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    Grounds Restaurant

    4.0 (603 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:30 pm

    Grounds Restaurant Photos

    GROUNDS RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Grounds Restaurant

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    Beet salad
    YJ L.

    The service was so awful, but the food was absolutely 5/5. Lots of indoor seating, and the back patio seemed to be a very popular choice for diners. Elk: my friend loved that they had more than just your classic protein options. She tried the elk and said it was one of the best that she's ever had! I tried a bite, and the meat wasn't tough or dry. I think the portion size is also just enough with a few apps if you want to try something new but don't want to be overwhelmed by a huge portion size of commitment. Beet salad: loved this salad! It had the little sprigly greens, mandarin oranges, a strong cheese, and a real good dressing. It was just light enough so we weren't full before our entrees, but just heavy enough to stave off the hunger. Salmon: it's apparently prepared the way the way the chef wants it, and I guess I came on a very creative, creamy day! I loved every part of it; I got a little nervous because of how creamy the sauce was, but the spinach and the truffle rice really paired well with it. Salmon was cooked well, not dry or the overcooked flakiness. Even took the leftovers home and ate it that same night and still loved it! Recommend it (at least the way it was served that night) Chicken pesto gnocchi: it was very watery... other than that, it was ok! The chicken bits were smaller than the gnocchi bits, but dang was it extremely watery... -- We had to flag down a waiter multiple times to get their attention. We were passed by and, quite frankly, ignored. We have a berry allergy, and we were checking to make sure one of the cocktails didn't have berry juice or berry related garnishes. The server never came back and when we finally got their attention, they said they forgot to check. We sat for a while waiting for the check, someone asked us if we wanted boxes, we got our boxes, but still sat around waiting for the check! We finally put a card down, but then had to wait again to pay... the whole process was painfully slow. Ironically, I heard a server say to another server: "It's really slow right now!" Imagine my surprised face. Overall, it seems like a cute place where regardless of whether you're on a meaningful date or pulling up after a fun-filled day with some decently worn out clothes, you'll have a good meal.

    Erica W.

    Amazing food and drinks. Went for dinner and breakfast and were very impressed. Food was fresh, high quality, homemade bread, yummy cocktails.

    "After meal" menu - desserts, coffee, etc
    Megan C.

    Went to Murphys as a stress relief day trip immediately after landing in SFO. Heard how popular beets, elk, wine tasting, and caves are. Read a bunch of blogs suggesting Grounds; hence, I am here with my companion. FOOD: - I ordered the beets salad, elk medallions, and lemon cream cake. Silly me... I only took a picture of the dessert. - They brought out fresh hot baguette like bread and butter. So freaking delicious. - I wish I took a picture of the beets salad because it was so awesome that they allowed me to put nearly everything on the side. I am a very plain Jane when it comes to salad (limited toppings and limited dressing) so I made my companion eat the sides. Absolutely delicious! Beets were the sweetest I have ever had in my life. Balsamic vinegarette was how I like it. Except they forgot the candied pecans. Lame. - Elk medallions...I asked for medium rare per recommendations. I think the chef forgot 1 of 2 medallions on the stove because one was well done. Both were super dry. Good flavor though. Hence subtracting 0.5 stars. - Lemon Italian cream cake was per recommendation of the waitress. Their most popular dessert is the lava cake but I was not feeling chocolate in the moment. It was good (moist, lots of lemon vibe, definite vanilla beans throughout the entire slice) but I wish it came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and perhaps one raspberry instead of a bunch of whipped cream. AMBIANCE: - bar upfront, few tables in the middle and tables in the back - very romantic yet very welcoming to anyone and everybody - I get the "farm" vibe probably because folks wearing cowboy hats were sitting in the adjacent table, haha SERVICE: - cough cough cough: so I am all about honesty and transparency and I would like others to tell me the same. So there's a waiter who was holding 4 of the same cocktails. A chick in the other table ordered a specific cocktail, this waiter apologized and said he misunderstood the order and then gave her a cocktail she didn't order. When they went to sign the check, the waiter apologized that he's charging more because the drink he gave them costs more. If this was me, I would've responded "why am I always paying for someone's mistake?" - thankfully this waiter wasn't serving us but instead a waitress who was super accommodating; putting the salad toppings on the side, making sure I like my elk a certain way, helping me choose the dessert, keeping track of when I want the dishes sent, etc. thank you!! PARKING AND LOCATION: - love the location; the laid back and lovely culture of the individuals...all so very kind and so very open. Oh how I miss the Bay Area so much. - the lights, color, decor of each store was fabulous - lots of free parking; on the side streets, behind the buildings, near the park...amazing. - should not be too difficult to find a spot even with crowds - I did not see placards or postings of time limits and restrictions but I certainly may be wrong Thank you for being BOMB DOT COM

