Loved the aesthetic such a nice vibe. Food was good and service was quick. Nothing to complain about. I also liked that there were little things to explore while waiting, like a gift shop, a nearby church, and even a small post office. Overall, a great spot and I'd definitely come back. read more

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If you only read one review, read this one! First, I have stopped here many times during the week on motorcycle group rides, large and small, and even some Saturday's for lunch. This place is 5 stars for location and ambiance, service is 3.5 - 4.0, and the ownership needs to hear this, ordering outside from the little box off to the right, it was very disorganized and the lady bringing the food wasn't happy as the orders didn't have numbers or names associated but we were supposed to pick our table number to give them before our order, but standing in line to order, you can't read the tables numbers from that far away. They could easily fix that by handing out numbers with the orders or taking names they could call out. However... Today's review is for Mother's Day May 10, 2026, and without knowing there was a huge Mother's Day brunch (buffet only, $46/person) we showed up, my wife wanted to see the venue, we have 2 unmarried children and I was raving over the venue in the back, fake grass, the gazebo, the redwood trees, the outdoor bar, lots of room for catering tables, dance floor...but these folks were RUDE, and I don't know if they were offsite catering or ownership employee's but when we declined the buffet, I saw there were only 2 people at the bar, I asked if we could sit at the bar and have a drink? The yes came weirdly hesitantly, so we went to the bar, I know the bartender from previous visits and confirmed with him that the only food was the buffet, so I then took my wife just to walk back to view where the wedding venue would be, folks were eating but we merely went to the back doorways which were wide open to take a look, I made it thru but a lady in a black catering style outfit stopped my wife and said you CAN'T go back there, and another lady in a flowered dress who seemed to be the boss came scurrying towards me, and so I told her our situation that we just wanted a peek, we weren't going to steal a plate and eat, and told her that honestly they were treating us like we were trying to sneak around the metal detectors into a high priced concert, and that if this is how they treat people we were going to remove their property from our list of possible venues, as it was we were prepared to drop about $150 on food and beverages today, and they lost out on that, but maybe they don't need local business. There are lots of other places to go in the county, sorry Nicasio, you have lost a repeat customer, I will not be back. read more

Had a wonderful evening recently at Rancho Nicasio for a concert on the lawn. We had purchased tickets in advance and showed up just minutes before show time. We were able to get 2 seats at a table not far from the outdoor stage where the Sun Kings Acoustic Duo performed. These two artists played and sang as if Paul McCartney and John Lennon were right in front of us. It was a wonderful evening with really great music. We could have ordered dinner and arrived early but this time we just had beverages (and a desert). I ordered their house Sangri and my wife enjoyed a glass of wine. And we shared the Churro with ice cream. We had such a good time, when we got home we purchased tickets for another concert later this summer - and we plan on going early and having their BBQ Dinner. read more

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Incredible oasis of warmth and civilization and good food in the mountains of West Marin! I've never experienced their music shows at night, but I'll bet they're great. All I know is that their huge, reasonably priced, menu is delicious. read more

A couple of us found the Rancho Nicasio restaurant on our way home and stopped in. It looks like it has been around for a long time and it has a lot of fun summer activities planned. There is a large dining area as well as a large bar. A lot of wood and a comfortable atmosphere. I ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs over easy and a coffee. Others in the group ordered fish and chips and fried chicken sandwiches. The fried chicken sandwich was okay, the bread had no flavor. The fish and chips were good and crisp with good flavor. The chicken fried steak was okay, not the best of flavor and a little chewy. The eggs and potatoes were very good. Unfortunately my coffee was barely warm. The staff were very friendly and the service was good. It looks like they have a lot of activities planned for the summer and we will be back to check out their BBQ's and music. Nicasio is a quaint little town. read more

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On a road trip, tripped on this place. Score a great place for a quick stop or hanging out to take in the picturesque setting. The Pups enjoyed the new smells. The selection of food has something for almost everyone. Would be nice to have water bowls for pups and a simple food item. We started with BAKED GARLIC ASIAGO OYSTERS half dozen $20. KALE SALAD $14. peanut cilantro dressing, red cabbage, carrots, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries: ADULT GRILLED CHEESE 18 Nicasio Valley Tomino cheese, apple chutney, tomatoes, caramelized onions All three were very Tasty. read more

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First off, it's a great venue for live music, hands down. The food is pricey and not that good. Had the baby back ribs. Dry, hard and overcooked. Didn't seem like they were made fresh, almost like they might have been reheated from the previous day. Was charged 50 cents more for beers on the bill than what was shown on the menu. Service was fine. read more

Terrible. We asked for the burgers to be well done. They arrived bloody and cold in the middle! Creepy. Small for the price. The iceberg lettuce wedge arrived with the wedge sitting on top of the dressing, which had been poured onto the plate! Creamed spinach arrived; barely cooked, thickly chopped tough leaves w a strong green flavor, cream poured over top. Maybe Swiss chard? Nothing "creamed" about read more

Cool place. Food was good. Beautiful outdoor space. Seating was limited unless you sit at a picnic table. Over all good place.

