The Lodge at Dawn Ranch

Cappy D

2024-04

We stopped by this lodge over a bachelorette weekend trip to Guerneville from the Central Coast. This restaurant was to be our "fancy dress" dinner night. I wish it would have lived up to the reputation.Service:Our party of 6 had reservations in advance, and we were seated very quickly. Service started out great. But it quickly fell off hard. Our server, Alex, seemed a bit out of it throughout our evening. He was very nice and well knowledgeable but wandered off a lot, would disappear resulting in long waits, and would immediately forget what we had ordered or asked for. We saw him staring blankly at nothing for extended times in multiple instances. Someone at our table had to physically get up and go find our waiter 2-3 times throughout the evening in order to get further assistance. We also had to ask twice to be given a steak knife for the pork belly.Food:We all tried a variety of their food options. Some were better than others.The pork belly, though delicious, had a comically small 1/4 plantain sliver included compared to the large pork belly piece. Half the pork belly with double the plantain would have been preferable. Or any sort of side veggie.Our bride-to-be ordered the tagliotini pasta, which had a nice portion size. The sauce and asparagus were delicious, but the pasta itself was lackluster. No good chewy texture and lacking in flavor. It was not al dente.The brussel sprouts we first received were undercooked and had no flavor. They also barely had any drizzle of a sauce. Once we were able to get the waiter's attention, we did receive freshly cooked brussle sprouts with more sauce, which were much better, but they did not arrive until after our main course was finished.The black cod and duck, thankfully, were both deliciously flavorful. Perfectly cooked with a nice crisp. The oysters were very fresh and tasty. The sourdough bread with dill butter was soft, warm, and had that satisfying crust crunch.For deserts, we tried the chocolate mousse and pear cobbler. The mousse was a nice, rich chocolate accompanied by blueberries. While the pear cobbler was a plentiful size, the pear flavor was miniscule and the pastry room temperature. It tasted more like almond and coconut.Drinks:We were very disappointed by the drinks at this establishment. Not because of the taste (mostly) but more so because of the service of them. Our bride-to-be ordered a glass of port with her desert. This port had to be repeatedly asked for. She did not receive her glass of port until over 30 minutes later. She had already long finished her desert.Another member of our party ordered a glass of sauvignon blanc. She was first brought the wrong drink (a cocktail) after 20 minutes. She was then given a glass of wine 10 minutes later, but the wine had gone bad. Everyone at the table tried the glass and found it to be spoiled. It took another 20 minutes for the waiter to bring her a fresh glass of wine. By the time that fresh glass came, we wanted to leave, so she had to drink it quickly.The waiter most likely knew of the aforementioned issues. When the bill arrived, all of the drinks were comped without us having to ask. Overall, the entire dinner took 3.5 hours with a lot of waiting involved. I do not recommend this lodge for dinner or drinks.

Max Davis

2023-12

Excellent baked goods! (fluffy house made brioche bread / toast / medialuna, didn't like the muffin quite as much). Dinner was also good, though I felt the grilled lettuces and steak could both use a bit more something / sauce? Bar and restaurant staff were also all kind and thoughtful. I plan to go back (I went on a 'small plates sunday' so the menu may have been a bit more limited than usual).

Sangeetha Balasubramanian

2024-01

This review is strictly for the restaurant at the dawn ranch!They had barely had any vegetarian options on the menu! The coffee I ordered was cold when it was served even though I ordered a hot latte. The fries were not on the menu you have to ask for it! They were not crispy and not seasoned well. Overall very disappointed with the food!

Jason Dare

2023-08

Came for breakfast. Overall 5/5: Food 5; Pastries were flaky and tasty. The long pastry made with croissant dough was new to me and delicious. Ingredients were fresh and dishes were simple but elegant. Service 5; Everyone was very friendly and attentive. Staff of the lodge also showed us around the premises.Atmosphere 5; Grounds are well groomed. The dinning room was spacious but decorated to feel cozy. Outdoor seating was plentiful but could have used a few more umbrellas. A very relaxing environment and morning. We'll be back to try dinner and have breakfast again.

BeeHappy Coleman

2023-08

We used to dine at Dawn Ranch before they remodeled it, and the restaurant was called “Agriculture“. Early last year, the restaurant closed down to remodel. I cannot overstate this enough… What a huge disappointment in the remodel of the bar area, and the two dining rooms. Whoever renovated, completely ruined the warm and cozy feeling of this beautiful historic location called “Dawn Ranch”. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked into both dining rooms and found they had torn out the beautiful primitive stone fireplaces. These two fireplaces had probably graced the two rooms since the place was built nearly 100 years ago. Absolutely criminal to take out those fireplaces. As well, all of the walls were painted white and modern circa 70s furniture was installed, trendy, and it will go out of fashion in no time… It’s not even mid century modern. The only Renovation that actually managed to more carefully match the feel of this building are the bathrooms. This place, with all its renovations, completely out of sync with the building, is now called “The Lodge“, which is the furthest thing from the look and feel of any lodg I’ve ever been in. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I am a local, and I appreciate the look and feel of the wine country that I live in; where I was born and raised. This decorator completely ruined the feel and ambience of this one’s beautiful, warm, wood, interior and stone fireplace grandeur. My boyfriend and I, we will never ever return here. So disappointing to ruin a beautiful historic place as beautiful as it once was. Just trendy, trendy, trendy now. No nostalgia whatsoever.

