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Benbow Historic Inn, Garberville, CA

Benbow Historic Inn

4.6
4.6
353 Reviews
$50 and over
French American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 1 time today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
Welcome to the Benbow Historic Inn, a premiere North Coast Hotel, Golf Course and KOA RV resort located in Benbow near Garberville – a small town in the heart of California Redwood Country near the Avenue of the Giants. Nestled on the banks of the Eel River in Humboldt County, California. Our resort offers something for everyone seeking a California Redwoods vacation.

Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence
Each year, the Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence honor, encourage, and recognize the most exemplary historic hotels, hoteliers, and leadership practices. The Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence are presented to historic hotels and hoteliers demonstrating innovative leadership, stewardship, and contribution to furthering the recognition, preservation, and celebration of these preeminent historic hotels and their histories.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    French American, Tapas / Small Plates, Farm-to-table
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Daily 8:00 am–10:00 am Afternoon Tea Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–4:00 pm Bar Daily 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–8:45 pm
  • Phone number
    (707) 923-2124 ext. 246
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Resort Casual
  • Executive chef
    Cecil Stanfill
  • Catering
    Depending on your special occasion, Chef Cecil Stanfill has prepared several different menus and menu options, and is happy to accommodate special requests and dietary needs.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer multiple private party settings, from our outdoor lawn down by the river, to our beautiful back terrace over looking the lawn and the river, to a private room for 40 to 50 people.
  • Neighborhood
    Garberville
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Entertainment
    Live music during the summer on Tuesday night through Friday night.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 353 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Benbow Historic Inn offers a "magical environment" with "excellent food & service." Guests appreciate the "elegant old-world style" and "charming atmosphere." The outdoor terrace dining amidst redwoods is a highlight. While some found the menu limited, others praised the "outstanding" dishes and "accommodating staff." Ideal for a "romantic getaway."

353 Reviews
  1. nansea

    San Francisco1 review

    2.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Been going to Benbow Inn for over 30 years. So sad, ever since the remodel, loosing the old beautiful bar area, the lack of excellent food has become legendary. We went for a special occasion, so dissapointed in the food. We ordered the burger and fish and chips with sweet potatoe fries and the truffle fries. The fries were so over salted we couldn't eat them, the burger OK but fell apart immediatly. The fish was a mouthful of grease at one end and zero fish, almost as if the "cook" tried to make them all the same size by extending the batter but excluding the protein. I love lemon cheesecake, despite the ridicoulous overcharge of $17 for a slice barely allowing 6 bites we ordered it. $17, elsewhere would get you an entire cheesecake, and perhaps elsewhere I would have tasted the lemon. So overall I now believe in my neighbors and friends ( WE DO DISCUSS OUR LOCAL EATING PLACES) Not until the food meets the glory of the Benbow will we return, and we will be sure to inform others. Sorry Benbow, staff was delightful, even the great hall seemed to lack its usual elegance, but we went for the food and were sadly dissapointed.

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  2. Steve

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on January 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had an amazing 5 course dinner paired with McNab Vineyard wines! The whole experience was excellent!

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  3. Jennifer

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on December 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful, magical Christmas 🎄 ✨️ My new Christmas tradition!

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  4. Anne VIP

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the soup du jour which was sweet potatoes soup & pork chop with bourbon sauce. Both were delicious! Will be back!

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  5. Caitlin

    Philadelphia1 review

    3.0

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Visiting the Benbow Inn was a great experience. It had a beautiful interior and we enjoyed learning about the history of the building. The ambiance was beautiful. The food, however, was just ok. The cheese board was pretty basic/didn’t seem like much thought was put into the pairings. We were expecting more for the price, but it still made for a nice dining experience.

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  6. Dr. Richard VIP

    Central Coast4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 20, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely a wonderful experience with two awesome long time friends. Service exemplary and food delicious. Trout, Ribeye, and Creme Brule were outstanding. Highly recommend this unique restaurant.

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  7. Dr. Vanessa VIP

    Central Coast37 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 20, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food and service. Ask for Ashley table. Amazing chef.

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  8. joseph

    Sacramento39 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on October 12, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We enjoyed our stay at the end. The restaurant was fairly quiet when we arrived. Asthma of the gas had chosen to eat on the outside patio. Our server was pleasant once it was determined who that actually was as there was some confusion about who is serving the table. The food was very good, and we enjoyed our meals, except for the appetizer of bread with balsamic vinegar on the bottom. The bread was stale. When we mentioned to the server, she expressed surprise and checked with the kitchen. Upon returning, she informed us that the kitchen knew the bread was slightly stale, and that “that happened sometimes.” This was an expensive appetizer, and while we were not looking for a refund, it would’ve been nice to have been offered something in its place instead of just “it happens sometimes“. We ate there a second night and had very good service after the server was finally able to get to us. We waited quite a while, but understood because they were very busy. However, this time, A glass of wine was ordered, and it was obvious that the bottle had been open for a very long time. The wine was bad. In this case, the server took it away and took it off our bill and did offer to bring something else to us.

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  9. Linda

    San Francisco3 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on October 11, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    I was at the Benbow many many years ago and the dining was fabulous. This time, I thought the prices were high, the food average, and I was told the salmon was farmed. The servers were running around anxiously. Our server was not attentive and all the servers seemed to be in a sour mood. Did someone just get fired or did the cook just quit? Breakfast in the bar was very good.

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  10. Judi VIP

    San Francisco52 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on September 23, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We loved our dining experience at the Benbow Inn. We stayed there for 3 nights and since it was so good the first evening we decided to dine at the Inn the other two nights. The food was outstanding and the service excellent. We ate outside on their lovely patio and enjoyed their salmon, pork tenderloin and pork chops. The atmosphere was lovely and they had a live band.

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FAQs

Benbow Historic Inn offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (707) 923-2124 ext. 246.

Benbow Historic Inn is rated 4.6 stars by 353 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 1 time today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Benbow Historic Inn

445 Lake Benbow Dr, Garberville, CA 95542-3616

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Garberville
  • Hours of operation
    Breakfast Daily 8:00 am–10:00 am Afternoon Tea Mon–Fri 3:00 pm–4:00 pm Bar Daily 3:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–8:45 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    French American, Tapas / Small Plates, Farm-to-table
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Resort Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Cecil Stanfill
  • Entertainment
    Live music during the summer on Tuesday night through Friday night.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (707) 923-2124 ext. 246
  • Catering
    Depending on your special occasion, Chef Cecil Stanfill has prepared several different menus and menu options, and is happy to accommodate special requests and dietary needs.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer multiple private party settings, from our outdoor lawn down by the river, to our beautiful back terrace over looking the lawn and the river, to a private room for 40 to 50 people.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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