River’s End

Really the outstanding aspect of River’s End is its location. It just doesn’t get any more beautiful than looking out at the estuary, the Russian River, the coastline and the ocean. I wish I was equally impressed with the dinner.
Service was fine, the wait staff were friendly and attentive. The menu is pretty limited and although food was fresh and well presented, it was not really very flavorful. The fish was slightly overcooked. The price of entrees was in the 20 to 30+ dollar range and I just expected more. Also, very irritating after paying $ 15 for a salad and $ 32 for a small portion of halibut, one has to pay $ 3.50 for a bread service that consisted of 3 slices.
So, the food was a disappointment but this is a destination restaurant because of the fabulous setting. You can sit on the deck with a drink and enjoy the amazing beauty. Just don’t expect great value and memorable food for your meal.

So you come to a place perched on the cliff overlooking the mouth of the Russian River with the ocean in the background. You think this is going to be mediocre food at a high price but well worth it for the view. Wrong! The food is so special that it competes with the view! The service was attentive. Don’t miss the fresh Oysters and wonderful strawberry ice cream.

Going between 3 and 4 stars so will say 3.5. Beautiful views at sunset (thankfully no fog), friendly service and decent food although in my opinion a little on the high price side even considering the view. Not an extensive menu but they did have a couple of specials not on the menu. The halibut was delicious and some of the best I have had but the forbidden rice was flavorless; mango salsa was good but a tad jarring as very cold next to the warm fish — a least confidence that it was kept refrigerated! The pork and apple with orzo and asparagus was decent but one medallion was tough. Asparagus soup was good, not killer. Server was capable and nice but it took almost an hour to get our entrees after ordering at 8 pm on a Sunday. It is listed on the menu and we got the bread for $ 3.50. It was four very small slices of warm bread with butter. And then a $ 7 charge on the check as we asked for more for the four of us in our party. And the second serving was even smaller pieces. I don’t mind paying for bread, but I would hope for a litte bigger pieces and at least a couple more slices. Might be a better stop for lunch as menu looked more appealing and lower prices for the view; so will give it another go.

We often go to River’s End for special occasions, and last night we celebrated my birthday at this treasured spot. As always, food was delicious and service was excellent. A special shout out goes to Dana for her gracious presence and wonderful service!

A special place for me and my husband. We love the view and the service. We always make reservations. We enjoy coming later in the evening after we have already enjoyed a sunset bottle of wine on the balcony of our cabin. The view from the restaurant is just beautiful. As the name implies you sit above the Russian River as it exits into the Pacific. Beautiful and expansive vistas!
The food is great and I’ve even opted for a prix fixe special once which I did not regret. I always enjoy their half glass of wine with a small serving of oysters for two. What a great choice for a special night out in one of the most beautiful spots on our California Coast. I’ve always received great service here. We have been in the winter, in the summer, and on a holiday weekend.
The bar looks very nice and posh as well. You can always walk out onto the balcony to enjoy the view. Make reservations and settle in to a cozy and romantic dinner.

There is not a more beautiful spot on the west coast. The food is incredible, if the Elk is on the menu it’s a must. Highly recommend making reservations at sunset, it is breathtaking. Wonderful spot, truly a hidden gem.

For the last 6 months I’ve been planing my vacation to Northern California and a trip to the Rivers end restaurant as I do several times every year. As always, the food was wonderful, but I have to say that the service and the appreciation of the customer was lacking.
There were 5 people in our part and we were seated right away. We placed our orders for appetizers and ordered 2 bottles of wine at a price of $ 45.00 per bottle which was more than fair, and by the end of the evening we purchased 3 $ 45.00 bottles, and spent a total of $ 650 including tip.
The problem I had was with the greediness of the restaurant, not on the price of the food, or the price of the wine, but the fact they would not give us enough bread to go with our meal. Again, there were five in my party but when they served our bread there was only 4 slices. I ask the young lady to bring more bread and she said «We are only allowed to serve 4 slices per basket» and I replied“but there are 5 in my party.” The young lady said I’m sorry but that is the rule. I was very disappointed, but told her I would reluctantly pay for the additional bread, so she brought 4 more slices.
As the waiter served us I called him aside and asked again about the bread but he told me that there was a lot of expense that went into the production of their bread and that I should understand. Well bottom line is I don’t understand, and in my opinion if when someone spends as much as we did for a meal you should give them a whole loaf of bread if they want it.
This was my last visit to this restaurant not because of the food, not because of the price, but because of the lack of appreciation for me the customer that spends over $ 600 every time I come in but cannot get bread included in my meal.
In conclusion, You can go to the Rivers end, you can spend a whole lot of dough, but you better bring your own bread because the restaurant is so proud of theirs that they will not share it with you!

