Jen was awesome. we always have a great experience when we eat here. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is great.

Great restaurant and services. Allyssa was great, our food was right on time. The pork belly dish and the chocolate moose were delicious !! Will definitely come back next time in Idyllwild! read more

We Highly recommend this restaurant! Our server, Trinity, was outstanding and so was the food! It's our favorite spot when we visit Idyllwild. We enjoy sitting outside on the lovely shaded veranda with a nice breeze. This is a great spot with great food and friendly and attentive staff. There is always more food than we can eat so we get leftovers To take home! read more

My wonderful friends Wayne and Roger were married here so I knew off the bat that the ambiance was going to be cozy and beautiful. The service was great, waiters and host William, were attentive. We had a great time enjoying the view from the window, the rain was falling outside and we were side of the fireplace. My boyfriend loved his steak, said it was prepared just the way he likes it. I ordered penne pasta with veggies vegan style it was delicious. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a date night or family gathering. read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - Boyfriend with steak - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

Coming up the mountain to beat the heat in the desert is always good thing here in Idyllwild. This was our first time here but walked by it loads of time. The cute charming look of this place and nice patio area was what caught our attention. When we arrived, there was two other party seated on the patio. As we had our pup with us, patio seating was what we were looking for. But when we checked in, the host put us on the opposite side where there was no one there. At first we thought since we had our pup, this maybe where they put everyone but that wasn't the case. We clearly could see everyone checking in and noticed loads of dogs. But they were seated at the main patio, which ended up full and loads of dogs. It felt like we were singled out the whole time but at this point, we were just like whatever. During the whole dining experience it was just us on that side until they sat another couple next to us. Everyone else was at the main patio. I'm sure when we left, they must have felt the same, left out. Clayton was our waiter which he was very sweet. Host did mentioned the specials when we got seated as well as Clayton. We asked about a a certain dish (fish and chips), which no one didn't quite know the answer to. Same as everyone else, they had to asked each other what kind of fish was being used. It was a little back and forth that we opted out on that dish. Started off with a cold beer. Drinks menu had pretty much everything as well. Food menu, it was a mixture of everything. Fresh baked bread was brought out which was quite tasty. Hot right out of the oven with butter. Something so simple but so tasty. We actually had a second helping of it which was very nice. For mains, the gnome dip. Their specialty sandwich with braised angus short rib, au jus, cheddar sauce with a hint of spice, on a house roll with fries. It was decent but nothing major to rave about. The short rib did have a lot of fat but whatever. Fries on the other hand were nice. And the Gnomies ramen. It's not your traditional ramen. Chefs secret broth with either angus short rib, grilled teriyaki chicken breast, shrimp or pork. First off, it's not ramen noodles that were used but thin spaghetti noodles. It served with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, hard boil egg, mushrooms and garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds. I went with the angus short rib for the protein. First impression, it's pretty small. Then comes the taste test, the broth was quite salty. And then that's when I found out it was pasta noodles instead of ramen noodles. Not your traditional ramen but their special version I assume. Sometimes it's better to leave things the way they are... That dish was a miss for me. The restaurants itself is quite nice with the patio seating. It's covered with loads of umbrellas which is nice and charming. Right when you walk inside there's the bar area. Two dining sections, one to the right which people did utilized to cool off from outside. The left side was closed but layout was quite nice. Feels like a nice ski chalet with the fire place. Also for the size of the restaurant, there's only one restroom. Overall, the place is charming and cute. Nice patio but being seated away from everyone else did feel like we were singled out. Didn't want to say anything afterwards as we thought it was the section for pets until everyone else walking in with their pets were seated at the main patio with everyone else. Majority of the guest did prefer to be outside but some outed for indoor. Food, it was whatever. Nothing major to rave about. Ramen was a major disappointment but the fries were great. And the fresh baked bread, that was excellent. Service was nice with Clayton, sweet and constantly checking in on us. Everyone seemed a little lost when we asked about the fish and chips. They were asking one another ...lol.... It is a bit overpriced for what it is. It's charming but would we stop by again, I don't want to say it but maybe no. Who knows, maybe it'll be different. read more

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Charming place with a cute menu and a very nice patio. We had to sit with our dog outside and they were very warm and friendly and the waitress was wonderful.. Two stars for charging us six dollars for splitting a plate of chicken breast and for advertising the calamari as sautéed; it came out fried and I was too hungry to complain. Something was just off about the food and there are plenty of other great places in town to enjoy. Hopefully they improve soon.. read more

My husband and I really enjoyed our dinner here. Service was so nice and we were sat on the patio which was lovely. I had the super tasty french onion soup and half of the gnome dip. It was excellent! We will be back the next time we are in town. read more

