I'm a little sad today. My lifelong search for the world's best chicken fried steak and eggs is over. It's not a huge slab of meat, but you will not be disappointed. It came with fresh sourdough toast, homemade preserves, melt in your mouth potatoes, and Swiss chard. I never thought I would say this, but can I have some more Swiss chard, please? HFS, this place is special. read more

Road trip in the green roaming hills of Northern California. Window view of green pastures is the highlight from this particular cafe, and I'm reassured that I'm eating grass-fed cows. I should be happy, right? The test of a true gentleman is patience, and mine was tested today once we learned they were short-staffed with only one cook in the kitchen. My antidote was puttings myself in a trance while we waited. Burger and home-made fries were done to my satisfcation; three bits of delicious Tuna Melt had me re-thinking my life's aversion to them. But what irked me indefinitely is my Vanilla Milkshake, not thick & creamy, in a medium-limit spiral glass and with no leftover shake from the tin. For $4.50, that makes me decidedly unhappy. read more

Very disappointed - five stars???! Spacey service and the most greasy fish & chips I have ever had. Comfy room; very down home but as hungry as we were upon arrival, we left some on the plate. Just not worth it. Sorry, travelers, but find another lunch on your way to Bodega. read more

Little pricey for two breakfasts ($50 w/tip)..but the food was good. ..friendly staff. ..small fly problem? But, I would still go back if I was in the area. read more

I too find the negative reviews perplexing. I guess some people just can't be pleased. This is a small cafe in a town of 150 people. They were nothing but welcoming and friendly to us and the food was terrific. We stayed at the Valley Ford Hotel and ate breakfast every day at the Estero Cafe. We had a terrific stay in this cute little town and enjoyed our meals at the Estero Cafe. We will be back for sure. read more

If in the area drop into this place. It's an old fashion spot where the locals and travelers dine. Friendly, clean, and delicious. Breakfast here is made fresh, using fresh ingredients. If ask for fruit you'll see them chopping up the grit that is used. We dined here twice for breakfast. It's a very laid back old fashion country feeling place with food that hits the spot each time. It's easily a 3.5 star place, really like this place for breakfast. read more

Dropped in for breakfast during a vacation. Great little place. Friendly service, great breakfast menu. We love finding good independent restaurants, and this place fit the bill. read more

This is the best restaurant around. The food is local, fresh and amazing. The people are so nice. I have to stop myself from going there every day .... read more

Yum! What a treasure. The food is great. The potatoes were so good with breakfast. Fresh baked bread as our toast with fresh-made strawberry and raspberry jam. The specials on the wall looked really good, highlighting local, fresh ingredients. Good value for the price, would go again anytime. P.S. bought some strawberry jam to take home for $5.00 and it is amazing. read more

Had breakfast here a week or so ago...it was great! My eggs were perfect, fresh very tasty. Biscuits and gravy awesome. My companion had the hash and loved it. Good coffee, service and atmosphere. Owner checked in and was very hospitable, sharing sources of meat, eggs and veggies. Will definitely return. Two CHP officers and a sheriff were enjoying a leisurely breakfast which gave added testimony for consistency. read more

While traveling along the coast, we decided to follow Yelp around the food thing. This little off the beaten path place was just so quaint. I loved this little place and just how functional it was. We ordered breakfast burrito's and was very surprised with the wonderful flavors we were enjoying. Being of color, it is discomforting to be in a place where it is not of color or a place that is not color friendly. I really appreciated being treated like a normal human being and served some quality food by a very respectful, kind person. The server was so very sweet and made us feel very welcomed. Thank you for that. read more

The food gets four stars but the service gets two. However, the laid back vibe and friendly crowd makes up for a lacking waitstaff.

I stopped (June 2013) on a whim on my way to the coast because I was hungary and it looked like a good place to eat...it was...I had an omelet, ham, onions, peppers, and it was very good...clearly local products were being used...the service was prompt, the coffee great and the atmosphere was warm, sort of hippy and very down home...both waitresses, mine and not mine, were friendly, as was the cook/owner, all three finding the time to talk to me with genuine interest...limited menu, but I found what I wanted...good music, too read more

