Stillwater

Restaurant · Fairfax

Stillwater

Restaurant · Fairfax

1

23 Broadway, Fairfax, CA 94930

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Highlights

Stillwater in Fairfax is the go-to chill spot for fresh oysters, hearty salads, and killer fried chicken sandwiches, all enjoyed on a sunny patio.  

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23 Broadway, Fairfax, CA 94930 Get directions

stillwaterfairfax.com
@squarespace

$$ · Menu

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23 Broadway, Fairfax, CA 94930 Get directions

+1 415 524 8478
stillwaterfairfax.com
@squarespace

$$ · Menu

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Last updated

Mar 9, 2025

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"David Ruiz, the owner of Mission District bar Junior, has opened a new restaurant called Stillwater in the Marin city of Fairfax, the Marin Independent Journal reports. Its oysters, salads, and tacos are available for takeout or to eat on its Broadway Boulevard patio." - Eve Batey

The Bay Area’s Most Exciting Restaurant Openings - Eater SF
View Postcard for Stillwater

Hayley Wickins

Google
I always have a great time, great drinks and great food at Stillwater but today I got their pork chops and holy shit was this dish unreal. The 2 thinly sliced and perfectly bone-in grilled pork chops were accompanied by delicious mashed/pureed turnips (I think), broccolini and delicious grilled pears. Expertly done and super seasonal. I devoured it! Thanks, Chefs and Stillwater team. This was an excellent fall evening meal. Xoxo

Laurie Carroll

Google
It’s a nice vibe in here. We didn’t eat, but the food looked amazing. We did have the churros though which were really good. Margarita was great too. I just wish they had more wine options!

Rich

Google
Food was pretty good but not great. Oysters just ok. Poke small for price and marinade was too salty. Pork chop interesting with peaches but not the best cooking for pork. overall price up with the top Marin tier but not as good as the others.

Dominique Henderson

Google
I dream about the fried chicken sandwich. All of the food is fresh and high quality, especially for the price. Cocktails rival the best bars in the Bay area. Hands down one of my favorite places to eat, drink and relax.

Katie-Jane Brown

Google
My family and I enjoyed dinner and cocktails here at Stillwater. They have $2 oysters on Tuesday nights. The food was superb, service was excellent and the ambience was very nice. The GM helped serve our table, he was very knowledgeable about the food and easily assisted those that had food allergies. Wish I lived in the area so I could come more often.

Julian Buckallew

Google
Great food, small portions, bland service. The seating and atmosphere are off the hook, im sure if the place was packed, it would be a cool spot for the young crowd. Be prepared to break bank.

Khiem Nguyen

Google
Alright dog so if you're southern then the fried chicken sandwich is like a 3. Butttttttttt relatively, speaking this is probably one of the juiciest and well-breaded chicken sandwiches you can get around this area so W place man. Their fries, and the dill aioli that come with them are fire though. My recc is to get the spicy honey with the sandwich but know that it'll be devoid of spicy. May as well just call it the honey honey. The honey with like two crumbs of paprika. And if you get the honey drizzle it in the sandwich cause if you dip your sandwich will get disintegrated. The place itself looks great though. Great feel. Hand sanitizers were out and the bathroom is single-user.

Ali “Aleezy” Afsharkhah

Google
Needed a place to hit up during our stay in Cali. Since we had an Air BnB in Fairfax we seen this spot that had oysters 🦪 that we been dying for. They did not disappoint! We ended up coming here twice during our trip and pretty much got the same thing for food (oysters and fries) and just mixed it up with the drinks. The staff is great and everything was superb! The vinegar/wine sauce for the oysters was absolutely on point! Fries were fresh and great! The ambiance is nice and chill! Would definitely come back if we are in the area and would absolutely recommend. I think we ended up getting 4 dozen oysters between both trips! Worth it! I would recommend the “shandys not bombs” drink btw, comes with a nice piece of candy 😊

Tor T.

