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955 Ukiah Street Restaurant
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
955 UkiahMendocino, CA 95460
(707) 937-1955
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
46 reviews for 955 Ukiah Street Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The butternut squash was also very satisfying." In 2 reviews -
"...tell you how much better Cafe Beaujolais next door is but..." In 6 reviews -
"It was the perfect ending to a great meal." In 3 reviews
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46 reviews in English
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Review from Steven B.
I'd have to say the best feature about this restaurant other than the food is the "secret garden" entrance. You start out at a lovely atrium near Ukiah St and then waltz your way down through a tunnel of sorts of lovely flowers then round the corner two corners until you're at their setback front door. This is the kind of entrance all restaurants should have! Oh and to top it all off they have their own private garden, these people thought of everything!
We entered and were instantly and warmly greeted by the hostess whom usually answers the phone when you're calling for a reservation. She led us to our seat right in front of a lovely garden view window and left us with water, delicious herb sesame breadsticks (they were warm and soft) and butter. I adored the breadsticks as they had so much flavor and were soft. We looked over the menus for just a moment and then our waitress came to take our drink orders. I chose a delicious Blood Orange Sonoma Spritzer while hubby opted for the Pear variety of the same. I don't normally yelp about drinks but this one was tops!
Looking over the menu I instantly knew I wanted the 955 Caeser Salad (romaine hearts, parmesan, capers, croutons and toasted pine nuts) and for the main, Pan-seared beef filet steak in a butter and madeira glaze with a twice baked chive potato and steam flashed veggies. I believe I enjoyed my meal much more than my dear trooper of a hubby but I'll let him tell the tale. My whole dish was cooked to perfection and I didn't leave one morsel behind on either my salad plate nor dinner plate.
Our waitress was also a complete and utter doll, she was very attentive while not being pushy or intrusive. She made sure we were well taken care of from start to finish. If I find myself near 955 Ukiah Street, I'll surely scoot in!Listed in: Up The Coast
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Review from Venice G.
Brisbane, CA
4/19/2012
The restaurant came highly recommended by the place where I was staying, but I must admit I was very disappointed. It could be that I'm spoiled by the excellent dining available in the Bay Area, but, for the $50 price tag, I expected a better meal.
To start with, the restaurant was pretty empty when I arrived, but I was seated in a cramped table in the corner. My choices were to turn my back to the rest of the restaurant and miss the view out the windows or risk being shoulder to shoulder when the table perpendicular to mine was seated - which is what happened. To be fair, I was dining alone, but still, since, by the time I left there were still several empty tables, I could have been seated someone that would have been more comfortable instead of at the worst table in the restaurant. The single man who came in right after me was seated at a lovely table by the big picture window. So I guess the hostess just didn't like me or something?
I chose the raviolo as an appetizer and the scallops as my main dish. Both were over-salted to say the least. The raviolo turned out to be a giant, plate-sized ravioli, which was stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach and topped with a mushroom and tomato sauce which was more broth with vegetables than sauce. The server delivered a soup spoon but I wasn't clear whether it was for the raviolo (there wasn't a lot of broth) or the scallops, so I never used it. The raviolo turned out to be mostly pasta (it covered the plate) with a normal sized ravioli in the center. In all honesty, while it tasted okay, I could have whipped up the same thing in my own kitchen with a lot less salt. For $14, I expected something much better.
The scallops themselves were good, but the chard and carrot patties served with it were not a good fit - the chard was bitter, and the tastes overpowered the scallops. And, again, it was way over-salted. This dish was in the $25 range.
I would have been done after this, but the dessert tray featured a tiramisu that seemed to promise the wonderful warmth of a tiramisu made with liqueur judging by the scent of it, but, when it was delivered to my table, it was basically flavored whipped cream (not marscipone) with a couple of soggy lady's fingers layered in between and swimming in a puddle of faintly chocolate-flavored cream. No liqueur at all, so I don't know what I smelled. Hope, maybe? And don't even ask me about the coffee - I drink decaf. Is it seriously so difficult for a restaurant to find drinkable decaf? Because I find it all the time in San Francisco, and I know you can buy beans that are the equal of any caffeinated coffee.
As I said, for $50, I expect more. I expect to be wowed. -
Review from Amy T.
Falls City, OR
11/26/2011
My husband and I decided to spend our first holiday as empty nesters in Mendocino. We decided on a late dinner and chose the 955. We were both very happy with the meal.