This place is about 15 minutes from Bodega Head Trail. This was the calorie replenishment for my girlfriend's birthday, as we came here right after the hike in aforementioned area. Small inside, but definitely has a diner feel to it (as a native New Jerseyan, I have a soft spot for those still). The menu is pretty extensive for a small sit-down place (seating outside too). I went with the pulled pork sandwich, which was really good, just not as flavorful as I thought it'd be. Maybe it needed more BBQ sauce? I was going to put more hot sauce on it, but feared it would ruin the taste and opted out. The crab chowder (a first for me) was fresh and excellent, definitely a highlight. Orange juice is not fresh squeezed, it's Clover Farms, btw. Only one unisex bathroom too. This place looks like it's popular with tourists, as I overheard a couple from Arizona and one other state that escapes me explaining their trip to the waitress, who also runs the cash register and seems to be the manager or owner. She's really attentive and kept things moving at a good pace. You didn't have to wait too long an she was always coming around with water or coffee re-ups. Just be mindful, since it's near Cow Country (seems to be bovines on every corner), there's a ton of flies around and inside, so make sure to watch your food from getting divebombed in. But if I'm in the area and hungry--I'd be back. Decent parking around the restaurant too. read more

This review is long over due. I had a great experience here. I came here with my mom who LOVED it. In fact, this place really reminds me of my grandmas place in so many ways! The decor and the serving dishes, etc. I got a bowl of crab chowder and a tuna melt, talk about "comfort food." The service was very friendly and I liked how the kitchen is totally open to the customers (they prepare the food right in front of you)! The food was great, tasted buttery and yummy. Not too much crab in the chowder, but the flavor was good! I think its a nice little lunch spot. read more

Such amazing food cooked by Ryan, who knows and loves food, with fantastic local ingredients.

Great service, good food and the perfect place for a casual Saturday breakfast. I enjoyed the breakfast salad.

Cozy little lunch and breakfast nook out among the beautiful rolling green hills. And with the new ownership, all the ingredients are natural, top notch, and bought directly from local farmers. Seriously. They're on a first-name basis with ranchers and farmers in the immediate area. I'll be taking the scenic route more often these days, just for an excuse to stop in here. read more

Country Fried Steak & Eggs were fantastic! This is my new favorite breakfast location in west county. The bird photos on the wall add a very nice ambiance. read more

I've had lunch or brunch here perhaps 10 times in the last 6 months while driving through Sonoma on the way to the coast or back. The food is simply excellent. The burgers, sandwiches, French toast, and especially the omelettes, are just great. I especially appreciate their housemade jams and hot sauce. Service can be a little slow when they are slammed, but it's worth the wait and you can spend the time looking at the artwork which is never dull and changes frequently. read more

Our family of three decided to try the Estero Cafe because of a short review on BiteClub, adn we are so glad we made the drive! The iced tea was fresh and delicious, as was the hot chocolate. We had the mushroom sandwich, a burger, and the chicken fried steak plate, all of which we totally loved. Lots of flavor, and as a heads up, everything is fried on pork lard, which my husband really liked. The service was fast and friendly, and it's so small that there is only 1 server, but even on her break, she made sure we were taken care of. read more

Estero Café is a terrific place that is somewhat compromised by its location (see below). Mid-week in the Bodega Bay area can be tough for dinner-seekers, as many restaurants are closed on various nights. We found ourselves in just such a situation while passing through the hamlet of Valley Ford one Wednesday. Fortunately, Estero Café is open for dinner on Wednesday nights only (check first before driving) and so we rolled in. Breakfast and lunch items were available, along with a special of Cornish game hen served like fried chicken. The food was terrific. Salads seemed super-fresh and local, grilled chicken in the salad perfectly prepared, and the waffle was thick, malty, and delicious. The "fried chicken" game hen had an exquisitely browned crust and was juicy and flavorful inside. Greens and veggies on the side also top-notch. Special honors to the biscuit, however, which was phenomenal. Served warm, the rectangular biscuit had the perfect balance of rich flavor with a firm crust and a soft and inviting center. The strawberry preserves on the side were just-right in terms of sweetness. I didn't need the butter, but it was probably good, too. Definitely have a biscuit, no matter what else you order! The server was friendly and super-efficient. It's a pretty small place, tastefully decorated inside (the exterior is a bit industrial in appearance, don't let that fool you). Prices in-line with nearby Bodega Bay. The caveat? Valley Ford is cattle country - and on this warm evening the breeze was bringing a whiff of manure through the open windows. One became nose-blind after a while and we enjoyed our meal thoroughly (thus the 5 stars). But those with more sensitive constitutions might find it a bit off-putting. For most of the year and most of the day, this probably wouldn't be a problem for anyone. read more

