Richards’ Goat Tavern & Tea Room

Cool bar in arcata. As I was preparing for my trip I found this place on Unilocal so I bookmarked it.
Loved the décor and set up. It looked like a hipster type lounge serving both craft drinks and teas. Strange combo but it works. It was a diverse crowd with some people like myself unwinding after work, some students studying, some groups of people gathering for a casual meeting and just people coming in for a good time. The bartender was very friendly and drinks were solid. Although I wanted to try one of the special craft drinks on the menu I stuck to my usual, titos and soda ($ 6) which was very reasonable.
There was a calendar on the wall with the different nightly events. Tuesday they have a taco truck and Wednesday (the night I was there) they had a live band. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay to watch. Hopefully next time.
They also have a nice selection of games to play (i.e. Cards against humanity, connect 4, and some others).

I’ve only been once and that was to see Anna Tivel and it was great. I don’t drink so I can’t comment on the bar part, but the concert/​performance area is great.

I’ve been here a number of times and love the atmosphere. It’s a huge improvement over the other Arcata bars, clean, cozy and fun. There is limited seating, so if they’re busy be prepared to stand, but on a week night it’s a great place for a quiet drink or a date. They also serve a great selection of tea and their coffee is great.

Love the atmsophere. The drinks are pretty pricey, but taste great. The eclectic mix of couches is adorable.

OH I LOVE THIS PLACE! The atmosphere is great. Love the people. Nice tea but even better cocktails. Open late good for a night cap they have movies music and they are so cool. Glad to see it. Hope to get there more. It is so great.

I really like the idea and feel of this place, but the mixed drinks are super weak and the $ 9 pours of wine are barely half the size of a normal glass. I would come here more often if it wasn’t a rip off. The attached miniplex theater is a nice and unique feature.

Ha! A good place to study for mid-​terms? I think not Chris; maybe if you’re a b.s. psychology or sociology major. Its a cool place with different drinks from your avg. bar. Havn’t tried their yummies but hear they’re good though $$$. The only drawback is that it can get very loud in there and that’s prob. due to the layout and how many people are there, but when it comes to the point you feel like you’re yelling at the person across from you can get kind of annoying. And for being so dark, I wish it were a little more intimate of a set-​up. In the end worth checking out– everybody has different tastes.

Drink specials are all amazing, the service is impeccable, and they have a great assortment of live events/​music going on in their miniplex as well as great films screening in there. It’s becoming an Arcata institution, and a great place to hang out, chat with friends, study for midterms, dance, watch, eat, and drink the night away.

Great place, I appreciate the fact that my 18 y.o. daughter can accompany me while I have a cocktail and she has a Kombucha over a game of «cards against humanity».

Follow up to earlier review…
I have been to see each movie presented. Enjoyed them all. Still think the theater is terrific.
There are numerous showings so no one can have an excuse to not get there.
Still sticking with the Cock & Bull ginger beer… non alcoholic.
Finally checked out the food.
Only have had the pot pie kinda dish. Was good not great. I would order it again. Bit pricey.
…and now I know that outside food or drink isn’t allowed.
They need the money that their food and drinks bring into the business.
I have encountered several bar tenders. Very friendly and prompt service. Last woman was a bit flaky and odd but at least she added character to the joint.
Still sold on the general ambiance of the place.
I’m glad Richards Goat is becoming more and more successful.
Help spread the word… especially among your film enthusiast pals.
What type of audience is attending? The type that pays attention to the films, keeps quiet except for appropriate laughter and they sit through the credits… not me. When a film says The End, I’m outta there… but that’s just me.

I came in around 6:45 and place was quiet. The lady’s were nice but not all «HEY WELCOME TO RICHARDS GOAT!» One thing I was sooooooo happy to see was that they had cider! The cherry cider is incredibly delicious. As it got later, the place became comfortably crowded. They have some pretty fun board games and ahhhhhmazing music. Definitely a great place to great drinks. Shout out to Gennie! She’s such a nice bartender and very attentive. I did not get any food, and I would totally come again for drinks!

Suitably amazing cocktails, served with a smile and a slight hipster wink.
Seriously though, I’m writing this sitting at one of Richard’s Goat Tavern & Tea Room’s booths after enjoying a Moscow Goat and a There Will Be Bloody Mary, and sampling my wife’s Marsh Fog and Gentlemen Prefer Bourbon. Of all those cocktails the Bloody Mary was the least awe inspiring (it needs horseradish, or salt, or a little more Worcestershire sauce, or black pepper… or something). The Marsh Fog with its earl grey infused vodka was just perfect. The Moscow Goat was my absolute favorite, and it was without the ginger-​tangerine infused vodka and it was STILL great (they still used regular vodka).
There’s a good amount of seating, but it can get loud in here. Local wine, beer, and kombucha (c’mon, it’s Arcata) is also available. At the time of this review, they had macaroni and cheese and some sort of vegetarian option for food.
You can’t go wrong for upscale cocktails if you come to Richard’s Goat. We will be back!

