We had the roast beef sandwich with German potatoes , potatoes were ok ,the sandwich was absolutely horrible,Not sure how you can make something so simple so bad, dry and tasteless, the soup had a heavy beer taste, not good and not bad, just odd, other table had burgers, they had to ask for Mayo catchup and mustard , The burgers came out completely dry, we will definitely not be coming back read more

Great date spot, great dinner spot, overall satisfactory experience. Our server was very friendly and made excellent recommendations. We started with the calamari which had my favorite garnish - fried jalapenos. I had a balsamic salmon salad that was refreshing and filling. My date had a lemon caper sole that was so moist and flavorful I almost wished I'd ordered it myself. After all that, we had no room for dessert (and we had even purchased cupcakes from the bakery next door ::sad::) Oh and no corkage fee for bottles of wine from local wineries that are not featured on their menu -so drink up. read more

Selected Alchemy for lunch after reading great reviews and walking by. Lunch was more A-OK oppose to Yay! I'm a fan. Atmosphere: Trendy restaurant with inside and outside seating. Beverage Selections: Definitely a beer lovers spot. Lots of beers to select from both on tap and by the bottle. My husband enjoyed a glass of IPA Ranger. Not being a beer drinker I opted for a glass of wine. Locals wines categorized by type of wine: dry, sweet, etc. Food: Lots of options. Salads, sandwiches, ribs, meatloaf, fish tacos, etc. Bread: Leftover sandwich bread made into garlic bread and topped with corn kernel's. A bit odd but something to snack on while waiting for lunch. BBQ Chicken Sandwich: Chicken breast on a soft, chewy roll, topped with BBQ sauce, grilled onions, onion rings and cheddar cheese. Requested the chipotle aioli on the side. Good flavor, didn't taste the onion rings. Served with salad, fries or soup. Selected salad, dressing lacking flavor, a little too light. Burger: Cooked perfectly, served on a chewy roll, topped with blue cheese, served with lettuce, tomato and pickle on the side. Selected soup as the side. Soup of the day- Black Bean, tasted more like chili not black bean soup. Sweet Potato Fries: After reading all the reviews and seeing other guests eating them we had to order them. Sad to say, they were disappointing. They were lacking sweet potato flavor due to the flour batter they were encrusted in. Served with a cilantro sauce, just OK. Service: Not so great. Servers was not very friendly and seemed like she couldn't be bothered. A bit of a chip on her shoulder. read more

Labor Day was busy in Murphys and this restaurant was no exception. With limited table choices, we were seated promptly and we're attended to within two minutes. Lunch menu appears somewhat simple but the actual creations were really quite imaginative and tasty. A "small plate" crab cake over salad turned out to be more than most people could eat as a full meal and was quite delicious. Fish tacos had a nice spiced aioli kick and the choice of fries, salad or soup were hardly necessary. Great micro brew choices in beers plus the usual standards and moderately priced local wines. A good hearty lunch in the middle of town. read more

Great food, service and atmosphere. A real treat in Murphy CA. Had the ban mi sandwich and highly recommend it!

You should have offered us a comp meal instead of defending your rude and insulting waitress who served my birthday dinner with poor service and nasty attitude read more