Ken King

2023-05

We've dined here 3 times now and we love the service and atmosphere. The dining room is very comfortable with lovely woodwork on the ceiling and large stone fireplace. They offer outdoor seating on a large deck as well.The food has been very good each visit but it's expensive for what you get. Last visit they offered a new appetizer of grilled artichokes with arugula and aioli for $15. What arrived looked like Brussel sprouts cut in half and there were only 8 of them I believe. Although it was tasty we were very underwhelmed. The hanger steak with mushroom sauce is my favorite. My friend had the pork chop with mustard sauce and it was very good as well. Wish they had a more extensive menu with a larger selection of appetizers.They have recently changed management and the new General Manager visited each table to chat which was nice but he didn't ask us anything about the food. We hope he kicks things into gear to make this place an absolute go-to dining experience which it deserves.

Elliya Cutler

2022-05

We were really excited to try this place, as it looked lovely from the road! The atmosphere and cocktails are excellent. We had only lovely interactions with the servers and staff. However, we were underwhelmed by the mussels, cod, and potato leek soup, though really liked the pork chop! For the prices they charge ($35-$38 for a main), we felt like the meal didn’t live up to our expectations. Ultimately I wouldn’t recommend it unless the menu improves.

Colsaria Henderson

2023-05

Delightful staff encouraged us to stay and dine with the kids and offered kid-friendly items such as freshly made chicken tenders (not on menu) and the best Shirley temple ever. They could use a few more appetizers and diiner options, but otherwise great experience. Will definitely be back for a glass of wine on their beautiful deck.Parking: Lots of parkingKid-friendliness: See review

EDAN MARSHALL

2023-05

I genuinely want this to be a constructive review, but I’ve got some issues with this place: Guerneville is a charming little town in a beautiful area, and deserves a really hood restaurant. Agriculture is almost that place.Food & drink 3/5. Granted we had two entrees so we didn’t sample the whole menu, but both dishes were lacking in flavor, which for $15 a plate would be fine, but both were $35. Presentation was nothing special, my dish was 75% polenta with a small piece of chicken and 4 carrots. The poblano pepper was bland and also lacked any real presentation. Drinks were ok, but again, nothing special considering the price.The space & lighting 4/5. The interiors are nice, but again, fall short of expectations given the cost to eat here. Care has clearly been taken to renovate the space and it looks good, however, the lighting is extremely hard on the eyes with only overhead spotlights that create a lot of glare. Adding some wall sconces and some indirect table lighting would help. Also, point the existing spotlights straight up to reduce the glare, please! Some plants and delineation between tables would also help soften the overall space. As it is, it feels more like a cafeteria than a the fine dining experience it could be.Staff 4/5. For dinner, our server was polite and personable, but our host the second time we came for drinks and live music was bordering on rude. The bartender was great and went out of his way to advise on wine and ciders.Overall, I want to like this place, but the cost vs. quality is not quite there. Spend some time fixing the interior & ambience, and adjust the recipes to justify the price, and you’re there!

Vinona B

2023-05

When I heard about this restaurant in Guerneville, I was expecting a little 3-4 table, hole in the wall place. Um no, this is a high class, well run resto with a small menu of Michelin star level cuisine and a wine and cocktail menu to match. Yet not pretentious at all. My dog was very welcomed on their large, wind- free patio with a view of the beautiful forest. We tried the calamari, the edamame, pork chop, and cod. And panna cotta and rice pudding for dessert. All delicious. Well proportioned and wonderfully spiced. We will be back for the chicken, mushroom, and other dishes. And for the music that we were told is playing on Wednesday and Thursday nights. There are also 53 newly renovated cottages in the adjacent hotel for people to stay.

Margaret Lea

2023-12

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Maryann Demeo

2023-09

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Brigitte Ferdinandsen

2022-05

Absolutely the best mussels I’ve enjoyed in a very long time. Ask for Melissa and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. We can’t wait to come back!

Victor Leitman

2023-05

Stopped there for happy hour. Good cocktails, pleasant environment, attentive barmen (Reed). Will definitely come back.

Robert Tatemichi

2023-05

We had a wonder meal and loved the gazpacho and the bass which was cooked to perfection. Will be back many more times .Thank you

Griffin Scorpius

2018-05

This is a hideaway. A perfect place to enjoy with a good friend in a peaceful wooden environment with an olf school feel and charm. Separate cottages some heated in the winter great place.

Tam Donn

2023-05

A great combination of food, service, music and atmosphere. What else could you want?

Matthew McRae

2023-05

Wonderful evening, food and ambience was perfect. Thank you!

Kai Wang

2019-05

Restaurant has amazing food and the drink specials are not to be missed.

Megan Perkins

2018-05

Lovely atmosphere but doesn't quite make it's price point.

David Ramsay

2023-11

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Julia Zagatsky

2023-08

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Martin Wasiak

2023-05

Parking: Plenty of parking

Sliver Band

2019-05

They need more staff to improve quality.

John Willard

2023-05

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Keith McLaughlin

2023-05

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