Alchemy has a super accommodating and friendly staff. The service is excellent! They offer a wide range of dishes to include a delicious burger and mussels which I love. They also have a nice cheese plate, many great desserts and a nice assortments of beer, wine and cocktails. read more

This is one of the best restaurants I have been to in a while. The prices are really good for the quality of the food. 100% percent recommend this place for a budget meal. Decor is very nice (older style). read more

The was absolutely the worse customer service and overpriced restaurant, regarding quality and preparation skills. The "burger" cost $15.10 plus tip, a total of $18.10. If you pay a good price for something then you should at least be satisfied. Unfortunately it was so over-cooked, greasy and tasteless that it was inedible. Although I specifically asked for my hamburger to be medium well "Pink", NOT well, and explained that we were traveling through Murphy's, CA., on the way to Columbia State Historical Park, then back to Reno, the bartender, that took my order, failed to provide me with any napkins, salt/pepper or utensils. I called the restaurant to hopefully get an adjustment on my credit card and was told that I have to "email" Jason, the owner. Geeez! I did email the owner and to my disappointment and surprise, Jason would not make any adjustments, whatsoever. Instead, he sent me a lengthy email, about cooking temperature(?) going on an on about being boxed on a hot day somehow contributed to the overcooked meat. He rambled on about the hot weather. He blamed it all on the weather! My SUV does have air conditioning! I did call 20 minutes after the order was placed and as soon as we arrived at Columbia Historical State Park. The salad was also a disappointment. It was so wilted due to the vinegar-drenched lettuce. I feel it is my obligation to write about my experience so hopefully it will prevent others from being not only disappointed in quality of food but being treated unfairly. Jason, took no responsibility, as a proprietor of a restaurant. Extremely poor "customer service. He was overly rude. It is unfortunate that some people do not realize the importance of good customer service. In essence, a disappointment and Jason needs to learn some skills. read more

Alchemy - Now does this look pink? This hamburger cost me a total of $18.10. It was overcooked, pan fried, not char-broiled, and greasy. - New American Near Me - Murphys, California

Had a reservation and our server Bobbi was great. Three adults and we were seated next to families with small children. Next time I'll request a quieter area. Love kids but didn't want to listen to them crying during dinner. Place was packed, all tables I could see were taken in the other areas. Food was great. Our group ordered Fried calamari $11 (delicious), Big Iron Sherried Mussels $11 (good), Iceberg Wedge $10 (very good), Meatloaf $16 (good), apple walnut bread pudding $6. The bread pudding was delicious. The bread that comes with dinner was so good, kudos! Really enjoyed the live music. Will definitely be back, and will sit in a different area. read more

We came here for the music and for dinner. Hands down the BEST lamb shank ever eat! BREAD PUDDING is out of this world, great!!!! The service was great too! We will so be back here! Many different beers to choose from, for my husband, and a nice bar! The place is very casual which is great! read more

I don't normally post reviews on here especially negative ones I've been in the restaurant business for 30 years full-time and have to comment on the way me and my three friends were treated at this establishment yesterday! The four of us went in to get a quick drink as we were strolling in shopping up and down Main Street in Murphy's when we ordered our drinks we were told we could only stand in the order area and drink our drinks we were not allowed to take them out to the patio or anywhere in the restaurant because they were expecting a full house I noticed a table that was not set very big table and has my back has been bugging me all day I want to sit down and finish my beer for a couple minutes the manager came over and forced us to come stand at the bar service area! The kicker is we came by a half an hour later and that large table still hadn't even been sat! There was no reason to treat us this way the food looked delicious but after being treated that way there's no way we're gonna have dinner there nor will ever again read more

Had a phenomenal meal tonight at Alchemy! The burger is to die for with the fresh heirloom tomatoes! YUM. The scallops and meatloaf were also hits at our table. Our server Michael was so attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. They have a full bar now and the atmosphere is very relaxing and warm. We loved our meal and whole experience tonight, highly recommend!! A Murphy's MUST! read more

Such a great dinner at alchemy. We had a bottle of the Boyle Macdonald which was DELICIOUS. We split the wedge salad and meatloaf which was interesting but everyone on yelp was raving it so we tried it. Great music and ambiance. read more

This place had good food, but since changing ownership the menu has lost some of the local favorites and the price went up.

One of the best dinners I've had in years! I had the scallops with risotto and it was delicious, my husband had the braised short ribs and said the same. I'm not sure I said a word over dinner because the food was that good. The ambiance is nice, we sat outside since it was a warm night and the staff was great! We will definitely be back! read more

Amazing calamari. Great atmosphere; especially when there's live music. Service is beyond perfect.

