Cambria Pines Lodge Restaurant - Cambria, California

jjikg83

No need to make RSVP because they dont honor or reserve any table for you even when they accept reservations. I waited for 1 hour and 45 minutes, even with a reservation (after arriving about ten minutes early). The food is very overpriced for being mediocre. I got the streak strip and a side of truffle fries. The fries were fast food crinkle fries, and the steak was cold, but the corn slaw that it was topped with was not bad. My sons burger was dry, and the sweet potato fries were hard and cold. On the upside, the Cajun chicken pasta was delicious. That is probably the only thing that I would recommend.

Rory Benedict

My wife and I received the Dinner Package for our 3-night stay for our 25th anniversary. We chose to eat at the Cambria Pines Restaurant the first night of our stay. We were seated by a cozy outdoor fireplace in a covered section. The tables appeared to be custom designed to fit the space. There are 2 outdoor fireplace seating areas. Our fireplace had two tables, shared with another dining group. Indoor seating is available as well.

The Dinner Package comes with 2 entrées and a bottle of house wine of your choice. We chose the Ballard Lane Cab. The waiter brought us a warm, sliced bread loaf with whipped butter. The bread had a nice crust with a light butter brushing and sesame seeds. Since we had a late lunch, we chose to skip an appetizer and opted for the Prime Rib (special that night) which came with mashed potatoes and a medley of steamed vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, some bell pepper strips). I understand the vegetables are grown locally by Cambria Pines. I would give the Prime Rib 3.5 to 4 stars. It was a generous portion. I added on an entrée side of Ravioli to share with my wife. The Ravioli consisted of two types, cheese and butternut squash. It was good. I especially liked the butternut because it was more solid as opposed to a mushy middle. The parmesan basil cream sauce on the Ravioli was good as well.

For dessert, we finished with a shared Crème Brulee.

My only small complaint is that one of the restaurant employees asked us and the other group if we were finishing up because we were the only ones left and they were wanting to close the restaurant down for the night. It was almost 9pm. We just lost track of time I guess - the fire was cozy and warm, the wine was good and my wife and I were really enjoying each other's company for our 25th anniversary. Anyway, understandable that the restaurant crew wanted to get out of there, but it did put a kibosh on an otherwise lovely evening. Still, I would recommend!

Update: May 28, 2022: Just a quick update. My wife and I ate at Cambria Pines Lodge Restaurant a second time during our stay. I wish I could say that our second meal was as good as the first. We again ordered the Prime Rib special. While my wife's experience was similar to her first, my prime rib was well over-cooked despite me asking for medium-rare. There was a wedding in progress, so maybe that contributed to the issue, but for $38, the prime rib should have been perfect. We ordered a different appetizer, Fried Calamari, and it was good. It arrived with a sweet Thai chile sauce.
I am hoping that the over-cooked prime rib was an anomaly. Still, we really enjoyed the atmosphere and each other's company.

Rod Baine

Breakfast - We stayed at the lodge and had breakfast each morning. The breakfast were good each morning. This is a continental style breakfast with limited items but scrambled eggs, sausage, yogurt and coffee... all in all a great easy way to start the day.

Dinner - upon our arrival with our reservation, we were greeted and promptly taken to our table by very friendly staff. Our server was fantastic. We both had the filet mignon which was very very good. They accommodated our special requests and our delicious dinner arrived quickly. We were both surprised by how good the service and food was. Desert was the Crème Brûlée which was fantastic.

To be honest, we were a little reluctant to try dinner here after reading thru some of the reviews. I can't speak for other peoples experience, but we had an excellent experience and the food was really very good. We actually tried another restaurant in town the first night and were fairly disappointed by comparison. The Pines Lodge was the BEST dinner we had during our stay.

Marlene Whorton

The daily specials are always delicious and picture perfect! Outdoor dining is a scenic atmosphere, and consistently an experience to remember. Our favorite waiter, Clinton, always goes over and beyond to make our dining experience enjoyable and memorable. He always makes us feel like we are a part of the Cambria Lodge family, and is always putting in so much effort into making our dinners special!

Linda G

My husband and I have enjoyed dinner at the Cambria Pines Lodge Restaurant many times over the past twenty years. We prefer not to drive after dark and preferentially stay at hotels where we can get an excellent meal with great service in pleasant surroundings. Cambria Pines Lodge is such a place. One important reason we keep returning to Cambria Pines Lodge is the quality of the restaurant’s food. We both love the same two entrees and tend to have them on alternate days. One is the pan-seared sea scallops with wilted baby greens and mushrooms. The other is the filet mignon with a lovely demi-glaze and crispy onion strings. We recently stayed at the Lodge for six nights and sent compliments to the chef every evening. The scallops and the filet were perfectly prepared every single time. The entrees were served with choice of starch as well as extremely fresh vegetables that were cooked just the way we like them best (removed from the heat at just the right moment, remaining crisp and not limp or soggy). And it is so relaxing to sit by a window and look out on the lovely garden or in one of the outdoor kivas. We have found the service to be friendly and professional. It is attentive but not overly so. Special thanks to Clinton for the many ways he has helped us through the years, and especially during our two most recent visits. We also send thanks to Carlos, Ashton, Aurora, and Jesus. We highly recommend the restaurant at Cambria Pines Lodge.

Dan Edwards

Cambria Pines Lodge is simply stunning from the outside! Pulling into the ample parking lot I was impressed. Just off the main lobby is a nice looking bar area with fireplace, live music, etc. I could hang out there all evening. We were there for dinner though in the restaurant. I made reservations through their website which were easily honored, although they missed the part about it being our anniversary. Service was professional and efficient although rather impersonal. The restaurant overall is beautiful despite their seriously dated and somewhat tacky vinyl table”cloths”. I think we were definitely the youngest patrons here, which at the age of 50 was noticeable.

Anytime I visit a new restaurant I always study the menu well in advance and know what I’m going to order. I had my heart set on the Lobster Mac & Cheese but was sadly informed they were “out of”. Even though we arrived at opening time. My Plan B was the Chicken Piccata which I really enjoyed. Prepared with capers, artichoke, etc in a delicious creamy sauce. Mashed taters were fresh tasting and well prepared. Veg side was tasty, seasoned and cooked to a nice al dente. My wife’s filet mignon was another chapter entirely but to make a long story short, it was re-fired and comped 50% thanks to the thoughtful manager.

Loretta Pennington

Jackie, my server, takes care of every table with a smile. Her service and competence is absolutely the best! Food is great!

Tony Phan

This was a pit stop on PCH and stopped by for a late Friday dinner. Server in the bar area was very attentive and awesome. Bread and butter was really good! Old fashions ?. Live music.