The Mountain House

The restaurant on Skyline Road offers an unexpectedly lovely atmosphere nestled in the mountains. Enjoy exceptional service and an inviting bar that enhances your dining experience!Mountain House Bar and Restaurant is a hidden gem in the mountains. I recently had the pleasure of dining there and I was blown away by the delicious food and cozy atmosphere. The staff was incredibly friendly and the service was top-notch. I highly recommend trying their signature dishes, especially the mountain trout. The view from the outdoor patio is breathtaking and adds to the overall dining experience. I will definitely be returning to Mountain House Bar and Restaurant for more delicious meals and mountain views.

I’m still dreaming about my experience at The Mountain House! Their tasting menu is delicious, with many options for each course that will satisfy any appetite. The chicken was cooked to perfection and the venison was the best tasting venison to exist. The fig panna cotta and pistachio cake were so rich and delicious, my taste buds will still bursting well after dinner was over. The views of the redwoods were a beautiful touch to the ambiance that made dinner even more magical.

it's hard to describe Mountain House because it's so good. the two fellows at the reception found us a table at the windows. the head waiter for our table and all of the other waiters on her team took care of us. she listened to us, explained the menu and items, made suggestions, and made sure we would have a great time. they have us the correct amount of attention, not intrusive but also not having to flag down a waiter for something. the food and preparation also is hard to describe. many combinations, tastes, and flavors I've never seen before. we grew up hunting and I've had venison many times; the Mountain House rack of venison is the best I've ever had. yes, it's expensive, but folks, it's not a dinner, it's an experience. the amount of preparation and care they put into their work and taking care of you is remarkable. we'll definitely return again and bring friends who will appreciate the place.

Beautiful restaurant! The location is beautiful, the service was absolutely wonderful and the food was delicious. I did not know beforehand that you had to specifically request in your reservation to sit in the mountain room.....which was why I chose this place. They do their best to seat people there if requested however it is a very small room. Hopefully next time knowing this we get a table in there, the hostess at least however put us by the window which was very kind.

We celebrated our anniversary here and were thoroughly delighted with everything. My husband had the squash soup, braised short rib, and the chocolate bomb and said everything was just delicious. I had the chicken breast with the lemon risotto. I always hesitate to order chicken breast because so many times it is dry but this was cooked absolutely perfectly! And the lemon risotto did not disappoint. I also had the scallops and they were very good and the pistachio cake for dessert was incredible! They also gave us a little complementary crème brûlée for our anniversary celebration. The forest room was gorgeous and cool and not too noisy and just a delightful atmosphere. We really enjoyed our dinner here!

Went here for my 27th birthday! It was absolutely delicious. I was surprised that we each got out our own appetizer, main and desert- some restaurants that serve set menus make you share. We didn't get to sit in the window room but the ambience was great nonetheless. We went while the Summer 2025 menu was out and we selected the summer squash soup and caramelized diver scallops for the first. The summer corn agnolotti, grilled venison loin for seconds and the nectarine/blueberry tart and panna cotta for thirds. Everything was so fresh and delicious!!!! I wish I had more adjectives to describe it. The portions were great too. There was also homemade bread before the apps came out and they surprised me with a flourless chocolate cake for my bday. Amazing. 10/10 will recommend to all my friends.

Perfect 10/10 experience. Went here for a special occasion, and it was a fantastic time. Every part of the meal was so well executed, the staff was very attentive, and the ambience of the forest room was breathtaking. The owner clearly had a vision, went for it, and it really worked. Loved it!

Tried The Mountain House for the first time to take my girlfriend and I out for our anniversary. The experience was mixed, to say the least. We made a reservation for 5:45pm, and we were seated right on the dot in the Forest Room. The view was nice and felt like you were in a cabin in the middle of the woods. The server (I apologize to her as I can not recall her name) was extremely friendly and asked if either of us had food allergies. I told her that I do have a nut allergy and she was happy to accommodate. For the first course, I got the Seared Scallops w/o the pine nuts, and my girlfriend got the Yellowtail Crudo. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and everything on the plate paired well. My girlfriend noted that the Yellowtail Crudo was really good, although the citrus (I think it tasted similar to grapefruit?) was way too bitter for the dish and was very off-putting. The sourdough bread that was brought out had great flavor. However, I believe it was a bit overcooked since the crust was a bit too burnt. Second course, my girlfriend got the Scottish Salmon, and I got the Briased Short Rib. Both dishes were solid, but I think they both could use a tad more seasoning. After the second course, things went a little downhill. One of the servers comes out and serves us a complementary chocolate tart with walnuts, almonds, etc, w/ a bourbon cream on top. Due to my nut allergy, though, my girlfriend was the only one who could eat it. Although it was complementary, it was still a little off-putting that they would serve this at a table with a person who is allergic to nuts and was aware of this. I didn't want to make a scene, however. Creme Bruleé comes out for me, and my gf got the pistachio cake. My gf was full, and we asked for the cake to be boxed up to take home. The creme Bruleé was really good and paired well with the Satuma mandarins. Our server comes out with another complementary puff pastry dish from the kitchen, but she realized halfway through explaining that there were nuts in it. She was apologetic and offered to bring out a sorbet for me, which was fine. Again, this was a little off-putting, but I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I just wish there was a little more attention to detail, especially with someone who has a food allergy. tl;dr food was good, The Forest Room is lovely. However, if you have a food allergy, I would be a little vigilant into what you are being served, especially if it's a serious allergy. I would hope that for a $200+ dinner that worrying about allergies wouldn't be an issue.