    Create your own omelet with fresh jalapeños!
    Frank R.

    Had a make your own omelet and they use fresh jalapeños! Fantastic service, amazing food and I cannot recommend the murphys mule enough! Here with my wife's college friends as well as their husbands (total bros, it's awesome). I plan on coming to murphys again and this will be the place at the top of my list to go to.

    The menu
    Siamak K.

    It was a little crowded not enough people at first I got a little pissed off because they put us on the bar but later on they changed our table and gave us a nice one. The food was amazing. Service is amazing thank you guys.

    Delicious salmon and risotto with fresh grilled veggies
    Dana C.

    Great service, really good food and a fun, upbeat vibe! They don't take reservations, so plan accordingly but it's worth it! One of best in Murphy's!!

    Great Sangiovese from Gossamer across the street!  Having a twice baked potato with bacon for brunch today. As always this spot rocks!
    Bruce B.

    Excellent ambiance and service with a great menu of awesome dishes. I've been here several times and never have been disappointed. Paired with a Sangiovese. I'm surprised that they haven't been reviewed by Michelin. Quality chef and staff. Thanks Brandi for excellent service! See you here

    Ribeye Steak with Mushrooms and Veggies

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    2 years ago

    The breakfast was good. Loved the latte. Service was good. The restaurant was clean and comfortable.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The food is amazing and a very friendly staff. The breakfast has a ton of flavor and very filling.

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    River K.

    Thank you so much. We are thrilled by your review

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    3 years ago

    Pretty mediocre breakfast burrito and the potato pancakes are lackluster and slimy but the coffee is good

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    2 years ago

    Breakfast was delicious, super tasty. Service was apathetic. My tip, order everything you want at once.

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    River K.

    Thank you so much. Please come back soon and say hi.

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    Always a solid stop. Great breakfast. Full bar. Friendly staff. You can't go wrong here.

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    Page 3 of 16

    Grounds Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Grounds Restaurant

    Do you take reservations?

    We don’t take reservations but have a texting system that makes getting your special table easy and timely.

    Is Grounds open for Sunday dinner?

    Unfortunately we are not…however we are open from 8am till 2pm for a wonderful Sunday brunch. Our sister restaurant Firewood, just next door, is open for lunch and dinner 11am till 9pm

    Do you allow dogs on the patio?

    Yes we do allow well behaved pets in our outdoor seating.

    Do they take reservations for birthdays?

    We do not take reservations at all. May I ask when would you like to come in and size of your party?

    View All 6 Questions

    Branding Iron Saloon - 14oz Ribeye Steak

    Branding Iron Saloon

    4.2(63 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    Came in around 5 on a Saturday. Staff was friendly and we were seated fairly quickly. Took a bit…read morefor waitress to swing around but hostess covered drinks in the meantime. Ordered the 14oz Ribeye and the Kids Grilled Cheese. I was blown away how fast the food came out. Side Salad was usual fair. Ribeye was cooked perfectly to order (medium rare) and the seasonal veggies (green beans, bacon bits, grilled onion) blew me away. Son loved his grilled cheese. Would definitely come back when we're out this way.

