Rio Nido Roadhouse

My family grew up in the Rio Nido area back in the 1960’s. They would spend their summers, in the cabin pictured, as kids. It was so amazing to learn about my family History and seeing it with my own eyes. Staff were very friendly!

I have been asked by a DJ local to the area (my girl Bonesurf!) to come out and sell my stuff there as a vendor when she has events, and I LOVE the Rio Nido Roadhouse!! They are like any house--as a guest, mind your P's and Q's, no outside food or drink no coolers and ABSOLUTELY NO MOVING THE FURNITURE! 😉 but like any great host, they have *amazing* food and drinks, sweet bartenders and servers, and although I only drink Diet Coke, they keep em coming and they are cold! It's worth the 2 hour drive (which is just picturesque and naturally beautiful as it is) and I ALWAYS can't wait to go back! See you soon, Roadhouse! 🙂 (just going to the Rio Nido Roadhouse alone makes me want to move to this lovely quaint community!)

Great little venue for music, munching and bathing, with a historical quality via famous musicians of the past and their performances. My only minor gripe is that, as a 'locals bar,' they have a pretty clear prejudice against 'tourists' and transplants with money, as is common at places where 'the locals' are gradually being priced out of their own communities. So it's understandable, but we're not all bad!

We stopped by late night during our stay at the lodge. Despite being late night customers, we were greeted with smiles and welcomed warmly. We were able to get our food order in 10 minutes before close, and the fantastic bartender, Tiana, allowed us to stay past close to enjoy our brews. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming with a fun indoor area along with a spacious patio. They are dog friendly in their off season - Oct through April (leashed on patio), and their food was pretty good as well. We enjoyed the taco salad, Mac n Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes, and the Lowbrau Pizza. Roadhouse is a wonderful watering hole and we plan to return during our stay at the lodge!

Ive lived in town my whole life and this place goes through phases where its okay, and then terrible again. I went here for a birthday dinner for my mom with my dad and boyfriend. My mom order the chicken fried steak and before the server even left the table she knew she had to send it back. The mashed potatoes were cold with a load of dark congealed gravy on top - the "steaks" was one piece of fried steak that looked like a thin small rubber strip. She decided to just share my plate with me instead - I got the nachos with tri tip for 22 dollars. They were cold, unseasoned and every single chip was burnt. We ended up throwing them away after a few bites. My boyfriend's burger he ordered medium rare was way past well done, but somehow cold served with cold cheese. The same with my dad's chicken sandwich. It's not an exaggeration to say that was some of the worst food I have ever received at a restaurant. To finally top that off my mom and I both got food poisoning that lasted two full days. My stomach is still hurting. Avoid. There are many other spots in town.

Amazing place to hang out with friends and have a few beers, the vibe is great and is in the middle of the redwoods so amazing views, the outdoors is pretty neat and has a stage for live music. Food is average, they asked me how I wanted my burger, I said medium rare, and they gave me the most overcooked burger, why they asked for my preference? Did not send it back cause I dislike to waste food, but the flavor was decent, all the components were good just super dry for obvious reasons. The fries were not bad but not amazing, nice seasoning but not all the way crispy. Will not come here for the food, this is a place to come with friends or family, drink and have fun. Seems they constantly do community activities so it is definitely a great place for locals.

Good service at the bar, ordered the BLT with spinach salad for the side and it was fantastic. The bread was perfect. Thought it was odd and a bit funny they had a pool though but I kinda like it

A fun quirky place for live music, booze, and good food. We came here twice during our short visit because we really liked the low key vibe and the live music. Lots of outdoor seating, and some under a pavilion with heaters for when it's chilly. With the tall trees overhead, kids running around, and the string lights, it's like a backyard party! We loved the Western burger, wings, and jalapeno poppers. But get there early for food - they do run out of some items on busy nights.

This place is a conundrum for sure! A restaurant with a pool? Yes! And a stage and picnic tables and fabulous fun food! Yes! Small town charm is born; not built and this place just screams it! Enjoy this experience; it will be a fond memory in your vacation files.

