MacCallum House Restaurant & Grey Whale Bar-Cafe

Mendocino, United States

3.9

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 707-937-0289
Website:
www.maccallumhouse.com
Address:
45020 Albion St, Mendocino, CA, 95460
Categories:
QR code
Download QR Image Download vCard

Map

Streetview

Activate map

Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Breakfast, Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check
No
Smoking
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 8:00 am – 10:00 am
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (Mendocino) 07:06 Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 8:00 am – 10:00 am
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 10:00 am
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 10:00 am
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 10:00 am
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 10:00 am
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 11:00 am
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am – 11:00 am
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Description

Specialties

Executive Chef Alan Kantor showcases regional North Coast wines, seafood, meats and produce with an emphasis on organics and quality purveyors. We change our menus seasonally.

«Absolutely everything we serve you is prepared in our own kitchen, including breads, hand rolled pastas, and smoked meat, fish and poultry. We use only the freshest seasonal ingredients and feature local and regional organic and wild crafted products whenever possible.» Executive Chef Alan Kantor

To begin the MacCallum House dining experience you might choose an apéritif from the Grey Whale Bar to accompany a first course of select Pacific Rim oysters, Liberty Farm duck leg confit or gnocchi and chanterelle salad. Second courses may include wild king salmon, bouillabaisse, roasted Rosie organic chicken, grilled Niman Ranch chops and steaks, the vegetarian dinner or one of the evening’s exciting specials. We offer a fine wine selection with a focus on outstanding local vintages.

History

Established in 2002.

MacCallum House is a collection of world-​class properties located in the historic village of Mendocino. The Main Property, home of the elegant MacCallum House Inn, is private and secluded, set on two beautifully landscaped acres of vibrant gardens. Built in 1882 by town founder William Kelley as a wedding gift to his daughter Daisy on her marriage to local entrepreneur Alexander MacCallum. The popular restaurant, café and Grey Whale bar enhance the landmark Victorian estate with notable Executive Chef Alan Kantor wielding the whisk. Guests enjoy fine food and drink while watching the waves from the sunporch.

Meet the Manager

Alan K.

Manager

Executive Chef of the MacCallum House Restaurant, Alan Kantor, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). He expresses his culinary talents using the North Coast’s rich palette: the fine wines of Mendocino County, as well as those of Napa and Sonoma; huckleberries; wild chanterelle and porcini mushrooms from the forest; greens from local farms; fresh fish and shellfish from the ocean. Some of the country’s finest meats and grains come from the valley regions, and world-​class products from San Francisco arrive in the kitchen daily.

Chef Kantor has received numerous awards and accolades as a chef and teacher. He takes pride in sending two of his local students/​employees to the CIA to follow in his footsteps. He has been recognized in national culinary and travel publications for his innovative ways of providing guests with an experience that not only pleases their palates but broadens their experiences.

MacCallum House Restaurant & Grey Whale Bar-​Café also recommends

Rainsong

12

reviews

Men’s Clothing

,

Women’s Clothing

,

Accessories

Alan K. says,

«Unique and well-​made clothing available here; find great deals on the sale rack in back!»

Corners of the Mouth

36

reviews

Grocery

,

Health Markets

Alan K. says,

«Our friends and neighbors at Corner’s provide delicious, vegetarian natural food at a great price.»

GoodLife Café & Bakery

214

reviews

Cafes

,

Coffee & Tea

Alan K. says,

«This place looks big & beautiful after recent remodel. Delicious hot drink selection includes all the usual options but try the Salted Caramel Latte!»