So I’ve been here a few times now and I think my last visit was this passed Friday night. Yes, this place has a great ambiance and location but it’s majorly lacking in other departments.
I went out on Thursday (May 7^th) and had 3 of the same drinks in a row (tequila mockingbird) which is a totally awesome drink. The following Friday night I ordered the same drink but it was completely different from what I recieved the following the night before. The drink is a small serrano pepper and pineapple infused tequila drink on the rocks, Friday night it was tequila with sweet & sour and 4 sad ice cubes bobbing on top. At 9 bucks a pop I asked the bartender for something different, explaining that the drink didn’t taste like it had the night before. What I got in return was a lot of attitude, an explanation that each bar tender makes all the drinks a little different, if I wanted a cider instead then I’d have to pay 2 extra dollars, that the drink I ordered indeed was actually only tequila with lemonade and lime juice, and that she could add whatever I thought the drink was missing. That being said, I set the drink on the bar and made my way for the door with no intention of returning.
As I said, good ambiance and location, but incredible lack of professionalism, standard and knowledge of how a bar works.

Relaxed ambiance with a nice lounge feel. The employees are nice too! There’s always good local beer on rotation and good tea choices. Don’t expect to come for food because that’s not their specialty. If you are really lucky though they’ll have a few chicken or veggie hand pies left (pot pie finger food). The place can get a tad noisy at peak hours but what do you expect from a nice tavern and tea room? Highly recommended, just don’t eat that last hand pie… I called it!
By the way, when will you be screening indie films in that 30-​something seat theatre y’all said you were going to have? I can’t wait!

Richards’ Goat is the best place for craft cocktails in Arcata and Eureka. I came with my wife as part of weekend getaway trip from SF. I was searching on Unilocal for the best bars and at first I was a little concerned since this place didn’t have many reviews.
So glad I came! The cocktails were great. My favorite was the March Fog (earl grey infused vodka, champaign, orange bitters, sugar cube a twist on the classic champaign cocktail) then I also loved their old fashioned. Simple but good. They have lots of tea infused cocktails, local beers on tap, and a great atmosphere.
The infused glass chandelier is really cool, as is the story of why they named it Richards Goat. You will have to check it out yourself!
Lastly I should mention we didn’t order food other than a PI day dessert special — whiskey butter pie with rose gelato. Wow was this ever good. Probably the best dessert pie I’ve eaten in a year. The prices were really reasonable. 7 drinks and dessert came to under $ 50, half of what you would pay in SF!
They also had a DJ come in on this Saturday night. Normally I’m not a fan of DJs as the music often gets turned up too loud but this DJ was perfect. It was loud enough that made it a party but not too loud that you couldn’t have a conversation. Music was great too.
Richard’s Goat is an excellent bar for craft cocktails, friends, and good times.

This place is my new obsession. Perfect for anyone who likes to leisurely enjoy a creative cocktail, unique local beer (macadamia nut was on tap here once!!), and conversation, the quirky knowledgable staff are quick to offer a smile and unobtrusive service. It is a bar, but occasionally they have some delicious food offering & I was stoked one night to see Chicago style deep dish pizza on their write up menu. Love that they offer so much more than just alcohol too. Hand blended tea selection, locally brewed Kombucha on tap (sells out quickly though!!), and baked goodies keep me there long after I’ve had one too many cocktails. :)

Nice ambiance. Creative cocktails. Tasty snacks. Loud on the weekends. Nice tea service and tea-​infused booze. Good for daytime drinking. Fair price for cocktails, but expensive for straight drinks ($ 8 for Johnny Red neat! Yikes!). It’s very nice to have a place away from the Plaza shenanigans. Hipster vibe.

Well its 6pm on a rainy friday night here in humboldt. Curious about this place, the old school ambience and frosted windows give it a look of mystere that pulled me in.
Inside it’s really nice. Booths and tables line the room and they are all full. 2 – 4 people per table.
The full alcohol bar is beautifully done.
Mellow music and dim lights set the atmosphere.
Keep in mind this is also a tea room and its mixed beverages (mostly french presses) on the tables.
I walked up to the bar only to find it lined with empty glasses at some of the seats.
Disappointing is the very limited food menu of locally made mediocre Slice of Humboldt warm veggie pot pies, which there was only 2 left… now none.
They are limited on beers on tap and ciders.
Keep in mind they have a full bar, but its not enough to keep me here.
The girl behind the bar seemed friendly and knowledgeable but made no effort to capture me. After serving me, she immediately asked for payment, not a cc to hold my tab open or keep me here any longer than to finish my pot pie and cider. I would have had another cider too had I been given rhe chance. But, I wasn’t even asked! Even the nice guy behind the bar seemed too busy with dishwashing to ask if I’d like another! I tried flagging down the girl who was entertaining a couple less than 3ft away. Nothing.
Im not too hard to handle and based on reviews of other local spots, generous with reviews when treated properly but I’m thinking I’m gonna pass on the return visit…

Richard’s Goat is, in short, awesome. By far the nicest full bar in Arcata. They’ve got house made infused liquors, a good beer selection, and I’ve been addicted to the incredible Humboldt Cider Co ciders they carry on tap. I’ve had mini chicken and veggie pot pies, pumpkin panna cotta and gluten free brownies here, and basically everything is REALLY good. This is definitely my new favorite spot.