Had a wonderful time at The Mountain House celebrating a friend's bday. We sat in the forest room with greenhouse views of tall redwoods surrounding us. It felt quite magical with the fog rolling in. The servers were top notch, filling water, clearing plates, announcing the dishes, etc. The food was also very good. We had 3 course meal ... I picked the scallops, salmon and rhubarb tart. The scallops were perfectly cooked - not rubbery or overdone. The salmon was also good with mussels (out of the shell) in creamy broth. Skin on would have been nice but still tasty. My husband got the venison and I had a bite. It was not gamy at all. The rhubarb tart crust made the dessert that much better. They also gave us plenty of breads and little pieces of treats here and there. That was fun. I would definitely recommend The Mountain House for a special occasion.

The Mountain House has been on my radar for a couple years now. We finally decided to go and didn't realize it was literally located in the woods. It seemed as though we travelled well into the forest to get to the restaurant since it was so secluded! Parking was a bit tricky but we were lucky enough to find a spot to the side of the restaurant. We made a reservation for the dining room where the only option is a 3-course prix fixe menu ($88/person). I initially wanted to dine in the forest room, and although we were seated there, there was a strong chemical scent (not sure if it was perfume from a fellow diner or cleaning supplies), but it didn't sit well with me. Staff graciously understood my complaint, and rather than having me suffer through the night, they were able to accomodate my request to move to the adjacent dining room. I'd definitely recommend the ambience of this once versus the forest room since there's not much to see come nightfall. The other room was a bit cozier with a fireplace and had a rustic cabin feel to it. Standouts for me were the scallop appetizer and truffle pasta. The scallops were well-cooked and not fishy at all, but the true winner was the truffle pasta. There wasn't an additional surcharge for the truffles and they smother the pasta with truffle shavings (unlike other high end restaurants that are stringy with the portions and charge an arm and a leg for it!). They also gave us a complimentary dessert for celebrating a birthday in addition to the desserts included with the tasting menu. Although service was stellar, my only complaint was that we were charged $6 for bread. It's not a big charge, but I would have appreciated being told that there would be an additional fee rather than be surprised by the bill at the end - especially since it's not the norm based on my experiences with other fine dining restaurants.

The service is impeccable here. There is a kids menu which helps since kids don't care about the fancy tasting menu as much as adults do. If you reserve beforehand for the greenhouse seating, it's all worth it, especially when the fog is coming into the woods. They made my wife's birthday extra special with extra desserts for everyone.

Service was attentive and courteous. Folks seated us upon arrival, brought up little appetizers and bread in between meals, refilled our water proactively, and even removed crumbs from the table. I enjoyed the fixed menu concept and short list of selections for the first course, second course, and dessert. Had a reservation for 5 pm and enjoyed a quiet dinner until folks started coming in around 6 pm. Food was delicious. Sourdough bread was warm/hot with a delicious crunchy bark. - pumpkin squash soup: okay, I enjoyed it but it didn't wow me - scallops: delicious with complementary flavors, citrusy, nutty, fresh - chicken risotto: chicken was nicely cooked and risotto had nice soft mushrooms in a creamy sauce. There were pieces of layered onion that were so sweet and delicious! - fettuccine: also delicious and much more creamy, contained lots of mushrooms These dishes were not the same but similar, if you love mushrooms you'd enjoy both. - chocolate ice cream: a little icy, nice rich chocolate flavor - mandarin/orange crème brûlée: not the best I had, sugar layer was too thick for my liking like 1.5-2 mm thick and I think the flavor pairing overall isn't my favorite Overall such a beautiful space. I'd definitely take folks here for a special occasion!

Came here for the first time for a friends birthday with about 10 people who grew up and/or still live in the area. I didn't make the reservations but i think we had a few people that flaked but we had two separate tables and they didn't give us a reason as to why we couldn't put the tables together so that was unfortunate so 4 of us had to sit separately from our friends birthday table. Our table of 4 got the following Three Course Prix Fix for $85: * Maple Brined Pork Tenderloin - Savory Pain Perdu , Wilted Escarole , Bing Cherry Jus * Seared Diver Scallops - Sweet Corn Succotash , Iberico Chorizo , Smoked Tomato Vinaigrette * Red Wine Braised Short Rib - Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes , Charred Baby Carrots , Sweet Peas * Spaghettini Pasta - Basil Pesto , Summer Squash , Blistered Tomatoes , Pecorino * Grand Marnier Crème Brûlée - Local Berries * Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake - Brandied Cherry Ice Cream Everything was delicious and came out in a timely manner. Decor was visually appealing. They do keep your table clean in between courses with clearing off the crumbs. I did notice that when one member left the table their napkin was folded but this practice wasn't consistent with everyone which isn't a big deal. The staff was nice enough to give our friend a birthday dessert so thank you! Parking looked a bit limited from what I saw but everybody in group was able to park somewhere.

Loved it! Had to be rolled down the mountain because I over ate. They were super accommodating because of the cyber attack and adjusting the number for my reservation. Drinks were on beyond on par. Ordered the border which was the bartender monthly special... had two. Went back again for the second time and tried other dishes, still great! Lucky both times sitting in the green room.