Yelp
Stillwater is one of the best spots in Marin for drinks and good food. I see a lot of the reviews taking issue with the service, but we always have a great experience. It is a bit of a "vibe" but we enjoy the ambiance of the place. The fried chicken sandwich is world class.

Nathan L.

Yelp
I love Stillwater. Is it expensive? Sure - but the menu is always evolving and consistently satisfying. Love the Asian undertone in many of the dishes. Cocktails are great and they have a strong bar program. Vibes are strong inside and out. Great to drop in after a hike, for a midweek cocktail, or a late night hang. Everyone working here is very friendly.

Amber S.

Yelp
Great service and great burger! Come here a lot of the past year and the burger is always the best I've had. Corndogs are amazing. Great ambience.

Trina H.

Yelp
The food is consistently good; I am especially fond of the Old Bay fries and the chicken sandwich. The cocktails are on point and generous and expertly crafted. The service is always friendly, and the indoor and outdoor dining options are great for any weather. This is such a fun place to meet with friends!

Lydia M.

Yelp
Love love love this place! It's always reliable for a "late night" dinner (by Marin standards). While other Marin restaurants close at 8 or 9 during the week, Stillwater is always open until 10pm and they won't rush you to order if you come in at 9:30. Food is consistently great and the staff are super friendly. We have been here 5-6 times now and it never fails. The menu is also varied so you can try lots of different and unique dishes. It's one of the gems of Fairfax!!

Belen S.

Yelp
Best burger and margarita in Marin! We recently moved to San Anselmo and can't get enough of this place. The service is ok. The vibe is great! We love Stillwater !!!

Christina M.

Yelp
I hate to write this, but my friend and I came here as we were driving through Fairfax, and we would not go back. It was a really cute place but the prices were just way too high for food that was average, at best. The front door wouldn't shut all the way without someone physically going to shut it, so the restaurant was freezing and everyone was wearing their winter coats and hats while eating. Overall, I got too much of a pretentious vibe for a below average experience. The menu isn't that large, and mains are essentially a la carte, so you'll have to order $9 fries if you want a side, and you get the equivalent of 1 potato. The fish tacos didn't have much flavor. They were just really spicy lightly fried fish with cabbage and cotija.

claire g.

Yelp
Still so much attitude. I live in the neighborhood and have been coming on and off since it opened. On a recent visit I was surprised that the host & server were actually sweet & nice. I wanted to give this feedback to the owner who was also there. When I told him that I've noticed an improvement in how friendly his staff is (after past visits and despite their reputation of having attitude). He shrugged this off saying that they're not doing anything new or different and was super dicky about it. He only heard the negative but I now know that the attitude starts with him. He then launched into promoting his other neighborhood businesses which; A, I never asked about and B, I have zero interest in. Drinks were good; fries used to be better, now seem to be from frozen out of bag. Also very little for vegetarians but I get the feeling that they don't give a poop.

Courtney B.

Yelp
Great Palomas and great food!! The bartender and servers are so wonderful every time I come in. The place itself is such a nice vibe and ambiance. Everything on the menu is so well crafted and executed, albeit the menu is small but the quality and thought into it is so good. Clay was so kind and welcoming even with me coming in towards the end of his night.

Perry V.

Yelp
With sadness I write this review. Oh dear sweet Stillwater, we used to visit weekly all the way from San Francisco. We loved the tables outside on the sidewalk and the food was always so tasty. Our server (tall joyous blond young woman) always took such good care of us. She left and then things got a little too much. Once we ate inside and the music was so loud you couldn't have a conversation and to add insult to injury, it was incredibly bad music. Note to ownership, you can turn away customers real quickly with the wrong music. Then the service just went way down hill. Like they could care less whether you were there or not, and it felt like we just weren't worth their time. Well between the bad service and the awful music we just decided we weren't hip enough for Stillwater and haven't returned since. Maybe Stillwater is a private club for those kool enough for dismissive service and offensive music.

sarah b.

