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    Rainbird

    4.3 (208 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Rainbird New American Restaurant Photos

    RAINBIRD ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Rainbird

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    Trendy Digs!
    Tony G.

    Very Cute & Quaint Location! Food price points for a lunch venue are pretty good! Oysters & Caesar Salad were very tasty and balanced with spicy remoulade for the oysters! I used it as a light accent with the Caesar MMMMMMM! Fast Service Olivia! We will be back!

    This omelet and potatoes were so delish and Crispy
    Mena S.

    This place is a find in DT Merced! Who would have thought! The vibe is so modern and cute and the food was delish. My 79 year old mama loved her pancakes!!! The service was fast, kind and perfect It's a must try

    Grapefruit Sour
    Jennifer D.

    Went for a dinner date in Merced. Lovely server and quick service. Bruschetta 10/10 - fresh and crisp sourdough Bones less Ribeye - asked for a medium cook, executed perfectly. Was able to ask for their blue cheese cream on the side and paired well with the steak. The sides of asparagus and fingerling potatoes were well seasoned. Chicken - Juicy and cooked well - cream under the chicken highlighted the flavors well

    Laura B.

    What an amazing dinner. My Fiancé and I enjoyed one night at El Capitan hotel and wanted to get dinner at Rainbird which is located right inside. The restaurant itself is not very big but it's really cute inside. We made reservations and were seated right away when we arrived. Our service the entire night was great and attentive. I was noticing our waitress with other tables and thought she did a great job with everyone. Now the best part - my food. In addition to the photos here, we also ordered a bread appetizer which was so delicious. I ordered the Salmon and ate every single bite. Nothing was left behind! I'm not sure what made this dish so delicious but the sauce mixed with the sweetness of the tomatoes was so good. My fiance loved his meal as well and even said it was one of the best meals he has had. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience and loved our meals. I am excited to visit the restaurant again when we are in town!

    Goat cheese ravioli-10/10
    Preet P.

    A sophisticated and elegant restaurant which is located inside El Capitan hotel in Merced. It is ideal for date night dinners, or celebratory occasions. They are open daily from 6:30a - 2p and 5p - 9p. Reservations are highly recommended, as it is difficult to get a table specially during dinner time. There was already a huge line and our reservation was at 5 PM. The food was excellent, and every dish, including the appetizers, was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Service was great, enhancing the overall experience. We chose this spot for a Mother's Day dinner, and it turned out to be a perfect choice.

    Espresso martini
    Roshni G.

    I can't rave enough about this restaurant, dinner and brunch we're both fantastic. My fav was the Risotto and the salad!

    Peanut butter chocolate mouse cake
    Lala N.

    We've been wanting to try this place for some time but just haven't had a chance to come. The service was great we loved our waitress she was very attentive. The restaurant had an overall calm vibe, with the neutral pallet & low lighting. The only issue was the bar on one side was a little loud (the shaker sound) so we asked to move to the other side which worked out much better. The food was delicious my husband ordered the ribeye steak with fingerling potatoes & carrots, the steak was perfect, he shared most of his steak with me it was a nice piece. I ordered the chicken breast, it was moist on the inside while having a crispy outside, rice & carrots. The only issue with mine was the chicken tasted like fish, I'm not sure if they had just fried fish in the same pan or what but it had a fishy taste. I was fine with it since I like fish, but if my husband had ordered it we would have sent it back (he hates seafood). For dessert we ordered the peanut butter chocolate mouse cake which was perfection. We will be back for sure.

    Veggie Scramble
    Joi L.

    I loved this restaurant! Being from the city and missing my Bay Area eateries, Rainbird makes me feel like I've gone back home. The scramble was delicious. I went on a weekday so there weren't many people inside which was awesome for me! I enjoyed sitting and taking my time. The restaurant was very welcoming.

    Goat Cheese Ravioli
    Annie S.

    Great Experience! Made reservations for 6pm on a Friday evening. Super easy to do through the OpenTable App. It wasn't too busy. There were a handful of people. As a Merced local, I've been wanting to try out this place. I think this is as close as you can get here for "fine dining". Ordered the cranberry margarita. It was refreshing. Got the sourdough bread basket with the whipped honey ricotta and it wasn't bad. For entrees we got the pork chop and ravioli. Both were really good. The pork chop was cooked perfectly and the gravy went well with it. As for dessert, we got the tiramisu which was more than enough for 2 people to share. Overall, great experience! Love the ambience, elevated farmhouse/homestead chic. Staff were welcoming and friendly. Food came out fairly quick. Would absolutely recommend for locals and anyone visiting Merced.

    Arthur D.

    I'm a repeat customer. However, the team members here help make any dinner so special. I was surprised by my squeeze for a birthday dinner. Our wonderful server, Alyssa, was amazing from start to finish. She made all the right food recommendations, particularly tied to the drinks we sought, as it was a cocktails night. Both her lychee martini & old fashioned were A+++++. So glad to see how Rainbird keeps the momentum going.

    El captain breakfast, French toast, breakfast sandwich, coffee
    Delilah J.

    Haven't lived here in a while and wanted to come visit to check out the new places that opened downtown. The rainbird has a cute aesthetic, is very quiet which I love, good service, and good food. I really liked their coffee. Their French toast was a nice surprise, I was a little skeptical because they made it sourdough bread but it ended up being pretty good, a little too sweet for my liking but the coffee balanced it well.