We decided to visit this place after a long hike. When we got there, we realized we needed a reservation so tried it again last weekend after another long hike but this time I made reservations. We were seated in a room with glass ceiling an wall to wall windiws, so you had a panoramic view of the beautiful outdoors. Service was on point. I never had to worry about getting my water refilled or asking for a drink. The food was a three course deal and was absolutely worth the price. I especially like the quail and the flourless chocolate cake with the caramel ice cream scoop, absolutely delicious. Will definitely visit again on special occasions .

I really loved this restaurant the first time I came here, which is why I travel and spend the night to come eat here. I think the menu had just changed so we were disappointed there weren't any artichokes on the menu but that's life with a seasonal restaurant. Overall the menu seemed less inspired than my last visit, which is strange considering the amount of fresh produce available. Best Food: *Chips and onion dip (skipped the trout roe) - no idea how they make the chips like that *Seared Scallops with corn and bacon - delicious with 2 perfectly seared scallops, did not need so much corn *Citrus chicken with lemon thyme risotto and seasonal vegetables - I made fun of my date for ordering this but it was flavorful, well seasoned, everything made sense presentation wise, and the chicken was so perfectly cooked with crisped skin with proper fat rendering. I would have liked the risotto cooked a minute or 2 longer, but I think that's more personal preference. *Chocolate Bomb - chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, encased in chocolate ganache, set on top of crème anglaise, I believe. Decadent perfection! Mid Food: *Amuse bouche/polenta cake over smoked paprika aioli. The aioli was incredible and I'm going to make that at home, but polenta had zero seasoning, so only the part that touched the aioli had flavor. Even for a single bite, it was strangely noticeable *Pistachio cake - excellent buttercream but cake texture was a bit dry and not intensely flavorful Food Fails *Burrata salad - way too many tomatoes, some underripe, balance of oil and vinegar was off, under and unevenly seasoned, not enough basil *Short rib with smoked carrots and potato puree - beautiful piece of meat that was cooked correctly but without any seasoning whatsoever. Even trying to add salt and pepper at the table did nothing. The smoked carrots were so overwhelmingly smoky without any other flavor to balance them that they were practically inedible. Potatoes were perfect in texture, but also lacked salt, though I think this was intended because of the flavor intended to be in the meat and carrots. *The little strawberry cookie at the end was poorly executed. I don't post reviews like this often anymore, nor do I usually say anything to staff about food. But I opted to politely inform them of the short rib issue as that needed to be pointed out to the chef. They offered another dish but I had too much food already, they offered for me to take a dish home, but I'm staying at a hotel, they offered another short rib but I didn't want more food. Eventually they brought a bottle of wine for us to take home and that seemed very sweet. So again, I wasn't going to review. 4 things that pushed me to irritation: *Service was super off throughout the night. Drinks and meals never synced and there was a ton of dead time where we didn't know why no one was checking in on us. Either the way they divide their process has poor communication, or they were understaffed. It wasn't super busy and the front bar was empty about halfway through the meal, so I'm guessing it was the former. *Given that it's a pre-fixe menu, I did not like that our waiter kept pushing items without mentioning additional cost. It felt like we had to order a starter and I enjoyed the chips, but nothing was pushed on us last time. When she mentioned specials, I had to ask about upcharges. It should be standard practice to mention those. I asked about a dessert wine pairing and the one she pushed turned out to be $36. I'm sorry, but at that point in the experience, I would not have spent $36 on a dessert wine pour. *After seeing the check and all of the additional costs, I thought, man, this better be a really nice bottle of wine considering half of my meal was subpar. When I looked at it when I got back to the hotel, it looked like it got pulled out of someone's trunk. I highly doubt this wine is on their menu. It retails from $6-20 a bottle with an average price of $10 depending on where you buy it. So if they're buying this wholesale, I got maybe a $5 "gift". Why couldn't they have just offered to comp some drinks, at least the dessert wine that was ridiculously overpriced. I'm bummed, this was a total destination restaurant for me where I would come for a splurge. But I think this might be my last experience with The Mountain House.

We had a great experience. Not so good: - the bread was fantastic. They asked if we want more, but didn't bother to mention it costs $6. It's not a lot but clarity is appreciated. - BD Cake cutting fee: It's rather a cheap move honestly. The restaurant is pricy and they add a 20% service charge to the bill. Plus it's not like we brought our own dessert and skip yours - it's pre fixed menu anyway. Also when we called the day before about brining a birthday cake, some communication and clarify on this fee would have been appreciated. We could have easily cut the cake when we went back home. And we had to ask to get the 2nd half of the cake or they would have just kept it?!!! Ambience: the restaurant is very nice with good lighting. I really liked the wood work and coziness of it. Service: The staff are really nice and polite. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Food: overall delicious food with rich flavors. It's a prefixed menu and fixed price. They're few options for each course to pick from. - shots w/lemon: the lemon slices were not good that came with our shots at the bar before we sat. - Bread: it was sooo good, absolutely loved it. - Tomato soup: our friend said it was ok, nothing to brag about. She found it a bit too acidic. - Yellowtail Carpaccio: We enjoyed it. The dish was elegant, clean, the fish was fresh, cut super thin though. We really missed the citrus and the Japanese flavor. We enjoyed the added tomatoes and olives. - Seared Scallops: Fantastic, perfectly seared. Loved all extras on the plate, the cauliflower, the nuts etc. - Bacon-wrapped quail: our friends enjoyed the flavors. But felt a bit heavy for appetizer specially that their main dishes are also very rich in flavors. - Pork Tenderloin: Really good flavors, perfectly cooked and loved the sauce and all the extras on the dish. - Short ribs: another great dish. The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth with lots of flavor. Loved the mashed potato and the veggies. - Fettuccini Pasta: our friend really enjoyed it. - Rack of Venison: Our friends seem to enjoy it. If you like venison go for it. - Creme Brûlée: it was good, we enjoyed it. I liked the added figs on top! - Ice cream: The coffee scoop was good. The vanilla didn't have the right texture. It felt like it was frozen and kind of fell apart.