Related places

You might also consider:
430
ft
Dick’s Place
45070 Main St
430
ft
Patterson’s Pub
10485 Lansing St
480
ft
Mendocino Hotel Victorian Dining Room
45080 Main St
630
ft
Mendocino Hotel Garden Cafe
45080 Main St
740
ft
Trillium Cafe and Inn
10390 Kasten St
760
ft
The Moosse Cafe
390 Kasten St

Nearby

Near this location:
60
ft
MacCallum House Inn
45020 Albion St
60
ft
Mendo Wine Tours
45020 Albion St
70
ft
Garden Bakery of Mendocino
10450 Lansing St
110
ft
Corners of the Mouth
45015 Ukiah St
120
ft
Community Coffee & Cookie
10450 Lansing
120
ft
Moody’s Organic Coffee Bar
10450 Lansing St

20 reviews of MacCallum House Restaurant & Grey Whale Bar-Cafe

No registration required
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
Whenever we visit Mendocino we always dine at the MacCallum House Grey Whale Restaurant. We love the ambiance, consistently great service and wonderful food.
It is also one of the few restaurants that carries nearly all of the great Germain-​Robin brandies including grappa.
This weekend (Whale Festival Weekend) the weather produced three days of torrential rain which made sitting in the bar by the fire and drinking brandy exactly the right thing to do.
I know that folks say the pricing is high but we have to disagree. Coming from the Bay Area we find the prices at MacCallum to be quite reasonable and the same as several other good spots in the Mendocino vicinity. In our opinion it is the best place in town for dinner.
Try the restaurant for breakfast as well as for dinner. Their breakfasts are special and actually on the moderate side.
Place rating: 5
Vacaville, CA
On vacation and so busy all day we decided to eat out instead of cooking at our rental. The food here was fabulous!!! I had the scallops for an appetizer and venison for the main course. The meats were perfectly cooked. So tender they melted in your mouth. Kids got the burgers which were devoured and they did an excellent job of accommodating my sons food allergies. Hubby had filet mignonette and oysters. Again perfectly prepared.
Place rating: 4
Corte Madera, CA
Wonderful winter ambiance, good
Green salad and fabulous pork chop.
Walnut waffle dessert not so hot.
Place rating: 5
Fort Bragg, CA
Best food. Best customer service around. Sarah was the best you could have for her customer service skills. Tell one tell all. Go there you will not be disappointed.
Place rating: 5
Brentwood, CA
I had a pleasant experience here on Thanksgiving weekend (Saturday). Showed up with no reservations around 7PM and had to wait about 20 minutes to get a table as they were pretty busy. Our waitress was very friendly and on point. Pretty warm and welcoming atmosphere (Victorian style set up). The food was great and so was the service. I’d definitely come back to try out some of their other dishes. I had a Prailine Cookie Taco desert that was awesome! lol
Place rating: 1
Alameda, CA
I am on a mission to speak up when places (esp. Restaurants) are understaffed. Sunday brunch there was only 1 waiter for the entire place. Took half an hour to get drinks, an hour to get our food. When a place doesn’t have enough staff, customers have a bad experience and the staff has an even worse time. Long waits also mean lower tips, so everybody loses. Oh except the proprietor, who saves some money. Long run, though, this tactic will backfire on them as well.
If the food was spectacular, maybe I could put up with it, but in fact the food was as bad as the service. Was excited about house made sausage but it was dry as cardboard and under spiced. The breakfast potatoes were among the worst I’ve ever had.
Place rating: 3
Henderson, NV
Food was delicious! The duck and stuffed bell pepper was what we ordered. Everything was tasty, but what is up with the some of the staff?! After dinner we wanted to check out the bar. However, the bartender lady was rude, and seemed annoyed we ordered our drink with her at the bar and not with the waitress at the bar (which we didn’t know we had a waitress at the couch area). The bartender made sure to make it a point and let us know she would «kindly» make our drink. It felt like we were in her way, and there was only one other customer sitting at the bar. So we were clearly not asking for much.
Our waiter wasn’t very helpful either, he was short with his answers, not welcoming at all.
Grr, this made me upset because we were on a trip to Mendocino to celebrate my birthday and to receive poor service just sucked. It’s always disappointing when the staff is rude, it ruins your meal and time there. If we ever go again (because of the yummy food), I will have to make sure the bartender is a different person (not the lady who made our drink) and we get seated with another waiter/​waitress.
Please keep the food delicious! And please work on the staff! I just noticed other people who also posted on the poor service. Its too bad because it’s a very nice place to have a wonderful time.