This place is ok. I think it's a little pricey for what you get. I liked it better when it was a sandwich shop. They do serve local wines which is a plus although kind of pricey. The staff here is very nice and helpful and they do have some good suggestions of what to order if you're not sure what you want. Just not my kind of place. read more

I haven't experienced the restaurant side of Alchemy but did stop in the market on the way back to the cabin after a fabulous day of wine tasting. We have driven by Alchemy about 100 times up and back on our trips to Big Trees and I always thought that from the looks of the sign that it must be a cute little shop like many of the boutiques on Main St. are. It is a cute little market but we stopped in hoping for a nice selection of desserts because what fancy little market doesn't have a fancy little bakery? There were only a few choices, so we picked up 2 things. One was a little apple peach cobbler and the other was a few little donut looking things for the next morning. The donut things were not so great, but the cobbler was decent. I think I just expected more because everything else in Murphys has so many treasures to explore but I was a little underwhelmed with Alchemy. I'd definitely stop in again but may look elsewhere for my desserts. read more

Oh my god. Food and service is outstanding. Cocktails are so well done and impressive.

Daughter taking mom out to lunch for her birthday celebration Sat. 3/25. I made reservations and called back Friday 3/24 at 5 to confirm and request a seat by the fireplace which my wife likes. Said no problem for 12:30 Sat. for table for 4. We got there 12:15 hostess said no problem for a table. So I looked over and our table request was empty so I asked if there was a note on res. for that table and she said no but we could have it. Point is make the notes when someone calls to confirm night before please as a professional courtesy. Ok lunch. We had the burger and fries on a split. Burger was over cooked, underseasoned and dry which for Angus was surprising. I tried to cut it in half and the bottom bun was so tough I pulled all the toppings and burger out. Roll was not fresh. Fries were cold not warm cold. Service was also suspect had to ask for more beverages but to be fair it looked like they were under staffed as our waiter was running both rooms. He was friendly and had a great attitude. The aranchinis were over cooked and they only served 3. The top performer of our total meal experience was the wedge. Why didn't I complain. I didn't want to dampen our daughters lunch for mom so sucked it up. But now I'm here!!!! read more

I was in Murphys with my girlfriends last weekend. We stopped into Alchemy to ask a waiter about the time the menus switched from lunch to dinner. The guy was a total jerk, giving me minimal answers and essentially blowing me off. After walking around and then trying to come back for dinner, the hostess and a different waitress were rude to us and couldn't explain why they couldn't seat us, even though approximately 2/3 of the tables were empty. So either they have poor management of group reservations and/or rude wait staff. Either way, I will never go to this restaurant. read more

Very well decorated, when you walk in it's a soothing elegant tone that fills the atmosphere with dark wood furniture set in a beige wall background. It really brings your eyes to the table set. The bar has that old tavern appeal with modern flat screens to bring you the games of the hour. Friendly staff accompany a delightful menu with daily soups and speacials. They also offer live music, that doesn't drown out your conversation. My experience was wonderful which is nice because I drove my date thirty miles with the menu of alchemy's the topic of conversation as a matter of fact they where topic of conversation the whole night. Will definitely return. Alchemys excepts walk ins but i would reccomend reserving a table. read more

Good little place to grab a bite to eat in the area. (Had Lunch) Has a fireplace inside you can sit next to on those cold days. Large wine/drinks list. The Ice Tea was really good! Food is fresh, served fast and the cost is about right. Staff was very friendly. One of the nicer places in the area. read more

Nine of us went to dinner at Alchemy last week. Non one person thought their food was anything but unremarkable. When 3 or 4 people made their selections, all different, they were told that they were out of that item or out of a critical item to make that dish. Their food is too expensive for the mediocre product they serve. read more

While the food is pretty good, we have been there two times and have never been impressed by the service. If it is a nice day and they sit you at a small table outside in front of the office (near hedge), they often forget and/or neglect service. This past Sunday we went at 3pm, the restaurant was NOT busy at that time and there was plenty of staff standing around talking inside when we were seated. After waiting for 10-15 minutes after being seated by the host, no server ever came by to ask us for a drink order, offer water, or introduce himself/herself; we walked out without a single staff member noticing. This experience brought back memories of the first time we ate here, while we did get our order taken timely the server did not check back frequently and it was tough to get additional service and the check (again seated out front). We will not be patronizing this restaurant again, they need to talk to their service staff or not seat at the tables out front that they do not check on. read more