I was sad to see The (old) Mountain House close its doors for good during Covid. I was happily surprised to see it open a year later under new owners and chefs. (Yelp is treating it as the same business as before, but since when does accuracy matter here?). So it feels a little weird to write an "update" to a business I've never actually experienced before. It was my eldest daughter who picked the (new) Mountain House for her recent birthday dinner. I had warned her that the food and menu were now different, but she was undeterred. She was more focused on the swanky cabin-in-the-woods atmosphere. (Thankfully that is mostly unchanged). We made a reservation and drove up the hill on a cold, rainy night. Brrrr. Once we passed the front bar area (with a roaring fireplace) there were two main rooms for dining, the Main Room and the Forest Room. They had space in both, so we chose the latter for its view of the partly-lit trees (and the patter of rain on glass). The menu had been recently updated to prix fixe only (a starter, an entree, and a dessert). My daughter chose the bacon-wrapped quail, the venison loin, and a chocolate mousse/praline crunch bar. I had the beet & citrus salad, the trout with mushrooms in red-wine reduction, and the cheese plate. It was all fabulous. I could go on, but I won't. Other Pros: - They kept bringing us little surprise treats during the meal, like baked cheese puffs before the apps, and huckleberry financiers during dessert (also a special lemon tart and candle for the birthday girl) - Four words: Warm, homemade sourdough bread Cons: - The staff seemed very young and inexperienced, which seemed odd for such a high-end place. One server could not recall the details of one dish we asked about. Another server brought the wrong wine; I had to correct him. (wow) - The lighting was too dark to read the menu. Thankfully I have a flashlight on my phone. - The menu was quite a bit different than the menu we had seen online earlier that day (It was still unchanged the next day); this just doesn't seem that hard to fix. As for the prices...Well, The Mountain House is as expensive as it gets in the Bay Area. I was prepared for that, but for this level I expected something closer to perfection, including the service and other little details. In short, the Mountain House is worthy of a special occasion, especially for those who like the luxury-meets-rustic vibe, but it's not a place to visit on a regular basis, at least for a meal (unless you own a corporation). As for the future, I hope to come back to try the more pedestrian bar menu in the front room; and sit by that fire.

My husband took me here for Valentine's Day, and it was exceptional! I really enjoyed everything! The food was outstanding, our server was great, and the ambiance was very romantic and cozy. We sat in the main dining room, and there was a heated vent right by our feet. I loved that! For the food, it's a 3 course meal. For my starter, I had the crudo of ahi tuna. It was paired with citrus fruits and fried shallots. The quality of the fish was amazing, and it just melted in my mouth! I could find no fault whatsoever with this dish. For my main, I had the crispy skin trout, and it was seasoned so well! And the skin was indeed crispy! For dessert, I had the banana bourbon cream pie, and it was nice and refreshing. We had champagne with our meal, and it paired nicely with all of my courses. I would definitely recommend this place! You will not leave hungry! They also give an amuse bouche in the beginning and financiers at the end, such a nice touch :)

Seared Diver Scallops 5 super juicy, not too sea salty, sweet pepper, smoked prosciutto, flavorful Maple Brined Pork Loin 3 medium tender, slightly dry, peach jam, peach slices, fruity sauce Roasted Venison 3 juicy, slightly chewy, charred eggplant purée, wine sauce, weird spice Grand Marnier Crème Brûlée 4 berries, crust slightly bitter, custard not too sweet

My husband and I have been to The Mountain House a few times over the years but this was our first time having the prefix menu. We had cocktails to start with and we were able to order the whipped onion dip from the bar menu, which is to die for. There were three courses and about six items to choose from each course. My husband had the bacon wrapped stuffed quail for the first course, then the striped Seabass, which was a special. And for dessert, he had the flourless chocolate cake. I had the yellowtail carpaccio for my first course. Then the pork tenderloin and the cheeseboard for dessert. We did the drink pairing as well. We had various wines with each of our courses, except the flourless chocolate cake came with scotch, and the cheeseboard came with a fortified wine. All of our dishes were absolutely incredible! And the service was amazing! There were fireplaces lit throughout the restaurant, which made it feel very cozy. If you do not want to do the prefix menu, you can sit in the bar area and order from the bar menu. Can't wait to come back :)