One of my favorite places in the county, they have it all. Intimate, good food, good drink, stellar view, great service and ambiance.

Beautiful view of the ocean, absolutely breathtaking around sunset. However, service isn’t the best and I wouldn’t order anything except the seafood.
We had made a reservation and let them know in advance that we were on our honeymoon, and they set us at a table that was wedged right in between two others, so much so that we could barely move and were very uncomfortable. We requested to be moved (which they did very understandably). Despite there not being many people in the restaurant, it took an incredibly long time to get water.
We ordered the ceviche to start and it was incredibly fresh and delicious. I ordered the sole (which was tasty but the temperature was not as hot as I would have liked) and my husband ordered the steak (which was overcooked despite requesting that the steak be cooked medium). The steak wasn’t bad, but it was the most expensive item on the menu (twice the amount as my fish) and should have been amazing for what we paid for it.
Overall, it’s a beautiful view and I would recommend going. However, if you don’t want to feel ripped off, stick to drinks and appetizers or just the seafood dishes.

Place is beautiful. If you take the coast there, you think you’re in ireland for a minute! The view is one of the best I have seen from the restaurant. Sit by a window or in the sunroom! Clams and beet salad were so good. Kids had a burger and fries with house made ketchup. Sarah served us and she was very sweet, helpful and attentive. If you sit outside, you will be in heaven. Will be back for sure!!!

Came here at the end of the President’s Day holiday weekend for lunch. We got there just a couple of minutes before opening, and a customer waiting at the door said the line starts here. We shrugged and stood in line right behind her. Before I knew it, there were 10 more people waiting behind me.
After the restaurant opened, we were promptly seated at a table with a great view. Service was polite and prompt, and food service was on point. I had a lamb burger with chimichurri, and my spouse had the fish and chips. Both were really solid meals. The wine/​beer list was modest, but respectable. You really cannot beat the location and the views of this restaurant. I’m guessing reservations are recommended for dinner.

Lovely restaurant inside and out. Right on the water and the inside has these neat hanging lights that guide you down these hall-​like rooms. The beet salad was a bit bland for my taste and I wish they had a little bit of vinegrette drizzled on the tower of beets to add some moisture. The prawn pasta was really yummy– I did have to add a spritz of lemon to the dish to brighten up the prawns and loosen the pasta sauce, but once my odd adjustment was made each bite was better then the next. The service was impeccable, the server was very attentive and nice. All and All a lovely experience.

River’s End Inn/​Cabins:
Five stars. Six stars? Ten stars! Seriously, I can’t recommend this place enough.
We stayed in Cabin #2, and it was perfect. The room/​bathroom is on the smaller side, and the little stove in the corner kept things nice and warm. The room was well-​appointed, clean, the little shower had lots of hot water and good water pressure, and the private deck and view are just unbeatable. Sitting out there, drinking wine, watching the sunset, listening to the waves. You are right above the water and it is glorious. If it gets too cold/​rainy to be outside, you can still watch the water (and birds and seals and otters! For hours! Who needs a TV?!) from the comfy bed or big leather chairs, thanks to the windows all along the wall. The room has everything you need, and the whole place is just so peaceful and quiet. I loved everything about it.
Pro tip: Make an awesomely mellow Jenner Cabin playlist, save it locally to your phone (no cell service of wifi!), bring a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable, and play your tunes through the little iHome docking station. (Honestly, I think the only thing that would make this place more rad is if they had nice, warm-​sounding, vintage stereos and cabinet speakers in the rooms. I’d never leave.)
There are also a lot of great options for hiking nearby — the Kortum Trail, Pomo Canyon/​Red Hill loop, and Goat Rock. Amazing views wherever you look.
River’s End Restaurant:
Four stars.
We had a really nice meal here. Calm atmosphere, I’m sure the views are stunning in the daytime (we went on the later side, after dark), good service. The food was good but ultimately, I felt, a little over-​priced. Cocktails were pricey and nothing special; they had a good selection of local beers, though. The oysters were fantastic and the beet salad was great. I got the shrimp and pasta for dinner and it was quite good; I was skeptical about «truffle cream» but the dish was really well-​balanced and I loved the house-​made pasta. My companion got the duck, which was fine, but we weren’t sure if it was $ 42 worth of fine. The crème brûlée for two was well-​executed and satisfying. I would have just preferred a few more reasonably priced entrée options — for example, the lamb burger that’s on the lunch menu! I won’t deny that you can’t beat walking 20 feet to dinner when you’re staying at the cabins, but I don’t know that I’d make a special trip just for the restaurant.
Also, there is an adorable black-​and-​white cat with the cutest scratchy meow that greeted us before and after dinner and walked us back to our cabin. Love.
Overall:
Still five stars.
I haven’t stopped thinking about this place since we left, and I know I will be back, hopefully regularly!