OK this review is extremely tricky. My first time coming here was absolutely amazing. The place appears to be just a small coffee shop, but in fact it's a cozy little diner. The coffee was to die for! A must try. "Taylor Main" brand. The waters and such come in cute mason jars. The ambience is very country and homely. I ordered the eggs benedict. It's one of the specials on Saturday and Sunday. It was absolutely close to perfect. It was by far the second best benedict I've ever had, the produce was so fresh. The egg and sauce was hot and creamy. The English muffin was toasted perfectly. The hash browns really compliment the whole dish. My bacon was accidentally forgot but to be honest it was so good I didn't mind. The service was good as well. Now on the flip side, the second time I came here, service was terrible, there were flies EVERYWHERE which is by far so disgusting. Even if it's fly season, you find a way to solve the problem. I mean we weren't even eating outside. I found that to be down right ridiculous. I don't eat outside for reason. Then it took beyond 20 mins just to take drink order, and when the coffee finally came, the food came to, at the same time. We were not greeted again until the check was places down. I ordered the smoked salmon omelette this time. Not good. Won't get that ever again. The salmon was completely over done, dry, the avocado only came on top of the egg, very minimal. The onions overpowered the entire taste, way too much and way too big. Not enough cheese. Next time I come, if we do, I will definitely stick to the benedict- as should everyone else. And don't sit in the back if you can help it, flies get worse. read more

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This place is fantastic. Highest quality food at a fair price. Super friendly service every time. Seasonal specials too. Good thing this place isn't closer to my house, I'd eat there everyday. read more

Based on other reviews, my experience may have been an aberration, but I was thoroughly underwhelmed. Breakfast choices are limited in Bodega Bay where I'm staying, so I was excited to see a highly rated restaurant nearby. When I arrived there was only one other table. Service, although friendly, was slow...it took nearly 20 minutes for the chicken fried steak I ordered to be served. A group of two that came in after me were seated and ignored for 10 minutes. The food didn't make things better. I ordered the chicken fried steak which was soggy rather than crisp. Same for the hash browns. At least the bathroom was clean. read more

The food was cooked to order. The cafe was small, quaint and felt like a family run business. The food was cooked to perfection. The home fries were crunchy and delicious! The food was reasonably priced. The service was good. The waitress checked in a couple of times, but didn't check on us too much. We plan on visiting this cafe again and would highly recommend it to friends and family. read more

This is an awesome place to eat on your way out to the beautiful Bodega Bay beaches. I was pleasantly surprised that all of the ingredients were fresh, and the meals here have always been very good. I always stop here on my way from Petaluma to Bodega and it's never been a disappointment. read more

It's good food, I'm happy with everything. My Mom and I got breakfast to go, very simple yet delicious well prepared flavors. A little on the expensive side. read more

Being local we try to love the restaurants in the area. Difficult to do here. A$17 burger with stale fries that has no taste is hard to love. Highly overpriced food that has little to offer. So expect to pay $70 to $100 for four with mediocre food. read more

After passing by the Estero Cafe many many times, my friend and I decided to finally stop. I had read such good things about this place, so I was eager to try it. Sooooooooo disappointed! After reading such positive reviews, I have to say...I. Just. Don't. Get. It. While our waitress was very nice, both my friend and I agreed that for what we got, it was SO not worth it. VERY expensive. My "sourdough" "toast" didn't even appear to have been toasted and it was stone cold. And it wasn't very tasty sourdough at that. Maybe due in part to the fact that it tasted like it had been sitting out overnight. And I have to say, in ALL the breakfasts I have ever had in a restaurant, I have NEVER been served just ONE measly slice of toast! EVER!!! My omelette was merely OK, nothing to write home about. The hash brown potatoes, lifeless and not even hot. The overall presentation was boring. While she had positive things to say about the fresh spinach and mushrooms in her omelette, my friend and I both felt as though we paid WAY too much for not enough food. And not all that tasty either. I would say it was mediocre, at best. After we had eaten and were waiting to pay the check, the odor of the bathroom wafted my direction. Had I smelled this early on I certainly would have moved farther away from the bathroom. Thank God we had already finished eating. All things considered, it was kind of a fitting end to a very disappointing meal. We had such high hopes for the Estero Cafe. Neither of us will ever be back. Very sad because I SO wanted to like this place! read more

I've had the horrible displeasure of going to estro cafe this afternoon for lunch and This place is a wreck! From the outside it looks like a cute little cafe but I can't believe how horrible their service is! We waited close to 2 hours for our food. We were not welcomed coming in and it took them at least 45 mins to get us just our drinks. The food was nothing special, overpriced for the portions that you receive and just a joke overall. Even the sauces on the table are expired! Our soup came out cold basically from the refrigerator, we asked them to heat it and it came back only slightly warm nothing close to edible. I would give them one star if I could. Even McDonald's is better than this "cafe" I will never be coming back, I wished I never stopped here for lunch. read more

They are getting one star because the food was fairly good. The reason they're not getting another four stars because two woman showed up with two dogs, refused to put them on a leash and the business refused to say anything to them about it. Not good business practices. My family an I will not be back. read more

This place is so cute inside and the food is so good. Hands down best French fries! Everyone was so nice! Definitely will be going back!