I started my meal with a lovely butternut squash and mushroom soup. It was wonderful and just the right item on a cold evening.
My husband had the stuffed pork chop. It was beautiful and the one bite he shared with me was delightful.
I had the red snapper with pesto served over a house blend rice. the flavor was great and was presented beautifully. If you are a seafood lover, I would highly recommend it!.
For dessert, my husband opted for the blackberry and toasted hazelnut ice cream ( super yummy!) and I had the strawberry rhubarb Swedish Cream ( yummy as well!) They both were served with edible flowers. Almost too pretty to eat.
I would highly recommend this restaurant. It is comfortable, have wonderful food and a great wine selection.
I hope to return to Mendocino in the spring and I am looking forward to our next visit to this great place. -
Review from Bob P.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/11/2012
Lovely garden setting, quiet ambience with soft jazz music. All 3 courses were fabulous! Leek/lentil soup, beef and chicken entrees, and really yummy desserts. Will definitely go back.
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Review from Elizabeth M.
San Diego, CA
9/22/2011
Your first view of this restaurant will take your breath away, the setting is gorgeous! The area is so picturesque with the plants all around, and the lovely coast so close by.
Next, you are greeted by a staff that makes you feel like family! Everyone is warm and friendly, and treats you as if you have been coming there for years, even if it's your first visit.
Then, the food... The word "food" does not justify the amazingly delicious and beautiful culinary creations that you have to choose from on their menu. I have tried as many dishes as possible on their menu, and I have loved them all! I am a fan of anything seafood, and they have a wonderfully fresh selection. They also have a great non-seafood selection - chicken, duck, beef, pork, lamb, vegetarian dishes... everything is heavenly!
The ingredients are always the freshest available, and I love that they work with local growers! This ensures that whatever you are tasting is fresh and fantastic!
Don't forget to try the wines, too. I love the wines here, and my hubby loves their beer! They have an array of wines available from well known, award-winning wineries, and some (even better wines, in my opinion) from local areas that will make your taste buds sing!
I live in San Diego, but never miss an opportunity to indulge at 955! Anytime my family and I are within 100 miles, visiting 955 is a must for us!
Try this restaurant, I guarantee you will not be sorry! -
Review from Jenna W.
Santa Rosa, CA
1/9/2012
This review is for the tiramisu only! My boyfriend and I ate dinner here the other night and while it was just average (wouldn't go back), the tiramisu was THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD. That's a bold statement but it was amazing!!!!! So, do yourself a favor and eat dinner at Mendocino Cafe (order the Thai fire pot soup with shrimp and rice) then go to 955 Ukiah for dessert. You'll thank me later.
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Review from O N.
Orangevale, CA
4/9/2012
It was very nice, but not the "wow" experience we expected. The soup and salad were nice (but I thought expensive at $12). The entrees were beautiful but not as flavorful as the last time we were there (about 6 years ago). It was sort of bland. The service was very good. I just thought the food could have been better for the $100 we spent for dinner for 2.
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Review from Betty C.
6/27/2011
4 star for the food 3 star for the pricing
Our first trip to Mendocino resulted in a dinner at 955 Ukiah. Normally we won't go to a restaurant without yelping it first but our inn keepers at Agate Cove Inn recommended 955 Ukiah so we decided to go with the local recommendation.
We got there at 8:30 and there were plenty of tables (restaurants in Mendocino close @ 9pm so make sure you get there b4 9:00 =)
The restaurant is a converted art studio with high vaulted ceilings and the walls are lined with paintings and photos.
Food:
*Green wilted salad: very delicious although heavy on the goat cheese
*Calamari with lime dressing and jicama: grilled calamari definitely need to eat it with the spoon to get all the flavors of the mixed vegetables
*Red Snapper Phyllo-delicious! 2 pieces of red snapper wrapped in a phyllo crust with pesto sauce. So good I want to try to make this at home
*Seafood fettuccine with house special sauce-not too heavy and the seafood was very fresh
*flourless chocolate cake and lattes-the cake was dense and yummy definitely enough to share and the latte was so good; tasted sweet without adding any sweetener.
*Chardonnay from Husch-Mike liked it so much we stopped by the winery on the way back to SF to pick up a few more bottles of wine.
The food was really good but the prices were a little high. The red snapper dish was not very large for $27 and the appetizers were $13-15.