The Trout was fresh and very tasty and the mixed vegetables were very good. I had the chicken Cordon Bleu absolutely the best I've had in a very long time. The flavor was delicious, the sauce fresh and you could tell it was not out of a Can The service was friendly, conversant and knew the menu. Very enjoyable. The ambience is awesome. The tables were placed far enough from each other that you could have a conversation and you didn't hear anyone else's. We have eaten here numerous times over the years. It has always been a joy and we look forward to coming back. read more

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Service was phenomenal, but the food unfortunately was just okay. They were fast to serve and my water glass was never empty, but the dishes we had were not particularly good and some odd choices were made in particular with how the ramen was made. The restaurant does offer a quiet atmosphere and the indoor area is charming, but otherwise this wouldn't be my first choice. read more

The service was pretty average. The staff didn't seem particularly interested, stopping by the table only when it suited them, and overall there wasn't much of a sense of customer care. Most of the servers looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. The interior felt dark and a bit dreary. We were seated by the fireplace--which they did kindly turn on for us--but the room still lacked warmth. The outdoor patio looked much more inviting, but it was too chilly to sit outside. As for the food, nothing really stood out. The French onion soup arrived looking messy and was barely warm. The Turkey BLT ended up being the best thing we ordered--the bacon was crisp and the sandwich had good flavor. The day's special, however, was disappointing. It had very little rice and was covered in an overly sticky, sweet sauce. While the portion was generous, it was mostly vegetables and not much else. read more

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Excellent food, great menu, fantastic service and good seating, potions are fair and sitting area is great. Oh yeah bring your dog with you! read more

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I recommend the star attraction which was homemade coconut panne cotta dessert and a romantic window view! This restaurant has kept it's original charm since the 1970's. The server was very welcoming in the quaint mountain setting restaurant. read more

Food was delicious and the outdoor patio was lovely. Alyssa our server was super nice. We will come back the next time we're in town.

This spot is Always amazing! The food is always consistent and high quality. And the service is very accommodating

Seven of us girls had lunch for our first time & honestly it was a great experience and nice atmosphere. Service & food was great.. Definitely recommend this restaurant. Also pricing is good. read more

Not a fan. Service is all over the place. You don't know who your waiter is. Most of staff is very young. I felt very awkward. I had a drink there and also picked up food. Both not great. I went in to pick up food and the hostess immediately asked me if I had a service dog, I said yes and I'm just picking up food. What am I supposed to do, flag someone down outside? Then I see a dog in a woman's lap at the bar. Discrimination much? Won't he going back. Work on your food and customer service. read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

An exceptional dining experience, in the small tiny mountain town of Idyllwild, California. Owner and head chef, Edmund, prepares his dishes with the care that he would do for his own family...we had the rainbow trout, with the best sautéed vegetable medley I may have ever eaten. Our server Jen, was top shelf. This restaurant is a must do when visiting this lovely mountain village. Rudy read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - Rainbow trout - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

We had a horrible experience last night at the Gastrognome! We had to wait an additional 40 minutes for our reservation and sat at the bar prior. The hostess was extremely rude placing dirty bar ware in front of me while I was sitting there waiting for our table. I asked her to please remove them and she refused and intentionally kept adding more then laughing about it. When I mentioned it to the manger he didn't seem bothered by it at all!...We left! I cannot recommend this place to anyone! The place is in need of new management, a deep cleaning, decor upgrade and professional staff. We were warned by the locals not to go there but we tried it anyway. People were complaining about the food while we were waiting so I'm thankful that we didn't stay! Go elsewhere! Not worth the bad service, filthy dated ambiance and horrible attitude towards their guests! Unacceptable! read more

Great service and good food . Thank You will be back for a good meal again. Recommend the ramen or sandwhich dip read more

My friends and I stopped in tonight for dinner, 4/10/25 at around 7:00pm. We ordered the pork chop, the chicken cordon bleu and the turkey BLT. Everything tasted delicious and the waiters were attentive and friendly. They have a bar so they can make drinks too, also Shirley Temples. The restaurant was cozy and had a comfy vibe. Dogs are permitted outside on the patio. I would definitely visit again and plan to try the blackened salmon dish or Gnomie's Ramen. Is a bit pricey though. read more

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I ordered the special and it said on the sign that it came with greens but was rice The pork was so over done it was like eating a rock Expensive and definitely wasn't worth it. read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - Pork Belly - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

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Stopped by here after a very long hike so we were starving. We asked for outside seats and sat outside in a little half nook with a fan over us so no flies. We ordered mussels and tuna nachos for appetizers the mussels came out first and it was fresh and had a good flavor. Tasted like there was fish sauce in there, which we love. The nachos didn't come out until after our food came. I forgot to take a pic but did have a few bites. It was really dressed up. My friends got the steak and fish and they ate all their food. The flavor for the salmon was perfectly seasoned, and not salty. I however got the burger and not sure if it's because I was getting a sore throat but I did not like my burger. It was really greasy and I wasn't in a greasy mood. Our service was great and their water was really filtered and def not sink water. What sucked was they didn't have a glass of Prosecco, I would've had to order a whole half bottle. read more

