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San Benito House
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Restaurants Hotels, Restaurants [Edit]
356 Main StHalf Moon Bay, CA 94019
(650) 726-3425
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 7 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 7 am - 1 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
91 reviews for San Benito House
Review Highlights
"I had the Cheese and Avocado on "Olive Walnut" bread."
(in 4 reviews)
"BEST sandwiches ever, the bread is homemade, so good."
(in 8 reviews)
"HMB bakery has been around since 1927."
(in 12 reviews)
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91 reviews in English
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Review from Gary C.
Half Moon Bay, CA
2/9/2012
I'm a local living Miramar. I just want to give a shout out about the San Benito House,
The food and drinks are outstanding. The bartenders are great. If you have never been the Benito House you need to experience for your self.
Thanks
Gary -
Review from Jerry C.
2/5/2012
The Prince of Taiwan didn't even realize that this place was part of a larger hotel/ bar until reading some of these other reviews. I only thought this was a little dinky sandwich shop that served some of the best bread I've ever had, and that includes you, Mr Thomas Keller, of Bouchon Bakery.
The prices for the sandos were good, most under 7 bucks. Of course, in my homeland seven bucks would get you a full meal plus the waitress that came with it, but that is just how we roll in Taipei.
The boss/wife and I ordered just the turkey sandwich with the Olive Walnut bread, and then proceeded to sit down outside where a chinese dude was leading a bluegrass band in a lively rendition of Gangsta's Paradise. I took a look at the sandwich, and it had the regular contents, from lettuce, tomato, cheese, and turkey. They looked fresh and so I took a bite..and WOW..Bam ..BOOM..the bread was so good! This was the first time for me that biting into a sando that the bread was the star, and the meat was the second fiddle. It's like going into a club with your ugly wingman and watching him score all the hot chicks and you get the FCs. It is not supposed to happen! but it did..and that bread was rich., tasty, hearty, and oh so good. every has to try the walnut olive bread.,the Prince of Taiwan ordains it! -
Review from Caitlin P.
Campbell, CA
1/17/2012
BAR / HOTEL REVIEW ONLY
My boyfriend and I stayed here on NYE with the groupon and to our surprise it was a pretty good deal. . The room was sparse but comfortable, very old fashioned which we liked but was totally dog friendly.. $75 charge to have a crated pup along is BS but thats just me..
We got checked right in without any problems, promptly got our 2 complimentary cocktails and started to wind down at the bar after a LONG day and 3 hour delay in getting there. We checked out our room and the hotel and while it is old and historic, there are TONS of little fix-ups here and there that would be able to give the place a MAJOR face lift without much work. - For example, door-knobs, light switches and dresser drawers that worked properly without issue.
The walls I think are made of kleenex and spit because you can hear damn-near EVERYTHING. From the bar downstairs to your neighbors conversations.. Awkward for all parties involved. The doors need serious fixing.. the gap underneath the door is so bad you can fit a large sees candy box all the way along the bottom of the door - LAME.
Now for the bar.. Im not sure what to make of it... the staff is super friendly but WAY too tolerant of drunk morons for our taste.. Some kid tried to pick a fight with my boyfriend, fell asleep at the bar, started throwing bar glasses into the street and the bar staff just let him come and go as he pleased... NO establishment should let someone like that stay and try to start fights with other people. Not to mention they bend you over when it comes to the prices of drinks.
Over all, a good stay for the price/ groupon, but we wouldn't go for a regular/ full priced stay. -
Review from Sara N.
Monterey Park, CA
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
HOTEL REVIEW: my boyfriend and i went because we had a groupon for a two night stay. We upgraded our room to the romantic suite instead of staying for two nights. Each night there's a $13 fee so beware. Also there's no designated parking but check out is at 11 and they start checking at 9 and it's 2 hour parking so you're A-ok if you leave by check out.
Check in at the Bar and leave your key in the box by the stairs for check out.
The Romantic Suite was nice, there was a living room and a private restroom. I loved how much space there was and we got a cute little basket with water upon our arrival. And thanks to our fellow yelper for the password for the internet which was sanbenitohouse. No tv. Heater worked fine. Shower worked fine. Got bored so we went to the bar and cashed in our drink tickets, he got a beer, I got a soda (yes that counted towards a free drink) and a burger which was pretty good.
One thing before you request the romantic suite... we were right above the bar, yes thanks for the earplugs but really we could hear EVERYTHING. sooo annoying. And we went on a Wednesday. Really did you have to be open so late and my boyfriend heard people in the kitchen around 5 so he woke up again. The free breakfast was basically muffins and some cereal. I just got a cup of OJ and he got coffee. Not the most comfortable view either.
TIP Take Poplar or Kelly down to the beach in the morning. The view is to DIE for and there's literally no one there in the morning so it's nice and quiet. We went at like 9 or 10 and stayed for 10-15 minutes to take pictures, do yourself a favor and don't donate $2 for parking just for 10-15 minutes (cause we did.. sigh) -
Review from Micki B.
Antelope, CA
2/4/2012
We got what I thought was a really good deal with Groupon. We were definitely looking forward to coming to HMB this first weekend in Feb for our anniversary. I've lived my whole life in Ca and never been here.We have also never been to a B & B. This hotel is very quaint, built in 1905 and has that old fashioned feel to it.
