The most horrible restaurant experience- Mother's Day 2021 Looking at the website I was so excited to see the beautiful landscape as we had three young children 11 months, 1 1/2 yr 4yr old with us, huge open lawn area we thought would be perfect for the kids as well as adults. We drove an hour some drove two hours to get there. We were there about an hour we had 12 people in our party we ordered a couple rounds of drinks from the bar- we had ordered our food about an hour into our stay after ordering our food we were told by the waitress we only have "15 minutes left and then we had to leave" very confused we went and spoke to the manager and asked why we were told we had to leave in 15 minutes and she said that there was a time limit on our reservations, we were never told there was a time limit. When speaking to the manager she rudely cut my sister-in-law and the waitress off while they were speaking and said "everybody stop talking." My sister in law was explaining we hadn't ate yet and we would have to cancel our order if we couldn't stay. This was our first interaction with the manager she ended up "accommodating"us as she says for another hour as we were going to have to cancel our food order because we were told to leave and wouldn't have had enough time to eat. Our food came out may be about 10 minutes later. After we ate a waitresses came up to someone in our party and told him the kids are not allowed to play on the lawn again we were very confused as when we got there a family was playing catch with a baseball and their children on the lawn so again we were very confused on why we were not allowed to play on the lawn I went and I spoke to the manager and I asked her what the problem was with the kids playing on the lawn and she said this is not a park you guys are not allowed to play on the lawn per her and the owner. While this was happening I look over and see the same family again playing ball on the lawn, it was like we were the only ones not allowed. The people who own and operate this place are not friendly or respectful the customer service was distrusting. Food was way overpriced! Between 12 of us we spent $700 which was irritating Considering the disrespect we experienced. If you have kids this place is not family friendly. They originally charged us over $900 until we questioned the bill and said they over charged us $200. We asked for an itemized receipt which they couldn't provide because they never kept track of our order of drinks or food. WOW. We still don't even know after paying the $700 if our bill was correct. Two other people waiting tables over heard our frustrations and agreed with us the manager was not a very nice lady. Lastly- as we were leaving all three people we had Negative interactions with were literally sitting at the entrance as if they were waiting for us to leave. My brother and sister-in-law were walking a little ahead of us walking and over heard one of the ladies say " here come the nightmares" We were applaud and still are regarding the poor customer service and unprofessional staff, which we did tell them on the way out. Such a bizarre are experience. read more

Love this place. Great place to sit & relax and have a delicious lunch or to hang out & listen to music when they've got a band. By far one of my favorite places in Marin. read more

So I actually grew up in Nicasio and I guess you can say that I also grew up on the Ranchos food. More specifically the Rancho burger. Every time our dad would take me and my sister there I would always get a burger and a Caesar and my dad always got their calamari to share. It's been about 16 years and I am all grown up now and I have to say that since their ownership changed hands and the guy that was there when I lived in nicasio is no longer their that their service is WAY sub par and they are so cheap and lazy that they give you paper plates and plastic utensils as well as condiment packets instead of back in the day when they would give you actual ketchup bottles and real silverware. I used to think that they had the best burger in Marin but now I totally have to give that title to Moylans. I don't know what happened but the cheap dishes and condiments took away any prestige that the rancho once had back in its heyday. I hope the manager sees this and corrects it. If your gonna employ people to lazy to wash dishes, you should be looking for different people in my opinion. One of my friends totally agrees with me as does a couple of more. read more

Rancho Nicasio - Proof that they are too cheap to use actual dishes now or that they are just to lazy to. - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

Great venue, music, escape from southern Marin!!! Please do not change anything!

I can't possibly recommend Ranch Nicasio more. From our first initial walk through with Max we were positive our experience planning out wedding would go smoothly, and we were proven right every step of the way. Marina's planning skills and attention to detail are unmatched! She was there every step of the way to answer any questions we had, no matter how big or how small. The staff on the day of the event went above and beyond to make sure every detail was perfect! They were polite, respectful, and there to help with everything we needed! The food was incredible and we're still getting compliments from our guests about how amazing everything tasted. You can't go wrong by choosing Rancho Nicasio for your wedding venue, they will make sure your day is everything you want it to be! read more

