Smashburger recipe seems to have been changed, long island ice teas have chnage... think it might be under new ownership.... needs to get back to original recipes read more

First time here in about 1 1/2 years. Did the $24 special which was filet mignon over garlic mashed potatoes with a mushroom sage cream sauce. Included a glass of wine, soup or salad, and Jersey Scoops ice cream for dessert. Server was very friendly and food was very good. Would recommend for locals and visitors alike. read more

Yum. Baby back ribs, twice baked potato, green apple coleslaw. Meat falls off the bone. Mango bbq sauce read more

VI Restaurant - Baby back ribs. Twice baked potato , green apple coleslaw. - New American Near Me - Ferndale, California

They do a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere of great food, drinks and service. The antique bar is a nice place to gather with friends. read more

We were staying at the Victorian Inn, so we couldn't ask for a more convenient spot for drinks and dinner our first night in Ferndale. We bellied up to the bar and were the only besides another couple enjoyed drinks, and the bartender. The bartender was super attentive and made a great martini. We started with an order of oysters which were awesome. They came with a bit of a kimchi puree. I was worried the kimchi would be too overwhelming, although it was not. Those were the best oysters of our trip. For our main dishes, I got the filet mignon and my honey got the ribeye. Our steaks were cooked perfectly, although the sides were not very exciting and lacked flavor -- grilled asparagus and confit fingerling potatoes with the filet and twice baked potato with with ribeye. I only had a few bites of my sides. Each entree comes with soup or salad and I got the clam chowder, which was a solid dish. Since they found out we were celebrating our anniversary, they offered a dessert. We got the butterscotch pudding which was super thick, overly so, although the flavor was good and it was nice of them to help us celebrate. During our time there, the owners arrived, and hung out, along with a small group in their dining room. With that said, it was still very quiet which we anticipated since we were there mid-week and probably a lighter tourist season (late March). read more

Excellent meal and great bar. Braised beef ribs were delicious. The king salmon over forbidden rice was perfect. read more

See all

was an incredible experience. Starting with the service, our waitress was very friendly and efficient. The drinks and dinner were divine. My hubby and I had a pleasant experience. We will be back again. read more

Had the dinner special they offer, steak was cooked to my liking and quite delicious. Service was great and they were kind and mindful. Flavors were on par with their prices and a good place to dine at. Scenery was nice, well decorated and organized. read more

Went for my birthday dinner last night and it was terrible! The server Ryan was very rude, we were the first customers there and the last to get our food. He never offered to pepper our meals. The food has terribly gone down hill. We will not be going back! read more

Ambiance good, service good, food lacking, dessert a disaster, bill large. Seemingly the only "fine dining" experience in town. The Mac and Cheese was the highlight! read more

My wife and I had the chef special NY strip steak and chicken pot pie, both excellent and very well prepared. The cocktails , an old fashion and lemon drop were perfect. Our waiter Lucas was fantastic. We eat out twice a week, this meal was better prepared than 95% of the fine dining restaurants we visit and was half the price. It's well worth the visit, the food, wine and cocktails are fantastic. read more

So excited to try this restaurant. Food (Cobb salads) were mediocre at best. The shrimp dinner was very good. Wait staff was the same, mediocre & inattentive! Very disappointed! read more

Three of us had dinner here after exploring Ferndale for a while: I had the ribeye steak (very good), my wife had fish & chips made with sole (weird to us from New England, where the sole is much smaller), linguini primavera for our vegetarian daughter, a shared baked brie that was very good, and a Martini and a Manhattan made with local Humboldt Craft Spirits gin and rye. The setting was beautiful and the service was great. I am always happy to see local spirits on the bar. All in all it was a fine way to finish the day's adventures. read more

See all

Ordered the chef salad, full of dirt- waiter said they'd tell the kitchen about it, no offer to make it right, charged us full price and I couldn't eat it- never going back last January 2024 read more