Place rating: 3
New Orleans, LA
Food was good, but the drinks and service are not up to par. The Dark and stormy tasted like rum and citric acid, I think the bartender needs a refresher course.
Amazing old house and awesome views, but for 10 $ drinks they should be correct. I saw a couple that had reservations have a problem getting a table, but maybe that is Mendocino, does not seem that the town embraces customer service. We are spoiled with the great restaurants in the Bay Area.
Place rating: 5
Hercules, CA
My girl friend and I had an outstanding dinner and desert. She had a Pork Chop and I had the Wild King Salmon. Our shared desert was a Black Berry Soufflé. Their meals apparently are prepared from scratch. We were advised to order our desert along with the meal so the wait time would not be a problem. The main course also took a while, which I attribute to it being freshly made. The wait was well worth it!
The entire meal was very tasty, enjoyable and absolutely worth the wait for delicious and freshly prepared food.
The cost was modestly pricey, but appropriate for great quality food.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Excellent food, ambiance, and service — highly recommend.
Place rating: 2
El Dorado Hills, CA
I recommend against the MacCallum House. There are lots of better alternatives in town.
My husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and we wanted to have some special nights out. So, months in advance, we made a reservation at the MacCallum House.
We arrived early for our reservation, in line behind a young couple, without a reservation, who requested a window table they could see. The hostess quickly sat them. Then, the hostess asked us if we had a reservation. We said yes, and she said she didn’t have table available and asked us to wait in the bar.
We should have read more of the reviews, because when we did, we discovered that the MacCallum house regularly treats those with reservations just like anyone else. Rather than asking those without reservations to wait until they can process the people in line with reservations, they just take everyone on a first-​come-​first-​seated basis.
When the hostess finally seated us, 25 minutes later, it was at a table in the back, near the server station.
We proceeded to order dinner, and also ordered the special desert of the night, a soufflé. Our waiter came back 10 minutes later to tell us we were out of luck, someone else had claimed the last soufflé At 7:15 at night their special was already sold out. Our wait for the table had cost us again.
After the wonderful food reviews, we were willing to start fresh, and enjoy our meal. The soup and salad were good. For our dinner entrees, the vegetarian dish was decent but unremarkable. The pork chop was blood rare near the bone. We asked the waiter to deal with that, and 15 minutes later a very well-​done remainder of the pork chop arrived back. It resembled a hockey puck and was uneatable.
By then, very frustrated with our location, aloof waiter, and food; we flagged the hostess over and asked to talk to the manager. She refused, she said we had to deal with her. And, she basically took the position that we should have complained earlier, and waited longer for a table. She would not address the food.
You would think when you are dropping over $ 100 per person for dinner, you would at least get a friendly staff and well-​prepared food. But, you’d be wrong at the MacCallum House.
Place rating: 3
Mill Valley, CA
Food was good but it all seemed pretty dated. I had the salmon and my husband had the burger.
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
We returned here after all the crowds for 4th of July had dissipated. The village is much quieter then and you can easily dine here without the noise and commotion. The dinner was really good and service was very good, especially the busgirl and person who sat us at our table. The waiter was a bit aloof.
We started with duck fried rice, $ 12. It came with brown rice and bits of duck. Hubby liked it but I thought it was bland. He had the pork chop, $ 32 which came with bok choy and gnocchi. The pork chop was moist and surprisingly, I liked the tiny pieces of gnocchi, which I usually do not. My serving of duck breast, $ 37 was huge and very good. I couldn’t finish it all and Hubby took it back and ate it for breakfast the next day. The portion was much more generous than a fancier restaurant in SF, Perbacco which only gave you 2 slices of the breast.
We shared a ½ bottle of Navarro 2012 Chardonnay, $ 23,which was good too.
1 cup of organic coffee, $ 2.50 with our blackberry soufflé, $ 10 rounded out the meal total of $ 130 with tax.
Place rating: 3
Philadelphia, PA
Pros:
–It’s a cute place to have a meal or even a casual drink
–The place is clean but pricey