Such a perfect stop for some food, drinks, music and socially distant fun! Really appreciate that they check for vaccination status considering we have unvaccinated children. Such a fabulous place. Can't wait to be back! read more

After hearing about this spot a while now we were excited to check it out with mom and the fam on Mother's Day. Sorry to say, but everything served was completely disappointing and insanely overpriced for what it was. I ordered a wedge salad which was a quarter of a iceberg lettuce head with some dressing which they charged $25 for. The bbqed oysters were basically quick baked oysters with generic cocktail sauce that were cold by the time we got them. The calamari was over cooked and tasteless. The steak sandwich was a thin over cooked piece of steak with a slice of tomato and lettuce and a small side of fries. The "server" at the bar (where you have to order) acted like I was doing him a favor by ordering $230 worth of food. I was honestly trying to find something good about the food, but sad to say there was nothing good about our experience there. The space itself is awesome. The kids loved running around, but there was no live music of course due to COVID I'm assuming so quite unsure how they justify the extremely high food prices given how lousy it was. I was really hoping to have a good experience here. Maybe they're out of practice, but the food here does not deliver. read more

This place has mediocre food at best and terrible service. One waiter seems to think his job is to tell customers what is NOT HIS JOB. I was there 2 nights in a row and same playbook - chaotic and pushy host, so/so servers - the bus women seem to do all the work. Skip the 'crab special' - frozen crab - yuk! read more

When I look at reviews I'm looking for 2 things one, how was the service and two how was the food. All the negative reviews talk about the staff, being rude and not accommodating to anything. I get that maybe service is a bit rusty after being shut down, or not at capacity, but if you want to stay around for another 25 years, your service has to be too notch. I also feel, like many others that wrote reviews, that those in charge are the real problem. If they create an atmosphere where their staff and their behavior and lack of empathy is acceptable, then I would imagine the bitterness will extend its way all the way down to the food on our table. My experience was similar to those mentioning the lack of service and overpriced food. I really wished this wasn't such a nightmare experience for me and my family but it was. read more

We came here while on a road trip feeling spontaneous. The sweet lady at the front door said we were in for a treat.. come to find out, the wrong expired kind of treat. We went to the bar asked for a blue moon, sat down and realized I was holding a bottle full of mold, it gets worse. Maggots were found all over the table we were sitting at, scared the shit out of me. We threw away our beers and ran away, far away.. read more

We used Rancho Nicasio for our wedding venue in June 2022, and could not have been happier! The venue is lovely; Marina Ellery, the planner that is part of the package, was superb, and all her recommendations for other parts of the wedding were excellent. The staff at Nicasio were great to work with, and we got so many comments from wedding guests about the food--how really, really good it was! As the wedding couple, we didn't eat a lot that night, but every time we ate there in advance we loved the food, so we knew we were in good hands. We totally recommend Nicasio as a place for a wedding! Enjoy read more

The slopping of grilled onions on all of the dishes was a bit... well, sloppy. But, even so, the outdoor area was absolutely beautiful, and the burger and the Hangtown Fry were both pretty good. Burger came w steak fries, which were fine, but the side of garlic fries was really where it was at. Super cute spot. Excited to go back when love music is a thing again. read more

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Nice drive to this area. Off the beaten path. Great bar and barkeeps. Lagunista on tap. Amazing BBQ OYSTERS. Live music. read more

Rancho Nicasio - Lagunisa Lil Sumpin Sumpin - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

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And oldie and a goodie. Rancho Nicasio has been around since I was a kid, and I was so happy to find it exactly as I remember 20 years ago... rustic, woody, full of taxidermy and quirky West Marin folks. A man with a giant cowboy hat hollered at me from across the bar and said "Hey, Scooter! Mind if I call you Scooter?" Of course, I didn't. That's why I come to Nicasio... to be given nicknames by gregarious bar flies. For dining, you have 2 options. Eat in the lively, casual bar area where the menu is more classic American and affordable. OR, eat in the Western Room, where they've got a new chef and fancier food (the photos look impressive). We wanted to soak up the laid-back country vibe of the bar, so we ate off the regular menu. Food was A-OK, good portions, but I definitely recommend the Western Room if you want a memorable gourmet experience. The spinach artichoke dip is a solid choice to start with. The eggplant parmesan was lackluster. The mud pie was better than most I've had. But the highlights of the meal were moreso the friendly service and that special rustic atmosphere. Rancho Nicasio is a gem that has stood the test of time. An original. An institution. Come for a drink, some fried food in the bar, or some esoteric grub in the Western Room. Either way, you'll leave with stories to tell. read more