Yelp
Super cute spot with tasty food and comfy patios. Highly recommend the fried chicken, which I had on a little gem salad with avocado. Delish! However: $21. A bit pricey. Also tried the fish tacos. Perfect mix of slaw, sauce, and fried fish. Again, a bit more than I've paid at other spots for similar fare. Checked out the cocktail list, which looked amazing. Would love to come back in the evening and an enjoy a Manhattan inside.

Allie P.

Yelp
It was time to check out the new addition to the Fairfax area. Let me first start off by saying that I love their menu. It is food that we need more of in Marin- a fun blend of different cultures. From oysters on the half shell to Korean BBQ to fried chicken it encompasses a fun variety that would satisfy any palate. With that said, the execution and flavors missed the mark on most of the dishes I tried. Let's talk ambiance first. They have 2 outside areas; the front parklet and a back patio which are both nice spaces. The inside of the restaurant has been updated but it is lacking an identity. There are no pictures or art on any of the walls. So it creates a sterile environment with no personality or warmth. Get some art please! Let us know what this restaurant represents, create a mood ..... speak! The menu as I have said is a lovely collection of food options. My only suggestion is they should add prices to the drinks, especially when they range from $11-16.... I have to say, the drinks that I tried were good. But the new 19th and Broadway now called Mac's has incredible drinks and honestly blows this place out of the water. The food has promise but needs some editing. The first are the oysters. They had some shell here and there, and the salsa Fresca was bland and did nothing for the oysters. I would suggest a fun mignonette with ginger or if they want to go the mexican route then a kicked up salsa. Maybe even a mango salsa would be fun. FYI these are $2 each on Tuesdays! If they had a better sauce I would be here all the time. The next dish we tried was the ahi poke. This dish was incredible. It was perfectly seasoned, the wonton chips were crisp, the ahi fresh. The only edit I would make would kick up the Wasabi shmear on the side of the plate. It was bland and had no heat. Following that was the Korean shortribs. The sauce was yummy and the meat was cooked nicely. The only problem with this dish is the vessel. As we all know this meat has lots of small bones. Placing it in a wooden bowl while cutting is truly an annoying task... this dish is a team effort; one person holding the other side of of bowl while the other cuts... just put it on a plate! The price for this dish is also high for what you get. The Bahn mi tacos were sad. First off I think it is great to introduce something like spam. I don't think I have ever seen it on a menu in Marin so go you! The spam was perfectly seasoned and the light breading was delightful. The problem with this is a bahn mi needs pickled vegetables and a tangy sauce. Unfortunately they just plopped on raw vegetables and the same bland shmear from the ahi dish and called it a day. Throw some pickled vegetables, make a Sriracha or jalapeño cilantro sauce and get it to that 5 stars. With so many bumps in the road, the prices are not justified. They are expensive for small dishes... so bring your $$$ when you come here. If they smooth out the bumps I would be willing to give it another shot.

Win L.

Yelp
Absolutely love the ambiance and energy of this restaurant! The hosts and staff are incredibly friendly and personable. We saw them all hustle hard to make the visit a great one for the customers. The menu options were creative. We ordered the banh mi spam tacos, chicken sandwich and a side of fries. I completely agree with other yelpers that the chicken sandwich is absolutely delicious! I also agree with other yelpers that the fries were just OK, particularly for the price. But I do think this restaurant was very lively and a great option if you're in the area. We would definitely return for the great customer service. They had really well constructed, thoughtful and nicely designed outside seating options....in front of the restaurant as well as a patio in the back... and peeking inside, I really liked the aesthetic as well. There's plenty of parking across the street from the restaurant. Overall plenty to like and will return to try other menu options and the fantastic drinks menu!

Tanya W.

Yelp
A cool new addition to Fairfax with a city vibe. The drinks were good but I'll have to go back and try more food. The ceviche was a little too much for me but lots of things looked great on the menu.