A visit to the Gold Country might evoke images of mediocre food eaten in pioneer-themed environs, possibly served by someone with a mustachio who insists you call him Pistol Pete. Or maybe you can just hit a casino buffet. However, you really do have more options. On our way to the Columbia State Park (where we rode a stagecoach/were held up bandits or maybe poorly paid high school students), we decided to stop in Murphy's for lunch - and we're glad we did, since Alchemy Market and Restaurant is an excellent find. Located on the oh-so-twee mainstreet of Murphy's, Alchemy evokes the sort of artisan cafe and market you'd expect to find in Napa. Although sandwiches, desserts and pre-prepared salads can be ordered from the counter in the market segment, you should really sit and stay a while in the cafe, which is decorated in a rather fetching shabby chic sort of way. We began with a huge mug of excellent coffee (organic of course), and our waitress brought out a large basket of cheese, corn, and olive oil bread suffused with olive oil and god knows what else. This was delicious and likely to hasten our deaths by at least a year or two. The menu is unpretentious and interesting, featuring a wide range of comfort foods interpreted through a slightly more upscale eye - think salads, burgers, meatloaf and even nachos. My mom went with the special of the day, baked beef and cheese empanadas served over a salad with a papaya-poppy seed vinagriette. I went with the grilled cranberry-balsamic salmon, served over a watercress salad with pecans and dried cranberries ($14.00). Inspired by the ridiculously grim weather outside, my dad went with the combo, choosing the creamy mushroom soup and a good ol' turkey sandwich ($7.50). So we sipped coffee and waited, as various tasteful-yet-rustic people filtered in to buy (you guessed it) flavored biscotti. The food arrived soon enough, and I was extremely happy with my salad. A huge slab of perfectly cooked and tangy salmon rested on a bed of fresh and peppery watercress, accented with dried cranberries and some slightly-too-sweet pecans. The salmon portion was slightly bigger then my head but I hoovered it down anyway. (It's good for you. All those omega threes or whatever.) My mom's empanadas were presented beautifully, fanning out in a set of three on top of the huge and crisp salad. (Portion sizes at Alchemy are generous.) Although empanadas are traditionally fried, these baked versions were quite tasty, with a soft flaky crust giving way to a ground beef interior. The salad was a winner, and I enjoyed the sweet tang of the papaya dressing juxtaposed with crispy romaine and tangerine. The mushroom soup was creamy, earthy, and delicious - just the thing for one of those miserable pissing down rain sort of Northern California afternoons. The sandwich itself was fairly average, although I suppose it's hard to really and truly jazz up a turkey sandwich. (They are singularities.) We paid the bill, finished off our coffee, and went up to the front to buy some yuppie chow, full of delicious and marginally healthful food. The close but elegantly decorated cafe area opens up into a small gourmet market, peddling upper middle class chow like fig preserves, organic chocolates, and flavored biscotti. You can also select dessert from the counter (or order it) - the individually sized strawberry pies looked especially delicious, like little overflowing volcanoes. Don't make my mistake and miss them. If you're in the Gold Country and don't want to eat at a place with a gold miner theme, Alchemy is an excellent choice. read more

Great food and service here. Was there on a night with live music, 1950's, was a fun night. Great wine and beer list and a menu that is international. Here's another place I have programed into my Garmin. The town is filled with winery tasting rooms so plan on a lot more time in town than it takes to dine. Both sides of the street are packed with excellent winerys. read more

Alchemy is amazing. The bar/restaurant is swanky. The menu is interesting and delicious. And the food is to die for good! I ate here twice in one weekend. Both times were great dining experiences! YUM! read more

Alchemy always delivers great food and drinks. Today was super fun watching the bartenders make wonderful handmade cocktails. We learned a lot about different spirits, beer, cider, and local wine recommendations. To top it off Travis saved us with his advice for attending the concert at Ironstone. Great time! read more

Went to "fancy" dinner with the ladies on a Saturday night. Food was decent. Flavors were a little on the bland side. Description of the restaurant in the touristy mag said "inventive comfort food," and while it was comforting, it was not very inventive. Service was just okay. Got the feeling our server wanted to be anywhere but there. Our order was accurate and timely. Yet the dessert menu was never offered. Talk about missing out on the upsell. Minus one star for closing so damned early on a Saturday night. I know it's a small town, but the place was hopping. Need to rethink having your last seating at 7:30 p.m. Minus another star for printing the menu in Comic Sans. If you're going to charge me $24 for crab mac and cheese, it does not soften the blow by presenting it in a kiddie font. read more

