Wild Coast

We dropped in for dinner and while we expected the big bill, the food was not up to par. We ate at the other nearby restaurants at a similar price point and the meals were in a whole other league.
They did have live music and a nice fire and the employees were great. The resort looks like a nice place to stay, but I would plan your dinner elsewhere if your gonna drop some big money. Try Nepenthe or Ventana.

We were staying nearby and read good reviews for the sushi bar. Hungry after hiking and beaching we arrived in time for the 430 opening. They were closed, opening late for reasons they didn’t deign to tell us. We tried to chat up the staff to see when they might start serving, and we’re met with attitude. The staffs attitude and complete don’t give a shit approach to customer service was so offensive that we’ll bypass this place, even though we visit big sur several times a year and are real sushi lovers.

Yurt, sweet yurt. Jamie W. and I really enjoyed our brief stay at Treebones (review:
), and we managed to eat at their sushi bar for dinner on both evenings we were there. I felt like that dining experience was discretely separate from the main restaurant, so I reviewed it in its own listing (review:
). That means what’s left to review is the Wild Coast where we had breakfast and lunch. This is the dining room you walk into when you enter the front door of the main building. I did manage a peek at their dinner menu (photo:
) and was frankly startled at the exorbitant prices for the entrees. Venison chops in a blackberry reduction were $ 42. Was the deer raised on organic alfalfa or something? A filet mignon was $ 36. Oy.
Given that guests would have to drive for quite a while on Hwy 1 in the dark to find another option, it would appear they are held captive by these expensive choices. On the other side, breakfast was complimentary, and while it mostly consisted of cereals and pastries, the one ringer was the self-​service waffle which I have to admit was quite delicious (photo:
). I’m not sure what exactly was in the batter, but it was definitely a grade above the gluey globs served up at a Best Western buffet spread. Lunch was a simple menu of a daily special soup, a couple of salads and a selection of burgers and sandwiches (photo:
). I ordered an $ 8 bowl of the soup, a Butternut Squash and Carrot combination, which was perfectly decent (photo:
).
I also had the $ 14 Roasted Veggie Sandwich which had a bit of a Middle Eastern flair with yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes and greens enfolded into a thick garlic naan and spread with a Siracha aioli (photo:
). Presumably all the produce came from the organic garden on the grounds, so it was quite fresh tasting. Jamie had the $ 16 Tuna Melt which added tomato, cucumber, red onion, pepper jack and greens in thickly sliced wheat toast (photo:
). Both of us received veggie chips as part of our baskets, and while satisfying for a leisurely school-​type lunch, it was all a bit underwhelming for the surroundings and the second mortgage we had to take out. I’m not sure what choice we really had.
FOOD — 3 stars… unlike other aspects of Treebones, it’s the expense that lingers the most in the memory… except for the complimentary waffle, of course
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… by contrast, the interior is casual and comfy
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… it looks like everybody at Treebones has multiple jobs (our masseuse was our waitress!)
TOTAL — 3 stars… a captive audience will pay what they need to for food

Yum.
We liked the little restaurant.
Its pricey.
Most of the stuff is from the garden.
Its convenient for the Treebones folk.
Staff super nice
Cozy little space.
We absolutely loved our stay here, the food, etc.

Mediocre food. I enjoyed the Treebones Resort (see my review later), but the food here at Wild Coast was at best just ok, especially for the prices. Overall the portions were on the smaller side. My steak was undercooked from what was requested and was really nothing special. I know they’re going for the wild theme but my carrots still had dirt on them. My fiancé’s fish dish was pretty bland. We were most impressed with the dessert, but to be fair all we ordered was gelato. However what bumped this review from a two star was that the fruit that complemented our dessert was picked by our waitress from the garden that morning and that was delicious. Limited wine list but the petite syrah I had was good. Would not choose to eat here if we had a choice again as it was not impressive.

Have you ever heard the expression that all food taste’s better when you are camping? Maybe it’s the embers from the hot fire or the aroma from the surrounding redwood bark. Or, perhaps, it’s the expertly crafted sushi creations with a view rivaling the best on earth.
You heard me correctly. At Treebones Resort, campers and «yurters» enjoy all the amenities of top-​shelf eco-​tourism — including the twelve-​seated, swank sushi bar just behind the main lodge which offers a panoramic sunset view of South Big Sur.
Truth be told, this was not the most traditional sushi experience I have ever had; however, «authentic» was not exactly my expectation. An experience as unusual as this should undoubtedly have some flare and personality all to it’s own. Imagining menu items such as «strawberry shenanigans», sushi burrito and tuna tulips, Sarah, Treebones’ free-​spirit and on-​site sushi chef, has created a fusion menu inspired by traditional Japanese preparation and casual coastal improvisation.
The sushi bar at Treebones Resort is open six nights a week (closed on Tuesdays) starting at 5:30pm.They do not take reservations so arrive early or be prepared to wait around sipping a drink on the seaward terrace… I can think of worse problems to have.

I want to give this sushi bar a 4-​star rating but just can’t. I LOVE the Big Sur area, the view from the sushi bar, and the amazing Yurts at Treebones, but sadly, the sushi is just OK.
I’m a sushi fanatic, but the combination of reggae music in the background (not the zen-​feel I like), and food not-​to-​die-​for, we had to cut-​bait pretty quick.
In all fairness, I’m sure getting the best fresh fish (and chef) up there is challenging.
I’ll be back though — I hope they keep getting better.

We stayed at the resort and ate two nights. Once in the lodge with the normal menu and once in the sushi bar. Both nights were good. We started our first meal with a caprese salad. My husband ordered the filet mignon. I got the sushi sample off the main restaurant menu. Plus we had a bottle of Pinot Noir. The staff is friendly and attentive but not over bearing. The beef was tender and prepared as requested. The main restaurant request a reservation but not 100% sure they are necessary.
The second night we ate at the sushi bar. We were extremely fortune to be there during Carlos’s last week at Treebones. We have eaten sushi all over the world and this was top notch and amazing. Nothing we ordered was bad. Actually many of them were creative and delicious. The menu is large and nothing like the sushi on the main restaurant menu. A wonderful night in a magical location. Worth every cent we paid for both meals. Both were around $ 120 with tip and alcohol. The sushi bar does not take reservations. If you can’t eat with in the sushi bar you can eat right out side with the same menu.

This seems like the kind of place where quality can probably vary quite a bit– It’s small and most of the ingredients apparently come from their garden. But our meal was great. The filet was one of the best I’ve ever had (basically a quality-​of-​meat thing, not sure if it’s always that good), and the flatbread and artichoke were fresh and delicious. All the deserts looked great. The whole place is pretty cozy and loq-​key, and while the prices aren’t cheap, it’s not an obscene ripoff (less expensive wines seemed to be around 50% markup rather than 2−3x at other restaurants). The biggest bummer for me was the lack of after-​dinner drinks or espresso.