We are blessed with MANY great... and other San Rafael, CA Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Too many to count

We are blessed with MANY great restaurants in San Rafael and the surrounding county. Plus, we're only half an hour to an hour away from any fantastic restaurant in San Francisco or Napa. So... I'll endeavor to list some of my favorite, casual, places here.

My Thai:Thai (San Rafael)
Las Camillias: Mexican (San Rafael)
Il Davide: Italian (San Rafael)
Left Bank: French (Larkspur)
Chrysanthemum: Chinese (San Rafael)
Ton Kiang: Chinese, including the best dim sum (San Francisco)
Morpho: Sushi (San Francisco)
Blowfish Sushi: (San Francisco)
Kamikaze: Sushi (San Rafael)
Viccolo: Pizza (San Francisco)
Foreign Cinema: French (San Francisco)
Rice Table: Indonesian (San Rafael)
Phyllis' Giant Burgers:Burgers! (San Rafael)
Sunnyside Cafe: Breakfasts (Mill Valley)
Bogies: Breakfast/lunch - American (San Rafael)


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Theme: Other

Restaurant Name: Numerous

Okay, you've seen the causual (but fantastic) restaurants, listed above. Now it's time for the upscale restaurants! These are some favorite upscale restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. They range in location from Napa to San Francisco, and points in between. Most of these, you must contact and make reservations in advance. Some very far in advance. For instance, good luck getting reservations at French Laundry - this is quite difficult, but worth it.

French Laundry
Fifth Floor
Elisabeth Daniel
Gary Danko
La Folie
Roxanne's


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Theme: Other
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Other Contact: These are all 4 or 5 star restau

Restaurant Name: Avance

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

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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (415) 472-7101
Address: 200 Merrydale Road, San Rafael, CA 94903
Directions: Directly across highway 101 from the Marin County Civic Center

Restaurant Name: Phyllis' Giant Burgers

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.

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Theme: American
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (415) 456-0866
Address: 2202 4th Street, San Rafael
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.
Website: http://shorterlink.com/?XNL17I

Restaurant Name: Red Boy Pizza

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!"

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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 415-454-3131
Address: 1115 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Directions: Downtown San Rafael, across the street from the Rafael Theater

Restaurant Name: The Limelight

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

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Theme: Pub/Brewery
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (415) 453-4200
Address: 812 Fourth St, San Rafael, CA 94901
Directions: Downtown San Rafael
Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040145/

Restaurant Name: Jhan Thong

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!

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (415) 499-3501
Address: 5835 Northgate Mall, San Rafael, CA 94903
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.
Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1042962/

Restaurant Name: Royal Thai

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.

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (415) 485-1074
Address: 610 3rd Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040111/

Restaurant Name: Las Camilias

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!

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Theme: Mexican
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (415) 453-5850
Address: 912 Lincoln Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94903
Directions: Between 3rd and 4th Street, at the beginning of the downtown area.
Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040036/

Restaurant Name: Taqueria San Jose

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!

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Theme: Mexican
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (415) 455-0999
Address: 615 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Directions: Under the freeway at the corner of 4th and Heatherton.
Website: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/1040050/