All in all the bill came out to $140 after tax and tip. I thought the prices were about 30% inflated given the size of the food and the ambiance so could give the restaurant only a 3 star instead of 4 but the food was definitely good. -
Review from Rosie W.
9/2/2010
This is the epitome of gourmet hippie dining.
The couple who own the restaurant grow their own produce, and you can really taste the freshness. Is it weird that I had the best string bean of my life here? Then so be it. But I did.
As far as I can tell, the concept of the dishes is: the day's harvest + fresh proteins + a luxurious sauce = you making guttural noises while you lap up your food.
My dish reminded me of one of my mom's commune friend's chicken coop houses: lots going on, but all of it earnest. And somehow it works. I had shrimp with lots of fresh veggies over pasta and quinoa, accented by a lovely brandy and yogurt sauce. I know, it sounds kind of insane. But it was totally delicious.
The desserts were amazing, and the service was great. It's fine dining, so it's not cheap. But I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town.Listed in: Rich Hippie Heaven
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Review from Shana F.
Santa Rosa, CA
2/24/2011
This is a hard review to write. The food was great, but it was marred by the dining experience and crummy service. I'm not sure I'd return.
It's Saturday night, around 8pm in sleepy little Mendocino. Four of us roll in with a bottle of wine, prepared to spend some money on a special meal. We didn't make a reservation, and in my experience it usually isn't necessary in Mendocino unless it is a holiday. It bears mentioning that we were dressed casually: jeans, sweaters, long-sleeved shirts, Uggs and hiking boots. Then again, it was 40 degrees outside.
We stroll in and notice the restaurant is about 3/4 full. The hostess looks us up and down, rolls her eyes, and says she'll need to find us a table. We stand around and wait for 5 minutes. Finally, she takes us upstairs and seats us at two round tables pushed together in the way back corner of the restaurant. It was awkward to sit around and didn't really make sense since there were plenty of open tables. It was incredibly dark and we could barely read the menus. All of us are young, in our late 20s, early 30s and usually menu reading isn't this challenging.
I'll skip to the food: it was great, although the portions were tiny. We shared grilled calamari and scallops as an appetizer. The ladies ordered swordfish stuffed with crab an the men got this beef pot-roast thing. My friend had crab shell in her food, which she bit into. When she politely mentioned this, the waitress seemed as if she could care less. We actually were served by both the waitress and hostess all evening and resulted in a great deal of miscommunication (we ended up with four wineglasses for each person). Both seemed generally displeased and annoyed that we were there. The only pleasant person in the restaurant was the busboy who always had a smile on his face.
We brought a bottle of wine, and they waived cork since we purchased a second bottle of wine. Two apps, four dinners, and a bottle of wine came to just shy of $200 with tax and tip. If the dining experience and the service had been better, I might have said it was a pricey, but great meal. Unfortunately, all we had was an expensive meal with lousy service.
It also is worth noting that as I stood up after the meal I noticed a giant dead bug on the windowsill. Yuck! -
Review from Noah N.
Menomonie, WI
6/29/2011
It is my own damn fault. I checked the yelp reviews beforehand but didn't believe it.... I will not let this happen again. Service: We had a very good server. She was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable.
Food: Uninspired, bland, and so overpriced that it would make your head spin. My wife ordered a shrimp dish that had 4 shrimp with pasta that cost $30. WTF? If it was good that would be fine.... but it simply was not. My phyllo wrapped snapper was $27... it wasn't bad. The fish tasted fresh but one had to remove the phyllo to truly taste it.... It was, again, uninspired. It seemed that the chefs were going through the motions. Our appetizers of scallops were the best thing we ordered. They were good. Our bill for the two of us came to $119 (two meals, bottle of bubbly, one appetizer) and I felt severely ripped off. Not that I am opposed to paying for a good meal. When we go out, I expect to pay for a good experience and good food and am fully willing to do so. But the 955 was bland, boring and very ho-hum. We couldn't help to think back to the meal we had in a local Mendocino bar the night before (muscles and fries) and long for that type of food at this faux-gourmet restaurant.
Decor: A fantastic space, apparently a converted studio, that could use a complete make-over. They have faded posters and folk art hung salon style to the ceiling (probably 19 feet in some spots)... They have a "art piece" of a beat up car door hanging on the wall that looks as if they pulled it out of a junk yard... not something I want to see in a place that is making me food. These guys need some serious help and unless they do and you hear about it... go somewhere else. -
Review from Dan G.
