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Native Son

3.8 (57 reviews)
Open 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

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Drinks
Heather M.

Cute little bar serving up to breakfast and picnic faire. Great place for a craft cocktail too! We enjoyed the banana matcha- creamy banana goodness. The Carmel latte tasted like fall! And a crisp glass of cava. Great service too!

Sweet Potato inside of a chorizo breakfast burrito is not it. Intense sweetness takes away from the flavor of chorizo, egg, and bits of avocado. You can't taste anything but sweetness from the burrito. Also 85% of the burrito was just sweet potato. Very little amounts of egg and chorizo. The old burrito recipe was better.

Our amazing coffees from RAINBIRD

Just walked in for breakfast with hubby there's only one other couple inside. The two girls don't say hi or offer menus. You can directly go up to the counter or have them approach you. They weren't hospitable at a simple Welcome or Hello. I grabbed the menu myself took a glance, & decided to go next to Rainbird, super helpful and attentive direct eye contact and offered coffee immediately. Go to Rainbird! They're open for breakfast everyday, Google has not adjusted the schedule.

Dez A.

I asked our server what he would suggest and I ordered that. It was a wonderful choice. The chicken was moist. I was surprised to have one odd tasting tomato? I think it was a tomato... in my meal. Other then that it was delicious. My husband had a wrap? He was vey please with his meal. The best part honestly was the service. It was slow so we did get a lot of attention, but we have been there's in-the past and I am always impressed with the service. I think our host/ server was Gregg? Long curly hair? I just so appreciate him and his professionalism. Thank you for making our evening enjoyable.

James K.

I had a nice meal here with colleagues. The pork chop was done well - cooked just right and not dry; it was delicious. We got the charcuterie board to share, and everything was pretty standard and good.

Very good tomato soup

The Tomato Soup is very good, service was very nice and it was fast I recommend this place they also give kids stick

Debbie S.

Located inside the El Capitan Hotel, Native Son is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a full bar. Pastries are made in house. Portions are generous so bring your appetite. Prices are very reasonable for a restaurant based on a hotel. Order at the counter and they'll bring your food to you. Or sit and they'll take your order. Food is available for takeout. I had dinner and breakfast here during my short one night stay. I totally get why locals have been coming in to ear here and at the Courtyard. You can read the reviews under the El Capitan Hotel. Dinner: Caesar Salad - loved the addition of endive, really made the dish colorful. Perfectly dressed with great flavor and two white anchovies. Croutons were massive but soft and airy. Would have loved fresh Parmesan and black pepper. But would happily order again as is. Burrata - don't let the look fool you, this is one tasty dish. The burrata was fresh and stringy. To really enjoy the full flavor of this dish, spread honey on a bite of the sourdough then top with the burrata and pesto sauce. Chocolate martini - not on the menu but they have a full bar and was able to make one. A must if you like chocolate martinis. And a great price, only $9! Breakfast: Breakfast sandwich - lightly toasted brioche roll with fried egg, bacon, cheddar cheese, and avocado (I opted out on the avo). A hearty protein packed way to start the day. Great for grabbing and going. Yogurt parfait - nontraditional parfait. Tasty layers of granola and yogurt topped with a giant sliced fresh juicy strawberry and strawberry sauce in a very large bowl. Yogurt was light and fluffy similar to whipped cream. Granola included pepitas, pecans, dried pieces of pineapple and apricot or mango. A nice combination of sweet without being overbearing. Service; Dinner service: Different service for visitors vs locals. Only 3 of us in the restaurant during dinner. I arrived about 15 minutes before a local couple who've eaten here three times. Once the server found out that they were locals I was ignored. She literally turned her back to me. I had to ask for my order to be taken. However he replacement server was awesome and continually checked to see if I needed anything. Breakfast service was fantastic. Both servers were extremely friendly, helpful,and attentive. Not docking any stars because the other servers made up for the one "bad" server. I'd definitely eat here again.

Blt and Turkey panini
Daisy G.

This restaurant is located in the hotel but there is a separate entrance, so you don't need to go into the lobby. You can simply enter through the street entrance. The vibe is chill, very modern and clean. I ordered the BLT wish I would of added chicken. The bacon was perfectly crispy. My brother ordered the Turkey panini and that was packed with meat and cheese. I had a bite and it was bomb! I almost felt like switching plates. The service was quick. It's fairly small but there is outdoor seating as well. Perfect for the summer. We did notice the table next to us drinking and the cocktails looked goodz

This is their bagel and gravlox plate.
Jerry W.

