the best places to eat in sonoma county
This is a list of the best of the best. It’s a list of my tried and true and the up and coming. It’s a list that’s taken lots of research and I’m definitely not mad about it. You’ll find this list skews in the Santa Rosa area — and I almost made it exclusive to the city — but there’s a handful of places outside it that I had to include. And you’ll be glad I did.
So here goes — the best places to eat in Sonoma County, California.
best happy hour
Starks Steak & Seafood — this place has always been my number one happy hour. From the food and drinks to the comfy chairs, it’s probably one of my favorite places to go ever, and especially for happy hour. You can’t be those prices for a Stark’s restaurant. I also have an entire post on the Best Happy Hours in Santa Rosa in case you’re looking for a few more suggestions!
best girls night
The Jade Room — a swanky little oysterette and wine bar that has the most beautiful decor. Grab a spot on the couch with your girls and order a glass of wine (or a Jardeca California Spritz 😉) and just gab the night away. I know, I just said “gab”. I don’t know, but you get it. Anyways, this place also has the same owners as Sift Dessert Bar, so make sure you get yourself some dessert.
best date night
Willi’s Wine Bar — I love a good date night. And when we go out, I want to take my time eating and drinking the night away. Willi’s serves international small plates that are meant to be shared. The best part of this kind of menu is you get to try a little bit of everything! From their goat cheese fritters to the filet mignon sliders, you can’t go wrong and you’ll want to order one of everything.
best dive
Willie Bird’s Restaurant — home of the Willie Bird Turkeys, this restaurant and bar is the best place to go when you’re craving a Thanksgiving dinner at any time of the year. No, I’m not kidding. They serve the best open face turkey sandwich that comes with mashed potatoes and stuffing and it’s 🙌🏼. It’s been around for almost 40 years and literally nothing has changed — even some of the servers have been there for decades!
best brunch
Bird and the Bottle — first off, this place has delicious brunch food. Second, they also let you order off the regular menu at brunch 🙌🏼. This girl loves a cheeseburger at any hour of the day and their mini sliders are the holy grail. But for brunch, you gotta try the French toast and the poutine, both delicious and both had me craving to go back the next day.
best italian
Catelli’s — my mouth is watering just typing the name. This place makes everything from butter garlic pasta to rib-eye steak and it’s all amazing. The menu isn’t huge so the selections they have they do very well. Plus, I always love an outdoor patio and this place has an adorable outdoor space.
best mexican
El Patio — This is such a tough one because there are so many good taquerias in town. Each one has its own best dish, but overall the best Mexican food comes from El Patio on Stony Point Road. Whether you want a bean and cheese burrito or chicken enchiladas this place knows what they are doing. My favorite thing to order is the carne asada California burrito, add beans.
best new restaurant
Perch + Plow — seated over the downtown square, this place is the perfect balance of classy and hipster. It’s great for everything from cocktails to dessert and with an American menu they have something for everyone.
best bar
Jackson’s Bar and Oven — this place wins for me not only because they make delicious cocktails but because the bartenders are amazing! The are always nice, super friendly, and never make you feel judged for not knowing what something is. And if you’re not sure what to order, they are more than happy to help and unfortunately that’s very hard to find these days.
best chinese
Huna Kitchen — if you follow me on Instagram then you already know this one. I’ve had the hardest time finding good Chinese food ever since Kirin changed owners. Luckily, Jamie introduced me to the best greasy hole in the wall called Huna Kitchen. It’s not pretty, and we always get it to-go, but it’s definitely the best. Hands down.
best deli sandwich
Sonoma Sourdough — a good deli sandwich on a hot day is heaven. And when you add fresh made bread into the mix…I have no words. Sonoma Sourdough makes delicious sandwiches, but it’s their bread that sets them apart.
best ice cream
Lala’s Creamery — I die over cute old school creameries and this one is no exception. They have the best cookies ‘n cream ice cream and you can sit on little bar stools and watch them serve it up. Meet you there? K cool.
best burger
Sequoia Burger — this little hole in the wall has been around since 1962 and there’s no question why. Hands down the best burger you’ll find in Sonoma County is form Sequoia Burger. Oh, and make sure you order the fries. You can thank me later.
best bakery
Wild Flour Bread — such. good. bread. This place is a little ways out there, but it’s so worth the trip. They have limited hours (only open Friday-Monday), but they make 10-12 different kinds of bread each day with the variety always changing. One of the best parts about this place is they do bread tastings. Yea, you read that right, it’s like wine tasting, but with bread!
best breakfast
Willow Wood Market Cafe — I have two worlds for you when it comes to my pick for the best breakfast in Sonoma County: homemade butter. Need say more?
best outdoor dining
Brewster’s Beer Garden — I’m partially biased towards this place because it was the location of our rehearsal dinner, but honestly I always say we need more places like it. The entire restaurant is outside so you don’t have to worry about waiting for a table on the patio. Besides the ever changing food menu (I get v annoyed by this), Brewster’s is probably one of my favorite places of all time. And it’s super kid friendly, for those that need it.
So tell me, what are your favorite Sonoma County restaurants?