The Alchemy Cafe has undergone serious transformation... and not for the better! I am so disappointed, I can't even give a one star rating, but to be allowed to make this post I must give it a rating. New management took over almost a year ago, and as a result implemented unfortunate changes to the way business is conducted. My husband and myself had been going to the Alchemy Cafe for what I believe is about 10 years. We are very sad about the changes, as we no longer have a favorite restaurant. There is a long laundry list, but I'll just highlight some of the major disappointments: 1. The online menu didn't not match the paper version. The entree item that one of the people in our party wanted to order was removed from the paper version of the menu... and our friend was told she couldn't order that item. 2. The Alchemy Cafe ran out of a certain cheese that was listed for the "Cheese Platter"... again, we were told that we couldn't order that item either. 3. The previously "complimentary" and famous Gold Nugget Bread is now on the menu as a starter item for a fee. 4. I ordered meat and requested it to be cooked medium rare, the dish came prepared medium well. I sent it back to be corrected. Now in many fine establishments, when an error of this significance is made it is customary for the restaurant to attempt to make an effort to compensate the customer. You know- something like...let us remove that item from the check, or can I offer you a complimentary dessert, an apology from the chef, etc., but nope- none of that occurred. 5. The Three Hearts Caesar Salad is very different from before. Some of the speciality items no longer come with the salad. My husband always added some sort of meat, but in order to do that- under the new management, he was told that he would need to order a second and separate entree??? That's just crazy! 6. I am (was) part of the Alchemy Cafe membership club, but because I did not have my actual card with me, the establishment refused to look up the membership number, and thus denied me the opportunity to use my membership. 7. The "Market" is no longer in existence, although the website still advertises it. We always looked forward to purchasing some of the speciality beers offered from that Market. It's definitely time to update the website, as the advertising might now be considered as "false". 8. Really! The new management even made changes to the bathrooms. I did not enjoy having to put the toilet seat, (dripping with urine) down before I could use it. You see, now the bathrooms are gender natural. You understand the situation now. I don't need to touch the toilet seat at home, let alone never expected to need to do so at what is supposed to be a four star establishment. Needless to say, we won't be going back! read more

Went to Alchemy for a late lunch, good vibe and decor and location for the area but it seems that they are trying to be more pretentious than is called for. The selections were good but the entrees didn't have the "wow" factor that their pricing would typically demand. The service needs a little work. We didn't see the server as often as we should have and when we did, he seemed like he had better things to do (this could be a management issue in that the servers may be overwhelmed). I would definitely go again, but I'd order simpler meals (like sandwiches and salads). read more

Last visit we were disappointed to find Alchemy under new ownership. Menu was inviting but unfortunately not the same quality or service.

A dinner here was the perfect end to a lovely afternoon in Murphy's. We had a group of 5 and we were all so pleased with our meals and service. Everything was so fresh and flavorful! We all tried something different and we were all clean platers. As you wait to figure out what entree to choose, treat yourself to the fried gnocchi appetizer. You won't regret it :) read more

After reading the great Yelp reviews we were looking forward to dinner at the Alchemy. We seated ourselves at the bar, which is our favorite place to dine and chat with other patrons. The conversations were great. The food not so much. Hubbies steak looked and tasted like a cheap steakhouse offering, his roasted veggies overcooked to the point of being dried out but his mashed potatoes were quite tasty. My ribs were meaty but not very good tasting pork, the sweet potato fries were tasty for the first few and the coleslaw was just plain odd. Plain cabbage would have tasted better. On the upside, they have an extensive offering of beers on tap and from the market next door. Hubby was able to get a several of his favorites, and after tasting three red wines by the glass, which were too sweet for my taste, I opted for a Chimay. All in all, there just wasn't any alchemy happening for us. read more

I think a lot about a restaurant experience also includes who you were with and why. This was a semi-first date with a really fun and great guy, so it was hard to make the experience bad...but putting all those good vibes aside, the restaurant itself oozed quality everywhere. Alchemy is right off the main strip of Murphy's (note: cutest town EVER) and has an attached mini-delicacy grocery and wine bar. It also has open seating on the side for a different ambiance. Inside the restaurant was really fabulous though. They had some huge chic paintings up, chandeliers, and candles. Their sparkling wine by the glass was delish and my guy friend had a really good brew beer. I got the ribs which were DE-lish, my only complaint is they used CURRY in the coleslaw that came with them. I worked with a woman all summer cooking who used curry in everrrrything (even scrambled eggs), so by the time I dined at Alchemy I was uninterested in it showing up in weird places. The service was subtle but we were never ignored, and the food minimal but its taste was not compromised. I truly hope I can come on a date here again some day! read more