First word that comes to kind when you walk in is «Nice» we showed up 30min after lunch, Rose greeted us and said we where a bit late for lunch but that she would ask to see if the chef would serve us. She came back and asked us where we wanted to sit to enjoy our meal. The views you get in this restaurant are beautiful. Our server Leaf was a nice and attentive waiter and was there when you needed him. NOW THE FOOD. Wow. Attention to detail, pre– meditated flavors and work that gets put into the dish is evident. We loved every Second of it. We than enjoyed a coffee on the deck and took in the sunset. I am so glad we found this gem.

Disappointing. I’ve been to Rivers End numerous times over the years and loved it. Today was not be of them. Slow service, from the seating to finally get us food menus. The menu seems very limited and now pricey for what you get. I guess I need to wait another 10 years before returning.
Upside…spectacular ocean view!

Was here in March 2015, so this review is coming a bit late. We went here along the way to Mendocino, driving North on Hwy 1. This is a must stop for anyone doing a drive up the coast through Jenner. View is fabulous and the food was very good. They also have a extensive wine list, featuring a lot of Sonoma Valley wines. They also have a great deck off the back, where you can enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine while taking in the view.
Very excellent service. Nice relaxed vibe to this place. Could hang here for hours and take in the view and some fine food and great wine.
The only knock I would have on this place is that we were really looking forward to having California Dungeness crab for lunch (since March is smack in the middle of crab season). But, alas, the only crab on the menu was the chef’s tasting menu. I asked the server if I could order the crab bisque a la carte, and he said «no». DENIED! Holding that delicious Dungeness crab hostage? Who does that? I was not in the mood for the tasting menu, as I still had another 2 ½ hours of driving ahead of me and did not want to fall asleep at the wheel.
Anyway, will go back here for sure, but hoping to get that crab bisque without having to shell out for the entire tasting menu.

This is a little slice of heaven in West County. I love this spot and each time I go I remember why, it’s beautiful!
I spent the afternoon recently in Bodega then headed up the coast to this little gem for a drink and potentially some nibbles. The nibbles didn’t work out as I arrived between lunch and dinner so only apps were being served and nothing seemed to tickle my fancy. Choices included ahi poke, halibut ceviche, and more.
I settled for some libations instead. They have one of my favorite Gins, St. George, so I started with a gin and tonic then moved to a beautiful Pinot from Thomas George.
Price points are average and the deck is fantastic to sit and soak up the sun.
The view is amazing to overlook the end of the Russian river and the beginning of the ocean. I may need to schedule a dinner here soon just to enjoy that view a little longer.
Parking is slim, but if you really want it I suggest making it work.

Seriously in love with this place. I want to bathe in their mushroom soup. Now, I know that sounds weird, but I really do want to take a bath in it. Before you question my sanity, taste their mushroom soup. Then tell me you don’t feel the same.
After the soup, the meal continued to delight. The arftul beet salad with smooth, creamy cheese and a memorable balsamic reduction. The crisp, fresh asparagus on the perfectly cooked pasta. The wine that paired delightfully with our food. All combined to give the impression of a masterful chef and a kitchen up to the task of executing to their vision.
The service was hands down amazing. Our lead server had a super warm personality, and we never had to ask for anything over the course of our long meal. My girlfriend and I felt extremely welcomed by her. We’re not surprised that this place has won numerous awards.
Top it all off with a view of the ocean at sunset. Couldn’t ask for a more romantic evening. We’ve decided it will be our go-​to spot for special occasions.

The food is very good here. I had the duck three ways (not three-​way you sicko) and my fiancé had the salmon. We also had the beet salad and the raw oysters. Definitely no issues with the food and we were placed by the window for a sunset view. We missed the sunset since we were distracted by eating, though. I also had the Aviator cocktail, but it tasted like alcoholic grapefruit juice, so I gave it to my fiancé.
Anyway, what is lacking is the service. The waiters rotate and sometimes it’s hard to find anyone. We were there over an hour and only once did someone come by to check on our water. We were also here celebrating my birthday and only the hostess acknowledged it. When I asked another waiter about that, he said they did nothing for birthdays. Our primary waitress was MIA most of the meal. So, customer service could just a facelift.

We’re back tonight. Last night, had dinner here with friends.
You know it must be amazing if we used up our only 2 dinners in Sonoma County at The Rivers End.
The ambiance is warm, the view; breathtaking, the service; impeccable, and the food; WOW!
If you haven’t been here, get here!
Thank you Bert Rangel.
5 Stars
#5stars