It was a rough start right from the beginning. We checked in(with the bartender), he gave us our key (actual keys!) but there were 3 keys on the ring so I asked what all 3 were for and he said he had no idea, which I found odd that he wouldn't know. Anyway, before dragging all of our stuff upstairs we went to the room to check it out. THERE WAS ALREADY SOMEBODY STAYING IN THAT ROOM! We go back down to the bar and tell them, turns out the owner double booked the room (apparently common practice according to several bar patrons). We had to wait a while but they did eventually find us another room. When we finally came up to the room for the night there was nice basket with all the towels we needed, 2 bottles of water, soaps, shampoo, lotion and earplugs which I thought kind of odd but whatever, the walls are thin in these old places.
There is a ceiling fan in the room but they don't want you using it as they have shortened the pull chain for the fan so short that it's impossible to reach without a ladder. It was rather warm when we first got in the room
Knowing there would be no TV we rented a movie to watch on the laptop but we quickly found out WHY they provide earplugs. They have a LIVE BAND play on Friday and Saturday night, right below our room! They could have at least warned us of this, not everyone reads a business website in it's entirety before going there. Anyway, we are watching the movie while laying on the bed, the laptop is no more than 18 inches from our faces and the volume is at maximum and we CAN NOT hear the sound because the band was so LOUD! The walls, floor and even our bed was vibrating. When they FINALLY finished and packed up to leave there were some people still in the bar who felt they needed to just scream for some unknown reason and others who decided they were going to bang on the piano. When they were done doing all that downstairs they decided to clomp up the beautiful wooden staircase and stand in the hallway and laugh and carry on loudly.
In the meantime, back downstairs it sounded like they were dragging all of the furniture around and rearranging it except it took about two hours!
This is only our first night here and we are supposed to stay 2 nights, the second night is still up in the air at this point. (Revised: After a few hours sleep we have decided to move on to another hotel where we can actually get a full night's sleep)
I do have to agree with all the other reviewers who said this place is very disorganized. The guys who work the bar do their best and DO know how to register someone when they come to check into the rooms but that's where their knowledge ends. They were very helpful and apologetic about the double booking which was not their fault, the owner failed to communicate with them that the person who was supposed to be here only one night decided to stay tonight as well. I also think that they need to change it to simply San Benito House Hotel. I do not believe that they qualify as a true "bed and breakfast"
Bottom line: Communicate with your employees, DON'T double book rooms, get a standardized organizational system & USE it and if you aren't going to warn unsuspecting guests about the nightly bands invest in some sound proofing (it IS possible to do that and still keep the historical look and feel)
We likely won't be coming back. Our intention when coming here was for a peaceful, quiet getaway, away from the noise and chaos of everyday life. Being forced to listen to an extremely loud band every night is worse than any activities we could have done at home. If you like to party and listen to the house band and don't require a full nights sleep this could be the place for you. However if your getaway is intended to be a quiet, peaceful one like we were looking forward to DON'T come here -
Review from Erik B.
Union City, CA
1/23/2012
Strange, eccentric place, somewhat disorganized. However, nice, cozy, remarkably good food (I thought I was back in Europe with their far higher food standards than the USA - delicious!), amazing Bloody Mary drinks!
We stayed in the hotel for two nights as a B&B getaway. The place is a little disorganized, I wasn't sure about how to check in, where to go, and so on. Staff were friendly and got stuff done, just nobody there to really greet a guest. The hotel was old but clean and comfortable. No TVs in the rooms (thank God!) It's more like a youth hostel than a family hotel, so go with that in mind.
I must emphasize that the housekeeping people did an excellent job. Very professional, more so than in some big name hotels I have stayed in and far more than any youth hostel where I have stayed.
Note that parking is not part of the hotel. You will have to find a spot a block or two away. Not a big problem once you go look.
A few good restaurants nearby, not many, though. However, I suggest eating in. Apparently, a new chef took over just a few weeks ago and there have been some menu changes. I was disappointed at first with what looked like a skeletal complimentary breakfast but once I tried the rolls, muffins, juice and coffee, I realized that they were all homemade and fresh. Not fancy, but of great quality. These were definitely NOT junk food. Pulled pork sandwich was also very good.
Small problem with noise from the saloon/bar downstairs. Not too bad, and the staff were gracious in responding to quieting it down just a little. They seem to be trying to cater to two different markets - young weekend partygoers and older travelers.
Also, there needs to be someone visibly in charge, greeting hotel guests, showing us where the room is (#2 was tucked away and hard to find), and responding to that group's needs.
Once they get these issues addressed this place will be magnificent.
I would like to go back already. -
Review from Chris N.
San Jose, CA
11/25/2011
BAR RESTAURANT REVIEW:
I have the unfortunate curse of working in Half Moon Bay. While I love it here, lunch options are sparse...very.
The deli here is awesome...seriously amazing...that would get 5 stars no doubt. However, my experience with the bar was horrendous.
Let me start out by saying the food tasted alright, so thats a plus. However, I called in an order for my coworkers and the order was completely incorrect. The guy asked me to talk slowly, so I did...veryyyyyy slowly. And I even repeated myself.
First of all, they were two burgers short (I caught one of them, and they brought it quickly) but the other one never made it (and I had to buy a burger for my coworker at Joes, no one wants that). They all ordered the Bypass burger and NONE of them had bacon (isnt that the whole point of their 'signature' burger?). My coworkers asked for different types of cheese and they all came with cheddar. We also then asked for regular fries with the burgers and a side of sweet potato fries. They reversed that, all burgers with sweet potatoes and a side of regular fries.
At this point all we could do was laugh. And then...I opened my burger that I had ordered. I asked for crispy onion strings, there were caramelized onions, I asked for mushrooms, there were none. Really it was quite humorous and thankfully my coworkers felt the same. But if I had relied on this for clients or anything along those lines, it would have sucked...royally.