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This is the perfect covid-times location for a meal. I have not seen a restaurant with more space between tables in a place of restful beauty (and a beautiful drive to get there.) The staff really "get it" and policy is clear and friendly and gives this covid concerned person tons of comfort. Add in good good and I'll be back soon. read more

What a fantastic place; a true gem and gift. Such a well run bar, venue, bbq restaurant; can't wait until I can go again. Great sound, nice stage, easy parking and full-vaccinated space. Good selection of cocktails beer and wine. Bbq salmon combo was a delicious addition to beautiful outside music. read more

I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER COME BACK TO THIS PLACE!! I would give several dozen negative stars if I could. Came three weeks ago and sat by the window in the bar room, read my paper, and had a nice lunch served to me. Woman tending bar was attentive. This was like a homecoming for me. I grew up in Marin and my Father would bring the family out for dinner occasionally to this location. The town square has not changed in the 60 or so years since then- as bucolic and pastoral as it was in the early 1960's. I came back last Friday and the experience was night and day, hence the lowest possible rating, one star. There was some confusion initially. I went to the front door and it was locked. since I approached from the store side under the breezeway I did not see the small sandwich board instructing patrons to go to the rear. I went around the building to the rear and there was a sign directing people to choose a table and take the number when ordering. I found a table, set down my newspaper, and picked up the number as instructed. No one was around to instruct me further so I entered the door on the side of the building and a woman instructed me that I needed to go the bar shack out in back to order. I stepped up and no one was there. Quickly a man came to tend the bar. I ordered my favorite Bombay and tonic and said I wanted to sip that while deciding what to order for lunch. While he was mixing the cocktail I told him how confusing things were with this set up and how I expected to enter the bar room and have the service I had three weeks previously. With some sarcasm he said, "Well if you want to complain we change things here every once in awhile." (I clarified that mine was NOT a complaint but just that the current set up was confusing to me. I had parked in front of the building on the store side and approached the front door under the breezeway from angle where the sign board was not visible.) Oddly he seemed miffed at my "complaint" as he falsely labeled it, and launched into a soliloquy about how change is good and how he personally likes change blah, blah, blah. (Suggestion to ownership after what happened to me: This guy with the beard likes change- I would change his employment status immediately if I had the power.) Ok. He pushes the cocktail across the bar to me. I take it and start walking away. "Wait", he says, "You have to pay for the drink." I felt like a dog on a leash and my leash just got abruptly pulled . I stopped and maybe my facial expression gave away me feeling. I am having lunch I thought, why is the liquor tab not put on the lunch as it was last time and as is done in most other places? The easy solution is always to give the untrusting bar tender your credit card to keep as security until the tab is settled. I really did not want to take the extra time to fish out my wallet and pay for the drink separately. Before I could get a word in this guy pushes the "you must pay now" program further. No conversation. No chance to negotiate. The only statement I could make was to bang the cocktail back down on the bar top, hard enough that a single ice cube popped out. I was unhappy. So the bar tender grabs the cocktail and hoists it over his head stepping back behind the bar in some sort of game of "keep away" with the cocktail. With the other hand raised equally as high makes a sweeping motion with his fingers. "Out!" he said. I asked him he was throwing me out and he nodded yes. Wow! And I told him to think I had come that day, telling my client that I was going to make us a dinner reservation for us both next Friday when she was available. That seemed to make him madder and he increased his sweeping motion of his fingers. At that point I am afraid I interrupted the peaceful back yard atmosphere exiting yelling my dissatisfaction. Expletives were not used but would have been deserved towards this guy, Nicasio's version of Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi". No cocktail for you! No lunch for you! I am still upset. Anxious like with PTSD. I am a 69 year old professional person. I have never been thrown out of any place. The lady that served me at the beginning of June would likely remember me. I was the only person sitting in the bar area and left her a big tip, maybe 40 or 50 % of the bill. She was nice an accommodating. The guy in the back was the antithesis of her. Into his own thoughts and needs and seemingly uncaring and definitely unperceptive towards me the customer. Likely a big ego who must settle a disagreement as he did by exerting what power he had. Throw the unhappy customer out! Argument settled. My final word that I yelled back at him as I exited the rear- "JERK!!" My business that day and forever is gone. Childish behavior on the part of the bartender/manager in the back yard. read more