Richmond, CA
2/23/2011
How many time do you mutter to yourself, "should have checked Yelp first"
My wife said her caesar salad and her scallops were really good.
My mixed green salad was limp and one of the two tiny pieces of swordfish was undercooked and much cooler than tepid. And I don't think the crab was as fresh as it should be when crab is actually in season.
Plus the vibe was weird.
So basically, next time: check yelp first. I would not go back again. Definitely one of my worst dining experiences, and I'm usually pretty accommodating. -
Review from Derrick V.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2010
2.5 stars at most.
Lentil soup was way underseasoned and the garden salad was underdressed.
The calamari was quite fresh though, and nicely cooked. Too bad the dish itself was bland. The seafood in the fettucine dish was all over the place, shrimp undercooked, fish a bit dry. It didn't come together.
To top it off, our server was quite flustered and nervous. I felt more bad for him than upset though.
Eat at Grey Whale or Cafe Beaujolais instead. -
Review from Nigel G.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2008
Having heard great things about the fine dining options in Mendocino, this was the first restaurant my wife and I tried.
We arrived on time for our reservation and it was a good 5 minutes before any of the (numerous!) staff acknowledged us. We waited another 5 minutes before a second person spoke to us - to confirm whether we had a reservation. We then spent the next 5 minutes deciding whether to walk out, before finally being seated.
Glad to rest our legs, we waited another 15 minutes before someone came to take our drink order. Not a great start...
However after that things improved - the food was very nice, we enjoyed the wine and the service was passable. Overall I'd still recommend taking your business next door to Cafe Beaujolais...
A tip for the staff - first impressions count! -
Review from Vera D.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2010
The soup (beet, mushroom, and something else) wasn't very memorable and underseasoned. The salmon salad was good and we wished we had more salmon. Our waitress was nice and refilled our water promptly but the busboy was slow in getting us water and a bread basket.
Without even ordering wine, our bill for 2 small bowls of soup and a shared salad was $40, whereas our awesome and hearty lunch at Cafe Beaujolais next door was $50. -
Review from jane d.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2010
I did not choose this restaurant. I think someone, ahem, was actually led astray by Chowhound. Ouch. That's what happens when you don't cross check with Yelp. You shouldda known better Mr. Yelp Elite. (Yes, I'm calling you out!)
Our server looked nervous and scared. It was as if he was unexpectedly bumped up from a busser to a server that very evening.
Food-wise, it was disappointing. Under-seasoned soup and the seafood dishes were unmemorable. -
Review from Katie T.
4/3/2007
Lackluster food and atmosphere. Food and decor have changed since the 1980s, but not at 955 Ukiah St.
There are too many good places to eat in the area to make this a stopping point.Listed in: North Coast
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Review from W. T.
San Francisco, CA
7/4/2011
Tasty food. Ingredients were fresh and clean-tasting. Not too salty, creamy, or sweet. Just right. Service was attentive (we got the more professional of the two servers). Prices a bit on the high side for the portions that you get.
Great restaurant: attentive service, good food, acceptable prices. -
Review from KL L.
Manhattan, NY
9/3/2011
I want to give it a 2.5 star instead of a 3.
This place is just okay... The atmosphere's cheap and really outdated. The food was mediocre. -
Review from Michelle H.
Oakland, CA
9/19/2009
Very good. Boyfriend and I went there Labor Day weekend. I ordered a the snapper w/pesto and he ordered the pork chop - enjoyed them both.
Service was good. Would return again. -
Review from Miriam W.
11/26/2005
The decor is a bit wanting in this restaurant- think country kitchen meets bad 1980's framed posters. However, my companion described his flat iron steak as "fucking good." Now, if that's not an endorsement, I don't know what would be. Along those same lines, I had a wonderful curry pumpkin and yam soup and the Caesar salad is also noteworthy.
Our waiter was extremely sweet. The food was very tasty. If you have but one meal in Mendocino, I'd recommend Cafe Beaujolais (right next door to 955 Ukiah) but if you have two, make 955 Ukiah your other. -
Review from Vivienne J.
San Jose, CA
9/24/2007
Low 4 stars.
Stopped in here for dinner on a whim. Took about 5 minutes after walking in for someone to even acknowledge us, and when someone did, it was the chef! Poor thing coming all the way up front to see if anyone had helped us yet. Good thing he did, I was about to tell my husband to walk out! Anyway, the decor was okay and the service after that was fine.