Stopped by one afternoon recently on a visit to the area. A cool venue under the tall trees. My friend and I found a place outside on that sunny afternoon where the stage is at out back. The two chair center table setup works well for sitting and enjoying some food and a cold drink with someone else. We ordered a couple drinks and some nachos, and hungout for a while and enjoyed the redwoods, being in the forest and taking a break from our hike. I'm sure its a lively venue when music is playing, the afternoon crowd was a lot of fun and the bartender a funny guy that engaged his crowd great. We took our drinks with us and he dropped our nachos off outside when they were ready. The nachos were pretty good, canned refrieds, with black beans, etc. but for that moment in time, it worked. The jalepenos, sour cream, melted cheese and avocado crema, all came together with my cold pilsner tap. 4 Stars the RNR worth a visit 00981

Came here for an event and was pleasantly surprised to see they had some pretty good food and drink options. It was basically outside or under a patio cover with some fans and being there on the hottest day of the year so it made it a little bit rough. You can wait in line and they take your order at the window and give you a number card which you can take anywhere and sit and they will find you even out by the pool or by BBq area and stage or there on the covered patio, so that's nice. I totally forgot to get a picture of the food but the size of the nachos was impressive and I couldn't even finish them so great for sharing. Hubby got the burger with a side salad and that was a hearty serving. The prices were pretty good and service was great even with a huge crowd and people everywhere they find you as long as you keep your number visible.

Excellent service, food and brews. Friendly atmosphere and professional service. Very welcoming

best roasted fried chicken that i have ever had in this place. live music and good food.

Outdoor and indoor seating. Beautiful area to slow down and enjoy some food and drinks. Americana breakfast was very greasy. The eggs literally just tasted like grease & breakfast potatoes were dripping of oil. However the sandwiches and burger were solid and were enjoyed The following 4 meals and one beer cost $82!!!!!

This place is nice. However, I never got my food or drink when I went there. It took like 4 waitresses to come up and ask what I wanted. By the 4 waitress, I told them I don't want anything. Doesn't take 3 hours to get food.....

Love getting their spinach salad and that artichoke dip. Delicious! You can call ahead and they're so cooperative about picking up your take home

Walt from Walt's Adventures here and I find myself in Rio Nido, California. Looking for a place to eat surrounded by tall trees that gives you awesome food? You found it. The food was good, the customer service treated like you were family and later... you can eat your meal directly under the Moon. Eat here for tranquility

Had lunch here recently. OMG!!! The tri tip was so good and the service was outstanding. They'd get 10 stars if that was an option.

Love this place. Set in the the glorious Guerneville Valley. It's a resort, it has a pool, we didn't partake in that. The part I like most is the live music under the stars. They have Adirondack chair scattered around the bandstand with a cement dance floor in front. They also have a full restaurant & bar. This place is authentic, very casual, large enough to roam around before & while the music is playing. It tends to get a bit chilly in the area at night so a jacket may do ya good. But other than that check their website for their line up of entertainers & events, I know I will.

Huge covered outdoor patio with lights and heaters. Stage for live music. Excellent food, great flavor on everything. Plenty of beer on tap. Meat cooked in the yard on a huge smoker pit type thing. Loved every thing about this place and the food

Aviod at all cost. I have lived in Rio Nido for several years and never had a good experience here. Its a shame a place so so close to my house is so bad. Pm me for more details

Such a wonderful, cool, friendly place with music and food. Parking can be a bit dicey but they do well with what they have.

Great food, great music, fun atmosphere, very relaxing especially in the summer when the pool is open! YAY!!!!!

A fun stop while out on the Russian River. Stumbled upon this place on our way home from a day trip to the beach and found great live music, an eclectic crowd, and a fun, friendly staff that make their customers feel welcome.

The ABSOLUTE WORST service ! - half our party got their order first - it was cold - the rest of the tables order came out 30 minutes later and one of the plates/order was wrong! The waitress came back to read the receipt to us, and realized we were right - she brought the wrong food, and said "oh, ok ill get he right one out"...this time it wasn't 30 minutes, it was 10 - but everyone else's food was ice cold - generally when you eat with a group, you eat together right? Just unpleasant service all around - and cold food. Not worth the experience or the price just not happy at all - lesson learned - wont be back. The manager took off the one meal that was incorrect - but did nothing to correct the fact that the 2nd half of the party waited 30 mins for their food after the first half got theirs or that everything else was cold from waiting. And she made sure to keep the generous tip that was originally left before the disaster with our food (we paid before our food came out)

First time at the Rio Nido Roadhouse. Loved it. Came here for cousin's wedding; great venue. It was also interesting having the bar still open when the wedding was going on but it actually was also really cool. I found that the patrons were also celebrating with us and offering their well wishes to the bride and groom. It added to the love in the air and the happy vibe. I did enjoy the spicy mango margarita.