We reserved a 5:45 pm table in the Forest Room, to allow a little time to see the room during sunset and eat at a decent time, not too early from our normal schedule. As others have commented, it's a beautiful space. With the glass ceiling, we were able to follow the height of the tree, enjoy the beautiful redwood forest around us and the last few rays of the sun setting coming through. Service was great! Our server was helpful to assist us in picking out dishes. The courses were well-paced, and dishes for all four of us would arrive at the same time. We were there to celebrate our sister's birthday. I had indicated that in our reservation, and when we arrived, they had asked whether we were celebrating something, and we confirmed; the host might've wished her a happy birthday also. Aside from that though, nothing was done for the birthday girl, not even a candle on one of the included desserts, which was fine; just a little surprised is all, given we were asked. The food was decent. The complimentary appetizer bites were a good start to the evening; the warm sourdough bread was good too. The stuffed quail was not our cup of tea - a bit too much stuffing; the prawns and the filet magnon were fine. The desserts were a bit too sweet for our taste, but that's subjective to each's preference. We liked the petit basque amongst the cheese course. At the time of writing of this review, the menu consists of three courses at $82 or $83 per person, with ~4-6 choices for each of the three courses. The rack of venison choice was a $15 add-on, while the filet mignon was a $25 add-on. Parking was slightly challenging; we ended up parking on the side of the road next to the restaurant's fence. It was still close and easy enough to walk to the restaurant. I would hate to be that customer that parks a little ways up/down/across the road from the restaurant though given how dark Skyline is after dark; there're no street lights. I'd imagine the Mountain House would be a beautiful lunch location - convenient for those hiking/biking in the neighboring redwood forest parks. Perhaps something the restaurant might consider?

What a neat, beautiful spot! This restaurant is surrounded by tall redwoods that you can see in the glass-enclosed dining areas! The decor brings us back to the 1940s, classy and tasteful! Everything that we had was delicious! I appreciate that the tasting menu included vegetarian options. The butternut squash soup was of the best I've ever had. The gnocchi was soft and loaded in flavor. The pumpkin spice bread pudding was decadent. My date enjoyed his ribeye and loved his banana creme pie. When making the reservation we mentioned that it was for our wedding anniversary and our friend's 75th birthday - two very special occasions being celebrated. We wish that like other high-end restaurants that we had been acknowledged for it, or if those sentiments were written on our dessert. Otherwise very good experience, we highly recommend it to others!

Came here for a birthday celebration dinner and had a wonderful time. The restaurant itself is surrounded by huge redwood trees and really feels like a cozy cabin in the woods. The staff are really friendly and professional. They gave us a free cheese puff appetizer, birthday cake, and pastries. And, the courses there were amazing! So many flavors and a beautiful presentation. It's very expensive but worth it for a special occasion. So grateful I could try it.

We had a lovely experience here last night in the forest room. I would recommend choosing a reservation time that at least starts before dark if you are going to sit in this room because it is lovely to see it in the light. Our server was very attentive and the pacing of the meal felt right. If you do the beverage pairing, the wine pours are full glasses which is nice. My favorite dishes were the quail, lamb chops (a special that day), venison, short rib, and crème brûlée. I appreciated that the kitchen separated the lamb chops onto two plates so it would be easier for my husband and I to split. I'd pass on the tuna crudo next time, as the pieces were of all shapes and sizes rather than nice even pieces. My one complaint would be that parking is a little stressful. We arrived right around opening and the lot seemed full. We ended up finding a hidden spot, but later folks had to park in the street (which is fine, but it's not super clear where you can/should park). This would not deter us from coming back!

I was the guest at a wedding this past Friday night. As we drove away, my wife and I both, in our own ways, were raving about the quality of service we experienced. We came early to help set up, and the staff was generous with their help, friendly and easy to deal with, and made that part of the process go very smoothly. The service during the meal was great. (And the food was excellent). It was well organized and again the friendly, easy, competency we kept running into was delightful. And when we cleaned up, they were right there to help lug stuff out to the car, they wouldn't let me pick up heavy boxes.We agreed that it wasn't just the wait staff or the set up people or the management, it was everyone.

Food is amazing and service is wonderful. Made reservations for 5pm on a Sunday to celebrate getting engaged. We were welcomed and congratulated with a complimentary glass of Prosecco. We ordered the special, lobster arancini, a short rib entree, pork loin entree, and chocolate caramel cake for dessert. Arancini was rich and creamy, coming with 2 balls, which they split for us. Short rib entree was tender! And the mashed potatoes were silky and buttery. Pork loin was seared and cooked while still staying juicy. The arugula peach salad was just okay. Would have preferred some sort of starch or grain with it, but definitely good for a light meal. The cake did not look like anything special but was very surprising with how soft and moist it was. The area around the restaurant is high up in the hills surrounded by trees. The front dining room is cozy and rustic.

As others have mentioned this is a very unique venue up off Skyline. You're only 20 minutes from downtown San Mateo yet completely surrounded up in the hills by the trees. It feels like you need to split this restaurant into two concepts, one a bar with great food with a rustic old school theme, the other is white table cloth fine dining with tons of natural light and a tasting menu. The food was excellent, the service attentive and it's definitely a place we'll return to. Every bite was excellent and they have a rotating menu so it's worth trying multiple dishes.