Maybe it comes down to a difficulty with the English language, but if you are going to be representing a business...you should at least know how to place an order. -
Review from Jesse F.
San Jose, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
The sandwich shop is located adjacent to the bar/grill. My sandwich was great on fresh French bread, however my wife ordered a half sandwich w/o tomato, and was charged for a full sandwich with tomato.
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Review from Indy S.
San Carlos, CA
12/30/2011
We went there for lunch. They didn't have half the items on the menu or at the tap. And what was served tasted as though it were leftovers that were microwaved. This is too bad, as we liked the atmosphere.
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Review from Cat C.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
**DELI REVIEW**
Amazing sandwiches and hearty soups -- both served with their awesome homemade bread.
I like that they offer half sandwiches because I can never finish a whole one. Chips selection has grown over the years. So many drinks to choose from too.
The outside eating area is nice to sit and dine in unless it's freezing out. They have cats as pets that wander around but they're harmless and are more afraid of you than hungry enough to steal your food.
Check it out the next time you're in HMB. -
Review from Apanduh B.
San Jose, CA
10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Disregard the check in.
After being in line for about 30 mins, we gave the fuck up. The line did not friggin' move! WTF!!!? They had 3 workers there and there was no system for them to push out the food in an orderly fashion or timely manner!
I mean they are only serving sandwiches and soup.
After the 20 mins, when we finally got a little closer, I was looking at why they were taking so long and I can just see that the cashier was messing up on taking the order while the sandwich makers next to her kept asking for the order again...
THIS IS EMBARRASSING TO WATCH!
Ended up at Sam's Chowder house instead. Everything happens for a reason, thank the universe this reason is for better food with actual service! -
Review from Erika L.
Campbell, CA
8/13/2011
I went back here because of the amazing customer service that I got the first time that I stayed there. That was a quick visit. Late night check in, early morning check out. I was amazed at how any company still had the customer service skills that awed patrons. So.......Like I said, I wanted to go back there, and enjoy a lazy weekend enjoying the town and the neat B&B type setting.
TO MY AMAZEMENT!!!!!! I booked two nights, paid for two nights, showed up at the check in, so excited and feeling nostalgic......AND then, the nice "messenger" sat down and said that he wasn't going to BS us, there was no room. The place was overbooked. They would refund me, but then.......where do I stay? I asked if they could help find me a place to stay as an alternative, and he said, hesitantly.....that there was nothing. That this had happened earlier today to another couple and they too had no place to go. I went out back to look for myself on my phone if I could find anything from Pacifica to Woodside, and there was NOTHING!!!!!
Just to add the actual fuel to my fire tiredly burning inside.....FRANCO....The amazing philantripist, the amazing business owner (that btw-is currently in bankruptcy, and chances are, by my speculation, purposely overbooking rooms) walked by me sooooooo many times, with out one word! He did glance at me, never eye to eye, and would never as the "Owner" of a business that had just screwed over, a well connected, repeat patron, come over and discuss the issue at hand, or even apologize. He hid in the back behind Max, "the messenger" and had him do the dirty work. So much for the 'About the business' tab on this site. Franco is a weasel. SEriously, no concept in customer service! Never really want to go back there! But feel they owe me 2 nights.
So, I gave my one star to Max. Poor Max. hope he finds a better job that he has an equally honest and stand up boss. I do not shoot the messenger. He was a nice guy, and really showed empathy.....so employers.........RECRUIT HIM!!!!!
All others....Steer clear of this circus act run by a slime bag that got to write his own background on the business and used it to write ALL about HIMSELF!!!!!! And all lies!!!!Comment from Cristina G. of San Benito House 10/29/2011
Dear Erika, I apologize profusely for your negative… More » -
Review from Connie T.
Castro Valley, CA
8/18/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Stayed here for the rain checked anniversary weekend.
Park down the street in the unmarked spots just to be safe.
Enter through the bar to check into the hotel.
Wifi password: sanbenitohouse
You're welcome.
The guys that run the place for the owners are young and laid back.
We got checked in and stayed in room 10, right up the stairs..and above the bar.
We stayed there Friday and Saturday night, left Sunday morning.
Friday night the bar was BANGIN' had to put the complimentary ear plugs in, they work.
The room service was very impressive. Saturday morning we slept in later and were getting ready to leave as the room service knocked on the door, we told her we didn't need room service today. Later that day we returned and went up the stairs to see cleaning supplies outside our door. SHE STILL CLEANED OUR ROOM! (it was a good thing) She definitely didn't have to go back to clean it but she did. There weren't too many people staying there at the same time, but one of the rooms next to us was occupied, it's a little awkward because you can hear every word being said by your neighbors...just make codewords for the intimate things ;)
There's Cunha's store down the street and it's a nice little grocery store owned by the same people, get some stuff for late nights cause everything closes pretty early on main.
Went to the complimentary continental breakfast Sunday morning.
This is really funny, hope you stay there to get the experience.
We go downstairs and are kinda confused where the breakfast is. It is actually in the pool room, everything is set on the dresser like table by the kitchen door. I'm not exactly sure how many people went through that breakfast before we got there but one of the guys that work the "front desk" pointed to the empty tray lined with some parchment paper and said "we have fresh baked pastries, baked fresh every morning, but everybody ate them all...quiche? mushroom and spinach okay?" as he walked into the kitchen.
He left the tray there and said the exact same thing to the next two parties that walked in after us. WHY DON'T YOU REMOVE THE TRAY!??!!?