The most horrible place. Not only their food is rotten, and their drinks are watery, and cheap, toxic alcohol is served, - there is also a matter of sexually abusive bartenders who touch women inappropriately while being drunk and aggressive. The evening bartender needs to be fired, and this stinking whole needs to be closed, cleaned, and staffed with appropriate workers. Never go there!

I love this fun and funky roadhouse. Constantly excellent food. Their breakfasts are awesome and pancakes are so fluffy and delicious. The staff are super friendly and engaging and there is always easy parking. I want to visit one evening for dinner, drinks and entertainment.

*HORRIBLE ALLERGY EXPERIENCE* *HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE* *HORRIBLE FOOD* Do not come here if you have allergies! Do not come here if you like good food! I came here with a group of my friends, and was met with the most hostility and incompetence I've ever experienced at a restaurant. This is my first Yelp review, I normally don't write these. This was so bad that I had to write one. I have a severe peanut and nut allergy and very nicely asked the waitress (believe her name was Danielle) if it would be safe to order a BLT. In my experience on this earth, a BLT has never had a nut in it, but I always ask because there's always a cross contamination risk. She responded aggressively and honestly confused about my question, already saying she couldn't guarantee anything. She then left to go to the kitchen and came back 15 minutes later, only to come back more aggressively to tell me "they didn't want to get sued" and that they simply could not guarantee that there weren't nuts in my BLT. They also told me not to have anything from the fryer. I calmly asked if she could just say they would make SOME effort to not lather peanut butter on my BLT. That's ALL I needed to hear. She kept saying things like "we can't promise that" and "you're making me nervous." To be honest, I became quite nervous. I made the call to order the BLT anyways because I didn't want to have to go to another restaurant after almost an hour of sitting there. Ultimately all the food came at LEAST an hour later, two orders were messed up, we got an extra order of something that we didn't ask for, and had to deal with weird aggressive comments from the waitress. The food was mediocre at best, my BLT was cold and my friend had the worst black bean burger she had ever had. She actually got sick from it. It was honestly an awful experience from start to finish. This establishment needs allergy protocols in place ASAP. This establishment needs to have a conversation with its staff about how to respectfully interact with customers. I will never be returning and wanted to write this review so that people with allergies could avoid it. I'm honestly considering reporting to the health department.

Ordered a chicken sandwich and a veggie pizza. Took forever for the sandwich. And then discovered they had given the pizza to the wrong table. They barely apologized. Didn't get the pizza for over an hour and they barely apologized. An hour and a half for a sandwich and a pizza. Not a place we would ever visit again. Ever. Food is mediocre and the service was horrific.

Cool vibe - like someone's backyard in the countryside. Clearly a popular local spot - kids are running around/playing while the adults watch games on TV and knock back pints of beer (lots of variety on tap), and at some point they started up the outdoor old school grill. We ordered a bunch - paella that tasted more like jambalaya, steamed clams (ok), chicken tortilla soup (decent but quite spicy), margarita pizza (pretty thick dough) and frankly the hot dog (they look like the Costco one-pound dogs) was the most delicious item of our meal. Everything took a while - especially the hot dogs. I think that's the vibe and the point of the place - slow down, drink some beer, live life. Also cool that they had a singer playing the piano on stage - apparently he is also quite popular and regularly draws 100 people to the venue when he performs.

Really wanted to give this place 5 stars Staff is Rude- They have signs "prefer only Cash"- Bar inside area is shut off to customers with- only staff... Really ?? Really weak margarita- owners please spend another $.45 cents and give your customers a real drink. $12 cocktail !!.. They will return!! To this date still will not let you dine or go inside the bar area where it's plenty of seating area and a bar with televisions instead of being sequestered to sit outside. Covid is under control in Sonoma ! I gave the 2 stars for atmosphere- But, so many other options in Guernville to sit and enjoy your meals & drinks.. And the topper !! They automatically add 20% to all orders.. And don't tell you !! Folks - Please ask for your recipes

If you've ever wanted to swim in the redwoods while drinking a cocktail and listening to live music this is a spot for you my favorite spot now

I have uneven experiences here for years. It's the river so I expect most restaurants to be on river time . The food has never been the draw, there is far better pub food minutes away. It has a fairly nice, eclectic outdoor experience. Go for that and only get drinks. Last night I got a burger. I waited forever in line and I had an even longer wait for the burger. It was charred as black as coal and tasted just like it. Completely inedible. I asked for medium rare, it wasn't just overdone it was burned to a crisp and was as hard as a hockey puck and totally black in color. I honestly was shocked they had the audacity to plate it, it was that burned. I have never really liked their food, but I could at least eat it. It was my last straw. This place is simply not well run and there isn't anything on the menu that is worth coming for.

