Albion River Campground & Flats Cafe

We have heard so many great reviews about this place. I guess they have new owners? I’m not sure but our «server» has been in the restaurant business as long as I can remember, his family owned a great restaurant in the fort Bragg harbor. I’m not sure what happened to him but it was like he was totally clueless to what was going on. He had to come back and ask serveral times what drinks we ordered (he wrote them down) and still managed to forget my daughter’s milk. 45 mins later our food started to come out. 3 out of six of us got our food. The bread was so stale I couldn’t bite into my patty melt. I took off the bread to find a frozen patty with fake grill marks. It’s was foul. By that time out server came back and asked the other people in our party what they ordered. We were one of two tables in there. Very confused why he was asking. Anyway, I told him I didn’t want mine and asked where the rest of the tables food was. He took mine away and everyone else except my daughter’s got their food. Then he asked what she ordered. It was a fricken grilled cheese. That should take maybe 3 mins to make. At this point I had to go outside before I got inappropriate with the staff. 10 mins later I came back in and my family told me they comped the meal. Which was nice. So, back to the the daughters grilled cheese. It had unmelted shredded cheese on stale bread. I’m just in shock at the awful confusing service and the crap food. I am so disappointed they use fake frozen worse than McDonald’s «beef». Who on the coast does that? I could go on and on but I think I made my point. I will never go down there again.

I’d give it 5 stars if we could have had a margarita…
Lunch with the ladies on Wednesday at the Flats Café in Albion. 2 of us had fish and chips ($ 13); 4 pieces of fish, light, crispy, and perfectly done fish and fries w/​a small side of coleslaw. No grease on our fingers!
Two had the Cobb Salad ($ 12)…grilled chicken breast on top with all the «usual» things in abundance on a Cobb: tomato, bacon, blue cheese, hard boiled egg (which looked perfectly cooked and not overdone). Slight wait for the food but we were brought a couple dishes of fresh fruit to nibble while we waited… and no complaints about waiting! When the food comes out hot and delish like that!!!
We will be back and I am looking forward to trying more of the menu. 9 – 3, closed Mon and Tues. ((Sorry, no pics as we all dug right in!!!))

I got spots C23, 24 & 25 right next to the trail to the beach and the river. The winds tend to rip thru the canyon at the mouth of the river and really hit these spots we noticed the spots against the mountain were more protected. Winds died down in the evenings a little bit, but then the moisture in the air got worse one of the nights, but the mornings were barely foggy before the sun burnt it off.
The store at the top of the hill had everything you could possibly need… we were dying Easter eggs and forgot the vinegar, but they saved the day! We were only about 25 minutes or so from Glass Beach and Fort Bragg (nice drive). We had a base jumper parachute off the bridge too which was a pretty cool highlight to the trip. Flats Café’s troll burger was awesome, so large I couldn’t even close the container… I was ok with that because I was walking back to camp snacking on their amazing onion rings just dying to dive into the burger which is big enough for 2.
The main complaints from my camp was the bathrooms and trash were a bit of a walk from these sites, animals WILL get into your trash do not leave it out, winds are pretty fierce at those sites if you have a tent pick a more inland site, the river current was pretty strong keep a close eye on your kids!

We arrived at 6AM before they opened to get on the water, so we left a note on the dash of our car telling them that we would check in later when we got back in. We did our diving/​fishing, got cleaned up, and then checked in with Randi at the front. We heard that they had some pretty good food, so we settled in and got a great meal in the café. That food really hit the spot, and the service was great.

First off, the chipper young lady who greeted us was super nice!!! She had a tide chart prominently displayed and told us the best times to launch and return. The check-​in is adjacent to their café and the barbecue aroma was so enticing I wish we hadn’t brought our lunches with us… there is always the next time and there will be many more next rimes!
We launched our kayaks from the boat docks at this campground. Parking was secure and the launch super easy. Cost was a reasonable $ 10 for the 2 kayaks plus there is a clean restroom available (not the usual port-​a-​potties of the State parks).
The trick is to watch the tide charts and catch an incoming tide and get a free ride up the river. Pack a lunch and enjoy it where the river fades into a little creek, enjoy the quiet and nature, then return with the ebb tide. What a relaxing day! We found that often we’d just leisurely drift with the current.
Don’t rush on this river — look for the many birds along the way and try to envision the rail line that was used for logging in times past… there are still traces of its use, you just need to look for them.

Who knew that this little counter café would be so delicious? Well it is! Fresh ingredients and home made everything! I had fish tacos made with fresh rock cod brought in that morning, house made tortillas, pico de gallo, avocado, and sour cream. My boyfriend had a burger on a house made bun with two huge beef patties, out of the garden sliced tomatoes, lots of bacon, and all the other goodies and with a generous portion of fries made from fresh potatoes. Dang good!

My friend and I enjoyed a great lunch today at «The Flats Café.» The fish and chips were so good and my friend had a huge burger and fantastic onion rings called «The Troll Burger»…so big she had to eat it with a fork! We will go back!

We were SOoooo disappointed in this campground! Made our reservations on line to arrive on a Monday. We got in about 7:00pm & they were CLOSED on Mondays??? We were just going to go to any spot, but honestly didn’t feel comfortable there. It was messy & dirty & looked like a haven for the homeless. Very barren with no trees to give a camping «feel». We had left & found another place to stay. On the plus side, I called the next day about canceling the rest of our reservation. They were very nice & gave a 100% refund. Sorry, but we won’t go back.

My last review was for the camp ground… this one is for the Flats Café…
I had fish and chips for dinner Tues. night … Rock Cod & fries. 4 lg. pieces
Of fish and and Lot’s of seasoned fries. It was served with fresh home made
Cold slaw (fantastic). The tarter sauce made fresh also. Highly recommended.