We had the calamari appetizer (pretty good), butternut squash and curry soup (quite tasty), phyllo wrapped snapper (good), skewered mahi-mahi (tasty), strawberry rhubarb parfait (interesting in a good way), sorbet, cappuccino, and a bottle of white wine. Bill of $122 not including tip.
We thought it was a little pricey. It was most likely the bottle of wine that really racked up the bill (it was $25-$32, can't remember). We'd be willing to try here again if we were in the area. -
Review from Todd K.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2007
Well... there was nothing here that was particularly bad, but there wasn't anything here that really blew us away, either.
Appetizers were okay -- the wilted salad was good, but the duck wontons sounded better than they actually were. For entrees, I liked the chuck steak in pastry dish (think of it like a really high-end Hot Pocket), but my wife wasn't crazy about the duck dish. The homemade ice cream was pretty tasty -- they served it with some chocolate cinnamon sauce that was quite good. Service all-in-all was good.
Like I said, there was nothing here that was bad, and if you ended up eating here, I'm sure you could find something that pleases everybody in your group. But I think next time we're up in Mendocino, we'll try somewhere else. Partly because I think there might be better options out there, and partly because I think the chef might take offense at my comparing their food to a Hot Pocket. (I meant it in a good way, honest!) -
Review from Ananth S.
Atlanta, GA
4/17/2009
Ate here a couple months for dinner while passing through Mendo. The house wine was solid and a good value. The food was pretty good but honestly don't remember what we got, I believe we shared a few apps.
What did standout was the Tiramasu. Soaked perfectly in a delicious espresso sauce. The best I've had! -
Review from Betty G.
Mendocino, CA
10/28/2011
We had a wonderful dinner recently at 955. Personable and professional waitress, gracious owner and wonderful food. The four in our party all enjoyed their entrees.....flatiron steak, red snapper in pastry and the special of petrale soul, Our salads were excellent also. We topped off the dinner with dessert.....cheesecake and flourless chocolate cake.....the presentation was lovely. All in all a delightful evening/
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Review from Jenna G.
San Diego, CA
2/3/2010
While in Mendocino, we looked for a place to have dinner. It was the last night of our road trip up the coast and Mendocino was the destination. We looked at menus from our room and found a few less expensive options, but discovered them to be closed when we got there. 955 was the next place we considered, since most of the places in this town are more fancy. We were getting close to the end of our budgeted money, so we were a little disappointed not to find something that was better suited for our wallets, but we gave this place a shot.
We walked in and discovered it was one of the places we had been when we first came to Mendocino 7 years prior. That was a good feeling. We were greeted by a nice woman. She sat us at a cozy table near the windows. This place has a very romantic feel and is right next door to the Sweetwater hot tubs!
Our waiter came by and took our drink orders. We then ordered our food, which we picked from the appetizer menu. We didn't realize they were appetizers, but the waiter informed us. We were ok with it though, since they were almost the price of an entree at any other place. I can't eat much these days with a baby taking up valuable real estate in my belly and the husband is on a diet, so we stuck to our guns. I got the fettucine appetizer, which turned out to be a good amount of food for me. My hubby got a tuna appetizer that had seaweed and some other things in it and he said it was delicious! The food was very good! A glass of wine would have been great with it, but I am a responsible mommy-to-be and limit my intake to a sip every so often. We decided on dessert, since my birthday had been the day before. The waiter suggested the cheesecake which was so fluffy and light, with a lemon zest and raspberry reduction sauce!! It was the perfect ending to a great meal.
Our service there was impeccable! The waiter was not only knowledgeable, he had great suggestions, was on top of filling drinks, checking on us and was super friendly. We had a photo taken for my birthday and he even merchandised the flowers, candle and cake for the photo! Turns out, it was birthday night at 955 that night! Out of the 3 couples eating there, one person from each couple had a birthday and the lady who greeted us did too! We al decided to just sing happy birthday all at once. It made for a nice memory and we have our photo to remind us of our dinner that night.
That was the best service I have had in a long time and that waiter deserved every bit of that tip! Thanks Pete! -
Review from Elisa L.
Palo Alto, CA
3/13/2011
We went here for dinner recently and the food was terrible. Calamari for app and porkchop and fish for dinner, overall just bad. We heard this place was hit or miss but we didnt know where else to go. The waitress was too quiet and shy, the porkchop was overdone and stuffed which we thought was weird. The calamari was like a salsa, not what we were expecting. The next night we went to dinner next door and paid the same amount of money for dinner and it was 100 times better. Sorry but we wont be back.
