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March 2024 by Brit Fleck
Hands down the best restaurant in Mendocino!!! The food is unreal delicious. Truly everything on the menu. Make sure to try the Mac n cheese and cauliflower biscuit sliders ? it’s owned by two best friends who truly love what they do. You can feel it in every touch. For sure check it out!!!!Dietary restrictions: Great vegan and gf options!!
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March 2024 by Chris Harrod
Very good food. The flavor was great. Seasoning was on point. I’m not vegetarian and I enjoyed my meal very much. Whole Foods, not meat like substitutes.Very welcoming. Owners are super friendly. Left feeling just the right amount of full. We will be coming here again.
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February 2024 by Meredith Malnick
INCREDIBLE ALL CAPSVegetarian options: All vegan!!
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February 2024 by Andrea Santos
this quant mendocino cafe specializing in southern food impresses all around! everything is (mostly) vegan but don’t let that turn you away. the food is so flavorful, you forget there isn’t even meat in it! service was friendly and hospitable and loved the interior decoration and tableware. special shoutout to the unique salt shakers on each table. a must stop for anyone visiting the area and still dreaming about those cheesy grits!beignets: tasty beignets but the stars were the dips. pepper jelly had a unique flavor and don’t usually like chocolate dips, but this one was nice and rich without being too sweet.cheesy grits: perfectly poached eggs, creamy grits, and smoky mushroom “bacon” with sour braised greens to balance it all out. must try!
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February 2024 by Savannah Greco
So impressed! I'm originally from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and currently live in California - this cafe is a true delight and a treat! AMAZING grits and the cauliflower & waffles were soooo delicious! Finished it off with some very yummy beignets. Happy day for me :)P.s. I'm a vegetarian but I think I can safely say anyone would be happy to dine here!Vegetarian options: Most dishes are vegan optional as well!
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February 2024 by KJ L
That was your response as a business owner? Talk about big feelings. By the way, on that note, what you mention as public humiliation and slander: BIPOC are often accused of having "big feelings" as to be silenced and what I didn't mention in my initial review as to spare you (but since you want to go there with your ungraceful response) there was a familiar racist undertone in the way that you greeted and accommodated your non-brown and black customers vs us. We felt it immediately as us brown and black folks often do in small towns, from you. Your treatment towards us was glaringly different than how we observed you treat the white/non BIPOC that came in.Your nasty reply just adds insult to injury and validates that you are in the wrong business, Erica.Thanks for the review. I saw your other reviews, and the ones from your friends. I’m sure in reviewing restaurants, you’re just trying to help out an industry that is barely scraping by. I wonder if the industry you’re in has similar challenges, and you’re hoping your advice to…just have my business partner kick me out?…will make everything just a little better. I wonder if at your job, you’ve poured your heart and soul, years of your career, and endless creative energy to try to make something that brings simple joy and maybe even lessens animal suffering while actually nourishing bodies and the local agricultural economy. I wonder if you ever had a really long, really hard day, and then someone came along, so entitled that they refused to follow the systems you put in place to make your project run smoothly despite unending challenges, and you tried to appease that person, but they were just so hangry that they couldn’t stop giving snarky challenge. I just hope you did your best, and that that person doesn’t keep coming back, months later, to try to punish you for hurting their very big feelings with an attempt to squash your life’s dream and work with slander and public humiliation. Keep up the important work, Karl.Food was OK but the service was terrible. One of the owners was unfriendly and rudeAnd went out of her way to make us feel unwelcome and the other owner was pleasant and warm. Seems like an easy fix…. | | LikeResponse from the owner18 hours agoKarl,
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February 2024 by manuel
For me the best restaurant in the city.
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January 2024 by Erik Richard
Sadly my review of this place is not what I expected to write. I’ve read about this restaurant and had high hopes and was interested in loving it actually. The ambience was nice and interiors in line with the menu. As vegans we optimistically read reviews and articles about this place prior to our visit. I read the background story in various articles online. As a Bay Area native I’ve visited Mendocino frequently my entire life. Our family knows the town very well. I’ve watched restaurants come and the town evolve so it’s always exciting to try new places especially plant based options. We arrived after an 8 + hour drive from LA with 2 hungry teenagers and 3 exhausted adults. We were all happy to be back up in our childhood getaway. My brother called ahead of time and said that he was greeted by a friendly person on the phone. Upon arriving however we were not greeted and stood at the door in a very small dining space until one of the owners (Erica) finally told us it will be a while and needed to clean our table. She turned her back to us and carried on with orders and left us standing. Her energy was unpleasant and annoyed. We stood as long as we could and finally just sat down at the table. She then arrived 8-10 mins later and scolded us for sitting down and mentioned “that’s why” she wanted to clean the table first. It was curt and off putting coming from someone who is positioned in the restaurants PR as someone from Tennessee. Not at all the southern manners or hospitality I ever expected having visited the south frequently and surprising being how southern food in their cuisine. Erica was annoyed and irritated and was going to make sure we all knew it, even 2 teenaged girls in an outwardly passive aggressive manner. We were told that the orange wine we selected wasn’t available after ordering 10+ minutes later and given and alternative to try. This was presented by the other owner (Haley) who apparently is from nearby Fort Bragg. She was pleasant and hospitable and service oriented. We appreciated her suggestion and hospitality. I frequented the places that these 2 owners met in New York City as per their bios, having lived in New York myself for 18 years. I know the establishments well. I am a partner to a hospitality and service firm overseas in Asia Pacific. We train and staff hotels and restaurants so I look at operations and I look at service immediately. Fog Eater lacked both. We should have been greeted with a smile and told “hey the table isn’t clean but have a seat and I’ll be over shortly to get it cleaned up for you”. The entrance door should never be blocked with people traffic. This is an operational and hospitality faux pas. There were 4 additional diners after us who were forced to stand there as well while everyone stared at them and they ended up just leaving. Business lost. When we asked Erica for menu suggestions she became annoyed again and said she would need to come back and left and when she returned we asked again for menu suggestions and she just couldn’t be more annoyed. We ate the food which was good and left. I would never go back. I do hope that was an off night for them and wish them the best. Suggestion: work on your service. Watch the door. Don’t make people stand there. Tourists are the bread and butter of Mendocino. But I own a home there and am not a tourist. I suggest places and give my honest reviews as well. Do better.