So we looked at their BBQ menu and decided to try takeout from here, Quick summary: Fresh Oysters: Meh - not so good Beet Salad: OK BBQ Brisket: Weird thin strips, more like kebab than brisket, not super BBQ-y - overall Meh St Louis Ribs: First of all - they weren't St Louis ribs kind of in between size between Beef ribs and St. Louis, not cooked long enough, had to work hard with a knife to separate the meat from the bone Lamb Shank - Korean BBQ style - not bad, but didn't seem Korean at all and not cooked enough so that the meat was falling off the bone, needed a sharp knife BBQ Sides: Brussels Sprouts: had either too much fennel or tarragon in them, so almost impossible to taste the sprouts - a number of the sprouts were not cut in half, so they were hard (undercooked) Cole Slaw - super MEH Corn Muffins: now in our green garbage Corn: undercooked Chicken Sandwich: The one highlight - was actually pretty darn good. SUPER not worth the price, plus they gave us fries, but no ketchup or extra BBQ sauce - starting to reconsider two stars in writing this up 1.5 is about right. :-( We won't be coming back. read more

You know what sits at the exact center of Marin County? Nicasio. With it's little "downtown" square, Nicasio is the closest thing to a frontier town experience you'll find in Marin. There's a dried up baseball field surrounded by a church, general store, post office, volunteer fire department, and Rancho Nicasio, the only dining establishment in town. Literally. A tumbleweed might even blow by as you exit your car. Built in 1940 on the site of the old Hotel Nicasio, and stuffed full of animal "trophies" (deer heads, steer horns, and the like), this dark, damp, woody place with its boot-worn floor screams out for you to enjoy a stiff drink and some live music (inside or out in back during the summer). It's even got that stale bar smell. In a place like this, I cast a disparaging eye on that lengthy, diverse menu. I imagine the one thing they can execute well is a burger and I'm not wasting anyone's time by seeing if they can really pull off a Cobb Salad, a Chinese Chicken Salad, or anything with goat cheese. I ordered up the Niman Ranch Burger, medium, with fresh onions ($10.95 at lunch) and was perfectly rewarded: A tasty burger sandwiched in a foccacia -like bun and a nice scatter of steak fries. Perfect, and I'm glad I didn't explore further; i don't think it would've been pretty. They do have live music here as well as a full bar. If you're out for a drive in the country and want to see a place pretty unspoiled by time, Rancho Nicasio ("the hidden one") makes a good resting point. read more

Took the family here for Father's Day. I had to keep asking for the basics- water, napkins, a appetizer plate for everyone- we had 6 people and they brought 4 plates. I didn't want to keep asking for the other things I wanted (like my iced tea refilled, or a dessert menu) We finished and waited and waited for any attention. We waited at least 10 minutes for any plates to be cleared. Very inattentive The food sucked too. Over cooked burgers (very well done when we asked for medium rare) Asked for bacon (they forgot the bacon we ordered on the burger and after asking for just a side of bacon, they ignored the request and took the whole plate to the back and took at least 5 minutes to bring it back) Chicken fried steak cost $25 and it was 80% breaded crap and 20% steak. My son asked for no garnish- he got a full set up with pickles piled high on the bun. Very frustrating. Won 't go back or recommend. read more

Fantastic fish tacos! Great outdoor atmosphere. Excellent service. Extremely safe COVID guidleines. Highly recommend!! read more

Rancho Nicasio - Fish tacos - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

Not just for aging rockers: dining and bar open much of the day. Generous portions, tasty food. read more

Rancho Nicasio - Generous starters on the deck. - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