Quiche was good though.
Exactly one minute before the breakfast was supposed to end a group of three came to the breakfast table and following them, the breakfast care-taker who began to put away the breakfast although they had not gotten anything yet.
Overall, i'd stay there again, it's very chill, close to the beach, and the only thing open after 9 pm on Main. -
Review from Jessica R.
San Mateo, CA
8/10/2011
Yum yum yum yum.
One star for every yum.
:)
Very fresh ingredients.
They had sprouts!!!
I love sprouts. :)
I love avocado too.
They had that too.
Their assortment of potato chips is to die for.
It's actually worth it to just come in to check out the cache of potato chips.
They had at least 30 different types, maybe even more.
The sandwiches are very generously proportioned and worth their weight in gold.
The service, a bit slack.
Not terrible, but they could definitely improve.
The outside patio area is really cute.
They had a musician playing and many people brought their pets along to enjoy.
I really liked the setup.
I will definitely be back and hopefully soon! -
Review from Heather R.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2011
Sometimes it seems impossible to find a room in Half Moonbay that is under $200. I guess all the money making techie people in San Jose and Mountain View like to come here to unwind their twisted up parts or something. I chose the San Benito because it was the only place I could find that was around a hundred bucks a night and because it looked like it had a good, central location.
I also like that they have a bar underneath all the rooms. I think a hotel with a bar has a festive, pioneer feel. Like you come in dusty from the trail, have a beer and bed down for the night just like in the oldin' days. I agree that the day time bartenders didn't seem especially competent, but they had no idea what they were doing in a friendly way. Of course they wouldn't have lasted in the old west, but I left my six shooter in my holster since I was on vacation.
The room was really nice, though not large by any means. I wouldn't have wanted to share it with someone who I wasn't sharing everything else with anyway. The bed was very comfortable and had a fancy cloud like duvet, that seemed decadent, yet also vaguely strangulatory. I liked that there was no TV in the room, so there was no temptation to waste time on that. The views were nice, though I think they should lose the fake flowers in the window boxes.
I thought we were going to have to share a bath, but we got a private, which was awesome. The bathroom breaks from the old west tradition and is very Euro (which means no shower doors). I would like to see a reality show on how Europeans actually shower with this set-up, but since we didn't have a TV I just took a bath instead.
If you are really into quietness, than this is not the place for you as they have bands that rock (and vibrate) the house. On the Friday night I stayed there they had a reggae band. The base player only knew one baseline and played it the entire night over and over again. What persistence! Anyway, it is good that they provide ear plugs, because it was pretty annoying.
I didn't know there was supposed to be breakfast, so I wasn't disappointed. I usually just eat gruel out of my cowboy boots anyway.
This is a good place for the money that is unique and has a really good location. I highly recommend you hitch you wagon here soon! -
Review from MAC Dre m.
Aptos, CA
7/1/2011
I only checked out their sandwich shop located confusingly in thru the restaurant... however the sandwich was AWESOME! I ordered a salami and it had everything on it & surprisingly enough they didn't get me the entire slab of sausage on the sando which is pretty typical for some sandwich places, "pile on the meat & the customer wont know the difference" I NOTICED, I loved what they had done with it, Ill definitely go there again next time I am in town! It would've been nice to add pepperocinis or to have pepper jack cheese, but they got what they got & if you dont like what they got...your missing out anyway.
Everything is very simple, no complicated cheeses like pepper jack or colby jack as a substitute. They have regular basic cheeses and great bread in any variation.
They have a lovely garden seating area that I has a wonderful fountain bar top eating spot too!
PS. they also have some weird looking teas in the fridge, I dont know that I would trust how long those have been in there. My friend said she tried one a week before and the "it wasn't Bad" routine came outta her mouth. -
Review from Brian G.
Mountain View, CA
3/5/2011
Stayed overnight, booked on a whim. I've been coming here occasionally since 1984. First time since the recent remodel... they have dumped the 80s B&B pastels and Laura Ashley, in favor of a more-retro-restoration early 1900s look... sharp contrasts, dark exposed wood, white walls. Period pictures and illustrations.
No TV or phone in rooms, but it does have decent wifi... works for me. I asked for a room away from the bar music from downstairs and got a lovely space. Floors were clean, we didn't get only conditioner (previous reviewer), and Mon-Thur it is under $100/night, a good value for a coastside B&B/small hotel.
The downstairs restaurant now hosts breakfast and a pool table adjacent to the bar. Breakfast was a hot quiche, muffins and buns baked there, the usual yogurt and fruit and cereal, okay coffee and hard boiled eggs.
As a hotel guest, I persuaded the kitchen to let me buy one of their amazing whole-wheat loaves... normally they don't sell them on Fridays or weekends because the deli needs them all. It was a special favor. :) We also bought sandwiches, which are excellent, thick, and the bread is great... -
Review from Stephen T.
Santa Clara, CA
9/13/2011
Ok...So we have stayed here under old and new management. Old management was good. Nice hot breakfast in the morning. Exactly what you expect when you hear the words Bed & Breakfast. New management, good well priced room, but "D" on breakfast. Serve yourself cereal, fruit and a muffin. Not exactly what I think about when I hear bed and breakfast. The bar and lunch and sandwich shop I know are good. However, maybe they should just advertise as a boutique hotel and cut out the breakfast all together so that patrons will not be disappointed in the morning.
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Review from Jessica J.
Redwood City, CA
Upon arrival to San Benito House we entered through the Saloon as instructed by the sign outside. They guy was friendly enough and gave us our room key to head upstairs.