During our trip to Ferndale the first night we were here we stopped in VI. The space was empty, though it was early for dinner and our service, though friendly wasn't attentive or quick as a result. I ended up ordering a burger which could best be described as "blah." We ate at No Brand a couple days later and their beef was much more tender and flavorful, VI's was just bland. My honey's steak was drowning in blue cheese, (so much so he barely ate it) but his greens were delicious, I mean really wonderful as were the potatoes. But my sweet potato fries were so over-salted I could barely eat them. Granted I don't remember this place well as a kid, but currently, for the price the food just isn't worth it. read more

VI Restaurant - New American Near Me - Ferndale, California

I would make a reservation, phone or for us, in person. Seating may be limited due to staffing. We had a pleasant evening. Staff was pleasant and attentive. Food was good and prices were reasonable. We will stop again next time thru. read more

VI Restaurant - Rib eye - New American Near Me - Ferndale, California

See all

This restaurant should NOT be listed on YELP. At least not as a "restaurant". It is a hotel, who denies public access, therefore not a "restaurant". As the proprietor states exactly, "We only cook for our guests." Therefore, it should be removed from YELP listings as a restaurant and placed under "Hotel" searches. Honesty, to travel over 10 minutes in a car to a publicly listed "Restaurant" and then told they're "just a hotel that serves breakfast to guests only" is unacceptable. Don't bother unless you're looking for an overpriced hotel. read more

We went to this location since all other restaurants were closed during the week. They have gluten free items and the staff is gluten free knowledgeable. I would have liked to have a bit more flavor in the chicken dish I got but overall pretty good and cute location. read more

I love this spot! I have some great memories here, my family took me here for my college graduation a few years back, and I just went here the other day with my partner and had amazing meals both times. The ambiance is lovely, with beautiful impressionist paintings and massive windows looking out at ferndale. Our server (I think his name was Michael maybe?) was perfect, very charming and helpful. The food was incredible, I got the baby back ribs which were delightful, and the fries on the side were so crispy and flavorful. I definitely recommend coming here!!! read more

We were very happy with our dinner at the VI. Hadn't been been here for some time due to better choices for dining. Lovely quiet setting and prompt service. Rib Eye steak and Roasted chicken cooked perfectly. Yummy house made berry ice cream. read more

My husband and I were staying in Ferndale and the VI restaurant was a recommendation. We were extremely disappointed. My cobb salad contained undercooked egg, unripe avocado and overcooked chicken. My husband's salmon was very undercooked, almost sushi. On the plus side, the wait staff was friendly and the dining room was a lovely Victorian interior. My score: have a drink at the period bar but eat somewhere else. read more

Friendly staff and delicious rib eye steaks. The double baked potato was a little dry and the veggies undercooked. Clam chowder soup a little watery. But the meat was good and the salad decent. read more

Food not cooked to order lukewarm vegetables. Dessert pre frozen pudding which I felt sick all night after eating it. Very pricey for such a poor meal read more

Excellent food Easy reservations. Great service. Will be back again. House made beef short rib bourguignon. With house made ice cream. read more

VI Restaurant - Amazing food. Had the beef short rib bourguignon. Great food. Will be back again! - New American Near Me - Ferndale, California

There wasn't much open in winter, before noon, on a Tuesday afternoon, so we decided to check out Vi. We knew it's upscale nature would mean it would cost us a pretty penny, but, it was a special occasion. The place was pretty much empty, but, again... it was early in the day... but, that did not mean the service was lacking. We were seated in a lovely spot by a window and our waiter was prompt and pleasant. Our burgers came out quick, and they were very tasty. The Shoestring Fries were perfectly cooked. The only downside to the meal was the bottom burger bun got pretty soggy... But, all in all, a great lunch. The Victorian Village of Ferndale holds many wonderful childhood memories for me. Much of once was there is no more. But, as I depart Humboldt, it was nice to step back in time for a little stroll down memory lane. And lunch at Vi, at the Victorian Inn, was a great way to say goodbye. read more