Jasper P.

Yelp
I've eaten here twice with my family and have enjoyed it both times. We've had the fish tacos and fried chicken sandwiches, both of which were excellent. Great live music as well.

Anna R.

Yelp
We were looking for a late night place to grab some food that wasn't "bar food", came across this on Yelp and went. It was So Good! We had the bao buns and each got the burger. We were actually speechless at first bc we really expected it to be mediocre late night food, it was was truly one of the best burgers I've ever had. Our waitress was super attentive and incredibly sweet. The whole staff was smiling and genuinely looked like they were having a good time , which is So rare. If I'm ever in the area again, I'll definitely be back!

Linda R.

Yelp
Love the fish tacos and the green mescal cocktail. Makes my mouth watery thinking about it.

Melissa F.

Yelp
What a great place that has seating in front of the restaurant, inside and in the back. I ordered the squid and oysters which were excellent and my kiddo swallowed his cheeseburger so he was definitely a fan. My gf enjoyed the fish tacos and her cocktails. The food was delicious and the service was friendly and patient with our kiddos. We love the food here and will be regular customers.

Bob F.

Yelp
Great neighborhood spot. Love the food, great music in the background, very nice folks provide excellent service, and the best burger-and-fry combo in Marin.

Eliad G.

Yelp
Lovely spot at the edge of downtown Fairfax. We had a group of 6 on a busy Sunday afternoon. The host was welcoming and accommodating and l accurately estimated the time to be seated. Their chicken sandwich and fish tacos were recommended by our waitress and it was tasty! We also ordered Bahn Mi tacos to share from the "small plates" menu and it was a yummy surprise as well! Their beer menu didn't disappoint either and seemed to have a balanced variety of beers to cater for different beer lover!

Cherish A.

Yelp
Sorry, You get two stars for great atmosphere, and what I assume are great drinks. But since I don't drink, I just went and ordered half your menu. It was gnarly. Fake cheese on fried chicken sandwich, everything covered in oil and mayo of some kind. I'm cool. Those prices, I need my food to taste a lot better. I had shrimp tacos (so much oil or butter made you sick) nice tortillas though. The spam (now that one isn't even hard to make so...) it is already cooked and I paid way to much Chicken sandwich: go to Flybird in tiburon if you want a good fried chicken sandwich in marin ca

Eugene L.

Yelp
I just don't know what to do with myself right now. I have never left a restaurant so fully triggered in my life. I'm gut level angry with how the manager was speaking to the kitchen staff. I asked my bartender about it and he said he was joking. Ok, but I wasn't in on the joke and I just flat hated it. Ruined my night. That kid needs to grow up.

Karen N.

Yelp
Wow. This is a gem of a place! The cocktails are incredible. We tried three of them - I had the Amalfi Spritz and it was SO delicious that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I can't recall which two my friend had, but they were both good. Something Chief? And a stronger bourbon or rye one after we ate. We started with the poke to share and then we both had the fried chicken sandwich. It had a bit too much mayonnaise-y sauce for me and I could have used some spice, but that CHICKEN!!! So perfect. The sandwich is enormous. I could only eat about half of it. Next time I might get the kids tenders if they are made the same way as I don't need anything that large. But it is SO GOOD. I wish they had maybe three more food menu options to choose from but I can't wait to come back here.

Cj L.

Yelp
This place is such a waste of time and money. The "special" they were serving was a tuna sandwich with a bag of chips. Yes, a bag of chips. I've had much better tuna sandwiches at a deli and way cheaper. The quality of the food absolutely does not live up to the price they are at.. My $30 salad literally was served in a tiny bowl with a small dry piece of trout. Our server also seemed bored and uninterested in putting in any effort to give our table a fun time. Also, my husband ordered the fish sandwich and asked the server if he could get the chips as a side, but she said they couldn't make that happen. Even though they were literally serving chips in a bag like at subway haha. The place itself is nice with a pretty cool bar, but do not advertise your place as an upscale dining experience when in reality the food is below average bar food. Will not be back

Monique Z.