The wagyu (some sort of Aus/NZ hybrid) definitely wasn't worthy of the $60 upcharge (in addition to the prix fixe). The cut was just too chewy. The second entree was ordered without onions. Well, it arrived with onions.... Does one send it back and have one person in your party staring at everyone else eating while their dish is being remade? The person delivering entrees from the kitchen was about as stiff as a board. He's likely a high school or college kid hired for the holidays, but someone failed to train him in some basic server skills. Desserts were middle of the road, especially given the holiday season. Flourless chocolate cake and creme brulee a couple days before Christmas? Trying not to come across as being picky here, but I've had better dining experiences here before. Maybe it was an "off night," but it's hard to give a pass given the reputation and prices.

experience: we took the craziest drive to get here, i'd recommend coming in the day time haha! it's a series of very windy and steep roads (quite literally a house in the mountains). we were lucky to be sat in the forest room with a great view of the outdoors! service was wonderful and food was very enjoyable. ambiance: the forest room has dim lighting and a very lovely view of the scenery. outside the forest room, it's a typical rustic american aesthetic but the room itself gives fine dining! food: we got the prefixed menu for 87/person (optional 65/person wine pairing) with 3 courses and 1 complimentary sour dough bread. bread was AMAZING! and the steak was +25 surcharge but absolutely worth it.

Well the 4th time was the charm. Between their opening night 2/23 (during which they had only generator power) and last week, we had attempted to eat here 3 times. With power outages, storms, road closures, etc. we kept having to reschedule, but I'm glad we did. We had to settle for a 5:45 reservation, but that meant it was still light when we drove back. That way we could spot and attempt to miss all the new potholes on Skyline and 92. Very light crowd at that time, but packed by the time we left at 7:30. They have retained all the old charm of this place, but just cleaned it up a little. Unfortunately they haven't yet started serving in the back room, which really has a lovely woodsy view. Parking can definitely be a challenge. I expect they will evolve, and it is definitely worth a repeat visit. We started with drinks. I had a Hendricks martini up ( they were out of my regular, Tanqueray). $16, kinda high price I thought. 3.5 * Tim had the Leatherbound books and rich mahogany because he likes rum, and we rarely have it at home. $16. We both thought it was too sweet. 2.5* Amuse Bouche: potato fritter with olive aioli. Delicious and I loved that they left some chunks, not entirely pureéd potatoes. 4* Appetizers: Seared scallops with morel mushroom sauce, asparagus, chantrelles. Wonderful silky subtle sauce, perfectly cooked scallops. Loved it, but thought at $26 it was overpriced for 3 scallops. In general I think 3 is a weird serving size for something that was intended to be sharable. 4* Portuguese style steamed clams with linguica and coco beans. Best dish of the night. Perfectly balanced seasoning, juicy briny clams. The beans were slightly under for me. $18. 5* Southern fried quail, buttermilk biscuit, fried egg with sausage and mushroom gravy. The quail was crispy skinned and juicy meat. It was completely boned to make it easy. The biscuit was just okay, not crumbly more caky. The egg, was good, but not necessary and the addition of the very salty gravy too made it too rich. Keep the quail, but change its accompaniments. $26. 4* Pork loin with braised cabbage, spaetzle and whole grain mustard. The spaetzle had good texture and the pork was succulent with just the right bite in the mustard. The cabbage was overly sweet, with too much vanilla or vadouvan or something. It needed more acid. $36. 3.5* One other thing that bugged - none of the dishes with lovely sauces (scallops, clams) came with bread or toast points to dip. when 3 scallops cost $26, they could throw in some toast. Bread and butter are extra and have to be ordered separately. Food: 31/40 Service: 18/20 - Allisha was terrific! Atm/intangibles: 18/20 Value: 16/20 83/100=4*

This is a cute little place in the woods, we came to celebrate a friend's birthday and had a good time but as we are about to leave the power went off. It was a scary drive back out of the woods as it's very dark.

Great dinner spot in nestled in the redwoods. Enjoyed the bison dish and the ambiance

Delicious dinner, small quaint atmosphere, amazing and attentive service! Don't let the complaining reviews scare you off! This place is wonderful! We started with the fresh bread & whipped butter - they gave us 3 thick slices, homemade sourdough $5 and it was worth it. Next came the cauliflower soup / Granny Smith apples (just enough for a pinch of flavor and texture. That is my favorite soup! Hands down, it was amazing. So creamy! I have tasked my hubby with recreating it - yep- that amazing! Afterwards, to our pleasant surprise, chef sent out 2 small little savory cheese pastries, it was such a thoughtful touch, that I thought it was worth mentioning. I ordered the Sonora chicken. Wow! It was really good. Crispy skin on the outside and super moist on the inside. But the coup de Grace has to be the short rib. No knife necessary, not even a fork, it was so delicious, and savory and the meat was so very tender. For our anniversary dessert

The service was excellent, warm and welcoming. The food was worth every penny. Each dish was beautifully prepared and absolutely delicious.

Nothing like eating under a redwood forest. The Mountain House is a great escape from the busy city on a Sunday afternoon. We came out for the art and stayed for the food. Chef William and his team had a BBQ set up that was as sweet as their sauce. The food was delicious. Juiciest burger I've had in a while and finger licking good ribs. Rustic decor adds to the vibe. Highly recommend.

I want to begin by saying it's one of the most amazing restaurant experiences I've had in a long time. You could be dressy or casual to come and have a beer with some Chips but I urge you to come for a date night. The servers were absolutely friendly and warm. Even though it was a busy day they made sure our orders were in right and came out just at the time. Food was delicious. I was in love with Elk Burger and the sourdough. Oh man. I could eat it everyday!! It's got cabin, hunting season vibe. Beautiful and unique spot in bay area thank you guys. Sending much love.

