Benbow Historic Inn

Benbow Historic Inn reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. n

   nansea

   San Francisco1 review

   2.0

   Dined on March 6, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Been going to Benbow Inn for over 30 years. So sad, ever since the remodel, loosing the old beautiful bar area, the lack of excellent food has become legendary. We went for a special occasion, so dissapointed in the food. We ordered the burger and fish and chips with sweet potatoe fries and the truffle fries. The fries were so over salted we couldn't eat them, the burger OK but fell apart immediatly. The fish was a mouthful of grease at one end and zero fish, almost as if the "cook" tried to make them all the same size by extending the batter but excluding the protein. I love lemon cheesecake, despite the ridicoulous overcharge of $17 for a slice barely allowing 6 bites we ordered it. $17, elsewhere would get you an entire cheesecake, and perhaps elsewhere I would have tasted the lemon. So overall I now believe in my neighbors and friends ( WE DO DISCUSS OUR LOCAL EATING PLACES) Not until the food meets the glory of the Benbow will we return, and we will be sure to inform others. Sorry Benbow, staff was delightful, even the great hall seemed to lack its usual elegance, but we went for the food and were sadly dissapointed.
   

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2. S

   Steve

   San Francisco1 review

   5.0

   Dined on January 26, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had an amazing 5 course dinner paired with McNab Vineyard wines! The whole experience was excellent!
   

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3. J

   Jennifer

   San Francisco1 review

   5.0

   Dined on December 26, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful, magical Christmas 🎄 ✨️ My new Christmas tradition!
   

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4. A

   Anne VIP

   New York City2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on November 11, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had the soup du jour which was sweet potatoes soup & pork chop with bourbon sauce. Both were delicious! Will be back!
   

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5. C

   Caitlin

   Philadelphia1 review

   3.0

   Dined on November 11, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Visiting the Benbow Inn was a great experience. It had a beautiful interior and we enjoyed learning about the history of the building. The ambiance was beautiful. The food, however, was just ok. The cheese board was pretty basic/didn’t seem like much thought was put into the pairings. We were expecting more for the price, but it still made for a nice dining experience.
   

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6. D

   Dr. Richard VIP

   Central Coast4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on October 20, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Absolutely a wonderful experience with two awesome long time friends. Service exemplary and food delicious. Trout, Ribeye, and Creme Brule were outstanding. Highly recommend this unique restaurant.
   

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7. D

   Dr. Vanessa VIP

   Central Coast37 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on October 20, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful food and service. Ask for Ashley table. Amazing chef.
   

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8. j

   joseph

   Sacramento39 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on October 12, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   We enjoyed our stay at the end. The restaurant was fairly quiet when we arrived. Asthma of the gas had chosen to eat on the outside patio. Our server was pleasant once it was determined who that actually was as there was some confusion about who is serving the table. The food was very good, and we enjoyed our meals, except for the appetizer of bread with balsamic vinegar on the bottom. The bread was stale. When we mentioned to the server, she expressed surprise and checked with the kitchen. Upon returning, she informed us that the kitchen knew the bread was slightly stale, and that “that happened sometimes.” This was an expensive appetizer, and while we were not looking for a refund, it would’ve been nice to have been offered something in its place instead of just “it happens sometimes“. We ate there a second night and had very good service after the server was finally able to get to us. We waited quite a while, but understood because they were very busy. However, this time, A glass of wine was ordered, and it was obvious that the bottle had been open for a very long time. The wine was bad. In this case, the server took it away and took it off our bill and did offer to bring something else to us.
   

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9. L

   Linda

   San Francisco3 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on October 11, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   I was at the Benbow many many years ago and the dining was fabulous. This time, I thought the prices were high, the food average, and I was told the salmon was farmed. The servers were running around anxiously. Our server was not attentive and all the servers seemed to be in a sour mood. Did someone just get fired or did the cook just quit? Breakfast in the bar was very good.
   

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10. J

    Judi VIP

    San Francisco52 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on September 23, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    We loved our dining experience at the Benbow Inn. We stayed there for 3 nights and since it was so good the first evening we decided to dine at the Inn the other two nights. The food was outstanding and the service excellent. We ate outside on their lovely patio and enjoyed their salmon, pork tenderloin and pork chops. The atmosphere was lovely and they had a live band.
    

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