We were ignored at the hostess desk for several minutes. And that was the best part of our experience. My father ordered a dish that the menu says comes with mushrooms, and was informed that they were out of mushrooms. The grocery store is less than a quarter mile from this restaurant, there is no excuse for serving a dish half done. The service was horrible and food barely mediocre. read more

BEST CRAB CAKE IVE EVER HAD! If I didn't live in Sacramento I would definitely be a regular here. Service is great! The complementary bread is delicious. I try not to be that annoying customer that asks for five baskets so I don't, but I totally would. Good wine selection. Entrees are delicious. Cute atmosphere. Highly recommended. read more

This is our 2nd visit to Alchemy. I agree with those who comment that the service is somewhat poor and the servers seem overwhelmed. The sweet potato fries are something you need to try at least once, and we also agree that there are some non-typical choices on the menu, but nice considering the limited choices on that Main St in Murphys. I would suggest dining inside. Our second visit we sat in the patio and we surrounded by dogs, which the establishmen clearly allows. We are pet owners and lovers, but taking them to Pet Smart is totally different than to a restaurant. There was a couple (obviously regulars) who had a raised carrier with pillowtop for their 3 chihuahuas to eat next to their table, at least 3 large dogs laying on the floor, one small dog that piddled by the bushes at the edge of the patio, and one person holding a small dog in his lap as he dined. When the breeze picked up, the hair began to fly so we hurried to eat and left. Will be go there again, well it depends. Next trip to Murphys we will peak to see the dog population before making the decision to go in and dine. read more

Delicious food and great atmosphere. They had the best calamari I've tried anywhere. We had a great family meal here and everyone loved their food. My sister especially loved her Caesar salad, saying it was the best Caesar she'd ever had. This is my favorite (upscale) restaurant in Murphy's. read more

We've eaten at Alchemy is the past and enjoyed the food very much. Unfortunately the quality is not the same now. My salmon was swimming in oil and the sides were mediocre. The others in our party were not impressed with their meals. I understand there's been a change in ownership? The server was great and our little dog was treated well (we sat on the patio). But, we won't be coming back. read more

I had to sit on this one an extra day. I have to split up my review into two sections, service and food. Food: 4 stars Excellent. We had a bread appetizer that was awesome (forgot the name but it was doused in olive oil and had corn and spices on top), the calamari was awesome and had a delicious aioli topping and we split a quesadilla which was very good. Service: 2 stars We were literally ignored. Had to get up and ask to be helped by a bartender before someone would come help us. It was a weird situation where the waitress for our section didn't know we were seated, but everyone else just kind of stood around and didn't say a word to us for about 15 mins until we got up and asked for someone to help us. Very strange. A comped dessert was offered as an apology which was a nice gesture, but it doesn't change the fact that we sat there for so long with no drinks or order placed. The service was attentive once someone finally did help us. And for those of you who think we are just impatient bay area scum, the waitress did admit she didn't know about us. Average the two out, and you get the 3 stars which I put as the rating. read more

Had a nice lunch here. The food was great, the beer list was great (tried an Iambic (sour beer) for the first time!), but for whatever reason, we weren't really comfortable here. The place was packed, so we were lucky to get a seat, but we were unlucky to get a seat that was in front of the door so we got blasted with cold air every few minutes. The staff was 'professional' which came across as a touch snobby/irritated. They really hustled to get everyone their food and seated in a timely matter, but from our vantage point, we saw many smiles turn to scowls as soon as they thought no patrons could see. All in all, we'd certainly be back, perhaps we'd even wait for a comfy spot by the fireplace. read more