The location is among the redwoods. Romantic. Proposal worthy location. The service was great. They explain every time they serve a dish. I took a picture of the menu for my own reference. Parking lot has gnomes and big Foot keeping watch. This time, Irish cream decaf was ok. Compliments "little cheese balls" hollow inside. Their house sourdough was the best. Crunchy crust and spongy inside sourdough. Free first plate. 2nd plate will cost. Prixe fixed menu $84 includes First course, 2nd , dessert. Stuffed quail, salmon, galette with peach and almond for me. Eating mate had quail, rib eye (add $18), chocolate flourless cake (intense for the chocolateholic, so good). Ribeye was a huge plate, 20 oz. Pre cut. So tender. Meat comes from S F Meat Co, comes with best mash potato, asparagus, fried hash browns. All veggies seem to be organic, very flavorful. My Qual was stuffed, served with fresh corn on the side. Delish. Salmon comes with foamy dill cream. This was my favorite. Stunning presentation. Salmon crunchy top, perfect soft inside, topped with roe on top, cubes of potatoes and pearl cucumbers! It's such a refreshing combination. I would have licked the plate, but I didn't. The galette was crunchy outside and had fresh peaches. What a wonderful dinner among redwoods. This place is so special. Since we were celebrating our birthdays, they surprised us with compliments of brownie with ice cream. So generous of them with a candle. Thank you. I was stuffed like the quail.

Amazing food, drinks, views and vibe. The Mountain House is where it's at! Chef Roberts always outdoes himself! This is a must-try

Mountain House is a great romantic place for a quality meal. Prefix menu is awesome! You can't go wrong. Front bar is really cozy.

Everything was on point. The food, service, environment all fantastic. We can't wait to come back!!

Fantastic ambience in the woods surrounded by redwoods. It doesn't matter if it is foggy or sunny outside, this is a beautiful place, filled with hunting memorabilia, with a fantastic chef. When the evening is clear, the glass enclosed closed garden room is amazing place to eat dinner. On foggy nights the interior is gorgeous and a very warm and comforting enclosed space I have never eaten anything that was less than great at this restaurant. From the San Mateo area, this restaurant is less than 30 minutes away and feels like you are completely in a different geographical area. Wonderful place. Recently moved to a fixed price menu which is expensive, but still with reason by Bay Area standards. I would not at all hesitate to come back here for my next special occasion. One of my favorite restaurants, and a wonderfully unique experience

I have booked this spot a month ahead of time to celebrate my boyfriends birthday. We were both very excited to dine in and enjoy the beautiful views the restaurant has to offer. As it was a pouring evening, upon arrival, we were greeted by the hostist and sat us down to our table. I was a bit disappointed because I initially booked for the Forrest Room but was sat at their main dining area. I noticed there was a private event in the Forrest Room, which they could've let us know. Our waitress was very lovely and guided us through their menu. As we ordered our food and waited, I was a bit disturbed by the table behind us as they were speaking loudly throughout our entire meal. We both very much enjoyed the food and services.

I am such a sucker for a cozy forested anything so MH is basically my dream, especially in the fall. And if it was good enough for Neil Young's Harvest Moon - well. Sold. I had driven past this place most of my young life wondering what the deal was but not brave enough to check on my way to or from a local hike or fun twisty drive. With the new ownership and my impending move out of the area we made plans to check it out. I wish we had dined early enough to enjoy the trees on the enclosed patio, it looked a lot like the view from the house I just sold (and I will forever mourn its loss). The bar and dining room are my hygge mountain ideal; service was good; food was great. $85 gets you a three course meal that will be too much food for all but the most robust of appetites. We left over stuffed after having only finished about 3/4 of the food we were served. Math tells me that means one of the four of us could have just skipped eating entirely, but where is the fun in that? And now I have two reasonably sized meals in my fridge to look forward to. We all shared most of what we ordered and the standouts for me were: * the tomato soup (such fresh, bright tomato flavor), and the beet/citrus/goat cheese salad * the chicken with mushroom risotto * the flourless chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream The cake was not at the top of my sit to try but ended up being my fave. They wisely serve it as a tiny slice. The menu changes regularly so these may not be there in these exact formats when you are but rest assured, no one in our group turned their nose up at anything! Definitely worth a stop for a special meal or a cozy bite at the bar.

Delicious and wonderful ... and pricey! We took friends for their anniversary. The drive is a bit windy , it's waaay up there on the hill. We had a lovely dinner. It adds up by the time you add the drinks, wine... but we were happy !

We came here after a day cruising HWY 1 from Santa Cruz. Made a reservation a couple days in advance and were seated immediately upon checking in. All the staff was extremely polite and knowledgeable of all that was being served. The waiter that took our orders and told us the daily specials totally blew us away and made our dinner that much more special. All the food was amazing and left us wanting more. Will definitely be coming back! *not photographed was a delicious salted caramel chocolate cake.

Great service, from the bar to the dining room. The food was prepared perfectly. The wine pairing was spot on. Parking is limited so give yourself a few minutes to find a spot before your reservation.