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pulled pork was significantly overdone and gnome dip sandwich was fatty and bread was soggy. I really wanted this place to be good. it was not. read more

Overdue review but don't understand all the negative reviews. We had a nice time, atmosphere was cozy, staff were super friendly, drinks were strong (or maybe it was the altitude), and the food was good. The beef stroganoff was great and would recommend. Compared to other restaurants in the area (we went to most of them) Gastrognome was our favorite. Will come back. read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - Beef stroganoff legit tasty - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

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My husband ordered the Pepper Steak medium well and pretty much left the plate spotless! I would say order the steak medium and you should enjoy a little more. Other than that the staff is AMAZING, FRIENDLY, and WELCOMING! I HIGHLY recommend coming here. Oh. We sat inside and let me tell you, it's cozy! Oh, wait! We order an incredible appetizer ; the spinach artichoke and crab dip. A must! read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - Beef Thai pasta. A MUST. - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

My first time in Idyllwild for a weekend trip. As soon as we got here we were hungry and ended up at Gastrognome for lunch. As soon as we sat down we already regretted coming here. As my husband was looking through Yelp reviews and pictures our waitress approached us and took the order of the drinks. We decided it will be rude to leave so we stayed. She was somewhat friendly and took our order for food. Two orders of Cheeseburgers for my husband and son, I ordered the turkey blt. The burgers were somewhat good but the turkey blt was truly uneatable. I took a bite and put it down and didn't touch it. The bread smelled like the dirty grill (the marks on the bread) and the turkey inside was slice of actual turkey breast that tasted horrible, I was thinking it's deli turkey when I ordered. I truly can't describe how horrible it was. I only ate the fries that came with it which was ok. My family finished their burgers and we waited for about 20 mins for the waitress to come back , when my husband decided to go ask for the check and a to go cup for the soda my son got she told him she will get back to him at the table when she has a minute. Another few minutes passed she comes. Noticed that I didn't eat the sandwich and didn't even make a comment. Took the sandwich and dropped the check and left ... few minutes later brought the to go cup, we paid and left. Also keep in mind this place is old, the interiors smells like old carpet and furniture. It's very dark and not cozy at all. We ate at the outdoor patio area. Overall not a pleasant experience here and won't be back for sure. There are so many good restaurants nearby that we ate at during the days we stayed here. read more

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We came back today while visiting Idyllwild. It had been a long time since we were here. We have always had wonderful service. The food today was amazing and beautifully presented. I love the chicken Cordon Bleu. read more

Great food. Great service. I'll be back. They treated me in my wife, a nice honor anniversary. The chef even came out and asked was everything alright. That's one of my moves. Well done read more

I made sure to make reservations early because they were one of the few places open on Thanksgiving. So glad I did. Lovely pre-set holiday menu. They had pescatarian and vegetarian substitutions. I got the salmon w/ the traditional trimmings. They are a very kind and helpful staff. Super cute and cozy decor.. We will visit again! Thank you for making our holiday so chill and easy! :) read more

went here in Jan 2026 with my husband for a nice dinner for our anniversary. Ordered the Lobster tail for me ( $39.99), he got a sandwich. We shared a dessert and ordered 5 well drinks. ( Didn't realize they were $20 each!) Bill was about $191. left a cash tip. They charged an unauthorized tip for $47 !! More than the Lobster!! Who does that? I contacted the mgr right away, did he look into it? Did he apologize? Did he refund me? Nope so here we are still fighting it and it all could have been avoided. This could have been a great review . SMH. read more

The service was good and the people were nice but the entire time I was there, I wished that we had gone someplace else. There wasn't a single thing on the menu that sounded good to me but my husband wanted to try it. Again, cute decor but that's about it. I know it's been around since the 70s but if I had to guess, it's changed hands at least once. I think the current owner must be Thai because the (obviously) previously European-ish menu now has things like "Thai-style" ramen and "Thai Beef Spaghetti." Nothing against Thai food, but this felt like those little places in LA that have doughnuts and pastrami and Chinese food. No one is going to do everything well. My husband got the Thai-style ramen. He said the broth was good but the noodles were angel hair pasta and the top looked like something out of The Flintstones with huge honking ribs laid over the top. None of the usual ramen toppings. I got the pasta with portobello and asparagus. It was super salty and they included all the woody stems of the asparagus that you're supposed to discard. All in all it just felt like a wasted meal. I feel bad because they were nice but their menu is terrible and the food indifferently done. read more

Decent outdoor dining on a nice sunny day. The staff was friendly, and my food was good, but not worth the price, frankly. However, it took 15 minutes before anyone took our order and almost an hour before we were served. We asked if they were short-staffed, specifically in the kitchen, and our server looked perplexed. read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - ASPARAGUS, PORTOBELLO & PENNE PASTA - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

The food was amazing! The service was efficiently prompt, and the place is just beautiful to behold and view.