We are huge fans of Ron Siegel. My husband loved Charles Nobb Hill and I was first introduced when he was at the Ritz in San Francisco. Clearly Ron has serious talent (he was the first American to win Iron Chef Japan) so we were really surprised to hear he was now serving at a much smaller locale so far north. Even though my husband and I now have two small children, we made the trek to Nicasio and they were very accommodating (they moved up our 8:30 reservation to 5:30) so we could get home at a decent hour (we live much further south about 1.5 hrs). Once you get to Rancho Nicasio, there are three different dining rooms. The first is the casual bar area with a fireplace. The second is a dining area where bands play. And the third is the Western Room (where Ron Siegel is) which we made our reservation via Yelp but you may have to call in to make now. The Western Room is exactly how it sounds. The building itself is made with a lot of wood paneling and the decor was minimalistic. Unlike the Ritz there are no stacked table clothes. You need not wear a tux, but don't wear sandals! Considering the price point for everything on the menu, the most expensive item was shockingly only $40. We happened to pick the special bone in rib eye that was off menu for $70. For three adults we left spending only $235 plus tip! Although there was no foi gras or real wasabi on the menu, it's clear that this was the best food we could get anywhere for the price. Our favorite dish happened to be the vegetarian artichoke ravioli. It was perfect. The staff and service was really great. We loved our server who was totally on top of it. Last but not least, Chef Ron Siegel came out to talk to us just as we were leaving and let us take pics with him. We will be going back and highly recommend you make the trek to the Western Room and give it a try for yourself. read more

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The rustic building that houses this restaurant seemed like a roadhouse and it made me really feel like I was on vacation in someplace other than Marin County. Perhaps this was because the knotty pine walls have several trophy heads on the walls and it is sort of in the middle of nowhere. S and I were on the guest list for a sold out the concert. But they had no room for the non-paying people until the second show, so we sat in the bar area until there was space in the concert room. As I watched food come to the tables near by I knew I had to try something. Neither S nor I were really hungry so we settled on an appetizer. The waiter assured us that the crispy calamari would have tentacles on the plate and indeed it did, in fact, for the first time there were enough that we did not fight over them. The calamari was perfectly cooked, not a bit greasy, served with two sauces, an aioli with capers, and a more traditions cocktail sauce. They were wonderful, and they were reasonably priced. It seems that S knew the bartender so perhaps they made a special effort to make my rum and coke strong. I would strongly suggest designated drivers if you have cocktails, the roads back to highway 101 are dark, narrow, and winding. I do not like loud music and was pleasantly surprised that the volume was not too overwhelming. A good size dance floor attracted people of all ages. I am a bit hesitant to base a review on one appetizer and a basic drink, but they were so darn good, the bar and the dining area had such a good vibe, and the concert room so well place, that I am going with 4 stars and hope I can come back soon to have a full meal to confirm my rating. read more

Everyone here has a mustache. Down home vibe with incredibly friendly staff. Beautiful setting. 10 stars. read more

Absolutely Terrible experience !!!!service was very slow apparently the hollandaise sauce was bad people were complaining we were there for an hour and 10 minutes they could've told us that so we could have ordered something else ...a wasted time coming all the way out here not gonna waste time coming ever back.. all of the waiter had to do was communicate absolutely terrible...... read more

What a way to open back up with an Illegals performance, BBQ, and a fun organized Event. Rancho Nicasio had it all together on Sunday and we will be back for sure. Food was amazing and it was so nice to be outside with live music. Perfect venue! read more

Usually like coming here during the summer. Bartender today just looked like he hated his job, the drink he made was horrible, only reason i come back is because one of the other guys with longer hair who is very nice and makes the best drinks ever. Adult grilled cheese had different ingredients today than it usually does, only ended up eating half. I really love coming here, but this experience was pretty bland and not very welcoming as im used to read more

Visiting some dear friends of ours a couple of weekends ago.... they took us for a nice drive around the area. We stopped here to wet our whistles and possibly a couple of appetizers. Sitting out on the deck was a nice choice. The service was OK.... nothing to twirl my panties in the air over. The appetizers were served nice and hot in a timely manner. Fried calamari with caper aioli and oysters on the half shell were delicjous. read more

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For over 20 years this has been a place I can consistently show off to out of town friends and I've never been disappointed Where I go for special occasion's and when I want some really good fries. I was a busser here when I was 17 and some of the staff hasn't changed which is a rarity these days. A delightful place read more

Every time I come here I am blown away by the food and atmosphere. It's definitely a nice date to talk about life in the neighborhood. A go to spot! read more