Yelp
Food was of great quality. I ordered the chicken sandwich with a side of pickles and an order of fries (not pictured). Chicken was very flavorful and had a good crunch. The chicken to veggies were very proportional. All and all and very solid fried chicken sandwich. The fries were awesome! Perfectly made with a yummy crunch and a delicious aioli to pair. We came in for a quick bite after a nice hike. It was a perfect day to sit in there outdoor seating area.

Lisa F.

Yelp
Great place for lunch. All the ingredients are fresh. Stopped by after a mini hike at Cascade Falls. Ordered the fries. Those are great. The fish tacos were excellent and the cheeseburger.

kristina T.

Yelp
Excellent. Simply fantastic! I need to revisit to try more on the menu! Thank you for an inviting and enjoyable experience. Can't wait to come back with more family and friends!

Todd F.

Yelp
Great drinks, good vibes, friendly people and hands down the best fried chicken sandwich I've ever had. Love this place.

Bella S.

Yelp
Absolutely love this place! It's new and it's great especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Service, drinks and food was very good, social distancing enforced and outdoor seating right now. We will be back

Isadora S.

Yelp
Ok this place looks cute and makes great drinks but the food :/ not good . It's loud and the food just isn't tasty . We ordered pasta and poke bowl and the food tasted like it was from the college campus diner - yuck not good

Madeleine A.

Yelp
The food is pricey for such small portions. Service wasn't bad but would not recommend this place.

Jessica S.

Yelp
The food here is AMAZING! The margaritas are AMAZING! The owner and his staff are AMAZING! I would highly recommend this little Fairfax gem! There's food items for my children AND there's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. I love this place. It's my go-to for family nights out, girls nights out, and/or a snack for the road. Still Water is my favorite restaurant in Fairfax!

Connor M.

Yelp
My wife and I really enjoyed the fish tacos! So bomb. We will definitely be back here in the future.

John P.

Yelp
Epic fried chicken sandwich. Epic to the point that I have now ordered it half a dozen times pr so after pledging to get something else the next time. I am strongly considering heading over there to get one right now.

Scott R.

Yelp
Excellent food. Wonderful cocktails and mocktails. A bit pricy so not an everyday for us but such an amazing spot for special occasions.

Marlyn F.

Yelp
This may be a controversial review. It's hard for me to write this given we're all recovering from the pandemic. Pros, ambiance was 5 stars. It's a great venue. Drinks were tasty too. They have an interesting lighting effect that adds character to the space. Cons, the food is ok, it's not terribly tasting but not memorable either. When we're taking about value and quality, it's an average place that's way overpriced. Main dish portions are small and $$$ and food comes out super, super quick. This makes me think they don't make everything fresh-fresh (this is the moment I flash back to kitchen nightmares - Gordon Ramsay's mantra "people will wait for good food"). We had their burger, poke, brussel sprouts and fries. The burger was meh and looked like 2 skinny, mini patties that they also use for kids burgers. They don't ask you how you want your burger done because it's hard to cook a burger that skinny medium or less cooked. I'm not knocking any points off for screwing up order bc they were quite under staffed and were trying their best, it's hard work being a server! My verdict, go for the interesting drinks.

Jazzy M.

Yelp
Very attentive and friendly waitstaff as well as good food are a winning combination. Very delicious shrimp and fish tacos. Tortillas were fresh and held up throughout the meal. Taco fillings were plentiful and deliciously seasoned. Crudo was also refreshing and delicious. A nice little place to relax after a morning of hiking or biking around Lake Lagunitas.

Savannah R.

