Tucked away along the Russian River in Sonoma’s wine country, the little town of Monte Rio packs in a surprising number of delicious spots to eat and drink. From scenic cafes right on the river to cozy bistros using fresh, seasonal ingredients, Monte Rio’s restaurants serve up memorable meals with stunning natural views. This guide covers some of the best restaurants and bars to hit up on your next visit.
Scenic Riverfront Dining
Several Monte Rio eateries take advantage of the area’s natural splendor by offering al fresco riverside dining. Watch kayakers gently float by as you savor wood-fired pizzas, locally sourced salads and Sonoma wines.
Rio’s River Roadhouse
This roadhouse-style restaurant sits right on the water, with sprawling deck dining mere steps from the Russian River. Rio’s serves classic American fare like burgers, steaks and seafood alongside a solid beer list and cocktail menu. Kick back with an Adirondack chair at a waterside table and take in the tranquil river views.
Village Inn & Restaurant
Village Inn features a dog-friendly patio that expands out towards the river, giving diners front row seats to take in stunning scenery. Complementing shareable appetizers and entrees like cedar plank salmon are craft beers, classic cocktails and a robust offering of Sonoma County wines. With fine food, drinks and idyllic views, it’s a beloved local spot.
Monte Rio Amphitheater & Park
The Monte Rio Amphitheater offers picnic tables in a park-like setting with frontage on the Russian River, making it a choice gathering place during warm weather months. Bring your own eats or grab tasty takeout fare from nearby eateries to enjoy al fresco. From Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends, Friday night concerts in the amphitheater regularly attract crowds who dance, dine and drink under the redwoods.
Community Oriented Cafes
In addition to laidback dining along the river, several eateries in Monte Rio’s historic downtown foster a neighbourly, community oriented atmosphere. These cafes offer visitors a welcoming slice of small town charm.
Papermill Creek Saloon
Papermill Creek Saloon got it’s start back in the 1960s as a hangout spot for loggers and locals. Today, it still has that same laid-back, friendly vibe, serving up hearty pub grub like burgers, wings and fish and chips. People gather over the 16 craft beers on tap, plus affordable wines from Sonoma and other regions. It’s a casual, no-frills kind of place to get some quality affordable eats and drinks.
Rio Roadhouse & Ice Cream
During the day, Rio Roadhouse & Ice Cream is an old-school ice cream parlor, scooping up premium ice cream, milkshakes, root beer floats and coffee drinks in a retro setting. But once evening hits, it transitions into a bar scene with classic cocktails, local beers and wines and bar bites like wings, tacos and cheesy nachos. You can grab a seat indoors or out on their pet-friendly patio.
Monte Rio Market & Deli
This place is the only grocery store in town, so it doubles as a gathering spot for locals. Along with your typical meat, produce and pantry items, they make fresh sandwiches, salads and pizza to order. You can get your food to-go or hang out and eat at one of the small cafe tables inside near the entrance. It’s a casual counter-service deal but with that true small town charm.
Fine Dining Finds
Beyond riverfront cafes and low key community eateries, there are a few Monte Rio restaurants offering elevated dining experiences that rival offerings in nearby wine country towns. These finds showcase the area’s high quality produce and ingredients in creative ways.
Boon Eat + Drink
The menu at Boon restaurant is all about seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients – mostly from purveyors right here in Sonoma County. You’ll find everything from small plates to fresh salads to bigger entrees like seared diver scallops and NY strip steak. Their river view deck provides a super tranquil setting for a special meal, while the historic lodge interior has a rustic chic vibe going on. It’s a charming spot to enjoy their farm-fresh fare.
Applewood Inn Restaurant
If you’re looking for an upscale meal in Monte Rio, the elegant Applewood Inn Restaurant is the spot. They serve ambitious, seasonal cuisine alongside one of the most extensive wine lists in the area, including some hard-to-find Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs. Menu standouts often include things like Liberty Farms duck breast and dry-aged ribeye topped with Pt. Reyes blue cheese. It’s a white tablecloth kinda place, so you’ll want to make reservations for this fancy eatery. But the high-end food and huge wine selection make it worth it.
Northwood Golf Course Restaurant
The restaurant here is the only full-service spot in the whole U.S. located on a golf course that actually crosses over a river. They get creative with their American fare by using produce from the chef’s own garden right on site. In the morning, you can grab something like the perfect breakfast burrito. For dinner, they serve up plates like filet mignon alongside truffle fries made with Kennebec potatoes. And no matter what you order, you’ll get panoramic views overlooking the golf course and river. It’s a unique dining experience you can’t find anywhere else.