Once again I am torn between 3 and 4 stars. This time, I am rounding down to 3 stars. As I mentioned in my previous review, I am highly sympathetic toward those who work in the service industry --- having BEEN THERE, DONE THAT! I must say that this is a great, charming restaurant. If I am ever in the Murphys area, I will definitely plan to come back. I came here with my family to celebrate my bro in law's birthday as well as celebrating my nephew who raced in a X-Country meet in Angel's Camp (He came in 5th in his division and I am quite PROUD!!!!) The menu is quite eclectic, different... almost random -- we kept scratching our heads over the fact that we could get fish tacos or deli sandwiches or pizza or lobster bisque.... not exactly typical. BUT, it works!! All of us definitely hemmed and hawed trying to decide what to order. We ended up getting the calamari and sweet potato fries to start. The calamari was delicious, as usual... but the sweet potato fries? spectacular!!! They dust these fries with chipotle + brown sugar, so there is a cool spicy-sweet combo going on! Yum! They have quite a nice beer/wine menu... wines are all from local vineyards. As a total wine-head, I couldn't really embrace the wines, but loved the charming names/descriptions. Solid beer list -- most of us ordered draught beer and they were delivered beautifully with frothy heads to boot! As we got comfortable in our drinks and enjoyed the tasty appetizers, someone brought over some "bread" -- I put bread in quotes cause this sure ain't your typical "bread"........ think garlic bread with bits of chopped onion and kernels of corn baked in. WOW!!! If I had known this was coming, I probably would have suggested we skip the appetizers we ordered. 3 of us ordered deli sandwiches, We also ordered the burger (my nephew who raced... as such, he deserved such an entree!),the caesar salad with chicken, the cod sandwich special and the mushroom/pepperoni pizza. Across the board, servings were ridiculously HUGE. Which is fine cause we all had leftovers for dinner... just something to take note of! As for service.... again I am hemming and hawing re: how big of a deal to make of this. The service was TERRIBLE w/ regard to what you should expect from a casual dining establishment. BUT I noticed that our waitress was running around like a crazy person, which makes me think that perhaps management doesn't hire enough staff to support the business? This poor girl looked frazzled. I mean, it was a disaster..... empty water glasses, no plates for our apps until we asked, staring at food for 10 minutes before the condiments arrive, dirty plates left on the table while eating dessert, etc, etc. I truly felt bad for our server. There was a huge part of me that wanted to run into the kitchen to take care of our requests myself. I believe that management needs to be less CHEAP and hire the appropriate ratio of servers to customers. I didn't pay the bill and I truly hope that my step father tipped her well... cause she DEFINITELY worked it. That is my biggest diilemma with writing a negative review --- our server seriously "tried". The little market next door is quite charming as well.... I bought some "Fruit Stripe" gum -- haven't seen that in YEARS!! I forgot that the flavor subsides in 1/2 minute, but thats another story!! read more

Been here twice so far and it delivered both times. Will return soon. The Mac & Cheese is really good. Lots of flavor.

Probably one of the best meals that I have had in a long time! I ordered their special which was a beautiful heirloom tomato salad with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with pesto. It was an explosion of fresh taste!! The service was super friendly, the atmosphere was great. If you find yourself in this adorable little town, I would HIGHLy recommend making time for a meal at Alchemy!! read more

Alchemy - The special that day-heirloom tomato salad. If it is available when ur there- order it, you won't be dissapointed!!! - New American Near Me - Murphys, California

Excellent food, wonderful service, pleasant live music, and a charming atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here, and the local wines are superb. read more

Alchemy - Beautiful sidewalk dining! - New American Near Me - Murphys, California

My BF & I visited Alchemy's 's for its Tuesday night winemakers dinner and live music. I ordered the lamb shank which came with brussels sprouts and polenta. The lamb shank was very good, the polenta was average and the brussels sprouts were extremely undercooked, almost impossible to chew and therefore barely edible. My honey ordered the special which was ribeye with pasta in a Gorgonzola sauce. He enjoyed his meal. The wine pours were on the light side. The music by Manny Sousa was very good. read more