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December 2023 by Simone Anne
Wowow!!! Honestly so impressed by this place. Absolutely delicious. Great food with creative and tasty combos. We aren't vegan or vegetarian and we loved this spot. High quality food and great service. Plus it's super cute and cozy inside. Had dinner and then came back for brunch. Highly recommend and will definitely be back on our next visit to Mendocino!!!
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December 2023 by Hoshang Varshney
Amazing and out of the world taste! We dined here thrice during our trip.Cafe is run by two lovely and lively women. Their service is fast.20% gratuity is included by defaultThis place is definitely a must when you're in Mendocino.Vibe is lively with soft music playing in the background. Their salt shakers are unique and different on each table.Day 1Fresh ingredients and flavorful southern plate. Hush puppies were crunchy and delightful. Their orange wine by the glass turned out good too. Chocolate mud pie was decadently tasty.Day 2For starters, we chose porcini mushrooms flatbread. The bread was crunchy and mushrooms tasted great!We ordered fancy beans and rice and it lived up to its name. It had black grams which had a bit of a smoky taste. It is definitely one of our favorites for dinner. It's not too heavy and is perfect if you want to eat something lighter. We also ordered cheesy pumpkin grits with mushrooms. Pumpkin was well seasoned and melted in mouth. For desserts, we ordered apple caramel pie. We usually don't really enjoy pies but this was baked so well we liked it.Day 3Last day of our trip, we had breakfast at the inn. We didn't want to miss the special Sunday brunch at the cafe so we still went after checking out. We shared the fired cauli + waffles. The cauliflower was battered and fried and was delicious. The savory waffle had spring onions inside and was served spicy miso. On the side, we ordered black bean sausage. It was chewy and delicious (more than actual sausage :P).Vegetarian options: Everything is vegetarian!Parking: Streets are narrow in front of the restaurant but there is enough space before turning for restaurantKid-friendliness: High chairs availableWheelchair accessibility: Accessible floor plan
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November 2023 by Alan S.
Such a gem in Mendocino! Ambiance is fun, quirky and lively- and the food is even better. The waitstaff are friendly, helpful and fun!Try the cornbread French toast for brunch- it's to die for.
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November 2023 by Estefany C.
I'm not sure why this place has such glowing reviews, because we thought it was meh. I wouldn't have been nearly as disappointed in the food if the price hadn't been so outrageous. Also, if you think their mac and cheese is delicious as I saw in many reviews, you have never had a proper vegan Mac or even a proper dairy one. We spent the rest of the week saying how everything we ate was more satisfying and half the price of our dinner here. (Taco Bell, nachos, fancy pizza, salad, etc.)
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November 2023 by Cindy G.
Very cute vegan eatery, we sat in the back patio and the food was good but very overpriced for what it was.
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November 2023 by Bree D.
I was SO excited to come here and try this place for the first time. It was a total waste of money unfortunately. For starters, my food was not good. Then, they bring out my husbands and the biscuits are the smallest things ever and they brought him potatoes instead of the sausage. When we asked for the sausage, they brought it out and it was so burnt. They put the potatoes that we didn't order on the bill and the burnt sausage they had forgotten about initially. They also failed to bring me my second mimosa I ordered because they forgot as well. My man literally got to eat 2 teeeeny tiny biscuits and a few bites of potatoes and he payed $70 for this meal. He was still starving after. It was absolutely ridiculous. Not only that, but they add 20% tip themselves to the bill. When they most definitely did not deserve that. We had to ask for the potatoes and sausage to be taken off the bill. Which they were not happy about. It was a busy day, I give them that. But, for me coming for my first time and it being that much of a mess and not even yummy tasting food, I 10/10 would never go back. And def don't recommend it. I've been a vegetarian for 11 years now and absolutely adore little vegetarian and vegan spots which is why I was so excited but it was a major disappointment. We had to go somewhere else after to get my husband food. After he spent $70. So dumb. Here's his burnt sausage. They did not apologize once or offer anything to us.
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October 2023 by Lynndel F.
If you're looking for mouthwatering homemade food, vegan and non vegan, served with a side of great service, look no further than the Fog Eater Cafe. You have a choice of eating outside under a tent with heaters when it's chilly or inside enjoying the vintage diner atmosphere. You may think you're taking a step back in time while you dine at the counter, the old fashioned way. The friendly staff make you feel at home, I even met the parents of our waitress. We're both from Nashville. Plenty of parking on the street and walking around the cute town shops. PSI would love to have the pumpkin cheesecake recipe for Thanksgiving. No one in my family will believe it's vegan. ; )