The Tommy Castro concert yesterday was good as usual but not everyone cared for the new 'dancing area' separating the rows of chairs that really was more of a pit or standing area than anything else... Sure hope that is isn't permanent! read more

Rancho Nicasio - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

Found this place after a hike at devils gulch. If you enjoy a small town feel, this place is it. Situated next to a baseball field, apparently this place comes to life with music events and bbq. Definitely a lot of entertainment for a place seeming to be hidden. I got the fish and chips, the fish was very good, the chips were steak fries, which are my fav. The service was very good. We ended up at the bar in the front of the rest-truant and caught a little bit of a band . Definitely nice vibes and would definitely return. read more

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We love the staff at BBQ on the Lawn. Robert and Eileen were very helpful to my blind husband. Thank you for taking care of us. We had the BBQ plate - baby back ribs which were very tender and the kale salad which was delicious. A rustic restaurant with a nice outdoor area. read more

Wonderful place, good food, friendly service, and perfect ambiance for Nicasio. Love having lunch here (and brunch on weekends!).

Consistently great food in a very comfortable setting. They take advantage of availability of great local ingredients and it comes through in the meals. Very dog friendly. read more

I walked in at 3:59pm wasn't acknowledged by the young man at the bar as I walked and saw the sign to wait to be seated. Then another female employee came out and from the back and walked into the office located next to the restrooms. She made eye contact and did not acknowledge me or checked in with me. The bartender then makes eye contact with me and nods but doesnt sit me. As I am typing this it has been 16 minutes I have been waiting. This my third time here and have had worse and worse service every time. read more

Food and service were great! Loved this little gem of a place. It's big inside with tons of rooms and a nice looking outdoor area. Looking forward to coming back soon! read more

Rancho Nicasio - Puff pastry cheese plate - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

I attended a staff event here and was pleasantly surprised by how attentive and responsive the staff and kitchen were about food restrictions. I wanted to update my review to indicate that it was very possible to get a good vegan meal (despite what I had been told by phone previously) and the atmosphere and setting were lovely. read more

12/31/25: Dinner Show was Fabulous in every way! Food (salmon; butter lettuce salad w lots of TENDER chicken) was surprisingly good; The Illeagles band was the best ever (seen them 3 times since 2020) Service attentive despite the OK I just did a review 200 revellers who came despite the downpour of rain. Keep this special place going, by GOING! (I have no affiliation with the business) read more

Don't be intimidated by the parking lot, there is tons of seating in the restaurant! We had to park in a second overflow lot but were still seated immediately in our preferred area (outside in shade). The food was good but not outstanding except the peach cobbler which was out of this world! The adult grilled cheese had tomato and greens on it which the menu didn't say so that was a minor annoyance. Our server was super nice and service was pretty quick. This was the perfect spot for us to stop for a leisurely meal on our way back down to San Francisco! read more

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We love Rancho Nicasio and come here regularly for lunch/brunch, music, and sometimes just a drink at the bar. The food is your typical bar food with a west marin twist of oysters and artichoke dip, and other coastal items. Personally, my favorite is the turkey club which you can never go wrong with. I'll admit, the food is nothing to write home about but it does the trick. The staff are incredibly friendly, the bar makes a good drink, and I love that they have a chalk board where you can buy a friend a drink for next time they visit. I also adore their music scene! In the summer they do outdoor bbq series on the weekends and I've seen some amazing folks here like Jackie Greene, Dave Alvin, Asleep at the Wheel, and Ramblin' Jack. Never change, Rancho! We'll see you soon. read more

We would highly recommend Rancho Nicasio as a wedding venue! Marina was great to work with throughout the process - she's an incredible and detail oriented planner. The venue is gorgeous; beautiful views for our ceremony, large outdoor spaces, and the charming, rustic Rancho room. The food was delicious & service was made easy by the onsite restaurant & staff. The team made sure everything ran seamlessly, and our guests have had nothing but good feedback. Get the late night bites! If you're looking for a beautiful venue and a stress-free experience, we highly recommend Rancho Nicasio! read more

Good service. Happy staff. Food... meh Raw oysters were great. Melted cheese appetizer- nope! Crab cakes - get elsewhere. read more