Must-Try Local Flavors
Monte Rio provides access to delicious, hyper seasonal ingredients grown nearby. From just-plucked apples to sustainably raised meats and eggs, the area’s fertile agricultural offerings make their way onto menus. Be sure to try these local flavors while visiting.
Gravenstein Apples
These crispy, juicy Gravenstein apples are grown right here in western Sonoma County, including Monte Rio. They get harvested in August, so look for salads topped with thin slices of fresh Gravensteins, pies and other baked goods packed with their tangy sweetness or grab some whole ripe ones to go with your picnic snacks. These iconic local apples are such a big deal, they even have their own annual festival in mid-August in Monte Rio celebrating them. They’re a seasonal must-try when you’re in town.
Russian River Seafood
The Russian River is home to wild steelhead trout, plus stocked Chinook salmon and striped bass – seafood that ends up on the menus around Monte Rio. For the absolute freshest preparations, keep an eye out for the daily specials featuring recent local catches, whether from the river itself or waters beyond. That’s when you’ll get the just-pulled-from-the-water freshness.
Pasturebird Chicken & Eggs
A growing number of restaurants source chicken and eggs from Pasturebird, a nearby regenerative farm raising heritage breed poultry on rotating pastures. Their meat is noted for it’s exceptional flavor and quality derived from this sustainable approach.
Sonoma County Wines
With Monte Rio situated in the Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma County wines headline most wine lists. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from prestigious area wineries often pair beautifully with meat, seafood preparations, pastas and more.
Craft Beer & Ciders
Nearby Santa Rosa and Sonoma County at large produce top notch craft beer and hard cider. From IPAs to saisons and more, pairing regional brews and ciders with casual pub fare is always a foolproof combination.
Nightlife: Bars with Character
Monte Rio bars offer visitors fun and funky nightlife options far from cookie cutter. Drink, play games, take in live music and get a taste of Monte Rio’s eclectic personality after dark.
Duncans Mills Saloon
“Bikers, hippies, musicians and kids” all converge at this cash-only saloon pouring cheap drinks and hosting live bands every weekend. Order a shot and a PBR then browse the oddball collection of artifacts decorating the space for an only-in-Monte-Rio kind of night.
Rio Theater
The 1940s era Rio Theater screens second run movies on weekends and doubles as a happening bar and music venue hosting dances, events and performances. Belly up to the Rohner Park bar to choose from 16 rotating taps pouring microbrews and cider or take in some foot-stomping live bluegrass and rockabilly on the stage.
Dining With a View: River Restaurants Worth the Trip
The striking natural landscapes surrounding Monte Rio make mealtime views of verdant hills and the emerald Russian River an integral part of many dining experiences. Here are some restaurants with coveted riverside tables worth planning your next meal around.
Boon Eat + Drink
Boon affords sweeping vistas of the Russian River from both it’s streetside deck and riverside patio, vivid green hills rising on the opposite bank. Sunset River views become even more stunning as darkness descends and strings of lights illuminate the park-like grounds. It’s among Monte Rio’s most scenic perches for wood fired pizzas, craft cocktails, global small plates and Sonoma wines.
Applewood Inn Restaurant
The elegant Applewood Inn perches on a bluff above the river, it’s dining room boasting jaw-dropping floor-to-ceiling windows framing lush river panoramas. Views here might be the best in the entire Russian River valley, more reminiscent of coastal Big Sur backdrops than small town Sonoma wine country. Seasonal menus further elevate the experience, making it a coveted special occasion restaurant.
Northwood Golf Course Restaurant
There is perhaps no more peaceful backdrop for a meal than the one enjoyed on Northwood’s dining terrace, overlooking the meandering river, towering redwoods and links-style fairways. Their seasonally changing new American menus incorporate garden produce and humanely raised meats, vital components in crafting tasty bistro classics best enjoyed amidst raw natural beauty.
Village Inn & Restaurant
Village Inn’s multi-tiered riverside deck enables almost every table to take in placid river views with blooming gardens in the foreground and forested hills further behind. Grab patio seating with your pooch in tow to sip local beer and wine while watching kayakers gently float past. It’s a prime perch for kicking back, relaxing and embracing iconic Sonoma County scenery.
World’s End Bar & Grill
World’s End Bar & Grill is a laidback riverside hangout serving classic bar fare and an impressive selection of craft beers on tap. With picnic tables dotted along the Russian River, it’s a favorite for enjoying burgers, nachos, wings and other pub grub in a dog-friendly setting with picture-perfect views.