Great spot in the trees. Sweet potato fries were delicious, live music and vendors were awesome

Came over from the Rio Nido lodge we were staying at to eat, it was 8:15 PM closes at 9, GSW game on and the rude kitchen help (only one around). When asked where the restaurant is since we had neve been there before, she said go out the door and turn right, right to the bathrooms? Rude, they closed early and had to be A B! Will never stay there or eat there, no way! R3 is much better and more fun.

Wow WTF I've Been here a few times . I live very near by It's always been a major disappointment. Especially because of a horrible barmaid Melissa D . But today takes all . She literally is brushing her teeth while serving behind the bar. Talking , serving and brushing all at once . Does she wash her hands after ? No So gross . Never again. Once I get my pizza which I ordered an hour ago ... I'm out and done here. Overpriced by far.

Good patty melt and cold beer. The Ryebread was A bit on the soggy side from the blood and juice of the hamburger. By the time I got to the second half of the patty melt the bottom of the bread was completely soggy. Again it's just from the juice of the burger which means they don't let the meat rest. Still edible and fries were plentiful & hot. Beer good and cold.

Excellent food and a fun atmosphere! We drove through town looking for a place to eat and stumbled upon Rio Nido! If you're looking to relax and get to know a few locals this is the perfect spot!

Great place to enjoy live music outdoors! Friendly staff. Fun!

I love bringing my family and meeting friends at The Roadhouse. Great staff, great food, great drinks!

Made the mistake of stopping by today for the New Year's Day Hangover Brunch. We placed a to-go order and every single item we ordered was just awful. The chicken fried steak was burned in the fryer, hard and chewy and had tons of gristle. Meat obviously wasn't tenderized at all and the skimpy amount of gravy was thick, clumpy and flavorless. Potatoes were also completely overdone in the fryer and were FULL of grease. "Scrambled eggs"....a picture is worth 1000 words. I wish I had taken pics of the rest. While the kitchen may not normally cook this kind of food, this was a sad excuse for a brunch service. $40 wasted. Safe to say I won't be coming back for any food.

The tri-tip sandwich and caesar salad are pretty good. The line can be long and sometimes there is nowhere to sit if it's raining. They only have outdoor seating (picnic tables) and a small covered area for eating. The bathrooms are gender neutral so men can use the women's bathroom. They automatically charge a 20% tip unless you say something. Cashiers at grocery stores don't get tipped, why should they? They aren't servers and don't come to your table.

Great place, great atmosphere and delicious food. Oh and the specials are ALWAYS AMAZING!! Love the live music and swimming at the pool during the warm Summer days. Such a great spot under the beautiful redwoods of Rio Nido. The lighting, fire pits and outdoor seating are super cozy, it's truly a magical place.

I've visited the Roadhouse for drinks or dinner a half dozen times. The beer selection is solid and the atmosphere in the garden is nice - big redwoods, plenty of spread-out seating, and set away from the main road. When it comes to food, I would not recommend anything on the menu beyond french fries. The food is consistently mediocre, and sometimes awful (fried chicken that was still cold at the bone). My advice is to come for a round of drinks and dine elsewhere.

I've dined at most of the restaurants from Rio Nido to Jenner, and Rio Nido Roadhouse was the best of them all, and that includes high end dining. The Brussel Buddies and Fish & Chips were amazing!!! Fish & Chips were in such a light batter with a wonderful tartar sauce, fries and cole slaw. Service was fast and friendly. (Note: Fish & Chips are only served on Tuesdays.)

Roadhouse has a ton of potential but unfortunately falls short in some of the basics. First and foremost, this is a 100% outdoor space but the fact that they do not allow dogs (leased even) to enjoy the outside with their owners is a BIG MISS - especially in a dog-centric vacation town. The general environment is a bit rundown and there is very little attention paid to the atmosphere. A few tweaks such as allowing dogs and spending a bit of time and effort on the atmosphere would elevate this establishment 10 fold.

Love the rough-around-the-edges vibe here. The food is pretty good -- standard burgers, pulled pork, fries, and the like -- but the real reason we keep coming back is the patio and lawn with live music and super-friendly service. Reasonably priced drinks and a pool table round out this perfect Russian River sunny afternoon spot.