Arrived 7 minutes early with reservation on a Sunday, restaurant about half full. Interior looks nothing like the clean, glassy photos on Facebook & elsewhere; more like a small speakeasy or hunting lodge pub typical of the area. Couldn't get seated immediately, the staff refused to do so until our booking time was hit which might have been expected if the place was packed but alas it was not. When we did get seated, we were stationed immediately (and unnecessarily) next to the front door with customers coming in and out. The seater asked us if we'd been here before, I said no but he mentioned the restaurant was under new management, reopened 2 months ago and that the current chef runs the place. Much of this review has to do with the service, which was confused and inattentive. Server had to disappear twice to answer basic questions about the menu items (one of which was out of stock), and 30 minutes into the seating came back because she forgot what entrée I ordered and asked me to restate it. It was over an hour before the entrees showed up, and when they did a member of the waitstaff apologized that my order had to be prepared twice because of a kitchen error the first time around. Make that three times, because the grilled pork loin was undercooked and had to be sent back, and even then still partially undercooked in spots! My wife enjoyed the smoked trout rillete & the "crispy" Mt. Lassen trout for its unexpected rareness, but there was nothing crispy about it so I'm not sure where that comes from. Best part of the dinner for me was the amuse bouche croquette & the $5 sourdough bread which would have been free at any other white-tablecloth restaurant. Second best part was the pork's spaetzel side dish, I suppose. Only one salad was available, with no dressing option available other than the default vinaigrette (not that we were asked); it was large enough for two, and satisfactory for a $14 salad. In general, the staff seemed to be everywhere except the dining room; I counted three servers, two cooks, a bartender and possibly one or two maître d's who were... where? And doing what? Occasionally they'd show up unexpectedly only to disappear again without attempting to scan the room and generally keep on top of things. Confusing, all of it. The remote location is great and exactly what I was looking for, but the poor service, small menu & food cooking issues not. The twilight zone of restaurants! I'd be curious to know what this place is like six months from now (if it's still open.)

I'm so sad The Mountain House is now closed. Every time I came here I felt I was in a special place. Ever since my first visit in 1993, going to the Mountain House was like being teleported on vacation for a few hours. I'm happy the owners are rewarding themselves with a well deserved retirement, but I really, really, really hope someone steps in to revive this business and it's fabulous dining experience. Thank you Jerry, Lorraine and staff!

Cute location albeit a bit far from many things. I think they try to make it look more upscale than it really is. Main thing is the food was disappointing. Had a different flavor than i like. There's tastier food options for way less.

A very mixed experience. From start to finish. We had dinner there last night, my BD. Sat in the beautiful Forest Room, a lovely glass enclosure surrounded by the forest. Service was very attentive and friendly. Started with a complimentary amuse bouche, tomato arrincini which was great. It's a three course prix fixe menu, which we both did with the wine pairing. We both had the halibut crudo which was very good, but the flavor of the fish was overwhelmed by the dressing. Also, the dressing clashed with the white wine pairing. But overall pretty good. Things went south with the entrees. My wife ordered the pork tenderloin. The server mentioned that it is served pretty rare, is she ok with that? She says yes, she prefers it that way. It was served, and it was quite dry and OVERdone! She sent it back, and was served another that was cooked as they had said it would be. I ordered the rib eye steak. It had a sauce on it that was so salty as to make it inedible. I had to send that back as well. To me there is no excuse for massively over salting something. They made another one without the salty reduction, and that was ok. The crispy potato thing that came with it was actually really good. Dessert was fine. Overall, the place is really cool, but they need to get it together in the kitchen!

DISAPPOINTED. Not coming back. We did our dinner rehearsal here 15 years ago. This is our go-to place for special occasions and also for coming over just to have a nice dinner. We love this place. We were sad when Lori & Jerry closed the business. When we heard it is back with new management, we were excited and had to try the place. DISAPPOINTED. From food to waitstaff.

We love The Mountain House! We have never been disappointed. Reservations are a must. The drive to M H is lovely.

I made my first visit since the sale/reopening of this iconic restaurant. The new owners and staff are most certainly great stewards of this local institution. The food was amazing - I was happy to see that the new team retained Mountain House's legacy of having creatively-prepared game on the menu - the service was beyond professional, and the space has retained its ambiance and magic. Their prix fixe was both substantial and reasonable for the quality and quantity of food served. The restaurant was busy but the staff did not rush us in any way, in fact it felt like they went out of their way to make sure we savored every bit of our meal. Welcome back Mountain House! I cannot recommend this experience enough...

Had a delightful Sunday dinner with the new team. We arrived for their 7:45p seating and were taken to our table without much fanfare. Despite being both short-staffed and having new staff the experience was less than bumpy and they certainly went out of their way to make sure we were pleased. We ordered a sampling of appetizers including the scallop special, which was certainly a highlight. Entrees consisted of venison, braised short ribs, the burger, and the NY strip special. Braised short ribs were head and shoulders above the rest. The strip was a bit lean. However, the tempura battered onion rings that accompanied the steak were incredible. They were kind enough to cook up another order a la carte. Dessert consisted of a donut and banana creme coconut pie. The pie was to die for, and we were surprised by how long the depth and lingering of the finish were. As for beverages, we had cocktails at the house prior and brought two bottles which they were kind enough to open for $35/each. We're glad The Mountain House is back, and look forward to the rest of the space opening.

The service was excellent. The food was yummy and the ambience was right out of Twin Peaks the series.

A fantastic neighborhood restaurant that is unfortunately not easy to access. There's a lot of creativity to the dishes - the standout for me was a clam appetizer. The desserts are also incredible. The bread is very good, but not a lot is given - and it's needed to clean off dishes.