Open year-round, World’s End has an expansive deck that really fills up on sunny summer weekends when live bands perform. The kitchen turns out well-executed bar food classics like house ground burger patties topped with Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, crispy fried calamari and barbecue chicken wings.
But it’s the beer that draws crowds here, with 24 rotating craft brews on tap showcasing NorCal and beyond. IPAs and pale ales from top notch breweries like Russian River Brewing Company, Lagunitas and Moonlight Brewing entice beer lovers.
With quality brews, straightforward grub and prime riverfront placement, World’s End is perfect for kicking back after exploring nearby wineries or taking an afternoon swim in the Russian River.
Cucumber Cafe
For fresh, feel-good eats in downtown Monte Rio, Cucumber Cafe hits the spot. This little cafe focuses on nutritious bites sourced largely from neighboring Sonoma County farms.
Open for breakfast and lunch, Cucumber Cafe whips up creative combos perfect for starting your day like the Morning Macrolut bowl blending chia pudding with bananas, granola and almond milk. Lunchtime build your own salad bowls allow mixing and matching of just-picked produce and proteins like grilled Mary’s chicken breast and 5 Dot Ranch steak. Hearty wraps and sandwiches stacked high with veggies also satisfy midday cravings.
In addition to healthy bowls and plates, you’ll find artisanal coffee drinks, superfood smoothies and small-batch juices to stay refreshed. It’s the perfect spot to fuel up before a Russian River adventure or winery excursion while supporting Sonoma County growers.
Monte Rio Variety Store
Attached to a convenience shop in central Monte Rio, this old-school diner flips hearty plates of classic American comfort food from it’s tiny kitchen. Formica counters and patched vinyl booths set the mood for no frills, rib-sticking eats served up cheap.
Monte Rio Variety Store slings diner fare like golden chicken fried steak, meatloaf made from a time-tested recipe and breaded pork chops, each arriving at tables atop mounds of buttery mashed potatoes. For breakfast, find fluffy biscuit sandwiches and three egg omelets stuffed with fillings like smoked ham and cheddar. And whatever meal you choose, save room for a thick shake or slice of homemade pie.
It’s not fancy fare, but the Variety Store cooks up honest grub at honest prices – all while you soak in remnants of 1950s small town atmosphere. Cash only; ATM on site.
Sonoma Canopy Tours Zipline Cafe
Nestled among the redwood treetops 5 miles from downtown Monte Rio, Sonoma Canopy Tour’s Zipline Cafe keeps thrill-seeking tourists fueled up to brave the course. The hilltop perch means sweeping vistas across vineyard dotted valleys accompany your burger or taco order.
Serving picnic-style eats like hot dogs, tri tip steak sandwiches, chicken Caesar wraps and garden salads, the Zipline Cafe offers classic wine country luncheon dishes with an adventurous twist. Tacos sizzle up with fillings like Korean barbecue short ribs, chili lime shrimp and garlic butter filet mignon to satisfy big appetites.
Pair lunch with local beer, cider or wine before embarking on a zipline through forest canopies over the Russian River Valley. With views this gorgeous though, you might just prefer to linger at your picnic table.
FAQs
There is considerable diversity – from affordable counter service spots serving comfort classics under $15 a plate to fine dining venues with $30+ entrees. But the average is likely $15-$25 per entree at most sit-down restaurants.
During peak tourism months in summer and early fall weekends, reservations are strongly recommended at more upscale restaurants like Applewood Inn, Boon Eat + Drink and Northwood Golf Course Restaurant. Most casual eateries accept walk-ins.
Monte Rio is very dog-friendly. Many restaurants have outdoor patio seating where dogs are welcome to accompany their owners, in particular spots right along the Russian River. Some patios even offer dog menus!
There may only be a few dedicated nightlife-oriented bars and a couple venues with live music, but Monte Rio offers eccentric, funky hangouts liked Duncans Mills Saloon and the Rio Theater hosting events. Don’t expect wild club scenes – it’s more chill, local spots.
Reach Monte Rio via scenic kayak paddles along the Russian River! Or many nearby hotels offer free shuttle services to help visitors without vehicles access downtown restaurants and bars.
Conclusion
With the fertile Russian River running through it, Sonoma County has amazing wines, produce, meats and seafood. So it makes total sense that the little town of Monte Rio, set right along the river, is packed with memorable dining experiences. From eclectic cafes and funky pubs to ambitious eateries and scenic restaurants with killer views, you’ll find it all in this tiny place. Whether you’re looking for weekend lounging, picnic supplies or a special occasion meal, Monte Rio delivers quality food and drinks with plenty of off-the-beaten-path charm and character. It’s the perfect culinary detour for visitors and resort-goers in the area.