Last Friday night we hosted our rehearsal dinner for 60 at Alchemy and they did a fantastic job! the food was wonderful and the place was just perfect. The only improvement would have been that the kids food came out too late and they were a bit aggressive about clearing dishes- likely taking one that had a small ring on it that my stepson left on it (his fault, he's 5, but was heartbroken so that wasn't ideal). That being said, could not have asked for better food/bar service, they are wonderful for a large party! Will definitely use them again :) read more

Your website says you close at 8pm, and my party showed up at 7:30 and was turned away. REALLY? Sounds like laziness to me. I wonder if the owners truly knows what goes on with their employees. VERY disappointed and will not return... read more

Never Again! Poor customer service, mediocre food, with $$$ prices. You better save your money and go elsewhere. My husband and I were out celebrating our 14 year anniversary, had a wonderful, relaxing day in Calaveras County window shopping, eating (by the way, Mi Pueblo in Sonora is great!), wine tasting. Sad to say, our day ended on a sour note after visiting this restaurant. Waited 20 minutes at our table, while others were seated and served right away, until we finally had someone come over and serve us water (after we asked, and after we saw a number of the wait staff make rounds in our area several times). Very rude, and really the food was overly rated and overly expensive. Never Again! read more

We love Alchemy. The service is great, ambiance laid back and the food is good and not over the top expensive. If you are a beer lover, ask for 》100 beer menu. On tap they have a great selection of local beers. If you are a wine drinker they have you covered with a wonderful selection of local wines. I tried the Hibiscus Champagne cocktail and was very pleased. You can buy the Hibiscus syrup in their store. We loved their soups, calamari appetizers and fish tacos. Make this a stop for lunch or dinner whenever you are in Murphys! read more

We had a most wonderful dinner here after a day of playing snow. I felt a little foolish walking into such a nice place wearing snow boots and a puffy jacket, but even without a reservation the hostess seated us right away. Shared the sweet potato fries, which tasted amazing with the chipotle seasoning, and on that night they were promoting a wine from Frog's Tooth Vineyards so I indulged in a glass of the white wine they were featuring (which, I must add, it probably one of the best white wines I've had in a while...I'll have to track down a bottle somehow). I also stayed simple and had the pesto chicken pasta, which had really delicious tomatoes in it. A man was playing a guitar, and while I wasn't a fan of the country tunes, he'd play the occasional Beatles, Eagles, and Rolling Stones which really got my tapping my feet. I felt like maybe the amp was too loud though....I kinda felt like the music was drowning out any chance of low conversation. Also, it seemed the staff was a bit stretched thin; our waiter had a great sense of humor and was very personable, but we would be waiting for long periods of time to order our drinks, order our food, get our food, order dessert, get our check, get our card back, etc. read more

Nice food. Nice staff. Nice ambiance. Nice setting. Nice beer selection. Prices are average for the area... Burger was solid..... No corkage fee if you bring in wine from the surrounding areas that they don't offer at the restaurant. We might go back. Probably 3.5 stars but if the food and service is the same next time, 4 stars... read more

Two in a row! Great food, friendly service, and a lovely local wine selection. Looking forward to our next visit.

Stopped here for lunch with friends and it was fantastic. The staff was funny and friendly and the food was awesome. We had the calamari appetizer and I loved it. The sauces they have on it are great and I loved the heat it added with the jalepenos. Yum! I ordered the wedge salad and really enjoyed it. Perfect for a summer day! Their beer selection was great too. We were seated inside, but outdoor was also available. read more

We already had dinner plans for later, but needed a light bite and we happened by Alchemy. All we ate were the crab cakes and i HIGHLY recommend them! It's listed as a starter, but it was a small meal on top of a delicious salad with creamy balsamic dressing. Kept me full for hours! Friendly service, nice atmosphere. read more