–the view and scenery from all angles in the restaurant is pretty
–the day crew were tentative
–breakfast food was awesome!
Cons:
–dinner crew forgot orders
–after being asked 3 times by 3 different people to light a fire because it was freezing, they never did it.
–dinner food was alright
Place rating: 5
Pacifica, CA
Hubby and I stayed for Valentine’s Day weekend and had the Chef’s Tasting Menu (with wines) as our Valentine’s Day treat – simply sublime. Each course paired perfectly with the wine served. The scallops were incredible; the duck – perfection; the steak… mmmm!
I’m not a big fan of bitter/​dark chocolate, so I would have preferred something else for dessert (it’s a trio split by two). But I could tell it was still high quality – and ate my half nonetheless (sheepish grin…). Overall, an exceptional meal.
Now, if you stay at the MacCallum House, breakfast is included. First morning I had Lupe’s Breakfast Burrito. That Lupe knows her stuff: It’s tasty, fresh, and perfectly seasoned. Yummy house potatoes, too! Second morning I had the Eggs Benedict on house-​made sourdough bread. Scrumptious! And get this: They poach your eggs to order (so if you’re like me, and start spitting pea soup like Linda Blair at the idea of runny eggs… they will poach them hard).
I highly recommend eating here if you’re visiting! Truly the best restaurant in Mendocino town.
Place rating: 4
Danville, CA
This review is for the restaurant. What a cute romantic spot! The bar is tiny, but lucky we were there on an off night, so we had no problem snagging two superb cocktails and grabbing a seat on the couch in front of the fire. Couldn’t beat it! You know a drink is going to be good when there’s a long line of fresh herbs and other ingredients lining the bar.
Dinner was just as fantastic. We were seated in the back area near another fireplace. No view per se, but a wonderfully cozy atmosphere. We both agree that our dinner here was even better than the highly regarded Beaujolais Café. Would come back in a heartbeat. Walked through the complex a bit, and the rooms look cute too! Beautiful gardens…
Place rating: 5
Providence, RI
What a charming little spot to sit by the fire, sip a cocktail and start the evening. I was totally swept away in the cuteness of this little place, and wish we’d stayed for dinner!
Their cocktail list is great, and even features a few mocktails for those tea-​totalers among us. The staff is friendly and casual while remaining very professional and knowledgeable about the menu and drinks.
The place is really gorgeous, too — beautiful Gothic architecture that has been maintained meticulously among sumptuous gardens and breathtaking views. There are 19 rooms to rent for a little getaway, and seeing as it’s in the center of town the location doesn’t get any better.
I love that you can breeze in for a drink, stay for a meal or book a room for a stay. Such a great place!
Place rating: 5
Modesto, CA
This time around it was all about the complimentary breakfasts. The menu hasn’t changed from two years ago but no matter, I enjoyed every morsel the two mornings I was allowed.
Both times the wait and ancillary staff were 100% on top of their game making sure the drinks remained filled and even cheerfully handled our unique requests.
The gripes I had in my previous review were all a distant memory.
Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA
The service was great, the setting is a lovely old Victorian house with beautiful gardens. We sat in the enclosed porch area at a fantastic candlelit table, and everyone who waited on us was great. But the food was overpriced for the quality… really overpriced.
I ordered the fried chicken which looked outstanding when it arrived, but the chicken itself was a really weird texture and had just a ton of cartilage/​bone and very little actual meat. The cornbread it came with was great, as was the slaw. The mashed potatoes and gravy were just so-​so and were cold when they arrived.
My boyfriend got the duck tacos and while they were «good» they weren’t great and were a pretty small portion of meat and taco for the price.
All and all it was $ 80 for two entrees and one salad (no drinks, just water) and that made it not worth it for us. We’d go back if we could get out for $ 50, but $ 80 was just too much for the quality of food served.
Place rating: 4
Roseville, CA
I made a reservation the night before on Open Table. I didn’t feel that we received any special table for our efforts, but it’s a small place so I’m glad we didn’t have to worry. We were seated in the sun room, which was exactly what I wanted, next to a window.
The service was promt and personable. I was very satisfied by the wait staff and their timing. Our drinks stayed full throughout the meal.
The food was wonderful and flavorful. Decent portions for the price you pay. Local and sustainable food options.
Come for the service, stay for the ambience.