    Butternut squash bisque
    Bryan F.

    Food, service, and ambiance are all exceptional! Their fried oysters and mushroom risotto are my favorites so far- oysters are juicy and tender, while the risotto is creamy and infused with aromatic roasted mushrooms. Servers are consistently attentive and professional. Every corner of the premise is clean and elegant!

    Ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote and pistachio topping
    Kristina M.

    The ambiance is very inviting with neutral tones and lots of natural lighting. We came for breakfast with a reservation for 8, and it was fairly inexpensive in comparison to other nice breakfast places in the area. I loved that the tea was served in a mini teapot. I shared the Ricotta pancakes and Spanish omelette with my mom, both which were delicious. The hint of lemon in the pancake and cinnamon in the syrup sent it over the roof for me, and I liked the heartiness of the omelette and sweet potatoes. My mom's favorite is their sourdough toast. Service is friendly, and it was nice to walk through the hotel after to check out the holiday decor.

    Bloody Mary

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    1 year ago

    Emily and dayan have been helping me out for the past couple of visits here. ​I will be coming back for their amazing service

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    Page 3 of 6

    Ask the Community - Rainbird

    What time does brunch end?

    They close at 2 but I'd recommend getting there an hour-hour and a half before then .

    Do you pick an item from each course to taste? There are many things on the menu & I don't think you get all the proteins or sides with it!

    Yes! If you're with another person you each get to pick one meal off of each course. If you want sides those are an extra cost. Hope this helps :)

    What is the price?

    Menu is priced at $85 for the Five Course Tasting Menu.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Vinhos - Nice jazzy atmosphere with vintage movies playing on the main screen. Super friendly staff and very tasty food.

    Vinhos

    4.4(39 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    Vinhos is a gem on Main Street! We happened upon this lovely place looking for a good meal and…read morewe're big fans of tapas. We stopped in just before 6:00 and we're greeted by a friendly woman getting the restaurant ready for opening. We later came to find out she was an owner. She was so sweet and offered to seat us before the servers actually showed up, as they had worked a local event that day. The waitress soon came and our wonderful experience began. They have a great wine list and wine cocktails. We ordered three dishes and were pleased with the presentation and flavors. Pica-Pau - a traditional Portuguese dish with beef and spices in a delicious broth. It's served with bread for soaking up the broth. I really enjoyed this dish, especially the broth. Crostini di Mare - shrimp on crostini's with a tangy garlicky sauce on top. This was my favorite and I wouldn't hesitate to order this again. Sea Legs - octopus over a sweet potato mash. This was tasty as well and the octopus was cooked perfectly. The sweet potato mash is divine!! We also had a Caprese salad, pretty average, but nice presentation. The outdoor seating area is comfortable and so nice to people watch on the main drag. We really enjoyed ourselves and plan to go back next time we visit. The service is excellent, portions in line with tapas and atmosphere is great.

    Not welcoming to us as big party coming in at 7, we walked in at 5:30…read more We left at 6:15 after three glasses of wine and two tapas social dishes. We could have been seated in a nicer area but it wasn't offered. We've been here two other times and had wonderful service and tapas. Not this time.

    Photos
    Vinhos - The back lounge area with couches and awesome lighting.

    The back lounge area with couches and awesome lighting.

    Vinhos - Musician's stage area.

    Musician's stage area.

    Vinhos - Long wine bar with screen and artwork.

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    Long wine bar with screen and artwork.

    The Grove House - Tomato soup with half grilled cheese

    The Grove House

    4.7(98 reviews)
    31.2 mi

    Great beer garden. Note the food is separate from the beer and cocktails as is common. The menu o…read moreline may not match the business that is serving. Right now Falaf-a-lot is on site and was excellent. We had a salad plate- 4 different salads with a pita and choice of protein (including falafel, chicken, lamb), fries were crispy with homemade ketchup on the side. And a lamb meatball pita with chips. Tasty! Beer was all good. No flights which I prefer, but good selection.

    Gem of a place in Mariposa on the way to Yosemite! The Grove House is one of those special finds…read morethat makes a road trip even more memorable. They have limited hours so make sure you plan for it, and they also host events throughout the week which means live music isn't always available. The ordering process is straightforward - you place your order at the front inside and then pick it up with a buzzer outside, which works perfectly for enjoying the outdoor setting. 5/5 Tomato Soup with Half Grilled Cheese was so hearty and exactly what you need after a long drive or before heading into the mountains. The soup was the best I have had in a while, with rich tomato flavor that was perfectly seasoned and had just the right consistency. The grilled cheese was nothing too special on its own, but it paired so well with the soup, especially to warm you up in the cold. The combination is classic comfort food executed beautifully, and you really can't go wrong with this order. The Grove House is absolutely worth planning your Yosemite trip around! It's the perfect stop to fuel up before heading into the park or to unwind after a day of hiking. The combination of good food, welcoming atmosphere, and that small-town charm makes it a must-visit when you're in Mariposa. I would definitely recommend trying this place out - it seems like one of the best restaurants in the area on the way to Yosemite. I'm already looking forward to my next visit and hoping to catch one of their live music nights!

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    The Grove House
    The Grove House - The Tuscan Sunset Salad & a grilled cheese - that was one of the BEST salads I've ever had!

    The Tuscan Sunset Salad & a grilled cheese - that was one of the BEST salads I've ever had!

    The Grove House - Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating

    Rainbird - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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