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Review from lucy a.
San Pablo, CA
2/17/2011
We've visited mendocino 3 or 4 times in the past few years and have had dinner here three times. I want to like this restaurant because it's homey and has a lovely ambiance, but the food could be better. This last time I had a flatiron steak which was tender and juicy but sitting in a reduction that was way too thick and overseasoned. I had blackberry ice cream for dessert and it was full of seeds. Some seeds would have been okay, but I felt like I was chewing on sand there were so many seeds.
My husband likes to come here for dinner. But I think next time I'll talk him into going somewhere else. -
Review from Mara T.
San Jose, CA
1/2/2008
Had a pretty good dinner here a few nights ago...our friends chose this place for us to try for dinner and remembering I'd read something about it on Yelp I figured why not, especially as beggars who don't make reservations and get to their Inn 3 hours later than expected due to horrible SF traffic can't be choosers when it comes to filling their bellies with warm food before everything in a 20 mile radius is closed for the night.
Though the food was good, I wasn't bowled over and didn't come away raving about it. I wonder if my overall feeling of MEH is mostly because after the long hellish drive, I really just wanted a cold cocktail to soothe the inner driving beastie, but all they offered was beer and wine. Since I am more a pink drink kind of girl, I wasn't happy to hear this. However, the rest of my party liked their wine choice which was fab...FOR THEM. I finally decided to partake of a glass of sweet dessert moscato with my dinner, which apparently gave the staff a head scratch or two as they came back to our table and asked are we SURE we wanted the dessert wine for dinner. Since the dessert wine had more alcohol content than typical wine, I was feeling much more relaxed after it arrived.
All that set aside, while the food was good, it wasn't spectacular, and there were a few small things that bugged me. First off, our seating placement was near the door which is just a pet peeve of mine as you always get the blast of cold door air which kind of kills your 'happy to be eating' buzz. But again, beggars...well you know the drill at this point. So I just put my scarf on and continued the evening.
Also, when we got the specials, it didn't list anything about the size of plates, nor did their menu separate apps vs dinner...so my girlfriend and I ordered the day boat scallops as the special, which said it came with some sort of bean ragout kind of thing and greens. Sounds yummy! Well the bean ragout consisted of 5 beans, and the greens numbered all of 3 and decorated a fairly bare looking appetizer size plate with four scallops on it. I asked the waitress if this was typically an appetizer plate, she said yes and cocked her head in question such as 'Did we not know that'? Okay, I guess she mistook us for small eaters...she did graciously offer to add a starch to the plate for us, but at this point we had consumed way too many breadsticks waiting for our dinners, so we said NAH. It turned out to be fine, as I got a salad as well which I shared with my husband so I wasn't starving, but if I hadn't been busy consuming breadsticks...I'd have been quite disappointed that the scallops were few.
However, small scallop plate meant ROOM FOR DESSERT! While I wasn't feeling like I had to have it, I would never turn it down, so when my better half ordered a lemon cheesecake I thought mmm I'll try it. Which of course means 'eat half'. So I did. And it was very good, great consistency...we weren't sure what to expect, never having had lemon cheesecake before but it was tasty. Very sweet, which is typical of lemon desserts I find...and the crust was excellent, good blend of butter and graham going on.
Overall, things were good and again, as a last minute reservation, we left happy. While I wouldn't say that 955 is a MUST VISIT on your next trip to Mendo, if you find yourself eating there...it won't be a bad thing. Just don't expect any frilly pink cocktails!!! -
Review from N C.
Emeryville, CA
10/3/2011
My wife and I made the same mistake others here made...we didn't Yelp before we dined out. Previous Yelpers noted similar shortcomings we experienced so I won't repeat, but overall I felt I paid way too much for mediocre food. However, the portion sizes were ideal...not too much and not too little. The table-side desert tray was unappetizing. I don't know whose bright idea it was to prepare deserts ahead of time and galavant them around the restaurant on a tray...it just seems unsanitary and something a chain restaurant taking shortcuts does. I'll give two stars because I've had worse elsewhere and finished my meal (my wife, on the other hand, did not).
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Review from Anne J.
Redwood City, CA
10/6/2006
When rating restuarants in the Mendocino/Ft Bragg area I have to take into the account the competition. 955 is a decent restaurant and delivers well thought out dishes and offers a decent wine list. But truth be told, there are just far better places to dine at than 955.