See all

3 out of 8 dinners were good. Chicken pot pie was cold and tasteless after they warmed it in the microwave. The so called puff pastry was sat on top and it was so hard I couldn't even cut it with my friend streak knife. It just lifted off and put it on another plate to even cut it. My husband and I ordered salad with house made blue cheese dressing we couldn't even tell what it was. I was odd and flavorless. The waiter promptly told us for parties of 8 he couldn't divide our meals on separate couples check and it was automatically tip included. I will never eat here again and it was way over priced $450.00 for 8. I think 4 people had one drink. Unbelievable! I would give the one star for the atmosphere only. read more

Fish and chips Fish was way overcooked Filet Mignon was gray colored but cooked correctly Long wait for service at the bar and the owner was right there read more

Ferndale is a gem of a Victorian town, small, compact and quaint. This is one of the few places to get a meal. We came here for lunch and the dining room is charming with high ceilings, Victorian detalis and comfortable seating. There's a bar in front of the restaurant and it seems like a fun place to hang out and have a drink. Service was very friendly and efficient. We had incredibly delicious, large sandwiches and well worth the value. I had mine with salad, very fresh and well dressed. We really enjoyed a relaxed meal here, in a beautiful historic builidng. read more

We went for a late lunch today around 2:30pm. We where seated and then no one took our drink order until my spouse went and got someone. It was at least 20 minutes and then another 10 minutes just too get water. We placed our order and it took a good 45/55 minutes to get some hamburgers!! Just basic. Nothing fantastic too wait that long for. There was little only 4 tables total including us. Not sure what the problem was... Just beware of the poor service if you come here. It's cute inside and the owners do work hard. I just think the servers might need to be trained better... read more

3.5 stars While visiting my Aunt up in Humboldt last week, my family and I came here for lunch. My family had been here before which was good because I think I would have missed it from the street. From the street it looks like a big Victorian building with no sign out front. When you walk in, it has huge walls and a big ceiling and a gorgeous bar on the left with every bottle of alcohol you could imagine. In the next room over is the large dining area which resembles something out of a different era. Beautiful dark wood tables and chairs and elegant staircase. Our server was Rosemary and she was wonderful, attentive and strong! When I say strong, I mean physically! The menus here are like bricks and so are the plates but she had no problem handling 7 menus in her hand. In my opinion they are a bit overpriced but the food was good none the less. I ordered a crock of French onion soup that was $7 and a side spinach salad that was $7. I would say that is a bit expensive for a $14 lunch. Both were wonderful and tasted great but I didn't think it was worth the price tag. Everyone at our table felt the same way...a bit overpriced for what you got. Overall a nice place and perfect for big groups since it's a big spacious location. I probably would try some place else for lunch in this cute quaint town. read more

VI Restaurant - New American Near Me - Ferndale, California

We has a lovely dinner. The beef rib was juicy and fell off the bone. The chowder was the best we have had in a long time. And our server was knowledgeable and attentive. He definitely went the extra mile letting us taste the wines before ordering. We highly recommend supper at the VI restaurant. read more

Beautiful building with tasteful decor. This resturaunt made this New Englander feel perfectly at home! The fried artichoke hearts were perfectly cooked with a light crisp batter. The baked brie was delicious with just enough sweet notes. The salmon cakes were moist and flavorful. The lamb was cooked perfectly and juicy, with peppery kale. the mac and cheese was s delicious! The cheese was thick and flavorful, possibly the best mac and cheese I've had! The service was very good, our waitress was very attentive and we had multiple people offer to assist us with whatever we needed. Would go out of my way to go back again. read more

See all

Very poor experience overall. Service: inattentive and unfriendly. We had to wait an hour an 20 minutes for our food. Our server did not come by to check on us or explain the delay. For those having only water as a beverage, she did not refill empty waters. We finally had to seek out the server to ask when we would get our food due to time limitations and were told that we were behind a 9 person table. When she brought the food she did not apologize for the delay. No smiles. Food: Clam chowder was very good. Fish and chip plate was good. Two other entrees were fine. But two of us ordered dinner salads for around $15. What came (after that 1 hr 20 minute wait) were small side salads--the kind you get most nice places for about $7. If they are side salads they should be designated as such and they should not cost $15. We needed to get to a play and had only a few minutes to eat by the time the food came so we couldn't question our server or ask for something else. Atmosphere: Attractive dining room with window seating. Very nice. We may go back to see if this was a one-off. Others we know have not had this experience. read more