First, the venue is located in a magical place. The Nicasio Valley is beautiful and the venue is charming. You are greeted at the rustic entrance without a nod or a smile. In fact, it felt as though we had entered someone's living room trying to sell them a vacuum. After checking in, we were waved on to the hostess stand. After a short wait the hostess yelled from across the room, "next!". Again, not super warm and fuzzy. We entered the outdoor space to observe the seating selection. 50% of the tables looked lovely with umbrellas and tablecloths, the others were presumably borrowed from a near by campground. We took our place at the campground table and headed to get our wristbands. I should preface this by saying, I do not enjoy buffet style. Upon paying at the drink shack, we were ushered to yet another person to receive wristbands. The gentleman assisting with the drinks was as cold and rude as everyone else we had already encountered. Our presence seemed to be an imposition. Wristband on, time to get some food. I can only describe the selection as dismal and mediocre at best. The highest quality food seemed to be a butter lettuce salad, which was fresh and crisp. The remaining selection of food left our whole group feeling bamboozled, confused, disappointed. The presentation was poor and the food quality was severely lacking. The pastries were extremely dry and stale. The saving grace here were the brownies. They were soft, chewy and chocolaty. Overall, our experience was poor. We spent just shy of $300 for 3 adults and two children under 5. I could easily overcome the bad food, but the service was equally as bad. The staff seemed irritated and even bothered by the presence of guests. Very confusing to say the least. Happy Mother's Day to me! read more

The server is very bad quality. They did not serve The food we order for more than 50 mins But charge us until we found it

I had't been out to Nicasio in a few years, it was really good the last time I was there and I was really looking forward to going again. The only good thing about the evening was our waiter was very much on his toes, keeping up with all the people that were there and he was also bartending. Now to the food, I had ribs, they were very crispy on the outside and made that part hard to chew, I feel like it could've used more sauce, the coleslaw was just ok. We had calamari and it was good, Several of the people in our party ordered the chicken fried steak, my grandson asked to have his gravy on the side, it wasn't. The waiter did apologize. No one was happy with theirs, it was too done. Some got more gravy than others. There were 8 of us and only 2 were happy with their meals. read more

i just left this spot at 2:24pm we ordered food to go $150 and drinks while waiting the only lady working there is rude she told us go in the front to order food and yet no one was there after 10 min back and forth she than tell us oh go to the bar than tells us go use the bathrooms outside nor in the restaurant why bc we aren't white? the ones that's in the park than. Gives no napkin And tell me wait till I can. Dude you just gave me food with no napkin and gives this one to me ordered separately read more

We had our wedding reception here and it was perfect. It was a small gathering of family, only 8, but Marina treated our event as if it was the most important reception ever. We really appreciate her level of care and hospitality. I wanted to use some of our table runners and chargers, which was not a problem. She arranged for us to drop off the day before a box of items and the cake. They were kept safe and presented eloquently. The presentation was gorgeous. The event was like a dream. We arrived to delicious warm appetizers. One of our guests has a negative response to peppers and heat and hearing this, they made some chicken wings for her sans sauce. They are exceptionally attentive and kind. They even followed up with her as she ordered tacos with salsa - but the salsa was apparently not too hot. This level of attention is not something I would expect. They went well above my expectations. We each ordered from a pre-arranged menu. The soup and salads were perfect as were the entrees. Everyone was delighted with their choice and commented that this was the best food they ever had at a wedding. I ordered the baby-back ribs and could only eat 2, they had so much meat on them. Each of us took leftovers back to our residences as the portions were quite generous. The cake table was set to look like a magazine shoot. Simple, rustic, gorgeous. They made our vision into a reality. Thank you Rancho Nicasio for adding a page to our love story. (It was so good, we came back 2 evenings later for dinner.) Whenever we are in Marin Co., we stop by. Please don't ever change. We love the hunting trophies, upright piano, western motif, good food and chill vibe. read more

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This is a great outdoor concert venue with a nice, friendly ambience, but the food is mediocre and very expensive. $30 for some coleslaw, baked beans, watermelon, tiny pieces of corn bread, and even TINIER serving of pork ribs. Three very small ribs - in fact I think they cut a rack of ribs in half to get them so small. Very disappointing. And since no outside food or beverages are allowed in, one is pretty much stuck with this this expense on top of the somewhat higher than average ticket price. read more

We love Rancho Nicasio! Rancho Nicasio was the perfect venue for our wedding! It was beautiful and fun and our guests loved it. Marina and the entire Rancho Nicasio staff were friendly, detail oriented and rock solid. The food was really good (Oysters and salmon especially!) The setting is gorgeous and not stuffy at all. From the ceremony location, to the cocktail are to dancing in the Rancho Room, everything was perfect. We feel so lucky we were able to have our wedding there. Thank you Marina! Thank you Rancho Nicasio! read more