Most of the staff was lacking enthusiasm during our stay. I had a pleasant experience with my booking back in September with Daniel over the phone, but I'd say that was as good as it got.
As soon as we pushed open the door ~ I knew we got THE best room at the Inn. What a view of Downtown HMB! Gorgeous natural light shining in from every angle... The corner room, #12, was to be our LoveNest for New Year's weekend 2010 - 2011. We LOVED the room!
The view was excellent. Victorian style furnishings, hardwood floors, stained glass window in the bathroom, a four poster bed with fluffy white duvet & down pillows, and a big red wall setting a romantic tone behind it... Just Lovely!
If you need a TV for entertainment or an iPod docking station - this is not your place. Nothing in here but lighting and wall heaters. ;) You will need to entertain yourselves here for sure.
We decided to move the furniture around so we could enjoy our champagne & wine while people watching before dinner. The hustle n' bustle of a small romantic town really set a sweet relaxing tone for the weekend.
The music from the bar during bar hours is very loud and it permeates through the hardwood floors and eventually becomes a part of you and the whole experience. It really never bothered us. Actually quite fun to have the background music.
As far as a "B&B" goes... I'm not sure this one will be what anyone is looking for if you seek an actual B after the &. There IS most definitely a bed though! ;)
"Breakfast" was put out between 7:30am and 10am though I would not call it breakfast or even an acceptable continental. You get a better continental spread at the Best Western, honestly. I was very disappointed when I got up feeling hopeful with my NYE hangover... I got dressed... put on my slippers and mustered up the strength to go down for a nice B&B style breakfast. I was sorely disappointed though. Hard Boiled eggs, Pilsbury rolls, and 3 kinds of cereal to choose from. The coffee was good, but not even very hot at 9am. Didn't feel like it was really worth it to get out of bed after all that. So we went up, showered, and headed out for brunch. ;)
The bar service will be another review - the best way we could describe our feelings with the barstaff is that they don't give a crap. They charged $10 for a vodka tonic and didn't seem to enjoy their jobs at all.
The location can't be argued with at all. It's an excellent room in the heart of HMB. I'm not sure I'd stay there again if I didn't get that room again - which by the way had REALLY dirty floors. We couldn't walk barefoot in there because of all the little things that stick to your feet. eww! and there was ash on the window sill. Not sure about where that came from.
Bring your own Shampoo & Conditioner too so you aren't surprised with 2 conditioners like we were. haha My hair was nice & shiny all weekend though!
The whole place could use some love - it's seriously lacking in that special touch. There were spooges of paint globbed on light fixtures - easily removable with some soap&water or Goo gone. Or like Zak said - just turn the fixture around so we couldn't see it? Stains on the white rug in the bathroom - flip it or replace it? ya know?
and a SWEEP before new guests arrive would have greatly improved our experience there. Just sayin. Things were a little unfinished & uncared for. It was like the owner & management have just given up on the place. It has so much potential... -
Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Service was not so helpful, but I might just be cranky because they were out of (or didn't have) the first three things I tried to order. It was also pretty slow. However, it was a solid stop on our way to the beach on a foggy HMB summer day. We had nachos and burgers and both were decent, but I bet the fries are better if they come out hot.
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Review from David H.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 8/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
We decided to give this B&B one more shot, so we booked a night on our way out of town on our honeymoon. They've definitely made some good upgrades. The bar looks nice and the rooms and beds are in much better shape. This actually has a good BAY AREA BACK ROADS feel to it now. Still no showers in the rooms, they do have a shower head attached to the tub, but it's not quite practical. Prices are still a bit high, but I I'm happy enough with the changes to give them a few more stars.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/22/2009
Lame hotel. We booked our stay months in advance at a reasonable price, but this small town shanty… Read more »
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Review from FirstContact S.
Oakland, CA
4/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Kent is the man! He provides great customer service and makes you feel welcomed.
Our room was great, clean, comfortable, and perfectly warm! We were in room 7 so we did not even hear ANY noise from the bar.
Plus it is right on top of Garden Deli and across the street from Pasta Moon.
This is a great hotel and if I want to get away for a weekend in HMB this is where im looking to stay first!
Thanks Kent! -
Review from Blue D.
Sacramento, CA
9/16/2011
I stayed at the San Benito House on a Sunday night in spring 2011. Earlier that day I had driven from Sacramento to HMB on a whim because I needed to get away, see the ocean, and taste some salty air. After an amazing dinner at Pasta Moon and talking to some seasoned locals, a new friend and I went to the saloon for a causal beer. This place had so much character, and our bartender was that perfect combination of interesting but not invasive, so we had 2 beers, then 3, then 4, and then I realized I needed a place to stay the night.
I was enamored with the fact that when I asked the bartender where a good place to crash for the night was, she said simply, "here." I figured it was the perfect place for me to stumble into and made me feel like I was living the old California dream. I especially liked the idea of putting a hotel room on my bar tab (usually it's the other way around).
When I got to my room, I walked back in time a hundred years. Antique furniture, comfy bed with a down comforter and a wrought iron bed frame, no TV, no phone. Beautiful wood floors, towels left in a cute little basket on the chest of drawers. I couldn't figure out how to wash my hair with the shower attachment on the claw foot tub without getting water all over the bathroom, but I figured I couldn't have been the first to deal with that situation, so I it wasn't a big deal.
For some reason, I fell in love with this hotel. Yeah, it's not a Marriott or a Sheraton. But thank god it's not a Marriott or a Sheraton. It was refreshing to stay in a hotel that has some character and takes pride in its old west roots.