Yelp
I hate to write a bad review, but this place was just not good at all. We ordered the chicken sandwich, poke, fish tacos, sweet potatoes and fries. Everything lacked flavor- super unsatisfying and small portions. The service was rude and they seemed annoyed when asked any minor thing. It was not worth the money.

Karen M.

Yelp
If I could rate this place zero I would. Crappy food and outrageous prices. We ordered a seafood platter appetizer that was so scrawny except for the price. $75.00. That's right. 75.00. American dollars. Stay away from this joint. Remember, you deserve better

Maureen G.

Yelp
What a great place for delicious food and terrific ambience. Friendly staff and beautiful back patio. Love it, can't wait to go back.

Micki L.

Yelp
Very poor snd disorganized service Portions are small Too expensive for what they serve

Eve E.

Yelp
First time diner: the inside seating was quite loud on Saturday night, so my party of 4 opted to sit on the nicely heated back patio. Besides a gas fireplace, there were ample standing heaters, so the whole, covered are was warm. All dishes were enjoyed: garlic fries, warm olives, 3 different sandwiches were great. My quinoa salad was so generous I could not finish it. Appreciate the addition of delicious mock-tails to add to festive night. Have to point out the best churros any of us ever had. The service was friendly and attentive. Give this little spot a try. It's great.

Carla S.

Yelp
The food is excellent here. We ordered different appetizers and a whole array of all their dinner plates. The only thing is that we had a female server with a giant attitude. She was rude, and very different than a server who makes you feel at ease. I almost felt asking for the owner or her manager because I am not very likely to go back because of her. She supposedly comes with the place because the couple that we went with comes there frequently. The owner really needs to check on this girl because I am sure she makes them loose customers.

Josh A.

Yelp
Wonderful ambiance with tasty natural wine blends. You want to sit in the back by the cozy fireplace. Food is delightful- handcrafted with delight. The fries were warm, well-seasoned, and absolutely delicious. I would get that gem salad, with or without the chicken- the greens were refreshing.

David O.

Yelp
Delicious fish tacos, halibut ceviche, and ahí poke. Yum! Paddle Pilsner was yum too!

Sara K.

Yelp
We've been coming to Stillwater pretty frequently since it's opening. We love the back outdoor patio, it's a nice space even when it's a little chilly outside. Stillwater has a somewhat dynamic menu that changes from time to time which can be nice, but sometimes that means our favorites change. The albacore poke used to be a 10/10 but since the change to potato chips instead of the wonton skins, and combining the avocado with the poke, we probably won't order it again. Generally all the food is fairly good but expensive for what it is. You're paying more for the ambiance and friendly service (except when they take your plates too fast.) Anyways, the cocktail menu has proved to be excellent. Highly recommend the Alpine Sour if you love a refreshingly tart and citrus filled cocktail.

Michael L.

Yelp
Great location - service is wonderful, drinks unique, food very good. Why the 4 stars? Last two visits, appetizers were remarkably small and underwhelming. The Heirloom Tomato salad has no more than 3 very small tomatoes - that's it. Tasted great, but it's summer, let's add another tomato or two to a featured salad. Another appetizer, chips with dip - also good, but only have of the dish had chips, not nearly enough for the dip. When asked for more, we were charged. It's only chips for a small dipping sauce - why ding customers for a few more chips. All in all, I love this restaurant, but the small things count.

Amy N.

Yelp
Great fries, gem salad, dumplings, ribs and Smokey margaritas! Hostess was polite and service was great!

Kevin T.

Yelp
Wow! We live in Napa and were dropping off our daughter at Girl Scout Camp. Wanted our daughter to have a good meal prior. Really impressed with this place. Food was stellar and service matched. It was 100 degrees out and our beers were perfectly chilled. In today's post Covid world, restaurants are overpriced and hospitality is horrid. Not here. My spidey sense tells me this place is run by a group of seasoned vets/owners. Everyone cares. It's not that far off 101 and arguably the best food in the area. Plus Fairfax has a really good vibe. Bravo Stillwater!