Reading the reviews, I was a little hesitant going to this restaurant. I'm glad I didn't decide to listen to them and chose to eat here anyways. Out of all the restaurants I've had in Idyllwild so far, this is by far the best one I've had my entire trip. The interior was a little dated. However, I do not believe it is a drawback at all. The dated interior gives this place a certain warm and inviting charm/character that a lot of restaurants these days have lost. When you walk in through the entrance, your invited to a dimly lit bar with a dark wood counter. Some people were sitting and enjoying drinks which added to the ambience of the bar. It wasn't a very busy night, so we got seated quickly. We walked into a separate dining room with red carpet, stone fireplace, old wooden furniture, and gnomes sitting on the fireplace (as the name GastroGNOME suggests.) A server quickly offered some water and a breadbasket with butter pads. The bread wasn't anything amazing, but good enough to enjoy after a while of not eating since breakfast. The server came back very quickly and asked if ready to order. I ordered the spicy garlic edamame, beef dip sandwich and fried (which claims is a specialty for this restaurant on the menu) as well as the pork belly with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The edamame was a perfect combination of saltiness and spiciness with the garlic. There was a lot of Asian flavors which didn't taste like stereotypical Asian flavors. It was also not soggy in anyway and the edamame had a nice bite to it. The saltiness balanced perfectly with the mild sweetness of the edamame and the spiciness was comfortable which made me want to continually eat more. The spiciness is similar to the mouth-numbing effect of Szechuan peppercorns, but not enough to make it unbearable. Needless to say, I became addicted to it. The food came out in a timely matter, enough to enjoy the edamame appetizer. The pork belly was amazingly tender and didn't require heavy effort to chew. Pork belly can usually become too heavy for me because of the fat content, but the sauce on it was soy sauce based with acidity to it. The acidity helped balance out the fattiness of the pork and didn't become tiresome to eat. The asparagus looked very fresh and had a very nice green color to it. It had a very nice crunch while also being tender and had an under-lying sweetness to it. The mashed potatoes tasted like actual real potatoes with great texture and not something loaded with lots of butter or any other dairy. It became the perfect vehicle to allow the pork belly to shine. Lastly, the beef dip was nothing short perfect. The thick and slender slices of beef were sandwiched between what seemed like French baguette. The bread had a nice crunch with a great softness. The beef, again, were thick sizable sliced. But it was so tender that lifting a piece in the air caused it to break and fall onto the plate. It was nowhere close to being tough and was super easy to chew. The au jus that it came with was nicely seasoned and actually tasted like good au jus. The fries it came with were very tasty as well. Nicely seasoned and had a nice crisp to it while not having too much oil. Needless to say, I loved eating here on a cold December night with some soul warming food. I don't know how anyone else's experience will be, but I will say the mine was amazing and I will definitely dine here again. read more

Excellent food and had great atmosphere! We had amazing waitstaff but my only issue was the price. It is expected it would be high but it seems a little overpriced based on the food. read more

Restaurant Gastrognome - SAUSAGE RAGOUT & FETTUCCINE PASTA - New American Near Me - Idyllwild, California

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The power went out all over town after we ordered. The food was delicious and we had the restaurant to ourselves. The service was exceptional. It was the best. read more

Delightful. Food, service and ambiance were wonderful. Two consecutive days, large family dinner - friendly, professional staff and a varied menu selection had something for everyone. read more

Food and service were excellent. Highly recommend!The ambience was cozy exactly what you'd expect for a mountain community in Idyllwild.

They had a special holiday menu. We ordered the veggie pasta and the house cider with homemade whipped cream! read more

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If you're looking for bland food with no flavor, this is it. We got the beyond burger and it was mushy and undercooked with iceberg lettuce, flavorless tomato, generic pickles, onion, and a cheap cheese slice on a basic bun. It didn't have any condiments or sauces and just came with greasy fast food-like fries. Tasted like an overpriced version of Denny's. We ordered the spicy edamame appetizer and it had no spice at all. It was just edamame with garlic in a pool of melted butter. We also ordered a side of steamed veggies and it was literally a stalk of celery and some carrots slices and one small piece of broccoli and cauliflower and they charged us $12 for it! The only thing good was the free fresh bread with butter they give you in the basket for free when you sit down. The atmosphere is cozy but they sat us next to a plug-in air freshener that was so strong, it smelled like we were eating in a bathroom stall. read more