I didn't eat any food there or hear any loud music, so I can't opine on the things others have said about those factors. All I can say is that when I walked out in the morning, I had a big smile, happy that I had stumbled upon such a great place. -
Review from Matthew J.
Half Moon Bay, CA
Hands down some of the BEST "Normal" sandwiches around. This is your MOMs sandwich shop...
Nothing crazy or fancy about this place just a simple sandwich shop that BAKES their own bread. I get the turkey/avocado/sprouts on whole wheat, everytime!!!
Place is so good, I got a gift certificate there for XMas. Girlfriend KNOWS the way to my heart!!! Through my stomach with AMAZING Sammiches...
now if only San Benito House can teach my girlfriend how to make sammiches this good I would be in heaven. -
Review from LaLa L.
Miami Beach, FL
8/28/2011
We stayed at San Benito House under some Groupon deal and we are so glad that we did.
The hotel has a great location right on the main street of the little town. Which means at night you can walk over to different places, out to dinner, drinks, without worrying about driving.
We had first booked a room with a shared bathroom but they had a room with a private one available when we checked in and so they upgraded us to that.
The staff were really laid back and nice. When I wanted to borrow some wine glasses and an opener from the bar they gave it to me no problem. I felt like I could ask for any help I needed.
The hotel itself isn't a Marriott. You will find that it has character and is older. Our room had a nice bed, and the bathroom was a little rustic with an claw bathtub with hand held shower head set up that worked just fine.
On the weekends they have a live band and people down at the bar. Things end pretty early but if you are really tired or want to get into bed before 10 they provide earplugs in the room. I did not have a problem with the noise.
The breakfast was pretty awesome given some of the reviews I have read. They provided fresh made quiche, cereal, pastries, yogurt, and orange juice. If you want to, you may wanna bring some champagne down with you and make your own mimosas on the cheap!
It was pretty cold when we went, but there is a nice outside area upstairs to enjoy the weather and also a nice area downstairs to enjoy food or nice weather should you want to.
This is more of a no frills Inn that I honestly think it worth the full price given the location, staff, breakfast, and laid back simple feel. -
Review from Dustin T.
Alexandria, VA
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food; crappy service.
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Review from Kevin F.
Dana Point, CA
8/23/2010 2 photos
It's a traveler's hotel; a room with a comfy bed (we had room 11), shared shower and toilet. Our room did have a sink but I don't know if they all do. Like many B&B in Europe there is a bar on the first floor of this building. The street outside can be loud at bar closing time so like any good traveler, make sure you've got earplugs if you're a light sleeper.
The breakfast side of the B&B is pretty skimpy, it's a "continental breakfast" at best so if you've got a big day planned you might find yourself hungry in a pretty short time.
On a Friday night our room was just over $100. BTW, you check in at the bar. -
Review from Linda K.
Sierra Madre, CA
5/30/2011
Unless you are a college kid do not stay here. The bar noise is unbearable. The room is nice enough (altho would it be so bad to put in a tv?) but it is so LOUD you might as well sleep on the bar..and this is a Monday night. I can only imagine a weekend. I would not come back here.
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Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
10/30/2008 3 photos
Sandwiches at this local favorite deli are simple and straightforward. The wall is covered with awards for best bread and best sandwiches in Half Moon Bay. Sandwiches are $6 each or $4 for half and they come on your choice of homemade bread: whole wheat, French, or olive walnut.
Types of sandwiches: * Turkey * Ham * Roast beef * Hot pastrami * Cheese & avocado * Tuna * PB & J * Hummus * Cucumber & cream cheese
Sandwiches include mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. You can add on cheese and other extras. I had a tuna sandwich on French. I was surprised that they didn't wrap the sandwich - they put it on a paper tray and shoved it in a paper bag (WTF?). The sandwich was very messy to eat. The tuna salad had too much mayo and a mushy texture but I did like how they added tiny bits of carrots, celery and bell pepper bits to the salad. The veggies were fresh and they didn't shred the lettuce (yay). The bread was thickly sliced, spongy and soft, like a rustic white bread. Yum. Without the bread, I'd give the sandwich three stars. The bread deserves an extra star.
They sell drinks, chips, cookies, beer, salads and a soup of the day.
Though there's only one small table inside, there are plenty of places to sit outside on the deck and patio area. They had a decorated giant pumpkin to show their Halloween spirit.
They now serve breakfast but I'm not sure what they have. Credit cards accepted.
P.S. Locals call it San Benito, not Garden Deli. It says Garden on the sign because they have a garden on the premises. -
Review from James L.
Updated - 4/5/2009 ROTD 4/21/2009
I was here last Saturday to pick up a sarnie to fuel myself before I went on my 2.5-hours-long hike.
In front of me, some lady with a stank look on her face (you know, the type of expression where it just seems like the person is offended by the whole world) took about ten minutes to complete her transaction. This should never happen in a basic, no-frills sandwich shop.
First she wants X and Y on her sandwich but not Z and Q. Or wait, maybe X, she might as well. But forget Z. Then she snatches five brownies from the display basket, decides to buy them, but then quivers lengthily with miserly indecision and asks what they cost. After hearing the price, she insists that she has to taste one first before she'll commit to buying five, so she unwraps one and starts munching on it right then and there, and then declares that yes, yes, the brownies meet her standards and she will buy all five.
And then, even though the prices are clearly listed on the chalkboard from where people choose their order, she is SHOCKED, SHOCKED by the fact that her five HUGE brownies, drinks, and three large sandwiches made with just-baked bread and local produce costs over $20. Her expression becomes so stank that to placate her the cashier throws in a free sixth brownie.