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Review from Mel H.
Oakland, CA
11/16/2009
Had a great meal there during a recent weekend getaway in Mendocino. The meal and wine (rec'd by our awesome waiter, Peter) were fabulous--especially the trio of desserts our party of 4 decided to share: tiramisu, cheesecake, and some kind of decadent chocolate thing. The feel of the restaurant is warm, home-y, I'd definitely return.
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Review from Rex D.
Los Angeles, CA
10/21/2008
Decor leaves much to be desired. Food was spotty with a weak ceasar salad and a very lamb stew. Nice garden view. Would not return, but not a bad place.
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Review from Arex J.
Pacheco, CA
7/10/2006
On July 9 we arrived at 8:30 because we thought they would close at 9. Thus we missed the sunset, but hey you can't go to bed hungry, right? At 9:30 pm they were still seating people, so we missed the Mendocino sunset for nothing...so I'm sharing this so others don't make this same mistake. We had pork chop and a halibut in a philo dough. Very tasty, and more creative and cheaper than the dinners we perused on other restaurant's menu's in town. This place was also recommended by our inkeeper Denise at Headlands Inn, and she had never steered us wrong. Ambience is kind of unromantic, but it wasn't noisy and cozy enough for me and my gf. Flourless choclate torte was good for dessert. I'd recommend it, but would check out other restaurants before going back.
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Review from David Z.
Berkeley, CA
9/4/2006
Nice small restaurant with attentive and courteous staff. Went here based on the reviews written here. I tried the flat iron steak, which was tasty, but it wasn't "f'in good" like one reviewer stated. Overall, a charming place that's worth dining at.
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Review from Arrrrgh R.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2008
Everytime I go to Mendocino/Elk this place has been closed... I wish it was closed during my recent visit.
I was excited to finally try the place as Cafe Beaujolais had been my default stop for a while. I was looking for a change of pace. This must have been great at some point, but the luster is gone.
First, the dining room seems VERY "rustic"... fine if that was the vibe they were going for in the 80's... however even with aesthetics aside - the food was just mediocre. The menu was laid out very odd. After opening the menu I saw food listed on the left and right.. without paying too much attention - I expected the left to be the apetizers and the right to be entrees as usual... reading through it I realized they had no apetizers. Everything was pretty much entree size. The only real starters were a salad or a soup. No biggie though - I just thought it was odd so I went on to order the salad and crispy duck entree.
The only thing I really remember was that the duck was indeed crispy but dry - seemed like it was fried too long.
While dining I also felt odd that everyone dining there was 60 and over... I mean EVERY table. I felt like I was eating during the early bird special at Denny's. -
Review from Chad S.
San Francisco, CA
2/26/2009
Tucked back through a maze of fences and overgrowth, you find the entrance. It's a small cozy restaurant that came highly recommended. We were there on Valentine's Day, so I have to cut them some slack, but the meal did not meet my expectations. The stew was definitely good, but my partner's steak was rubbery and not that tasty. The ambiance was generally nice, but the tables were a little close, which drew away from the romance of the night. I am generally skeptical of eating out on Valentine's Day because restaurants are packed and expectations run high, so read my review with that in mind. I'm just calling it as I see it, and I thought it was A-OK, but not what I expected.
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Review from Vivian J.
1/21/2008
Food was good but not wow! I ordered a dish expecting a meal and it ended up being an appetizer! It was a scallop dish with salad and it was ok but I wish they had told us. Luckily we had been eatting tons of bread so I was ok. The guys had a porkchop that they said was great that was stuff with ham I believe and looked great and huge! The wine we had was FAB and really good. They have a great wine menu. Desserts were standards and nothing seemed wow to me. If everything is booked I would settle for this if nothing else but I would not be wowed!
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Review from T.A.G. S.
Sacramento, CA
4/23/2007
I wanted to like this place. I really did. The best part about the night was the walk into the restaurant. A beautiful garden pathway leads you to the front door. Things get extremely mediocre from this point. The dishes sound great on paper, but end up plain and homogenous on the plate thanks to lackluster preperation and execution.
Service is decent, but doesn't make up for the shortcomings of the kitchen. -
Review from Genevieve B.
Mountain View, CA
7/5/2010
I went here because I heard in Sunset magazine it was good. It was blah. Not-fresh pasta and mediocre topings. Not worth one of my precious vacation meals.