Very elegant setting. I had the hamburger. $22. Anything, such as cheese, was extra. The patty was a generous size, but completely unseasoned, which was disappointing. The fries? Piping hot and nicely salted but...they were frozen. For a $22 burger I expect hand made fries. Butterscotch pudding was smooth, creamy and delish. The caramel / sea salt topping way too sweet and salty. A different topping would have been better. A solid 2.5 stars. read more

Had to go back here after another great meal a couple years ago. So glad we could eat outside, and that they maintained the elegance. I loved my spare ribs and my husband raved about his steak. Best place in this incredibly charming town. Perfect place for a date! Wonderful service and decor. Cannot wait until we can be back inside the gorgeous Victorian ballroom with a live pianist! read more

I only had breakfast with my family here three mornings in a row. But if their other meals are anything like their breakfast, you will be in for a treat. I tried three different breakfasts and loved every one of them. My parents, who were also on the trip with me, had eaten dinner at the VI the year before and were so impressed they came home talking about it very enthusiastically for some time. Expect to be spoiled by their top-notch serving team. These ladies will make feel right at home. They even reserved our favorite table for us every morning so we had the perfect view of the downtown. Hope you love it as much as we did. Now, that's my cup of tea that I'd like refilled, please. :-) read more

VI Restaurant - View from window seating - New American Near Me - Ferndale, California

See all

Went here on a Saturday for a date night, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the owners of the restaurant were the host & hostess for the evening. I loved that! We ordered cocktails and enjoyed some bread and butter while perusing the menu. I'd say the baked Brie appetizer is a must! It was accompanied by an apricot & currant chutney and crackers, and was delicious! This building is older and has a lot of character. It was a very elegant setting and I can't wait to return, if only for the baked Brie! The owners were very kind and were sure to ask us what we thought of our meals as we were heading out. It made the experience feel personal, having the owners ask for (and value) our opinion. read more

See all

If you are in a hurry and don't want to wait for the great food, please don't mark VI down for not being as fast as fast food. It's worth the wait! We had the oysters and salmon cakes to start. I'm picky about oysters...and I was not disappointed. Phenomenal. The salmon cakes were just a tad overdone, but the flavor was great. Next was the chicken pot pie and lamb. OMG. Delish. The pie was creamy, flavorful, and topped with feather-light crust. The lamb was done to order...medium perfect. The spice rub was subtle yet perfectly match to being out the best of lamb. Couldn't resist dessert...everything is homemade...to include the ice cream. The REAL butterscotch pudding was accented lightly with black salt...and literally brought tears to my eyes as it was the closest I've found to my grandmother's pudding. Don't miss the chocolate-orange ice cream. So smooth and creamy...a certain treasure attributed to this dairy community. read more

VI Restaurant - View from the Windows into the dining room. - New American Near Me - Ferndale, California

I was really excited to have dinner here.... but that ended quickly. Came in on a Monday evening, was promptly seated and ignored for over 20 mins, no glasses of water, no acknowledgement. Nothing. Finally have to get up and walk out, it was hands down the worst service I have ever experienced in a restaurant, because there literally was no service. A simple acknowledgement would have been nice, but we couldn't even get that. read more

We stayed at the Victorian Inn for the night and were excited to have a nice restaurant to unwind after a long day of driving. The dining room is beautiful and spacious and feels like you are stepping back in time 100 years. The food was great as well, as was the wine. The service, however, nearly ruined the night for us. Other tables seemed to have fantastic servers but we waited over 10 minutes (i was hungrily staring at my watch) for our waiter to bring us menus and take our drink order. It didn't get better from there. Some of the slowest service I've ever experienced in my life, and it nearly ruined the $100 meal we were so looking forward to. I would have complained to management, but after spending 2 hours on a single course and a glass of wine, I just wanted to go to bed. read more