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You could improve by having somewhat of a customer service. First I had to go into the general store to see if there was someone working in the restaurant. The service was not the least bit friendly at all. Never came back to ask how lunch was. Never got the water I asked for. The pulled pork sandwich was tasteless. The fire was the nicest part of about sitting inside. I will easily over tip on good service. I will also give a tip that is deserved. I honestly expected a better lunch there. So disappointed. read more

we went there for dinner and a show. The music was fantastic (Valentine's Day) Django Reinhardt style. The food was very good and the service was great too. the food portions were great (brought some home for a second meal). All in all we had a great time and would definitely do it again. Thank you. read more

Had 12 oysters, BBQ and Garlic. Garlic would have been better without the cheese. Grilled artichoke could have been grilled longer. Polenta was good, as was brisket sandwich. read more

Food gets a five (maybe 4.5) star rating. Service, not so much. We were coming with a group and our group confirmed that we'd have the patio, as several of us had dogs. "Absolutely no problem, we can cover the patio, if it is misty." So we arrive after a 2.5 or longer drive, and the restaurant decided to move everyone inside and closed the patio despite the day being warm and sunny! The dog owners asked to sit in the patio and were told, "No!" We asked for our money back. "No!" Food to go? "No!" Finally, the event coordinator got the manager involved and to go orders were provided. The food, even reheated five hours later at home, was good. The irony was that others got food there and ate it on the patio. Regulars get different service than those passing through. Still, if you want good food in the area, the prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is unchanged from when we were there 30 years ago. read more

The service was fine. The food was not. The ribeye was cooked as ordered but was the thinnest ribeye I've ever had. The roasted vegetables seemed as though they were boiled for too long instead of roasted. For the price I was disappointed, definitely not worth it. Next time I'll have burger. read more

Had a great time, music was great, BBQ was good, people were friendly. We had a very nice day.

We loved sitting on the patio and relaxing. The tuna salad was very good. This is an unpretentious and enjoyable place to hang out and chill. read more

FANTASTIC VENUE for music, great staff, friendly and welcoming. Plenty of free parking and great vibes all around. one complaint.....IF YOU PROVIDE SEATING WHY DO YOU LET PEOPLE BRING IN THEIR OWN CHAIRS !?!?!?! Yesterday at Jackie Greene, you could barely find a spot to stand and watch the show because of blocking the seated ??? Yes, there is a small dance area but walkways were blocked, people took the dinner table seats to the stage area to sit further spreading out the seated area pushing those who wanted to stand and dance further back. Just makes no sense..... read more

My husband and I got married at Rancho Nicasio this May. It has such a warm, authentic feel -- the perfect mix of natural beauty and charm. By the time of our wedding, we knew we couldn't have chosen a better place to get married. Marina was so patient, professional, and level-headed throughout our planning process. We had a last-minute chance of rain, and Marina spent hours perfecting various individualized backup plans so that we could approach the day with minimal nerves. It ended up being a beautiful day. Our guests did not stop talking about how tasty the food was and how special the setting was. We felt so taken care of the entire time. We are so grateful to Rancho Nicasio for creating this experience for us, and we would not change a thing. read more

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This place gets one star, which is for the quaint atmosphere, as it looks like nothing has changed in decades. The food, on the other hand, is horrific. Without a doubt, the worst hamburger I've ever tasted in my lifetime. Fries were clearly from a bag of frozen French fries. When you snapped them, they were raw in the inside. You know the food is bad when you only have a bite and have to leave the entire meal for the busboy. The large party next to us was very vocal about how bad their meals were. Not sure how this place stays open. I guess the bar? It could be that they make enough money from the music venue to stay afloat. Nobody is coming for the food, that's for sure. Three words on how to improve this place: FIRE THE COOK. read more

Exactly three years to the day we came back to Rancho Nicasio to see Tommy Castro and the Painkillers. Quick note about TC. He won the coveted BB King Blues Entertainer of the year 2022 and the band also won the Blues Band of the year 2022. Quite the accomplishment! Rancho Nicasio will send you back in time for sure. It is truly an old fashioned roadhouse. Rustic and charming it is the perfect venue for music. Last time there we had eaten elsewhere prior to the show but last night we ate at the ranch and it was damn good. We both had the rib eye steak dinner, my wife is the most picky eater you can imagine. She proclaimed the steak the best she has had in 10 years! I can't disagree it was that good. Service at Rancho Nicasio is fantastic a series of servers asking if anything is needed and doing whatever they can to make the evening more enjoyable. Arrived about 6:30, had dinner and a bottle of wine (finished during the show). Perfect timing, finished dinner and the show started 10 minutes later. We sat at virtually the same table as three years ago. Pro tip: While it is a little further back, it's a bit higher so you can still see and listen with people standing and dancing. If you haven't been to Rancho Nicasio, get tickets for a show, have a few drinks and be ready for one hell of a good time! PS: Tommy Castro and the Painkillers were awesome! read more

Rancho Nicasio - TC and the Painkillers - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

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