Food was excellent, but the waitress was horrid. We sat outside for about 20 minutes. We could see her looking through the window at us, but she never came out to take our order. Finally we went inside and were able to get a seat inside. She took our order, and we never heard from her again. We did hear her making sure the kitchen staff got her uncle's order though... The kitchen staff was great and efficient. Since we were seated at the bar and our waitress was ignoring us, the manager and the kitchen staff tried to take care of us. I do know the waitress likes to drink water with kombucha poured in it as I saw her mixing her drink while we were waiting to be served. read more

home made EVERYTHING The BEST corned beef hash EVER, best breakfast overall!! Worth a short drive!! Thank you! great hospitality

My girl and I were passing through Valley Ford on a Saturday morning headed up the coast for a camping trip when I spotted this little cafe that is named after the estuary that flows into Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean. At first I was just thinking about grabbing a cup of coffee to go, because we both were in need of a caffeine boost and wanted to get to our destination quickly to secure a campsite, but once we stepped in the door we decided to sit down and take in some sustenance. Boy am I glad we did! We sat down at the counter and pondered over our menu for a bit as we listened to Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Tom Jones, and other crooners, courtesy of one of the cooks there, Trevor (which also happens to be my name) and the playlist on his cell phone. As we enjoyed our coffee and waited for our meals. we chatted it up with the staff who were warm and friendly. It didn't take us long to find out everything was locally sourced and made in house. On the counter were several bottles of unlabeled hot sauces, jams/preserves, and on the window sills all sorts of cooking/recipe books, and mason jars of BBQ sauce and tomatoes. My girlfriend is a huge fan of hot sauces, and that led us into a conversation with who was apparently the owner, who had sat down beside us and was perusing a recipe book. He showed us a current batch of hot sauce he was working on as we sampled the three on the counter with our meals. My gf had the breakfast sandwich and I had an omelet with mushrooms, cheese, and sausage if I remember correctly. What I do remember vividly is that both of us were very glad that I decided to stop there. Everything tasted so good! It's places like Estero Cafe that made our weekend excursion that much more memorable. Incidentally, we liked the smoky chipotle hot sauce so much, I ended up buying a bottle. We nearly used that entire bottle over the course of two days at our campsite! Cheers to this great little cafe in the rolling hills of Sonoma County farm country. read more

What an awesome local place to eat. The food is made fresh (that means you have to wait a bit longer than McDonald's!) and when I say fresh, I mean just about EVERYTHING seems homemade. Even the breads and the salad dressings. It's nice to see a place in the country putting out upscale quality food. The staff is friendly and relaxed and local (that means you're not dealing with career city waitresses that are used to large crowds). They care about putting out a quality product. The prices are very reasonable and what more could you ask for? If you're looking for a nice relaxed place to have breakfast or lunch out on the coast, I highly recommend you stop by and try it out. read more

Wow, I wish I'd read the reviews before venturing in here. There were seven people when we arrived at 10 on a quiet Sunday morning. "Good" we thought, "We're hungry and we'll get served quickly." Not so. It turns out the waitress was taking orders, cooking them, serving them and bussing tables, too. Yup, she was alone! We waited ten minutes for pretty weak coffee which tasted strangely of brewed tea. (They're big on tea here.) There were no spoons at any table, so we mixed in our cream with our forks. Finally, the waitress took our orders. I ordered an egg scramble, with a biscuit instead of toast. My boyfriend ordered chicken fried steak and eggs with two biscuits and gravy. Sounds yummy, right? She came back almost 10 minutes later to report they had no biscuits! She asked my BF if he wanted gravy over toast. What? He said "I'll have the sandwich." She said, "OK, half a sandwich." It went downhill from there as the wait staff finally arrived, complaining loudly and bitterly to hungry customers from whom they were taking orders, about having to come to work. The people next to us had to re-order three times because the cook/ waitress/dishwasher was constantly telling her that they didn't have what was ordered. What a mess! Oh yeah, the food was good, but NOT worth the experience of hanging around while the staff scurried about uselessly. Don't bother. read more

Great service and amazing food! About 10 minutes from Bodega Bay, this is a tasty mom n pop shop when you're in the area. I got the eggs and hash browns - both were fantastic. All food is homemade and local. Eggs are raised on local farms too. Highly recommended! read more

The food is fresh, well made and local to boot. Wow to say the least. I am not so easily impressed so please take my 5 stars seriously.