And my point? The sandwiches here are so, SO good that I will put up with this tomfoolery in order to get my sarnie fix. And my loaf of FRESH BREAD.
Oh, tourists. Never change. *hearts*Listed in: My Top Food Picks, FOOOOOD! (on the Peninsula!), My Favorite Coastal Hangouts,…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/20/2008
I just stopped by for a sandwich in the afternoon and I'm updating to say that the sandwich shop is… Read more »
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Review from Leah E.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2009
DATE: August 8, 2009, Saturday Afternoon at Half-Moon Bay @ 3:50 PM
After playing at Pescadero Beach, Boyfriend and I drove to Half Moon Bay to stroll, window shop and grab an early dinner.
THE TOWN:
Half-Moon Bay is such a cute and quaint little PUMPKIN town. The drive to Half-Moon Bay is part of the whole enjoyable experience. We passed by Christmas Tree farms, small wineries which offered wine tastings, little farm stands, nurseries selling roses and local crafts. We went window-shopping at whimsical little shops.
THE VENUE:
BF said he was really hungry (again!). We just wanted a casual laid-back early dinner before heading back home. We ran into San Benito House which I recognized right away from reading the Yelp reviews.
As soon as we walked in, I smelled stale beer and/or puke (gross, I know.) It wasn't very strong so I just pretended it was just stale beer. The place was divey, and nostalgic--reminiscent of a saloon in the early 1900's with a wooden bar and booths for seating. Even the chandeliers were from that period. An animal activist will probably not eat at this place because there were stuffed heads of elk, ram and moose hanging on the wall.
THE MOOD:
Relaxed. Few people ordered a bottle of wine and were just chillin'.
OUR SERVER:
It started out really slow for us. We waited for over 10 minutes to even get a menu. However, once it got started everything was really fast and timely. Our server was very, very nice and efficient. She worked really hard that we ended up leaving a 40% tip to show our appreciation. She thought we ordered Polenta Sticks and ended up giving it to us for free.
THE MANAGER:
There was a woman there who scared me and the two little girls in the bathroom. I'm just assuming she was the manager. She had an accent which I assume was European. She entered the bathroom to fix it. She grumbling in a loud voice, "I guess I am a plumber now. I don't know how to do this, etc. etc." She went on and on and started banging in one of the stalls. When I got out of the stall the two little girls were frozen scared. I almost told my BF for us to just leave but he was already holding the menu. Scary woman!
THE FOOD AND DRINKS:
-A GLASS OF PROSECCO: Well-chilled, fresh, bubbly and refreshing
-GARLIC FRIES: Garlicky just like how we liked ours
-(Free) POLENTA STICKS: Freshly fried, cheesy and really good!
-2 ORDERS OF CHARBROILED HAMBURGERS ON BRIOCHE BUN W/ FRIES:
Juices were coming out with every bite. The flavor of the Charbroiled was also in every bite although a little salty with the cheddar. The bread was fresh. The last time I had a hamburger was April 2008 at Barney's. I've been craving it since. Let me just say that the hamburger at San Benito House was worth breaking my 1 1/2 years of hamburger abstinence. BF and I devoured ours in silence and we both agreed that the hamburgers were really good as well as our entire meal!
OUR TAB: $34.14 (including tax and a diet coke before the tip)
DESSERT: We stopped by at Half-Moon Bay Bakery before heading to our car where we bought walnut, chocolate and raspberry cookies for $0.45 to $0.75 each. HMB bakery has been around since 1927. Traditional and old little place with a friendly staff. The cookies were yummy! (Cash only).
ENDING ON A SWEET NOTE:
My clothes were still uncomfortably wet from playing on Pescadero Beach. We were happy and relaxed but burned out from hanging out all day. It was a perfect afternoon! -
Review from Kyle K.
San Francisco, CA
7/20/2011
Super cool little place, cozy atmosphere had burgers and some blue label, good service and the bartender was pretty easy on the eyes also.
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Review from Rachel H.
Brisbane, CA
8/9/2008
A sandwhich is a sandwich, right? Hell no! Try a little home made French bread and you have entered the world of San Benito.
I was born and raised in HMB, and this place has always been the lunch choice for years. No matter how long the line is, I am going to wait in it. I am a late sleeper. Sometimes we stroll down Main Street about noon on Sundays. My fav thing is to grab a Turkey, Cheddar, Avocado and hang out with the other crazy locals in the bar area. Don't let the naked lady scare you.... -
Review from Maile N.
10/20/2008
This place was our breakfast savior during this year's Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival! It was our first time coming to this fest, and after driving there from the South Bay, negotiating traffic and parking and then walking through the festival through the Sunday morning cold at 9AM, we were starved! We saw the veeeerrrry long line for the famous pancake breakfast and just couldn't stomach standing and waiting that long as we were already cold and had underestimated the warm clothing factor.
We wandered around the area looking for an alternative and decided to try this place. We questioned and they said to head towards the back of the restaurant/bar where there was more seating, and lo and behold, we saw a lovely breakfast buffet set up in the backroom! :) Did we hear angels sing? ;)
We dropped our stuff at the nearest table and stepped in line. They had juice, coffee, yummy apple & cinnamon muffins (chunks of apple, yum!), eggs, house potatoes, fruit salad, apple sausage (gets another yum!) and bacon. We happily ate to our hearts content, enjoyed the ambiance (this place must've been built in the early 1900s and still had many of the original fixtures and architecture) and the service nicely checked on us to attend to our coffee/juice and to take away our empty plates.