Not only are there regular items solid, they have a robust line up of specials, even during COVID. Try anything and ask for the cilantro lime sauce on it, it is KILLER. This spot really is the center of the community too, and it feels like home. Cannot wait to be able to relax in the ample outdoor dining areas again. In the summer there is a pool, aqua aerobics and yoga as well. Cannot wait for the live music to be back. Bands have played there for decades. We call it the country country club!

Picked up breakfast this morning at the Rio Nido Roadhouse delicious fresh brewed coffee totally recommend biscuits and gravy! Hillbilly Benedict

Ok food. Service was HORRIBLE. We waited an 1hr and 45min for our food and weren't very pleased. Won't be coming back.

The Rio Nido Road House food is of reasonable quality. The service is lacking. Orders are taken at the servive counter, not at the table. The blackboard listing of the daily special item was unavaiable; regretable but not unforgiveable. The time it took for the staff to take our order as we stood waiting was excessive; they just were not paying attention. The kicker was that a Mandatory gratuity of 18.4% for counter service was added on, including adding the tip percentage on the sales tax, which is not hiow a tip is to be calculated. The tip is only on the base item(s) menu price. 15% is the tip for standard, accetable service and 20% for exceptional service; usually for large parties or for a multicouse meal with frequent "checking in" with the patron(s), and the offered tip amount is at the discretion of the patron. For an 18+ % gratuity I expect proper table service from start to finish on the actual price of the items ordered. Prices are high on everything in the current inflationary environment... for everyone, not just restaurant wait staff. This means tips amounts for acceptable and superior service go up with inflation. The Rio Nido Road House management and staff should not seek, nor expect the wait staff to be compensated at generous levels if the service provided does not warrant the compensation they seek to attain.

Place is pretty nice. People are awesome. Get beer and fries and hang out if you can and listen to music and meet new people. Overall, food I have ordered is OK.

I've eaten there many times over the years and did not have this negative experience however... I would still never eat there again... ate there on July 4... They had a small menu they were offering that day... My husband and I both ordered taco salads he got beef I got chicken they were $9.99 each and we each got two canned beers that were eight dollars each... When they brought the food my husbands beef was a burnt burger patty broken up on top of the salad... I only found two pieces of chicken and it looked like tofu... We had to pay in advance and they told me they had added the tip for me the total was $60... with the total of the food being under $40 that was quite a tip they added for themselves... The food not only looked unattractive... it tasted bad. We both only ate a small amount got up and left. The next day we both were sick with stomach problems that lasted several days... this was some of the worst food poisoning I've ever experienced. I did email them asking them to refund my money or at least part of it under the circumstances I thought that was fair. However I got no reply. As I said in the past I have enjoyed this restaurant. We sure weren't expecting to be totally ripped off and then provided food that would make us as sick as we were... I can only recommend you go to Stumptown brewery or many of the other great restaurants in Guerneville and not waste your money here.

Great little dive. Great prices friendly staff, yummy food and drinks. They were happy to lettuce wrap my sandwich and give me brussel sprouts as my side. Want to come out for the pool sometime soon.

The venue is very nice and that it has plenty of space and is kid friendly. This is one of the few places that you can bring your children and have an adult like evening that I know of in the area. The staff is very friendly and the people that come here are a little rough around the edges but very kind and generous. Overall a great place to go to listen to live music. Remember to bring cash for cover though! Also the food is not good so don't expect to get a good meal here. We did have a pretty crappy experience when we were leaving at 8:00 pm when a man was resisting an arrest in their main parking lot and had to be taken down by an officer right behind our car which caused a lot of banging and commotion on our car. Luckily we were already in the car when this happened, however He was on the ground behind our car for a while and unwilling to get up and we were stuck there not able to leave with our children terrified in the car. Oh and I've got a couple of nice scratches on car now that I didn't have before. However I can't blame the place for this but this situation did not appear to be out of place here. However, The four stars are representative of the food quality not this experience.

We just moved very close to here so we were excited to make this our go- to dinner spot. Ordered a veggie burger and sweet potato fries. We were going to split it. Pretty sure I said that. Well the server charged us for two and we got two. Oh well that's fine, they're delicious and don't want to waste food. Then looked at the bill and realized they also automatically make you pay a tip. Huh. Pretty weird. Felt a little bit like a bait and switch.