For lunch the next day. I ordered the toll bridge burger. Homemade bun,
2 dill halves, 2slices of tomato, 2 beef patties, 4 slices of bacon, 4 slices of cheese, onions & lettuce& mayo. I had onion rings in stead of fries.
Took it back to my motor home and split it between two adults. Even gave my dog a couple of bites. The burger was OUT OF THIS WORLD !!!
Tomorrow I’m going for breakfast… Can’t wait !!!
It ‘s not fancy but it is fantastic …

Abion River Campground is a diamond in the rough! I just love it there! Nothing fancy but has what you need! Water and Electric at each site… where else can you launch a boat to the ocean is what makes this place magic! The crew that works there are always nice! I agree may not be the best place on the 4^th of July but all other times its great! The food in the café is excellent for a very fair price!

I made reservations with Lisa, who was very nice to work with and extremely helpful in helping me choose a campsite best suited for our needs.
We arrived late on a Sunday, and stayed an additional night. The campground was very clean, as we’re the bathrooms and showers.
As far as the views, the crystal clear water, the beach access to open water… we are definitely going back!

I have been here when its busy and been here when its slow. People are always nice and friendly. It definitely a family joint. Its a nice drive up to Mendocino and Fort Bragg for diner and entertainment and there are plenty of beach and state parks to play at. Look for Oscar the one eyed seal at the dock. You can always drop a net off the dock for some crab. Caught 8 keepers last time I was there.

I and my classmates stayed in the Vacation Cottage last weekend, was emaculately clean, warm, very welcoming — anything we needed was there and made for a very enjoyable weekend… its a five stars.

Campground? There is a campground here? All I know is that the food at this café is fabulous.
We were staying at a b&b that recommended it for a cheap dinner, something about the chef running a fancy-​pants restaurant in the area and this is a side gig… I don’t know the specifics, but I do know it was the best fish and chips I have ever had. Ever.
There are apparently some amazing salads and a chowder not listed on the menu (I accosted a local eating in a corner to find out what he was having) — it looked awesome and he looked pretty happy eating it. There also appear to be great pizzas. And the cook on site that day was the nicest man ever.
Go there. Ignore the trailers you see out the window or from the lovely outdoor eating space. Eat the food.

Our family has been going to Albion for several years now. It has always been one of our favorite places to visit. There have been many changes in the past couple years — making many improvements to what was already an enjoyable place to stay. We recently had the opportunity to stay in their Vacation Cottage… can you say NICE? We had stayed in their rental trailers a few years back, and found them «ok» — better than tent camping at the beach, but far from nice… the Cottage however, was emaculately clean, warm, very welcoming — anything we needed was there and made for a very enjoyable weekend. The only drawback, is, if you have other family staying at the campground… it’s a drive (across the bridge), not a walk, to the cottage :) A couple years ago, I might have given them 3 – 4 stars… with the improvements the last couple years, I think they are earning 5 stars… Easy! See you again next year!

I am a fan of Albion River Campground because of it’s great location (Albion River flats under large trellis bridge),
proximity to Mendocino, beach accessibility, river accessibility, small store café, river/​fishing activities, etc. They provide full, partial and no hookup camping sites which are decent but could be improved with a little gravel and/​or concrete. The staff are super friendly. Given that I have enjoyed the three times I have camped here I will be back.

2÷19÷13 — I UNDERSTAND IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE MY ORIGINAL 2010 REVIEW. AM LOOKING FORWARD TO RETURNING. NOTE CHANGES IN ALL CAPS
I am not keen on private, developed campgrounds. I find them crowded as sardine cans and noisy. I typically stay at state parks with no hook-​ups. My wife and I traveled to the coast mid-​week in late April and alas, it was rainy and cold and the state parks were mud holes. We came across the Albion River Campground with is situated in a large grassy (non-​muddy) field with the river at one side and the ocean on another. We took a spot near the bridge and the beach and hooked-​up to the included water and electrical. Our dogs loved the beach just 100 yards away and we enjoyed listening to the crashing surf at night. The grounds stayed reasonably dry after the heavy rains over two days.
I UNDERSTAND THE BATHROOM HAS BEEN REMODELED TO ADD DOORS, HEATERS AND EQUALIZED WATER PRESSURE and DUMP STATION HAS BEEN IMPROVED. I HAVE ADDED ONE STAR TO REVIEW.
I did not appreciate the crude bathroom/​showers. There are no doors at the entrance so cold drafts can blow in while showering. There is very little water pressure and no way to adjust the temperature to anything but scalding. You are expected to hang your clothes onto 16d nails pounded into a 2×4 ram-​set into the cinder block wall. It was clean, but surely they could put a little more into this?
Then there is the dump station. It is free and convenient, but is poorly designed. Every dump-​station I have ever seen has the drain recessed lower that the surrounding concrete. This one is elevated 6″ with some crude 3/​8″ holes drilled around the base. How are you supposed to hose down a spill? Why not just do it right and bust out the 5 sq. ft. of concrete, cut off the drain pipe and pour it again?
Pros–
–Great location on the river and beach and close to Medocino, etc.
–Grassy parking area
–Full hook-​ups available
–Boat launch and dock for fishing boats, canoes and kayaks
–Fish clean-​up sinks
–On site restaurant
–Relatively cheap showers
–Great spot for dogs!
Cons–
–Tight campsites and no shade at all on hot summer days (Plant some friggen trees!)
–Only one bathroom/​bath house that is a long walk from the far side of the park.
–Dump station needs to be redone
Overall– This place is in great location but it needs some thoughtful improvements.