Grounds Restaurant

Have been twice. Wonderful both times. Probably the best food in Murphys.

I’m torn between 2 stars for the ambience and 5 for the food.
The food was superb! One of the best meals we have ever had in Murphys. Wedge salad was delicious (maybe a tad too much dressing… But yummy). The risotto was flavorful and this is coming from someone who does not eat rice! And the chicken cordon bleu was tasty. The best part: the squash was cooked to perfection. So much food that we could not fit dessert.
It was hard to watch the very nice manager busting her butt while all the wait staff hung around the bar and were REALLY loud. They were attentive though when they weren’t all shuffling by to hang at the bar. One waitress in particular clomped loudly as she NEVER picked up her feet as stomped by in her boots. Very annoying. The loudness of staff, the clanking of the dishwasher and kitchen, and the obnoxious three top a few tables over definitely dampened the delight of our meal. Good thing the food made up for the ambience. I think we should’ve waited for another table but, we were wet from rain and hungry.
I would definitely eat here again but… Sit in the back!

Amazing dinner experience with great local wines, delicious food, and fun conversation with the tables next to us.
My wife ordered the Pork Tenderloin and I asked our server to surprise me with her favorite (she chose the excellent Seafood Cioppino).
My wife’s pork tenderloin bites were scrumtrelescent (yes, I snuck a few bites). My cioppino was DYNOMITE! Seafood was excellent (particularly the shrimp) and the tomato base was absolutely perfect.
We rounded off the meal with their cheesecake dessert — the name escapes me — but the bright lemon flavored do not. Also, homemade whip cream FTW!
2 entrees, 2 glasses of local wine, and a dessert all for $ 78 — Date night complete — +100 husband points :-)

Reservation for the day after Christmas. Staff was very friendly and helpful. We originally had reservations for 6pm. The staff was excited when we asked on the same-​day for 5pm reservations. Upon arrival, we were the first PM guest but really quickly served. Swordfish special and filet for our party. The food was prompt and well cooked. I recommend the self-​serve bruchette and the carrot cake was awesome. While the waiter was a bit lack luster with her recommendations, we navigated the menu. Awesome!

Food is amazing

Always a delicious meal in a cozy and relaxing environment. We always make sure we eat hear when we are in town for the weekend. Breakfast and dinner are both very enjoyable experiences. The staff are attentive and polite and the service is quick but not too rushed. I look forward to my next visit

Another great experience, this time I ordered a breakfast burrito and so did my friend: D and it had a fresh homemade taste that I’d come back for again and again.

Lovely indoor and outdoor patio seating. Attentive service, nice food selection, great coffees! Yummy breakfast choices. Highly recommend the eggplant sandwich for lunch with balsamic vinaigrette salad. Delish!!!

I have no complaints here. This restaurant is always consistent and good. The service is also spot on. If your looking for a wonderful Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Grounds is perfect. Even if you want a romantic date night it works for that too.

This place is great for breakfast — no joke. We came tonight for dinner. They advertised a hot carribean ceviche with corvina, bay shrimp, avocado, lemon, baby kale, and peppers. Silly me, I assumed «hot» in this context meant spicy. Nope! It was piping hot in a soup bowl with coconut curry broth. Inexplicably, it was served with mushy sweet potato fries swimming at the bottom of the broth. Epic fail!
The good news: Hubby’s burger was tasty snd cooked to order – a true medium rare. Local wines by the glass are well-​selected, rare, generous, and inexpensive.

AMAZED at how much i liked their food & service. Went for both Breakfast & then again for Dinner. Service was fantastic.
Breakfast — i had the egg scramble & all ingredients were fresh. I appreciate a good cup of Joe & it was perfectly brewed! Having 4 kids with us & the level of service we received was damn good.

Grounds has already been one of my parent’s favorites in Murphys. It was my first time there and I can say that it did not disappoint. We had cioppino and chicken cordon blue. They were very kind to let me substitute seasonal veggies for the Brussels sprouts that had as an appetizer. All of the items met and exceeded my expectations. Beware of the Parmesan béchamel sauce on the chicken cordon blue. It is rich. For those of you from Texas, it is like a cheesy cream gravy. Wow. The service was also good. I look forward to my next visit.

The food was ok. Could’ve been better but, the manager was quite rude right from the start.
«You have 1 minute to order breakfast»
Awesome, thank you. Takes our order and never see her again. Food comes up and sits there for 5 minutes while she up front doing who knows what. Another lady drops the food off, we still have no silverware or napkins yet. This waitress then swipes 2 place settings from a dirty table and gives them to us. It was quite disgusting.
Won’t ever be back.