Went to Alchemy last night with friends from out of town. Service was good, food was very good too. We had the pork chop, lamb shank, burger, duck confit and crab cakes. All were very good. We had heard that Alchemy was under new ownership/management a few weeks ago, they were contemplating not serving the awesome gold nugget bread moving forward. Well, it is gone and needs to be brought back! Nice they had the receipt ready for making at home. People next to us were very bummed it was gone too. Bring back the gold nugget bread please and 5 stars will be coming from all! read more

This review is just for the Winebar. Alchemy is located right at the start of main street (about 3-4 blocks from the Murphys Historic Inn), and so is the perfect place to have lunch before starting your day of wine tasting. Remember, it's always better to drink working your way *towards* home, instead of away! The food was fantastic. Wait, let me back up: the food and drinks are both fantastic. While they have a wide variety of local beers and wines, I opted for the house made watermelon aqua fresca. I made a great choice. It was clearly fresh made, and was very refreshing in the 100+ degree heat. The soup special was a cold soup of strawberries, sangiovese, and black pepper, and it was super tasty. They almost could have served it as a dessert! But, again, in the heat, really just a perfect starter. My companion had an heirloom tomato salad that was probably one of the better I've tasted anywhere (and only $8!), and I got a chopped salad (turkey, prosciutto, feta) that was way better than I expected it to be. The whole meal came in around $30 (tax + tip included), and compared to what you'd have paid for a comparable meal in SF, was absolute *steal*. Oh, if you go, you'll notice that in the open door ways they've hung a bag half filled with water with a penny in it. Apparently this is to confuse bugs, preventing them from flying in. I have no idea if it actually works (didn't notice any bugs), but I thought it was kind of neat and will probably give a shot myself :-) read more

Attention beer lovers, don't let the name fool you. Alchemy is not just a wine bar. They have the best selection of craft brew in the area and can back it up with awesome food pairing as well. If your looking for a great meal along with an outstanding beer list, this is your place. Their tap selection won't revolve around the standards, it's quite outside the box and for good reason. They appreciate fine craftsmanship. No where else in the county are you going to find a handful of beers ranked 100/100 on rate beer.com. Bottle list is four pages long. The chefs specials have never let us down. I see quite a lot of people ordering sandwiches and burgers here but have always ventured towards the specials for our visits. Try it out and then visit next door for bottles to take home! read more

Alchemy - 15.6% on the Richter scale! - New American Near Me - Murphys, California

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I am a big fan of the pad Thai. Nice live music. Good specials. You really can't go wrong ordering here. Entrees are on the expensive side though. Awesome beer selection. read more

Prompt service and a dog friendly patio. Good draft beer list, lots of local wines. Ate a very yummy wedge salad and mussels with very fresh truffle fries. Their complimentary bread is worth the visit, yummy! read more

I live local and really enjoyed the calamari & the bread is excellent! The rest of the party got the angus burger- loved it And the chicken sandwich also loved it. If you want a nice restaurant without any fuss this is the place!! read more

We go to Alchemy for lunch every Sunday after church. Our congregation is from all over Calavares county. We go to Murphy's for lunch because it's centrally located. We used to rotate among the restaurants, but we tried Alchemy and found it to be just amazing! We no longer have our weekly debate about where to go, we just go to Alchemy. The menu is varied and tempting. The kitchen is fast, and I have yet to be less than amazed by the food. The wait staff is knowledgeable and accommodating to a bunch of old people. Want to know what's in a sauce? He's off to the kitchen and is back in a moment with an ingredient list. It's sometimes a bit difficult to get older people to try new things, but we actually look forward to the adventure we find at Alchemy. If you're in Murphy's for lunch or dinner, walk down to the quieter end of Main street and treat yourself at Alchemy, it's right on the corner. They have both indoor and delightful patio seating. I just have glanced at it, but the wine and beer list takes up the entire back of the menu (I had my wine earlier in the morning). If you're in Avery at 9:00 on a Sunday, stop by Saint Claire's for a delightful experience, and join us at Alchemy after. You'll be better off and blessed in every way for your morning. Everyone is welcome both places. read more