Came here on Jan. 27th with a group of friends, 6 of us total. We were sat at a table fairly promptly, near the bar in the front room area. It was around 5:20 p.m. when we arrived, and we all were handed dinner menus. We were not happy with the choices, so we asked about their "all day" menu (which I had read about online). The hostess said she will see if the all day menu food is still being served, and it was. Our server arrived pretty promptly and took our beverage orders, and then our dinner choices. If you order root beer, it comes in a bottle, but they give you a frosted glass for it. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food, but it did get quite loud in the restaurant once the Iive band started to perform. Many of us ordered the fish & chips, which was tasty and a large portion. The bad part was the long wait for our bill. We waited almost a half hour for the waiter/server to bring us our bill. We got tired of waiting, so one of friends went to tell an employee that we are waiting on our bill. We then waited for our server to take our payment, but he didn't return (again), so I left a $20 tip on our table and asked the female bartender if I can pay the bill there...which she said we could. A few days later, I find out the restaurant added a $20 charge to my bank card, which is $20 more than the bill amount I signed for!! I called my bank and told them that I left a $20 cash tip on the table, had waited forever for our bill and to pay, etc. My bank removed the $20 extra charge immediately. Lesson learned...leave the tip in the black book and not on the table!! This place was nice, but we had to wait too long for our bill and to pay. read more

We had an outdoor lunch here randomly on a drive through the area. They had delicious food and all the staff was masked; plenty of outdoor space for dining and the selection of items made my whole picky family happy. read more

Have had great experiences here with dinner and music happenings but the last experience demands a comment. went for music and dinner. ordered two bloody marys at the bar, and went to table. awful drinks, just vodka and tomato juice for $15 each. took them back to the bartender and explained the problem. he was ok but a woman bartender emerged and spat shit at us up and down for questioning the mix. really venomous. she ranted that the drinks were served in a much bigger glass than usual so we were lucky. jeez. all we wanted was a tasty bloody mary, not more vodka. going to be much more careful there in the future. read more

The trophy animal heads on the wall of the bar area aren't the only clue that the Rancho Nicasso is not your stereotypical Marin eatery or music venue. The feel is West-Marin rural and very casual as the complex dates back to when Marin was primarily a dairy ranching and farming community ...way before the GG Bridge was constricted. It's one of our favorite places to hear local artists perform such as Shawna Morrison (Van's daughter) or Petty Theft or or any number of other local musicians. The sound is pretty good and there is always room to dance. In between sets there is lots of outdoor space to wander about so it never feels cramped even with full house. The food is pretty good American fare with a good variety of healthy choices and delicious desserts as well. A few of us had the prime rib on our last visit to see Shawna Morrison and I would give it a B+ (the horseradish was on the weak side for one). Overall, you will probably not be disappointed in the food and it was certainly a lot better than what I have gotten at other similar music venues (for example, we recently had a meal at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and the food was barely edible). The service was excellent and the West Marin atmosphere makes it a fun place to visit at least once here. read more

A group of 16 on bikes came to eat and were told that we could not receive separate checks. That's a problem but we got it together and each party put in their share. When the bill came we were short 20 bucks. It doesn't work not offering separate checks. Our group won't be able to return here. Too bad because the food is great. read more

Have only had a few meals at Rancho Nicasio but they've all been fantastic. Good sized portions, fresh ingredients, very friendly staff, lots of history in the place. If you're in the area you should stop in for lunch or dinner, you'll have a very nice meal. read more

good food and great music, run by a wonderful couple with lots of experience in the music business

I order food to go only got half the food I order. The Asian chicken salad was awful it had no flavor it tasted like cabbage with vinegar no flavor at all worts salad ever. read more

Rancho Nicasio never fails to please and satisfy! Lauralee and Julia, with their kindness and excellence (and bar tending skills) just keep bringing me back here. It is my habit once in a while to take a drive to West Marin, windows down, music loud, and cigar smokin to come here when I need time out, beauty and peace. This old road house is a great place for food or drink or music. It is a staple of my life, be it only monthly. Thank you, Lauralee and Julia for always remembering me and taking such good care of me! See you soon! read more

Rancho Nicasio - American Near Me - Nicasio, California

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