San Rafael Restaurant Tips by jessicadf Top 5 Page for this destination

The Rice Table: A rare treat: Indonesian food

You don't often find Indonesian restaurants, do you? Well, this place has been in existence for quite a long time. In fact, it was the first Indonesian restaurant in California, started by a wonderful woman from Indonesia. Sadly, she passed away several years ago, but it is still run impeccably. I wonder if one of her family members has taken her place for the annual spice shopping trip back home?

Favorite Dish: The best idea, by far, is to pay $20 for a full, multi course meal. My favorite dish is the tamarind prawns -- SOOOO tasty. Just the thought of sucking on a tamarind seed is making my mouth water.

Address: 1617 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Along the main street (4th) in San Rafael, towards the West End of town. Map: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/map?mode=geo&id=1040057&map_lat=379739&map_lon=-1225368&fid=2&cslink=profile_map_noncust

Phone: (415) 456-1808

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Other

Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040057

The Limelight: Okay brew pub

They specialize in pizzas and grilled items.

My friends liked their beer tho.

Favorite Dish: I almost never ordered anything but their Chinese Chicken Salad. Baby spinach leaves, won ton strips, strips of chicken, roasted peanuts and a spicy dressing. Loved it!

SADLY, last time I visited there, the salad was gone from the menu. Honestly... there wasn't anything else tempting on the menu

Address: 812 Fourth St, San Rafael, CA 94901

Comparison: about average

Directions: Downtown San Rafael

Phone: (415) 453-4200

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 2

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040145/

Seafood Peddler: Time for a lobster feast!

Large restaurant with a large bar area and a banquet room on the San Rafael canal. Sort of an odd location, but definitely nice. I've dined there once, so far, and it was quite good and a very reasonable price. Going there again next week for their steamed lobster special. Yum!

They advertise that they've got the best happy hour around. Haven't checked it out yet, though.

Favorite Dish: Why, lobster, of course!

Address: 100 Yacht Club Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: The Seafood Peddler Restaurant & Fish Market in San Rafael is just minutes from the Golden Gate and Richmond Bridges on Highway 101. Look for our landmark "boat sign!"

Phone: 415-460-6669

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.seafoodpeddler.net/pages/dinner.htm

Taqueria San Jose: The BEST takeout burritos

You can eat in or take out. No worries about running in to tourists here. This is purely for locals. At lunch time be prepared to wait in a long line that goes far outside the door. Very popular with the hispanic community, and plenty of others, too. Their burritos and tacos are absolutely delicious, and the green salsa on the tables, for eating with chips while you wait for your main course, is absolutely perfect. Very spicy - watch out!

Favorite Dish: Their chicken burritos do it for me. A regular burrito is usually too big for me to eat for one meal. I save the rest for a later meal in the day. The flavor is just so good... and I don't know how they do it, but even their vegetarian burritos seem like they're leaking grease. Who knows how they do that? Don't wear white!

Address: 615 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Under the freeway at the corner of 4th and Heatherton.

Phone: (415) 455-0999

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Mexican

Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040050/

Las Camilias: Authentic and tasty Mexican Food

Family run for decades, this place is always cozy, warm and tasty. Very good Mexican food. Not a fast-food type of place. Not sure if they take reservations, because it seems like I've waited in line to get in at least several times. A favorite with locals and it's highly unlikely you'd find any tourists here.

Favorite Dish: Seafood burrito. A mixture of fresh seafood inside a big flour tortilla. Yum!

Address: 912 Lincoln Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94903

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Between 3rd and 4th Street, at the beginning of the downtown area.

Phone: (415) 453-5850

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Mexican

Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040036/

Royal Thai: Sit down, relax and have some Thai iced tea

Perenially voted the best Thai restaurant in Marin County, Royal Thai is a staple in Thai food in San Rafael.

Favorite Dish: Pad Thai -- always very tasty here.

Address: 610 3rd Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Comparison: about average

Phone: (415) 485-1074

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040111/

Jhan Thong: Tasty Thai Take Out

It's a weird place to recommend for food, I know, but... in the food court of the Northgate Shopping Mall, there is a take-out restaurant that serves very good Thai food. Yum!

Favorite Dish: I love their spicy red vegetarian curry and their green vegetarian curry. The pad thai is quite good too. Get a combo and order two items over white rice and some tom kha gai. Mmm mmm!

Address: 5835 Northgate Mall, San Rafael, CA 94903

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Inside the Northgate Shopping Mall, in between Taco Bell and McDonalds. Yeah, I know, I know. It's the only place I eat in that mall.

Phone: (415) 499-3501

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1042962/

Red Boy Pizza: My favorite pizza place in Marin Red Boy Pizza Review

Not terribly gorgeous decor inside, though they do have a lovely patio seating area, where you can watch the world go by. One of only three places that I can think of on 4th Street that has patio seating, in fact.

The pizza... wow. It's just the best in Marin. While Red Boy is a small chain, this is the original location and is definitely the best.

Sourdough crust, a tangy taste of wine in the red sauce... the crust is chewy, but not too chewy. It's one of the pizzas where you really DO want to eat the crust.

Favorite Dish: Devil's Dare pizza. A basic pepperoni pizza but with diced jalapeno peppers on top and chili pepper in the sauce. They'll ask you how hot you want it on a scale of 1 to 10. I've said 7 on several ocassions, and it's simply proven that the number is subjective. Last time it was hot enough to upset my friend's stomach. The time before, however, it was a lip numbing pleasantness. The kind of pizza that makes you say, "Phew! That's hot! Is there anymore left? Pass the beer!"

Address: 1115 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Comparison: about average

Directions: Downtown San Rafael, across the street from the Rafael Theater

Phone: 415-454-3131

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Pizza

Phyllis' Giant Burgers: Now THAT'S a burger!

A tiny little place with a few small tables, chairs and a formica counter, this place serves up the best burgers around. If you're going to have a burger, why go to a fast food chain and have a run of the mill, boring burger? Go here and have a quality beef burger, cooked to your liking, huge and affordable? You ARE going to get messy.

Favorite Dish: Bordanave Burger: 1/2lb ground beef, sauteed onions and dijon mustard on a sourdough bun. The BEST. Heck, I can't finish it. It's the most expensive item on the menu at $6.95.

Address: 2202 4th Street, San Rafael

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Along the Miracle Mile, between San Rafael and San Anselmo. On the right hand side of the road as you head from San Rafael towards San Anselmo. Shares a parking lot with the Dipsea Cafe.

Phone: (415) 456-0866

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: American

Website: http://shorterlink.com/?XNL17I

Avance: Pretty good tapas

A Spanish restaurant that mostly serves tapas, though they have a small selection of entrees. The tapas we tried were decent, though I've had better. The tomato sauces tasted flat and not spicy enough. The sangria though -- ah, the sangria!

They also have live music on weekends and, word has it, excellent Flamenco. On the Friday night that we went, however, they had a Brazilian duet playing. They were very good. Mellow, but good. But why Brazilian in a Spanish restaurant? Hmmm.

Favorite Dish: That would have to be the Sangria

Address: 200 Merrydale Road, San Rafael, CA 94903

Comparison: about average

Directions: Directly across highway 101 from the Marin County Civic Center

Phone: (415) 472-7101

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 2

Theme: Other