Merged from old profile: Review of 7-25-2013 5/5 within its own realm. Clearly there is not a whole lot in this area, but the food here is EXCELLENT. At the recommendation of a friend, I stopped here to eat and was not disappointed at all. The corn bread (not cornbread) was an outstanding appetizer. Holy cowballs, Batman! They DO have a lot of beer! Enough beer on the beer lists to get you ten times as hammered as a walk down Murphys Main St wine tasting rooms, all excellent beers, and relatively quick service. Service may be different on extremely busy weekends, but I would give the knowledge and attentiveness a 5/5. In speaking with the owner about particular beers, the attention to customers is very much apparent. On to the food. Chicken pesto pasta with an ample serving of pine nuts, great flavor, and nothing overpowering one another. Delicious! The chicken pieces were pieces, not strips, but does that REALLY matter? Nope. I requested cheddar vs bleu cheese, and the bun was deliciously soft. It was cooked to medium as requested, and had a delicious grilled flavor. If I would've thought of it, some of the aioli sauce from the truffle fries would have made it perfect. Overall, the quality of the burger is on par with a similar prime burger from Fleming's Steakhouse. Very good. Great place to eat in Murphys, loved the food, good service... And beer. Lots and lots and lots of beers. I will return next time I'm in Murphys read more

I imagine it's because they were just 40 minutes to closing but the server was very uninviting. Wanted to seat us near a group that had 3 -4 bottles of wine they were "enjoying." I knew it was a wine tasting location during the day but I didn't expect the restaurant itself to smell like a brewery. We asked to be seated in the non wine tasting area/room but we were declined and instead referred to sir outside... Ermmm, it's 50° and the heaters above were barely lit. Again, perhaps it's the fact that this place was soon to close as everything in this town closes by 8pm pretty much but the server's lack of descent welcome and customer service brought my review to what we experienced...1 star. read more

As a local resident, I've frequented Alchemy many times over the years, but I'm crossing them off the list. I just can't take that "whatever" attitude from the wait staff. Lackadaisical? Lazy? Apparently so. They make no effort to smile, greet customer or make you feel comfortable. Nor do they accommodate elders or disabled. I came in on crutches & was in a cast; asked for a second chair to elevate my leg--you would have thought I'd asked for the Queen of England's Throne! I was surprised as the response of the staff. It's a chair, guys! a Chair! **Staff is forbidden to smile or make you feel welcome, all the while they empty your wallet of every last nickel, and make you feel like you want the sun/moon when you ask when your meal/drink/dessert/cheque will come.** Pros: Food is fine. Large selection of gourmet foods, wide variety of wines Cons: Exorbitant Prices! Service sucks! No concept of customer service. At all! Ambivalent "whatever" attitude by wait staff. Absolutely no understanding of keeping return customers by giving top notch service. Service quality is FAR BELOW the menu prices. This place is perfect for tourists who no longer expect courtesy. In fact, it is pretty clear that they like to prey on "tourists" (come back many times, and they *might* remember you as a local, but don't count on it!!) This place is a money trap. read more

Started off getting cold shouldered as soon as we mentioned we had a heavy day wine tasting and would only be having cold water for my wife, and hot water w/ honey & lemon for me. Tip #1, don't start counting your tips before they are hatched. I am a chef and my wife and I have owned a cafe previously. Tip #2, don't look slightly disgusted when we ask to split the Heirloom Tomato Soup, as if that tip just got even smaller. Thankfully, we did split it because it was a sodium bomb and if we'd each had a full bowl we might've needed a defibrillator to jump start our hearts. Tip #3, ease up on the salt. Tip #4, maybe if you're going to push the Porterhouse Steak w/ Chimichurri Sauce, you might want to make a fresh Chimichurri, not some overboiled, graying concoction of goop on a gristly slab of hide. This was the special? Anyway, the topper was being stone cold ignored once the entrees arrived. We let the server know after being passed a dozen times and got our check and scrammed. Won't return in future. Glad other folks seem to enjoy the place, but this review barely was the tip of the iceberg. There are phenomenal places in Murphys to dine, but this is not one of them, in my opinion. read more