We were referred to Grounds by the owner of our bed and breakfast, saying that «people have been raving about their food». Maybe our expectations were too high, but the food was not that great with the exception of the tomato basil and fresh mozzarella salad. So our entrée’s fell short of rave worthy, the risotto I had was not authentic, and tasted like they made it with chicken stock. The Chicken Cordon Blue that my BF ordered was almost comical in proportions, the chicken was massive and heaped on top of not 1, but 2 helpings of carbs, a table sized serving of mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. No green vegetables in sight.
The service on the other hand was lovely, they were extremely quick, and the server was personable and polite. Oh, and as a bonus they didn’t charge a corkage!

We stopped in for a late breakfast on a weekday. The food was pretty tasty with large portions and our waitress was solid, but the supporting staff was lacking. I ordered a coffee and never received it. Then my mom ordered a mimosa and it was forgotten about until she reminded our server to bring it. It’s a cute space inside and out, and it was very nice to sit outside on the terrace under the umbrellas and fans.

We ate here for breakfast this morning. Simple menu, simple setup. Slightly more ambient than Firewood (same owner), but still relatively spare. Polite, fast, attentive service.
The french toast was great, and my breakfast burrito was solid. Prices were completely fair.
V Bistro’s owners need to send their staff here to get trained.
Recommended.

This quaint little restaurant is simply awesome. The food and service are awesome and the ambiance is fantastic — whether you’re indoors or outdoors on their beautiful patio.
As a party of four, we sat outside on their patio for lunch. They have vines and flowers all over, and a wonderful sun cover above. The tables are spread out nicely, and there’s views of the patio next door as well as other vine covered buildings and stone path alleyways leading back to the main street. They also allow dogs on their patio which is nice.
We ordered many things, and everything was delicious. I had the chicken tostada grande with a latte. Both were fantastic. The tostada was probably the best I have ever had — with fresh crisp greens, plentiful chicken and veggies and a smoky tomatillo sauce to the side. Lots of olives and cheese as well. The cumin dressing — which I thought might be overpowering was a light noted accompaniment and was not too overpowering but made a light statement. The coffee was excellent as well, with nice balance — and not bitter which I liked.
Five stars for great food, ambiance and service — this is a really fantastic place to eat lunch.

Our first impression was «great» because we started with the Red Curry Thai Mussels appetizer, but it kind of went downhill from there. The service was perfect, no complaints at all there, but food was not as good as the prices are high. My wife had the Ciopino and as others stated it is a bit of an off flavor (not much tomato or fish stock flavor) and lite on seafood. I had the boneless pork ribs, which were OK if a bit fatty — but the wedge fries were inedible — reeking of burnt garlic or something that stuck with me for hours.
We went back for breakfast (staying very nearby) and both got the «basil and tomato omelet». Well, pesto stirred into eggs is NOT basil like I expected, and the mixture came off too strongly flavored to be for breakfast.
It is still probably one of the best bets on the Main street but you need to be pretty careful about your selections, and again I think it was more $$ than the food was worth.

My wife and I just renewed our wedding vowes after 20 years and took the Honeymoon we never had. So, on the drive up to Murphys, we stopped in Sonora to grab a quick bite and when the waitress asked what we were up to we told her. Without hesitation, she demanded that we try Grounds. The following morning my wife and I said to each other, ‘Eh, not too many choices around here for breakfast, so let’s give it a try.’
WOW! Amazing visual — audio atmosphere, as well as a super friendly, inquisitive (if offered up from us) on what we’re doing and where we’re from.
Then there was the food. The 1^st morning we both had the breakfast burrito to fuel up for our hike in Big Trees, just a few miles away. We were not expecting such a delight. The green sauce was incredible (and I’m not one for green sauce). Filling and healthy tasting. The coffee is INCREDIBLE. And, if you feel like it, there is a basket of pastries right on the counter to get as an appetizer.
The 2^nd morning my wife had the spinach omelet and I had the 2 eggs w/​Italian sausage. That cook knows his stuff. For something as simple as hash browns, eggs and sausage, I was impressed. As was my wife on her omelet. She kept repeating how good it was.
So, lots of food for a reasonable price (this morning w/​tip was only $ 35). We walked away, both days, completely content and completely satisfied. Thank you, staff at Grounds.
Oh, and don’t forget about their sister restaurant, Firewood… just a few doors down.

Ate here for the first time on St. Patrick’s Day before an afternoon w/​the Big Trees. My friend and I ate outside on the patio which is cute. The town of Murphy’s is cute so this fits in rather nicely.
The young guy that sat us and brought us water had more personality than our server.
I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich that came w/​green chilis and I had them switch the jack cheese w/​feta and I asked for it w/​o the cumin sauce and chips and used their salsa and went w/​a side salad. Their sourdough bread was good as was the salsa. The rest of the sandwich was forgettable.
My friend had the chicken tostada grande and said it was fine.
The bathroom was clean, the food was a-​ok
Will explore other dining options while in Murphys