mango chutney, which was amazinggggg. I would highly recommend this place. They also offer amazing desserts, including all the cheesecakes. They have an outdoor area which is very pretty and nicely decorated. The servers are very sweet, patient and friendly. Highly recommend this restaurant if you're around. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Indian curry dish - tofu - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

Good service, little slow to start. Food was very good. We had the Ahi Tuna, Thai Burrito, Big River Salad, Mussels & Clams pasta and Mussel & Clams Appetizer, Rockcod Cajun style, and two solid desserts. $280 for 5 people. read more

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We sat outside on the covered and heated patio. It was cozy and nicely decorated. We had an order of the sautéed calamari and clam chowder, both were excellent. I had the local rockfish and my wife had the Thai firepot. All of the ingredients were incredibly fresh. We also ordered the carrot cake which was one of the best I've had. We visit every time we come to Mendocino. read more

Had low expectations and left with the highest. The Thai hot pot just blew our taste buds out of the water and had a emphasis on local produce/ products. Server was hilarious and friendly, next time we shall try dinner or the delicious lunch again. Thank you so much, support local lunch. read more

The food was average at best, the Cajun fish sandwich had little flavor, the crab cake sandwich was similar and the Vietnamese salad was okay. The service was spotty with multiple waiters asking for wait times with no answer in sight. Ambiance was okay inside, outside was nice. Wouldn't recommend read more

We had a bowl of their clam chowder and the clams and mussels in a red curry sauce. Both were served with some fresh bread and butter. The food was outstanding and the service was friendly, prompt- excellent. We sat outside and the vibe was . Would come back here for sure!!!! read more

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Ambiance 5/5 Food 3/5 Fact that they were open on Christmas Eve and had a diverse menu selection to satisfy our boisterous mixed crowd of adults and kids 5/5 Service 4/5 We were on our way back from fort Bragg after a weekend getaway and stopped at Mendocino for lunch. It was Christmas Eve and almost everything except this place was closed. They had a lovely garden area with lots of tables and the outdoor seating was much larger than their indoors. Since we were a large group we stuck to getting a table indoors. They had a separate kids menu and their regular menu had items from Thai, Mexican, American, Chinese etc. Our kids got a chicken drumsticks plate, chicken sandwich and we got an Asian stir fry and guacamole/chips to share. The chicken sandwich came with a cup of soup of the day which happened to be mushroom barley. Soup had the consistency of a porridge and not much flavor to speak of, it lacked salt as well. The chicken sandwich itself was delicious and heavy. The pickles it came with provided a much needed dimension to the overall flavors. Guacamole and chips were standard affair and seemed fresh. The Asian stir fry was this stir fry of veggies, tiny cubes of chicken and some soba noodles thrown in the end. There was no harmony between the noodles and other ingredients which was expected I guess as it's not a noodle dish but a stir fry with noodles thrown in after the fact. There weren't any flavors or salt again. Prices are definitely on the higher end but along the lines of the price increase we had seen even in bayarea after Covid. My friends mostly got Mexican dishes like tacos and burritos and were pretty happy with what they got. read more

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Came in for a late lunch about an hour before closing for the chef lunch /dinner shift change. Had the mussels & clams with a few glasses of local wine. Service was great and very welcoming. Highly recommend. read more

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My boyfriend and I visited for brunch during the Christmas week. We were seated immediately on their outdoor deck. Our order: - Cafe burrito mojado: 4/5 - huevos rancheros: 4/5 The portion sizes were huge and very filling. Both the dishes tasted good but I wouldn't say that they were among the best of the similar dishes that I have had at other restaurants. The staff was very friendly. The outdoor patio was also very cozy, heated and great for our pup. I can definitely see myself visiting again on my next trip to Mendocino. read more

Mendocino Cafe - Huevos rancheros - good! - Cafes Near Me - Mendocino, California

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