Wow. I hardly know where to begin. The great food? The crisp, cheerful service? The large menu of craft beers? During a recent stay in Murphys, we went here for lunch and returned for dinner the next day. Our party of four adults and two kids were all over the menu, and just about everything was great: Greek ahi salad, "nachos forever", crab cakes, gazpacho, seafood cocktail, scallop and abalone medallions, then rotini pasta & mac & cheese for the kids. The only misses were the chef's burger (serviceable but nothing to write home about) and the "iron skillet mussels" (meh). Washed back everything with some great Stone Brewing Co. beers and local wines. Kids get free sundaes with their meals. We had a pretty large party with kids and made some special requests, and another family with two kids joined us mid-way and our server never batted an eye and did a great job overall. After lunch, we went next door to their market and bought some great craft beers from the "wall of beer". A solid addition to the downtown Murphys drinking & dining scene. read more

Gave us minestrone soup from a can. When we tried again they wouldn't take us because they had a big party in 15 minutes. They wouldn't even let us get their garlic bread to go. read more

Wow! Amazing! I was starving after a day of driving from Yosemite and they did NOT disappoint! I had the chicken prosciutto and hubby had the New York steak! Amazing I must say! Don't miss out! read more

Large portions one plate is enough for two... I had the calamari with jalapeno and the Truffle fries, really good flavoring and the calamari was nice and tender... the service was a little slow they may need one more waitress on busy nights but everyone was really nice I will be back read more

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This is the biggest RIP off in town. I walked in and was told no available tables. There were many empty tables never used. I sat at bar for dinner. The salad came out wrong and the short ribs were a joke. No vegys, no bread and short rib was so small, literally 3 bites. It was cold. I left hungry with a bill of $51, without alcohol. No birthday complimentary cake nor a candle. We watched the staff in the kitchen eating. read more

Alchemy is so yummy. Seriously. We were here a LOT this weekend. I recommend the steamed mussels....this "small plate" is definitely not small! You get a full pound of delicious super-fresh mussels in an awesome broth, with a side of truffle fries to boot. Also good is the glazed salmon and the artichoke pizza. We didn't have anything that we didn't like!! A wide ever-changing selection of beers is available on tap as well as in the bottle; local wines are available aplenty too. Basically everything you need to eat and drink yourself merry. Only downside is the bathroom....kinda icky. Just needs an update I would say. read more

Alchemy - Beer in wine country! - New American Near Me - Murphys, California

One of my close friends has a cabin in the Big Trees/Arnold area so we decided to stop in Murphy's for some great pictures and an early dinner. I love this cute town especially this time of year because of all of the Autumn festivities, smells & beautiful changing tree colors. After a bit of wine tasting we were getting hungry and i noticed the patio (perfect for my dogie) so i thought this would be a great place. The ambience was amazing & they indeed had a pet-friendly outside seating area, a good plus. The staff is very friendly and assertive and the food superseded my expectations. Clams were my favorite appetizer and the calamari is good if your a spicy. The menu has something for everyone. I had the seared ahi tuna salad, my favorite, that was too big to finish. My friend however didn't think twice in helping me out with that. I am sort of a picky eater so having all of my key elements checked off : (service, taste of food, good wine, pleasant ambiance, and great company) was a sure delight. I loove the music they play as well. I will definitely be back the next time i go to Murphys, which lately may be quite often. read more

We had a reshearsal dinner here the night before our wedding. We had a group of about 30 and were seated on the patio, which was a great option for privacy. The food standard/classic cuisine and everyone was happy in the group with the food. The waitstaff was excellent. I would recommend this restaurant for booking such an event in the future. read more

What an amazing find. Perfectly location town, great menu, really nice wine list. Probably the best meal during our week in CA. Love the patio dining. Wait staff was a trifle snooty, but he did recommend a fabulous wine for me. Would definitely return! read more

Food was just okay. Nothing was over the top. We had the calamari and the batter was light and tasty. The gnocchi was good, but very rich. Friends had meatloaf and they liked it a lot. Good portions and you can easily share a plate. read more

We were here on Saturday, January 19th at 2pm. We loved the beautiful atmosphere. The food was amazing but our waitress is the reason I'm giving this restaurant a 2 star. She was a young lady and was unfriendly from the start and definitely not polite. Towards the end of the meal, we ordered a beer and a glass of wine. It took so long for the wine to come, we had finished our food. When she sat the wine on the table, she said the tap needed to be changed on the beer and when my father in law said she could not bring it. She got a major attitude and brought our bill back and practically slammed it on the table. We will return for the amazing food though and will hope for a different waitress. read more