Service was pretty good. This place opens at 6:00 a.m. but I was the only one in the place. I got the gravlox plate. Not bad. The salmon is a little thick but still good. The lox, capers and the pickled onions come on the side and you assemble it yourself. Not a fan of pickled red onion so I removed them. The lox were good, not the best I've ever had but good. The meal cost $13 which isn't a bad price. First meal I've had here so not a bad start.

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8 months ago

Kelsey is that perfect sassy bartender that makes going there a fun experience. Has a lot of recommendations too!

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1 year ago

Cute cafe for quick stop for lunch. I have tried the Cobb salad and grain wrap. Very attentive staff.

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10 months ago

Sweet, quick service. Clean/chill environment! Very relaxing space. Will be returning!

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Bella Luna - A Place To Bring a Friend

Bella Luna

(643 reviews)

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Wow! Where do I start? I contacted Bella Luna for a group reservation for my the parents of my…read moreson's water polo team. We were all visiting from out of town and there was a group of 38 of us. I called and left a message and Giancarlo called me back right away. Giancarlo is an amazing owner/manager and helped set up our amazing experience. We were able to sit in the back room on 3 separate tables. Our original group grew from 30 to 38 and they were still able to accommodate us. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful - exquisitely decorated with an Italian grocery store next door. I love this! You can dine and shop in their amazing little store! Our dinner was absolutely delicious - I ordered the margherita pizza and my husband ordered the gorgonzola and fig pizza. Of course I didn't get any pictures because I ate it too quickly and was having too much fun! Our servers provided us with the best customer service and took such great care of us. They were so patient with our large group and truly treated us like family. I want to thank Giancarlo and his wonderful staff for the excellent service and food and helping our team's parents enjoy a wonderful time together. It was so memorable and we will always be grateful for this phenomenal experience! I highly recommend Bella Luna if you are in town and want some delicious Italian food and feel like a VIP. The servers and their amazing customer service are one of the biggest reasons I would come back again and again!

A Merced downtown favorite. A great place to get a sandwich or salad for lunch or a nice pasta dish…read moreor steak for dinner. One of my favorite things here is the free bread and dipping sauce before your meal. A few favorites of mine include the crab ravioli, chicken Milanese and for a starter, Arancini. They also make a delicious pizza. The service is outstanding. The servers keep the drinks filled and don't hide out in the back. The ambiance is really nice-exposed brick and wood.

Lucky Lotus Bar

Lucky Lotus Bar

(18 reviews)

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Great neighborhood bar. One of a very few bars in North Merced. If you're looking for a loud,…read morepacked bar, this isn't it. It's pretty lowkey. Finding a table isn't too bad. Music isn't too loud. They have a bunch of TVs with different programming. They don't serve food but it's in the same mall as a bunch of restaurants. Wingstop is a few spaces down and they stay open later than the bar. You can grab some wings before you go home.

This is one of the places in Merced with the most refreshing and affordable array of drinks. It's a…read moregood place to start your night. The music and vibe are great usually on Thursday through Saturday nights. If you go early enough, it's attached to Thai Cuisine II and you may be able to order Thai food and drinks at the same time. They also have QR codes attached to the tables so that you can order drinks on your phone, if you're able to get a seat. Once the bartenders are done serving the people in line, they'll deliver your order directly to your table. Unfortunately, the owner (Bobby, I think his name is) doesn't necessarily have the best sense of hospitality and can be rude sometimes. My friend ordered three waters for our table after she ordered some shots, and the owner gave her attitude as if it were such a chore to get us those waters. I didn't see a self-serve water station so I didn't appreciate the attitude. He can be quite dismissive, unless you're a fresh new female who he can flirt with. A different time, my female friend was visiting from out of town and all of a sudden, he was extremely attentive to us and friendly. A change from his usual sour demeanor. I don't go here too often due to the lack of a welcoming vibe from the owner (his staff are usually fine and generally more easy to get along with). Every time I go back, I'm reminded why I don't go too often anymore.

Vinhos - Nice jazzy atmosphere with vintage movies playing on the main screen. Super friendly staff and very tasty food.

Vinhos

(39 reviews)

Vinhos is a gem on Main Street! We happened upon this lovely place looking for a good meal and…read morewe're big fans of tapas. We stopped in just before 6:00 and we're greeted by a friendly woman getting the restaurant ready for opening. We later came to find out she was an owner. She was so sweet and offered to seat us before the servers actually showed up, as they had worked a local event that day. The waitress soon came and our wonderful experience began. They have a great wine list and wine cocktails. We ordered three dishes and were pleased with the presentation and flavors. Pica-Pau - a traditional Portuguese dish with beef and spices in a delicious broth. It's served with bread for soaking up the broth. I really enjoyed this dish, especially the broth. Crostini di Mare - shrimp on crostini's with a tangy garlicky sauce on top. This was my favorite and I wouldn't hesitate to order this again. Sea Legs - octopus over a sweet potato mash. This was tasty as well and the octopus was cooked perfectly. The sweet potato mash is divine!! We also had a Caprese salad, pretty average, but nice presentation. The outdoor seating area is comfortable and so nice to people watch on the main drag. We really enjoyed ourselves and plan to go back next time we visit. The service is excellent, portions in line with tapas and atmosphere is great.