    Came for the first time on a Sunday for lunch, was no busy. Sat inside as it was a bit chilly and…read moreI didnt care for how close the patio tables are to the road. Got a nice window seat. Service was good throughout. Their signature cocktails are fairly cheap at only $8.00 but I noticed the liquor was on the low end for example their bourbon drink which I was interested in was made with JD so I decided to have a beer. Not too many beer choices so settled on a Racer 5 which is OK. I hope they offer a few more choices in the future especially IPAs. Started with Fried Green Beans and they were tasty albeit likely came in a frozen package but the aioli sauce was a good compliment. Followed by French Onion soup which was pretty good. Then the crab sandwich, menu says real crab I expect its real from a can but didnt matter it was very tasty! Overall a good first time we plan to return and try other things.

    Photos
    Branding Iron Saloon
    Branding Iron Saloon - If you love chocolate, then this is a MUST.

    If you love chocolate, then this is a MUST.

    Branding Iron Saloon - Kids Grilled Cheese

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    Kids Grilled Cheese

    Alchemy - Dulce de Leche Cheesecake ($10)

    Alchemy

    3.8(668 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Party of 4: Sunday @ 19:00p - No reservation required…read more We walked in just about an hour prior to closing. My eye caught two words on the menu "Ribeye Steak" which did not disappoint at all. Great selections offered- we tried sriracha corn fritters as well as bruschetta. This place is definitely worth checking out!

    I wish I had better things to say about the place because the food we got was pretty nice…read more We arrived for an early dinner on a Friday and were seated after a few minutes. Then, came a long wait for a server to come. Once they did, after tables who had been seated after us, they offered us water that also took a long time. One of our servers was so kind, I didn't catch her name, but she brought our water and took our orders very efficiently, but was friendly. We ordered the fried cauliflower and alchemy burgers. Once the cauliflower came, our waiter told us that a cook had walked out mid-dinner rush had left them low on production. This didn't really explain the wait for service but we understood. I didn't get photos of the burgers when they came, because our table was pretty hungry after the long wait! The presentation of the food was ok but the food itself was pretty delicious. The fries were very flavorful and the burgers were cooked a perfect medium rare. We also got a butter pecan sundae that was very large, but good. If the food and that one waiter had not been so good, I would probably take more stars. If you are going to come here, I recommend having a lot of time and patience. 5 stars for the food, 2 stars for the service. Knowing this, I would be tentative to come back if we got the same experience in terms of service.

    Photos
    Alchemy - Inside

    Inside

    Alchemy - Dulce de Leche Cheesecake ($10)

    Dulce de Leche Cheesecake ($10)

    Alchemy - Gold Nugget Bread ($6)

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    Gold Nugget Bread ($6)

    Murphys Grade - Grilled oysters in Uni butter

    Murphys Grade

    4.9(124 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    I had a lobster roll to start. Although it cost $32 it probably was the best one I've ever had as…read morewell as being the most expensive. There was a typo on the menu priced at $35. I elected to have it with butter served on a warm roll. An abundance of lobster. I followed that up with a bowl of New England clam chowder. Also another good choice. The server and owner were both very pleasant and accommodating. What nice hospitality. We ate at the counter. A nice dining experience.

    Yes, like you, I was concerned about trying to eat fresh oysters, and lobster rolls this far from…read morethe ocean. This place cured those fears and I would have no problem. Recommending this place to anybody who likes oysters and lobster rolls. We had identified the restaurant prior to arrival in the town and we were lucky enough to have it be only a two minute walk from our Airbnb. We wanted for nothing, as the service was very good. Our server was attentive, knowledgeable, made suggestions, and willing to go the extra mile for us as we kept re-ordering additional food. They had many different specific oysters to choose from and they grilled them or served them raw, depending on what you preferred. As it turns out between the four of us eating, we had it both ways and they both were special. It was a beautiful evening and so our group of four decided to eat on the table right on the street. We enjoyed the ambience very much. So, if you're like me, and you're a little bit skeptical of the quality of the seafood being served in Murphy's California, there is nothing to worry about right here. Everything looked and tasted great, the service was great. They didn't rush us and we drank a bottle of California sparkling wine from Schramsberg, and so for a couple of hours last night, everything was right in the world.

    Photos
    Murphys Grade - Merchandise Ares

    Merchandise Ares

    Murphys Grade - Lobster roll - with garlic habanero butter

    Lobster roll - with garlic habanero butter

    Murphys Grade - Cider

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    Cider

    Grounds Restaurant - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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