Awww....after breakfast, we were ready to explore the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival at leisure with full bellys and lots of energy. Thank you, San Benito! We plan to come by Half Moon Bay again in the future, and we will definitely swing by for lunch and dinner. -
Review from Laura C.
Oakland, CA
9/1/2008
We walked into the San Benito House Bar on Labor Day evening. Even though the place looked kinda divish, the menu looked interesting. I'm thinkin' "oh, maybe a Duartes (in Pescadero) kinda place."
So we ordered a couple of appetizersand a couple of entrees, but the first thing that came was an entree'. Wha???? And the entree we order was salmon with fettucini. What we got was salmon with spaghetti ............ yes, you are reading this right. And there wasn't very much salmon or spaghetti it it, I might add. And, the spaghetti was cut up into small pieces that kept sliding off our forks. Pretty frustrating................
Then my friend gets her very small entree of baked salmon with spinach. There was supposed to be risotto, but it was missing. Wha???? So we tell the waitress who proceeds to tell us we are wrong, then gets a menu and brings it over to show us. To her very snide astonishment, she realizes that we are right. So, she goes back to the kitchen and comes back to us to say, we don't have risotto. Then, after trying to get something else to substitute, she says, well, we have yellow risotto. Wha???? "ok, well get me some................." My friend gets her risotto and it is so salty and al dente that it is almost inedible.
Then my bf and I then get our appetizers. The salad was waaay too overdressed (a real pet peeve of mine). The prawns with greens and polenta was actually the best dish we had.
The waitress never asked us if we wanted another drink, nor did she ask us if we wanted dessert. To her credit, she did take my friend's salmon off the ticket. But that barely made up for the snarky attitude she had with us the whole time we were there and this was before the risotto/spaghetti debacle. And we didn't even complain about the short spaghetti.
Oh dear. -
Review from Sarina I.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Recent trip here was very calm and accommodating. The other yelpers who mentioned the noise are correct but we stayed in a room that wasn't right over the bar (without asking). The noise didn't bug my company and I at all. I guess it depends on who you are. This was my first bed & breakfast experience. We didn't take advantage of the breakfast, we decided to go elsewhere. The owner was very friendly and no one bugged us at all. The room is small but for a nice trip for two, it's perfect. The bartender was such a doll! They have a pool table as well. Parking isn't a hassle. There's parking a block up. There's cute shops to walk around to. I loved the bathroom, old school. The bedding was very comfortable and they have a fan in the room, which was great because it gets hot. They have complimentary bottled water (nice touch) with a basket of towels and soaps, shampoo, conditioner. If you ever get the chance to visit, go ahead it's a great experience.
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Review from Jaap T.
Half Moon Bay, CA
5/31/2008
There are two parts to San Benito House:
The first is the Garden Deli, home of fantastic straight-up sandwiches on superb home-made bread (by "straight-up" I mean, no overly complicated or cute varieties, but good quality veg. or meat and cheese options). The bread is what really makes it worthwhile, with the walnut bread the personal favorite.
The (newly reopened) second part is the restaurant, which also serves food in the main bar. Looks like the restaurant part is still ramping up, but the menu's been growing. Over the last few weeks my wife and I have stopped in a few times, and have enjoyed a number of dishes - noodles and sauce were all made fresh.
- Chicken Parmigiana was was nice and thin, with a great crust smothered in baked cheese (as expected).
- The Bolognese sauce is turning into my perfect favorite, hearty and multi-layered (we subbed the pasta and tried it with spaghetti instead)
- Ahi Tuna steak in a Balsamic reduction, with assortment of roasted vegetables
- Pasta with Fennel Sausage / Tomato Sauce; the sausage was excellent and also home made. Next in line with the Bolognese sauce.
The first lunch I had from the re-opened kitchen was probably the least interesting by comparision, but still certainly not "bad":
- Cream of Spinach soup (which didn't have much character) and Hamburger (decent patty, but otherwise unremarkable save for the bread it was served on)
From a service standpoint there is still a lot of new staff, with associated kinks to work out - the manager is very outgoing though, throwing greetings and salutations around (in Italian) with great abandon.
With a little more polish and more experienced staff, it would tip to four stars for me pretty quickly. -
Review from Christopher O.
El Dorado Hills, CA
7/7/2010
Apparently I need to eat at this place rather than sleep there.
The clam chowder was delicious on a night were a local band played and entertained the 8 people in the bar. . .While my fiance and I were exhausted from the day we stayed in one of the rooms that was cute but extremely loud. The hardwood floors offered a nice look but the walls in this place were thin as paper. I did not fall asleep until 3:00 am which is when all the bar hoppies decided last call was actually over.
Next time I will have breakfast/lunch there and proceed to the next inn for some quality shut eye. -
Review from gnat c.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2006
The San Benito House is by far the one of the best sandwich spots around.
The bread is fresh, homemade, and the aroma is fantastic. The staff are super friendly and will make items to order, just as you wish. This is great for those picky people who hate/love mustard, mayo, etc.
They are open for lunch 11-3. There is almost always a line, but for the best sandwich around, I'll wait.
Sit outside when it's sunny, or drive to the beach and enjoy the ocean.
Wow, this place is amazing. -
Review from Vee S.
Redwood City, CA
9/6/2010
Deli Review.
Seriously, I would eat all my sandwiches on their fresh-baked whole wheat bread if I could. So so yummy. Thick slices of bread with a good amount of filling. The line is always long at lunch time and on the weekends which usually means good food :)