Not welcoming to us as big party coming in at 7, we walked in at 5:30…read more We left at 6:15 after three glasses of wine and two tapas social dishes. We could have been seated in a nicer area but it wasn't offered. We've been here two other times and had wonderful service and tapas. Not this time.

Rainbird - Goat Cheese Ravioli

Rainbird

(206 reviews)

$$$$

Very Cute & Quaint Location! Food price points for a lunch venue are pretty good! Oysters & Caesar…read moreSalad were very tasty and balanced with spicy remoulade for the oysters! I used it as a light accent with the Caesar MMMMMMM! Fast Service Olivia! We will be back!

We chose Rainbird for our Galentine's celebration on Sunday, 2-15-26. We had reservations at 12:30…read morepm. We were met by the greeter who proceeded to tell us to wait to be seated. The restaurant was not very busy and it took almost 20 mins just to be seated at our table. We then took our place at the table and we waited another 10-15 mins for someone to wait on us. We kindly flagged the young male server there and asked him if he could get our server to assist us. The young female server finally came out to assist us - she was not very welcoming but proceeded to take our drink order. It took almost 15 minutes to get our mimosas and water. She did not greet us, inquiry if it was our first time there or gave us suggestions on the menu. She then proceeded to take our order which took a while to get our food. The plus - everyone enjoyed our meals from the way they were prepared to the ingredients. No one ever came to our table and gave us any water nor did they ask for a refill on our drinks. During this time I peeked around the corner and saw staff just sitting in the back talking to one another. I tried to keep the experience positive for my group of friends but they were also growing concerned about the lack of hospitality. The lunch schedule was only until 2 pm but because of Rainbird's delay in seating us, taking our drink orders as well as the slight delay we felt we were now being rushed to finish our lunch, I also wanted to celebrate our friend's birthday and I brought a cake - the server proceeded to tell me it would be a $5 charge per person if I cut the cake there. She did offer to bring a complimentary dessert for our guest of honor. In my opinion, due to the service we were not receiving the cake fee should have been at least discounted or offset due to the lackluster enthusiasm and service. As we were trying to finish our lunch and take pictures at this beautiful establishment we could see the "side eyes" of staff rushing to get us out the door. I am a firm believer of supporting small businesses in Merced since I was born and raised there and let's face it - Merced has very limited fine dining and we wanted to do something nice for us. In order for small businesses to thrive in this town they need our consumerism to stay in business. As I read from all the exemplary reviews on this platform we unfortunately had a very bad experience with this lovely establishment. A group of us came from Madera so that we could meet our gals from Merced as a middle location. Needless to say we were very disappointed with the service as well as the treatment we received from Rainbird. Next year we will choose another location for our next gathering. Please do better Rainbird.

Five Ten Bistro

Five Ten Bistro

(342 reviews)

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Lunch with my son and pup here was fantastic. We sat outdoors and the courtyard in front of the…read morerestaurant is a nice space to take in the active downtown view. Our server was top notch and very well versed on the menu. They have a full bar and extensive menu. We started with the poke appetizer, which was amazingly flavorful. I was not expecting the ample amount and excellent quality of this dish. It's a must-try if you like raw fish. We also tried the bacon wrapped dates, which were awesome. The cashew nut inside is a pleasant addition. I ordered the 510 Penne for lunch and my son had the tortellini. Both were excellent. The chicken was very tender. It was a lot of food and we took some leftovers. They have a unique payment system whereby you can scan a barcode on the bill to pay your bill automatically. This was a nice touch and came in handy to pay quickly because rain was rolling in. Overall I highly enjoyed this restaurant and look forward to my next visit. There's parking nearby and it's close to lots of shops if you care to walk and shop.

Staff amazing. We had guests slowly showing up - unplanned- but the staff was great. Food... Love…read morethe menu, there is something delicious for everyone. Even diabetics!! Unheard of at Italian restaurants usually. I passed up the place not realizing a restaurant was in that building, but our hotel highly recommended. Clean and formal without over doing it. Honestly a Great Place.

Native Son - cafes - Updated May 2026

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