Mendocino County Restaurants

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For many travelers, experiencing great food while on vacation is just as important as finding the ideal place to stay or locating the perfect location for enjoying your favorite leisure time activities. Mendocino County restaurants won't disappoint. Up and down the county, you'll find everything from fine dining restaurants to quirky cafes to fast food establishments, designed to fit a variety of tastes and budgets.

Food Lovers Paradise may even find a surprise around every corner here. Even the tiniest towns sometimes boast magnificent restaurants, with menu items that include the region's incredible fresh seafood offerings, barely hours old when they reach your plate. Many area restaurants also use the best in local produce, healthy organic foods, and a variety of unique items that you may be hard-pressed to find on a menu in any other part of the country.

Mendocino's North Coast region is an especially prolific area for restaurants and casual eateries. In particular, the towns of Mendocino and Fort Bragg are home to numerous places to grab a meal just about any time of the day.

Many Mendocino restaurants can be found in the downtown area - especially cafes and places to grab a quick bite - but visitors to this part of the coast find some of the best restaurants attached to the many B&Bs and inns that dot the town. Renowned chefs staff a number of the kitchens in these establishments and the food rivals anything you might find in New York or L.A.

Fort Bragg restaurants are abundant and diverse as well. Parents with picky eaters can easily locate a pizzeria or delicatessen while those seeking more sophisticated cuisine won't have any problem finding a place to enjoy scrumptious coastal seafood or other five-star delights.

Don't overlook the small towns on the North Coast. For example, Little River has a few excellent inns that have their own restaurants and Cleone is home to some fun, ethnic eateries.

The South Coast region of Mendocino County doesn't have as many restaurants as its neighbor to the north, but visitors who choose to stay here certainly won't need to travel dozens of miles to find some terrific Mendocino dining opportunities.

Gualala restaurants offer quite a variety and this pretty town is a great place to stop and spend the night. Wherever you choose to eat in Gualala, you'll most likely be greeted with a fantastic view. Most of what you find will be more on the casual side but there are a few locations here that are quite elegant.

If you've stopped to admire the Point Arena Lighthouse, you'll also find a few cafes in that small town as well as in neighboring Sea Ranch.

Further north in the town of Elk, there are a handful of bed and breakfast establishments that boast excellent dining rooms, including an organic, gourmet restaurant that's over-the-top, according to recent customer opinions.

Anderson Valley Dining
In the wine region of Anderson Valley, you'll want to head to the unique town of Boonville for your best selection of Mendocino restaurants, ranging from saloons and breweries to coffee houses and drive-ins to something a bit more formal.

The towns of Philo and Navarro are home to a few cafes, where you can grab a quick and casual bite to eat.

The two large towns of Willits and Ukiah, both situated along Highway 101, are home to all the restaurants one would expect to find along a major thoroughfare, including just about every fast food eatery we've all come to know and love.

However, if you look hard enough, you'll find unique establishments in these cities as well, serving up a variety of cuisine from traditional American food like steaks and seafood to ethnic delicacies, ranging from Irish to Mexican.

Ukiah restaurants are designed for a variety of budgets, as are those in Willits. Because they're close to the highway, many of the restaurants here are family-friendly, unlike the B&Bs of Mendocino, which cater to adults.

The tiny town of Hopland in the Russian River Valley has quite an impressive array of restaurants, given its small size. From gourmet to-go eateries to luxurious inns at the gateway to Mendocino County wine country, Hopland offers a little something for everyone.

Other inland towns may also be home to a few restaurants, especially if they're not far from the highway. Remember that small towns are often times home to the best Mendocino restaurants.

When in doubt, ask a local. They'll most likely direct you to their favorite off-the-beaten-track eatery you may not find in any travel guide.